The Community
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Press 115 Years of Telling YOUR Story
Volume 116 Issue 16
www.thecommunitypress.com
Wheat Kings continue to find success at home P4
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 s
Flagstaff Celebrates Success Leslie Cholowsky Editor
Flagstaff County hosted its annual Flagstaff Celebrates Success event to kick off Small Business Week last Thursday, Oct. 12, with two dynamic speakers, Amanda Wagner and Jessica Janzen Olstad. With a sold out crowd in attendance, the first order of business was a few words from hosts, with Flagstaff County Communications Coordinator Cary Castagna and Economic Development Officer Jenalee Waring starting things off. Waring said more events ae planned to celebrate small business in the region on their social media accounts. “Small Business Week is time for recognizing and celebrating the hard work and innovation of small business owners like yourselves, and their contributions to their local communities.” A new podcast ‘Rural Unrecognized’ was also unveiled, which highlights small business owners from the Flagstaff Region and beyond.
The duo used a series of small busines-related factoids to call each table to dinner, which was catered by Big Willies from the Heisler Hotel. After dinner, Battle RiverCrowfoot MP Damien Kurek sent greetings and congratulations to all small business in the region, via video, wearing his Flagstaff Region tee, while MLA Jackie Lovely spoke in person, congratulating the region and the business people for their success in building what she called an “A community with amazing ingenuity and camaraderie.” Reeve Don Kroetch spoke next, welcoming all. “Tonight we come together to pay tribute to our invaluable small business community; the beating heart of our local prosperity. However, let’s not forget, it’s not about the businesses themselves, it’s about the extraordinary people who drive them forward.” He called small business people unwavering optimists, embracing innovation and growth. “Our
small businesses are the lifeblood of Flagstaff County, and as your Reeve, I am immensely thankful for your remarkable efforts. Together, we can continue to build a stronger and more vibrant community for future generations.” The celebration was started off with the showing of a feature video by local videographer JCE films’ Josie Storbakken celebrating the small business spirit of Flagstaff County. Amanda Wagner was the first of two guest speakers. Wagner is a self-described, speaker, business strategist, and professional hype woman. “The work that I do has been called business therapy, because as much as we want to grow and scale our businesses, we are humans first. And that takes thinking about who we are as people, what we want to achieve, and sometimes there’s even emotions and feelings.” Her focus is based on a ‘Don’t ask; Don’t get’ message, where she Continued on Page 9
Jessica Janzen Olstad, keynote speaker for Flagstaff Celebrates Success, had a powerful message she calls “Bringing the Joy.”
Helping hands make light work for Galahad Ag Society harvest
CARY CASTAGNA PHOTO
Many hands made for light work when it came to harvesting the Canola planted this year by the Galahad Ag Society, which took place on Monday, Oct. 16. See more photos Page 9