Angola earns Community Impact Award
By Jennifer Decker
October 18, 2011
ANGOLA - Angola has won a Community Impact Award from Indiana Main Street through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Vivian Likes, Angola economic development and plan director, made the announcement at Monday's Angola Common Council meeting. She was notified the city earned the honor Monday afternoon.
"You have a lot to be proud of. So many people are listed (in the application). They prepared the downtown for me," she said. "I'm proud to be a part of the community."
Likes' reference was to her being the city's new economic development and plan director. Julie Cole previously was in that position, but left to pursue business interests in Indianapolis.
Likes applied for the award, which is presented to an outstanding Main Street-partnered project making an impact in the community. The project would show support from the community.
Likes wrote in her application Angola has talked infrastructure and revitalizing the downtown for more than 35 years, with a goal of public safety. That happened through the downtown revitalization.
"The overall impact is a 'stronger sense of community pride,'" Likes wrote. "There have been so many partners and advocates."
Likes, Angola Mayor Dick Hickman and other representatives from the city will receive the award at a ceremony Thursday in Arcadia during a conference.
Likes said the award is one more point of pride for the city and she was truly excited to announce it.
"I'm proud to be a part of it. Congratulations. This is the first time I've had to write a report for work someone else has done," she said. "What's cool it's a Community Impact Award," Hickman said and noted the impact of several in Angola. "People are investing and putting money back into buildings."
Likes noted some of the advocates in the downtown project were: Go Angola Downtown Alliance, Angola Area Chamber of Commerce, Trine University, Steuben County Community Foundation, Steuben County Tourism Bureau, The Herald Republican, Cameron Memorial Community Hospital, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, Region III-A Regional Planning Commission, Angola Historical Preservation Commission, Angola Garden Club, First Federal Savings Bank of Angola, National Serv-All, Univertical Corp., Eden Collaborative, Hitchcock Design Group, V3 Engineering and Paragon Landscaping.