Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson recently received Legislator of the Year Award.
Tyson received national recognition as legislator of the year for her leadership and work on Property Tax Transparency, Senate Bill (SB) 13.
Tyson researched and led an effort in Kansas to stop automatic tax increases solely due to property valuation increases. SB 13 is being used as model legislation by other states.
Tyson said she was humbled and honored for the recognition.
She stated, “For years Kansans have been facing continued increases in their property taxes, being left with little to no say, resulting in some opting to leave Kansas rather than continue to pay high taxes. With the passage of SB 13, the shell game of who raised your property taxes will end. Local property taxing authorities will have to vote at a public meeting to raise property taxes in order to collect more money than the previous year.” Tyson went on to thank others, “solutions of this magnitude do not occur in a vacuum. It takes a team of people, many of us who spent time and effort.” Tyson drew upon her business experience to design and implement this system in Kansas.
In addition to Property Tax Transparency, SB 13 prohibits an increase in the appraised value of real property solely as a result of normal repair, replacement, or maintenance of existing structures, equipment, or other improvements on the property, allows County Treasurers to establish property tax payment plans, and removes the ineffective tax lid.
Tyson has math and computer science degrees from Kansas State and an engineering management degree from KU. After graduating K-State she began working in the Information Technology industry and continued working in this field for more than 30 years.
She is in the running for the Kansas State Treasurer position.
Fort Scott Public Library, National Avenue at 2nd Street.
Submitted by Valetta Cannon
Fort Scott Public Library
Youth Librarian & Assistant Director
For Kids:
Teen party in 2019 at the library. Submitted photo.
Party: Meet Miss Val to pick up a holiday party-in-a-bag on December 17, 20, or 21. Miss Val will hand out bags to kids ages birth-5th grade from Noon to 5 pm on December 17 & 21 and from Noon to 4 pm on December 20. Come to the downstairs desk and ask for Miss Val! While supplies last; items are subject to availability. While there is no minimum age limit, the bags are designed primarily for kids ages 3-11. Each bag will contain:
Holiday Activities, Games, Gifts, and Treats. Kids can choose between a Cozy and a Chic party bag.
Letters to Santa: While picking up your holiday bag, write a letter to Santa and send it to the North Pole through the library’s Magic Mailbox.
Dec Our Walks: The library’s sidewalks (aside from the painted front walk) are bare. Bring them to life for the holidays! Ask for a chalk bucket at the downstairs desk and Dec the Walks. A laminated sheet of design ideas will be provided, and adult supervision is required.
Activities for ALL AGES:
Go on a Candy Cane Hunt in the library! Now through the end of December, you may hunt for candy canes every day the library is open. Here’s how it works: Find a paper candy cane in a book from the children’s or young adult sections. Bring it to the front desk, along with the book so our staff can record which title was found. Get a real candy cane in exchange for the paper one! Limit 1 per day per person. No age limit.
Candy Guessing Contest:How many pieces of candy do you think are in this year’s Holiday Candy Jar? If your guess is the nearest to the correct number, you will win the whole jar! Share it with your loved ones or enjoy it all by yourself. In the event of a tie, the candy will be split evenly (as possible) between contestants. The contest will be open for entries from November 15 – December 15, 2021. Winner(s) will be notified within 2 days of the contest’s end. Entries missing critical information or made after the contest end date (Dec. 15 @ 11:59 pm) will be disqualified. Limit 1 entry per person. Must be able to pick up at the Fort Scott Public Library after the contest ends. Library staff and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate. Fill out this form to enter: https://forms.gle/4RgkLSZ32Ki9jM6VA
For 6th – 12th Graders: Our first indoor, in-person event at the library since March, 2020 will be this year’s Holiday Teen Party for middle and high school students! The party will take place in the upstairs main room of the library on December 20, 4-5 pm. Pre-Registration is REQUIRED for all attendees. Go here to register: https://forms.gle/ms84YVtHAJLJMhAQ9 Due to covid concerns, we need to keep the crowd small, so registration will be capped at 25 people. Parents are encouraged to drop their teens off and pick them up at the end of the party, rather than stay in the party area for the whole event. MASKS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Activities:
Saran Wrap Ball Game
Gift Exchange Game (we provide the gifts)
Scavenger Hunt
Handmade Gift Wrap Craft
Pin the Nose on Rudolph Enjoy free treats
Other Youth Services the Library Continues to Offer:
Book Bags:Miss Val compiles book bags on popular topics for easy curbside checkout. Each bag contains ten books, plus some stickers and/or a bookmark. The drawstring bag, bookmarks, and stickers are free for the patron to keep, while books check out for three weeks. You must be a card-holder in SeknFind with an unrestricted account in order to check out a book bag. There is no limit on how many bags you may check out at one time. Order your bag using this form: https://forms.gle/58aynMG1meWxH6dq5, ask for one at our downstairs desk, or call the library.
Current topics:
For ages Birth – 1st Grade: Boys’ General Interest, Girls’ General Interest, Christmas, Construction, Cozy Books, Early Readers Level 1, Early Readers Level 2, Farm, Mystery, Silly Stories, Snow, and Winter
For Grades 2nd – 5th: Early Readers Level 3
Maker Kits: Make something cool with Miss Val!
To order & participate:
1. Choose which maker kit you’d like. Currently you may select from:
Kit #1: Paper Weaving (Easy/Preschool)
Kit #2: Yarn Bowls (Intermediate/Elementary)
Kit #3: Paper Cup Towers (Easy STEM)
Kit #4: Straw Structures (Intermediate STEM)
Kit #5: Pipe Cleaner Challenge (Intermediate STEM)
Kit #6: Garden in a Cup (Easy/Preschool)
Kit #7: Recyclables Challenge (Intermediate STEM)
2. Contact the library to order yours by calling (620) 223-2882, filling out this form, or emailing [email protected]. 3. You may order 1 kit PER CHILD at a time. Once you have finished with the kit, order the same one again or a different one. Available while supplies last. Caution: Some kit items are not safe for young children. Parental supervision is strongly advised for children ages 3 and under. 4. Go to the Maker Kits Playlist on YouTubeto watch the accompanying video so your child can use the items in their kits right along with Miss Val.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten: The Library offers a free early literacy program called 1,000 Books Before Kindergartenfor children from birth through kindergarten. Each complete reading of a book that the child hears counts toward their 1,000 books, and participants receive rewards for reaching each 100-book milestone. You may choose to track your child’s readingthrough the 1,000 Booksor the Reader Zone app (contact us for the code), on regular paper, or whatever works for you. Email Miss Val or message the library on Facebook with each 100-book milestone you reach, along with a photo of your child holding a printed or handwritten sign showing the milestone and/or a book, for the library to share your child’s success on their Facebook page (optional). If you choose the photo option, we will post it in our program’s Facebook album and print a photo for you to keep. Either way, we will also give them the sticker for that milestone and a free book of choice from a reward book list (you may get them through our curbside or in-library pickup). We do allow children below kindergarten age to continue on beyond 1,000 books for additional rewards. Visit this link: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Signup Form to sign your child up online, or email Miss Val at [email protected].
Storytime: Order your bags for the remainder of December, and then join Miss Val online each week for another themed storytime! Watch the videos weekly on your schedule while enjoying the snack, and then create the accompanying craft with instructions from Miss Val. Current & upcoming themes: Holiday Music, Star Bright & Winter Lights, and New Year’s. To order, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/eGp6fLqStaCYL3Fd8 Near the end of each month, we distribute the bags for the following month, so keep an eye on the library’s Facebook page or other social media for updates.
6-12th Grade Group: The self-named Dragon’s Nest Teen Group meets on Wednesdays at 4:30 pm. Most meetings are held online via Google Meet, but this week will be a hybrid Book Discussion meeting, held both in person at the Keyhole AND online on Google Meet. To register for December meeting bags, fill out this form. If your middle or high schooler would like to join the in-person meeting, they may show up at the Keyhole at 4:30, Wed., December 15 ready to discuss books. Next week’s (online only) activities will be Word Games and Creative Writing/Drawing, and the following week, we will create our own versions of “Wreck This Journal” for the new year. Necessary supplies are provided in the bags. ear the end of each month, we distribute the bags for the following month, so keep an eye on the library’s Facebook page or other social media for our new month’s registration form.
Susan Denise Graham Chandonnet, age 66, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Saturday, December 11, 2021, at her home. She was born August 25, 1955, in Gardner, Kansas, the daughter of Elbert Ray Graham and Charlotte Lorraine Hixson Graham.
Sue married Rick Chandonnet. They later divorced.
Throughout the years, Sue had worked as a waitress at various Ft. Scott restaurants.
Survivors include her son, Tristan Chandonnet, of Huntsville, Texas; her sister, Kimberly Burkett (Jessie); and three brothers, Fred Graham, Tom Graham (Peggy) and Rick Graham.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
There was cremation. Private memorial services will be held at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the Sue Chandonnet Memorial Fund and may be left inc are 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.
Justin Meeks – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
Justin Meeks – Executive Session, KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
9:30am – Lawn Care/Snow Removal Bids
County Counselor Comment
Finance Director Comment
Publish Budget Hearing
Abstract Process
Vacation Carryover – Covid Time
Public Comment
Elected Officials Comment
Commission Comment
12:00 Noon – Executive Session – KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships (To be held offsite at 200 S Main, Suite 2)
Justifications for Executive Session:
KSA 75-4319(b)(1) To discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy
KSA 75-4319(b)(2) For consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
KSA 75-4319(b)(3) To discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative(s) of the body or agency
KSA 75-4319(b)(4) To discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust, and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319(b)(6) For the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property
KSA 75-4319(b)(12) To discuss matters relating to security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting would jeopardize such security measures.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas has been busy, among other things, with hiring, getting their new building secured and equipment purchased, and of course giving COVID-19 Vaccines and tests.
They will be announcing a new pediatrician coming to Fort Scott soon, according to Krista Postai, CEO, once she has secured her Kansas license.
“She is a very skilled and personable young woman who we interviewed three years ago, just out of residency, and now has decided this would be a much better option than practicing in Missouri where she is now,” Postai said.
New Building Site Is Secured
CHC secured the parking lot by blocking off entrances at their new building as 2322 S. Main.
“We secured the parking lot of the Price Chopper building to reduce the wear and tear on the parking lot and reduce our liability,” Postai said. “Work on the interior will begin in earnest in early 2022 for completion by December 2022, so we can get moved before our lease expires.”
The Price Chopper building, 2322 S. Main.
New Equipment
“A new CT Scanner and X-ray equipment has been ordered for our new building and will be delivered once the space is ready,” she said. “We are now installing a CT Scanner at our Pittsburg clinic which will be ready to use in January.”
COVID-19 Self Test Kits Available To Employers, Organizations
“We have received thousands of Quidel brand home self-testing kits from the Health and Resource Administration Services Administration(HRSA) for COVID, that we will be distributing, free, through our clinics,” she said.
The mission of HRSA is to improve health outcomes and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative, high-value programs, according to https://www.hrsa.gov/about/strategic-plan/index.html
CHC sent 200 kits to Fort Scott Community College last week and will send a supply to local employers or organizations with a need to test to protect others, she said.
“Organizations needing kits, there are two tests to each kit, can request them by emailing [email protected] she said. “There are no tracking or reporting requirements although anyone testing positive is urged to get a confirmatory test through our clinics. The tests in the kits take about 15 minutes for results.”
Sliding fee discounts and financial assistance is available to eligible patients, as stated on the front door of the CHC/SEK Clinic in Fort Scott.
COVID Vaccine
“COVID is still very much with us, we have patients in the hospital in Pittsburg and had a COVID-related death (last) weekend,” Robert Poole, CHC Communications and Marketing Director said. “I know we are all COVID-19 information-fatigued, however as we go into the holidays and begin travels and visit family it’s important to be cautious and be safely vaccinated.”
“CHC/SEK just hit 58,000 vaccines delivered so far last Monday morning,” he said. “Our vaccine teams have been working tirelessly to protect our communities.”
“We have plenty of vaccines available today,” he said. “You can receive a shot in our walk-in clinics and we encourage our patients to schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters through our website. (chcsek.org) Scheduling your shots through the website helps us to allocate vaccines to the clinics that need them and group vaccinations together to minimize vaccine waste.”
CHC has Pfizer vaccines for children ages 5 through 17 years old.
“Children need protection from COVID-19 for their health and the health of their friends, siblings, parents, and grandparents,” he said. “The contagious Delta variant, emerging Omicron variant, and more in-person indoor activities means that COVID is still spreading and there is a risk for getting sick.”
For boosters, anyone 18 years or older can choose either a Pfizer or Moderna booster six months after their last dose. The wait is two months for anyone who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to receive a booster.
For more information: 620.223.8040.
The front door of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas at Fort Scott.
There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14th, 2021. It is anticipated the Commission will adjourn into Executive Session at this time.
This meeting will be held at the Landmark National Bank building on the 2nd floor, at 200 S. Main Street. This meeting is open to the public, but the Executive Session is not.
The Uniontown 4-H Club met on November 7th, 2021 at the FSCC Agriculture Building.
Many of the club members attended the Southwind District 4-H Achievement Banquet at the same location prior to the meeting. Many members and leaders of the club were recognized for their achievements throughout this past 4-H year. The club received the Purple seal itself, the high award the club can receive.
The club also participated in the Fort Scott Christmas parade on December 7th in Fort Scott. The club teamed up with the Barnstormers and Northeast Scott 4-H clubs to represent Bourbon County 4-H.
Uniontown 4-H will meet again on December 12, 2021 at the Uniontown Community Building.
Charlene is my aunt by marriage on my husband’s side. Because I’m older than she is, we get tickled when explaining our relationship to those outside the family. She is a hands-on pastor’s wife, gifted musician, vocalist, artist, and retired art instructor. We recently met for lunch and I presented her with a unique mug design that I wanted her to create for me. I knew I would appreciate and enjoy a personalized coffee mug that defined my relationship with God. While visiting about the design, she explained that no two mug shapes were ever the same. Once she places the clay on the potter’s wheel and the shaping process begins, it basically takes on a one-of-a-kind form. Upon completion, the mug is an original customized creation, just like me (and you).
When my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’m launching into an unrepeatable course of events where I need to lean on Jesus. I don’t know what the day holds, but He does. It’s comforting to know that He’s not surprised by anything and I don’t have to be disturbed by anything. My heavenly Father knows what I need and has everything I need. I told Charlene I wanted two words, “Jehovah-Jireh” painted on the lower portion of the mug. This is one of the Hebrew names for God which means, “the Lord will provide” as referenced in Genesis 22:8,13,14.
As a background color for the words “Jehovah-Jireh,” I chose an off-white which represents sand. As believers, we can be confident that God knows and cares about everything in our lives. “How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!“ (Psalm 139:17,18 NLT). I have a large glass bottle of Gulf Shores sand on my kitchen counter which reminds me that God has me on His mind and is working things out for my good.
Representing the ocean, I chose turquoise for the middle color of the mug. “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown” (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). The word “when” (not “if”) is of great significance. We live in a fallen world, so it’s sure as shootin’ that we’ll experience difficulties. But believers do not go through troubles and trials alone because Jesus is on duty as Lifeguard.
I chose aqua, which represents the sky, for the top portion of my mug. “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak….” (Psalm 19:1,2 NLT). At dawn recently, I noticed an orange glow outside and curiously opened my east front door to witness a gorgeous sunrise. I grabbed my phone and snapped a shot of God’s creative handiwork. The sky actually plays “Show-n-Tell” every day because it can. Just as the sky shouts praises to its Maker, surely believers can do the same with our everyday lives. Because our great Creator God is worthy of our praise, we can celebrate His goodness and bring glory to His name.
The Key: Rejoice! You are a unique creation of God and He knows how to provide for you.
Gregg Motley. President of the Regional Economic Development, Inc. Submitted photo.
This might be the dullest, but most important column, that I write. Earlier, I wrote about the City of Fort Scott creating and launching a Land Bank, which was a great move. It gives us a good foundation upon which we can build. The next building block to add to this slab is a Community Land Trust.
You might be asking, “What the heck is that?” It is a vehicle that might be one of the keys to addressing our most critical need: quality, affordable housing for working families.
How does it work? The following is a hypothetical example:
1.Land Bank acquires an unlivable residential property on a city lot through a tax sale, and the existing structure is demolished and hauled away.
2.Property is deeded to the Community Land Trust (“CLT”), a not-for-profit corporation, to take advantage of charitable donation status.
3.CLT engages an architect, and building plans are drawn for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,600 square foot home. Estimated cost to construct: $200,000.
4.CLT solicits donations and grants for at least 20% of the project, from sources such as the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation. Project cost reduced to $160,000.
5.CLT signs an agreement with a high school or college vocational class to provide free labor and construction supervision, saving $50,000 in labor. Project cost reduced to $110,000.
6.Construction financing is obtained for $110,000.
7.Home is put on the market for $125,000, which should fall within an acceptable cost range to achieve an appraisal for an adequate amount for a buyer to secure financing.
8.Home is sold, an agreement is signed, and a ground lease is established. The buyer pays ground lease cost of $50 per month in addition to their mortgage payment.
9.CLT pays the excess sales proceeds to Land Bank.
10.Buyer agrees that the value they can receive in a resale is capped at $125,000, plus the additional value created by investments in the property, such as additions, fencing, etc. All modification must be approved in advance by the CLT. A property inspection is performed at least annually to make sure it is being maintained.
11.Buyer lives in the property for five years, and desires to move. The home is put on the market for $125,000, plus a modest cost of living increase of 1% per year as a profit to the CLT for future investments, and home is sold for $131,250. The original buyer builds equity by paying down their mortgage and investing in improvements over the years that create value.
12.New buyer signs the same agreement as previous buyer and the cycle is established.
This is a process that can be repeated, thereby establishing a supply of quality, affordable housing in perpetuity.
Every aspect of this plan is doable by our communities in Bourbon County. There are over 225 Community Land Trust operating successfully in the United States, including Douglas County, Kansas. Our Land Bank has approved a study of the concept; now is the time to move ahead.
