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Volume 1 Issue 4 May 2013
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Quick Links
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Website under construction
drinews@frontier.com
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DRI May Events
3 DRI Office Open
House 9-3
8 Customer Service
Training 2-4
14 Plaza Cleanup 4:30
18 Available Properties Open
House 9:30-12
23 DRI Volunteer
Celebration
11:30-1:30 |
DRI Meetings
1st Potato Fest mtg.
1 p.m. @Trigs
Smoke House
8th Promo mtg
8th Park Adv. 5 p.m.
13 Org 1 p.m.
14 Design 8 a.m.
14 Economic
Restructure 11 a.m.
15 Promotion 8 a.m.
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Click this box to add your name to our mailing list. Then send this newsletter to your employees so they can add their emails.
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Blast from the Past |
This month:
The first Rhinelander hospital was established downtown- where?
April's answer:
Although people found their way around the rule, during Rhinelander's first five years, every piece of property sold had a restriction against liquor. |
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DRI Board Members
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Executive Officers
President
Mark Gutterer
Rhinelander Café & Pub
Past President
Sally Latimer
Winifred Photography
Vice President
Michelle Smith-Grage
lattitudes
Secretary
Kurt Hildebrand
Carpetiers Carpet One
Treasurer
Ray Burgan
Former business owner
Committee chairs
Design, Pat LaPorte
Inside Story
Promotions, Open
Economic Restructuring
Dan Kuzlik, UW Superior
Organization, Joan Belongia
Former business owner
General Board Members
Pat Deau, Pat's Tap
Ken Juon, ArtStart
John Mason, Elbo Room
Chad Novak
Peggy's Emporium
Mark Pelletier, City Council
Executive Director
Maggie Steffen
Ex Oficcio Members
Mel Davidson, Oneida County
Economic Development
Sandy Kinney, Nicolet College
Lara Reed
Chamber of Commerce
Kim Swisher
Rhinelander School Dist. |
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Volume 1 Issue 4
Downtown Rhinelander, Inc.
Maggie Steffen
Executive Director
26 N Brown St
P.O. Box 1638
Rhinelander WI 54501
Phone 715-362-7374
Fax 715-362-7340
msdri@frontiernet.net
downtownrhinelander.com
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Next Month's News
- Car Show/ Art on the Court House Lawn
- Downtown Market
- July 4 parade
- Potato Fest news
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SAVE THE DATE
Downtown Events
May 4 DRI New Office
Open House
May 4 Chamber Girlfriends
Getaway May 18 City of Rhinelander
June Downtown Market
June 4 Hodag Quest for
JWMS 6th grd
June 8 ArtStart Opens
June 8 Car Show &
Art Fair
June 29 YMCA Hodag Run
& Chamber Hodag
Block Party
July 4 Parade
Aug 2-4 Oneida County
Fair
Aug 7 Redikulus Dae
Aug 17 ATV Pull
Aug 31 PotatoFest
Oct 26 Trick or Treat
TBA Hodag Howl
Nov 22-24 Holiday Open House
Nov 29 Tree Lighting |
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Downtown Architecture
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Each month we will show one downtown architectural feature to see if you know on which building it is located.
(Answer next month)
Answer for April:
April photo was at the BMO Bank Buiding
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Send this Email to a friend so they can
find out
What's Up Downtown
Rhinelander
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Just love those tators - but we have to wait till August 31st? |
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Each month we bring you news of what is happening in downtown Rhinelander. What interesting downtown news do you have to share with our readers? We would love to hear from you.
What an interesting extended Spring we have been having. It's the talk of the town! But the weather has changed and several great downtown events are on the horizon - ones you will not want to miss. And ... you can read about them right here. |
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DRI Office now at 26 North Brown
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We've moved to a new place!!! Just down the block, across from Carpet One.
Thank you
volunteer helpers & those who donated items. |
Come and see our new space and chat with the
director, Maggie Steffen
DRI Open House
Friday May 3rd
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
We will have the coffee on! |
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Customer Service Training (FREE)
DRI & Rhinelander Chamber
Wednesday, May 8th
2-4 p.m.
Nicolet College
Room 206 - University Transfer Center
Wisconsin Dept. of Tourism is presenting this customer service training for all Rhinelander area businesses, free of charge. Sarah Pischer will focus on why customer service is so vital to the tourism and businesses.
This training is for employees, employers, and managers.
Do you have new staff members? Maybe you would like a refresher course in customer service.
Attendees will also share tips along with learning what good customer service looks like.
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Available Properties Open House
Saturday May 18th
9:30-noon
This one day event will showcase the wide variety of available spaces located within the downtown district. This day will allow current and future business owners the opportunity to preview properties that are for rent or sale.
There are over twenty available property listings for the DRI Open House.
We will start at the new DRI Office location at 26 N Brown Street and end with the Networking lunch at The Rhinelander Café & Pub.
For more information contact Maggie at the DRI office.
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Volunteer Celebration
at new DRI Office
Thursday, May 23rd
11:30-1:30
- Join us for a complimentary lunch
- Tour the new DRI office
- Sign up to win a prize
- Come have some fun downtown
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Classic Car Show Trophies
Calling all businesses to sponsor a trophy
for the June car show.
A Classic Car Show trophy would look great with your business name on it as a sponsor. The trophies are quite impressive and the cost to you (great advertising) is only $50.
As a trophy sponsor your name/business will be announced several times during the car show and the trophy with your name will be on display all day for hundreds of people to see.
You can even present your trophy to the winner at the ending ceremonies giving you additional advertising and visibility.
To sponsor a trophy or for more information contact Dennis McGill at 715-369-1226 dlmgill55@gmail.com.
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Summer is Coming
Have you sponsored one of the beautiful hanging flower baskets yet this year?
Time is running out!
Contact DRI for information.
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'I Buy Local' winner for March, Lorie Ring, entered the contest at downtown Rhinelander's Living Nutrition Store. She won $100 in 'I Buy Local' gift certificates that can be spent at any of the participating 'I Buy Local' businesses. |
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Mainstreet with Maggie by Maggie Steffen, DRI Executive Director As you can see after reading this newsletter, DRI is not only busy during the summer. I hope you will be able to attend at least one of the activities we are having in May. - Please stop by the office at our new location, 26 North Brown, during our Office Open House - May 3rd 9:00-3:00.
- If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur thinking about opening a business, you will want to attend the downtown "Open House for Available Properties"-May 18th 9:30-12:00 Starts at the DRI office, 26N Brown Street.
- Volunteers keep our organization going. If you have been a DRI volunteer or you would like to become one, please join us for DRI 2013 Volunteer Celebration-May 23rd 11:30-1:30 at our office 26 N Brown.
I'm looking forward to meeting you in the near future. |
 What's Up Mark?
Message by
DRI President Mark Gutterer, owner of Rhinelander Cafe & Pub
Do you ever wonder if a relatively small group of people can move a mountain? This is what DRI continues to do. Led by our new Executive Director, Maggie Steffen, we are moving mountains. You all know what has happened recently...from Taste of chocolate, to St Patrick's Day, the packing up and moving an office to renovating and setting up a new office. As all of these things are being done, the office is managed, press releases and interviews happen and a schedule of ten or more things which will be happening between now and the end of summer (refer to Save the Date sidebar) continue to be planned and organized. These are just the events, as there is planning and energy and work which goes into the flower baskets, the plaza and triangle, even the waste baskets can take time (I have personally seen our Exec director empty these herself in preparation for an event). The output from our DRI office is truly amazing and although there are many volunteers each one participating on their own piece and in their own way, Our Executive director is in the middle of much of it. So the answer is YES, A small organization can move mountains.
When you have a chance, please shout out a Thank You to any and all of those people who are working towards making downtown the place we envision.
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Volunteer Opportunities
Downtown Rhinelander, Inc. is here to promote and help the downtown. This can be accomplished with the help of you-the community.
Do you have an hour or two each month? Your volunteerism would be appreciated.
Current volunteer needs:
Assisting in DRI office
Watering flower baskets
Weeding Plaza or Triangle
June Car Show
For the June Car Show
Setting up tables, roadblocks, & tents
Registering cars & ssist parking of cars
Working in Hospitality or Registration tent
Clean up at end of show
Thanks for supporting DRI. Please call 715-362-7374 or email msdri@frontiernet.net
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by Pat LaPorte, Chair
- The design committee has set the date of May 14th at 4:30 for clean-up work at the Plaza - weather permitting. - bring garden gloves and clippers.
- The Historic Preservation Committee is planning a Walk of Homes on May 18th, 2013 - get to know the history of the people in our city and the buildings that help create our city.
- We are still looking for people interested in doing some watering of the flower baskets - dedicate 1 1/2 hr. per day - pick a day of the week - or a week or whatever fits your schedule and we will accommodate your schedule. The water time is 5 - 5:30 a.m. - 6:30 - 7:00 a.m. everyday of the week unless it is raining. Your help would be most appreciated by all who enjoy our beautiful flower baskets. If you cannot find the time to help with the watering a donation of any kind would help this process also.
- We are also beginning to do the fund raising for the flower baskets - $100.00 will take care of one basket - we want to raise as much money as possible to keep this program working - the town would look very bare without the flower baskets. The money pays for the plants, the soil, the watering of the plants (the truck and water tank) Even if you cannot afford to donate $100.00 any donation will be accepted. Stop by the new location of DRI on ground level to make your donation. Any help is welcome.
Economic Restructuring
by Dan Kuzlik, chairperson
- Recent activities of the Economic Restructuring Committee include:
- Continued planning and participating with other DRI Committees on a signature Rhinelander event, "Potato Fest", which is scheduled for August 31st.
- Have participated in a media Press Conference announcing our plans for an open house of vacant properties in downtown Rhinelander that are available for sale or rent. This event will occur on Saturday, May 18th, from 9-12 a.m.
- Already planning for the second year of an "I Buy Local" campaign.
- The next meeting of the ER Committee is May 14, at 11:00 a.m. in the new DRI offices.
Organization:
by Joan Belongia, Chair
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Preparations for a Volunteer Celebration on May 24th under the direction of Sally Latimer are being made.
- Job descriptions for volunteers
for all the events are being established so all will know what needs to be done for each individual event. Thank you, Melanie Osterman.
- Maggie, Melanie, and Sally attended the chamber of commerce's Volunteer Training Workshop.
- Volunteer's names for all aspects of DRI are being gathered into one list so its easier to access names.
Promotion:
Still seeking a chair
- Met with the PotatoFest steering committee and divided into work teams to begin the details of the day (August 31, 2013) Collaborating with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers to develop the program. Our Meetings are open to all- Join us May 1 @ 1pm. for a tour of Trigs Smokehouse and a PotatoFest plannng meeting.
- Still looking for a chair to lead this important team. Call Mark Gutterter if you are interested in working with a dynamic team of self-starters.
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The Spuds are coming? You say August 31st?
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Michelle Smith-Grage
Owner of lattitudes |
Meet the DRI Board of Directors
Each month a board member will be featured.
Michelle Smith-Grage
Michelle is the owner of lattitudes clothing & gifts, which opened 12 years ago in it's current location on Brown Street . "I am fortunate to have been here that long and to still love what I'm doing."
Downtown was chosen as the location because it was a cohesive group of smaller, locally owned specialty businesses. When lattitudes opened, there were many complimentary businesses which drew traffic downtown.
Dividing her time between her shop, her husband, Michael, and five year old daughter, Luciana, Michelle still finds time to join the Spanish Chat group meeting downtown, travel, and enjoy outdoor activities such as camping with her family and paddle boarding. "I have a serious travel addiction, and am always ready to get on a plane. We're trying to make it a priority for our daughter to experience different places and cultures."
Having been brought up in a musical family she has been singing in some type of musical group most of her life. She has been a vocalist in folk & blues groups and then spent ten years in a couple of jazz groups where she feels most at home.
Michelle has been on the DRI Board since Downtown Rhinelander Inc. began over 7 years ago, serving as co-chair of promotions at one time, and serving on other committees. Presently she is vice president of DRI. "I got involved with DRI in part because I realized that with all the changes taking place in Rhinelander and many businesses moving to the outskirts of town, the only way for our downtown and 'my little shop' to survive was to work together. The smaller, unique businesses are one of the things that give a town character."
According to Michelle, "Our downtown will not likely ever be the same as I remember growing up but we (downtown) are sure to adapt & thrive and continue to be the center of the community." |
 | | Nancy Paquet, was Artist of the Month for April at Diane's Frame Shop |
Diane's Frame Shoppe holds
Artist of the Month Series
"Artist of the Month", a premier event at Diane's Frame Shoppe , will feature Ben Tatro May 15 from 5-7 pm.
Ben is a photographer who has an eye for creating unique images.
Check out Diane's facebook page for more information on the "Artists of the Month"
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School Garden: providing Security and Health
Old School Arts & Learning Center in Rhinelander is one of the recipients of the Security Health Plan garden grant for Sprouting Healthy Kids - a childcare and school garden campaign against childhood obesity.
Louise Perrault who heads the center located in the Curran Building said the grant will help the learning center purchase supplies needed to create a garden and will sponsor workshops to help the center create a garden action plan and curriculum for the classroom.
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4th Annual Amazing Hodag Quest for Downtown Businesses & JWMS 6th grd
Sixth grade students at James Williams Middle School are planning the 4th Annual Amazing Hodag Quest to businesses in downtown Rhinelander on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.
JWMS staff are looking for downtown businesses to be a part of this fun and educational experience which begins at 9:00 am, and should be completed by 11:30 am.
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Pat's Tavern and Grill
downtown Rhinelander
Buy one Fred Burger, get 2nd one half price (dine in only)
70 South Brown St. 715-362-3171
Just bring in this coupon or mention you saw this coupon in
What's Up Downtown
offer good through May 31, 2013 |
2ndas | |
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We would love to hear about your downtown news. Please contact us with any information regarding downtown at drinews@frontier.com.
Joan
Joan Belongia, Editor
Sally Latimer, Editor
Downtown Rhinelander, Inc.
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