Dear Chamber Supporters:
This past week we slid by a government shutdown by just a matter of hours, cut it pretty close and we’re not completely out of the woods just yet. Our legislators now have until November 17th to try and negotiate a longer-term solution. In the meantime, millions of citizens who would have been directly impacted by the shutdown can now take a sigh of relief.
Ladies Flood Main Street
Ladies were out this past Friday… what seemed like all of them! It was fantastic to see our Main Street flooded with friends and families making their way into storefronts, it actually made it kind of tricky to drive around downtown (a good problem to have). We had just around 500 women take part in the 18th annual edition of Ladies Night Out and 45 businesses participated as well (check out our amazing crew of ladies working the event here)! Out of the 45 businesses, 12 were at Legacy Square by the registration table. But the other 33 were all businesses with physical locations. Sherri told me that this is the most businesses the event has ever had at one time, a new record! Out of the couple of hundred participants who turned in their end-of-event survey, about a quarter of them do not live in Ottawa, and about 10% live in other counties. It’s helpful to know when an event has a regional appeal like this ones does, along with so many of our residents enjoying the festivities as well. All of this tells us that there is absolutely an appetite for this event each year, and we’re glad we get to be the ones to put it together.
Along with the business participation record, it might have also been one of the warmest LNOs on record as well. Given Sherri’s daughter’s wedding on the first weekend in October this year (coincidentally the same weekend we usually host LNO), we pushed the event a week forward. September Fridays and October Fridays have proven to feel very different outside. There was a whopping thirty-degree difference between the two Fridays in temperature. No complaints from us though, clear skies meant for a great day of shopping and scavenger hunting. I look forward to seeing our participating business surveys on their thoughts of the evening (if you are one who hasn’t turned theirs in yet, don’t forget to drop that off, as well as any of your pink currency ASAP!).
3rd Annual Bad Astra Gravel Bike Race and a Crackdown on Trail Safety
The day following LNO, Legacy Square was able to host the 3rd annual Bad Astra gravel bike race (pictures here). This Franklin County based race is no joke, the shortest route available is 25 miles, while the “Half Astra” is 50 miles, and to say you’ve completed the full Bad Astra bike race, you would have traveled 100 miles on primarily gravel roads. If you have done much biking in the surrounding areas, you realize that our rail trails are incredibly level… our gravel roads are quite dissimilar. For a state that is known for being flat, Franklin County has some incredibly hilly roads. That didn’t seem to matter for most, as this event also saw an increase in participation as there were over 170 bikers that took place in the event! A large majority of whom are not from our community but rather traveled in. I look forward to seeing this event continually grow through the years, our community is geographically blessed with biking options, and the presence of this race is another testament to that.
While we’re on the subject of biking, I had a recent conversation that seemed worth sharing. With our summer being as dry as it has been, the results of the heat and parched ground along our state trails create an opportunity for cracking. What can look like a minor hole can quickly turn into a rather dangerous one if untreated. Kansas Wildlife and Parks Regional Supervisor, Jeff Bender shared that his staff has been on the job filling cracks all summer, and at times it’s a losing battle. One crack that is less than a foot long on the surface can actually span up to 20+ meters underneath what looks like solid ground. The only way to truly fix this type of cavity is by tearing up the entire crater and having it filled. With the weather changing and leaves falling here shortly, it’s one more reason to wear the correct safety gear while riding, as tires have been known to get caught if cracks are wide enough (example here). If you see these cracks while on the state trails, report them to our state Wildlife and Parks so it is on their radar. Though it is undoubtedly not the only one on the 155+ miles of trails that we’re connected to, they appreciate getting pointed in the right direction.
17 Years of Chili for the Packham's
One of my favorite meals growing up was (and is) my mom’s chili, we ate it year-round and it was a staple. As an adult I try to save it for cooler days, but the temperature didn’t make a difference when the Packham's hosted their 17th annual Chili Cookoff at their pumpkin patch/farm last Saturday. As a rather unpicky individual, all the participants really did a splendid job. But to take part in the nature of the event, I also cast my vote like the others who came and tried the assortment of chilis. The winners were none other than our own local radio station KOFO (pictures here). Their first year entering the competition and they were able to make a splash. This event also works as a fundraiser for the Franklin County Cancer Foundation, Harry Peckham shared that the results of the successful day meant there would be over $3,000 donated to the organization! Along with the yummy chili, there were plenty of other activities for the whole family (some fun hay bales too). I refrained from jumping on the bounce castle but gave the hay maze and yard games a go around (I may or may not have taken longer to escape the maze than several other children who joined at the same time). Though you missed the chili, you didn’t miss the pumpkin patch fun. You can still visit the farm for the next month before the season switches over to Christmas trees and light shows. Check out their website here for hours and directions.
A New Chapter for Maternity Care in Ottawa
This spring, Ottawa Family Physicians (OFP) gave AdventHealth Ottawa (AHO) 6-months notice it would no longer be able to provide 24/7 coverage needed for labor and delivery care. Our community has long since been accustomed to local Family Practice (FP) doctors delivering our babies. Legally to provide a delivery unit in a hospital, there must be a 24/7 on-call doctor as well as one who can perform a c-section. Three of our OFP doctors can do c-sections…but given the high and strenuous demands of a 24/7 on-call requirement, the practice made the collective decision to step back from this service. Which in all reality, who can blame them? Our doctors have gone above and beyond over their years of service, and have been able to bring hundreds of Ottawa babies into the world!
Given the 6-months notice, AHO is going to need to pause these services for the time being. It will take a big search along with much-needed time to find and recruit doctors to our community. Even with the pause, Dallas Purkeypile, CEO said this week that AHO is committed to restoring the service. The hospital is currently actively recruiting obstetricians/gynecologists (OB-GYNs) in order to reestablish a full-service labor and delivery unit as well as provide more complete services to women’s healthcare. This will look a little different than what Ottawa has been used to but in the long run, it can be even better.
I know this will continue to be a top priority for our local hospital, as this benefit is close to so many of our residents who have utilized the OB ward over the years. This challenge is not so different from the challenges facing all rural hospitals… personnel and workforce look different than what they did five years ago. As a community, we have to realize this is much bigger than one person, or even one organization. Rallying behind our local hospital and doctors, and helping support them in times of need will be what sets us apart in the years to come. You can view the full press release here from AdventHealth Ottawa.
Spicing up Ottawa for 1 Year
Chamber members were able to gather at Ottawa’s newest Mexican restaurant in town this morning, Frontera's (pictures here). There is always great company at our Chamber gatherings, but I think the food provided really stole the show this morning. We were able to hear from store owner, Elsa De La Torre about their journey to opening this store after many successful years up at her father's Gardner and Lenexa locations. Elsa mentioned her husband and she wanted to branch out and start their own location and after several visits, Ottawa ended up being an easy decision. Having now been at this building just north of the river for one full year, they are still finding ways to improve their service for an overall better experience for the customer. You can view their full menu here, along with this selection they have a new special each day they are open (which happens to be 7 days a week!). For those who enjoy drink options, Frontera's is built with a full bar and specialty margaritas as well (we did not give those a try this morning). If you haven’t had the chance to dine in, I highly encourage you to do so as I have yet to have a bad meal yet.
Often times there are growing pains for new businesses... but having only been open a year has not impeded Frontera's from having an incredible positive public image, so much so that they have won a handful of Franklin County Best of the Best awards in 2023. Including the best place to work, best margarita, best new business, and best boss (for the owner/manager Elsa) to name a few. Whether it's their food or their service (which is incredibly prompt I may add), Frontera's have had a great first year and it doesn't look like they are slowing down. We're certainly glad they chose to invest in our community!
Makayla and I are headed to Topeka and then Harrisonville Missouri this weekend to see her and my families respectively. Whether you're staying in or heading out, have a safe weekend and see you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
