End of April Update, Don Clare
This week’s update is going to be a whole lot different than previous ones. As we deal with the red tape items and the brass tacks items of getting started on the restoration project of the General Store, we feel overwhelmed and frustrated with the prerequisites and principles and procedures involved in such an undertaking. But we stand determined to see this project through.
When completed, we think this restoration will serve as a new precedent in the Historic Preservation community locally, state-wide, and even nationally. And here is what makes the difference. It is YOU, our friends, neighbors, supporters, visitors, tourists and those of you who have chosen Rabbit Hash as your preferred tourist destination on weekends, weekdays, and whenever you feel the urge. The Rabbit Hash General Store has always been there to welcome you with open arms and, hopefully, the kind of experience you are looking for.
If it weren’t for you and all your various fund-raising events, organized by you folks, then we would never be able to restore that experience you look forward to each and every time you visit. We cannot thank you all enough for your support!
There have been a lot of questions about the restoration. When? How long? How much will it take? What else is needed? What is the hold-up? Let’s get on with it! All very legitimate questions and we are diligently working on the answers for you. We have to look at this project as “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” We are taking each baby step as best we can. There are a lot of regulatory agencies whose requirements have to be met. And it will take time.
As we work things out, we want to offer you, all our friends, neighbors and supporters, a special night of fun and camaraderie on the fabulous Belle of Cincinnati, She is coming especially to the Port of Rabbit Hash this coming Sunday for an exclusive cruise and tour of the Boone County area as well as the scenic Indiana counties of Dearborn, Ohio, and Switzerland counties. The Rabbit Hash Historical Society is sponsoring an exclusively designed river cruise, dinner, music and river history entertainment featuring a cash bar, games and fashion centered on the upcoming 142nd Kentucky Derby!
BB Riverboats and the Bernstein family have graciously offered us the Belle of Cincinnati for this special fundraising event and we are inviting all of you to partake in this special opportunity. It is not very often that a major Ohio River Steamboat is offered to an organization like this. The Bernstein family has a very long history of promoting and featuring trips to Rabbit Hash as one of their special yearly events. Now, they have offered this unique river experience, entertainment, and award-winning dinner fare. We cannot thank them enough for their support and generosity.
Please consider enjoying this special trip with us , this Sunday, May 1st. Since the fire, we all have experienced regret, sadness, emotional pain and the processes of grieving in this terrible loss to our community. We want you to think of this special event more as a coming together, healing, cleansing, purging opportunity to let go of the tragedy and move on with the solutions.
Sure, we understand that the cost involved is a sacrifice to a whole lot of us. But we are not concentrating on what we can raise for the project. We just want to cover the expenses of operating the boat, the meal, the crew, and so on and sharing some fun and leisure time with each other. After all, the Store meant so much to so many of us, never mind if you are a local, a tourist, an occasional visitor, or whatever you are. We just want to have this opportunity to get together, enjoy a nice meal and entertainment, enjoy our Boone County and Ohio River history and heritage, and talk about the restoration.
Please contact BB Riverboats to secure you tickets for this special get-together at BBRiverboats .com/rabbit hash. We really want your emotional support for this particular fundraiser!
Sure hope to see you! There will be a very unique musical line-up and silent auction as well!
Don Clare
President, Rabbit Hash Historical Society