Category Archives: Business
Increasing Childcare Slots Availability
Childcare providers are able to increase child capacity,
thanks to The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Recent funding from the Bourbon County Childcare Coalition, an initiative formed by The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team in Fort Scott, already is making a big difference to the capacity of local childcare providers at a time when Kansas is facing a childcare crisis.
“A recent survey by the coalition found that 95 percent of adults seeking childcare said they would return to the workforce if they had access to high quality childcare,” said Jody Hoener, HBCAT president and CEO. “Childcare is incredibly important not just to our economy, but to the wellbeing of our families.”
The survey found that individuals seeking care for their children are on an average of nearly three waitlists and have been for more than 23 weeks.
This fall, HBCAT was awarded a $45,000 grant from Child Care Aware of Kansas and an additional $3,500 from the Patterson Family Foundation to address capacity.
Within just a few weeks, those funds had been passed on to the coalition, which worked with local providers to understand what they needed to be able to create new slots.
“Ultimately, with the help of this grant, childcare providers will be able to increase 51 childcare slots,” said Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT executive director.
Of the funding, $32,000 is being spent on capacity-building equipment and materials at numerous providers.
Among them: Lana’s Daycare, owned by Lana Beerbower, where the funding was used to buy a larger refrigerator, which increased food storage to accommodate additional children.
The daycare also was able to expand activity spaces to accommodate additional children through the purchase of an outdoor playhouse, activity table, play mat, drawing mat, and carpet.
For Tiny Tots, owned by Susie Castleberry, it was used to buy a bigger food pantry, additional individual cubbies for childrens’ belongings, and an extended playground with safety fencing.
“That will enable us to increase our slots because we can have play areas for both toddlers and older children, and we’ll be able to have more food on hand to serve them,” Castleberry said. “It will help us comply with regulations and serve more children safely.”
“We’re grateful and super excited,” she said. “We’ve been wanting to be able to help more families.”
At Happy Kids Daycare, owned by Lindsay Knopp and Afton Brown, funding was used for curriculum and staff training, as well as salaries for additional employment.
“This means the ability to serve more children in a more impactful way, and for our teachers to have the tools they need to be effective,” Knopp said.
“Having a proven curriculum and early intervention to use with the children we serve is huge for them. It’s a building block that will better prepare them for school with modules in social, emotional, and academic areas, and in daily skills that will prepare them for success.”
Funding also will be spent by the coalition on a new provider recruitment coordinator ($2,000) and on quarterly training for providers, including materials and keynote speakers ($11,000).
About The HBCAT
The mission of The HBCAT is to increase access to healthy food and physical activity, promote commercial tobacco cessation, enhance quality of life and encourage economic growth. The problems of health inequity and social injustice are complex in nature and inextricably linked to key economic indicators. A healthy workforce is a prerequisite for economic success in any industry and in all cities.
The HBCAT formed the Bourbon County Childcare Coalition to bring high quality, affordable childcare to the county.
HBCAT is building up the childcare infrastructure, which is a critical piece to workforce development. Affordable childcare will open opportunities for individuals to use The HBCAT’s services at the Center for Economic Growth.
As a result, they will have access to career opportunities through Southeast KANSASWORKS or to create economic stability through starting a business through PSU Small Business Development Center.
Learn more at HBCAT.org. Find HBCAT on Facebook at facebook.com/HealthyBBCo/
Chamber Coffee on Nov. 2: Be The Light Boutique Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
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Key Industries Annual Warehouse Sale Is Nov. 18 through 25
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Holiday Open House Shopping Event Downtown & Around Thursday, November 9th, 5-8pm
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping event, Downtown & Around in Fort Scott. The main event will take place Thursday, November 9th from 5-8pm with festive refreshments, drawings & deals for you to enjoy and get you in the Holiday spirit! Then, Open House will continue Friday & Saturday, November 10th &11th. On Thursday the trolley will be going store to store from 5-8pm so you can shop & ride!
There will be spirited holiday shopping at nearly 20 participating retailers including 110 South Main, Angie Dawn’s Boutique, Barbed Wire & Roses, Bartelsmyers Jewelry, Better in Bourbon, Be The Light Boutique, Bids & Dibs, Flint + Fray, Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, Iron Star, Laree + Co, Long Creek Outfitters, Papa Dons, Ruddicks Furniture, Sekan, Shirt Shack, Sunshine Boutique, The Artificers, and The Beauty Lounge. Don’t forget to enter your name at each store for a chance to win $50 in Chamber Bucks!
Visit fortscott.com or the Chamber Facebook page for more details. Get out for the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping Event Thursday, November 9th through Saturday the 11th in Fort Scott.
The Artificers in November Newsletter
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The Artificers In November!November is almost here! Check out the calendar below for all the classes and events happening this next Month! |
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First Friday is November the Third!Come in and see us for our monthly open house! |
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Check out Our New Holiday Hours! |
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Holiday Class!Come in and personalize ornaments in one of our Walk-in Classes! Adult walk-in Class is November 16th and ends at 8pm! The kids walk-in Class is the 18th and goes from 11am-5pm! |
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Glaze Day is November 25th!Here is your last chance to glaze before the first of the year! |
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Community Event Coming Up! |
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Be sure to visit us during the Christmas on the Bricks Event! |
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Sneak Peak For December… |
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Nieces Are Working to Renovate the Payne Building At 6th and Main
Al and Luanna Niece, from Blanco County, TX, purchased the dilapidated building at 6th and Main in June 2023 to renovate.
Al Niece owns Niece Equipment of Kansas and has had a plant in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park, since 2012. The company manufactures, sells, and leases water trucks, fuel/lube trucks, and water towers, according to its website.
“We fell in love with Fort Scott, the community, the downtown,” Luanna said. “We are trying to give back.”
The building was built in 1889, with A. B. Payne as the owner. It was built for apartments and a printing shop, Luanna said. The name of the building was Shultz and Paine.
One interesting fact discovered in looking at the history of the building: “The building’s owner was friends with Mark Twain,” she said. Twain was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who died in 1910.
The Nieces plan to make two apartments on the top floor, one for themselves and one for a rental.
The street-level floor will be renovated to make an old-fashioned “soda jerk fountain and ice cream shop” with candy and “simple foods like hot dogs”, she said.
The basement will be Al’s hangout, “Like in the movie ‘Speak Easy’, a gentleman’s bar,” she said. “It will be his mancave, probably called ‘Al’s’.”
“We hope to have renderings (of the future building plans) in about a month,” Al said. They met with the builder last week and hope to be open by next summer, he said.
Koen Construction is the builder, Al said.
What attracted the Nieces was that “this building is a stand-alone one,” she said. “And it has a lot next to it, land. About 6,000-10,000 square feet.”
The Nieces also own the building that houses the Brickstreet BBQ Restaurant, the River Room Event Center, and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office on North National.
Local Author, Patty LaRoche: Book On Kindle App Announced
I am so excited to share that my book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection is offered, starting tomorrow, for 99 cents on the Kindle App. This is a limited-time offer, and then the price will become $9.99.
Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
The reviews have been exciting:
Reading this book makes me smile! Patty LaRoche’s wisdom laced with humor is always refreshing. I laughed. I cried. But in the end, I was left with a deeper sense of God’s great love for me.
When I bought the book, I thought I would find it a light read but in fact it has so many gems of wisdom that I found it hard to put down. Emotionally, it was a rollercoaster ride from outright belly laughing to swiping tears from my eyes. It reminded me that we are all on the same rollercoaster ride and we can choose to let the opinions of others put us on the sidelines of life or we can get on with living.
I absolutely loved this book. It was quite embarrassing as I was laughing my butt off on a plane several times, much to the annoyance of my neighbor… However, at the end of the flight, he wanted to know all about the book so he could read it as well.
Inside A Little Faith Lift you will discover invaluable strategies to:
- Discover a renewed confidence in the God-given abilities you have been ashamed to cherish
- Delve into the destructive thought processes designed to keep you in a game of comparisons
- Recognize Satan’s devious tactics, convincing you to use others’ opinions to determine your value
- Fall deeply in love with God as you begin to understand how valued you are
- Learn to laugh at situations instead of allowing them to destroy your self-worth
To take advantage of this offer, simply go to this Link: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Faith-Lift-Finding-Rejection-ebook/dp/B0CJ9NDJC5 and purchase the digital version of A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection.
If you like this offer and/or like what you’ve read in my book, please, please share this with all of your friends. I can’t do this without YOU! Thank you so much for your support.
—
Cohn’s Cafe Launches Its Sunday Brunch on Oct. 22
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Fort Scott Washateria: Business Plan Includes Community Service of Wash Wednesday
Fort Scott Washateria is a family business that was opened in September 2019 by Carol Oakleaf, her daughter Lori Lovelace, son-in-law Leroy Walker, and her son, Doug Oakleaf.
“As a part of our community outreach we have partnered with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Healthy Bourbon County Team, and COPE to have Wash Wednesdays starting November 1st,” Lovelace said.
Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) is a project of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Kansas University School of Medicine. To learn more: [email protected].
Each Wednesday, starting Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. a limited number of washers and dryers will be available for free.
Lovelace is the managing member overseeing business operations.
“As part of our business goals in Fort Scott we provide services for the community including the Fort Scott Community Closet which collects clothing and bedding donations from the community and we store and distribute them to people who need them,” Lovelace said.
On November 1, the Washateria will have a new community service, Wash Wednesday, offering one free cycle of washing and one free cycle of drying to a family, two times a month, Lovelace said.
The Washateria will provide the laundry detergent and dryer sheets for this program, she said.
In addition, on Wednesdays, Lovelace will make sure the Community Clothes Closet is open for those who may need clothing or bedding.
The normal hours for the closet is Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “People must come in and sign in to have access to the closet while their stuff is washing,” she said.
The guidelines for Wash Wednesday:
The 22lb washers hold the equivalent of 2 loads of a home top-loader, 1 load per family.
However, people will not wash comforters, blankets, large mattress pads, etc, because those bulky items do not spin out well in the small machines and won’t dry in one dryer cycle.
“We request that this free service be utilized only two times per month for each customer so that the maximum number of folks can use the free machines,” Lovelace said. “We will have a sign-in sheet to keep track. The same family can only come two times a month.”
“Laundry customers must stay with their laundry and transfer their clothes to the dryer, our transfer service is not available as we have to move quickly to keep the machines going,” she said.
About Washateria
“We are a public laundromat and we do wash/dry/fold services for the public as well as commercial laundry,” she said. ” We also provide custom services such as starch/press and steaming.”
The Washateria is staffed, and open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.
“Customer service is of utmost importance to us and we happily help folks who come in with any questions and help with the machines,” she said. “We have state-of-the-art Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in a variety of size loads, 4 loads, 6 loads, and 8 load washers and small, medium, and large dryers, the dryers are sized for our machines. Our machines take quarters as well as debit/credit cards and we have a loyalty card that provides a discount when it is loaded to be used in the machines.”
Fort Scott Washateria is located at 501 S National Ave on the corner of 5th and National. For more information: 620-644-9834, email: [email protected]
Chamber After Hours Ribbon Cutting at Mill Creek Veterinary Clinic
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Shop, Swine and Swig Coming to the River Room Today
A holiday vendor event is happening today, October 19, at the River Room from 5 to 8 p.m.
Shop, Swig, and Swine is being organized by Shelby Defebaugh, who is a vendor herself. “I make pens, lanyards, keychains and wristlets. Customization is welcome,” she said.
“In August I started organizing the event,” Defebaugh said. “When you are a vendor… you become like a community.” And several vendors were interested.
The River Room is located at the corner of National Avenue and Oak Street on Fort Scott’s north end. The event is from 5-8 p.m. with no cost to attendees.
“I know everyone is busy,” she said. “I felt like a Thursday evening, when you get off work, go shop with girlfriends and grab some food to take home.”
The name “Shop, Swig and Swine” is because “You can shop, and have adult beverages and Brickstreet BBQ will have a concession bar and food,” Defebaugh said.
Defebaugh said she wanted to thank Cathy Bishop, event coordinator at the River Room, and the Fort Scott Tribune for their help with the event.
Vendors pay $40 per booth.
However, she is giving booth space for free to the Fort Scott High School Art Club for a fundraiser which is a Christmas scene photo.
Vendors for the event:
Better in Bourbon
Flying P Ranch
Seint Make up
Blissful Aesthetics
FSHS Art Club
Couchman Acres
Sunshine Boutique
KC Design
Farmer Blake
Doggy Style
Gyp & Jo
Cathy Bishop
The Hamilton’s Artisan Bakery
Beitree
SL Studio
Scentsy
Write On
Buckin A Ranch
Rope Baskets
Little Candle Factory
Peace Acres Freeze Dried Candy
Over The Hill Signs
Red Aspen
Brickstreet BBQ
Sassy Cactus
C3 Designs
doTerra Essential Oils
For more information about the event:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298619290775003/?ref=share_group_link