In honor of the Fourth of July, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging Fort Scott residents and businesses to participate in a patriotic contest.
The American flag on display in Fort Scott in 2015
“Get your home or business all decorated for Fourth of July and in honor of our veterans and troops,” said Lindsay Madison, chamber executive director, during a recent chamber event.
The contest includes both a residential and commercial contest, with the most patriotic home winner receiving a $50 Chamber Bucks gift certificate and the winner of the most patriotic business receiving $50 to Marsha’s Deli, a sponsor of the event.
Participants must register with the chamber by Wednesday, June 28, with the final judging done by a panel of chamber members Thursday afternoon, June 29. The winners will be announced July 4.
A variety of Independence Day events will be held in Fort Scott and Bourbon County over the weekend, including the Symbols of Sacrifice event at the fort Saturday and Tuesday, Fort Scott community fireworks at Fort Scott Community College, the annual Burke Street parade Tuesday morning, a concert and event at the LaRoche Baseball Complex Tuesday evening and other events hosted at area churches.
After months of research and planning, the redevelopment district at the former Woods location will undergo changes after the Fort Scott City Commission gave their approval during Tuesday night’s meeting.
“Tonight’s an extremely important night for the project,” said Joel Riggs of Super Market Developers, a subsidiary of Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., which helps build or renovate independent grocers such as Super Savers, Woods and other Price Choppers.
Barry Queen of Queen Enterprises, LLC, said his company looks forward to bringing a Price Chopper to Fort Scott, adding he has connections to the area through his parents and grandparents.
“We enjoy the community,” Queen said. “We miss the grocery store…We’re excited about the project.”
The project will cost a total of about $9.4 million, with $2.55 million of that reimbursed to them through the city’s Tax Increment Financing and Community Improvement District bond, and will include an extensive renovation that will change the look of the building entirely.
“You will not recognize this building when we’re done,” Riggs said.
Preliminary sketches for the Queen Price ChopperPreliminary sketches for the Queen Price Chopper
One of the largest changes will be the addition of a Dunkin’ Donuts on the south side of the building, including a drive-thru window. The pharmacy will not be brought back, but there may be additional retail or restaurant on the property in the future as well.
The plats approved by the commission includes the building and parking lot at 2322 S. Main Street as well as the land behind and south of the building near Tractor Supply, adding up to five acres of redevelopment property and 39,500 square feet of building.
With the city’s approval of the plat, lot lines and the resolution to issue bonds to the project, the investors said they hope to close on the property in July and hire contractors immediately to start the construction. If all goes as planned, the store could be complete by November, though it may not be finished until the new year depending on other contingencies.
“There’s so many people who can’t wait for it to open,” said Todd Ferrel, while other citizens attending the meeting said they look forward to having another competitor for Walmart and source of fresh produce and a deli option.
Riggs said they project the new business could bring in an estimated $25 million in sales tax over 20 years, as well as $3.6 million in real and personal property tax, while adding about 100 new jobs.
“We are proud to have you guys believe in our community and invest as you are,” City Manager Dave Martin said.
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area and the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes are pleased to announce that the Lowell Milken Center is the recipient of an Interpretive Grant in the amount of $4,000 for the project “She Outranks Me.”
This grant funding will allow the Lowell Milken Center to design, produce and display a new exhibit panel in their Hall of Unsung Heroes that features Mary Bickerdyke, a hero from an era that greatly impacted Fort Scott and the Civil War.
The Freedom’s Frontier Interpretive Grant program was started in 2012. Since then, more than 90 projects have been awarded grant funding. Grant projects have been completed on both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border, in the 41-county region that comprises the heritage area. Projects awarded grant funding must interpret local history and connect to one or more of the three major themes of the heritage area: the shaping of the frontier, the Missouri-Kansas Border War and the enduring struggle for freedom. Grants range in amount from under $1,500 to $5,000. All awards over $1,500 require that the grant recipient show a local match of half the amount of the award. This match can be in the form of cash, or in-kind donations and staff and volunteer time.
Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area is one of 49 heritage areas in the U.S. Heritage areas are nonprofit affiliates of the National Park Service (NPS). They act as coordinating entities between the local organizations telling nationally significant stories and the NPS. Freedom’s Frontier was established as a heritage area on October 12, 2006, when signed into law by President George Bush. The heritage area’s management plan was approved by the Department of the Interior and the NPS in 2010. Freedom’s Frontier is headquartered in the Carnegie Building, 200 W 9th St., in Lawrence, Kan.
“With the funds granted by the FFNHA, many students, teachers and visitors will have an opportunity to learn of Bickerdyke’s tireless efforts in providing the best health care possible during the Civil War and be inspired by her actions. We are excited about this grant and the ability to continue to share positive role models!” says Jessica Schenkel, administrative specialist for the Lowell Milken Center.
Grant applications are accepted from organizations within the borders of the heritage area which have signed a partner pledge with Freedom’s Frontier, and meet all other qualifications for grant funding. Applications are reviewed quarterly by a peer group from the partnership. Organizations are asked to complete their grant projects within a year of the grant award. For more information about Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, visit the Web site at www.freedomsfrontier.org.
After being empty for some time, the restaurant connected to Fort Scott Inn is again open for business with Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of Maria’s Restaurant.
“Congratulations on your opening today,” said Lindsay Madison, executive director of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
Owner and chef Andy Bravo invested in the restaurant with his wife, saying he named the restaurant after his mother and grandmother.
Supervisor Reuben Curls said he has been learning the menu from Bravo and encourages the community to come try the restaurant, even as they continue to grow accustomed to their positions and menu options.
“The new menu we’ve got is really intense,” Curls said of their selection of homemade items. “It’s beautiful presentation.”
The restaurant is open through breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a variety of all-American food such as biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, omelets, waffles, a variety of crepes, pastas, salads, sandwiches, seafood, steaks and a number of items with a Mexican theme.
“Welcome to the Fort Scott Inn family,” said Fort Scott Inn owner Alex Desai, adding he has seen Bravo invest a lot of time and finances in the business and looks forward to what that hard work will bring.
“I know he’s in it for the long run,” Desai said.
The menus and further information can be found at the Maria’s Restaurant Facebook page here.
For the past couple months, 4 State Sanitation has provided free recycling to residents of Bourbon County residents, but changes will come this month to improve the service and prevent the abuse of the free service.
Stock Photo from 4 State Sanitation
Taysha Meech of 4 State said that the first couple months showed them just how much manpower is needed and how much it costs to cover the diesel needed to transport the items brought to them. She also said a number of people decided to take advantage of the service as an opportunity for a free trash service, bringing bags of personal trash instead of only recyclable items.
“It’s not a moneymaker,” City Manager Dave Martin said of the recycling services that 4 State provides. “They’re losing money tremendously on it.”
In order to discourage the misuse of the service and cover some of the expenses, a small fee will be added for residents wanting to recycle. While it will remain free for 4 State customers, others will pay a $5 fee each month for an unlimited use of the recycling services.
Kansas Rocks Recreation Park, located near Mapleton, held a ceremony Saturday morning for the grand opening and ribbon-cutting event for its recent addition of 160 acres of land to the park.
For the past 14 years, the park has provided 220 acres of terrain for visitors interesting in hiking, cycling, or driving jeeps or dirt bikes on the numerous trails of varying difficulties. Over recent months, additional trails have been created in the new, southeast quadrant of the land recently purchased from a family that had lived there for three generations.
“This is quite a celebration for us,” President David Killion said, adding they are still negotiating for even more property.
Killion said they selected the Bourbon County location 14 years ago because of a need for such a park near the Kansas City area, as others are three to four hours away. With the area selected, Killion said they were able to use grants from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to get the park started.
Now, Killion said the park is self-sustaining through the daily fees, while grants and donations are used for larger projects, such as the recent addition of electricity donated by Westar and Heartland Rural Electric. Currently, they are in the process of adding water for camping spots.
“The rock park is a huge asset to Bourbon County,” Fort Scott Mayor Jolynne Mitchell said, adding the park sponsors numerous events throughout the year.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce board president Deb Needleman and Executive Director Lindsay Madison both expressed appreciation for Kansas Rocks’ membership and said they hope to continue to support the park in its endeavor to bring visitors to the region.
“It’s a great benefit to Bourbon County,” county commissioner Lynne Oharah said, adding he is grateful for the family-oriented atmosphere.
During Thursday’s Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce event, Peerless Product, Inc., gave visitors a tour of their facility as well as their new powder coat paint line that came online in February.
Peerless joined the community in 1952, providing what President Coby Jones described as reliable but mediocre windows and doors. But in the past decade, the company has taken steps to improve their work efficiency and customer service, rebrand themselves and provide some of the best products available.
“We went and studied the globe on where can we buy the best components, the best materials to make our products exceptional,” Jones said, saying they now buy materials from Germany and Italy that provide durability as well as thermal protection to keep exterior temperatures out.
Peerless makes between 1,100 and 1,400 window a week, much of their products going to areas such as Boston, New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth. The windows and doors are frequently used at universities, hospitals, public schools, military bases and hotel chains, with the product customized for the customer, such as needing to protect the buildings from earthquakes, hurricanes or car bombs.
Jones said the new powder coat paint line is one of only five in the world and the only one in North America. The powder paint is sprayed on the metal, sticking to it via static electricity, and is then put through a heating process that melts it into the smooth coat that provides an attractive finish and lasts longer.
“We think this is very desirable for the work we’re doing,” Jones said.
Along with the addition of the new paint line, further changes have been made to other areas of the plant as well to improve the appearance as well as the efficiency of the work. In recent years, Peerless also became Fort Scott’s greatest employer, with about 400 employees.
“At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to make this place to be the best we can be,” Jones said, adding they are trying to put the best products into their customers’ hands as well as draw others into Fort Scott to see the city as well as the plant.
The Fort Scott City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday evening that names the lot that formerly included Woods an enterprise zone, and thus eligible for Tax Increment Financing.
By the end of the year, a Price Chopper grocery store is expected to be open for business, with the possibility of retail or other commercial services also available on the lot, which has been unused since Woods closed in November.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but this is the first step,” said Kim Bell, the city’s bond attorney.
Bell said upcoming actions will include creating the TIF district, approving a general plan, and then providing 30 days for other tax entities to express their concern if they believe the TIF district would have adverse effects. Another public hearing is scheduled to be held on June 20, when more specific plans will be presented before work begins on the building.
The TIF bond, believed to be the first of its kind in Bourbon County, serves as an incentive for new development, allowing the investors to waive tax increases for a set period of time as they make improvements to the property.
This project is expected to cost about $9.5 million, with the investors hoping to receive about $1.8 million back over 20 years of TIF incentive. In a previous meeting with the Bourbon County Commission, Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said they project the company would receive that amount after only nine years.
Because the TIF waives tax increases, the city and county would not lose any money, but will benefit from that increase in revenue after the incentive comes to an end.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Job Fair on Thursday, April 20, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ellis Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St.
Fort Scott employers currently registered to attend include the City of Fort Scott; Firstsource Solutions, Kansas Department for Children and Families; Medicalodges Fort Scott; Niece Products; Peerless Products; Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel; Tri-Valley Developmental Services. Elnicki, Inc. of Pittsburg is also registered as well as KANSASWORKS.
Positions employers will be hiring for are include those shown below:
City of Fort Scott: Full-time Waste Water Collections Maintenance, Part-Time Golf Course Clubhouse staff (must be 21), and Seasonal Parks Maintenance (must be 18)
Firstsource Solutions: Insurance Claims Examiners, Call Center Reps.
Medicalodges Fort Scott: Home health aide, CNA, CMA, RN and LPN; dietary aides, cooks
Niece Products: Painters, Welders, Mechanics
Sleep Inn & Suites Hotel: Front Desk 3-11pm, Breakfast Attendant for summer months, other part-time positions.
Tri-Valley Developmental Services: Help in the Residential Program working evening and/or overnight shifts.
Ward/Kraft, Inc.: Customer Service Rep., Sales Reps., Production Members
Elnicki, Inc.: Diesel Mechanic, Welders, CDL Drivers, Heavy Equipment Operators, Laborers. All local and home every night.
Job seekers are encouraged to dress for success, bring copies of a resume, and be prepared to connect with employers. Attendees may enter a drawing for a door prize of $50 in Chamber Bucks that may be used at over 40 Chamber member businesses. Contact the Chamber for more information on having an employer booth at 620-223- 3566 or email [email protected].
The annual Home, Sport, Farm and Garden Show hosted by KOMB-FM drew in large numbers of people to visit booths set up by more than 60 vendors at the Arnold Arena at Fort Scott Community College.
Visitors were able to gather information of local businesses and organizations, such as The Butcher Block, the City of Fort Scott, Redbud Nurseries and Skitch’s Hauling and Excavation, among a large number of others. Drawings for prizes were also held throughout the day.
Simultaneously, FSCC held a children’s fair on campus, with students as well as others such as the Fort Scott police and fire departments participating in games and other events for the children.
After being in business in Bourbon County for less than a year, 4 State Sanitation continues to look for more ways to serve the county, this week adding recycling to its list of services.
Stock Photo from 4 State Sanitation
“Four State is ready to offer a public service that we’ve all been desperately asking for and needing for some time,” Fort Scott Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said during the recent Fort Scott City Commission meeting Tuesday.
Starting Monday, April 3, 4 State provides a drop-off point for recyclable items, including paper such as books and newspapers, aluminum, plastic items and even clothes and shoes. Other items such as glass or electronics may also be accepted in the future, but currently cannot be processed.
The items, preferably cleaned and sorted, can be dropped off at the 4 State Recycling Center located in the old Topco building at 600 N. Franklin Street each Monday and Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“We’re ready to go,” Taysha Meech of 4 State said during the meeting.
Meech said they encourage those interested in volunteering to help with the process to contact them.
“On behalf of the community… thank you very much for doing this,” City Manager Dave Martin said. “This is great.”
During the Fort Scott City Commission meeting Tuesday evening, the commissioners agreed to create a redevelopment district at the former Woods building, allowing developers to move forward with their plans for the structure.
Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said she has been working to bring in a grocery store and is now working on a deal with Queen’s Price Chopper, a family business since 1974 that has five other locations.
Joel Riggs, real estate director for Associated Wholesale Grocers and part of Super Market Developers, said the groups involved are moving as quickly as possible in order to have the grocery and retail store open by November.
“This is kind of the first step in a pretty long process in moving forward to try to redevelop the property that was formerly Woods Grocery Store,” Riggs said, saying the physical redevelopment is scheduled to begin in July.
With the city’s approval, a public hearing was set for the community to be involved and voice any concerns they have in the planning process. The first public hearing is set for May 2, with another to follow on June 20.
“It is a big project,” Riggs said. “It’s important to us…We are going to do everything in our power to move this forward as quickly as we can, but following all the rules and regulations that we need to.”
Riggs said it is a complex financing plan, utilizing Tax Increment Financing bonds, a public financing method that could waive the impact of certain taxes on the zone for a period of time as an incentive. Pruitt said the city will be working with the county and Unified School District 234, as the three taxing entities must come to an agreement on the TIF Redevelopment District.
Dr. Rick Kellenberger, owner of the Dairy Queen located near the Woods building, said they are looking forward to having new neighbors invested in that area.
“It looks pretty desolate up there right now,” Kellenberger said. “So we’re looking forward to that whole area blossoming and hopefully developing and being a one-stop area with all the retail that we have there.”
Other News:
The city gave an update on Memorial Hall, with Pruitt saying they may be nearing a sales agreement with Last Farmhouse Films, Inc.
A representative from 4-State Sanitation said they will begin providing a drop-off point for recycling beginning on April 3.
The commission gave their approval to allow alcohol sales during the Independence Day event to be held at the LaRoche Baseball Complex this summer.
