The Fort Scott Aquatic Center will be closed for the next seven (7) days beginning today due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. Buck Run Community Center will also be closed beginning today for the next seven (7) days. These closures will be reevaluated after the seven days.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please call City Hall at 223-0550 if you have questions.
The hot days of June have many seeking ways to cool off.
The Fort Scott Aquatic Center is one option for cooling off.
However, because of the COVID 19 Pandemic, it has remained closed until staff worked on a plan to be able to open safely.
The center will open on June 22, Chasity Ware, the manager, said.
Ware is the Fort Scott Aquatic Center Manager, in her 9th season. She was employed by Mound City Pool seven years prior to joining Fort Scott.
She is a Certified Lifeguard Instructor.
“I certify lifeguards for the Fort Scott Aquatic Center, Nevada, Iola, Pleasanton, and LaCygne pools. I have been doing that for six seasons now,” she said.
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.
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.
“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.”
“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.”
The Fort Scott Human Resources Director Deb Needleman presented a gift card to Kindlesparger during the reception.
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.
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.
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.
The Momentum Softball team is having its first fundraiser, Pies and Poinsettias.
Youth Development
Softball Team
PIE and POINSETTIA
FUNDRAISER
$15 a piece (pie or poinsettia)
or
Homemade Pie Choices: Pumpkin, Pecan, Apple, or
Caramel Apple Pecan
To order: momentumtraining@yahoo.com
Facebook: @mitrainingfs
Or
Team Momentum Softball Player/Parents
Pies Delivered: Wednesday, November 27th
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.
Submitted by Emelia S. Whiteaker, MS, PES of
Momentum Indoor Training
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.
“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.
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 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 organization was created in 2007.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To learn more about the loan program:
Small Businesses Encouraged With New Partnership Offer
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.
You can register online at https://www.trireg.com/tri-yak-a-thon.
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.
We would like to thank our generous sponsors:
UMB Bank
Mid-Continental
Key Industries
Peerless
Landmark Bank
Briggs Auto of Fort Scott
City State Bank
Smallville Crossfit
Fort Scott Veterinary Clinic
Brock Electric
The City of Fort Scott
Submitted by:
Penny Pollock-Barnes
Key Industries, Inc.
400 Marble Rd
Fort Scott, KS 66701
1-800-835-0365 x367
