Dear Chamber Supporters:
As of Wednesday, we are officially in the Summer of 2023. Mother Nature didn’t wait to kick into gear with lots of sun and warm temperatures, looks like that will be the theme for the next couple of weeks at least. Our plants out front of the office are trying to hold on given all the heat (pictures here). Because of their location they pretty much bake in the sunlight throughout the whole day. With that being said, I’m also their caretaker and that might have something to say about any deficiencies they are currently experiencing… daily water and affection is hopefully the recipe to keep them perked up for the next few months.
Taps and Tunes
When Makayla and I saw that our local auditorium was hosting a craft beer-tasting event here in town, we jumped on some tickets just about straight away. I love the ingenuity of the Friends of the OMA to come up with an incredibly original event idea for a fundraiser. If you happened to miss it, the Friends invited five local breweries to attend and give samples of some of their favorite beers on tap, including our own Not Lost Brewing here in town (pictures of some of the crowd here). Along with the tastings there were hors d'oeuvres and salty snacks to munch on from Prairie Star Catering. It was a great social time in the basement of the OMA, making for an easy-going evening. After the tastings we all headed upstairs for an 80’s cover band called, “Members Only”. If you were to read any of the posters or ads for the event, it always ended with featuring – members only. At first I thought I was the only one who thought this was a secret society of Memorial Auditorium goers who were invited, but enough questions prompted Tiffany Evans to make a short ad addressing the name confusion (watch that here). Because all those with tickets to the event were indeed able to also attend the concert, the band just happened to be named Members Only. Who played lots of fun 80’s hits across all genres, great entertainment.
If you’re hoping to get one last opportunity to sit in the classic orangish OMA chairs, there is only one more opportunity to do so before the big renovation takes place in July. Grab your tickets to Ned Ledoux here for next Saturday, the 30th of June. Really looking forward to all the updates around the corner, including cup holders! I know Tiffany is probably the most excited, so grateful for this historic and soon-to-be more modern indoor event space.
Ottawa Safe City
The Ottawa Police Department shared that Ottawa was named one of the safest cities in all of Kansas, a truly awesome accomplishment. Out of 350 cities in Kansas with dedicated police departments, we were named 19th according to SafeWise, a company that writes about the safety of communities across the nation. The study, which analyzed various factors such as crime rates, law enforcement efforts, and community initiatives, placed Ottawa among the top cities in Kansas for its dedication to public safety. This accomplishment reflects the collaborative efforts of our local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and our residents who all play a part in being a safe community. You can read the full press release and Chief Adam Weingartner’s comments here. Just another reminder of how great it is to live here in Ottawa!
Ottawa Herald Best of the Best
It's that time of the year when we digitally celebrate the incredible businesses that make our community shine. If you have been on social media recently you might have seen business pages posting about the opportunity to cast your vote, well here is the link to elect your business of choice as the best of the best here in Franklin County! With a slew of categories, the Ottawa Herald makes it easy to show your support and celebrate what makes our area so special. By voting, you not only help businesses gain recognition for their hard work but also assist fellow community members in discovering hidden gems they may not be aware of yet. I’m looking forward to celebrating the “Best of the Best” in our community and show appreciation for the entrepreneurs and dedicated individuals who make our area an exceptional place to live, work, and play. Voting is open now and will close on July 2nd. Don't miss your chance to support the businesses that make a difference to you!
Ottawa Fire Department
The Ottawa Fire Department hosted Chamber members this morning at their 2nd Street station. Tim Matthias and his crew were able to show off their new ride, a Pierce Enforcer (pictures here). This is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that will be added to their tool belts, and with a lifespan of 20 or so years… it’ll be around for quite some time. The truck that it is replacing was made in 1996 and is still running, now being used in Williamsburg here in the county. They opened up the doors of the new ride and let those hop in if interested... and I mean "hop in" literally as you almost have to jump up into the cab (here is a picture inside the truck). Along with showing off the new Engine 2, Mike Wilson, Community Risk Reduction Specialist, also shared the extensive list of ways they work on preventing fires from happening in the first place. This includes training for installing safety seats in vehicles for children, business inspections to assess possible risks inside your establishment, and providing smoke alarms for residential homes. Though the handing out of smoke alarms is not a new program, they mentioned they have now started coming out to residents' homes to install the smoke detector themselves to make sure there is enough coverage and the correct placement of the devices. They also will help those who are unable to change the batteries of their smoke detector if it is out of reach or you are without a ladder (as long as you provide the batteries). These are all ways OFD works to keep our community safe, Tim mentioned his goal through these prevention programs is to never need his team to mobilize in the first place. Though we all know that is impossible to reduce all incidents, we can all play a part in doing our do-diligence in the spaces we interact. But when things do go awry, you can count on our local firefighters to be there.
Thank you to all 21 full-time firefighters and six volunteer firefighters here in Ottawa, true local heroes. Also thank you to Chief Matthias, your leadership has been indispensable, we’ve been lucky to have him at the helm for as long as we have. Thanks for keeping our community safe and caring for our people.
It's a beautiful day for activities so far, I've got a couple more outdoor events to attend today before the weekend begins. Look forward to spending the summer with you all, see you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000