Educator of the Year Award

The Education Committee of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce would like to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the annual Educator of the Year Award which is made available by Allen Strunk, former owner and editor of the McCook Daily Gazette. The nomination form is available at the Chamber office, all area schools or can be printed from this edition of the Chamber Visions Newsletter. Educators or administrators from area K-12 schools, or any part thereof, are eligible for the award. Once nominated, the nominee is given the opportunity to apply for the award which will be scored and tallied by the Education Committee. The deadline for nominations is March 15. This generous monetary award is presented at the high school graduation where the award winner is employed.

AG Task Force Plans Appreciation Breakfast

On Friday, March 23, the Ag Task Force of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce will serve up a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage and eggs for area individuals dedicated to the ag industry. The second annual Ag Appreciation Breakfast is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Community Building. Sponsor businesses will be publicly recognized in appreciation for their support and will have the opportunity to distribute tickets to their customers, clients and others important to their respective businesses or our community. If you would like to attend or become a sponsor, please contact Cherri Lashley, Farm Credit Services of America, who is serving as the Ag Task Force Chairperson; Pam Harsh, Executive Director, McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, or any Ag Task Force Committee Member.

The Chamber Salutes . . .

all those who volunteered their time and resources to make the 82nd Annual Banquet such an outstanding success! Special thanks to the following committee members who helped the Chamber organize and implement every detail of the banquet: Terri Shipshock, Janet Weber, Lynn Pinkal, Annette Wagner, Sharleen Riemenschneider and Kristin Stagemeyer. In addition to the committee we would like to thank Bob Bonge and Darwin Scott for their help with decorating. Thanks to Becky Meyer, MCC, for enlarging the old photos for us, to Duane Tappe for allowing us to use Senator George Norris' auto; Lemoine "Andy" Anderson for his roadster, the Weimer's family for their antique showcase, Lord's Hardware for the street light, and the High Plains Museum for the mannequins in period dress. Thanks to Chris Wagner, Wagner Ford, Mercury, Toyota, and Blaine Budke, Tri-State Auto Plex, for help moving the cars and to Darwin Scott, Eakes Office Supply, and the Weimer family for moving the showcase. We so appreciate Hershberger's Music Store for faithfully providing the Clavinova and the sound system every year, as well as, Harold Larmon and Chris Lyons for playing background music during the banquet.

We also extend our warmest "Thanks" to Chamber members, Cal Siegfried, Cornerstone Cattle, and to Johnny Walker, Nebraska Auction Service. As always, Cal did an excellent job in filling his role as emcee for the evening! (Thanks, Harold and Marion Larmon, for being such good sports!) And we fully believe that the success of our annual auction is assured with Johnny at the helm! Johnny's idea for the special auction of a prize-laden sheet cake proved to be extremely popular with the buyers! Bob Bonge rolled the lucky dice to win a 20-inch flat screen TV! We truly appreciate the hard work from Country Kitchen, Joan and Dale Stewart, and staff to meet the monumental challenges of catering over 220 people at the City Auditorium without the availability of kitchen facilities. Again, we extend our appreciation to the Work Ethic Camp crews for set-up and tear-down of the tables, chairs and decorations.

Thank You for Your Generosity!

The following businesses assured success of the Chamber's Annual Banquet Auction by donating auction items: Acme Touch Printing, Adams Bank & Trust, Alco, AmFirst Bank, Barnett's Do-It Center, BAW Communications, Bison Dental, Brown's Shoe Fit, Burrows Vision Center, Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook, Inc., Casey's, Chief Motel, Cinema Three Theaters, City of McCook, Coppermill Restaurant, Community Hospital, Country Floral Design & Gift, Country, Inc., Country Kitchen, Days Inn & Suites, D & S Hardware, Denim & Duds, Duane Tappe/Dawna Bates, Eakes Office Plus, Ed Thomas YMCA, Edward Jones Investments-Ron Friehe, Edward Jones Investments-Sharleen Riemenschneider, Farm Credit Services of America, Farrell's Pharmacy, Inc., First Central Bank, Frenchman Valley Coop, Frontier Home Medical, Garrison's From Farm to Formal, Gaston Lawns & Landscapes & Pet Pros, Hamilton's Hair Creations, Hancock Gravel & Redi Mix, Holiday Inn Express, JC Penney, Jeff Gross (McCook Football League), Jeremy Jorgensen MCC Baseball Camp, Joey & Kim Baumbach, Knowlen & Yates, Kool Honda, Kugler Company, Lemoine "Andy" and Geri Anderson, Linda Maiden Insurance Agency, MNB Insurance Services, Mac's Drive-In, Mary K Products, McCook Abstract, McCook Cordials, McCook Daily Gazette, McCook EDC, McCook Eye Clinic, McCook Glass & Mirror, McCook Hometown Radio, McCook Lettering, McCook National Bank, McCook Pharmacy & Medical Supply, McCook Radio Group, McDonald's of McCook, McPherron, Skiles, & Loop, CPA's PC, Modern Cleaners, Nebraska Concrete Coatings, Nebraska Public Power District, Olson's Photography, Orcheln's Farm & Home, Parker- Hannifin, Peterson Jewelers, Samway Floor Covering & Furniture, Sehnert's Bakery & Bieroc Cafe, Steve Lytle Professional Fishing, Subway Sandwiches, Taste of Texas BBQ, The Buckle, The Sports Shoppe, TierOne Bank, TOP Office Products, Ty & Michelle Orton Basketball Camp, US Cellular Authorized Agent, Union Bank & Trust, VK Electronics, Wagner Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac-Cadillac, Wagner Ford-Mercury-Toyota, Wal-Mart of McCook, and Wells Fargo Bank.

17th Annual Home and Builders' Show

The 17th Annual Home & Builders' Show, sponsored by the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, was held on February 16, 17 & 18 at the old Stage building which is located at the intersection of West Hwy. 6 & 34 and North Hwy. 83. Linda Frank, coordinator, reported that, although the number of booths was down from last year, the quality was still excellent and there were a number of new vendors. Beautiful weather was a key contributor to record attendance which rebounded from the 2006 show when we experienced bitter cold and snow. Vendors reported satisfaction with their sales and also the number of very strong leads for future sales. Every paid admission to the show allowed entry into the Chamber drawing for two winners of $500.00 vendor certificates. Lowell Bedore and Rosalie Weskamp, both of McCook, were the lucky winners.

Home and Builders Show vendors were awarded plaques recognizing their booth in three areas:

Best Decorated Booth: Ron's Solid Tops 'N' Construction/Painting Plus, McCook		Most Informative Booth: Re-Bath Bathroom Remodeling, North Platte
Best Overall Booth: Barnett's Do-It Center/All That Pizzazz, McCook

Those attending the Home and Builders Show were automatically entered in a drawing for two $500.00 Vendor Certificates.

Winners were: Lowell Bedore (above), McCook, and Rosalie Weskamp (no photo available), McCook

Home and Builders Show Highlights

McCook Regional Airport	Century 21 Golden Plains Realty
Barnett's Do-It Center	Gaston Lawns & Landscapes/Pet Pros
McCook Daily Gazette	Hershberger's Music Company
McCook Radio Group	BAW Communications
McCook Fire Department	Home Show Crowd

The Chamber Salutes . . .

all those who volunteered their time to work at either the entrance table collecting admission fees or serving coffee and tea to the vendors. We could not do it without you. The hospitality cart is very much appreciated by the vendors and it is what helps to place our show above other shows they attend. Our thanks to these volunteers: Terri Shipshock, Diana Hoffmeister, Kayla Anderson, Jerri Lynn Karr and daughters, Emilyn Karre, Chris and Annette Wagner, Darryl and Denise Volquardsen, Kurt Fritsch, Jerry Beckenhauer, Walt and Brenda McGuire, Jerda Garey, Leigh Ann Miller, Tammy Hilker, Kathy Eaton, Missy Nelson, Camy Bradley, Duane Tappe, Darwin Scott, Ivan Schmid, Marvin and Dixie Lorentz, Rex Nelson, Colleen Grant, Linda Thieben, Rose Chancellor, Vicky Weigel, Bob Bonge, Sara Rippen, Jim Ulrich, Lynn Pinkal, Stacey Priebe, Jo Smolczyk, Linda Maiden and Janet Weber.

LIED Main Street Training

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce and the McCook Economic Development Corporation have accepted roles to help facilitate the rebirth of McCook as a Main Street Community. There is an underlying excitement as we look for new and creative ways to bring this joint venture to fruition. One of the first steps was an educational training for interested parties. Nearly 30 McCook retailers and/or individuals attended the Lied Main Street Training which was held on February 7 and 8 at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Community Building. The training, coordinated through J. L. Schmidt and Elizabeth Chase of the Nebraska Lied Main Street offices in Lincoln, featured presentations on the four anchor points of Main Street: Design, Organization, Economic Restructuring, and Promotion. Scott Day, San Antonio, Texas, and Darlene Strachan, Corning, Iowa, were the trainers. The training was followed by an organizational meeting of interested parties on February 21 at Sehnert's Bakery and Bieroc Cafe. A second meeting will be announced at a later date. If you would like to learn more about this ongoing effort, please contact Tor Olson, Main Street Organizer; Pam Harsh, Executive Director, McCook Area Chamber of Commerce or Rex Nelson, Executive Director, MEDC.