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Monthly Archives: April 2021
FS City Commissioners Will Attend Fort Scott Forward April 27
There may be a majority of City Commissioners present at the Fort Scott Forward on Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 at 7:45 a.m. at the River Room Event Center. No City business will be conducted.
FS City Commission Work Session on LaRoche Stadium April 27
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session to discuss the LaRoche Stadium operations. This meeting is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
Good Ol’ Days: A Go For 2021
Good Ol’ Days, Bourbon County’s biggest festival, is a go for June 3-5, 2021.
Last year there was a celebration of the event’s 40 years planned, but the COVID-19 Pandemic shut it down.
“It’s always been an annual event, until last year,” Shawn O’Brien, chairman of the festival steering committee said.
“We got the news from the Southeast Kansas Multi-Health Department that we are approved to have the festival this year,” O’Brien said.
“Come out and walk Main Street,” O’Brien said. “We are looking forward to seeing everybody.”
New this year is a zipline, with more details to follow, O’Brien said.
“There will be a talent show on June 3, and the other activities are June 4-5,” he said.
Vendors will once again line Main Street for people to enjoy, along with food trucks.
The Red Garter Saloon will perform, along with balloon artists and caricature drawings on Main Street, all for free.
There will be the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce sponsored parade on Friday evening, June 4, as well as the Chicken Mary’s Meal on the Mall that evening.
The baby contest will be Saturday morning, June 5.
“We will have live entertainment on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Heritage Pavilion (First and Main Street), featuring the Wayward Betty’s,” O’Brien said. “This is free to the public.”
Saturday at the Heritage Pavilion, Public Display of Affection, will be the featured performers, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Fun Shows Carnival will be set up across from Luther’s BBQ at Oak Street and National Avenue.
The Steering Committee
The committee is comprised of O’Brien as chairman, Kayla Hull, Melissa Wise, Charlotte Thompson, Cheryl VanHoecke, Tim Van Hoecke, Shaylynn Clements, Kelsey Demott, and Carl Brenner.
“We are excited,” O’Brien said. “We have waited two years.”
Tickets for each event will be available soon at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall Street.
Applications for different events are on their website.
Check out the latest on the Fort Scott Good Ol’Days Facebook page and their websitehttp://fortscottgoodoldays.com
FS Parks Advisory Board Meets April 29
The Parks Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, April 29th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made available via the City’s youtube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Kansas Department of Agriculture Announces Specialty Crop Grant Opportunity
April 26, 2021
For more information:
Heather Lansdowne
785-564-6706
[email protected]
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Kansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Funds for the program are awarded to the agency by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
The funds are in turn granted to projects and organizations to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops by leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops; assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops; expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and addressing local, regional and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers. Specialty crops are defined by the USDA as “fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture.”
Applications will be evaluated by a team of external reviewers. The team will rate proposals on their ability to successfully promote specialty crops in Kansas and make a positive impact on the Kansas economy. Those recommendations will be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, who will make the final awards. In 2021, Kansas has been allocated more than $338,000 for this program.
Applications are due to KDA no later than 5:00 p.m. CDT on May 21, 2021. For more information, including the Request for Application form and additional guidance about the grant program and the grant application process, go to the KDA website at: agriculture.ks.gov/specialtycrop.
The vision of the Kansas Department of Agriculture is to provide an ideal environment for long-term, sustainable agricultural prosperity and statewide economic growth. The agency will achieve this by advocating for sectors at all levels and providing industry outreach.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports April 26
Make Reservations For the Annual Chamber Dinner By 5 p.m.
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Chamber Coffee at Papa Don’s April 29: Celebrating 10 years
Chamber Coffee hosted by Papa Don’s Pizza announcing celebrating 10 year anniversary in May 2021
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by Papa Don’s Pizza, Thursday, April 29 at 8 a.m. located at 10 N. Main St. to announce their 10 year Anniversary coming in May 2021 in this location.
Coffee, breakfast pizza, juice and snacks like fruit and cheese will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing.
Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.
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The Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports March 23
Use What You’ve Got! by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker
My Mom was an extraordinary country cook who knew her way around in the kitchen. She was like the Proverbs 31 woman of excellence. She joyfully practiced hospitality, which has nearly become a lost art in today’s society. As a kid, I can remember Mom baking pies to take to families that had lost a loved one. She never explained the reason she did this, and I was too young to understand why. All I knew was that if someone died, you needed to take a pie to the house. As I look back, I realize that she was simply showing her love by doing what she could. She happily stayed in her comfort zone and delivered a smile and a warm pie to a hurting family.
The Word of God contains many examples of people using what they had to make a difference. Benaiah was a heroic soldier who was armed only with a staff, but he wrenched the spear from an Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it. God asked Moses, “What do you have there in your hand?” And he replied, “A shepherd’s rod.” Moses used this stick to perform supernatural miracles of God. Shamgar saved Israel from disaster when he killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad. When the strength of the Lord came upon Samson, he picked up a donkey’s jawbone and killed 1,000 Philistines.
Rahab hung a red rope out of her window and saved the lives of all her family. A brave woman named Jael had a hammer and a sharp tent peg which she pounded through the enemy’s head and secured victory for Israel. Dorcas had a needle and thread and sewed clothing for the poor. Mary had oil of spikenard and used it to anoint Jesus’ feet, plus she had long hair and used it to wipe His feet.
When believers use what they have to help others, they’re pleasing God. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
Everyone has something they can use to serve and bless others. Everyone has at least one gift, and most have several gifts, that can benefit other people. Jesus is the best example for Christians to follow. “Jesus went around doing good…” (Acts 10:38 NLT). There are no complicated rules or regulations, so just do it. My sister-in-law has a sewing machine and she made 24 therapeutic corn bags last winter and gave them away.
If you truly want to live a life of love and do good, remember to “stay within your gifting.” I’ve learned some important things down through the years and here’s one of them: There’s joy and satisfaction in doing what God has gifted you to do. But on the flipside, there’s misery and frustration in trying to do what God has not gifted you to do. If you love it and you’re good at it, then that’s what God created you to do — so do it and you‘ll find fulfillment. When you use your gift to focus on others‘ needs, God will ultimately be glorified and honored.
When Jesus was eating supper in Bethany at Simon’s home, a woman came in with a beautiful flask of expensive perfume and poured it over his head. Jesus complimented her expression of love and said, “She has done what she could…“ (Mark 14:8 NLT).
The Key: Use what you’ve got and do what you can.
We Need Quality Housing! By Greg Motley
Submitted by Greg Motley, President of Bourbon County Economic Development Council.
Last week I gave 10 reasons why our community is shrinking; next, I will address what can be done to stem the tide. None of these solutions are particularly easy; after all, we are fighting megatrends that are impacting most small towns in America.
Our most obvious need in Bourbon County/Fort Scott is quality housing. There is a dearth of desirable places for people to buy and call home at all price points, but particularly in the mid-range. Do you realize that more than one in three workers you see around the county every day have driven in from another jurisdiction because they can’t find an affordable, quality alternative closer to their workplace?
You have probably noticed that not too many new homes have been built around the county in the recent past. The problem stems from building costs compared to the appraised value of the property once it is completed. Excluding land, with modest finishes, it costs a minimum of $150 per square foot to build a new home; that cost has accelerated dramatically during the pandemic, as lumber has skyrocketed. Lenders cannot get appraisals to come out anywhere close to the real number it costs to build a house in Bourbon County, so the homeowner has thrown away thousands of dollars in equity on day one of homeownership. How many Southeast Kansans can afford that loss?
What is the problem? Years of low comparable sales data, along with high taxes on Bourbon County real estate, are the two main culprits. Our mil levy combined for all jurisdictions inside the county are much higher than our neighbors, especially Missourians. Hundreds of people own homes in our neighbor to the east, while paying MUCH lower property taxes, then commuting to Bourbon County for a good job and pay a lower state income tax rate. It is a win-win for Show-me Staters.
What is to be done? Here are a couple of thoughts:
We HAVE to lower taxes. High mil levies have a direct impact on home values. Additionally, people have a strong disincentive to improve, or add on to their properties. To accomplish this, we must look to lower the cost of government by looking to see how we can cooperate with one another between jurisdictions and share services.
We have to look at where prices are closer to the market, and develop those areas. Market pricing is closer to cost on, and around, Lake Fort Scott land, and large lot subdivisions around the area, such as along Maple Road. Can we get government owned land into the hands of developers and back on the tax rolls? Are there actions we can take as a community in these areas to narrow the gap between cost and appraisal?
We have to consider options at all price points. In-fill vacant lots in the city will require grant money or a charitable donation to work. Similarly, mid-price housing will require creativity and an outside injection of capital.
This quality housing dilemma will take time to solve, but we need to dedicate ourselves to an outside-the-box, persistent search for solutions. We need to tackle it together as a community.