|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Category Archives: Fort Scott
A Coummunity Evening: Watch the Pinewood Derby
Fort Scott Cub Pack 114 is having its annual Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 12 from 6-9 p.m. at Memorial Hall, Third Street and National Avenue.
This year to beef up community attendance, Scoutmaster Seth Needham is hosting a Corporate Pinewood Derby.
“It will be a night of fun and racing,” Needham said. “The Pinewood Derby is an annual scout event where we design, build, and race pinewood derby cars,” Needham, said. “Pinewood Derby cars are small-scale cars made from wooden blocks, carved and cut for unique designs, and then raced down a special track. They are powered 100% by gravity, so the design is very important, and something the scouts work hard on.”
Needham decided to make this year’s race a community event because the scouts do work so hard on their cars.
“I wanted the community to have a chance to come and cheer them on,” he said. “The scouts give back a lot to the community through various projects, so it’s nice to have an event that can bring the community out to see them.”
“The corporate race is open to local businesses and organizations,” he said. “So far, I have about 10 different businesses signed up, and they are all really excited. Also, the sheriff’s office and the city of Fort Scott will have cars entered.”
Key Apparel is sponsoring the derby by providing prizes for the fastest cars, and best designs, he said.
The corporate derby has a cost of $25 that includes one derby car kit, registration for the race, and one meal ticket, he said. Extra meal tickets are $10. Companies can register more than one car, too.
1st and 2nd place will be awarded for both categories, and the prizes are $150 and $100 gift certificates to purchase items online from Key Apparel.
“The design contest will be judged by a panel of judges,” Needham said. “Currently, Lindsay Madison from the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Kevin “Skitch” Allen, and Kelley Zellner, city manager, are our judges.”
Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. for race contestants and their guests.
Each company that registers gets one meal ticket, and extra meal tickets are available for $10.
“If people want to come and just watch the race, we will charge $5 entry,” he said “All proceeds will go directly to Cub Scout Pack 114.”
“I decided to do the derby as a fundraiser because so many people have fond memories of these races when they were scouts,” he said. “Anytime scouts are brought up in conversation, the first thing people want to talk about is their experience with the pinewood derby.”
The Corporate Pinewood Derby
“Area companies are invited to design and decorate a car, race, and have dinner with the scouts,” he said. “You can be as creative as you want with the design of your car, as long as it complies with the official scout pinewood derby rules.”
The cost to compete in the Corporate Derby is $25 per car, and each registration will include the following:
- 1 BSA approved Pinewood Derby Car Kit
- 1 dinner ticket
- Area to display your car and company literature before and after the race.
- Features on our Facebook page.
Agenda for the Event
Check-in will begin at 5 p.m. with the official scout races starting at 6 p.m., and company races will start immediately after.
Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Additional meal tickets can be purchased for $10 before the event, or $15 the night of the event.
Please make checks payable to BSA Pack 114.
Key Apparel has donated gift certificates with prizes from their business website, which is www.keyapparelstore.com
Prizes will be awarded for the following categories.
- Speed: 1st place $150, 2nd place $100
- Design: 1st place $150, 2nd place $100.
If your business would like to register, please contact Needham at (620) 215 6934, or send an email to [email protected].
“Upon registration and payment, you will receive your pinewood derby car kit and a copy of the rules,” he said. “Also, be sure to follow BSA Pack 114 on Facebook for tips and tricks that you can use to make your car faster.”
Needham provided the rules of the derby:
RULES FOR BUILDING YOUR PINEWOOD DERBY CAR
BSA’s Pinewood Derby Car Building Rules
All cars must pass the following inspection to qualify for the race:
- Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
- Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
- Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
- Axles, wheels, and bodies shall be from the materials provided in the kit.
- Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
- No lubricating oil may be used. Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or silicone.
- The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
- The car must be free-wheeling, with no starting devices.
- No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.
- A double-elimination method is used to determine the winner.
This method uses a “winner’s bracket” system that begins with every car filling one spot. At the end of each heat, the winning car advances to the next level of the winner’s bracket while the other cars are entered in the loser’s bracket. Those cars then race against one another, with the winners of each heat advancing. The final car of each of the two brackets competes with the other for first place.
Each judge will give each car a score of 1-10, with 10 being the best. The car with the highest score wins.
T-Mobile Opens Storefront in Fort Scott Jan. 28
This Friday a T-Mobile wireless network store opens in Fort Scott in the strip mall on South Main Street.
The store is located in the former Cash 2 Go storefront at 2400 S. Main and has 1,300 square feet for the sales floor.
The hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. They have seven employees.
January 28, 2022, is the soft opening date, with a grand opening in the future.
The store’s phone number is 620.644.0347.
Why Fort Scott?
“T-Mobile is the leader in 5g, bringing cellular service to the entire nation,” said Scott Hunsaker, manager of the Fort Scott store.
“T-Mobile wants to service communities that have been historically dis-served within the cellular community,” Hunsaker said. “Fort Scott was chosen because of its geographic location and the City of Fort Scott had been approved to receive a $50,000 Hometown Grant. This gave us a reason to invest here.”
To view the prior story on the Fort Scott Hometown Grant:
T-Mobile Awards Green Space Grant and Will Open New Retail Store in Fort Scott
T-Mobile History
T-Mobile US, Inc. is a wireless network whose headquarters are located in Bellevue, Washington, and Overland Park, Kansas.
“When we purchased Sprint, Overland Park became our second corporation headquarters on August 2, 2020,” Hunsaker said.
T-Mobile had a record high, 5.5 million customers, in 2021, according to the company’s website.
Timken Hiring Event Jan. 28-29
|
|
|
|
|
FS Commissioners Gather On Jan. 31 at 401 Woodland Hills
There will be a gathering of City Commissioners at 401 Woodland Hills Boulevard, Fort Scott, Kansas at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 31st, 2022 in the McAuley Room. Even though a majority of Commissioners may be present, no City business will be conducted.
Fort Scott City Special Meeting Jan. 27, 5 p.m.
There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 27th, 2022. This meeting will be held to consider the execution and delivery of an agreement to release and assign the City’s Opioid claims to the Kansas Attorney General.
This meeting will be held at 123 S. Main Street in the City Commission meeting room and will be broadcast on the City’s you tube channel.
Agenda for USD234 Board of Education Special Meeting Jan. 28
The meeting is at noon in the board office, 424 S. Main on January 28.
1. Open the meeting
2. Flag Salute
3. Consider property and casualty insurance quotes
4. Set ESSER III Community Conversation dates and times
5. Executive session – to discuss personnel matters for nonelected personnel
6. Consider employment
7. Adjourn
Shop local retailers celebrating Kansas Day, January 29th, 2022
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces participating retailers that will be offering a shopping promotion to celebrate Kansas Day on Saturday, January 29th. Patrons wearing apparel with Kansas or a sunflower will receive 10% off their purchase. Participating stores will have a Kansas Day poster in their place of business.
Kansas Day commemorates The Sunflower State being the 34th state to enter the Union in 1861. The Chamber encourages shoppers to celebrate Kansas Day and thank a local store owner for doing business in our great state.
In addition to this local shopping promotion organized by the Chamber, Kansas Tourism invites Kansans to Give a Toast to the Sunflower State on Kansas Day and post their own tribute to the 34th state to social media using the hashtag #ToTheStarsKS Contact the Chamber for more information at 620-223-3566.
Chamber Coffee hosted by the Friends of Fort Scott NHS
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee this Thursday, January 27th at 8 a.m. hosted by Friends of Fort Scott NHS.
It will be held at First United Methodist Church in the Fellowship Hall, located at 301 S National Ave. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site’s mission is to be a friend of the National Historic Site and their primary purpose is to support the National Historic Site in a partnership through activities that may include fundraising, volunteerism, education, advocacy and research. To do that they need to raise funds and they raise funds through their Flag Subscription Program.
They are kicking off their 2022 Flag Subscription Program in January.
For the last three years, they have put a full size flag in front of the homes of subscribers for the 5 flag holidays — Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Veteran’s Day.
Any member business or organization wanting to host Chamber Coffee in 2022 is encouraged to contact the Chamber to save a date by calling 620-223-3566 or emailing [email protected].
***
City and County Combine Tourism
In a continuing effort by Bourbon County and the City of Fort Scott leadership to combine services, the city’s tourism department will come under the Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc.
Jackson Tough, the City of Fort Scott’s Tourism Director moved his office into the Bourbon County REDI office at Landmark Bank today.
“The city commission voted, this month, to move their tourism (department) over to Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc.,” Rob Harrington, REDI director said. “Jackson Tough will remain a city employee.”
Funding Is From Bed Tax
The city’s tourism department is funded through a Transient Guest Tax, Harrington said. “Any money left from the transient guest tax, after the administrative stuff, payroll, FICA, and any incumbrances…will come to REDI for marketing.”
The transient guest tax, commonly known as the “bed tax,” is imposed by a city or county on transient guests of hotels, motels, and tourist courts, according to 2006-022 | 9/1/2006 | Kansas Attorney General Opinion (washburnlaw.edu) The purpose of the tax is to provide revenue “to promote tourism and conventions.”
“Convention and tourism promotion,” is defined as follows, according to the website:
“‘Convention and tourism promotion’ means: (1) Activities to attract visitors into the community through marketing efforts, including advertising, directed to at least one of the five basic convention and tourism market segments consisting of group tours, pleasure travelers, association meetings and conventions, trade shows and corporate meetings and travel; and (2) support of those activities and organizations which encourage increased lodging facility occupancy.”
The guest tax has been in force in Fort Scott since Jan. 1, 2014 and is 6 percent, according to Transient Guest Tax Rates and Filers (ksrevenue.gov)
REDI To Provide Oversight
“I’ll oversee the funds to see they are being used appropriately, for what they are supposed to be,” Harrington said.
“Tourism will be under REDI jurisdiction, we’ll be responsible for tourism marketing,” he said. ”
“We are trying to not duplicate services at the county and city levels,” he said. “Just because it doesn’t affect local taxpayers, it does have an effect on tax funds collected from the transient guest tax, which should be efficiently spent.”
Combined Services
The city and county officials have been working together in economic development, finance management, and human resource services, in recent years, to share resources. Tourism will now be a shared service.
The Washateria Revamps Community Closet Ministry
Carol Oakleaf and Lori Lovelace, owners of Fort Scott Washateria, 501 S. National Avenue, started the Fort Scott Community Closet when they opened the laundromat in September 2019.
Recently they have been revamping their clothes-give-away operations to be more accessible to the people of Fort Scott.
“After Saturday, Jan 29th, we will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday,” Lovelace said. “Those interested in finding clothing or household linens and bedding can sign in at the laundromat front desk and will be able to go into the closet and pick out needed items.”
“We will have bags at the front desk to put items in after sign out,” she said. “As always, our items are donated by the people of Fort Scott and are available to all in need.”
“We will be open on Saturday, Jan 29th as we are finishing up the retooling and welcome all who wish to come by,” Lovelace said. “We have a good selection of coats and cold weather items as well as clothing and bedding.”
“Thank you to all of the people who have donated,” Lovelace said.
“We started the Community Closet when we opened the Washateria in September 2019 because there was limited availability for obtaining donated clothing for folks since Beacon( a local helping agency) had ceased taking clothing donations,” she said. “We thought that a laundromat was a logical place, as we wash the clothes and we have a large outreach within the community.”
The clothes and bedding are free to those in need.
Then In March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic hit.
“While the laundromat has remained open as an essential service, we limited access to the closet, taking requests over the phone and gathering clothes for people to pick up at the laundromat,” she said.
“We are ready to move out of the COVID restrictions and the number of calls has increased, making it difficult to keep up,” Lovelace said. “So, we have redesigned the closet for folks to be able to come to the laundromat, sign in and go to the closet to gather clothing and household linens as needed during the closet open hours.”
She said they have had a large number of items donated and are trying out the self-service idea.
“The kick-off is Saturday, Jan 29th and we will see how it works,” she said. “Our mission has always been to be a middleman for a flow of items from folks willing to donate to folks in need and we have been learning how the best way to efficiently do that over the past two years.”
Fort Scott Washateria Services
“Fort Scott Washateria continues to provide a clean place for people to do their laundry and we have been doing a lot of laundry in our Wash/Dry/Fold Service,” she said. “We still have free pick and delivery for the WDF service including hotels and campgrounds in the area and we provide commercial laundry service to local businesses.”
“We have some new promotions and services set up for this year, stay tuned for more information on those,” Lovelace said.
The laundromat is open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.
“We also starch and press, steam, and do some limited alterations,” she said.
Rules for the Community Closet
“The rules for the closet are, for folks looking for items, to sign in at the front desk and when they are done looking to come back in for a sack and to sign out,” Lovelace said. “We ask for respect in going through the items, returning them to their tubs and shelves so the next folks can easily find what they need.”
To Donate
For people interested in donating, they accept clothing, bedding, and coats.
“We can’t handle shoes or items other than the clothing due to space limitations,” she said. “You just have to bring your items to the front desk in bags, boxes or loose, we will take care of them from there. We take donations during all hours the laundromat is open.”
Lori Lovelace can be contacted through the laundromat Facebook page, phone-620-644-9834, [email protected], or [email protected]
FSHS Homecoming Court Announced
2nd row: Amanda Emmerson, Jenny Heckman, Alaenah Michaud, Alyssa Smith, Ashley Smith Back row: Dryden Cosens, Luke Goldston, Neil Gugnani, Trent Peck, Eli Williams. Submitted photo.
The Fort Scott High School Homecoming King and Queen will be announced Friday night between the Lady Tiger Varsity and Boys Varsity games.
Saturday night is Winter Formal!
The dance will be held at the high school auxiliary gym, from 7:30 until 10:30 p.m. Saturday.
Mitch Barker will be taking pictures.
Submitted by Bert Lewis, Fort Scott High School Student Council Sponsor, Senior & Junior Class Sponsor, Key Club Sponsor, Ed Rising Sponsor, and Scholars’ Bowl Coach