Monthly Archives: October 2017

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

City/School 2017 Election Forum Oct. 26

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Fort Scott Livestock Market is where the candidate forum will be located Oct. 26.

New council and board members are a possibility in the towns and schools in Bourbon County.

A candidate forum for the November 7 election is slated from 6-8 p.m., October 26, at Fort Scott Livestock Market, 2131 Maple Road. This forum is to let voters learn about the people who are running in the election for town and school positions.

The names of the candidates and the position for which they are candidates are as follows:

USD #234 School Board Positions: Geoff Southwell and David Stewart will vie for position four; Gary Billionis is unchallenged for position five; Jamie Armstrong is unchallenged for position six.

USD #235 School Board Positions: Brian Stewart for position four, Mike Mason for position five, and Tyler Martin for position six are all unchallenged.

Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees: John Bartlesmeyer, Elizabeth Meyer, Tina Rockhold and Kevin Wagner are on the ballot. The three persons receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.

For the City Commission of Fort Scott, the two candidates receiving the most votes will receive a four-year term. The candidate receiving the third greatest number of votes will receive a two-year term. Those competing for the position are Cheryl  Adamson,  Carol MacArthur, JoLynne Mitchell, and Robert Nichols.

In the City of Bronson, the mayor and the two candidates for council that receives the most votes will receive a four-year term, the next three candidates for council that receives the most votes will receive a two-year term. Those running are Clearsia Botts, Geraldine Reeder, Charlotte Stewart, Kathaleen Stewart and Michael Stewart.

Alan Stewart and Lee Roy Whitcomb are running for mayor of Bronson.

For the mayor and council members of Fulton, Mapleton, and Uniontown, no candidates have filed for these positions.

When no candidates file for a position “it will be a write-in,” Bourbon County Clerk Kendall Mason said. “The most votes will win.”

In the City of Redfield, Clarence “Ed” Guss is running unopposed for mayor, while Michael Beerbower, Wilma Graham, Clarence “Ed” Guss, Kirby Martin, and Richard Smith have filed to run for council.

For the Southwind Extension District Board, Ethan Holly and Terri Williams have filed.

Business, Fort Scott

New Window Dressing

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Eric Atwood, Jennifer LaRoche, and Loren Readinger lay out the cover for the windows of LaRoche’s building at 9 S. National Monday afternoon. The plastic cover is to make the building’s windows more attractive until renovations of the historic building can take place in the future. LaRoche said she will be able to reuse the cover once renovations begin.

Obituary

Obituary: Donna Joan Eaton

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Donna Joan Eaton, age 82, a resident of Milpitas, Calif., passed away Thursday, September 8, 2017, in California.

She was born November 14, 1934, on the family farm east of Garland, Kan., the daughter of Oscar Marion Woody and Wilma Helene Clark Woody. Donna graduated from the Bronaugh High School. She married Dean Eaton. Donna and Dean made their home in various cities throughout the United States before settling in California.

Survivors include her husband, Dean, of the home in California and three sisters, Sharon Robinson and her husband, Kenneth “Robby” of Sebring, Fla., Sandra Martin and her husband, Richard, of Strattford, Okla., and Marian Wood, of Joplin, Mo. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Paul Woody.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, October 16, at the Stevens Cemetery east of Garland, Kan..  Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 10:30 a.m. Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

 

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: The Greatest Tragedy

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Thank you to all who took time to text, email, Facebook or stop me in person after reading my story of Quinton Robbins who died in the Las Vegas massacre. Quinton’s life had an incredible impact on those who knew him, and the outpouring of love brought tremendous comfort to his family and friends.

Every evening following the shooting, Quinton’s friends hung out at the Robbins’ house to share memories of how he had made them laugh, how he guilted them into paying for boat gas, even though he never gave that money to his dad (who actually filled the boat tank) and how he defended anyone being talked about behind their back.

One evening friends showed up with popcorn and an orange drink concoction because those were two of Quinton’s favorite snacks. My granddaughter, Britney, and her good friend from college purchased a wooden picture of deer antlers, signed it “Forever In Our Hearts” and had all of their friends autograph it—no messages, just names. Thirty of the closest friends organized a paper lantern send-off following the high school football team’s halftime tribute to Quinton. Nikki, my step-daughter, daily took food. One special gift was a huge basket filled with every possible snack, dips, gift cards to restaurants, and loads of Kleenex.

The theme of last week’s article was “This is a fallen world and bad things happen.” My friend texted me with a different perspective.

Was Quinton saved? Did he know Jesus as his personal Savior?

I read between her lines.

Had any of our relatives (or me) ever shared the truth of the gospel, even though it ran contrary to his family’s denominational beliefs? How did we impact Quentin’s life story?

My friend’s exact words were as follows: “Gun control may have its place, but Son control does not. Isn’t it time we stop trying to control Him and let Him be who He really is—Lord and Savior?”

She is right.

If you have time, please Google “Where Is God in the Midst of Tragedy? by Hope Church in Las Vegas,” a church which had several members impacted by the shooting. My grandson texted me after last Sunday’s service to tell me how he was touched by the sermon, so I listened on line to Pastor Vance’s message about the evil in this world. He concluded by saying that the cross of Jesus Christ is the greatest act of sin and injustice the world has ever witnessed…God clothed himself in humanity and we nailed Him on the cross.

“Yet God, in his sovereignty, has taken that moment of evil and has demonstrated love like no one has ever witnessed. In this life we may never have answers to this Las Vegas tragedy. But when we see God, we will see it differently.”

None of us are guaranteed enough breath even for today. If we know our friends’ passions for food and drink but not where they stand with Jesus, what becomes the end of their story?

And just as importantly, what becomes of ours?

Fort Scott

Duffy Completes One Year

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Dillon Duffy enjoys helping people and following a suggestion from a friend, he started a new career as an insurance agent on November 1, 2016 in Fort Scott.

A year ago Duffy, 26,  was a para-educator at Fort Scott Middle School.

The friend, Danny Brown, told him of an opportunity to try insurance as a career at H & H Insurance. Brown teaches at the middle school and is another agent with H & H Insurance.

“He said, Lyle Adcock wants to retire,” Duffy said. “I started coming in here (the office) and enjoyed helping people with personal service.”

Duffy learned ” the ropes” from Adcock, he said.

“He (Adcock) retired in December after turning it all over to me.”

“We are an independent agency,” Duffy said. “We sell All-State, Progressive, Bremen Farmers Mutual, Travelers, Cornerstone and a few others.”

His insurance office is under the auspices of H & H Agency.

Ron and Barbara Albright own H & H Agency, which also provides real estate and property management.

Ron Albright is the real estate broker/ agent, while  Barb Albright and Crystal Mason are real estate agents.  Kaitlyn Jessip is the office manager. Diana Endicott is the accountant for the group.

Duffy is engaged and will marry Abigail Keating next June.

He can be contacted at his office at 2 Old Fort Boulevard or 620-223-5293. Duffy’s cell phone number is 417-214-4282

Fort Scott

Essence of Fort Scott

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Fort Scott High School Photography and Advanced Placement Studio Art class students who entered the “What Makes Fort Scott Special To Me” photography contest are from left, front row: Addi Labbe, Berkley Chavis, Grace Keating, Aubry Terry and Ashton Nolan; second row: Ethan Burrell, Darby Toth, Chloe Studyvin, Kayley Reyes, Gabi Griffin, Lindsay Lundberg, Daryn Wiley, Hallie Grillot, and Montana LaRoche; back row: Lizzie Thurston, Mia Perry, Dalton Womeldorf, and FSHS Art Teacher Ellen Kendrick.
The poster in the lobby of the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College Thursday, including the list of all who participated in the contest at the bottom of the poster. The contest winners were announced during the weekly Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee at the Gordon Parks Museum.
Darby Toth stands in front of her first place winning  photo “Liberty and Justice For All.”
Grace Keating stands beneath her second place photo “Friday Night Lights.”
Daryn Wiley is photographed by Fort Scott High School Teacher Ellen Kendrick in front of her photo submission. Wiley was third place winner of the photography contest with “A Local Diner.”

The “What Makes Fort Scott Special To Me” photography contest was featured with a gallery of the contest submissions Thursday morning during the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee.

Contestants were to capture the essence of Fort Scott in their photograph submission.

First place winner was Fort Scott High School student, Darby Toth, with her submission of “Liberty and Justice For All.”

Second place winner was FSHS student Grace Keating with her “Friday Night Lights.”

Third place winner was FSHS student Daryn Wiley with her “A Local Diner.”

The venue for the contest was the lobby of the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Following the gallery showing, the chamber coffee attendees moved into the Gordon Parks Museum, located in the center.

Chamber members each week may tell of events in the community for $1 per event, with proceeds going to the Dolly the Trolley fund.

Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin tells about the city’s recent purchase of seven acres adjacent to Gunn Park.
Penny Pollack Barnes tells about the TriYakAthon this Saturday at Gunn Park, starting at 8 a.m.
Craig Campbell tells about the DEA drug take-back event at the Convenient Care Center on National Avenue Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
First place photo contest winner Darby Toth, receives her prizes during the weekly coffee.
Uncategorized

New Coordinator For TriYakAthon

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Penny Pollack Barnes with daughter, Caroline, at Gunn Park last year. Pollack is taking over coordination duties from Frank Halsey, founder of the annual TriYakAthon, a multi-sport contest. Submitted photo.

Penny Pollack Barnes commented to Frank Halsey, organizer of the annual TriYakAthon at Gunn Park, that he ought to think about getting someone to help organize the event. This comment was in July at the annual bike race that Halsey initiated, called the Marmaton Masacre.

Halsey took her up on the offer.

Since August, Pollack has been helping to get sponsors for the event and getting t-shirts orders, she said.

“Frank does so much for the trails,” Pollack said. “He’s doing the dirty work. I’m doing logistics.”

Currently, Halsey is getting the trails marked for the event that starts at 8 a.m. this Saturday, Oct. 14.

Over the last several years, Halsey mapped out, then built the trails and continually maintains them. He is an avid mountain biker.

Pollack is a runner and has been involved with some of the events that Halsey has organized on the trails.

“I like the multi-sport aspect of the TriYakAthon,” Pollack said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Registration starts at 8 a.m. for the 5th Annual TriYakAthon and the contest start time is 10 a.m.

There are 4 miles of running, 2.5 miles of Marmaton River kayaking, and 6.5 miles of cross-country mountain biking in the TriYakAthon.

Competitors can go solo for $35 or be part of a relay team for $60. Online registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. To register, check out their Facebook page.

This year the proceeds from the event will go to a multi-sensory playground at Ellis Park, 1182 E. 12th Street, south of the middle school.

“It will be a special park that kids with disabilities will be able to use,” Pollack said.

The multi-sport event for the TriYakAthon involves running, kayaking and mountain biking. Photo taken from the event Facebook page.

Fort Scott

Vienna Boys Choir to perform at Fort Scott Community College on November 12

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Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

The famed Vienna Boys Choir will perform on Sunday, November 12, at 3 p.m. at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

Copyright: Lukas Beck

The performance is sponsored by the Key Charitable Trust, the Bourbon County Arts Council, Cheney-Witt Chapel, and Landmark Bank. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $5 for students K-12.

VIP seating, the first five rows of the center section, has a ticket price of $25. All seats are reserved. Tickets will go on sale starting Monday, October 16.

No group of child musicians has won more renown than the incomparable Wiener Sängerknaben, founded by Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. Six centuries later, the famed Vienna Boys Choir continue to delight music-lovers across the globe with their purity of tone, distinctive charm and a diverse, crowd-pleasing repertoire that encompasses Austrian folk songs and waltzes, classical masterpieces, beloved pop songs, holiday favorites and medieval chant. Gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty, they carry on the Vienna Boys Choir’s illustrious tradition as the world’s preeminent boy choir.

The Vienna Boys Choir is a world-class ensemble that is wildly popular. The Choir gives 80 concerts a year in North America, over half at near capacity or sold out. The Vienna Boys Choir presents timeless music with a universal popular appeal. With its broad repertoire of sacred, folk and popular music, a Vienna Boys Choir performance is a musical event that will draw in music lovers from all walks of life.

“This is a group of young performers who appeal to all ages,” said concert coordinator Jill Warford. “We hosted them in 2011 and they were very popular. We feel extremely grateful to our sponsors who provided enough funding so that we can offer affordable ticket prices to our community.”

Tickets will go on sale on Monday, October 16, at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall, Fort Scott. For more information or to purchase tickets by phone call 223-3566.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Local Author, Local Story

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Recently, Joyce Love has published a novella about life in the Fort Scott area at the turn of the last century.  But writing is nothing new to her.

In her years as the librarian at Eugene Ware Elementary School,  Love wrote skits and short stories for the library students, using puppets to act the stories out, she said.

She also wrote articles for the Fort Scott Tribune magazines “She” and “Ageless” and for her church denomination (Church of God) magazine, “The Gem.”

This summer, Love finished her first historical fiction novella, “A Kansas Sunset,” and will have a book signing from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at Fort Scott Public Library.

The book is the story of a 17-year-old girl, circa 1901, who comes from Chicago and stays in Fort Scott before heading to Pawnee Station, southwest of Fort Scott. Scenes for the story were taken from newspaper articles she found during her research in the Genealogical Society library in the basement of Memorial Hall.

Some photos in the book were loaned to her by local historian Don Miller.

The book cover is a photo of a Kansas sunset she took and features her granddaughter, Adriana Love, daughter of Jason and Kelly Love.

Love and her husband, Bob, live on a farm near the site of the fictional story.

Love is also the author of a children’s  book completed this year, “The Three Little Pigs, Retold by Joyce Love.” That book will be featured in a children’s story time at the Fort Scott Public Library in the future.

Publishing books

Many aspiring book writers wonder about publishing their work.

Love chose to publish her books through Create Space, owned by Amazon.

“They print on demand,” she said. “I had an editor who formatted the book and I submitted it through Create Space. It’s available on Amazon and Kindle.”

 

Fort Scott

Chili Feed Fundraiser for Kara Martin

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Since 1995, Paul and Kara Martin have been an integral part of the Fort Scott community, and now there is an opportunity show our appreciation.

A chili feed will be held on Saturday, October 14, at Fort Scott Middle School from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in order to help offset costs for two surgeries Kara needs to correct displaced disks in her jaw. Twelve to 18 months of orthodontic work will be necessary between surgeries. Insurance has offered to cover approximately 10 percent of the $66,000 procedures.

Paul Martin was hired by Community Christian Church as a youth pastor 22 years ago and since then has spear-headed Upward Basketball and Vacation Bible School and has been a committee member on the Youth Activity Team (YAT), the Fort Scott Visioning Committee and the Eugene Ware and Winfield Scott Site Councils. Kara serves on the Fort Scott High School Site Council. The Martins have five children enrolled in the Fort Scott public schools.

Tickets are $5.00 and may be purchased at Ruddick’s, The Butcher Block, Community Christian Church and the Chamber of Commerce.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Stutesman’s Action Realty Opens Office in Fort Scott

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Amanda Bourassa, broker, and Scott Theis, associate broker, of Stutesman’s Action Realty Fort Scott.

Stutesman’s Action Realty, Nevada, Mo., opened an office on Fort Scott’s Main Street in August.

“This is an opportunity to get back and work with people I have known for years,” Amanda Mahlock Bourassa, broker, said.

She is a 1997  Fort Scott High School graduate, and a 1999 graduate of Fort Scott Community College.

“I love Fort Scott and this is an opportunity to help grow our town and community,” Bourassa said.

Theis is excited to be in Fort Scott because he sees the city as a community moving forward, he said.

“It’s exciting for me to be able to provide service to help with that agenda by helping individuals and families achieve their real estate goals,” Theis said.

Their agency provides residential and commercial property real estate service, provides property management (handling maintenance and rent duties), and provides relocation services.

The business is located at 119 S. Main, Suite A, between Fort Scott City Hall and Crooner’s Lounge. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and after hours and weekends by appointment.

Bourassa can be reached at 417-684-5681 or [email protected].

Theis can be reached at 417-321-0929 or [email protected]

 

Bourbon County

KState: Do you really know what you are feeding your livestock?

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Submitted by Christopher Petty, KState Southwind Extension

How will you know how much protein and energy your cows will get when you start feeding your hay and silage this winter, or how will you know how much supplement to feed?

According to University of Nebraska Forage Specialist Bruce Anderson, correct sampling techniques, followed by lab tests of forage quality, are necessary for cattle producers who want to get the most value from their forages and profit from their animals.

Maybe the most important step in sampling hay, and sometimes the most difficult step, is deciding which bales and stacks should be included in each sample. Ideally, each sample should include only bales that were produced under nearly identical conditions.

Obviously, the place to start grouping is to separate different types of hay, like alfalfa or CRP or fescue or native prairie hay. But each cutting of hay probably is different from the other cuttings also, so there is another separation. And no two fields are ever exactly the same, especially if they were cut more than two days apart, so that makes another grouping. And what if part of the field was rained on before it was baled? The hay made without rain damage probably will be different from hay with rain damage.

After you’ve made all these separations, which could result in quite a few groups of similar bales, then and only then are you ready to sample. From each group gather a dozen or more cores from different bales or stacks and combine them into one sample. Be sure to use a good hay probe that can core into at least one foot of the bale. Check your local Extension Office to see if they have one you can borrow.

Finally, send these samples to a certified lab for tests of energy content and protein, maybe nitrates, and any other nutrients of interest to you. Then use this information to feed your cattle as profitably as possible. For more information contact me at 620-223- 3720 or by e-mail at [email protected]