LA GRANDE — Two local businesses and a founding member of La Grande Main Street Downtown received recognition from Oregon Main Street during the annual main street conference on Wednesday, Oct. 5, in Klamath Falls.

The Excellence on Main awards, which honor accomplishments, activities and people making a difference in historic downtowns, were given to La Grande City Councilor Mary Ann Miesner, Gust and Karin Tsiatsos for The Local and Darrin Kiesecker for Brickyard Lanes.

“Part of my job is to serve on the board for the Main Street program and I just feel like the ability to pick up some recognition for several great projects and an amazing volunteer is great news,” La Grande’s economic development director, Timothy Bishop, said.

Miesner received the Leadership on Main award, recognizing an individual who has shown dedication to their local main street over a long period of time. Miesner, a lifelong resident of La Grande, is a founding member of La Grande Main Street Downtown. She has served on the board and chaired many committees and currently acts as the promotion committee chair.

“I was very honored to receive that award. I’ve dedicated a lot of time and energy into our downtown,” Miesner said. “I got a lot of inspiration and ideas to bring back to La Grande (from the conference).”

The Tsiatsos duo received the Best Adaptive Reuse award for The Local, 1508 Adams Ave. The award recognizes the best reimagining of a historic building into a new contemporary use, while preserving the history and character of the building. The pair purchased the dilapidated Texaco station in 2020 and gave it new life as a coffee and ice cream cafe.

“We are very honored and proud of La Grande to be recognized,” Gust Tsiatsos said.

The final award for La Grande went to Kiesecker with Brickyard Lanes, 1212 Jefferson Ave. Kiesecker won the Outstanding Special Project, which recognizes perseverance in bringing a project to fruition and helping to build community. The building was originally constructed in 1908 and has housed a hotel, mercantile, farm equipment store and Eagles lodge. Kiesecker and his family purchased the building in 2013 but were not able to open until 2021 due to construction delays. The bowling alley blends the original style of the building with modern-day convenience to create a year-round indoor recreation space.