El Dorado will soon be able to showcase businesses on a new website called 360eldorado.com. The new site will be a visual directory to the town, featuring information about El Dorado, as well as promotional pages for participating businesses which will showcase products and services using highly visual and interactive content. Any participating business may use their promotional page as their website or to drive traffic to an existing website. Each business will have the ability to feature coupons and special promotions, post jobs, post events, link to other sites, and get feedback from viewers.

Every page may show a visual 360 virtual tour of the featured business and/or up to three slide shows of photographs. The 360eldorado.com site is licensed through 360 Directories of Wichita, and will be made possible through a partnership of El Dorado Inc., the El Dorado Chamber, El Dorado Main Street and the City of El Dorado. It will be the anchor piece of a cooperative marketing program which will

promote El Dorado through the 360 site, cable television, out-door billboards and print media at a very reasonable cost to participating businesses. Representatives of the four partnering organizations will present the program to inter-ested businesses on August 12, 13 and 14. The site should be live and available for use in September. For more information contact El Dorado Inc. At 316-321-1485.

News from El Dorado, Kansas July 2009

Volume 3, Issue 3

High School Dedication August 16

2

Smoke on the Prairie BBQ competition

2

INTRUST Bank is finalist for GAE

2

Pioneer Balloon places priority on green initiatives

3

New preschool aids special needs children

3

Mission El Dorado helps local homeowners

3

Community Calendar 4

Inside this issue:

Farewell to Prairie Port Festival-

• After 25 years, Prairie Port Festival comes to a close— If you haven’t been to the Prairie Port Festival in a while, you’d better come to the 2009 event July 23 through 26 in El Dorado. Festival organizer Jim Phillips announced plans to step down after this year. To date, no other entity has stepped forward to take the reigns. The festival has afforded the community years of family entertainment through concerts, arts and craft fairs, mud volleyball tournaments, cardboard boat races, parades and many other events.

Sailboats in El Dorado Lake’s Sailboat Marina

Online visual directory coming soon

El Dorado Today

Ever think about who manu-factures things like light poles, cell towers and traffic sign structures? This is a portion of the product line made by Valmont Industries, headquar-tered in Omaha, Nebraska, with manufacturing facilities world wide. El Dorado is one of 52 manu-facturing sites operated by Valmont, and is part of the company’s Utility Division, called Valmont-Newmark. The El Dorado plant specializes in steel distribution poles and produced 20,000 units last year. Poles are shipped from the

El Dorado plant all over the United States. Valmont is the leading manu-facturer of steel distribution poles, which are a superior alternative to wooden poles and are unsurpassed in strength and versatility. Fabrication of the poles begins with a 45,000 pound steel coil which is cut and formed into a round pole. The poles are welded using patented tech-nology unique to Valmont which proceeds at a rate of one foot per minute. The company employs 7,000 people around the world.

The El Dorado facility employs 70 of those. Other products made by Valmont include mechanized irrigation systems, utility substa-tion structures, roadway and residential light poles, custom made tubing products and sports lighting structures.

Valmont– helping to distribute power to neighborhoods

at noon, they will submit the finished product to a panel of trained, certified barbeque judges. Judging will take place in four categories, chicken, ribs, pork and brisket.

The public is invited to come and observe during the cooking process, and a public tasting is set for Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Walnut Valley Packing of El Dorado is supplying the 15 teams who have agreed to participate with a pork butt, to be prepared for the public

El Dorado’s virtually new high school will be dedicated on August 16, 2009 at 2 p.m. The public is invited to the program and to tour the building.

The result of a $19.14 million bond issue passed in 2005, the new high school has been built in phases on the existing site of the old structure.

One of the most welcome changes between the new and the old facilities is the availability of natural light. Light floods each classroom and the airy new commons area.

Another highlight of the facility is the new auditorium which seats just under 1000 people. It is equipped with modern sound and lighting systems, plenty of storage and adequate room to move theater sets on and off stage.

A new multi-purpose room will be used for P.E. classes, and provide much needed space for the wrestling program and for indoor baseball/softball practice.

The classroom area is now on two levels. Science classrooms are newly equipped with state of the art fixtures. New band and

orchestra rooms provide more functionality and adequate storage for instruments.

The gymnasium and indoor pool areas, the only part of the original building to remain, have under-gone renovations also, although not part of the bond issue. New bleachers, renovated locker rooms and new wood floor update the old structure.

“We are excited to show the new facility to our patrons. It should give everyone a sense of pride in their community,” said Jackie Clark, USD 490 spokesperson.

El Dorado High School dedication August 16

Page 2 E l Dorado Today Volume 3, Issue 3

County Community College. The other finalists were Citizens Medical Center, Inc. of Colby, Countryside Feed LLC of Hillsboro, NetStandard of Kansas City, and BTI-Greensburg of Greensburg, which took the top award. Each year the State of Kansas gives the awards as part of Business Appreciation Month activities. INTRUST Bank of El Dorado, a branch of INTRUST Financial

Corporation is a cornerstone of the community. Not only does the 132 year old bank have a strong financial stand-ing, but a majority of the bank employees are very involved in the community through mentoring, serving on service organization boards, and vol-unteering at many local events. Finalists in 2007 and 2008 respectively were Stone Creek Nursery and Frontier Refining of El Dorado.

INTRUST Bank third finalist in three years For the third time in three years, El Dorado is home to one of the finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excellence, the top award given to a business by the State each year. INTRUST Bank of El Dorado was one of five of the 28 Regional Business Excellence Award winners to have been named Finalists for the Governor’s Award of Excel-lence which was announced June 25th at the Kansas Cavalry Encampment at Johnson

INTRUST Bank of El Dorado President Ed Gard receives one of the Finalist Awards for the Governor’s Award of Excellence from Governor Mark Parkinson.

The commons area of the newly renovated El Dorado High School makes use of natural light.

The 25th annual Prairie Port Festival in El Dorado will again host the “Smoke on the Prairie” Barbeque Cook Off, a State Championship sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, July 24th and 25th.

To date 19 teams from around the region will be competing for over $6000 in prize money.

Teams, usually of 4 to 6 people, will arrive on Friday night and start cooking. Some teams cook through the night. On Saturday

tasting. For $2 and a Prairie Port button, patrons may judge for themselves which is best.

Also on Friday night will be a Kid’s Q competition for children ages 6 to 10 and 11 to 14. Each child will receive one pound of hamburger to prepare any way they choose with minimum adult involvement. Certified judges will determine the winner.

For more information visit www.prairieportfestival.com.

Smoke on the Prairie competition pits BBQ chefs

Cook-off contestants submit entries to a panel of certified BBQ judges.

Mission El Dorado recruits “local” missionaries volunteers collectively donated 332 days of labor over a one week period to complete 17 projects.

The volunteers come from youth groups and churches across El Dorado, and from surrounding towns, including Wichita. Several businesses and contractors have become involved , contributing materials, time and money. Area churches take turns providing breakfast and lunch for the volunteers.

In 2007 a group of volunteers from the El Dorado Christian Fellowship organized Mission El Dorado. Their purpose was to give local volunteers the oppor-tunity to become “missionaries” in their own town, by giving one week of their time to help those less fortunate.

The first year they completed 15 projects with 50 volunteers, despite continual rain. In 2008 over 100 volunteers completed 16 projects. This past June, 203

Page 3 E l Dorado Today Volume 3, Issue 3

in the manufacture of product packaging . In addition, they are compacting more of their waste, and testing the use of new recyclable materials for possible use. Many supply vendors are now being asked to furnish eco-friendly items.

In just two months, the plant has seen a dramatic drop in trash output, and management projects a minimum savings in landfill costs of 50% -70% in the initial year.

Another prong of Pioneer’s “green” initiative is figuring out how to reuse waste from

Green practices a priority for area manufacturer their manufacturing process. As an example, they send scrap from the manufacture of poly-bags to a non-profit organization that reuses it to make handbags, which are sold to benefit the charity.

The company is investigating uses for scrap from their balloon manufacturing line as well.

Distribution Director Jon Roberts says, “It’s exciting to see the response of those willing to join in the effort. El Dorado has been very willing to help, and our employees have really taken an interest.”

Pioneer Balloon Company El Dorado plant is following the lead of one of their own customers in contributing to the sustainability of the planet. One goal is to generate as close to zero landfill trash as possible.

A major component of their program is to expand their re-cycling effort. They recycle not only corrugate, but also plas-tics, metals and daily usage materials approved by recy-clers. Each office and work area now has a recycling bin.

The company has switched to using recyclable raw materials

Pioneer Balloon seeks to recycle 100% of the generated waste from the El Dorado plant.

New preschool facility to aid success in and out of classroom

“Early stimulation sets the stage for how children will learn and interact with others throughout life.” -University of Maine Cooperative Extension

“Healthy relationships during the early years help children to have healthy relationships throughout life. Deprived of a positive, stimulating environment, a child’s brain suffers. Rich experiences, in other words, really do produce rich brains.” - University of Maine Cooperative Extension Children with special needs who do not adapt well to regular preschool programs need to receive the care neces-sary for a successful future. Enter SCMHCC.

The South Central Mental Health Counseling Center has provided early therapeutic in-tervention to children in Butler County for many years. In the last six years they have part-nered with local Head Start programs by working directly in the classroom with children showing a need for care. Recently SCMHCC purchased their own facility, allowing them to expand the current preschool program, raising the bar for a quality therapeutic

preschool environment. Social Stars Preschool, located on North Haverhill Road in El Dorado, will have an all day and half day classroom Monday through Friday, starting this fall. These classrooms will have a very small staff-to-child ratio, which means more staff avail-able to provide the nurturing and stimulating experience each young child needs. For more information contact Trisha Smith, CBS Coordinator at 316-775-5491.

Local volunteer missionaries complete projects for needy homeowners.

The projects are maintenance and repair jobs for homeowners meeting certain income guide-lines. Many of those assisted are handicapped or elderly. Examples of projects completed are roofing, painting, yard clean-up, and handicap accessibility work.

Homeowners wishing to apply for assistance may visit www.mercynetworkeldorado.org or contact Mission El Dorado administrator Mike Lemke at 316-322-7240.

El Dorado Inc. is a public/private partnership with the City of El Dorado whose mission is to further the economic development of the El Dorado area and its environs. The primary objectives of El Dorado Inc. shall be to benefit the community as measured by increased employment, payroll, business volume, housing starts and similar factors. For El Dorado Inc. membership information, contact Linda Jolly at 321-1485 or lkjolly@eldorado-inc.com

El Dorado Inc. 201 E. Central P.O. Box 350 El Dorado, KS 67042

We’re on the web! Visit us at www.eldorado-inc.com and www.visiteldoradoks.com

Phone: 316-321-1485 Fax: 316-321-5419 E-mail: lkjolly@eldorado-inc.com

El Dorado, Kansas—Where we enjoy the fine art of living well!

News from El Dorado, Kansas

Jul 21 Brown Bag Luncheon- Sherry Hermreck - "Art See" Coutts Museum of Art, noon Jul 23 - 26 Prairie Port Festival Queen Pageant, Smoke On the Prairie BBQ Contest, Concert, Arts & Crafts Fair, Flea Mar-ket, Cardboard Boat Races and MORE! Jul 25 - 29 Butler County Fair Butler County Fairgrounds July 29 El Dorado Broncos vs Derby Twins- 7:05 McDonald Stadium July 31 NBC World Series Starts AUGUST 2009 Aug 3 - 28 "Jewelry & Wearable Art" Various Artists “Create an Art Purse” contest

JULY 2009 Jul 16 El Dorado Municipal Band Concert, 8:00p.m. Forest Park, 9th & Taylor El Dorado Broncos vs Derby Twins, 7:05p.m. McDonald Stadium Jul 16 - 19 Kansas Veterans & Family Reunion Veterans Point, El Dorado Lake & State Park Jul 18 Super Science Saturday - "Rock On" 1:00 - 4:00p.m., Free Adm. Butler County History Center & Kansas Oil Museum El Dorado Municipal Band Veterans Concert 10:0am, Veterans Point, El Dorado lake & State Park Jul 20 El Dorado Municipal Band Concert 7:00pm, Towanda Public Library, Towanda, KS

El Dorado Community Calendar Entries due by July 20, 2009 Entry forms available at the Museum and online. Coutts Museum of Art Aug 8 Super Science Saturday - "Up, Up and Away" 1:00 - 4:00p.m., Free Adm. Butler County History Center & Kansas Oil Museum August 14 World War II Movie Night World War II History Center 119 W. Central Ave "Kelly's Heros" - 7:00pm Aug 18 Brown Bag Luncheon- Richard Crowson, Cartoonist for Wichita Eagle Coutts Museum of Art, noon Aug 20 A Taste of Butler BIG meal, BIG deal! All food served is grown in Butler County. Hudson Gardens

SEPTEMBER 2009 Sep 9 - Oct 21 "Selections from the Emprise Bank Art Collection" Coutts Museum of Art Sep 15 Brown Bag Luncheon- Frank Wise, Artist Coutts Museum of Art, noon Sep 19 El Dorado Open Car Show El Dorado Chamber of Com-merce Sep 19 - Oct 31 Walters' Pumpkin Patch Open Walters' Pumpkin Patch Sep 26 & 27 "Goblin Egg Hunt" Walters' Pumpkin Patch Sep 26 Walnut River Festival Downtown El Dorado Live at the Iron Horse Concert Hall, 7:30pm Open Mike featuring Stompin’ Dave