Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

“Life has a positive and negative side. Happy people ignore the negative side” Bangambiki Habyarimana

One hundred seventy-five years ago, soldiers established a fort atop a bluff overlooking the Marmaton River. Its purpose was to keep peace on the frontier and to contain westward expansion. To patrol the frontier, the army stationed dragoon and infantry soldiers at Fort Scott. These soldiers faced the challenges of boredom, isolation, the uncertainty of life on the frontier and the vast distances involved in patrolling the region. Nevertheless, they found ways to celebrate life and to make the best of their situation. They remained vigilant in their duties yet took time out to enjoy dances, dinner parties, evening socials, and camaraderie. They found a reason to celebrate at Christmas time, the 4th of July, and other occasions. Although isolated on the frontier, they sought excellence as they built “the Crack Post of the Frontier.”

Fort Scott National Historic Site will celebrate its 175th anniversary by presenting its 36th annual Candlelight Tour. The theme for this year’s candlelight tour is Happiness Amid Hardship. The tour will feature five scenes from the 1840s at Fort Scott, the years that it was an active military fort. Traditionally, the site’s candlelight tour has been “ghosted,” meaning that the reenactors in the scene do not interact with or even recognize the people on the tour. This year, Fort Scott staff is changing things up so that there is some audience participation in most of the scenes. Visitors might join in dancing at the dragoon barracks, participate in an evening social at the officers’ quarters, or discuss at the sutler store the reasons why they are going to become Oregon pioneers.

During the candlelight tour, over 700 candle lanterns illuminate the site and over 100 reenactors bring the fort to life. This year’s tours will be offered December 1 and 2, 2017. Tours on December 1, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. On Saturday, December 2, the tours will run from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Ticket sales begin on November 1. You can purchase tickets by calling 620-223-0310 or by coming to the visitor center at Fort Scott NHS. Be sure to get your tickets early for your choice of tour times as this event usually sells out. Tickets are $8.00 each and are non-refundable. Children 5 and under are free.

From November 1 to March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For more information about the candlelight tour or other events at the site, call 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

Submitted by Angie Bin

FSHS THEATRE AND PRIDE STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TO “FEED THE NEED”

The International Thespian Society (ITS), a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), is pleased to announce the participation of Fort Scott High School, Thespian Troupe #7365, in the Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat program.

Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a national community service program for ITS member schools to collect canned and dry goods for local charities and food banks. Theatre students from FSHS will collect food donations on Friday, Oct. 27, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thousands of pounds of food will be collected in one week across the state, giving organizations the ability to help thousands of local people.

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than 4,100 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. High school inductees are known as “Thespians” and junior high/middle school inductees are known as “Junior Thespians.” ITS is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), a professional organization with approximately 100,000 members nationwide.

Thespians will also partner with other high school clubs including Pride, to collect food.  If you would like to donate to the cause and the students miss your home on Oct. 27, please drop your donation by FSHS and address it to Angie Bin, FSHS Thespian Director.

Fort Scott High School Performs “Disney’s High School Musical”

The Fort Scott High School Drama Department presents “Disney’s High School Musical” on November 7, 9, and 11, at 7 p.m. and on November 11, at 2 p.m.

Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on the newly renovated FSHS auditorium stage. Publisher Music Theatre International describes the musical: “Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities. It’s the first day after winter break at East High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes find their cliques, recount their vacations and look forward to the new year. Basketball team captain and resident jock, Troy, discovers that the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they decide to audition for the high school musical that is being led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the threat posed to the ‘status quo,’ Troy and Gabriella’s alliance might just open the door for others to shine as well.”

The show involves nearly forty students in acting roles. Leads include sophomore Levi Bin who plays Troy Bolton and junior Morgan Rohr playing Gabriella Montez. Also featured are sophomore Mesa Jones as Sharpay Evans, junior Darrick Green as Ryan Evans, sophomore Mary Gladbach as Taylor McKessie, and senior Alex Gorman as Chad Danforth. Sophomore Kaitlyn Hanks portrays Ms. Darbus and senior Micah Self plays Troy’s dad, Coach Bolton. More than 30 students also serve in technical roles backstage and behind the scenes from costuming and lighting design to set design and building.

The musical is directed by FSHS Drama and Thespian Director Angie Bin with Music Director Mary Jo Harper, Eugene Ware Music Teacher. Taylor Schilling, a music education student at PSU and FSHS alum, serves as the Assistant Music Director and Choreographer and Jason Huffman of Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium serves as Technical Director.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children and are on sale now at the FSHS office, 1005 S. Main and at Common Ground, 116 S. Main in Fort Scott. Seating is limited, so audience members are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. Doors open thirty minutes before showtime.

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

The famed Vienna Boys Choir will perform on Sunday, November 12, at 3 p.m. at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College.

The performance is sponsored by the Key Charitable Trust, the Bourbon County Arts Council, Cheney-Witt Chapel, and Landmark Bank. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $5 for students K-12.

VIP seating, the first five rows of the center section, has a ticket price of $25. All seats are reserved. Tickets will go on sale starting Monday, October 16.

No group of child musicians has won more renown than the incomparable Wiener Sängerknaben, founded by Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. Six centuries later, the famed Vienna Boys Choir continue to delight music-lovers across the globe with their purity of tone, distinctive charm and a diverse, crowd-pleasing repertoire that encompasses Austrian folk songs and waltzes, classical masterpieces, beloved pop songs, holiday favorites and medieval chant. Gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty, they carry on the Vienna Boys Choir’s illustrious tradition as the world’s preeminent boy choir.

The Vienna Boys Choir is a world-class ensemble that is wildly popular. The Choir gives 80 concerts a year in North America, over half at near capacity or sold out. The Vienna Boys Choir presents timeless music with a universal popular appeal. With its broad repertoire of sacred, folk and popular music, a Vienna Boys Choir performance is a musical event that will draw in music lovers from all walks of life.

“This is a group of young performers who appeal to all ages,” said concert coordinator Jill Warford. “We hosted them in 2011 and they were very popular. We feel extremely grateful to our sponsors who provided enough funding so that we can offer affordable ticket prices to our community.”

Tickets will go on sale on Monday, October 16, at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall, Fort Scott. For more information or to purchase tickets by phone call 223-3566.