In the face of the worsening Coronavirus pandemic, Hedgehog.INK! bookstore is making the difficult decision to close our doors to the public beginning, tomorrow Tuesday, March 17, until further notice. We will not be accepting books during this time. All March events at the store are being cancelled.
Please do your part to help “flatten the curve,” socially isolate, keep physical distance, wash your hands, and stay safe.
With love and gratitude, Dick and Jan Hedges
Hi-speed internet is coming to Uniontown.
Craw-Kan Telephone Cooperative, Girard, received a broadband internet loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has been stockpiling conduit and cable in Uniontown since late February 2020.
The new high-speed internet service will be provided to the 350 customers in Uniontown, Craig Wilbert, general manager of Craw-Kan said.
“There will be no rate change,” Wilbert said.
Craw-Kan crews will be replacing copper lines, then connect to computers, phone, and cable TV, giving access to up to 1,000 gigabits per second.
A landline may be required as a prerequisite for internet service based on geographic location, call the cooperative at 620-724-8235 to check.
The benefits of the new project: getting the fastest available internet in the county, at an affordable rate, Wilbert said.
” Great for students and also makes working from home a reality,” Wilbert said.
The internet service will only be for Craw-Kan Cooperative members.
The Uniontown project will start late spring 2020. “when the weather dries out a bit” and won’t be complete until mid to late 2021, Wilbert said.
The cooperative received a Rural Utilities Services loan which requires contractors to be certified by an engineering company that has demonstrated the ability to complete a project this large. Any contractor meeting this condition can bid on the job, Wilbert said.
To learn about Craw-Kan prices:
https://ckt.net/service/internet/
Fort Scott Fiber Optic Project
Craw-Kan has also been replacing internet copper lines in Fort Scott, in preparation for service there.
Uniontown will all be done at the same time as the Fort Scott project and will be cut over to be in service at the same time, Wilbert said.
“The Fort Scott project is about one-half done,” Wilbert said. “There is a central office on National Avenue where our equipment is.
“The west side of Ft. Scott is nearly complete,” he said.” I anticipate about 12 more months for the rest of the city to be completed. We do it in sections so services will be available in chunks of territories as they are completed.”
Why does a project like this take so long?
” Mainly it is a matter of cost,” Wilbert said. “Ft. Scott will end up being a several million dollar project and the Cooperative simply does not have the financial means to complete a city the size of Ft. Scott in one year. The second reason is the scope of the project. It is similar to replacing every water or electric line in town. We are passing every home and business within the city limits. That’s a lot of fiber to bury! Definitely worth the wait.”
The life expectancy of fiber optic lines is 40 years, Wilbert said.
Craw-Kan Expanding Business Customers
The projects are the result of declining populations in rural areas nationwide, he said. This was affecting the Craw-Kan business negatively.
“We needed to find new business,” Wilbert said. “We decided to find non-members of the coop, they are strictly customers.”
They received requests from Mound City, St.Paul, Pittsburg and Fort Scott and those projects are completed, he said.
In an effort to explore innovative opportunities for business retention, growth and development, Jody Hoener, Economic Development, recently joined a group of her peers at a “fab lab boot camp” in Independence, Kansas.
Hosted by Fab Lab ICC on the campus of Independence Community College March 3-5, “Maker Space Boot Camp: How to Build A Fab Lab from Ground Zero,” offered insights into the challenges and successes experienced by the organization, as well as its impact on the local economy and community culture since opening in 2014. Named with the abbreviated term for “fabrication laboratory,” Fab Lab ICC is a creative maker-space facility offering tools, technology and education to budding entrepreneurs, students, hobbyists, small business owners and innovators of all ages. The Independence facility emphasizes the integration of entrepreneurial mindset education with the hands-on creative process.
The boot camp attracted economic development professionals and community leaders from across Kansas and Missouri and included presentations by local entrepreneurs and business leaders; facility tours; and interactive “making” sessions allowing participants to experiment with the lab’s production equipment. The group also toured the fab lab’s recently opened expansion building, a 6,400-square-foot-facility offering space for maker equipment, work stations and entrepreneur collaboration.
The maker space boot camp event was facilitated by Fab Lab ICC Director Jim Correll, a longtime entrepreneur coach, and Fab Lab Manager and ICC instructor Tim Haynes.
“The boot camp was an eye-opening experience that solidified the hypothesis that a fab lab can unlock unlimited potential for creativity and entrepreneurial development,” Hoener said. “Moreover, as the Independence community has realized, such a facility ultimately can achieve a positive, sustainable and significant impact on the local economy. The possibilities really are limitless.”
More information on the Fab Lab ICC community boot camp experience and future offerings is available by contacting Correll at 620-252-5349/[email protected].
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About Fab Lab ICC
Fab Lab ICC opened in October 2014 on the campus of Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas. It is a creative “maker” space where students and community members find tools and resources to bring their ideas to life through hands-on production and entrepreneurial education. Fab Lab ICC is a member of the International Fab Lab Network.
We are working together with Feeding America, our sister food banks and state and local health authorities to understand and manage our response to the Covid-19 virus.
PLEASE BE ADVISED EFFECTIVE MARCH 16 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE…
There is a new procedure for obtaining food box if one is eligible.
Please call the Beacon with name and when you would like to pick up your order. It will then be filled between normal business hours.
Orders will be picked up off the back deck of the agency.
To see the Beacon Director for any reason please feel free to call and visit with him at 620-223-6869.
Thank you for understanding we are just trying to protect our clients and staff. We feel social distancing is the best approach.
The Beacon Staff
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A local piano teacher has encouraged many students to pursue music in her 25-year career.
And it started in her childhood with a passion for piano and encouragement from her parents.
When Carolyn Tucker was in third grade, she had a desire to play the piano but there was no piano in her home.
Like a broken record, she consistently told her parents that she wanted to play, she said.
“They soon realized this desire was not going to go away, so one Saturday the three of us went to Springfield, MO, to shop for a piano,” Tucker said. “A few days later a brand-new piano was delivered to our home, and I couldn‘t play a lick! That expensive purchase was a huge step of faith for my parents and I will always be grateful.”
She began studying piano with Miss Rebecca Murray and found she loved it.
“I soon realized that God had given me the gift to play by ear, ” she said. “My mother never had to tell me to practice my lessons because every time I walked through the living room, I’d stop and play the piano. The ability to read music and play by ear was a great marriage, and by the time I was in eighth grade, I was the church pianist. I ‘cut my teeth’ on gospel music and it’s always been my first love.”
Since that purchase and the subsequent lessons, she’s been sharing her of love of music for 53 years in various church settings, weddings, funerals, civic functions, patriotic programs, nursing homes, retirement facilities, gospel concerts, family reunions, baby dedications, recitals, music parties, prayer breakfasts, etc.
“Music is a powerful language that everyone understands because it speaks from the heart,” she said.
In 1994, a friend asked her if she would teach her daughter to play the piano.
“I agreed to give it a try. Now, 25 years later, 97 students have come through the studio,” she said.
Grateful
“Playing the piano has provided a lifetime of musical ministry and joy for me,” Tucker said. ” I can’t imagine what my life would be like had my parents not provided the ‘begged-for’ piano and lessons for me.”
“I believe every baby is born with God-given gifts, and it’s up to the parents to help the child discover his/her destiny using those gifts for God‘s glory,” she said. “My Dad always said, ‘Buying that piano was the best investment I ever made.'”
Encourage children to find musical gifts
Tucker wants to inspire parents to provide their children with opportunities to find their gifts.
“God doesn’t gift every individual to be musical, but if a child expresses a deep desire to play an instrument, there’s a good chance that he/she was created to do it,” she said. “You never know what treasure lies within a child’s heart until the door is opened.
To contact Tucker for lessons, call 620-223-1483.
Tucker Music Studio is located at 954 240th Street
Fort Scott.
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💰💰Admission to our air-conditioned event is FREE.
“We will be accepting 60-100 craft, hand made, mass-produced, one of a kind or direct sales items as well as foods. No repeat of items will be allowed. Step away from the summer heat☀️☀️Drop the kids off at the aquatic center to swim 🏊♀️ and come enjoy some free time with indoor shopping 🛍 in the AC right here in Ft Scott KS🌻”
Vendor Applications available Friday, March 13, 2010.
www.PerrysPorkRinds.com Click on EVENTS tab & print form.
Mail to:
Perry’s Pork Rinds
PO Box 112
Bronson. KS66716
Margo Davis took time out of a hair appointment to give a friend a tour of her new salon on the salon’s opening day, March 3.
Structure by Margo is at 19 S. National Avenue, where Bids and Dibs Consignment store was formerly located.
The tour included a look at the new salon area that will eventually allow five other beauticians space, a kitchenette, a dispensary, a waxing room, hair washing stations, nail spa, bathroom and lots of storage space.
“I’m loving it, the new location, and the renovation work,” Davis said.
The salon opened following a Kansas State Board of Cosmetology inspection on Feb. 26 and months of a renovation of the building.
The hours of the business are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The brand new business phone number, as of March 9, is 620-644-5003.
Davis received her cosmetology degree from Fort Scott Community College and taught in the cosmetology department for 26 years.
Following her desire to mentor new hairstylists, Davis has a 2020 Fort Scott Community College Cosmetology student, Joy Page, coming when Page graduates.
Davis shows the waxing room where she removes facial and upper body hair. The reno work was done by Jim Jones, an electrician, and Josh Query, a contractor.
“They did an amazing job,” Davis said.
Now accepting nominations for
2020 Governor’s Awards for Business Excellence
Topeka, Kan. – The Kelly administration announced today that nominations are being accepted for the prestigious 2020 Governor’s Awards for Business Excellence, which honor businesses across the state.
“The Governor’s Awards for Business Excellence have been presented to outstanding Kansas businesses since 1995,” Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said, “It’s my honor to continue the tradition of recognizing the magnificent work Kansas businesses do for our people and our communities.”
In past years, the state has presented the Governor’s Award to one outstanding Kansas business. This year, in addition to Business of the Year, the state also will present awards for Outstanding New Business, Outstanding Veteran-owned Business and Family Friendly Business. Regional awards also will be presented in the Manufacturing and Distribution, Healthcare and Nonprofit, Business Services and Retail sectors.
“Businesses play a critical role in creating and maintaining a healthy Kansas economy,” Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “With so many terrific businesses in Kansas, I know members of the selection committee will have their work cut out for them in selecting this year’s winners.”
Nominations for the Governor’s Awards for Business Excellence are reviewed and scored by a committee of Kansas businesses and economic development professionals.
Businesses may be nominated by an individual or organization, and nominators may submit multiple companies for consideration. Self-nominations also are accepted. The nomination deadline is April 3, 2020. Additional details on the awards, as well as the nomination form may be found online at www.kansascommerce.gov/governorsawards.
Smallville CrossFit Recognized as Emerging Business of the Year at 2020 Kansas Small Business Awards
Smallville CrossFit was recognized as the Kansas SBDC at Pittsburg State University Emerging Business of the Year at the annual Kansas Small Business Awards on March 5th in Topeka.
Aaron and Lindsey Watts, owners of Smallville CrossFit in Fort Scott, are on a mission to build a well-balanced, healthy, and fully capable community. Smallville’s atmosphere allows for anyone to come through their doors and start on their better health journey with no judgement.
The Wattses purchased Smallville CrossFit in 2016 and the business quickly grew. Knowing they would need to purchase a larger facility, the Wattses reached out to the Kansas Small Business Development Center in 2019 for assistance with cash flow projections and the development of a financial strategy.
“Laying out a detailed list of all of the costs we needed to address and be prepared for was huge for me,” said Lindsey Watts. “I am a planner; however, there were still many things that were not even on my radar. [Kansas SBDC advisor] Dacia Clark explained each and every cost and asked questions that helped me question ways to do things better with future spending.”
Smallville CrossFit is located at 1905 S. Judson Street in Fort Scott, Kansas. To learn more, follow them on Facebook at @smallvillecrossfit.
