Category Archives: Exercise

New Ladies Golf League Is Starting May 18

In 2021, Fort Scott newcomer Diane Striler brought up the topic of starting a ladies golf league with  Lindsay Madison, the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
A few weeks ago the idea moved forward with local interest shown.
It was then that Fort Scott Parks Director Doug Guns approached Madison about starting a league,  saying that recently several woman had inquired about a women’s league.
Woodland Hills Golf Course is owned by the City of Fort Scott.
“Lindsay introduced me to Doug and I started planning, ” Striler said.
 She will be coordinating a new ladies golf league in Fort Scott.
“The League will be called the Par Tee Girls,” she said.  “Our sign up will be May 18th at Woodland Hills Golf Course at 5:30 p.m.
That night we will pay our $40 league fee, take a picture for our website, get paired up with a partner (if you don’t already have someone to join with) and meet the other women of the league.”
The league will begin  on May 25 and play each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. through August 10.
“On the last night, we will have our banquet with a best ball scramble, a catered dinner and a lot of fun! ” Stiler said.
“My main goal for coordinating the league is to bring together women off all ages and skill levels to play a great game,” she said. “I have told many women over the years that if you would like to play golf, you need to set the time aside to play on a regular basis so you have a chance to improve your game. The league is very casual, and a great opportunity to learn. Our only opponents are really ourselves.”
There is an opportunity to join a competitive group for those interested in challenging themselves more, she added.
“The nice aspect of the league is that women of all skill levels can play together,” she said. “I only ask that you play ready golf to keep the pace going.”
Striler is coordinating some lessons for those women that are learning or who would like to brush up on their game.
To contact Striler, phone 248-568-7790
“Joining a women’s league is a great opportunity to meet a lot great women, develop your game and friendships, and have a lot of fun in the meantime,” she said.  “I hope the women of Fort Scott and surrounding areas will join us!”
Striler coordinated a similar ladies league in the Kansas City area for 18 years, starting the league when her youngest daughter was 4 years old.  She started it looking for an excuse to meet with friends on a regular basis.

 

Here are the Par Tee Girls Information and Rules, provided by Striler:

“*Everyone has a partner.

*We will play from the red tees.

*Please play ready golf – hit when you can if another golfer is not ready.

*Take only 6 strokes before green.  If you are not on the green by the 6th shot,                                                

(5th on par 3s) pick up your ball and move to the green so you can count your putts.

*We will have one game each night.  The winner receives half the putt money.  The rest

will go toward the banquet.

*Turn in one scorecard with all 4 players on it. (I do not record everyone’s weekly score,

so if you want to keep track, you can fill out an extra card to keep)

*When scoring, write down your total score for the hole, and then the number of putts you have for the hole. 

Do the same for your total score

This way you can calculate what you need to add to the kitty.

*If you hit a ball out of bounds or into the water, drop a ball near where it went out, and take a one stroke penalty.

*Free lift – If your ball lands on a man-made pathway, sprinkler, etc., bring the ball out two club lengths back away from the hole.

*Keep up with the pace of play.  You should be able to complete a hole in less than 15 minutes. That way the tee times don’t get backed up.

*Most of all, relax, play with new people and have fun !!!”

About Striler

Diane Striler. Submitted photo.
Diane Colgan Striler is a realtor for Front Door Realty in Fort Scott.

She grew up in the Kansas City area and discovered Fort Scott around eight years ago when husband, Dean, and she were looking for a lake house. Friends had recently purchased a home at Lake Fort Scott and suggested that they come look.

The community has been very welcoming, she said, and the couple “fell in love with Fort Scott.”

Striler’s original plan was to fix up some houses and sell them because of a need for housing in the community. She enjoys working with  hand tools,  has a background in sales and a marketing degree.

She decided to get a real estate license.

After visiting with Jared Leek, owner of Front Door Realty, things fell into place.

“I started working as a realtor with Front Door Real Estate and we (she and Dean) purchased the Ren-nett Studio Building at 6 N. Main,” she said. She now has a Kansas and Missouri license.

She works to get unoccupied homes back on the market, she said.

“It ends up being a win win situation for everyone: back taxes get paid, the past owner is relieved of the burden and a new person finds a home,” she said.

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Walk Next Thursday Eve at Riverfront Park

Pioneer Kiwanis, taken from its’ Facebook page.

Fort Scott Pioneers Kiwanis  Club will host a prayer walk for the National Day of Prayer on May 5 at  Riverfront Park on North National Avenue near the Marmaton River.

The tall deciduous trees give shade to walkers on the Belltown Trail in Riverfront Park.

“It worked so well last year during (the) COVID-19 (Pandemic),” said Marlene Braker, treasurer for the group. “When COVID hit we couldn’t host the annual breakfast event (which is held) at Fort Scott Community Collge.”

This year when they began planning the event, there were still COVID constraints, so they decided to do the prayer walk again, which allows for small groups in the open air.


The walk will take place between 4:30 – 6 p.m. The public is invited to stroll the loop and stop at each of four designated reflection points to pray.

“It’s a nice level path, with benches to sit and pray,” Braker said.

Unless there are storm warnings out, the event will take place, she said.

Parking near the trailhead is limited but overflow parking is available at Twister Trailers across the street.

2022 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER THEME

Graphic taken from the National Day of Prayer website.

The theme for the 2022 National Day of Prayer is a call to praise in prayer:

‘EXALT THE LORD, WHO HAS ESTABLISHED US’ based on Colossians 2:6-7 NASB

“This theme is set against the backdrop of an inspiring painting created exclusively for the National Day of Prayer by renowned Christian artist, Ron DiCianni. The image illustrates God’s people joining His angels in EXALTING Him as we pray, because He is God Almighty. We have bold access to His throne and passionate confidence as we pray – because HE HAS ESTABLISHED US in this nation and is working in the heavenlies to accomplish all that He has purposed – as we PRAY FOR AMERICA!, according to the National Day of Prayer website.


On May 5th, Americans from all walks of life will unite to lift up our country in prayer for the National Day of Prayer. Our nation has endured tragedy and pain, but we know prayer has carried us through these days and the hand of God will move us into a brighter future”.


About Pioneer Kiwanis

The Fort Scott Pioneer Kiwanis is a service organization helping the children of Bourbon County

The group meets on Thursdays at noon at the First United Methodist Church,Third Street and National Avenue, in fellowship hall.

 

The current officers and board of directors are as follows:

Elizabeth Schafer, President
Diane Spencer, Immediate Past President
Millie Karleskint, President Elect
Kelley Collins, Secretary
Marlene Braker, Treasurer
Cheryl Basore, Director
Vickie Chaplin, Director
Nancy Hart, Director
Gayle Sackett, Director
Judy Wallis, Director

Other members include:
Marlene Arndt
Dee Ann Davis
Sally Eckles
Tammy Helm
Bernita Hill
Carol Clyde Gallagher
Aileen Pollock
Gina Staudinger
Sylvia Trujillo

“In 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill into law establishing a National Day of Prayer, ” Collins said. “It is a day set aside for prayer and meditation and recognizes the role of religion in our country.”
“The Kiwanis Pioneers have held a public activity on the National Day of Prayer for over 25 years.,” Collins said.

Recently in honor of a Joyce True, a friendship swing was installed at Gunn Park by the group.

To learn more about the swing for the community:

Friendship Swing Dedication During Chamber Coffee April 28

On Thursday the Fort Scott Pioneers Kiwanis Club presented a friendship swing at Gunn Park to the community. Marlene Braker and Judy Wallis are standing, and Vickie Chaplin and Dee Ann Davis are in the swing. Taken from the organization’s Facebook page.

 

Friendship Swing Dedication During Chamber Coffee April 28

The new swing provided for handicapped individuals by Fort Scott Kiwanis Club of the Pioneers as seen during construction in November 2021.
Thursday, April 28, the Fort Scott Chamber Coffee will be hosted by the Pioneer Kiwanis. The event attendees will meet at 8 am at Shelter #3 in Gunn Park.
The Pioneer Kiwanis are dedicating a Friendship Swing in honor of past member Joyce True. Funds have been collected for several years.
Members of her family have been invited.
 A summary of the way funds were collected:
$435 – Memorial Donation from Joyce True family
$1200 – Fundraising
$400 – Kansas Kiwanis Foundation
$195 – Breakfast on the Bricks
$73 – Summer Bourbon County Fair Winnings from Members
$2000 – Fort Scott Community Foundation

Uniontown School Reopens Fitness Center

Uniontown High School.
The USD 235 School District reopened Uniontown Fitness Center to the public. The fitness center is located on the southeast corner of the junior/senior high school, and has its’ own door with a key entry.
It re-opened to the public April 13.
The fitness center was closed to the public by the administration in November 2021, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It  also was closed from November 2021 through March 2022 for the junior high, high school, and Kids Club Wrestling season.  They previously had used the fitness center as a practice room, Superintendent Bret Howard said. The room was the former library room.
The center is open before and after school.

“The fitness center is available to our physical education classes,” he said. “Our junior high and high school classes really don’t use it as they have the weight room. Our elementary PE classes used it on Friday’s before COVID. That hasn’t resumed post-Covid at this time.”

The Uniontown Fitness Center has a separate door to the district’s building, on the southeast side of the building.
Bret Howard, Superintendent of USD 235. Submitted. photo.

A keycard is sold to USD235 District residents for $10, a one time fee, unless the card is lost.

“For those of you who have a keycard, those should still work,”  Howard said. “To obtain a key card to access the fitness center you will need to contact Mr. Vance Eden, Principal at West Bourbon Elementary School.”
For any additional questions, contact  Eden at (620) 756-4335 or Howard at (620) 756-4302.

“You will be required to sign a sheet acknowledging you will agree to follow the rules and regulations for the Uniontown Fitness Center,” he said.  “You will also need to pay a one-time fee of $10. Once you have done those two things, you will be given a keycard and may begin using the Uniontown Fitness Center.”

Hours of availability to the public: Monday – Friday from 5 to 7 AM and 5:30 to 9:30 PM.  Saturday and Sunday from 6 AM to 7 PM.
Picture of the Rules and Regulations to the USD 235 Uniontown Fitness Center
The fitness center first opened in 2018 following the receiving of a grant.
U235 Students were trained how to use the equipment in this 2018 photo. Four students from each grade, 4th through 12th, were randomly selected to be student fitness ambassadors. They were given prior training in the weeks leading up to the official ribbon cutting.Submitted.
To learn more about the history of the center:

 

Getting More Kids On Bikes

Submitted photo from NICA.

A state league mountain bike race will be in Fort Scott on April 23.

Kansas NICA is coming to Gunn Park Trails!

The primary goal of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is to get more kids on bikes, according to information from  NICA.  NICA provides opportunity for student athletes, 6th through the 12th grade, to compete in the growing sport of mountain biking, and develop the life-long skill of cycling.

Submitted photo from NICA.

Gunn Park will be closed April 23-24 to the Public

On April 24, Fort Scott’s wooded and hilly Gunn Park Trails will be one of the venues this year for the Kansas League of NICA.  Setup will begin on Saturday, April 23, and Gunn Park will be closed for the weekend except to spectators, volunteers, and obviously participants.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking IS for flatlanders too.

Mountain biking is synonymous with off-road biking/trail-riding, as opposed to paved or gravel trails.  As long as you have elevation, rocks and dirt, you can have a trail, according to information provided by Frank Halsey, who is the liaison between the race organizers and The City of Fort Scott.

Halsey is an avid mountain bike rider and hosts other local mountain bike races in Gunn Park during the year. He initiated the trails in the park and started the Gunn Park Trails organization several years ago.

He was contacted by Tina Kahn, Director for Kansas NICA, about eight weeks ago, for permission to host a mountain bike race on Gunn Park Trails. He approached the city commission about “this great opportunity to showcase our local trails as well as the awesome hospitality of Fort Scott,” Halsey said, and the city commission approved.

Submitted photo from NICA.

“To host this type of event is an honor for our team of volunteers and tremendous opportunity for Fort Scott”, said Halsey. “The whole thing is very, very organized, and follows a 200-page rules and regulations book produced by the NICA.  It’s kids, so they are ultra-careful about doing things safely and professionally”.

“It is quite the production,” he said.  “Their infield/staging area is awesome with vendor and sponsor tents set up, everything fenced off, creating a pro-sport atmosphere.  It’s all about the experience for the athletes.”

New Fort Scott Team Next Year?

“The nearest team is currently from the Pleasanton-Louisburg area, but I hope we can field a team next year,” Halsey said.  “There are currently about 140 (Kansas) student athletes, making up eleven different teams from across the state.”

Submitted photo from NICA.

To learn more about the Kansas league: https://www.kansasmtb.org/

NICA’s Kansas League is asking for 40-50 volunteers to help with the event and one can sign up here: https://signup.com/go/oFWBuyG

To learn more:

2020 NICA Dirt Tour – final

Submitted photo from NICA.

 

Walk To A Healthier Lifestyle: Walk Kansas Starts March 26

Clara Wikoff. Submitted photo.

This is Clara Wikoff’s first Walk Kansas event as a Nutrition, Food, and Health Kansas State University Extension Agent.

This year K-State Southwind District, which includes Bourbon County, is hosting the annual walk-team event in conjunction with Wildcat District, she said.

“We hope you’ll join us at the Wild Wind Fun Walk/Run Walk Kansas Kick-off,” she said. “It will be at Chanute, which is more central to each district.”

“Anyone can participate and those 18 and younger, can for free,” Wikoff said.

Adult registration is $25 which includes the event entry, T-shirt and Walk Kansas registration.  If one just wants to participate, the program is free, she said.

If already registered for Walk Kansas, then pay $15 for the event and T-shirt.

The kick-off fun run starts at 9 a.m. this Saturday, March 26, in the Neosho County Community College Student Union at 800 W. 14th in Chanute.

There will be a closed Walk Kansas Facebook support group page, she said. “To help people reach their goals. If a state of Kansas employee, you are eligible for Health Quest Credit.”

There will be a weekly newsletter, recipes, and a youth newsletter to all who participate, she said.

Walk Kansas is a team-based program that will help you and others lead a healthier life, according to a K-State press release.

Join this program and

  • Learn how eating a certain way can help protect brain function and reduce your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
  • Be more active with friends and family
  • Make better nutrition choices
  • Walk away your stress

You can register online at https://www.walkkansasonline.org

Print resources to get started are listed below:

For Team Captains:  Captain GuideTeam Registration

For Participants: Participant GuideIndividual RegistrationDaily Log

For Everyone: Walk Kansas Activity Guide

Guess what?  There’s an app for that!  You’ll need to register online first, then you can use it to log minutes, chat with your team, and more!  Please note that the app is for iOS systems.  An app for Android systems is in the works, and you’ll see it here when it becomes available.

If you have questions about Walk Kansas, please call Clara Wicoff: 620-365-2242, or email: [email protected]

wild wind

 

 

Walk Kansas Kickoff Event Set for March 26

Join the Southwind Extension District for our Walk Kansas 2022 kickoff event! Walk Kansas is a team-based health initiative program that will inspire you to lead a healthier life by being more active. To celebrate the start of this year’s program, a fun 5K run and 3K or 1K walk is being held at Neosho County Community College on March 26th at 9 AM. The $25 adult registration fee includes event entry, a t-shirt, and the registration fee for Walk Kansas! Youth can attend the event for only $15, since their Walk Kansas registration is free. Early registration guarantees t-shirt size availability. We are so excited to kick off Walk Kansas with our friends in the Wildcat Extension District, who are cohosting this event! To register, visit www.bit.ly/Wildcatpay or call 620-331-2690. (Please note when you register that if you have already registered and paid for Walk Kansas and would like to participate in the kickoff event, the cost is just $15 for you.) So, tighten up those laces! We hope to see you there. Contact Clara Wicoff, Nutrition, Food and Health Agent, with questions at 620-365-2242 or [email protected].

Splash Pad is being Planned For Gunn Park

A similar splash pad to this image is being planned for Gunn Park. Submitted photo.

A small group of Fort Scott residents, most of whom have young children,  have a vision for a splash pad in Gunn Park.

A splash pad is a water recreational play area, which in other cities, is often in a public area.

“A splash pad will benefit all ages,” Josh Jones, one of the organizers said.  “It’s a great way for people of all ages to stay active during hot summer days.”

columbiasc.momcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/splash-pad-2.jpg Taken from Facebook.

“A small group of us started this right before COVID  (the disease pandemic) hit and it’s been on hold till recently,” he said.

The group is comprised of Kristin Bishop, Will Bishop, Seth Needham, Bailey Lyons, and Jones.

“The planned location for the splash pad will be right down from the caretaker’s house, on the east side of the road, as you start to exit Gunn Park, across from shelter house #1 (the big rock shelter house),” he said.

Fundraising will begin January 2022 and the plan is for the splash pad to be operational by summer 2023, Jones said.

“We have a couple of fundraisers lined up that we will announce in the next month or so,” he said.

Donations are being accepted at Lyons Realty Group, Bourbon County Cars, or Venmo at Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.

 

Riverfront Park: A Work In Progress

Riverfront Park, 2021

Riverfront Park on the north end of Fort Scott near the Marmaton River, is a work in progress.

As grants have been received, the Riverfront Park Authority Board has put in place many amenities that the public can enjoy: a tree-lined walking trail and lighting for that trail, a pavilion with electricity, several resting areas and a boardwalk,  with views overlooking the river.

A recent flood wrecked the boardwalk overlook, so it was disassembled and moved to the south, across the river on higher ground.

“The flood put it on the edge of the riverbank, almost in the river,” Jerry Witt, a member of the Riverfront Park Authority said.

Johnny Walker Construction did the work of moving the boardwalk, he said. The timber for the original project was donated by Evergy Electric and was reused.

The Fort Scott Fire Department washed and cleaned it after it was reconstructed, about two months ago, Witt said.

“It’s shaded in a beautiful spot,” Witt said.

On the horizon for the Riverfront Park Authority is an 8-foot wide asphalt trail that will lead to the boardwalk overlook.

In a circle garden spot on the River Loop Road, from which one can now see the boardwalk, the Bourbon County Garden Club has planted a colorful garden.

“I want to thank them for their work,” Witt said.

This club also plants and maintains the plants in downtown Fort Scott.

“The fire department has been watering the flower bed this summer and we thank them, as well,” Witt said.

There has been added traffic to the River Loop Park because of the murals painted in the Hwy. 69 underpass that segments the park, he said.

The murals were painted by local artist Stephen Toal.

To view a prior story on Toal and see the murals: Art Is Therapy For Toal

The Riverfront Park Authority Board is preparing the write a grant to finish the walking trails on the River Loop Road, Witt said.

The board has also had the engineering done and also permits completed to build a walking bridge across the river, he said.

“We just need the funding to secure that,” Witt said.

The board applied for a grant a few years ago to bring a historic Bourbon County bridge to the park for public use.

“We received a $750,000 grant to move it, but all bids came in over $1,000,000, so we gave the grant back,” Witt said.

The idea to remake Riverfront Park began in 2005 and a group of citizens was commissioned by then-Governor Sibelius in 2007.

The board is comprised of Witt, Bob Love, Danny Magee, Arnold Schofield, Jeff Sweetser, and Allen Warren. Ex-officio members are Dean Mann, Betty Boyko, Penny Barnes, and Kate Sweetser.

To see a prior story on the park:

Overlook of the Marmaton River in Place at Riverfront Park

 

Riverfront Park Trail is a calming walk on a beautiful day.

 

Bike Trail Coming To Bourbon County

The signs that will designate the bike route of the new Prairie Pathways Bike Trail coming to Bourbon County. Submitted photo.
Representatives from a neighboring county spoke to the Fort Scott City Commission recently about a proposed bicycle trail in Bourbon County.
John Leahy, Thrive Allen County Bike and Trails Coordinator and John Castellaw the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for Thrive
 covered a brief history of how the Prairie Pathways plan (approved by Bourbon County, Allen County, and Crawford County) was the first rural active transportation plan in Kansas.

The men then detailed the entirety of the route along old Highway 54 from Fort Scott to Iola, to the city commission, Leahy said.

“We needed to appear before the (FS)city council because we were seeking final approval of the signs for the Prairie Pathways within Fort Scott city limits,” he said.

“The route has been set in all three counties,” Jody Hoener, Healthy Bourbon County Action Team CEO said.

“Bourbon County will have approximately 23 miles of the total 43 miles from Fort Scott to Iola,” Leahy said.

“We are working on gaining permission through each of the cities (in Bourbon County),” Hoener said.  “We have obtained permission for signs from the City of Fort Scott. They will also be presenting to the City of Uniontown and to Bronson City Council to gain permission for sign placement.

“Eric Bailey with Bourbon County’s Public Work will be helping us with installing (sign) posts,” she said. ” Right now they are working hard on getting as many miles as asphalt down as possible.  They will help us with installation as soon as they can.”

 “Allen County, Bourbon County, and Crawford County (ABC) are actively working to improve the bicycling and walking environment to improve access to opportunities for physical activity, enhance the quality of life, and encourage economic growth”, according to information provided by Leahy . “Each community recognizes that active transportation – biking and walking for transportation, as well as outdoor recreation – impacts our lives in several important ways. Research, such as the cost-benefit analysis The Potential Trail Benefits for Bourbon County, Kansas, (Robb, 2017) has shown trails to do more than add to community’s appeal as a place to live, such as:
● Increased sales for existing businesses
● Opportunities for new business
● Increased value and speed of sale of nearby properties
● Reduced medical costs from healthy activities
● Business location and relocation decisions
● Healthcare insurance decisions
● Addresses rural transportation issues
● Low or no-cost recreational opportunity
● Attracts and retains a skilled and unskilled workforce
● It helps lower transportation costs, both for individuals and for communities as a whole;
● Provides attractions for visitors”
The ABC plan’s name was recently changed to Prairie Pathways, he said.

 

“In respect to a timeline, Thrive is working with both Allen County Public Works as well as the City of Iola Public Works Department,” he said. “We are trying to coordinate both so the signs are installed along a similar time frame after the…(Allen County Public Works)asphalt season.”

John Leahy can be reached at  620-365-8128

Hoener can be reached at [email protected]

” Funding for the planning stage is from the Sunflower Foundation,” Hoener said.  “We have grant dollars from Blue Cross Blue Cross  Pathways to Healthy Kansas for signage and posts.”

John Castellaw the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for Thrive Allen County spoke to the Fort Scott City Commission about the bike trail. Submitted photo.
Jody Hoener with John Leahy and John Castellaw at a recent Fort Scott City Commission meeting. Submitted photos.

“Funding for the planning stage is from the Sunflower Foundation,” Hoener said.  “We have grant dollars from Blue Cross Blue Cross  Pathways to Healthy Kansas for signage and posts.”

ABC Trails has been renamed Prairie Pathways. Hoener provided the cost benefits poster.