Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College recently was renovated in 2019.
Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College has undergone a renovation, replacing the gym floor, installing new bleachers, and purchasing a new scorer’s table.
This project, along with the Burris Hall expansion project, is now completed before the college-wide 100th Anniversary Celebration of FSCC which happens Sept. 20 with a public banquet and Sept. 21 with a tailgate party before the Greyhound football game.
The new bleachers.
The renovation of Arnold Arena took place because of community feedback.
“We had received numerous complaints over the past few years that there were ‘dead spots’ (on the gym floor) which was difficult to play on,” Tom Havron, FSCC Vice President of Student Affairs, said. “Additionally, our old wooden bleachers were uncomfortable to our fans and had deteriorated over the years. We had multiple boards that were broken which were a safety hazard.”
“The main benefit of the new floor will be for our student-athletes,” Havron said. ” Not only will the floor help with our recruiting process, but it will also be an advantage to have a high-quality floor to compete on.”
The arena renovation project started in early April 2019 and due to some complications, the project was just completed on September 3, 2019.
The floor and the bleachers were budgeted in the general fund, Havron said.
The interior of the Stutesman’s Action Realty Fort Scott office space’s common area features tin ceilings and exposed walls.
Stutesman’s Action Realty has extended its reach in Fort Scott.
“We’ve grown the last two years,” said Amanda Bourassa, a broker for the real estate business, said. “We needed more space to continue to serve our clients.”
Amanda Bourassa, Real Estate Broker for Stuteman’s Action Realty, at the 120 E. Wall, Fort Scott location. Pictured is the conference room.
She loves the location of the new space.
“It’s downtown, in the center of everything and it has a view of the Fort (Scott National Historic Site),” she said.
“We wanted to show a permanent presence here in Fort Scott and Bourbon County,” she said. “To show we are committed to not only our clients who are buying and selling but also our community.”
The realty signed a 10-year lease with Pat and Stacy Wood for the space and began a remodel in June, she said.
“We all have our own homes and investment properties,” she said. “We believe this will help with serving our clients.”
The new office is located at 120 E. Wall and officially opened its doors on Sept. 3.
Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Stutesman’s Action Realty, 120 E. Wall is the white building in the photo.
The 1,600 square-foot space has been completely remodeled by her husband, Tim, with Stutesman’s Action Realty paying for the reno.
There are now five agents working for the agency: Bourassa is the broker; agents are Stacy Wood, who joined in December 2018; Kaci Kurtz who joined in November 2018, along with Bailey Lyons and Scott Theis.
Stutesman’s Action Realty, 120 E. Wall.
In addition to the realty business, the Bourassa’s finished out two additional offices in the new space, that are available for lease.
The business will host a Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee and ribbon cutting at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12.
In addition, on Wednesday, October 2, the business will have a Celebration of Success Open House from 3-6 p.m.
“This is open to the public for people to see the reno and meet with agents if they want to do so,” Bourassa said.
For more information, the toll-free number is 833-286-8400 or www.actionsold.com.
Bourassa can be reached at 417-684-5681.
The original office of the realty is still located in Nevada, MO.
Jeni Hartman is the new freshman English teacher at Fort Scott High School.
Her experience includes teaching kindergarten and substitute teaching for the last 10 years.
Hartman has a bachelors degree in elementary education;
licensed for K-9 with a certification for secondary English 6-12
She grew up in Olathe but spent most of her adult life in Ottawa.
She is married to “my best friend, Chris Hartman, and we have been together for almost 22 years.”
“My oldest (son), Logan, is 18 and he and his girlfriend are having our first grandbaby in February,” she said.
“My youngest, Caleb, is 14 and he is in 8th grade. He is on the football team, wrestling team and the track team.”
In her spare time she “loves reading and taking a nap (and) I really enjoy spending time with my family.”
To become a teacher, she took a “long road,” she said. “I started at Pitt State, missed my family, so I moved to Dallas and went to UNT, moved back here to get married and had my oldest, went back to Pitt State and drove from Overland Park three days a week! Now I am working on my Master’s Degree in Reading Specialist and will be licensed in that as well.”
A teacher inspired Hartman to teach.
“Mr. Barnes, my senior genetics teacher inspired me. He took us on a trip to St. Louis to see the students mapping the human genome.,” she said.
The best part of teaching for her is “Hanging out with young people, getting to do what I love most, reading and writing. They keep me young.”
What are the greatest challenges in teaching for you?
“When that tough student that you are starting to break through with makes a poor decision and you have to start all over with that student. But when you do get that breakthrough and they start trusting you, that is the best. For a student to know that ‘Yeah, Mrs. Hartman is cool. She gets me.’ And when the stuff they bring to school from home gets left at the door and they learn in my class, that is why I am a teacher.”
Jeff and Jamie Armstrong stand in front of the property they are developing into business suites. Submitted photo.
Eighteen years ago, Jeff and Jamie Armstrong came home to Fort Scott and started raising their family here.
“We love our community and despite the challenges all small towns face, we still believe Fort Scott has something special,” Jeff said.
The couple had discussed ways to encourage more young professionals to return to Fort Scott.
“We have often talked about developing property and finding a way to recruit more young professionals like us to come back home,” Jeff said. ” We were surprised to learn late last year that the building my wife currently runs her investment office out of, was getting ready to be listed.”
” We had been considering moving her office to another location in town…but we weren’t finding much we felt good about,” Jeff said. “We ran the numbers, prayed for wisdom, and took a calculated leap of faith.”
They purchased the property at 1711-1715 S. National Avenue on December 31, 2018, and started a business, which they call Legweak, LLC.
The Legweak Property, located at 1711-1715 S. National Avenue. Submitted photo.
“We wanted to use our family name somehow, so it is a play on our name. ARM STRONG …LEG WEAK,” Jeff said.
U.S. Cellular, Subway Restaurant, and Edward Jones Financial Services are the existing tenants at the building the Armstrong’s purchased.
The Armstrongs began asking small business owners what they want and need in a space.
“We’d love to continue working with those types of professional businesses that want a nice storefront with good visibility,” Jeff said.
“Surprisingly, we found a lot of sole-proprietor-type businesses don’t want all the extra space and expenses,” he said. “So we started looking at a shared office space. It makes a lot of sense for small professional businesses who want a higher-end workspace without the extra overhead. We will continue to develop the other four units (about 4800 sq ft) as we find needs in the community.”
There are seven units total, one of which is already under lease.
Each unit is a 12’x10’ office and shares a full kitchen, an ADA Compliant bathroom, and room for a shared receptionist down the road.
USD 235 has a fitness center for its students and patrons.
A new shower, restroom and water container replenisher have been added to the USD 235 Fitness Center located at the Uniontown Junior/High School.
In May 2018 then Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer and Jake Steinfeld, Chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils, announced three Kansas schools that were selected to each receive a $100,000 DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center.
Uniontown was one of those schools.
The USD 235 fitness center opened in October 2018 and is not only for use by students during the day, but evening and weekend, patrons of USD235 may use the center.
A bathroom and shower room were added to the center from an unused storage area nearby.
In July of this year, work began on the additions to the fitness center, with help from a Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Grant, funded by Pathways to a Healthy Kansas (A Blue Cross/Blue Shield iniative).
The grant covered nearly two-thirds of the total cost of the additions- $12,500, with the total cost once completed-$17,000.
The center is for patrons of the school district only, which serves the western rural part of Bourbon County.
The shower with changing room was added to the fitness center with a grant from Healthy Bourbon County.A storage area was converted to a restroom in the facility.
The doors leading from the fitness center to the school will be locked. To gain entrance to the center from the outside door, a key must be purchased from West Bourbon Elementary School Principal Vance Eden, for $10.
Eden said community members will need to come to the office of WBE to pay and get their card for the fitness center from him.
Fitness center users now have access to a water fountain with which to fill a water container to use while working out.
The fitness center will have the following hours for the 2019-20 school year: Monday – Friday: 5:00-7:00 AM and 5:30-9:30 PM. Saturday and Sunday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
Some rules for use.The junior high section of the school is where the location of the fitness center is, in the former library. Seen here is the door that patrons must use during fitness center hours.
Students in Sara Jackman’s Bourbon County History Class work on are researching Zebulon Pike’s expedition using links posted in Google Classroom and are completing a map and graphic organizer. Submitted photo.
Fort Scott High School has some teachers who wanted to bring to life for their students the stories of places/events where they live, where they have first-hand experience.
Brian Allen, an auto shop teachers-aide at Fort Scott High School, began a FSHS History Club several years ago to educate students about local history.
Brian Allen. Submitted photo.
“It has grown in membership and students have shown a genuine interest in knowing about where they live,” said FSHS History Teacher Sara Jackman. “Last year, I approached the (USD234) administration about teaching a local history class and they were on board. After teaching a Bourbon County unit to junior high students at Uniontown for several years, I knew that it would be an elective I would enjoy teaching.”
Sara Jackman. Submitted photo.
“There is an interest from our students about the town and the county,” Jackman said. “They love to learn information about the places they see every day. The (FSHS)History Club’s membership numbers have been proof of that. Additionally….we are trying to build pride for our hometown and county and respect for all of those who have made our community a good place to live.”
“I teach two sections of the class with approximately 53 students enrolled,” Jackman said. “Mr. Allen helps me a great deal with content and guest speakers etc.”
A project at the end of the class will be for students to interview 80-90-year-olds in the community for future generations.
“The list of names for this year’s projects were selected by the HPA (Bourbon County Historical Preservation Association) board members,” Allen said. “The idea for the project came from them. We hope to interview people from all over the county. Arnold Scofield and some others on the board are working on the questions. We will mostly focus on their memories and their contributions to the area. As you know, we have some great people who have come before us.”
“Our students will also be adding in questions of their own so that we can do the interview from multiple perspectives,” Jackman said. “We are always looking for volunteers.”
“I may in the future need to ask for volunteers for the interviews,” Allen said. “But for now have enough for the 2019-2020 school year. If someone has a person they would like to have us consider in the future, they could contact me through Facebook. I hope to house the interviews in the HPA archives as well as with the genealogy society.”
“If they would like to participate they can contact either of us at the school 620-223-0600,” Jackman said.
“We are hoping to include the video production classes and have them filmed,” Jackman said.
The purpose of the new Bourbon County History class is to educate students about the history of the place in which they live, “Where we came from as a community,” Allen said.
“Our hope is that it gives them civic pride knowing about the rich history of Bourbon County,” Jackman said.
The first class in Bourbon County history began at FSHS on the first day of school, August 22. It is an 18-week, one-semester course, that will be taught both semesters.
Curriculum for the course is from local authors and historical societies.
“Curriculum sources vary widely,” Jackman said. “The textbook purchased for students is the Historic Reflections of Bourbon County Kansas by Fred Campbell, Jr. and Don Miller. We also use many other locally written books, resources from the Kansas State Historical Society, the Bourbon County Historic Preservation Society, and lots of others.”
Pictured are the Bourbon County history resources that are being used for the new class at Fort Scott High School. Submitted photo.
These books are also available to the public through the Fort Scott Public Library.
The class is going well, Jackman said.
“We have started off learning about the Native Americans who would have lived in the area and some of the explorers who came to Kansas,” Jackman said. “On August 30, Mr. Reed Harford (came) in to speak to the class about the expedition of Zebulon Pike and his time in Bourbon County.”
“I am so impressed with Mrs. Jackman,” Allen said of the teacher and the class curriculum that she constructed.
Brian Allen is also the president of the Bourbon County Historical Preservation Association.
To see a recent KOAM News story on the subject, click below:
A banner at the Uniontown Park Gazebo welcomes the public to the picnic.The Uniontown High School Class of 1959 wait to board their float for the Old Settlers Picnic Parade on Labor Day, 2019.
Sunshine prevailed for the 114th Annual Old Settlers Picnic activities in Uniontown on Sept. 2, 2019.
Vendors lined the city’s park, along with organizations and onlookers trying to find a spot in the shade for the parade mid-morning.
The Uniontown High School Class of 1964 wait to board their float for the Old Settlers Picnic Parade.
This year’s grand marshalls are Alicia Jackson and Alan Shinn, both longtime educators in the Uniontown School District.
Alicia Jackson and Alan Shinn were honored as Grand Marshalls in the Old Settlers Picnic Parade.Jackson and Shinn are long-time educators in the Uniontown High School District.
Jackson has taught English and Spanish at UHS for 44 years. She and her late husband, Dale, raised three daughters in Uniontown-Gretchen, Meaghan and Caitlin. Jackson is in the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame and has been a runner-up for Kansas Teacher of the Year.
Shinn retired from teaching math in the district after 50 years, in May 2019. He and wife Becky have raised a son, Kevin and daughter, Melissa in Uniontown. Shinn has been recognized as Outstanding Young Educator by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Outstanding Secondary Educators of America, Central MO. State University Dept. of Math Certificate of Merit, and Distinguished Alumnus of Allen Community College.
The theme of the parade was “Learning From The Best At UHS”.
Uniontown High School Cheerleaders board their float for the Old Settlers Picnic Parade.
New this year was the baby parade at 9 a.m. and the Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show.
The baby parade: from left Bexley Shelton from Uniontown, Daxton Weaver from Girard, Holdin Bunnell from Uniontown, Quinn Hawkins from Fort Scott and Logan Ramsey from Overland Park.The Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show was in honor of Dale Jackson, who passed away in 2017. Jackson was a long-time vehicle mechanic in Uniontown. Pictured are cars awaiting line up for the parade. Winners of the show will be announced at 1 p.m. Sept. 2
Cash drawings, a picnic in the park, kids and not-kids games were played and recognition of “Old Settlers”, were some of the traditions that have been continued through the years.
The Boy Scout Pack and Troup 114 and Girl Scout Troup 71650 lead the children’s parade in the Uniontown Old Settlers Picnic festivities.
Also as in years past, one could purchase smoked port dinners from the FFA, chicken dinners from the Methodists, pies from the Baptists, homemade ice cream from Marmaton Community Church, along with soft drinks from the cheerleaders.
Uniontown High School Band lines up for the parade on Labor Day.Uniontown Youth Football team members board their float for the parade.
The Old Settlers Picnic Parade 2019.
Sara Roufs, Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show organizer, and son, stand in the line of 40 cars that participated in the show.The Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show drew 40 participants. The cars were parked on the town square following the parade.Community games took place following the parade. Here youngsters line up for an egg toss contest.
Fresenius Medical Center, 2526 S. Main, Fort Scott.
Fresenius Medical Care of Fort Scott, the only dialysis clinic in the community, is closing September 30.
Shirley Irvin, a representative of Fresenius, did verify that the center will close on September 30. A formal statement from the company was not available at publishing time.
“I have talked to Fresenius,” Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, said. “They haven’t made money to the point of, they can’t stay open.”
“We are reaching out to see where we are able to help,” Martin said. “CHC (Community Health Center, who has a medical clinic in Fort Scott) and Via Christi ( who has an emergency department in Fort Scott) can’t provide the service, but they are helping me look at options.”
The closing will impact patients and their families that have been served at the center in Fort Scott.
Several family members were waiting on their loved ones at the center on Friday afternoon.
One young lady helped her father-in-law in a wheelchair into their car.
She stated that the family lives in Moran and now will have to drive to Chanute, Pittsburg or Nevada, MO for dialysis.
Another woman was waiting in the waiting room for her husband, whom she said just started dialysis last week.
She stated that her husband will, hopefully, be finished with his dialysis by the end of the month. His treatment was in response to an infection. They live in Missouri.
The following is a quote from a KOAM News segment on July 24, 2019:
“An executive order from President Trump gives the secretary of health and human services a number of deadlines to deal with kidney disease patients.
“In thirty days after July 10th, 2019, he is to pick payment models for kidney care providers to increase treatments for at-risk patients, home dialysis, and transplants.
“In ninety days to propose regulation to enhance procurement and utilization of organs; revise rules for procuring and using organs and to remove financial barriers to donation.
“And in 120 days to start an awareness initiative.
“Then in 180 days to expedite kidney matching and reduce the organ discard rate.”
Click below the recent KOAM News story on the subject:
“Kidney disease was the ninth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2017. Approximately 37 million Americans have chronic kidney disease and more than 726,000 have ESRD. More than 100,000 Americans begin dialysis each year to treat ESRD. Twenty percent die within a year; fifty percent die within 5 years. Currently, nearly 100,000 Americans are on the waiting list to receive a kidney transplant.”
Bo Graham, 36, is the new Fort Scott High School Student Success Center Teacher.
“I became an educator because I had coaches and teachers that made a huge impact on my life,” he said. “I hope to do the same for the students and athletes I come in contact with! Bob Campbell was the main person who inspired me to teach. But I also had many others who played a role in that.”
Graham has been in education for 15 years, having graduated from Pittsburg State University with a masters of arts degree in education.
“The best part of teaching for me has been having students or athletes come back seven, eight or nine years later letting me know the impact I had on them. It makes every second worth it,” he said.
For Graham one of the challenges in education is technology.
“The greatest challenge I see in education is probably technology, and that being good and bad,” he said. “The technology you use to run school changes yearly. And with the use of computers, tablets, and cell phones good and not-so-good things can happen.”
Fort Scott is Graham’s hometown.
He has been married to Jamie for six years and has a 3-year-old daughter named Blakely.
In his spare time, Graham likes spending time with family, golfing, and watching Duke basketball.
From left: Carol Oakleaf, owner and Lori Lovelace, manager of Fort Scott Washateria, stand in front of the alterations/starch and press building still being completed.
Carol Oakleaf and Lori Lovelace are gearing up for the grand opening Sept. 7 of the Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue.
From Sept. 7 to 14, Lovelace said free washing and drying will be offered at the laundry mat with the signing up for a loyalty card.
“It’s free promotion of the business,” Lovelace said. “You have to provide your own detergent and drying sheets or buy them from us.”
Oakleaf and Lovelace give a tour of the Washateria to Lindsay Madison, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Director and Jody Hoenor, Bourbon County Economic Director on Wednesday morning.
The promotional first week of business will be to help customers get used to the highly technical washing and drying machines, Carol Oakleaf said.
Lovelace is the manager, Oakleaf is the owner and they have hired D.J. White as the manager-in-training, and Christina Walker as a part-time employee.
“It will be all hands on deck that week,” Lovelace said.
The hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. On Sunday mornings no assistant will be available, Oakleaf said.
In addition to the laundry mat, the business is offering a variety of other clothes cleaning services, which will begin at a later date, once the first week is over, she said.
Services such as pick up and delivery of laundry for both residential and commercial, alterations, starch and press, and wash-dry-fold of clothing.
The alteration building, separate from the main facility will also house the starch and press equipment for clothing.Work is not yet completed in the shed.
Community Clothes Closet
The Community Clothes Closet shed is adjacent from the laundry mat, north.
The Community Clothes Closet had an organizational meeting on Aug. 15, with about ten people attending, Oakleaf said.
Lovelace will be the director and Oakleaf the president of the philanthropic group that will sort, stack and distribute donated clothing to those in need.
The inside of the CCC shed is nearing completion.
Another meeting will put into place others needed on the board: secretary, treasurer and five directors, plus members.
“They will plan how to operate and chart the course for the clothes closet,” Lovelace said.
“A lot of people on the Beacon board were at the meeting,” Lovelace said. The Beacon is another helping agency that recently stopped accepting clothes donations.
The closet is “expensive and time-consuming,” Lovelace said. “We already have a set up (to launder and store the clothing). We are going to work with as many service organizations as we can,” to get it up and running.
Lovelace said they are already accepting clothing donations, even though the Community Clothes Closet building is not complete yet.
“We won’t be distributing until at least Oct. 1,” she said. “My sheds need to be finished.”
Contact Lovelace at 620.215.1314 for more information.
Emily Elliott, 37, is the new Fort Scott Middle and High School Vocal Music Director.
Fort Scott Middle School.
She is passionate about sharing music with people of all ages and has 18 years of experience equipping individuals, choirs and ensembles with the skills needed for music excellence, she said.
Elliott received her BME from Baker University in 2019, specializing in vocal music with percussion as her secondary instrument.
Elliott and her blended family are originally from Lawrence but are “excited to be a part of the Fort Scott community”, she said.
Her partner in life is Brad Kirk, who works as a master welder and maintenance technician. Her son, Oliver, will attend Eugene Ware Elementary as a 5th-Grader and her daughter, Madeline, will be an 8th-grader at the middle school.
In her spare time, Elliott enjoys reading, hanging out with family and friends, kayaking, watching movies, adding stamps to her passport, and attending live music and comedy shows.
As a music educator, Elliott looks forward to sharing with her students the world of music and giving them the tools for deeper understanding and discovery, and will work to create a positive inclusive classroom environment and rely on differentiated instruction that nurtures and enriches all students in their music-making.
