Dear Chamber Supporters,
Last Friday, I mentioned that Makayla and I were headed up to the Topeka Air Show, and it did not disappoint one bit! They started off with the Thunderbirds, who showed off with tight formations, high-speed passes, and complex maneuvers (pictures here). Many of their formations on display regularly had them just 18 inches apart from one another. Every turn was purposeful; even though there was a human in the cockpit, they are so thoroughly trained that it seemed robotic while still extremely elegant. Throughout the rest of the day, we saw aerial acrobatics, parachutists, and both new and historical aircraft. The highlight of the day was that once the sun had set, they started a night performance that left us all speechless. Fireworks synced to music, parachutes with sparklers, aerial acrobatics around the fireworks, and a "Wall of Fire," which consisted of dynamite strapped to about forty barrels of fuel (pictures here). The whole family couldn't recommend it enough; keep your eyes out for next year's show!
From Potlucks to Philanthropy: Ottawa's Elks Lodge Connects Community
Tuesday, Chamber members met on the second floor of 114 W 2nd Street, home of the Ottawa Elks Lodge 803. The 100+ year-old local fraternal organization took the chance to share its history and club makeup at this week's Chamber After Hours (pictures here). Nationwide, the Elks were established in 1868 as a fraternal order with chapters across the United States, where members gather for camaraderie and engage in philanthropic efforts within their community. There are thousands of lodges still in existence, with nearly 800,000 members. One of the things that makes this group stand apart from other civic organizations is their focus on Americanism and patriotism. The Elks have strongly emphasized fostering a sense of pride and loyalty to the United States, supporting efforts to honor the nation's values, and paying tribute to those who have served to protect its freedoms.
Ottawa's club believes in creating a positive culture amongst its 160 members, and they do this through regular programming. Their lodge is open to members four nights a week regularly. This includes Monday evening potlucks, Thursday and Friday socials, Saturday game nights, Chief games on the days they play, and more. Members shared that it's easy to drop off if they're inconsistent with their offerings, and keeping a social club leads to a healthy one―they have quite the hidden gem tucked away off Main. Along with their regular social nights at the lodge, their philanthropic arm sponsors, coordinates, and partners with nearly fifty events annually (check out that list of past and present giving here). Though the club has evolved over the years, as every generation seems to do, there is still so much good that comes out of folks who invest in this organization. Having a desire to make a difference in your community can be compounded upon when teaming up with others that have that same passion. A quote too good not to share came from longtime Elk, Jim Hepner. He said that a few things in life are inevitable; death and taxes are two. And as long as he's kicking, two more are that he'll always be an Elk and a Chamber member. We're glad that he is both! If you'd like to join Jim as an Elk, find a membership application from our office or stop by on one of their many social nights to get plugged in.
Economic Health in Franklin County
Wednesday morning, Ottawa and Franklin County business leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders came together for this year's Franklin County Community Outlook Event hosted by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) at Wichita State University (pictures here). This event provides up-to-date economic forecasts and insights into national, state, and local economic conditions. Focuses include local employment trends, housing markets, regional business growth, and how state-wide economic factors might influence Franklin County industries. There were a handful of items that stood out to me from the national perspective. One common theme across the nation is the housing deficit, which seems to be universal. In regard to housing prices, economists shared that, from their perspective, housing prices in Kansas do not seem to be the issue, but rather, wages have not kept up across the state. They believe this is the leading cause of an expensive housing market, that it's household income that makes our housing "pricy" (or sometimes unattainable). On a different note, markets that rely heavily on young adults will undoubtedly slow down with less disposable income as the student federal student loan repayment starts to go back up again.
Some interesting local facts: Franklin County has doubled its construction employment since 2010, beating out most other counties in this statistic. This is a positive takeaway when considering the need for homes being built in our community. A metric that the CEDBR uses to test a county's economic health is measured through three prongs: healthy, wealthy, and wise. We rank positively in the wealthy category with our robust middle class. Wise measures education across our working population, and Franklin County sits just below the median. Lastly, from a healthy perspective, we rank in the bottom 20% of the state, with a resounding 40% population obesity rate (based on 2022 data).
This year's outlook included a local panel called Society in Balance, featuring Elizabeth Layton Center Executive Director Leslie Bjork, ECKAN CEO Crystal Anderson, and Ottawa Chief of Police Adam Weingartner (picture here). These three came together to explore how these issues shape the balance between economic pressures and community well-being. Topics ranged from mental health and its effect on labor productivity, successful strategies/partnerships that focus on vulnerable populations in our community, and addressing workforce shortages that these individuals can support. These three individuals are some of the most driven when considering the needs of high-risk citizens in our area. They did a fantastic job representing our community and sharing the work being done county-wide. The partnerships between their organizations keep our population safe and cared for both mentally and physically. I thought this was a great addition to this conference, and the CEDBR shared that they intend to continue with different topic panels moving forward.
Historic Preservation in Action
I recently met with Retired Banker and local history buff Wayne Duderstadt to get filled in on one of downtown Ottawa's most prominent buildings, the First Baptist Church at 410 s Hickory Street. If you haven't driven in this direction recently, you're in for a treat. With the help of Pelton Painting, this church has been getting a facelift over the last couple of months (pictures here). This renovation was no small task, as painters have been scaling the length of its walls with a boom lift. There were preservation guidelines that the church had to follow as it is registered as a Kansas Historic Place. The color scheme chosen for this project was selected from the official Victorian era color schemes, and it goes perfectly with the stained glass that has been highlighted as they replace the protection glass in front of it.
Financially, this has been quite the undertaking. Wayne shared that this project is estimated to be around $120,000 when it's all said and done. One of the ways their congregation is helping support this price tag is through the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program through the state. This program encourages the preservation and restoration of properties listed on the Kansas State Register of Historic Places (which encompasses all of downtown Ottawa). This program provides a tax credit of 30% for qualified rehabilitation expenses for income-producing properties, such as commercial buildings. One of the program's key benefits is that the credits are fully transferable, allowing organizations or individuals who may not have enough tax liability to utilize the credit to sell it to another party. This directly applies to the church, which can transfer these to interested parties to make up 30% of the rehabilitation costs. This flexibility makes the credits especially beneficial to groups or investors looking to fund historic rehabilitation projects. Eligible expenses include structural repairs, preservation of historical features, and upgrades to essential systems like plumbing and electrical work. I wanted to share this info as this program can make the restoration of historic buildings both financially feasible and attractive. For any and all questions on pursuing these opportunities, I direct queries to Wayne, as he is our resident expert (contact info here). Thank you, Wayne and Ottawa First Baptist for helping preserve the history of our community.
Turning Renovation Dreams into Reality with Harshaw Home Renovators
This morning, we held a Chamber Ribbon Cutting for Harshaw Home Renovators (HHR). Their craftsmanship can be seen in many residential locations throughout our community; today we cut a ribbon for one of their more recent commercial jobs at the Goppert Building, home of the Ottawa Recreation Commission (pictures here). Led by Aaron Harshaw, this team of three has been turning remodel dreams into reality. Their team focuses on kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and composite decks. The level of care and communication throughout a project sets their work apart from others in this industry. If a renovation doesn't end with high levels of customer satisfaction, then the job isn't finished. Aaron believes that the customer should be able to receive a project that is custom and quality to them, whether that's the installation of new cabinets or the complete overhaul of one's bathroom. In Aarons' words this morning, they turn a space from "sucky to sexy."
Aaron also shared their journey as a business. Following fourteen years in ministry, he and his wife Sheri decided to take a leap of faith and start this entrepreneurial undertaking. When Aaron started, he worked on any project he could get his hands on, leading to long nights and personal exhaustion. It wasn't until he uncovered a national contractors' mentorship group that his mindset toward his business changed. At the heart of the change was his life-work balance. It also meant engaging with customers in a way other general contractors don't and smashes the stigma around the term "general contractor." He changed how he took on clients―much like clients vet their contractors, the Harshaws vet their clients, where they view them as partners through the life of the project. Their work changed from a transaction to a relationship, giving a completely different client experience. As a result of these intentional changes, he has more time and resources to give to his family than ever before. He is heading into his sixth year of business and has built up his team and clientele. HHR is looking for another five years of partnering with families and businesses so they can help renovation dreams come true. The Harshaw name has existed for some time in Ottawa, and Aaron shared they don't do business here by chance but by choice. This is home, and he is proud to work with and for his neighbors.
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This weekend is Ottawa University’s homecoming. Last night, they held their Braves Athletics Hall of Fame banquet. Tonight is their Alumni Awards Banquet, followed by a home football game and other alumni festivities tomorrow. If you are an OU alum, stop by Legacy Square between 6-9pm for an all-alum gathering called Live at Legacy Square, inviting all generations of former students to come together in fellowship. I’ll have more pictures to share next week!
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
