Awarded at the PDRI Annual Dinner, February 12, 2009

Business of the Year:  Pete’s Hamburgers Stand  -- What can we say but . . . we love our Pete’s Hamburger “with or without onions”.  Founded in 1909 by Pete Gokey, a painter, started selling hamburgers for 10 cents each.  Pete’s Hamburger Stand has proved to be a favorite of Prairie du Chien residents and visitors.  The stands has always been a family operation, changing hands from Pete to his son Robert Gokey (and wife Phyllis) and now to his grandchildren, including siblings Paul Gokey (and wife Coleen) and Mary (Gokey) Huser (and husband Bill).  This year Pete’s Hamburgers Stand is celebrating its 100^th birthday and has some celebrations in mind around the 4^th of July.

Kay Wessling has been a public school teacher for many years and retired about 15 years ago.  She and her husband Bill have been residents of Prairie du Chien since 1984 and they’ve raised two children who are now in college.  Kay is currently a tutor for both public and private school children.  In 2008, Kay chaired the Tastes, Toasts & Tomfoolery Committee and headed up the planning and implementation of this event with a team of a dozen volunteers putting in 100+ hours.  This is PDRI’s biggest fundraiser each year and she helped make this year’s event the best one to date with a 38% net increase in fundraising dollars.  More fundraising dollars means PDRI may assist one more business owner with a façade or sign grant or may have more start-up money on hand to enhance or create a new promotional or special event to get downtown cash registers ringing.  Kay always goes above and beyond the call of duty and in her “spare” time, she volunteers for many other worthy causes.  Kay is in charge of the 2009 Tastes, Toasts & Tomfoolery – get your togas ready to go Greek!  PDRI is pleased to acknowledge Kay Wessling as PDRI’s Volunteer of the Year.

Michael Douglass has been a resident of Prairie du Chien since 1983 when he became Villa Louis Site Director for the Wisconsin Historical Society.  He has worked on many historic projects at the Villa Louis including the two million dollar restoration of the Villa Louis mansion and office building.  Michael has been a director since PDRI’s inception in 2005 and past president of the organization in 2007.  Michael is an active volunteer on the Streetscape Task Force and committees for Tastes, Toasts & Tomfoolery; Design; and Organization.  In addition to his committee and board work, Michael does a lot of the heavy lifting and donating of props and items which make PDRI’s special events and fundraising even more successful. PDRI is lucky to have such a devoted and dedicated friend and volunteer in Michael Douglass as PDRI’s Director of the Year.

Terry Meyer was born and raised in Iowa but has lived in Prairie du Chien for 20 years where he and his wife Ann have raised two daughters and one son.  Working for the city for 20 years, currently as Co-Manager of Public Works, allows each of us to see Terry out and about on the streets working hard and helping citizens, always with a smile on his face.  He has volunteered to assist with our annual Tastes, Toasts & Tomfoolery events, whether that’s being a beret-clad waiter, doing our heavy lifting or cleaning up after the crowd, and also pre-sold several streetscape amenities on behalf of PDRI.  Without Terry’s great communication skills and daily involvement in the downtown streetscape project and his input and efforts on PDRI’s Design Committee, downtown revitalization wouldn’t be quite where it is today and that’s why Terry Meyer is PDRI’s Leader of the Year.