Dade City Main Street Wins 3 Honor Awards at State Main Street Conference

Kurt S. Browning

Secretary of State

For Immediate Release Contact: Joan Jefferson

September 22, 2008 850.245.6345

Winners Announced for the Secretary of State’s

2008 Florida Main Street Awards

TALLAHASSEE, FL – Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning has announced the recipients of the Secretary of State’s 2008 Florida Main Street Awards. “I am proud to recognize the activities and accomplishments of this year’s honorees,” said Secretary Browning. “Their sincere focus on preservation and contributions to Main Street programs across the state are essential to the revitalization of Florida’s traditional commercial districts.”

The Secretary’s awards are based on the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Florida Main Street Awards Committee, which convened earlier to consider the applications received for 2008. The Committee included Joan Jefferson, Florida Main Street Program coordinator; Phillip Wisley, Florida Main Street Program architect; and three local Main Street program managers: Laird Gann, Melbourne Main Street; Bernard Malone, Stuart Main Street; and Ronni Wood, Main Street Winter Haven, Inc.

The awards program encourages and acknowledges local Main Street program accomplishments that advance the goals of the Florida Main Street Program. Florida Main Street is a technical assistance program of the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State. The Bureau conducts statewide programs aimed at identifying, evaluating, and preserving Florida's historic resources. Main Street, with its emphasis on preservation, is an effective strategy for achieving these goals in Florida's historic retail districts. Since 1985, the Bureau has offered manager training, consultant team visits, design and other technical assistance, as well as the benefit of experience gained by other Florida Main Street programs.

Forty-one honor or merit awards were presented for exceptional accomplishments within Florida Main Street communities.

This year’s award recipients are:

Outstanding Local Florida Main Street Supporter: Honor Award— Allison Todd, (Downtown Dade City Main Street); Merit Awards— Robert Gibbs (Main Street Milton), Gina King (Main Street Zephyrhills), North Florida Regional Chamber of Commerce (Main Street Starke), Orlando Utilities Commission (St. Cloud Main Street), Beverly Seybert (Venice Main Street), Your Neighborhood Realty (Grand Central District Association, St. Petersburg)

Outstanding Florida Main Street Fundraising or Membership Development Effort: Honor Award— Annual Reverse Raffle Fundraiser (Downtown Dade City Main Street); Merit Awards — Cowchip Bingo (Kissimmee Main Street), Main Street Milton Haunted House (Claire Potter and Main Street Milton), and the Redneck Gala (St. Cloud Main Street)

Outstanding Private-Public Partnership: Honor Award— Sofya Belair (Homestead CRA and Homestead Historic Preservation Board); Merit Awards— City of Wauchula, Wauchula Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Wauchula (Wauchula Centennial Celebration), City of Zephyrhills (Main Street Zephyrhills)

Outstanding Florida Main Street Rehabilitation Project: Honor Awards— Jeff and Stephanie Schorr - Craftsman House (Grand Central District, St. Petersburg),

John and Gigi Kady - Trigo (Panama City); Merit Awards— Russ Prather, owner and H&L Builders, contractor, - Broadway Pizza Bar (Kissimmee), City of Starke and Starke Fire Rescue - Fire Department (Starke), Lisa Mager - St. Cloud Hotel and Spa (St. Cloud)

Outstanding Florida Main Street Public Improvement: Honor Award— Clearwater Economic Development & Housing Department - Cleveland Street Streetscape Project;

Merit Awards— City of Eustis and Eustis Main Street Public Arts and Music Committee – Ferran Park Fountain Heron Sculpture, City of Eustis– “Fountain Green” an Interim Sculpture Park, Venice Main Street – Intergenerational Fountain, Vilano Beach Town Center Main Street – Town Center Streetscape

Outstanding New Construction Project: Honor Award— City of New Port Richey - Recreation and Aquatic Complex; Merit Award- St. Lucie County - Clerk of Court Building (Fort Pierce)

Outstanding Florida Main Street Sign/Display Project: Merit Awards— Lee’s Designer Consignment Shoppe (Panama City), City of Wauchula, Wauchula Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Wauchula – Centennial Logo Contest

Outstanding Florida Main Street Special Event: Honor Award— National Day of the American Cowboy (Okeechobee Main Street); Merit Award—Annual Garden Party (Kissimmee Main Street), 2007 Scratch Ankle Festival (Main Street Milton), Hearts for Art Gala – The Night They Raided Charlie’s (Greater New Port Richey Main Street), 10^th Annual Bradford County Strawberry Festival (Main Street Starke)

Outstanding Florida Main Street Image Campaign or Promotional Material: Honor Award— Downtown Dade City Main Street – “Welcome to Main Street, Come Home to Dade City” DVD

Outstanding Florida Main Street Retail Sales Promotion: Honor Award— Kissimmee Main Street - Get A Clue Scavenger Hunt

Outstanding Florida Main Street Business of the Year: Honor Awards— James Poffenbaugh and Staff, Poffenbaugh Ford (St. Cloud); Merit Awards— Tony Starova - Tony’s Pizzeria & Ristorante (Clearwater), Deb Pruitt – Polkadots (Milton), Jim and Annette Smetzer - Pasco Camera Exchange (New Port Richey), John and Gigi Kady -Trigo (Panama City), Elizabeth Durrance - Cats (Wauchula)

These awards were presented at a special banquet ceremony on September 18 during the annual awards dinner at the Florida Main Street 2008 Annual Conference held in Venice.

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