The Annual FSHS Tiger Drama Camp presents The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by John Glore at 7 p.m. on May 27 and at 2 p.m. on May 28 at the FSHS Auditorium.
The play and camp are produced by the FSHS Thespian Troupe #7365 and their sponsor Angie Bin and features over 35 local youth ages 1st through 9th grades. Directors are recent graduate Christina King and junior Regen Wells. Music Directors are senior Karen Primeaux and junior Jericho Jones. All technical aspects of the play are designed and created by a team of sixteen high school Thespian members.
“Though the characters may be familiar, each of your favorite storybook fables is uproariously derailed in this adaptation of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s quintessential children’s book of fractured fairy tales. Everything from ‘Chicken Little’ to ‘The Gingerbread Man’ gets a complete makeover. Fun music and witty narration accompany the likes of ineloquent giants, sassy barnyard animals, colossal cow pies, and enough stinky cheese to go around,” according to Playscripts publishing.
Tickets are $5 for reserved seats and are available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com and at the door. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.
Third Street Park is just east of Hwy. 69 past the railroad overpass on the south side of the street. This is a view from Wilson Street looking up the hill.
This Saturday residents of the east side of Fort Scott are invited to give input on what they would like to improve at the park on east Third Street.
The park is a city block that is sided by Third Street on the north, Hill Street on the east, Fourth Street on the south and Wilson Street on the west. It is a tree shaded area, one half of which is on a hill, one half is a ball diamond.
“This is the second public forum for the East Side Creative Placemaking project called Stronger Together: Building Up Our Communities,” Rachel Carpenter, Program Director for Healthy Bourbon County Action Team said. “At our last public forum we were able to pick out common themes that will build up our community. Some of the themes were access to food, more events on the east side and park improvements.”
The event is to focus on park improvements.
“We received the Patterson Family Foundation Grant of $560,000 and there is $70,000 for this project,” Carpenter said. ” We want east side residents to be engaged in the decision making.”
The timeline for construction to be done at Third Street Park is October 2023, she said..
The basketball court is in the foreground and some of the play equipment and pavilion is seen in the background.
“At this public forum we will engage the east side residents and ask what improvements they would like to see at Third Street Park,” she said. “Some examples would be upgrading playground equipment or fixing up the basketball court.”
The southwest corner of the park can be seen at Wilson and 4th Street.
“It is really up to them what on what we should prioritize,” Carpenter said.
The southeast corner of the park is seen at Hill and Fourth Street.
The event will be tomorrow Saturday May 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Third Street Park.
“We will be serving breakfast burritos and giving away a cooler and $40 gas vouchers to 5 Corners Convenience Store!,” she said.
From in the middle of the park, looking down on the ball diamond at Third Street Park.
On the last day of the 2022 Big Kansas Road Trip in Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford counties, Marci Penner of the Kansas Sampler Foundation announced that the 2023 Big Kansas Road Trip (BKRT) will take place in Jewell, Republic, and Smith counties in North Central Kansas on May 4-7.
The BKRT is a multi-day event that feels like a tri-county open house of communities and their attractions and locally-owned shops and restaurants, and it’s a time to travel back roads and take in short activities that help locals tell their story. Penner said, “All we ask is that communities be good at being themselves. The public wants to have first-hand experiences in our rural communities and countryside to get to know them.”
A menu of things to see and do is presented in a variety of ways from a printed piece to a web site, with updates and encouragement on social media. Each person, family or group attending can choose where they want to go and make their own schedule. It’s adventure ala carte at your own pace.
Penner said, “It’s impossible to know how many attend the BKRT each year because everyone is spread out over three counties. No one gets overloaded but everyone gets more traffic than usual.”
Visitors to the 2022 event in southeast Kansas came from every region of Kansas and sign-in sheets showed that there were many people from out-of-state as well.
Fort Scott (Bourbon County) Public Relations and Tourism Director, Jackson Tough said “the Big Kansas Road Trip was excellent. We heard from many local businesses and area visitor attractions that said they saw increased traffic. Some said they had visitors from neighboring states like Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and even Colorado. Others came a greater distance like Minnesota, Iowa, and Nevada, among other states. Of course, we also hosted a large number of in-state visitors too. The event was great exposure for Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford Counties. After visiting with Big Kansas Road Trip organizer Marci Penner, I also believe we will see residual effects for years to come!”
County seats in the 2023 showcase are Mankato (Jewell County), Belleville (Republic County) and Smith Center (Smith County). A few highlights are the Home on the Range cabin (near Athol) and the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states (Lebanon) in Smith County; a WPA-built courthouse (Mankato) and Lovewell Lake and State Park in Jewell County; and the Pawnee Indian Village state historic site (near Republic) and the National Midget Auto Racing Museum (Belleville) in Republic County.
“Belleville is the biggest city in the three counties with a population of 1,900,” said Penner. The 2023 road trip will have a different feel than this year which is what makes it exciting. These counties will provide visitors many intriguing ways to get to know them.”
The mission of the Kansas Sampler Foundation is to preserve and sustain rural culture. For more information on the BKRT, go to www.bigkansasroadtrip.com.
Submitted by Jackson Tough, Fort Scott Public Relations and Tourism Director.
In 2021, Fort Scott newcomer Diane Striler brought up the topic of starting a ladies golf league with Lindsay Madison, the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
A few weeks ago the idea moved forward with local interest shown.
It was then that Fort Scott Parks Director Doug Guns approached Madison about starting a league, saying that recently several woman had inquired about a women’s league.
Woodland Hills Golf Course is owned by the City of Fort Scott.
“Lindsay introduced me to Doug and I started planning, ” Striler said.
She will be coordinating a new ladies golf league in Fort Scott.
“The League will be called the Par Tee Girls,” she said. “Our sign up will be May 18th at Woodland Hills Golf Course at 5:30 p.m.
That night we will pay our $40 league fee, take a picture for our website, get paired up with a partner (if you don’t already have someone to join with) and meet the other women of the league.”
The league will begin on May 25 and play each Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. through August 10.
“On the last night, we will have our banquet with a best ball scramble, a catered dinner and a lot of fun! ” Stiler said.
“My main goal for coordinating the league is to bring together women off all ages and skill levels to play a great game,” she said. “I have told many women over the years that if you would like to play golf, you need to set the time aside to play on a regular basis so you have a chance to improve your game. The league is very casual, and a great opportunity to learn. Our only opponents are really ourselves.”
There is an opportunity to join a competitive group for those interested in challenging themselves more, she added.
“The nice aspect of the league is that women of all skill levels can play together,” she said. “I only ask that you play ready golf to keep the pace going.”
Striler is coordinating some lessons for those women that are learning or who would like to brush up on their game.
To contact Striler, phone 248-568-7790
“Joining a women’s league is a great opportunity to meet a lot great women, develop your game and friendships, and have a lot of fun in the meantime,” she said. “I hope the women of Fort Scott and surrounding areas will join us!”
Striler coordinated a similar ladies league in the Kansas City area for 18 years, starting the league when her youngest daughter was 4 years old. She started it looking for an excuse to meet with friends on a regular basis.
Here are the Par Tee Girls Information and Rules, provided by Striler:
“*Everyone has a partner.
*We will play from the red tees.
*Please play ready golf – hit when you can if another golfer is not ready.
*Take only 6 strokes before green. If you are not on the green by the 6th shot,
(5th on par 3s) pick up your ball and move to the green so you can count your putts.
*We will have one game each night. The winner receives half the putt money. The rest
will go toward the banquet.
*Turn in one scorecard with all 4 players on it. (I do not record everyone’s weekly score,
so if you want to keep track, you can fill out an extra card to keep)
*When scoring, write down your total score for the hole, and then the number of putts you have for the hole.
Do the same for your total score
This way you can calculate what you need to add to the kitty.
*If you hit a ball out of bounds or into the water, drop a ball near where it went out, and take a one stroke penalty.
*Free lift – If your ball lands on a man-made pathway, sprinkler, etc., bring the ball out two club lengths back away from the hole.
*Keep up with the pace of play. You should be able to complete a hole in less than 15 minutes. That way the tee times don’t get backed up.
*Most of all, relax, play with new people and have fun !!!”
About Striler
Diane Striler. Submitted photo.
Diane Colgan Striler is a realtor for Front Door Realty in Fort Scott.
She grew up in the Kansas City area and discovered Fort Scott around eight years ago when husband, Dean, and she were looking for a lake house. Friends had recently purchased a home at Lake Fort Scott and suggested that they come look.
The community has been very welcoming, she said, and the couple “fell in love with Fort Scott.”
Striler’s original plan was to fix up some houses and sell them because of a need for housing in the community. She enjoys working with hand tools, has a background in sales and a marketing degree.
She decided to get a real estate license.
After visiting with Jared Leek, owner of Front Door Realty, things fell into place.
“I started working as a realtor with Front Door Real Estate and we (she and Dean) purchased the Ren-nett Studio Building at 6 N. Main,” she said. She now has a Kansas and Missouri license.
She works to get unoccupied homes back on the market, she said.
“It ends up being a win win situation for everyone: back taxes get paid, the past owner is relieved of the burden and a new person finds a home,” she said.
Since Larry and Vickie Shead’s retirement as educators a few years back they have been showcasing their farm to the public.
They started an event last year for visitors to explore and gather ideas from the Shead’s sustainable lifestyle farm.
“We feel we are just caretakers (of the farm),” Vickie Shead said. “This is what God has given us to do.”
“The Shead Farm Homestead Festival is great for all ages with the farm’s 50 point tour, children’s educational game center, music, and food court, all setting the stage for new innovative ideas and educational information about gardening and farming that produce quality food,” she said.
On May 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. they are opening their farm to the public for the second annual Shead Farm Homestead Festival, located at 2468 Cavalry Rd, Garland, KS, southeast of Fort Scott.
In addition to a farm tour of their gardens, orchard, greenhouse, animals and bee keeping activities there will be a food court serving products made at the farm: walking tacos for $5 and supercharged cookies for $2.
The inside view of the Shead hoop house.
Vendors will be selling seedlings, soap, honey and more.
The farm will be filled with sounds of live music by many local musicians, David Pritchett, Ralph Carlson, Mim Carlson and Carolyn Tucker. Also, a local group called the Prairie Sunflower Strings will perform as well: Marilyn Adcock, Charlena Burns, Jack and Sandy Hemphill, Joyce Love, Cherry Nelson, Jean Strader, Stephen Moses. There will also be an open jam session. Sound is provided by Dave Oas.
Children will have lots to choose from for activities: an animal arena, story station, photo place, cow milking, butter making, and more.
Some of the Shead poultry
Admission for the day is $5 per person or $20 for a family of four and more.
Their children and their spouses will be helping the day of the festival excluding Michael and Chrisi Shead and family, who are missionaries to Guatemala. Those who will be helping May 21 are: Mark and Haley Shead, Mitzi and Joel Ray, and Maria and Clayton Whitson, along with most of their 21 grandchildren. Many other volunteers are helping to make this a great family outing.
In 1978, Larry and Vickie Shead moved to their family’s 1892 homestead with a goal of having a healthy, sustainable, organic farm.
They began to produce fruits, vegetables, herbs and animals, and also to teach and train the family the value of hard work as a fun activity and entertainment.
Before “agritourism” was a word, the Sheads found themselves welcoming guests who wanted to experience farm life. These included: school field trips, church camps, reunions, weddings, and large Thanksgiving gatherings.
Over the decades, five colleges used the farm for weekend retreats where students could experience the life of work and fun in the outdoors. Over 3000 students representing 50 states and 54 different countries have come to enjoy the farm.
In 2017, Vickie’s dream of a high tunnel (greenhouse) became a reality through a Natural Resource Conservation Service grant, through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
“The high tunnel not only extends the growing season but helps protect against insects and chemical contaminants that might drift from neighboring farms,” she said.
In 2021, the Shead Farm was registered as an Agritourism Farm with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
VEGGIE POWDER
Over 44 years, Vickie has planted, grown, harvested, and preserved all her organic produce surplus which was dehydrated and ground into extremely fine powder and added to cookies, eggs, smoothies, peanut butter sandwiches, meats, soups, casseroles, puddings, salads, etc.
It is called VEGGIE POWDER.
The powder provides extra nutrients for families constantly on the go, parents of difficult eaters, or those wanting a more healthy natural diet, she said.
The concentrated organic Veggie Powder from the Shead Farm has an interested beginning.
“Having 250 kindergartners come to the farm for a fun, farm field trip was an eye opener,” Vickie said. “The school provided healthy sack lunches. However, when the trash was emptied, almost all of the carrots and most of the apples were in the trash along with half-eaten peanut butter sandwiches. The cookies were ALL EATEN. Children, as well as adults, often choose to eat what they want to eat, pushing the healthy vegetables to the side.Vegetables are sadly missing in so many diets.”
VEGGIE POWDER is made without fillers. In each bottle, she uses available vegetables: kale, cucumbers, zucchini, chard, sweet potatoes, sweet potato leaves, summer squash, carrots, carrot tops, butternut squash, okra, spinach, beets, beet greens, eggplant, Malabar spinach, and Moringa.
Veggie Powder will be available for sale on the day of the festival and additionally, the powder is sold on Etsy for $5 per oz.
After ordering, each customer receives a thank you card with a recipe on the back, usually made by Vickie and Larry’s grandchildren.
Customers can visit their Facebook page for inspiration on how to incorporate the powder into their meals.
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians May 2019.
The first half of this week’s Friday Night Concert will feature Michael Lundeen on the keyboard, and Rick Hite will finish out the one-hour concert. Hite sings and plays guitar and mandolin, and performs a variety of music including Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Oldies.
“Hite began singing in church at the age of 5 and has been playing guitar since age 9,” concert-series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “He has played The White Horse Saloon in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jekyll Island, Georgia, the Mildred Store, VFW, the Eagles, Elks, Old Settler’s Picnic, and various local venues. Lundeen began studying piano at the age of 6 and has a vast repertoire of hymns, gospel, 1930s music, and songs from his youth. We really appreciate the talents of these two local musicians and are pleased to welcome them back to the park pavilion. Come out and join your friends for an enjoyable evening of music.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. Dave Oas of Parsons serves as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
Submitted by Valetta Cannon, Fort Scott Public Library Youth Librarian & Assistant Director
Fort Scott Public Library is in urgent need of volunteers and donors to help make the family and teen kickoff parties possible.
The Family Kickoff Party – Splash Into Summer – will take place on June 1 at 10 am at Gunn Park Shelter House #3. The library needs about 15-20 more volunteers to help run stations (including a snack table, prize table, crafts, games, and toddler play area) and to supervise the party so that kids can stay safe around roads and the nearby lake. No party food has yet been pledged and much is needed. See this list for more information: Snack Foods Donation List and fill out this form to volunteer: Volunteer & Donor Form for Summer Reading 2022.
The library also needs 5 volunteers to help supervise the middle & high school kickoff party, which will take place at 4 pm on June 1 at Marmaton Riverfront Belltown Walking Trail. Food for the party is also still needed.
All volunteers who are capable of helping and are safe to work with children are encouraged to sign up, including teens, older children, and retired seniors. Miss Val will provide a letter of recognition for any volunteer work upon request, and will sign community service hours fulfillment forms for hours worked. Make a difference in your community by helping children learn through library programs! Email questions to Miss Val at [email protected]
