Dear Chamber Supporters:
The past week has been notable for its fast-changing weather… rain sneaking up on us here in town. Yesterday we saw what was a mostly sunny day turn into rain and winds that caused a large amount of homes on the north side of town to lose power in a matter of thirty or so minutes. Though there was no power issue to my knowledge last week, this turn of temps and precipitation took place last Saturday as well during the highly regarded cruise night for the Ol’ Marias River Run. A lovely day with rather warm temperatures turned into high winds, rain and a cold front right about at the start of the cruise downtown. Though a decent amount of onlookers shut up shop and called it a night early… an even larger sample stuck around and weathered the storm. Though the temperature dropped 15 degrees or so, it was still a great night to cruise once the rain passed. With the rainwater sitting on Main Street under the streetlights, it set what looked like a scene you’d see in the movies. 1,480 cars was the final count that I heard, an incredible amount of classic vehicles. Always a special feeling on car show weekend, the economic impact of the event is unmatched in the community. Thanks Over the Road Gang for pouring hundreds of man-hours into this annual celebration. It also couldn’t be done without the dozens of other entities that step up to the plate on that weekend. Whether it’s law enforcement, city workers, civic clubs, etc. We see unprecedented community involvement on the third weekend in September each year.
Get a Slice of this…
Domino’s Cut Pizza and a Ribbon this past Tuesday as we were finally able to officially commemorate their opening in Ottawa (pictures here). Kitty Dixon and Alex Rusk are the Franchise Owner and Store Manager/Part Owner respectively. They invited Chamber members to not only cut the ribbon but also sample some of their menu. Their handmade pizza, garlic bread, and cheese sticks were all top-notch, really a great product. Along with a yummy taste, they also mentioned they focus heavily on quick results… including fast prep and delivery. Kitty mentioned that when someone is ordering through their app (which is where all their coupons can be found), they can actually see pizzas once they’re added to the cart before the order has been fully placed, so by the time you’ve paid on your phone they already have your order in the oven. Pretty neat process that gets you and your pizza together just that much quicker. They currently sit with over thirty employees at the Ottawa location, a rather astounding number given the workforce issues we see across the state. However this is not Kitty’s first rodeo, as she currently has five stores in five different cities and is looking to add a couple more. The unique part about their Ottawa location is it is currently the only branch on the Kansas side, the rest are all within an hour or so of the KC metro in Missouri. We also learned about their desire to be a community supporter that evening, it’s worth mentioning that when Kitty originally decided they were coming to town they joined the Chamber straight away. This would have been in January of 2022, and they ended up opening about a year and a half later this summer! A perfect example of their commitment to giving back. They were highly anticipated and we’re so glad they chose our community, thanks Domino’s!
The Buzz Around the City Commission
The City Commission has been talking about the birds and bees for a year or more now… chickens and beehives within city limits that is. After long discussions with each other, relevant neighboring communities, and their legal advisor, they have finally been able to rubber-stamp it into law this past Wednesday. Pretty big news for chicken enthusiasts and bee colony hobbyists throughout town. Much of the discussion in meetings wasn’t about IF they should allow it to happen, but what rules and restrictions should be in place to ensure safety and peace to remain. There are several pieces to consider, the amount of each animal, the distance it can sit from the owner’s property or the property of their neighbors, and how they go about filing it with the City of Ottawa to name a few. Here are some quick facts about each topic.
First the bees… Beekeepers must register their hives within the city, this includes sharing where they will sit on their plot. The amount of hives that a resident can have varies on the size of their property. Each new hive must be registered 30 days before starting or adding to the owner's land. Following registration, the city will then give them a license to keep bees which is free.
For the female chickens (no males allowed)… A permit is needed for a residence to host five female chickens, said permit lasts two years and will cost $20 biennially. But just because you’re willing to pay the $20 doesn’t mean you’re in the clear, your property must meet certain size guidelines to allow for the coop to sit within the city code. This includes being no closer than 10 feet to the property line and no closer than 50 feet to any house or other building located on the property. As well as it must also be located in the rear yard, no front-yard chickens are allowed.
Along with these two legislations, they also passed an ordinance allowing for the growing, processing and distribution of plant and animal products within city limits. In layman’s terms, this includes aquaculture (fish and shellfish), horticulture (gardening of all kinds), permaculture (growing self-sustaining and self-sufficient products), hydroculture (plants that grow in water rather than soil), agroforestry (trees and shrubs), beekeeping (I think you’ve got this one), and the keeping of chickens for the purpose of producing unfertilized eggs. In my opinion, all three of these ordinances are overdue and are great benefits to raising the quality of life in Ottawa (you can view them in their entirety here). I appreciate all the time and effort put into making these ideas a reality for Ottawa citizens.
Sparking Change in USD290
This morning we were able to learn about the rebranding of of one our vital youth services here in Ottawa, formerly Communities and Schools, now SparkWheel (pictures here). Valerie Shaw and Stefani Britton serve OMS and OHS respectively and have a combined 10+ years between them in their roles. Though their organization has a new name, they still have the same great benefits for our students at Ottawa Middle and High School. These services include assistance for academics but also life needs as well. Examples are access to things like school supplies, food, clothing, mentorship, health needs, and more. All of these offerings become accessible to students because of the relationships that Valerie and Stefani have made and continue to create within the community. This looks like partnerships with other nonprofits like the United Way and ECKAN. But they also connect with the private sector for donations or services. They shared some great testimonies of how they have worked with an optometrist to see a student who was having trouble with their vision, they’ve worked with a dentist to check into mouth problems for a student, or another was a high schooler who needed a physical to play sports but his family was unable to offer to pay for it. In all three of these situations, business owners in the community stepped up and donated these visits for free, making drastic impacts on these aforementioned student’s lives. SparkWheel is the conduit for our community to be connected to and support students who need help, whether it’s relatively small or not, they help people/businesses be philanthropic to those right here in Ottawa. With USD290 having over half of their student body eligible for free or reduced lunches, it is not hard to understand why individuals who work in this capacity are not only helpful but indispensable. This individualized attention to the students (and faculty/teachers) is what can push them out of the “danger” zone in regard to educational and emotional growth. We’re most definitely a better community because of Valarie and Stefani, along with the support and resources they receive from SparkWheel. In a time where it’s easy to find negative media all around us, it’s stories like this that should make us proud to live in Ottawa and Franklin County.
Fri-day-yay
As we’re gearing up for the weekend I want to point out a great opportunity to learn more about one of the spectacular upcoming Chamber trips in 2024. Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast is set for November of next year, and this coming Tuesday (9/26) at 5:30pm is the perfect time to learn about it. We will be having a travel guru come in to speak on behalf of the spectacular excursion that this trip is, as well as answer questions prospective travelers (like yourself) may have. If you think you might be interested, it doesn’t hurt to listen in! If you’re not wanting to leave the couch on a Tuesday evening, we have you covered as you can connect via ZOOM here. If you already have plans for Tuesday altogether, let us know and we’ll share the recording of the session. Sherri puts her heart and soul into each of these trips and I know without a shadow of a doubt Croatia will be no different. If you have any questions, please call the office or shoot Sherri an email here for more info. Not only is this a great way to see a portion of the world you might otherwise never see, but you also get to do it with a local group that offers the kind of support and comradery that you can’t find anywhere else. On that note, I’ll wrap this up and call it a letter… Take care and I look forward to seeing you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
