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Category Archives: Fort Scott
Opening on Fort Scott Library Board
There is one opening for the Fort Scott Library Board. This person must be a city resident.
The function of the Fort Scott Library Board is to review requests in reference to the library. This Board meets monthly at 5:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month.
If you have a desire to serve on this board and meet the above requirements, please submit a letter of interest to the City Clerk, Diane Clay, 123 S. Main, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. She will then submit your letter of interest for consideration to the City Commission.
All of the boards and commissions serve on a volunteer basis and are not compensated.
If you would like more information on this board, please contact Diane Clay, City Clerk at 620-223-0550 or dclay@fscity.org. Please submit your letter of interest by May 10th, 2021.
St. Martin’s Academy Featured At Friday Night Free Concert
The Friday Night Free Concert will feature music will by the St. Martins Academy singers.
They will do a mixture of music from traditional, classic rock and hymns.
They will feature bag pipes in some of the numbers.
They performed for us last year and are a real favorite with our crowd, according to Ralph Carlson, the event coordinator.
The concert will be at 7 pm at 1st and Main at the Heritage Pavilsion. In the event of rain it will move to the Common Grounds Coffee Shop, 12 E. Wall
.
Come early and bring a lawn chair as seating is limited.
FS City Commission Special Meeting 5:30 p.m. Today
The City Commission will meet for a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 at City Hall in the City Commission meeting room at 123 South Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. The City Commission will meet discuss the demolition bid of 10 N. National.
This meeting is open to the public.
Armstrong Pressure Washing: Business Follows Facination
Jeff Armstrong started his new business, Armstrong Pressure Washing LLC in the fall of 2020.
“I love my hometown,” he said. ” I see a real need to continue to help homeowners and businesses maintain and protect their properties. It lends itself to community pride and I think we need more of that.”
“This business also lends itself well to my somewhat OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)personality,” Armstrong said. “Over the last year, I found myself fascinated by pressure washing videos on Youtube. After months of research and educating myself, I took a bit of a leap.”
He bought a truck, built his own rig, and invested in proper equipment and chemicals.
“After a few jobs, it was clear that I really enjoyed the work,” he said. “It’s satisfying to see something restored to its original condition and to see a customer excited about a renewal of their home. I take a lot of pride in my work and being able to bring a house or business back to its former glory is extremely fulfilling.”
His service?
“I operate a residential and commercial pressure washing and soft washing business,” he said. “I specialize in house washes, roof washes, and surface cleanings such as sidewalks, porches, and driveways.”
Other services that are available include deck cleaning, fence washing, boat/Recreational Vehicle washing, fleet washing, and gutter brightening.
” I am now offering parking lot striping, as well as American Disabilities Act compliance and traffic flow designations, he said. “I am currently bidding striping work to begin this summer.”
“Often our home is one of our greatest financial investments, he said. ” We insure it, to protect it from major damage, but we sometimes don’t realize the everyday damage that occurs when houses and roofs are not properly maintained.”
” Driving around town it’s easy to see signs of damage caused by mold and algae,” Armstrong said. ” Roof stripes or dark streaks are called gloeocapsa magma, which is an airborne algae that is the most common type and it’s the easiest to spot. Those dark streaks look unsightly but they are actually eating the lime out of an asphalt shingle, which over time, can deteriorate a roof to the point of replacement.”
“It’s commonly understood that washing your car properly prevents the paint and clear coat finish from breaking down due to salt, and road materials but most people overlook the need to wash our homes,” he said.
“I wish it were as simple as just taking any old pressure washer and spraying it off, but pressure isn’t typically recommended for anything other than flat surfaces such as concrete,” he said. ” A proper house and roof wash requires the correct mixture of chemicals, and is actually applied with a low pressure or a soft wash system. I hope to continue to educate local homeowners about why this maintenance is so important. In the long run, it can save them thousands of dollars.”
For the majority of the jobs, he is the sole worker.
“However, on roof washing jobs there is the need for someone on the ground to protect surrounding vegetation from any overspray,” Armstrong said. “My wonderful daughter Kendal has assisted me on previous roof washes, and will likely help in the future.”
Contact info:
Address: 634 Fairway Drive
Contact Info: 913-271-6993, armstrongpressurewash@gmail.com
FB @armstrongpressurewash
From the Pool to the Runway, FSHS Swim Team is Making a Splash!
Submitted by Coach Angie Kemmerer
The Fort Scott High School Girls Swim Team competed in Coffeyville on Thursday, April 22 and Monday, April 27.
At both meets the team finished 2nd behind Independence.
FSHS Boys Swimmer and Girls Team Manager Oliver Witt Represented the team at the Miss(ter) FSHS pageant on Saturday, April 24th and brought home the grand prize.
From the pool to the runway, FSHS Tigers are making a splash!
The results from Thursday’s meet were:
200 Medley Relay
“A” 2nd
“B” 3rd
200 Free
5th Emily Davenport
6th Annalyse Gilmore
200 IM
5th Annelise Hall
6th Ashley Smith
50 Free
2nd Ava Steier
5th Dawna Hudiburg
100 Fly
4th Maia Martin
100 Free
2nd Ava Steier
500 Free
2nd Kourtney Flynn
200 Free Relay
“A” 3rd
“B” 6th
100 Back
6th Kourtney Flynn
100 Breast
1st Annelise Hall
4th Ashley Smith
6th Dawna Hudiburg
400 Freestyle Relay
“A” 4th
The results from Monday’s meet:
200 Medley Relay: Both teams got a best time
“A” 2nd (Ava Steier, Ashley Smith, Alyssa Smith and Dawna Hudiburg)
“B” 5th (Rylan Mason, Emily Davenport, Maia Martin & Annalyse Gilmore)
200 Freestyle:
4th Alyssa Smith Best time
7th Emily Davenport
200 IM
3rd Ashley Smith Best time
6th Annalyse Gilmore Best time
50 Freestyle
2nd Ava Steier
4th Dawna Hudiburg
7th Rylan Mason Best time
Kourtney Flynn Best time
100 Butterfly
4th Maia Martin
100 Freestyle
3rd Ava Steier
5th Alyssa Smith Best Time
500 Freestyle
3rd Emily Davenport Best Time
4th Kourtney Flynn
200 Freestyle Relay
“A” 1st (Dawna Hudiburg, Alyssa Smith, Ashley Smith and Ava Steier) Best Time
100 Backstroke
4th Dawna Hudiburg Best time
9th annalyse Gilmore Best Time
100 Breast
1st Ashley Smith Best Time
7th Maia Martin Best Time
400 Freestyle Relay
“A” 5th (Rylan Mason, Maia Martin, Kourtney Flynn and Annalyse Gilmore)
Timken Job Fair April 29-30
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FS City Commissioners Will Attend Fort Scott Forward April 27
There may be a majority of City Commissioners present at the Fort Scott Forward on Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 at 7:45 a.m. at the River Room Event Center. No City business will be conducted.
FS City Commission Work Session on LaRoche Stadium April 27
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 27th, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a work session to discuss the LaRoche Stadium operations. This meeting is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
Good Ol’ Days: A Go For 2021
Good Ol’ Days, Bourbon County’s biggest festival, is a go for June 3-5, 2021.
Last year there was a celebration of the event’s 40 years planned, but the COVID-19 Pandemic shut it down.
“It’s always been an annual event, until last year,” Shawn O’Brien, chairman of the festival steering committee said.
“We got the news from the Southeast Kansas Multi-Health Department that we are approved to have the festival this year,” O’Brien said.
“Come out and walk Main Street,” O’Brien said. “We are looking forward to seeing everybody.”
New this year is a zipline, with more details to follow, O’Brien said.
“There will be a talent show on June 3, and the other activities are June 4-5,” he said.
Vendors will once again line Main Street for people to enjoy, along with food trucks.
The Red Garter Saloon will perform, along with balloon artists and caricature drawings on Main Street, all for free.
There will be the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce sponsored parade on Friday evening, June 4, as well as the Chicken Mary’s Meal on the Mall that evening.
The baby contest will be Saturday morning, June 5.
“We will have live entertainment on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Heritage Pavilion (First and Main Street), featuring the Wayward Betty’s,” O’Brien said. “This is free to the public.”
Saturday at the Heritage Pavilion, Public Display of Affection, will be the featured performers, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Fun Shows Carnival will be set up across from Luther’s BBQ at Oak Street and National Avenue.
The Steering Committee
The committee is comprised of O’Brien as chairman, Kayla Hull, Melissa Wise, Charlotte Thompson, Cheryl VanHoecke, Tim Van Hoecke, Shaylynn Clements, Kelsey Demott, and Carl Brenner.
“We are excited,” O’Brien said. “We have waited two years.”
Tickets for each event will be available soon at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall Street.
Applications for different events are on their website.
Check out the latest on the Fort Scott Good Ol’Days Facebook page and their websitehttp://fortscottgoodoldays.com
Chamber Coffee at Papa Don’s April 29: Celebrating 10 years
Chamber Coffee hosted by Papa Don’s Pizza announcing celebrating 10 year anniversary in May 2021
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by Papa Don’s Pizza, Thursday, April 29 at 8 a.m. located at 10 N. Main St. to announce their 10 year Anniversary coming in May 2021 in this location.
Coffee, breakfast pizza, juice and snacks like fruit and cheese will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing.
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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We Need Quality Housing! By Greg Motley
Submitted by Greg Motley, President of Bourbon County Economic Development Council.
Last week I gave 10 reasons why our community is shrinking; next, I will address what can be done to stem the tide. None of these solutions are particularly easy; after all, we are fighting megatrends that are impacting most small towns in America.
Our most obvious need in Bourbon County/Fort Scott is quality housing. There is a dearth of desirable places for people to buy and call home at all price points, but particularly in the mid-range. Do you realize that more than one in three workers you see around the county every day have driven in from another jurisdiction because they can’t find an affordable, quality alternative closer to their workplace?
You have probably noticed that not too many new homes have been built around the county in the recent past. The problem stems from building costs compared to the appraised value of the property once it is completed. Excluding land, with modest finishes, it costs a minimum of $150 per square foot to build a new home; that cost has accelerated dramatically during the pandemic, as lumber has skyrocketed. Lenders cannot get appraisals to come out anywhere close to the real number it costs to build a house in Bourbon County, so the homeowner has thrown away thousands of dollars in equity on day one of homeownership. How many Southeast Kansans can afford that loss?
What is the problem? Years of low comparable sales data, along with high taxes on Bourbon County real estate, are the two main culprits. Our mil levy combined for all jurisdictions inside the county are much higher than our neighbors, especially Missourians. Hundreds of people own homes in our neighbor to the east, while paying MUCH lower property taxes, then commuting to Bourbon County for a good job and pay a lower state income tax rate. It is a win-win for Show-me Staters.
What is to be done? Here are a couple of thoughts:
We HAVE to lower taxes. High mil levies have a direct impact on home values. Additionally, people have a strong disincentive to improve, or add on to their properties. To accomplish this, we must look to lower the cost of government by looking to see how we can cooperate with one another between jurisdictions and share services.
We have to look at where prices are closer to the market, and develop those areas. Market pricing is closer to cost on, and around, Lake Fort Scott land, and large lot subdivisions around the area, such as along Maple Road. Can we get government owned land into the hands of developers and back on the tax rolls? Are there actions we can take as a community in these areas to narrow the gap between cost and appraisal?
We have to consider options at all price points. In-fill vacant lots in the city will require grant money or a charitable donation to work. Similarly, mid-price housing will require creativity and an outside injection of capital.
This quality housing dilemma will take time to solve, but we need to dedicate ourselves to an outside-the-box, persistent search for solutions. We need to tackle it together as a community.