M inutes, Not Miles, From Adventure
CUSTER CONNECTIONS
For many, Labor Day weekend symbolizes the end of summer. However, for some people, Labor Day weekend is just the beginning of their travel plans. Now that the kiddos are back in school, we tend to see a little different crowd…fewer young families but more bucket listers and active couples. There’s still plenty of “summer season” left and several events that will draw lots of visitors to our area.
“Studebaker, Studebaker, brand new Studebaker.” (check out the video on our Facebook page for an awesome old commercial all about Studebakers!)
On Sunday, September 6th plan to stop down to 6th Street and vote for your favorite Studebaker. There will be vehicles representing several decades of manufacturing dates, both modified and restored, and in several models. You’ll also be seeing Studebakers and their owners in Custer on Friday night as they arrive to register and on Saturday as they cruise around the Southern Black Hills.
Each Studebaker owner receives $10 in Custer Cash courtesy of the Custer Chamber. In addition to the Studebakers, we also give out $10 in Custer Cash to each Mustang that comes to town on Friday for the Sturgis Mustang Rally Poker Run. The Custer Chamber is an official Poker Run stop, and we have heard that there will be about 200 mustangs in attendance this year. So, if your business accepts Custer Cash be prepared to see much of it this weekend, and make sure your staff knows what to do when presented with it.
Let’s roll out the welcome mat and continue to offer our best customer service! IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Department of Tourism Department of Tourism Chamber Staff August 2020 SDVisit.com Dolsee Davenport Executive Director [email protected]
Dawn Murray Office & Events Assistant [email protected]
Fred Baumann Information Associate [email protected]
Karen Heuer Information Associate [email protected]
Happy Friday, Industry Friends! Pat Hattervig Information Associate It has been another busy week in the department as we prepared for the [email protected] launch of our first ever national television buy. The ad features Governor Noem inviting people from around the country to consider South Dakota as a place to live, work, and safely explore. The spot began running on Fox News this week and will expand to other national cable outlets in the coming days. We are excited for this opportunity to showcase our beautiful 2020 state with so many who may be seeing our Great Faces and Great Places Board Of Directors for the first time.
We hope you have found our COVID-19 Weekly Research Report to be Steve Olson - President helpful over the past few months as we navigate the pandemic together. John Stahl - VP Moving forward, we plan to send these bi-monthly, so look for the next Amy Bailey - Treasurer update on September 11th. Here are this week's highlights: Amanda Allcock Jim Ashmore For the week ending August 22, national travel spending remained Diane Dennis unchanged from the prior week with travel spending being down - Steve Engelbrecht 44% year-over-year. Corey Virtue Americans who feel the coronavirus situation will get worse in the Bobbi Schmidt next month dropped from 49% to 43% this week. Total domestic air and hotel bookings in the U.S. were up 7.3% last week compared to the previous week, but still down 66% year-over- year. Corbin Herman - City Liaison Domestic bookings to Wyoming (-4%) Montana (-5%) and South Mark Naugle - School Liaison Dakota (-21%) exhibited, by far, the lowest year-over-year declines. Leah Scott - BID Liaison International bookings for future travel to the U.S. increased by 6%, Kobee Stalder- CSP Liaison but were still down -76% compared to last year. Last week, web traffic to TravelSouthDakota.com increased +97% versus the same time period last year. 93% of those who visited Mount Rushmore National Memorial since the start of the pandemic have traveled more than 200 miles, with the top 5 DMAs of origin being Minneapolis (8%), Denver (6%), Rapid City (5%), Chicago (4%) and Sioux Falls (4%). Mixer Schedule Traffic to national parks continues to be predominantly from tourists (75%) vs. locals (25%), with more than 70% driving more than 100 miles to visit. Close to half of all Americans (48%) state they are ready to attend conferences or conventions in-person.
Thank you to our research partners for providing this information: H2R Market Research, Tourism Economics, Destination Analysts, STR, U.S. Travel Association, Arrivalist, Miles Partnership, MMGY Travel Intelligence, ADARA, and Longwoods International.
Have a great last weekend of August!
All our best,
Jim and Team
Area Meetings
Learn More Custer Economic Development Monthly Meetings 2nd Wednesday at 7 am Black Hills Energy Building NOTE: The Trail will be open with access to Black 25153 Little Teton Rd Elk Peak on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the closure. Closure only affects sections of Trail 9S Monday through Thursday while the crew Community Meet & Eat is working. Monthly Meetings 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 5 pm - 7 pm Custer Community Church
Custer City Council th 1019 N. 5 St. Monthly Meetings Custer, SD 57730 1st & 3rd Mondays at 5:30 pm (605) 673-9200 City Hall Council Chambers www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills
Lions Club Monthly Meetings 2nd Thurs. at noon 4th Thurs. at 5:30 pm News Release Pizza Works Media Contact: Scott Jacobson (605) 440-1409 Custer Rotary [email protected] Custer Meetings Mondays at 12 pm Black Elk Peak Trail #9 South Custer Senior Center Temporarily Closed
Custer, SD, Aug. 21, 2020 – Black Hills National Forest officials have issued a temporary closure order for Trail #9 South from its Black Elk Wilderness boundary to the endpoint on top of Black Elk Peak for public safety during trail maintenance operations. operations.
The closure order is in effect from August 24 to October 1, 2020, unless revised or rescinded, whichever occurs first.
Black Elk Peak Trail #9 South (normally open to hiking and stock use) is the most heavily used trail with approximately 500 visitors a day during peak use. Allowing use on this trail during heavy maintenance could impede public safety and hinder trail maintenance operations.
Old rock steps and trail features are in danger of eroding out of place, potentially causing dangerous conditions for trail users. Trail crews will be installing drainage structures and moving large rocks for erosion control and stabilization of the trail.
Trail work will occur Monday through Thursday during the closure period and will not impact the entire length of the trail on any given day. Recreational use on segments of the trail where no active maintenance is occurring is allowed. The public should not expect to have access to Black Elk Peak and the fire lookout tower on the peak during this time.
Forest officials are encouraging visitors to discover other scenic trails that the National Forest has to offer.
For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills.
-USDA-
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. WEEKLY INSPIRATION CHAMBER HAPPENINGS Nomination Form Custer Merchants!!!
We need your help. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Would you prefer to hold the annual Merchants Trick-or-Treat on Friday, October 30 or Saturday, October 31?
Please email [email protected] with your preference by September 4.
Vote Here
“Dave's World” Tours 1881 Courthouse Museum Acupuncture 4 Health, Inc Aflac Blue Cross/Blue Shield Alpha Builders, LLC American Legion Post #46 Ameriprise Financial Arthur, Laurie Barmore Enterprises Begging Burro Begging Burro Black Hills Area Community Foundation Black Hills Electric Coop Black Hills Federal Credit Union Black Hills Playhouse Black Hills Towing Branch Construction Buglin’ Bull Restaurant & Sports Bar Carson, John & Diana Chalet Motel Chamberlain McColleys Funeral Home Chapel in the Hills Claw Antler & Hide Inc Coca-Cola Bottling Co High Country Community Education of the Black Hills Custer Ambulance Service Inc Custer Area Arts Council Custer Car & Pet Wash Custer County Chronicle Custer County Democratic Party Custer County Republican Central Committee Custer Crazy Horse Campground Custer Golf Corp/Rocky Knolls Custer Heating & Air Conditioning Custer Rotary Club Custer Seventh-day Adventist Church Custer U-Haul Dacotah Bank Dakota Cowboy Restaurant Dakota Greens - Custer Greenhouses & Nursery, Inc. Denial SD Edward Jones-Kris Zerbe Elk Haven Vacation Cabins Elk Ridge Park Fort Welikit Campground Freeman’s Electric Service, Inc French Creek Campground & RV Park Garland Lee Goff Attorney at Law Good Karma Jewelry Green Real Estate & Investment Group, LLC- Sherri Lockhart Grizzly Gulch Adventure Golf Harney Peak Chapter, NSDAR Heart of the Hills Catering Heaven’s Gate Hennessey, Collen & Jim Frank
Hidden Lake Campground & Resort Highmark Credit Union Highmark Credit Union Hills Inn Horatio’s Homemade Ice Cream HUB International Limited Jorgenson Log Homes, Inc Kitchens by Karla Kraus, Don & Karen Lampert Properties Lee, Patti & Jim LFC Veterinary Service Lifeways, Inc Limestone Services, LLC LIU-Lasting Impressions Unlimited Inc Lynn’s Dakotamart McDonald Chiropractic Mickelson Trail Miner’s Cup Moccasin Springs Mountainview Baptist Church Mt Rushmore Brewing Co. Mt. Rushmore Resort & Lodge at Palmer Gulch Nelson’s Oil & Gas Nelson’s Oil & Gas Inc New Trails Ministry, Inc Nielsen Enterprises, LLC NXTLAW PC Operation Black Hills Cabin Pizza Hut Pizza Works Pounding Fathers Prairie Hills Transit Reptile Gardens Robert Reich & Christine Chamberlin Rocket Motel Roost Resort Rush Mountain Adventure Park Rushmore Vacation Rentals Sentinel FCU Shady Rest Motel Shepherd of the Hills Evangelical Lutheran Church Simon Contractors of SD, Inc South Dakota Air & Space Museum Southern Hills Animal Clinic Southern Hills Title, Inc Starr Insurance
Subway of Custer Sunshine Storage Sword Law Office PC Sword Law Office PC Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service The Purple Pie Place The Roost Resort Thom, Dave Under Canvas Vineyard Black Hills Western Skies Real Estate Zonta of the Black Hills
Keating Resources S tar Ridge Advertisments World Fossil Finders Museum LLC AJ's Ore Car Saloon C entral Hills Crane Service C uster's Last Chance RV Park & Campground L aMonte's Auto Sales & Rentals Addiction Recovery Centers of the Black Hills P & C Custom Interiors, LLC
We’re thrilled to let you know that Episode 2 of NewsCenter1’s Connect Now series is available! A shoutout to our friends from Custer Hospitality for their great spot about camping at Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort and our friends from Custer State Park Resorts for the Buffalo Safari Jeep Rides feature. And of course a special thank you to everyone at NewsCenter1 for their hard work on this series and everything they’ve done to showcase our Custer businesses and members! Be on the lookout for episode 3 coming soon! View Here
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
B lack Hills FACES magazine was started 15 years ago by sisters Beth Palmer and Ann Henrichsen with an intention to share the stories of the many incredible people that call the Black Hills of South Dakota home. And there are so many incredible stories to share. As one of the region’s most well-loved and highly recognizable magazines, FACES has been making friends out of strangers for most of the 21st century. Friends and business partners Kim Lathe and Jaclyn Lanae were eager to continue this legacy when the founding sisters retired in 2019. Kim and Jaclyn revel in the unique opportunity to draw their community together by helping people make connections and discover the histories, the achievements, and the triumphs of their Black Hills Faces. AREA EVENTS
Autumn Volksmarch is a "GO!
Dates of the Marches:Saturday, September 26th and Sunday September 27th.
All Hikers must register and registration will be open from All Hikers must register and registration will be open from 8 AM to 1 PM both days. There will be no early registration. Hikers must be off the trail by 4:00 pm each day and pets are not permitted on the trail.
Visit https://crazyhorsememorial.org/visit/special- events/volksmarch/ for more information.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Custer YMCA makes changes in COVID-19 response plan.
Your YMCA Board of Directors met August 25 and reviewed the plan, which was originally approved, by Custer City Council in June. Changes to the plan include:
* Opening the locker rooms including the showers for our members, this does not include the lockers themselves. Doors will be propped open to cut down on contact points. Surfaces will continue to be sprayed throughout the facility by staff and volunteers.
* Age restrictions for facility usage have been eliminated, to allow for all members of the Y to utilize the facility.
* Occupancy limits have been increased based on 150 sq. ft. per person limitations which still exceeds Custer City Council recommendations of 125 sq. ft. This change will allow us to increase to 25 persons for the gym, 19 for the wellness center and 6 in the cycling studio.
*Pickle ball will continue to be played in the Custer Community Center gym under the same guidelines we have been working under for the past several months.
Hope to see you at the Y! Rex Jorgensen, Director Rex Jorgensen, Director Southern Hills Branch Officer
Support Rotary and our community by purchasing Monday night Football books from your friendly, neighborhood Rotarian. Each week, you have the chance to win $40. At the end of the football season, you have a chance to win $250, $150, or $100. All proceeds support activities in the Custer area. If the football season is cancelled, the Rotary will draw winners each week. Also watch for the Custer Rotary Club's wine raffle, scheduled for October 16, at Crazy Horse Memorial. Win on of two wheelbarrows full of wine or a garden wagon full of craft beer. Many other prizes and free food and wine tasting. See a Custer Rotary Club member for tickets or more information.
It's that time of year! Community organizations are invited to submit requests for funds to benefit women.
You can mail them to Sherry Raffaell at 12048 Fox Tail Lane, Custer, SD 57730 or email to [email protected] by no later than September 16, 2020!
Every year, Zonta of the Southern Black Hills donates to a number of local organizations, all benefiting women in the community with proceeds from the chapter's monthly planner and the Southern Hills business telephone directory.
In the past, organizations such as Women Escaping a Violent Environment (W.E.A.V.E.), the Storehouse, Mammo or Bust, The Custer Library, the Hermosa American Legion's Girl's State Program, and Hot Springs' CAP program have received a donation from this Zonta chapter.
This year, Zonta is asking for applications. We look forward to continuing the process of granting a number of groups and organizations with a donation to help with their mission based on their application. New organizations are welcome as well as previous groups.
Organizations, groups, and people who wish to receive a grant should submit a short request detailing the organization and its projects, as well as the amount of funds needed to fulfill the project and how the organization /project benefits women in the Custer and Southern Black Hills Communities .
All applications must benefit women, which coincides with Zonta’s mission to empower and help women. Proceeds from the fundraisers are open to organizations in the Southern Black Hills, Including Custer, Hermosa, Hot Springs, and Edgemont.
PRESS RELEASES
Crazy Horse Memorial®: September 2020 Living Treasures Artist is Darren Thompson
September 1, 2020 – Crazy Horse, SD
Crazy Horse Memorial® is pleased to announce the Living Treasures artist for September 2020 will be Darren Thompson, during the week of September 6th through 12th. Thompson is an Ojibwe artist and Darren Thompson, during the week of September 6th through 12th. Thompson is an Ojibwe artist and musician from the Lac du Flambeau Reservation in Wisconsin. During his Living Treasures cultural exchange, he will be offering public workshops on handcrafting Native American flutes with wood and special tools with knowledge of traditions from the past.
Read full press release Jewel Cave National Monument News Release Release Date: August 28, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Bradley Block / Chief of Interpretation / [email protected]
Jewel Cave Announces Off-Season Hours Visitor Center and Surface Areas are Open Custer, SD – Jewel Cave National Monument announces its off-season hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning Sunday, August 30. These hours will be in effect through late September. During this time, the visitor center, surface trails, and picnic areas will be open daily. The Jewel Cave Historic Area will also be open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hikers will have access to the one-quarter-mile Roof Trail, an easy walking path around the visitor center. The Canyons Trail offers a 3.5-mile meandering trek through Lithograph and Hell Canyons, eventually passing through the Historic Area and then back to the visitor center. Both trails currently offer an assortment of late-season wildflowers in bloom and opportunities to view wildlife such as whitetail deer, mule deer, and bighorn sheep. Acting Superintendent Joshua Bernick states, “The fall season is a beautiful time of year to get outside and explore public lands. Because of this, the monument will remain open for late season travelers, as well as local park enthusiasts. Even though the cave remains closed for ranger-guided tours, there are still some recreational opportunities available on the surface.” The monument also partners with the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association, which operates a Park Store inside the visitor center. The store will also remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and provides visitors with multiple products and services to complement their visit. Bernick further comments, “We realize that 2020 has been a challenging year for many people. Yet, the monument provides some incredible natural scenery for those seeking some outdoor time, and we feel as though a hike through the pine forest or a picnic with family might help everyone adjust to the fall season.” Details and updates on park operations will continue to be posted at www.nps.gov/jeca, as well as on social media through Facebook at www.facebook.com/JewelCaveNPS/ and Instagram at www.instagram.com/jewelcavenps. For those with travel plans to other sites within the National Park Service, updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
Caption: Bighorn sheep inhabit the Hell Canyon area within Jewel Cave National Monument and surrounding Black Hills National Forest. They can sometimes be seen at the Historic Area. NPS Photo / JoAnn Stearns A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 501(c)(3) 1800 U.S. 18 Bypass “This institution is an equal opportunity provider.”
P.O. BOX 692 PHONE: 605-745-6017 HOT SPRINGS, SD 57747-0692 FAX: 605-745-3038 [email protected] http://www.mammothsite.org
August 25, 2020 Contact: Bethany Cook, Public Relations Coordinator
Fall Hours at The Mammoth Site Beginning September 1, 2020
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD Inc. is announcing its fall hours starting September 1- October 31, 2020.
The fall hours will be 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. daily and the last tour will be at 4:00 p.m. each day.
The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD is an indoor active paleontological dig site and museum. Explore this active paleontological dig site with a self-guided tour where over 60 mammoths and 80 other species have been discovered. The Mammoth Site offers fossil exploration through educational programs and fun for the whole family. For more information please contact Bethany Cook at [email protected] or 605-745-6017.
“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, familial status, sexual orientation, and reprisal.” (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). -30- MARK YOUR CALENDAR September 4 Mustang Rally Poker Run approximate arrival in Custer - 12pm September 6 Studebaker Car Show 6th Street 10am-3pm
Custer Senior Center
Click Here for September Calendar Click here to Check out the Custer School District Calendar for upcoming school events!
HUMOR HELP WANTED Our Address: 615 Washington Street Send Us An Email Custer, SD 57730
Phone Numbers: Connect With Us 605-673-2244 800-992-9818
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