Gunn Park hosts first annual Frozen Run

With temperatures well above the freezing mark and with the rain holding off, Fort Scott’s first Frozen Five and Dime Run at Gunn Park drew about 70 runners from the community as well as out of town and state Saturday morning.

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Tom Gorman, a trail runner himself for some time, organized the event that he says he and other organizers hope will become an annual event, though he said he prefers the colder temperatures they had prepared for instead of the warmer and slightly damp weather they had Saturday.

“It should be a perfect day for running,” Gorman addressed the runners of all ages prior to the run, which included five-kilometer, five-mile and 10-mile routes.

Most of the runners, some coming from Kansas City, Lawrence, Overland Park and even Springfield, admitted they had never used the Gunn Park trails. Gorman said drawing such people for the event had been a goal of theirs.

“A lot of people who have never seen our trails who will want to come back,” Gorman described the group of participants. “And that’s what we want.”

Runners who spent the night at a local hotel were given free entry for the run, while all participants received $15 in chamber bucks to go with the $25 entry fee.

Gorman said the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Fort Scott were great supporters for the event, as well as other organizations such as Hartman Spine and Joint and Mercy Hospital. Volunteers also participated from local church youth groups and other high school students.

Those with the best times were given prizes after the run. Smores and hot chocolate as well as colder drinks were also provided to the runners after they completed the trails.

New fort exhibit open for visitors

After holding a soft opening in early November, the Fort Scott National Historic Site officially opened a new Civil War exhibit for the community to visit during the weekly Chamber Coffee hosted at the fort Thursday morning.

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“Finally, after a lengthy time, we were able to get these exhibits installed,” fort superintendent Betty Boyko said of the project, which took years of waiting for funding and then planning before it was finally completed in recent months.

Both Boyko and former fort employee Kelley Collins, who was recognized for the time she spent working on the exhibits before leaving the fort in January of this year, said their goal was to update the previous exhibit to be more appealing to a younger generation that is interested in more interaction.

The exhibit follows numerous characters, including a slaveholder, abolitionist, slave, Native American and others throughout the years leading up to the Civil War and throughout the war itself. Videos of these characters’ different perspectives run throughout the exhibit, with some of the characters played by Fort Scott residents.

“There’s enough in the exhibit that every time you come back you’ll find something new,” Collins said.

Bill Fischer was also recognized for his key role in the exhibit, which he said included much planning, hiring different contractors for their construction and for the video and audio, as well as editing of all the information to make sure it was accurate and politically correct.

The exhibit was completed in time for the beginning of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary to be celebrated throughout 2016. Some of Fort Scott’s events to coincide with the anniversary include a vintage baseball game, Native Neighbors in October, Picnic in the Park in August and other events throughout the year with the fort as the theme, such as part of the Good Ol’ Days.

Fort Scott’s Weekend Events

During the weekly Chamber Coffee Thursday morning, business and city leaders from the community announced a variety of different events happening over the weekend and into the next week, encouraging members of the community to participate in the events to show support for varying aspects of the city.

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  • Friday evening at 7 p.m., the Fort Scott High School Thespian Troupe will provide an evening of Improv Comedy at the Common Ground Coffee Co., improvising based on suggestions from their audience. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the troupe for an upcoming competition, asking visitors to make a donation of $5. The Common Ground will also host a trio at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Gunn Park will host the first Frozen Five and Dime Run Saturday morning at 9 a.m., with participating runners choosing between five-kilometer, five-mile and 10-mile trails through the park. The $25 entry comes with $15 in Chamber Bucks that can be used at about 40 stores and restaurants in Fort Scott. Similar “Frozen” events may be held in future years, though the weather may not be as warm as this weekend, which has a forecast of warm temperatures.
  • The Fort Scott National Cemetery will again host the Wreaths Across America event Saturday morning, as part of a nation-wide effort to place wreaths at each of the headstones in national cemeteries around the United States. While about 800 wreaths were placed at the cemetery in Fort Scott last year, this year’s fundraisers and donations have allowed the purchase of 2,581 wreaths, to be placed around the cemetery Saturday at 11 a.m.
  • The USD 234 junior varsity basketball teams will participate in a tournament this weekend, including games on Saturday. Games will also be played at home next Friday, Dec. 18, against Chanute, the final games before Christmas break.

More information on upcoming events, such as other fundraisers and events can be found at the Chamber of Commerce website, fortscott.com, or by visiting local businesses or city of Fort Scott offices.

Debate Coach gives update on USD 234 debate teams

Submitted by: Amber Toth

We had a great weekend. We went two different directions this weekend. Our younger debaters went to Chanute and everyone brought home wins.

Our more experienced teams went to Lawrence this weekend. We brought home the 3rd place trophy out of 33 schools. In the varsity division, Seth Cross and Zach Humble lost in the semifinals to bring home 3rd. In the open division, Joe Adams and Isabella Province took 3rd after losing in the semifinal round. Jake Province and Suzi Owen took 3rd in the junior varsity division after losing in the semifinals.

Once again, Tiger debate has made a name for itself against the largest programs in the state. This was our last regular season tournament. Regionals is in two weeks. We hope to bring home a regional championship qualifying a four-speaker team to state. Joe Adams/Isabella Provence and Seth Cross/Zach Humble will be our four-man team. Hunter Parker and Breana Mooney will be the alternates.

We have also qualified our maximum number of two speaker teams. Our goal is to have 14 qualified for state in the next two weeks.

I’m so proud of how hard these kids have worked and how much they have grown. It’s a pleasure to coach kids who work hard and are coachable. A great weekend for Tiger Debate.

Lowell Milken Center building complete, prepares for grand opening

Submitted by: Dani Gardullo, 223-9991, [email protected]

2015 Lowell Milken Center Expansion

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FORT SCOTT, KS – December 7, 2015- The Lowell Milken Center’s expansion has neared conclusion as the building located at 1 South Main Street has been fully constructed.  This new exhibition hall will provide 6,000 square feet of exciting exhibits. The Grand Opening is in May, although the building may be toured now. The new Hall of Heroes will be located at the site of the major fire in Fort Scott in 2005. The new exhibits will feature the great stories of the past museum, such as Irena Sendler, and also new enhanced exhibits. The Center expects tourism to double over the next few years.

We offer a special VIP media tour of the building, just contact us at your convenience.  You will be invited to the grand opening, but now is your opportunity to get an advance look at the outstanding museum.

Since its establishment in 2007, LMC has reached over 1,150,000 students and 9,000 schools in all 50 states, with increasing global reach. In addition, LMC’s Fort Scott headquarters have hosted visitors from every state and 78 countries, demonstrating the worldwide application of its mission.

About the Lowell Milken Center:

The Lowell Milken Center (LMC) discovers, develops and communicates the stories of unsung heroes who have made a profound and positive difference on the course of history. Through project-based learning, people throughout America and the world learn that each of us has the responsibility and the power to take actions that “repair the world.”  Visit www.lowellmilkencenter.org to learn more.

Downtown businesses to stay open late Thursday for shoppers

Several businesses of downtown Fort Scott, plus a couple others not located downtown, will participate in the Mistletoe on Main Street event happening Thursday evening, giving the community an opportunity to complete their Christmas shopping locally.

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“The reason we do it is just to promote shopping downtown,” said Jessica Cook, marketing, relations and events coordinator with the Chamber of Commerce, adding they hold similar events throughout the year to support local businesses and provide the community with a chance to shop after getting off work.

This event, occurring 5-8 p.m., includes a slight change this time as 10 of the participating businesses will have mistletoe with a coupon attached placed somewhere in their stores. Whoever finds the mistletoe is asked to take it to the Chamber of Commerce, where they will be given $10 in Chamber bucks, which can be used at any chamber business.

Participating stores include Bids & Dibs, Books and Grannies, Country Cupboard, Iron Star Antiques, Bartelsmeyer Jewelry, Papa Don’s and Miller’s Feed & Farm among others. The Lowell Milken Center will also take part in the event through their gift-wrapping fundraiser.

“While you’re shopping you can get your gifts wrapped,” Cook said, saying the LMC asks for a donation of $2 to $4 for each gift they wrap.

Sell-out crowds participate in fort’s candlelight tours

The Fort Scott National Historic Site’s 34th Annual Candlelight Tour event brought more than 650 visitors to the site as tickets for the 26 weekend tours were sold out, even after adding an extra tour.

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“Overall, I think it was a good event this year,” park ranger and tour guide Galen Ewing said, saying the nice weather through the weekend helped. “This is the first year in a few years that it sold out.”

With “A New Birth of Freedom” as its theme, the tour included five scenes that might have occurred at the fort in the year 1865, just after the ending of the Civil War. Almost 100 volunteers from the fort, Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site, Fort Scott High School drama club and Fort Scott Middle School Pride acted out the scenes.

More than 700 candles were lit on the grounds of the site as the scenes were acted out by candlelight in different areas and buildings of the fort.

Scenes included soldiers preparing to go out on patrol, the announcement of President Abraham Lincoln’s death, the downsizing of the hospital, the opening of the Freedmen’s School for former slaves and the auctioning off of the fort buildings.

For the past five years, Ewing said the tours have focused on the Civil War years, leading up to the ending of the war this year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the end of the war. Although a theme has not yet been chosen for next year, Ewing said he is looking forward to it as it is the 35th annual event.

Community visits local homes during Holiday Tour

Families and organizations from around Fort Scott opened their homes and buildings for members of the community to visit and tour during the 36th Annual Homes for the Holiday Tour Saturday and Sunday, as well as the Moonlight and Mistletoe Tour held Friday evening.

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“This took almost a year in coordination,” said Rhonda Dunn, president of the Historic Preservation Association, during the Moonlight and Mistletoe Tour Friday. “And I think it is going absolutely great.”

Participants in the tour included buildings such as the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, built in 1872, which allowed visitors to see its collection of artwork and stained glass windows. Bethel Community Church, constructed in 1916, was also open as was the Bourbon County Courthouse, which had new exhibits on display.

Families also gave tours of their homes, such as Arlo and Ernestine Eden, who, with some of their seven children, pointed out its antiques and other items collected or passed down through generations of their family. They also told stories of their farmhouse, such as when a tornado tipped it on its side in 1916 and it had to be put upright once again.

Bob and Denise Duncan also opened their home, located on the second floor of what was previously a commercial building on S. National. A Mad Hatter Tea Part was also held at the location Saturday afternoon, with community members of all ages dressing for the occasion.

A new and possibly one-time addition to the tour this year was the E3 Ranch owned by the LaRoche family, which was the highlight of the Moonlight and Mistletoe Tour Friday evening. Interest in the tour led to the 150 tickets being sold out quickly, with more tickets being added and again sold out.

The Moonlight and Mistletoe Tour first visited the home of Loren and Julie Readinger, Jennifer LaRoche’s parents, which was built by her great-great-grandfather in 1927. The Readingers moved into the home just a year ago after remodeling it.

The tour also visted major league baseball player and Fort Scott native Adam and Jennifer LaRoches’ first home – now a guest house, their E3 Ranch house built in just the past few years and a building housing a basketball court, batting cages and further living quarters where a reception was held Friday evening.

Dunn said she had mentioned to Jennifer, her cousin, during the previous Moonlight and Mistletoe event that the HPA would love to one year have the E3 Ranch on their tour. Initially Jennifer said they would rather wait until they lived in the home full-time, but a month later they said they would host the event this year, with Adam expressing an eagerness to help with the fundraiser.

The E3 Ranch — named after a baseball term designating an error by the first baseman, LaRoche’s position — allowed visitors to see LaRoche’s baseball and hunting trophies on display as well as the living areas of the couple and their two children. A live nativity scene was also on their property, with costumed children accepting requests for Christmas carols.

Participants said they were pleased that the homes on the tours throughout the weekend had a lived-in feel to them, instead of merely being on display.

Friday evening, Dunn and the HPA also presented a check to the Chamber of Commerce and the city of Fort Scott to go towards purchasing a new trolley for the city.

Young Professionals League elects 2016 officials

During their December meeting held Friday at Papa Don’s, members of the Bourbon County Young Professionals League voted to elect officers and board members for the new year, also discussing what new things they might like to see in 2016.

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Bailey Lyons of the Fort Scott Community College was named the new president of the YPL while 2015 president Heather Smith will serve as the treasurer. Chris Petty is the new vice president and Alex Horttor the secretary.

New executive board members include Anna Allen, Jared Leek, Clayton Whitson, Jessica Cook and Melissa Wise. Returning board members are Mark Shead and Jamie Armstrong.

During their final meeting of the year, participants also had a chance to write down what they valued about the YPL as well as something they might like to see changed or added. Smith also shared information about the goals of the YPL.

“The vision of YPL is to be a catalyst for a better community,” Smith said.

Lyons said they follow a quarterly format, with monthly meetings focusing on personal or professional development, a presentation on a business or topic that is relevant to YPL members and the third meeting each quarter focusing on networking.

“We really are trying to make it to where everyone who comes gets something out of it,” Lyons said, adding it is also a way for young professionals to build relationships and realize they are not the only ones in town.

The group also received an update on how the soup line fundraiser held a couple weeks ago on behalf of the Beacon went. The event raised about $3,300.

The meeting also included announcements such as concerning the YPL Christmas social that will be held on December 18, at 6:30 p.m. at Lyons’ home. Guests are encouraged to bring a $10 gift for a gift exchange as well as a snack to share.

The YPL board will hold a strategic planning meeting January 8, from 5 to 8 p.m., others interested in giving their input can also attend.

December events announced during Chamber Coffee

During the first December Chamber Coffee, hosted by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry on South National, area businesses and organizations announced upcoming December events coming prior to Christmas.

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Cindy Bartelsmeyer said in upcoming weeks, they are holding a sale that will allow participants to purchase specific earrings for $5. That money will then be donated straight to the Beacon, Bourbon County’s food closet that provides food, clothing and other items to those in need.

“Shop local and support our local businesses,” encouraged Rita Baker, hostess of the December Chamber Coffees. “Because if we don’t, they won’t be here either.”

Bartelsmeyer said most of their customers are residents of the Bourbon County area such as from Fort Scott, Mound City, Prescott, Uniontown and Pleasanton.

Other upcoming events included:

  • The Historic Preservation Association’s annual Home for the Holidays Tours will be held this weekend for those with tickets. There will also be an art and bake sale at the Kennedy Gym and a Stocking Stuffer sale at the Fort Scott Middle School.
  • Tickets are still available for the Fort Scott National Historic Site’s Candlelight Tour Friday and Saturday evening.
  • The Young Professionals League will host their annual meeting at Papa Don’s Friday at noon, when the 2016 officers will be elected.
  • My Father’s House is holding a gift drive on behalf of 25 families this Christmas and is looking for businesses, families and other members of the community who would like to participate. They also need volunteers to help with the kettle drive at certain area businesses over the next few weeks.
  • The Common Ground Coffee Co. will host artists for musical events Friday evenings, Dec. 4 and Dec. 12.
  • With the progress of the Marmaton Riverfront project, the project committee is now asking for suggestions for naming the roads to the north and south of the river. Suggestions can be sent to P.O. Box 901 or to [email protected].
  • Next Thursday, the area Kiwanis Club will host a pancake feed event at the Buck Run Community Center.
  • The LEAD Bourbon County program will start in January, meeting the second Thursday of every month for 10 months. The cost for the entire 10 months including free lunches and a graduation celebration is $300.

Christmas Parade brings Santa to Fort Scott

Members of the community bundled up and lined Main Street for the annual Christmas Parade through downtown Fort Scott Tuesday evening, ending with the lighting of the mayor’s Christmas tree and an appearance from Santa Claus.

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“What a wonderful way to spend the evening with family and friends,” Mayor Cindy Bartelsmeyer said.

Local businesses, churches and other organizations participated in the parade, with the theme Old Fashioned Christmas this year. Representatives from Mercy Hospital, the Lowell Milken Center, SEK Financial, Westar Energy, Shepherd Autogroup and area 4-H teams, Cub Scout groups, schools, churches, fire and police departments participated in the parade.

Prizes were awarded to Medicalodges, Mercy Hospital and the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene for their floats.

The parade ended at Skubitz Plaza where the tree was lit. Children could then have their photo taken with Santa Claus at Papa Don’s.

County Commission signs agreement for Revitalization Program

Fort Scott’s Neighborhood Revitalization Program came one step closer to getting the approval needed for a renewal for five years when the Bourbon County Commission approved the program, joining the Fort Scott City Commission, who approved it at a recent meeting.

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Director of Economic Development Heather Smith shared information with the county commissioners Tuesday morning, seeking their signature for the inter-local agreement between the area tax entities, including the county, city of Fort Scott, USD 234 and the Fort Scott Community College. Signatures from the latter two are still needed.

“The goal of this program is to basically encourage rehabilitation and development for residential and commercial properties that may not otherwise occur,” Smith said.

NRP offers incentives to Fort Scott residents who would like to improve the value of their homes, property or commercial buildings without paying the extra taxes. Those involved in the program who increase the value by 15 percent receive a rebate on the extra taxes resulting from the improvements.

Those living along the Wall Street corridor are exempt from that 15 percent requirement and will receive the rebate on any increase in value.

In the first four years of the program, with 2015 data pending, Smith said 15 commercial and 14 residential properties participated, increasing their valuations by a combined $3.6 million, more than a 265 percent return on the money rebated to the participants.

“It’s a good idea for anyone wanting to improve their property,” commission chairman Barbara Albright said of NRP.

Since its beginning, changes have been made to the program, such as giving the county tax assessor control over the procedure instead of the city.

“Last year we made a lot of procedural changes,” Smith said, saying those adjustments made the process more efficient.

Those wanting to participate in 2016 must apply before the end of the year and can then receive rebates for five-year terms for residential areas and 10 years for commercial properties.