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Dear Chamber Supporters: Happy Friday the 13th!! Even though a Friday which falls on the 13th day of the month has long been considered a harbinger of bad luck, no one really knows the origin of the superstition. Mind you, there are many theories…not many good ones. I’d venture the movie film industry has done the most to promote the myth…and also made the most profit from it. Suffice to say…just in case – don’t walk under any ladders today or let a black cat cross your path, or break any mirrors!! Just to be safe, I wouldn’t step on any sidewalk cracks either!! I’m assuming all got the mothers/significant women in your life celebrated…and for those who are mothers, I hope you had a great day and felt honored! Here is a picture of me and my mom with two of my kids…and of Cherry with the kids. Taken after church, we all went for brunch following and followed with a relaxing afternoon. Political Season: I think it is safe to say we are into the political season and the next election cycle. The Kansas Supreme Court still hasn’t ruled on the lawsuits filed by concerned citizens claiming extreme gerrymandering regarding the new congressional district lines which the state legislature approved…the candidate filing deadline is Wednesday, June 1. It keeps candidates for these particular positions in limbo. Still…two candidates were in Ottawa this week vying for a couple of different seats. Jake LaTurner, 2nd District Congressman ( pictures here ) who currently represents all of Franklin County…but stands to lose the north half if the redistricting proposed is sustained. He visited AdventHealth-Ottawa last Monday to tour our local hospital and hear directly our concerns surrounding the healthcare system. For my part, I feel he has done a good job in representing our needs locally…and he was duly impressed with our hospital facilities and all services we provide here in Ottawa. Certainly a hospital of Ottawa’s caliber is the exception compared to hospitals in most of his district…which is primarily Southeast Kansas. Amanda Adkins ( pictures here ) was also in town Thursday this week, working to meet local voters and get to know our concerns and more about our Ottawa community. Currently running against the incumbent Sharice Davids, Congresswoman for the 3rd District, which is currently Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. If the proposed redistricting map stands, the new 3rd district will additionally incorporate the north half of Franklin County…at least for the next 10 years. This was my first time officially meeting Amanda…I was impressed. She and her campaign purchased lunch for 20 local voters and opened the floor to any and all questions. Additionally she queried us with questions about Ottawa and Franklin County. Locally the change will put us at a bit of a disadvantage…almost certain to be represented by an urban congressperson going forward. Still…her roots go back to agriculture, and she demonstrated genuinely interested in who and what we are. I’m yet to meet Congresswoman Davids…if the districts are changed, I’m sure I will and let you know about her too. Lastly, our own Blaine Finch ( pictures here ) spoke to the Franklin County Development Board this week, giving a breakdown of the recently completed Kansas Legislative Session and what we can expect from the wrapup session in a couple of weeks. Albeit Blaine has not yet filed for reelection (so is not a candidate yet)…I for one certainly hope he does. Ottawa has not been represented in the Kansas House Leadership since the late 1800s. Most don’t realize what value it brings our community to have a local leader on the leadership team…and this aside, Blaine is a tremendous leader who has the ability to see the bigger picture. Truly a statesman…which benefits all of Kansas. Blaine felt the elimination of the state food sales tax and additional funding of KPERS were big accomplishments of this year’s lawmakers. Particularly challenging this year were all the federal COVID dollars in the Kansas coffers…complaining about too much money is something we rarely do. What needs to be factored in is, this money is one-time money…it needs to be spent on those “rainy-day projects” and things which will bolster the future and not necessarily require a continuous ongoing funding stream. Ottawa was able to access $5 million of these dollars to build a new water tower, gas lines and sewage lift station, all for Proximity Park…this is a great use of these funds and also very beneficial to us locally (a firsthand example of what having a local leader representing our concerns locally provides)!! Thanks for all you do Blaine to serve Kansas and Ottawa!! KansasWorks District II Workforce: Gina Coffman ( pictures here ) became the director of Heartland Works (Kansas District II Workforce) at the end of December and has hit the ground running. She was in Ottawa Tuesday speaking with Rotary members about the current challenges of finding enough labor to fill the workforce needs of the 2nd District. The 2nd District is made up mostly of Franklin, Douglas, Shawnee and Riley Counties. Her assignment is to learn what employers need in terms of numbers of employees and training to provide labor for their industry and develop the workforce to meet those needs…not necessarily an easy task. Our current unemployment in Franklin County is 2.7 percent…which equates to 403 workers. Deceptive in this number is it represents the number of people receiving unemployment benefits…not necessarily all the unemployed. Many have exhausted their benefits and still are without jobs; others are just plain leaving the workforce for a variety of reasons…including retirement and staying home with kids. Suffice to say…our labor force nationwide will look different in a post COVID world. Following Gina’s speaking to Rotary, Paul Bean and I took her to see our new Career and Technical Education center at Ottawa High School and the simulated hospital at Neosho County Community College ( pictures here ). When you factor in that in addition to all these opportunities, we also have a 4-year Liberal Arts College in town, Gina had to admit the opportunities here in Franklin County are tremendous. We are set up to train and educate the next generation of workers…now we just need to grow them up!! I will add this…on Saturday another 400+ students from Franklin County will enter the adult world by graduating from our four area high schools. Congratulations and best of luck to them…we need you!! Ottawa Herald/CherryRoad Media: The new company which has purchased our local paper hosted Chamber members this morning ( pictures here ) in order to introduce themselves and also meet the community…the new owner, Jeremy Gulban, came from New Jersey to be in Ottawa. CherryRoad is a family-owned business and to date has purchased 64 Kansas newspapers in the United States…14 in Kansas communities that are comparable to Ottawa. In addition to newspapers, they also provide technology services such as webpage design and eCommerce solutions. They promise to continue to provide a printed paper, and are committed to returning to local news. They have reopened the local location on Hickory Street with regular hours (9:00-2:00 Monday-Thursday) and also have a new phone number (785.992.0001). The paper will continue to print with a Tuesday and Saturday circulation. We are fortunate to have this new group investing in Franklin County and willing to report our local news…I’ve renewed my subscription. Many have already noticed a big improvement in the local paper. We are learning we need an independent organization to report local news…otherwise we rely on gossip and social media. Thanks to CherryRoad and all the staff at The Herald…we appreciate you!! End of School Year: I already mentioned graduation…next week most students will be officially released to summer. It’s been a while for me, but I still remember the great feeling of walking out of the school building on the last day to begin my summer freedom!! This week, we had a 4-year-old end-of-school preschool program…Jase Roger Flory made us proud ( pictures here ). I know my wife is ready for a break from school too…teachers and administrators are faced with challenges as never before. Mostly with reporting requirements which continue to increase…this in addition to still teaching our children. Now included are the challenges the pandemic has left in its wake. Seemingly we are experiencing an evolution or shifting of our culture…which admittedly happens from time to time. It will eventually all work for good…but there are always pains with change and learning new adaptions and processes. Glad the weekend is here…don’t forget to watch the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday. Talk to you next week… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Dear Chamber Supporters: It is going to be a big day in Ottawa this weekend…downtown should be bustling!! Our annual Flea, Junk, Trunk & Craft show is tomorrow (Saturday) and we have over 60 vendor spots filled and committed to venture to town to sell their wares…you need to plan on coming to Legacy Square to see all the activity. After you check out the “specialty” sellers…venture into the downtown and wander through the stores. This weekend is always a good excuse to see what all is available in the many unique stores and shops we have on Main Street. AdventHealth NASCAR in Ottawa: Last Friday afternoon, the AdventHealth NASCAR race car was in Ottawa and at the hospital for all to get a close inspection ( pictures here ). I was so impressed with driver Ross Chastain…he took special care to greet the kids and answer their questions. He is truly a genuine and kind person. Here is a picture of Ryan Henningsen and Dallas Purkeypile…Dallas is wearing a jersey like the one Ross wears when driving in the race. On Sunday, Cherry and I had the opportunity to attend the AdventHealth 400 NASCAR Race at the Kansas Speedway…what a fabulous experience. I am not a car guy or a race fan…but I was mesmerized!! It probably had something to do with having a car and driver for which to cheer…but I was as into it as I would have been an NFL Chiefs game. By the way, Ross finished 7th out of 36 and did lead for a period of time during the race. We had the full NASCAR experience…before the race we were able to go inside the truck which travels with the car and driver and has all the tools and spare parts for the car. We went to the garage as the team put the finishing touches on the car before the race. During the race, we went down to the track to feel the cars driving by…incredible speed. The noise and the velocity make your whole body vibrate. It was my first time ever going to a speedway…it was not on my bucket list, but I would definitely go again! And as I said at the beginning…Ross is such a stand-up guy! He’s a great individual to represent AdventHealth and our local hospital! Chautauqua Festival: Tim VanLeiden and Tiffany Evans and their committee work very hard to produce our annual summer fireworks display on the 4th of July. This year has come with even more challenges…COVID has caused fireworks to be in short supply. Most are made in China…so it is not only the manufacturing, but the shipping which has caused consternation. But…having said all this, the committee has managed to pull together all the fireworks needed to create a display as magnificent as last year’s. There is a caveat (isn’t there always!)…the cost is much higher. This group fundraises year-round to raise the dollars needed to purchase the pyrotechnics…last year the cost of the show was $5,700.00. This year the funds needed to purchase the same amount of fireworks is over $7,000.00! This is the letter the committee sent to all Chamber members this week asking for generous donations. They are also raffling a gun ( picture here ) to raise funds…tickets are $5.00 apiece or 5 tickets for $20.00. If you would like to support this summer’s display with either a donation or buying a raffle ticket, we can help make that happen at the Chamber…785.242.1000 or stop by and we’ll get you all set! Father/Daughter and Rotary: I was particularly proud this week when my daughter Jessica was inducted into the local Rotary Club ( pictures here )…I’m sure there are other father/daughter pairs in the same club, but for sure it is not common! All our local civic clubs perform great services for Ottawa and the world. Rotary’s 2 big worldwide missions are clean safe drinking water for all third world countries and eradicating polio worldwide. Polio is funny…it will be completely gone and then pop up in some random place like a “lone wolf”. Still…compared to my childhood it is not something which we worry about in the United States much. As a boy, I watched my neighbor die of polio…he was a big strong Swede that worked sunup to sundown. After he contracted the disease, it completely debilitated him. He shriveled to a mere shadow of his previous self and eventually passed leaving 3 children. It was gruesome. One week at Rotary we learned there are still 5 individuals in the US still in iron lungs from having the disease back in the 50s…almost hard to believe. Father/Son and Royals: I was also happy to have a father/son day this week as Todd and I sojourned to a Royals game on Thursday afternoon ( picture here )…Royals lost – but it was still a good day. Cherry and I both have so appreciated seeing all our children grow to adulthood. We enjoyed every stage we went through…from babies, to teenagers, college, marriages and now grandkids. My advice to young parents is to relish every moment…when you look back it goes so fast. Having one-on-one time with any of our adult children is very enjoyable…especially at a baseball game. I told Todd at the game…there is nothing better than an afternoon baseball game with a cold hotdog in your lap and a hot beer in your hand and enjoying it with someone who is significant to your life!! Multicultural Day: I’ve already described going to the NASCAR race last Sunday…it was a very diverse day for Cherry and me – just the type of adventure we enjoy the most. We got up early Sunday morning to finish planting the garden before the storm rolled through…we made it but got soaked as we put things away. We attended church and then headed to the speedway…still raining. Having never been to the venue before, I didn’t realize the parking was all on grass – not asphalt! Well, you know we enjoyed the day…and coincidently we had tickets to “Oklahoma” at Starlight for the same evening. I was worried from the time I parked the car about navigating the parking area when time to leave…but we have four-wheel drive so I figured we could do it. Our car actually got out without slipping a tire (in four-wheel drive)…but not everyone had the advantage of all wheels turning. Many were stuck and going back and forth to get out…I was able to navigate around all of them, but not without consequence. Just as I drove around a pickup who was stuck, he gunned his engine… here is a picture of what happened . We hated to show up to the Starlight Theater with the car literally covered in mud…but we are Car Wash Club members! So…we googled the nearest wash facility which was only 5-miles away…the young attendants laughed when we drove in…and took our picture. I can imagine it will make a good poster advertisement for them. Still…they made the car beautiful, and we got to our show 30-minutes ahead of showtime! We went from NASCAR to mud lot to Starlight Theater…as I said – our multicultural diverse day. Home at midnight and dead tired. This weekend will be great too…can’t wait to see all the eclectic choices at the Flea, Junk, Trunk and Craft Show Saturday!! I hope I see you too…all part of a great day is seeing the downtown full and running into so many people I know. It reminds me of Saturday evenings when I was a boy in downtown Ottawa and sitting on the hood of my grandparent’s car…just visiting with all the people walking by. It’s a day gone by…but in some form can be resurrected on occasions. See you tomorrow… Onward ~ John President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-100

Dear Chamber Supporters: Chamber friends delighted in an absolutely fabulous evening at the 2021 annual awards banquet last night, hosted at Ottawa University. There was much fellowship and together we honored all our local citizens whose service has been above and beyond self in the last year or two. A big event such as, ohhh, say…a worldwide pandemic didn’t cause some leaders to withdraw…only find a new gear. Without these types of citizens, I’m not sure how communities can thrive. Every year, beginning in December, members begin nominating other Chamber members for their service…which are typically awarded in January. This last January, COVID was surging, and we postponed the original event for 2-months…how fortuitous. It allowed for the biggest turnout for an event I’ve attended since pre-COVID. With nearly 250 in attendance, all participated as we watched our community’s highest awards being presented…the highest honor, the Russel Crites Service award, followed by the Community Builder Award, Entrepreneur of the Year, Horizon Award and The Smile of the Year. Each year, the committee for the nominations is comprised of the 5 previous winners of the Russel Crites Award. After our annual banquet concludes for the evening, I always contemplate the inevitable…we will never have as great a slate of honorees as we did this year… the following year, a whole new set of servant leaders burst on the scene and lead in ways unimagined. This year has been no different. The 2021 Community Award winners: The 2021 Russel Crites honoree is Dr. Bud Ransom, for 40-years of caring for patients in Ottawa, but more specifically serving as the County Health Director during a pandemic, making unfavorable but necessary decisions and leading county and city leaders in one hard choice after another. Community Builder Award…to the Joe McLiney family for investing in Ottawa since the 1970s when they purchased Kansas State Bank…since then, the family has continued purchasing development ground in South Ottawa which has allowed businesses such as PrimeTime Bar and Grille, Fusion Alley, Home Base, Thriftopia, The Dollar Store to locate in Ottawa. And the family continues to make investments owning more development ground to the south of 23rd Street for future growth for who knows how far into the future. Entrepreneur of the Year, to Dusty and Melody Gentry for their vision for creating a new brewery on Main Street, Not Lost Brewery, and for having the vision and fortitude to manage it through the pandemic. The Horizon Award to, Anna Bricker, an up-and-coming young Chamber member who serves on the Chamber Board and volunteers in the community beyond belief. When the pandemic struck, she worked with her company, American Eagle Outfitters, to pump into Ottawa, $50,000.00 of Chamber currency to ensure local spending by helping their workers with extra cash…and local retailers by making sure it was spent in Ottawa. Smile of the Year…to Paula Patterson, a perineal optimist and always exudes a wonderful, positive attitude. During the pandemic, Paula led children in singing and story hour outdoors at Haley Park, continued to promote library programs, books and movies as a method of coping with the isolation crisis…and always with a smile!! A BIG, BIG thank you and congratulations to all our leaders and those specifically who we honored last evening ( here are the pictures ). Without their example, we would be less and for sure lacking! Now we can officially begin looking for the next community citizens who rise to the top and lead in 2022!! Additionally at the banquet, we honored retiring Chamber board directors…going off the board after serving the number of allowable years. Maybe the most notable, is Pam Harris…completing her second stint on the Executive Committee; in my ten years of service as President/CEO, Pam has been a member of the Chamber Exec Committee for 8-years. Pam is an Ottawa native and stalwart! Terming off, after serving on the board, were Adam Fritts, with Fashion, Inc., Mary Raley, owner of Maggie’s Popcorn and Nuts, and Tiffany Evans, Director of the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium. Additionally, we honored Terry Chartier for her board leadership as Chair in 2021. Introduced and preparing to begin service, are Ryan Wilkerson, with Impact Wealth Planners, Jacob Boyd, an Edward Jones investor and Shelby John, with Kalmar industries. Mallory Hull will lead the board as Chamber Board Chair, and Donald Anderson, Dean of Students with Ottawa University is stepping on the executive committee. Legislative Coffee: Please note…the Legislative Coffee scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, April 2 is being changed/postponed. Last evening, Legislators were still on the floor debating bills until midnight. In visiting with our local representative, Blaine Finch, he predicts another long day and into the evening again tonight…this to complete by first adjournment all the work needed to be accomplished to allow the legislature to take a break until May. We would rather our local representatives be fresh and ready to report back to us…please watch social media, our website, and in all places you receive your news for the new date. Thanks for understanding. Pam Harris: I mentioned Pam earlier when listing members going off the Chamber Board…coincidently, yesterday (Thursday) was Pam’s final day at AdventHealth Ottawa, an organization she has served for 42-years. Here is a picture from her reception. Absolutely no way to replace institutional knowledge of this magnitude. Pam began work at (then) Ransom Memorial Hospital while still in high school before graduation and completing nursing school. At that early time, she worked for her mom Aurelia Johnson, who was director of nursing at the time…a position Pam held for a period during her total tenure at our local hospital. I must mention too, as someone who has served over 20+-years on our hospital board, Pam has been a tremendous friend and confidant. Pam and her husband Rod and I were all in high school at the same time…our history and friendship runs much deeper than is easy to describe. Pam is not quitting…only moving across the street to work in the Franklin County Health Department. Glad we are not losing her healthcare experience…still her, or her mother, has been a servant at the hospital for well over 60-years!! Amazing!! Thanks Pam for all you do not only at the Chamber but for this community. If you see Pam, be sure to thank her for her very broad, longtime, and inclusive service in Ottawa! New City Commissioner: Most know Tom Weigand resigned his city commission seat in February…last week the four remaining commissioners interviewed potential candidates to fill the unexpired term. For my part, I thought they had a deep list of possible citizens wanting to fill the vacancy. Each applicant brought different skill sets and levels of experience to the position. Following their study session and discussion, they indicated through a series of straw polls to choose Zach Clayton ( here is a picture ). Since it was a study session and not an official commission meeting, the nomination and vote will need to be blessed next week at their official commission meeting on Wednesday. Zach was a candidate in the last city commission race and just finished out of the running…3 candidates were being selected and Zach finished in fourth place in the balloting. His easy demeanor and exposure to the voters during the election process seemed to be the tipping points for commissioners. Cherry use to babysit Zach and his sister Emily years ago…when he was pretty small. I’ve watched him grow up…I’m thrilled to see his interest in public service and anxious for his input. Congrats to Zach…I’ll tell you it won’t always be easy, but it will be good for him to grow in this capacity. Excitement on Main Street: There was a little more than the usual excitement on Main Street this week. Monday, around 1:00, a car parked on the west side of Main Street in the 200 block, backed out of their parking spot, across 4-lanes of traffic, through an open parking spot and into the Cornerstone Book store at 217 S. Main ( picture here ). No one was injured seriously…the driver was taken to the hospital. It’s unknown if there was a medical issue, or a cognitive problem…just thankful Cornerstone was closed at the time and no car or person was hit. I visited with Bruce and Joyce Beatty, owners, on Tuesday morning…both were just shaking their heads. As with any disaster, the first moments are only overwhelming. They didn’t know at this point about the driver’s insurance or what the next steps would look like. Also complicating the accident was the fact the gas meter was run over causing gas to escape. The entire block of Main Street had to be evacuated. I just happened to be walking along headed north from the 400 block…in talking with owners and workers from the other stores, most were pretty shaken up…as would be natural in cases such as this. The one thing Bruce offered as advice to all business owners is to install a “knock box” which is located on the outside of the building with a key that only the police have access to. Also, in addition to all the other damage, safety patrolmen had to break the door down to gain access to get to the driver…with a knock box, at least this damage could have been avoided. Prayers for the Beattys as they put order back from chaos…they have been longtime downtown business owners. Always sad when something such as this happens. Ottawa High Track Invitational: At one time, one of the largest high school track and field events in Eastern Kansas…the event now has dwindled into a much smaller competition. Still…it’s a great opportunity to showcase Ottawa and the great facilities we have here for students. What a cold day it was Thursday, the day of the event. Here are a few pictures of the student-athletes performing. Six schools participated and the Ottawa High girls’ and boys’ teams both finished number 1 on the day…good job Ottawa athletes. I also feel sorry for the parents of the high school competitors…it would have been freezing sitting in the stands watching the performers. Cherry and I are headed south this afternoon to see our Cedar Vale babies…Johnnie, born November 23, is growing so fast! If we don’t get down there she’ll be walking!! I’m sure I’ll have pictures of grandkids next week. Also…no April Fools jokes embedded today…I know I should have taken advantage of today being April Fools Day but there was too darn much important stuff going on this week. Keep your guard up for all the community jokesters who thrive on this day!! Talk to you next week… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Dear Chamber Supporters: Well…the Kansas Legislature is adjourned, and the Chief’s first-round picks are in!! The House finished just before midnight and the Kansas Senate headed out at 2:30 in the morning…items of note: Kansans will get a sales tax reduction on food beginning in 2023, down to 4 percent, dropping to 2 percent in 2024 and completely eliminated in 2025; the House did not override two vetoes, so the controversial parents rights’ bill and high school sports transgender bills will not become state law…and the U.S. Congressional districting for the next ten years is still unsettled…but only because it is still in the Courts. The Legislature adjourned leaving time to settle the issue (if need be) at sine die (the official adjournment) and also to attempt any veto overrides (if they choose). Possibly more on peoples’ “front of mind” were the Chief’s first-round 2022 NFL draft picks, which were a corner and defensive end…they did trade up in the first-round giving up 3 of their 12 draft picks to the New England Patriots and jumping from 29 to the 21st spot to get the corner they wanted. With the first-round complete, the rest of the draft becomes more anticlimactic…but still of interest to avid NFL fans. I’m sure I will keep an eye on what’s happening…albeit I won’t sit and watch the whole thing! AdventHealth Volunteers: Our hospital officially thanked all the volunteers with a walk-up brunch ( couple pictures here ). All volunteers were invited to pick up a box brunch and a small gift as a way to show appreciation for all they do for the hospital. AHO has 53 active volunteers with the longest-serving being Ginny Bromert who has dedicated her time for the last 35-years!! Carol Bauck was specifically honored this year for 4,000 total hours of service…WOW! She was honored more completely with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award! Here is a list of the milestone honorees…not a complete list – just indicating the volunteers reaching notable years and hours served. Personally, I’ll tell you from a board member’s perspective…the hospital couldn’t manage without all the gratis help they provide! They serve as receptionists, greet patients, manage the gift store and in addition to the hours donated, give thousands of dollars in monetary contributions! Their charitable efforts are irreplaceable!! Thank you to all the wonderful people in our community who help in this regard…if you are interested in serving in this capacity, call Jody Lancaster at 785.229.8231. She will get you signed up! 2021-22 Leadership Franklin County (LFC): The Leadership Class graduated another 13 amazing Franklin County citizens this week ( pictures here ). I went to hear all their final presentations and was completely impressed with this group of graduates. They are committed to making our community better and each spoke of how the class helped them grow personally. I am familiar with almost all the classes, having been involved with LFC since the beginning (1985) in some capacity. This year is an impressive group!! You can tell they truly enjoy one another’s company and have a great respect for each other. The graduates of LFC have gone on to serve this community in many, many ways…including elected positions, leaders of local companies and industries, schools and volunteers. Again…another example of commitment individuals make to serve locally. Also big shout out to the 12 local individuals who serve on the LFC board…they spend many hours organizing the class. Donna Ferguson from Kalmar is the chair of this group! Thanks to all who have made this commitment (both to participate in the class and on the board)…if you are interested in the LFC, call the Chamber. Applications are sent in June and the class begins in late August or September. It is a great investment in yourself or your employees!! Top 5 Percent Honors Program: Another amazing Chamber event this week was the honoring of the top 5 percent of our scholastic achievers in Ottawa High School and Ottawa Middle School ( pictures here ). This is another event we do annually but blows me away every year. These local students are awesome!! The numbers always dwindle from 6th grade to Seniors…because the grades are cumulative. This year 14 seniors made it all the way on the list…really quite an accomplishment! All this and coming through a couple of years of COVID too. Here is the complete list of honorees …if you know any of these young Ottawa scholars, congratulate them. I told the group that evening how much we appreciate all our students and know some will choose to live and work here their whole life…they are all potential future community leaders. In fact…all of these young people will play some role in leading us to a more sane and safer society. Whether here or elsewhere, their potential leadership will eventually guide us all…it’s the way it has always been! The future generations stands on the shoulders of the present generation to do bigger and better things! AdventHealth NASCAR 400: Here is exciting news for NASCAR fans…the AdventHealth larger corporation is a sponsor of a NASCAR race car and also the AdventHealth NASCAR Race to be held at the Kansas Speedway this spring (May 15). Net result…our driver and NASCAR car are going to be at our local hospital!! The car will be in Ottawa on Friday, May 13 from 11:00-1:00 at the hospital…come get your picture taken with the car and driver Ross Chastain. This is an ancillary (and very neat) benefit of belonging to a larger organization…Ottawa is included in all the national and regional promotions!! Here is a picture of our car and driver . I’ve never been a huge fan of NASCAR, but the fact Ottawa has a small stake in it now makes it more interesting. I’m definitely going to the hospital see the car…mark your calendar – hope to see you there too! MAKO: MAKO stands for Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma and is the name of a conference for Chamber leaders. Ryland and I attended the event in Branson, Missouri this week…it’s a chance to hit the refresh button and network with others who are dealing with the same issues our community and Chamber deals with too. There are always good speakers and I also get new ideas for our Chamber every year. It is personally enriching too…there are always a couple of motivational speakers who (at least make me) reflect and look at things differently. Something we all know but many times fail to quantify is, we live in an unprecedented period of personal time hijacking. Since iPhones have entered most lives, our society is dedicated to them in one fashion or another. Did you know “ hurry sickness ” is a thing? You can follow the link to read about it…we all need to practice shutting our phones off an hour before bedtime – and according to one speaker, not turning them on for at least an hour after getting up in the morning. I’m passing her words on to you…the current will never stop – but you can. Make sure you are taking care of yourself…set time in your schedule to relax, focus on you, meditate – whatever helps you be in the present. And commit time to your significant other and family too…these are the things most important in all of our lives! Weekend… Weekends are full now with yard work and gardening…at least for Cherry and me. We also, once again have kid’s soccer games, now that our grandkids are getting old enough to compete. At least now we don’t have quite as much obligation to be there if it is rainy or cold…we get to skip out – which is a bonus of being grandparents instead of parents!! We also have our first Royals tickets tonight…at least I hope so. We’ve had bad luck so far with one rainout and one snow-out. Pretty good chance of rain tonight…guess our tickets are really jinxed. April baseball is never as great as June, July and August!! Hope you are planning something fun and/or relaxing this weekend…talk to you next week. Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

It’s still okay to be in a St. Patrick celebratory mood for the weekend…even though the official day passed Thursday. Many in town wore green shirts and blouses but others went further to dress up in shamrock regalia…or I even saw a few leprechauns ( couple pictures of local Irishmen? ). Last evening Chamber members gathered at Not Lost Brewery for some special St. Paddy’s brew (yes…there was a green beer), and to eat bangers and mash ( few pictures here ). Fun time…and we were also helping celebrate the brewery’s third anniversary of opening. Dusty and Melody Gentry do a good job of brewing different beers and creating a fun and unique environment…something that’s great to have in downtown Ottawa. On a regular basis, the local brewpub located in our historic downtown features small batches of hand-crafted brews that include traditional beer styles, as well as experimental offerings. Dusty and Melody say, “though we wander, we are not lost”…hence – Not Lost Brewery!! The celebration continues all weekend…stop in to congratulate the Gentrys, help them celebrate their 3-years, and watch some basketball. Be sure to wear green! Kansas Senate Redistricting: The Kansas Senate this week passed it’s version of the new Kansas Senate redistrict map…this remap would be in place for the next 10-years. This too, like the Kansas Congressional re-district map passed earlier this year, makes big changes for Franklin County voters ( click here to see the proposed map ). For the last 10-years, Kansas has been lumped with counties to the south and east…Anderson, Allen, Linn and parts of Miami and Bourbon Counties. If this new proposal becomes law, Franklin County would be split with the north half (including all of Ottawa) voting with parts of Douglas, all of Osage, and parts of Shawnee Counties…the south half would continue to be represented by Senator Caryn Tyson and remain with the counties to the south and east but lose Bourbon County but adding Coffey, Wilson and Woodson Counties. The Senator who would be the current incumbent for the north half of the new Franklin County senate district is Senator Rick Kloos, a Republican from Shawnee County ( you can visit his Facebook page here ). All this change is required because of population shifts as revealed by the 2020 census and the Constitution’s requirement of even populated voting districts. Kansas House Redistricting: The Kansas House hasn’t yet passed their new redistricting plan. Different proposals floating around for our current Kansas House districts, don’t cause that much change for us here in Ottawa…which the Kansas Senate map proposal and the U.S. Congressional map’s four Kansas Congressional seats will create for local voters. Blaine Finch would still be the incumbent for a larger portion of Franklin County (including Ottawa). Franklin County as proposed in most of the maps, would remain fairly whole ( picture of proposed map here ) except for Wellsville (currently represented by Mark Samsel). Osage County in the proposals is removed from our district. It should be noted that once a body (either the House or Senate) passes their proposal for their particular chamber of the Capitol, the other side generally agrees with the other’s work and sends the re-map proposals to the Governor for final approval or veto. If things change too much, I’ll let you know. New Franklin County Emergency Manager (EM) Director: Since 2004 Franklin County has been served by Alan Radcliffe as the county EM director. Alan began his actual career with Franklin County in 1980 when he was 17-years old and worked his way up and through various departments…and, when in 2004 he was appointed as the EM Director, it was the first time for Franklin County to have a full-time Emergency Manager Director …a position he has held until he recently retired in December 2021. In February, the county appointed a new director, Tom Winter ( picture here ) who spoke with Rotary members a week ago. This was my first time meeting Tom, but he has been in the department since 2015 and is now promoted. Most recently he served on the COVID-19 emergency response team. He is credited with bringing a wealth of experience, technological savvy, high energy and a great sense of humor to the position. Tom shared the most predominant disasters in Franklin County is flooding…guess it goes with living close to creeks and rivers! Still…in the case of major fires, tornados or other weather-related events (or pandemics), it’s good to have a steady and experienced hand at the wheel. Congratulations to Tom…and to Alan too. Alan deserves a great retirement for keeping us all safer this last 30+ years!! Prairie Paws Animal Shelter: It was good to get to Prairie Paws Animal Shelter this morning and “officially” welcome Vanessa Cowie, Director of the shelter to Ottawa ( pictures here ). She has been on the job for a little over a year…but, as we are so used to hearing…due to COVID, this was the first opportunity to join them in the shelter, get updates, and meet Vanessa. Prairie Paws has served our community for over 70-years…but in 2010 the new facility was built on K-68 east of Ottawa and the old and outdated shelter on Seventeenth Street was closed. Some still remember Bea Martin Peck…the originator of the shelter and longtime advocate of our furry friends. A very good and prominent picture of Bea hangs in the lobby of the now 12-year old facility which is very modern…but currently, with the help of a benefactor, is undergoing a renovation with a new surgery suite and outdoor doggy play runs. Many, many thanks to Vanessa and her staff…they provide such a needed and important service to Franklin County!! I’ll add this too…the shelter is always looking for volunteers to care for animals as well as serve on the board (2 open vacancies). If you need to get your “animal fix”, but for whatever reason can’t own or adopt a cat or dog, you might find this a very enjoyable place to donate some of your spare time. City Considering Cedar Street Improvements: Still a little early to say this is for sure happening, but at their last meeting the City Commission approved the Public Works Department to seek bids for the continued improvement of Cedar Street from Thirteenth to Fifteenth Street. A number of years ago, the City improved a large segment of Cedar from First to Seventh Streets. At that time, the original plan was to complete the entire rest of the street in 5-years…but then the grant they were using to do the upgrade dried up. Now new money has been identified and also…the storm sewer in the area is in bad need of improvement to help handle major runoff created, in part by just more hard surfacing in the area. Along with traffic increases from more Ottawa University students, the hospital and other medical-related businesses and residential traffic, this major Ottawa corridor is an essential artery of our east side and must be maintained at a high level. The continuation of the project will of course depend on how bids come in…but looking positive for this to be a major construction and detour zone this summer. I’ll keep you posted. Daylight Savings Time: Let me be the last to remind you to move your clocks forward an hour…should have done it last weekend (except of course for the microwave, car, and many random clocks which always require thought as to how to reset!). For those who hate this biannual ritual, this will make you happy…the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill to make daylight savings time permanent ( article here ). First of all, it’s a very rare occurrence in today’s climate, for the Senate to vote unanimously…for anything!! Some Senators made the statement that science is now proving the changing of time twice a year is leading to sleep deprivation and other health problems! Huh…funny they accept this science so readily, but half the body rejects the science of vaccinations!?! All this said…it must still go to the House of Representatives and then the President for signature. However this remains as the biggest push to accomplish this in quite a number of years…we’ll see!! My family celebrated March birthdays last weekend with a Mexican-themed party ( pictures here )…complete with a piñata and pin-the-tail on the donkey!! Kids all had a great time playing together…and of course eating cake and ice cream. Many will be glued to the NCAA Basketball tournament this weekend as we narrow the field to the final 8! KU has made the advance to play another game…my team never made the hunt. It does sound as if we’re getting a new men’s basketball coach at Kansas State. Probably time…we’ll see if it makes a difference. I’ll mention one last thing…it is fun to see Zach Greinke back with the Royals where he began his career and won a Cy Young award here. Now 38, I’m sure he’s past his prime…he probably isn’t as good as he once was…but I’m sure he is as good once as he ever was!! Talk to you next week… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Dear Chamber Supporters: First official day of spring was last Sunday…also known as the vernal equinox. The equinox is the day the sun is located directly on the equator causing the hours of sunlight to be equal in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. And of course conversely, fall began for our neighbors to the south. Cherry and I planted our broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, spinach, and cauliflower last weekend…we held off on potatoes – the ground seems too cold yet (at least to me). I’m sure some already have their potatoes planted…good for you if you do! Mowing the lawn is just around the corner…I never mind mowing beginning in the spring – it’s a good way, for me at least, to relax. New Community Planning Director: Michael (Mike) Hall ( picture here ) began work this week as the City of Ottawa’s new Community Planning and Development Director…most recently having held a similar position with the City of Topeka, Kansas. Mike was officially introduced to the City Commission Monday…his official start day as the new planning director. This opportunity became available when Wynndee Lee, former director, took a new position at Ottawa University. Local contractors will most likely have the earliest opportunity to meet Mike…anyone within the City limits who is involved in a remodel, new build or zoning issue begins the process in this department. First to get the approval of the plan and projects but also to have projects inspected for quality construction as the build progresses. The Planning Department is charged with providing orderly growth, planning, appropriate land use, the preservation of resources for the future, and enforcement of code…also they are instrumental in helping new businesses and industries which want to locate in Ottawa. Welcome to Ottawa Mike…we look forward to sustained and quality growth here in Ottawa. You will have plenty of work!! 2022 Annual Day on the Job: The annual high school Day on the Job (DOJ) looked completely different this year. Every year, the Franklin County Development Council stages the event for Ottawa High School seniors. Mostly to focus on allowing seniors to hear from local employers to broaden their knowledge of what jobs and employment are available locally…and also to encourage our hometown youth to seek these sustainable employment opportunities either after high school or college. Since DOJ’s origin, the focus has always been the idea that a homegrown workforce is very desirable. In years past, the OHS seniors were shuttled about town to different businesses and industries to hear and see multiple opportunities for careers and employment. Now having taken a 2-year COVID hiatus and under new direction with FCDC Director, Paul Bean, the refreshed event allows employers to visit the high school…and also included OHS Juniors and area Franklin County schools ( pictures here ). Over 600 Franklin County students visited with 60 (mostly local) employers to learn of available internships, training needed to move toward the career they desire and also to make great contacts (both on the part of students and employers). Most agreed this was a much better event and process…not only because it involved more careers and businesses, but also involved area schools and the juniors creating a larger student pool to meet employers. For the most part, students begin contemplating and making future plans for post-high school when they are juniors (or even before)…good to give them this chance to visit with employers. FCDC has organized this local workforce building day since 2013…always difficult to know exactly what fruit it bears with local job opportunities…but at the very least, it is a great day to encourage students and let them know their community supports them…and also of all the great opportunities locally for those who want to continue to live in Ottawa. Franklin County Farm Bureau Association: Every year during National Agricultural Week , our Franklin County Farm Bureau Association invites community members to a Chamber coffee ( pictures here ) to remind everyone of the importance of agriculture production to all citizens…not just locally but worldwide. Our local Farm Bureau also realizes our Midwestern community’s roots began and are still in agriculture. Today, one in every five Kansas jobs…even in urban areas, is directly related back to agriculture. The future of agriculture rests on the shoulders of youth who embrace it and also the greater community to understand the critical symbiotic relationship of urban and rural ways of life. This week, designated nationally, is specifically to recognize the unique and irreplaceable value that farmers, ranchers, foresters, farmworkers, and other agricultural stewards have contributed to our Nation’s past and present. More importantly, America’s agriculture sector safeguards our Nation’s lands through sustainable management; ensures the health and safety of animals, plants, and people; provides a safe and abundant food supply; and facilitates opportunities for prosperity and economic development in rural America. It is worth taking time to remember and honor agriculture…without food, we literally have no future! Chamber Board Strategic Planning: Thursday this week, Chamber board members gave a day to consider directions and future planning of your local Chamber of Commerce…realizing immediately a post-COVID society is a changed world and new strategies are needed to continue to survive and thrive. Kudos to the Chamber board for giving time to strategically plan for the years ahead ( pictures here ). Major topics discussed were how to use the Chamber building, our largest asset, more efficiently; programs and programing needed or lacking in Ottawa; how best for the staff to prioritize and spend their time; and, maybe most importantly, how the Chamber will be funded going forward. These are all in-depth and multifaceted challenges which involve conscientious and intentional thought. Here is a current list of your board of directors …be sure and thank them for the time they spend serving your community. MidAmerica Nutrition (Meals on Wheels): The East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging (ECKAAA) offers local services to Franklin County citizens, most notably Meals on Wheels (MOW) for individuals unable to drive, get out of their homes or need help with meal planning and preparation. In addition to Franklin County, they serve the five surrounding counties…including Anderson, Coffey, Linn, Miami, and Osage. Their focus is to help their clients maintain their health, independence, and dignity. MOW began in 1972 and in 2022, is now celebrating their 50-year anniversary in the community with ECKAAA. This program allows a well-balanced diet to be delivered to a shut-in’s home…without them having to leave. Wednesday this week, MOW celebrated 50-years by inviting community members to a meal at their kitchens in all the six counties they serve. Join me both in congratulating and thanking them for this fantastic milestone, and our good fortune to have them here in Ottawa… thank you ECKAA workers and MOW’s kitchen staff and drivers for all you do! Annual Honor’s Banquet: I hope I see you at the Chamber’s Annual Awards Banquet next week…our community’s highest awards and honors will be presented next Thursday evening at Ottawa University’s Schendel Conference Center. RSVPs have closed today but a big crowd is expected. I’ll have the award winners highlighted in next week’s newsletter. Talk to you then… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Dear Chamber Supporters: Cherry and I broke down and finally planted our potatoes this week…on Tuesday evening, before the rain that night. Hopefully the weather begins acting more like spring on a consistent basis! Our jonquils, tulips and hyacinths are all up and blooming…the month of April gets its name from the Latin word aparire which means “to open”…just like flowers do in the spring. In Kansas, know the month more as a transition month from cold days to spring and the beginning of baseball, which by the way…it was good to watch the first baseball game this week. Opening day…the day all teams begin in first place with dreams of a pennant. Here’s hoping the Royals have at least a competitive and exciting season…one win – we are on our way!! Rock Chalk!!: Most know my inner fabric is purple, I bleed purple, and our family is all K-State fans…still a big shout-out this week to my friends who are just as loyal to the University of Kansas, winning their fourth national title last Monday evening. And, it was a very exciting game…I, like I think even the most ardent of fans, had pretty much written them off at half-time. I began reading my book but kept the game on in the background. As the second half continued, the gap narrowed and what a great and exciting finish!! Here are a few pictures from the internet for all KU fans to enjoy . This victory was so fantastic for our state and even our region, with Lawrence being so close. I couldn’t help but enjoy the party for a little while after the game before turning the television off. You absolutely don’t stand at the top of the heap very often in life…the look on all those kids’ faces was priceless as they are only beginning to absorb the magnitude of their win (it made me smile)…parade on Massachusetts street Sunday (April 10) beginning at 2:00 p.m. I’m sure Ottawa will be represented in the crowd. One last time…congrats KU, and “Rock Chalk”!! Chamber Annual Auction: Our biggest fundraiser of the year begins today…you can go to PrimeTime Grille/Fusion Alley to view the donated auction items… or you can go here to see pictures and actually bid . All bidding is electronic and as simple as making a free account online. All Chamber members who attended our annual award banquet last week received a $25.00 gift certificate to use at either PrimeTime or Fusion alley…we are hoping most choose this coming week to use their gift card and take time to view the items and make bids. We love everyone who participates…even if you aren’t the winning bid, it helps make the final bid higher. Also…you don’t have to be a Chamber member to participate…anyone can view the items online and look at the potential gifts, as well as create a free account to place bids. The same link as above can be found on the Chamber website or Facebook page. Once you have an account and make a bid, you will be notified if someone raises your offer, and you can make another bid from wherever you are located…with cell service. As I mentioned, it begins today but runs through next Thursday (April 14). What a great chance to have a date night, or take the kids bowling, and bid on some very nice and fun items. Remember…bid high and bid often!! Key Apparel: Chamber member, Key Apparel , hosted members at a coffee in the Chamber office this morning. Originally scheduled for outside at Haley Park…the cool temps and snow shower caused for change in plans ( here are a few pictures ). Local Key representative, Seth Needham shared a few products, stories and talked about the company. The clothier’s sweet spot is outfitting your team with your company’s logoed apparel which is comfortable and long-lasting…he provided a free t-shirt to everyone in attendance this morning. The company has been in business since 1908 and is a Kansas business, having been founded in Fort Scott, Kansas and still located there today. He said things are going well for Key…up twenty-five percent in quarter 4 of 2021 and up about fifty percent in the first quarter of 2022. Also, recently announced, going forward, Key Apparel is the official clothier of the FFA organization. Originally created to make strong durable workwear for farmers working on the Great Plains, they use a strong denim which is durable and strongly connected by adding a triple-stitch on the seams…when I was a boy, most farmers of the older generation wore Key bib overalls – usually with a checkbook, pen, and wallet in the top bib pockets. I had a few pairs myself. We really appreciate Key being a part of our local community and joining our Chamber. If you are interested in buying company workwear, you can call Seth at 620.223.2000. BCBS Chamber Blue Health Insurance: I want to remind everyone again about this new health insurance program available only to Chamber members. For the first time, because of a change in state laws in recent years, the Ottawa Chamber is able to offer our Chamber members, a health insurance group plan which can be provided/offered to your employees. The Ottawa Chamber is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Kansas (CCEKS)…an organization of over 30 Chambers of Commerce in towns across Kansas. CCEKS has partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas to create Chamber Blue of Kansas , a large group for health insurance purposes, of Kansas Chamber members ( list of Kansas Chamber currently considering participating ). If you are providing (or might consider) offering insurance to your employees, you should be interested in reviewing this new product. Chamber Blue is group medical health insurance for Kansas Chambers that allows Kansas businesses to access the health insurance savings associated with large group medical coverage…hopefully resulting in lower price quotes of medical insurance plans. We can offer this new product to Ottawa Chamber members only!! This new insurance option is being rolled out now and will begin coverage in January 2023. If you have even a passing interest I encourage you to get more information…to be eligible for the original rates which will be offered, you must complete the BCBS information form ( click here to get started ). This in no way obligates you…it only allows your employees to be considered as part of the original group for assessing rates. If after the original surveys are complete and the rates are quoted, you determine this is not for you…you don’t need to go any further. For additional information, you can also contact the Chamber (785.242.1000) or call BCBS of Kansas directly… here are contacts and numbers . Week Ahead: I’m leaving early Monday morning to fly to Washington D.C. to participate in the National Association of Workforce Boards…it is a huge conference with attenders from all over the nation. The conference ends Wednesday and I’m taking a few days to relax and sightsee in D.C. I always greatly enjoy the sights and history of our Capitol City…I will be sure to take a few pictures for next week. I expect Sherri and Ryland will be sharing some of the local events in this same space, including next week’s Chamber coffee and updates regarding the auction which will be going on all week. You remember last weekend, we went to Cedar Vale to visit the Champlin family and see grandkids ( here are a few pictures ). Max (7-years old) and his dad Marc were actually gone the whole weekend on a father/son fishing expedition. Here are some pictures of his big catches…needless to say, he was awe-struck!! For our part, Cherry and I enjoyed time with our daughter and the 3 younger kids…they are always such sweethearts – especially Johnnie who is already 5-months old and changing so fast…as children do in their first year. Talk to you next week from D.C… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Dear Chamber Supporters: I mentioned last week I was headed to Washington D.C…I arrived early Monday morning and have been attending the National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) since then. I am the chair of District 2 for Kansas (also known as Heartland Works), and we have several from our district 2 board attending…as well as a nice contingency from the other KansasWorks districts across Kansas too. I think most 50 states are represented here at the D.C. conference…there are nearly 1,400 in attendance – the largest conference I’ve participated in post-COVID. These pictures will try to capture some of the magnitude and size of the group. The Kansas delegation gathered for dinner Tuesday evening ( pictures here ) and ate Brazilian food at the “Grill from Ipanema”…to be fair, it is easy to find any nationality or unique tastes available here in D.C. Cherry is joining me for the weekend so I’m sure we’ll try another foreign/different distinctive food choice before making it home to hamburgers and fried chicken!! I’ll keep you posted! I have a few things I wanted to mention but will rely on Sherri and Ryland to fill in the more local offerings in today’s eNews. NAWB: The weather has been extremely beautiful here in Washington with temps around 85 degrees every afternoon…for what little good it does us attending a conference with meetings inside all day. Still…Cherry and I plan to spend the rest of the long weekend in the city and are looking forward to the cherry blossoms and spring breezes. I’ll admit we both love D.C. and have been here many times…our first trip after we were married was here in 1982. At that time, there was little to no security…you could enter the Capitol from any door and roam the halls as you pleased. It was the same for all the federal buildings except the White House…we lived in a simpler time and yes…I miss it. A notable speaker this week at NAWB was Dr. David Altig, Executive Vice President and Director of Research for the Federal Reserve Bank at Atlanta, Georgia, and was our keynote speaker. He and his team have specifically been researching and diving deep into the labor issue which is plaguing American manufacturing and distribution currently. While most have long since identified the issue of lack of workers, there are idiosyncrasies of the issue which we have not understood or correctly identified. The Baby Boomer generation retired in spades accounting for over 52 percent of the missing workforce after the pandemic… and in like fashion, greater than 30 percent of the foreign population workforce has not returned – mostly due to immigration policy and work visas. Very few of either of these 2 groups will return because of age and current U.S. policies. Employers have indeed raised the pay scales to incent workers to take jobs, but when viewed graphically, the wage increase has fallen below the rate of inflation. Said differently…it takes more money post-pandemic than before to live the same lifestyle. The next generation coming into the workforce has differing attitudes and mores regarding jobs and work…they don’t value having money the same as we did at their age. Not only the younger generation, but everyone has decided there are more important incentives than dollars in the salary structures…including working from home, time off and very flexible schedules (working 8:00-5:00 is becoming obsolete in some positions). In the last survey, 54 percent of those interviewed insisted on working from home, or they were not interested in the job. Employment packages will need to look different going forward. Some make the argument COVID caused all this…but Dr. Altig makes the point this was all coming regardless. The aging out of the workforce and U.S. policy were pretty set prior to the pandemic…he recommends we begin changing our thoughts and attitudes toward what pay structures and workplaces will look like and will evolve into the next 10-years, if a business fully expects to survive. I thought this was all very perceptive and informing…many of us have identified all these same issues as Dr. Altig did, but different…we blamed COVID as the culprit which caused it all. When you look through his lens, we would have been right here regardless. Interesting or Thought-provoking Excerpts: A few other random quotes and thoughts I picked up during this workforce conference. Prior to COVID, Zoom had 3-million users per day…today it averages 10-million users per day. Social media posts are viewed for 8-seconds The youth and young adult social and mental states are reaching pandemic levels in terms of a crisis. This includes depression, anxiety, addictions, general trauma, and behavior disorder. One year of global pandemic has advanced our society 10-years of technological growth. I will probably have a few more thoughts by next week after I reflect and process all we heard…I’m going to let Sherri and Ryland take over for local happenings now. BASE Grant Award: The news from Ottawa via Washington D.C. was good this week…the City of Ottawa was awarded $5 million for a Building a Stronger Economy (BASE) Grant for continued improvements at Proximity Park including a natural gas line, which was the one utility which was absent up to now ( full press release here ). City Manager, Richard Nienstedt lead the grant writing task force with help from his administration team and additionally from Paul Bean, FCDC Director, Derek Brown, Franklin County Administrator, Blaine Finch, City Attorney, Wayne Duderstadt, Kansas State Bank and me. This is good news for all of Franklin County to have another $5 million injected into our economy in a work project which would have needed completed at some point. Good job Richard!! Chamber Virtual Auction If you didn’t get your bids placed in time you’ll have to wait till next year… another Chamber annual auction is in the books! With over 90 participating bidders, we couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout. There cannot be an auction without donations, so we deeply thank all 61 businesses who donated items to make this past week possible ( list of individuals and businesses who donated here ). Ryland and Sherri were at PrimeTime Grille/Fusion Alley helping with item pickup today from 11-1, here are a couple of pictures of some winners and their items . If you were one of the winners and forgot to stop by PrimeTime Grille/Fusion Alley today, we haven’t thrown out your item… yet. Just shoot the office and email at Chamber@ottawakansas.org and we can set up a time next week, or stop by during our office hours and we’ll get you settled. Rock Creek Care Home Chamber members gathered at 27 E Rockwood Dr this morning (pictures here ), the new location for Rock Creek Care Home and formally the Ottawa location for Morningstar Care Homes. Scott Schultz and Morningstar still have four locations, two in Baldwin, one in Fredonia, and one in Neodesha… but when they chose to downsize, Rock Creek of Ottawa was able to purchase and continue to use this building for its most recent purpose, senior housing. Katie Aguirre (the Rock Creek employee who will be overseeing this Care Home), Courtney Taylor (Community Liaison), and Stephanie Anderson (Executive Director) were able to share how this home serves specific clients, those with dementia/Alzheimer’s who will have more success in a homelike environment ( picture of these three speaking here ). Ten individuals will be able to utilize this service at a time, allowing for an incredibly individualized approach to senior care. These approaches include things like resident’s rooms can be pre-furnished for specific needs or can allow the new tenant to bring in their own furniture to help make the space that much homier and breakfast times/meals can be customized to match prior routines. The home is beautiful, cozy, and ready for new occupants ( check out the inside of the house here ). This kind of care is a great resource for the community and Rock Creek of Ottawa is primed and ready to knock it out of the park… We’re all rooting for you! Flea Junk and Trunk The Chamber’s next largest event is our Annual Flea, Junk & Trunk/Craft Fair. This is on Saturday, May 21st from 9-3 pm and is being held in Legacy Square under the large pavilion. We currently have vendors registered to fill the 40 spaces under the pavilion but there is still plenty of space in the venue for more. If you or if you know of someone that is interested in being a vendor they can fill out and turn in this form here , if you have any questions please give us a call or email me at sherri@ottawakansas.org and I’m happy to help. Don’t forget to mark your calendar and plan to attend this annual event, a great day of shopping, eating, and soaking up Ottawa’s quality of life. Our goal with community events like this is to bring people in from surrounding communities, create foot traffic, and allow an opportunity for new customers to enter businesses’ doors to ultimately become regular patrons. Egypt Trip 2022 When I was told that EGYPT was currently the #1 travel destination, my thought was really? I’ve come to learn that this was a true statement! We are so excited to share that we currently have 78 registered guests that will be traveling with us to Egypt in November of this year. The Early Bird Deadline (which is a savings of $100 per person) ends today, April 15th. However, there’s still room for you and your family and friends to join us! Give me a call at 785-242-1000 or send me an email at sherri@ottawakansas.org and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have ( Egypt brochure here ). Back to John: As I mentioned…I’m getting ready to relax for a few days now. It will be good to see everyone back in Ottawa next week. I need to get home and see if my potatoes are up yet… Talk to you next week… Onward, John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000

Made it home this week without too many defugalties…got held up in Dallas overnight because of storms on the east coast not allowing us to take off from D.C. at the right time. I swear…flying now is so frustrating. It meant getting a hotel room and transportation at 11:00 at night. Finally got to our room at midnight…so home one day late. I had Royals tickets for Sunday afternoon…luckily the game was cancelled! After a week of 70 and 80-degree temps in Washington…we can home to 44, rain, north wind and a few snow flurries. Cherry and I were both glad not to have to sit through an afternoon of miserable weather!! COVID & Such: The pandemic at this point is becoming more of a non-issue. Last week I was at the workforce conference in D.C. with 1,400 attendees…some wore masks by choice. I would estimate maybe 10 percent (but this is just a guess). Face masks were still required on the plane…but that changed the day after we got home. A judge in Florida ruled the federal travel mask mandate to be unconstitutional…no one is required to wear masks on planes now! Kansas City news stations are reporting no COVID hospitalizations in the metropolitan area…Franklin County is reporting 2 hospitalizations and 2 COVID deaths in the last week ( here are the Franklin County numbers from this week )…I know from being on the local hospital board, even if there are 2 today, it has gone to zero many times in the last month. It gives me a good feeling inside to drive home in the evenings and see the Orlis Cox ballfields all lit with kids running everywhere. We won’t get our “normal” lives back in a heartbeat…but needless to say…this craziness for the last 2 years is trending the right way now. Local Unemployment: Last week, I reported on the workforce conference in Washington…upon arriving home this week, I saw the unemployment numbers for Kansas and Franklin County for February ( here is the state, the region and also county by county ). Given our unemployment numbers locally are 2.7 percent…and that every major employer locally reports they are needing more laborers, I think we can conclude our local labor force is down – which is exactly what I described from the conference last week from Washington. With less than 3 percent unemployment, it means not that many people are looking for work. It is impossible to have zero unemployment because of illnesses, injuries and other factors which keep a certain percentage from working even though they would prefer to be employed. It is truly a job seeker’s market right now. Good news for Kansas this week from the Department of Commerce…Governor Laura Kelly is in Manhattan this week to announce a $650 million biomanufacturing facility to be built in Manhattan by Scorpion Biological Services, a subsidiary of the major national drug manufacturing company Heat Biologics, Inc. She said the drug manufacturing/research facility will be in a new 500,000 square-foot building and create 500 new jobs – the biggest eco devo project of her term as governor. I was in a meeting this week with someone from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce…he told me the project is located in Pottawatomie County but will be annexed into the Manhattan city limits. The company will employ 30 percent PhDs, and the average wage of the new jobs will be around $100,000.00. The Manhattan Commerce also said they had an advantage because of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Research Facility (NBAF) being built across from the K-State Football stadium. This is fantastic news for the whole state. The Manhattan project is not related to the Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion Act (APEX), which was approved by the Kansas Legislature in February. That eco devo program offers up to $1 billion in tax and other inducements for a giant but unidentified business to move to Kansas with a $4 billion investment, building a 3 million square foot facility and hiring at least 4,000 workers. No word on that business which would take advantage of the APEX program yet…could be more good news to come!! Governor Candidate: Attorney General Derek Schmidt (also candidate for the Republican nomination for Kansas Governor) visited Ottawa Wednesday evening ( few pictures here ). Derek didn’t do any formal speeches…mostly just shook hands and visited with about 40 local voters over the course of the evening. He talked about life on the campaign trail…which we all know is gruesome. God Bless anyone who is willing to step up and serve in these leadership positions in this current political environment. Candidate Derek would still like to see some form of sales tax relief from the Kansas Legislature…given the current robust surplus in the Kansas general fund. Revenue numbers are predicted to end at an all-time high for our state winding up some $340 million above the predicted budget numbers and potentially $1.7 billion in the state general fund at the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The Kansas Legislature will go back to work next Monday, April 25 to complete their work and the remainder of the budget…Senate and House conferees started meeting this week for the budget bill to have something ready for both houses to consider next week. I’ll keep you posted on all the “goings-on” at the state level. Author Patti Grant: Chamber member and Author Patti Grant ( webpage ) was at the Ottawa Library this morning hosting Chamber members and talking about her latest book, Footloose & Sugar Free ( pictures here ). In a perfect world, people could eat dessert and never worry about weight gain or their sugar skyrocketing. There are many delicious desserts such as brownies, red velvet cake, and more that are healthy for you and satisfy your sweet tooth. In Footloose and Sugar Free, Patti helps people who desire to eat more healthy foods and still be able to have delicious healthy desserts. Her work for sugar-free deserts began when her husband was diagnosed as a diabetic…with her help he has been completely sugar-free for 6-years. Here is the good news: You can have desserts such as Peanut Butter Fudge, Monkey Cinnamon Bread, Never-Fail Chocolate Pie, and many more if they are made with healthy ingredients such as God’s perfect no-calorie natural sugar. You can maintain your weight or even lose weight by eating healthy desserts. You can serve these sugar-free desserts at any event, and no one will be able to detect they are sugar-free. I ended up buying a copy…I already have a great cook at home – she always appreciates a book about cooking and foods! Washington D.C. wrap-up & Easter: I already described our travel frustrations earlier…but that said, we did have a fantastic few days of R&R in the nation’s Capital before returning home. Here are a few pictures of our tours around D.C. We attended a play at the Kennedy Center, ate in a very nice restaurant at the wharf, went to several of the Smithsonian’s which we had never visited…the Native American and the African American museums…along with a few old favorites such as the American History Museum. And…even though we’ve been to all the memorials, we went again. I’m a real sucker for the Lincoln Memorial…I get chills and tears every time I read his Gettysburg Address. A memorial which is new and neither of us had seen, is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial ( pictures here ). Built next to the new Department of Education building (the department which he began) it sits on a large area and is enjoyed because of its huge stainless steel tapestry representing the White Cliffs at Normandy. The memorial pays a nice tribute to Kansas’ favorite son, supreme commander of the allied forces in WWII, and the 34th President of the United States. We got home Easter morning…much too late for sunrise services, but time enough for a beautiful Easter dinner at the Brown house in Shawnee, Kansas. Here are a few Easter morning pictures …and here is all the families dressed to go to church Easter morning . Got another busy day…I’m sure you do too – talk to you next week… Onward ~ John John Coen President/CEO Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce john@ottawakansas.org 785-242-1000