THIS WEEK IN - Atchison Chamber of Commerce

Dec. 30, 2008 - Jan. 6, 2009
THIS WEEK
200 S. 10th
P.O. Box 126
Atchison, KS 66002
IN
913-367-2427
www.atchisonkansas.net
CHAMBER MEETINGS/
EVENTS:
Jan. 9
Jan. 13
Jan. 14
Jan. 15
Jan. 17
Jan. 20
Jan. 28
Retail Meeting,
Marigold’s —8 a.m.
Leadership Council, Depot —noon
Chamber Board, Depot —4 p.m.
AAEDC, Depot —7:45 a.m.
Hall of Fame Banquet,
AHCC —5:30 p.m.
Workforce Development Council,
Depot, noon
Ambassadors, TBA — noon
Notes from the
President
It doesn’t seem possible
that 2008 is drawing to a
close…this year has gone
so quickly!
Let’s hope that 2009
will bring good things to
all of us!
———
We are busy planning a
wonderful celebration at
our Annual Banquet…call
today to make your reservations!
———
And don’t forget to
send in your nomination
for the Chamber awards…
forms are on the web site
www.atchisonkansas.net
CHAMBER NEWS
Jan. 3 is the final day for
New Harmonies in Atchison
More than 2,100 visitors have explored
their musical heritage through the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit during
the past 6 weeks in Atchison. But it is time
for New Harmonies: Celebrating American
Roots Music to wrap up its tour in Atchison
this week – giving Atchison County citizens
just a matter of days to visit or miss out on
the music heritage exhibit’s Kansas tour.
Saturday, January 3rd will be the final exhibit day for New Harmonies in the Atchison
County Historical Society Museum in the
Santa Fe Depot, 200 S. 10th Street, Atchison.
The Museum will be open Monday, December 29th and Tuesday, December 30th from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, December
31st from 9 a.m. to noon before closing for
New Year’s Day and January 2nd. The final
Saturday of New Harmonies will be from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free refreshments and
featuring musical entertainment by Atchison’s own Don Prohaska, playing old time
music, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chris Taylor, executive director of the
Atchison County Historical Society, said the
exhibit has been a great boost to museum
attendance and a great crowd pleaser.
“We have had a good steady turnout all
through the exhibit tour,” said Taylor, “and
the one common element with visitors has
been the amount of noise they make with
the instruments and the smiles on their faces
when they are coming out of the museum.”
Taylor said the weather has knocked
down attendance on a few prime weekends
but the post Christmas weekend had over
120 visitors despite there being ice and
snow right in the middle of the weekend.
“Earlier in the exhibit when we had that
real cold snap and then five or so inches of
snow people were thinking they still had
time to come out later…well this weekend
they knew the days were numbered and a lot
of people came out in spite of nasty driving
weather.”
New Harmonies: Celebrating American
Roots Music is a traveling exhibit from the
Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main
Street Program and the Kansas tour of the
exhibit has been sponsored by the Kansas
Humanities Council. For more information,
museum hours or other info visit the Atchison County Historical Society web site at
www.atchisonhistory.org or call the museum
at 913-367-6238.
Chamber accepting
nominations for annual awards
The Chamber is currently accepting
nominations for its annual awards, which
will be presented at the Annual Banquet on
Jan. 17. The awards include Business of
the Year, Team of the Year, Quality of Life
Award and Tourism Award.
Chamber members can pick up a nomination form at the Chamber, or download
the form from the Chamber’s web site,
www.atchisonkansas.net. Just click on the
“Pressroom” button on the left to get to the
proper page.
Nominations must be received by Jan. 3.
All members should be involved in honoring those businesses and individuals that
have been outstanding in 2008.
Chamber gift certificates
available
Chamber gift certificates are available in
$5, $10, $25 and $50 denominations. These
gift certificates, which can be redeemed at
nearly 100 Atchison area businesses, are a
great way to do your difficult shopping. Stop
by the Chamber or call us at 913-367-2427
to order.
Visitor Center, Chamber and
Museum holiday hours
The Santa Fe Depot will close at noon
on Dec. 31 and will remained closed for
the New Year holiday Jan. 1-2. The Visitor Information Center, Historical Society
Museum and Chamber of Commerce will
resume regular hours on Jan. 3.
<http://www.atchisonkansas.net/>
———
And please send in your
2009 renewals for membership…we want you
to be included in the new
Resource Guide!
———
The Chamber staff
wishes all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Leadership class to focus on community involvement
Topics like Strategic Thinking and Project
Evaluation may not exactly strike the excitement chord in many of us, but a new collaborative effort of Benedictine College and
the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce
promises to change that tune.
A new course entitled Community Leadership will be offered this coming semester at
BC. And while the course will touch on the
dynamics of leadership and community relations, much of the learning will be hands-on.
Students, who will come from the community as well as the Benedictine student body,
won’t spend all their time in the classroom.
“Leadership Atchison is a valuable tool
in training employees in all areas It teaches
valuable leadership skills and spends some
time focusing on community education and
involvement,” said Jacque Pregont, president
of the Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Graduates will be better employees and
great community activists. Our list of graduates proves that!”
The theories and techniques studied in the
classroom will be brought to life by guest
speakers and through hands-on experience in
the community with the class. Students will
also participate in a service-learning project.
The Chamber is excited about the work
done by the Leadership Development Council during the past year and would love to
see this class become one of the highlights of
2009.
“Leadership Development Council has
worked very hard to make this new Leadership Atchison Class a reality,” Pregont said.
“They have sorted through many possibilities and different scenarios to arrive at a very
exciting partnership with Benedictine College. I feel this could be the best class we’ve
ever offered.”
The class also offers a unique opportunity
for Atchison area leaders to learn alongside
the young, energetic, future leaders from
the college. And the Benedictine students
will learn real world lessons from seasoned
businessmen and women.
According to the course description, this
unique course, entitled Community Leadership, will give Benedictine College students the opportunity to acquire community
leadership skills sitting alongside community participants enrolled in the Leadership
Atchison County development program. The
course curriculum is based on the Community Leadership Program developed by the
Kansas Health Foundation and the Kansas
Leadership Center.
Students will be introduced to the community leadership networks and dynamics
that define leadership in Atchison County
through guest lectures and field experience.
Some of the topics covered include servant
leadership, team and coalition building,
strategic thinking, project planning and
evaluation. Students will also participate in a
service-learning project with the class.
The class will meet from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
on Wednesdays from Jan. 14 to May 3 at
Benedictine College. Arrangements for other
activities will be made once the class convenes.
Not only will the college students enrolled
benefit from the experience. The course is a
perfect opportunity for city and county officials, leaders of community organizations,
school officials and many others to brush up
on leadership skills and community awareness.
The cost of the course is $200 for Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce members.
SIGN UP TODAY!!!
Benedictine College and the Atchison Area
Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to offer
an interesting opportunity for budding community
leaders and BC students...
Community
Leadership
Some of the course topics include:
➣ Servant leadership
➣ Team and coalition building
➣ Strategic Thinking
➣ Project Planning and Evaluation
➣ Guest Lectures
➣ Field Experience
➣ Service-Learning Project
Class will meet on Wednesdays
Jan. 14-May 3 at BC Campus
6:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Cost is $200 for Chamber members
MEMBER NEWS
Bowling for Animals!
A benefit for the Humane
Society of Atchison
West Lanes Bowling Alley, 1416
Main, Atchison, KS is sponsoring a
Bowling Tournament fundraiser for the
Humane Society of Atchison, Kansas.
This event is for the whole family
with Men, Women & Youth Divisions.
Bowling times are: Saturday, January 10th, 1:00pm, 3:00pm & 5:00pm
and Sunday, January 11th, 1:00pm &
3:00pm. The cost is $15.00 per person
and winners will be awarded prizes
donated by West Lanes, COORS Light
and Home Scents. West Lanes Bowling
Alley has donated a brand new Bowling Ball to be raffled off to one lucky
winner.
Call Bob at West Lanes Bowling,
367-4775 for more information and to
signup. Please reserve your time early,
as space is limited. Entry fee must be
received by January 7th to be able to
participate.
The Humane Society of Atchison,
KS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing care and placing
homeless pets in loving, forever homes.
The shelter assists over 1,100 animals
each year. Representatives from the
shelter will be on hand both tournament
days to answer questions about the
Humane Society and animals available
for adoption.
Historic currency featured in
local display
Exchange National Bank & Trust
Company, located at 600 Commercial
will host an exhibit on the history of
U.S. Currency, featuring historic notes
and coins on loan from the Federal
Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
The display traces currency from
the Colonial period through current
day, focusing on currency of major
historical significance, including State
Bank Notes, Fractional Notes and Gold
Certificates. The display also features
Demand Notes — the currency that led
some to refer to bills as “greenbacks.”
The display will be available starting
Jan. 12, 2009 and concluding Jan. 30,
2009. Bank lobby hours are 8 a.m. – 5
p.m., Monday through Friday.
The display is being made available by the Federal Reserve Bank of
Kansas City. The Bank and its branches
in Denver, Oklahoma City and Omaha
serve the Tenth Federal Reserve
District: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska,
Oklahoma, Wyoming, northern New
Mexico and the western third of Missouri.
Fort Riley Career Fair
seeking employers
Kansas Works will co-sponsor a
career fair at Fort Riley on Tuesday,
February 3, 2009. The fair is scheduled
to run from 4-7 p.m. at Riley’s Conference Center.
The fair and reception is for veterans, exiting/retiring soldiers and military spouses and dependents. Organizers expect 500 attendees and they have
space for 80 employers. Cost for the
event is $250 and the booth space includes one 8-foot table, two chairs and
refreshments. There are also electric
outlets available.
Interested employers can download
a flyer and registration form for the fair
from the Chamber’s web site, http://
www.atchisonkansas.org. Click on
“Press Room” to access the form.
Pi5 set to perform at
Theatre Atchison
Pi5 (Politically Incorrect to the 5th Power) will
begin a performance at
6 p.m. Jan. 8 at Theatre
Atchison. The comedy
troupe is comprised of
five high school boys who
are part of the theater’s
Improv class. They will
showcase their improv
games and skits, similar to
the style of “Who’s Line is
it Anyway?”
Please join us to watch
these five funny guys in
action! There is no charge
for admission.