All posts by Loretta George

Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment

Rosie’s Cabin Open House

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Kelsey and Kaley Blythe, managers of Rosie’s Cabin and Wedding- Event Venue, just west of Uniontown, stand on the porch of the newly renovated cabin.

Rosie’s Cabin and Wedding-Event Venue had its’ open house on August 24.

The property is comprised of a small cabin that can sleep five and a lodge that can accommodate a wedding or other large group gathering.

The backside of Rosie’s Cabin shows the staircase that leads to the second-floor space that has a futon and area for a groom to get ready for the wedding. The first floor would accommodate the bridal party.

In the past, the cabin has been used for the bridal party to get dressed in and then walk to the lodge.

Kelsey and Kaley Blythe show off the renovations of Rosie’s Cabin during the open house event August 24. Pictured is the kitchen/living room areas.
The living room of Rosie’s Cabin.
The spacious bedroom in the cabin.
The bathroom in Rosie’s Cabin.
The upstairs space that has a futon, desk and hanging space for clothes.

There are two ponds on the property and a deck that extends from the large porch to one of the ponds. Many couples have exchanged their vows on the deck.

The cabin can be rented separately from the lodge, for $150 per night, two-night minimum. The large lodge can be rented for $200 for four hours or $800 for eight hours for an event.

Both can be rented for an entire weekend for a wedding rehearsal dinner, wedding, wedding reception and following the wedding, the bride and groom can stay in the cabin. The cost of renting the whole venue from Friday morning to Sunday noon for a wedding is $3,250.

The walkway from the cabin to the lodge. During the grand opening, guests enjoyed a meal on the front porch of the lodge.
The food set up for the grand opening meal.
One end of the lodge was set up to showcase the venue. There is a fireplace at the southeast end of the lodge.
The deck extension has a pergola with a view of the pond, which many have used as a backdrop for reciting their wedding vows.
Paige Blythe, a niece of the couple, seems to be enjoying the open house.

The property is located west of Uniontown in western Bourbon County at 563 Maple Road.

Contact Kelsey Blythe at 620-644-2874 or [email protected] for weddings, events or accommodations.

 

 

Uncategorized

Free Concert Features the Leta and Mike Miller Family

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This Friday Night Free Concert at the Heritage Park Pavilion, 1st, and Main Street features the Miller Family.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. and is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

The  Leta and Mike Miller Family perform hymns, gospel, classic country, and classic popular music.

“The Millers are regular supporters of the music at the Pavilion and have performed for several years,” Ralph Carlson, event coordinator said. “Leta sings and plays the upright bass. Mike on vocals and guitar. Our crowds love the Millers music and they are one of the most popular of the groups in the pavilion.”

In the event of bad weather, the program will be moved to the Common Grounds Coffee Shop just down the street.

Come early and bring a lawn chair as seating is limited.

Bourbon County, Entertainment

114th Old Settler Picnic Weekend Aug. 30 through Sept. 2

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The 114th Old Settler Picnic is the annual Uniontown festival  in the park, located in western Bourbon County.

The city sees a large increase in population during the festivities, whose highlight for many is the parade.

The baby parade is at 9 a.m. at the gazebo in the town’s central park, the children’s parade starts with registration at 9:50 a.m. and the main parade is at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 2

In addition, there are family activities in the days leading up to the picnic day.

 

  • Vendors will arrive at the shaded city park around 7 a.m. and a food truck will be available to purchase breakfast. There are electrical sites available for $25, $15 for no electricity and there is no charge for non-profit organizations. No weapons allowed to be sold. No alchohol allowed at any event of the whole weekend.

To register for a spot in the park, call Hope Workman, 224-8196

  • New this year is a baby parade, instead of a baby contest, which begins at 9 a.m. at the gazebo in the park.

“Instead of a contest, parents and grandparents can introduce the new babies to the public,” Becky Shinn, one of the organizers, said.

Teresa Martin is the contact for both the baby parade and the children’s parade and can be reached at 224-8388.

  • Also at 9 a.m., the parade entries will begin the line-up at the parking lot west of the football field. Ashley Travis (contact: 224-6671) and the Uniontown High School Cheerleaders will help with this task.
  • A new event, the Dale Jackson Memorial Car Show, will be organized and lined-up at 9:30 a.m. at the Uniontown High School parking lot adjacent to and on the west side of the school.

“Since Dale passed away, Sara Roufs (a committee member) wanted to honor his memory,” Shinn said. “And visited with the daughters, and they agreed to it.” To show off your car contact Roufs at 756-4513.

  • The children’s parade will begin organizing at 9:50 a.m. on the cement slab at the northeast corner of the town square.

At 10:15 a.m. the children’s parade begins with the scouts leading in the flag salute. Cindy Goebel is the scoutmaster.

  • At 10:30 a.m. the parade will start with the National Anthem sung by Dave Wehry.

Horses, always a feature in the parade, will organize at the arena west of Uniontown on Hwy. 3 and be the last entries in the parade.

The theme of the parade this year is “Learning From The Best at UHS.” Grand marshals will be Alicia Jackson and Alan Shinn, two long-time educators at the school. Briggs Auto, Fort Scott, will supply the grand marshal vehicle.

There will be prizes for best church float, themed float, school float, All Terrain Vehicle (MUST BE CLEANED AND DECORATED), antique car and tractor.

  • Food will be for sale from the following: chicken dinner from the Methodist Church, smoked pork dinner from the UHS FFA, soft drinks from the school cheerleaders, pie sale from the Baptist Church and ice cream from the Marmaton Community Church, The Knight family’s Sunshine Shack food truck with tacos and hamburgers, Laura Ripper’s  Lazy RJ Concessions with corn dogs and chicken fried steak and  Hiram Raby/Austin Honaker’s Red Beard BBQ with nachos and burnt ends, snow cones from the Girard Volleyball team.
  • Following the parade will be games for all ages.

Throughout the event, there will be a cash drawing, and tickets can be purchased for a $1 from Ruritan Members under the canopy on the east side of the park.

“You have to be present to win for the $25 drawing,” Shinn said. “But not for the last drawing for $100, $75 and $50.”

Old Settler’s has other fun activities during the weekend leading up to Labor Day:

  • Friday event at 7 p.m. there will be a team roping competition at the rodeo arena west of town off Hwy 3. Wayne Hall is the contact at 363-4206.
  • Saturday at 9 a.m. there is a kids fishing derby at the city pond at Uniontown High School (contact Marty Dewitt at 224-7438.  A slow-pitch tournament scheduled will not happen due to not enough teams signing up.  In the evening, a co-ed ranch rodeo at the arena.
  • Sunday morning there will be coffee and donuts at 10 a.m. followed by a community church service at the city park. Please bring lawn chairs. New this year: Sunday at 5 p.m. there will be a family game evening at the city park featuring corn hole and other games. At 6 p.m. will be the Old Settlers Youth Rodeo, with registration from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Click below for the poster of the day’s events:

UniontownPoster(1)

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Schools

New Inclusion Teacher at West Bourbon Elementary: Lori Ferguson

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Lori Ferguson. Submitted photo.
Lori Ferguson, 44, will be the new K-6 Inclusion/Resource instructor at West Bourbon Elementary School in Uniontown.
She has 21 years experience in education, 20 in special education,  and one year in physical education.
Ferguson graduated in 1998  with a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University and in  2005  with a masters in education from Washburn University.
She grew up in Hesston and currently lives in Girard, KS.
Ferguson and her husband (Todd) have five children: Brett-19, Jordanne-18, Justin-14, Emily-12, Aric-4.
In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with family, cooking, yard work and puzzles, she said.
How did you become an educator?
I love a challenge and competition, so teaching and coaching was a natural choice.
Is there someone who inspired you to teach?

Looking back…. my high school volleyball coach’s compassion and competitive personality really influenced my career path.

What is the best part of teaching for you?

The best part of teaching is celebrating the “little things” with the kids. In addition, an added bonus is continually growing as a person and educator.

What are the greatest challenges in teaching for you?

One of the greatest challenges with teaching is not having all the answers, immediately.

Business, Fort Scott

Young Entrepreneur: Caleb Kasper

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Caleb Kasper works on a cell phone for a customer. Submitted photos.

A  little over a year ago, Caleb Kasper, 15, created a business to meet a need.

He repairs damaged and broken Apple cellular products, such as iPhones and tablets.

“I started to repair iPhones because a couple of years ago I broke a brand new iPhone I had just received,” Kasper said.  “I started to look around for a non-expensive way to repair it. After looking for several days, I realized there should be an easier and more affordable way to simply get your phone in good working condition again.”

He is the son of Natalie Taylor and  Teddy Kasper.

” With help from my dad, and some specialized training, I taught myself to repair many aspects of an iPhone,” he said.

His mom helps with marketing.

“My mom has helped me with advertising using Facebook and other social media apps,” he said.

“Now, that I’ve repaired iPhones for several people, who have been pleased with my work, they have recommended me throughout the community,” Kasper said.

Rhonda Pinkerton was one of his recent customers and nominated Kasper for the feature.

“I feel like it is a good service that is not offered here in town and could benefit a lot of people,” Pinkerton said. “He fixed a broken phone screen for me… He was great to work with and made it quick and easy.”

Kasper is self-taught and able to repair broken cell phone screens. Submitted photos.

He can be reached to set up an appointment and get a quote by phone/text at 620-215-4706 or

by email at [email protected].

Prices vary between the type of repair and model of the product.

Fort Scott, Schools

New WS Technology Teacher: Karen Gordon

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 Karen Gordon, 56, is the new technology teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Gordon retired in May from  teaching in Missouri after 27 years.
She is a Nevada, MO native.
“I’ve had numerous jobs in education while at Nevada,” she said. “Most recently I was one of the middle school counselors. I have also been the counselor at Truman Elementary, school psychological examiner for the district, taught fifth-grade, gifted, keyboarding, and seventh-grade science.”
Gordon has a bachelor of arts degree from UMKC and a master of science from PSU, both in elementary education.
“I also have numerous hours in counseling from MSU,” she said.
Her husband, Tom Gordon, and she have one son, McCade Gordon, who is a sophomore at Mizzou.
Outside of school, she likes attending Broadway shows, her son’s concerts, walking, and “hanging out with friends,” she said.
“The best part of teaching, for me, is getting to shape young minds and show them that their only limits are those they place on themselves,” she said.
Her greatest challenge this year will be going back into the classroom after being in counseling for the last six years, she said.
“I’m so excited to work with the littles!”
Obituary

Obituary of Larry Joe Beck

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Larry Joe Beck, age 65, a resident of Mt. Vernon, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, August 21, 2019, at his home.

He was born April 11, 1954, in Ft. Scott, Kansas.  He graduated from the Ft. Scott High School and Fort Scott Community College.

  He went on to receive his BS Degree in Nursing from Pittsburg State University.  Larry Joe married Mary E.Evans on September 19, 1975, at Devon, Kansas.  He worked as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in Ft. Scott.

He later served with the United States Air Force during Operation Desert Storm where he served as a clinical nurse.  Following his military service, he worked as a surgical nurse for Doctor’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri and Cox Hospital in Monet, Missouri.

Larry Joe enjoyed reading, welding and playing golf.  He also was a licensed pilot.  He was a past member of the Devon United Masonic Lodge.

Survivors include his wife, Mary, of the home in Mt. Vernon; his daughter, Samantha Beck-Paciorek (Andrew), of Baxter Springs, Kansas and his son, Jordan Beck (Angela) of Willard, Missouri and six grandchildren, Gaige, Danielle, Jaden, Maycie, Jackson and Adalyn.  Also surviving is his mother, Yvonne Beck; a sister, Susie Arvidson (Chris) of Ft. Scott and three half-brothers, Charles Jajdelski, of San Diego, California, Ron Jajdelski, of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Bob Jajdelski of Arizona.

He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Beck; a granddaughter, Charlotte and a half-brother, Mike Jajdelski.

Graveside services with military honors will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, August 26th at the U. S. National Cemetery in Ft. Scott, Kansas.

Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 10:45 A.M.

  Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society and may be left in care 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.

Bourbon County, Sports

Want To Play Some Co-Ed Slow Pitch?

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Shawn and Savannah Pritchett are seeking teams for an inaugural slow pitch ball tournament next Saturday as part of the Old Settler’s Picnic festivities in Uniontown.

The game is scheduled for 9 a.m. on August 31 at the Don Dennis Ball Park at West Bourbon Elementary School.

The cost per team is $100, with a deadline of 6 p.m. tomorrow, August 23.

Contact Savannah at 620-224-6025.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Fort Scott Community College, Government, Jobs, Schools

Work Ready Students Is Goal of New Program: Employers Cooperation Needed

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Fort Scott High School.

Workers are needed across the state to fill workforce needs.

The Kansas State Board of Education, working with Kansas legislators, are providing the opportunity for juniors in high school, including Fort Scott, to take assessments to help fill those workforce needs.

The title of the program is ACT Work Ready Community and is paid for by Kansas legislators in collaboration with the state board of education.

Students are offered two assessments for the program and can either take the ACT, or ACT WorkKeys, or both.

The program facilitators are hoping to fill job vacancies in Bourbon County.

“An opportunity was seen to provide a connection for local Bourbon County employers to gain understanding of the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys assessment to help fill and build their workforce,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said.  “The opportunity for juniors to take the ACT assessments will continue this school year and for years to come.”

A career readiness certificate can be earned, after taking an assessment, which will help to evaluate future employees for the workforce skills needed.

The program allows employers to use it as a tool to see if the skills set will work for their need.

“ACT Work Ready Community is a program to provide Bourbon County the distinction of a county where the employers recognize the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate earned upon completion of taking the ACT WorkKeys assessment, as a tool to evaluate future employees,” Hessong said.

The basis of the certification: current and future workers earn the certificate and the employers recognize the credential.

“Employers can be the fuel to drive successful state and county Work Ready Communities initiatives simply by recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®. And in doing so, they will have a more qualified workforce ready to fill their jobs,” according to the ACT Work Ready Communities website.

“The foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce, earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®…and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®,” Hessong said. “(It) is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math, and graphic literacy.”
A collaboration of local entities and employers will have two years to start reaching goals for the program.
“The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Bourbon County Economic Development, USD 234, Fort Scott Community College, and Bourbon County employers will have two years to attain goals set by ACT Work Ready in order to be recognized as an ACT Work Ready Community,” Hessong said.
For more information: workreadycommunities.org
Fort Scott, Schools

New FSHS Math Teacher: Bill Hall

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Bill Hall. Submitted photo.

William Hall is a new math teacher at Fort Scott High School, whose hometown is Manhattan, KS.

Hall earned a bachelor of science degree in secondary math education from Kansas State University and has previously taught math at Hugoton High School.

His family consists of his father, brother, and sister, who still live in Manhattan, another brother in Las Vegas, and another brother in Sydney, Australia.

” I’ve always been interested in working with students,” he said. And his students inspire him, he said.

Hall is looking forward to getting to know the students at Fort Scott High School, he said.

His greatest challenge in teaching math is working with technology.

“I am what you would call ‘technology challenged,” he said.

 

Fort Scott Community College

Burris Hall Gets Addition and Update

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Workers were working on the Burris Hall lawn Monday, August 19, the first day of classes at Fort Scott Community College.

Fort Scott Community College classes started Aug. 19, but a few of the renovations and additions are not quite finished.

 

FSCC instructor Sarah Sutton said, “The goal is to have everything completed by the end of September for the (FSCC) Centennial Celebration.” Sutton teaches in Burris Hall.

 

Burris Hall has an additional building space, while the existing building was remodeled.

The existing building is the left one in this photo, the new addition to the right.

Sample drilling for the project site began last June 2018, and the contract was let out for bid in February 2019, according to info from Darlene Wood,  assistant to the president.

 

Actual construction began in late May 2019, Crossland Construction Foreman Cory Spear, said.

 

“We are down to the punch list,” Spear said. “We are awaiting the architects, Hight Jackson, with a list of corrective actions, things that need to be fixed.”

 

Burris Hall is the agriculture department of the campus. Three to four classrooms are housed here, as well as offices for the instructors.

FSCC Instructor Sarah Sutton, right, speaks with a student on the first day of classes at Fort Scott Community College, August 19.

 

A student walks down the connecting hall of Burris Hall on August 19 towards classrooms in the existing building.

 

There is also a large room in the addition with a kitchenette off to one side.

The large room in the new Burris Hall addition has instructor’s offices around the perimeter and a kitchenette area off to one side.

“This room can be used for a classroom if needed,” Wood said.  “It can also be scheduled for meetings on campus or for community events.”

“The money was all donated by the estates of Chester Boileau and Lonnie Cleavers,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said.  “We chose to add on and remodel the agriculture building to honor their legacies, as agriculture was their livelihood.” The amount was $930,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Hayden Travis: New 2nd Grade Teacher at Winfield Scott

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Hayden Travis, 24, starts teaching second grade at Winfield Scott Elementary School in Fort Scott this year.

She was raised in Uniontown, and her mom,  sixth-grade West Bourbon Elementary School teacher Bonnie Rathbun, was her inspiration.

“My mom has been a teacher for many years, and I have grown up watching her give 110% to her students every year,” Travis said. “I was inspired by her dedication, passion, and drive to help students be successful.”

Travis previously taught 8th-grade earth science for two years in the Shawnee Mission School District in the Kansas City area.

She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree.

Her family includes husband: Zach Travis, mother: Bonnie Rathbun, father: Randy Rathbun, sister: Taylor Graber, and brother: Chad Parks.

In her spare time she likes spending time with family, playing and watching sports, enjoying outdoor activities, staying active, and crafting, she said.

Watching students grow from the beginning to the end of the school year is the best part of teaching for Travis.

“Ultimately my goal is to help mold students into successful and independent individuals who can achieve any goal they desire,” she said.

What are the greatest challenges in teaching for you?

“One of the greatest challenges in teaching for me is finding a balance between my professional and home life,” she said.