Lee Enterprises - Western Region Bridal Guide 2024 | 9
she noticed about the building were the big, white arched windows on the top floor. After touring the inside, Husak thought the building was beautiful and could see its potential. “There’s a lot of unique elements this building had that really just drew me to it,” said Husak. Husak said that renovating the Elks Lodge and continuing at NTV would have been a lot, essentially working two jobs. Husak knew she would have to make a choice and was feeling excited about the project. “I had been doing news for 12 years and I love my job, I love news, but I was kind of ready for another adventure,” said
GRACIE SMITH Grand Island Independent
On June 7, 2023 Stephanie Husak announced on Facebook that she was leaving her anchor position at Nebraska Television
Network in Kearney. She went by her maiden name Crace while on television, anchored at NTV for six years. Husak started her news career working at WVVA station in Bluefield, West Virginia, for two years. She then moved to Lincoln and anchored at 10/11 for three years. During her tenure at 10/11, Husak met her now-husband while he studied at the University of Nebraska College of Law. When he was offered a job in Kearney, Husak applied for an anchor position at NTV so she could move with him. However, Husak had dreamed of opening an event venue while working at NTV. Husak said that her passion for an event hall stemmed from planning her own wedding and feeling that there were not enough venues in Central Nebraska. “Having an event venue was always a
Husak. “And so when this building came up for sale, I was kind of ready just to take that next step and have the event venue.” For renovations, Husak plans to modernize the building, opening the bricked up windows, putting in an elevator, removing the stained glass from the top floor. Husak also wants the building to have different spaces and looks for people to utilize, with the first floor being industrial chic and the second having a more elegant feel. Husak wants to help people find the perfect place for their special day, whether it be a wedding or any event. To help people feel the excitement of finding the right place, like how Husak felt when she found her wedding venue. “I just was like, I really want to help people find that for their special day as
well,” said Husak. “If I can offer them something that they’re going to love and kind of make the spaces their own for their big day, and then leave their guests talking about it well after the event is over, that just really excites me.” When the venue is ready to open, Husak plans to manage everything with a small staff. Currently, Husak doesn’t know when renovations will be complete, but she hopes to host events next summer. “It’s a diamond in the rough,” said Husak. “And it will definitely take a lot of work, but I think it will be good for the community.”
goal of mine,” said Husak. “I always thought it was going to be a long term goal, I didn’t know when it would happen, it’s just something that I had in the back of my mind, like, this is what I want to do someday.” One day, Husak and her co-anchor, Sara Kirkley, were talking during Good Morning Nebraska. Kirkley, knowing about Husak’s goal, showed her a Facebook post about the sale for Elks Lodge. “It was pretty rundown and she was sort of joking,” said Husak. “I don’t think she knew how serious I was about actually doing this someday.”
At the corner of West First street and South Locust street, the building was finished in early 1918 for the Grand Island chapter of the Elks Lodge fraternal organization. In recent times, the building has been abandoned as the group has moved to a new location at 631 S. Locust St. According to Husak, one of the first things
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