The Fort Scott Elks #579 will have the annual youth fishing derby tomorrow (May 20) at the Fort Scott Community College Lake.
Children will fish from 10 a.m.– noon and the prizes will be awarded immediately following recognizing the most fish caught and the largest fish caught in each of the three age categories.
Submitted by
Millie Lipscomb, Elks Fishing Derby chairperson
The Regular Council Meeting on May 9, 2023 at Uniontown City Hall, was called to order at 7:00PM by Mayor Jurgensen. Council members present were Jess Ervin, Danea Esslinger, Josh Hartman, and Amber Kelly. Also in attendance for all or part of the meeting were City Superintendent Bobby Rich, City Treasurer Charlene Bolinger, and City Clerk Sally Johnson.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Loren Korte, Personal Service Insurance planned to be here to present the City with a dividend check from EMC, but was unable to make it due to the weather.
Don George, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism planned to be here to pick up grant application but wasn’t able to come. Clerk Johnson asked council what percentage of match for this application, 56% was used for phase I.
Motion by Hartman, Second by Kelly, Approved 4-0 to submit CFAP Grant Application with a 56% match.
Clerk Johnson will email application to Don George tomorrow.
CITIZENS REQUEST
None
FINANCIAL REPORT
Treasurer Bolinger present the April 2023 Treasurer’s Report. Beginning Checking Account Balance for all funds was $345,407.78, Receipts $33,990.09, Transfers Out $3,026.00, Expenditures $20,937.77, Checking Account Closing Balance $355,428.10. Bank Statement Balance $357,610.00, including Checking Account Interest of $74.34, Outstanding Deposits $0, Outstanding Checks $2,181.90, Reconciled Balance $355,428.10. Water Utilities Certificates of Deposit $33,223.90, Sewer Utilities Certificate of Deposit $19,841.76, Gas Utilities Certificates of Deposit $33,499.83, Total All Funds, including Certificates of Deposit $441,993.59. Year-to-Date Interest in Checking Acct is $302.32, and Utility CDs $164.51 for a Total Year-to-Date Interest of $466.83. Also included the status of the Projects Checking Account for the month of April 2023, Beginning Balance $0, Receipts $0, Expenditures $0, Ending Balance $0. April Transfers from Sewer Utility Fund to Sewer Revolving Loan $1,402.00; from Water Utility Fund to GO Water Bond & Interest $1,624.00; for Total Transfers of $3,026.00. Net Income for the month of April $10,026.32, Year-to-Date Net Income $11,876.13. Budget vs Actual Water Fund YTD Revenue $38,134.93 (31.2%), Expenditures $38,690.75 (24.2%); Sewer Fund YTD Revenue $11,987.81 (32.5%), Expenditures $10,443.41 (25.4%); Gas Fund YTD Revenue $74,395.57 (47.5%), Expenditures $42,133.87 (18.7%); General Fund YTD Revenue $58,008.36 (38.7%), Expenditures $60,617.60 (32.7%); and Special Highway YTD Revenue $3,937.49 (52.8%), Expenditures $0 (0%). The May 2023 estimated payables in the amount of $37,906.04 were presented.
CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Ervin, Second by Hartman, Approved 4-0, to approve Consent Agenda:
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
City Superintendent Rich had nothing to report.
Codes Enforcement Officer Coyan reported that nuisance/debris letters were sent. Mayor Jurgensen requested that he be notified when and to whom letters are sent. There was an apparent breakdown in communications which caused an issue with a letter recipient. Clerk Johnson will send a letter to that recipient apologizing for the communication breakdown. Coyan will next target unmowed properties.
404 Washington St was discussed. Coyan and Johnson will review the dangerous structure ordinance(s) and discuss with the council again next month.
Codes Enforcement Officer Binford has issued 14 citations for failure to register dogs/cats. As of today, five have been taken resolved. Court is scheduled for May 15, 2023 for the remainder.
Clerk Johnson informed the council a letter of financial commitment was received from Bandera Stone for the Mural Grant as part of the grant application. Grant application was submitted 4/17/2023.
She asked City’s insurance agent if Old Settlers Committee was required to have event insurance or would the City’s policy cover the event. He said the Old Settlers Committee needs to have their own event policy. This was passed on to the committee. Johnson will inquire about cost of a policy for the committee.
COUNCIL REPORT
Councilman Ervin – wanted to know if the ball association is allowed to use the lights for practices. After discussion Johnson will send message to President and Vice-President of association the lights can be used for organization practices, only when needed and last coach of the day is responsible for making sure they are shut off.
Councilwoman Esslinger – nothing
Councilman Hartman – nothing
Councilwoman Kelly – wanted to make sure we have enough chemical for mosquitos. Yes, we do.
Councilman Stewart – absent
Mayor Jurgensen – hired Cindy Mumbower as the new custodian/water sampler. She started last week.
Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 5-0 to provide rock for the culvert extension at Chaffin and the alley west of Franklin
He also found someone to haul off the big rock at the railroad right-of-way and north of the pond.
OLD BUSINESS
Placemaking Project – Committee met on May 3 and doesn’t recommend outdoor exercise equipment. Doesn’t feel it is cost effective. They said yes to the pickleball court, possibly a community garden was discussed. Healthy Bourbon County Action Team will be here for the June meeting to discuss the key findings from the community perception survey and have a “Community Conversation” for the project.
Motion by Danea, Second by Hartman , Approved 4-0, to solicit quotes for a 30’X60’X6” concrete slab with fiberglass rebar and light broom finish for the pickleball court
American Rescue Plan Act update –Annual Project and Expenditure report was submitted on 4/17/2023. Mayor Jurgensen suggested capping the scales instead of removing and building ramp over cap on south side of warehouse before skinning and installing new rollup doors.
KMGA/MMGA Prepay project – have not received anything yet from KMGA.
Street repairs/resurfacing – Three bids were received for the project and opened (bid tabulation attached).
Motion by Ervin, Second by Esslinger, Approved 4-0 to award base bid plus alternate bid to Bettis Asphalt for the total amount of $175,597.19
NEW BUSINESS
None
Moved by Ervin, Second by Hartman, Approved 4-0, to adjourn at 9:15PM
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Melanie and her husband, Beau, picked me up at the Philadelphia airport and drove us to our hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, where I would deliver a TEDx talk the following afternoon. A “Meet and Greet” was scheduled that evening which was where Melanie introduced me to some of the other speakers. I then realized what a nerve-wracking ordeal this really was.
I met entrepreneurs, Google masters, scientists, life coaches, geniuses. Several were there with their agents and support staff who would be in the audience, assuring a standing ovation for their friend. I was there with…well, me. Close friends had asked to come, but I had chosen to go it alone. Now I wasn’t so sure that was a grand plan.
One lady, a psychoanalyst, shared that she had submitted four videos to the TED organizers. All were rejected. She hired an audio coach. A speech coach. A videographer. A make-up person. Only then was she accepted. I had done none of that. Melanie Burris, a recruiter for this platform, had orchestrated this opportunity for me. Until then, I had no idea how much people needed this talk to advance their positions in the workplace.
I was to speak at 3:30. By noon, they were an hour behind, so they shortened lunch and omitted the afternoon break (which came one speaker before me). From backstage, I sensed the audience was lethargic for the two speakers preceding me. Not good. My opening line, intended to get a laugh, got none. This was an uphill battle I had not intended. Within the first two minutes, I messed up a sentence. My recovery was not stellar. The next “humorous” section caused a few chuckles but not what I had hoped for.
Maybe I needed a stun gun. Or a trap door that would swallow me whole.
Suggestions made by friends (Suck on a lemon drop; drink tons of water with electrolytes; have no caffeine) had helped, so at least I hadn’t passed out or had my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, but I was not capturing my audience. I reminded myself that God had allowed this opportunity and visualized Jesus standing beside me. My biggest fan was on that stage with me. Friends were praying for me. The audience needed to hear this message about the rewards of rejection.
When I came to the next funny part, I was shocked to hear people laughing…hard. From that point on, they continued to do so. At the end, several stood to applaud, and at the after-party, many introduced themselves and made kind comments. A thousand-pound weight was lifted from my shoulders, most which came from me having no idea what to expect when I first said “yes” to memorizing this speech.
The unknown is so ridiculously…unknown, isn’t it? Several times before this talk, I considered backing out, but when I thought of the people praying for me, trusting that God had a purpose (perhaps to teach me humility?), I knew that I could not let Fear win. Fear can paralyze.
One of my close friends recently shared that she avoids large crowds because of an experience with a cruel teacher who called her to the front of her fifth-grade class and demanded an answer. When the student froze, she had to hold her hands out for the teacher to strike each palm with a ruler. All while her classmates watched. To date, she is fifty-five years old and is terrified of crowds. God wants differently.
“Fear not” is written 365 times in the Bible. Obviously fear is a problem God wants us to overcome. One of my favorite scriptures is Isaiah 41:13: For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. The coolest thing is—He does. We just have to be willing to give Him a chance.
Fort Scott Emergency Room
Attending a recent meeting I was reminded how critical Emergency Room (ER) services are to our community. As you recall, recently a man with a gun was reported near the middle school.
In response to that report our ER staff immediately took the initiative to begin preparing for the nightmare of a mass shooting. Local staff checked vital supplies like blood, IV fluids and medical equipment. They also coordinated with the Ascension Via Christi Pittsburg emergency response team.
This resulted in additional staff being notified, the referring ER being prepared and even notification of emergency air transport that sent a helicopter to Ft. Scott for emergency standby.
Fortunately, there was no shooting. My point however, is two-fold.
First, to say thank you to our local staff and to the team at AVC-P for being here and prepared.
Second though is to remind us, as a community, of the critical importance of having an Emergency Room in Ft. Scott.
While there was no mass shooting, our community is not immune to acts of violence, natural disasters, accidents from sports, to farm, to industrial, to motor vehicle, medical emergencies like stroke and heart attack and all the other emergencies that require a fully operational ER and cannot be handled at an urgent care facility.
Having an emergency room is a critically important foundational piece of our community’s health care.
Please take this letter for what it is meant to be. A reminder to ourselves and our elected officials of how important an ER is to safeguard our medical security.
Realize also it is critical to our future economic well-being. Not having Emergency Room services would impact the ability to both maintain and attract people, business and industry.
We as a community have helped finance other health care. At some point we may need to do the same to secure our ER. Let’s appreciate having this service and not forget it’s importance. We’ve lost a hospital, let’s not lose an ER. We must be ready to step up to the plate.
Randy Nichols MD
Unified School District 234
424 South Main
Fort Scott, KS 66701-2697
620-223-0800 Fax 620-223-2760
DESTRY BROWN
Superintendent
BOARD OF EDUCATION SPECIAL MEETING
MAY 19, 2023 – 8:00 A.M.
AGENDA SUMMARY
1.0 Call Meeting to Order Danny Brown, President
2.0 Flag Salute
3..0 Other Business – Personnel Matters
3.1 Enter Executive Session – Personnel Matters (Action Item)
3.2 Exit Executive Session
3.3 Approval of Personnel Report (Action Item)
4.0 Adjourn Meeting
President Brown
Citizens of Fort Scott are asked to not water lawns or unnecessary usage of water today as there has been a water main break in town, according to Mayor Matthew Wells.
Harriet Ann Ross, age 93, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Ft. Scott. She was born November 27, 1929, in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Lancelot Jameison and Ivalu Thompson Jamieson. Harriet graduated high school in Prairie Village, Kansas and went on to graduate from Park College in Kansas City.
Harriet loved dancing. In earlier years she danced professionally and also taught ballet and tap dancing. She married William L. Ross on May 14, 1955. As Bill was an air traffic controller, Harriet followed him around the world where he was employed at various airports. Harriet and Bill made their home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Puerto Rico; Panama; Nashville, Tennessee and Wichita, Kansas.
Harriet had been employed for TWA, and as a district manager for Sarah Coventry costume jewelry, and as an office manager for various psychologists. Following retirement, they moved to Florida. While living in Florida, Harriet’s love of dance was rekindled, and she organized and taught a dancing group that performed at various community events. Later in life, Bill and Harriet relocated to Ft. Scott, Kansas to be near family.
Survivors include her husband of sixty-eight years, William, of the home; a son, Mike Ross (Mimi) of Ft. Scott, Kansas and two grandchildren, Krista Park (Matt) and Luke Ross and four great-grandchildren, Jovie, Kenley, Noble and Kansas Park. Also surviving is a daughter-in-law, Willow Ross of Wichita, Kansas.
Harriet was preceded in death by a son, Steven Ross, her parents, and an infant sister, Janet.
Following cremation, burial will take place at a later date at the Liberty Cemetery in Warrensburg, Missouri.
Local arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com
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