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Category Archives: Entertainment
Skating Is Coming To Fort Scott
On June 26, a new sport will be added to the offering at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue.
A roller skating rink will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, in the small gym at the center.
The cost will be $3 if one owns their own skates and $5 if skates need to be rented, according to Fort Scott Mayor Josh Jones.
“It was (Fort Scott Commissioner) Pete Allen’s idea,” Jones said. “The sponsor’s are the City of Fort Scott and the Fort Scott Community Foundation awarded a grant for (purchasing) the skates”
“I think it’s great we are trying something new for the kids,” Fort Scott Recreation Commission Director and Buck Run Community Center Manager Tom Robertson said. “To bring back roller skating to Fort Scott is an awesome thing.”
The recreation center is providing staff for the skating rink.
There will be staff to check people in and those to hand out skates, and additionally a safety person on the floor “to help those who fall and for help following the safety rules,” Robertson said.
While aimed at the youth of the city, there might be older residents who would like to try the sport again for nostalgic reasons, Fort Scott City Manager Jeremy Frazier said.
“Any additional options we can offer the community, make it more attractive,” he said.
“I think we can occasionally step in and partner with another entity such as the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation,” Frazier said.
“A lot of people have worked on bringing this to the community,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to Ally Turvey (Fort Scott’s Community Development Director.)”
“We have a pool, parks, a golf course…I think we are serving our community through these,” Frazier said.
Friday Night Free Concert Features Rick Hite
This Friday Night Free Concert at the Heritage Park Pavilion, First and Main Street, features artist Rick Hite on the guitar and vocal.
“Rick is a long-time crowd favorite,” Ralph Carlson, event organizer, said. “His repertoire is diverse with a mixture of Gospel, country classics, old standards and some classic rock.”
Hite, a Fort Scott native, retired as a college professor and returned home.
“We look forward to his stylings and artistry,” Carlson said. “Rick will have an open mike period mid-concert, allowing walk-on musicians to show their talents.”
The audience should bring folding chairs as seating is limited.
In the event of adverse weather, the show will be moved to the Common Grounds Coffee Shop on 12 E. Wall St.
FSHS Tiger Drama Camp Performs The Legend of Mulan on May 28-29
This year’s annual Fort Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp performs The Legend of Mulan on May 28 and 29.
Nearly 40 students in 1st through 9th grade have spent two weeks at camp preparing for the production.
Performances are at 7 p.m. on May 28 and 2 p.m. on May 29 at the
Fort Scott High School Auditorium.
The playwright, Kathryn Schultz Miller, describes the show this way, “Mulan inspires us all with a grand desire to be the best we can be: honest, tenacious and brave. She leads us on an epic journey over mountains and rivers — through the hills and valleys of fear and courage and human emotion. Mulan knows it doesn’t matter if she is a boy or a girl. She just wants to make her mark, prove her mettle, and leave the world a better place.”
The character of Mulan is played by 8th grader Ashley Cannon. Other notable characters include Captain Cheng, portrayed by freshman Mykael Lewis; Pika the Rabbit played by 6th grader Abel Chaplin and 7th grader Chrislen Newman; Imoogi the Dragon played by 7th graders Izzy Budd and Ana Rupprecht; and Momo, the Emperor’s Assistant, played by freshman Kaiden Clary.
The camp and show are directed entirely by FSHS Thespians.
Senior Christina King is the Director, assisted by sophomore Regen Wells who also serves as Stage Manager and Choreographer Kinsley Davis, a junior.
Technical staff include sophomore Lexi Hill – Lighting Designer, senior Khris Patel – Sound Designer, senior Breena Cox – Music
Director, sophomore Silvia Moreno – Props and Set Designer, and junior Izzy Carreno – Music Operator. Many other Thespians serve as acting coaches and leaders.
During the 2-week camp, students learn about most technical theatre areas such as lighting, sound, costuming, stagecraft, and make-up. They also help to create the artistic set decor and learn sabre combat.
Tickets for the show should be purchased in advance at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com.
Adults are $8 and children are $6. There may be tickets available for purchase at the door, but seating is limited. Masks and social distancing are required. Doors open 30
minutes prior to showtime.
Chamber Coffee at Home Show May 20
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New Mural at Gunn Park by Artist Stephen Toal
Stephen Toal saw some graffiti on the wall of the lower level under the No. 1 Shelter House at Gunn Park and decided to use his artistic abilities and do something about it.
“Someone had written some hate graffiti on the wall and I felt the need to cover it with something positive,” Toal said.
“I had spoken with Josh Jones (Mayor of Fort Scott) about doing the project,” Toal said.
He used his own art materials and spent about 10 hours on the project, he said.
Stephen Toal described himself as ” a long time resident of Fort Scott, a husband, father of three and three step-children.”
Toal also said he is a “recovering addict/alcoholic, who has been clean and sober three years”
“Art is a way to express myself and helps me stay clean,” he said.
The colorful mural is a depiction of springtime, Toal said.
St. Martin’s Academy Singers: Friday Night Free Concert May 21
This Friday Night Free Concert at 7 p.m. will feature the St. Martin Academy Singers, according to event coordinator Ralph Carlson. “There will be a short open-mike time as well for walk-ons.”
“The St. Martin Academy group will have a mix of folk music, classic country, pop and gospel,” Carlson said. “The school year ending, the St. Martin youth will be returning to their homes in various states so we got them before they leave for the summer. In addition, there may be bagpipe music. They have been a really popular group and it is a pleasure to get these young men back.”
The venue, Heritage Pavilion, is located at Main and First Street in downtown Fort Scott.
“We expect good weather and a good turnout so bring your lawn chairs as seating is limited,” he said.
Bass Tournament and Beer Garden May 29
Butch Hall was a 2000 Uniontown High School graduate, who was killed in Afganistan in 2004.
His family and friends are hosting a pond hopping bass tournament in his honor that not only supports our small community, but will also raise money for a newly founded charity called the Bourbon County Angels.
In 2020, the Angels helped over 75 Bourbon County families put gifts under the Christmas tree.
Sponsors are listed on the flyer and the t-shirts.
T-shirts are available to purchase online until and including the day of the event.
The event will be located at Union Station, Uniontown’s convenience store, where they will be hosting a beer garden.
They have also purchased pork from Bronson Locker that will be smoked by Chuck Weyant and served on the day of the event.
All proceeds from the pulled pork sandwiches will go to the Bourbon County Angels along with 50% of the tournament registration fees.
Tournament participants must check-in at 6:00 am at Union Station and return for the weigh-in at 3:00 pm.
Limit of 3 people per team.
$20 per person to enter. All ages welcome.
Biggest bass and heaviest stringer per team. There will also be a $5 big bass pot.
Fish must be alive at weigh-in.
Butch’s family has donated individual trophies for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams and one for the biggest bass.
Donated prize drawings will be held after the weigh-in. Find the latest information on the Facebook event page Butch Hall Memorial Fishing Tournament.
Submitted by Sara Roufs
Bird Lands In Fort Scott, starting Friday, May 14th
The City of Fort Scott is partnering with shared electric scooter company, Bird Rides. to bring e-scooters to the city. The scooters are available through a mobile phone application and riders pay to use the scooter per minute, at no cost to the city.
City of Fort Scott Community Development and Tourism manager, Allyson Turvey, stated: “We are happy to welcome Bird to the City of Fort Scott and look forward to having the scooters available to connect visitors to our attractions. I think they will make a great addition to our community.”
The electric scooters can only be used on roads and in bike lanes and have a maximum speed of 15mph. Scooters must be parked out of the way of pedestrians. Riders are required to be 18 years-old and above to access the scooters. They are also encouraged to wear a helmet on every ride and required to obey all standard rules of the road.
“The City has been working with Bird, a LA based company for the last few months. We are excited to see the economic benefit of these scooters in our rural community.” according to Rachel Pruitt, City of Fort Scott Economic Development Director.
‘Community Mode’ allows anyone with a Bird account to report or provide feedback on vehicle-related issues such as poorly parked or damaged vehicles in their area. When a report is submitted, a member of the Bird team is assigned to correct the issue. Anyone can access Community Mode by tapping the yield sign on the bottom left of the Bird map.
If a resident has questions or concerns about the e-scooters the company can be reached directly at 1-866-205-2442 or [email protected]. More information about the company can be found on their website (www.bird.co) and on their blog (www.bird.co/blog).
Friday Night Concert Features The Hemphill Family
This Friday night, May 14th, the Chamber of Commerce Concert series at Heritage Park, will present The Hemphill Family and Friends Band. The group consists of Jack and Sandy Hemphill and their two adult children, Brad Hemphill and Kristen Weeks.
A granddaughter, Piper Weeks, will perform a song. In addition, Floyd Feezell (fee zel’), who is a crowd favorite, will join them for some songs.
The band plays old country songs, old-time rock, gospel, and country standards. Because of limited seating, please bring a lawn chair. The concert begins at 7 PM.
Gordon Parks Museum Fundraiser Event: Feature Contemporary Jazz and R&B Violinist, Dominique Hammons
Fort Scott-The Gordon Parks Museum Fundraiser event, will feature Jazz & RB Violinist, Dominique Hammons in a music performance at 8:00 p.m. at the Liberty Theater in Fort Scott, KS on Friday, June 18, 2021. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
This event is supported in part by Liberty Theater, Bourbon County Arts Council, and Briggs-Fort Scott.
“We are very excited and thrilled that we are able to bring the sensational multi-talented Dominique Hammons to Fort Scott. This is a performance you won’t want to miss” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Director.
Dominique Hammons is a young, energetic, Contemporary/Jazz and R&B Violinist from Houston, TX and started playing classical violin at the age of eight.
Hammons attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston and was a member of the school orchestra program for four years. After high school, Dominique attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, and graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in Jazz.
During the early part of middle and high school years, Hammons performed for four years with the Houston Youth Symphony Orchestra, receiving high accolades for excellence. Dominique also performed with other orchestra and chamber groups such as Virtuosi of Houston and TMEA All-State Orchestra. He was also chosen to study and perform with the Diaz Music Institute’s Youth Latin Jazz group, “Caliente”.
According from his biography, his ‘God given’ talent has been recognized with many awards and among them, the Houston Symphony’s “Young Artist Competition”, where he won the opportunity to play a solo on stage with the Houston Symphony. He also competed and won medals and recognitions while participating in NAACP “Actso” competitions.
Since graduation, Dominique has gravitated to teaching classical violin lessons to the youth who desire to follow in his footsteps; and continues to perform in Houston and surrounding cities as a solo artist. His popularity has risen in high demand to perform at many venues and performs various genres of music such as classical, pop, gospel, jazz, hip hop, and R&B. His unique blend of music and style has granted him to perform across the nation such as Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Washington State.*(2020)
Hammon’s Musical career has led him to perform at the following events:
Selected to play the National Anthem during the pre-game show at the Houston Rockets game in
November of 2018.
He was selected to audition for the ‘2019 America’s Got Talent’ competition.
Opening act for Johnathan Butler at the 2018 Martini Blue Jazz Festival. (Which Dominique received
a standing ovation of a crowd of 3,000.)
Headliner for City of College Park & 7Flavors of Smooth Jazz Festival, Atlanta, GA.
Tickets are $30 each or $35 at the door. Tickets will be available at the Gordon Parks Museum located on the
campus at Fort Scott Community College or over the phone (620)-223-2700 ext. 5850.
For more information about the Fundraiser Performance Event, contact us by phone (620) – 223-2700, ext.
5850 or by email [email protected].
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Friday Night Free Concert: David Prickett
Each Friday evening at the Heritage Pavilion in downtown Fort Scott live music performances are offered to the community from 7 to 8 p.m.
“This week’s featured artist will be David Prickett on guitar and vocal,” Ralph Carlson, event organizer, said. “David made his career in Alaska, moving back to Deerfield Missouri upon retiring. David has a wide range of music, from gospel, Hymns, classic country, and old standards. David has been a great supporter of our Chamber of Commerce music series and it is a real pleasure to get him back.”
“In addition, another regular contributor will be Floyd Feezell, a local native who made a career in California and Washington states,” Carlson said. “Floyd has been a regular at the pavilion since his retirement and return to the area. Floyd also does a mixture of music including hymns, classic country traditional and gospel”.
In the event of bad weather, the event will move to the Common Grounds Coffee Shop, 12 E. Wall Street.
Those attending are asked to bring lawn chairs as seating is limited.