Fort Wise Pumpkin Patch will be a hub of activity, this weekend.

Two races and a Fort Scott organization’s social gathering are on the agenda.

The seasonal business has been in operation since 2015 and is owned by Chad and Melissa Wise.

Since the couple opened Fort Wise Pumpkin Company, they have geared up for each weekend in October when they open their property to the public for family fall activities.

Activities such as pumpkin chunking, a corn maze, a corn pit, an obstacle course, a slide, and a hayride on an army truck are available at this fort. Food, pumpkins and Stewart’s Mums can be purchased as well. The large mums are $10 until sold out.

The entry fee to Fort Wise is $5 person, with kids under two-years-old, free.

Fort Wise is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sundays in October.

Patriotic 5K/1 mile fun run

This weekend, there will be a 5k/1 mile competition to benefit Wreaths Across America,  a non-profit organization that puts live wreaths on the graves of military veterans in December each year, to honor those who served in the military.

This is of interest to the couple because Chad Wise just retired from military service in May 2017.

The local group of this organization is hosting a Wreath Ride Patriot Pumpkin 5K/1 Mile Fun Run at Fort Wise for Saturday, October 21. Registration is at 8 a.m. Costumes are requested. The 5K run starts at 9 a.m. with the one-mile fun run starting at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at 10:30 a.m. Preregistration for the event is $20 for the fun run and $30 for the 5K. The day of the race, each race registration fee will increase $5.

The runners/walkers will be traversing the 40 acres of the Wise property, which has some hills.

December 16 is the National Wreaths Across America Day, with Fort Scott National Cemetary as the local site for the ceremony to honor military service men and women.

For more information: 620-224-8933, 620-215-2174 or http://www.fortscottwreathride.com

Young Professional Social

In addition, Fort Wise is hosting a Young Professional League Social  Sunday.

“This is for YPL members and their families,” Melissa Wise said.

From 4-5 p.m. the families will enjoy the activities at Fort Wise. From 5-6 p.m., after Fort Wise closes to the public, there will be a safety briefing on firearms, then a competition on shooting targets.

During both Saturday and Sunday activities at Fort Wise, it is open to the public from 11 a. m. to 5 p.m.

New council and board members are a possibility in the towns and schools in Bourbon County.

A candidate forum for the November 7 election is slated from 6-8 p.m., October 26, at Fort Scott Livestock Market, 2131 Maple Road. This forum is to let voters learn about the people who are running in the election for town and school positions.

The names of the candidates and the position for which they are candidates are as follows:

USD #234 School Board Positions: Geoff Southwell and David Stewart will vie for position four; Gary Billionis is unchallenged for position five; Jamie Armstrong is unchallenged for position six.

USD #235 School Board Positions: Brian Stewart for position four, Mike Mason for position five, and Tyler Martin for position six are all unchallenged.

Fort Scott Community College Board of Trustees: John Bartlesmeyer, Elizabeth Meyer, Tina Rockhold and Kevin Wagner are on the ballot. The three persons receiving the highest number of votes will be elected.

For the City Commission of Fort Scott, the two candidates receiving the most votes will receive a four-year term. The candidate receiving the third greatest number of votes will receive a two-year term. Those competing for the position are Cheryl  Adamson,  Carol MacArthur, JoLynne Mitchell, and Robert Nichols.

In the City of Bronson, the mayor and the two candidates for council that receives the most votes will receive a four-year term, the next three candidates for council that receives the most votes will receive a two-year term. Those running are Clearsia Botts, Geraldine Reeder, Charlotte Stewart, Kathaleen Stewart and Michael Stewart.

Alan Stewart and Lee Roy Whitcomb are running for mayor of Bronson.

For the mayor and council members of Fulton, Mapleton, and Uniontown, no candidates have filed for these positions.

When no candidates file for a position “it will be a write-in,” Bourbon County Clerk Kendall Mason said. “The most votes will win.”

In the City of Redfield, Clarence “Ed” Guss is running unopposed for mayor, while Michael Beerbower, Wilma Graham, Clarence “Ed” Guss, Kirby Martin, and Richard Smith have filed to run for council.

For the Southwind Extension District Board, Ethan Holly and Terri Williams have filed.

Recently, Joyce Love has published a novella about life in the Fort Scott area at the turn of the last century.  But writing is nothing new to her.

In her years as the librarian at Eugene Ware Elementary School,  Love wrote skits and short stories for the library students, using puppets to act the stories out, she said.

She also wrote articles for the Fort Scott Tribune magazines “She” and “Ageless” and for her church denomination (Church of God) magazine, “The Gem.”

This summer, Love finished her first historical fiction novella, “A Kansas Sunset,” and will have a book signing from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at Fort Scott Public Library.

The book is the story of a 17-year-old girl, circa 1901, who comes from Chicago and stays in Fort Scott before heading to Pawnee Station, southwest of Fort Scott. Scenes for the story were taken from newspaper articles she found during her research in the Genealogical Society library in the basement of Memorial Hall.

Some photos in the book were loaned to her by local historian Don Miller.

The book cover is a photo of a Kansas sunset she took and features her granddaughter, Adriana Love, daughter of Jason and Kelly Love.

Love and her husband, Bob, live on a farm near the site of the fictional story.

Love is also the author of a children’s  book completed this year, “The Three Little Pigs, Retold by Joyce Love.” That book will be featured in a children’s story time at the Fort Scott Public Library in the future.

Publishing books

Many aspiring book writers wonder about publishing their work.

Love chose to publish her books through Create Space, owned by Amazon.

“They print on demand,” she said. “I had an editor who formatted the book and I submitted it through Create Space. It’s available on Amazon and Kindle.”

Stutesman’s Action Realty, Nevada, Mo., opened an office on Fort Scott’s Main Street in August.

“This is an opportunity to get back and work with people I have known for years,” Amanda Mahlock Bourassa, broker, said.

She is a 1997  Fort Scott High School graduate, and a 1999 graduate of Fort Scott Community College.

“I love Fort Scott and this is an opportunity to help grow our town and community,” Bourassa said.

Theis is excited to be in Fort Scott because he sees the city as a community moving forward, he said.

“It’s exciting for me to be able to provide service to help with that agenda by helping individuals and families achieve their real estate goals,” Theis said.

Their agency provides residential and commercial property real estate service, provides property management (handling maintenance and rent duties), and provides relocation services.

The business is located at 119 S. Main, Suite A, between Fort Scott City Hall and Crooner’s Lounge. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and after hours and weekends by appointment.

Bourassa can be reached at 417-684-5681 or [email protected].

Theis can be reached at 417-321-0929 or [email protected]

Four generations of Martins work in the Fort Scott Livestock Market, Larry Martin said following the Chamber of Commerce Coffee  Thursday morning.

Jim, Larry’s dad, along with Tyler and Kyle, Larry’s sons, are the owners and managers of the business at 2131 Maple Road.

Now Tyler and Kyle’s kids work there too.

Gabby and Addy Martin help their grandmother, Deb Martin, in the office and Andrew and Eli Martin help where needed during the livestock auction sales that happen on Friday and Saturday.

Larry Martin said 60 to 70 people are working the sales on those two busiest days. There are 10 full-time employees.

“Last year we sold over 100,000 cattle,” Larry Martin told the Chamber Coffee attendees. “And about $10 million total dollars in sales. That puts money back into the community. Farmers will spend money on equipment.”

Martin told the attendees that the business is the fourth largest livestock market in the state.

The Martins leased the sale barn facility for 15 years and purchased it two years ago, he said.

They put up fences and added pens, he said

Martin thanked the Bourbon County Commission for the newly improved roadway in front of the business.

“We have the best road in Bourbon County,” he laughed.

Upcoming events at the market:

Equipment auction, 10 a.m. Oct. 19. Equipment can be brought to the site that morning and checked in.

Livestock Auctioneer’s Auction, 10 a.m., Oct. 14. KAA membership and Kansas Livestock Market Endorsement required.

Fort Scott Community College fall semester is in full force, and recently the administration approved the school’s budget.

FSCC Finance Director Julie Eichenberger provided Fort Scott Biz with information which was approved following a public hearing on August 14.

Information provided is on expenditures, leases/purchases, and tax rates.

Major expenditures in the budget are technical education and auxiliary expenditures.

Post-secondary technical education expenditures are for ” all the classes considered tech education,”  Eichenberger said.   “Those would be nursing/allied health/EMT, John Deere, construction trades, cosmetology, welding, Harley Davidson, agriculture.”

Total for this line item in the budget is $3,294,586.

For auxiliary expenditures – the dorm, cafeteria, and bookstore, the line item is budgeted for $2,073,486.

$8,458,958 are current funds unrestricted in the general fund.

To see the full summary, see the link:

FSCC Budget 2017-2018

The tax rate has stayed about the same, according to FSCC President Alysia Johnston.

Eichenberger provided Fort Scott Biz with the recent history of the mill levy and the statement of condition lease, lease purchase and certification of participation.

Cosmetology equipment, the environmental lease (formerly Chevron), the City of Fort Scott, Ellis Fine Arts Center, the baseball scoreboard, and the John Deere Building are all line items in the statement provided below in the link.

Lease Info & Mill levy history

In addition, Johnston provided student enrollment information.

The full-time student headcount at the college is 1,792 for 2017 fall semester.

“About even from last year,”  Johnston said Wednesday.

Tuition waiver for Bourbon County residents

Fort Scott Community College has expanded its tuition waiver for Bourbon County residents who wish to take classes at the Fort Scott campus or online, according to a press release from  the college. FSCC will waive the tuition costs, up to fifteen credit hours, for any Bourbon County resident who enrolls at FSCC. Students will be responsible for covering fees and purchasing books.

FSCC students can take general education classes for transfer to a four-year institution or pursue a certificate or associate degree. FSCC offers 55 courses that are guaranteed by the Kansas Board of Regents to transfer to any public college or university in the state of Kansas.

To apply for the waiver, students should contact the FSCC Admissions Department at 620-223-2700, ext. 3520 or ext. 3530. Students must also complete a Bourbon County Tuition Waiver Form and return it to the Admissions Department prior to the start of the semester.