Dear Chamber Supporters:

You’ve surely heard the axiom, “if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb”…or the vice verse. There are many theories about where this adage comes from. According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the weather folklore stems from ancestral beliefs of balance, meaning if the weather at the start of March is bad (roaring, like a roaring lion), the month should end with good weather (gentle, like a lamb). Others believe the March folklore comes from an astronomical connection…in March, the Leo (lion) zodiac is the rising sign and when we reach April, it is a ram (or sheep). And lastly, some believe it’s a Biblical reference…Jesus’s first appearance was as a sacrificial lamb, but he will return as the Lion of Judah, hence those symbolic animals. Not sure I have a feeling on it…I’m fairly certain it rarely fills in as accurate. Next Wednesday March will begin…forecast for the day – 65 degrees and partly sunny. Sound like a lamb to me!

Kansas Legislature:

The 2023 Kansas Legislative Session is beginning to pick up speed…Friday this week is referred to as turnaround day…the day when bills from non-exempt committees have to be sent across the rotunda to the opposite chamber. The 50-plus bills forwarded to final action votes in both chambers probably will give Kansans an idea of how much support there is for at least a dozen wide-ranging politically controversial bills and an idea of whether they may have enough support to override a gubernatorial veto. A few of the more controversial bills being debated are:

Woman’s Bill of Rights – this measure would prohibit transgender males-at-birth from participating in women’s sports in public schools. Proponents say the measure would create fair competition between females-at-birth, not transgender females. Opponents make the assertion that the measure is an assault on the LGBTQ community. It passed the Senate but if passed by the House will probably be vetoed by Governor Kelly.
There are election issue fights in both chambers, the Senate and House forwarding slightly different versions of a bill that would set an ironclad 7:00 p.m. election day deadline for receipt of ballots in the County Clerk’s office. This would repeal the current law which allows the counting of mail-in ballots received within three days of the election. Both chambers saw conservatives in favor of the 7:00 p.m. election day hard stop, saying the late ballots jeopardized confidence in elections among voters…opponents believe the time allows for election-day voting by people who can’t make it to the polls in person.
The House passed a Parent’s Bill of rights which is a bill that gives parents more information with which to monitor just what their children are taught in public schools…and have their children pulled out of some subject matter discussions that their parents oppose. Most in education oppose this measure as being to0 onerous.

Both the Senate and House worked well into the evening this week and wrapped up their work at about 10:00 p.m. Thursday night. Remember none of these become law until they pass in the opposite chamber and are signed by the governor. Good news is – they are out of Topeka until March 1…I always maintain they can’t do harm if they are not there!!

Engage Kansas:

A coalition of Kansas organizations have launched Engaged Kansas in a first-of-its-kind effort to encourage and support civic-minded individuals to consider local public service. Partners in engaged Kansas include the Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas Chamber, Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Leadership Center and League of Kansas Municipalities and Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas. In Kansas there are more than 6,000 elected positions which serve on school boards, county commissions and municipal governments across the state. The goal is to encourage and support Kansans who want to serve their communities and do so in a civil manner. Engaged Kansas is a nonpartisan, nonpolicy-specific endeavor to demystify the process of becoming a public servant and develop leaders who will drive progress from the ground up. You can learn more by visiting their website, EngagedKansas.org …there you can view resources and training available. In addition to the materials on the website, there is a 30-minute presentation available to organizations which dives deeper into the need for such an effort and some of the tools offered to help people in their decision-making process. In addition to being nonpartisan, this effort is non-policy specific too. The organizations supporting Engage Kansas truly recognize change and progress comes from individuals who advocate locally for their communities…we need leaders desperately right now – check out the webpage and see what action it inspires in you!!

Summer Concert Series:

We are ready to announce our summer concert series…the Chamber has scheduled 2 free concerts for Legacy Square. The first will be June 10 featuring The Sons of Sterling with local artist Chad Caylor on the bass guitar. Their music genera is red dirt and southern rock. On August 11, Clevermax will perform…also at Legacy Square. This is a local band which has played together in this area for years…they performed at my after-prom in 1974!! They will play whatever the crowd wants…classic rock or country, red dirt or southern rock. Still early in the planning, but both of these concerts will be family-friendly and free and will additionally include food trucks…all you need to bring is a lawn chair. Mark your calendars for what I’m sure will be perfect summer weather and a fantastic time in downtown Ottawa.

Former Ottawa University Student to coach at Kansas State:

Here is a fun bit of trivia…former OU football player, Matthew Middleton, has been recruited by KSU head coach Chris Klieman, to be the wide receivers coach for the K-State football team. Matt played for Ottawa from 2004-2007…since then he has had several coaching stints including South Dakota State, University of Kansas and most recently, Kent State (always as a wide receivers coach). When he finished his playing career at Ottawa, he left the program as the school's all-time reception leader with 159 career catches. He earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from Ottawa in 2008 and went on to obtain a master's degree in recreation administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2012. You can see his picture and read the full press release here…soon to be moving to Manhattan, he acknowledges he’s a native Kansan (born in Kansas City, Kansas) and glad to be coming back to Kansas!

Chamber’s Annual Auction Goes Live Today:

Our biggest annual fundraiser kicks off today…click here to view all the auction items and make a bid. Bidding is simple…I just placed a bid – all I had to do was type my name, email and bid amount. I was then sent an email which I had to click to confirm my bid…easy-peasy (be sure to check your spam if you don't see the email)! All bidding is done electronically and, as in previous years – if someone ups your bid, you will receive an email notification so you can bid again on those items you simply must have. As always…our members donate some great items to help us with our annual auction. Auction offerings include a 52-inch television; K-State, KU and Chiefs pictures…including 3 pictures from the most recent Super Bowl win; many great baskets with a variety of offerings; a gas grill, a Blackstone Grill, a Solo firepit…just to name a few of the bigger donations. Anybody can bid…you don’t have to be a Chamber member. If you want to view the items in person, come to the Chamber anytime in the week ahead…we have everything on display in our board room (pictures here). The bidding will close with our annual banquet next Thursday, March 2 at Ottawa University. I encourage you to bid early and often!!

Keith King – State Farm Insurance:

Keith has been selling State Farm Insurance to Ottawans for 22 years…and in his downtown location for 10 years. Keith hosted Chamber members this morning (pictures here) to see his recent remodel of his downtown office and tell a little history of his business. Several referenced the television jingle, “like a good neighbor, Keith King is there!” He has been a good neighbor and longtime community advocate. I remember Keith was serving on the Chamber board when I was hired. State Farm began by selling insurance to farmers but over the last 100 years has evolved to help everyone manage the risks of everyday life including rebuilding neighborhoods, investing in communities, and supporting education and safety initiatives all across the country. It’s what being a good neighbor is all about!!

It seems like it has been a busy week…I hope you are planning something relaxing for the weekend. Cherry and I will have 4 of our grandkids beginning this afternoon, for most of the weekend. I’m sure we’ll be worn out!

Talk to you next week…

Onward ~ John

President/CEO

Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce

john@ottawakansas.org

785-242-1000