If you would like to showcase your business by hosting a Chamber meeting and/or luncheon at your location, please let us know. This is a great way to familiarize other business owners with the tools and resources you have to offer the community and show off your physical space. Or you can cater the lunch and hold it at the Wellsville City Library or Wellsville Health and Rehab has also offer their space and can cater on site.

LUNCH IS SERVED -

• The Wellsville High School FBLA will host a lunch for our January monthly meeting at the library on Tuesday, January 10th at Noon! We hope to see you there!

• Pleasant Ridge will host at 11:30AM on February 14th. Additional details to come.

• Wellsville Health and Rehab will hold at their facility at 11:30AM on March 14th. Meeting will begin at Noon.

• USD #289 will host on October 10^th and provide a tour of all the new updates at the high school. FACS class will provide food. Additional details to follow.  

Hasty Awards

Hasty Awards is a family owned and operated company established by Jim and Judy Hasty in 1986. A longtime coach, mainly of swimming, the senior Hasty had been buying and giving out awards for more than 20 years. Jim just felt he could do a better job as he had an extensive wood shop, and he started off making the awards by hand and from scratch. He would make them, his wife Judy would do the engraving, and they would do all the assembly work in the evenings. In 1999, Steve Hasty (son), acquired ownership of the company and continues to serve as our Owner/President today. The company has grown from a garage occupation to a business that employs 75 people and services customers both nationally and internationally. 

Hasty Awards has had 36 years of continued success in providing organizations and businesses their every award need. From medals, trophies, and plaques to crystal, glass, and promotional items, Hasty Awards provides unlimited opportunities for organizations to recognize and reward those who excel. In 2009, Hasty Awards moved into a new 50,000 square foot facility located in the Ottawa, Kansas, Industrial Park District. They are proud to supply awards for your youth sport team to being the official supplier of the Olympic Swim Trial medals as well as multiple marathons across the country. Jason Murphy, Director of Marketing, tell us, “Youth medals are still the largest demographic for orders.” 

Hasty Awards’ objective is to continually strive to position themselves as a nationally recognized provider of awards and recognition products. Their creative designs, quality products, competitive prices, and exceptional customer service have positioned them to be a leader throughout the awards industry. As they continue to grow within the industry, they are hopeful to one day be synonymous with the term ‘awards’…when you think of awards, you think of Hasty Awards!  Murphy describes, “On a normal day our CSR’s will take orders for an individual team and the next call could be USA Wrestling placing an order for one of their many regional events.”  

The sheer volume of what Hasty Awards does in awards has allowed them to receive very competitive pricing from their suppliers. Additionally, over 90% of their awards are their own line of Hasty Exclusives designed inhouse that you will not see anywhere else on the market…medals and awards that they are able to source directly from our factory to help drive down their price points. Their shipping costs also mirror the economics of the volume they sell. Being centrally located within the U.S.  they can ground ship packages almost anywhere in the continental U.S. within 3 days.

As mentioned previously, because of the volume Hasty Awards does annually, they are able to be very competitively priced. They also take pride in the quality and design of their products and feel it puts them on a different level compared to their competition. And finally, an intangible that they feel puts them above their competition is their customer service. They pride themselves on being friendly, responsive, professional, and willing to go the extra mile to service their customers. They have some customers who know what they want and how they want it; they also have customers that need help and guidance in making their selection. They are willing to accommodate any customer regardless of the customers knowledge/comfort level and do their best to make the ordering process as smooth and easy as possible.

Hasty Awards’ values and work ethic are instilled by the Mid-Western culture we live in.  Jason Murphy, Director of Marketing, stated, “The family culture here leads to better retention than most companies.” Satisfaction comes from the reactions and expressions on the recipient’s faces when they receive their award for all their hard work and dedication. Hasty employees take great pride in what they do and how they do it. The company has worked very hard to get where we are today and are eager to see what the future holds.

When we interviewed Jason Murphy, Director of Marketing and Dominic Nation, HR Director, we asked about what big successes stand out. They told about getting the order for the Olympic Swim Trials, the Olympic Track and Field Trials, the Little Rock Marathon, the Miami Marathon, the Chicago ½ Marathon and the local Hospital Hill Marathon. They feel COVID presented the biggest challenge they’ve faced in recent years. At the time, all events were cancelled, there were no orders which led to sizable layoffs. They agreed that it was tough up until about one year ago. They said they are back to 100% operations again. 

If your company has a need for corporate or employee recognition awards or an organization you or your children belong to has a need for awards of any kind, please reach out to Hasty Awards at 800-448-7714 or online at https://www.hastyawards.com/.  

Bernie Smith - Wellsville Recreation Commission

Bernie Smith is the Director of the Wellsville Joint Recreation Commission (WJRC) and was born and raised in Wellsville, Kansas. She joked that she is related to half the people in this town. She earned her degree in Education from Ottawa University in 1995 and went on to complete her master’s degree from Mid-America Nazarene University.  She took over this position in 2021. 

To get some background about how Bernie ended up in this position, we needed to find out a bit of background of her occupational journey. She tells a great story about how when she met her husband, Brandon, they had moved back to Louisiana where he was from due to a job he had. She said she lived down there a while but “it was different and not my home,” she admitted. When she was pregnant with her first son, she told Brandon she was “moving home and I would love for him to come along.” As the story goes, Brandon came back with her, and they have been here in Wellsville ever since.  Once back in the area, Bernie started her teaching career at Spring Hill High School and worked there until 2004. Bernie and Brandon have been married for 27 years and have three sons – Bryce, Trajen and Ian. 

In the fall semester of 2004, Bernie accepted a position at the Wellsville School District. She was a much-loved teacher and member of the USD 289 staff until leaving the teaching field in 2021 to take a position at the Wellsville Recreation Commission. When asked what her first goal was when she took over as the Director of the WJRC, she said, “Initially, I wanted to create an atmosphere of connectivity and communication. I wanted to make sure we were visible to the community.” Bernie has now been at the WJRC for one year and feels that she has accomplished that goal – increased visibility of the WJRC to the community and increased programs offered.

The WJRC is managed by the board of directors. One person is school appointed, one is city appointed and the remaining three are at large positions. The varied background of the appointees is to help bring together people who have different perspectives on how the WJRC should be run. These people are elected for a four-year term.  The meet once each month and always look at changes through the lens of what is best for the participants and the community. Bernie said she relies on them a lot when making decisions. The board approves any large purchases and the communication is open, so that they all understand the programming and can help effectively communicate to the community. Bernie says, “The goal is to have a great partnership between the WJRC and our community.” 

Regarding the WJRC programming, Bernie wanted to keep the kids’ programs relatively the same but admits that participations has increased through additional communication. Currently, Bernie comments that there really isn’t space for any additional programs. She said, “My goal in three years is to increase all age programming and upgrade facilities. We are still brainstorming how to maximize the use of the current WJRC space or how we could obtain additional space. I’d like to offer a cornhole league, pickleball courts, and additional outdoor basketball courts.” Her dream is to have an indoor facility for the community someday that could house a fitness area, indoor walking track, WJRC offices and even a multi-sport turfed area and drop-down batting cages. 

When asked about the challenges of the WJRC this past year, Bernie say, “Getting volunteers to coach and finding paid umpire positions has proven to be really taxing.” She wants our community to know that she can train people to umpire via a local clinic. There is a certification available, too, that allows umpires to get paid more. She admits, “The high school students have been fabulous umpires for the kids’ programs.” The WJRC cannot function without these positions. Bernie stated, “Coaches can schedule and run their own practices. They communicate this information with their team. They act as game supervisors. I work with the volunteer coaches to make it as easy as possible for them. I realize most of them have full-time jobs. The coaches’ job is really about kids learning the basics. We want them to be active and have fun doing it.”

There have been lots of successes in this past year as well. Bernie said one thing that stood out as a big success has been purchasing, obtaining, and installing the new playgrounds. If you haven’t been out to the WJRC ball fields recently, there is a new playground for the two-five year old kids and one for the five-12 year old kids. In the past, when there was just one playground, Bernie said, “The older kids were too rambunctious for the little ones to play. These new playgrounds solve that problem, so the little kids can play without fear of being knocked down.” 

A typical day for Bernie includes starting her day at the WJRC office around 6am. She works Monday through Thursdays and on Saturday mornings. During the mornings on these days, she works to complete administrative tasks in the office. In the afternoon, she goes out into the parks until mid-afternoon. During this time, she preps the soccer, flag football, softball and baseball fields depending on the season. At Christmas time, she puts up the decorations around the walking track. She typically goes home in the later afternoon to rest before the evening shift begins. She is back at the office by 4pm until 10pm depending on game schedules. 

Bernie’s motivation that keeps her coming back to her job every day is seeing the kids happy when they find success in little things like contacting a ball for the first time, learning, and doing something they didn’t know they were capable of. It’s motivating to see that we are getting everyone in the community involved in our programs.”

When asked if she could go back, if she’d change anything, she said, “If I could go back to the beginning of this job, I wouldn’t change anything. Everything I’ve done in my career has helped me be successful in this position. I loved the years I spent teaching kids. But if I would have known there was a degree in Parks and Rec when I went to college, I would have chosen that. I chose to teach because that was an avenue to coach kids in sports. This job at the WJRC allows me to do more coaching, which is what I love most of all. I can step in to fill in gaps that need to be filled at any time. I can help coach a team, ref, or umpire a game. I love it all.”

We talked about changing the world. When asked what three things she’d do if she could change the world, she responded this way: “1) I’d find a cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s; 2) There would never be another poorly treated animal; 3) I’d eliminate hate and entitlement in this world. You can disagree with someone without hating them. And it would be nice if kids still felt they needed to earn what they get.”

A book that was very inspirational to Bernie is called Reach for the Summit, by Pat Summit. Pat Summit was a coach at the University of Tennessee. The book talks about how to reach the summit of life. Bernie said, “I loved the 12 principles of life she outlines and found I have worked to live my life by them and help to instill them in others.” 

If you’d like to contact Bernie Smith or find information about the WJRC programs, you can go to the website at https://wjrc.recdesk.com/Community/Page?pageId=8574, email wellsville.wjrc@gmail.com or call 785.883.4532.   

Annual American Legion Easter Egg Hunt -

The tradition of our town continues as we once again plan for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Wellsville American Legion, WJRC and Wellsville Chamber of Commerce.  It will be held on Saturday, April 8th at Saddle Club Park beginning at 1PM. The Hunt is always fun and successful, but we hope to take it up a notch this year. We could use your support!

If you wish to donate any amount, we request your donation no later than March 1st. This allows us ample time to collect and coordinate stuffing of the eggs. You can drop donations by the WJRC office or mail directly to the WJRC at 320 Pendleton Ave, Wellsville, KS 66092 any time prior to March 1^st. 

Please make your checks payable to WJRC and write in the memo, Easter Egg Donation. We will also accept any donations at the Chamber meeting in January or February. If you’d like someone to drop by to personally pick up your donation, please email Debra.WJRC@gmail.com or Wellsvillechamberofcommerce@hotmail.com. 

The American Legion, WJRC and Chamber of Commerce appreciate all you do to support our community and its traditions.  

Wellsville Chamber Sign Advertising program -

If you would like to advertise to the thousands of cars passing by our billboard on Highway 33 each day, we can help produce and display a banner designed just for your business. This Chamber sign is especially important to your business if you are a business located somewhere other than on 33 highway. Many people who live outside Wellsville or are coming off the highway to stop at Bert's or Casey's don't know what other businesses Wellsville has to offer. They might make it a point to use your services each time they are in town if they only knew where you were!

We have a few dates remaining for the 2022-2023 Chamber year. If you would like one (or a few) in 2023, now is the time to book your dates! Please reach out if you would like to book a spot.

The City Council has placed a dumpster at the Public Works department at 730 S. Main in the gravel lot. It is JUST for yard waste and limbs and will be marked as such. This service is provided to the residents free of charge.

Reminder: You are able to put up to 8 bags of yard waste out on trash day. They will also take limbs if they are cut up no larger than 4ft and tied together.

New Wellsville Police Department - Moving in Soon!

Bert's Truck Stop -

• Day shift Kitchen Employee
• Mid shift Cashier 

511 Main -

• 3 large offices available
• $700 per office
• Includes utilities, common area and bathroom access
• Phone/wifi not included.
• Contact Shawn Faruqi 913-221-5869 for more information

January Monthly FCDC Report -

Workforce -

In 2023 workforce will continue to be an area of concern and emphasis for FCDC. We currently have more jobs than people and this will only become more of an issue when the Panasonic Wave begins to have an impact.  FCDC will work to identify and promote methods that existing industry can utilize to retain employees when openings begin to occur to our north.

FCDC is working with the Kansas Department of Commerce to host a regional gathering of Panasonic and Commerce folks along with local educational partners to build relationships for successful training programs to support the job growth needed in our region with Panasonic and other ancillary industry.

FCDC continues to be heavily involved in the MIH grant program. New rounds are available for workforce housing every quarter and FCDC will continue to support any community that is working to submit grants for these funds.

FCDC continues to promote programs for housing such as RHID’s, Housing Investor Tax Credits, and grants for residential home improvements.

FCDC continues to try and recruit and facilitate childcare providers to our area.

Franklin County Optimist Club -

The Franklin County Optimist Club is pleased to recognize December WMS Student of the month:

• Bailey Adams - 6th grade
• Carson Fletcher - 7th grade
• Austin Strenth - 8th grad
• Each tudent received a certificate from the Optimists
• Each student received a gift card from Hot Off The Press donated by Bill Lytle

Size Up Franklin County -

This is a new software program provided by FCDC to anyone. It is a program for businesses new and existing. It can help new businesses build a business plan and existing ones tweak their plan. It provides access to location of competition, suppliers, workforce, and much more.

Kansas Income tax Credit -

Franklin County is now designated as an E-Community. One of the benefits of this is we can offer you access to Kansas Income Tax Credits. The attached document will provide further information.

Here are some key points:

• You get a 75% tax credit from your investment
• You may be able to deduct your full investment on your federal income tax return
• Your support provides funding for the GAP loans we can offer to new businesses
• We will get a 20% commission locally on all tax credits we sell for use for economic development in our county

IMPORTANT:

• We currently have only $250,000 to offer here in Franklin County this year
• You must run this through me if you would like us to receive the local benefits of your investment

PLEASE let Paul Bean know if you would like to purchase tax credits this year for your business or individually. It will be first come first serve.

*Always seek professional tax advice when making these types of decisions

Wellsville School District Projects and Programs -

Facilities Update

The USD 289 bond project continues to move forward. Below are updated pictures of our project and status updates.

• New furniture was installed in the newly renovated middle school classroom over the break. 
• The HS English classrooms, collab areas, Social Studies classrooms, and maker space are scheduled for completion in January.
• The new Wrestling Room / Weight Room has had a couple of minor delays due to circumstances involving HVAC materials and is now scheduled for completion in February.  
• The remodeling of the HS office is scheduled to begin in January.

Kansas - A Friend Asks

While we often go to the doctor for help with a fever, etc., we are not always as quick to get help if we are feeling down or depressed. I would offer that our mental health is equally as important as our physical health. USD 289 is excited to be able to offer a new resource to students and parents to assist in this endeavor. “A Friend Asks” is a FREE smartphone app that helps provide the information, tools, and resources to help a friend (or yourself) who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide or depression. We are working to have the app added to each 6-12 student school-issued technology device and all staff devices. While we are only adding the app to 6-12th grade devices at this time, we are sending this information to elementary families, as well as parents may wish to share the resource with their student and/or access the app themselves.  We would invite each of you to download the app today and encourage friends and family to do the same. Education is the key to prevention, and we never know when this information will be needed and could help save a life.



The “A Friend Asks” App contains the following information:

• Warning signs of suicidal ideation
• How to help a friend
• How to get help now
• What to do and what not to do

The app can be downloaded from the apple store or Google Play from the link below.

https://ag.ks.gov/victim-services/youth-suicide-prevention 

USD 289 counselors and social workers are readily available to answer any questions you have and/or to assist you in supporting your student's mental health needs. 

Monthly Meeting -

February 14th at 11:30AM lunch provided by the Pleasant Ridge, meeting at noon at Wellsville City Library

Annual Chamber Events

The Chamber has brainstormed some new and exciting events for Wellsville for 2023. We are planning a Chamber Happy Hour on Thursday March 9th to kick off March Madness. Please stay tuned for exciting information about these new, fun events guaranteed to bring in people from all around!

This will be an opportunity for the downtown businesses to showcase themselves and for all our Wellsville businesses to benefit. Let us know if you'd like to be part of the planning process!

Library Updates -

• The Wellsville City Library is looking for a new board member that resides within the city limits.
• If you are interested please call the library at 785-883-2870.

• The Wellsville City Library is excited to announce that they are moving forward with the building project.
• The architect, Emig & Hauff Associates Architects, and contractor will be going over the plans and then they will be looking for subcontract workers.

Sunday Service -

• Three identical in-person services at 8:00AM, 9:30AM, and 11AM
• Live online service at 9:30AM

Helping Hands Food Pantry Grocery Distribution -

• Fri January 20th
• Sat January 21st

Sunday Service -

• One in-person service 9AM
• Sunday School for all ages at 10:30AM

Sunday Service -

•  In person worship and Church@Home - 10:45AM

2022/2023 Wellsville Chamber of Commerce Officers