Melissa McCurrey and her husband, David McCurrey, are co-owners of Moe’s Breads, 20 W. Wall St.
Melissa McCurrey, Fort Scott, worked at 5-Corners Mini Mart before opening her new business, Moe’s Breads.
A random request from a customer started a new career for her.
“I was eating zucchini bread, from my Grandma Baguss’ recipe, at 5-Corners and a random customer asked if I could make a loaf of it,” McCurrey said. “It got bigger from there. I started baking two years ago. A year ago we were selling muffins at 5-Corners. On Dec. 18th I opened at the new storefront at 20 W. Wall Street.”
“Darcy Smith (5-Corners owner) encouraged me to start,” McCurrey said.
David, her husband is the co-owner.
Every morning she makes homemade biscuits and homemade gravy and starts selling it and other breads, cookies, muffins along with hot and cold drinks at 5 a.m.
There is a lounge area in the bakery with a couch, table, and chairs in an adjacent room.
“This is where customers and relax and enjoy,” she said.
When one steps into the store, a display of Melissa’s food for sale is in full view.
The fruit loaves include banana, pumpkin, blueberry, and zucchini. They sell for $6. Apple cinnamon and caramel pecan swirl loaves are $7.
Cookies include banana chocolate chip, peanut butter, chocolate cream for $4 a dozen, no-bake cookies sell for $6.
Yeast bread orders must be placed 24-hours prior and start at $5: white, wheat, French, challah, jalapeno cheese, ciabatta, cinnamon rolls, and sourdough.
Coffee can be purchased for $1.25 and tea for75 cents. Soda, milk, orange juice, and energy drinks are also sold.
Hours are from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To place an order, call 620-768-8009.
Moe’s Breads bakery is located at 20 W. Wall, just around the corner from Boiler Room Brewhaus at 10 S. National.
The City of Fort Scott Public Works Department will be picking up discarded Christmas trees at no charge for City residents again this year. The pickup dates will occur on Friday, January 3rd, 2020, Friday, January 10th, 2020, Friday, January 17th, 2020, and Friday, January 24th, 2020.
The Public Works Department asks that you place the tree at the curbside off the street and call City Hall at 223-0550 with your address and name to schedule the pickup.
The discarded trees will be used to enhance fish and wildlife habitat in the City-owned water structure properties.
Jon Kindlesparger stands in front of the cake that his employer, The City of Fort Scott provided for his retirement reception.
Jon Kindlesparger, 66, retired as the Woodland Hills Golf Course Superintendent as of Dec. 31, 2019.
In his 8.5 years at the golf course, Kindlesparger has seen an improvement in the course that is owned by the City of Fort Scott.
Jon Kindlesparger answers the clubhouse phone.
“The city has put some money into it,” he said. “It takes a ton of money…It was a three to four-year challenge…from not very good to playable.”
The course has been improved from “pretty downtrodden”, Kindlesparger said. “To a decent golf course now.”
“All the turf is better and in playable condition,” he said. “There is a new clubhouse and new cart shed and also playing, membership and revenue has increased.”
Golf carts that can be rented are lined up near the entrance to the Woodland Hills Golf Clubhouse.
“Jon made a ton of difference in his time,” Rex Hall, a member of the golf course and attendee at Kindlesparger’s retirement reception Dec. 30, said. “He made it actually look like a golf course.”
Following his retirement, Kindlesparger said he will be seeing ” a lot of golf courses and a lot of lakes to fish.”
Jon Kindlesparger looks at the gift card the City of Fort Scott gave him at his retirement reception on Dec. 30 at the clubhouse.
The Fort Scott Human Resources Director Deb Needleman presented a gift card to Kindlesparger during the reception.
Woodland Hills Golf Course, 2414 S. Horton, Fort Scott.
American Legion Fort Scott Thompson-Harkey Post 25 is in 1st place in 2nd District membership. Today’s numbers have Post at 85 members or 111.84%.
This is Post 25’s third consecutive year at having Post membership above 100%. Be proud of yourself and this milestone achievement. I salute all members who made this possible.
If you have not yet renewed, please do consider doing so. Your dues support the Legion’s efforts advocating for Veterans and their families throughout Kansas and great country. The recently passed Blue Water Navy bill was the result of the Legion’s efforts to insure “Blue Water” Sailors and Marines could receive medical and pension benefits for exposure to Agent Orange.
Volunteer Needs
There will be a workday to start putting the Legion Room in Memorial Hall back together. The first workday is Friday, January 3rd at 10 am.
Baseball Chair for the 2020 American Legion baseball season. The 1st meeting for prospective teams is in late January. Post 25 has received a grant for $1,400 as seed money for this year’s team. Unless we have a Baseball Chair to oversee the coaches and insure that Legion high standards towards sportsmanship and positive charter building are maintained, the grant money will be returned to the City of Fort Scott.
Upcoming Events
January 3. Workday at Memorial Hall. Starts at 10 am.
January 6. Post 25 meet and greet starts at 630 pm in Memorial Hall.
January 6. Post 25 general membership meeting starts at 7 pm in Memorial Hall.
January 16. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 25 meets at 600 pm in Memorial Hall.
January 16. American Legion Post 25 Color Guard meets at 730 pm in Memorial Hall. All Post 25 Legion family members can join the Post 25 Color Guard. This includes Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion Squadron members.
January 31 – February 2, 2020. Department of Kansas Midwinter Forum at Fort Scott.
Informational Items
Kudos to our Legion Family members who “rang the bell” for the Salvation Army on December 17th. 100% of the donations contributed to the red kettle stay in Fort Scott. Bell ringers were Mary Tinsley, Bob and Pamela Belknap, Marilyn Gilmore, Diane Spencer, Myra Jowers, Darrell Spencer and Mike Hansen.
Several Post 25 Legionnaires and Auxiliary members visited Veterans at the Fort Scott Medicalodges on December 23. Only about half of the Veterans residing at the Medicalodges were able to attend. Each Veteran received a Hallmark Christmas ornament and a stocking containing candy and some small personal items.
The Department of Kansas Sunflower for January – March 2020 is attached for your reading pleasure.
Post 25 will be hosting the Department of Kansas Midwinter Forum January 31 – February 2. Please mail in your reservation for the Filet Mignon dinner to be held at the River Room on Saturday, February 1. You can also bring your reservation to our general membership meeting on January 6th. The reservation is in the Mod-Winter Forum attachment.
Fort Scott City Attorney Jeffrey Deane speaks to the press following the special meeting of the city commission on Dec. 30.
The Fort Scott City Commission had a special meeting on Dec. 30 to sign off on a letter to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt.
This was in response to local citizen Michael Hoyt’s protest alleging Kansas open meetings violations by the commission.
The Fort Scott City Commission, Dec. 30, 2019, during a special meeting. From left: Commissioner Randy Nichols, City Clerk Diane Clay, Commissioner Cheryl Adamson, Mayor Jeanie Parker, Commissioner Jolynne Mitchell, Commissioner Cindy Bartlesmeyer, City Manager Dave Martin and City Attorney Jeffrey Deane.
“I wrote on behalf of the city and commission in reply to an inquiry from Lisa Mendoza of the Kansas Attorney General’s office,” Jeffrey Deane, Lauber Municipal Law, LLC, Lee’s Summit, MO, said in an email to FortScott.Biz. Deane is the new Fort Scott City Attorney, replacing Burton Harding.
The city response letter was approved Dec. 30 by the commission and signed.
Hoyt’s Allegations
Hoyt alleged the city commission violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when it prepared and signed a letter objecting to the candidacy of Kevin Allen, outside of an open meeting.
“It is now a public record and to save you the time of making a KORA request of us or the attorney general, I am providing this copy for information,” Deane said in an email to FortScott.Biz.
Hoyt sent a letter to the attorney general that a “notice of objection” was prepared and signed by each member of the Fort Scott City Commission on August 23, 2019.
The allegation is that the commissioners were acting together as a governmental body for the citizens of Fort Scott, in violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), according to Hoyt’s complaint.
The KOMA violation form was dated 10-10-2019 and signed by Hoyt.
To view the complaint to the attorney general, click below:
“This allegation is baseless,” Attorney Deane noted, “in that
1) the commission, as the governing body, lacked the legal power and/or standing to contest Mr. Allen’s candidacy;
2) the August Letter was executed by five individuals, qualified under law as registered voters to lodge the contest, and not as an action of the governmental body; and
3) the provisions of KOMA did not attach to the actions of the commissioners acting on power granted to them individually by law and not in their official capacity.
For these reasons there was no KOMA violation.”
The Fort Scott City Attorney’s conclusion of the issue is as follows:
“Mr. Hoyt’s allegations stem from a flawed reading of the laws that govern this issue,” Deane states in the response to the attorney general. “The KOMA requires meetings when the governing body is transacting the business or affairs of government. As the analysis sets out above, the power and standing to raise an election contest is a personal right reserved and granted only to registered voters. A governmental subdivision such as the city, even though its duly elected governing body, lacks the legal power to lodge a
contest. As a result, the August Letter, even though signed by the five individuals that are also commissioners, could only be the expression of the individual’s power and standing to contest.”
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Mendoza, who is also on the Open Government Enforcement Unit, said in the letter that once a response from the city is received, a proper course of action will be determined.
This may include further investigation, closing the matter or seeking appropriate remedy for any KOMA violations.
As a remedy, Hoyt seeks the entry of a consent order, admission of a violation and a $500 fine per commissioner, according to the letter from Mendoza.
Background Of The Issue
From Attorney Deane’s response to the attorney general:
The November 2019 Fort Scott City Commission elections were passionately contested.
Fourteen candidates filed for the citycommissionseats held byCommissioners Cheryl Adamson, CindyBartelsmeyer,and Mayor Jean Parker.
The August primary elections pared the 14 candidates down to six for the general election.
Rumors were circulating aboutKevin Allen, allegingthat his primaryresidencewas his homeon BrownStreet, which is outside theboundaryof the city limits, according to the letter from Attorney Deane. Allen used the address of Skitch’s Hauling&Excavating,Inc., his business address, on East 20th Street as his residence.
Cityordinance and statelaw require candidates for cityoffice to residein the corporate boundaries of the citywheretheywillhold office.
The allegationthat Allen lacked theresidence to hold officein Fort Scott wasgenerallyknown to theelectorate, includingthe individual city commission members, Deane’s letter stated.
“CherylAdamson authored theAugustletter,as an individual contest ofMr. Allen’s residencytohold office, to which CindyBartelsmeyer, JoLynne Mitchell,RandyNichols, and Jean Parkerjoined,” Deane said in the response letter.
Theletter could onlyhave been brought byindividual registered voters under statelawand not bythe city commission actingin its official capacity, Deane stated
TheAugustletter was accepted bythe Bourbon CountyElection Officer anda board convened for afull hearingon the matter.
The election boarddetermined thateven though Allen had several conflictingaddresses inand out of the boundaries ofFort Scott, hisclaim of legal residenceat the East 20thStreet business address was sufficient to supportcandidacyand the election continued, according to the Deane letter.
The Fort Scott Planning Commission will meet on Monday, January 6th, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to consider the subdivision of a plat at the property at 401 Woodland Hills Boulevard.
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.
Locally, at Community Christian Church, January 16th from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Evergy will have a representative onsite to help answer questions and assist people in signing up for this program.
The 2020 LIEAP application period is from Thursday, January 2, 2020, through Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Applications must be received prior to 5:00 PM, March 31, 2020.
Print application available December 16, 2019.
Online application available January 2, 2020.
The following summary describes basic LIEAP eligibility provisions. Additional information may be obtained by calling 1-800-432-0043.
Persons Eligible
In order to qualify, applicants must meet the following requirements:
An adult living at the address must be personally responsible for paying the heating costs incurred at the current residence, payable either to the landlord or the fuel vendor.
Applicants must demonstrate a recent history of payments toward purchase of the primary heating energy.
The combined gross income (before deductions) of all persons living at the address may not exceed 130% of the federal poverty level according to the guidelines listed below:
2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines
Persons Living at the Address
Maximum Gross Monthly Income
1
$1,354.00
2
$1,832.00
3
$2,311.00
4
$2,790.00
5
$3,269.00
6
$3,748.00
7
$4,227.00
8
$4,705.00
9
$5,184.00
10
$5,663.00
11
$6,142.00
12
$6,621.00
+1 $479.00 for each additional person
Benefits
Benefit levels vary according to the following factors:
Chamber Coffees for 2020! Chamber Coffees take place each Thursday at 8am and are a great way to promote your business or organization with approximately 40-50 people in attendance.
Click here for a current schedule and to view open dates.
There will be a Special Meeting of the Fort Scott City Commission held at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, December 30th, 2019 at the City Hall Commission Room, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701. It is anticipated the City Commission will convene into Executive Session to conduct this meeting.
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY COMMISSION ROOM
123 S. MAIN STREET
FORT SCOTT, KANSAS 66701
9:30 A.M.
I. ROLL CALL:
ADAMSON BARTELSMEYER NICHOLS MITCHELL PARKER
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
I MOVE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE
SESSION FOR ________________________________ IN ORDER TO
(see below justification)
DISCUSS ______________________________________. THE
EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE ___________ MINUTES AND THE OPEN
MEETING TO RESUME AT ________________.
Justifications for Executive Sessions:
Personnel matters of non-elected personnel
Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Matters relating to employer-employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the representative or representatives of the body or agency
Confidential data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trusts and individual proprietorships
Preliminary discussions relating to the acquisition of real property
“After almost a full year of providing services in Ft. Scott, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas wanted to take one last look at preserving the hospital building that was built to last through several generations. As you can imagine, transitioning almost 75 people and five clinics in a few short months was a very daunting task a year ago and, at the time, we were concerned about making it as seamless as possible. We were aware that our lease was only two years and that a long-term solution needed to be found and the easiest approach was to build from ground up. We have indeed started that process.
However, one can’t spend any time in Ft. Scott without realizing the impact the Sisters of Mercy have had on the community over the last century and how much their hospital meant to everyone – especially those who donated toward building it. With a year of history in the building, we thought it wise before we invested $5 million in building a new clinic, to evaluate what the actual costs of keeping the hospital building open have been. Without many of the services a hospital provides, the cost appears to have been far less than originally projected. In the meantime, there has been renewed interest in using portions of the space for health-related purposes as evidenced by the meeting held in Ft. Scott a few weeks ago.
As a result, CHC/SEK is doing a feasibility study to determine exactly what it will take to preserve the facility from destruction. We have approached the Mercy System about the possibility of acquiring the building and they have responded positively. At this point, everything is very preliminary and no formal ask has been made.
This is something we can’t do alone. We have also approached other possible major tenants in the building including Ascension/Via Christi and may have enough to sustain and maintain the facility. Again, everything is in the discussion stages with no firm commitments or contracts. We will also be talking with the city and county over the next few weeks. The last thing we want to do is raise false hopes so please know this is just an evaluation of what may be possible.
I will be presenting a recommendation to my Board at their January 16th meeting. Time is of the essence so a decision whether to formally approach the Mercy System for the donation must be made prior to February 1. Two building projects have already been initiated for a new clinic and an new ER and decisions have to be made quickly if we are going to reverse course. That leaves little time to work out all the details and talk with everyone so my apologies to anyone who we may miss over the next few weeks.
We do want people to be aware of our efforts and will be happy to talk to anyone with an interest that we haven’t already spoken with. The concept of a ‘medical mall’ is a promising one but, at this point, is only an idea. The best way to reach me is via email at [email protected].”
The City of Fort Scott Administrative offices will be closed on Wednesday, January 1st, 2020 in observance of the New Year’s Day Holiday. The regular offices will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd, 2020.
Sarah Jane Tribble, a writer for Kaiser Health News, posted another of her series of features on the closing of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott one year ago.
The following is an excerpt:
“A year ago, after Mercy gave a 90-day notice that it would close, City Manager Dave Martin said the betrayal felt by city leaders led to lawyers and calls with other health care systems about taking over the facility. Now, Martin has realized ‘we will not have ― or do we need ― a hospital.'”
