BUSINESS AFTER HOURS - KANSAS BEST REAL ESTATE
Thu, Dec 1st @ 5 pm
327 N. Broadway Street
(785) 263-7332
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hosted by the Arts Council fo Dickinson County
Sat, Dec 3rd @ 10am
Tickets $20, Space is Limited.
Call
(785) 263-1884
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HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS TOUR hosted by the Heritage Homes Association
Sat, Dec 3rd @ 4pm-8pm & Sun, Dec 4th @ 1pm-5pm.
Tickets Available at the Chamber Office
201 NW. 2nd.
(785) 263-1770
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HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum
Sun, Dec 4th. Municipal Band plays at 2:00 pm
Call
(785) 263-4751
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"G. I. HOLIDAY
JUKEBOX" at the Great Plains Theatre
Fri, Dec 9th to Sun, Dec 18th. Times Vary
401 Cottage Avenue
(785) 263-4574
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Chamber Board of Directors
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Kyle Becker, Chairman
Marc Beswick, Past Chairman
Todd Moore, Vice Chairman
Raelyn Swisher, Secretary
Diane Miller, Treasurer
Matt Engle
Denise Guy
Jeff Hoover
Becky Schwab
Jennifer Waite
David Walters
Glenda Purkis
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| 2017 NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS MAGIC FESTIVITIES |
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Night of Christmas Magic approaches. Every year, the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce help plan Night of Christmas Magic, which will take place on December 3, 2016. It's a special day of the year that families and residents of Abilene can shop the downtown stores, participate in holiday themed activities, and enjoy the holiday spirit.
Candy Cane Lane will take place in various downtown stores marked with a candy cane and start at 2 pm. Children can pick up their holiday bag at Paws N Claws and visit each store with a candy cane on the door. Many businesses will also have activities or refreshments provided:
The Abilene Public Library will host crafts, games and a movie starting at 2 pm. The Arts Council of Dickinson County will host their Santa's Workshop starting at 2 pm. Families can bring their pets to Santa Paws, located this year outside the Historic Union Pacific Depot, and take pictures with Santa. Horse drawn carriage rides sponsored by Memorial Health System will also be provided free of charge, beginning at 4 pm at the corner of 2nd and Cedar.
At 5 pm, the annual Chamber of Commerce "Turkey Toss" will commence with the throwing a stuffed turkey from atop the KABI Radio Station. Those catching a plush turkey may redeem them in the radio station for a frozen turkey. There are 18 turkeys. Turkey sponsors include: Zey's Market, West Plaza Country Mart,
Mr. K's Farmhouse, Great Plains Federal Credit Union, First Bank Kansas, TCT/NexTech, Farmway Coop, American Family Insurance, CES Alarms, Brethren in Christ Church, Greyhound Hall of Fame, M&M Tire, Farm Bureau Financial Services - Ranae Veal , DNV Plumbing, Heating and Air, Brethren Mutual Aid Agency, and The Teck Shop.
At 5:30 pm, the Lighted Christmas parade hosted by the Abilene Parks and Recreation will start, going down 3rd Street and ending at the Union Pacific Depot. Mayor Dee Marshall will give a small speech and start the countdown to turn on the lights around the depot. At 6 pm, children can get their picture taken with Santa, provided by Keller Photography.
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BE ON THE LOOK OUT !!!!
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS, BANQUET ORDER FORMS, AND SERVICE QUESTIONNAIRES WILL BE SENT OUT
DECEMBER 5TH.
If your company or organization is not a member of the Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce, this is an opportunity to start off the new year with a partner to support your business and mission. Contact James at the Chamber for more information. Call (785) 263-1770
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 Di
ckinson County Bank
will be hosting a Christmas celebration and customer appreciation event at 101 S. Factory on Friday, December 9th from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The event will feature food, music and gifts.
Solomon State Bank is hosting a customer appreciation open house at the Abilene Civic Center, 201 NW. 2nd Street, on Tuesday, December 6th from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
There will be a 30 team basketball tournament in Abilene next weekend (Dec 3-4). Be sure to roll out the red carpet for these visitors and let them know we are greatful for their being here.
La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant is relocating 301 N. Broadway as a result of the 24/7 Store's plans to demolish the former Trails End (America's Best Value Inn) Hotel and redevelop the site at 2200 N. Buckeye.
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores has applied for a zoning change to Highway Commercial for the property located west of the Russell Stover Chocolate's plant and adjacent to the SE corner of the I-70 and Fair Road interchange. The City of Abilene Planning Commission hearing on the change is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th at 4:30 pm at the Public Library.
 The
Arts Council of Dickinson County's annual Holiday Brunch will be at the Eisenhower Library Courtyard on Saturday, December 3rd at 10am. Tickets are $20 and available by calling (785) 263-1884.
Three One One will be open on Saturday's in December from 11am to 8pm.
The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is hosting a Holiday Open House on
Sunday, Dec. 4th. The Abilene Municipal Band will perform a free concert in the Visitors Center Auditorium at 2:00pm. Guests are invited to come early to shop and take advantage of a 20% discount on all in-store purchases! New and exciting inventory has been added offering a variety of holiday gift options.
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| DICKINSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY KICKS OFF CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS |
The board of the Dickinson County Historical Society announced the kickoff of a capital campaign at their annual meeting, Thursday, November 17. The campaign funds will be used to enhance and expand the facilities at the Heritage Center campus.
"This is a wonderful project for the Center and its 10,000 annual visitors and our hundreds of volunteers," Kelly Taylor, chairman of the board said. "We are excited about its potential and the opportunities it will create for our programs, the community, and our future."
Included in the campaign is a community meeting room, exhibit hall for traveling and local exhibits and presentations, research space, improved restroom facilities, and increased programming.
"We are quite pleased and very optimistic about the early support we have received," said J. M. Frey, campaign co-chair along with Doug Smart. "We are encouraged and happy about the conversations and interest we have had with our supporters."
The campaign is ongoing, with the campaign committee, looking at a variety of funding sources including challenge grants to bring outside dollars into Dickinson County. Those interested in learning more about the Historical Society and the campaign and its purpose may contact Twila Jackson at the office (785) 263-2681.
"The community has always been supportive of the Historical Society and its many programs and offerings, Smart said. "We are pleased to be a part of this and look forward to the campaign's success to enhance the facilities and provide more education and activities to our participants and visitors."
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James' Random Thoughts ....................
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Historical Experiences
I will preface my comments with this disclosure. I am a genealogy and history addict. I am also a database addict. I love large amounts of sortable data and details. I think it stems from my baseball card collection, that began to accumulate in 1976. I would physically sort them by team then resort them by player, then sort them by manufacturer and year. Yes, I'm a total dork. But I'm not the only one. Ancestry.com for the past 12 months has had a gross profit of $380 million and you see genealogy service commercials on television. This would have been unfathomable 20 years ago.
The growth of people conducting casual genealogical research is likely fueled by the aging baby boom generation given that most people begin to really dig deep after they retire. However, history is not just about dates, facts, headstones and old photos. Over the past 20 years it has been increasingly recognized that tourism (for which history is a significant component), is largely driven by creating experiences. Given people a unique hands-on experience, which appeals to all ages. People used to derive enjoyment from looking at artifacts through glass. Today, rather than looking at a sword, people want to forge the sword. They don't want to see a still photo of a cattle drive, they want to hike the trail. The popularity of the Dickinson County Historical Society's "Pioneer Camp" is a great example of hand-on experiences. "Pioneer Camp" is for children and usually has a waiting list. Perhaps we need a pioneer camp for adults.
This past week, the Dickinson County Historical Society announced a capital campaign to fund a significant building addition and ground improvements to the Heritage Center. The Heritage Center building and parking area has changed very little since the facility opened in 1972. I applaud this effort and believe that the addition will open up avenues to bring history to life in ways that the current confinement will not allow. However, while facilities are one thing, creating an experience is another. Personally, I would like to learn how to operate a blacksmith shop. Others may like to learn how to operate a horse drawn plow, ride the Chisholm Trail, or run a printing press. For example, The Farmer Museum in Cooperstown, New York has their "Americana Academy" offers dozens of adult classes in areas such as "herbal medicines and gardening", "metals and woods", "inks and paints", and "domestic arts".
While I maybe in the minority with my fascination with historic information, I am positive that there are a great number of people willing to use their urban income to gain rural experience.
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