Category Archives: Exercise
Woodland Hills Golf Course Future: A Center of Activity For The Community

The City of Fort Scott staff are trying to make the Woodland Hills Golf Course used by the community more, in fact, to become an activity center in Fort Scott.

The staff spoke at this week’s Chamber of Commerce Coffee hosted by the golf course.
“Steve and his clubhouse crew have implemented many upgrades for our customers this year,” said Mary Wyatt, FS City Planning, Housing and Development Director, and as such is the director of the golf course. “We have contracted with a new golf cart fleet vendor and replaced all of our old golf carts, installed new countertops, purchased a new TV for the clubhouse, and purchased new high-top tables and chairs. We are also in the process of contracting with a new point-of-sale hardware and software which has many new features such as a tee-time software, annual pass cards for members, and a new website that we will be implementing soon.”
“As the FS Director of the Golf Course, I help facilitate and assist with projects, but the on-site management and their crews are the ones that make the customer experience so excellent with their daily hard work and dedication,” she said.
New Name For The Clubhouse
“With all of the new upgrades this year, we thought it would be a great time to give the Woodland Hills Golf Course Clubhouse an official name,” she said.
A suggestion box was placed in the clubhouse requesting name suggestions, and the top 10 were selected and put into a survey online. The community voted on the suggestions, determined the winning name by majority vote, and purchased a sign with that name that was installed on the front entrance of the clubhouse.

“The new official name chosen by the community is The Clubhouse!” she said. “Key Industries, Inc. designed shirts with the official new name for staff, and Jeff Allen wired and mounted the new sign.”
Community Is Invited To Utilize
“We have worked hard this year to create a more inclusive environment that any man, woman, or child can enjoy for more than just a golfing experience,” she said. “We want to invite everyone to come watch their favorite sports games in the clubhouse, hold their volunteer group or committee meetings there, host a weekly card game with friends, or come enjoy a burger or chicken sandwich for lunch or dinner.”
Steve Carter, club manager, said there are currently golf leagues for men, women, children and families, with cart rental at $16 for 18 holes of golf and $10 for 9 holes of golf.
Grounds Keepers
Dustin Fowler, head greens keeper, and his staff: Tyler Cook, Jonathan Allen, Rick McDaniels, and Glenn Niemann have been working to maintain the fairway with weather conditions adding to the workload.
Fowler said the Fort Scott Public Works dredged a pond to make it larger and deeper for irrigation of the greens and Bermuda sod had been donated from Wolf Creek Golf Course, to replace sod that had been killed by drought/ winter kill. He said the plan is for the fairways to be reseeded next spring.
Mini Golf
FS City Manager BradMatkin said he met with a business owner recently and there is a grant opportunity for a Fort Scott-themed miniature golf course at the city-owned golf course.
“This is in the very early stages, so I don’t have a ton of answers right now,” Matkin said. “Once I have budgeting information, it still have to be approved by the commission.”
“The Youth Activity Team has granted money for this project, and we are working on another grant for additional monies,” Matkin said.
“Our vision is to have an 18-hole miniature golf course that will not only add value to our community but will bring people from the area into our town to play. Fort Scott needs more things for families to do and I feel this would be perfect for that type of activity. We want it to be a place where a family can go out play 18-holes of miniature golf then eat a burger or hot dog, at The Clubhouse, and enjoy each other’s company or meet new friends.”
” We are going to ask for businesses to purchase holes and will let them put their “logos”, “theme” or brand on the holes,” he said. “It would really be great to have a hole that represents the fort, the splash pad, or possibly other parts of our history.”
Other Future Projects

Fort Scott Fire Department Invites the Community to Join Them in a Stair Climb to Remember 9/11

Bike Repair Stations Installed in Riverfront Park Donated by the Fort Scott Rotary Club

Riverfront Park has slowly been transforming from the unmaintained area it once was to a public space for concerts, weddings, and other gatherings and also beautiful tree-lined walk/bike trails.
Along the trails are resting areas and as you go under the Hwy. 69 Highway, some colorful historic murals have been painted by local artist, Stephen Toal.

Recently another enhancement has been added to the park.
“Due to the increased bicycle traffic, the need for bicycle repair and the ability to air tires has been met by the Fort Scott Rotary Club,” said Jerry Witt, president of the Riverfront Authority, which oversees the area. “Two bicycle repair stations have been added to the park. One station has been installed on the Belltown Walking trail on the north side of Marmaton River and a second station has been installed on the south River Loop Road.”

“The concrete foundations were funded by the Riverfront committee at a cost of $2,400.,” he said. “The repair stations consist of a bike rack, air pump, and various tools and were funded and donated by the Fort Scott Rotary Club.”
BEE Better Health Club Is Now In Fort Scott

Eight-Year-Old Donates Bike to Gunn Park Trails

8-year-old Marlie Seaver donated her 20” bike to mountain bike enthusiast Frank Halsey. Halsey founded Gunn Park Trails, a bike trail system in Fort Scott’s largest park.
“The bike is a 20” Guardian that her parents Josh and Melinda Seaver bought her last fall,” Halsey said. “The company, Guardian Bikes, as seen on the 2017 episode of Shark Tank, teamed with Mark Cuban, has a trade-in policy that requires the old bike to be donated to a charitable organization that promotes bike riding and biking safety. The Seaver family knew of Gunn Park Trails and reached out to me.”
“My husband Josh and I had tried for quite awhile to teach Marlie to ride a bike,” Melinda Seavers said. ” Finally after trying other bikes we did some research and found a company called Guardian Bikes online. They have great reviews and an amazing 365-day guarantee on all of their bikes. ”
“If your kid won’t ride it, can’t ride it, if it’s too big, if it’s too small they will refund your purchase or allow you to exchange for the correct size (which we did) and allow you to donate the original bike to a nonprofit of your choice,” she said “Last fall we purchased the bike for Marlie and she learned to ride it with no problems the very same day! After this winter when we got the bike out for her to ride this Spring it was too small for her. We contacted Guardian Bikes and they said to locate a charity we would like to donate to.”
“My husband and I used to be next door neighbors with Frank Halsey and we have followed along with his journey in creating and maintaining the Gunn Park Trails. I contacted him to find out if the bike would be useful to his project in any way to raffle or raise money for the trails or any of the many events they would be hosting in the future. ”
“He said there is an organization called NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) that was coming to help with the cleanup efforts of the trails after the recent flood in April canceled their event and damaged many parts of the trails. It sounded like the perfect fit for Marlie to donate her bike to since she really loved the bike and wanted it to go to a good cause here in Fort Scott. We met Frank at the Gunn Park Trails sign early this week to take a picture to send to Guardian Bikes to show them where our bike was donated.”
“I’m not sure what Frank and the NICA will decide is the best way to use the bike for their efforts but we were happy they could benefit from it in some way,” she said.
Frank Halsey has the idea to raffle the bike off at a future event to help fund the maintenance of the trails.
About The Trails
According to Frank Halsey, Gunn Park Trails was started in 2009, by him and his “bunch of misfit volunteers.”
Today there are approximately 8.5 miles of mountain bike trails, ranging from easy to difficult. These trails are maintained by volunteers, and attract visitors from all over, including the Annual Marmaton Massacre Festival.
They are also trying to develop a more complete skills park and pump track on the property immediately before entering the park. Additional funding is being sought to make this more permanent.
Par Tee Girls At Woodland Hills May 15

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Upgrades on Fort Scott’s East Side Are In the Works


The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team received a grant to install new playground equipment and new concrete stairs that have added better access in the multi-level park in 2023.

“Through funding from Patterson Family Foundation and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, HBCAT started the Stronger Together: Building Up Our Neighborhoods placemaking projects,” according to Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT Director in a prior interview.

A Building Up Our Neighborhoods Placemaking project through HBCAT repaired the bathrooms and existing structures, including the basketball goal.
To view the prior story:


Improved Walking Trail In The Making For Uniontown Community

“Excavation/demolition is being donated by Brian Stewart and Jason Koch.” Vance said. “The (concrete) replacement is being done by Tri-state Building of Pittsburg. The project was bid by several contractors and they had the winning bid.”
The major part of the community improvement project is through the Recreational Trails Program by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, he said.

Walk Kansas registration is open
Walk Kansas registration is open
March 4, 2024
The weather is warming up, which is a sign that it is almost time for Walk Kansas! Walk Kansas is an eight-week healthy lifestyle challenge that will inspire you to lead a healthier life by being more active and making better nutrition choices. You are part of a six-member team which selects a goal and supports one another in reaching it. If you don’t have a team, you can be assigned to one or you can fly solo! The cost to participate is $10 per adult. Registration is open now at WalkKansas.org, and the program will take place from March 31st through May 25th. The benefits of participating in Walk Kansas include:
- Weekly newsletters filled with motivational healthy lifestyle information, resources, and recipes;
- Access to the online tracking system, as well as the Walk Kansas app, to help keep you on track as you work to reach your goals;
- Support in working towards leading a healthier life, including support gained from your teammates and exclusive membership in a closed Walk Kansas Facebook group;
- And more!
For more information, contact Clara Misenhelter with the Southwind Extension District at (620) 365-2242 or [email protected].
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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K – State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Renovated, Wider Walking Trail On The Horizon for Uniontown

The Uniontown Walking Trail is utilized daily by walkers in the small, western Bourbon County town and is slated for renovation this spring.
“Students use the trail at times and we have a significant number of patrons who use it very consistently,” said USD 235 Superintendent Vance Eden. “In its current condition, some use is limited by the cracks and condition of the asphalt. We anticipate greater use by all parties after reconstruction. ”

“The district was awarded a grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks- Recreational Trails Program to pay for the majority of the project,” Eden said. “The remaining cost will be completed by the district and community members or paid from our Capital Outlay Fund.”
“The Department of Wildlife and Parks contribution will be $218,800 with the total project estimated at $321,300,” he said. “The district can self-perform or solicit donations to cover its portion and will do so to the greatest extent possible.”
“The contractor, Tristate Building, will start work later this spring,” he said. “We are anticipating mid-April to be warm and hopefully dry enough to make progress on the work. It is estimated to take around six weeks to complete.”
“The vast majority of the old trail will be completely removed and replaced with an American Disability Act compliance with a concrete trail that is 5 feet in width,” he said. “The trail is approximately 1.3 miles in length.”
The original walking trail was funded also through a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks grant.
He said the original trail was during the early years of former Superintendent Randy Rockhold’s time with the district.
Stay Strong Stay Healthy Starts February 20th

Starting February 20th, improve your health and independence through strength-building exercises at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue, Fort Scott. Stay Strong Stay Healthy class will meet twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:00-10:00am, for 8 weeks. Pre-registration is required, call Tara at 620-244-3826 to register and learn more.
This evidence-based program is built on simple, strength-building exercises that will improve balance, health and state of mind. No, it’s not strenuous weight-lifting. You’ll start at a level that’s right for you! No one is too inactive to participate. Take this opportunity to take better care of your health and join others for this fun program!
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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director of K-State Research and Extension, Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts.

















