Dear Chamber Supporters,
It's been a busy but equally rewarding week in our office. Every evening I was able to attend one program or another which you can read about below. Hopefully you can live vicariously through me via this letter, and maybe learn something too―I know I have!
Egg-cellent Ventures Head to State YEC
In February, Franklin County hosted its inaugural Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC), a dynamic event orchestrated by the Franklin County E-Community board. The platform was set for middle and high-school-aged innovators to showcase their existing and conceptual businesses. An initiative aimed to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit among youth, cultivate essential skills such as articulation and business planning, empower young minds, and celebrate individual ingenuity. Our local competition provided a stage for students to present their ideas, vying not just for public recognition but also for substantial cash rewards. The winner, Ben Wuertz, impressed us all with his organic egg business, Wuertz Eggs. This victory secured him the opportunity to compete at the state level. This past Tuesday, I had the privilege to witness Ben's booth at the statewide event held at Kansas State University's campus in Manhattan alongside nearly a hundred other aspiring entrepreneurs (pictures here).
The structure of the state competition looked similar to our local YEC, including an interview-style presentation and a trade show, but also included a team-building strategy game amongst all the competitors. To say I was impressed by these young minds is an understatement; this crop of kids was outstanding. Business ideas span from services like tutoring, car washing, website hosting, and walking tours. As well as products like baking/cooking, meat butchering, health supplements, and air fresheners (and obviously eggs from our local boy Ben!). Every group had business plans, income/expense sheets, and how they advertise and sell their product. Many of the testimonies I heard were from kids who have been executing these plans for several years and are making good money while still in school through their business. I can’t help but think back to when I was in middle/high school and how I wasn’t even considering running my own business, especially at a level that these students excel at. Whether they realize it or not, they are leaps and bounds above what is expected of them, which gives me a significant amount of hope.
While first place at our local competition won $1,000 in cash, the stakes are significantly higher at the state level. Over a dozen kids walked away with $2,500 each! Regardless of placement in the competition, each business present still received $500 for their time and efforts in making it to that point. Incentives don’t get much better than that! I’m incredibly proud of Ben and how he represented our community. Big shout out to the Central Heights school district for supporting Ben through this process; he couldn’t have done it alone!
Community Conversation About Homelessness
The Lyndon-Ottawa Network Group of the United Methodist Church hosted a round table discussion on homelessness, Wednesday evening at United Methodist downtown (picture here). This included hearing from several community agencies on how they currently address homelessness in Franklin County. These agencies include United Way of Franklin County, Hope House, Elizabeth Layton Center, ECKAN, and the Blessing Box Foundation. These agencies, forming the Homelessness Coalition under Hope House, work alongside local law enforcement, including the Ottawa Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department. All play an integral role in the efforts put forth toward this intricate issue.
The term homelessness probably evokes an image of those in our community or abroad―oftentimes looking like those visibly on the streets or in tents. Though these individuals are part of this equation, the larger conversation also includes individuals/families who are couch surfing, living in vehicles, in and out of homelessness, or on the verge of losing their residence. The support given to these individuals can include temporary housing, food, toiletries, and mental health assistance.
One of the more noticeable programs that take place in the community through the Homelessness Coalition is the overnight shelters on extreme weather nights―most recently hosted at the Ottawa Baptist Church in Elliot Hall during a cold spurt this past winter. Pulling off something of this magnitude takes a team effort, as this includes coordination between providing resources like blow-up mattresses, food, and other supplies. While also finding volunteers to stay with those during these periods of time. This includes communication with those providing resources, as well as those needing support… which all takes preparation. This is actually being expanded upon this year. As this program has grown throughout the past few winters, the Homelessness Coalition will be initiating training for individuals to be better prepared to serve in these roles in the future.
A topic touched on by Police Chief Adam Weingartner was safety―specifically on our state trails that intersect in Ottawa. It is not uncommon to find homeless individuals along these trails in different locations, and often times this can make people feel uneasy. Adam said that he acknowledges those feelings, but that does not line up with the crime statistics on our state trails. There have not been incidents of crime that have taken place in these scenarios. He urged us always to take necessary precautions, especially when traveling alone, but not to avoid spaces like this because of a false pretense of danger. In the same breath, he advised contacting law enforcement as necessary. As stated earlier, this challenge is far from black and white; it is incredibly adaptive and ever-changing. Unique challenges take untraditional efforts to see change. This group continues to educate the public on ways that progress is being made and hopes to garner support from different voices in the community in an effort to unite over a common goal.
Spotlighting Unsung Heroes
Last night I had the privilege to join the Franklin County Optimists and our four local school districts as they announced the 2024 Unsung Heroes in their high schools. This award is not based on regular award merits like class placement, grades, or sports accolades. Individuals who received awards through this program are those who serve others, do what’s right, and overcome what seems to be insurmountable circumstances at such a young age. This program has been going on since 2008, but this year was extra special as this was the first year all four districts were represented. Dale Fox, lifelong optimist, shared that he takes significant joy in knowing that this club was able to get involvement from all corners of the county. He also takes pride in knowing that the kids they recognize this night are heroes in their own ways; taking a moment to acknowledge them through this dinner, a plaque, and some cash is a really neat way to say “thanks for being you!” I applaud the Optimists who put this event on each year, the students for keeping their heads up in all circumstances, as well as the mentors and teachers who work with these students to make their school culture and our whole community a better place.
Tune Into Savings with KOFO
Who doesn’t love things that are half-off? There is no better feeling than finding a great product for 50% less than it would cost otherwise. This concept is directly related to an addition to an already exciting partnership between our Chamber and our local radio station, KOFO. This new benefit is relevant to both new and existing members and entails saving you some cash! Whether you currently run ads with KOFO or not, through your membership with the Chamber, you can receive half-price commercials on new ad plans (full info sheet here). Starting at just over a hundred dollars a month, about $3 a day, your business can begin radio ads at an extremely local level. Our office is more than happy to vouch for this service, and we feel really blessed that the KOFO team has put together this opportunity to reach groups that may have felt advertising in this way has previously been out of reach.
Sherri and I both really get a kick out of creating ads with Derek Chappell each month. Each ad is completely personalized for our upcoming event or promotion, and often it’s as simple as sharing ideas and speaking into the microphone once we receive a script. It couldn’t be much easier and it’s a great feeling when people come up and say they heard us on the air! Not only is it a way to keep marketing dollars local (which we love), but we also see a direct impact through running regular ads. I highly encourage those who market toward a local crowd to consider this opportunity; KOFO will take care of you, no doubt!
Investing in Our Community in More Ways Than One
Joe Randall and Jarred Sterling have been pumped to invite the public into their new space for some time now. We had a great time cutting a ribbon outside the new location for Advanced Investments at 120 W 2nd St. (pictures here). We have not held a networking event for Joe and Jarred up to this point, as they didn’t feel their previous location offered near enough space to host. That assessment was spot on; even though their square footage has tripled, the crowd this morning had us all packed in their main area! It was a really great showing to celebrate with the Advanced Investments team. Along with gaining a significant addition of space in their new office, they also were able to cater it all to their specific needs as they remodeled the whole building. From a community perspective, this process allowed them to put some love into a downtown building that really needed a bit of attention. The results speak for themselves! It is an excellent office in a great location; just look at that view (view here).
Joe shared a bit about his story on how he started Advanced Investments. Beginning in 2006 as a Financial Advisor in Ottawa, he eventually ended up in Kansas City for just under a decade. As his family grew, Joe recognized that being close to their needs meant being closer to home―prompting him to start his own venture about five or so years ago. After running his business solo for a few years, he quickly realized he had more work than he could manage alone. Which prompted his recruitment of longtime banker Jarred Sterling. You're missing out if you're unfamiliar with the dynamic duo that is Joe and Jarred. These two guys are community through and through, and they show that in more ways than one. This new location is an obvious example of their willingness to invest in our community. The other is through their attention to the financial needs of their clients. These needs did not slow down after they partnered, allowing their newest team member, Landon Randall (Joe's son) to come into the fold. Not only do these three love financial advising, but they also love our community. That reason, along with many other fantastic qualities, make me feel extremely blessed to have them in Ottawa and as Chamber supporters. Whether you’re looking for financial advising help or not, I know they’d love for you to stop by and see their new space, it’s worth the trip! Congrats to Advanced Investments and many years of success to follow.
~
Our Legislative Action Committee will be hosting a Legislative Coffee in the morning at City Hall; stop by at 10am to participate. You can also always join online via Facebook live (find that here). I will not be present unfortunately, so I'm thankful that this will be recorded and can be watched back at a later time. I'll be busy cheering on my wife as she takes on her first marathon! She's been training for so long and race day is finally here. If you are thinking about her tomorrow morning, sending thoughts and prayers her way as she runs her 26 miles will be appreciated. I 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