Rita Schroeder and J.T. Heckman make a presentation to the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team of Feb. 6 of the proposed downtown walking trail. Submitted photo.
A local leadership class has taken on a project of creating a walking trail downtown with funding from Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.
Bourbon County Lead Class 2020 heard of the funding opportunity from Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison.
“Lindsay brought the opportunity up to the class of extra funds from Healthy Bourbon County Action Team that we could use for our class project and we came up with a healthy walk downtown with educational fun facts about downtown Fort Scott,” Rita Schoeder, LEAD Class member said. ” What it was and what it is now!”
Rita Schroeder and J.T. Heckman present to the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team on Feb. 6. Submitted photo.
“Our presentation proposed to Healthy Bourbon County Board for approval was held at the Empress Event Center, Thursday, February 6th,” Schoeder said. “I and one other class member, J.T. (Heckman), presented to the board for approval of the design of the signs.”
Also included in the presentation was an example of a fun facts sign with QR code for younger audiences to use cell phones while approaching the sign, then scanning on the phone. It will then show images, reading material and recorded audio of the fun fact, Schroeder said.
“Some signs will show how many feet you have walked as well.,” she said. “At the Feb. 6 meeting, the budget and project were approved.”
The definitive location of the downtown trail is not final but the starting place will be at the Fort Scott Chamber, 231 E.Wall Street, Schroeder said.
There the walkers will receive a brochure of the walking trail, and the statistics of how many feet the walking trail is from start to finish.
The brochure will show the fun fact markers and highlights of the downtown walking trail.
What is the benefit of having a walking trail downtown?
According to Schroeder:
It’s a walk of downtown historic Fort Scott for people who work and live downtown, residents, and visitors of all ages.
The walk promotes retailers, restaurants, and points of interest.
Walkers will learn fun facts about Fort Scott’s history.
The hope is to challenge the next generation of opportunities to continue Fort Scott’s growth.
Small town hospitality will welcome visitors and share what Fort Scott represents and has to offer.
By mid-March/April, the project will be presented to the Fort Scott Design and Review Board and if approved will then go to the Fort Scott City Commission for final approval.
The completion date for the project is in June, Schroeder said.
“Before Good Ol’ Days, fingers crossed,” Schroeder said.
Members of the LEAD Bourbon County 2020 group have been divided into subgroups with the following tasks:
Naming the trail and gathering historical facts
based on the number of mile marker signs along the trail:
Matthew Chaplin, Devin Tally, Tony Tirri, JT Heckman.
Marketing and design of brochures, flyers, and printed maps to be picked up at the Chamber and/or trailhead, designing a welcome sign and mile marker signs, and getting quotes on pricing and installation:
Rita Schroeder, Ashley Keylon, Katie Allison.
Mapping the route, identifying sign placement and number of mile marker signs needed:
Traci Reed, Amy Budy, Kyla Probasco
Jon Kindlesparger stands in front of the cake that his employer, The City of Fort Scott provided for his retirement reception.
Jon Kindlesparger, 66, retired as the Woodland Hills Golf Course Superintendent as of Dec. 31, 2019.
In his 8.5 years at the golf course, Kindlesparger has seen an improvement in the course that is owned by the City of Fort Scott.
Jon Kindlesparger answers the clubhouse phone.
“The city has put some money into it,” he said. “It takes a ton of money…It was a three to four-year challenge…from not very good to playable.”
The course has been improved from “pretty downtrodden”, Kindlesparger said. “To a decent golf course now.”
“All the turf is better and in playable condition,” he said. “There is a new clubhouse and new cart shed and also playing, membership and revenue has increased.”
Golf carts that can be rented are lined up near the entrance to the Woodland Hills Golf Clubhouse.
“Jon made a ton of difference in his time,” Rex Hall, a member of the golf course and attendee at Kindlesparger’s retirement reception Dec. 30, said. “He made it actually look like a golf course.”
Following his retirement, Kindlesparger said he will be seeing ” a lot of golf courses and a lot of lakes to fish.”
Jon Kindlesparger looks at the gift card the City of Fort Scott gave him at his retirement reception on Dec. 30 at the clubhouse.
The Fort Scott Human Resources Director Deb Needleman presented a gift card to Kindlesparger during the reception.
Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.
Aaron Watts works on the flooring in one of the large classrooms at Smallville Crossfit on Nov. 29
After a hiatus finishing up the new facility at 1905 Judson, Smallville Crossfit opens today for classes.
“Our first classes will be held here Monday,” owner Aaron Watts said on Nov. 29. His wife, Lindsey is his partner in the fitness business.
The reconfigured facility, once Fort Scott Lumber, is just off West 19th Street in the southern part of the city. They were formerly in a downtown location but outgrew the space.
Smallville Crossfit has 130 members, Aaron said.
Some of the Smallville Crossfit members, from the business Facebook page.
They now have about 60 percent more space to accommodate those members, Aaron said.
“We now have three large heated rooms for classes, as opposed to two large and an auxiliary room,” he said.
Smallville Crossfit provides regular Crossfit classes, a “sweat class” and a pre-teen class for kids eight to 12 years old, Aaron said.
The Watts are going to add some new classes, a dance fitness class and strength and conditioning classes, in the future.
“We are going to get through a couple of months to determine new equipment that might be needed,” Aaron said.
New showers and bathrooms have been added to the building and Aaron was putting the mat floor down on Friday, while Lindsey was cleaning the walls in one of the new classrooms, with a little help from family and friends.
Lindsay Watts cleans the wall of one of the new classrooms at Smallville Crossfit on Nov. 29.
Smallville Crossfit classes are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7:15 a.m., 8 a.m. 11:15 a.m., the 4 p.m. pre-teen class to the last class at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday classes are at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Saturday there is an open gym which starts at 9 a.m.
For more information contact Lindsey at 620-619-9602 or Aaron at 620-719-7554.
A grand opening at the new facility will be after the first of the year.
Aaron Watts stands in front of the newly remodeled Smallville Crossfit, 1905 Judson.
Poinsettias Delivered: Around December 6th, depending on weather
**Poinsettias are sent directly to us from Parks Brothers Farm, Inc.
The pies are homemade using fresh pumpkins purchased from the Care to Share fundraiser, farm fresh eggs from Foster 4 Farm in Hiattville (operated by four 4H’ers) and fresh apples.
Orders will be taken now until November 20th.
The pie selections are Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, and Caramel Apple Pecan.
Prices are $15 each or 2 for $25 mix and match.
For example, 1 pie and 1 poinsettia for $25.
Pies will be delivered Wednesday, November 27th and poinsettias the first week in December.
Money raised will go towards team equipment, fees, and skills clinicians.
The wayfinder map of Riverfront Park, North National Avenue.
Lights for the Bell Town Walking Trail at Riverfront Park on Fort Scott’s north entrance will soon be installed.
“They are LED downlights to light the trail at dusk for more safety,” Jerry Witt, chairman of the Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority, said.
The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team is providing funds for the lighting.
The City of Fort Scott Streets Department is pouring concrete for the pedestals for the 27 pole lights which will stand about 12 feet high, similar to the poles in the historic downtown district. The streets crew has also done the trenching for the electrical pipe for the poles.
Fort Scott Maintenance II Employee Kyle Knight, left, and Fort Scott Streets Supervisor Jerry Morgan tell about the pedestals that were poured today for the new LED lighting in Riverfront Park.
“Max Fanning is doing the electrical work labor,” Witt said. “We are paying for that.”
Also slated for a 2019 completion date is paving and striping of the parking area, west of the park pavilion at the entrance. Also, a handicapped accessible wheelchair ramp will be built to the pavilion.
The Riverfront Park Pavillion had its ribbon-cutting in May 2018.
Last week, the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation granted the Riverfront Authority a $2,317 award to purchase metal picnic tables and benches for the pavilion, Witt said.
New Trails
Witt said the Riverfront Authority has applied for a Kansas Department of Transportation Grant to create additional trails on the south side of the Marmaton River, along the River Front Road.
“When we built the road in 2015, the grant was for road and trails,” Witt said. “But the cost of the road construction was higher than expected, so the trails were put on hold.”
Agricultural Engineering, Uniontown, is working with the Riverfront Authority in designing the 2, 953 feet of trails, which will be eight-foot-wide and have an asphalt surface, Witt said.
Overlook Moving
Flooding this past spring moved the recently built wooden overlook off its’ foundation and the Riverfront Authority is planning to move the structure to higher ground, Witt said.
Members
Members of the Riverfront Authority, from left Allen Warren, Arnold Schofield, Danny Magee, Jerry Witt, Dean Mann and Betty Boyko. File photo. Not pictured: Jeff Sweetser, Bob Love, and Penny Barnes.
Members of the Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority are Witt, Allen Warren, Jeff Sweetser, Bob Love, Betty Boyko, Danny Magee, Arnold Schofield, Penny Barnes and Dean Mann.
The annual Gunn Park race, the Tri-Yak-A-Thon, scheduled for tomorrow, Oct. 12 has been moved to the next day, Oct. 13 This move is to allow a dry-out of the trails that have been inundated with rainwater lately.
The race has been postponed to Sunday, October 13 and will begin at 2:00 PM and on-site registration will begin at 12:00 PM.
“The Tri-Yak-A-Thon is a race where participants run on Gunn Park’s beautiful trails, kayak up and down the Marmaton River, and then tackle the trails again on a bike,” said event coordinator Penny Pollack-Barnes. “The trail run is a 5K, the kayak portion is another 5K, and the bike portion is a 10K. You may participate as a relay team, or if you are tough enough you can do the entire race as a solo participant. You must bring your own kayak, life jacket, helmet, and mountain bike. Riders must wear a helmet.”
The event is located in Gunn Park, on the west side of Fort Scott.
“We will have a tent in the open field in the northwest corner of the park,” Barnes said. “The race will begin on the road at the back of the park near the spillway.”
Currently, there are 20 entrants, “but most will enter the day of the race,” Barnes said.
“We do this to have fun and to raise money for a local charity,” she said. “This year the net proceeds will go to Fort Scott Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.
Our sponsors are UMB Bank, Briggs Auto, Peerless, Ft. Scott Veterinary Clinic, Landmark National Bank, City State Bank, Smallville Crossfit, Mid-Continental, Brock Electric, Key for Business and the City of Fort Scott.
From left: Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison, Aaron Watts, and Lindsey Watts, Bourbon County E-Community loan recipients, Bill Michaud, Geoff Southwell and Darcy Smith, Chamber members.
Aaron and Lindsey Watts, who own Smallville Crossfit, are the recipients of the first Bourbon County E-Community loan in the amount of $40,000.
The loan is a locally controlled loan fund for business entrepreneurs.
“What’s good about the loan is it’s working capital,” Lindsey Watts said. The Watts will be using the money for new equipment for the fitness business, and new services, she said.
Workers work on the air-conditioned room and rentable office space, which are very close to being finished, Lindsey Watts aid. Submitted photos.
Additionally, they are doing some updates to the new facility they purchased, the former Fort Scott Lumber, 1905 S. Judson.
New air conditioning, flooring, and heating will be part of the remodel of the former warehouse space, which they hope to have complete in November, she said.
The second workday at the new facility, shelves are being torn down in the middle room. Photos submitted by Lindsey Watts.
One of the new services offered at the new facility will be dance fitness, Watts said.
In addition, the Watts are working with Kansas Works to hire an intern in the future, Watts said.
Smallville Crossfit is currently located at 15 S. National and can be reached at 620.644.5124.
The Gunn Park Trails volunteers would like to invite everyone to enjoy the fall weather and join us for the 7th annual Tri-yak-a-thon.
This year’s proceeds will benefit Fort Scott Paws & Claws Animal Shelter.
The event will take place October 12 at 10:00 AM in Gunn Park.
The Tri-yak-a-thon is a race where participants run on Gunn Park’s beautiful trails, kayak up and down the Marmaton River, and then tackle the trails again on a bike.
The goal of the event is to have fun and raise money to support the animal shelter.
The trail run is a 5K, the kayak portion is another 5K, and the bike portion is a 10K.
Participate as a relay team, or if you are tough enough you can do the entire race as a solo participant.
You must bring your own kayak, life jacket, helmet, and mountain bike.
Riders must wear a helmet.
Onsite registration and packet pickup will be from 8:00 to 9:45 AM at Shelter House 6.
The race will begin at 10:00 AM. Whether you enter the race or just come and cheer, please join us and support our park, our trails, and our animal shelter.
Amy Bockerstette from Phoenix Arizona is a golfer and a Special Olympian, who will be the special guest this weekend of the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Submitted photo.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run to fundraise for Special Olympics of Kansas.
Special Olympics Of Kansas has a mission statement of providing individuals with intellectual disabilities opportunities to thrive in sports, health, and leadership, according to its’ Facebook page.
“Torch Run leaves it up to the agency as to what (that agency) wants to do to help,” Cole said. “It was my decision to put on a golf tournament with the help of Steve Anthony. With ALL funds going to Special Olympics Kansas.”
“The special guest for this year’s tournament is Amy Bockerstette, from Phoenix, Arizona,” Ben Cole, Bourbon County’s Undersheriff, said. “Amy is 20 years old with Downs Syndrome. She is the first special needs athlete to receive a full-ride scholarship to a junior college to play golf.”
The tournament is September 28, 2019, and
Sheriff Bill Martin, Cole and several of the other staff members volunteer their time for the event.
“We encourage the community to come out and meet Amy, enjoy the day with us, maybe eat lunch and participate in the raffle items,” Cole said.
The opening ceremony starts at 8 a.m. with Sheriff Martin deputizing Amy as an honorary BBSO deputy.
Tee off begins approximately 9 a.m.
“The event is open to the public we have several items up for raffle,” Cole said. “We are selling chances for a golf cart that will be given away, selling chances for a gun that will be given away, as well as we are having a live auction for approximately 6-10 items.”
Doug Guns, Woodland Hill Golf Course Superintendent started his job Sept. 16, 2019.
Woodland Hills Golf Course Superintendent Doug Guns is 42 years old and has been in the golf business since he was 19.
“So that’s 23 years,” Guns said. “I was going to college and needed a summer job. A local golf club needed help at the clubhouse. I learned all about the maintenance of the greens.”
He attended West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Pennsylvania State University.
“I started as an art major and when I got into golf, I switched majors to plant-soil sciences,” Guns said. “The last two courses have been business management classes online from Penn State.”
He started as Woodland Hills Golf Course Superintendent on Sept. 16, after being at Girard’s golf course for four seasons.
Doug Guns sits in one of the 30 golf carts available for rent to the public.
His duties include equipment maintenance, irrigation maintenance, supervising personnel, public relations and “Keeping the greens healthy,” he said.
“It’s like an ecosystem, each part of the course has different soil qualities,” Guns said.
Jon Kindlesparger, the current superintendent, is staying on until the end of the year to help the transition, he will then retire.
“It’s nice having his knowledge and experience here,” Guns said.
Guns lives in Girard.
The bulletin board at the Woodland Hills Club House lists the costs of playing golf at the club.
Golf carts that can be rented are lined up near the entrance to the Woodland Hills Golf Clubhouse.
Busy Season at Woodland Hills
The next few weeks are busy on the course:
The Kruger Golf Classic is Sept. 21, with registration at 7 a.m. It is a four-person scramble. Contact James Wood, 224-9687 or Les Russell, 215-3199.
The Special Olympics of Kansas Benefit Golf Scramble is Sept. 28. The cost is $50 person and is a four-person scramble, sponsored by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office. Contact Steve Anthony at 215-2392 or Ben Cole at 223-1440.
The Elks Lodge Benefit Tournament is Oct. 5 with an 11 a.m. registration. This is to benefit the Christmas baskets the lodge distributes each year. Cost is $60 per person. Contact the lodge at 223-5821.
The Fort Scott High School, Uniontown High School, and Fort Scott Community College golf teams use the course daily, Shannon O’Neil, clubhouse manager said.
On Oct. 14-15, regional high school tournaments will be held at the course, with the outcome deciding who goes to state in golf, he said.
O’Neil offers lessons in an annual junior golf camp in June and July.
He also does private lessons for both adults and children.
There have been two major updates at Woodland Hills in the last few years: a new clubhouse was built in 2015-16, and a new golf cart barn built in 2018.
