Dear Chamber Supporters,
Last call for 2024 Ladies Night Out t-shirts (preorder yours here)! To allow our team enough time to get these to folks before LNO on September 27 we have to send this final order in by next week. We’d love to add to your wardrobe and give you the opportunity to support our organization and this awesome community program. If your business isn’t already signed up, get yourself registered here!
OU Welcomes a New Semester
Class is back in session for all our area schools, with Ottawa University’s first day of the fall semester taking place on Monday. This year’s student body is slightly smaller than last year, with around 860 students here on the Ottawa Kansas campus. Chancellor Bill Tsutsui shared that this feels like the perfect amount, as last year all university housing was bursting at the seams. Even though the student population has dropped slightly, the amount of international students in our community has risen significantly. There are over 140 international students between OU’s undergraduate and graduate offerings. I met several students from Central America, South America, eastern Europe, and just about everywhere else in between. Many share the same sentiment, “It’s different from home, but I think that’s a good thing” and “I want to make the most out of my time here in the USA.” I often overlook the opportunities higher education provides to those abroad to experience American culture, not just as a tourist but to live within our community and break bread. It also allows our residents to take their culture in too; as iron sharpens iron.
Tuesday evening, Ottawa University commemorated one of my favorite programs as students flooded our downtown shopping district to partake in the OU Business Fusion Expo (pictures here). This year, we saw a record number of participating organizations; nearly fifty groups shared their time with the students, relaying what their organizations do and how they want students to get involved. This party at Legacy Square started a little different this year with the inclusion of the inaugural Parade of Champions (pictures here). This collaborative effort was put on to showcase local athletes and their not-so-local accomplishments, including winners at the conference, state, and national levels. Given the heat of the day, we unfortunately could not include Ottawa High School students who had initially planned to participate. However, as long as Mother Nature cooperates, future years will undoubtedly include high school students, integrating Ottawa University athletics and local high schools.
Scrambled Eggs & Water Woes
Yesterday morning our Legislative Action Committee helped execute the 17th Annual Eggs and Issues (pictures here). This event was a mainstay prior to the pandemic, taking place at our local hospital for some time. AdventHealth Ottawa is still a massive partner, providing the space and the breakfast served. This breakfast (hence the eggs in the name) and a challenging discussion (hence the issues) revolved around the topic of Water in Kansas. This conversation was led by resident expert Rex Buchanan, the Director Emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas. Rex is a Kansas native with thirty years' worth of experience studying water trends throughout the state. He shared that he started this presentation in the early to mid-nineties, and though much of the content has progressed over the years, his passion for this topic still remains.
Rex started his presentation by touching on causation and how the world relies on water. The vegetation on the ground, the animals on the earth and in the air, and the congregations of the human population can be seen culminating around water accessibility. When you look at the state of Kansas, you see cities built around rivers, lakes (there are few natural lakes as many were man-made with dams), and areas with prevalent groundwater (aquifers). Along with population bases, you see industry rise where water is located, whether it be a large meatpacking plant in Finney County out in western Kansas or Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant in Coffey County. Communities, businesses, and individuals all rely on this resource. Though these might not be groundbreaking ideas, this sets the tone for what Rex shared next.
We are seeing an unnatural decline in water in our streams, lakes, and groundwater. This includes hundreds of miles of streams drying up, including the Arkansas River, which was at one point one of the largest stretches of fresh water in the state (pictures here). We're seeing a massive decline in aquifers in western Kansas as the growth of enhanced irrigation has expanded throughout farmland (view that here). Even our lakes, which might not look affected, have growing amounts of silt that reduce the amount of water they can hold. All these challenges have costly results, ones that Rex says future generations will pay the price for.
Though this was very eye-opening, the conversation wasn't as doom and gloom as I might have described. There is some work being done towards addressing these issues. They are far from black and white, holding a lot of uncertainty, but there is always hope! Rex shared that from a legislative perspective, passing bills for all of Kansas is challenging, as the state is geographically divided in how it receives its water (view those examples here). With that being said, efforts have been made in the capital to address these concerns with the creation of the Kansas Water Authority under the Kansas Water Office. This group advises the Governor, Legislature, and Kansas Water Office on water policy and planning. It plays a central role in developing the Kansas Water Plan and ensuring that water resources move towards sustainably. Through educational experiences like this conversation at Eggs and Issues, there is also a movement for farming practices to shift from products like corn towards produce like milo and wheat that use significantly less water to grow. Though movement towards significant change will undoubtedly be costly, this life-giving resource is one that we will continue to have to "pay" for, one way or another. Rex shared this webpage that can fill in the gaps of this newsletter on this topic; I encourage everyone to be informed of where we are at and where we hope to end up in the conversation around our region's water (website here).
Eyeing Success with Vision Care Direct
We're thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership between Vision Care Direct (VCD) and the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce. Vision Care Direct is proudly owned by private practice optometrists right here in Kansas and offers top-quality vision care plans that provide real value for both employers and employees. J Gallagher with VCD hosted this week's Chamber Coffee to meet with and further explain the benefits of this partnership (pictures here).
J spoke about how Chamber members can access exclusive vision plans that enhance employee benefits and support the health of our workforce. A shocking half of our population does not visit an optometrist annually. And while many think eye exams are for those with impaired eyesight, an annual eye exam can catch more than just vision issues; it can detect serious health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and even certain types of cancer. By taking the time to see an optometrist, you're investing in your long-term well-being. This can be easier said than done for those without vision care, as an eye exam costs anywhere from $75 to $200 before tying in the cost of frames or contacts. With this in mind, VCD allows businesses of all sizes to address these concerns through affordable affinity plan options. By joining this partnership, you have access to specific deals that give your business more buying power while still receiving attractive perks like affordable eye exams, generous frame allowances, and hassle-free quality eye care. If there weren’t enough reasons to consider this partnership a “win-win,” VCD is accepted by all of our local optometrists, meaning you can keep your eye care here with our great local practices.
Whether you're a business owner looking to enhance your benefits to attract/retain your workforce or an individual seeking comprehensive eye care, this partnership offers tailored solutions that fit your needs. Keep an "eye" out (wink wink) for more details on how Vision Care Direct can work with you and your employees (further info here). If you would like to see an immediate quote for your business, you can fill out this quick form and get numbers emailed to you in less than a minute (view that online form here). If you have more questions, give our local representative, J Gallagher, a shout and he can answer all your questions or concerns (J’s email here). Your Chamber continues to offer benefits that make it easier to do business in our community, and this partnership is one way that you can "see" how we're working for our members.
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With September around the corner and Labor Day starting as we speak, summer seems to have come and gone. Our office has had so much fun with our community up to this point. At the same time, we've really just begun! September is full of fantastic community events, programs, and our steadfast business community. I hope that after this weekend, as traveling slows down, you enjoy many of the great amenities that make our community such a fun one to live in. See you soon!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
