All posts by Loretta George

Business, Fort Scott

LaRoche Buildings: A New Beginning

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Editors note: Due to technical difficulties the feature did not include part of the written story. Here is the complete story.

The LaRoche buildings located at 10 and 12 E. Wall. Jennifer LaRoche is the owner and contractor for the renovation of the two historic buildings in downtown Fort Scott. The two copper signs on the Wall Street side, one of the Tribune Monitor Newspaper and one of the Kansas Gas and Electric will be restored and lighted when all is complete, LaRoche said.

Business owner Jennifer LaRoche opened her buildings that are in the process of renovation, to the public for what was called a “Sneak Peek” on Dec. 18.

The buildings are located at 10 and 12 E. Wall St.

This was in celebration of  Fort Scott’s downtown district’s historic designation 10th anniversary. Kate Sweetser, one of the original workers on the designation spoke to the attendees of the history of the designation.
12 E. Wall: Coffee Shop

The building which most recently housed the Fort Scott Tribune newspaper office,  has been empty for a few years.

In January, the easternmost, one-story building at 12 E. Wall is slated to become the new location of Common Ground Coffee Company. The dimensions of the building are approximately 30 foot by 100 feet, LaRoche said

The coffee shop has two restrooms and a conference room along with an open space for drinking coffee and having a meal.

In addition, there is an outdoor seating area with a stage that is in the back of the adjacent building that will be a part of the coffee shop. The outdoor seating will be accessed through an opening in the coffee shop.

Vicki Waldron will remain the manager of Common Ground.

Kate Sweetser, center left, looks at the transom windows in the building at 12 E. Wall, as building owner, Jennifer LaRoche tells of the renovation of the original windows. Some glass was replaced by Gammon Glass, Nevada, MO. she said.

 

Kate Sweetser visits with Kirk Sharp during the LaRoche Buildings Sneak Peak on Dec. 18.
Though nearing completion, the LaRoche building at 10 E. Wall, still has much to do, Jennifer LaRoche said during the “Sneak Peek” on Dec. 18. The public was invited to the event.
The ceiling at 10 E. Wall is 80 percent original, LaRoche said. It was formerly covered by a drop-down ceiling prior to the renovation. LaRoche purchased the needed replacements from W.F. Norman Corp., Nevada, MO who still produces the same tile.
Pictured is the future stage and outdoor seating space at the rear of 12 E. Wall, which will be accessed through the coffee shop at 10 E. Wall.
Pictured is the significantly larger kitchen that will be available to the Common Ground Coffee Shop staff when completed.

 

10 E. Wall

At 10 E. Wall which is next on the list for completion, there will be an office on the first floor for LaRoche, upstairs there will be two apartments and E 3 Ranch Offices. On the National Avenue side of the building will be three storefronts, she said.

“I don’t know what is going in there yet,” LaRoche said.

Casper Enterprise, Stoughton Inc., Allen Electric, Extrusions Inc. and Mid-Continental Restoration Co. have all done work for LaRoche on the project.

 

LaRoche: Not Done Renovating

LaRoche said she will take a break following the completion of the renovation project.

But she is not done renovating.

“I really love uncovering all the things people have covered up,” LaRoche said. “I love making it look like it did in the pictures 100 years ago.

Business, Fort Scott

Luther’s BBQ Opens

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Luther Salisberry of the new Luther’s BBQ stands in front of the  signs on the building and the door of the new restaurant on Dec. 12.

David Lipe and Luther Salisberry are the owners of Luther’s BBQ, which opened at the corner of Oak Street and National Avenue on Fort Scott’s northside this week.

The restaurant crew is working on a few “kinks” in the process of opening, according to its’ Facebook page, but had a “soft opening” on Dec. 16.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except Sunday when the restaurant will close at 7 p.m.

The phone number of the business is 620-644-9880.

Approximately 30 employees have been hired, both full and part-time, according to Tina Lipe, David’s wife.

Lipe and Salisberry have signed a five-year lease from building owner Al Niece which includes the River Room Event Center on the second floor of the historic building.

To rent the River Room contact David Lipe at 816-392-2825.

The new restaurant will seat about 150 people, while the River Room Event Center about 500, Lipe said in an earlier interview.

Luther’s BBQ restaurant is located at the corner of Oak Street and National Avenue on Fort Scott’s northside. The River Room Event Center is located on the second floor.

The restaurant’s specialty will be burnt ends and additional food specials during the week, Lipe said.

Also available will be pork chops, ribs, steaks, smoked brisket, and pulled pork, he said.

Mirrored after Q39 and Stack Jack Restaurants in the Kansas City area, they hope to make it a gourmet, upper-end style barbeque, Lipe said.

 

The door of Luther’s BBQ has opened to the public.
From left is Alex Hudson/general manager of Luther’s BBQ, Luther Salisberry/owner, David Lipe/owner. Submitted photo.

To see the previous interview, click below

BBQ Is Coming to Old Buffalo Grill Restaurant

Fort Scott, Government

Paul Ballou Retires

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Paul Ballou

Paul Ballou, Fort Scott ‘s Fire Chief, is retiring Jan. 3, 2020.

In addition to fire chief, Ballou was also made assistant city manager last year by Dave Martin, Fort Scott’s City Manager. He oversees the city’s dispatch division and occasionally helped the city’s code enforcement department, he said.

He started as a rural firefighter in May 1990 before coming to work for the City of Fort Scott’s Fire Department.

Outside of city duties, Ballou has been married to his wife Cheryl, for 41 years and they have two children and four grandchildren, he said.

“That’s one of the reasons I decided to retire,” Ballou said. “My grandkids are becoming real active in sports and plays. I spent the summer traveling with my oldest granddaughter, Maddie Ballou, in 8th grade, for softball. My oldest grandson, Able Chaplin, 4th grade, is into basketball and was in a play this year. My youngest granddaughter, Myah Chaplin, kindergarten, is into t-ball, dance and cheerleading. My youngest grandson, Dylan Ballou, has started t-ball.”

 

“My wife has a lot of stuff for me to do around the house,” Ballou said. “She’ll keep me busy for a while.”

Ballou said he had no concrete plans following retirement.

“Paul has been a servant leader to the community,” said Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin. “He has done a great job…working in all areas…of inspiring the community. He is very astute and willing to listen.”

“He will be sorely missed in the future,” Martin said.

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site, Government, Jobs

Abby Schauer: New FSNHS Ranger

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 Abby Schauer, 23, is a new permanent park guide at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
She is from Spencer, Iowa and was hired on August 4, 2019.
Family vacations inspired Schauer to pursue a career with the National Park Service.
 “Every year, my family would go on vacation to national parks across the country, mainly Rocky Mountain National Park,” she said. “These vacations were something that I looked forward to every year and countless memories were made during these trips.”
Hiking trails, completing Junior Ranger books, attending ranger programs, camping in a little pop-up camper,  looking for wildlife every evening, or skipping rocks on a pristine mountain lake, these are the memories that inspired her.
“I enjoyed every single moment in these amazing places,” she said. “So, when deciding what I wanted to do for a career, I chose to pursue a path with the NPS so I could help to preserve and protect these places that have so much meaning and to help people experience their parks and make memories just like I had the chance of doing.”

She is passionate about National Parks and feels honored to take part in protecting them so that both this and future generations can learn, enjoy, and be inspired by them, she said.

Her main duties at FSNHS include guiding tours, working in the visitor center, working with school groups, helping to plan and execute special events, and is in charge of the park’s living history clothing.

Her priority is to help people learn about and connect with Fort Scott National Historic Site, she said.
 
Schauer has served at five national parks.
“I began my career with the NPS as an Interpretive Intern at Mount Rushmore National Memorial during the summer of 2017,” she said. “I completed my last year of college after that internship and then started working seasonal jobs around the country.”

Following her time at Mt. Rushmore, she became a fee collector at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota,  then Tumacacori National Historical Park in southern Arizona where she completed an interpretation and education internship,  and then worked at Grand Canyon National Park as an Interpretation Park Ranger.

Schauer believes each park contributes to the American story.
” Fort Scott tells several stories that are not well known but were pivotal in the development of the United States,” she said. ” Not only does Fort Scott offer the opportunity to learn about these important stories, but the facility offers a look into the past with the impressive original and reconstructed buildings on site.”
FSNHS park visitor center, park store, and historic structures will be open daily from 8:30 am–4:30 pm through March 31, 2020.
Check out FSNHS website
Opinion

Is Your Tongue On Fire? by Pastor James Collins

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Is Your Tongue On Fire?

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” James 3:6

One of the difficult things about being a pastor is not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings when it comes to food. At church fellowship meals, I usually take a little bit of everything even if I don’t particularly like it. I am afraid that Miss Edna will watch the buffet line and notice that I didn’t eat any of her butterbeans. Then she will get upset and tell her husband, Deacon Hugo, and I will end up getting fired from the church.

In the past two weeks, I have attended four different church-related Christmas parties. At each of the parties, someone has made spicy dip. Several years ago, I had to have my gallbladder removed. Ever since then, I really can’t eat spicy food. I like food with a little kick, but it doesn’t like me. However, because I didn’t want to offend anyone, I tried the dips.

At the first party, a lady said, “Try this dip. It has an amusing kick.” I scooped up a little with a chip and put it in my mouth. That dip was so flaming hot, you could remove dried paint with it. I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital. The lady was offended when I told her that my ears were ringing, and I could no longer focus my eyes.

At the second party, the host said, “This dip has a slight flavor of jalapeno.” I tried his dip on a cracker. I didn’t taste anything but pain. The dip was blazingly hot. My wife, Amanda, had to give me the Heimlich maneuver. I think I embarrassed Amanda with all the screaming and crying.

At the third party, someone said, “Preacher, try this dip. It has a hint of red peppers.” I put a little of the dip on a potato chip and took a bite. It was so red-hot, it tasted more like Drano than red peppers. I couldn’t think. My brain turned to liquid and ran out of my nose.

At the fourth party, just as I walked in the door, someone suggested, “Taste this dip. It has just a touch of cayenne and my secret ingredient, ghost peppers.” Not learning my lesson, I dipped in a chip and tried it. I felt something scraping across my tongue but was unable to taste it. My lips began to melt. I told Amanda to collect some of the dip in a container and give it to the coroner, so he would know what killed me at the autopsy.

Even worse than inferno dips setting your tongue on fire is having a fiery tongue aimed at you. The Bible says the tongue is “a fire” (James 3:6). That does not mean we have a literal flame in our mouth. It is a word picture to show how a spark started by someone’s tongue can become a raging fire. A false statement made here, a little gossip over there, a vicious remark somewhere else, and people are hurt, relationships are destroyed, and lives are ruined.

However, our words can put out fires instead of starting them. Use your words to encourage someone who is hurting. Speak positively to someone wanting to grow in their faith. Better still, tell someone who is lost about our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The point is: We would all be wise to pray, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3). Help me Lord to keep my mouth from scorching others.

Is your tongue on fire?

James Collins is pastor of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. He would love to come to your Christmas party, but he won’t eat anymore spicy dip. For more information about his ministry, visit the website fortscottfsbc.com.

Bourbon County, Government

New County Information Board Installed at Courthouse

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The Bourbon County Courthouse.

A mass notification message board was installed on the north wing of the Bourbon County Courthouse at 2nd and National Ave.

The new information sign is located on the north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.

The Bourbon County Emergency Management purchased the electronic sign from Garland Fire Department for $1,200.

“It was purchased on October 16, 2019,  after taking bids and deciding where to place it, it was installed on December 11, 2019,” William Wallis, Bourbon County Emergency Management Director said.

“After several months of discussion and deliberation Shane (Walker, Bourbon County Information Technology Director)and I decided to purchase it and use it to display messages to the public such as CodeRed signups, red flag fire warning days, weather warnings such as ice storms, snowstorms, etc.,” Wallis said in an earlier story.

No county money was used to purchase or have it installed, Wallis said in the previous story, grant money was used.

To view the previous story, click below:

New Info Sign Coming to Courthouse

Fort Scott National Historic Site, Jobs

FSNHS New Employee Profile: Hayley Moore

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Hayley Moore. Submitted photo.
 Hayley Moore, 25, is the new Fort Scott National Historic Site Museum Technician, since Sept. 16.
Her hometown is  Southern Pines, NC.
When Moore was growing up, every family vacation included visiting museums, a national park, or a historic site, she said.
“I particularly fell in love with museums and once I learned that there were people who had careers working in museums and taking care of objects, I immediately knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” she said. ” I had never considered a career in NPS as I never knew that they had archival and museum collections. I had always associated national park sites with scenic views and outdoor activities, not museums.”
Serving the public is a part of her heritage, Moore said.
“Having a mother who is a teacher and a father in the army, I grew up seeing how devoted they were to serving the public and it inspired me to do the same,” she said.  “I decided to pursue a position with the federal government. I was applying for every museum and archive job I could find and eventually I saw openings for museum and archives positions for the park service.  Eventually, I received an offer and accepted a position as a digital archivist at Everglades National Park in Homestead, FL. When I accepted my first seasonal position at Everglades National Park, I had no clue what I was getting myself to.”
Her colleagues impressed her.
“I quickly fell in love with NPS’s mission,” she said. ” Being around my colleagues who were so passionate and knowledgeable about both cultural and natural resources of the park made me realize that the agency fit with what my career goals were.”
“There’s something at every national park for everyone whether it is history, science, or just being outdoors. It makes so many different types of subjects and activities accessible to the public all while trying to ensure the preservation of resources for years to come. For someone like me who went into museums, wanting to make sure objects were being preserved and taken care of, the National Park Service aligns with my career goals.”
“I began my career in the National Park Service last May when I took a seasonal job as a digital archivist at Everglades National Park,” Moore said. “During my six months, I drafted a standard operating procedure for digital collections, cataloged science permit deliverables for Biscayne National Park, assisted the museum technician with annual inventory, and did a full inventory of the archival collections.”

“It was an incredibly rewarding experience and a great introduction to the National Park Service as a whole, she said.  “It made me step out of my comfort zone as I had never worked with science collections before and lived in a national park. One of my favorite things about the park was that you could just be driving to work and you could come across the wildlife of the Everglades such as pythons, alligators, and the great egret. ”

Her title at FSNHS is a museum technician.
“I am in charge of the care and management of both our museum and archival collections,” she said.  “I am responsible for the housekeeping of our exhibit space, ensuring our objects are being cleaned…by the Department of Interior (DOI), NPS, and museum standards. I complete our Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) where I trap pests and collect data on what we might be in our exhibit spaces and could cause harm to our objects. I handle the accessioning and deaccessioning of objects and catalog objects using our collection management system as needed. I also complete our annual inventory and annual submission of our collections that are required by NPS’s Museum Management Program. I am also available to visitors if they have any inquiries regarding our collection.”
Moore,  like many who work for the NPS, has worked in diverse places in the U.S.
“Before coming to Fort Scott, I was working as an intern at the National Catalog for NPS’s Museum Management Program in Harpers Ferry, WV, ” she said.  “Previously I worked at Everglades National Park, volunteered at the Tufts Archives in Pinehurst, NC and interned at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, VA and the University of St. Andrews Special Collections Library in St. Andrews, Scotland during my college and graduate school years respectively.”
FSNHS history is fascinating to Moore.
“It’s a period in American history that not many tend to know about or talk about,” she said. “Growing up in a southern state where Civil War history is so prominent, there isn’t too much focus on the period before the Civil War. At our site, we focus on that area by interpreting that gap. We look at the daily life of soldiers in the new beginnings of the westward expansion of the United States, we’re one of only two NPS sites that has a history associated with the Mexican American War, and we are located where Bleeding Kansas took place. There’s so much packed into one site and it’s fascinating to be able to tell each of those stories, how they relate to one another, and the overall history of the United States. I can’t say I’ve worked at a place quite like this.”

 

Bourbon County, Church news, Fort Scott

FortScott.Biz Seeking Church Christmas Services Submissions

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FortScott.Biz is seeking submissions via [email protected] for Bourbon County church services surrounding Christmas.

Please include: name of the church, address, Christmas services offered the community, times of those services and if desired, list the mission statement of the church.

A statement from the pastor would be an additional part of the feature.

Please include a photo of the church, if possible.

 

 

Art, Entertainment, Fort Scott Community College

Christmas Dinner Theatre Dec. 14: A First For HPA

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The Liberty Theater is the venue of the HPA Christmas Dinner Theatre and fundraiser. Pictured is a group of diners at a previous Liberty Theater function.

The First Annual Bourbon County Historial Preservation Association  Christmas  Dinner Theatre and Fundraiser Auction will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Liberty Theater in downtown Fort Scott.

The Fort Scott Community College Drama Department is the entertainment for the dinner theater.

Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce office for $25.

“Christmas Unplugged” is the name of the play the FSCC Drama Department is performing, under the direction of Allen Twitchell.

Several local actors are featured.

Annabelle Moore of Lyndon, Isabella Loyd of Fort Scott, Abby Jazmin Havens of Pittsburg, Colton Hofer of Fort Scott, Abby Sweat of Pleasanton, Anthony Oneri of Gardner, and Allen Twitchell of Fort Scott.

Music will be provided by the Apostolic Christian Church Choir under the direction of Alita Banwart with Jerry Bahr on guitar.

 

Twitchell explains the storyline:  “A grandfather walks into the living room and encounters all his grandkids riveted to their cell phones, oblivious to the world around them.”

“He demands their participation in an old-fashioned Christmas tradition by reading ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ After the story is read, a knock on the door reveals a group of carolers from the past. They sing for the family, who decides to start a new Christmas Eve eve tradition.”

 

See the source image

 

The dinner theatre takes the annual HPA fundraiser in a different direction.

 

“We didn’t have Homes for the Holidays last year, and decided to change directions with our Christmas program,” Bourbon County Historical Association President Brian Allen said. ” We will be selling a few items from our extensive collection at the event. The items to be auctioned are still being determined. ”

 

“Enjoy some food, drink and entertainment from the FSCC Drama Department. Doors open at 6:00 pm program starts at 7:00 and concludes with a special auction you won’t want to miss,” Allen said.

See more on the Bourbon County HPA Facebook page.

Fort Scott, Government

Audit of City of Fort Scott: Future Savings

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Brandon Russell, a plant operator, does testing on Fort Scott’s water in the water treatment plant in a file photo.

Last week the City of Fort Scott announced a city-wide infrastructure project to look at energy savings, growth in facilities, building, parks, and downtown redevelopment, through a multi-national company called Schneider Electric.

Swimming lessons at the Fort Scott Aquatic Center in a file photo.

FortScott.Biz contacted the company to get a clearer view of the project.

“Schneider Electric’s team of engineers and construction experts audited every facility, park, and infrastructure owned or operated by the City of Fort Scott, “Brian Puffer, Regional Marketing Manager of
Energy and Sustainability Services for Schneider Electric said.

Puffer’s office is in Franklin, TN but the headquarters are located near Paris, France.

Memorial Hall at Third and National Avenue.

Reducing energy consumption and future operation and capital burdens

“The goal was to identify opportunities to help reduce energy, operational and future capital burdens facing the city,” he said. “Our team worked with city administration to focus the scope of the project on those items that create the biggest impact and will be funded through the reduction of energy and operational expenses.”

Buck Run Community Center

The following facilities will be impacted:

  • Airport
  • Aquatic Center
  • Buck Run Community Center
  • City Hall
  • Davis Life Station
  • Animal Shelter
  • Fire Station #2
  • Golf Course
  • Gunn Park
  • LaRoche Stadium
  • Memorial Hall
  • Public Safety (Fire/Police)
  • Public Works
  • Water Distribution
  • Water Production Plant
  • Wastewater Treatment
The City of Fort Scott’s Public Safety Facility.

“Our team creates detailed energy models based on the current equipment and operational parameters of each facility,” Puffer said. “This allows us to determine what changes and impact a specific scope item (lights, HVAC, envelope, etc.) will have across a specific building or the entire city as a whole.”

Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.

Creating New Revenue

“The goal is to take what was generally viewed as an expense in energy and maintenance costs and redirect those dollars into capital investments,” he said.  “So, when referring to a new revenue stream, we are really tapping into what is lost to a utility from an operational expense and reinvesting those dollars into a capital need.”

 

LaRoche Baseball Stadium.

 

For the original Schneider Electric press release, click below:

City-Wide Infrastructure Project Begins

Fort Scott Airport.
Gunn Park entrance.
Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott National Historic Site, Government

History Comes Alive at The Fort

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The Grand Ballroom is festooned with greenery in preparation for the candlelight tour on Friday and Saturday. Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site will serve refreshments here after the tour.

Our history is a part of our culture.

And one of the gems of Fort Scott is the national historic site at the end of Main Street that tells of the beginning of the city as an army outpost.

This weekend the 38th Fort Scott National Historic Site’s Candlelight Tour will help participants understand the life of military life in the 1840s.

Tours start at dusk Friday and Saturday night Dec. 6 and 7 and last approximately 45 minutes. Tickets must be purchased prior to the tour.

Call the Fort at 620-223-0310 (with a major credit card) or stop by the Visitor Center on Old  Fort Blvd.

Participants are advised to please dress for the weather and the terrain, as they will be outside and on sidewalks.

“It’s a way to share and celebrate the holiday with the community,” Carl Brenner, Cheif of Interpretation and Resource Management said.

“The public (tour-goers) will be a dragoon soldier and get an enlistment card, each will be a different soldier,” Brenner told the weekly Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Coffee attendees Thursday morning.

“The persona of each soldier will be giving tours of each scene,” he said.

There are six different scenes.

Approximately 100 volunteers help with the annual Candlelight Tour, Brenner said.

 

Every year the tour is different.

“We want people to learn and have new experiences telling different stories,” Brenner said.

The Fort Scott High School Drama Department will be a part of the storytelling.

“They do such a great job, we wanted to get them involved,” he said. “They will be showing a scene of what payday was like (for a dragoon.)”

Fort Scott High School Drama Teacher Angie Bin’s advanced theatre students, in their third or fourth year of taking drama class, were given guidelines and information from the FSNHS to guide them in writing a scene that takes place in the 1840s on a payday.

“I had two classes that each wrote a script and then Barak Geertsen, at the fort, consolidated the two scripts into one final draft. We have five students who are acting in that scene. We also have a student acting as a sergeant in another scene.”

Many other students will act as tour followers during the tour, she said.

Most of the tours are filled so an 8:30 p.m. tour was added.

The cost of the tour is $8 for those 6 years of age and up.

“We are asking that people show up 10 minutes early to find a parking spot and make their way to the visitors center, Brenner said.

The Friends of FSNHS will provide refreshments at the end of the tour, one of their many supportive rolls for the fort.

Reed Hartford, president of the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site, tells the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce attendees of the support services the group supplies the fort.