Valley County Economic Development is holding their monthly board meeting today, noon at the Chamber offices. As always, our meetings are open to the public. Today we’ll be talking about several important items, including:
- Connecting Young Nebraskan’s Summit
- Valley County Community Outreach
- East-2-West Venture Competition
- Websites for Growth Entry Submission
- Valley County Boards Summit
You can download an agenda here, and last month’s meeting minutes here. Hope you can join us!
Thinking of making an improvement to your business? Two local business loan applications are due October 4th (@5pm at the Chamber offices) that offer flexible 0% interest funding. Facades, property purchase and clean-up, streetscape maintenance and more are all eligible opportunities through the programs.
You can download each program application here at the website (the Downtown Ord 0% Improvement Loan Fund can be found here and the 0% Valley County Business Corridor Improvement Program here), or schedule a visit to the Valley County Economic Development offices to learn more.
There are lots of reasons why making a business investment in Valley County is a good one. Our financing tools have been part of an impressive ten-year run of rural growth, with local funds helping to support 36 local businesses. Remember, our financing programs can help you grow your business idea AND save you money.
(Ord) – It pays to shop in Ord – just ask Gale Studnicka. Gale is the lucky winner of the first Buy Local – the Ord Option campaign drawing. Her name was drawn by police Chief Adam Miller at the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce Office on Friday afternoon. Gale won $500 in Chamber Bucks and says that she plans on using most of her Chamber Bucks at the grocery store.
The October Ord Option cards can be picked up at the chamber office and may be used immediately. The October drawing is for $250 in Chamber Bucks. September filled cards will be eligible for the last drawing to be held on December 24th.
Chamber President Megan Cargill and Police Chief Adam Miller draw the winner
Caleb Pollard, Executive Director of the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce and Valley County Economic Development, summarizes the importance of the “Buy Local Campaign” by saying, “The Ord Option is a perfect opportunity to support your friends, neighbors, community and yourself. Spending your dollars at local businesses keeps your community vibrant and successful. Small towns need to do everything in their power to stay economically relevant, and the Ord Option is one way of doing so. It is also our way to say “Thank you” to the local businesses that support local charities, organizations and community events.
The photos are in for September’s Photo Contest! After you view the submissions below, you can vote for your favorite here. Voting will end Friday, October 1 at 5:00 pm.
Get September’s Ord Option cards filled now! The first Ord Option drawing will be tomorrow, September 24. You must turn completely filled September cards in by noon tomorrow. The winner of the drawing will receive $500 in Ord Chamber Bucks! If you have a partially filled September card, you maycontinue to use it and return it for the December drawing.
As a reminder, you can receive one initialed box for a purchase of $5 or more at a participating business. You can receive an additional initialed box if you use or present your Ord Option shopping bag (for a total of two boxes). New cards and shopping bags are available at the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce. You can find more information on the Ord Option here.
Connecting Young Nebraskans is a network of citizens under 40 who live in rural Nebraska. The purpose of this network is to provide a forward looking organization that provides an opportunity for younger people to shape the future by sharing their knowledge, insights and desires while learning more about topics related to their personal, professional and civic growth.
Valley County Economic Development has been involved in the planning and execution of the Connecting Young Nebraskans Summit as a member of the steering committee, and the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce will be the sponsor for a morning coffee and discussion session. Our organization became involved due to our concern over a lack of access to networking opportunities for rural Nebraskan young people. We also wanted to use this opportunity to reach new young audiences and tell them the story of Ord and Valley County
Why CYN?
After listening to young Nebraskans across the state, the University of Nebraska Rural Initiative has provided the support for formation and ongoing operation of a Connecting Young Nebraskans (CYN) group. It is important that all age groups and occupations participate in the decisions and actions that will build the future, yet too often those under 40 are not fully engaged in the process. CYN opens a new avenue to encourage and support the participation of those under 40 who live in rural areas in building the future. Young leaders can have an important impact on their communities and the state.
How does CYN work?
Members of CYN self-select and determine the goals, activities and programs of the group. Opportunities for professional, personal and community development will be provided through interactive learning and networking. Meetings have been held both face to face and via phone and distance technology. Members communicate via Facebook and other social networking sites. A statewide conference will be held annually. While the focus of this network is on connecting young people across rural Nebraska, there will also be communication with urban areas as needed. The organization will evolve as its membership makes decisions about directions it wishes to take.
How do I learn more or get involved?
CYN has over 100 participants from across the state and is always seeking more young Nebraskans who want to make a difference. We welcome your ideas and participation. There are no membership fees and this group is designed to fulfill your needs, so we would like to get feedback from each of you. Find the effort on Facebook or contact Kayla Schnuelle, 402-472-2935, kschnuelle2@unl.edu to learn more about CYN.
1st Annual Connecting Young Nebraskans Summit October 28 & 29 in Grand Island
To register, go to http://go.unl.edu/cynsummit.
If you register before October 8, you will get our ‘Early Bird’ Registration Special- $49! We hope to see you there.
Silicon Prairie News reports that Invest Nebraska is hosting their East-2-West Venture Competition again. Any existing or start-up Nebraska business is eligible to compete in the competition. Silicon Prairie News has the skinny on the competition here.
If you’re a Valley County entrepreneur that has interest in the competition, don’t hesitate to contact VCED for details, or visit Invest Nebraska for more. This is an awesome opportunity to chase some serious funding for your next great idea. Lincoln and Omaha have been well-represented the past two years and I think it’s about time rural Nebraska shows some chops at this event.
How about you? Do you think you have what it takes to compete with the big boys?
(Ord, NE) – Interested in photography? A meeting will be held Wednesday, October 6th 7 PM at Calamity Jane’s Steakhouse for area residents that have interested in learning more about photography.
This club is for anyone interested in photography, including professionals, amateurs, young and old alike. The intent of the club is to create an opportunity to have fun and learn more about the tricks and tools of the trade. This meeting is not an Ord Chamber sponsored event.
If you are interested in learning more, email calebpollard@frontier.com or just stop by October 6th at 7pm, Jane’s Steakhouse. See you there!
(Ord, NE) – Photo submissions are due Friday, September 24th by 5pm in order to be considered for September’s photo contest: Community Festival Memories.
The first place winner will receive $200 in Ord Area ChamberBucks, second place $100. This is also the last photo contest of the summer, so get those photos in this week by emailing kvolf@frontier.com
The Ord Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the participating photographers for stunning photo submissions, and the community voters that have selected the winners. A recap of the Summer Photo Contest will also be posted on www.ordnebraska.com in October.
The community of Elyria would like to invite you to the 18th Annual Elyria Pumpkin Festival on Sunday, October 3. Pumpkin decorating contests, kids’ games, and craft shows, are only part of what you will experience. Chairperson, Sharon Iwanski, sometimes called the “Pumpkin Queen,” describes the celebration as a true community event, “Nearly every person affiliated with the Village of Elyria helps in one way or another. I even have people who formerly lived around Elyria come back to help with various projects. I can’t say enough good things about everyone’s willingness to always pitch in and help in whatever capacity I need.”
The annual pumpkin decorating contest will be availabe for children. The age groups are ages 6 and under, ages 7-10, and ages 11-13. Adults can join in the fun by guessing the weight of pumpkins for a chance to win great door prizes. A luncheon of chicken noodle soup, chicken salad or ham sandwiches, hot dogs, chilidogs, and chips will be served from 11 am to 4 pm. And don’t forget the famous free slice of pumpkin pie!!!
