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Greetings from Historic Red Cloud: Great Stories Grow Here! 

Set amid brick-lined streets, charming homes, historic buildings, and the immense beauty of the prairie, Red Cloud offers a glimpse into a storied American past while maintaining a progressive vision for the future. Great stories start in Red Cloud--add your own chapter today!

Red Cloud Welcomes Home a National Hero

Donald Stratton (RCHS Class of 1940), one of the last remaining survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7th, 1941, passed away on February 15th. After a memorial service in Colorado Springs, a motorcade transported Stratton across Colorado and Kansas and into Webster County so that he could be buried at the Red Cloud Cemetery. Large crowds from Nebraska and Kansas showed up to welcome Stratton home on Feb. 29th and to attend the burial service on March 2nd. 

Watch this video from Stratton's family as they drove into Nebraska and finally through the welcoming crowds along Webster Street. Go to Donald Stratton's Facebook page for more videos of the motorcade and the burial service. Local news organizations captured Red Cloud's efforts to welcome home a true national hero. 

To learn more about Donald Stratton, check out last month's newsletter and check out his book, All the Gallant Men, which chronicles his experiences surviving the Pearl Harbor attack. 

Deano's Bar & Grill Wins Business of the Year, Modern Kowboy delights the crowd during the 70th Annual Farmers & Merchants Banquet

Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce honored local businesses and celebrated another successful year of work in Red Cloud at the 70th Annual Farmers & Merchants Banquet on Friday, March 6th in the Red Cloud Community Center. Guide Rock was well represented this year, with Deano's Bar & Grill winning business of the year. Owner Zach Ping gave a moving response during his acceptance speech. Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce supports all area businesses, especially those in southern Webster, northern Jewell, and northern Smith counties and invites anyone running a business in the area to join. We're better and stronger together.

While Deano's was the overwhelming winner in voting by the public, Gottsch Livestock Feeders, the National Willa Cather Center, Conway Insurance, and Kohmetscher Feed Service also received a significant amount of votes for Business of the Year. Other businesses receiving recognition at the event included new businesses Abundant Life Honey and Petsch Electric who received their first dollars of business. Deano's also received their first dollar of business award. Several businesses also received utility rebates. The entertainment was particularly strong this year, as Modern Kowboy (whose singer hails from Cotesfield, NE) dazzled and engaged the crowd with versions of country and rock songs both modern and classic. 

Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce also gave away several door prizes and raffle items, including 65 lbs of beef from Gottsch Livestock Feeders, $250 gift certificates from Red Cloud Animal Health, Kenny's Lumber, and Hometown Market and a still pending award of a Pro Series Traeger Grill donated by Kohmetscher Feed Service. 

The Farmers & Merchants Banquet is Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce's major fundraising event of the year. Proceeds from the Banquet allows the Chamber and its Board members (President Justin Armstrong, Vice President Teresa Lunberry, Treasurer Adam Vetter, and Secretary Kim Grams) to plan and pay for other events throughout the year such as childrens' events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas, the Shopping Extravaganza, and Street Car Days. It also provides funds to pay for utility rebates (50% match of the City program) and a storefront improvement grant. If you'd like to become a member contact one of the board officers or shoot us an email at visitredcloudne@gmail.com. If you just want to support what the Chamber/Tourism does, you can also reach us via snail mail at P.O. Box 327, Red Cloud, NE 68970. Your support will be more critical than ever this year, as the business community will be hampered by the fallout from COVID-19. 

COVID-19 Cancels Spring Events Throughout Catherland 

Red Cloud businesses and tourism sites are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the afternoon of March 31st, South Heartland District Health Department determined community spread has occurred in Hastings, meaning that all counties in the district are now under a directed health measure. A directed health measure means that restrictions placed on gatherings (10 people or less), schools, daycare, businesses, churches, etc are now not just recommended but enforceable by officers of the law. Any travel that is not work or survival related is not recommended by Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce during this time. The directed health measure will be in effect until at least May 12th. 

Red Cloud Alumni Weekend has also been canceled. All honored classes for 2020 will be honored during the 2021 Banquet instead (May 29th, 2021).  The National Willa Cather Center will be closed until at least May 12th and all Opera House events have been canceled through May. Starke Round Barn and the Webster County Historical Museum are closed indefinitely. For the latest news on COVID-19 and related closures and cancellations as well as a list of resources available for businesses and individuals please go to the https://www.visitredcloud.com/city-office/covid-19-resources

Events for June have not been canceled yet--including the Spring Cather Conference and the Tour de Nebraska. However, they are constantly being re-evaluated and may be canceled soon. Follow us on Facebook or on the Visit Red Cloud website for the latest updates. Obviously, the April newsletter will not have a lot of news because of canceled events. We will highlight videos, virtual tours, and Pure Nebraska video segments instead. 
 

Spend Local Safely: Five Ways You Can Support Your Main Street Businesses 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently published some great tips for supporting main street businesses from a distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. They suggest: 1) Buying gift cards; 2) Shopping Online or Over the Phone; 3) Maintaining subscriptions (or memberships, donations, etc); 4) Promote local businesses on social media; 5) Get creative (i.e. start a GoFundMe, get things delivered, help a local business owner envision alternative streams of revenue/products, etc). READ THE FULL STORY 

Remember that local businesses like Fat Fox's, Village Pharmacy, Hometown Market, and On the Brix will all deliver and that you can do takeout or curbside pickup. On the Brix and Fat Fox's have even teamed up to deliver their products to surrounding communities!

Buying gift cards or shopping online (like at the Cather bookstore) might be the best way to support local businesses if you're at a distance. Or, when possible, donate online. Go to the bottom of this newsletter for several buttons with links to donate to Red Cloud area non-profits, some of whom are either major employers in the community or support major employers. The Willa Cather Foundation, for instance, employs 20 people many of whom are not working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Your support will help ensure that there are jobs in a thriving community when the pandemic finally subsides. 

Virtual Tours of The National Willa Cather Center Sites Available

COVID-19 has shut down the National Willa Cather Center and tours of its historic sites. However, you can still tour these sites online by taking a Virtual Tour!  Education Coordinator Rachel Olsen has also created a video tour of The Cather Childhood Home. Subscribe to The National Willa Cather Center's YouTube page for more videos as they become available. You should also tune-in to the poetry readings Cather staff and enthusiasts will be broadcasting online to celebrate National Poetry Month throughout April

Brad and Andrea Frey Making Updates to the Albright Building (H&R Block) with the help of Al's Old House Repair

Progress is being made on some buildings in downtown Red Cloud and plans are being made for others. One building that is already seeing work commence is the Albright Building, which currently house H&R Block. Brad and Andrea Frey, owners of Abundant Life Honey, are busy updating the building. Check it out on Al's Old House Repairs Facebook page.  
Red Cloud in the News
65th Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference
June 4-6, 2020
Republican River Stock Tank Float 
July 18, 2020 
Barnfest Weekend
Sept. 18-19 
July 18, 2020
Webster County Fair
July 23-25, 2020
BBQ Fest
Oct. 3
Street Car Days
July 31st-Aug. 2nd 
View All Events

STARKE ROUND BARN 

 Liz Rasser | Owner
*Please do not visit in person until after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Click on the picture above for a great video about the site. 
 
Cooped up during COVID-19? Consider cruising Main Street like back in the old days and be social while practicing social distancing! Locals lined up and down Webster street on Friday, March 27th. 
Don Stratton's motorcade arriving in downtown Red Cloud on Saturday, February 29th 
Wondering how  you can help Red Cloud during the COVID-19 pandemic? See the article above about how you can support small businesses. You might also consider making a donation to a local foundation. Some of these links go directly to a pay portal while others just give you contact information. 
Donate to the Willa Cather Foundation
Donate to the Webster County Community Hospital Foundation
Donate to The Valley Child Development Center
Donate to the Red Cloud Community Foundation Fund
Donate to Heritage Tourism Development/RC Tourism & Commerce
Donate to the Auld Public Library
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Email
https://twitter.com/redcloudproud
Copyright © *2020* *Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce*, All rights reserved.
*Volume 4.3 You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:
Red Cloud Tourism & Commerce
P.O. Box 327
Red Cloud, NE 68970
visitredcloudne@gmail.com 
Additional Photos: Ashley Armstrong, Katie Ord Photography, Nebraska Tourism Commission, Al's Old House Repairs, and Jarrod McCartney
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