Encouragement by Patty LaRoche

 

Beginning in 2016, Lewis Miller and his floral elves began an ingenious project in New York City. Loading buckets of flowers into a van, they began to secretly create arrangements designed “to make people smile.” And just like that, with their pop-up installations, “Floral Flash Art” was born.

According to Miller, “Our goal is to create a positive, emotional response through flowers…If you can just stop, pause and just have one second of joy, that’s amazing because that’s one of the things that’s so lacking and it’s hard.”

Once a month, Miller’s workers begin around 5:45 A.M. and complete their task before sunrise. Their arrangements are found in trash cans and near monuments, subway stations, construction equipment, statues, and street corner hot dog carts. Passersby are encouraged to take a flower to brighten someone else’s day, and when the arrangements are removed, they are taken to local care facilities.

Lewis’s love for flowers began at the age of seven when he would create (and recreate) designs using the same flowers. As a teen, his first job was to pick weeds at a local golf course where the lone female member, a 70-year old lady, took a liking to the young man and asked if he would be able to create floral arrangements for her home. He was eager to try, and before long, he was designing for her frequent parties. The word spread.

And that’s the part of the story I love. It took one person to give a weed-picker a chance, and now that weed-picker has evolved into a world-renowned florist who is giving back. One elderly lady saw potential. Was it that Lewis didn’t complain? That he was clean-cut? Diligent? Punctual? Cared about the grounds? Whistled while he worked? I have no idea, but this golfer looked beyond the lowly position and saw something she liked.

I’ve been there. When Carol Kent asked me to speak with her agency, I had no credentials like her other speakers. I had authored no book, held no PhD, and had very little background in public speaking. Yet, she gave me a chance, and it was life-changing. Of course, we all know that the ultimate one who saw potential was Jesus. Not one of his disciples had impressive credentials, yet he groomed them to grow into a bold, brave group of believers whose impact continues to impact the world.

We might not have the talent of Lewis Miller, but we all are capable of turning a weed-picker into a smile-bloomer with words of encouragement, and I’m thinking that today would be a great day to start.

Upcoming Events For June Provided by The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

June Schedule:

6/4 ~ Chamber Coffee at Sunshine Boutique (Will confirm if canceled) 8 am

6/4 ~ Old Fort Auto Grand Opening Event & Ribbon Cutting at 5:15 pm

6/5 thru 6/7 ~ Bourbon County Bulldogging Bash – Fairgrounds

6/5 ~ Honorary Good Ol Days Cruise Night, starts at 6 pm

6/6 ~ 9th Annual Tiger Baseball Golf Tournament at Woodland Hills Golf Course, Benefit to raise money for the Baseball Program. Starts at 8:30 am

 

6/11 ~ Chamber Coffee at Briggs of Fort Scott, celebrating 4 years!

6/12 & 6/13 ~ Spring Town-Wide Garage Sale (call the chamber and register your yard sale to be put on the printed map!) Also can sign up at Bids & Dibs, the cost is $10.00. All customers are to use hand sanitizer at every yard sale before touching merchandise and homeowner should have this available and practice social distancing.

6/12 & 13 ~ Retailers will be open for shopping as well with celebrating National Flag Week. With any purchase, shoppers will receive a souvenir American Flad and also they can fill out a Trivia Card to enter them into a drawing for $50 Chamber Bucks!

13 ~ Elks Lodge 579 City Fireworks Display Fundraiser – 3 Person Scramble at Woodland Hills Golf Course

18 ~ The Bourbon County Garden Club hosting Chamber Coffee

21 ~ USD 235 – Uniontown HS Graduation

25 ~ Old Fort Auto will host the Chamber Coffee.

Obituary of Paul Schnichels

Paul David Schnichels, age 68, a resident of Topeka, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at the Midland Care Hospice in Topeka.

He was born June 21, 1951, in Cautemoc, Mexico.  He and his three siblings were adopted by Elfie M. Schnichels, a Baptist missionary.

Growing up, Paul attended a country school and went to Junior High in Ft. Scott.

He enjoyed playing baseball, basketball and swimming.

Paul was naturalized at the federal building in Ft. Scott, Kansas on May 3, 1963.

Paul enlisted in the U. S. Navy in 1969.  He served aboard the destroyer USS Henderson.  He served in a hostile fire zone in the South China Sea, the Tonkin Gulf and patrolled the coast of North Vietnam.  Paul served under the Johnson and Nixon administrations.  He earned four medals and a letter of commendation.  Paul was honorably discharged in 1975.

Paul attended Ft. Scott Community College from 1973-1974.

He had several jobs including being a farm hand for four years.  He was a station attendant at the Derby Station in Ft. Scott.  He also made aluminum frames for Extrusions and Peerless.  Paul was active at the VA where he enjoyed volleyball, handball, lifting weights, ping pong, cards and chess.  He also enjoyed cars, listening to music and had a lot of girlfriends.  Paul was an avid reader and enjoyed reading about history, English, God and the Bible.

Paul struggled with mental health issues and was in treatment for mental illness for forty-five years.  After struggling with alcoholism, Paul stopped drinking in 1986.

Paul had a strong faith as a Baptist Christian for Christ.  He was converted in a jailhouse in August of 1971 and was baptized in 2000 at Emanuel Baptist Church in Ft. Scott.

Paul had a godly mother and loved the Lord.  He will be glad when he sees the Lord face to face.

 

Survivors include his mother, Elfie Schnichels, of Ft. Scott, Kansas and two sisters, Rose Brown and Linda Wurtz.  He was preceded in death by a brother, Mark Schnichels.

 

Pastor Larry Stevicks will conduct a private funeral service on Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.  Private burial will take place in the U. S. National Cemetery.  Memorials are suggested to the Emanuel Baptist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701.  Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Obituary of Carolyn J. Stancer

Carolyn Jean Stancer, age 67, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

She was born May 15, 1953, in Lawrence, Kansas, the daughter of Howard Wayne Cash and Wilma Leona Hillman Cash.

Carolyn married Kevin E. Stancer on August 24, 1974, at Ft. Scott.

In earlier years, Carolyn had worked for both Great West and Lincoln National Insurance Companies.  Carolyn has worked the last several years at Wal-Mart in Ft. Scott.

 

Survivors include her husband, Kevin, and her son, Terry Tarter, both of Ft. Scott; two brothers, Tommy Cash of Boston, Massachusetts and Everett Cash of Wichita, Kansas and a sister, Evelyn Page, of Windsor, Missouri.  Also surviving are several nieces and nephews including Nick and Alex Nuzum whom she helped raise and her beloved dog, Spike.

 

There was cremation and no services are planned at this time.  A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held at a later date.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Sidewalk Sale This Saturday, May 30, As Merchants Reopen

 

The weather looks good for Saturday,  a perfect day to get out and shop Fort Scott.

 

This Saturday, May 30, eleven retail stores have signed up to be a part of the Merchant Madness Sidewalk Sale, hosted by the  Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.

 

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and participating stores will be marked with purple balloons, according to Rita Schroeder, the Chamber’s administrative assistant.

 

Those who have signed up: include Bids & Dibs, Books & Grannies (inside), Heidrick’s True Value/Nancy’s Gift Corner, Fort Scott Gun & Pawn, Hedgehog.INK (inside),  J & W Sports Shop, Main St. Gallery & Gifts, Mayco Ace Hardware, Ruddick’s Furniture, Sunshine Boutique, Iron Star (inside) and Treasure Hunt Flea Market.

 

 

In light of the COVID 19 Pandemic, most businesses will have hand sanitizer available before touching items in the sale.

 

However, bringing one’s own sanitizer is a good option while shopping.

 

Hedgehog.INK is asking all who enter their store to wear masks as well.

 

Social distancing is in force in the county for all public events.

 

For more information:  620-223-3566 or
Lindsay Madison, President & CEO, [email protected] 

or Rita Schroeder, Administrative Assistant, [email protected]