Celebration, scheduled for October 3 – 5, 2019, at Fort Scott Community College, will feature Jazz Singer Queen Bey, Kansas City’s Ambassador of Jazz in a music performance at 7:00 p.m. at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on Friday, October 4th.
Ticket includes Heavy Hors d’oeuvres and a Cash Bar will be available.
Social Hour starts at 6:00 pm
This performance event was supported in part by the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
“We are very thrilled that we were able to bring Queen Bey back to Fort Scott once again through this grant,” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Director.
Queen Bey’s wide repertoire of jazz and blues standards and innovative and often unknown songs are drawn from her first-hand experience working with the legends of jazz and blues.
Queen first began performing at the age of twelve years old and at the time met Billie Holiday. Jazz greats such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, and Ella Fitzgerald became her chaperones and her teachers
. Queen has performed with B.B. King, The Platters and jazz pianist Earl Garner.
In 1980, Ms. Bey received the Kansas Governor’s Arts Award and was one of the honorees at the 1991 induction of the Elder statesman of Kansas City’s Jazz, Inc.
She is officially recognized as Kansas City’s Ambassador of Jazz and 2016 was inducted to the American Jazz Walk of Fame.
Ms. Bey has acted on stage and television and in film, including Broadway musicals- Ain’t Misbavin, One Mo’ Time and Blues in the Night.
Tickets are $25 each. Please reserve you ticket by Wednesday, Oct 2, 2019.
Tickets available at the Gordon Parks Museum and Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.
For more information about the Celebration, see the website at gordonparkscenter.org. or email [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
The 2019 Gordon Parks Celebration to feature Photo Contest
Fort Scott-The Gordon Parks Celebration, scheduled for Oct 3- 5, 2019, at Fort Scott Community College, will feature a photo contest sponsored by Merl Humphrey Photography and inspired by a quote by the Gordon Parks-directed film The Learning Tree.
The theme of the contest, “My Learning Tree, Life Lessons Learned” is for any amateur photographer. Photographers are invited to capture the essence of this metaphor from Mr. Park’s film.
Non-professional photographers of any age and skill level are invited to take pictures for the project and may enter up to two photos. There will be a first place ($100), second place ($75) and third place ($50) prize and up to five honorable mentions. All photos submitted will be on exhibit during the 16th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration on Oct. 3 – 5, 2019. All photos will also be posted on the Museum Facebook page.
Photographs must be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]. All photos must be JPEG in format and limit file size to less than 2 MB. All entries will be confirmed via email. Photographers should submit (in their email) a title, along with their name, address, email, and phone number. If under 10 years old please include parent’s information. Photos should be received via email by Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at the latest.
For more information email [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
FORT SCOTT – The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating the expansion of Fort Scott Community College’s Agriculture Building at 2108 South Horton Street in Fort Scott.
The event will take place on Friday, September 20th at 4:00 p.m.
The Fort Scott Community College Agriculture Department was established in 1975. Burris Hall, named after N. Jack Burris, was completed in 1989.
This 3,600 square foot building housed agriculture based classes and offices for instructors.
Thanks to donations from the Boileau family and the Cleaver family, FSCC was able to add approximately 3,000 square feet and renovate the original building to continue to grow their prestigious agriculture program.
Please join the Chamber of Commerce and Fort Scott Community College on Friday, September 20th, 2019 for the ribbon cutting ceremony at 2108 South Horton Street in Fort Scott.
Contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566s for more information.
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A public program to start the Fort Scott Community College Centennial Celebration was one of speeches, a prayer and a song on Monday morning at the Ellis Arts Center on the campus.
Students, guests and the public were invited to hear the experiences of former students and teachers, then eat a quick hot dog lunch and some cake and cookies in celebration of the community college’s 100th year.
Speakers were FSCC President Alysia Johnston who welcomed the crowd and introduced Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson. Tyson then presented the college with a commendation from the Kansas Senate for its’ 100 years of serving the community.
The speakers at the Centennial Celebration were FSCC Vice President of Student Services Janet Fancher, retired FSCC instructor Jack Gilmore; Mark Muller, FSCC Class of 1979; Tyson; retired FSCC instructor Marcel Normand; Gina Findley Shelton, class of 1999; Jim Barrows, class of 1968 and Johnston. A letter read by Fancher from Esther Anne (Weeks) Sewell, class of 1941, who is 96 years old.
Additionally, FSCC Class of 2013 Taylor Bailey produced an introductory video, narrated by Tyler Covey, class of 2019. FSCC President’s Ambassador Hannah Reel led the flag salute and Dusty Drake, lead minister at Community Christian Church, said the closing prayer.
FSCC President Alysia Johnston, left, receives the commendation for the school of 100 years of continuous education in the county from Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson, right.The speakers at the Centennial Celebration from left: FSCC Vice President of Student Services Janet Fancher, retired FSCC instructor Jack Gilmore; Mark Muller, FSCC Class of 1979; Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson; retired FSCC instructor Marcel Normand; Gina Findley Shelton, class of 1999; Jim Barrows, class of 1968 and FSCC President Alysia Johnston. Not pictured is Esther Anne (Weeks) Sewell.
Following the program and lunch, the crowd was asked to stop by the tree planted in honor of the celebration near the front of the building, where a fly-by drone took an aerial photo of the group.
Some of the students, faculty and guests who stayed to be a part of the aerial picture taken by a drone, to commemorate the celebration.A tree was planted in front of the Ellis Arts Center in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of FSCC.The plaque placed in front of the tree planted at the Ellis Art Center. John Bartelsmeyer, Kenny Blake and Stewart Gulager helped to provide the plaque to the college.
During the welcome FSCC President Alysia Johnston told the audience that the school was established in 1919 and is the oldest continuous public community college in Kansas.
FSCC President Alysia Johnston welcomes students, faculty, guests and the public to the Centennial Celebration program Monday morning at the Ellis Arts Center.
The school, established in 1919, was originally located at the Fort Scott High School building until 1967 when it moved to the 150-acre current site, and 200 students started classes. At this time, FSCC also began offering classes in Paola, according to information provided by the college.
In 1973 the administration building was completed and was later named the Dick Hedges Administration Building.
In 1982, Arnold Arena was completed, with one side a rodeo arena and the other a basketball gym, weight training area, athletic dressing rooms, classrooms, a computer lab and athletic offices. Arnold Arena just completed a renovation of the gym in Sept. 2019.
In 1986, the college acquired the cosmetology school from Pittsburg State University and N. Jack Burris Hall was completed in 1989.
A dormitory was opened in 2002 and named Chester Boileau Hall.
In 2004, FSCC purchased and renovated the former Sisters of Mercy Convent on Burke Street for the nursing program. Also in 2004, the college remodeled a wing of the former Miami
County Hospital in Paola, which then became the FSCC Miami County Campus.
The Gordon Park Museum and Center of Diversity also was established in 2004 at FSCC to honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, a photographer, writer, poet, musician and filmmaker.
The Danny And Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center was opened in 2009 which included a 600-seat theater, community meeting rooms, the Gordon Parks Museum the Kathy Ellis Academic Hall.
The Kansas National Guard Armory was purchased in 2010 and houses the John Deer technician program and the welding program.
The cosmetology department moved to a newly remodeled space in 2014 on campus and the rodeo program opened a new rodeo building.
This year, an addition to the Burris Hall which was provided by donations from the Chester Boileau and Lonnie Cleaver estates, opened with new offices, classrooms, bathrooms, and a trophy display area for the FSCC Livestock and Meat’s Judging Teams awards.
There will be a banquet on Sept. 20 as part of the continuing celebration, and a tailgate party with free food at the Greyhound Football Game, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
For more information: 620-223-2700.
Esther Sewell, FSCC Class of 1941 waits for other speakers to arrive for the cake cutting following the Centennial Celebration program Monday.
FSCC personnel feed students lunch following the program at the Ellis Art Center.
Students pick up a cool drink at the end of the food line. With temperatures in the 90s, the drink was welcomed.
This and following is memorabilia on display in the Ellis Art Center foyer for the Centennial Celebration.
There was a display case in the foyer of the Ellis Art Center with memorabilia from years past. Here, a band uniform designed by FSCC Band Instructor Ronda Bailey.
The 2018 Gordon Parks Photo Winner was Kole Wagner with this photo, “First Love”. The theme was: “I am Inspired By.” Submitted photo.
Fort Scott-The Gordon Parks Celebration, scheduled for Oct 3- 5, 2019, at Fort Scott Community College, will feature a photo contest sponsored by Merl Humphrey Photography and inspired by a quote by the Gordon Parks-directed film The Learning Tree.
The theme of the contest, “My Learning Tree, Life Lessons Learned” is for any amateur photographer. Photographers are invited to capture the essence of this metaphor from Mr. Park’s film.
Non-professional photographers of any age and skill level are invited to take pictures for the project and may enter up to two photos. There will be a first place ($100), second place ($75) and third place ($50) prize and up to five honorable mentions. All photos submitted will be on exhibit during the 16th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration on Oct. 3 – 5, 2019. All photos will also be posted on the Museum Facebook page.
Photographs must be submitted via e-mail to [email protected]. All photos must be JPEG in format and limit file size to less than 2 MB. All entries will be confirmed via email. Photographers should submit (in their email) a title, along with their name, address, email, and phone number. If under 10 years old please include parent’s information. Photos should be received via email by Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at the latest.
For more information email [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College recently was renovated in 2019.
Arnold Arena on the campus of Fort Scott Community College has undergone a renovation, replacing the gym floor, installing new bleachers, and purchasing a new scorer’s table.
This project, along with the Burris Hall expansion project, is now completed before the college-wide 100th Anniversary Celebration of FSCC which happens Sept. 20 with a public banquet and Sept. 21 with a tailgate party before the Greyhound football game.
The new bleachers.
The renovation of Arnold Arena took place because of community feedback.
“We had received numerous complaints over the past few years that there were ‘dead spots’ (on the gym floor) which was difficult to play on,” Tom Havron, FSCC Vice President of Student Affairs, said. “Additionally, our old wooden bleachers were uncomfortable to our fans and had deteriorated over the years. We had multiple boards that were broken which were a safety hazard.”
“The main benefit of the new floor will be for our student-athletes,” Havron said. ” Not only will the floor help with our recruiting process, but it will also be an advantage to have a high-quality floor to compete on.”
The arena renovation project started in early April 2019 and due to some complications, the project was just completed on September 3, 2019.
The floor and the bleachers were budgeted in the general fund, Havron said.
Fort Scott Community College’s John Deere Technical program has received a prestigious award. During the fiscal year of 2018-2019, FSCC’s John Deere Tech. program was evaluated on several levels to achieve top rankings of the “College of Tomorrow” award. This award is judged on everything from instructor development, internships, and facility image to even scholarships and safety.
The point system added up to a total of 254 points and three different levels; bronze, gold, and platinum. Out of the 254 points, FSCC John Deere Tech. scored 249 points, which obtains the platinum award. Along with a fancy crystal trophy and jacket, platinum winners are awarded scholarship money and funds to help with continued instructor development.
“Many hours of work and attention to detail have went into achieving this award. We strive to provide a great student learning environment. My main goal as an instructor is to help my students improve into better technicians so they will succeed in their career”, says Dale Griffiths, FSCC John Deere instructor.
Stakes are higher for the 2019-2020 fiscal year with some changes made to the criteria and raising the point system to 299. FSCC John Deere Tech. program is one of 16 other programs across the nation, but they plan to continue to win platinum and provide the best for the program.
“It was very exciting earning this award. This is the first time FSCC has earned this award, and I am determined this won’t be the last. Dale and I are always making improvements to classes, our training, and the facility. This award didn’t come easy, nor will future awards”, says Kent Aikin, FSCC John Deere instructor.
If you would like more information on the FSCC John Deere Tech. program, please visit fortscott.edu/johndeere or by calling 620.223.2700 ext. 5371.
September 9 is the kick-off event for the Fort Scott Community College Centennial Celebration, and the public is invited.
At 11 a.m. there will be an assembly at the Ellis Arts Center on the campus.
“We will have an assembly reflecting on the schools history, lunch, tree dedication, aerial picture, all free and open to the community,” Kassie Cate, Director of Strategic Communications & Student Activities, said.
“The school’s first day of classes was September 8th in 1919 so since the 8th is on a Sunday, so we are doing it on September 9th.”
Karole Graham, Stephen Perry and S. Pearl Sharp, cast members in “The Learning Tree” film by Gordon Parks, will receive “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” at the 2019 Gordon Parks Celebration
Karole Graham, Stephen Perry and S. Pearl Sharp who were cast members in the film The Learning Tree will be the recipients of the “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” at the annual celebration this October 3-5, 2019 in Fort Scott, Kansas. The celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. This year’s celebration is a special one as we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gordon Parks-directed film The Learning Tree that was filmed in Fort Scott, Kansas.
The Choice of Weapons Award was established in Parks’ honor to be given annually at the Celebration. Named after his autobiography of the same name, the award seeks to honor a recipient who exemplifies the career and character of Gordon Parks. Previous recipients include actor and musician Avery Brooks, photographer Howard L. Bingham, Elizabeth Eckford and Ernest Green, two of the “Little Rock Nine,” Richard Roundtree, star of the Parks-directed film, “Shaft,” Nichelle Nichols of “Star Trek” fame, acclaimed actress Ruby Dee, photographer John Shearer, LIFE magazine photo editor Bobbi Burrows, Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum, musicians Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., editor Genevieve Young, filmmaker Kevin Willmott, educator Bernadette Gray-Little and Roger E. Mosley.
Karole Graham
Karole Graham, who played Big Mabel in The Learning Tree, has had supporting roles in other movies such as Cheech and Chong Hollywood, Gaily, Gaily, Black Girl, and Heavy Traffic (Animation). She has co-starred in many different television shows including ER, The Parkers, and Ryan Caulfield: Year One. She has also had guest starring roles in Ancient Prophecies IV, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, and The Red Foxx Show. Karole’s theatre credits include Nature of the Beast, The Curious Savage, Death Trap, For Colored Girls…, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Funny Girl, The Amen Corner, A Raisin in the Sun, and Zoo Man and the Sign. Karole attended the University of Southern California and majored in Theatre and Communications. She studied film technique with Nina Foch and has had training in the Classics and Shakespeare with Rudy Plaskoff, and training in Stage Theory and Acting with Frank Silvera. She resides in Studio City, CA. In addition to acting, Karole has been with the No Child Left Behind Federal tutoring program for more than 10 years, which services the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Stephen Perry
Stephen Perry, is a former actor who played Jappy in the The Learning Tree. He also had roles in A Raisin in the Sun (1961), The Sound and the Fury (1959) and numerous TV series including Twilight Zone (1960). Stephen has owned and operated three successful restaurants since 1986. His newest restaurant is Stevie’s Creole Cafe in Los Angeles which has received outstanding reviews and is celebrating its third anniversary (October 2019).
S. Pearl Sharp
S. Pearl Sharp, played Prissy in the The Learning Tree. S. Pearl starred in the TV movies Hollow Image and Minstrel Man. She creates cultural art for the eye, ear and heart, including two poetry w/jazz CDs (Higher Ground, On The Sharp Side), short stories (Uncertain Rituals), and the popular Black Women For Beginners. Her work broadcast on NPR and Pacifica Radio is collected in The Evening News – Essays And Commentaries From NPR And Other Clouds. Influenced by Parks, S. Pearl’s award-winning documentary films include The Healing Passage/Voices From The Water which aired on The Documentary Channel. She offers creativity coaching through The Gate Is Open.
Graham, Perry and Sharp will be honored at a dinner at the River Room in Fort Scott, KS on Saturday, October 5th. Ticket information and the full schedule will be posted on the website gordonparkscenter.org. For more information email: [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
A full century of uninterrupted service to students and community will be celebrated by Fort Scott Community College—the oldest continually operating community college in Kansas— this fall with several special events.
On Monday, September 9, the college will commemorate the first day that 15 college students first met on the second floor of the Fort Scott High School building. The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. with an assembly in the Ellis Fine Arts Center and a tree dedication. A free lunch will be served north of the Ellis Fine Arts Center, followed by an aerial photograph.
The Centennial Celebration continues on Friday, September 20, with dinner at the River Room, located at 3 West Oak in Fort Scott. The night begins with a meet-and-greet starting at 6:30 p.m. followed by heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar at 7 p.m. Then at 8 p.m. a live band will perform. The cost for the evening’s activities is $10.00 per person and reservations must be made by September 1. Tickets may be purchased by calling Cindy Proctor at 620.223.2700, extension 0, or through the Centennial Facebook page.
On Saturday, September 21, there will be a tailgate party south of Frary Field, prior to the Homecoming Game which kicks off at 7 p.m. Free hot dogs, hamburgers, and chips will be available. The Kansas Army National Guard will provide a Blackhawk flyover and a cannon that will be fired for every touchdown scored by the FSCC Greyhounds. Halftime will feature the crowning of the homecoming queen and an appearance of the FSCC National Winning Football Champions and their coach, Dick Foster.
Everyone is invited to attend all of the events as FSCC celebrates a century of students first and community always!
Workers are needed across the state to fill workforce needs.
The Kansas State Board of Education, working with Kansas legislators, are providing the opportunity for juniors in high school, including Fort Scott, to take assessments to help fill those workforce needs.
The title of the program is ACT Work Ready Community and is paid for by Kansas legislators in collaboration with the state board of education.
Students are offered two assessments for the program and can either take the ACT, or ACT WorkKeys, or both.
The program facilitators are hoping to fill job vacancies in Bourbon County.
“An opportunity was seen to provide a connection for local Bourbon County employers to gain understanding of the ACT and the ACT WorkKeys assessment to help fill and build their workforce,” USD 234 Superintendent Ted Hessong said. “The opportunity for juniors to take the ACT assessments will continue this school year and for years to come.”
A career readiness certificate can be earned, after taking an assessment, which will help to evaluate future employees for the workforce skills needed.
The program allows employers to use it as a tool to see if the skills set will work for their need.
“ACT Work Ready Community is a program to provide Bourbon County the distinction of a county where the employers recognize the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate earned upon completion of taking the ACT WorkKeys assessment, as a tool to evaluate future employees,” Hessong said.
The basis of the certification: current and future workers earn the certificate and the employers recognize the credential.
“Employers can be the fuel to drive successful state and county Work Ready Communities initiatives simply by recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®. And in doing so, they will have a more qualified workforce ready to fill their jobs,” according to the ACT Work Ready Communities website.
“The foundation of a community’s certification is based on individuals at the county level across the current, transitioning and emerging workforce, earning an ACT® WorkKeys® National Career Readiness Certificate®…and employers recognizing the ACT® WorkKeys® NCRC®,” Hessong said. “(It) is a portable, industry-recognized credential that clearly identifies an individual’s WorkKeys® skills in workplace documents, applied math, and graphic literacy.”
A collaboration of local entities and employers will have two years to start reaching goals for the program.
“The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Bourbon County Economic Development, USD 234, Fort Scott Community College, and Bourbon County employers will have two years to attain goals set by ACT Work Ready in order to be recognized as an ACT Work Ready Community,” Hessong said.
