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David and Tina Lipe, owners of Sparky’s Pub and Grub, 16 N. National, have invested time and money to give their restaurant a facelift.
The project started with Mid Continental Restoration, Inc. doing some joint repair and brick replacement on the front of building, David Lipe said.
“Peerless (Products, Inc.) did all of the tear-out and installation of all windows and front doors of the building,” Lipe said. “The project started on August 17th and was completed on August 26th. ” There is still a little bit of floor replacement to be done, hopefully, this will be completed by August 31st.”
“We have been working on this project with Peerless for two years,” Lipe said. ” The building was extremely inefficient, windows were broken, (it) needed a facelift. We wanted to create an open-air type storefront.”
The facelift did not add any seating, Lipe said. “But possibly some outside seating.”
“No grant monies were used on this project,” Lipe said. “We have applied for a building improvement grant through the City of Fort Scott. I was told today that all funds are on hold due to COVID. We have also applied for some funding help through BEDCO (Bourbon County Economic Development Council), (we) have not received anything at this point.”
Sharky’s Pub & Grub phone number is 620-223-4777
The restaurant’s hours are: open at 11 am Monday through Sunday,
close at midnight Monday through Wednesday, close at 2 am Thursday through Saturday, and close at 7 pm Sunday.
NEWS RELEASE
Monday, August 24, 2020
Members of the USD 234 Board of Education met at the Fort Scott Middle School Commons on Monday, August 24, for a special board meeting at 5:30 p.m.
President David Stewart opened the meeting. Board members approved the following items:
· Revised 2020-21 school calendar
· Memorandum of Understanding between USD 234 Board of Education and Fort Scott Kansas National Education Association
· Employee COVID-19 Policy
· Addition of high school and middle school Choral Clubs to the supplemental schedule for the 2020-21 school year
Superintendent Hessong shared updated information regarding the Return-to-School
Plan. Gina Shelton, Business Manager, shared Mask Campaign information.
Board members went into executive session to discuss personnel matters and returned to open meeting. The board approved the following employment matters:
A. Resignation of Audra Young, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, effective August 10, 2020
B. Resignation of Jacy Walker, high school paraprofessional, effective immediately
C. Resignation of Russ Hughes, central office custodian, effective at the end of the 2019-20 school year
D. Resignation of Libby Stumfoll, van driver, effective September 3, 2020
E. Transfer of Brent Cavin, Eugene Ware fifth grade teacher, to middle school 8th grade social studies teacher for the 2020-21 school year
F. Transfer of Jennifer Stafford, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, to high school teacher aide for the 2020-21 school year
G. Transfer of Dee Peters, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, to Winfield Scott paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
H. Leave of absence for Sabrina Keating, Eugene Ware fourth grade teacher
I. Work agreement adjustment for Angela Mix, Winfield Scott paraprofessional, from 7.5 hours to 4 hours per day for the 2020-21 school year
J. Employment of Brendon Blackburn as a one-year middle school elective teacher for the 2020-21 school year
K. Employment of Cindy O’Rear as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
L. Employment of Kourtney Harper as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
M. Employment of Mary Cole as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
N. Employment of Julie Carpenter as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
O. Employment of Jannah Farrington as the middle school Choral Club sponsor for the 2020-21 school year
P. Employment of Brenda Hill as Eugene Ware 5th Grade Team Leader for the 2020-21 school year
Q. Employment of Randy Phillips as a regular route bus driver for the 2020-21 school year
R. Resignation of Taylor McDermed, Eugene Ware paraprofessional, effective August 24, 2020
S. Leave of absence for Brenda Hathaway, high school ticket clerk
T. Employment of Maggie Johnston as a high school paraprofessional for the 2020-21 school year
The board adjourned.
Scooter’s Coffee is coming to Fort Scott.
The store will be located in the strip mall on Main Street, which is also 69 Hwy on the south end of town.
“We are very excited to open in Fort Scott,” said Demi Bouwens, director of operations for the franchise in Pittsburg and Fort Scott.
Because of the COVID 19 Pandemic, the annual All-Hit 103.9 Home, Sport, Farm and Garden Show was moved from spring to summer.
The event is now scheduled Friday, June 26 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.
Hosted by Fort Scott Broadcasting, which includes radio stations 103.9, Red Dirt 98.3, and 1600 AM, the event is “a great opportunity to get local businesses to show off their products,” said Deb McKenney. Tim and Deb McKenney own the business.
This year there will be pandemic guidelines, Tim McKenney said.
“We are encouraging people to wear masks and gloves, and we will provide some for those who would like some,” he said. “Also hand sanitizing will be available.”
In addition, there will be more spacing between the vendors, he said.
“There will be fewer booths, so it won’t be so crowded,” Tim said.
This year they are expecting 40 vendors as opposed to 60, he said.
The show began in 1982, and in the late 80s the Pride Organization at Fort Scott Middle School took the reins, as a fundraiser, Deb said.
The broadcast company was asked to take the show on again and they have since continued the showcasing business event for the community.
The Uniontown School District is providing a meal program to its’ districts’ children through June 25.
The first day for meals was June 2.
In addition, summer school children receive activity packets.
“We usually have kids in the building for summer school,” Tara Gorman, third-grade teacher at West Bourbon Elementary School, said. “We couldn’t because of the pandemic. This is our alternative plan, if they signed up for activity packets.”
“This week is a book, they get a book once a week, a craft kit and a couple of games to work on with siblings,” Gorman said. “This week they will be building paper airplanes and testing paper airplanes.”
Breakfast and lunch are available to children ages 1-18 in this program, with no eligibility or paperwork required to receive the food.
Multiple days breakfast and lunch will be provided to each child on Tuesday and Thursday of each week through June 25.
USD 235 Food Service Director Michelle DeMott said food is prepared on Mondays and Wednesdays and delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Parents are asked to call DeMott at 620-238-4968 to sign up.
DeMott will ask for some information of either a pickup point or a rural address for delivery.
Deliveries will be between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Pickup points are the West Bourbon Elementary School on at the front of the building, Marmaton Community Church in Redfield, the city park in Mapleton, in front of the Bronson Meat Locker in Bronson.
Pickup points open from 11 to 11:20 a.m.
On Monday, June 1, 2020, David Gillen assumed full management of the operation as Beacon Food Pantry Administrator. The new assistant administrator is Patty Mowen. Both are knowledgeable of the operation, and both consider this organization their “mission.” according to the press release submitted by Carol MacArthur, board chairwoman.
At this time, no one but the staff is allowed inside the building, according to the press release.
Food orders are called in, filled, and picked up at the back dock of the building at 525 E. Sixth. This practice may become permanent, according to the press release.
Financial requests may be called in at this time as well.
People may call The Beacon and ask for David Gillen, for inquiries, MacArthur said. The phone number is 620-223- 6869.
Improvements in the facility have already been made by Gillen and volunteers.
Office equipment is being updated as needed as well to improve service to clients.
The Beacon, Inc., in existence for almost forty years, began as churches in the community came together to serve the needs of Fort Scott and Bourbon County.
They have provided those struggling in the community as a food pantry and in offering financial assistance, dominantly through the efforts of community-related donations.
Currently, the organization provides food, financial assistance, and referrals to other service organizations.
“People have been so generous with funds and donations,” MacArthur said. ” But we have had difficulty procuring large amounts of food (during the pandemic),”
“The community has been wonderful,” she said.
The Beacon is located at 525 E. Sixth Street, Fort Scott, Ks. 66701, and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with one exception.
On the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, the Beacon is closed during the day and is open instead from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Three Christian ministries are working together to bring food to those affected by the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries, Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, and Convoy of Hope will be having a food distribution event, Saturday, May 23, from 10 AM to 2 PM at Fort Scott Nazarene, 1728 S Horton.
Convoy of Hope is providing the food, the church is providing the distribution place and some volunteers and Allen Schellack, director of Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries, is providing the coordination of the food distribution.
Food distributed (while supplies last) will include potatoes, bread, eggs, produce, and bottled juice and tea, according to Allen Schellack, director.
Schellack recently completed a Convoy of Hope Zoom training and on May 20 he was told that food to distribute would be available on May 23.,
Schellack with his son, Dustin, will be picking up the food from the Convoy of Hope hub site in Webb City, MO.
Volunteers are needed on May 23 to help direct traffic for the event, unpack the food, and hand out the food, Schellack said.
Volunteers can call Schellack to schedule a work time at 620-223-2212.
There are no income guidelines to receive the food, nor registration requirements.
“We hope to make this the first of many more events,” Schellack said.
“This is a community event and our vision is to have more churches involved to help serve the community,” he said.
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches, disaster response and partner resourcing, according to its’ Facebook page.
Schellack is a member of the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene and members are supporting this outreach as volunteers and allowing the church to be the distribution point.
Coffee houses have been a gathering place for discussion of ideas since the 1700s. Many great works of historical note have no doubt begun as an idea shared with a friend over a cup of coffee. Noted 18th Century author Alexander Pope decided to be a writer as a child when he saw a famous writer in a London coffee house. However, great things don’t have to be on the scale of “An Essay on Man” in order to make big changes, especially ideas developed by the community, for the community. Common Ground Coffee Co. functions in much the same way as coffee shops through history–as a gathering place for the community and surrounding area.
When one walks through the door of the Common Ground Coffee Co., the customer is immediately surrounded by the welcoming atmosphere of the restored historic downtown building. However, the interior is furnished so nicely that the shop wouldn’t be out of place in a trendy area of Kansas City. Several of the walls have been repaired with fresh sheet rock and painted in neutral and jewel tones, and others have been re-covered with weathered wood, lending a tasteful variety to the appearance of the shop. Hanging light fixtures lend the perfect amount of light for reading without being harsh or overbearing. Comfortable couches are scattered on either side of the main seating area of tables and chairs, and in one corner, a display of oil paintings catches the eye. According to Manager Tyler Hazen, the goal was to personalize the setting in order to set it apart from the look of corporate shops. He said that the goal was to create a comfortable, neutral setting in which people could express themselves.
When asked if Common Ground Coffee Co. might become a place of gathering for thinkers and creative minds, Hazen said, “I think it has been already.” The coffee shop hosts everything from live music to poetry nights, allowing local talent to present their creative work. When asked where the capital and materials came from to start Common Ground Coffee Co., Hazen said, “This was all donation. Once we start building [the business], hopefully we can give back to the community.”
Events planned for summer include live music on Friday nights, starting in July.
