The Fort Scott Board of Education encourages the community to come meet the candidates at the Meet & Greet opportunities on Tuesday (05/10) and Thursday (05/12). These will be held at the Fort Scott Middle School Flex space from 4-5 pm and from 5:30-6:15 pm. Please enter through the south doors.
Those who attend the Meet & Greet receptions will be given a paper survey to provide feedback. Be sure to turn this in before you leave to provide your feedback. The responses will be tallied and provided to the board in summary. The Board will then meet in executive session at the board office for purposes of interviewing each candidate Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm.
Submitted by Gina Shelton, U234 Board Clerk
USD 234
Mr. Destry Brown will be interviewing for the position of superintendent with the board of education on May 10, 2022.
Mr. Destry Brown is the first of two candidates that the USD 234 Fort Scott board of education will be interviewing. Candidates were selected for interviews based on their fit with desired characteristics that were developed with input from focus groups and an online community survey utilized during the search process.
Mr. Destry Brown is currently serving as the Superintendent of the Clinton, Missouri schools. Mr. Brown has also served as superintendent of schools in Pittsburg, KS, Frontenac, KS and has been an elementary principal.
Mr. Destry Brown’s Schedule
05/10/2022
12:00 p.m. – 12:25 p.m.
Meet with district office staff, directors, and administrators
12:30 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.
Tour of district school buildings with community host
3:00 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.
Community tour with community host
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Meet & Greet with staff and community at FSMS Community Space
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Private time for candidate
5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Meet & Greet with staff and community at FSMS Community Space
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Dinner followed by formal interview with the candidate and the board in executive session.
The board of education will conclude interviews on May 12, 2022. They will then determine which candidate is the best fit for the superintendent position in USD 234 Fort Scott.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to the Chamber Coffee this Thursday, May 12th at 8am. This week’s coffee will be hosted by Old Fort Genealogical Society located at 221 S. National Ave in the lower level of Memorial Hall. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served.
The Old Fort Genealogical Society is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the history of our families and our communities. There is a wealth of information on genealogy and local history including records, newspapers, books, photos, school annuals and more. They have a large collection of city directories, obituaries, newspaper microfilm reels, and many other records.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information.
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.
The first half of this week’s Friday Night Concert will feature Michael Lundeen on the keyboard, and Rick Hite will finish out the one-hour concert. Hite sings and plays guitar and mandolin, and performs a variety of music including Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Oldies.
“Hite began singing in church at the age of 5 and has been playing guitar since age 9,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “He has played The White Horse Saloon in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jekyll Island, Georgia, the Mildred Store, VFW, the Eagles, Elks, Old Settler’s Picnic, and various local venues. Lundeen began studying piano at the age of 6 and has a vast repertoire of hymns, gospel, 1930s music, and songs from his youth. We really appreciate the talents of these two local musicians and are pleased to welcome them back to the park pavilion. Come out and join your friends for an enjoyable evening of music.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas of Parsons serves as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
Submitted by Valetta Cannon, Fort Scott Public Library Youth Librarian & Assistant Director
Fort Scott Public Library is in urgent need of volunteers and donors to help make the family and teen kickoff parties possible.
The Family Kickoff Party – Splash Into Summer – will take place on June 1 at 10 am at Gunn Park Shelter House #3. The library needs about 15-20 more volunteers to help run stations (including a snack table, prize table, crafts, games, and toddler play area) and to supervise the party so that kids can stay safe around roads and the nearby lake. No party food has yet been pledged and much is needed. See this list for more information: Snack Foods Donation List and fill out this form to volunteer: Volunteer & Donor Form for Summer Reading 2022.
The library also needs 5 volunteers to help supervise the middle & high school kickoff party, which will take place at 4 pm on June 1 at Marmaton Riverfront Belltown Walking Trail. Food for the party is also still needed.
All volunteers who are capable of helping and are safe to work with children are encouraged to sign up, including teens, older children, and retired seniors. Miss Val will provide a letter of recognition for any volunteer work upon request, and will sign community service hours fulfillment forms for hours worked. Make a difference in your community by helping children learn through library programs! Email questions to Miss Val at [email protected]
Ellise Davis, age 98, a resident of Chanute, Kansas, passed away Sunday, May 8, 2022, at the Wesley Woodlawn Hospital in Wichita, Kansas.
She was born Elane Catherina Thompson, on October 27, 1923, in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Cornelius Thompson and Juanita Hughes. At the age of three, she went to live with Rev. Allen Jones and his wife, Mary. Rev. Jones was a deacon at St. Paul’s A.M.E. Church in St. Louis. She spent many hours helping him around the church and earned the nickname “Little Church Mouse.” During this time, she also played on the church piano, a talent she enjoyed throughout her life.
Her name was later changed to Ellise, but her friends called her Tootsie. She received her early education in St. Louis schools and went on to graduate from the Stowe Teacher’s College also in St. Louis. She met Paul Davis, who was an usher at the church, and they were joined in marriage on April 18, 1942, in Union, MO. Ellise gave birth to nine children.
Ellise moved the family to Ft. Scott, Kansas and later was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1969. She continued her education as a non-traditional student and graduated from Ft. Scott Junior College.
She went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in social work from Pittsburg State University, graduating in 1972, at the age of 49. Ellise worked as a social worker for the Labette County SRS Office in Parsons, Kansas for twenty-three years, retiring in 1995 at the age of 72.
Ellise grew up through the Great Depression, and despite many hardships, managed to get an education and raise her large family as a single parent. She also learned to drive a stick-shift in her 40’s. She will be remembered as a member of the Greatest Generation.
Survivors include six children, Saundra Woolfolk of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Paulette Mosbey of Kansas City, Missouri, Joyce Johnson (Woody) of Wichita, Kansas, Ralph Davis (Tänya) of Chanute, Kansas, Kevin Davis of Manhattan, Kansas and Deborah Goins (Wayne), also of Manhattan, Kansas. Also surviving are eighteen grandchildren, Craig, Kirk, Mitchell, Michael, Mechelle, Gary Jr., Maurice, Juanette, Kimberly, Ray Jr., Chelsea, Monica, Tyrone, Kiesha, Shenee, Alyssa, Sea and Jasmine; forty-two great-grandchildren, twenty-three great-great-grandchildren and two great-great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul, three children, Allen, Gary and Diane; four grandchildren, Dale, Keishia, Detrick, and Danicka; one great-granddaughter, Danielle; and a foster-sister, Fannie Mae.
Private burial will take place at the Evergreen Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Virginia Lee Warren, age 79, of Independence, Missouri passed away May 8, 2022, at The Villages of Jackson Creek Memory Care.
She was born December 13, 1942, in Mapleton, KS to Dorothy (Schmitz) Chapman and James Chapman. She grew up in Fort Scott, KS, graduating from Fort Scott High School in 1960 and always considered Fort Scott her “home”.
Virginia spent much of her childhood battling polio she contracted at 18 months old, undergoing numerous surgeries and treatments at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She learned to walk using a built-up shoe and braces and never let it slow her down. She was named Queen of Dimes at Fort Scott High School working to raise money for the March of Dimes.
After graduation, she worked primarily as a keypunch operator and data entry clerk at Western Electric/AT&T until taking her retirement in 2000.
After retiring, she enjoyed volunteering at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, her weekly grocery/shopping trips with her sister and Friday morning breakfasts with any family member who could join in. She was notorious for not being able to pass up a deal at Cargo Largo and was quick to tell you about her latest find. She also took pride in her large video collection, especially her vast library of John Wayne movies (her absolute favorite) and could always let you know when the John Wayne marathons were playing on television. She was also excited to finally go see “The Faces” of Mount Rushmore, the mountains of Colorado, and the lights of Las Vegas.
She is survived by her three children and their spouses, David (Laura) Warren of Blue Springs, Jerry (Sue) Warren of Independence and Jonell (Carter) Craig of Blue Springs, 4 grandchildren, Trevor Warren, Alyssa Warren, Sawyer Warren, and Ashton Warren and 3 great-grandchildren. Surviving siblings are Frances Richey (Independence), James (Elizabeth) Chapman (Independence), Paula Graham (Kansas City), Emmett (Doylene) Chapman (Fort Scott) and Joe Chapman (Independence). She will also be missed by many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents James and Dorothy Chapman, brother, Paul Chapman, and brother-in-law Ricky Graham.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 11th from 5-7pm with service to follow at Martin Luther Lutheran Church, 1200 SW Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit, MO.
Graveside service and burial will take place Thursday, May 12th at 11am, Memory Gardens Cemetery, Fort Scott, KS.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made in Virginia’s name to The Alzheimer’s Society, The MS Society, or a charity of your choice, and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Tourism is the act of spending time away from home in pursuit of recreation, relaxation, and pleasure, while using commercial services, according to Britannica Dictionary.
Local tourism is looking healthy as evidenced by the transient guest tax from 2015 through 2022, which just completed its first quarter, JacksonTough, Fort Scott’s Public Relations and Tourism Director said.
“Transient guest tax is probably the most common form of raising funds to promote tourism in a given community,” Tough said. “It’s simply a tax on hotel/motel rooms that visitors pay when they stay in Fort Scott.”
“Residents do not pay into the tourism tax unless they happen to stay in a hotel/motel in Fort Scott,” he said. “Advertising funds are primarily used for promotion of Fort Scott; from print ads, brochure distribution, website maintenance, materials to target motorcoach tours and conferences, social media ad placement, among others.”
The City of Fort Scott has had several tourism directors through the years whose job it is to promote events and attractions
Tough started last June as the newest public relations and tourism director.
Earlier this year, his office was moved from city hall to the Bourbon County Regional Economical Development Inc. office on the second floor of the Landmark Bank, 200 S. Main, he said. He is still an employee of the city but the move allows he and the REDI Executive Director Rob Harrington to work more closely.
Because tourism is also a form of economic development the city commission and the REDI board agreed that it would be smart for the two entities to work side by side, Tough said.
“Like Rob’s job is to help existing businesses increase and to facilitate new business, my job is to help grow existing tourism as well as promote for new events and tourism attractions to Fort Scott,” Tough said.
“I’m very excited about the direction we’re headed in, Harrington said. “Jackson and I work well together. He has his own economic development experience when he was in broadcast marketing and management and also through the chamber of commerce. He has put together a solid plan for marketing Fort Scott tourism into the future.”
The NICA race at Gunn Park in April 2022. Submitted photo.
“Even though tourism is on the rise there’s always room for improvement,” Tough said. “We are constantly researching opportunities. Whether it’s the possibility of more motor sports, expansion of rodeo events, adding disc golf or baseball tournaments.”
“There has been discussion of combining and incorporating Gordon Parks, Company D – 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment and other little known and under told stories of progressive African American leaders and events from the Fort Scott area,” Tough said. “It’s an inspirational story that should be told about our area.”
“Advertising funds are primarily used for promotion of Fort Scott; from print ads, brochure distribution, website maintenance, materials to target motorcoach tours and conferences, social media ad placement, among others.”
“We recently hosted two new events to Fort Scott,” Tough said. “The first annual Fort Scott Mud Run at the Bourbon County Fairgrounds drew approximately 500 visitors to town last month. The first annual National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) youth race at Gunn Park, also in April, brought approximately 400 visitors to Fort Scott.”
This month Bourbon County hosted with Crawford and Cherokee counties the 2022 Big Kansas Road Trip which features three Kansas counties each year.
The three counties cooperated to invite folks from across Kansas to explore the area.
“It’s been a fantastic event to be a part of!” Tough said.
These Are Events The Fort Scott Tourism Office Works With
FSCC Rodeo each March,
National Historic Site Spring Civil War Encampment in April,
Pioneer Harvest Fiesta Swap Meet and Town-Wide Sale each May,
Good Ol’ Days Celebration in June,
Lavender Fest in June,
Marmaton Massacre/Tri-Yak-A-Thon in September,
Pioneer Harvest Fiesta, and the Gordon Parks Celebration in October,
Veterans Day Events (Monuments & Memorials, Military Mixer, etc.) in November,
National Historic Site Candlelight Tours in December.
“We also promote Dolly the Trolley, the U.S.National Cemetery #1, our Historic Downtown District, as well as other events/attractions” Tough said.
“Fort Scott Tourism is continuing to build a strong brand, expand our social media reach, and target consumers that fit our primary visitor demographics,” Tough said. “Brand awareness is critical to building a relationship with travelers. We will continue to utilize creative concepts that deliver…measurable results. A unique proposition targeted to prospective travelers can create consumer engagement.”
For more information about Fort Scott tourism click www.VisitFortScott.com to discover more events, attractions, excellent eateries, cozy accommodations and more.
