Category Archives: Fort Scott

What’s Happening in Fort Scott! April 23rd Weekly Newsletter

What’s Happening in Fort Scott!
April 23rd Weekly Newsletter
Would you like to Donate for the Silent Auction?
Give us a call!
Fort Scott Chamber 620.223.3566
Great advertisement
for your business or
organization!
Chamber Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration
Thursday, April 29th
Last call for reservations!
Make yours today!
UPCOMING CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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April until 30th ~ Poetry Contest hosted by Hedgehog.INK Bookstore. Click here to learn more about submission rules and deadlines.
4/23 – Friday Night Karaoke at The Boiler Room! 7 PM. The Boiler Room Brewhaus.2 S. National Ave.
Downtown Spring Clean Event (POSTPONED) until May 19th. Community volunteers welcome, contact Bailey Lyons, Chamber Downtown Division Chair, if interested in volunteering or you have project ideas, 620-224-7795.
4/23 -620 Baggerz Friday Night Cornhole League3-6pm until 11 pm. Anyone welcome!
River Room is not available this Friday, so this week’s league will be at the home of Kenny & Destiny Allen, 1916 Maple Rd. See the Facebook group for more details:
**** Normally Cornhole League is every Friday night at the River Room Event Center, above Luther’s BBQ at 3 W. Oak St., Cash bar available.
3 Divisions of Play: Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice
$10 per event to play, 80% payback to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Winners.
4/23 | 29 – Fort Scott Cinema Showtimes Now showing Godzilla VS. Kong, Firl who believes in Miracles and Voyagers. Click here to view showtimes.
4/23-24- Livestock Sale at the Fort Scott Livestock Market, both Friday & Saturday, click here for their FB page.
4/23-24 – Trolley Tours start for the season
50-minute narrated tour of Historic Fort Scott, leaving from the Chamber & Visitor Center Fridays (11 am,12pm 1pm and 2pm) & Saturdays (10am, 11 am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm) throughout the summer. $6 adults, $4 children.
4/23 – Kick-off of the Friday Night Concerts (this week @ Common Ground Coffee Co. due to weather) 7 pm, Common Ground Coffee Co. featuring “Bourbon County Revival with DJ Brown” playing a mix of Classic Rock, Country & Gospel music.
4/24 – Pickleball open play – everyone welcome, Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave., 8 to 10am. Click here to join the Fort Scott Pickleball FB Group for future updates.
4/24 -EKTEC Rodeo in Uniontown (Eastern Kansas Timed Event Circuit) Hosted at the Uniontown Arena by the Uniontown Saddle Club
4/24 -Trolley Tours, 50-minute narrated tour of Historic Fort Scott, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm – $6 adults, $4 children 12 & under, leave from the Chamber/Visitor Center at 231 E. Wall St.
4/24 -EFSHS Talent Show & Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant, 7pm, click here for details.
4/27 – TheCity of Fort Scott presents Fort Scott Forward) Hosted at the River Room at 7:45 am, all are welcome for an update on happenings with the City of Fort Scott.
4/29 – Chamber Coffee hosted by Papa Don’s Pizza at 8 am.
4/29 – Aging with Attitude Virtual Expo, 9am-noon, click here for info.
5/1 – FSCC Graduation, congratulations to all of the graduates of Fort Scott Community College!
5/1 – Kansas Rocks Recreation Park Adopt-a-Trail Cleanup Day, visit www.ksrockspark.com for more info.
5/1 – Opening Day of Farmers’ Market, and this Saturday featuring the annual plant sale by the Bourbon County Garden Club, 8am to noon, Skubitz Plaza in front of the Fort.
5/1 – Pickleball Spring Open Tournament, click here for all the details, hosted by Fort Scott Recreation Department.
5/1 – FREE Mommy & Me event at Laree & Co., Downtown Fort Scott, 10 am, click here for details.
5/1 – Boiler Room Brewhaus features Comedy Night, click here for all the details. Juan Some Grub food truck starts at 5pm, comedy 7:30pm.
5/1-2 – Hollister Shooting Range Open, 1st & 3rd weekends of each month.
LAST CALL TO RSVP
FOR THE ANNUAL DINNER!
THURSDAY, APRIL 29TH
CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER &
AWARDS CELEBRATION
CLICK HERE FOR INFO.!
MAY 7TH & 8TH
TOWN-WIDE GARAGE SALE
IN FORT SCOTT ~ WE ARE NOW
TAKING REGISTRATIONS!
SAVE THE DATE ~ MAY 7th & 8th
SPRING TOWN-WIDE
GARAGE SALE!
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!
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BOILER ROOM BREWHAUS!
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
FORT SCOTT BUSINESSES!
REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS AD ON THE SPRING TOWN-WIDE GARAGE SALE MAP!
WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE TROLLEY TOURS HAVE STARTED FOR THE SEASON SO OUR COMMUNITY, FAMILIES, GUESTS, AND FELLOW TRAVELERS CAN EXPERIENCE OUR SPECTACULAR HISTORIC SITES OF FORT SCOTT, KS!

CHC Purchases Price Chopper Building

The Price Chopper building.

 

It’s official.

The former Price Chopper building on south Main will be developed for a new site of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Fort Scott.

CHC currently leases the former Mercy Hospital building at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

 

“The sale has been finalized including an outparcel that was once being held for another development that didn’t materialize,” Krista Postai, CEO of CHC said. “So the entire building and parking lot is ours to develop.”

CHC paid $3,625,000 for the former grocery store that sits on the main thoroughfare of Fort Scott.

 

Krista Postai. Submitted photo.

CHC Closing On Price Chopper Building April 9

 

“The outparcel was immediately off US 69, near the sign,” Postai said.   “A very large chunk of the current parking lot.”

 

The future site is in a high-traffic area of Fort Scott, on U.S. Hwy. 69, with an address of 2322 S. Main Street.

 

The medical center will be making a large investment in the community.

 

“We estimate that when it’s all complete, we’ll have a $7 to $8 million investment including renovation and diagnostic equipment,” Postai said.

 

The project will be completed in less than two years, with the expiration of CHC’s current lease with Mercy ending in December 2022.

 

“We have less than two years to get it done so we’re jumping into the design phase,” Postai said.

 

CHC will be combining the clinic, walk-in care clinic and the pharmacy into the new development at 2322 S. Main.

 

“We did invite Via Christi Ascension to join us in this project but they indicated – very graciously – that they would need more time and were opting to remain in the existing Emergency Room in the Mercy Hospital Building (at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.) which is still owned by the Mercy Health System.:

 

“As they requested, we will be donating back the land and helipad Mercy gave us behind the hospital for new construction now that we have the Price Chopper Building finalized,” she said.

 

The former Price Chopper tenant was there for two years.

 

Barry Queen, Queen’s Price Chopper, is the former tenant of the building. The property owner was  AWG, he said.  “(The property) is 40,000 sq. feet. “We closed the store in January of 2019, we had opened in December of 2017.  However, getting all the equipment out, etc. all happened in 2020.”

Allergy Clinic Coming

Also new on the horizon is a regional allergy clinic CHC will be starting this summer, she said.

“We thought Ft. Scott would be a good location for access from throughout our north and south service area,” Postai said.

 

 

DOWNTOWN SPRING CLEAN DATE RESCHEDULED AGAIN

 

The Downtown Division of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces that the new date for the Downtown Spring Clean event, again due to weather, will be Wednesday, May 19th from 3 to 6 p.m, with painting of the artistic crosswalks at Wall and Main Streets taking place throughout the day.

Since Fort Scott Community College will be out for summer break, 100-plus student volunteers will not be able to participate. Because of this, the committee is asking for additional volunteers. Materials have been secured for multiple projects planned that will immediately benefit the Downtown area and this is an opportunity to complete work prior to the annual Good Ol’ Days celebration and the height of summer tourism. Businesses, churches, civic groups, and other individuals are encouraged to donate just a few hours of time and each volunteer will receive a FREE t-shirt and dinner the day of the event.

Community members interested in volunteering may signup through Bailey Lyons, Downtown Division Chair by phone 620-224-7795 or email [email protected].

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A Little Friday Night Concerts History and D.J. Brown/ Bourbon County Revival This Friday

Ralph Carlson, left,  introduces the Friday Night Concert musicians in May, 2019. That evening it was the St. Martin’s Academy Boys Choir.
Free Friday Night Concerts were the outgrowth of the Fort Scott community’s vision for live music outdoors, downtown.
This Friday’s concert will be at Common Ground Coffee Co. at 12 E. Wall Street.  D.J. Brown and the Bourbon County Revival will be performing in the Loading Dock Room from 7 to 8 p.m.
If weather permits, this room can be opened up to the patio area of the shop, Gage Addington, the manager of the coffee shop, said. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase for attendees, he said.
The concert attendees are asked to observe social distancing, according to the long-time event coordinator, Ralph Carlson.
D.J. Brown and Bourbon County Revival. Taken from the group’s Facebook page.
“I am really pleased to get the concerts going again,” said Carlson.
Ralph Carlson introduces the Friday Night Concert at Heritage Park,  May 2019.

 

Ralph Carlson, Coordinator of the Concerts

“Ralph Carlson has been a loyal and steadfast coordinator of the concerts over the years,” Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.  “Ralph puts in a great amount of time scheduling the entertainment, finding alternate locations if bad weather, writing up press releases each week, overseeing equipment needs, and more.”
Lindsay Madison is the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
 “Ralph truly deserves most all of the credit for the Friday Night Concerts over the years,” she said.  “We are so blessed to have him in the community, not only for the concerts but for his work on housing, streets, with youth, and many other projects.  Ralph was recognized with the Mayor’s Citizenship Award in 2012 at the Chamber Annual Dinner & Awards Celebration.”
History Of The Concerts

“The Friday Night Concerts in the Park began after the Heritage Park Pavilion concept came out of the Community Visioning process back in 2007,” said Madison. “That’s when multiple key projects were conceived such as Riverfront Park, the Aquatic Center, Youth Activities Team, and the Good Neighbor Action Team. A large number of community members met several times during that period for ‘Community Conversations’ through a facilitated process with Public Square Communities and one outcome was to have a gathering park in Downtown Fort Scott where live music would be played often along with other events and activities.”

“Cheryl Adamson was on the team,” Carlson said of the original committee for concerts in the park. “Darlene and Jim Shoemaker were involved and it became my job to get the talent and coordinate the show. There were others, including the Manns.”

 

“Dean and Becky Mann, formerly of Fort Scott, were instrumental in designing and raising the funds needed for the pavilion and park area which included electricity and outlets needed for music equipment, benches, flower beds maintained by the Bourbon County Garden Club, and a beautiful clock donated by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,” Madison said. “Many community members donated to the cost of the pavilion and those donors are recognized on plaques in the park area at 1st and Main in Downtown Fort Scott.”

“I had initially helped coordinate music in various events in town for years,” Carlson said. ” Including the early years for Good Ol’ Days and Pioneer Harvest Fiesta. The team asked me to help (on the concert in the park committee).”
“It really seems like a success,” Carlson said. “Such a unique setting and so well maintained by those who tend the plantings. I have counted crowds up there, in excess of 350 people.”

 

“The Concerts have fallen under sponsorship of the Chamber since they began I believe, as the Chamber helps with organizing and promotion, and has helped with some equipment and other expenses needed in the past,” Madison said.

 

 

Info For Attendees
The concerts take place each Friday evening from 7 to 8 p.m. from mid-April through October at the Heritage Park Pavilion, at First and Main Street corner, unless an alternate location is announced due to weather.
Seating is limited at Heritage Park, so attendees are always encouraged to bring a lawn chair, and maybe a blanket.  Any entertainers interested in performing may contact Carlson or the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

Angie Kemmerer Nominated for 2021 National History Day Teacher of the Year

Angie Kemmerer. Submitted photo.

FORT SCOTT EDUCATOR NOMINATED FOR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY® TEACHER OF THE YEAR

WASHINGTON, D.C. and FORT SCOTT, KANSAS–Mrs. Angie Kemmerer, a teacher at Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas, was nominated for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award in the senior division of the National History Day (NHD) National Contest. The award is sponsored by Patricia Behring in recognition of the pivotal role teachers play in the lives of students.

Each of the 58 National History Day affiliates may nominate one high school teacher for this award, and Mrs. Kemmerer is the senior division nominee from Kansas. Every nominee for the $10,000 award is a teacher who demonstrates a commitment to engaging students in historical learning through innovative use of primary sources, implementation of active learning strategies to foster historical thinking skills, and participation in the National History Day Contest. All nominees will receive $500 as a result of their nominations.

The nominees for the Behring Award have shown a dedication to teaching that goes beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Cathy Gorn, National History Day Executive Director. “These educators are leading examples for their peers and invaluable resources for their students. I congratulate Mrs. Kemmerer on her well-deserved nomination.”

The national winner will be selected by a committee of experienced teachers and historians, and announced on Saturday, June 19, 2021, at the National History Day National Contest Awards Ceremony to be held virtually due to COVID-19. Nominees’ work must clearly illustrate the development and use of creative teaching methods that engage students in history, and help them make exciting discoveries about the past.

About National History Day® (NHD):

NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by, HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, the Crown Family Foundation, The Better Angels Society, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. For more information, visit nhd.org.

About Kansas History Day

Kansas History Day Foundation’s mission is the promotion of interest among elementary and secondary school students in history and historical research by providing the students an opportunity to compete and display publicly the results of their historical research and by rewarding them for their efforts and interests. Kansas students have a long history of success in History Day at all levels, including the national level. KHDF’s aim is to make sure that all Kansas students have the opportunity to continue this successful and winning tradition. Please visit our website for more information, kansashistoryday.org.

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FSHS Talent Show This Saturday

Fort Scott High School To Host Talent Show and Pageant

 

The annual FSHS Talent Show and Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant is this Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the FSHS Auditorium.

 

The event features singers, actors, dancers, musicians, and comedy. The first-place winner receives $50, second place earns $40, and third place takes home $30.

 

This year’s emcees are junior Thespian President Christina King and junior Thespian Secretary Jenna Stockstill. Judges include high school teachers William Hall, Reyna Valenzuela, and Sara Jackman.

 

The Miss(ter) FSHS Pageant features senior males from various high school sports and activities escorted by a senior female. They model their “sports attire” as they perform a short talent and then model their evening gowns. The contestants compete for the title based on audience response.

 

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Seating is limited and the $6 tickets must be purchased at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com. Masks are required.

Chamber Coffee hosted by Bourbon County Conservation District on April 22

 

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guest to a Chamber Coffee hosted by Bourbon County Conservation District, Thursday, April 22nd (Earth Day) at 8 a.m. will be held at inside the 4-H building at the at the Bourbon County Fair Grounds Fort Scott, KS.

Coffee, donuts, juice and snack like fruit and cheese will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing. Also, they will have the Soil Tunnel Trailer set up for everyone to view and it is part of their educational Conservation Day that happens annually.

Attendees are strongly encouraged wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

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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FS Design Review Board Meets April 21

The Design Review Board will meet on Wednesday, April 21st, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider the signage on the north and south walls at the Unsung Heroes Park and any other matters that may come up before the Board.

This meeting will be made available via the City’s you tube channel at City of Fort Scott.