Anyone been to Ravenna (Grand Island, Kearney: crime, homes, buying)

[Calqt]

My husband and I found a home in Ravenna we like. We currently live in CA and we were wonding if moving there would be a good choice. I have six children and would like to go somewhere that is a good community to raise children. We have never been to Ravenna but are thinking of making an offer blind so any input is helpful.

[Ameliawrites]

Hi- Funny you should ask, we just bought a farm in Ravenna TODAY!! How weird? I hope it is a good place to raise kids, I have 4 so far. My dh has been there for about 3 months and loves it sooo much.
We homeschool and hope to find a good group of kids there to hang out with.

Amelia

[Calqt]

How awesome! We homeschool also and I even started a Buffalo County homeschool group on yahoo hoping to find others who homeschool also. Keep me updated on your progress. We were looking at buying Aunt Betty's Bed and Breakfast, Do you know anything about that place?

[Ameliawrites]

I can ask dh tonight when he gets out of his meeting for work. It will be late though since its the monthly one, ugh. I will pm you and give you my email so we can go offlist ok?

Amelia

[NebraskaRed]

Ravenna born and raised! I haven't lived there for over 10 years now though. Ravenna has changed a lot even since I lived there. It can be a "clicky" town, but a majority of the people are good, hard working people. The school is pretty good, but it doesn't sound like you will be needing information regarding that. There is a lot of information on the Chamber of Commerce's website www.ci.ravenna.ne (broken link). The two biggest industries there are the new ethanol plant that is just opening two miles east of town and Leprino Foods which makes cheese. Henningson Foods is another industry there. The community is also the changeover point for crews for the BNSF railroad. There is a nice nursing home and a beautiful assisted living center. The parks are really nice. Nice swimming pool, golf course and bowling alley. Sports is a big thing around there. You are only 30 miles away from Sherman Reservoir if you like to do watersports or fish. There's also a small lake east of the city that was recenlty revamped. There is only one grocery store, but a nice little variety store and other businesses as well. There are more than what is listed on the chamber website as they only list their members. The town is approximately 29 miles north of Kearney, NE and 35 miles west of Grand Island, NE. Like any town in the country it has its ups and downs, good areas and bad. The bed and breakfast that you are considering to purchase (on main street?) is very nice. The owners have put a lot of hard work into the place. If you want more, let me know. Hope you have success if you decide to move there.

[Ameliawrites]

I know you were not talking directly to me but thank you! That was very encouraging as my dh is only talking about how wonderful everything is and I know it is because he is sick of commuting to Montana and hoped to convince us to move down there.

I look so forward to seeing what it is like!

Amelia

[Prodigal]

I was born and raised in Ravenna and let me tell you what the present town is truly like. Trash!

First of all, Ravenna is a trashy Railroad town that has been the welfare dumping grounds for Buffalo County the last few years. Not that welfare is all that bad, it just brings a lot of crime with it. Enough said.

Second, Ravenna has an almost inbred cliqueness to it. This can be seen in the downtown business, churches, and school system. If you are not a native then you are out of luck. It's sick!

Third, Bars, bars, bars! The downtown is thriving with shady bars, and I don't mean Martini bars and clubs! Trashy railroaders and the many town drunks frequent these places. Great role-model for the kids huh?

Fourth, Sports! Yes they are important in Ravenna. Lately they have become everything here. No one cares wheather or not the students can do math or read and write! Oh and its also a coaches hot bed for dating students. Just ask most of the coaches there where they met their wives. Enough said!

And finally last, the town stinks! I don't mean stinks at sports, but literally STINKS like rotten cheese. The cheese hole, I mean cheese plant sprays that nasty cheese waste all over the place and pollutes the river with its stench! Yuk

20 years ago I would have raised my kids there, but no way would I ever think of it now!

[Ameliawrites]

I am a homeschooling parent so the school scene doesn't apply, a non conforming hippie so cliques are never interested in me anyhow, don't drink so that doesn't matter and as far as the polluting the river, it smells thing, dh just said it doesn't and he is there right this second so I doubt it always smells like cheese. I make cheese so may be that will smell nice?? Just kidding.

Thanks for your opinions and sorry that you had such a horrible review of Ravenna. I hope my experience is a lot different.

Your life is what you make it.

Amelia

[Prodigal]

"We tell our toddlers, "Don't touch the stove because it will burn you." We don't tell them that to spoil their fun, but to protect them. But that is not how the child hears it. Having never touched the stove, the child doesn't really know what it means to be burned. We are not so different as we grow older."

Good luck in your new "HomeTown Hideaway"

Originally Posted by Ameliawrites

I am a homeschooling parent so the school scene doesn't apply, a non conforming hippie so cliques are never interested in me anyhow, don't drink so that doesn't matter and as far as the polluting the river, it smells thing, dh just said it doesn't and he is there right this second so I doubt it always smells like cheese. I make cheese so may be that will smell nice?? Just kidding.

Thanks for your opinions and sorry that you had such a horrible review of Ravenna. I hope my experience is a lot different.

Your life is what you make it.

Amelia

[Radical347]

I'll second the whole inbred cliquiness thing. Ravenna isn't that great.