The VERB - Summer 2020

It’s always a clean, comfortable and affordable stay — with more amenities than you would ever expect from an economy hotel.

If you haven’t been to Red Roof Inn Vermillion-U of South Dakota lately, you’ll discover more than you’d ever expect from an economy hotel:

Features

• #1 in Online Guest Reviews – 9 years running

• Microwave, mini-fridge, in-room coffee, hair dryer and iron/ironing board available in select rooms

• Indoor pool

• Free expanded cable including HBO®, CNN®, ESPN® and more

• Free Red Roof Coffee Bar featuring freshly brewed gourmet coffee and tea

• Children 17 and under and pets stay free

LOYALTY PROGRAM 100% SMOKE FREE

BEST RATE GUARANTEE

FREE

Red Roof Inn is a proud supporter and a preferred hotel of the University of South Dakota!

Red Roof Inn Vermillion-U of South Dakota – #492

1208 East Cherry Street • Vermillion, SD 57069 • phone: 605.624.8005 redroofvermillion.com

For reservations, visit redroof.com or call 800.RED.ROOF (800.733.7663)

The fastest way to free nights and other great benefits.

Did you know Pets Stay FREE at Red Roof!

*One well behaved domestic pet stays free.

Our RediPromise® matches the best rate plus gives you points for a free night on your next stay.

Megan davidson EDITOR

What has been your go to survival activity while self-isolating?

Facebook poll results

Melissa eberts CONTRIBUTOR

Emily Origer - VCDC INTERN CONTRIBUTOR

Jenna kari - VCDC INTERN GRAPHIC DESIGN

We continue to hear phrases such as “no one has lived through something like this before” or “this pandemic is going to change society forever.” For many of us, the scale of the COVID-19 crisis reminds us of the day the Twin Towers collapsed or the 2008 financial crisis because these events reshaped society in ways that have now become a permanent part of life. The novel coronavirus, having spread on a global scale is already reshaping our relationship to government institutions, to the outside world, and to each other.

I can assure you that the staff at the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company are working around the clock to help you and your business get through these challenging times. We’ve provided daily updates on COVID-19 related topics. The Up NEXT Coffee Hour has become a virtual event where we bring you pertinent guests and topics that are relevant, interesting and informative. We have launched pinnacle campaigns, the Vermillion Victory Bonds program and the Commitment to ReVive Vermillion, with help from our resilient Chamber members and local businesses to stimulate the Vermillion economy in a safe, proactive manner.

To say the least, the Vermillion Victory Bond (VVB) program was an incredible success. Born out of the ‘war room’ at McVicker Plaza, the program enabled community members to continue to support some of their favorite businesses, despite the limited access to their brick-and-mortar locations. 23 Chamber members sold gift cards and certificates at a 20% discount, with 10% being covered by the VCDC and the other 10% covered by the business. The VVB program ran from April through to the end of the city-wide ordinance in June, and $33,600 worth of gift cards were sold.

Note from Nate

The amount of cards sold is a testament to how supportive we are of each other and it has been rewarding to see that manifested through the VVB program.

Mid-June gave way to the ‘Commitment to ReVive Vermillion’ initiative, a collaboration between the VCDC and local businesses which encourages proactive operational procedures to keep the community safe. Those businesses that have made the commitment have pledged to maintain best social distancing practices in three key areas: distancing, transparency, and covered and cleaned. There has been an overwhelming cohesiveness in the response by our membership - we all want to keep one another safe. You can walk down the street and see a physical repesentation of that commitment in the windows of the businesses and the promise that they are taking those necessary steps to protect you when you walk in their doors.

“we are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm.’

None of us know what is coming next, but we do know that no matter what the future brings, this community shows up. We support one another. We go above and beyond in effort, spirit, and innovative thinking to keep Vermillion a safe, prosperous community for today and tomorrow. The sun will continue to rise every single day until we reach the other side, and that day will come. Unit then, let’s continue to check in on our neighbors, family, and friends. Let’s wear our masks, order take-out from our favorite restaurants, and do our part to protect one another. Let’s stay #TogetherApart.

From the Chair

Well Vermillion, to say we’ve had a rough Spring would be the understatement of the century. The past few months will be ones we all remember for a lifetime; not only us but our children as well. Despite the hardship we’ve faced as a community, state, nation, and world, Vermillion is stronger than any of us could have predicted. The COVID-19 outbreak has shown us all that we stand strong, united and ready to face any challenge that may come our way.

I’m proud to say the City of Vermillion and City Council, Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company, and University of South Dakota are working closely together to help our beloved community avoid the kind of spike in cases that might overwhelm our hospitals or limit our ability to do business. Together, we are committed to doing our part to avoid putting our collective futures in jeopardy.

Our commitment is demonstrated in a number of tangible ways, like educating our community members and campus that simple lifestyle modifications - like wearing a mask, observing physical distancing guidelines and avoiding high-

risk activities - can result in a new normal that allows us to enjoy the community experiences we’ve all come to love about our #LOVermillion. As business owners and community leaders, we are leading by example and holding each other accountable without public sharming. And importantly, we are supporting our local businesses in safe, sustainable ways.

If we can do this - and we have one chance to get this right - I am hopeful we can make this Fall a success.

You’ll notice many of the VCDC’s events have gone virtual as a way to honor this commitment. We hope you’ll continue to join us for VCDC fan favorite, the Wednesday morning Up NEXT Coffee Hours, li8ve on Facebook @ LiveVermillion. We have also been activelypromoting Chamber members via our social media platforms through the #UniteVermillion giveaways and the Vermillion Victory Bond program. The VCDC has partnered with Biomat USA to host a plasma drive to collect plasma, which is used directly in the fight against COVID-19.

Jason Thiel, the new Chamber Manager for the VCDC, also has been calling members of the Chamber to check in and assist them in any of their needs. He and the rest of the VCDC team are here for you and are poised and ready to assist you now and into the future.

Just like you, I am anxious and ready to return to normal life as we once knew it. But this isn’t the first time we’ve had to change norms in the interest of public safety, and it won’t be the last. It’s the same guiding principle that caused my parents to install car seats for their grandkids when all I had growing up was a sleeping bag in the back of our station wagon. When we know better, we do better. Thanks to the guidance from the CDC, we know that wearing masks can have a huge impact on reducing the transmission of COVID-19, and I hope you join me in pledging to wear one to keep our community as safe as possible.

Please know your VCDC is working tirelessly to support you, your employer and your business. We are unsure of what the future looks like, but I know I can sleep easy knowing that Vermillion is more resilient than a virus and that we will get through this unprecedented time, together.

ACCOUNT DREAMS. for your

For 148 years and counting, we have been committed to serving our communities during good times and bad. No matter what life throws our way, we will continue to be here for you, helping you account for your dreams.

Events

Event Recap

Summit League Tournament

Early Spring brings about one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year. When March rolls around, the excitement for the annual Summit League basketball tournaments mounts. In recent years, USD has brought strong teams to the tournament.

After an excellent season, the USD men unfortunately ended their season on Sunday March 8th, with a loss to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. We are proud of the men and their successful season.

Coming off an impressive undefeated regular season, the USD women’s team stormed the tournament and took home the trophy. In an exciting nail-biter, USD emerged triumphant over SDSU with a score of 63 over 58. A season to remember!

The fairytale run for the women’s team to March Madness came to an abrupt end with the COVID-19 pandemic cutting celebrations and the post-tournament season short. Even on that note, we are so very proud of the Lady Yotes.

Up NEXT Coffee hour

Each year we are proud to bring the community together each Wednesday through our Up NEXT Coffee Hour. Hosted by the VCDC, each week showcases a topic, organization or presenter. We provide the coffee and the members provide the discussion!

Unfortunately, these interactions were cut short due to COVID-19. Facing unprecedented times, we pressed on. Up NEXT Coffee Hour moved virtual and the spirit of connection continued.

Lively discussions have been hosted through Facebook Live. We welcomed Vermillion’s new mayor, Kelsey Collier-Wise; conducted a Virtual Town Hall which was a resounding success and broadcast on local Channel 3; had casual conversations with Melody Warnick on remaining connected as a community and with Sara Lampert of USD regarding the importance of wearing masks in our community.

chalking the block

On Friday, June 19th, people of all ages gathered on the sidewalks of Main Street in Historic Downtown Vermillion to chalk messages of hope, support, celebration and education in honor of the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Americans learned of their emancipation. Approximately 80 people gathered to chalk the block, decorating the sidewalks with bright colors and inspiring words.

Shannon Cole, Executive Director and Marketing Manager of the Vermillion Cultural Association, Sara Lampert, Assistant Professor of History at USD, Julia Hellwege, Assistant Professor of Political Science and an alderwoman on the Vermillion City Council and Ed Gerrish, Assistant Professor of Political Science at USD spearheaded the event, which was a great success and promoted conversation about Juneteenth and its significance to American history.

“I’m excited to see how many people came out to be a part of this activity,” Mayor Kelsey Collier-Wise said. “The support of the community for both Juneteenth as a concept and then the chalking project – when we think about the reasons why we love Vermillion, this is exactly the kind of scene that I think of: a community working together around an important cause, taking care of each other – almost everyone here has been masked and keeping the right distance.”

The Vermillion City Council approved a proclamation on Monday, June 15th, proclaiming Friday as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the city.

Eúnkičhetupi and WanáHča – Vermillion Community Mural

The indigenous-led, community-based mural project taking place on two walls of the Coyote Twin Theater in downtown Vermillion is a two-part installment that has just been completed. The awe-inspiring mural showcases vivid imagery created by three indigenous artists and members of the Vermillion community.

The artists who conceptualized the mural design are USD alumni Reyna Hernandez (Ihanktonwan Dakota), Elizabeth Skye (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe), and Inkpa Mani (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota). The first piece to the mural, titled Eúnkičhetupi (in Lakota, this means “to come back to life”) emphasizes the importance of indigenous female representation while telling the Sioux creation story.

The second half of the design, titled Wanáhča (in Lakota, this means “to bloom”) emphasizes the importance of sharing contemporary indigenous narratives and honoring tradition. It also serves as the introduction to the story being depicted in Eúnkičhetupi. Reyna, Liz and Inkpa have used different mediums to address the lack of native visibility and hope to engage conversations that work toward creating a better-informed discourse concerning indigenous lives and experiences.

2. EVENTS Summer 8

5 4

THINGS TO DO THIS SEASON

One of our favorite events this season is the return of the annual VCDC Golf Social! We’ve been able to move the date to August 31st in order to provide the safest golf experience for everyone. Form a team and join us at The Bluffs Golf Course for a day of fun. We are offering games, contests, prizes and of course, GOLF. This summer scramble-style tournament is a great way to get involved, get outside and support the VCDC. Call us at 605.624.5571, you won’t want to miss this premier event. Safety precautions will be in place!

Thursdays on the Platz is one of our favorite summer traditions! Located at Ratingen Plaza in historic downtown Vermillion, every Thursday through July and August. Come on down to enjoy good food, warm air, live music and stay for the community fun. This year the street closure will run down to Court St to provide adequate social distancing.

3. 4.

Bloody Mary Sunday’s

Every Sunday, Valient Vinyeards Winery & Distillery hosts Bloody Mary Sunday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Each week there is the Monster Bloody Mary, which is topped with a different delicious meal everytime, and the Godzilla Bloody Mary: a full pitcher of Bloody Mary topped with a rotisserie chicken and other tasty treats. This event will occur now thru Spring and is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Explore Missouri River

As we all know, summers in South Dakota can get pretty hot. Luckily for us, we have a great place to cool off, right in our backyard! There are multiple recreation areas along the Missouri River to satisfy everything from hiking, biking, walking or swimming to boating and fishing. Check out the paved path near Cotton Park or the hiking trails, picnic spot and boat launch at Clay County Park for all the water recreation you could want in a summer.

tribute to mayor jack

Contributed by Mick Garry Published on GoYotes.com

The community activities listed in retired University of South Dakota business professor John “Jack” Powell’s obituary had to be a Clay County record of some kind.

It gave a glimpse into how Powell, a retired USD professor who died recently at age 83 after a long and characteristically quiet battle with cancer, went about his business.

It included great depth and width in assorted roles within the worlds of USD academics, Coyote athletics and college athletics overall. This was in addition to the things he was involved in on behalf of the city of Vermillion, where he served 10 years as mayor and another 10 on city council.

In short, he was a very smart, humble guy who was exceedingly generous with his gifts for a long period of time.

“He was someone you could lean on for advice,” said USD athletic director David Herbster. “He was someone who would tell it like it is – he didn’t have any agenda. He just genuinely cared about the student-athletes and USD.”

Those who spent a lot of time watching USD athletics might not have known that he was an integral part of the math department and the School of Business for 45 years.

Nor would many of them have any reason to know of his roles with the University Senate, the Athletic Board of Control or his 10 years as the faculty athletics representative. They probably knew, however, that most nights he ran the sho t clock for men’s and women’s basketball games. It spoke to his love of sports, particularly basketball in this instance, as well as his desire to contribute any way he could.

“For somebody who was doing what Jack did at those games – and not getting paid – you really had to have a willingness to help out,” said former public address announcer Greg Merrigan, who spent years courtside next to Powell.

“He was certainly that kind of guy. He was willing to volunteer and serve in a pretty crucial role in the scheme of things. That says a lot about him. His longevity is further tribute to his volunteer spirit.”

He also had the proper temperament for a job that is best done without fanfare. If the shot-clock person is having a bad night, everyone in the building would eventually know about it.

“I always thought he had the perfect demeanor to run the shot clock,” Merrigan said. “When things get a little shaky at the end of games, you want a steady guy on that clock. I always felt like he was that guy; very smart and he knew the game. Probably the perfect guy to deal with a game where a few seconds were going to make a difference.”

There was one notable departure from decorum, according to Dennis Chandler, a fellow USD professor who worked alongside Powell as scoreboard operator for 35 years.

“It was a call Jack absolutely disagreed with – and so did a lot of others,” Chandler remembered. “Jack slapped the table with both hands, stood up and hollered ‘You have to be kidding!’ and then immediately sat down, totally embarrassed.”

A lot of people saw the display, including the official who made the call. That’s where it got interesting.

“(The official) made a bee-line for him,” Chandler said. “She pointed a finger at his nose and said ‘Don’t you ever do that again!’”

Summer 12

For years afterward, it became a contest for Powell’s colleagues to figure out who was going to tell him that this particular official was going to be working the game that night.

“He was as embarrassed as heck every time she officiated after that,” Chandler said. “To her credit, she never brought it up again.”

In Powell’s 10 years as faculty athletic representative (FAR), he made a mark in the frequency he was able to land postgraduate NCAA scholarships for USD student-athletes. It has since become a source of pride for the school.

The faculty athletic representative serves as a liaison between the athletic department and the university, and also represents the university and its faculty to the NCAA.

“He was so committed to making sure that the students who were going on were supported in pursuing the resources that could help take some of the financial burden off them,” said Tina Keller, a retired physics professor who followed Powell in the FAR role. “That was a legacy he left that I really tried to live up to.”

Powell’s motivation on this count was easy to follow. It showed the caliber of everything, in Keller’s words. These were great athletes who were great students. And USD had a bunch of them.

“Jack started that,” said Keller, who also served as associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, “It was going to be important to me because I saw how important it was to him. It was such a nice thing to do for our student-athletes going on to grad school or med school and he understood that.”

It was not an accident. Powell would encourage coaches and students looking to pursue postgraduate education to be aware of the possibility of NCAA scholarships. He would then work diligently on their behalf.

“He had it down to a science on how to help the kids win those scholarships,” said USD track and field coach Lucky Huber. “For a lot of our kids, that was a big deal and he did a great job with it.”

As mayor for the last 10 years, Powell was often cast as a go-between with the city and USD. It occasionally demanded diplomacy. It always demanded a thorough knowledge of the dynamics of both entities.

“He came out of the university, but he also loved and understood Vermillion,” Huber said. “It was a really neat part of all the things he did – he always wanted to do what was best for USD but he wanted to do what was best for Vermillion at the same time. He was able to balance that really well.”

On a Monday night in late April, Powell’s wife, Lisa Ketcham, addressed the city council, relaying her husband’s sentiments in his absence. He’d sent the council a resignation letter in advance but didn’t get the chance to read it aloud.

“I want to come here tonight to express, on Jack’s behalf, the great sense of pride that he had in serving the community in his roles as mayor and city council representative for the last 20 years,” Ketcham said, as reported by the Vermillion Plaintalk. “He thought so much of you city council representatives, our city administration, our city staff and the citizens of this great community.”

The resignation letter itself was vintage Powell. Nothing gaudy. Just a selfless servant saying his time had come.

“I am honored and blessed to have served this great community,” he concludes. “My wife and I will continue to do all that we can to support the City of Vermillion and our citizens. We wish you the very best always.”

When Herbster wanted a score of a game and Powell was nearby, he knew Powell, who ran the clock for the last time on Feb. 13 for a men’s game vs. Western Illinois, would have the score. The same would be true for other insights on matters far more complex involving college sports.

“Jack was always there for us and he always knew what was going on,” Herbster said. “He always had the University’s best interests at heart – he carried the banner for us. He did that right up until the end.”

Chamber

new members

Bunyan’s

1201 W. Main St.

Vermillion, SD 57069

605 · 624 · 9971

Vested Vitalvested

“Home of the Bomber.” Great food, great times, and great people!

LaunchPad Children’s Museum

623 Pearl St.

Sioux City, IA 51101

712 · 224 · 2542

Looking for fun family activities in Sioux City? LaunchPAD Children’s Museum is your answer for family-friendly, educational play and discovery! LaunchPAD provides affordable family fun featuring hands-on and interactive exhibits and programs.

R-Pizza

2 W. Main St.

Vermillion, SD 57069

605 · 624 · 6757

R-Pizza has been a part of the downtown Vermillion community since 1968. We love our community, our family, and our food, and it shows in everything we do! We make our dough and sauce from scratch, we shred our own cheese, and our burgers are always fresh! Everything we make is made with love.

Main Street Pub

11 W. Main St.

Vermillion, SD 57069

605· 624· 7670

Sports bar and restaurant in downtown Vermillion.

Individual Members

• Katherine Heine

• Derek Zomer

• Garrett Peterson

• Kasey King

• Jason Thiel

• Jessi Hanson

• Al Leber

Vested

member benefits

One of the many benefits of being a VCDC member is the access you have to a wide network of people and advertisers who want to help you get the word out! Two of our outstanding members, Five Star Communications and Riverfront Broadcasting, are top choices for radio advertisements, and they strive to help their fellow members. Five Star Communications wants to help kickstart new VCDC members, by giving them free 30 second commercials, to be played 25 times. These ads will play on Classic Hits 106.3FM and ESPN Radio 1570AM. This deal is only good for 30 days after joining the VCDC, so act now!

Riverfront Broadcasting is also proud to offer VCDC members matched 30 second commercials on KYNT1450, KKYA93.1 or KDAM. This means that for every commercial you purchase, you’ll receive a matched commercial at no charge. You can purchase commercials for one event, one month, one quarter or one year and they will match your ads!

Radio advertising is still one of the most effective ways to reach local consumers. These VCDC deals can save you hundreds of dollars in advertising! Take advantage of this great benefit of your membership and start attracting new customers right away.

Verbatim

Expansion and Re-branding for Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration

Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration has been serving the Vermillion community since 1966 and recently we are making the expansion to the Siouxland market. Louie’s has been working extensively in the communities along I-29 so the thought of expanding our market from Vermillion came as a natural discussion. We now have a second location in Dakota Dunes, SD as of May 1st, 2020 which allows us to serve our clients more efficiently.

Sierra Whitlock is Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration full-time Business Development Associate. She is one of the driving forces for this small business and in charge of the Siouxland market.

Chad Wasco, who has worked for Louie’s for over 10 years has been promoted to Production Manager of the company. Chad has undergone training to become certified in Hazwoper, Advanced Structural Drying, Water Damage Restoration, and soon-to-be one of the very few Asbestos Supervisors certified in South Dakota and Iowa.

Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration has changed its brand and logo. We included storm clouds and lightning bolts as well as the tristate region that we service. When growing, change is needed and the response that we’ve had to our recent endeavors is enlightening.

Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration. Restoring your peace of mind since 1966.

Congratulations to Pressing Matters

Pressing Matters will be celebrating 34 years of continuous print services in Vermillion (under the same ownership).

They salute their former local competitors over the years for a job well done:

Tommy’s Printing, TAS Graphics, Dove Productions, USD Press, Computer Plus, Page Two, Kinko’s, Campus Copy, Book & Supply, The Index, Choice Pharmacy, Xerox U-Copy, and dozens of home based businesses.

They look forward to launching new services later this year.

New name, new logo and pioneers in their field

Biotest has changed their name to Biomat USA a Grifols company! We will have the same great staff and service. At Grifols, our mission is to improve the health and well-being of people around the world.

Grifols is a global healthcare company that since 1909 has enhanced the health and well-being of people around the world. Our four divisionsBioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital and Bio Supplies - develop, produce and market innovative solutions and services in more than 100 countries.

As pioneers in the field of the plasma science, we are one of the largest plasma companies with a growing network of donation centers worldwide. We develop this plasma into essential medicines used to treat rare, chronic and, at times, life-threatening conditions. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, we also offer a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation through transfusion. We continue to advance our legacy of innovation by supplying tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.

Donating plasma is one of the easiest and most impactful things you can do to help save and improve a life. Once you become a regular donor, you earn the pride of knowing you are helping others. Because we value our donors, we do everything we can to provide you with high-quality care and the utmost respect throughout your visit. We follow strict health and safety guidelines to safeguard your well-being and comfort. We compensate you for the time you give us during your donation sessions. Learn more about donating at www.grifolsplasma.com.

Biomat though located all over the world is dedicated to having a community impact in the local areas their plasma centers are located. We encourage anyone in the community needing assistance and volunteers to reach out to the center at 605 · 277 · 1434.

Postponement of Maloney Real Estate’s Community Day in the Park

Our “Maloney Real Estate Community Day in the Park” is postponed until after the 4th of July or when Parks and Recreation determine it’s safe to host it. We look forward to having food and fun as soon as we can, and feel SO BLESSED to be in this amazing community!

Vermillion Area Farmer’s Market Summer Season

At a time when accessing vegetables, meats, fruits and other daily life necessities can be challenging, the Vermillion Area Farmers Market (VAFM) is proud to serve an essential role in the community. We had a rough Spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cancelled our March market and our annual Souppaloosa event, which raises the funds for our annual EBT expenses; however, by April, the market had developed health and safety protocols that enabled us to offer our services to the community at the April market.

Our first summer market (May 21st) at the fairgrounds featured a ‘drive through’ during the first hour, which allowed customers to drive to vendor stations and shop from their cars while the vendors collected and bagged the customers’ choices. Our market manager, Allison Bensen, was the first and last stop of the driving circuit so the customer could pick up a market sheet prior to shopping and check out before proceeding home.

While the 3 – 4 p.m. hour is reserved for those at high risk, the VAFM has taken measures to prioritize the health and safety of customers on foot, as well. The market circuit utilizes the oval drive at the fairgrounds so the vendors can set up at least six feet apart from each other. Vendors have continued to utilize two tables at each station and sanitize these spaces frequently; with this approach, customers walking through the area maintain a six-foot distance from the vendors, keeping the vendors and customers at safe distances from each other.

As in the April market, vendors continue to wear masks and gloves in addition to bagging each customer’s chosen goods. We ask that customers wear masks while shopping at the market and refrain from bringing reusable bags at this time.

We will continue to hold summer markets on Thursdays from 3 – 7 p.m. at the Clay County Fairgrounds on the corner of High Street and Cherry Street.

Kelley Ashby Consulting

Kelley helps individuals and organizations improve their Emotional Intelligence, enhance their resilience, and leadership effectiveness during challenging times. She also helps individuals who want to use this time to refocus their career with resume and interview assistance. Kelley’s goal is to help individuals succeed and organizations achieve their goals by improving employees’ skills, creating positive work cultures, and increasing employee engagement.

Triumph Chiropractic

In order to better serve our patients, we will be changing our office hours starting May 25th. The new summer hours will be: Monday 11:00 am 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm- 5:30 pm; Wednesday 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm; and Thursday 9:00 am- 11:00 am.

Chamber

Comprehensive guides available for recycling in Vermillion

Greening Vermillion, a local non-profit whose goal is to make Vermillion the greenest town in South Dakota, began their recycling education program this year, funded by a South Dakota Community Innovation grant. They started by hanging essential curbside recycling information on people’s doors. In consultation with the City of Vermillion, Greening Vermillion created a comprehensive recycling and sustainability guide that explains the ins and outs of recycling. This free guide is available to pick up at City Hall, Missouri Valley Recycling Center, Vermillion Public Library, VCDC, Community Connection Center/Food Pantry, and some of our local realtors.

Greening Vermillion wants everyone to know that recycling reduces waste in the landfill, conserves natural resources, prevents pollution, saves energy, creates jobs, and saves money. Sustainable practices such as reusing and repairing items, or “upcycling” - the creative reuse of items for a new purpose - instead of throwing them away is beneficial because in the end – we use less! Once Vermillion resumes its curbside recycling program, watch for educational videos created by Greening Vermillion on Facebook, YouTube, and other websites. For more information, visit greeningvermillion.org.

Banner Associates create Environmental Department

Banner is proud to announce our newly created Enviromental Department with experts that focus on ensuring enviromental compliance is completed for each project.

Enviromental compliance is doing everything that is required by local, state, and/or federal laws that are focused on protecting social, economic, cultural, and natural resources in our environment.

Please do not hesitate to call our environmental department head, Becky Baker at 605 · 690 · 2190. We are here to assist our communities in meeting Environmental Compliance with our SD based and focused team.

Velocity

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

The mission of Vermillion NEXT, the young professionals network for emerging leaders, is to connect, engage and develop young professionals in the Vermillion Area. The new year brought a refocus and revitalization to this outstanding young professionals group who have committed to continuing that mission. Volunteers kicked off the year with a half-day retreat, during which they prepared for a year filled with fun, exciting events for the community and for the Vermillion NEXT group.

The Vermillion NEXT started the new year, running on all cylinders, with a January Meet and Greet of new officers at Whimp’s and in February hosted the Third Thursday Social at the Dakota Dome ahead of the USD vs NDSU basketball game. In March, the Third Thursday Social was sadly cancelled due to CDC gathering restrictions, but the group pivoted (insert friends reference - pivot, pivot, pivot) and created a Virtual Dinner Party. Members gathered ‘remotely’ to discuss how they were adjusting to remote work, showed off their take-out selections from businesses around town, and shared in virtual community.

While 2020 has not turned out to be quite like anyone predicted, Vermillion NEXT continues to work hard to connect, engage and develop young professionals across our community. If you are a young professional and have not yet joined us, we encourage you to sign up online at LiveVermillion.com. You won’t want to miss out on the networking and professional development opportunities that the Vermillion NEXT offers!

2020 Steering Committee Members:

• Steering Committee Chair - Laura Anderton, University of South Dakota

• Secretary - Shannon Cole, Vermillion Cultural Association

• Membership Lead – Connor Peterson, University of South Dakota

• Third Thursday / Thursday’s on the Platz Lead – Katey Ulrich, University of South Dakota

• Up NEXT Coffee Hour Lead – Collin Lind, Vermillion Pizza Ranch

• Marketing Lead – Josh Scherrer, ThirdsMedia and Dakota Brick House

• Community Outreach Lead – Taylor Kathol, CorTrust Bank

• USD Outreach Lead – Edith Reza-Martinez, University of South Dakota

• At Large - Jonathan Allender-Zivic, University of South Dakota

• At Large – Jordan Bonstrom, University of South Dakota

Villagers

South Dakota Shakespeare Festival

The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) is pleased to announce the hiring of Brian Smallwood as Director of Operations and Production (DOP). The DOP oversees the planning of the production process in collaboration with the Executive Artistic Director and Production Director.

Smallwood has project managed as a Technical Director and Production Manager for dozens of Off and Off-Off Broadway companies. He co-founded a production company called No Time for Love Productions, with clients like the Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York Musical Festival, New York Photo Festival, and Second Stage. He graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 2013 with an MFA in Technical Design and Production.

Smallwood is currently an Associate Professor and Production Manager for James Madison University’s School of Theatre and Dance. His research interests include structural engineering for production and increasing productivity through employee wellness. In his role as DOP, Smallwood will work in Vermillion during rehearsal and production, and remotely the rest of the year.

Aaron Packard Productions wins prestigious ADDY Award

Aaron’s Photography working with Jackalope in Rapid City achieved Best of Show and Silver awards at the 2020 ADDY Awards in Sioux Falls in April.

Vermillion High School senior is awarded the Dr. Jay W. Hubner Scholarship Vermillion High school senior, Alexis Saunders, was awarded the Dr. Jay W. Hubner Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. The selection committee reviewed many applications from an outstanding field of candidates. Applicants must meet minimum GPA or ACT score, display extracurricular activities and volunteerism, have an interest in health care. Vermillion Medical Clinic is pleased to offer the scholarship to a student at Vermillion High School and it was created with our mission of education in mind to provide resources for students seeking higher education with a desire to return to our service area.

First Bank & Trust welcomes new Mortgage Loan Officer

The First Bank & Trust team is thrilled to welcome Krista Welch into the organization. She is now filling the role as Mortgage Loan Officer. Krista is excited to assist you in getting into your dream home or helping to lower your current interest rate.

Krista is a born and raised South Dakotan from Scotland, SD. Her and her husband Nate have lived in Vermillion for over 6 years with their 3 children, Mya, Izzy and Logan.

Please stop in to welcome Krista and let her assist you with any and all of your mortgage needs!

Why Vermillion?

Where are you from?

I’ve lived a few different places in South Dakota and went to college in Minneapolis, but Vermillion is my hometown. I’ve lived here on and off for 28 years.

What inspired you to move to Vermillion?

While we lived in the Twin Cities, my husband and I talked all of the time about how much we missed Vermillion. We missed our favorite places and people. We missed how easy it was to get around. We missed the (comparatively!) warmer weather. So the day I graduated from the University of Minnesota, we packed up the car and headed back for good! I’ve always thought that Vermillion was the best town in the world and where I wanted to spend my life.

How are you wanting to get more involved with the unique community of Vermillion?

I might be a little tapped out on getting *more* involved but Vermillion provides so many awesome ways to give back and get involved. City government has been a really incredible opportunity for me to learn more about my community, and there are so many boards and commissions for people to get started. I also get to work with so many great non-profits in town and volunteering or serving on an organization board is incredibly rewarding too. As past chair of Vermillion NEXT and President of our local Rotary Club, I have to give a shout out to those organizations – if you’re looking to meet new people, have fun and give back to Vermillion, there are some incredible service and professional organizations that can help you do just that.

What are some of the aspects you really enjoy about the community and how have you grown in Vermillion?

It’s cliché, but I love the people most. Some of my very favorite people in the entire world are people I grew up with in Vermillion – some have stayed, some have gone on to do amazing things in other places. And then, every year I get to meet amazing new people who join our community! I also love how accessible everything is. I love our cool downtown, our arts and music scene, the tree lined streets, the river… I guess I pretty much love everything about Vermillion except the mosquitos (and Parks and Rec does a pretty great job of addressing that issue). And because I’ve grown up here, become an adult here, become a parent here, become a leader here, I’ve gotten to experience all of the great things in the community from many different angles. I think there are people who have complicated issues with their hometown where they feel kind of stuck in one place in their lives whenever they return, but Vermillion is such a dynamic, changing place – it allows you to grow and evolve while still remembering who you were and where you came from. Which is a really beautiful blessing.

mayor Kelsey Collier-Wise

McVicker Plaza

2 E. Main Street, Suite #101

Vermillion, SD 57069

605.624.5571

www.LiveVermillion.com

VCDC@VermillionChamber.com

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