The Washington Farmers’ Market will officially open its 2021 season on Saturday, April 3.  Visitors can find a great selection of locally grown seasonal bedding plants and produce, plus baked goods, jams/jellies/honey, meat, eggs, and handcrafted items.  The market is open Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the open-air pavilion at 317 West Main Street in downtown Washington.

Over 30 vendors have registered for permits for the 2021 season.  Applications for new vendors are available at www.washmomarket.com or can be requested from [email protected] or from the Chamber of Commerce Office (636-239-2715).
 
The Sprouts Kids Club will again be offered at the market, beginning in May.  Members of the club, children ages 3-10, can check-in at the Sprouts table each week and receive two $1 tokens to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at the market.  On-site activities for participants are being planned.  Participants must be registered once a year for the free program.  Pre-registration is available now at washmomarket.com/sprouts, or parents can register children while visiting the market beginning May 1.  The Sprouts Club is made possible through many generous sponsors, including Altemueller Jewelry, Bank of Franklin County, Bank of Washington, KLPW AM 1220/92.7 FM, Cassette Electric, Citizens Bank, Deppe Farms, DMR Events, First Choice Facilities, Hillermann Nursery & Florist, KFAV 99.9 FM, Little Smiles of Washington, Eric Park & George Meyer with LPL Financial, USA Mortgage – Leesmann Mortgage Team, and Mark & Joyce Wessels.   Businesses and/or individuals interested in sponsoring or volunteering with the program should contact Amanda Griesheimer at the Chamber Office (636-239-2715 x106, [email protected]). 
 
Market customers are encouraged to stay up-to-date with Farmers’ Market news by following the market Facebook page.

On Friday, February 26, Four Rivers Career Center in Washington hosted a signing day ceremony to recognize 33 Youth Registered Apprentices and 10 Apprentice-Elects.  Watch the Ceremony here!  Leaders representing the community, apprentice's parents, FRCC instructors and elected officials, as well as Wade Johnson (Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship) and Commissioner Zora Mulligan (Dept. of Higher Education and Workforce Development) were present to celebrate the students' achievements.  Over the past six months, staff at the career center has worked closely with City of Washington and Chamber Officials to develop partnerships with local businesses and accelerate the youth-focused apprenticeship program.

​Cynthia Walker was hired as the Apprenticeship Coordinator and has been impressed with the way the community has embraced the apprenticeship model.  "I'm amazed at the achievements we can make when we all work together as a team.  The vision of YRA has been a long held initiative for our administration, school board, employers, and our local/state officials, with a purpose to bolster our economy and fill the needed workforce skills gap.  Our FRCC Director, Andy Robinson, has helped put feet to that vision and provided the initiative for the community relationships, the leadership, as well as the many provisions to move this chapter of career and technical education forward."

Governor Mike Parson and Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe, both supporters of apprenticeship and other programs to help narrow the skills gap, were unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.  Gov. Parson has plans to visit FRCC for a tour in the future, and Lt. Gov. Kehoe provided a video address for the ceremony, stating, "CTE (Career & Technical Education) students are a vital resource to Missouri's thriving economy today, tomorrow, and the future because our state needs a strong skilled, and highly motivated workforce to compete in the world's marketplace." 

Wade Johnson of the U.S. Department of Labor/Office of Apprenticeship had wonderful things to say about the greater Washington community and Four Rivers Career Center.  Before presenting the official certification of the FRCC Apprenticeship Program, he stated, "City and Business organizations.  This is the perfect storm in a positive way of things that need to happen to not only develop an apprenticeship program, but to have it be sustainable." 

His words about the students, however, were a highlight of the day, and proof that Four Rivers Career Center is living and fulfilling its mission to provide a quality education with real life experiences and opportunities to achieve a higher standard of living for a diverse student population using authentic hands-on learning modeled by knowledgeable and caring instructors.

Johnson stated, "I wish I was as confident and talented in high school as what I've seen today.  And it's not just the apprentices.  The kids that gave us tours... They were very sure of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to prepare themselves for the workforce, for becoming productive, contributing members of society, forging their own path to the middle class.  It inspires me, and it gives me hope for the future."

Room for Art Gallery celebrated its Grand Opening on Monday, March 1 at 124 West Main Street in Downtown Washington.  The Gallery, owned by JoAnn (Peters) McCoy showcases the work of sixteen Missouri artists throughout the 2,000 square foot space.  

Devin Henderson is a multi-talented powerhouse: an author, experienced presenter and seasoned performer, having logged thousands of performances as an award-winning comedian and magician, and an in-demand keynote speaker. His unique combination of skills and storytelling and his hilarious and engaging interaction are what make him an audience favorite. His keynote clients have included Pepsi, Sprint, Cerner and hundreds more. His performances have been called, "unreal," "unexpected," and "unforgettable."  

"Something Greater Is Always Possible"
What would you do and who you be if you believed anything was possible for you? For many people a once-held vision of unlimited possibility gets small and limited as a result of life’s daily stressors, persistent insecurities, self doubt, isolation and even failure. But what if you could reclaim and even expand your full potential at anytime? And what if your truest potential was bigger, richer and more satisfying than you had previously envisioned? Join seasoned speaker and performer, Devin Henderson for an entertaining, funny, and inspiring experience to break free of your perceived limits and realize your greatness like never before.
 
You’ll learn how to:

• Overcome common fears and challenges that can keep you from your greatness.
• Attain a seemingly impossible goal, without getting in your own way or giving up.
• Rethink what’s possible and discover success and fulfillment beyond what you would ever imagine.

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More Info on the Banquet:

• Date:  Saturday, April 10
• Time: 6:00 p.m. Cocktails, 7:00 p.m. Dinner
• Tickets:  $50/person
• ​RSVP to: Cheryl (636-239-2715 x102)