Big Fish of the Platte (Fremont, Nebraska)

Several members of Main Street of Fremont were driving home from a Nebraska Main Street-sponsored training on public art projects when they had an idea. It sounded fishy at first, but it turned into an outlet for local artists to display their work and raise money for a downtown streetscape project.

Now support your Down Town and kindly tip your hat
To the biggest fish, yes, the biggest fish of Nebraska’s River Platte

That’s the refrain from “The Biggest Fish of Nebraska’s River Platte,” the theme song for the “Fremont, Big Fish of the Platte” public art project which featured more than 30 brightly painted six-foot fiberglass catfish which adorned street corners throughout the eastern Nebraska city. A subcommittee of the Main Street board was formed to tackle the project. The Chicago company that started much of the national street art craze, Cowpainter’s Inc., happened to have a number of catfish that had been destined for a project in an Illinois community that had dropped the plans. Hence, the first fish blank to arrive in Fremont was dubbed “Quincy.” He became the poster child for the project. The committee hooked up fish artists with sponsors as the project finally began to float. Many were local, but several were done by high school students from Pawnee City in southeast Nebraska. The advertising manager for the Bellevue newspaper did “Fill-er-up” as a gas station attendant from the era of the heyday of the Lincoln Highway. “Sole of the Platte” was commissioned for the owners of Buck’s Shoes in downtown Fremont and featured a fish adorned with whimsical footwear and begged the question, “can you teach a fish to heel?”Imagine having fun while raising money to do a project that will benefit all the residents of a community by enhancing the downtown where they live.

Christensen Corporation (Fremont, Nebraska)

An historic building constructed in an alleyway between two others has been revived thanks to the vision of a property management company. The Christensen Company renovated the long-vacant building on a side street in this historic downtown to reflect the flavor of by-gone days. In the process, the showcase property became a great corporate headquarters. Boarded-up windows on the second story were opened up and a traditionally appropriate storefront was added at the street level. An interior stairwell was built to give access to the second floor, alleviating the need to use a common stairwell in the building next door. Dramatic use of wood and brick and natural lighting adds to the charm of the remodeled space which now houses offices for Mark and Laurie Ferraina and other employees. This renovated space has served to attract shoppers to the historic Main Street District while testifying to one family’s pride in historic preservation.

Valentine's Day Caramel Apple Fundraiser (Fremont, Nebraska)

If it’s Valentine’s Day, it must be time for caramel apples in downtown Fremont. Main Street of Fremont Inc. has turned this traditional Halloween treat into a much-anticipated staple of the February holiday which is all about sweetness. In three years, the size of the promotion has doubled. The first year, Fremont businesswoman and Main Street board member Margaret Stahl got a group of volunteers together at a board member’s house and the group dipped 500 apples in caramel, rolling a few in nuts and drizzling them all with chocolate. They sell out at $8 each. Last year, they gathered in the back room of a local business where the dippers and drizzlers created 1,000 apples. Again, a sell-out. “It’s a bring your own crock pot event,” said Main Street Manager Leslie Carter. “We expect it’ll take two days to dip and decorate the apples and wrap them in cellophane with a ribbon and a tag that says specially made for you by Main Street volunteers.” She expects 25 volunteers will help out. Each apple also has a numbered plastic ring attached to it. Recipients can take their rings to either downtown Fremont jewelry store to see if it is the winning number for a $300 diamond ring. “That gets people downtown and gets the excitement building,” Ms. Carter said. And, this year, there’s also a dinner for two at a downtown restaurant being given away to a lucky apple purchaser. The apples are sold in advance. “We deliver the larger orders to the banks or other businesses that buy a quantity,” she said. Others just stop by a previously determined location to pick theirs up. They have never had leftovers.