The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce announces the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping event, Downtown & Around in Fort Scott. The main event will take place Thursday, November 9th from 5-8pm with festive refreshments, drawings & deals. Then, most stores will continue Open House on Friday & Saturday, too.
There will be spirited holiday shopping at nearly 20 participating retailers including 110 South Main, Angie Dawn’s Boutique, Barbed Wire & Roses, Bartelsmyers Jewelry, Better in Bourbon, Be The Light Boutique, Bids & Dibs, Flint + Fray, Hedgehog.INK! Bookstore, Iron Star, Laree + Co, Papa Dons, Ruddicks Furniture, Sekan, Shirt Shack, Sunshine Boutique, The Artificers, and The Beauty Lounge. Drawings, discounts, and treats await, while shoppers find unique apparel, gifts and holiday décor.
Visit fortscott.com or the Chamber Facebook page for more details. Get out for the Annual Holiday Open House Shopping Event Thursday, November 9th through Saturday the 11th in Fort Scott.
Shane Walker, left, and Kirk Sharp hold the cross that Walker donated to the Gordon Parks Museum earlier this month. Submitted photol.
Shane Walker, a resident of Fort Scott, and longtime admirer of Gordon Parks, has donated one of the church crosses that was found in the African American Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
The donation was held during one of the Gordon Parks Celebration events on Saturday, October 7, “History of the Hawkins/Plaza School and All-School Reunion.”
The wooden cross stands approximately, 3ft-by-5ft and has fixtures for a lighted bulb display.
“We are so very thankful to Shane for this wonderful contribution to our museum.” said Kirk Sharp, museum, executive director. “This cross is great addition with our other artifacts from the AME Church that includes a stain glass window, church pews, corner stone and much more.”
The AME church was located on the southeast corner of Third and Lowman Streets before it was torn down in 2001. Gordon Parks and his family attended this church regularly. The church was also used in a scene from Parks’ acclaimed film, The Learning Tree.
Dave Gillen is the director of the Beacon. Submitted photo.
The Beacon Food Pantry annual sign-up period continues until Oct. 27 during the hours of 9:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
“Sign-ups must be done by October 27th,” said David Gillen, “There will be no exceptions.”
“You will need to call in advance to the Beacon to set an appointment for one of these days, our phone number is 620-223-6869,” he said.
“You will need to bring with you, to qualify for a food card:
“a picture ID for all adults in the household,
“a Social Security card for all in household and birthdates, all dependent children with different names must show full-time parental custody, adoption papers, and must live with you to be on your card.
“Proof of income, pension, retirement, social security disability, VA benefits, unemployment, child support/alimony, and any other income.
“If you receive any services from DCF please bring the verification letter.
“Please have your information with you when you come or you will be turned away and will have to reschedule an appointment.”
During this sign-up, clients may also sign up for the Adopt-A-Child (children’s Christmas present help) and the Elk Club Food Basket (food for the holidays), he said.
Clients are asked to please wear a mask if they have a cough or cold or have been exposed to COVID-19, for the safety of volunteers and staff, and only one person per family in the building at that time.
For those getting food that day, call in advance and your order will be on the back porch for pick-up.
Adopt-a-Child pick-up and Elk food baskets will be at Community Christian Church on December 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pick-up will be a drive-through, like last year, according to Gillen.
Elk’s baskets will be delivered the Sunday before Christmas.
Clients are asked to please call to set up an appointment as soon as possible, Gillen said.
About the Beacon
The Beacon Food Pantry is a helping organization serving Bourbon County residents since 1985.
The food pantry clients who qualify, according to income, will receive food assistance twice a month and hygiene products, baby formula, laundry, and dish soap per availability.
“We receive bakery and produce from Wal-Mart on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays and clients can shop in the main front lobby but are limited to one bag per family,” Beacon Director David Gillen said.
” The pantry also has a limited number of taxi passes and gas vouchers for doctors appointments,” he said.
Financial assistance, if qualified, is available on rent, utility bills, and prescriptions.
The Beacon is open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is closed on Thursdays.
To qualify for a food card, a picture identification must be provided for all adults in the household, a Social Security Card for all in the household, and proof of residence in the county, and proof of income.
“If you receive any services from DCF must provide a copy from them,” according to Gillen.
“To order food or ask for financial assistance you must call ahead,” he noted. All food orders will be put on the back porch due to safety issues.”
To apply for financial assistance the following is needed:
Picture ID for all adults in the house
Social Security card for all in-house
Proof of Income
Reason for the need
Fill out the income expenditures form
Copy of current bill
Proof of Bourbon Co. residency, such as current utility bill, or
And also a bank statement with the current name and address.
The building is located at 525 E. 6th Street in Fort Scott.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on Wednesday, October 25th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Empress Event Center, 7 N. Main St. Chamber members and the community are invited to attend for updates by the City of Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, USD-234, USD-235, and Bourbon County REDI.
There will be a 7-minute update from each of the following panelists, ending with time for questions:
City of Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin
Bourbon County Commission Chair Jim Harris
FSCC President Jason Kegler
USD-234 Superintendent Destry Brown
USD-235 Superintendent Vance Eden
Bourbon County REDI Executive Director Rob Harrington
Moderator for the event will be Bailey Lyons of Lyons Realty Group, 2023 Chamber Board Chair.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.
Wednesday, November 1, 2023, tickets for Fort Scott National Historic Site’s 42nd Annual Candlelight Tour go on sale. Tickets are available by calling the fort at 620-223-0310 (with a major credit card) or by stopping by the Visitor Center on Old Fort Blvd. Tickets are $8.00 per person and non-refundable, children 5 and under are free. It is recommended that you get your tickets early to ensure your choice of tour times, as this event frequently sells out.
The 42nd Annual Candlelight Tour is Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2, 2023. Tours on December 1 will begin at 6:30 pm and leave every 15 minutes until 9 pm. On Saturday, December 2, the tours will start at 5 pm with the final tour leaving at 9 pm. Please arrive 10 minutes early to allow time to park, present/pick up your ticket, and get oriented. Participants are advised to please dress for the weather and conditions, as the entire tour will be outside and on sidewalks.
1,000 candle lanterns illuminate the site and reenactors (including you) bring the fort to life.
This year’s tour is about Health and Wellness. During the tour, you will be immersed in ways people have historically been provided the opportunity to be healthy and embrace happiness, despite their struggles.
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. The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8:30 am-4:30 pm. The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. For more information about Fort Scott National Historic Site programs or become involved in the candlelight tour, or other activities, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
Al and Luanna Niece outside their new purchase, the building at 6th and Main Street, Fort Scott.
Al and Luanna Niece, from Blanco County, TX, purchased the dilapidated building at 6th and Main in June 2023 to renovate.
The Nieces have plans for building at 6th and Main: two apartments, an ice cream shop, and a gentleman’s bar. The building is across the street from the Fisher Park Ballfield.
Al Niece owns Niece Equipment of Kansas and has had a plant in Fort Scott’s Industrial Park, since 2012. The company manufactures, sells, and leases water trucks, fuel/lube trucks, and water towers, according to its website.
“We fell in love with Fort Scott, the community, the downtown,” Luanna said. “We are trying to give back.”
The building was built in 1889, with A. B. Payne as the owner. It was built for apartments and a printing shop, Luanna said. The name of the building was Shultz and Paine.
The Shultz-Paine Building from a postcard in the 1880s. Luanna Neice said Ann Rawlins at the Old Fort Genealogical Society was a great source of information on the building and provided this photo.
One interesting fact discovered in looking at the history of the building: “The building’s owner was friends with Mark Twain,” she said. Twain was a humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who died in 1910.
The Nieces plan to make two apartments on the top floor, one for themselves and one for a rental.
The street-level floor will be renovated to make an old-fashioned “soda jerk fountain and ice cream shop” with candy and “simple foods like hot dogs”, she said.
Luanna and Al Niece stand in front of the future ice cream shop on the south side of the first floor of the building. This entrance will be reconfigured, Al said.
The basement will be Al’s hangout, “Like in the movie ‘Speak Easy’, a gentleman’s bar,” she said. “It will be his mancave, probably called ‘Al’s’.”
From the basement looking up the two stories during demolition. Submitted photo.
“We hope to have renderings (of the future building plans) in about a month,” Al said. They met with the builder last week and hope to be open by next summer, he said.
Koen Construction is the builder, Al said.
What attracted the Nieces was that “this building is a stand-alone one,” she said. “And it has a lot next to it, land. About 6,000-10,000 square feet.”
Looking south from Main Street, the building’s lot is lower than the sidewalk on the left side of this photo.Some relics from the demolition are the old elevator shaft and gears. Submitted photo.
The Nieces also own the building that houses the Brickstreet BBQ Restaurant, the River Room Event Center, and the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office on North National.
Brickstreet BBQ is located at the corner of Oak Street and National Avenue on Fort Scott’s northside. The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office is north of the restaurant. The River Room Event Center is located on the second floor. Al Niece also owns this building.
The cover of Patty LaRoche’s new book: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection. Submitted graphic.
I am so excited to share that my book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection is offered, starting tomorrow, for 99 cents on the Kindle App. This is a limited-time offer, and then the price will become $9.99.
Patty LaRoche. 2023. Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection www.alittlefaithlift.com AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
The reviews have been exciting:
Reading this book makes me smile! Patty LaRoche’s wisdom laced with humor is always refreshing. I laughed. I cried. But in the end, I was left with a deeper sense of God’s great love for me.
When I bought the book, I thought I would find it a light read but in fact it has so many gems of wisdom that I found it hard to put down. Emotionally, it was a rollercoaster ride from outright belly laughing to swiping tears from my eyes. It reminded me that we are all on the same rollercoaster ride and we can choose to let the opinions of others put us on the sidelines of life or we can get on with living.
I absolutely loved this book. It was quite embarrassing as I was laughing my butt off on a plane several times, much to the annoyance of my neighbor… However, at the end of the flight, he wanted to know all about the book so he could read it as well.
Inside A Little Faith Lift you will discover invaluable strategies to:
Discover a renewed confidence in the God-given abilities you have been ashamed to cherish
Delve into the destructive thought processes designed to keep you in a game of comparisons
Recognize Satan’s devious tactics, convincing you to use others’ opinions to determine your value
Fall deeply in love with God as you begin to understand how valued you are
Learn to laugh at situations instead of allowing them to destroy your self-worth
If you like this offer and/or like what you’ve read in my book, please, please share this with all of your friends. I can’t do this without YOU! Thank you so much for your support.
Frankie’s Mission is having a drive and will be set up at Ft. Scott Walmart, on Saturday, October 21st from 10 am to 6 pm .
“We are trying to get items for the homeless,” said Vickie Crowe. “Everything helps. We help the homeless and less fortunate with items they need like hygiene items, blankets , coats , gloves , hats , snacks ,water etc.”
“I started the mission in honor of my son who passed away last year,: she said.
Carol Oakleaf, left, and Lori Lovelace show the donation can for clothing to the Fort Scott Community Closet which is located in the Fort Scott Washateria in this 2019 photo.
Fort Scott Washateria is a family business that was opened in September 2019 by Carol Oakleaf, her daughter Lori Lovelace, son-in-law Leroy Walker, and her son, Doug Oakleaf.
“As a part of our community outreach we have partnered with Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Healthy Bourbon County Team, and COPE to have Wash Wednesdays starting November 1st,” Lovelace said.
Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) is a project of the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Kansas University School of Medicine. To learn more: [email protected].
Each Wednesday, starting Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. a limited number of washers and dryers will be available for free.
Lovelace is the managing member overseeing business operations.
“As part of our business goals in Fort Scott we provide services for the community including the Fort Scott Community Closet which collects clothing and bedding donations from the community and we store and distribute them to people who need them,” Lovelace said.
The Washateria is located at 501 S. National Ave.A small building at the Washateria houses the Community Clothes Closet.Inside the Community Clothes Closet at the Washateria.
On November 1, the Washateria will have a new community service, Wash Wednesday, offering one free cycle of washing and one free cycle of drying to a family, two times a month, Lovelace said.
The Washateria will provide the laundry detergent and dryer sheets for this program, she said.
In addition, on Wednesdays, Lovelace will make sure the Community Clothes Closet is open for those who may need clothing or bedding.
The normal hours for the closet is Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “People must come in and sign in to have access to the closet while their stuff is washing,” she said.
The washing machines that will be available for the Wash Wednesday program.The dryers that will be available for the Wash Wednesday program.
The guidelines for Wash Wednesday:
The 22lb washers hold the equivalent of 2 loads of a home top-loader, 1 load per family.
However, people will not wash comforters, blankets, large mattress pads, etc, because those bulky items do not spin out well in the small machines and won’t dry in one dryer cycle.
“We request that this free service be utilized only two times per month for each customer so that the maximum number of folks can use the free machines,” Lovelace said. “We will have a sign-in sheet to keep track. The same family can only come two times a month.”
“Laundry customers must stay with their laundry and transfer their clothes to the dryer, our transfer service is not available as we have to move quickly to keep the machines going,” she said.
About Washateria
“We are a public laundromat and we do wash/dry/fold services for the public as well as commercial laundry,” she said. ” We also provide custom services such as starch/press and steaming.”
The Washateria is staffed, and open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.
Hours of the Washateria.
“Customer service is of utmost importance to us and we happily help folks who come in with any questions and help with the machines,” she said. “We have state-of-the-art Speed Queen commercial washers and dryers in a variety of size loads, 4 loads, 6 loads, and 8 load washers and small, medium, and large dryers, the dryers are sized for our machines. Our machines take quarters as well as debit/credit cards and we have a loyalty card that provides a discount when it is loaded to be used in the machines.”
Fort Scott Washateria is located at 501 S National Ave on the corner of 5th and National. For more information: 620-644-9834, email: [email protected]
Join us for a Chamber After-Hours and Ribbon Cutting
Mill Creek
Veterinary Clinic
Thursday, October 19th
5:30pm-7:00pm
6 East 13th Street
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members to a Chamber After-hours & Ribbon Cutting Event to celebrate the opening of Mill Creek Veterinary Clinic! The event will take place on Thursday, October 19th from 5:30pm-7:00pm with the remarks and ribbon cutting starting at 5:45pm. After the Ribbon cutting and remarks, everyone is invited to come and go to see the business, enter the drawings, and enjoy refreshments.
Opened on January 16, 2023 and located on the corner of 13th and National; Mill Creek Veterinary Clinic is a new addition to Fort Scott, however, Dr. Amanda Brown and her husband are natives to Fort Scott. Dr. Amanda and staff at MCVC to be kind and efficient while providing clients and their pets an affordable modern approach to preventive care as well as managing acute and chronic illnesses. Mill Creek is a small animal focused clinic, but has the ability to provide large animal services on farm. MCVC has the capability to perform a full diagnostic work up due to in house Idexx laboratory equipment, in house digital x-ray, and Butterfly ultrasound.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at 620-223-3566 or [email protected].
