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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
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Downtown Seguin celebrates
Published April 5, 2009
SEGUIN — A night of good weather, good food, good music and good friends was not all the Moonlight and Roses event had to offer.
The event also presented Seguin’s Volunteer of the Year and Downtowner of the Year awards. Working to make it a part of the annual affair, Main Street Program chair Audra Schulz, said this was not the first time they announced the winners at Moonlight and Roses.
“We have made this a two-year tradition now because we feel like this is a very special event and the most appropriate time to recognize our Downtowner of the Year,” said Schulz. “We have our Downtowner of the Year and Volunteer of the Year, and we are going to give both of these awards away tonight.”
Introducing the recipients of both the Volunteer of the Year and Downtowner of the Year awards, Schultz was joined on stage by Seguin City Councilman Bob Pees.
The Downtowner of the Year was awarded to a community member who has been very active in all of the organizations dealing with downtown, Schulz said.
Melvin Voight, owner of The Oak, was considered and seemed to be the obvious choice, she said.
“We just realized that Melvin was one of those people who has always been here in Seguin and maybe he got overlooked because of that,” she said. “So, we are so happy to be able to give him that award because he is always there. He is always around to help [Main Street Director] Mary Jo [Filip] whenever she needs help.”
“He is always willing to donate the area of The Oak out in front of his property in order for us to have Hats Off to Juan Seguin and all of those events right there at The Oak,” she said.
Honored to be named the Downtowner of the Year, Voight said having a good ol’ time and giving a little back in the process is what it’s about.
“We have a lot of fundraisers,” he said. “We have the street dance and that is usually a fundraiser right in front of The Oak. It is easy to close that street off and we are able to throw big fundraisers. Most of all it is a great place for an old fashioned street dance because there are not too many places you can do that any more.”
Voight said he is honored his father left the business to him.
“I have worked very hard to enhance the Seguin downtown for 28 years now and I will continue to do that as long as I am alive,” Voight said. “I enjoy being a pillar of the community because the Heritage Museum is right there across the street, city hall is on my left side door, the county courthouse is a block away and the old State Bank is half a block away.”
Usually Volunteer of the Year goes to one person — but that was not the case this year.
“The Volunteer of the Year is a group of people, actually and if you have ever been to an event in Seguin and you know that there is a group of people called The Harleys,” she said. “They were selected because The Harleys have donated so much time to all kinds of different events downtown and organizations and we just think that it’s a really neat thing that they go out and do something that they love but their proceeds go to other organizations — not to themselves.”
Although The Harleys were being recognized, John Masterson, The Harleys bass player, gave praise back to the Main Street Program.
“We were absolutely delighted,” he said. “Main Street does so many good things and it is an honor to be honored by someone who themselves should be honored.”
With their hearts into the music and their home, Greg Ronning, lead singer of The Harleys, said they would do it all over again.
“We love downtown,” he said. “We are proud to get the award. We love playing, so twist our arms and we will do it.”
The event itself kicked off without a hitch said Filip.
“I think it is the largest crowd we ever had,” she said.
With Chuck Moses and his Jazz Band trio filling the atmosphere with relaxing tunes, patrons were able to mingle, chit-chat and enjoy a light snack as they filled the Memorial Rose Garden and the parking lot of the Guadalupe County Annex.
Those who came this year and in previous years said they will keep coming back as long as the Main Street Program keeps the tradition — even those new to Seguin, like Kate Solmonsson.
“I had a great time last year,” she said. “I had just moved here and it gave me a great introduction as to the essence of Seguin. I will definitely continue to come.”
Already looking into future events, Filip said board members are assessing what they can do to bring in a larger crowd.
“I think some of the members of the Main Street Advisory Board are scheming about how to put things together so next year be bigger and better,” she said. “It will depend on the construction of Walnut Branch next year but if we are able to have it here we will probably want to close off the parking lot and utilize it more fully and eliminate the traffic flow through here.”
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