Main Street Wooster celebrates 25 years

Main Street Wooster, Inc. marked a quarter century Wednesday night, Nov. 7, and celebrated the occasion with an annual meeting full of awards and accolades.Ohio Rep. Ron Amstutz was among the presenters, offering a proclamation from Columbus that called the organization “a real testimony that the sum of the parts is greater than the individual... and that is what makes the downtown what it is.”His praise that the organization proved the “value of sustained effort” was echoed by Wayne County Commissioner Jim Carmichael and Wooster Mayor Bob Breneman, whose father, Clyde, was mayor when the organization first got its start in the late 1980s. Breneman recalled his father telling him about the organization and that its then-project manager, Sandra Hull, was a “lady with a lot of spunk … who never takes ‘no’ for an answer.”Hull, now the organization’s executive director, has led it throughout 25 years and during the meeting took the opportunity to thank those who were early supporters and chairs of the Main Street board of trustees. Among those honored were trustees emeritus Stanley C. Gault, Bill Ross and Fritz Raab (the latter two of whom also served as board chairs) as well as former board chairs in attendance: Katy Biggs, David Briggs, Jon Rose, Robbie Ross, Ted Bogner, Mie O’Donnell, Gene Gottried, Tom Linebaugh, Roger Proper and Mark Norton.Current board chair Dennis Tafoya, of Muddy Waters Café & Grille, turned the board reins over to John Hall of First National Bank. In addition to Hall, other members of the 2012-13 Executive Committee include Chair Elect Becky Foster of Buehler’s, Secretary Thomas Heck of LuK USA and Carrie Moore of Seaman Corp., treasurer. Chad Boreman of Boreman-Cook Financial and Matt Long of Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston will join the committee as ad hoc members.Welcomed as new trustees were Adam Briggs of Briggs Financial Group, Mary McMillen of Certified Angus Beef and Chuck Neyhart of the Wooster Glass Co. Serving a second three-year term are Rich Danby of CACI, Hall and Heck. Retiring trustees are Bill Erdos of the Coyote Group, Jay Graves of Pierce’s Team Sports and Tafoya, though he will continue a year as past chair.In honoring Tafoya, Hull noted that he seemed to be the only one who could get her to text and in that vein awarded him a T-shirt emblazoned with “Senior Citizen Text Instructor” on the back.Hull recalled that in the early years of the organization, “I would walk into (businesses) and introduce myself as the new Main Street manager, and the usual reaction was ‘good luck’.” She was honored with a standing ovation by the group and thanked them, offering, “It’s been a great ride and we all have had a great time.”The annual meeting also marks the conferring of the annual Chairman/Director’s and design awards. This year’s Chairman/Director’s Award was presented to Mike and Emily Moorefield Mariola, owners of the former Odd Fellows Hall on South Market Street, which currently houses the South Market Bistro and Spoon Market, as well as residences above. Mike Mariola, who first opened the Bistro, has gone on to own the City Square Steakhouse across the street. Until two years ago, Emily Mariola owned and operated Moorefield Pottery, the current location of Spoon Market. Both are Wooster-area natives and they were honored for locating their businesses in the downtown, for owning property downtown and for their general support of downtown. Mike Mariola is currently on the Main Street board and previously co-chaired the Promotions Committee.Earning design awards were: The Market Grill (interior/ exterior), Wooster Brewery (interior), the St. Paul Hotel (interior/ exterior) Merchant Block (exterior), Terra House (exterior), Vertical Runner (interior), Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce (interior/ exterior), Walnut Street Antiques (interior and signage), The College of Wooster Scot Center (new construction), Woo’s Brews (interior), Hometown Primitive (interior), Buchwalter Greenhouse (planters and hanging baskets) and the city of Wooster maintenance division for their assistance throughout the year. The meeting, which was hosted by Muddy Waters Café & Grille, was sponsored by Wooster Glass Co. and FirstMerit Bank NA.