Mercy Hospice and Konantz-Cheney partner to offer guidance
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (Nov. 8, 2017) – The holiday season can be especially difficult with the absence of a loved one. Mercy Hospice and Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home are co-sponsoring a “Coping with the Holidays” program on Wednesday, November 15from 2-3:30 p.m. in the McAuley Conference Center at Mercy Hospital Fort Scott.
The educational program is open to the public and will offer guidance for those who have experienced a loss and offers tips on how to make it through the holidays without a loved one. Caregivers and family members are welcome.
Facilitators for the program are Melissa George, Mercy Hospice chaplain; LaShawn Noel, Mercy Hospice social worker & volunteer coordinator; and Mike Cheney, Konantz-Cheney director.
Refreshments will be provided by Konantz-Cheney. Registration is not required.
For more information, contact Mercy Hospice at 620-223-8533.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
The weather cooperated to make the annual Fort Scott Holiday Open House well attended Thursday evening. Shopping, eating, and visiting with friends and acquaintances were highlights of the event.
A stuffed full-size Santa sits on a bench in front of The Iron Star store and gets a second look from Ernestine Eden.Diners enjoy a dinner at Papa Don’s during the Holiday Open House Thursday.Decorated Christmas trees were in abundance at the Liberty Theater.Carla Farmer enjoys a conversation at the Main Street Gallery.Shirley Palmer looks at merchandise at the Sunshine Boutique.Merchants offered appetizers during the Holiday Open House.Shoppers enjoy the sparkle of a Christmas tree at the Liberty Theater.Colors from downtown Fort Scott lights add ambiance to shopping during the Holiday Open House.Mary Eastwood takes a break to visit with Bob Eckles at her upholstery store, Here We Go AgainYoung shoppers look over merchandise at the Country Cupboard Thursday evening.Lora Holdridge shows off a Christmas treasure she found at the Holiday Open House.
KDOT U.S. 69 Hwy. expansion roadwork last week, as seen from Eagle Road.
Kansas Department of Transportation and Bourbon County Public Works have both been working on roadways south of Fort Scott.
People who use Calvary Road will soon have access again, according to Priscilla Peterson, Public Affairs Manager with the Kansas Department of Transportation District 4.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church sits at the intersection of Calvary Rd. and U.S. 69 Hwy. where the access is closed currently.
“Right now they are doing a re-route behind the church,” Peterson said. “If the weather is good, the Calvary Road access should be opened by the end of the month.”
KDOT personnel makes an effort to contact people before limiting access to a road, Peterson said.
The Calvary Road closure is part of the improvements being made to U.S. 69 Hwy.
The six-mile highway expansion to a four-lane upgradeable expressway, with access points, was started in March 2017 and is scheduled for completion November 2018, according to Peterson.
Two-way U.S. 69 Hwy. traffic is being maintained while building the new lanes, she said.
Road surfaces on 230th Street between Kansas and Jayhawk were changed from an asphalt road to a gravel road this year.
County Roads Converted From Asphalt To Gravel
Two county roads south-east of Fort Scott have been ripped up this year to eventually be improved, according to a county official.
Eagle Road between 69 Hwy. and 250th Street and 230th Street between Kansas and Jayhawk Roads were converted from asphalt back to gravel.
“This is part of a process,” Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works director, said. “We did several miles last year.”
“We turn it back into gravel, then our goal is to overlay on top in the spring,” Harris said. “We do a manual contraction, but leaving it over the winter helps with compaction.”
Exactly what improvements these roads receive is up to the Bourbon County Commissioners.
In March the Bourbon County Commission holds a public meeting annually to discuss the priorities for road repair and maintenance.
“We’ll have a work session on roads, ” Harris said. “I make recommendations about repair or maintain, the commission decides.It’s a public meeting. In March the road priorities are determined by the commission. They decide what roads we are going to reclaim.”
The gravel road has left at least one Garland area resident re-routing his travel.
“It’s so bad I don’t go down that way,” Raymond Kalm said. “It’s too rough and too dusty.”
It was a great day to bike/hike on Gunn Park Trails.
With temperatures in the 50s and a sunny day after several cloudy November days, today was a great day to take advantage of the trails in the city’s park systems.
You may or may not be aware of a group of volunteers in your community providing horticulture information to the public. I am speaking of the Extension Master Gardeners. Extension Master Gardeners come from all walks of life, but they have two things in common and that is their love of gardening and the joy of sharing with their communities.
Currently there are 21 certified Extension Master Gardeners in the Southwind District. These individuals were trained by state specialists from Kansas State University and have been through forty to fifty hours of instruction in all aspects of horticulture. After training, the Master Gardeners volunteer an equivalent number of hours back to their communities as was received in their training.
In the Southwind Extension District, many of the gardeners received their training in 2008, 2010, 2013 or 2015 so they have several years of experience as Master Gardeners under their belt.
There are a number of Master Gardener volunteer service projects currently happening in Southwind Extension District communities. This year, 684 hours of volunteer service was completed. According to most recent data from the Independent Sector (a coalition of charities, foundations, corporations, and individuals that publishes research important to the nonprofit sector), the estimated value of volunteer time is $24.14 per hour. That calculates to $16,500 worth of service to our local communities!
Here are some of the projects that the Master Gardeners have worked on this year:
Pepper and Tomato Variety Trials – A K-State research trial on peppers and tomatoes was conducted at the Elm Creek Community Garden in Iola and the community garden in Fort Scott with many different varieties. Various individuals in the community were able to sample and evaluate the produce at Farmers Markets.
Flower Trial – An annual flower research trial was conducted at the courthouse in Iola. The trial showed that not all flowers can withstand the brutal climate in Kansas. All plants were labeled so people could see which varieties did well and which ones did not. It is hoped that the general public noted which plants performed well and which plants did not and will make future plant purchases accordingly.
Programs and Presentations – the Master Gardeners gave many public presentations this year including how to grow herbs, container gardening, vegetable and berry production, attracting hummingbirds, and establishing native prairie plants. In addition, there were Master Gardeners writing blogs, newspaper columns and helping youth with various horticulture projects. This is a very brief listing and does not include every public presentation that was given nor the countless contacts made with the general public, friends and neighbors!
Community Work – various volunteer projects were completed in Humboldt, Chanute, Moran, Iola, Uniontown and Fort Scott. Most of these projects centered around community beautification efforts.
As an Extension agent, I called upon the Master Gardeners many times this year to assist me with programs. They were always eager to help and share their expertise. The Master Gardeners are very knowledgeable individuals that love their communities and want to give back to them. If you would like to know who the Master Gardeners are in your community, please give me a call and I would be happy to visit with you.
A Master Gardener training class will be offered in the fall of 2018. If you are interested in taking the class, please contact me and your name will be put on a mailing list.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at kharding@ksu.edu or 620-244- 3826.
Fort Scott Library Teen Advisory Group, front from left are Joshua Kobernat, Kayla Kobernat, Jadelynne Russell; back row: Zachary Beerbower, Daniel Watson, and Dominic Cannon.
Submitted by Valetta Cannon, Fort Scott Public Library Youth Librarian, and Assistant Director
Fort Scott Public LibraryTeen Advisory Group events for November:
November 8, 4-6 p.m., the teens will have their monthly games and snacks night in the library’s event room.
November 15, 4:15 – 5 p.m., the teens will create and share (if they want) creative writing short stories or poems. This will be the first teen creative writing night, in celebration of National Novel Writing Month.
November 29, 4:15 – 5 p.m. the teens will meet with at Common Ground Coffee for free treats while discussing this month’s Book Club story, “The Watsons go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Several traffic lights in the south one-half of Fort Scott were out, following the power outage Saturday afternoon. Pictured is the recently installed lights at 23rd and Main Streets.
A piece of equipment called a lightning arrester, failed Saturday about 3:30 p.m. in the southern part of Fort Scott and some rural areas south of town. Power was restored in stages between 5 and 6 p.m., according to Gina Penzig, media relations manager with Westar Energy.
“It was in a sub-station that serves Fort Scott,” Penzig said.
About 3,000 customers of Westar, were affected, she said.
Penzig encourages people while the power is on and the weather is fine to download the Westar app, mywestar and/or sign up for text alerts.
To register for text alerts on a mobile phone, text 97827 and send “reg”. Then if there is a power outage in the future, text to that same number and send “out” for the outage, she said.
Calling 1-800-544-4857 or 1-800-LIGHTKS is another way to tell of a power outage and a person can also go to westarenergy.com and report it there, Penzig said. Click “Outage Center” to see the map of the affected area and how to prepare for an outage.
“On the outage map, you can see if someone is on the way and an outline of the affected area and when electricity will be back on,” she said.
It is best to prepare ahead of time for power outages with a storm kit of bottled water, batteries, charging up a cell phone, and making sure flashlights are working, she said. For an extensive list of preparedness, see the website.
“For winter storms, we usually have advance notice of severe weather,” Penzig said.
If power lines are down, assume they are live and call 911, she said.
Check for damage to electric meter boxes and the power line that attaches to the house.
“If the damage is to those items, you may need an electrician before we can safely reconnect power,” she said.
Using the different messages received from Westar, “You will want to see if you should stay home or find shelter somewhere else she said. In addition, check on neighbors safety, she added.
Renowned expert Elaine K. Sanchez speaks on “Finding Hope, Humor and Heart in Caregiving”
FORT SCOTT, KAN. (Nov. 3, 2017) – Caring for a loved one or friend during a long-term illness may be one of the most rewarding and selfless things a person can experience. It may also be taxing on the caregiver’s physical and emotional health.
That’s why it’s important to learn more about the delicate balancing act in the role of caregiver.
Mercy Fort Scott Home Health and Hospice invites the public, as well as registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and other clinicians to attend “Finding Hope, Humor and Heart in Caregiving” by Elaine K. Sanchez on Thursday, November 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.
The presentation will cover many topics including anger, guilt, depression, grief, and self-care. There will also be time to visit with local professionals to collect helpful information and resources about being a caregiver.
Register online at www.mercy.net/FtScottCares by Nov. 24. Lunch is provided. Space is limited, so register today.
The general admission fee is $10 or $60 for six CEUs. CEUs can be provided to Registered Nurses and Respiratory Therapist. Certificates of Completion will be given for all other disciplines.
For more information, contact Chris Welch at (620) 223-8060.
Note: Partial funding was provided by the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation. FSACF serves to fulfill the philanthropic goals that benefit the common good and improve quality of life by providing leadership and programming that is responsive to the interests and needs of the residents of the Fort Scott area.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2017 by Truven, an IBM Watson Health company, serves millions annually. Mercy includes 44 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, more than 700 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
Advance voting may be done at the Bourbon County Courthouse.
Advance voting for the November 7 election for city and school boards has begun. Don’t forget to bring photo identification to the Bourbon County Courthouse if choosing to vote early.
To see who is running and for what position, reference here:
2017 Fort Scott Area Community Foundation grant award recipients received checks Thursday during a presentation at the weekly Chamber of Commerce coffee.
Local helping agencies, businesses, and organizations were presented with grant awards Thursday morning as part of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, at the Landmark Bank in downtown Fort Scott.
“From the interest of the general endowment fund, we are handing out $30,000 today,” Blake Hudson, chairman of the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) board, said. “Last year $150,000 was raised for the general fund.”
Hudson said a new fundraising campaign is set to begin with FSACF.
This year, 29 entities submitted grant applications this year, with 18 funded, he said.
Grant committee members are Hudson, Stephanie Witt, Greg Mottley, Larry Seals, Patty LaRoche and adviser, Dave Martin.
LaRoche is committee chair of the granting committee.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services’ Tim Cunningham receives a check from Fort Scott Area Community Foundation Board Members Blake Hudson and Patty Laroche. Tri-Valley will replace several aging computers with the money.John Lair, right, representing Special Olympics, received a check for purchasing medals for entrants in the special event.Christa Horn, left, Court Appointed Special Advocates, received a grant for training new volunteers.Reed Hartford, left, receives a grant award representing the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site, to provide teen internships for the fort.Cheryl Larson, left, representing Presbyterian Manors, receives a check to create an arbor and garden area for residents.Meredith Reid, left, receives a check to help refurbish the local school district’s grand piano. She is representing Friends of U.S.D. 234.LaShawn Noel, left, receives a check to purchase caregiver’s training journals for stressed-out caregivers. She is representing Mercy Hospital.Elaine Buerge, right, receives a check for the Bourbon County Arts Council to help fund an art fair at the 2nd Story Festival of Arts and Ideas.Briann Martin, left, representing Fort Scott Festival of Arts, receives a check to help local and regional students become involved in the festival.Lowell Milken’s Center for Unsung Heroes’ Jessica Schenkel receives a check to purchase local author Kathy Werling’s book on bullying, to be used in classrooms and libraries.Representatives for Friends of Two Girls and a Zoo, left, receive a check to promote the well-being and support of the zoo’s animals.Representatives of the City of Fort Scott receive grant money for lights for the pickle-ball courts.Lindsay Madison, left, receives a check to provide adult mentors with materials to partner with students interested in a specified career. She is representing U.S.D. 234 and the Chamber who collaborate in the program.Janet Tucker, left, representing Kansas Seventh-Day Adventists, receives grant money to provide bags and comfort items for kids who are displaced from their home.Jean Tucker, right, receives a check for Feeding Families in His Name, to help fund a free weekly meal provided for impoverished families.City of Fort Scott’s Rhonda Dunn, left, receives a check to develop a Land Bank to help make decisions about property management in an effort to renovate dilapidated, tax-forclosed properties.Lavetta Simmons, right, receives grant money to help meet the financial needs of families stricken with cancer. She is representing Care to Share.
The Beacon inadvertently did not receive a check at the coffee and will at a later date. The helping agency received a grant to add healthy food additions to the food pantry they facilitate.
Fort Scott High School Carpentry Instructor Larry Lawrence tells students of the work needed to complete the first kiosk the class is working on as a community project. From left are Cole Rogers, junior; Hunter Davis, senior; Averie Ryburn, junior; Caleb Rhoades, senior; Lawrence, Tracy Watkins, senior; Tristan Stone, junior; and Cole Hall, sophomore. The classes are building information kiosks that will be placed on trails in Fort Scott and Uniontown.
New wayfinding signs will soon dot the walking/biking trails in Fort Scott and Uniontown.
With $7,500 received in late summer from The American Planning Associations Kansas Chapter and Pathways to Healthy Kansas, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team will provide information kiosks to be placed around the county, according to Jody Hoener, member of the team.
Hoener is also a member of the sub-committee tasked with pulling the kiosk project together. Also serving on the sub-committee are Todd Farrell, Frank Halsey, Lindsay Madison, and Jerry Witt.
Each kiosk will have maps of the trail and the surrounding community placed on them for reference to walkers/bikers using the trails, Hoener said.
The 10- foot- long, four-foot-wide and nine- feet -high wooden signs with roofs will be placed at Riverfront Loop Road, Bell Town Trail, the new trail at Gunn Park, Ellis Park Trail, Fort Scott Community College Trail, Industrial Park Trail, and in the western part of the county, the Uniontown Trail.
FSHS teacher, Larry Lawrence, works with students Averie Ryburn, Tristan Stone and Tracy Watkins on the rafters of the second kiosk in production at the school. To the left is the finished roof of the first kiosk.
The construction of the kiosks is being completed by Fort Scott High School Carpentry Classes, under the instruction of Larry Lawrence.
Lawrence was looking for community projects for his students to work on, he said.
This summer, Fort Scott Superintendent of Parks Todd Farrell called with the kiosk idea, Lawrence said.
Two carpentry classes have been working on them since school started, Lawrence said.
“We are building four (kiosks) right now, and maybe four in the spring,” Lawrence said.
“They gave me the initial plans and I created them in more detail on AutoCAD (computer-aided design),” Lawrence said.
Simon Ballou will do the artwork for the kiosks and Darren Crays will print and apply the work on plastic panels, Crays said.
“Frank Halsey is going to take them to his place (following completion),” Lawrence said. “He’ll keep them until the city is ready to put them up.”
New sidewalks to be unveiled Nov. 14
The proposed new sidewalks in Uniontown. Taken from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Facebook page.The Fort Scott sidewalk plan to be proposed on Nov. 14, taken from the Health Bourbon County Action Team Facebook page.
In addition to wayfaring signs, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has been planning for more sidewalks in the county.
That team, along with PedNet will be at both the Fort Scott City Commission and the Uniontown City Council November 14 to show the results of the sidewalk plans, according to its Facebook page. They will unveil the proposed non-motorized transportation plan from 5-6 p.m. at the Fort Scott City Hall, 123 S. Main, and from 7-8 p.m. at Uniontown City Hall, 206 Sherman, on the east side of the square.
PedNet is a non-profit consulting firm specializing in Safe Routes to School, non-motorized transportation, and nutrition, according to the Facebook page.
