Category Archives: Fort Scott

Airport, Fort Scott

Howard To Retire As Airport Director

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Retiring Fort Scott Airport Director Kenny Howard, left, and Economic Director Rachel Pruitt, at the Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday morning at the airport.

Kenny Howard, Fort Scott’s Airport Director for the last 18 years, is retiring.

“I can’t say enough about Kenny’s leadership,” City Manager Dave Martin said at the Chamber of Commerce Coffee Thursday at the airport. “We’re definitely going to miss him.”

Howard will retire December 31 and the city is currently interviewing for the position, Martin said.

Howard told about some of the planned events in his tenure which included clinics and fly-in breakfasts.

There have been increased fuel sales at the airport, since changing fuel vendors, he said.

Last year approximately 77,000 gallons of fuel were sold there, and as of August 2018, approximately 92,000 have been sold thus far, he said.

Fort Scott Airport has two onsite fuel tanks: a 10,000 gallon Jet A gas tank and a 9,000 gallon AV gas tank.

Agricultural flying operations, corporate flights, medical emergency flights and more recently a request from the parents of some St. Martin’s Academy students for charter flights, are a part of the job.

His additional duties are overseeing the mowing of 190 acres of grass and overseeing the insurance piece for the airport.

He said he was able to drop the premium for the insurance coverage in the last few years.

Two recent grants for improvement were received: a grant that will upgrade the Automated Weather Observation Station, and one for improved runway lights.

Fort Scott Economic Development Director Rachel Pruitt said there is currently a Federal Aviation Administration opportunity for rural airports.

“I submitted an application in August…there is no matching grant required…to expand the runway,” Pruitt said.

“The last six years, the airport has seen 60 percent growth,” she said.

The Fort Scott Airport entrance at 187th and Indian Road.

 

For more information click below:

Airport Receives Two Grants To Update

Fort Scott

Subscription Will Place Flag at Residences

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Pictured L to R – Friends President Reed Hartford, Martha Scott, Katie Wells, Kaitlyn Doherty, Flag Project Chairman Kelley Collins and Matthew Wells. Photo taken by Jim Scott

Members of The Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site Flag Project Committee, measure placement of a flag in front of the Scott home as 1208 S. National.

The Flag Project, which for a subscription of $35, will place a flag at the front of your house or business for Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Veteran’s Day.

If you subscribe before October 1, 2018, you’ll also get Veteran’s Day 2018 included in your subscription.

The project supports programs of the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site which benefits programs at your local National Park.     For further information contact Kelley Collins 417-684-2484 or Martha Scott 620-224-9924

Fort Scott, Schools

Kemmerer Selected For A National History Day Partnership Program

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FORT SCOTT TEACHER SELECTED FOR WORLD WAR I PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mrs. Angie Kemmerer, a teacher at Fort Scott Middle School and Fort Scott High School in Fort Scott, Kansas is one of 114 teachers selected for a National History Day® program titled Legacies of World War I.

The program is a partnership between the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and National History Day.

Kemmerer will participate in webinars and discussions while learning about World War I with teachers from around the world.

As one of the selected teachers, Kemmerer receives free tuition, graduate credits, and materials for the online program.

Each of the 57 National History Day affiliates could choose two teachers for this honor and the National History Day program in Kansas selected Mrs. Kemmerer.

“As part of the commemoration of the centennial of The Great War, National History Day is proud to partner with the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission to help teachers delve into the history of this global event,” said National History Day Executive Director
Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Kemmerer will learn about specific aspects of the war she can take back to the classroom to ensure this piece of global history is not forgotten.”

This program is part of an educational partnership with the WWI Commission, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, National History Day, and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. This new educational partnership will educate both teachers and school students about World War I through a series of more than 100 teaching events nationwide. More Information about the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission can be found here: www.ww1cc.org.

About National History Day (NHD): NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park 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 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, and Southwest Airlines. For more information, visit nhd.org.

Fort Scott

Canon Receives Award

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Fort Scott Public Library is pleased to announce that Valetta Cannon, our Children and Teen Services Librarian and Assistant Director, will receive an Excellence Award from the Southeast Kansas Library System on September 18th.

The award presentation by SEKLS staff will be at 6 p.m. at the Fort Scott City Commission meeting, and the Library will host a reception after the presentation.

The library will remain unlocked after closing for people who wish to attend the reception. All ages are welcome.

The Excellence Awards recognize exemplary library service or support of libraries in southeast Kansas.

Awards include a $1,000 cash award to the library, a trophy for the winner, and the winner’s name attached to a traveling plaque. The four recipients of this year’s award were announced June 1, 2018 at the Southeast Kansas Library System annual meeting.

Fort Scott

Lavender Soap Making

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Betsy Reichard demonstrates soap making.

Presbyterian Village, an assisted living facility, hosted a make-it-and-take-it soap making class Tuesday evening.

The class was led by Betsy Reichard, who with husband Davin, owns the Lavender Patch Farm, 2376 Locust Road.

Reichard demonstrated the art and science of soapmaking that included a step-by-step guide through the basics of cold press soap making.

She also makes lotions, sprays, and other products from the lavender grown on their farm, as well as lavender bunches, which are sold outright.

The class was open to the public and free.

Participants visit and work on their soap project, while Reichard gives instructions.
Fort Scott

Ten Commandments Monument Built for St. Mary’s

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Fr. Robert Wachter is seen here blessing the new Ten Commandments monument that was built and put in place between Saint Mary’s Catholic School and Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. The event took place Sunday, Sept. 9.

The local council of Saint Bernard’s Council #796 paid for the heavy duty powder coated metal frame.

The face of the commandments is made out of 3/16” thick stainless steel and was donated by a brother knight and his wife. The letters were laser cut through the metal. Solar powered lights are set inside of the frame to light up the letters at night.

Brother Knights and family members donated the labor as well as the concrete.

Helping with the ceremony was 4th Degree Knights (L to R) Scott Flater, Joe Barr, and Mark McCoy.

Council #796 felt that at this time in our history where family morals seem to be fading away, there needed to be a reminder posted.

The school children walk by this monument each day they go to daily Mass and it can be seen by all passing by on foot or in a vehicle.

The bronze plaque below the Commandments says “May all that look upon these words, pause and remember the Lord our God and do our very best to follow his Commandments.”

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Overlook of the Marmaton River in Place at Riverfront Park

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Editors note: The original feature did not have photos added, due to technical difficulties.

The boardwalk invites trail users to come to the seating area of the overlook in Riverfront Park.

Two years of planning have come to fruition in the form of a boardwalk structure with seating in Riverside Park, the latest park improvement.

“It’s an overlook for educational purposes,” Jerry Witt, Chairman of the Fort Scott Riverfront Authority, which oversees the development of the park.

The structure has been built near the meeting place of the Marmaton River and Mill Creek, in the northeast section of the park.

The Hexagon shaped overlook has seating on both sides. The vegetation in front will be cleared for better viewing of the Marmaton River and Mill Creek.

In the future the structure will be used to “Teach kids about nature and our heritage,” Witt said. “About Belltown that was there. It was a residential area in years past. Named after Dr. Bell, a prominent doctor.”

Several people and entities have helped put this project in the park.

The structure was designed by Brian Leaders, an architect at the National Park Service.

Lumber was provided by the Westar Green Team.

“The Green Team provided old telephone poles that were milled at the Jeffery Power Plant, St. Mary’s, and from Garnett,” Witt said.

Witt and Allen Warren, another member of the Riverfront Authority board,  drove to St. Mary’s to bring back one-half the lumber, then Warren and his wife, Jackie, went to Garnett to pick up the rest of the lumber.

The City of Fort Scott unloaded the lumber off the trailer and also will provide a concrete walk from the trail to the structure.

The City of Fort Scott will build a concrete walkway to the edge of the overlook boardwalk, pictured, to the walking trail in Riverfront Park. In the back right, Allen Warren and Jerry Witt visit with a trail walker Tuesday morning.

“Chad Brown (Fort Scott Public Works Director) thought they would pour the concrete this week,” Witt said.

West and Karleskint Construction, Fort Scott,  built the structure.

Jerry Witt and Allen Warren sort the leftover wood from the overlook boardwalk at Riverfront Park Tuesday morning. The wood will be used for other projects.

Next for the park:

  • A grant has been submitted to Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism for a playground for children, with notification this fall of whether it was awarded the $62,000 asked for.
  • A grant to Kansas Department of Transportation to move the historic 1902 ornate Long Shoals Bridge, currently located in northeast Bourbon County, to the park. The grant has been submitted with a request of $1, 364,000. Announcement of awards will be this fall.
  • The Mercy Hospice Memorial  is nearing completion on the south side of the park. Benches will be built and future memorial services will be held there.

Already completed in Riverside Park is a walking trail, pavilion, and River Loop Road.

 

 

Fort Scott, Schools

Photos From the FSHS Volleyball Games Sept. 4 by Brian Wade

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The Fort Scott Tigers Volleyball Team played Anderson County and Nevada, Mo. on September 4.

Scores for Anderson County (25-13, 25-10) W
Scores for Nevada (21-25, 19-25) L
They are scheduled this week to play Independence and Coffeyville on Tuesday at Independence.
“We do not have games Thursday but we do have a tournament in Erie this Saturday,” Jenna Campbell, FSHS Volleyball Coach, said.
Click below to see all the photos submitted by Brian Wade:
Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

What’s Happening in Fort Scott?

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Submitted by the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

7-8
 Livestock Sale – Fort Scott Livestock Market, 2131 Maple Rd., 10am-5pm
7-8
50-min. narrated Trolley Tours of Historic Fort Scott on the hour from 11am-4pm leaving from the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 231 E. Wall St., $6 adults, $4 children 12 and under, last tour leaves at 3pm.
7
Employees of Walmart are hosting a Pulled Pork Sandwich Dinner at Buck Run Community Center to benefit Children’s Miracle Network, goes until 8pm!
7
Friday Night Concert in the Park featuring the Takin’ Notes Band – Heritage Pavilion, 1st & Main St., downtown, 7-8pm, rain location is Common Ground Coffee Co.
8
 KS Rocks Recreation Park Adopt-A-Trail work day. AAT groups take a day to show pride in their park and help with some trail maintenance.
8
Farmers’ Market – Skubitz Plaza, downtown, 8am-12pm
 8
Equipment Consignment Auction at 10am. There will be a preview day September 7th from 10am-5pm. Independence Auction Co. is accepting consignments as in tractors, combines, hay equipment, planters, seeders, trailers, backhoes, and loaders. For more information, you may visit iauctionco.com or call 417-313-0221
8
Downtown Ladies’ Night, Papa Don’s Pizza is pairing up with The Boiler Room to experience a local evening out with your bestie! Meet at Papa Don’s in the Celebration Room no later than 5 pm and then YOU get to create your own pizza. As the pies are cooking walk over to BRB and enjoy one glass of wine, beer, or a soda pop. Dinner will be served at 6 pm and cost is $10.00.  Call Papa Don’s at 620-223-4171 with questions or more info.
10
USD 234 Board of Education Meeting – Board of Education, 424 S. Main St, 5:30-6:30pm
11 Story Time – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 10-11am
11 Kiwanis Meeting – FSCC Heritage Room, 2108 Horton St., 12-1pm
11
T.O.P Meeting – Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave., 4-5pm
11
Farmers’ Market – Skubitz Plaza in downtown Fort Scott, 4-6pm
11 Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County Meeting – Old Congregational Church, 7-8pm
11 Breakfast Bingo at Buck Run Community Center – 735 Scott Ave., 9-10am
12 Story Time – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 10-11am
12 Rotary Meeting – Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford St., 12-1pm
12
Understanding and Responding to Challenging Behaviors – Remote Learning Series on the education of Alzheimer’s, Mercy Hospital, 402 Woodland Hills Blvd., 12:30-1:30
12 Adult Coloring Program – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 2-4pm
12 TAG – Teen Advisory Group – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 4-5pm
13 Chamber Coffee – City of Fort Scott Municipal Airport, 932 187th Terrace, 8am
13
Kiwanis Pioneer Club – FSCC Heritage Room, 12-1pm
13
Thursday Card Players – Buck Run Community Center, 6-9pm
Fort Scott National
Historic
Site
PROUDLY SHOW YOUR PATRIOTISM: FLY THE FLAG EFFORTLESSLY! The Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site Inc. announce a new project to benefit programming at Fort Scott National Historic Site that also honors our country and beautifies our city. The Friend’s U.S. Flag Project provides homeowners and businesses, within the city limits of Fort Scott, the opportunity to fly the Stars and Stripes on five different flag holidays without the hassle of purchasing, erecting, and storing a flag and pole. You don’t even have to remember the holiday!
For $35 annually, the Friends will install a 3’x5′ flag on a 10 foot staff at your home or business on each of the following Flag Holidays in 2019:
Memorial Day, May 27th
Flag Day, June 14th
Fourth of July, July 4th
Labor Day, September 2nd
Veteran’s Day, November 11th
Sign up by October 1, 2019 and you will also get Veteran’s Day 2018 included in the offer–SIX DAYS for the price of FIVE!!! Agreements can be obtained at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce or can be downloaded from the Friends website. Contact Kelley Collins at 417-684-2484 or Martha Scott at 620-224-9924 for further information. All proceeds support programs at Fort Scott National Historic Site. These include: Symbols of Sacrifice, a Citizenship Ceremony, Candlelight Tour, Youth Engagement, and many others.
Show your patriotism and help our local National Park by lining the streets of Fort Scott with our nation’s symbol! The U.S. Flag Project is a yearly project sponsored by the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site. Once signed up, you will receive the option to renew annually.
14-15
Livestock Sale – Fort Scott Livestock Market, 2131 Maple Rd., 10am-5pm
14-15
50-min. narrated Trolley Tours of Historic Fort Scott on the hour from 11am-4pm leaving from the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 231 E. Wall St., $6 adults, $4 children 12 and under, last tour leaves at 3pm.
14
Art Walk hosted by the Bourbon Co. Arts Council – Liberty Theatre Patio, 113 S. Main St., 5-8pm
If you are interested in being a vendor contact Debbie Anderson at [email protected] or call 620-224-8650
14
Friday Night Concert in the Park – Heritage Park Pavilion, 1st & Main St., downtown Fort Scott, 7-8pm
Bring your lawn chair and enjoy this free live event!
15 Farmers’ Market – Skubitz Plaza, downtown, 8am-12pm
15 Special Olympics Fundraiser Scramble – Woodlands Hills Golf Course, 8am registration, 9am shotgun start
15 Art in the Yard hosted by Bobbi Kemna – 1366 215th St. just north of Fort Scott, 10am

Will feature all forms of Art (no crafts) – Paintings, Pottery, Jewelry, Art, Fabric Art; Live music by Matt Harper of Nevada, MO; BBQ from KC; FSHS Thespians selling beverages; dessert table; and kettle corn
16 Fairy Garden Workshop at Redbud Farms and Nurseries – Use your imagination to create a whimsical, miniature garden for your fairy friends! Container, soil, plants, top dressing, and materials to construct fairly furniture will be provided, along with face-painting and a snack! Boys and girls, along with adults are sure to enjoy this magical afternoon! Pre-registration is required at 620-215-1811 or [email protected]. This is a $25 fee.
17 Chamber Board Meeting – Papa Don’s, 12-1pm
17 FSCC Board of Trustees Meeting – FSCC Heritage Room, 5:30-6:30pm
17 Book Club – The book: A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa and Risa Kobayashi, 7-8pm
18
Story Time – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 10-11am
18 Kiwanis Meeting – FSCC Heritage Room, 2108 Horton St., 12-1pm
18 Community Bingo at Country Place Senior Living located at 820 S. Horton St., 2-4pm
18
T.O.P Meeting – Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Ave., 4-5pm
18
Farmers’ Market – Skubitz Plaza in downtown Fort Scott, 4-6pm
18 City Commission Meeting – City Hall, 6-7pm
19 Rotary Meeting – Presbyterian Church, 308 S. Crawford St., 12-1pm
19 Adult Coloring Program – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 2-4pm
19 TAG – Teen Advisory Group – Fort Scott Public Library, 201 S. National Ave., 4-5pm
20
Chamber Coffee – American Legion, downstairs of Memorial Hall, enter from National Ave, 8am
20 Kiwanis Meeting – FSCC Heritage Room, 2108 Horton St., 12-1pm
20
Thursday Card Players – Buck Run Community Center, 6-9pm
Save the Date:
September 21 – Welcome Seniority Club of Seymour Bank to Fort Scott for a Daytrip
September 22 – Paizlee Crumby Motorcycle Ride Benefit & More
September 24 – Get your flu shot at Buck Run Community Center
September 29th – Dough Hazelbaker Memorial Breakaway
Click here for full events listing on our website.