Two travel authors will be autographing their books Thursday, May 5 from 4-6 p.m. at Hedgehog.INK bookstore, and then on Friday, May 6, from 2-4 p.m. at the Lowell Milken Center, 1 S. Main, Fort Scott.
Roxie Yonkey, Goodland, Kan., author of 100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die, and Amy Piper, author of 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die, Lansing, Mich., will have their books available to sign at both locations.
Submitted graphic.
“I visited Fort Scott National Historic Site in 2018, and am excited to return back to the site and bookstore,” Yonkey said.
“I first heard about the Lowell Milken Center at Kansas Tourism Conference,” Yonkey added. “At the end of the presentation, all of us were at least misty-eyed. I knew then that I must visit. When I visited, I stood in awe of the heroes enshrined within. And their tales keep growing as the center’s programs recruit more storytellers.”
In December 2021, Yonkey’s publisher asked her to write the book “Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.” It will come out in the spring of 2023. Yonkey has been writing about Kansas for over 30 years. One Hundred Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die is her second book
In 2020, both travel writers co-authored, along with several other writers, the book Midwest Road Trip Adventures. That book includes road trip guides for 12 Midwest states.
Additional signings are scheduled throughout the state. Check the schedule at RoxieontheRoad.com/Signings.
We hope to see you in one of these Fort Scott attractions, May 5-6.
Calista Ricards in her garden at 1301 S. Horton. Submitted photos.
The Little Flower Farm LLC owner, Calista Richards, sees herself as an artist.
“I love that you can simultaneously be an artist while being completely covered in sweat and dirt,” she said.
She grows, sells and delivers her product, cut flowers, from her home at 1301 S. Horton, as of January 2021.
“I provide fresh and local flowers in bouquets and arrangements,” Richards said. “The types of flowers change as the seasons change. You can tell what time of year it is by the contents of my bouquets and arrangements.”
The flower arrangements are available for delivery within Fort Scott city limits, for purchase at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market (On Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings), and for pickup on Horton Street at her home.
Directions On Picking Up
“When using Buzz for Blooms (1301 S. Horton) enter the southern driveway and go around the fence until you see a post in a pot with a sign that says Buzz for Blooms,” she said. “If I am not already outside, ring the doorbell found there and I will be out to assist you with your order. You can even customize your purchase by pointing to things you would like out in the field. Then, you exit out the northern driveway with your blooms– or future blooms– without ever having leave your car.”
Submitted photos.
About The Entrepreneur
“I graduated from high school in 2020, having been home schooled the whole time, and wanted to start a business instead of going to college,” she said. Richards believes college could not teach her what she wanted to know and “can lead to crushing debt,” she said. “I would not shackle myself with that.”
“There is nothing like being a part of the community this way,” she said. “Flowers are bought for every time of life: birth, death, joy, sorrow, great occasions, and no occasion at all. I want to see all these things and play my little part to bring beauty to all of it.”
The young entrepreneur is involved in the community, since opening her business
She is a member of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, the Bourbon County Garden Club, and a board member of the Fort Scott Public Library.
In addition, “I have participated in the downtown cleanup and have done numerous fundraisers for the local cancer support group Care to Share,” she said.
Richards wanted to start a business that she could operate out of her home.
“Zoning Section 20-601.05 Temporary Uses states that you may have a business made up of seasonal sales of farm or garden produce, bulbs, plantings, or cut flowers, on an individual’s place of residence and raised by the same individual, provided no structure is constructed for such use,” she said.
Richards is eldest of the six children of Jeremiah and Jennifer Richards.
“I have no employees but I cannot say I have no help,” she said. “My family has been nothing but supportive and are working so hard so I can live this dream. I could not have done it without them.”
Sunflower Spreads is a mom & daughter duo who create specialty cheese boards for Manhattan, KS and the surrounding communities. They will be coming to Fort Scott to host this event on Wednesday, April 27th at 6pm.
This workshop includes:
In person instruction
Everything you need to create your own take home charcuterie box that serves 2-4 people
PDF instructions on how to build your own board at home, tips and tricks, how to shop for items, etc.
Marty and Carrie Elton who purchased the two former Lyons Mansions on National Avenue and restarted a restaurant in the southern most one, is now reopening the northern bed and breakfast mansion.
“The name of the bed and breakfast will be Twin Mansions B and B,” Elton said. “Myself and Carrie are the owners and operators. We have decided to re-open to share the historic beauty of the mansions with everyone.”
The business was formerly owned by Larry and Pat Lyons.
Submitted photos.
“We also look forward to helping the community with more interesting and unique places to stay,” he said. “Tourism is vital to small towns and we look forward to being a bigger part of that industry. We will provide traditional bed and breakfast services.”
Submitted photos.
Breakfast( with a discounted rate) will be available at the Dry Wood Creek Cafe, which the Elton’s own and operate in the southern most mansion.
Submitted photos.
“We will provide not only rooms to rent but will have the main floor available for functions as well,” he said. “Our amenities will include all the standard hotel fair as well as manicured gardens, a Koi pond and a pool table.”
Submitted photos.
The address is 742 South National Avenue, Fort Scott, with reservations made through airbnb.com , vrbo.com, bedandbreakfast.com, and many other platforms, he said.
“We have five rooms available, one with an extra bedroom and Jack and Jill restroom,” Elton said.
Prices vary from weekday to weekend and discounted rates are available for business stays. The range is anywhere from $100 a night to $150.
“Myself and Carrie will still be onsite, we have moved to an apartment on the premises,” Elton said.
KCC alerts utility customers that high energy costs are forecast to continue nationwide due to increased commodity price volatility
TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) is alerting consumers that energy prices are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future based on current national forecasts. This will likely increase the cost to cool homes and businesses this summer and heat them this winter. Now is the time to take steps to weatherize your home and undertake energy efficiency investments as you are able.
Like many other energy and commodity prices, monthly wholesale natural gas prices have recently increased to levels not seen in the United States since September 2008. Wholesale electricity prices have increased as well. On April 18, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) futures price for natural gas climbed to nearly $8/MMBtu (Metric Million British thermal units) for May and June, with prices over $8/MMBtu for the rest of this year and upcoming winter. For context, natural gas prices regularly traded in the $2-$3/MMBtu range for much of the last decade.
Wholesale prices for natural gas are based on supply and demand and are not regulated, a decision made by the U.S. Congress in the 1980s. Accordingly, these costs are often outside the direct control of energy providers, and are passed through to the end consumer outside of a rate case without markup or profit. It is important to note that the pass through energy costs are audited by KCC audit staff to make sure customers only pay the actual wholesale energy costs that their utility provider pays, again without markup or profit.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently released its Short-Term Energy Outlook indicating energy price forecasts for the rest of the year are subject to heightened levels of uncertainty from factors such as the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, decisions of OPEC+, and the rate at which U.S. Oil and Natural Gas producers increase drilling in response to higher prices.
The Commission has launched an online resource to provide additional information, help consumers minimize the impact, and find financial and weatherization assistance. The information is available at https://kcc.ks.gov/consumer-alert-spring-2022
Fort Scott Community College is excited to bring back our annual Women’s Luncheon and Vendor Expo. This event will take place April 27th on Administrative Professionals Appreciation Day from 11am to 2pm in the Ellis Fine Arts Center.
Local vendors will be set up throughout the lobby and meeting rooms of Ellis ready for you to shop! We will also be serving a light lunch of two different wraps, salad, and mixed fresh fruit. We will also have tea, water, lemonade, and coffee.
Cost is only $7 per person for lunch. Reserve your ticket or vendor space by emailing Kassie Cate at [email protected] or call 620.223.2700 ext. 5248. Tickets will be available at the door as well.
We hope you can ‘squeeze’ some time in for us and enjoy this very springy event
Dolly the Trolley in downtown Fort Scott. From VisitFortScott Facebook page.
Fort Scott is moving forward to the future.
At the Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet on April 19, the Fort Scott Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison led the discussion on all the activities that are planned for the downtown area. There are many.
This Friday the downtown division of the Chamber is facilitating the community downtown clean-up in preparation for all the activities that will be happening.
Bailey Lyons, chair of the committee, told the attendees there will be curbing and striping on National and Scott Avenues, benches painted and three murals going up, among many of the activities that will be going on. So far 150-200 volunteers are scheduled to help.
The three murals are 1) along the north face of Angie Dawn’s Boutique on Scott Avenue,
The north face of Angie Dawn’s Boutique will have a mural painted during the downtown clean-up this Friday. The building is located on Scott Avenue.
2) along the south face of the Structure Hair Salon on National Avenue,
A new mural will be painted on the south side of Structure by Margo Salon building on National Avenue.
and 3) along the old cable office building on 2nd Street.
A mural will be painted by local artists from the Fort Scott School District on the side of the old cable company building east of the Fort Scott Public Library.
The third mural is a collaboration of art teachers in Fort Scott, Lyons said. “This is student-driven, and will be literary-themed.”
To volunteer to help out in this community project, one must sign a waiver from the City of Fort Scott by today, April 19. This day is also the last day to pre-register to be able to receive a free t-shirt, commemorating the clean-up. Contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566.
Fort Scott students and FFA members will be working in the 1-3 p.m. time frame, with the majority of the volunteers working from 3-6 p.m. Workers will be fed supper from a Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Grant with Marsha’s Deli serving the meal.
City Manager Kelly Zellner told the attendees that there are plans in the making for a canopy at Skubitz Plaza for the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market and also signs that help visitors find their way around town.
He said the city is also working on parking issues downtown that will provide designated parking spaces for residents living downtown, which will clear up spaces for businesses.
The goal is to make the area with a “more comfortable traffic flow for people to be willing to come in and visit us,” he said.
Other info from the meeting:
Papa Don’s and Sharkey’s Restaurants now have a “Toast” app for ordering available.
There is a Civil War Encampment this weekend at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
There are resources available at the Small Business Development Center at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office on National Avenue. Contact Dacia Clark.
Mark McCoy, former business owner and former interim city manager, is available for entrepreneurship mentoring through Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc., which is located on the second floor of Landmark Bank.
There are e-community loans available through the Chamber of Commerce for help with signage, HVAC, and other business needs.
There will be a Red Cross Blood Drive at Buck Run Community Center on April 20 from 12:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. and April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Volunteers are needed for the NICA Kansas Mountain Bike Race for youth at Gunn Park Trails this weekend to set up the infield on Saturday and course materials and parking on Sunday. To sign up: https://signup.com/go/oFWBuyG.
More stories of upcoming events will be featured on fortscott.biz in the near future.
People line up at the Crumble and Cream food truck in October 2021 in Fort Scott.
Crumble & Cream, a mobile food trailer that features Deep Dish Cookies, will be returning to Fort Scott today, April 14.
The food trailer rotates stops throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas in 2022. They are headquartered in Wichita.
“We typically just schedule one day per city, in some of the larger cities we do extend for more than one day,” Rachel Marlow, owner of the food trailer said.
“We visited Fort Scott back in October and will be returning for one day Thursday,” Marlow said.
The food trailer will be at Tractor Supply, 2420 S. Main, on
Join us for this week’s Chamber Coffee & Ribbon Cutting
Hosted by T-Mobile
Thursday, April 14th, 8am
2400 S. Main St. Unit 300
Ribbon cutting and remarks will take place directly after the Chamber Coffee.
T-Mobile is America’s 5G leader with the largest, fastest and most reliable 5G network. T-Mobile wants to service communities that have been historically dis-serviced within the cellular community. Fort Scott was a chosen because of its geological location. They are confident in their investment here and are dedicated to serving Fort Scott and Bourbon County. T-Mobile is customer obsessed. It’s what inspires and drives them to look for new ways to keep you seamlessly connected to what you love.
Most stores in the Downtown Historic District and several additional locations will be participating in the hunt! Customers are invited to shop local retailers to search for the hidden gold eggs. The golden eggs will contain coupons, promotions, Chamber Bucks, and more!
