Category Archives: Entertainment

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Holiday Fun: Burke Street Independence Day Parade

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In this 2011 photo, Margaret Humphrey is at the left with grandson, Elliott Norman; daughter, Kristen Humphrey Norman; husband, Merle, and grand-daughter, Violet. In front are grandchildren Leo and Meg Norman.

The 36th Annual Burke Street Parade is July 4th on the city’s west side, near Gunn Park.

The event is pretty disorganized, said Margaret Doherty Humphrey, but lots of fun. The Humphreys live at 1024 S. Burke.

The parade starts with patriotic singing led by Phil Hammonds, Jill Gorman, and Susan Foster.

“We started the singing after 9-11 (the terrorist bombings in New York), Humphrey said.

People wear patriotic attire, kids decorate their bikes, scooters or buggies and line up at 10th and Burke streets at 10 a.m.

There is no parking on Burke Street between 10th and 12th streets during the time of the event.

The public is invited to sit or stand on the curbs lining the street during the parade.

And people are invited to don a patriotic outfit and join in the fun.

“Frank Halsey will line them up at 10th and Burke,” Humphrey said.

Frank and his wife, Deb are hosting the cookie social following the short parade at 1222 Burke Street. People may donate cookies for the social the day before the parade, to the Halseys home.

“Every year someone (on Burke Street) hosts the cookies and drinks,” Humphrey said.

“Please no big vehicles and watch for children who are all over the place,” Humphrey said. “It’s very disorganized, they go up and down and back and forth.”

For more information call Margaret Humphrey 223-0388 or Theresa Bahr 223-1582.

“Or Barbara Albright, the official distributor of information,” Humphrey said.

“Severe storms or lightning cancels the parade…but we conquered the rain last year,” Humphrey said.

Entertainment, Fort Scott

New Keyhole Director

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Bethany Hartford, the new Keyhole director.

Youth Ministries of Bourbon County Inc, known as the Keyhole, has a new director.

Bethany Hartford, 24,  became the director in March 2018.

Hartford has lived in Fort Scott for 14 years and has worked with the youth group at her church, Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, for about three years, she said.

She formerly worked at the Common Grounds Coffee Shop and saw a flyer on the bulletin at the shop of the position and applied.

The Keyhole is located at 1002 S. Main, across from Fort Scott High School and targets middle school through high school youth.

“The Keyhole is a place to hang out with friends,” Hartford said.

The Keyhole offers gaming systems, board games, ping pong, pool and an outside basketball hoop, in addition to a concession stand.

But most of all, the ministry hopes to be an encouragement to the youth to be “good members of society and love Jesus,” Director Bethany Hartford said. “I want to lead by example and show you can be a positive person in working with others.”

Caring, adult volunteers are always needed at the Keyhole, Hartford said. The phone number is 620-223-4700.

This month through July 29 from noon to 1 p.m. free sack lunches are available at the site as well.

Thursday the Keyhole hosted the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, with Keyhole board members present.

Board member Ben Workman said the goal of the ministry is to instill Godly principals in the lives of the youth.

The Keyhole Board of Directors listens as Ben Workman, member, shares about the ministry. From left, president Tim Harper, Judy Hood, Workman, Hartford and Dona Bauer. Not pictured are Marge Madison, Kenny Felt, and Ryan Goodbody.
Summer hours of the Keyhole.
The Keyhole is a youth activity center located across from Fort Scott High School.

 

 

Entertainment, Kansas

2018 Notable Kansas Books

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The State Library of Kansas Announces the 2018 Kansas Notable Books

15 books celebrating Kansas cultural heritage

 

Topeka, KS — Acting State Librarian Eric Norris announced today the 13th annual selection of Kansas Notable Books. The fifteen books feature quality titles with a wide public appeal, either written by a Kansan or about a Kansas-related topic.

 

“I am proud to present the 2018 Kansas Notable Book list.  Choosing only 15 books is no easy task,” said Eric Norris, Acting State Librarian. “The selection committee began with a pool of over 100 submitted titles and worked diligently to identify the year’s best works by authors and illustrators from Kansas, as well as those works that highlight our history and heritage. Kansans are encouraged to visit their local public library and celebrate the artists and the artistry of Kansas.”

 

Kansas Notable Books is a project of the Kansas Center for the Book, a program of the State Library. The Kansas Center for the Book is a state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Throughout the award year, the State Library promotes and encourages the promotion of all the titles on this year’s list at literary events, and among librarians and booksellers.

 

An awards ceremony will be held at the Kansas Book Festival, Saturday, September 8, 2018, 9:30 a.m., at the State Capitol to recognize the talented Notable Book authors. The public is invited.

 

For more information about Kansas Notable Books, call 785-296-3296, visit kslib.info/notablebooks or email [email protected].

 

 

2018 Kansas Notable Books

 

Bad Kansas: Stories by Becky Mandelbaum (Rockport WA), University of Georgia Press

In this darkly humorous collection, Kansas becomes a state of mind as the characters struggle to define their relationship to home and what it means to stay or leave, to hold on or let go.

 

Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs by Carol Murray (Overland Park), illustrations by Melissa Sweet (Portland ME). Henry Holt & Co

Playful poems highlight surprising facts about the world of insects – from familiar ants and exotic dragonflies to cringe-worthy ticks and magnificent fireflies in this picture book for children.

 

Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin (Sag Harbor NY), St. Martin’s Press

Cowpokes, desperadoes, and lawmen: it wasn’t always easy to tell which was which. This rollicking tale of Dodge City brims with colorful characters. From frontier settlement to cattle drives, to a railroad town, the history of Dodge City is the story of how the West was won.

Feet of the Messenger: Poems by H.C. Palmer (Lenexa), BkMk Press Books

Between the horrors of the Vietnam War and the pacific silences of the Kansas prairie, these poems honor both the beauty of the English language and the ancient powers of poetry to speak experience without diminishing it.

 

Fireflies in the Gathering Dark: Poems by Maril Crabtree (Mission), Aldrich Press

These poems traverse landscapes, inner and outer: physical landscapes and metaphysical ones; the landscape of relationships; the landscape of age, from childhood to maturity; and the questing landscape that leads to new understandings.

 

Headlights on the Prairie: Essays on Home by Robert Rebein (Irvington IN), University Press of Kansas

These essays bring a storyteller’s gifts to life’s dramas, large and small. Moments of singular grace and grit encapsulate the lives of feedlot cowboys, long-haul truckers, and farm kids dreaming of basketball glory.

 

Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s Secret Campaign Against Joseph McCarthy by David A. Nichols (Winfield), Simon & Schuster

This fast-paced account reveals President Eisenhower’s subtly clever role in the destruction of demagogue Joe McCarthy. Drawn from documents in the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Nichols presents a gripping story of a classic power struggle.

 

Kansas Baseball, 1858-1941 by Mark E. Eberle (Hays), University Press of Kansas

The early history of baseball in Kansas is the story of towns and the ballparks they built. It was a time when baseball was adopted by early settlers, then taken up by soldiers sent west, and finally by teams formed to express the identity of growing and diverse communities.

 

Kansas Guidebook 2 for Explorers by Marci Penner (Inman) and WenDee Rowe (Inman), Kansas Sampler Foundation

The ultimate guidebook for all things to see and do in Kansas features 4,500 attractions, 843 eateries, and more than 1,600 color photos. Counties are arranged alphabetically within six geographic regions as are the cities within each county. Entries include directions, hours and contact information.

 

The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery by Bill James (Lawrence) and Rachel McCarthy James (Lawrence), Scribner

A baseball statistician and his daughter deliver a provocative story that aims to solve a 100-year-old mass murder case. The two painstakingly scoured thousands of newspapers and records to discover and reveal the identity of one of the deadliest serial killers in America.

 

Midnight at the Electric by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Asheville NC), HarperTeen

While the stories of three women span multiple generations and thousands of miles, their lives are intertwined. Before leaving Kansas to go to Mars, Adri discovers Catherine’s journal of the Dust Bowl and Lenore’s letters about World War I. Each story weaves a unifying thread of hope.

 

The Shape of Ideas: An Illustrated Exploration of Creativity by Grant Snider (Derby), Abrams ComicArts

What do ideas look like? Where do they come from? These one- and two-page comics have been featured in the New Yorker, the New York Times, and the Kansas City Star. They are a colorful look into the creative process.

 

Stark Mad Abolitionists: Lawrence, Kansas, and the Battle over Slavery in the Civil War Era by Robert K. Sutton (Bethesda MD), Skyhorse Publishing

In 1854, Boston was in an uproar. Businessman Amos Adams Lawrence was inspired to put his efforts and considerable fortune toward keeping slavery out of Kansas. The town that came to bear Lawrence’s name became part of a bigger story of people willing to risk their lives and fortunes for freedom.

 

That is My Dream! by Langston Hughes and Daniel Miyares (Lenexa), Schwartz & Wade

Langston Hughes’s inspiring and timeless poem “Dream Variation” comes joyously to life in a gorgeously illustrated picture book. Follow one child on a walk through his small segregated town in the 1950s. Then watch his mind take flight as he images a brighter, more inclusive world.

 

To The Stars Through Difficulties by Romalyn Tilghman (Long Beach CA), She Writes Press

Inspired by the women who built fifty-nine Carnegie libraries in Kansas, the No Guilt Quilters overcome numerous obstacles to build the Cultural Center on the Plains- proving that New Hope is more than just the name of a town.

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Scenes From Good Ol’ Days June 2

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A street fair view of North Main Saturday morning during the Good Ol’Days, the annual festival for Fort Scott.

A rain overnight cooled things down a little for Saturday’s Good Ol’Days events. The event is in its 37th year.

A street fair stretched from Third Street to Skubitz Plaza, a petting zoo, pony rides, motorcycle, tractor and automobile displays, a baby contest,  the Red Garter Show, a carnival, a turkey calling contest, and lots of other entertainment was offered for the public’s enjoyment.

Boys ages 19 to 24 months strut their stuff in their age division at the annual baby contest held at Memorial Hall Saturday morning.
Maddox and his dad, Matt Glades, enjoy the pony rides.
Even grown-ups enjoyed the petting zoo.
A broad ax demonstration at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
A family enjoys the birds of prey demonstration at the Fort.
Ticks were the subject of a station at the Fort.
Storyteller Steve Otto entertains a group at the Fort Saturday morning.
Two young archers get lessons from the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism employees at the Fort Saturday morning.
Fort Scott Munitions had a marketplace of its own on East Wall at the store location.
A long line waited to enter Fort Scott Munitions store Saturday morning.
A car show was held at the Fort Scott Munitions location Saturday morning.

 

Area News, Entertainment

Fort Scott Talent Extravaganza May 31 Results

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The list of contestants of the Fort Scott Talent Extravaganza 2018 posted at Memorial Hall Thursday afternoon.
Morgan Eaton, 16 years old, Fort Scott, rehearses her performance Thursday afternoon for the Fort Scott Talent Extravaganza later in the evening.
Contestants were judged on talent, entertaining and appearance for the Fort Scott Talent Extravaganza Thursday evening at Memorial Hall. Pictured is the judges tally sheet.

 

The final results of the competition are:  First Place, Kenna Miles  who won $300; Second Place, Christina Ramirez, who won$200;
Third Place, Jakob Slinkard and Jorden Willard, who won $100.

 

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Submitted

Informative Opportunities Offered At The Fort June 2

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Fort Scott National Historic Site

And the Great Outdoors, Good Ol’ Days 2018

Fort Scott, Kansas: “Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods…” John Muir

John Muir talked about how he cherished spending his time in the great outdoors. During his life, he felt it crucial to step away from the hustle and bustle of life occasionally and enjoy what nature has to offer. For a look at what nature and the great outdoors has to offer in Kansas and Missouri, join us at Fort Scott NHS on Saturday, June 2, 2018, as the site joins the town of Fort Scott in celebrating Good Ol’ Days.

In keeping with this theme of the Great Outdoors, Fort Scott NHS offers a variety of outdoor exhibitors from the Kansas and Missouri areas.

  • As you begin your grand adventure, look for a sight rarely seen at Fort Scott, a canoe. Visit our canoeing and kayaking booth to learn about canoeing in the local area.
  • Touch and see a bison hide, as a Ranger from Prairie State Park shows a variety of ways that Native Americans used the bison (or buffalo, as it is popularly known).
  • Migrate to the Operation Wildlife exhibit and experience the adventure of seeing raptors up close in this live “Birds of Prey” program.
  • Moving at a slow crawl will then bring you over to visit with Dr. Kathryn Reif, a KSU professor who will be discussing tick safety, and what measures to take while hiking or walking in the outdoors.
  • If all this walking is making you hungry, then grab your lunch and a blanket and join us for an old-fashioned picnic while listening to tales told by a professional storyteller, Steve Otto. Work off some of your energy by competing in an old-time mattress-stuffing race.
  • If you are looking for kids’ activities, bring them by for Youth Archery Instruction from Kansas Department of Wildlife &Tourism or earn your own junior ranger badge at the Junior Ranger booth.
  • Dream of building that log cabin in the woods while watching National Park Service Exhibit Specialist Jim Bailey, perform a historic carpenter demonstration of hand hewing oak timbers.
  • Finally, don’t forget to saunter with Buddy the Bison as he roams the Fort.

One does not have to travel far to create their own outdoor adventure! The schedule of activities will be as follows; all programs will take place on the grounds of Fort Scott National Historic Site. Get a map as you enter the site showing where the various programs and stations will be located.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Buddy the Bison

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Canoeing/ Kayaking

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Youth Archery Instruction Session

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Broad-axe/ Hewing Carpenters Demonstration

10:00 am – 3:00 pm: “Birds of Prey” – (Live Raptors) Operation Wildlife INC.

10:00 am – 2:00 pm: Story Time – Tales of the Past

10:00 am – 4:00 pm: Ticks – Did you know?

11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Old Fashion Picnic- Please bring your lunch and a blanket

12:00 pm -12:30 pm: Old Fashion Mattress Race – with prizes

Bourbon County, Entertainment

Relaxed, Artful Evening

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Courtesy photo. A necklace created by Mindy Bartlett.

If one is looking for a relaxing evening with friends or family, the Bourbon County Arts Council (BCAC) Art Walk is an option.

From 5-8 p.m.  Friday, May 25, the art walk will be located at the Liberty Theater Patio, 113 S. Main. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the office lobby just south of Crooner’s Lounge, next door to the Liberty.

Food and drink may be purchased at Crooner’s Lounge and delivered to the patio.

The patio event is intimate and relaxing, Deb Anderson, president of the BCAC, said.

“The artists feel more comfortable with that environment,” Anderson said.

Courtesy photo. Paul Milks, photographer.

Artists who are scheduled this evening are Paul Milks, photographer, Fort Scott; Bobbie Kemna, potter, Fort Scott; Carleen Shatto, maker of handmade soaps, Drexel, M0; Mindy Bartlett, jewelry maker, Fort Scott; Sandy Smith, potter, Fort Scott; Lucy Gladbach, painter, Missouri; Ken Anderson, elk antler decor, Fort Scott; Dee Ann Davis, cut coin pendant creator, Fort Scott and Toni Thornton, maker of dream catchers, Fort Scott.

Courtesy photo. Handmade soap created by Carleen Shatto.

Any artist interested in showcasing their artwork can call Anderson at 620-223-8650 before 2 p.m. today to reserve a table to sell their wares, she said.

The BCAC is hosting four Art Walks this summer, whose purpose is to showcase local artists, Anderson said.

They will all be Friday evenings at the Liberty Theatre Patio:  June 15, July 27 in collaboration with Mercy’s Wine Stroll, and September 14.

“August is just too hot to have it,” Anderson said.

Additionally, the BCAC is sponsoring music concerts at 8 p.m. at the Liberty Theater Patio on June 23-featuring Ben Taddiken, July 14-The Whiskey Raccoons, August 18-Flagship Romance.

The 12-member board of the BCAC consists of Anderson, Terri  Floyd, Deb Halsey, Elaine Buerge, Bre Martin, Laura Meeks, Tedena Tucker, Ray Streeter, Danny Magee, Rob Shaw and Chris Woods.

Membership is currently at 103, she said.

They meet at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Presbyterian Village’s Community Room.

The BCAC’s mission is to promote and expand the arts in Bourbon County, Anderson said.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Entertainment

Free Outdoor Downtown Movie May 25

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There will be four, free movies for family entertainment this summer at the City Park just south of the Lowell Milken Center at Wall and Main streets downtown.

The first one is The Incredibles sponsored by Bids and Dibs and also Fort Scott Family Dental. The movie will start at 8:30 p.m. on May 25. In case of inclement weather, the movied will be moved to Memorial Hall.

Free popcorn and drink will be available.

The event is facilitated by the Fort Scott Convention and  Visitors Bureau.    Check out the website at   http://www.visitfortscott.com