MOUNT VERNON — four Wise received the the Heritage Centre Association’s Walter Rudin Award during the association’s annual awards banquet Thursday evening at The Alcove Restaurant in Mount Vernon.

Multiple businesses and individuals were recognized for their contributions to the Mount Vernon downtown area, but none more so than Wise, who received the Heritage Centre Association’s most prestigious award.

“The downtown has been a part of my whole life,” he said after receiving the award. “I realized long ago how special it was to live in a town where everyone greets you and says ‘hi.’ It’s a magical place.”

The Walter Rudin Award is presented to an individual in honor of his or her long-term commitment to the Mount Vernon community and the Heritage Centre Association. HCA President Ted Rice said the awards committee did a good job selecting Wise, who works as the advertising manager of the Mount Vernon News.

“He’s a great guy and a great neighbor. He does tons and tons of stuff for the city,” Rice said.

Other award winners included The Secret Closet, New Business of the Year; Little Chihuahua Antiques & Fine Art, Small Business of the Year; Donley Ford, Mid-Size Business of the Year; Ariel Corp., Large Business of the Year; and Fred and Dianne Rundell, President’s Merit Award.

The evening began with a cocktail hour and dinner. State Rep. Thom Collier served as the master of ceremonies, and he introduced each award winner by praising his or her contributions to the city’s downtown district.

“I want everyone to know how truly proud I am to serve this community. I meet so many people from small communities with downtowns that have died. I want to thank you for keeping ours strong,” Collier said.

Also recognized were businesses that have been members of the HCA for several years.

Businesses and individuals recognized for five years of membership include I-Conn Video Productions, Capital Securities, Paul Neighbarger of P&B Investments and Steve Upham III of Upham Properties.

Businesses and individuals recognized for 10 years of membership include Richie Bastin of State Farm; Brenneman Lumber; Flappers Bar & Grille; Phillip Mack, DDS; Robert Ronk, DDS; Rundell Goldsmiths; and T-Shirt Express.

Those who accepted awards on behalf of their business reaffirmed their commitment to the community.

“It’s about supporting each other and being generous,” said Steve Bishop, who co-owns Little Chihuahua Antiques and Fine Arts with Mike Miller.

“This town has so much to offer,” said Terrie Lewis, owner of The Secret Closet. “I meet so many people, I like to say I make new friends every day.”

Before introducing Collier, Rice listed some of the Heritage Centre Association’s accomplishments over the last year.

He said the association is making progress on the Downtown Wayfinding and Signage Project, an initiative to put up signs that will point drivers toward the downtown. He also said the association is working hard to become members of the Main Street Program, a national network dedicated to revitalizing and preserving both downtown and neighborhood commercial districts.

“We’ve seen growth over the past year,” Rice said. “We went from 83 members to 101 members, and the group has done a good job of growing the First Friday events.”

The mood of the evening was very lighthearted.

“I wasn’t born downtown,” Collier said during his opening remarks. “But I got here as quick as I could.”