Banquet recognizes volunteers

MARENGO — “This is only the beginning,” Board President Natasha Hauschilt told Marengo Community Development members during the organization’s banquet Feb. 17 at the Marengo American Legion.

Started two years ago, the organization known as MarenGo will continue to bring individuals and businesses together ao make Marengo “a vibrant, strong and growing community,” Hauschilt said.

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Following a meal catered by nutrition services from Compass Memorial Healthcare, MarenGo Executive Director Corienne Dally enumerated the accomplishments of the organization during the past year and thanked the volunteers to made them possible.

At the end of the summer 2022, Marengo was informed that it did not receive the Main Street designation it requested from the state, said Dally.

But MarenGo acted like they got it anyway.

The Main Street Iowa program gives assistance to communities it designates as Main Street communities through a competitive application process that asks communities to commit to exceptionally high standards for downtown economic development. Without the designation, Marengo had to forge ahead on its own.

MarenGo began by creating a funding plan and drafting a sponsorship letter asking for individual and business sponsors, said Dally.

More than 100 people and businesses are members.

Member businesses hosted 21 Marengo mixers in 2023. The networking events “were a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each business and each other,” Dally said.

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Twelve newsletters informed Marengo Community Development members what was going on in the community.

“We helped market, lease or sell nine buildings in 2023,” said Dally. “We were also pleased that people came to us looking for a space. … We have some new life to our town.

“We held six ribbon-cuttings and helped with one groundbreaking,” said Dally. She encouraged people to attend these.

“There is nothing more heartwarming than [seeing] a business owner’s face light up when people show up to support them. Thank you to all of them for investing in our community,” Dally said.

The community received six grants with the help of Marengo Community Development. “Our first grant … was for 50 free licenses for Canva, which is an amazing marketing tool.” MarenGo gives licenses to the application to business so they can create marketing materials.

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“Each license is worth $160 a year for a total of $8,000,” said Dally.

An Iowa County Community Foundation Grant paid half the cost for new banners to promote the downtown, and another grant helped the historical society launch its website.

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A grant from Alliant Energy helped pay for the fall festival which featured train rides from Iowa Interstate Railroad. Marengo Community Development sold 900 tickets in the first 10 days they were offered, and the crowd that descended on Marengo brought money to local businesses.

The Iowa Interstate fundraiser added $5,300 to the coffers of Community Development and another $5,300 to the Marengo Fire Department budget.

Marengo Community Development hosted 11 Marengo Markets during the year, and, following an “amazing July 3 event,” hosted RAGBRAI. Forty vendors — 20 from Iowa County — welcomed the cyclists to downtown Marengo.

Other events sponsored by MarenGo and its members included the Gateway Challenge Triathlon, Jingle Around the Square and Candlelight Lane.

MarenGo plans to continue its mixers in 2024 and is planning movies in the park this summer, Dally said. It has worked the bugs out of its bylaws and restructured. It plans to publish a visitor’s guide by 2025.

In the near future, Marengo Bucks will make an appearance. The Bucks will “keep money circulating in our town,” said Dally.

MargenGo Bucks are gift certificates that can be used at participating member locations. They can be purchased at the Community Development Office at the Marengo Public Library or online at go-marengo.com/bucks.

“Your commitment to the community, it means more than you know,” Dally told Marengo Community Development members.