Northeast Nebraska residents “Cruise the Mains” amid Coronavirus outbreak

March 22nd, 2020 | Beth Rogers
“COVID-19 continues  its assault on the nations’ health and financial footing, but the American spirit is still strong.
And residents of several Nebraska communities are proving it.
Over the weekend,  towns including Oakland had variations of a “Cruise Night,” or “Cruisin’ Main Street.”
Sunday at 5pm in Burt county,  hundreds of Oakland residents drove about  80 vehicles up and down Oakland Avenue.
Horns were honked, neighbors waved and yelled greetings to each other through open windows.
Laughter was common.
A smiling police officer waved at everyone from the sidewalk.
Country music from radio station “The Bull” in West Point blared loudly from a pickup, as the driver sang along.
Many communities of all sizes across America are apparently planning similar events, mostly on Sunday evenings.
It’s one symbolic way of fighting back at this microscopic enemy that is adversely changing our lives and making us keep our distance from others.
Or to have contact with no one at all.
“It’s  uplifting.  I needed this,” one Oakland woman remarked.
“My husband and I have been isolated since early March.”
By 6pm Sunday, The Cruise was over and the town of about 1,200 was once again quiet.
But, if for only 45 minutes, they had experienced something that has been a missing and precious commodity as of late.
Fun.
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