Masthead


September 2014

Greetings!

September brings time to reflect on our summer events and planning for fall. First of all, a Big Thanks to all of you who helped out this summer. We had more than 100 volunteers assisting us as we worked together to make our community a fun and interesting place for spending time with family and friends. You are our heroes.

The Editors

Kate and Maggie checking on  PotatoFest details.

Mainstreet with Maggie  

 

The busy season of summer is coming to a close, but that doesn't mean DRI isn't busy. We have fall events to plan and work on. So mark your calendar for the following:

  • Oct. 25 - Downtown Trick or Treat & Pumpkin Glow
  •  Nov. 1 - Haunted Hodag Howl - Costume party & Hodag Auction @ Quality Inn

Fall is also the time for taking care of internal business needs, such as the annual report, planning the annual meeting, budgets, and this year, board elections.

 

Before addressing these items, the organization will focus on a strategic plan which will help us reaffirm our vision for the future, outline priorities, and establish benchmarks for success.

 

Thank you for your continued support of Downtown Rhinelander.

 
Maggie Steffen,
DRI Executive Director
 

Welcome New Downtown Business

 

L & T  

Fashion for the Full Figured Women

Lund and Taylor owner Mary Taylor has opened a new store, L & T, next to her Lund and Taylor Bridal Gallerie. The new store offers fashions for the mother of the bride and special occasion dresses. Mary is featuring sizes from 14W to 30W. The store also has a full line of Spanks, jewelry, and wide-width dress shoes.

Watch for a special opening later in September. L & T will be open Mon., Tues., Weds., and Fri. from 10 am to 5 pm; Thurs., from 10 am to 7 pm; and Sat., from 10 am to 3 pm. Stop by and find some beautiful options for your next special occasion.

NOTE: If you know of a new business please contact Kate at 715-362-7374 so we can feature them in our column.
Marketing our Downtown on Hwy. 51

In August the new billboard went up on Hwy. 51 promoting Downtown Rhinelander. This project was the brain child of Mary Taylor and the Economic Restructuring Committee. The idea is to capture travelers and divert them to our downtown.
Monthly funding for this one-year project is provided by DRI, Lund and Taylor Bridal Gallarie, Danner's Shoes, Brick Restaurant, Lattitudes, Diane's Frame Shoppe, Days Inn & Suites, Rhinelander Cafe & Pub, Forth Floral, Frasier's Plumbing and Heating, Carpetiers, and Mel's Trading Post. In addition, the following businesses helped to offset the cost with donations: Rhinelander Brewing Co., Dandy Dog, Hext Theater, Denim & Leather, Advanced Accounting & Tax Service, AVCO Vacuum Company, and O'Melia, Schiek & McEldowney.     

 

Photos from our August Events
Duck Regatta at PotatoFest

Golden Potato Dig at PotatoFest

For more photos go to our PotatoFest Facebook page

 
Oneida County Fair
Oneida County Fair Beverage Tent looked great this year with the help of this team who turned the pavilion into a Duck Blind in celebration of the DRI Duck Regatta taking place at PotatoFest. From left, rear, are Maggie Steffen, Sheri Beleview, Kathy Cutforth, and Pat LaPorte; front, Mike Olsen, Sue Rassmuson, and Linda Hutchenson.

Streetscape Update: 

The Streetscape Committee held an open meeting Aug. 20 to readdress
the proposed parking configuration for the new streetscape design. The committee is comprised of people from the City, DRI, and the Vierbecher Planning and Engineering firm. At the meeting, the committee listened to business and  community members discuss the pros and cons of having parallel parking on both sides of the street, instead of the previous recommendation of  parallel parking on the west side and angle parking on the east side with one bike lane.

After considerable discussion the committee reaffirmed its original decision to have parallel parking on the west side of Brown Street and angle parking on the east side. This configuration allows for wider sidewalks and more slots than parallel parking on both sides would.


The committee will bring their recommendation to the City Council at their Sept. 24 meeting starting at 5:30 pm.  At that time, the Vierbecher firm will present visual representations of the street. The public is invited. 
 
For a more detailed look at the proposed Streetscape click here.  

 

DRI Committee Reports
This is a brief update on what the DRI committees are working on each month. We always have room for more participants. If you see a project you'd like to participate in, call and join us. Most meetings are held once a month during the second week.

Economic Restructuring: Joe Flanders, chair 
  • Working with downtown businesses through the Business Advisory group.

Design: Pat LaPorte, chair

  • Continuing to work closely with Vierbicher Planning and Engineering firm to develop the streetscape for downtown Rhinelander.

Promotions: position open

  • Working on the Trick or Treat & Pumpkin Glow for October.

Organization: Sally Latimer, Chair   

  • Sending our thank you note to all our wonderful PotatoFest volunteers
  • Looking for a Promotion Committee Chair
In This Issue
SAVE THE DATE
Downtown Events
Sept. 6
Hext Theater: Jerry Duginski Comedy Singer/ Songwriter 7PM
Sept 21

Shabby Cottage Classes see below for details 

Sept 24
City Council addresses Streetscape-City Hall 5:30pm
Shabby Cottage Classes

Shabby Cottage owner, Christiane Micheketti, is offering classes on Sunday at her shop starting in September. The classes, offered a variety of topics, will address techniques of paint, waxing, distress, and finishes. Some of the classes will be focused on bringing your own furniture and others will have a specific goal such as creating jewerly holders out of found objects. Supplies, paint and other accessories will be available at the class.

Call for details and a class schedule 715-360-4641
    
Patty and Mark Gutteter ready to dance to the Dweebs at  PotatoFest.

Message by
DRI President
Mark Gutteter,  
Rhinelander Cafe & Pub

The Potatofest is now two years old, and thus we start to plan for year three.  But coming up soon is the HODAG HOWL and downtown trick or treating, and before that will be the unveiling of the streetscape plan for Brown and Davenport.  I continue to be amazed at the output from the DRI Executive director, staff, and a small pool of volunteers.  There always seems to be so much going on, and thus here is a giant shout out and THANK YOU to all of you who work hard to transition downtown forward into the future.   

 

This fall we will be starting a strategic plan to guide DRI in the next couple of years.  I would guess that business retention, business recruitment and how do we help each other through the downtown renovations will be towards the top of the list.  And finally, as we continue to have decent weather before that white stuff shows up, say hello to a friend or a stranger on the street, it is well worth the effort.

 

Your President,
Mark Gutteter 

Artist of the Month  
A Feature of Diane's Frame Shoppe  
by Julie Burt  
I have taken pictures of the inside of people through-out my career. As I am well established with digital imaging via my job, I thought I would start using this type of imaging as a side hobby.  As I enjoy my career very much it was time to enjoy taking pictures of the outside of people!
 
I began photographing people and nature/animals/flowers in natural light using a Cannon Power-shot digital camera in 2007.  I am an amateur but find that with your help and getting to know you prior to taking your images, I feel I get a better quality image and capture the personalities of each and every one I work with.  

Stop by Diane's Frame Shop to see Julie's work this month. 
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Volume 3  Issue  9

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

 
Come and find me in  
Downtown Rhinelander

We have 
Hodags
on display through
September 2014 
Executive Director
Downtown Rhinelander Inc.
Downtown Rhinelander | 715-362-7374 | msdri@frontiernet.net | http://downtownrhinelander.com
26 North Brown
P.O. Box 1638
Rhinelander, WI 54501

Serving Downtown Rhinelander since 2006


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