Despite temperatures near freezing, a crowd of residents and visitors lined Main Street in downtown Fort Scott to watch the annual Christmas parade, this year with the theme of Holidays on the Big Screen.

Groups including churches, fire departments, school organizations and businesses such as Velocity Tactics, Family Dental, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, 4-State Sanitation and others participated with floats representing Christmas movies such as Christmas Vacation, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Frosty the Snowman.

Prizes were awarded to Fresenius Kidney Care, Fort Scott Community College and Parkway Church for the creativity of their floats. Gifts donated by Walmart, Walgreens and the Electronic Store were also awarded to children.

Santa Claus made an appearance to help light the mayor’s Christmas tree and to take photos with children present. High school student Mayson Lane was the grand marshal of the parade in honor of his upcoming trip to New York in February to play violin at Carnegie Hall.

“What a wonderful time of year,” Mayor JoLynne Mitchell said, adding Christmas is a time of hope and remembrance of Jesus’ birth as well as reflecting on blessings and accomplishments throughout the year. “What a great year we’ve had in the city of Fort Scott.”

Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

This holiday season, Fort Scott National Historic Site invites you to celebrate with your family and friends by visiting the site for its 35th Annual Candlelight Tour. The light of over 700 candle lanterns will provide the backdrop for an enchanting evening as reenactors in period clothing bring to life scenes of celebration from Fort Scott’s past.

In the first scene on the tour, cowboys from Texas are celebrating the end of the first cattle drive to Fort Scott in 1866. They find themselves opposed by Kansans who are concerned about “Texas fever” spreading to their cattle and by those who are unwilling to forgive Texas secessionists who opposed Kansas in the Civil War.

The second scene, set in 1848, will have stories of soldiers who have safely returned from the Mexican American War and are now excited about stories of gold in California.

In January 1861, Kansas became the 34th state; at the same time, the Union was collapsing as many states were seceding. A celebration of Kansas statehood and discussion of the impending crisis will be the topic of the third scene on the tour.

In scene four, residents of Fort Scott will be discussing the growth of the town of Fort Scott in January 1858. Featured stories will include a ball held to celebrate the new management of the Free State Hotel and the establishment of a newspaper and a railroad.

In the final scene of the tour, veterans of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry will be reuniting with their former comrades in 1916, more than fifty years after the Civil War ended. As the National Park Service was established in 1916, this scene is being offered in commemoration of the NPS centennial as is the theme of celebration for this year’s tour.

The tours will be offered December 2 and 3. Tours on December 2 will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. On Saturday, December 3, the tours will run from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Tickets are now on sale. Reservations and advanced purchase of tickets is required. Visitors can pick up tickets at the site’s visitor center or reserve them by calling (620) 223-0310. Payments can be made via cash or charge (DISCOVER, MasterCard, Visa). Tickets are $8.00 for adults; children five and under are free. Tickets are nonrefundable. The tour is filling up, so reserve your tickets soon.

Western National Parks Association, which operates the site’s bookstore, sponsors the tour. Proceeds generated cover the cost of conducting the tour.

From November 1-March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. For more information about the candlelight tour or other events at the site, call 620-223- 0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

Fort Scott Community College welcomes Kale Pick as the new Head Football Coach. Pick completed his first season as the FSCC quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator this fall. He previously coached at the University of Kansas and Texas A&M University.

“We are excited to start a new era of Greyhound football with Coach Pick. I have been able to witness firsthand everything that he brings to our program, and I have been very impressed,” said Tom Havron, FSCC Director of Athletics. “He has earned a great deal of respect from his players, fellow coaches and me. The team is headed in a very good direction under Coach Pick’s leadership.”

As a Dodge City High School student, Pick was ranked the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the United States by Rivals for his running and passing abilities. He played both quarterback and wide receiver at the University of Kansas from 2008 to 2012 and started in 28 games. In 2011, he was No. 2 player in catches and receiving yards for the team. He received the Ironman Award in the 2011 off-season, which recognized him as the most dedicated player, as voted by his coaches and teammates. During his senior season in 2012, Pick led the Jayhawks in catches and receiving yards with 63 receptions for 752 yards and two touchdowns. He was also awarded the Gales Sayers Award in 2012 by the coaching staff, which recognizes the most competitive player of the season.

“Throughout my college football career, I played under three head coaches and five position coaches. I have also worked under two head coaches. This has been a blessing because it has given me the opportunity to learn about a variety of coaching styles, techniques and thought processes,” said Pick.

In 2013, Pick served as an offensive graduate assistant coach at the University of Kansas, where he worked with Ron Powlus and the quarterbacks and Rob Ianello and the wide receivers. In 2014 and 2015, Pick served as an offensive graduate assistant coach at Texas A&M University, working with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital. He also coached the wide receivers during the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl, where he served as interim assistant coach.

“The Greyhound football team will have a strong focus on community and scholarship in addition to athletics. We want to give the community of Fort Scott a college football team that they can be proud of,” said Pick. “It’s our goal to develop the student-athletes into well-rounded individuals who will succeed on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”

When describing his coaching philosophy, Pick said, “We want to outwork and outsmart the other teams. We will work hard, but we will also have fun as a coaching staff and team.”

Pick graduated from the University of Kansas in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in communications.

Members of the community along with students and faculty of Fort Scott Community College attended a reception on campus Friday afternoon to recognize a meats judging team that recently won a national competition in Texas.

“We couldn’t be more proud of this team and the accomplishments they’ve had,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said, saying she recognizes the hard work and commitment needed in meats judging contests. “That kind of dedication truly is unusual.”

The team, which includes students Adam Lattin, Katie Thoden, Chad McKibben, Peyton Barrett and coach Jenilee Martin, placed first at the High Plains Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest on Oct. 30, in Friona, Texas. The team also brought home awards for accomplishments such as placing second in beef grading, second in lamb judging, first in pork judging, second in beef judging, first in total beef, first in total placings and second in the total questions division along with other individual awards.

“It was their time to complete the task at hand,” coach Martin said of their mindset going into the contest, after a season of contests that brought a level of disappointment when they finished in third, fourth and fifth positions at contests in Denver, Col., Fort Worth, Houston and Amarillo, Texas.

But despite struggling earlier in the season such as with the questions portion of the contests, Martin and the team continued to persevere, to the point of practicing every day. Team member Thoden said she even reached a point where she asked her team mates if they truly wanted to win a contest, since it felt like they did not.

“By golly, we did it,” Thoden said of their win as their hard work finally paid off.

Martin expressed gratitude to the students for the memories she has of participating in the season’s contests as well as thanked the faculty for working with the students while they spent time away from their classes.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Martin said, saying she was especially proud that two of the students were named All-American winners, which takes into account at their success at the contests as well as in the classroom.

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

The Fort Scott Community College Rodeo Team finished their fall season on Saturday, Oct. 29, at Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) with the men’s team placing first and the women’s team placing sixth.

Several FSCC student-athletes delivered exceptional performances at NWOSU. Sophomore Wyatt Miller, from Lone Jack, Mo., placed first in calf roping, second in team roping and first all-around. Freshman Trey Ahring, from Garnett, Kan., placed first in bull riding. Baylee Oney, sophomore from Archie, Mo., placed fourth in barrel racing. Caitlyn Wiswell, sophomore from Spring Hill, Kan., placed fourth in breakaway roping. Sophomore Russell Redden, from Maryville, Mo., placed fourth in bareback riding. Mat Swaim, freshman from Altoona, Iowa, placed fourth in saddle bronc riding.

“I’ve been very impressed with the student-athletes’ work ethic and desire to win. Everyone acts as a team. A few leaders have stepped up and expected more from everyone,” said Chad Cross, FSCC Head Rodeo Coach. “I’m very happy with the team’s performances this fall, especially in the last two rodeos.”

The FSCC Men’s Rodeo Team is currently ranked No. 3 and the FSCC Women’s Rodeo Team is ranked No. 7 in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) Central Plains Region. Many FSCC students are ranked in the top six of their divisions for the region. Wyatt Miller is ranked No. 1 in the men’s all-around division, No. 1 in tie-down roping and No. 1 in the team roping heeler division. Sophomore Cory Brown from Russellville, Ar., is ranked No. 3 in bareback riding. Russell Redden is ranked No. 4 in bareback riding. Trey Ahring is ranked No. 5 in bull riding. Tate Sly, freshman from Salina, Kan., is ranked No. 6 in bull riding.

The team will compete in its first spring rodeo February 17 – 19, in Manhattan, Kan.

“I’m excited about the spring season because the students never stop working,” said Cross. “While others may be taking a break, our student-athletes are working hard to achieve their goals. I think their dedication will pay off in the spring.”

For more information, please contact Chad Cross at 620-223-2700, ext. 7020 or visit fsgreyhounds.com.

In preparation for the coming Christmas season, the Fort Scott Middle School will host their annual VIP Fall Extravaganza Monday evening, providing an opportunity for the community to shop from a variety of vendors while helping raise funds for the middle school.

“It’s a family event,” organizer Stephanie George said of the extravaganza, which will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include childcare provided by the Fort Scott Community College volleyball team.

In the USD 234 Board of Education meeting held Monday evening, George said the event is full of vendors, with 57 signed up, and she even had to turn some away because there is no more space. George added the event has spread from just local vendors to include others from Nevada and Junction City, for example.

“Now I just need lots of shoppers to come,” George said.

Some of the participating vendors include Pampered Chef, LuLaRoe Clothing, Thirty-One Gifts, Tourtillott Creations, Scentsy, Miller Feed & Farm, Gold Canyon, Briggs of Fort Scott, Care to Share and a number of other vendors selling clothes, food items, crafts and other goods.

Many vendors will also be holding raffles to give items away, with tickets costing $0.25 each. Briggs of Fort Scott also donated $150 that will be given away as two $75 prizes to employees of the school district who enter into the drawing at the extravaganza.

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

Going into last Saturday night’s game against the Hutchinson Community College Blue Dragons, Fort Scott Community College linebacker Dominic Cizauskas needed to accumulate 30 tackles in the last two games of the season to break the FSCC single-season tackle record.

Because Cizauskas had averaged more than 17 tackles per game in his last three games, it appeared this record was in reach. Instead of making Greyhound fans wait until the final game of the season to break the record, Cizauskas had one of the best single-game defensive performances in Greyhound history. During the game, he accumulated 34 tackles and intercepted a pass early in the first quarter to become the record holder, surpassing Lavonte David, former ‘Hound and current NFL All-Pro football player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Adding the 34 tackles from last Saturday’s game, Cizauskas currently has 131 tackles for the season, exceeding the previous record of 125 take-downs set by David in 2009 during the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship game. With one game left against top-ranked Garden City Community College this Saturday, Cizauskas will look to add to his tackle record and help the Greyhounds upset the Broncbusters.

When Cizauskas, a 6’2”, 242-pound freshman from Mukwonago, Wis., first arrived at FSCC in the spring of 2016, there was a buzz across the campus. Cizauskas was a highly-touted, explosive player with a high motor and the ‘Hounds hoped he could be a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. Cizauskas has fulfilled these expectations.

According to Craig Richardson, FSCC linebacker coach, Cizauskas has grown into a smarter and better football player over the course of the season.

“His football IQ continues to grow every day. When he first came to the team, he would rely on pure athleticism,” said Richardson. “Now his understanding of the game and preparation puts him in a position to be successful. His success over the last several weeks is a credit to his dedication.”

Richardson says he has been impressed with Cizauskas’ performance and believes his work ethic puts him in a class with past Greyhound greats.

“Dominic is a tough, hard-working, blue-collar kid who makes plays that make you scratch your head wondering, ‘Did he really do that?’” said Richardson. “His motor never stops. He dominates games by utilizing proper technique and good reads to make up for his size and speed.”

In addition to his role as a linebacker, Cizauskas also plays on all of the Greyhounds’ special team units. He has averaged 13.1 tackles per game this season, with three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. Two of his pick-ups were returned for touchdowns in a 34-29 victory on the road against Ellsworth Community College.

Currently, Dominic is ranked in the top four players for several NJCAA defensive statistic categories:

• Tackles (#2, with 131 tackles)
• Fumble recoveries (#3, with 4 fumble recoveries)
• Average tackles per game (#4 with 13.1 tackles per game)

The NJCAA has taken notice of Cizauskas’ efforts, naming him the Defensive Player of the Week twice in the last three weeks. He was also recognized by the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference twice in the past three weeks as conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Cizauskas and the ‘Hounds will finish their 2016 football campaign this weekend at 1:00 p.m. in Garden City, Kan., where they will play the NJCCA #1 ranked Garden City Community College Broncbusters.

FSCC single-season tackle leaders:

1. Dominic Cizauskas                Current (2016)            131 tackles
2. Lavonte David                       2009                            125 tackles
3. Gabe Loyd                             2014                            119 tackles
4. Matt Glades                           2007                            113 tackles
5. Lucian Antoine                      2007                            112 tackles

FSCC all-time career tackle leaders:

1. Gabe Loyd                             2014-15                       225 tackles
2. Lavonte David                       2008-09                       218 tackles
3. Matt Glades                           2006-07                       186 tackles
4. Lucian Antoine                      2006-07                       162 tackles
5. Horace Hubbard                    2007-08                       153 tackles

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

Fort Scott Community College is pleased to announce that Dr. Laura Meeks will serve as FSCC Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs beginning November 21.

“I’m thrilled that Dr. Meeks will be working with us over the next several months,” said Alysia Johnston, FSCC President. “FSCC will greatly benefit from the knowledge, experience and expertise that she brings.”

Dr. Meeks has more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. She recently returned to Fort Scott after retiring as the President of Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, where she served for 16 years. Before her tenure at EGCC, she served as President of Fort Scott Community College for eight years.

Dr. Meeks holds a doctor of philosophy degree in curriculum and instruction from Kansas State University. She also holds an educational specialist degree and master’s degree from Pittsburg State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota.

“I am honored to be returning to FSCC and I will do my best to serve the College until the new vice president is identified,” said Dr. Meeks. “I have a lot of respect for President Alysia Johnston and I am looking forward to working with her as well as the faculty and staff.”

Dr. Meeks continued, “I have great confidence in the leadership and the mission of FSCC. The administration, faculty and staff truly have a passion for teaching students and helping them succeed.”

Fort Scott Community College will host a welcome reception for Dr. Meeks at 3:00 pm on Monday, November 21 at the Danny & Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center, 2108 South Horton in Fort Scott. The event will be open to the public. For more information, please call 620-223-2700 or visit fortscott.edu.

Submitted by Fort Scott Community College

The Fort Scott Community College Meats Judging Team won first place at the High Plains Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest held on October 30, in Friona, Texas. Additionally, the team placed second in beef grading, second in lamb judging, first in pork judging, second in beef judging, first in total beef, first in total placings and second in the total questions division.

FSCC will host a reception to celebrate the team’s success at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17, in the Heritage Room of the FSCC Dick Hedges Administration Building, located at 2108 South Horton Street in Fort Scott.

“The team worked hard throughout the year, trying to master the process that would land them the big win. We challenged each other more than any other team I have coached—in the end, that left the students more comfortable in their situation,” said Jenilee Martin, FSCC Meats Judging Coach. “Although the national contest would be challenging, the students went in with level heads. This allowed them to calmly place the classes at hand, which ultimately put them on top. I couldn’t be more proud of the students and their successes!”

Originally from Jasper, Mo., Martin served as a member of the FSCC Meats Judging Team in 2010, which was coached by Ryan Edgecomb. Over the last seven years, FSCC has claimed four of the national championship titles and two reserve national titles.

The 2016 team includes sophomores Peyton Barrett from Winchester, Kan.; Adam Lattin from Independence, Kan.; Chad McKibben from Lamar, Mo.; and Katie Thoden from Paola, Kan. At the national contest, Thoden placed first in pork judging, first in beef judging, second in total placings, first in total questions and first place individual overall. Barrett placed second in beef grading, fifth in lamb judging, fourth in pork judging, first in total placings and fourth place overall. Lattin placed fourth in lamb judging, fifth in beef judging, third in total placings and ninth place overall. McKibben placed first in beef grading and thirteenth place overall.

Two students received All-American Team honors—Thoden was named to the first team and Barrett was named to the second team.

“The All-American Award is perhaps the most prestigious award of the year because it honors the top eight performers in the classroom and in the cooler,” said Martin.

Additionally, McKibben was selected by his peers to receive the Rachel Hamilton Memorial Spirit Award for the team. This award was established to honor a member of each team whose winning approach exemplifies Hamilton’s love of meats judging.

Throughout the season, the team also competed in five other events including the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo.; Southwestern Stock Show in Fort Worth, Texas; Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in Houston, Texas; Beef Empire Days in Garden City, Kan.; and The American Royal in Omaha, Neb.

For more information, please contact Martin at 620-223-2700, ext. 3540.