May 2015 Newsletter
Welcome to our newest Chamber Investors!
The Hoisington Chamber Board of Directors extend a friendly welcome to the Chamber's newest investors who joined in April. 

Please help us welcome Hammeke Electric, Dawson Jewelers - Designs By Dana, H.K. Ritter, DDS and Mark's Custom Signs to our Membership!

If you know of someone in our area who would benefit from the many perks of being a Hoisington Chamber member, please let us know at the office so we can visit with them.
May Chamber Events
Thursday, May 7th 
9:30 a.m. - Chamber Coffee hosted by First Kansas Bank @ FKB (101 N Main, Hoisington)

Monday, May 11th
5 p.m.-  CASH MOB sponsored by the Chamber Ambassadors @ THE TAP ROOM (170 S Main)

Thursday, May 14th
8 a.m. - Chamber Board of Directors Meeting @ Chamber
9:30 a.m. - Chamber Coffee hosted by  Kansas Kandids Photo Booth Rentals @ Chamber
11:30 a.m. - "Focus on Hoisington" radio show - 1530 KVGB

Thursday, May 21st  
9:30 a.m. - Chamber Coffee hosted by JRZ Enterprizes @ JRZ (110 N Main)
Noon - Chamber Ambassador Meeting @ Chamber (Bring Subway for Lunch)

Thursday, May 28th
9:30 a.m. - Joint Chamber Coffee (with Great Bend Chamber) hosted by Clara Barton Hospital Foundation @ CBH (250 W 9th)
Hoisington Chamber News
Thank you to the 2015 Retail Promotions Committee for sponsoring the 2nd Annual Hoisington Kids Entrepreneur Week!

22 Hoisington students, ranging in age from Kindergarten -6th grade, took the opportunity to learn Business Basics and sell at Market Day this past Saturday.  Creativity was at an all time high with their business ideas, with items at Market Day ranging from snacks for people, birds and dogs, arts and crafts, graduation themed goodies and surprise eggs!

The children were very happy with the number of friends and family who chose to stop by and shop the Market at Manweiler Chevrolet's covered lot.  They had the opportunity to practice change counting, customer service, and marketing, and had fun while doing it! At the end of the day, the participants were awarded with a Certificate of Completion.

Earlier in the week, high school students from Jennifer Steinert's business classes organized and taught the Business Basics class at the Middle School.  The students were split into age groups and rotated between the Budgeting, Advertising and Customer Service classes.

THE CASH MOB IS BACK!  TAP ROOM - MAY 11th @ 5 p.m.!

The Hoisington Chamber Ambassadors are excited to announce the return of the Hoisington Cash Mob! We will target the small, local businesses that make our community special in order to give the business owners an economic stimulus.  We help businesses grow, we make people happy, we get stuff for ourselves, all while we have a great time!

The second Monday of each month will feature a Cash Mob business here in Hoisington! The Chamber Ambassadors will determine the business the month before, so watch for the location on Facebook and in the weekly eBlasts.

The May Cash Mob on Monday, May 11th will benefit
the Tap Toom Main Street, Hoisington!

Stop in at 5 p.m. for dinner, say hi, and purchase something to support this important local business!

May Hoisington Area Events
Monday, May 4th

USD 431 - Beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week. 
7 p.m. - USD 431 Board of Education Meeting
7 p.m. - City Planning Commission Meeting

Tuesday, May 5th 
12-1 p.m. - Barton County Young Professional - Personal Development Luncheon - "School Enrollment Options" (Details below.)

Wednesday, May 6th
USD 431 - Last Day for Seniors

Friday, May 8th
5:30-7:30 p.m. - Barton County Young Professional Mixer - Sunflower Diversified Services (See details below.)

Sunday, May 10th 
Mother's Day! 
2 p.m. - USD 431 High School Graduation @ Activity Center
Beginning of National Hospital Week

Monday, May 11th 
2-4 p.m.- Hoisington Food Bank Open @ FUMC
USD 431 - 8th Grade Promotion
7 p.m. - City Council Meeting
7:30 p.m. - Knights of Columbus Members Meeting

Tuesday, May 12th 
6 p.m. - Cheyenne Bottoms Naturalists - Marsh Madness (Details below)

Thursday, May 14th 
USD 431 - Last Day of School! Half Day.

Monday, May 18th 
5:30 p.m. - Clara Barton Auxiliary Meeting @ CBH Turnbull Safe Room

Thursday, May 20th  
4-6 p.m. - Free School Physicals @ Clara Barton Hospital

Tuesday, May 26th 
4-6 p.m. - Hoisington Food Bank Open @ FUMC
7 p.m. - Hoisington City Council Meeting

Saturday, May 30th 
9 a.m. - Kansas Wetlands Education Center - Photography Workshop with Jim Griggs
(See details below.)

Sunday, May 31st 
7:30 p.m. - Knights of Columbus Texas Hold'Em
Member News & Events
GPS Kids Club is seeking individuals or businesses who wish to contribute to the GPS Kids Scholarship Fund to allow under-funded students to participate in the After School and Summer Programs.

If you are interested in donating to this fund, please contact GPS Kids at 620-282-8583 or email them at [email protected].

Missy Pflughoeft of Country Place Senior Living (Hoisington) and Steve Owens of Sterling House (Great Bend) would like to invite Barton County residents and businesses to learn more about the "Walk to End Elzheimer's" event to be held on Saturday, October 3rd in Great Bend. 

To make the event successful and profitable for this great cause, they are currently searching for Committee Members, Sponsors, Teams, and Walkers.

For more information, Contact Missy at [email protected] or 620-653-4121 or 620-566-7378 Or Steve Owens at [email protected] or 620-282-7507.




 

 

You're invited to join the Cheyenne Bottoms Naturalists for an exciting opportunity to learn more about the natural world, participate in research opportunities, and enjoy hands on activities!

Who can join? Anyone!  Programs will be geared towards adults, but interested teens are welcome to join in the fun as well!

 

What's going on? Once a month, CBN meets at the KWEC from 6-7 pm.  Each meeting covers a different nature topic, and may feature a guest speaker, a presentation from KWEC staff, or a special short film.  Every meeting will have at least one hands on activity, so don't worry that you'll be sitting around like a bump on a log!

 

Alright, how much is it? CBN is FREE!  All you have to do is come to the meetings prepared to enjoy yourself!

 

Marsh Madness - May 12 

Just what lurks out in the wild marshes of Cheyenne Bottoms?  Will you find tadpoles?  Bugs?  Crawfish?  Find out!  We'll be spending the whole meeting outside, exploring the KWEC pond!  Have your kids told you how much fun they've had on their school field trips to the KWEC?  Now is your chance to experience our most popular activity for yourself!  Wear something you don't mind getting muddy, messy fun is the best fun!

 

 

Photography Workshop with Jim Griggs- May 30th

9:00 AM - Kansas Wetlands Education Center, 592 NE K-156 Highway, Great Bend, KS

Workshop Presenter Jim Griggs. Photo by Linda Hanley

Saturday May 30, 2015 the Kansas Wetlands Education Center along with the Central Kansas Photography Club will sponsor a day-long photography workshop. The workshop will feature Jim Griggs, photographer and founding father of the Great Plains Nature Photographers. The workshop runs from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. Fee for the workshop is $49.00 which includes lunch.

 

Griggs will cover basic photography topics such as: Composition, Rules to Keep, Rules to Break, Basic Principles of Depth, Understanding What Your Meter is Telling You, Lens and Perspective Control, Field Shooting. He will also discuss his specific software choices for editing photographs.

 Jim Grigg's photography has been used by National Geographic, Africa Geographic, The Nature Conservancy, The Sierra Club, Wyoming Wildlife, Shutterbug, Footprints, Plastics Engineering, 2Njoy Magazine, National Kart News, Backroads of Colorado, Extreme Golf, newspapers, websites, museum and visitor center displays and others too numerous to mention.  In addition, he leads Photography Trips for Mondo Verde Expeditions to places such as Tanzania and Peru.



Clara Barton holds 22nd Annual Benefit 

 

Clara Barton Hospital Foundation will be remembering the past and looking to the future with its 22nd Annual Benefit, Friday, June 19, 2015. The Benefit includes a golf tournament, dinner, and silent and live auctions. Since this marks the 25th anniversary of the Foundation's establishment, the Annual Benefit will be bigger than ever!  

 

The golf tournament will feature a four-man scramble at Lake Barton Golf Course, with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. through 12:50 p.m. Cost to enter the tournament is $90 per player, or $360 per team. Registration includes green fees, golf cart rental, lunch on the course, a player gift, and a ticket to the dinner and auction later that evening. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in two flights. Advance registration is encouraged by Monday, June 15. Please see the flyer insert or go to our website to register!

 

This year, the Hole-In-One Contest will be a little different for returning golfers - instead of one chance to win a new car, golfers will have FIVE chances to win $1,000, sponsored by Manweiler Chevrolet. Other contests include a chipping contest, longest drive, longest putt, closest to the hole, and straightest shot for both men's and women's divisions, sponsored by First Kansas Bank and Cardinal Pharmacy. Prizes for each flight will be awarded, as well as last place prizes (new this year!).

 

The benefit dinner, sponsored by Landmark National Bank, Nex-Tech and Nex-Tech Wireless, will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Hoisington with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets for this year's Silver Anniversary "Then & Now" dinner are $20.00 per person.

 

Anyone interested in volunteering, registering or supporting the event should contact the Foundation at 620-653-5012 or [email protected]. For more information and a complete listing of sponsors see the flyer insert or go to www.clarabartonhospital.com/foundation.

 

You can download and print this registration form at http://clarabartonhospital.com.

Windows Server 2003 support ends soon! 
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your IT with Wilson Communications.

On July 14, 2015, Microsoft ends all patches, updates and support for Windows Server 2003.  Begin your migration to Windows Server 2012 R2 now and avoid the risks and costs of potential security breaches, compliance issues, and increased support costs that will accompany the end of service date. Smart businesses will take advantage of this unique opportunity to protect investments and redesign IT with the latest technology enhancements.  Together with Dell, Wilson Communications can provide you with expert services, innovative and integrated technology solutions that help accelerate your migration.  
  
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Learn more from Wilson Communications today - a 'Dell Partner' and a Certified Microsoft Partner!  Our Certified IT Technicians will determine if your existing programs are compatible with new operating systems and seamlessly transfer your data.  We're available for local support after the sale and have been your technology partner since 1903!

Wilson Communications  -  PO Box 190  -  2504 Avenue D  -  Wilson Kansas

City of Hoisington April Recap

The month of April was full of exciting opportunities and change for the community as a whole.  Among the things changing were elected officials, the leadership in the fire department, council meeting times and the contract for the municipal pound.  There were a variety of other events going on in Hoisington that you can read about below.

 

On April 13th, the new governing body was seated and Jim Morris was elected to fill the position of outgoing council member Dean Andereck while Chris Smith won reelection following a highly contested race.  A change in the leadership of the fire department was announced as Jim Sekavec, who has been with the department for 45 years announced his resignation.  Sekavec has served our community admirably for many years and is moving on to the next chapter of his life at the end of May 2015.  The search for a replacement chief will begin in the near future. 

 

Another change that took place in April deals with the council meeting time.  The governing body has held their meetings on the second and fourth Monday's of the month at 7:30 PM for many years.  Beginning on May 11th, the governing body will begin meeting at 7:00 PM.  If you would like to attend a meeting, you are more than welcome to join us.  With the meetings starting earlier, the hope is that meetings will end sooner as well. 

 

In April, the governing body solicited proposals for a new municipal pound facility.  There was a change in ownership at the Hoisington Veterinary Hospital in March of 2015 which placed the city manager in a position where there appeared to be a conflict of interest because his wife, Lindsay Mitchell, would become the new owner.  The City has held a contract with the Hoisington Veterinary Hospital since 2001 but in order to address any concerns about a conflict of interest, the governing body solicited proposals and cut the city manager out of the selection process.  The governing body sent invitations to submit proposals directly to the Golden Belt Humane Society and all of the veterinarians in Barton County.  The only proposal that was received came from the existing service provider, the Hoisington Veterinary Hospital which actually lowered some of its charges to the City.  The governing body agreed to move forward with a new contract with the Hoisington Veterinary Hospital and, due to the selection process, it is hoped that any concerns about a conflict of interest have been addressed.

 

The month of April was busy with other events and happenings as well.  The Hoisington Clown Committee's tractor pull was held on April 11th along with a fundraiser and open house at Miller Lawns in Hoisington.  The Chamber also held a fundraiser along with the Clown Committee on April 19th.  The Chamber also held a grand re-opening for the Hoisington Veterinary Hospital to close out the month.  It was a busy month for the City, the Chamber and numerous community partners. 

 

In April, City staff attended a workshop for the Community Development Block Grant application that the City hopes to submit this fall to help fund mandated wastewater treatment lagoon upgrades.  The City also received good news regarding a grant it applied for at the end of last year.  The City of Hoisington found out that it was successful in its application to fund a new Zoll monitor that will benefit residents and patients receiving care from the EMS department.  This grant will bring more than $20,000 into our community and could help us to acquire a necessary piece of equipment for somewhere between five and 10 cents on the dollar. 

 

On the economic development front, housing continues to be a priority.  Housing Opportunities Incorporated continues to push for more affordable housing options in the Hoisington community.  The organization is pursuing tax credit funding and hopes to find out about the disposition of its funding request by the middle of May.  The City is also working with multiple developers to find out what option(s) is best for our community and its residents as they work to enhance and expand the existing housing inventory. 

 

If you have any questions regarding the City, its operations or its economic development options, please contact Jonathan Mitchell at (620)653-4125 or via email at [email protected].

 

Barton County Young Professionals News
Professional Luncheon

Members of the Barton County Young Professionals group are invited to participate in a free personal development series designed to help YP's grow personally and professionally. The next luncheon, entitled "School Enrollment Options", will take place at the Pizza Hut Buffet, 4101 10th Street, on Tuesday, May 5th from 12-1 p.m.

 

 

The presentation will be provided by a panel of representatives from local K-12 education providers, both public and private educators. The luncheon is free to attend, but each participant must pay for their own meal before leaving. Presentation will begin at 12:15 p.m. and conclude at 12:45 p.m. with door prize drawings. And remember, you get an extra ticket in the drawing for wearing your professional nametag at YP events. RSVP's appreciated, but not required.

 

Join the BCYP Facebook Group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bartonyp/

 

Like the BCYP Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/bartonyp

 

 

You're Invited to a Barton County Young Professionals After Hours Mixer! 

 

Friday, May 8th @ 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Sunflower Diversified Services Manufacturing Plant

8823 4th Street in Great Bend (off Airport Road)

 

It's that time again! Once every quarter, the Barton County Young Professionals group gathers at a sponsoring business for a casual networking event designed to give people the opportunity to sign up as new YP members, volunteer for community projects, and meet new people in a fun, laid back environment.

Sunflower Diversified Services will host a Young Professionals mixer event on Friday, May 8th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at their manufacturing plant, 8823 4th Street in Great Bend. They will be serving a Delgado's taco bar, along with beer and water while supplies last, so get there on time! At 6:30 p.m., a drawing for a five Chamber gift certificates will be held, followed by optional tours of the facility.
Must be present to win. Remember, you get one ticket for attending, another ticket for bringing a new member (or BEING a new member), and a third ticket for wearing your professional name tag! Share our Facebook events to spread the word about upcoming YP functions.

 

Anyone 21 to 40(ish) years of age who lives in the Barton County Area is welcome and encouraged to attend this free event! So bring a friend! No RSVP's required. If you'd like more information about the YP group, visit www.bartonyp.com. Like our Facebook page, and join our Facebook group!

 

NEW Membership Requirements: To remain in good standing as a member of the Barton County Young Professionals group, you must attend at least two events per year with one being service or leadership focused. The Membership Team will provide more information at the next mixer.

 

Other News

 

 

Kansas Tourism is now accepting 2016 Kansas Travel Guide listing orders.  

 

2016 Travel Guide Listing Criteria

Kansas attractions, dining and shopping establishments, visitor resources and events can purchase listings in the 2016 Travel Guide. Included in your listing are the title of your business, address, phone number and web address, and a brief description (up to 160 characters). Each listing is $82, and can be highlighted for an additional $40.

Lodging establishments including: Hotels & Motels; Bed & Breakfasts and Vacation Rentals; Campgrounds & RV Parks; Retreat Centers & Guest Ranches; and Hunting/Fishing Lodges & Outfitters may purchase GRID listings in the 2016 Travel Guide. There will be separate grids for each of the lodging types listed. Included in your grid listing are title of your business, address, phone number, web address and the amenities available at your property. Each grid listing is $82, and can be highlighted for an additional $40. If you would like to appear in more than one lodging grid, you will be charged $82 for each grid you are included in.

In order for your business or destination listing to be included in the Travel Guide, you must:

  •  Meet all criteria for a TravelKS.com listing (view criteria)
  •  Have a current and up-to-date TravelKS.com listing
  •  Pay for listings by the due date, July 17, 2015

If you are interested in purchasing a listing, please call Kristi at the Chamber to get you signed up. 


Western Kansas Human Resource Management Association (WKHRMA) will hold their May meeting on Wednesday, May 13th at Thirsty's Banquet Room, 2704 Vine St., Hays.  Registration is between 11:15am - 11:30am with a short business meeting starting at 11:30am.  The program for the May meeting will be "Fair Labor Standards Act" presented  by Susan Lang, US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division.

If you are interested in attending the May meeting as a guest at no charge, please RSVP to
[email protected] no later than Monday, May 11th by noon.  

WKHRMA is an affiliate chapter of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), a local professional organization for persons engaged in personnel or human resource management.  For more information on WKHRMA please check out the web site at
www.wkhrma.org.

HRSimple.com is a website dedicated to keeping employers current on the changing world of human resources.  They have available (for a cost), the Kansas HR manuals, policies, forms, ADA guides and more all in one place.

One Free service they have just started to offer are webinars on common HR Topics.  The first of which, "Conducting Legally Compliant Background Checks", may be found on YouTube HERE. The webinars are about an hour long.

The next webinar will be held on Thursday, June 4 at 2 p.m. EST. Join them for "Privacy and Social Media in the Workplace," presented by Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. You can register for this FREE event by clicking here.
Job Opportunities
In the interest of keeping the eBlasts and Newsletters manageable in size,
the Job Opportunities from our investment members will be listed on our website under the "About Hoisington" link under "Employment".

TO SEE WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OUR MEMBERS.
Kansas March Unemployment Rates/Labor Market report


TOPEKA, Kan. - The state's March seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, unchanged from February and down from 4.6 percent in March 2014.
 
"March was the 12th consecutive month of unemployment rates at or below 4.5 percent, showing a steady economy with high labor force participation from Kansans," said Lana Gordon, Secretary of Labor.
 
Seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 16,100 private sector jobs since last year, or 1.4 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 15,400 jobs, a 1.1 percent increase since March 2014. Since last month, Kansas declined by 1,400 seasonally adjusted private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent. The state lost 2,400 seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs, a 0.2 percent decrease since last month.
 
"Looking at the March preliminary estimates, demand for labor in the state is mixed, employers did report gains over the year in jobs and wages, however those gains are below the estimates reported last month," said Tyler Tenbrink, Senior Labor Economist. "The number of average weekly hours worked has been steady over the last 12 months." 

   
   
 
Not seasonally adjusted figures show Kansas gained 13,500 private sector jobs since last year, or 1.2 percent. Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 13,900 jobs, a 1 percent increase since March 2014. Since February, private sector jobs increased by 4,500, or 0.4 percent. The state gained 5,700 total nonfarm jobs over the month, a 0.4 percent increase.
 
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March was 4.4 percent, unchanged from February and down from 5 percent one year ago.
 
There were 11,170 initial claims for unemployment benefits in March 2015, down from 13,070 in February and up from 9,669 in March 2014. There were 103,382 continued claims in March, up from 97,413 the previous month and down from 108,777 in March 2014. These numbers include all available programs.
 
Data provided is preliminary and subject to monthly revisions and annual benchmarks by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Information on procedures for producing Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) estimates is available on the BLS website here and procedures for producing Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates is available on the BLS website here.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The April 2015 Labor Report will be released on Friday, May 22.

Call for Content eBlasts and Newsletters

 

If you have exciting news that you would like to share in our monthly newsletter or weekly eBlasts with nearly 200 individuals in our business community, please send it to the Chamber office at [email protected] three business days prior to the 1st of the month.

 

If you would prefer to get a printed copy of the monthly newsletter, please let the office know.


The Hoisington Chamber of Commerce
123 N Main St.
Hoisington, KS  67544
620-653-4311