Category Archives: Fort Scott
USD234 is asking for YOUR help to fill out a short survey about Child Care needs in Fort Scott!
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Buying Gifts In The Community Is Beneficial to the Community
Graphic from the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.
This year Small Business Saturday falls on November 25th and is a day when shoppers are encouraged to buy from local, small businesses for the good of the community they live in.
Supporting local small businesses is beneficial to both the buyer and the business. Savings on gas fill-ups and time are some of the benefits to buyers for buying local, and then there are the benefits to those businesses they buy from.
“What a difference a few dollars spent per shopper can make! ” said Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lindsay Madison said. And the Chamber has been working to encourage local shoppers.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is registered as a Neighborhood Champion for Shop Small, Small Business Saturday, a program initiated by American Express, according to Madison.
Neighborhood Champions work to rally the community to shop at local small businesses.
The Chamber has put together a Shop Small Passport that shoppers may pick up from local retailers this Friday and Saturday, she said. “If shoppers earn three or more stamps by purchasing $5 or more, they turn in the passport at their 3rd store for an entry to win $50 in Chamber Bucks. The drawing will take place on Tuesday, November 28th. Chamber Bucks can be used like cash at over 60 Chamber member businesses and restaurants.”
“If you don’t already, we ask you to Like and Follow the Chamber’s Facebook page, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce,” she said. “We have been posting a social campaign over the last couple of weeks to illustrate the importance of shopping local and what a difference a few dollars spent per shopper can make! Some of those social posts have included the following messaging:
- “Per score.org, for every $1 you spend at a small business, 67 cents stays in the local community. Forty-four cents goes to the small business owner and employee’s wages and benefits and 23 cents gets reinvested in other local businesses,” she said.
- “Your $20 spent locally does more than purchase goods, it weaves a community tapestry, where every thread strengthens the whole. That same $20 circulates. You eat at a local restaurant and tip the wait staff, the wait staff then goes and gets a haircut, the stylist then goes and buys a cup of coffee, the barista then buys a candle at a gift shop, and so on. When you spend $20 online, that $20 is gone out of our community.
- “Ten dollars spent at a local store can have a sizable impact. It’s estimated that over $9.3 billion would be returned to our U.S. economy if every family spent just $10 a month at a local business. That’s not even one meal’s worth of spending a month! It’s only a few cups of coffee or a glass of wine a month. What a tremendous impact we could have if everyone could commit to that.”
“As you Shop Small over the weekend, be sure to pick up your Passport,” Madison said. “Have some fun and earn a chance to win while you’re supporting our local businesses are hit up year-round to sponsor events, support school fundraisers, and more. It’s our turn to give back to them.”
The Chamber received a limited amount of promotional products from American Express that is being distributed to locally owned Chamber member small businesses to use during Small Business Season, said Madison.
Check out our Chamber member businesses and links to their websites here! https://fortscott.com/members/
#fortscottchamber
#smallbusinessseason
#shoplocal
#supportsmall
#shopsmall
From Amanda Clasen, Kansas State Extension Community Vitality Agent’s, weekly column:
“In 2010, American Express started the Small Business Saturday effort to help direct consumer’s dollars to local businesses. The nationwide holiday is held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Some ideas to help you shop locally this holiday season may include:
- Use a local print shop to see if they offer greeting cards or other unique gifts.
- Support local flower shops by sending unique holiday arrangements that can be displayed throughout the holiday season.
- Shop at local craft shows that showcase youth and Local Entrepreneurs. If your recipient likes to cook, buy a cookbook from a local fundraiser and attach dry ingredients to a new recipe.
- Purchase from local grocery stores or farmer’s markets for ingredients in your holiday meals.
- Purchase gift cards to local businesses, restaurants, and businesses of interest.
- Recognize your own talents that you may have as well to provide a heartfelt gift that may not necessarily be bought at a big box store.
FSACF Match Day: Grant Will Double A Contribution to a Local Cause
Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is hosting its 1st Annual Match Day Event to double the benefit to local causes.
“We are promoting a match day on Tuesday, November 28 during National Day of Giving where up to $25,000 will be available to match gifts that are given to our Fort Scott Area Community Foundation funds on that day,” said Becky Tourtillott, FSACF Vice President. “Those matching funds are being made available through a grant from the Patterson Family Foundation.”
The FSACF has a unique opportunity, through the grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, to match up to $25,000 for contributions made to eligible funds, according to a press release.
Care to Share, Fort Scott Area Chamber Foundation, and Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation are three local organizations that have recently added an endowed fund with the FSACF, according to Tourtillott.
Those new funds in conjunction with the foundation’s existing funds offer a diverse range of efforts that community members can support, she said.
“Donors will have the ability to specify which specific fund they want to support, including the general foundation fund if they prefer,” Tourtillott said.
A website — https://www.fortscottgives.
“We are very excited for our inaugural Match Day, and the opportunity to grow these endowments and provide ongoing support for our charitable partners,” said FSACF Chairman Craig Campbell. “We invite the community to give together during Match Day because the local organizations and the services they provide are important to Bourbon County and make a true difference.”
The funds are invested to produce present and future income, which organizations can use for operations, programs, or special projects, according to the press release.
The $25,000 match pool will be divided among the participating organizations’ endowments in proportion to their share of community contributions, subject to a 20% limit, according to the press release. The full 100% of each donation will be placed in the organization’s endowed fund, and the match amount will be made available to the organization immediately.
Donations for Match Day can be made in three different ways, according to the press release:
- Online at FortScottGives.org or
- In-person, delivered to Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall, on or before Tuesday, November 28 or
- By check, mailed to FSACF, P.O. Box 901, Fort Scott, KS 66701 with a postmark date no later than November 29, 2023. Please make checks payable to: the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation
Here’s a synopsis of what those funds support:
About the FSACF Funds
Anna Faye and Robert Gordon Steele Memorial Funds: provides financial support to Fort Scott Community College Endowment Association, Fort Scott High School Scholarship Fund and Uniontown High School Scholarship Fund-all three for scholarships, Mount Orum Baptist Church of Redfield, Uniontown Methodist Church, Fort Scott Public Library, Old Fort Genealogy Society, The Beacon, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, Paralyzed Veterans Association, Evergreen Cemetery Association, Buck Run Community Center, Senior Citizens Center of Fort Scott, Redfield Ruritan Club, and the American Heart Association.
Care to Share Cancer Support Endowed Fund: provides support to members of the community impacted by cancer with financial/emotional/and transportation support to individuals.
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Fort Scott Endowment: supports worthwhile endeavors in Fort Scott and Bourbon County through annual granting.
Fort Scott Area Chamber Foundation Fund: supports programs such as Downtown Historic District enhancements and events, community advancement projects, educational and leadership programs, and youth scholarships.
Fort Scott Area Community Foundation General Endowment Fund: provides annual funding for competitive grants in Fort Scott and Bourbon County. Since its inception in 2009, FSACF has awarded over $386,000 in competitive grants.
Fort Scott Area Public Parks Endowment: supports the Riverfront Authority, which promotes the preservation and protection of the Marmaton River for the enjoyment and education of residents and visitors.
Dr. Pratt & Pauline Irby Endowment: benefits the charitable causes that the Irbys supported during their lifetimes.
John Valentine & Patricia Jean Neff Health Care Fund: supports grants to organizations addressing healthcare needs in Fort Scott and Bourbon County.
Shepherd Family Endowment Fund: supports the FSACFC’s annual granting, benefiting the residents of Fort Scott and Bourbon County in memory of Ray and Mary Shepherd.
Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation: provides support for the Fort Scott Paws and Claws Animal Shelter.
Members of the FSACF board: Campbell, Tourtillott, Lindsay Madison, Deana Endicott, Sheryl Bloomfield, Janet Braun, Michelle Bruner, Steve Buerge, Jess Ervin, Carla Farmer, Ronda Hassig, Bailey Lyons, Linda Noll, Kirk Sharp, Travis Shelton, David Shepherd, and Jordan Witt.
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Evergy/KCC Settlement Announced
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Fort Scott Christmas Light Contest for Homes and Businesses
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Rick Hite Will Entertain at Common Ground Coffee Co. on December 8
Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, is proud to present local musician Rick Hite who sings and plays guitar, and performs a variety of music including Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Gospel, and Oldies. The concert is set for Friday, December 8, at 6:30 p.m. The show is free and open to the public.
Hite began singing in church at the age of 5 and has been playing guitar since age 9. He has played The White Horse Saloon in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Jekyll Island, Georgia, the Mildred Store, VFW, the Eagles, Elks, Old Settler’s Picnic, and various local venues. We’re pleased to welcome Rick Hite back to the “Loading Dock” stage. On December 8, he will be performing the great music of the 50s and 60s. Bring a friend, enjoy some fabulous seasonal coffee drinks, and spend an enjoyable evening of music.
Schwalm Family Thanksgiving Dinner For the Community: Perhaps the Last
The Margery Schwalm family has been providing free Thanksgiving dinners to the Fort Scott community for 28 years.
“It takes a good week out of my life to do this,” Margery said. “I would like to fix Thanksgiving dinner for my family next year.”
The best part for her is “talking to all the people that call and are so thankful for the meals,” she said. “I get lots of thank you’s from lots of people.”
“But I am tired,” she said. “I would love to have anyone pick it up.”
But for this year, she and about 25 family members along with some others, will be cooking, packaging, and giving away turkey with all the fixings.
There is a drive-through pickup and also a delivery service for those who can’t get out, but no sit-down meal.
The event is this Thursday, November 23 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. People can call Schwalm at 620.224.6769 to order the meals.
The City of Fort Scott supplies the orange cones that help direct the traffic the day of the dinner at the Elks, and her son David helps with the distribution of the dinners to those who pick up.
Schwalm is a lifelong member of the Elks and gets the use of the facility for free, she said.
Elks Club members Bill Brittain and Pat Bishop gather the turkeys and slow roast them, a few days before the dinner.
“We buy the turkeys from G & W Grocery Store,” she said. “Last year I paid about $700 for the turkeys. G & W donates the carryout bags.”
“Then I round up most of my family and a few friends and will debone them,” she said.
“Cindy Ziegler Schwalm makes sure everything in the kitchen is taken care of, she has several people that help her,” Schwalm said. “She has some big strong guys to help whip up those potatoes.”
Community Christian Church donates 50 pies and 15 cakes for the event.
“They do a wonderful job with the desserts,” she said.
Parkway Church of God donates money for the dinner rolls.
“The rest of the stuff I buy,” she said. “The carryout plates, seasonings, all the extra fixings to pull it all together.”
A free-will offering is accepted to help with the cost of the meal.
“Freewill donations generally pay for what I am out,” she said.
“We will be out there Thursday in the morning,” she said. “The helpers, the cookers, the handlers who pack up the meals.”
“Once I get everything taken care of, I will be in the background overseeing,” she said.
Master Food Volunteer Training Available for K-State Extension
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What’s Happening in Fort Scott November 17
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FS City Commission Work Session to Discuss Small Business Incentive Program on Nov.21
There will be a Fort Scott City Commision WORK SESSION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21 at 5 pm at CITY HALL before the Commission meeting
Topic: Small Business Incentive Program
Submitted by
Lisa A. Lewis, City Clerk
Design Review Advisory Board Meeting
Design Review Advisory Board Meeting
When: November 21st, 2023
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: City Hall
Topics for discussion:
- Certificate of Appropriateness for Farmer’s Market Pavilion project.
The meeting is open to the public and the recording is available to watch on YouTube after the meeting is held.
Submitted by
Mary Wyatt
Community Development Director
City of Fort Scott