All posts by Loretta George

Bourbon County, Business

Freedom Farm: Next Generation of Family Farms

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Free-range chicken is a meat product grown by Freedom Farms. Photos submitted by Gary Palmer.
Gary and Kylene Palmer are the owners of  Freedom Farms, located at 1863 Eagle Rd, Fort Scott.
“WE LOVE FOOD!!!, Gary said.  “We eat a lot, with a family
of six. With eating being one of the things we do most, just like many of you, our minds began to wonder about the nutritional value of the
food we eat.”
So after research and thought, the  couple decided to start raising and producing some of their own food, he said
“We have been raising our own cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens for several years to provide healthy, great tasting meat for our
family,” he said.  “This way, we know exactly what is (and
what is not) in our food.”
“We take much comfort in knowing where our food comes from,” he said.  “We believe other people would too!”
They strive for a healthy option for the animal and themselves, Gary said.  “We take great pride in giving our animals the best life possible. They are treated as part of our family. Our dream is to work as a family to share this with others.”
Ground lamb is one of the meat products grown at Freedom Farm. Photo by Gary Palmer.
Currently, the Palmers offer free-range farm fresh eggs, whole, and packaged chicken, lamb, and goat meat.
“Our eggs are currently available at the Downtown Star Emporium,” he said. “We hope to offer meat there in the near future.  We are licensed with the state of Kansas and candle and inspect every egg sold in the grocery store.”
The egg label shows Grade: AA Size: Large and the Package Date. Photo by Gary Palmer.
“Since our eggs go from free-range to package quickly we can grade them AA,” Gary said. ” To my knowledge, we are the only provider of Grade: AA eggs in town. Each egg is inspected and approved by hand.”
Gary, along with his wife, Kylene, and their four daughters currently operate the farm.
Gary and Kylene Palmer and their four daughters. Submitted photo From left to right: .Lexi Marchiano, Jentry Palmer, Kylene Palmer, Gary Palmer, Riley Marchiano, Sadie Marchiano
  Gary is a Fort Scott native and second-generation farmer and entrepreneur in business.  Gary’s parents, Ron and Shirley Palmer,  have a farm and raised beef and sheep while Gary was growing up.
Kylene is from the Hume and Nevada area originally, and her parents Stephen and Jeanette Zinn had a small farm and raised pigs while she was young.
  Together Gary and Kylene purchased a farmstead adjacent to Gary’s parent’s farm shortly after they married.
 “Freedom Farms is a constant work in progress and we have been working diligently to upkeep both Palmer’s farms,” Gary said.

There are many dreams yet to happen.

Continue reading Freedom Farm: Next Generation of Family Farms →

Entertainment, Fort Scott

A Little Friday Night Concerts History and D.J. Brown/ Bourbon County Revival This Friday

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Ralph Carlson, left,  introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians in May, 2019. That evening it was the St. Martin’s Academy Boys Choir.
Free Friday Night Concerts were the outgrowth of the Fort Scott community’s vision for live music outdoors, downtown.
This Friday’s concert will be at Common Ground Coffee Co. at 12 E. Wall Street.  D.J. Brown and the Bourbon County Revival will be performing in the Loading Dock Room from 7 to 8 p.m.
If weather permits, this room can be opened up to the patio area of the shop, Gage Addington, the manager of the coffee shop, said. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase for attendees, he said.
The concert attendees are asked to observe social distancing, according to the long-time event coordinator, Ralph Carlson.
D.J. Brown and Bourbon County Revival. Taken from the group’s Facebook page.
“I am really pleased to get the concerts going again,” said Carlson.
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert at Heritage Park,  May 2019.

 

Ralph Carlson, Coordinator of the Concerts

“Ralph Carlson has been a loyal and steadfast coordinator of the concerts over the years,” Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.  “Ralph puts in a great amount of time scheduling the entertainment, finding alternate locations if bad weather, writing up press releases each week, overseeing equipment needs, and more.”
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
 “Ralph truly deserves most all of the credit for the Friday Night Concerts over the years,” she said.  “We are so blessed to have him in the community, not only for the concerts but for his work on housing, streets, with youth, and many other projects.  Ralph was recognized with the Mayor’s Citizenship Award in 2012 at the Chamber Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration.”
History Of The Concerts

“The Friday Night Concerts in the Park began after the Heritage Park Pavilion concept came out of the Community Visioning process back in 2007,” said Madison. “That’s when multiple key projects were conceived such as Riverfront Park, the Aquatic Center, Youth Activities Team, and the Good Neighbor Action Team. A large number of community members met several times during that period for ‘Community Conversations’ through a facilitated process with Public Square Communities and one outcome was to have a gathering park in Downtown Fort Scott where live music would be played often along with other events and activities.”

“Cheryl Adamson was on the team,” Carlson said of the original committee for concerts in the park. “Darlene and Jim Shoemaker were involved and it became my job to get the talent and coordinate the show. There were others, including the Manns.”

 

“Dean and Becky Mann, formerly of Fort Scott, were instrumental in designing and raising the funds needed for the pavilion and park area which included electricity and outlets needed for music equipment, benches, flower beds maintained by the Bourbon County Garden Club, and a beautiful clock donated by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,” Madison said. “Many community members donated to the cost of the pavilion and those donors are recognized on plaques in the park area at 1st and Main in Downtown Fort Scott.”

“I had initially helped coordinate music in various events in town for years,” Carlson said. ” Including the early years for Good Ol’ Days and Pioneer Harvest Fiesta. The team asked me to help (on the concert in the park committee).”
“It really seems like a success,” Carlson said. “Such a unique setting and so well maintained by those who tend the plantings. I have counted crowds up there, in excess of 350 people.”

 

“The Concerts have fallen under sponsorship of the Chamber since they began I believe, as the Chamber helps with organizing and promotion, and has helped with some equipment and other expenses needed in the past,” Madison said.

 

 

Info For Attendees
The concerts take place each Friday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. from mid-April through October at the Heritage Park Pavilion, at First and Main Street corner, unless an alternate location is announced due to weather.
Seating is limited at Heritage Park, so attendees are always encouraged to bring a lawn chair, and maybe a blanket.  Any entertainers interested in performing may contact Carlson or the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

Bourbon County, Government

Harper Retires As Bronson City Clerk After 34 Years Service

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Ellen Harper has seen many changes since she began working  as the Bronson City Clerk, in  Oct. 1986, over 34 years ago.
“Government is constantly changing,” she said. “There’s a lot more demands and red tape. Technology has advanced, I’ve gone from paper and pencil to everything computerized. Even community has changed, it’s difficult seeing the struggles a small town faces trying to survive, businesses and organizations closings, but I’ve been involved in assisting with many positive projects to keep our town viable with upgrades to our utility systems, streets, parks, a new fire station, community center, and library.”

Her duties have included ‘just about everything!” she said. “I always said, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be an accountant, teacher, or do social work, and being a city clerk you do all that and more.”

 

 

“It’s not just sending out utility bills and answering the phone,” Harper said. “There are so many different aspects to the job. You work with the governing body, keep records, ordinances, accounting, utilities, human resources, reporting, court records, take citizen’s complaints -that’s a tough one-and anything else necessary to serve the community. I’ve learned that with the government you never learn everything and what you do, they change it. You have to do the best you can and accept you can’t please everyone.”

 

 

“Working in public service is challenging and sometimes you deal with adverse situations,” she said. “I enjoy meeting people and being part of helping the community on a local level, but I’ve also met many great people through the state agencies I’ve worked with and colleagues from other cities throughout the state. We have some great state organizations to help us grow personally and professionally and just be there to help each other out.”

 

 

Harper pursued her career because she needed a job, but it became so much more, she said.

 

 

“This was close to home while raising our children, but it became so much more,” Harper said.  “I grew up here and I care about the community.”

 

 

 

Fort Scott City Clerk Diane Clay sent the news tip of Harper retiring.

 

 

” We both attended the Wichita State University City Clerk School and graduated together in 2003,” Clay said.   “We have attended numerous city clerk functions and trainings together as well as many court clerk trainings. We have traveled together to many trainings and I enjoy her company.”

 

 

Harper has been a member of the City Clerks and Municipal Finance Officers Association of Kansas, the International Institution of Municipal Clerks from which she obtained a Municipal Clerk Certification, and a member of the Kansas Association for Court Management, she said.
She is also involved in her community.
“I was a volunteer member of the Bronson Fire Dept., which later became Bourbon County District 3,” she said.  “I’ve helped organize activities and fundraisers and volunteer time and labor in refurbishing our park. I’m a member of the Bronson United Methodist Church in which I hold several positions.”
Ellen Harper. Submitted by Diane Clay.
Following her retirement on April 16, Harper is looking forward to more free time with family and friends, gardening, and traveling.
Ellen Harper and her family at her retirement luncheon given by the City of Bronson. Submitted photo by Diane Clay.
In addition, “‘ll be riding the trails and sand dunes in our RZR and taking trips on our trike.”
The Bronson City Council had a retirement luncheon for Harper on April 14, which was open to the public.
“She knew what she was doing and did it patiently,” said longtime council member Geraldine Reeder of  Clerk Harper. “She put in all in her job, she just did.”
Bourbon County

Walker Starts Facebook Page As A Ministry

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Jana Walker  started the Facebook group, Buy Nothing Bourbon County,  in August of 2020.

 

 

“When feeling I could not communicate well enough that this group is a reflection of Christ’s love in us and for us, I asked God that when I opened my Bible, I would find his words to express the reasoning behind and the heart of this group,” Walker said. “I opened my Bible blindly to, 1 Corinthians 4:1. It says, ‘Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.'”

 

 

“There were things in our home that we no longer wanted or needed, but there was not a local place to donate the items to, on a daily basis,” Walker said.

 

 

“When people are cleaning out their homes or purging most would rather not store their unwanted things for a garage sale once or twice a year,” she said. “We have such a throw-away society. This gives people an option to share their resources instead of tossing it in the trash or donating the items to a nearby community when there are people in Bourbon County who could benefit and appreciate the kindness from their friends and neighbors.”

 

 

 

“After realizing that there was a need and benefit for sharing with people in our county, it was only a matter of figuring out how to go about advertising and exchanging,” Walker said.  “There are large followings on other local Facebook pages that are for buying and selling, and there are members who occasionally offer free items there, but why not promote this as only free items to really be a quick resource to meet the needs of both the givers and receivers?”

 

 

 

“This also gives community members the opportunity to ask if someone might have an item they are no longer using and might want to pass on, or even ask to borrow something,” she said.

 

 

 

Everything has value to someone, she found.

 

 

“Group members have shared joy through splitting plants and sharing new starts, listing a dining room table so now a family can sit together and enjoy a meal, home decor, used furniture, old magazines to be used for recipes or collages, children’s bikes, sports equipment, empty egg cartons for chicken owners, and so much more,” she said.

 

 

 

“No money may exchange hands in this group, and local free resources can be listed,” she said. “There are wonderful opportunities to both donate to and benefit from that we want the community to know about!”

 

 

 

“Most people exchange by porch pick up at their home, but each party can make their own arrangements according to their preference,” Walker said.

 

 

 

Members of this Facebook page have listed the following resources for the community, according to Walker.

 

A small free food pantry is located in a yard on 4th Street (underneath a willow tree) that one can give to or take from.

It has all kinds of donated non-perishable foods, she said.

 

The Washeteria, 5th Street and National Avenue accepts used clothing, washes them and people can ‘shop’ the clothing in the sheds at the business, Walker said. They are currently operating by appointment only. They request that you call ahead with requests and sizes. They prepare clothing in those sizes for you to go through at your appointment, and it is a totally free service they offer! The other option is they set out clothing of all sizes on the third Saturday of each month for people to come and ‘shop’ at their location.

They have adult, children, and baby sizes.

 

Bids and Dibs, 108 Scott Avenue, also accepts donations of gently used clothing and then sells them as regular stock,  then the proceeds or credit for merchandise go to local groups, such as Care to Share, documented fire victims, the Beacon, and others, she said.

 

 

Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries assists community members in need of heaters, coats, hats, gloves, and blankets, Walker said.

 

 

Angel Gifts Facebook page was created in December 2020 to provide family adoptions for Christmas, she said.

 

“The people of Bourbon County are just amazing,” Walker said.  “We are blessed to live in this community!”

Here are the rules for Buy Nothing Bourbon County

Fort Scott, Schools

Nine FSHS Debate and Forensics Team Members Qualify For Nationals

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Fort Scott High School Debate and Forensics team has been competing completely virtually all year.
Over the last few weeks students have been working to qualify to nationals through three district tournaments.
The last leg of this tournament was April 16-17.
The Talking Tigers have nine students who will be representing Fort Scott at Nationals in June.
Overall, Fort Scott placed 2nd in Congress sweeps and Speech Sweeps and 3rd in debate sweeps
 Several students qualified for nationals in multiple events but are only allowed to compete in one.
HERE IS THE FSHS NATIONAL QUALIFYING TEAM:
Congress House:

Neil Gugnani

and

Shekhar Gugnani
Congress Senate:

Lillian Collins
PFD: Thade Yates and Khris Patel
Informative 10:

Jadelynne Atherton-Russell
POI:

Kinsley Davis
HI:

Trent Toth

and Regen Wells

The entire Talking Tigers team has adjusted to every strange and different thing that has been thrown at them and this is the result of their hard work and dedication! They are a great representation of Fort Scott High School and we are extremely proud of them!
Submitted by
Angella Curran 

Fort Scott High School
Speech Communications
Debate/Forensics
Area News, Kansas

Kansas Youth Community Change Conference June 1-15

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Registration for the Kansas Youth Community Change Conference (KYC3) is now open! KYC3 is a FREE action-packed virtual event open to all middle and high school aged youth. Through youth-led interactive sessions and high energy activities, youth will expand their leadership skills, engage with other youth across the state, and take action to promote positive change in their schools and communities! Sessions will take place in the evening June 1st – 15th.

 

NEW THIS YEAR: There is a session for parents on June 9th at 8:00 PM. Parents must register in advance to attend the session!

 

To register, check out the prize packs, and view FAQs visit: https://www.dccca.org/events/2021-kyc3/

To view the agenda, visit: https://www.dccca.org/2021-kyc3-agenda/

To learn more about the youth planning team, check out: https://www.dccca.org/kyc3-youth-planning-team/

Bourbon County, Schools

UHS Project-Based Learning Students Open Coffee Shop

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Camryn  Davis takes orders from a line of students on April 14  at the Eagles Nest. Submitted photos by Mike Reith.
Uniontown High School students opened a coffee shop on April 5 at the school, following months of preliminary groundwork.
The school’s mascot is an eagle and the name of the coffee shop is Eagles’ Nest.
 “The name was chosen by students through surveys,” Alicia Jackson, the teacher sponsor of the project, said.
 The idea was an outgrowth of one of the three major redesign committees that Uniontown Junior / Senior High School personnel has established, she said.
“The Special Ops Committee originally had thirteen members, consisting of teachers and staff from all areas across the school.  Students were a part of the team as well.”
Waiting in line at the Eagles Nest. Photos submitted by Mike Reith.
 In 2020, students presented a PowerPoint presentation to the USD235 school board along with a complete business plan and design ideas.
“Much of the groundwork included interviews, coffee shop field trips, research, and surveys,” she said.  “The school board…designated a space for the coffee shop and had renovations completed prior to school opening this year.”
 “A group of seven Project-Based Learning (PBL) students picked up the project and have made the coffee shop truly a  student-led operation,” Jackson said.
Some of the goals for the project: students gain detailed business knowledge, gain work experience as employees and managers, and develop skills that will enable them to transition to part-time or full-time jobs.
Additional goals are to “earn scholarships, to encourage better grades so students will be granted privileges to ‘hang out’ at the coffee shop area, and to add a fun element to the learning environment as well,” Jackson said.
The menu at the Eagles Nest. Photos submitted by Mike Reith.
Seven Project-Based Learning students are working in the shop. Junior Laney Covey is the manager. Senior Rhian Gorman led the design efforts. The two assistant managers are  Junior Camryn Davis who has contributed from her work experience outside the school, and  Junior Alie Fuhrman who has focused on fundraising and operations.  Senior Hannah Smith joined the group this semester when she returned from remote learning and brought business knowledge to the group.  Two junior high students are actively involved as well: Tyranny Bilyeu and Abigail Lotterer.
Eagles Nest baristas from left to right. Rhian Gorman, Alie Fuhrman, Laney Covey, Hannah Smith, Abigail Lotterer, Camryn Davis, and Tyrrany Bilyeu. Submitted by Alicia Jackson.

The manager’s job is to oversee operations such as ordering supplies, purchasing equipment, preparing and decorating the facility, Covey said.

 

“As a team, our Project Based Learning group worked together to accomplish all of the preparations to open a coffee shop,” Covey said.

 

” I think that the Eagles’ Nest opens up a multitude of opportunities to our high school and junior high students,” Covey said. “Not only do students get to enjoy a beverage that has not previously been offered to them at school, but students can sit down at the tables, visit, and hang out.”

 

“By opening up the coffee shop, we give students a calm environment that we can continue to utilize and grow in the future,” Covey said.

 

“The Eagles’ Nest project has also been a great learning experience to teach us the basics of running and operating a business,” Covey said.

 The coffee shop workspace is a room located inside of the former FACS (Family and Consumer Science) room in the high school. The space was originally a darkroom for yearbook staff years ago,” Jackson said.
“This PBL group has cleaned, painted, and decorated the entire outer room, which is now used for seating,” Jackson said.  “The larger room is a shared space for meetings and classes as needed but open for the coffee shop during our hours.”
  The target customers are students from grades 7 – 12.
“Teachers and staff have also been supportive buyers,” Jackson said.  “We follow the nutritional guidelines for sizes of drinks and nutritional content.  We are thrilled when anyone buys from us.”
Prices range from $ .75 to $1.25 depending upon the order.
” We have coffee, iced coffee, and cappuccino for high school students only,” Covey said.  “The coffee shop also has iced tea, hot tea, hot chocolate, lemonade, and Capri Sun available to the entire student body. The Eagles’ Nest will also be offering a wide variety of specialty syrup flavors.”
 The Eagles’ Nest is open from 7:30 until 7:55  a.m. and then again for ten minutes during 2nd Chance Breakfast between 2nd and 3rd hours.
“We are hoping to open during some seminar periods at the end of the day, as we perfect our skills and schedules,” Jackson said.
“The shop did a soft start opening with seniors during seminar on Monday, April 5,” Jackson said.  “Since then, we have been open daily in the mornings.”
Baristas Rhian Gorman and Laney Covey prepare orders at the Eagles Nest. Photos submitted by Mike Reith.
About PBL
“PBL (Project-Based Learning) is one of the main redesign emphases that we implemented this year,”  Mike Reith, principal of the high school and junior high, said. “We have a 70-minute PBL period every Wednesday; this is to allow students the opportunity to focus solely on their projects.”
“We currently have 84 different PBL groups, ranging from community/school service to learning new musical instruments to beginning a chicken operation to promoting school spirit to wood and metal projects to developing exercise programs to painting wall murals around the school, and so many more,” he said.
“The Eagles’ Nest Coffee Shop has been one of the main business-focused PBL projects, but we also have some young ladies who have started a T-Shirt design and printing business called ‘The U’,” he said.  “They have been very successful so far and continue to see their orders increasing.”

The PBL presentations will take place on April 27 and 28 during the PBL period, he said.

 

Uncategorized

Apple Pie by Patty LaRoche

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Patty LaRoche

Apple pie, the one slice of Americana not sacrificed on the altar of political greed, is next.

When professional baseball decided to stick its rosined nose into Georgia’s legislative voting protocol, Dave and I both held our hearts and grieved. Okay, I held my heart and grieved. Dave had a few, choice, frustrated words, as did numerous baseball buddies of his era.

Major League Baseball’s hierarchy opted to remove this summer’s All-Star Game from Atlanta, Georgia…the same Atlanta where our son Adam began his professional career and our youngest son Andy played his first major league game.

Our family loves Atlanta and the people who work at Braves’ stadium. Many employees we met were black and were some of the kindest, most dedicated individuals we’ve ever encountered in pro ball. But because somebody’s MLBPAA feathers were ruffled over the biased voter I.D. being required in Georgia (which would somehow be “unfair” to blacks), the mid-season game was moved to Denver…you know, where 93% of the people are white (as opposed to Atlanta where 76% of its citizens are black). And that is “fair” to the black people…how? Apparently, professional baseball thinks it prejudicial to ask voters to show their I.D.’s. The same organization that has asked for my I.D. for the past…oh, say 2,000 professional baseball games when I pick up my tickets at the Will-Call window. So, apparently everything is fair game…well, except where the All-Star game will be held. Nothing in my generation is to be left untouched as politics has caused a drastic upheaval in the way our citizens are asked to view:

1. The American flag

2. The National Anthem

3. The military

4. Prayer in school and in the workplace and in church and at assemblies and ________

5. Gender identification

6. Our police

7. Illegal immigrants

8. Freedom of speech

9. Guns

10. Rights of the unborn baby

11. Protests

12. God

And now, America’s favorite pastime…baseball.

Lucky #13 on the list.

Which brings us back to the one “untarnished” of American symbols: Apple pie.

After all, when you think of that popular dessert, surely you think “discrimination.”

 

Why else would the ala mode topping be vanilla and not chocolate? Um-hmmm! And then there is the “Gala” apple. Who, I wonder, came up with such a defamatory name? Reason enough to relegate apples to the orchard graveyard, if you ask me. One thing is for sure. Apple pie cannot remain guiltless. After all, many believe that an apple was the fruit of choice for Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden, leading to the fall of mankind. If that isn’t serious, I don’t know what is. And since Scripture is silent on the fruit, we might as well take matters into our own juicy hands.

Readers, call your Congressmen/women. Correction: call your Senate people and Representative people. Remind them that one bad apple spoils the whole barrel. They will know what you mean.

Bourbon County, Schools

Year End Activities For Bourbon County High Schools

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It’s the time of year where high school activities are ramping up for the end of the year: proms, graduations, senior trips.
The following are those activities of Fort Scott and Uniontown High Schools, Bourbon County’s two school districts.
Fort Scott High School.
Fort Scott High School
FSHS Prom is Saturday, May 8 from 8 to 11 p.m. in the River Room Event Center above Luther’s BBQ, at National Avenue and Oak Street.
Bert Lewis,  FSHS Junior and Senior Class Sponsor, said she will be asking the Fort Scott City Commission on April 20 about closing Oak Street from National Avenue to Judson Street for the prom walk-in.
Walk-in by the prom attendees will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
“Masks and social distancing will be required for spectators,” Lewis said.
Lewis said dates of current juniors or seniors that don’t attend FSHS,  will need to sign up in the school office before the prom, to attend.
 
FSHS has 136 juniors and 137 seniors this school year.

Thursday, May 13 is the last full day of classes for all FSHS, including seniors.

 

Graduation is Saturday, May 15.

 

“Graduation is on May 15th at 8 p.m. at the FSHS Football Stadium,” Jeff DeLaTorre, activities director for FSHS, said. “There will also be baccalaureate in the FSHS gym at 4 p.m.  “We are also working on details for a senior parade at 10 a.m. on the morning of the 15th. Nothing official yet but we will release details when they do become official.”

 

“At this time we plan on having full capacity at graduation,” he said. “Masks will be required and social distancing expected, but no other limitations at this time.”

 

“There will be a senior trip for seniors that choose to go on May 24th and 25th,” DeLaTorre said.  “They will be traveling to Branson.”

 

“This school year has been challenging for everyone in the district,” he said. “But our teachers, staff, students, and community have done an outstanding job of following protocols and procedures to keep our distractions and interruptions to a minimum. We are looking forward to finishing this school year strong and hope to return to more of a normal school year next year!”

 

 

Uniontown High School.
Uniontown High School
Uniontown High School Prom is this Saturday, April 17 in the high school gym.
The prom lineup is at 5:15 p.m., at the junior high school entrance. The walk-in is 6 p.m. and the dance is from 7 to 11 p.m.
“We have close to 70 students signed up to come to prom, which is higher than what it usually is,” Senior Class Secretary Kristy Beene said.  “Outside visitors can come from other schools but (students) have to have a form from their dates school to make sure they are in good standings.”
“You can take pictures at walk-in of course, and if you would like to take pictures of the decorations in the gym, it will have to be when the students are not in the gym, before the walk-in at 6 p.m.” Alison Weston, class sponsor, said. “The  (pandemic) restrictions haven’t completely lifted, just a little more lax.”
The UHS seniors will be going on a senior trip towards the Branson area, April 23-25.
 Graduation will be Saturday, May 8 at 2 P.M. in the West Bourbon Elementary School Gym.
There are some pandemic restrictions for UHS graduation.
Each member of the senior class will have tickets for 14 people to attend, according to Superintendent Bret Howard and a ticket will be required for entry to graduation.
There are 43 juniors and 30  seniors at UHS.
The senior’s last day at school is May 6, and the district’s last day is May 19-with a 1 p.m. dismissal.

 

Fort Scott, Government

The National Avenue Pavement Preservation Project Began Yesterday

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With city street improvements, comes a little inconvenience.

And the City of Fort Scott has two projects on National Avenue in the works.

National from 13th to Wall

A pavement preservation project began on April 13 and will continue through next week.

National Avenue from 13th Street to Wall Street will be affected by this project, with one lane open at all times, according to a City of Fort Scott press release. Each day, specific sections of the street will be targeted in an effort to mitigate the impact on local businesses.

“This project is being performed…by Proseal Asphalt Preservation,” Fort Scott City Manager Jeremy Frazier said.

 

Jeremy Frazier. Submitted photo.

He said the contract for this work was awarded in November 2020, prior to his arrival as the city manager.

 

The first phase is completed, phase two started yesterday.

 

“Proseal is currently prepping the cracks in the pavement by blowing them out with extremely high-pressure air blowers to address heavily damaged and cracked street areas.”

 

 

“On Thursday they will be going back through those same cracks starting at the bridge near the Marmaton River… but this time they will be blowing the cracks and then filling them immediately thereafter street (with) crack filling solution,” he said.  “This will reduce further damage to the roads and extend the life of the streets. The debris will be blown to the side of the streets and the larger portions taken away.”

 

Friday, workers will finish what is needed from Thursday’s work.

 

“If the weather cooperates, it is expected that this process will conclude by Monday of next week,” Frazier said.

 

 

City employees will use the street sweeper to remove debris, Frazier said.

 

 

“City staff has reached out to the affected businesses along National to provide notices of the work to be performed,” Frazier said.

 

 

The cost of the second phase work was quoted to be roughly $38,000, Frazier said.

 

National From Hwy. 69 to 13th

 

A second project will begin in late spring 2021 for a mill and overlay project on National between 13th Street and Hwy 69, Frazier said.

 

“We received heavy rains a few weeks ago that resulted in the drastic deterioration of National (Avenue) near Hwy. 69,” Frazier said.

 

At an unrelated meeting with KDOT, Frazier mentioned this deterioration.

 

 

KDOT informed Frazier that there was a possibility of piggybacking on the mill and overlay work that was soon to begin on Hwy. 69 by Bettis Asphalt.

 

 

The news couldn’t have come at a better time, he said.

 

 

“After checking with the city attorney, and given the water-related damage that had occurred on National, coupled with the possibility of adding to a project currently underway, I felt that it was necessary to address the damage as quickly as possible,” Frazier said.

 

 

 

 

The city staff requested a bid from contractor Bettis Asphalt,  to add National Avenue up to 13th Street from Hwy. 69 onto the existing project, he said.

 

 

The company was already going to pave a small portion of the entrance from Hwy. 69 onto National Avenue.

 

 

“It made sense to take advantage of this contractor’s presence for a few additional and recently damaged blocks,” Frazier said.

 

 

The quote was received on April 6, 2021, in the amount of $116,350.50 and presented to the Fort Scott City Commission for consideration and possible approval.

 

 

They approved the project and it is estimated that the project begins in late May or early June after the completion of the US-69 project, Frazier said.

 

 

“This project will consist of milling the existing asphalt over the bricks and the replacement of a 1.5” overlay on top of those bricks,” he said. “There is a possibility that in an effort to save or reduce project costs that the city may offer street sweeping services for cleanup during the project. Otherwise, this project would be completely executed by Bettis Asphalt.”

 

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Please contact City Hall at 620-223-0550 for questions.

Bourbon County, Business, Food, Fort Scott

Wunderly Farm Business: Plants, Produce And More

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Kerry and Kenny Wunderly are owners of 1553 Plants & Produce. Submitted photo.
Kenny and Kerry Wunderly saw a need in the community and have started a business to meet that need.
Their business is about helping people with their garden needs.
“With the whole process of lockdown over the past year due to COVID, people seem to be more aware of where their food comes from,” Kerry said.  “Originally, we wanted to be the link for folks who have space and the desire to grow their own (garden) but didn’t know where to start. It’s very frustrating to have great goals, plant a garden, have everything come up and then quickly go downhill.”
The problems of weeds, insects, improper site preparation, improper plant selection, or the need for soil amendments can ruin the best intentions for many, she said.
Submitted photos. 1553 Plants & Produce.
“Kenny’s degrees from Kansas State (University) in agribusiness and agronomy have given a wealth of knowledge that we want to share so everyone can be successful and avoid those frustrations,” Kerry said.
The Wunderly farm business name is 1553 Plants & Produce, and it’s located at 1553 205th Street a few miles northwest of Fort Scott. To get there go west on Hwy. 54 and go north on 205th Street almost two miles.
The stand at the Wunderley farm. Submitted photos.
This is the business’s first year, although in the past they have been part of Community Supported Agriculture, she said.
“Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production,” according to https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture

Kenny works full-time on the farm, and Kerry works full-time as a hospice nurse in Fort Scott.

In addition, Kerry provides all the marketing via social media as well as bookkeeping.
Kenny provides most of the labor and agricultural expertise.
Future Plans
” We have big plans for development,” Kerry said.  “Some of the things we are hoping to do this year are garden tours with discussions on appropriate up-to-date topics…(and) date night dinners with meat and produce from our farm with firepit and all.”
“A couple of years down the road we hope to be able to expand our community garden program to accommodate more local growers, expand our own garden site to be able to partner with local food banks and restaurants, and the addition of an on-site greenhouse,” she said.
The 1553 Plants & Produce stand. Submitted photos.
Not just plants and produce are sold by the Wunderly’s.
Here is a list of the other business offerings:
“1. Custom built raised beds to fit size, shape, location and budgets.
2. Garden consults- we visit your site and provide input for the best possible outcomes. The first visit is always free of charge!
3. Started plants- vegetables, herbs, wildflowers, decorative grasses.
4. Fresh vegetables and herbs in season available at our self-serve plant stand. We also have a you-pick section in the garden if you want to pick your own.
5. Rejuvenation of flower or vegetable beds that a grower already has in place.
6. Raised bed rentals through our community garden program.
7. Lawn mowing, maintenance, and clean-up.
8. Custom raised meat chickens on request. We will raise and either deliver live birds to you or to the processor for butchering.”
Contact the business by phone at 785-422-5770
They also have a Facebook page where you can get the latest news:
https://www.facebook.com/1553-Plants-Produce-105478608035108/
Besides their farm business, their community involvement is active membership at  Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, she said.
Bourbon County, Business

Johnson’s “Super Poop” Business Began As A Hobby

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Submitted photo.
Clint and Angela Johnson, Bronson, are the owners of Root 54.
Their business, in layman’s terms,  produces worm poop.
“Everything a worm eats gets digested and comes out as a worm casting,” said business owner Clint Johnson.  “Worm castings are packed with minerals that are essential for plant growth, such as concentrated nitrates, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. It also contains manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, borax, iron, carbon, and nitrogen.”
“However, the best of all is that these minerals are immediately available to the plant, without the risk of ever burning the plant,” he said. “Remember that chemical fertilizers have to be broken down in the soil before the plant can absorb them.”
Interest started over 10 years ago when Clint read a book called ‘Worms eat my Garbage’, he said.
“I personally wanted to raise some worms because it looked like a fun hobby and wanted to use a better, more natural fertilizer for my garden,” he said.
Johnson made two eight-foot by three-foot worm beds in an old tin shed in his backyard.
He then got an idea.
” I casually posted a few ads on some social media platforms and within a short amount of time people were coming to buy our castings,” he said. ” We eventually could not keep up with demand, so after much thought, research, collaboration, and scientific testing we decided to partner with a few large worm farms we know very well.”
They have secured the rights to exclusively market their castings to make it their brand “Super Poop.”
“We sell 100% worm castings and compost,” Johnson said.  “Super Poop can be purchased in 20-pound bags at any one of our nine dealer locations across Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.  You can also purchase large bulk amounts off of our lots here in Bronson.”
Submitted photos.
The back of a “Super Poop” bag. Submitted photos.
 “Our business is a family business, and we get a tremendous amount of support from our immediate family that lives in the area,” he said.
The Johnson family, from left Angela, Alison, Hunter, Clint, and in front, Jett. Submitted photo. The family works together on their business, Root 54.
Root 54 LLC, the Johnson business, was officially established on July 15, 2020.
“We had been selling worm castings out of our back yard for several years before opening the company,” Johnson said.
A couple of hands full of “Super Poop.” Submitted photos.
The Johnson’s grew up in the Bronson community.
“Our vision is to see it thrive for many more years,” he said. “We are always seeking ways to use the resources God has blessed us with, in the Bronson community, by lending a helping hand.  Occasionally, you will see our skid steer clearing driveways when it snows or helping our neighbors with heavy lifting and other tasks that are made easy with a machine.”
“There are several other small businesses in Bronson right now and all of them do a great job of being involved in our little town,” Johnson said.  “One of our goals here at Root 54, is to help create a better place for our children to grow up, and help out our small community the best way we can.”

The Johnson’s are looking at ways to expand and grow their brand, he said.

“First and foremost, we intend to add a bagged compost for our customers for the 2022 growing season, and have already started the process of designing a bag for it,” he said. ” The name of the compost will be kept in our back pocket until we unveil it later in 2021.”
 “Our future plans include adding super soil mixes and other high-quality soils to become a regionally/nationally recognized company,” Clint said.  “We are thankful for our loyal customers and the support the community has shown us, and look forward to serving them for many years to come.”
Contact the Johnson’s at  785-229-5217  or their website Root54.com or on their Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/Root54LLC/
The address 511 Pine St. Bronson, Ks 66716