Exchange Gothenburg Area Chamber of

Commerce Board of Directors

Jim Widdifield, President Janell Rossen, Vice-Pres. Tonya Steuben, Sec.-Treas. Bret Tiller, Past Pres. Kim Johnson Brandon Kauffman Laurie Moody Matt Olsen Joe Richeson Sean Sabin Aaron Coleman, GIC Jill Rubenthaler, City

Gothenburg Improvement

Company Board of Directors

Mike Bacon, President Amber Burge, Vice-Pres. Shane Maxwell, Vice-Pres. Joe Richeson, Vice-Pres. Nate Wyatt, Vice-Pres. Aaron Coleman, Sec. Greg Viergutz, Treasurer Scott Bartels Mick Brant Verlin Janssen Karl Randecker Luke Rickertsen Mike Teahon Rick Zarek Dean Kugler, Ex-Off. Jen Wolf, Ex-Off. Joyce Hudson, Ex-Off. Bruce Clymer, Ex-Off. Angie Richeson, Ex-Off.

CDO Staff Matt Weiss

Executive Director June Blauvelt, Event & Tourism Coordinator

Heather Combs Platter Admin. Asst.

308-537-3505 Fax 308-537-2541

Chamber @gothenburgdelivers.com

P O N Y E X P R E S S

VOL. XXXV December, 2015 NO. 11

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE—GOTHENBURG IMPROVEMENT COMPANY

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Season’s Greetings,

As always, I’m amazed at how fast the years seem to go by with this past year being no exception to that rule. When the clock strikes midnight on December 31 and 2015 is all said and done, this year will go down

in the history books as a year of many changes for the Gothenburg Community Development Office.

When I assumed the Executive Director position on January 1st I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect in my new role. I knew there would be challenges in the year ahead and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Please

indulge me as I reminisce on just a few of this past years highlights.

At the beginning of the year, Executive Director Anne Anderson helped with much needed training and then handed over the reins and officially retired (for a 2nd time) from the CDO. Her experience, commitment and guidance was very much appreciated. Becky Boson had also stayed on with us through January to help with

this transition.

Fortunately for all of us June Blauvelt with her numerous years of experience in the CDO remained on as a faithful cornerstone for our office as the Event & Tourism Coordinator. I can only imagine what life would have been like without her knowledge, imagination, patience and experience to help guide us through this

past year. Thank you June!

This past spring we were fortunate to welcome a new addition to our staff – Heather Combs Platter. She assumed the Administrative Assistant position and has shared her many talents with us ever since. Her eye for detail and flair for the written word is evident in the enhanced publications and mailings our office currently produces. Also truly appreciated is her friendly greeting of visitors and members either by telephone

or in person. Thank you Heather!

Many of the changes that have happened over the past year have added much more value to your chamber membership. Most notably is a beautiful new user friendly website along with a new billing/software system (Chamber Nation) that allows members the opportunity to have their own webpage (traffic catcher) and provides each user access to numerous benefits that have never been offered before. A lot of great things

are on the horizon for our members – please stay tuned.

I would like to personally thank each of you for your patience, understanding and support

over this past year. We truly look forward to your continued partnership in 2016.

Matt Weiss

Executive Director, Gothenburg Community Development Office

Season’s Greetings!

2

Here’s what your Community Development Office and it’s

committees have been doing lately…

AG

Seeking sponsorships for the 2016 Nebraska State Hand Cornhusking contest.

AMBASSADORS

Continuing to recognize Chamber member businesses with TYFYF

Awards. Planning to help with the Shining Lights display at Blue Heron Campground.

OFFICE

Preparing for holiday events and promoting local shopping in

Gothenburg. Working with the Chamber of Commerce Board of

Directors to finalize the 2016 operating budget.

BUSINESS PROMOTION

Planning the upcoming holiday promotions and events.

PD & E

Presenting WOW awards and planning for 2016 seminars.

PONY EXPRESS STATION

The station closed for the season on Saturday, October 31st.

Merchandise is available to pur-

chase at the Chamber office.

GIC

Held their Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 12th at Monsanto.

TOURISM

Looking forward to promoting tourism in Gothenburg during the year to come!

THANK YOU ...to all of our Chamber Members for your continued support.

...to Gothenburg Chamber Board of Directors for giving of your time to serve the chamber member

businesses.

...to All Committee members for

generously giving of your time to support community activities, recognize local accomplishments and promote businesses in Gothenburg.

...to Shoppers who stayed local and supported Gothenburg Businesses during Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.

...to Community members and Businesses who generously give to those in need during the holidays.

HATS OFF

...to Gothenburg High School Volleyball Team for advancing to Districts

…to Gothenburg High School One Act for receiving the award for Outstanding Comedy during the

Kearney High One Act Contest

...to Gothenburg TeamMates for completing a recycling contest.

Winners were Karlee Mayers and mentor Jan Gill. Runner-up was Hallie Miller and mentor Jill Boyd.

…to Gothenburg Mobility Awareness Group for donating a sand table and cover for the Dudley Elementary Playground.

...to the memberships of All Points Cooperative and Country Partners Cooperative for approving the unification of the two

companies effective beginning February 1, 2016.

...to Gothenburg community for donating 294 boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

...To GIC for developing a new site to recruit new business.

...to Gothenburg Memorial Hospi-tal for hosting a successful Pink Out event.

...to Gothenburg FFA members for participating in Stop Hunger Now and the Backpack Program

Busy! We’ve been

Are you helping Santa

fill stockings this year?

Don’t forget about Swede

Bucks! They can be

purchased for any amount

and are available in $5 and

$20 denominations. The

best part...they can be

personalized from the Jolly

Man himself. Contact the

Chamber for Details!

3

2—Magic on Mainstreet

3—Business Promotion Meeting, 8:00 am*

3—Ambassadors

8—Chamber Board Meeting, 11:30 am*

15—31 — Shining Lights Display, Blue Heron Campground

24—Christmas Eve CDO Office Closed

25—Merry Christmas! CDO Office Closed

January 1, 2016 Happy New Year! Office Closed!

For a listing of Chamber Member Open Houses, click here to be directed to page 6

CALENDAR December 2015

* CDO Conference Room

Step 1:

Click the “Load Deals” link above

the Members Area Feature.

Step 3:

Enter start and expiration date,

publish options, title, description

and disclaimer. You may also

upload a graphic. Once all

information is entered click

“Continue” or “Continue and

Share” to link to social media.

Step 4:

Your coupon is uploaded and active.

You may utilize the links provided

to personally share your coupon.

Tip of the Month: Online Deals

The Member-to-Member deals are a great

way for Chamber members to offer special

discounts to other chamber members. You

can either provide your coupon as text or

upload an image. Follow the steps below

to create your Member-to-Member deal.

GOTHENBURG

Its more than just a place…it’s a state of mind.

Step 2:

Click the “Add Coupon” link. Step 5:

To view all Member-to-Member

deals, go to the Information

Resources section of the Members

Area Features and click

“Member-to-Member”

Step 6:

Search local specials by Member

Category or Member Name and the

click the deal you want.

Step 7:

Print your coupon and

shop at a Chamber

member business.

4

Thank you for Your Faith

The Gothenburg Ambassadors presented a Thank You For Your Faith award to Sabin’s Body Shop.

They recently expanded their business and moved to their current location at 402 8th Street.

Presented by the Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors

Pictured with a group of Ambassadors are Sean and Randy Sabin, owners of Sabin’s Body Shop

The Lions Club will be showing the movie “Home” on

Saturday, December 12, 2015 at 1:30 pm at the Sun Theatre. The movie is free to all and Santa will make

an appearance after the movie.

FREE Movie Matinee

December 15—31, 2015

Visit the Shining Lights Display at the Blue Heron Campground

6:00 pm—10:00 pm

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The Gothenburg Ambassadors presented a Thank You For Your Faith award to Hiebner’s Chiropractic.

They recently moved their business to their current location at 815 Lake Avenue.

Pictured with a group of Ambassadors is Dr. Royce Hiebner, owner of Hiebner Chiropractic

The Gothenburg Ambassadors presented a Thank You For Your Faith award to Gateway Realty of

Gothenburg. They recently remodeled the building front and office space at 1006 Lake Avenue.

Pictured with a group of Ambassadors is Regis Swanson, owner of Gateway Realty of Gothenburg.

Thank you for Your Faith

Presented by the Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors

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Please support your fellow Chamber Member Businesses

and join them during their holiday Open Houses.

Wednesday, December 2

Pinpoint

2:00 pm—8:00 pm

Thursday, December 3

Edward Jones

9:00 am—4:00 pm

First State Bank

Main Bank: 9:00 am—4:00 pm

Auto Bank: 8:00 am—5:00 pm

Five Star Flooring

9:00 am—5:30 pm

Monday, December 7

Gateway Realty

1:00 pm—3:00 pm

Wednesday, December 9

Ampride

8:00 am—5:00 pm

The Home Agency

9:00 am—4:00 pm

Gothenburg Public Library

9:00 am—6:00 pm

Thursday, December 10

Gothenburg Realty

11:00 am—3:00 pm

Gothenburg State Bank

9:00 am—4:00 pm

Mid-Nebraska Realty

10:00 am—2:00 pm

State Farm, Donna Cahill

10:00 am—3:00 pm

Wednesday, December 16

Community Development Office

9:00 am—4:00 pm

Ribbons & Roses

9:00 am—5:30 pm

First State Insurance

10:00 am—4:00 pm

Thursday, December 17

State Farm, Heidi Bazata

10:00 am—3:00 pm

The Gothenburg Community Development Office will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to allow our staff to spend time with their families.

The office will also be closed on Friday, January 1,2016.

We wish our Chamber Members, the Chamber Board of Directors and all of our wonderful volunteers a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Click Here for a

Printable Calendar

Holiday Open Houses...

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Spotlight on Membership Thanks for investing in your Chamber, GIC & community!

Chamber Thank you for investing in your Chamber and community! We appreciate the support of all

members and hope all members do business with one another. Please welcome the following

new businesses to the Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce:

2016 Chamber Member Dues & Highlights

Meeting Dates/Times

1st & 3rd Tuesdays—9:30 –11:30 am

September thru April

First Baptist Church 1002 Avenue C, Gothenburg

Contact: Katrina Carter at (308) 537-4477

Being a mom is a challenging and sometimes

lonely job. If you are a mother of a preschooler (pregnancy through kindergarten)

and long for some “grown-up” time, then

MOPS welcomes you!

MOPS is a non-denominational, Christian

organization dedicated to meeting the needs of mothers of young children. The women in

MOPS come from different backgrounds, yet have similar needs and a shared desire to be

the best moms they can be.

Paw Prints in Dawson County was established

to help inform residents of Dawson County about the need to spay and neuter animals;

raise awareness about the pet overpopulation in the communities and how we can help stop

it by sterilizing animals.

Non-profit Organization that relies on dona-

tions and grants. All members are volunteers.

Contact: admin@pawprintsdc.com

(308) 325-9680

Click Here to Visit our Website

MOPS—Mothers of Preschoolers Paw Prints in Dawson County

As we approach 2016 we are looking forward to an exciting year of serving our Chamber Members. We

have been listening and understand that you are looking for more value with your membership. When

you receive your 2016 membership renewal, you will notice some changes to the Membership Structure.

Stay tuned for details about the exciting new member benefits!

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On Dasher...on Dancer… on Prancer...on Vixen… on Comet…on Cupid…

on Donner...on Blitzen…But who is the most

famous reindeer of all?

RUDOLPH!! Thank you to the following

chamber members for providing the correct

answer!

Ruthie Ostergard

Gothenburg State Bank

Christy Aden

Edward Jones

Looking for a fun and unique way to send

your Christmas Cards? Have them delivered via the Pony Express!

You may drop off your pre-addressed Christmas cards (stamped with appro-

priate USPS Postage) at the Gothenburg Public Library now through Friday, December 11, 2015. The Pony Express will ride through Gothenburg on Saturday, December 12th to pick up the postcards from the library. **If you would like to see the Pony Express riders, they plan to leave Cozad at approximately 10:00 am on December 12th and travel west to Gothenburg.

November 27—December 21

ChamberLynn the Chamber Elf will be traveling

to see some of our members this year!

Check the Chamber social media accounts each day to discover her location and be entered into a drawing for $200 in Swede Bucks!

Simply snap a photo of Chamberlynn and post to any of the Chamber social media accounts with #chamberlynn

Pony Express Riders Foundation Christmas Card Ride

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2015 Pony Express Postings Looking for an easy and unique gift idea? We have Gothenburg Pony Express Coffee Cups available

in a variety of colors. The uses for these mugs

are endless...beyond the obvious of holding

a good cup of coffee or cocoa, the cups also

make a great desk accessory for holding pens

and pencils, or a candy dish or a container

for a potted plant...the options are limited

only by your imagination. Stop by the

chamber office to pick up one (or two or even

a set of four) today!

Don’t Forget...All Pony Express and Chamber

merchandise is available for sale at the

Chamber Office.

An eye on Tourism...

On sale now for $7.00 each

or 2 for $12.00.

DET ANDRA GÖTEBORG

The Other Gothenburg

The Gothenburg Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee would like to thank the businesses who helped

to sponsor “The Other Gothenburg” book:

Pony Express Chevrolet / First State Bank / Peterson’s Supermarket

Gothenburg Noon Rotary / Horizon Ag / Comfort Suites

Metzger Renovations / Mid-Nebraska Realty / First State Insurance Brand Electric / Sun Theatre / Nebraska Barn & Grill

All Points Cooperative / Nebraska Salt & Grain

The Other Gothenburg is a coffee-table book written and compiled

by Johan Nerman and John Wennerberg of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Johan and John spent the summer of 2014 in Gothenburg, Nebraska

meeting with people and learning about life in our community. The

people interviewed for the book gave the authors a glimpse into

their lives and told their story about living in Gothenburg.

The book, which is printed in Swedish with an English translation

supplement, is available for purchase at the Chamber office* for

$44.99 plus tax. As the tourism committee helped fund the book,

they received 100 copies to sell. Therefore, all proceeds from the

books sold at the Chamber office will be used to support the Pony

Express Station.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Other Gothenburg,

or, if you pre-ordered a copy or are on the list to receive a

complimentary copy, you may pick up your book at the Chamber

Office.

*The book may also be purchased from Peterson’s Supermarket for $39.99 plus tax.

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Spotlight on Membership Thanks for investing in your Chamber, GIC & community!

GIC We appreciate membership support of our economic development efforts.

Mission: To encourage business growth and entrepreneurship by promoting Gothenburg as World Class

community resulting in job creation and an outstanding quality of life for its residents.

GIC Annual Meeting

The GIC Annual Meeting was held Thursday, November 12 at Monsanto Learning Center. Over 50 Board

members, ex-officious, stockholders and guests enjoyed a delicious meal catered by The Main Course.

Nate Wyatt, Vice Present presided over the meeting. Stockholders approved the ballot for the Board of

Directors with the re-election of Mike Bacon, Mick Brant, Karl Randecker and Nate Wyatt. Tod Clark was

elected to the board to fill the position previously held by Jim Aden.

Guest speakers, Mick Brant, CEO, Gothenburg Memorial Hospital; Dr. Mike Teahon, Gothenburg

Superintendent of Schools; and Mayor Joyce Hudson spoke about the proposed Wellness Center and

the positive impacts it can have on the health and wellness of the community.

The PD&E Committee presented a Wow award to

Gothenburg Public Schools Nurse, SueAnn Hubbard.

Award

Pictured: Lisa Jorgenson, Jorgenson Law Office

presenting the WOW Award to SueAnn Hubbard

“I would like to nominate SueAnn Hubbard, the school nurse for Gothenburg Public Schools for a WOW award! I have a child who has medical needs and she always goes above and beyond when a concern arises with him. She goes out of her way to help and is able to comfort him when he is worried or has anxiety. Even with my other children who do not have special needs, she is very caring when they are not feeling well. I just so appreciate the care she gives my children and all the children at the school.”

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Where in Gothenburg is this?? Look around Gothenburg and see if you

can find where the image in the picture

to the right is located. Submit your

answer via email:

chamber@gothenburgdelivers.com

Answer will be revealed in the January issue of the Pony Express Exchange.

Where in Gothenburg is this?? The Answer to the question from the November Newsletter

The top window of the

Gothenburg Public Library!

*Chamber & GIC Corporate Sponsor

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Exchange P O N Y E X P R E S S

(U.S.P.S 669-470) The Pony Express Exchange is published monthly by the Gothenburg Community Devel-

opment Office at 1001 Lake Avenue with periodicals postage paid at the Gothenburg, NE 69138.

Subscription rate (to members): $16 annually. Gothenburg Improvement Company members receive lifetime subscription. Send change of address notices to: Pony Express Exchange, 1001 Lake Avenue, Gothenburg, NE 69138

GOTHENBURG AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mission Statement To provide strong leadership to its business community and to assist future growth and development in a changing economic environment.

Platinum

Gold

Silver Bronze

Tech Seal Division

Bacon & Vinton Law Office

Cubby’s Truck Plaza

Gothenburg Feed Products

Hoovestol, Inc.

Peterson’s Supermarket

Pony Express Chevrolet

Sabin’s Body Shop

Stone Hearth Estates

Cozad Telephone Co.

D&D Feeding Co.

Dawson Tire Service, Inc.

Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau Financial

First State Insurance

Flat Water Tools, Inc.

Franzen, Inc.

Gothenburg Discount Pharmacy

Gothenburg Public School

Gothenburg Realty Inc.

Hicken Lumber & Home Center

Investment Service Center

Jensen Trucking Co. Inc.

KRVN AM & FM

LandMark Implement Inc.*

Nebraska Pub Power Dist.

Nebraska Salt & Grain Co

Pinpoint Communications

Orscheln Farm & Home

S&S Auto Parts

Shopko Hometown

SourceGas Distribution

TES Truck & Equipment Sales Inc.

Professional Financial Consultants, Inc.

Mission Statement To encourage business growth and entre-preneurship by promoting Gothenburg as a World Class community resulting in job creation and an outstanding quality of life for its residents

GOTHENBURG IMPROVEMENT COMPANY

Chamber & GIC Corporate Sponsor

Chamber & GIC Corporate Sponsor