Oklahoma Main Street Announces
Award Finalist

March 6, 2015

(Oklahoma City, Okla.) – The Oklahoma Main Street Center announced the finalists for 21 competitive awards. All finalists will be honored, and the winner announced, at the 26th annual Main Street Awards Banquet, May 5, at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

“These award entries showcase the creativity that abounds in each Main Street community toward increasing the revenue and promoting a positive image of each historic business district in the program,” said Linda Barnett, Oklahoma Main Street Center director. “Every year we say that it gets more competitive. This year is no exception. We are always excited to highlight these outstanding events, promotions, businesses and designs to the rest of the state.”

Each award category falls under one of the “four points” in the Main Street Approach – Organization, Promotion, Economic Restructuring and Design. Panels of outside judges for each point review the entries and determine the winners.

The Community of the Year Award will recognize the Main Street Community who led other towns by earning the most quality assurance points during the 2014 calendar year. The top 10 communities (in alphabetical order) include: Durant, El Reno, Enid, Guymon, Hobart, Newkirk, Perry, Prague, Pryor and Woodward. The top community will also be announced at the banquet.

In addition, the top Main Street program managers will be recognized at the banquet. Those making the top three this year include Kelly Tompkins, Main Street Enid, Inc.; Melyn Johnson, Main Street Guymon, Inc.; and Janet Fitz, Woodward Main Street.

The award finalists are:

ORGANIZATION:

Premier Partner
* Ada – East Central University
* Hobart – General Tommy Franks Leadership Institute and Museum
* Okmulgee – Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology

Best Community Education/Public Awareness
* Claremore -- #EmbracetheTrain
* Collinsville – Turkey Tracker Medallion Hunt
* Pryor – 3rd Graders Go to Work

Best Volunteer Development Program
* Durant – Durant High School Service Learning Project
* Hobart – Jr. Main Street Program
* Newkirk – Newkirk Leadership Class

Main Street Hero
* Altus – Ken Fergeson
* Okmulgee – Margaret Hess
* Perry – Norma Jerome

Best Creative Fundraising Effort
* Bartlesville – Bruin Tailgate Rally
* Enid – Food for Thought
* Hobart – Pumpkin Palooza/Pumpkin Chunkin’ Festival

PROMOTION:

Premier Special Event Under 1,000 Attendees
* Bartlesville – Historic Ghost Walk
* El Reno – Downtown Block Parties
* Wilburton – Cruise Nights 2014

Premier Special Event Over 1,000 Attendees
* Bartlesville – Bruin Tailgate Rally
* Okmulgee – 20th Annual Harvest Spoon Chili Fest
* Sapulpa – 25th Anniversary Route 66 Blowout

Best Retail Event
* Kendall –Whittier – Eat Eight
* Perry – Christmas on Main Street
* Prague – Shop Small Christmas Open House

Outstanding Image Promotion
* Altus – A New Spin on Main Street Altus
* Newkirk – Newkirk’s Sports Legacy
* Okmulgee – Okmulgee Rising

Creative New Event
* Bartlesville – Bruin Tailgate Rally
* Collinsville – Turkey Tracker Medallion Hunt
* Newkirk – Valued Treasures Antique Appraisal

ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING:

Best Adaptive Reuse Project
* Hobart – Stanley Building
* Perry – Event Center at Perry
* Prague – Bodyworx

Best Business Practices
* Ada – Vintage 22 Wine Bar and Bistro
* Ada – Wiggles to Wisdom
* Durant – Bliss Boutique

Best New Business Downtown
* Altus – The How-To Palace
* El Reno – Blu99
* Kendall Whittier – Pancho Anaya Bakery

Downtown Business of the Year
* Bartlesville – Sweet P’s
* Durant – The Country Framer
* Okmulgee – Ike’s Downtown Pub & Eatery

DESIGN:

Best Public Improvement Project
* Altus – The Wigwam
* Stockyards City – National Saddlery’s OK Corral
* Tulsa Route 66 – Route 66 Gateways and Pedestrian Archways

Best Interior Design Project Under $5,000
* Collinsville – Callie’s Cache
(only one entry)

Best Interior Design Project Over $5,000
* Enid – Nicholas Investment Co. 107. S. Grand
* Hobart – New 2-U Used Furniture & Antique Store
* Prague – Last Chance Bar & Grill

Sapulpa – Signs of the Times
* Best Façade Rehabilitation Under $10,000
* Bartlesville – Indian Lock & Key
* Newkirk – Rocky Bluff Photography
* Pryor – Clinton’s Tire

Best Façade Rehabilitation Over $10,000
* Ardmore – Thread’s Clothing Co.
* Newkirk -- Eastman National Bank
* Perry – Power Abstract Company, Inc.

Best Window Display
* Ada – Farm Girl Boutique
* Duncan – The Antique Marketplace
* Perry – LJR Enterprises

Best Building/Business Signage
* Durant – Caked Up! Revitalization & Signage
* Sapulpa – Gulf Station Building Sign
* Tulsa Route 66 – Goodwill Industries of Tulsa Vintage Rt. 66 Sign

The dinner and program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from your local Main Street Program for $38 if purchased before April 7, 2015. After that date tickets will be $48.

For more information about the Oklahoma Main Street Program, please call (405) 815-6552 or visit OKcommerce.gov/mainstreet.

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Tulsa’s Only Free Hazardous Waste Disposal for Residents

The Metropolitan Environmental Trust, The M.e.t., will host a two day pollutant collection event on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Tulsa Fairgrounds, 15th and Sandusky, Gate 7 next to the former Driller’s Stadium. These twice-annual collections are the only free opportunities for area residents to safely dispose of chemicals.

This is the first of two free events for 2015 to dispose of dangerous pollutants and chemicals. The event is specifically for residents of Bixby, Broken Arrow, Claremore, Collinsville, Coweta, Glenpool, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, Tulsa and Tulsa County. The event volunteers handle about five cars per minute to unload hazardous items. The M.e.t. anticipates over 3000 cars will be unloaded at this year’s first pollutant event.

Household items that are accepted include: cleaners, pesticides, fertilizers, automotive fluids, cooking oil, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, small ammunition, smoke alarms aerosol paint, hobby paint, pool chemicals and items containing mercury, gasoline and unused or out-of-date prescription medications. Items that are NOT accepted include: Latex paint, tires, electronic waste (phones, monitors, etc.), recyclables and commercial waste.

Michael Patton, executive director of The M.e.t. says “This year’s event is the earliest in the calendar year that we have held it. We did this intentionally in order to help people get a head start on spring cleaning and to have the event prior to Easter and other important spring commitments.” He goes on to say, “Unwanted chemicals and pollutants in basements and garages should be the first things to go in the spring cleaning process. If you aren’t going to use it; why are you storing it?”