Dear Chamber Supporters:
After a week of local natural disaster with the storm that blew in, we are actually a day away from some natural wonder. From Saturday night to Sunday morning North America will have a unique opportunity to see the Perseid meteor shower (more info here). With only a small portion of the moon illuminated that evening, it should make for a dark sky as long as you’re away from any light pollution. The number I have heard is around 100 meteors per hour, which should be quite the showcase. As long as your eyes are adjusted, there should be no need for binoculars or a telescope to catch it. This will be the perfect chance for Makayla and I to sit out and use our new patio furniture! Check out all the cool stuff that happened this past week below.
Unity Festival
Legacy Square hosted the 2nd Annual Unity Festival this past Saturday, put on by the Franklin County United Way (pictures here). An event that showcased the spirit of community and collaboration as dozens of local nonprofit organizations and churches shared their diverse range of services and programs on offer. These conversations highlight the immense impact they have on our community, and how so many of our citizens rely on their consistency to survive. Along with informative booths, there were plenty of games and activities for kids whose smiles and laughter were a testament to the excitement they experienced throughout the festival. Thanks to AdventHealth Ottawa, 1,000 meals were provided for those in attendance. Events like the Unity Festival serve as a reminder of the strength that can be derived from working collectively towards a common goal. They reinforce the importance of fostering connections, celebrating diversity, and promoting a sense of belonging. There is so much good that takes place throughout Franklin County, often times exposing the good to those who are in need is half the battle. It’s great to see Legacy Square be used for bringing people together in this way.
Ottawa University is Back
It’s always exciting to see how our community changes when OU students arrive back on campus for the start of a semester. Whether it’s downtown or in our commercial district south of town, you don’t have to look very hard to find Braves out and about. Donald Anderson, Dean of Student Life mentioned there are around 950 students enrolled for fall 2023! It’s incredible to see the continued climb that our local university has seen over the last handful of years in student population. This results in some unique housing solutions like the lofts at 401 S Main and formerly Days Inn (now Hasty Hall) at 2209 S Princeton. It’s also exciting to see how this affects our local economy... more bodies shopping, drinking and eating throughout town no doubt. Last Friday the OU Advancement team and I set out to get “We Support Ottawa University” signs out to our downtown businesses (pictures here). If you got left out, don’t fret! We have plenty here in the office, just stop by or let us know and we can make sure you get one. As a former student, it always made me feel more comfortable walking into an establishment that had a sign saying they supported my home away from home.
With student inclusion in mind, OU Fusion Business Expo took place this past Tuesday (pictures here). With the purpose of showcasing our local groups whether that be businesses, nonprofits, or local churches. It is always a great opportunity to interact with students as they move from booth to booth. Many who tabled had giveaways, including t-shirts, candy, swag or even pizza (which was a big hit). It was great talking with students and faculty about the year ahead, many were glad to have some of their first days under their belt already. If you are interested in making your way to campus there will be three different team scrimmages for men’s and women’s soccer, as well as American football over the next 7 days. Check out their athletics website here to stay up to date on all upcoming games. Go Braves!
Young Professional Pickleball
The young professional's group got together this past week to play some pickleball off of 3rd Street (picture here). Having finished sand volleyball back in June, we took advantage of the summer evening to play a handful of games. Out of the twelve or so in attendance, about half had never played or played very little, so it was also a good learning experience. A great facility and a fun sport that just about anybody can play. There were also some veteran players on the other side of the court, obviously seasoned with the paddle. I was able to hop in a game with them and had to catch on fast, which opened my eyes to how much skill can be involved. If you are or know of someone who might be interested in joining in on some YP activities, there are currently no entry barriers other than showing up and meeting others! It looks like there should be plenty more fun activities planned for the remainder of the year, shoot me a message with contact info if you want to receive updates.
Leadership Franklin County Class of 23/24
It’s official! The new class for Leadership Franklin County has been announced. Classes over the past thirty-five-plus years were able to gather to recognize their commitment to leadership education this morning at Neosho County Community College (pictures here). With only twenty spots available each class year, there is a prestige that comes with being a part of this group, and pride that comes with its completion in April. I love to see the diversity of each class, whether that’s the industry they work in, age, gender, or experiences. All of their unique voices will be able to come together and create their own culture throughout the year. I thanked a handful of groups this morning at the Coffee, the first being the participants who are choosing to step out of their comfort zone by partaking in this course… which takes some level of vulnerability. The second group was the employers, the department heads, the supervisors who are allowing their employees to miss time in the office, with the expectation that through this process their whole organization will benefit in the long run. And lastly, our Chairperson Donna Ferguson and her support team which consists of the LFC Board… all of these individuals take the time to keep this annual program moving forward and for that I am thankful! The first session of the year will include team building (and power pole climbing) on the 24th of August. I’m looking forward to another successful year of leadership!
Recognizing more Achievements
Last week I was able to recognize a couple of award winners from the community, this week I’m pleased to say I have that opportunity once more! If you hadn’t heard, Pleasant Ridge Farms (Harry and Juanita Peckham) were awarded the Iron Horse award from the National Christmas Tree Association for their hard work and dedication each Christmas season. Every year they take on the labor-intensive job of making sure families have natural Christmas trees... and they do all with a big smile! Another national award was given to our County Sherriff, Jeff Richards from the Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executives' Association naming him Sherriff of the Year! An outstanding accomplishment that shows off how crucial of a leader he has been over the years in this role. What a great way to show off his dedication! You don’t have to look very far to find fantastic award-winning individuals in our community, help me celebrate these folks for the heartfelt service they have given over long careers.
Don’t forget to come rock out at Legacy Square tonight from 6-9:30! Clevermax will be on stage for the Chamber's second Free Community Concert of the summer. It should be a perfect send-off before school starts next week. See you there!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000