Category Archives: Fort Scott

Art, Business, Fort Scott

Hobby Turned Into A Business For Carol Jones

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Carol Jones. Submitted.
Crafting started out as a hobby and became a business for Carol Jones.
Jones began her Rainbow Unicorn Boutique business at a booth in a flea market in 2018 and opened a  storefront shop downtown this month at 5 E. Wall.
The Rainbow Unicorn Boutique is located at 5 E. Wall. Submitted photo.
“I make about 80 percent of all I sell,” Jones said.
Jewelry for sale at the Rainbow Unicorn Boutique. Submitted photo.
Jones works with many different mediums for her crafting, which focuses on custom jewelry and custom kitchen towels, she said.
Submitted photo.
She uses leather (both real and faux), natural stones, semi-precious stones, stainless steel and sterling silver.
Submitted photo.
Jones also offers classes or parties including painting and wire-wrapping crafts.
Submitted photo.
She also has Easter baskets for this time of year.
Her hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday.
She can be reached by phone at 904-609-8155.
Jones is a local girl who moved to the southern U.S. for a period, but returned home.
“Many people here probably knew my parents and grandparents,” she said.  “I grew up on a farm with a huge pond near Jayhawk Road. My mom was Carol Lawson-Winship, my uncle was Charles Lawson and my grandfather was Woodrow “Pete” Lawson who had a radiator shop in Belltown.”
“I moved to Tulsa (OK)and then Savannah (GA), lived there for about 30 years and moved back due to health and wanting to be near my family, (son-Josh Jones),” she said. “My other son Dustin lives in Jax, Florida. My daughter Kendria is still in Savannah, and my youngest daughter lives in California.  I have 11 grandkids and I love to travel. Cruising is my favorite.”
Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Sprucing Up Downtown

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The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Downtown Committee 2021. Submitted photo. From left: Bailey Lyons, John Crain, Rachel French, and Angela Simon.

All participants will receive a free t-shirt, courtesy of MyOneStop. Sponsors of the event will be listed on the back of the t-shirt.

With the new calendar year also came new membership for the Fort Scott Downtown Chamber Committee.

Committee members are now Bailey Lyons, chairwoman, and owner of Lyons Realty Group; John Crain, owner of Crane Insurance Agency; Angela Simon, owner of Bids and Dibs and Angie Dawn’s Boutique; and Rachel French of W/K Holdings Company.

Each member of the Downtown Committee is also a Board Member of the local chamber of commerce.  

In February, during their first meeting of the year, the committee wasted no time in getting to work! They decided to change their 2021 focus and take the committee in a new direction – one that they hope the community will find exciting!

Chairwoman Bailey Lyons shared the board’s thoughts behind this change of focus. “In the past, this committee has mainly helped with retail promo events downtown, but Lindsay Madison and Rita Schroeder of the Chamber are now handling those,” Lyons said.  She explained that since Madison and Schroder have done such a good job in this area, it makes sense for the 2021 Downtown Committee to choose a different focus.“We are trying to redirect our efforts on tangible projects that will make a positive impact, while continuing to support the retail efforts.” she said.

DOWNTOWN SPRING CLEAN

The first new thing to come of this committee is a plan to host a downtown clean-up day periodically, the first of which is slated to take place on Friday, April 16th starting at 3:00.

The group has identified many projects which they plan to tackle, such as re-striping the parking spaces, implementing “artistic crosswalks”, cleaning off and repainting benches and trashcans, clearing parking lots and sidewalks of dirt and debris, washing windows in vacant buildings, and much more.

In addition to this list, they are open to suggestions from the community, so if you have an idea of something that would make the downtown area more esthetically appealing, please share that idea with Bailey Lyons as soon as possible, as she is organizing for labor and materials. Lyons can be reached via call or text at 620.224.7795. 

The downtown committee welcomes and encourages volunteer laborers for the  April 16th Spring Clean.

They intentionally scheduled the event at the end of the workweek in hopes that area employers – especially those with a presence downtown – would allow some of their employees to participate in the event as community service.

Lyons says to let her know if you, or your organization, would like to help with these efforts, so that she can plan enough projects to keep everyone busy, and enough materials to get the job done. 

She said that she and her fellow committee members “have lofty goals for this event, but are hopeful the old adage ‘many hands make light work’ will play out and everyone’s collective efforts will produce an immediate visible change in the historic downtown area.”

IMPROVED HOLIDAY DECOR

The second new item to come from the downtown committee is a plan to adopt a project which they will focus their attention on each year.

The project they have identified for 2021 is the improvement of the downtown Christmas decor, and as such, this group will be fundraising to purchase new Christmas decorations for the downtown area. 

When asked why they identified this as their goal for the year, Lyons said “The current decorations have been used for more than 30 years and community members have asked for enhancement in this area. The committee feels this is a project that we can tackle to improve community esthetics and morale, and one that will impact both locals and visitors.”

They plan to purchase 8’ LED toy soldiers to hang on the light posts – a fitting nod to the historic Fort located just North of downtown. The soldiers will add extra beauty during the holiday season, while also paying tribute to our town’s great history. The committee is asking for help in these efforts to make the Fort Scott downtown more festive. The cost to purchase one 8′ toy soldier silhouette is $400.

You may “adopt” (purchase) an LED toy soldier on your own, with a group of friends or family, or through a workplace or organization. Lyons explained that “in appreciation for contributions, those who have purchased a toy soldier silhouette will be recognized when the decorations are put up each year”. If you’re not able to cover the full cost of a toy soldier, but simply want to donate to the cause, the committee says that is also welcomed with gratitude. Every bit will help update and replace the current dilapidated Christmas decorations.

A photo of the soldier lights. Submitted photo.

You can view these new Christmas decorations or donate to “adopt a soldier,” by visiting the new website that the committee put together to share information: https://fstoysoldier.wixsite.com/home.

You can also contact any downtown committee member (Bailey, John, Angie, Rachel), or the Chamber of Commerce, to make your tax-deductible donation. 

The committee has additional plans in motion to host a fundraising event in mid-September that will further support these efforts; more details will come on that at a later date. The proceeds of the event will go to the new decorations.

Business, Fort Scott

Motorcycle Service Shop Opens On National Avenue

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Old 54 Cycles is located at 223 N. National Avenue. Submitted photo.

Motorcyclists in the community will now have some help with repairs.

Jesse Hazen spent the last eight years working for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles as a research and development mechanic.

Jesse Hazen is the owner-operator of Old 54 Cycles. Submitted photo.

“Before that, I was a race mechanic for an amateur racer in Phoenix,” Jesse said.

He recently opened a new motorcycle service shop at 223 N. National and is the owner-operator.

Old 54 Cycles is a full-service shop.

“I am Harley-Davidson, Yamaha and Suzuki certified, but can work on it all,” he said. ” We work on American V-twins, import motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, and side-by-sides. We are in the process of getting part supplies. We can do anything from tire changes, services all the way to full builds.”

“Quality work, growth, and exposure are our number-one priorities,” Jesse said.

Business hours are Monday through Friday,  9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and closed on Sunday.

His cellphone number is 928-230-0642, and he is in the process of getting a business line, he said.
The business email is old54cycles@ gmail.com, and one can find it on Facebook and Instagram page that both are Old 54 Cycles.
“We are hosting a Chamber Coffee on April 1st,” he said. “Currently, we are planning a car and bike show for April 3rd. We also plan on trying to do other events, such as car and bike nights, benefit rides, etc.”
“My Wife Kaytlin is going to be my support at the shop,” Jesse said.  “She will be working a full-time job as well, so she might not be here all the time.”
Kaytlyn and Jesse Hazen. Submitted photo.
Bourbon County, COVID-19, Fort Scott, Health Care

NPR Interviews Fort Scott Residents

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Rural Americans, Who Doubted The Pandemic, Now Hesitant To Get Vaccinated

 

March 14, 20217:52 AM ET
Heard on Weekend Edition Sunday

Sarah Jane Tribble

4-Minute Listen

 

Along with skepticism about the pandemic’s seriousness, some rural Americans aren’t interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

As the massive coronavirus vaccination effort has gotten underway, we’ve talked a lot about vaccine hesitancy, people who do not plan to take the coronavirus vaccine. Roughly a quarter of both white and Black Americans don’t plan to get the vaccine, according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey. Thirty-seven percent of Latino respondents said they would not get the shot. White Republicans, though, are more vaccine-hesitant than any other group, with 49% of Republican men saying they do not plan on getting vaccinated. And rural residents were more likely to say that they don’t want the vaccine, too.

In the small town of Fort Scott, Kan., 1 in 11 people has been infected by the coronavirus. Even so, reporter Sarah Jane Tribble found some are still questioning how severe the virus really is.

SARAH JANE TRIBBLE, BYLINE: Seventy-year-old Linda Findley lives just outside of Fort Scott. She’s always been active in the community, helping with the Elks and fundraising. Like a lot of people here, she doesn’t think COVID-19 is that dangerous.

LINDA FINDLEY: I don’t even know what I think about it. I don’t know if I trust the testing if – because it’s so messed up or – I’ve had nieces and nephews that have it. I’ve lost good friends to it, or supposedly it’s to that. It seems like no matter what is…

TRIBBLE: Findley pauses to calm her two little dachshund dogs. They get excited when she’s on the phone.

FINDLEY: Everything seems to be coronavirus. I mean, it’s just – no matter what somebody has, it’s coronavirus. I don’t know whether it is or isn’t.

TRIBBLE: Her husband died about two years ago. Robert ran a popular auto body shop. He slipped on the ice and hit his head hard at the end of a workday. The emergency room, along with the hospital, had closed days before. Fort Scott is one of nearly 140 rural communities that have lost a hospital in the past decade. But not having a hospital doesn’t really come up when people here talk about COVID.

DAVE MARTIN: You know, when I got it, I was in good health, and it did take me a while to recover.

TRIBBLE: That’s Dave Martin. He’s the former city manager, and he’s pretty sure he caught COVID-19 at work last August.

MARTIN: I do remember waking up one of my bad nights and thinking – when I was running a temperature and not feeling very well. And I’m thinking, oh, wow, this could kill me – that I can get killed the next day, too. So it didn’t really stick with me.

TRIBBLE: After recovering, Martin went ahead with his retirement. He took his wife to Disney, and then they hiked Yellowstone. That casual disregard for the dangers of COVID worries health care leaders here.

Jason Wesco helps lead the regional clinic that took over primary care services when the hospital closed.

JASON WESCO: Me, my family – I think we are a significant minority. I think most people just keep doing – have maybe modified a little bit. Maybe they put on a mask in public. But I – the way I see it is I think life here has changed a lot less than it’s changed in D.C. And I think we’re seeing the impact of that, right?

TRIBBLE: Like much of rural America, the coronavirus skipped over Fort Scott last spring. But the pandemic hit hard in the fall, peaking in December. Across the county, two dozen have died from COVID, and most people know someone who had the virus and survived. But residents just seem tired of talking about it. And Findley says she won’t get the vaccine.

FINDLEY: How did they come up with a vaccine that quickly? And how do they even know for sure that it’s working?

TRIBBLE: The three vaccines approved by federal regulators in the U.S. are being given out to millions, and their efficacy has been shown through massive clinical trials in the U.S. and globally. But Linda’s skepticism isn’t unusual in southeastern Kansas, and that also concerns health leaders like Wesco of the Community Health Center.

WESCO: Yeah, I mean, yeah, there’s hesitancy. I’m sensing that it’s less. But I guess my point is when directly provided the opportunity to get it, it’s probably a different discussion when the vaccine is widely available.

TRIBBLE: Wesco says he’s hopeful attitudes are changing. His clinic has a waitlist for vaccines and is giving out as many doses as they can get their hands on.

I’m Sarah Jane Tribble.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That reporting came from NPR’s partnership with Kaiser Health News.

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Fort Scott, Schools, Sports

FSHS Girls Swim Team Competes For First Time: Brings Home 2nd Place

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The Fort Scott High School Girls Swim Team, 2021. Submitted photo.

The Fort Scott High School Tigers competed in their first-ever swim meet last night at Turner High School.

The team took second place at the meet with 427 points.

1. KC Piper High 445

2. Fort Scott High School 427

3. Topeka West Girls Swim 245

4. Sumner/Washington/Wyandotte 130
5. Turner High School 37
The  A Medley Relay Team of Ava Steier, Ashley Smith, Alyssa Smith, and Dawna Hudibug took 3rd (2:20.39) and  B Medley Relay Team took 4th: Rylan Mason, Emily Davenport, Anna Hall, and Kourtney Flynn (2:36. 23).
50 Free, Ava Steier (PHS) took 1st with a time of 28.16, Alyssa Smith took 5th with a 30.85, and Dawna Hudibug took 6th at 31.48.
100 Fly, Alyssa Smith took 2nd and Maia Martin took 3rd.
100 Free, Ashley Smith took 3rd.
500 Free Kourtney Flynn placed 2nd.
“A” 200 Free Relay took 2nd and the “B” 200 Free Relay took 5th.
100 Back, Ava Steier took 2nd, Rylan Mason took 4th and Kourtney Flynn took 6th.
100 Breast, Anna Hall took 5, Ashley Smith took 6th and Dawna Hudibug took 7th.
The 400 Free Relay Team took 2nd:  Maia Martin, Rylan Mason, Kourtney Flynn, and Ava Steier.
“One of the best things about swimming is that it is both a team sport and an individual sport at the same time,” Coach Angie Kemmerer said. “The focus for all swimmers is on personal growth which is measured by personal best times.  Last night we saw that with 27 out of 29 entries earning personal best times.”
Coach wanted to highlight a few of those swimmers:
200 Free:  Rylan Mason dropped 11.11 seconds and Maia Martin took off 22 seconds.
50 Free: Taylor Wilcox dropped 2.84 seconds and Katelyn Dancer took off 5.33 seconds.
100 Fly: Alyssa Smith took off 3.41 and Maia Martin dropped 7.45 seconds.
100 Free: Ashley Smith took off 2.43, Annelyse Gilmore dropped 2.91, Taylor Wilcox dropped 16.71 seconds, and Katelyn Dancer 21.02 seconds.
200 Free Relay:  A team dropped 6 seconds.
100 Back:  Rylan Mason took off 3.26 seconds.
100 Breast: Anna Hall dropped 4.55, Dawna Hudiburg took off 2.63, and Ashley Smith dropped 2.67 seconds
“The lady swimming tigers are making history one stroke a time.  Their first season is off to a great start.”
Submitted by Coach Angie Kemmerer
Bourbon County, Entertainment, Exercise, Fort Scott

Family Swim Pass Application Due April 30

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Swimming lessons at the Fort Scott Aquatic Center on July 10, 2018.

The Bourbon County Coalition is gearing up with its’ annual family swim pass program, according to Billie Jo Drake, president.

“The goal of the family swim pass program is to provide access to the Fort Scott Aquatic Center for qualifying low-income families,” she said. “The application process includes proof of income.”

Application forms are now available at The Beacon and Buck Run Community Center; completed forms must be returned to Buck Run by April 30.

Funding for this program is provided by The Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition Board, Key Charitable Trust, SEK Community Foundation, Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, the City of Fort Scott, and generous individuals.

The duration of the approved passes will be for the 2021 swimming season.

 

Fort Scott, Schools

USD234 Kindergarten Roundup

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Winfield Scott Elementary School, 316 W. 10th Street, Fort Scott.

USD 234 Kindergarten Roundup will be held at Winfield Scott School on April 14, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Students must be 5 years old before September 1, 2021, to attend kindergarten.  You will need to call the Winfield Scott office at 620-223-0450 to schedule an appointment.

The Kindergarten Round-Up Day will be different this year.

Parents are asked to park on the northeast corner of the building near the Kindergarten Wing doors.

Signs will be posted.

You will need to bring your child’s Social Security card, birth certificate, and immunization record/physical form.

A Winfield Scott staff member will greet you at your vehicle, take your documents to be copied, and escort your child to a kindergarten teacher to begin the screening.

The staff member will return your original documents to you at your vehicle.

When the screening is completed, the teacher will escort your child back to your vehicle and visit with you regarding the results.

 

No shots or physicals will be offered on this day.

You will need to contact your local doctor or the health department for your child’s kindergarten shots and a kindergarten physical.

Both of these items will need to be completed before your child starts school in the fall.

Thank you for your cooperation and flexibility for the Kindergarten Round-Up.

 

When:             April 14, 2021 – 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

Where:            Winfield Scott School

 

Contact:          Principal:                                                                                                                  Joy McGhee

316 W. Tenth St.

Fort Scott, KS 66701

223-0450

Fort Scott, Government

Request For Proposal: The Eagle Block Building This Evening

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The Eagle Block building at 10-12 N. National Avenue. March 22, 2021.

The Fort Scott LandBank members will meet at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, at City Hall, 123 Main, in the City Commission meeting room to discuss a grant project with another local entity and also a request for bids for the Eagle Block building at 10-12 N. National Avenue.

There will be an update on the Eagle Block Building,  FS Landbank Manager AllysonTurvey, said.  “This discussion will include a request to go out for a Request For Proposal for the interior demo work.”

Allyson Turvey. Submitted photo.

“A request for proposal is a written request asking contractors to submit specifications and prices that fit the customer’s requirements”, according to Request for Proposal Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.

 

Also at this meeting, the members will have a presentation from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, which has budgeted $4,000 for LandBank projects that tie in with HBCAT initiatives, according to Turvey.

 

Jody Hoener. Submitted photo.

“The HBCAT Board decided to include Landbank’s package in our Neighborhood and Physical Environment Pathway,” Jody Hoener, leader of the HBCAT, said. “We have allocated $4000 of our Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant Funds towards it.”

Hoener provided the following information from Pathways to Healthy Kansas:

 

“LAND BANK Focus Area & Pathway:

“Activity Summary: Land banks acquire, hold, manage, and develop problem properties (e.g., vacant lots, abandoned buildings, tax-foreclosed) property and transition them to productive uses such as affordable housing developments, community-focused commercial buildings, community gardens or green spaces.

“Land banks can also demolish abandoned or unsafe buildings.

“State and local governments can support land banks by allowing low or no-cost purchases of tax foreclosured property, clearing titles and/or forgiving back taxes, holding land tax-free, or negotiating property transfers that address community needs.

“Land banks are generally governmental entities created and managed at the local or regional level.

“Land banks policies can be adapted to prioritize projects of nutrition, physical activity and other health promoting activities.

“Activities could include building support for a policy, exploring options necessary to pass policy changes or further expanding land bank policy to include health and equity priority goals related to the health focus areas. Local governments would be required to implement one of the following tracks:

1) pass a new policy

2) improve or expand existing policy

3) enforce an existing policy.”

 

Although there will be a majority of the city commissioners present, no city commission business will be conducted, according to a press release from the City of Fort Scott.

 

The meeting will be made available via the city’s Youtube channel at the City of Fort Scott.

 

Fort Scott City Commissioners are a part of the Landbank members and include Josh Jones, Kevin Allen, Pete Allen, Randy Nichols, and Lindsay Watts. Additional members are Jim Harris-a Bourbon County Commissioner, who was selected to be Vice-Chairperson of the group; Turvey-who is also the Fort Scott Tourism and Community Development Manager and Susan Bancroft-Fort Scott Finance Director, who is the treasurer of the Landbank, and Gregg Motley-Director of the Bourbon County Economic Development Board, Inc.

Josh Jones was selected to be the chairperson of the group.

 

 

 

Fort Scott, Government

The FS Commission Special Meeting for Today, Updated

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Updated – The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021 at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. The City Commission will meet to approve an ordinance to hire Robert L. Farmer as City Attorney. They will also hear a request for the use of Gunn Park on April 9th. Also, to be heard will be approval to apply to the Fort Scott Community Foundation Grant for roller skates.

This meeting will be broadcast on the City’s You tube channel. This meeting is open to the public.

Area News, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, Government, Health Care

Chamber Coffee at Common Ground Coffee Hosted by NRMC

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Chamber Coffee to be hosted by Nevada Regional Medical Center

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces that this week’s Chamber Coffee will be hosted by Chamber member Nevada Regional Medical Center. The event will be held at 8am in the Loading Dock area of Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall St.

Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served, and attendees may register to win special drawing from NRMC.

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.

***

Entertainment, Fort Scott

Fort Scott Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt March 27 at 10 a.m.

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At the sound of the Fort Scott Fire Truck horn, children and parents in the pre-school division take off on the Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt in 2018.

An annual part of the ritual of spring is the Easter egg hunt.

This Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m. that ritual in Fort Scott will be at Gunn Park, as in years past.  Ages for children who can participate are toddler through grade 5.

Parents can look for signs at the entrance of the park that will direct traffic to shelter house no. 2, which is located between the first and second lake.

The hunt is facilitated each year by the Fort Scott Kiwanis and support from the community.

“This event to me is our most fun event of the year,” Ralph Carlson, spokesman for Kiwanis, said. “To see  the excitement and joy on the faces of our children hunting Easter eggs and visiting with our Easter bunny is amazing.”

“I have been in the Kiwanis Club since 1969 and this Easter Egg Hunt was started before I became a member of the club,” Carlson said. ” Last year the hunt was at a later time of day so parents should pay attention to this earlier time of 10 a.m.”

“One might ask why we do this every year,” Carlson said.  “I am reminded of the 30 years or so the Fort Scott High School performed Handel’s Messiah at Easter time. We had a 500 voice choir, directed by Carl Clinesmith. The choir was so large that we performed from the elevated seating and the audience sat on the main floor facing the elevated seating.”

This, too, was an annual ritual for over 30 years, Carlson said.

“It’s a spring wake-up,” he said.

The Easter bunny,(aka Scott Flater) with friend Dan Meara in the 2009 egg hunt. Submitted photo.

Fort Scott Kiwanis has 27 members.

“The Kiwanis Club has help from our supporters, Big Sugar Lumber, Heidrick’s True Value, R and R equipment Inc., Don Spirits, Diehl Banwart and Bolton, Merle Humphrey, Fort Scott Cinema, Marsha’s Deli, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Papa Don’s, and Citizens Bank.”

Sponsors will be recognized at the egg hunt, he said.

“We could not do it without the dedicated and sustaining help from our friends,” Carlson said.

 

In 2018, the Easter bunny, portrayed by Carmen Flater, gets a little help from her husband, Scott, before appearing to the children.