Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce
Monthly Newsletter
September 2014
In This Issue
Nominations Sought
Board Seat Elections
Save the Date for our
Annual Dinner
KEDA Fall Conference
Table Sponsors Sought
Trojan Tailgats are
back!
Coffee Schedule
Project 17 Training
offered
Membership
Video Contest
Job Fair recap
Upcoming Events
Social Media
Quick Links
Chamber Website
City of Osawatomie
USD #367
Osawatomie Alumni
Association
Board of Directors
President: Donna
Darner
Citizen of the Year Nominations sought
We all know people that are doing great things in
our community. Why not take a moment to
nominate a deserving individual, that may not
otherwise be recognized? It only takes a few
minutes. So much of the time, those doing the most
are behind the scenes. This is a great opportunity
to recognize these good works!
Recent recipients include: Dave French (2013),
Margaret Hays (2012), Wayne Harclerode (2011),
and Bill Butler (2010). Help us add another name to
the list!
Submit your nominations by the September 19th
deadline. Anyone can nominate anyone. The main
criteria is that the nominees must be living and doing
good things in the Osawatomie community.
The 2014 winner will be announced at the
Chamber's Annual Dinner on October 16th and
invited to participate in the 2015 John Brown
Jamboree Parade as the Grand Marshal. Click
here for the nomination form. They are also printable
from our website www.osawatomiechamber.org
Board Seat Elections
The Chamber Board currently has 11 members,
with 4 up for re-election this fall. Teri Auten and Kim
Bolen are interested in serving a second term. Joyce
Schrader and Amiee Seck have chosen to step down
in November.
The current board recently voted to keep the
number of board seats at 11 and appointed a
nominating committee tasked with finding and
contacting willing replacements to fill the slate. This
slate will be presented to the membership for
Retired
Vice President: Lori
Needham, Hanes
Florist
Treasurer: Casey
Jones
First Option Bank
Cami Akes, Landmark
Bank
Teri Auten, Auten
Pharmacy
Kim Bolen, MCMC
Chris Cooley, Chris's
Cafe & Bakery
Steve Eichorn, Donna
and Viola's Shirts &
Etc.
Amanda Moon, Moon's
Hometown Market
Joyce Schrader,
Coach Light
Amiee Seck, Life Care
Center
Mayor Mark Govea ,
City Council Liaison
approval, later this month, via a separate e-mail.
Annual Dinner Information
Save the date! This year's Chamber Annual Dinner
will be held on Thursday, October 16th at the Grand
Loft, 6:00-8:00pm. The theme will be "Celebrate
Osawatomie! Past, Present & Future".
Board information and announcements will be
shared and the Citizen of the Year Award will be
presented.
Rod Sipe, entertainer and magician with Miami
County ties (he grew up in the Patterson "Circus"
house in Paola and used to work for the City of
Osawatomie), will present the program that evening.
Chris's Cafe and Moon's Hometown Market will be
catering the meal consisting of delicious BBQ with 2
types of meat to choose from and home cooked sides
and dessert.
Ticket price will be $20 this year. Complete details
will be shared soon in a separate e-mail and watch
your regular mailbox for your invitation postcard.
A big thank you to First Option Bank for signing on
as the event sponsor and to those of you already
requesting table sponsorships. (see info below).
KEDA Fall Conference Information
The Kansas Economic Development Alliance Fall
Conference will be held in Emporia on October 8th &
9th. Topics of discussion include retail recruitment,
reviving local landmarks, global trade and export,
energy, military, and legislative issues. A business
tour of two of Emporia's manufacturing plants is also
being offered.
Registration deadline is September 26th and cost of
attendance is $150 per person. Click here for more
information and registration form or contact Mary
Perez, Secretary/Treasurer of KEDA at 785-296-4225
or [email protected].
Annual Dinner Table Sponsorships sought
Looking for a fun and easy way to promote your business or organization? Consider
sponsoring a table at the Annual Dinner. Simply come up with décor, promo items, etc. to
put at each place setting for a table of 8. Many sponsors also include a centerpiece that
serves as a door prize for a lucky winner that evening.
Your table should promote your business and/or align with the theme, while adding to
the fun of the event. It's only $25 per table. Sponsors will be allowed in early that day, to
get their decorations up. The theme this year is "Celebrate Osawatomie! Past, Present &
Future" if that helps to get the ideas rolling. Photos of last year's tables are available on
our facebook page if you need some inspiration.
It's fun to watch the guests checking out the tables and choosing their seats. This year,
all attendees will be asked to vote for their favorite table décor. The table with the most
votes will receive a Free table sponsorship in 2015!
Contact the office if you'd like to sign up. Even if you are not able to attend the dinner
itself, you still have the option to decorate a table. We'll need about 15 table sponsors
this year.
Trojan Tailgates begin this month
Please join us on Friday, September 12th for the 1st pre-game Trojan Tailgate of the
season. The Trojans will take on Labette County at 7:00pm that evening. Come out and
support the home team while enjoying a FREE meal and socializing with your friends, coworkers, and neighbors! The tailgate runs from approximately 6:00-7:00pm and is located
in the grassy area on the west side of Osawatomie High School, near the stadium.
The Chamber is sponsoring the Hot Dogs & Buns and providing desserts that night,
along will be helping to serve. Life Care Center is covering the chips and drinks will be
provided by Tangles Hair & Nail Salon. This event is open to the public and everyone is
welcome to attend.
A big thank you to Nick Hampson, local City Councilman and Life Care Center employee,
for getting these tailgates off to a great start last year and organizing the donations, and
to all the generous sponsors, past and present, that are partnering together for these
community events. Like the "Trojan Tailgate" page on facebook for up to date information
on the schedule and contributing sponsors. There are 4 home games this season.
Coffee Schedule
Chamber coffees are a great way to let others know all about your business and what all
you have to offer. We will work with you to set up a convenient time and can even provide
the coffee and refreshments upon request.
Do you have a new product or an anniversary coming up? Schedule a coffee to coincide
with it. Contact the office for more information or to reserve a date.
• FSCC Miami County Campus will host a Multi-Chamber Coffee on Tuesday,
October 7th at 10:00am. Please join us for networking, refreshments and a
ribbon cutting as they unveil their new science lab.
• Miami County Medical Center will host a Multi-Chamber Coffee on Friday,
November 14th at 10:00am. Please plan to attend and bring a guest to hear
announcements, network, and enjoy refreshments.
Project 17 to offer training
This single day training will introduce people to Project 17 and provide them with the
opportunity to get involved. Organizers hope to involve as many citizens as possible. The
day will focus on why we must work together as a region to make progress, while
exercising civic leadership. The attendees will be able to select areas that they would like
to work on to improve the region and will be able to join and learn of already existing
efforts. This one day format was designed for your convenience- no overnight stays away
from home and less time away from work.
The trainings run 9:00am-4:00pm and are free with lunch provided. It will be the same
in each location. Click here to register for the training of your choice. Please contact
Heather Morgan with any questions. 785-323-7001 or [email protected]
October 28th: FSCC, 2108 S. Horton, Ft. Scott KS
October 29th: NCCC, 900 E. Logan St., Ottawa KS
October 30th: ICCW, 2615 W. Main St., Independence
Membership
Welcome new member Emily Starr, of Edward Jones!
You may have seen her around, knocking and doors and meeting people in the past few
months. Originally from Jefferson county, Emily is happy to be here and looks forward to
helping people with their financial investments.
We are in the downward slope of our 2014 fiscal year. If you are on a payment plan,
please take care of your balance in the next month or so, so you are ready for the next
year. The 2015 year begins on November 1st and renewal notices will be sent out soon.
Forms are printable from our website or available by contacting the office.
Referrals are always appreciated and are best when coming from you- a current member.
If you get a new business interested, you will receive $20 in Chamber Bucks once they
officially join. We welcomed over over ten new members this past year! Thank you for
your continued support.
Video Contest Seeks Submissions
You are invited to Participate in the Project 17 Quality of Life Video Contest! Project 17 is
an economic development initiative to help improve economic opportunities and quality of
life for those in Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Elk,
Franklin, Greenwood, Labette, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson
counties in Southeast Kansas.
The goal of the Project 17 Quality of Life Video Contest is to strengthen a sense of
belonging and highlight all of the unique attributes that make this region great. We will be
looking for videos that show a personal attachment to the area that communicates to
others why Southeast Kansas is such an amazing place. This is an opportunity to share
what you like about living in the Project 17 counties and to help spread the word to others
that "This is where you belong!" or "You ought to come back to the area because great
things are happening!"
The contest is open to individuals, businesses, clubs, and organizations located in the
Project 17 counties. Students and youth organizations are encouraged to enter. Winning
entries will be recognized in three categories:
1. Student K-12
2. Student Post-secondary
3. Professional/Amateur (non-student)
Contest Rules: To enter, complete the Contest Submission Form (see attached, or find at
the website below) and post a video, no longer than five minutes in length, to a video
hosting site by December 15th, 2014. Videos can be posted to any site that can be viewed
by the judges, but you must email us with details of how to access it.
Winners will be chosen in all three categories. Two Grand Prize Winners will also be
selected and will receive a 3-D printer to be given to an accredited K-12 educational
institution of their choosing within the Project 17 region. 3-D printers are sponsored by
PITSCO Education and Printrbot. All winners will receive recognition and publicity for their
entry, including a press release, a recognition ceremony, and an article in SEK Living
magazine.
For more contest information: Click here for the printable flyer, Click here to visit the
website or contact Heather with any questions at [email protected].
Job Fair recap
Thanks to all the businesses that participated in the Job Fair last month. We had roughly
600 available positions and around 275 attendees, which was slightly up from the year
before.
If you know of a job seeker that missed the fair, the list of employers is available on the
Chamber's facebook page. If you are a firm with job openings, e-mail the information to
us and we'll get it posted on our website. We have a page specifically devoted to
employment opportunities.
Upcoming Events to mark on your calendars
• Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner- Thursday, October 16th at the Grand
Loft. Ticket and sponsor information will be shared soon.
• The Annual Spook Parade will be held on Friday, October 31st at 4pm,
downtown. It's free and open to the public. ALL local businesses are invited to
participate. If you are not located downtown, feel free to set up a table in the
area or bring a vehicle for trunk or treating!
• The Christmas Festival is set for Saturday November 22nd. The Rotary
Pancake Feed will be that morning followed by a variety of activities including
an Arts & Craft Fair, Santa photos, sleigh Rides, special
holiday performances, the lighting ceremony and giveaway drawings.
• Small Business Saturday- Saturday, November 29th. This Amercian Express
nationwide promotion promotes "shopping small" today and throughout the year.
• The 12 Days of Christmas Hometown Shopping Promotion will run December
13th-24th. Be thinking of your specials and watch your mailbox and e-mails for
the registration form in the coming months.
Social Media
Please like our facebook page and we'll be glad to do the same for you! You can even
post your own events and happenings on our page. We post event pictures, weekly
updates, announcements, and more on there and it's just one more way we promote the
Osawatomie Business Community.
Contact us:
Osawatomie Chamber of Commerce
628 main Street, PO Box 63
Osawatomie, KS 66064
(913) 755-4114 [email protected]
Cell Number: (913) 731-0518
www.osawatomiechamber.org
Regular Office Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am to 12:00pm. The office will be
closed on Monday, September 1st for Labor Day and Tuesday, September 16th while I
attend an out of town seminar.
Sincerely,
Shelagh Wright
Executive Director