Last Friday, one hundred or so Ottawa Library readers gathered at the home of the future library at 204 S Walnut Street in downtown Ottawa. Over drinks and a meal, Executive Director Terry Chartier shared about the coming expansion and her recent accomplishments (picture here). They finished the evening by allowing visitors to tour the space, imagining what is yet to come. That night, renderings were around the building to help fuel everyone’s imagination. With an expanded footprint, this group will be adding several new offerings to the community, which are bound to improve Ottawa’s quality of life.
Terry also shared about her recent award at the Chamber’s annual banquet, the Russell Crites Award. She worked with the Franklin County Historical Society to dig up more information on Russell, for whom the award is named (full list of newspaper articles here). As we know, Russell Crites was the kind of person who left a lasting mark on Ottawa, not just through his business but through his dedication to making the community stronger. He did run a well-known service station downtown, offering towing and bodywork services, but his impact stretched far beyond the shop. Crites was a driving force behind Ottawa’s flood control efforts, advocating for measures to protect the city from flooding that had plagued it for years. His leadership and persistence helped shape the protections we have today. He also played a key role in establishing the Leadership Franklin County program, which has shaped future community leaders for 40 years. His legacy even extends beyond Franklin County, as there is a recreation area at Hillsdale Lake bearing his name for the work he did around flood control. Complete with a memorial sign, boat dock, swimming beach, and picnic area. I appreciated learning more about the Crites family and look forward to seeing the Ottawa Library make progress on this new space in the years to come.
Chamber Solutions: Health Coverage Built for Kansas Businesses
The statewide Chamber organization, CCEKS, hosted a webinar this week to help Kansas Chamber members better understand the new Chamber-led insurance program, Chamber Solutions. This webinar was recorded and can be rewatched if you’re interested (view that here). This health plan, designed for businesses with two or more employees, is offered in partnership with insurance provider Aetna. CCEKS’s official broker, Gallagher, led the online meeting. The purpose of this webinar was to help educate everyone on this new benefit, which started on January 1st of this year. One characteristic of this plan, that lends itself nicely, is that your business can receive a quote for benefits anytime throughout the year with just a few simple steps. This entails no commitments and zero risk, but as a result, you can see if this program can beat your current rates. Tim Shrout with Gallagher mentioned that oftentimes, groups wait until their plan is nearing the end date to start shopping. He commented that your rates with your current insurance provider will rarely improve from one year to the next. What you’re going to see 9 times out of 10 is an increase in premiums. To put it another way, it never hurts to shop around early, even if you’re still a ways out on your current health plan.
Because CCEKS is working with Gallagher as its broker, there’s no hard sell, and you can receive expert advice without the fear of getting tricked into something that’s not right for you and your employees. If you already have a broker and would like to utilize them through this process, they can be the liaison for this program too! Just let me know, and I will get them on the right path. Our Chamber hopes to find a time for Gallagher to visit Ottawa to share this offering in more detail. In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more, check out this document to get more information and a link to next steps (find that here). We hope that this benefit can continue to help small businesses throughout Kansas find coverage with added cost savings.
Shelter from the Storm, Tribute to a Friend
On a windy Wednesday evening, we met in Forest Park to dedicate the recently constructed Terry Wolford Memorial Shelter (pictures here). This shelter house was made possible by longtime Power of the Past member, Terry Wolford's, memorial gift to the club following his passing. Their organization conceived the idea as a memorial, but also as a much-needed addition to the park where they hold their annual event. Along with the donation made by Terry, the Raymond and Marguerite Gibson Foundation also played a role in making this structure financially possible. These donations and the construction of this shelter house leave visitors with a place out of the sun or rain, simultaneously leaving a legacy for Power of the Past and Terry Wolford. Although this addition is located in a City of Ottawa park, no City funds were used to build this new amenity―really a win-win for everybody! This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Power of the Past Antique Engine and Tractor show, highlighting Oliver tractors. This event attracts thousands of guests and is a staple event for Ottawa and Franklin County. Organizing events can be a challenge, especially as a volunteer organization. Kudos to President David Reeves and his team, who consistently bring educational fun to Forest Park each September.
Books, Blessings, and Big News from Cornerstone Bookstore
This morning, Chamber members gathered at a longstanding downtown business, Cornerstone Bookstore (pictures here). Owners Bruce and Joyce Beatty have reached a milestone year, celebrating their 20th anniversary at 217 S Main Street! Bruce shared with those in attendance that when this store started 45 years ago, it was located at 312 S Main Street and was called Cross Reference. With a later change in ownership, it then switched names to Cornerstone Bookstore. In 1999, Cornerstone was moved to the 200 block where it sits now. Prior to, this building housed a litany of industries, including a grocery store, gun store, seamstress, beautician, insurance, and more. In 2005, Bruce took the step to continue his ministry as a Pastor while also running this for-profit business.
Cornerstone Bookstore’s name can be slightly deceiving, because they sell much more than just books. Bruce described the gifts that they house as “items that you wouldn’t just find at a box store.” Over the last twenty years, I imagine thousands of items, including cards, décor, Bibles, and more, have been gifted. Along with the retail side of the business, Cornerstone provides much-needed supplies for churches in the area. Whether it’s for baptisms, communions, or dedications, Bruce sees this business as a ministry as much as he sees it as a business. This ministry has impacted many lives over the years, Bruce and Joyce should be very proud!
One of the big announcements that was shared this morning was that the Beattys have thoroughly enjoyed their time running the business, but it is time for a change. After 20 years, they are looking for potential buyers of their store. Their hopes are that the future owners will build upon the work to which they have dedicated so much of their lives to. Once retired from the business, Bruce and Joyce look to find time to travel, but also to catch some more of their grandkids' sporting events. Two things they both deserve after such a faithful career.
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This week was rather gloomy here in Ottawa. Meanwhile, Sherri and her husband Dan have been enjoying the heat down in the Gulf, as they went on a Caribbean vacation (pictures here). A vacation that provided much-needed time out of the office before a busy summer!
I’m over at FCDC’s Industry Luncheon at Fashion Inc. before the start of the weekend. Look forward to sharing more next week. See you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
