Dear Chamber Supporters:
In case you haven’t already seen it as it has been shared around social media, you should check out this article that was published this past Sunday (click here to view)! Its purpose is to take a peek into the Ottawa community, giving a brief history as well as an update of what we have going on. The author, Cami, visited Ottawa a week or so ago and was able to catch a great selection of locals to interview. What a neat way for us to view our community through the eyes of someone from the outside. It seems as though this article has been able to circulate around the region, hopefully spiking some interest for those looking to make a visit. I even had a friend who no longer lives in the community who saw it and mentioned it to me, seems like it got quite the reach!
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Last Saturday the Franklin County Historical Society invited the public over to the Old Depot Museum for the grand opening of the new traveling exhibit visiting Ottawa Ks. The Smithsonian Museum in DC has an initiative to share its collections with communities across the States. They’ve accomplished this by taking some of their exhibits and scaling them down with the intention of sharing them with smaller towns like our own (pictures of the grand opening here). The Ottawa community was chosen as one of the six Kansas museums to host this display that gives viewers a non-partisan historical context behind democracy, voting and the individual voices that shaped what we call the USA. When you stop in, you’ll start at the ground floor of the museum which contains all the content shared by the Smithsonian, broken into sections with plenty to read and interact with. On the second floor, the FCHS has a local exhibit that shares the story dubbed “Barely Made It: The Naked Voters and Other Franklin County Stories of Democracy”. Diana Staresinic-Deane does a wonderful job of explaining the events that unfolded here in Franklin County… a whole lot better than I could explain it here. A quick synopsis entails a group of individuals who wouldn’t let anything get in their way to vote… even rivers! All this information is available and can be consumed at your own pace as you move through the exhibit. If you run into questions, a FCHS team member is always close by to help fill in any gaps. This fantastic experience is free to walk through, though I know the Old Depot Museum and the Historical Society appreciate any donations you want to leave behind. Make sure you check it out before it leaves town on October 1st!
If you’ve already gone through the exhibit or maybe you’re just in the mood for some extra programs, you’re in luck! There are five different events that can be experienced in person or over Zoom that all relate to voices and votes. Learn about elected officials from Franklin County, women mayors in Kansas, or the first native American vice president (check out more information here). All of these programs are free to participate in thanks to our local Historical Society, we’re lucky to have them.
Biking in the Moonlight
Bicyclists from all over the region came to Franklin County this past Saturday to take part in the second annual Moonrise Bike Ride event hosted by Ottawa Bike and Trail (pictures here). The Ottawa route entailed 40+ miles of biking which was broken up into two different days, starting in Ottawa and then heading over to Pomona Lake State Park for an evening of good food, live music, and camping under the stars. They also had an alternate route coming from Council Grove which over doubled the distance traveled each day, resulting in over 100 miles of biking over Saturday and Sunday. Though the heat we’ve been experiencing made for a warm weekend for the bikers, as the highs on Saturday and Sunday were 105 degrees, between the two routes there were over a hundred and fifty who participated in the event. There is obviously an appetite for events like this, it is great to see our local store being inventive, what a truly unique way to bring in individuals for the opportunity to have fellowship around the sport!
Jeff and his team have been able to create a culture of biking in our community, given our location on the two state trails, we’re really the perfect place to have this kind of activity. If you’re interested in finding a group to bike with, Ottawa Bike and Trail can help as they have weekly group rides. Another neat offering that they will begin to roll out as temperatures drop this weekend is scheduled shuttle rides to or from your vehicles. Allowing you to reach an area of the Prairie Spirit Trail you wouldn’t otherwise be able to get to because of the need to track back, now you can hitch a ride! Check out their website here for all the cool stuff they offer our riders, I look forward to seeing what neat ideas are right around the bend. Lastly, if you didn’t read the paragraph caption above to the tune of the hit song “Dancing in the Moonlight”, go back and give it another shot (it’s going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day now).
Opioids and Fentanyl
Both of these buzzwords are often seen in the news and on social media, but what is it all about? Well, the Franklin County Substance Use Prevention Coalition met Wednesday to talk about just that. A large group gathered in the County Commission Chambers to learn more about the dangers of opioid abuse and specifically how the rise of street fentanyl has skyrocketed the overdose rates (pictures here). Part of my naivety was my lack of understanding of what fell under the umbrella of “opioid”. This includes drugs like morphine, codeine, oxycodone, heroin, and obviously fentanyl. It’s important to mention that fentanyl has existed in a pharmaceutical setting since the 1960s. It’s a powerful synthetic opioid, with its potency far surpassing that of other opioids like heroin or morphine. Though it does have a use in the pharmaceutical field, the major difference is that this is done by trained doctors who work in microdoses. This use of fentanyl is not the problem we’re seeing taking place across the US. The dangers occur when cartels who are creating opioids outside the country are adulterating or lacing opioids with fentanyl, often without the knowledge of the end-users. This dangerous practice significantly magnifies the risks associated with opioid use and has led to a disturbing trend of overdoses. What is even scarier is the fact that the largest group of Americans documented overdosing from fentanyl since 2019 are in the age range of 13–24-year-olds. What was once associated with overdosing was the taking of large quantities of a substance at one time, this is no longer the case when the lethal amount of fentanyl is smaller than the tip of your pencil. Even half of a pill can contain enough to send someone into an overdose (lethal amount example). This fact also makes emergency response that much more difficult as an accidental exposure from say a crushed pill in the air could be life-threatening.
Though this is a difficult topic, these conversations lead to positive outcomes. One of those is the educating of our children about the dangers of street drugs. 3 out of 5 pills being pulled off the street by the DEA are coming back positive with traces of the addictive fentanyl in them. This information can be challenging to share, but is not harder than having one of our youth unknowingly partake. Another way our community can be prepared is through the distribution of naloxone, which can be found in the brand name Narcan. This medicine can be used to save those experiencing an overdose. Through the use of spraying into an overdosed individual’s nose, the effects create a chemical bond that removes the fentanyl from taking hold. Though our first responders carry this on them at all times, we can be better prepared as a community by keeping this life-saving drug on hand too. What was discussed in the seminar, Narcan has little to no side effects and is not harmful if administered to someone who is not in need. Meaning, better safe than sorry!
To learn more or if you have questions, reach out to the coalition by calling 785-229-3529 or visit franklincoks.org/supc. And of course, if you believe someone is experiencing an overdose, call 911 immediately to receive assistance.
News From Kalmar Ottawa
I was invited up to our local terminal tractor company Kalmar on the north side of Ottawa yesterday morning for an announcement (picture here). I say local because currently all of the “Ottawa brand” trucks currently being produced are made right here in Franklin County. Even though that is the case for production, distribution is truly worldwide. Kalmar is the frontrunner for this industry across the nation, having sold double the amount of product than all its competitors combined. Along with their quality product, they also have the history to back it up having been in operation since 1958. Well there’s even more exciting news for Kalmar as they are set to acquire a product line of electric terminal tractor trucks from a company out of Texas, Lonestar Specialty Vehicles (picture of LSV truck here). A deal that has been in the works for over a year will be rubberstamped at the beginning of September, though they mentioned that the ball is already moving. LSV deployed its first electric tractor in 2019, and already has a leading position in the US market for electric terminals. This acquisition not only allows the Kalmar brand to be able to produce more trucks annually, but this deal will allow them to continue to diversify their options of eco-efficient terminal tractors… a market that has an ever-growing demand. This new product line will fall under the new name Kalmar TX. As Kalmar continues to grow its range of terminal tractors on offer, I’m excited to see what’s next.
Is it fall yet?? As I drive past Front Porch Antiques on the north side of town I get to take in the decorations that make my eyes believe it is, but the moment I step out of my vehicle I am quickly reminded otherwise! Thanks for getting us in the mood Lisa (owner of FPA), let's see if the weather can cooperate on its end. Until then, stay cool and talk to you soon.
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
