Category Archives: Fort Scott

Bourbon County, Entertainment, Fort Scott

Friday Free Concert: Lita and Mike Miller

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Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians, May 2019.

This Friday Night Free Concert at the Heritage Pavilion, First and Main Street, will feature Lita and Mike Miller from the Bronson area.

“Lita does vocals and plays the bass,” said Ralph Carlson, coordinator for the weekly summer event.  “Mike is also vocals and guitar. This husband-wife team is one of the favorite groups that we have.”

“They will feature Gospel and hymns,” Carlson said. “This couple, with their approach to the message of Christian music,  represent the essence of our hometown and what we stand for. The show starts at 7 pm.”

Bring your own lawn chair, as seating is limited.

In the event of rain or other bad weather, the show will be moved to The Common Grounds Coffee Shop, 12 E. Wall.

Business, Fort Scott

Bartelsmeyer Jewelry Moves Downtown This Month

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Bartelsmeyer Jewelry, 1519 S. National.
Bartelsmeyer Jewelry is moving from1519 South National Avenue to  22 North Main Street in downtown Fort Scott, on June 18.
Bartelsmeyer Jewelry, 22 N. Main Street.
“In February 2014, my wife Cindy and I purchased 22 North Main in downtown Fort Scott,” owner John Bartelsmeyer said. “Cindy had a dream of renovating the upstairs into a loft apartment that we could enjoy as we move towards our retirement years.”
“Now that we are moved into our apartment, we have enjoyed watching the new growth and life these past few years have brought to Fort Scott’s historic downtown area,” he said. “We are so excited to help continue this revitalization as we move our storefront back to Main street. We hope that the Fort Scott community is as excited as we are and will continue to be supportive of all our downtown business!”
“We are planning for our first day open at the new store to be June 18, 2021,” he said.
A sign on the door of the newly renovated space at 22 N. Main,  the site of the new Bartelsmeyer Jewelry store.
“We are planning to sell the store at 1519 S. National after we have moved to the new 22 North Main location,” he said. “We hope that the new business owners will enjoy this building as much as we have!”
A History of the Jewelry Store
“Our jewelry store has been in business operating under the name Bartelsmeyer Jewelry since 1963,” John Bartelsmeyer said. “However, our store was first opened under the name ‘F Whiles Jewelry & Watches’ in 1904. The store was later purchased by Ova Newberry who grew up with my father, M. H ‘Bart’ Bartelsmeyer. “
“They learned the watchmaking trade together as young men,” Bartelsmeyer said.  “Mr. Newberry asked my father to come and help him get caught up in 1939. My dad was on his way to go to work in Denver. He came to Fort Scott to help Ova, but they never got caught up. My father stayed and worked with Ova until he died in 1963.”
“Ova’s wife sold my dad the business and it became Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,” he said.
John Bartelsmeyer is the owner and bench jeweler of Bartelsmeyer Jewelry. Submitted photo.
Cindy Bartelsmeyer, and her husband John, are the owners of the business. Submitted photo.
Krysta Hulbert is the store manager. Submitted photo.
Jenna Bond is a sales associate. Submitted photo.
Emily Farrington is a sales associate. Submitted photo.
Anna Laubenstein is a sales associate. Submitted photo.
Employees currently are John Bartelsmeyer-owner and bench jeweler, Cindy Bartelsmeyer-owner, Krysta Hulbert-store manager,
Jenna Bond-sales associate, Emily Farrington-sales associate, Anna Laubenstein-sales associate,  and Julie Kibble-sales associate.
 
Bourbon County, Business, Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening in Fort Scott! June 4th Weekly Newsletter

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It’s Good Ol’ Days Festival Weekend
in Fort Scott!
Click here for schedule.
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
________________
6/3 thru 6/6 – Midwest Showcase Tournament I @ LaRoche Baseball Complex. Clickhere to see more details about this event.
GOOD OL’ DAYS FESTIVAL
VENDOR STREET FAIR & FOOD TRUCKS
DOWNTOWN BOTH FRIDAY NIGHT & ALL DAY SATURDAY!
PLUS – MUCH MORE BELOW!
Vendor Booths & Food Trucks are Friday 5-10pm and Saturday 9am-6pm (addtl. vendors on Sat.)
6/4 – Good Ol’ Days Chicken Dinner |4:30~6pm. Tickets needed to be purchased ahead of time.
6/4 – Good Ol’ Days Parade celebrating 40 Years of Family, Friends & Fun, 6pm! Following the traditional parade route, 6th & Main to Wall, west to National Ave., south to 6th St.
6/4 – After the parade – Pioneer Harvest Tractor Display, 3rd & Main St. by Landmark Bank, AND Saturday from 9am to 6pm.
6/4 – Red Garter Saloon Show, 7pm, 3rd & Main ~ AND all day Saturday on the hour from 10am to 5pm.
6/4 – 3rd Annual Cornhole Tournament, 7pm, Fisher Park South Ballfield, 5th & Main St.
6/4 – Live Music & Street Dance featuring The Wayward Betty’s, 7-10pm, 1st & Main at Heritage Park Pavilion, bring a lawn chair.
6/4 – Live Music @ Boiler Room Brewhaus featuring Sarah Loethen, 7-9pm, corner of Wall & National Ave.
6/4 – Outdoor Movie Night featuring Grease, Skubitz Plaza at dusk.
6/5 – Farmers’ Market, Wall & Scott St.
6/5 – Dragoon Charge 5K Run or Walk, Frary Stadium (9th & Main), click here for info.
6/5 – Pony Rides, 9am-7pm on Skubitz Plaza.
6/5 – Tye Dyed T-Shirt Making, 9am-1pm on Skubitz Plaza.
6/5 – Baby Contest, 10am, Memorial Hall, Registration starts at 9am.
6/5 – Caricatures, 10am-2pm, Skubitz Plaza.
6/5 – Kids Fun Area on Skubitz Plaza 10am to 2pm, Bounce Houses, Wrecking Ball, Radical Run, and Hippo Chow Down (hungry hippo).
6/5 – Petting Zoo, 1st & Scott St., $5 entry fee.
6/5 – Zip Line, Wall St. between National & Main.
6/5 – Trolley Rides, 50-minute narrated tours of Historic Fort Scott, leave on the hour from the Chamber, 231 E. Wall St., 10am to 2pm (last tour at 2pm).
6/5 – Balloonist, 12pm to 4pm.
6/5 – Street Dance & Live music featuring Charlie & Julia Barrale, 7-10pm, 1st & Main at Heritage Park Pavilion, bring a lawn chair.
6/5 – Outdoor Movie Night featuring Twister, Skubitz Plaza at dusk, bring a lawn chair or blanket, concessions available.
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Additional Events this Weekend!
6/3 to 6/6 – Midwest Showcase Baseball Tournament, LaRoche Baseball Complex.
6/5 – Garage Sale to benefit Fulton Community Center Maintenance, 8am to 2pm.
6/5 – FSHS Tiger Baseball Golf Tournament, 8am, Woodland Hills Golf Course.
6/5 – Livestock Sale @ Fort Scott Livestock Market, 10am.
6/5 & 6/6 – Hollister Shooting Range Open for Shooting, Sat. 1-4pm, Sunday noon-5pm.
6/7 – Museum of Creativity Open Play Session, 10am-2pm, 102 S. National Ave, click here.
6/7 – Meeting for anyone interested in learning more about planning for the BKRT ~ Big Kansas Road Trip, 2pm, Common Ground Loading Dock Area, BKRT coming to Bourbon, Crawford & Cherokee Counties May 2022.
6/8 – Congressman LaTurner Staff Mobile Office Hours, anyone welcome, City Hall, 3:30-4:30pm.
6/10 – Recycled Plant Container Swap @ Bids & Dibs, 5:30pm, click here for more info.
Save the Date for Lavender Fest!
Saturday, June 19th
Click here for info.!
SHOPPING ~ SUPPORT LOCAL!
Downtown Fort Scott is booming!
Click here for Chamber member
specialty shopping & other retail in
Downtown & other areas of the community.
Fort Scott Area
Chamber of Commerce
620-223-3566
In This Issue
Chamber Highlights
Click here for our
Membership Directory.
We THANK our members for their support! Interested in joining the Chamber?
Click here for info.
Thinking of doing business in or relocating to Fort Scott?
Contact us for a relocation packet, information on grants & incentives, and more!
Seeking a job/career?
We post a Job of the Day daily on our Facebook page, distribute a monthly job openings flyer, and post jobs on our website.
Many opportunities available!
Housing needs?
Click here for a listing of our Chamber member realtors.
Click here for our rental listing.
FITNESS FOR EVERYONE IN FS!
Many fitness options are available…
SPIN classesnow offered bySmallville Athletics, every Mon & Wed at 5:15 pm, and Tu & Thurs at 6 pm. $5/class or $50/mo. unlimited.
Total Body Fitness ~ M & W Karen Reinbolt at BRCC@
8:15 am $20/8 week session.
Zumba~ M,W, F @ 6pm Monalynn Decker at BRCC $40 for a 12-week session.
Indoor Fitness/Gyms at
I AM Rehab + Fitness, Smallville Athletics, and Buck Run!
THANK YOU TO OUR CHAMBER BOOSTER MEMBERS!
Church news, Fort Scott

FS Aglow Lighthouse Meeting June 10

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Fort Scott Aglow Lighthouse welcomes guest speaker, Patty McCullough, Thursday, June 10th, 2021.
Patty lives in Pittsburg, KS, with her husband of 45 years. They have two children and five grandchildren. Patty is a Christian artist in painting and music.
In 2013 she studied and graduated from Zola Levitt Institute of Jewish Studies. She attends Open Door Fellowship in Pittsburg and serves in the music ministry.
Come and hear about the Jewish Foundations of our Christian Faith and the Feasts of the Lord.
Guests are welcome to visit our Lighthouse monthly gathering at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 10th in the conference room of Fort Scott Inn, 101 State Street.
This is an interdenominational ministry opportunity for women, men and youth to worship, pray, fellowship and grow in unity. The goal of Aglow International is: Every nation touched, every heart changed.
Our Lighthouse desires the body of Christ to come together to meet the needs of those that cannot speak for themselves in Bourbon County. For more information contact Amanda Gilmore at (620) 215-0418 or Bob Reazin at (620) 363-0257.
Fort Scott

The Gordon Parks Museum partners with KEY Industries, Inc. for Museum Apparel

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The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College, recently joined forces with local clothing company, KEY Industries, Inc., to develop The Gordon Parks Museum new line of apparel and easy-to use- website. The Gordon Parks Museum will still continue to carry apparel and souvenirs on-hand, but now anyone can go online and order or even customize their favorite Gordon Parks Museum souvenir using pre-made designs in the design library.

KEY Industries, Inc. located locally in Fort Scott, KS, has been in the clothing and merchandise business since 1908. They carry everything from hats to jackets, coveralls to polo’s and have numerous partnerships across the nation. The Gordon Parks Museum is looking forward to be able to allow the public to easily access their Gordon Parks Museum merchandise whenever they want, from wherever they are.

“This has been very long time goal to provide online access to some of our merchandise from the Museum. This will allow visitors from all over to be able to easily obtain Gordon Parks Museum souvenirs. This also gives us the great opportunity to not only provide apparel online, but to expand our line of apparel with new and creative graphic designs. We are very excited for this new partnership with KEY Industries, Inc.” said Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum Director.

To access the website for your Gordon Parks Museum merchandise, you can go to http://www.gordonparkscenter.org/ and click “Museum Shop” in the top right-hand corner or go to https://www.gordonparksmuseumshop.keyapparelstore.com/.

For more information about the site, contact The Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700 ext. 5850 or visit www.gordonparkscenter.org.

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Fort Scott, Government

Rachel Pruitt Brings Lawsuit Against The City of Fort Scott

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Rachel Pruitt

 

Fortscott.biz is presenting the information of the lawsuit filed by Rachel Pruitt in March 2021 against the City of Fort Scott.

This is the plaintiff, Pruitt’s, document filed in court:

Rachel-Pruitt-v-City-of-Fort-Scott1(5)

According to court records, on May 5, 2021, the City of Fort Scott was presented with a waiver document.

“The waiver that you are referencing has nothing to do with the merits of Ms. Pruitt’s claims,” according to Forest Rhodes, a partner with Foulston Siefkin, Wichita,  who was the referral to contact given from the City of Fort Scott.  “It is simply a procedural tool that allows the plaintiff to avoid having to engage someone to formally serve the complaint on the City.  In a nutshell, the City has agreed to voluntarily accept service of the Complaint, which also allows it to avoid the potential of having service costs imposed against it.”

“In terms of next steps, later this month the City will file an Answer that responds to the allegations in the Complaint,” Foulston said in an email.  “Sometime after the Answer has been filed the Court will set a scheduling conference in order to establish a schedule for the case.”

Pruitt has requested a trial by jury, according to the March 21 document.

“It’s too early to know when a trial might be scheduled but the various litigation activities that occur prior to trial often take as much as a year or more, so it’s unlikely that any trial would be scheduled before Summer 2022, although that’s all subject to the court’s determination.”

Bourbon County, Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott

Good Ol’ Days Update: Free Bounce Houses

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Shawn O’Brien, president of the Good Ol’ Days Stearing Committee has some good news and some bad news.

“Bad news- our carnival had to cancel due to staffing issues,” he said. “We have been very fortunate to get bounce houses to place on the grassy area north of the blockhouse,  east of Luther’s BBQ (at Oak and National Avenue).  The bounce houses will be free for all kids. There is a wide variety for all ages. Come check them out.”

The 40th annual Fort Scott event continues on with a parade, foods galore, talent and baby contests, live music, vendors lining Main Street, displays, tournaments, a petting zoo, a zip line, balloonist, and Friday and Saturday street dances- something for everyone.

In addition, there are other freebies:

Vendors lined Main Street in 2017.
“We will have a movie night on Friday and Saturday around 8:30 p.m. at sunset at Skubitz plaza,” O’Brien said. “We will have a different movie each night and free popcorn.”
Movies chosen by a poll on the Good Ol’ Days Facebook page are “Twister” and  “Grease,” he said.
Kids can get a free t-shirt.
“We will have tye die t-shirts for the first 150 kids,” O’Brien said. ” Thanks to Modern Woodmen Insurance, Highway3 and Shirt Shack for their generosity.”
“We will also have caricature drawings and balloon artist for free,’ he said.
Check out their webpage at
www.fortscottgoodoldays.com and click on schedule.

Entertainment, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Coffee hosted by The Fort Scott Good Ol’ Day’s Committee

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The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by the Fort Scott Good Ol’ Days Committee, Thursday, June 3rd at 8 a.m. on Skubitz Plaza, Downtown Fort Scott. In case of rain we will continue under the Boardwalk at the North end of Main Street facing the Fort.

Shawn O’Brien, Chairman, and the Good Ol’ Days committee are excited to celebrate the four-decade anniversary of the Good Ol’ Days festival with the theme of 40 years of Family, Friends and Fun. 

Tickets are on sale at the Chamber of Commerce for the Good Ol’ Chicken Dinner to be held Friday, June 4th, and the Talent Show to be held Thursday, June 3rd. The Chamber is also taking entries for the Good Ol’ Days Parade planned for 6pm Friday, June 4th. The full schedule of events may be found on the festival website fortscottgoodoldays.com.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served along with door prizes.

Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.

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Entertainment, Fort Scott, Government

New FS Tourism Manager: Jackson Tough

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Jackson Tough. Submitted photo.
W. Jackson Tough, 52, is the new Fort Scott Tourism Manager.
 
“I have some commitments related to my position as the El Dorado Springs, Missouri Chamber of Commerce CEO/Executive Director so I will be full-time as of Monday, June 21,” Tough said. “However, I do plan to attend some functions and meetings to immerse myself into the new position before the start date.”
“I’ve spent quite a bit of time around Fort Scott the past two and a half years since my wife, Michele Love Tough is a life-long resident,” he said. “We reside just south of town, adjacent to the family farm near her parents, Bob and Joyce Love.”
“I’ve spent many years in marketing and promotion, from broadcast media in Springfield to promoting businesses and communities in a rural area.,” Tough said.” I’m a native of El Dorado Springs, Missouri which is just about thirty-six miles east of Fort Scott.”

Tough has been the CEO / Executive Director at El Dorado Springs, MO Chamber of Commerce – from September 2012 to June 2021.

“As the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, I was deeply involved in our community on many levels,” he said.” I participated on many boards and committees; Discover More on Route 54 which promotes the US Highway 54 corridor from Jefferson City to Nevada, the Opera House Theater board which is about maintaining the historic theater and promotion of the arts (especially for our youth), the El Dorado Springs R-2 Schools Capital Improvements Committee, the Spring City Revitalization Group as well as all of the committees through the chamber organization.
“I really look forward to taking an active role in Fort Scott as well!”

“I developed professional networks, created marketing plans for our organization and community, and united business and community leaders,” Tough said. “Along with our members and staff, I developed and coordinated community events including National Day of Prayer, Clean-Up El Do Campaign, Annual Excellence in El Dorado Springs Awards Gala and coordinated monthly chamber luncheons for 50-60 attendees.”

“I also developed and implemented tourism activities, attractions, and events including Patriot Parkway – forty-eight US flags (on 48 utility poles) along a one mile stretch of US Highway 54 in El Dorado Springs, Spring City-Wide Sale, Labor Day Weekend 100 Mile Sale from Camdenton to Nevada, Spring City Spooktacular is a Halloween event that draws hundreds to the community, Christmas Parade, Lighting Celebration, and our annual Holiday Expo among others.”

“I Initiated and coordinated community betterment projects, published a weekly e-newsletter, and I’m the primary administrator for our social media and press releases,” he said.

Before that, he was the marketing and events director for Spring City Revitalization Group (El Dorado Springs, MO) from October 2006 to August 2012.

In this job he developed and coordinated marketing and events for downtown revitalization including grants, an annual chili cook-off, summer concert series, and more, he said.

 

From 1999 to 2005 Tough was the station and sales manager for Clear Channel Communications (Springfield, MO).

In this position, he designed marketing strategies and promotional events with staff on behalf of clients to increase their business revenue and market share, as well as managed daily sales operations for US97 and ESPN 1400. He was also an on-air personality and voiceover production.

Tough attended El Dorado Springs, MO R-2 Schools, and Missouri State University.
Tough has a new bride, Michele Love Tough, two daughters in college, both studying in the medical field, two “bonus” daughters, one in El Dorado Springs and one in Frederick, Maryland and three grandsons.
 “I see a lot of opportunities here and I believe Fort Scott has so much to offer visitors! ” Tough said. “I know quite a bit about the community but I also believe I bring “fresh eyes” to the community and to our tourism.”