More than 120 riders took part in the 5th Annual Wreath Ride Saturday, raising money to purchase wreaths to be placed on the graves at the local National Cemetery in December as part of the Wreaths Across America (WAA) effort.

Participating riders met at Buck Run Community Center and then visited a number of locations as part of the ride, including the Fort Scott National Cemetery. In past years, the riders had traveled to an out-of-town location as a group, but the organization had grown large enough that it had become a hazard for the bikers and other drivers.

This year, the WAA’s largest fundraiser raised enough money for 2,053 wreaths thanks to the participation of 125 riders.

In past years, the fundraising has gotten closer to achieving the goal of purchasing enough wreaths to place at all 5,600 gravestones. The local WAA group continues to accept donations towards the wreaths, which cost $15 each.

Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

President Theodore Roosevelt said “It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” Another author stated that the “privilege to work is a gift, the power to work is a blessing, and that the love of work is success.” While the soldiers at Fort Scott in the 1840s might not have necessarily loved their work, they did labor to build a fort that its architect considered “the Crack Post of the Frontier.”

From September 2 through 4, 2017, Fort Scott NHS will commemorate Labor Day weekend with artillery, horses, music, living history demonstrations and a variety of interpretive programs. The thunder of artillery will sound each day that weekend at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A short program explaining how the gun is fired accompanies each artillery demonstration. Other programs offered throughout the weekend are guided tours at 1 p.m. and a flag retreat ceremony at 4 p.m. each day.

Programs offered just on Saturday include a musical program at 2 p.m. by 9 Mile March, a local group that performs folk music using instruments such as the banjo and mandolin. At noon, a park ranger examines the weapons of the soldiers at Fort Scott, which will be followed by a horseback demonstration at 12:30 p.m.

Additionally on Saturday, living history interpreters will be cooking in the mess hall and baking bread in the bakehouse. An interpretive program about the bakehouse will be offered at 10 a.m. At one living history station, a volunteer will be teaching people about women’s clothing worn during the time. Different pieces like a chemise, corset and dresses will be laid out, so that people can see them up close and can learn how they were used. You might even have the opportunity to try on a corset. This station will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day.

On Sunday, September 3, in the program “A Stain That Will Never Bleach Out in the Sun,” Park Rangers Robert Thomas and Gary Herrmann will square off against each other as they take on the roles of two protagonists involved in the Marais des Cygnes Massacre, each with an opposing viewpoint. Also on Sunday, Park Guide Roger Behrend looks at the medical practices of the 1840s in the program “To Bleed or Not to Bleed.”

On Monday, there will be a special Labor Day tour, “From the Crack Post of the Frontier.” This tour will focus on the labor force, building materials, architectural styles and construction techniques used in the building of Fort Scott. There will also be a demonstration of 1840s drumming and a program about the letters of Thomas and Charlotte Swords. Captain Swords was the architect of Fort Scott and oversaw its construction.

Fort Scott National Historic Site is one of 417 units of the National Park Service. It is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Following is the schedule of activities for the weekend.

Saturday, September 2nd

10:00 a.m. “Flour, Sweat, and Tears”: 1840s Bakehouse Program

11:00 a.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

12:00 p.m. “Tools of War: The Weapons of the Soldiers at Fort Scott”

12:30 p.m. “Spurs and Saddles”-Mounted Demonstration

1:00 p.m. Guided Tour

2:00 p.m. “9 Mile March” Musical Performance by Don Parsons and Randy Glessner

3:00 p.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

4:00 p.m. Flag Retreat

Sunday, September 3rd

11:00 a.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

11:30 a.m. “Spurs and Saddles”-Mounted Demonstration

12:00 p.m. “To Bleed or Not to Bleed” – Frontier Medicine of the 1840s

1:00 p.m. Guided Tour

2:00 p.m. “A Stain That Will Never Bleach Out in the Sun” – Two Stories of the Marais des Cygnes Massacre: Hairgrove vs. Hamilton

3:00 p.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

4:00 p.m. Flag Retreat

Monday, September 4th

11:00 a.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

12:00 p.m. “The Tongue is More Useful than the Arrow” – Letters of Thomas and Charlotte Swords

1:00 p.m. “Crack Post of the Frontier” -Guided Tour-Construction History of Fort Scott

2:00 p.m. 1840s Drummer Boy: Military Drumming Demonstration

3:00 p.m. Thunder Wagon: 1840s Artillery Demo

4:00 p.m. Flag Retreat

Mercy Fort Scott Sports Medicine will offer free evaluations of student athlete injuries at the Saturday morning Bumps and Bruise Clinic. The clinic will begin on Saturday, September 2, at 7 a.m. and continue each Saturday morning through the fall sports season.

Athletes will be seen in Mercy Health for Life on a first come, first serve basis. Mercy’s Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner Greg King will conduct the clinic.

High school and middle school athletes injured during an accredited athletic event may have their injury assessed at the clinic. If the athlete is under 18 years old, a parent or legal guardian must accompany them for permission to treat.

Appointments are not necessary, however it is recommended to arrive early to allow adequate time for treatment. If necessary, diagnostic services are available on site and will be billed to the Athlete’s insurance.

For more information about the free Bumps and Bruises Clinic or to make an appointment for sports massage, call Mercy Health for Life at 620-223- 7073.

Submitted by Patty LaRoche

The 2017/2018 grant applications for the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation are due by August 29.

Nonprofits such as churches, governmental entities or organizations with a 501c3 status are encouraged to apply. Applications are available on the FSACF website or may be picked up in person at the Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall.

Acceptance and declination letters will be mailed on Tuesday, October 24. Grants will be awarded at the Foundation’s Chamber Coffee held in the Landmark Bank lobby at Third and Main at 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 2.

Event benefits the local mission of Wreaths Across America to Remember, Honor, Teach

Submitted by Kevin Wagner

This Saturday, a local fundraising group for national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) will host a motorcycle ride in support of the organization’s mission. The 5th Annual Fort Scott Wreath Ride will raise money to sponsor fresh balsam wreaths that will be placed on veterans’ headstones at the cemetery this December.

The Annual Wreath Ride is the local WAA fundraising group’s biggest event of the year. Last year, the Wreath Ride consisted of 184 motorcycles, raising enough money to sponsor 3,600 wreaths – covering more than half of the 5,600 headstones at Fort Scott Cemetery.

“The Wreath Ride started as an effort to raise awareness for our mission, and has grown into one of the biggest events of the year in our community,” said Kevin Wagner, WAA local volunteer coordinator for Fort Scott Cemetery. “Every year, we are able to sponsor more wreaths than the last – our goal this year is to raise enough money to honor every veteran buried here.”

The Wreath Ride will take place on Saturday, August 26, at 11 a.m. and will begin at Buck Run Community Center in Fort Scott, Kan. Registration is open 9 – 10:30 a.m., kickstands up at 11 a.m. All proceeds from the event go toward wreath sponsorships – every $15 donated sponsors one wreath that will be placed at Fort Scott Cemetery on National Wreaths Across America Day – Saturday, December 16.

“Each donation is a meaningful gift from a Wreath Ride participant or supporter who knows what it means to serve and sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy,” said Karen Worcester, executive director of WAA. “We are so grateful to the community of Fort Scott for hosting this event and for continuing to spread our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.”

The event is sponsored by dozens of locally-based businesses, including Joplin, Missouri-based truckload carrier, CFI. CFI donated money toward Wreath Ride apparel and will send employee representatives as well as the company’s military-branded trailer to the event.

“The Wreaths Across America mission speaks volumes to us as a company,” said Tim Staroba, president of CFI. “Many of our drivers are veterans themselves, and they appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the national effort to remember our nation’s heroes every holiday season, and year-round.”

For more information about the 5th Annual Wreath Ride, or to participate, please visit www.FortScottWreathRide.com.

National Wreaths Across America Day is a free event, open to all. For more information, to donate or to sign up to volunteer, please visit www.WreathsAcrossAmerica.org.

Mostly clear skies gave Fort Scott residents an opportunity to view the total solar eclipse Monday, as the American eclipse made its way across the entire continental United States.

The last time such an eclipse was seen in the U.S. was in 1918. Fort Scott was able to view the eclipse Monday at 96 percent, as the path of totality passed by only about 100 miles north of the county. That percentage was enough to cause the normal daylight to dim as the eclipse reached its peak just after 1 p.m.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site provided eclipse information and activities for visitors Monday, showing them how to safely view the eclipse with special glasses or through other safe means.

Submitted by Tina Rockhold, Mercy Hospital

The Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott will receive a $2,000 matching fund checks from the Modern Woodmen of America on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m. in the Mercy Hospital main lobby.

Jolynne Mitchell and Scott Gander from Modern Woodmen will present the check to Mercy Health Foundation Board Members and Hit the Bricks event planners Jared Leek, Jessica Schenkel and Darcy Smith.

The $2,000 was pledged in May to the foundation by the Modern Woodmen of America as a corporate sponsorship for the Hit the Bricks Wine Stroll, Art Walk and Blane Howard Concert. In the sponsorship agreement, the Mercy Health Foundation needed to net a minimum of $2,000 in event proceeds to receive the matching $2,000.

Proceeds from the Hit the Bricks event totaled $11,883 prior to the $2,000 check to be presented by the Modern Wooden of America.

The Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which raises money and community awareness for Mercy Hospital. It is dependent on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations to help Mercy meet community health care needs. Mercy Health Foundation invests its philanthropic support in facilities and the advancement of technologies and programs to enhance Mercy’s ability to provide excellence in health care.

To make a donation, please visit https://secure3.4agoodcause.com/mercy-health-foundations/gift.aspx?id=1 or call the Mercy Health Foundation office at 620-223-8094.

A new sport is gaining traction in Fort Scott, as participants take advantage of new pickleball courts as well as an upcoming tournament to be hosted by the city.

During a meeting in November of 2016, the Fort Scott City Commission gave City Manager Dave Martin permission to move forward in repairing the tennis courts near the water treatment plant on Burke Street in order to build courts designed for pickleball, a sport similar to tennis but with slightly different rules while using a smaller paddle instead of a racket and a ball similar to a heavy waffle ball.

At the time of the decision last fall, Martin said he thought the request and the name of the sport was a joke, but upon research of the sport and requests from local players for an outdoor court to be built, the city and the Recreation Department worked together with help from private donors to fund the project, which was completed earlier this summer.

“It was in bad shape,” Fort Scott Parks Supervisor Todd Farrell said of the old tennis courts during a June city commission meeting. “And we’ve turned it into something great.”

Despite the odd name, pickleball is indeed a sport that is gaining players of all ages in Fort Scott and around the nation. Participants include young families as well as retired couples, playing outdoors at the new courts or indoors at Buck Run.

“I think it’s a nice family event,” Buck Run and Recreation Department Director Tom Robertson said of the sport, adding his own family uses the new courts frequently. “I think we’re fortunate that we were able to get that project…Those are really nice courts up there.”

The city will use those courts for a tournament Sept. 16-17, hosting events such as doubles, mixed doubles and men’s and women’s singles. Registry is required by Sept. 12, at $10 for the first event and $5 for any additional events. T-shirts will be given to participants and medals to the top three of each event.

“It’s an exciting thing to have something new in Fort Scott,” Robertson said.

Some of the local players have participated in, and even won, such tournaments in other towns such as Nevada. But with the new courts, Fort Scott is able to bring that event and other players into Fort Scott instead.

The tournament will host doubles events the Saturday of the tournament, beginning at 9 a.m. Singles events will be held starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Further information can be found in Buck Run’s fall brochure, to be released Friday.

Currently, groups most commonly play weekly at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Thursday evenings at about 7 p.m. and about 8 a.m. on Saturdays. Smaller groups often organize to play at other times during the week at their own convenience and according to their own skill level.

Residents interested in learning about the sport are encouraged to visit the new courts during one of those playing times.

Submitted by the Fort Scott Public Library

Local author Carol Russell will have a book-signing along with readings from her new book, Brianna Meets Miss Addie, in the Fort Scott Public Library Events Room on Monday, August 21, from 2 to 4 p.m.

She will have copies of the book available for purchase for $9. While the book is written for kids ages 8-12, all are welcome to attend.

Mrs. Russell is a freelance writer and speaker. She and her husband, Bob, have been married for more than 55 years and reside in Kansas. They have three daughters, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She has had many articles, devotions and children’s stories published.

Submitted by the Fort Scott National Historic Site

In 1918 the sun was out, then like magic it disappeared behind the moon, day turned to night and stars were visible in the sky. This crazy phenomenon was a Total Solar Eclipse which passed just to the south of Fort Scott. Now 99 years later, Fort Scott has the opportunity to see a similar total eclipse. The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse will pass across the continental U.S. and its complete totality will be within 100 miles of Fort Scott.

Fort Scott National Historic Site invites everyone to experience this momentous occasion with the Rangers on the Fort’s parade ground. Join us on Monday, August 21, as we watch the sun hide behind the moon. From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., explore the science behind an eclipse, create your own eclipse, earn an Eclipse Junior Ranger Badge, learn about proper eye safety and much more! You might even consider having a moonlight lunch on the parade ground.

The moon will begin blocking the sun at about 11:45 a.m., with the eclipse ending around 2:30 p.m. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 1:05 p.m., when the sun will be almost completely covered. A limited supply of free protective eclipse glasses will be available to view the sun during the eclipse.

Never look directly into the sun, even during an eclipse. The sun’s rays can cause permanent damage to your eyes. When viewing the eclipse, you will need to use special eclipse glasses that have a specific solar filter; sun glasses will not work. Also, do not look through smart phones, cameras, telescopes or binoculars without the proper sun filters. For those not visiting the Fort on August 21, or to ensure you will have your own pair, eclipse glasses can be ordered online from several sources.

Call the Fort at 620-223- 0310 with questions about the event, or visit eclipse2017.nasa.gov for more information about this eclipse.