The Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site Inc. is now accepting applications for new subscriptions and renewals for their Fly the Flag project. The project provides homeowners and businesses, within the city limits of Fort Scott, the opportunity to display the Stars and Stripes on five different flag holidays during 2024 without the hassle of purchasing, placing, and storing a flag and pole. You don’t even have to remember the holiday!
For $37 annually, the Friends will install a 3’x5′ flag on a 12 foot staff at your home or business on each of the following Flag Holidays :
Memorial Day, May 27th
Flag Day, June 14th
Fourth of July, July 4th
Labor Day, September 2nd
Veteran’s Day, November 11th
Applications for new subscriptions can be obtained at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce or can be requested by phone, text, or email. Call 417-684-2484 or email [email protected]. Renewal notices are being mailed/e-mailed to 2023 subscribers. Both new agreements and renewals must be returned by March 31, 2024.
All proceeds support programs at Fort Scott National Historic Site including Symbols of Sacrifice, Candlelight Tour, and other special programs.
Show your patriotism and help our local National Park by lining the streets of Fort Scott with our nation’s symbol!
The Fly the Flag project is a yearly project sponsored by the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site. Once signed up, you will receive the option to renew annually.
Cassidy Lutz K-State Research and Extension Family and Consumer Science Agent Southwind District 211 W. Butler Yates Center, KS 66783 620-625-8620
K-State Research and Extension Southwind District – Family and Consumer Science Agent
Turn Babysitting in to a Business
School breaks are the perfect times for pre-teens and teenagers to earn some extra money by getting a job and with schools out for spring break and summer vacation, there will be an influx of parents seeking childcare. These two factors provide youth with a wonderful job opportunity – babysitting!
Youth work experiences provide many benefits. Personal growth that results from early work experiences help youth build their soft skills, which are character traits and interpersonal skills needed for all jobs throughout life. It also helps build their resume and leads to higher-paying future jobs.
Babysitting can be a fun way for young adults to earn money fast! Here are some other benefits:
Enhancing communication skills – By working for parents, sitters learn communication skills that will carry over to all other lines of work in the future. Caregivers must build strong relationships with families to show they are reliable and can be trusted to take care of young children. Working with young children also requires leadership, conflict management, and problem-solving skills that many places of employment look for in candidates.
Gaining valuable work experience – Experience in childcare can be beneficial for both the sitter’s personal and professional life. If they are considering pursuing a career involving young children, this provides them with first-hand experience of what that might look like on a day-to-day basis. It is also great for personal development as it prepares them for future parenting and caregiving roles. If they have a younger sibling at home that they watch on occasion, it also makes them more aware of how to care for and interact with them to create positive experiences.
Earning potential and flexibility – Babysitting jobs offer a source of income that is wonderful for students who want a job but might not be able to take on a 40-hour work week. Sitters have the control to make their work schedule and take on as many or as few jobs as they wish to, depending on their capabilities, prior obligations, and drive to work.
Building a sense of responsibility and empathy – Taking care of someone else’s child requires both of these skills. Sitters must prioritize the safety and well-being of the child(ren) in their care while also considering the child(ren)’s wants and needs. This balancing act helps build character and develops essential life skills for the provider.
To empower young entrepreneurs with the essential skills needed to become a babysitter, the Southwind Extension District is hosting clinics for youth ages 12-18. Topics of focus will include leadership skills, job readiness, child safety, and cooking skills and nutrition. There will also be hands-on CPR and First Aid training. For more information on dates, location, and times, visit our website at https://www.southwind.k-state.edu/ or contact Cassidy Lutz at [email protected] or call 620-625-8620.
Fish kill was observed this week at the Fort Scott Community College campus lake.
Walkers around Fort Scott Community College campus lake have noticed many dead fish.
A call with photos of the fish to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks gave the answer.
“The fish that are in the picture are gizzard shad,” said Lucas Kowalewski, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Fisheries-Region 2 Supervisor. “Gizzard shad are very sensitive to cold water conditions and it is very common in waterbodies where they are present to see winter-time kills. Especially in extended periods of extreme cold and periods where water temperatures fluctuate rapidly up and down (which we have experienced both this winter). ”
“That species is very common to see in the wintertime,” he said. “We are on the northern edge of their species distribution. They are very sensitive to cold.”
“This process can be important for other species, such as blue catfish, which will feed heavily on these winter die-offs of gizzard shad on our larger reservoirs, and I have seen migrating bald eagles key in on waterbodies where this is occurring,” he said. Leaving them for the birds and raccoons will clean them up, in time. If the smell gets bad, you might clean them up, but leaving them is OK, too.”
When there are fish kills, biologists look at two things.
Is it one species or multiple?
“If it’s one, is it something specific about that species at this time of year?” he said. “Or is it illness or disease?”
“If multiple species, is it something going on in the environment?” he said. “For example in summer there are low dissolved oxygen fish kills, due to weather patterns and dying plant materials.”
A Gizzard Shad fish kill at Fort Scott Community College lake on February 15, 2024, is the result of fluctuating weather, said a Kansas Fish Biologist.
A sign in front of the Bourbon County Courthouse in November 2021.
Two elections will take place this spring, a presidential preference one on March 19 and one on April 16, for a question on whether a one-quarter cent sales tax would be imposed locally to partially fund health care services, including emergency (ambulance) services.
The following is provided by Bourbon County Clerk Jennifer Hawkins.
March 2024 election
This is a Presidential Preference Primary.
“A presidential preference primary takes an act by the Kansas legislature to be conducted. The enactment takes the responsibility from the two-state parties (Republican and Democrat) in Kansas from conducting a caucus, and instead, having the state of Kansas conduct a primary election. It is a “preference” primary because it is an election where the vote totals are given to a political party to allocate delegates to candidates at the national convention. This is not a primary where the voters select the party candidate. This year, the state legislature decided to resurrect the state-run presidential preference primary, which had only been used in Kansas in 1980 and 1992,” according to the Kansas Secretary of State website.
Early voting will take place at the courthouse and begin on March 12 and run until Monday, March 18 at noon.
Residents will be able to vote at their normal polling place from 7:00 am-7:00 pm on March 19.
The list of candidates is located below.
The Democrat-filed candidates are:
Dean Phillips
Jason Michael Palmer
Joseph R Biden Jr.
Marianne Williamson
The Republican-filed candidates are:
Donald J. Trump
Nikki R. Haley
Ron DeSantis
Ryan L. Binkley
April 2024 election
The sales tax question will be the only thing on the ballot in April, Bourbon County Clerk Jennifer Hawkins said.
The one-quarter cent sales tax would be imposed to partially fund health care services, including emergency (ambulance) services.
“Right now, the question is still being drafted with the two attached questions being submitted by County Counselor Justin Meeks at the last commission meeting as possible options and are drafts that are subject to change,” she said.
The election will be held on April 16 with early voting beginning on April 9.
This is a draft of the tax question, subject to change:
Patty LaRoche. 2023. Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection www.alittlefaithlift.com AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
Dave and I have two new houseguests. In the beginning, I enjoyed their company, but recently I’ve become annoyed with them. Hubby finds them kind and cooperative. Probably because his wish is their command. He makes a request, and they speedily comply. He’s loving it and appears overly grateful and mannerly when these womenfolk respond.
“Siri, please set my alarm for 6:30”
“Okay. Your alarm is set.”
“Thank you.” (Dave seriously thanks her. He thanks a robot, and it responds with “You’re welcome” or “My pleasure.”)
The other night, when he asked her to set his alarm, he altered his request.
“Thank you, Sweetie,” he said, thinking himself funny.
She did not answer. Dave waited, staring at his cellphone.
“Dave,” I said, “You ticked her off when you called her ‘Sweetie.’ You crossed a line.”
“I did not. She appreciated me being nice to her.”
This scenario was repeated the following night. Still no “Thank you” from Siri.
“Told you,” I said.
When Hubby tried it with Alexa, she, too, failed to appreciate his term of endearment.
“You haven’t earned the right to call her “Sweetie,” and you don’t live in the South where everyone calls everyone “Sugar,” “Honey,” or “Sweetie.”
When I realized I was lecturing him on how to talk to a robot, I knew that we both were in mid-stages of brain decline.
Dave decided to trick Alexa to determine if she really was listening to our conversations, whispering to me ahead of time what he was doing before saying loudly, “Patty, I think we should buy a new vacuum,” pointing his face towards our new friend. Within minutes, Dave’s iPad lit up with ads for vacuums.
Personally, I found that alarming.
We are entering a world where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is causing us to question where we are headed. We appreciate that it directs our driving routes, screens job applicants and has tremendous potential in medicine and science, but we must ask where it all ends.
Today, I asked Alexa if we humans are special among other living things. She said that we were because we can think and be creative. I was glad she didn’t lump us in with vegetables and animals.
In Linda Kinstler’s article “Can Silicon Valley Find God,” she wrote about Rob Barrett, a researcher at IBM in the ’90s.
One day, he was outlining the default privacy settings for an early web browser feature. His boss, he said, gave him only one instruction: “Do the right thing.” It was up to Mr. Barrett to decide what the “right thing” was. That was when it dawned on him: “I don’t know enough theology to be a good engineer,” he told his boss. He requested a leave of absence so he could study the Old Testament, and eventually he left the industry.
Recently, I read that AI writes sermons and that there is an AI Jesus app where the app speaks to you as if it’s Jesus talking to you. “What is going to be created will effectively be a god,” engineer Andrew Levandowski forewarned and continued, “It’s not a god in the sense that it makes lightning or causes hurricanes. But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it?”
Certainly, not God, Mr. Levandowski.
My God is eternal, omnipresent and omniscient. He created the person who programs the AI system, and He not only offers us eternity, He delivered it by sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, something AI can only imagine doing.
He is the only god I will call “God.” I am concerned for those who do otherwise.
The agenda was amended due to an error under the consent agenda for Resolution No. 6-2024. The wrong address was submitted from the Codes Inspector.
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL COMMISSION ROOM – 123 SOUTH MAIN ST.
February 20, 2024 – 6:00 P.M.
Call to Order
Roll Call – M. Guns, M. Wells, T. VanHoecke, D. Olson, T. Dancer
III. Pledge of Allegiance
Invocation
Approval of Agenda
Consent Agenda:
Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1354-A – $772,929.91
Request to Pay – Invoice #17109 – Project No. 23430 – South Industrial Park Waterline Extension – Earles Engineering and Inspection – Inspection Fees – $10,596.05
Consideration of Resolution No. 6-2024 – RESOLUTION AND NOTICE OFHEARING WITH REFERENCE TO ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 314 W. WALL ST. – L. Kruger/Codes
Consideration of Resolution No. 7-2024 – RESOLUTION AND NOTICE OFHEARING WITH REFERENCE TO ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 110 W. OAK ST. – L. Kruger/Codes
Consideration of Resolution No. 8-2024 – RESOLUTION AND NOTICE OF HEARING WITH REFERENCE TO ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 1801 E. WALL ST. – L. Kruger/Codes
January Financials
VII. Public Comment:Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at the Commission’s discretion.
VIII. Appearances:
Mary Wyatt – Grant Update requested by M. Guns
Cory Bryars/Care to Share – Temporary Street Closure and Temporary Park Closure for Fort Fest 2024
Diane Striler – Ice Skating Rink
Deb Needleman – Repairs to Senior Citizens’ Building
Kendall Schoenrock – DCF Building Update
Old Business:
Suggested Street Advisory Board Ordinance Changes – D. Olson
SEKLS Library Board Charter Ordinance – M. Wells
New Business:
Public Hearings:
RESOLUTION NO. 9-2024 A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE REPAIR OR REMOVAL OF AN ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 922 E. WALL ST. – Codes Department
RESOLUTION NO. 10-2024 A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE REPAIR OR REMOVAL OF AN ALLEGED UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURE AT 515 S. HEYLMAN – Codes Department
Action Items:
Consideration to purchase (4) Dura Tracker Portable Flow Monitors with sensors and applicable cipher, software and training for Wastewater Collections System – B. Lemke
Consideration to purchase Lexipol Policy Writing Service for Police Department – $14,126.40 – J. Pickert
Consideration to purchase wide-area batwing mower for Woodland Hills Golf Course – M. Wyatt and D. Fowler
Consideration to purchase (3) skid steers for Streets, Wastewater and Water Distribution Departments – T. Coffman
Consideration of Change Order No. 4 – Project No. 21-074 – 17th St. andEddy St. Drainage Improvements Phase I – J. Richardson Construction –Final Measured Quantities – Decrease of $3,320.00.
Request to Pay – Project No. 21-074 – 17th St. and Eddy St. Drainage Improvements Phase I – J. Richardson Construction – FINAL withCertificate of Substantial Completion $14,453.15
Consideration of Change Order No. 1 – Gunn Park Shower House andRestroom – Hofer-Hofer & Associates – Creation of footing for stabilization – additional cost of $2,640.00.
Consideration of Quit Claims Deed – William L. Brittain and Michelle M.Brittain – B. Farmer
Consideration to renew Arnold Schofield’s term to Design Review Board
A business that provides personalized print services opened an office in August 2023 at 201 E. National, Fort Scott.
Global Print Brokers. Submitted photo.Darrin Gauthier. Submitted photo.
Global Print Brokers owner is James Stewart Gulager and there are two other employees: Darrin Gauthier and Paul Studyvin.
Stewart Gulager, from his Facebook page.
“We specialize in a variety of products, including stock products for forms, labels, and more promotional,” Darrin Gauthier said. “Our goal is to offer our clients the best of the best when it comes to print solutions, and we have the expertise to provide the best cost evaluations to ensure that your business operates smoothly. Reach out today to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.”
Paul Studyvin. Submitted photo.
“The business was started to help the end user find a better product and save them money in the process,” Gauthier said.
“We provide all kinds of custom printed forms and labels,” Gauthier said. “Along with supplying stock forms and labels. We also help out on promotional and plastic items.”
Forms they provide with some examples:
Pressure Seal
Integrated Labels
Joined Webs
NCR products
Cutsheets
Multi-Part forms
Medical / Lab / Pharmacy Forms
Letterhead
Envelopes
Business/Appointment Cards
Custom printed
Stock
Many more products
Labels:
Shipping Labels
Roll labels
Static cling label
Decal
Stickers
Tire
Industrial Labels
Window Labels
Water bottle labels
Asset tags
Many other items
Plastics:
Gift Cards
Loyalty cards
Mailers
Key tags / any other combination
Etc
Promotional items:
Pens
Signs
Rugs
Tents
Banners
Posters
Mugs
etc.
Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The business phone is 913-285-5774
To reach the staff: Stewart Gulager – 620-215-4464; Darrin Gauthier – 620-215-6298; and Paul Studyvin – 620-215-2523.
