New bike shed installed at Red Willow State Recreation Area
By RONDA GRAFF
MCFF
While the camping season may be coming to a close, visitors at Red Willow State Recreation Area north of McCook have benefitted from a new addition the past few months.
Thanks to a collaboration of McCook’s Youth Change Reaction (YCR) and Nebraska Games and Parks, bicycles are now on loan while at Red Willow SRA.
The bike loan project was developed by a YCR member who was inspired by a similar program at Fort Kearney Historical Park. Through community donations, help from McCook’s Toy Box and a grant from McCook Community Foundation Fund, YCR was able to restore and donate bikes to the Red Willow State Recreation Area.
The bicycles were donated by several community members, along with funds for fixing and upkeep of the bikes. Tom Poore of Tinker Toms has gone through every bike to make sure the components are in good condition. He will work with YCR and Games and Parks to also help with upkeep.
But they realized that getting the bikes wasn’t enough. They needed a shelter for the bikes throughout the year. So they helped fund - and build - a shelter for the bike loan program.
The bikes and the newly-built shed housing the bicycles are located at the Willow Campground, located before reaching the dam. The shed was built this summer with the manpower of several YCR members and Games and Parks staff members.
YCR is the youth organization of the McCook Community Foundation Fund. Funds are also being used to create signs for older and newly created walking/biking trails at Red Willow SRA.
YCR sponsor Shelly Sehnert said the bike loan project will give youth at Red Willow Lake another fun activity, making the lake an even more enjoyable place for everyone and drawing people to the area. “It will also be a resource for campers at the lake to use on the bike trails or as transportation to and from the campgrounds or cabins,” she said.
Southwest Region Supervisor for Nebraska Games and Parks Aric Riggins is proud to see this project come to fruition.
"Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is extremely thankful for the vision of the McCook Youth Change Reaction realizing a need to develop a bicycle loaner program at Red Willow State Recreation Area,” he said. “Without the group's vision, fundraising effort to acquire bikes, and physical labor to help construct the new bike shed, this program would not have happened.”
Riggins also thanked MCFF for the grant assistance to help fund the lumber for the bike shed and the grant to help fund new trail signage aiding with wayfinding and safety on the developed 6.3 miles of multi-use trails in the State Recreation Area.
"Community support such as this helps to create a better state park area for all to enjoy and we are very thankful for the support," Riggins said.
In addition to the bikes and new bike shed at Red Willow, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and local organizations are working to expand the hike-bike trails to give visitors a chance to enjoy the most scenic areas of the park, while also giving bike enthusiasts a more challenging ride. Throughout the entire state recreation area, 3 miles of trails have been added in recent months, bringing the total to 6.3 miles.
Riggins concluded, “We do hope that the park users and the community take advantage of this great new opportunity to recreate out at the lake."
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form. The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
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