Category Archives: Entertainment

Uniontown Disc Jockey Plays Music To Cheer The Neighborhood

Rayma Ridge joins with dancers in the street of Uniontown on Wednesday evening. Courtesy photo.

Rayma Ridge said she was influenced by scenes of people around the world who started singing from their windows or balconies while being quarantined because of the pandemic.

She works from home and has a disc jockey business (Rayma’s D.J. Services) as an extra job.

“I’m an extrovert,” Ridge said. “This (stay-at-home order in Bourbon County) is hard on me. I’m sure it’s hard on others.”

All of her disc jockey events were canceled for April because of the order to stay home.

So Ridge decided to put her d.j. skills to use for her neighborhood.

“I got permission from the City of Uniontown,” she said. “I had to ask all my direct neighbors if it was fine. All of them were cool with it.”

So Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. on Third Street in front of Ridge’s house, she put up her speakers and a sign that said “Quarantine Block Party” and began playing kid-friendly music.

Uniontown people dance in the streets courtesy of Disk Jockey Rayma Ridge.

“I picked an evening that it wasn’t going to rain so people could be outside to enjoy it.”

Soon children and some adults were in the streets dancing, socially distancing of course.

Papa Don’s Serves Uniontown

Brita Bolton and two employees served 25 families at the Uniontown Square who had called in an order to Papa Don’s on Wednesday evening.

Although Ridge did not know it, Papa Don’s Restaurant, Fort Scott, had put out on social media that they would bring orders at 7 p.m. to Uniontown’s square.

Those people also got to enjoy the music from Ridge, who was just down the street.

Brita Bolton, owner of Papa Don’s said they served 25 families at the drive-through in Uniontown on Wednesday.

 

Protective Masks Being Made

Ridge has also devoted time to making protective masks for area essential businesses and medical personnel.

“I’ve been making masks, there is a Facebook group, Masks For SEK,” she said.

 

Some of the masks for essential workers and medical personnel that Ridge has made. Courtesy photo.

Read An Ebook During This Time Of Social Distancing

Fort Scott Public Library

 

Fort Scott Public Library Director Lisa Walther is working to get access to reading books from your cellphone or computer during this time of social distancing.

You can sign up for a library card.

“If you already have an account with us and need assistance getting ebooks, please email me and I will try to troubleshoot for you, Walther said. “If you DO NOT have an account with us, go to our catalog at www.seknfind.org and create an account. I will adjust that account so you will be able to check out from our electronic resources. If you have a library card, you already have access. Our intent is to provide access to those of you who don’t have an account.

This is for Bourbon County residents only, she said.

The following is a press release sent by Walther.

 

“If you don’t have an account/card with us, we now have a way for you to access our online ebook resources. Go to www.seknfind.org and create an account. Be sure you make note of your password and that your email is correct. I recommend that you sign in and change your password.

If you want access on the day that you create your account, email me at either [email protected] or [email protected] Please include your full name in your email. If you wait, I will run a report every morning and convert accounts at that time.

“I will edit your account so that you have access to our digital resources hoopladigital and sunflowerelibrary Then I will send you an email with your digital account number and your username. If you have a particular username that you prefer, please let me know by email. The system automatically assigns a name: firstname.lastname. but I can change that if you wish.

See our website: fortscott.mykansaslibrary.org for links and more information. Since this is an experiment, it’s likely we’ll add updates as questions and problems arise.

At this time, we are limiting our digital accounts to Bourbon County residents.

If you already have a card with us, please don’t create a new account. Email me with your question, and I’ll try to resolve it. Please include your name and card number in your email.

If you are interested in the Kansas Library eCard, I can set you up. Email me with your name, including middle initial, birthdate, and verify that you live in Kansas.”

FS Public Library Newsletter March 2020

Fort Scott Public Library Newsletter
March 2020

Welcome

We hope you enjoy the Fort Scott Public Library newsletter. You are receiving it because you provided us with your email address for library notifications. If you don’t want to receive future editions, you can unsubscribe using the link in this newsletter, or email the library [email protected], and we will remove your address from the list.
Previous editions of this newsletter are available on our website: fortscott.mykansaslibrary.org

Closed for Social Distancing #FlattentheCurve

Fort Scott Public Library will be closed Tuesday, March 17 and will remain closed for an undetermined amount of time in response to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
After reviewing information from local, state, and federal agencies, we believe that temporarily closing the library and preventing the spread of infection may be the best way to serve our community.
We encourage you to keep library materials until the library reopens. If you wish to return materials, please place them in the library’s drop box.
We will renew items as they become due so that you won’t receive overdue notices or lose access to your account. If you do receive an overdue notice, please let us know by email at either [email protected] or [email protected], and we will renew the items.
All library events through April 1st have been cancelled.
We are not accepting book donations at this time.
Library staff encourage patrons to make the most of available online resources. The Library offers free options to download, stream, and learn on your device. See our website: fortscott.mykansaslibrary.org for more information.
We look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for your continued support of our community and our library.

Programs and information for Adults

Download ebooks, audiobooks, comics, TV episodes, movies, music, and more. All you need is your library card login and a valid email address. Ask us if you need assistance.

Download ebooks and audiobooks. All you need is your library card login. Ask us if you need assistance.

 
 
 
Download ebooks and audiobooks from the State Library of Kansas. All you need is a Kansas Library eCard. Ask us if you need assistance.

For Kids

 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Join our free early literacy program and steer your baby or preschooler toward academic success! Studies show that children who are read to from an early age develop better vocabulary, make more connections in their brains, and form the needed skills to read by themselves much quicker than their average peers who are not read to. Sign up by stopping in at the library for your first reading log, welcome letter, and other paperwork. Take a look at our awesome readers here.
           

New books–Adult Fiction

The network : a novel
by L. C Shaw

Investigating the suspicious death of a senator who had predicted his murder days before, investigative journalist Jack Logan and the victim’s wife, Taylor, uncover a dangerous plot by a powerful political influencer. 20,000 first printing.

The rise of magicks
by Nora Roberts

In a conclusion to the trilogy that began with Year One, Fallon finds the limits of her magick skills tested by the needs of the Purity Warrior victims at the same time she is confronted by an old nemesis.

The secret guests : a novel
by Benjamin Black

The secret World War II relocation of the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to an old estate in Ireland becomes subject to the devastations of the Blitz, the resentments of grieving townspeople and suspicions about the girls’ true identities.

Trace of evil
by Alice Blanchard

A rookie detective in a small New York community investigates the whereabouts of nine missing transients while navigating painful memories about her sister’s unsolved murder years earlier. By the award-winning author of Darkness Peering.

New books–Adult Nonfiction

The power of bad : how the negativity effect rules us and how we can rule it
by John Tierney

The best-selling authors of Willpower present a revelatory analysis of the negativity bias to explain its inherent role in social, political and professional conflicts, sharing recommendations for balancing phobias with rational strategies.

The power of favor : the force that will take you where you can’t go on your own
by Joel Osteen

Learn how declaring God’s love will bless you with favor and fulfillment in this uplifting book that aims to help people find success and spiritual inspiration. By a #1 New York Times best-selling author. 500,000 first printing.

The lost art of Scripture : rescuing the sacred texts
by Karen Armstrong

The award-winning author of The Case for God examines how fundamental misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the sacred texts of the world’s primary religions may be at the heart of many of today’s controversies.

Chamber Dinner and Awards Celebration March 26

Join us for THE night of the year!
2020 Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration
hosted by the
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce
Here are ways you may participate:
* Make your dinner reservation and/or confirm sponsorship
by March 20th, see pricing options & contact info. below ~
You will need to specify choice of soup or salad, and
prime rib or chicken, when making your reservation.
Click here for full menu.
* Click to emailus if your business/organization would like to decorate a table for fun advertising & promotion.
* Click to emailus if your business/organization would like to donate a silent or live auction item for advertising & promotion.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
We are looking forward to a fun evening of
celebrating our community!
The Chamber is supported solely by membership investment and fundraising efforts. Proceeds from this event contribute to the work of the Chamber to benefit Fort Scott, Bourbon County, and the surrounding area. Your participation in any way is sincerely appreciated!

Community Collaboration on Wind Science

Wind Science Tinker Lab: A Successful STEM Community Collaboration

A preschooler turned a hand-crank fan to move a small boat across a pan of water, while a few feet away, an elementary student used a condiment bottle to blow leaves across the floor. Nearby, a middle school student held a unique mobile he had designed, while a teenager drew back the string on a wind cannon to test it. On the other side of the room, a family gathered to read a stack of books about wind. What drew all of these age and interest groups together? Surprisingly, a fascination with wind science. 

 
Utilizing the $500 mini-grant from the Franklin Institute and the national Leap into Science program that it won last year, Fort Scott Public Library held a wind science workshop on Monday, February 24, at the Buck Run Community Center in Fort Scott. Valetta Cannon, youth librarian and assistant director at FSPL, collaborated with Diana Alters of the Southeast Kansas Community ActionProgram, Star McClellan of Parents as Teachers, Jennifer Terell and Makayla Stroud of 4-H and the Southwind K-State Extension Office, Michelle Stevenson of the Fort Scott Early ChildhoodProgram, and Fort Scott Community College professor Ronda Bailey, along with education students Courtney Williams and Karis Mengarelli, on the project.

Grant funds were used to purchase supplies for creating wind science experiment kits, each of which included three to four science experiments in labeled bags, two books about wind
science, instructions for using the experiments, a hand-crank or battery-powered fan, glue stick, tape, and a condiment bottle. Families were also able to select age levels for their kits. Four
Airzooka wind cannons were also purchased, three of which were given away in a drawing at the end of the workshop.

24 adults, 6 teens, and 31 children attended the event, which was held in the big Buck RunCommunity Center gymnasium. Attendees enjoyed wind science experiments from the Leap
into Science curricula, including a challenge to a build something that could detect different types of wind and a tower that could withstand big gusts of wind. They were also encouraged to enjoy fresh fruit or fruit snacks, along with bottled water, at a refreshment table. Families were invited to read a variety of wind science books together, listen to a group story, and to color or fill out worksheets.
 
Most of the community partners came early to set up, oversaw a table or station of their own, and they stayed late to clean up. Collaborators also received science kits to use in their organizations, and Michelle Stevenson won a wind cannon in the drawing. Collaborators and community members alike expressed delight in the success of the event and hope that similar events would follow.

Celebrate the Women Who Changed History through the 19th Amendment    

 

March is Women’s History Month

 

Fort Scott Kan. – Fort Scott National Historic Site is celebrating Women’s History Month in March with weekly Saturday interpretive programs. “Though in 1861, the constitution of the newly created state of Kansas includes ‘the rights of women to participate in school district elections’, it wasn’t until 1919 that Kansas ratified the 19th Amendment,” said Betty Boyko, Superintendent, Fort Scott National Historic Site. “This series of programs around Women’s Suffrage and the 19th Amendment is the beginning of a larger discussion the park will host throughout the year.”

March 7, Noon: Alice Paul and the Suffrage Movement

In 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified into law, giving women the right to vote. Paul believed the vote was just the first step in the quest for full equality. Join us in a discussion of women’s suffrage and equal rights in the United States

March 14, 1 pm: Frontier Gossip

An interpretive program based on the letters written by Charlotte Swords and her husband, Thomas. Captain Thomas Swords was the post quartermaster. He and his wife were prolific writers and were eager to tell the stories of the times.

March 21, 1 pm: Woman’s History Tour of the Fort

Discuss the women that made a difference at the fort and in shaping the west on this walk through the Fort.

March 28, Noon: Alice Paul and the Suffrage Movement

In 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified into law, giving women the right to vote. Paul believed the vote was just the first step in the quest for full equality. Join us in a discussion of women’s suffrage and equal rights in the United States.

From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation.  The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

 

Presentation Explores Lives of Free-Born Children after Civil War

Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, KS, will host “Children of the Promised Land,” a presentation and discussion by Angela Bates on Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00 P.M. at The Ellis Family Fine Arts Center,  Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton St. Fort Scott, KS.

Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact Kirk Sharp at 620 -223-2700 ext. 5850 for more information.

The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas.

“This is a Lunch and Learn event so everyone is welcome to bring their lunch and drinks. Dessert will be available,” said Museum Director, Kirk Sharp.

Nicodemus, a small, unincorporated town in Graham County, is the only remaining western town established by African Americans during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War.

Today the town is a National Historic Site. This pictorial history explores the unique experience of mothers and their children in Nicodemus, some of whom were the first members of their families born free.

Angela Bates is the executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society. She presents educational programs across the nation covering Nicodemus, Exodusters and black towns in the West, Buffalo Soldiers, and black women in the West.

“My great uncle, Henry Williams, was the first baby born in Nicodemus just a month after my great-grandmother Emma arrived with the first group of settlers in 1877,” said Bates. “He was one of the first in his generation born on the free soils of Kansas. He represents the many children of his generation that were reared by parents who were former slaves.”

“Children of the Promised Land” is part of Humanities Kansas’s Movement of Ideas Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and workshops designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

For more information about “Children of the Promised Land” contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620 -223-2700 ext. 5850 or visit http://www.gordonparkscenter.org/
About Humanities Kansas
Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit spearheading a movement of ideas to empower the people of Kansas to strengthen their communities and our democracy. Since 1972, our pioneering programming, grants, and partnerships have documented and shared stories to spark conversations and generate insights. Together with our partners and supporters, we inspire all Kansans to draw on history, literature, ethics, and culture to enrich their lives and serve the communities and state we all proudly call home. Visit humanitieskansas.org.

Common Ground Coffee to Move Shop Mid-March

Common Ground Coffee Shop will be moved to this location at 12 E. Wall later this week..

Common Ground Coffee shop’s last day of operation at its current, 116 S. Main location will be Friday, March 6.

A new chapter for this local meeting place will then begin.

“We will be closed Saturday, March 7 through 10,” Jennifer LaRoche, a member of the Common Ground board, said.  “We have a tentative date of March 11th to be back in business.”

” We are going to close out the five-year journey with some live music from 7-8 pm by Rick Hite and friends,” she said.

Common Grounds Coffee Company, 116 S. Main.

The coffee shop will be back in business about two blocks away at 12 E. Wall.

There will be no sign on the building at  12 E. Wall, LaRoche said. Pictured is the protective fence that keeps people from getting too near the westernmost LaRoche building which is still being renovated.

The new space has more space, an enlarged commercial kitchen,   a  conference room and meeting space with a stage.

In addition, there will be a drive-up window that will be opened once the staff is “settled in”, LaRoche said.

The stage space will also need a little more work when the business is first moved in.

“It will be heated with portable heaters,” she said.

Signage will be temporary on the door to the new building, until warmer weather when it can be placed on glass, she said.

 

Common Ground Coffee Shop is a ministry of Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene.

 

 

Electrician Kirk Bryant, Jennifer LaRoche and Kasey Gross work on Feb. 25 towards the goal of opening the new Common Ground Coffee Shop in mid-March. LaRoche is the owner of the building that is being renovated at 12 E. Wall. Gross is the coffee shop coordinator, LaRoche said.