Dear Chamber Supporters,
Happy Friday! Our office only experiences a few Friday mornings without a Chamber Coffee or Ribbon Cutting. I know we miss seeing everybody, but we have been able to structure our day a little differently, which isn’t a bad thing either. Sherri was able to work from home, which she doesn’t get to do often enough as she is usually holding down the fort. I was able to meet with a couple of different individuals who would normally be pushed off into next week. A productive morning even without the networking event… we’ll make sure not to make a habit of it though! We all get a break this week before hopping right back into the routine for the coming Fridays, just how we like it.
Cornhole for a Cause
Makayla and I were lucky enough to get a spot in the 3rd annual COF Training Services cornhole tournament―representing the Chamber crew (pictures here). We had to dust quite a bit of rust off; it had been collecting since tailgating/BBQ season ended last year. Even then, there wasn’t much cornhole prowess to tout between the two of us. With all that said, we entered the competition as novice baggers and left much the same. We were able to win one game―not a total blowout! Regardless of how many points were scored, we can rest easy knowing that the COF fundraiser was a success. The money raised directly impacts the services they can provide, and what a fun/unique way to bring people together. Joy Beatty and her team do a great job thinking outside the box. The number of teams registered is a testament to the work being done within the three counties they serve. Once the weather starts warming up, Makayla and I will be getting our practice in! We just need to hope it lasts until next February to do us any good.
Building Better Health at 901 S Main St.
On Tuesday, the Chamber was excited to come together to celebrate with our local hospital as they finish a 3-year project with the completion of construction at 9th Street. You might remember this building as the former Gollier Center or, depending on how long you’ve been in the community, a former grocery store. Now, 901 S Main Street is home to the beautiful AdventHealth Ottawa Health Park (pictures here). As you might remember, this project coincided with the Sports Med and Rehab upgrade that took place in the County Annex. We would’ve met as Chamber members back in September of 2023 to see that finished portion of the project. Along with the rehab center’s 6,000 square feet of construction, the new Health Park is an additional 15,000 square foot renovation. This entails an upgrade in every department… a facility that would be unrecognizable if it wasn’t sitting at the same address as before. To allow that to happen, patients and staff had to be highly flexible over this time period. But like most things, patience pays off!
The space is modernly designed with functionality in mind. Though the whole facility is quite sleek, adding local artwork and Kansas themes makes the space feel like you’re still in Ottawa―feels like a hometown facility. It is really a beautiful building inside and out, a massive upgrade, and a big win for Ottawa/Franklin County residents. In regard to services, this expansion/renovation includes the addition of outpatient cardiology and pulmonology, and a new behavioral health program. We can also look forward to express care services being brought back to town, housed in this facility, starting in March of this year. These are added to the already existing primary care, internal medicine, pediatric, neurology, sleep medicine, and rheumatology services at this location. When all is said and done, it looks like over 5 million dollars that has been invested in Ottawa’s health services in this project alone. This financial support is only possible through our hospital's association with AdventHealth. Without this backing, we wouldn’t have these upgraded facilities… and more than likely, we wouldn’t have a hospital at all. The pandemic did a number on local hospitals in rural Kansas and throughout the Midwest. The financial stability that Advent offered during that period could not have been timed any better. Though much has changed, really these are the same health professionals living in our community treating patients. Over 75% of AdventHealth Ottawa employees live in Franklin County, and 100% of AdventHealth Ottawa employees want to see our community be a healthier place to live. For that I’m thankful.
LFC Capitol Experience
I was able to join Leadership Franklin County as we ventured up to the Capital to learn more about our state government yesterday (pictures here). It was a much warmer February day compared to the 2023 class, which was barely trekable with snowy and icy conditions last year. Highs of 60 degrees meant the hour journey in the Neosho County Community College bus was a breeze. Once there, LFC participants were able to get a tour of the Capitol, sit in House/Senate meetings, speak with our local legislators, and, if brave enough―take a tour to the top of the dome. This tour entails 296 steps up, first above the inner dome and then just outside the outer dome (pictures here). There are no better views of downtown Topeka than the total 360 you get once outside. With the limited cloud coverage we had, our guide mentioned that you should be able to see 40 miles in any direction. Meaning we could see Franklin County from up on the dome whether we could tell it or not.
This class session sheds light on the kind of work that takes place each year in Topeka. This leaves everyone with a bit of respect for those who choose to work in the public sector and the lifestyles they must go through for four months or so of the year. It also reveals some of the less glamorous sides of lawmaking, as these meetings are not always as eventful as one might hope. With that being said, we couldn’t ask for a more stunning capitol building (or taller, as ours is the second tallest in the nation). One of my favorite parts of this class is getting to know our participants better each month; they are a really bright group with unlimited potential. Look forward to the next couple of classes together before graduation in April.
New Water Tower in Ottawa
A project long in the making is the new water tower on the south side of town adjacent to Proximity Park. The City of Ottawa has been eager to start the installation, which began Monday (pictures here). Maybe not as high as the state Capitol, but it will be one of the tallest standing structures in our community. This tower was on the waitlist for some time but became feasible when grant funds were awarded in early 2022. The City of Ottawa would have applied for a BASE (Building a Strong Economy) grant, which was federal COVID dollars that funneled through the State of Kansas. A lot has happened in the past two years since the funds were rewarded, but what a welcomed addition! Once finished this summer, this tower will serve the future industrial park and the ever-growing residential/commercial populous of the south side of Ottawa. This will really be the Cadillac of water towers. I’m thankful our municipalities are regularly thinking long-term, as they must, to be able to make projects like this happen.
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What else can you say other than GO CHIEFS! The countdown is on. Hopefully you have your party menu set and are ready for the action. If you’re in need of some chicken wings during the game, I saw that Cosentino’s Price Chopper has them on sale by the pound (view here). If you want to avoid cooking them yourself, PrimeTime Grille has a Super Bowl-specific deal going on too (check that out here). If wings aren’t your thing, Fronteras has a taco and nacho platter that you can pick up that your party will love (more info here). Food, good company, football, and now a win would really be the icing on the cake. Looking forward to celebrating soon… fingers crossed of course!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000