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Claire by Patty LaRoche
When Claire was twelve years old, she visited Mazatlán with her parents who own at the same condominium complex as Dave and I.
Unlike us, however, they own a sprawling penthouse on the top floor where they stay when their busy California schedule allows. I met Claire at a get-together for all the owners.
To make small talk, I asked how she was. “Stressed,” she sighed. Since this is not a normal answer for a pre-teen, I asked if she was serious. She was. “And what is there to be stressed about?” I pressed, trying not to laugh. Primarily, it was her strict school schedule, plus some extra-curricular activities. Her communication skills were well beyond her years.
That was seven years ago. Claire is in Mazatlán this week, and I am learning that her maturity probably was attributable to her intelligence. She is a computer major at USC and scored a perfect 36 on her ACT. Most of her high school classes were Advanced Placement ones, and she is a bookaholic. Name a book; she has read it and can summarize it for you.
Last night her parents and two other couples came over to play Marbles and Jokers, a game introduced to Dave and me three years ago. Typically, people do not catch on to the game’s strategic moves before the third round, at which point they are addicted. We started at 2:00 in the afternoon and played until 9:00. Girls against Guys, and had the men not table-talked non-stop (I’m over that now), we girls would have won more than one game.
Claire and her boyfriend showed up around 8:00. She skimmed the instructions, asked a few questions and was ready to play. Now, NOBODY is ready to play M&J that quickly… NOBODY, apparently, except Claire. Dave and I have played with nuclear engineers, CEO’s, CPA’s, RN’s, Cyberwar specialists and Silicon Valley gurus, none of whom have understood the nuances of the game that fast.
Early on, Claire directed her mother to try an advanced strategy that beginners don’t use. Claire was the first of the eight of us to get her marbles into her home base, while we, her teammates, labored over which move to make and straggled around the board. Her brain clearly worked at a level I didn’t understand but certainly appreciated.
Over the next several days, it was not uncommon for several of us to be involved in marathon M&J games. Claire never lost. Which meant, of course, that we girls didn’t, either. She was a great one to have on our team. Teammates, as we all know, make a difference.
There’s another, however, a “must have” on our team, who is a total game-changer, and that’s Jesus Christ. No one has the wisdom to direct our paths and who pulls for our success like he does, and unlike Claire, there’s nothing in it for him.
Romans 8:34 tells us that he intercedes for us, so not only did he die in our place, but he continues to cheer for us to overcome sin and live a faith-filled life. I can’t imagine how many times a day he’s muttering to himself, “Come on, Patty. Nope. Don’t do that. Nope. Don’t say that. You can do it. I have confidence in you.” And then he turns to his Father and asks that I be forgiven because chances are, whatever he was pulling for me not to do, I did.
Jesus waits patiently for us to join his team. The winning team. Why would we choose anything else?
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports May 17
Problem and Solution by Patty LaRoche
Two shoe salesmen were sent to Africa
. One relayed a telegram home that read, “Get me home; nobody here wears shoes.” The other’s telegram said: “Send me all of the shoes you can; nobody here wears them.”
As we all know, some people see opportunities that become potential solutions; others see disappointments that cause them to despair.
John 6:1-15 is a Bible story with which most people are familiar and one in which I can put myself in the disciples’ sandals.
People are showing up for supper, and I, like Jesus’ close friends, am feeling responsible for their growling tummies. Which is a problem since somewhere between 5,000 and 20,000 are coming from every direction
. I check my pantry. Nope. One box of Tomato-Basil Wheat Thins and a can of Cheez Whiz won’t do the job.
In Scripture, this is where we find Jesus asking Philip for his answer to feed the masses. Really? Jesus’ needs his friend’s opinion? Philip responds: “Er… Jesus, I’m kind of expecting you to know where we can buy this amount of bread.”
So far, not bad, even though the disciple doesn’t seem to realize that he is addressing the source of all food, the one who daily fed millions in Moses’ day, the one for whom this task is a piece of cake. Or a crumb of bread. Plain and simple.
Now Philip gets practical as he fails to understand the teaching moment Jesus is providing for him. (I can soooo relate.) He asks, “And who’s going to pay for it? Not even eight months’ wages will buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Rational Philip realizes that this problem is bigger than his ability to solve it. His buddy and fellow disciple, Andrew, steps in, pointing to a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish. But Andrew’s attempt to see something positive also is short-lived. He questions how so little can fill so many.
Have you been there? “Here, Jesus, I give my problem to you. Completely to you. I trust you will provide the answer and get me out of this mess.” Whew! You feel better already. But within seconds, doubts creep in. You grab your problem out of Jesus’ hands and clutch it greedily, allowing it to grow and flourish. The cycle repeats itself as you give and grab, give and grab, give and grab.
Jesus, the master at imparting life-changing messages, is about to provide a miracle the likes of which the disciples have never seen. Their inadequacy is soon to be his adequacy.
It’s the same lesson he desperately wants us to understand every time we are faced with a problem, no matter how small or, like in this case, how large. After Jesus takes the boy’s Happy Meal from him, he looks to Heaven and thanks his Father for the provisions. Plain and simple.
The rest is history.
God increased the portions as the disciples distributed the bread and fish to the crowd. Can you imagine the murmuring and excitement as everyone was fed?
The lesson is intended for us as well.
We give God what we’ve got, as inadequate as that might be, and He supplies the rest. Our part is to see the opportunity and obey.
Plain and simple.
Appointments Available April 29 for CHC/SEK Pfizer vaccine Clinic
On Thursday, April 29, individuals can receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Fort Scott. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only approved vaccine for ages 16-17 with parental consent, and anyone age 18 and up.
The vaccination clinic at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd will be held from 2 PM-4 PM by appointment only. This is a two-dose vaccine that is given 21 days apart.
Individuals can request a vaccine appointment on the CHC/SEK website chcsek.org. Click the COVID Vaccine Request button. After selecting the “first dose” button, there is an option to select the Pfizer vaccine. CHC/SEK representatives will contact the recipients to schedule a date for the vaccine.
For those without web access, the health center has a toll-free number, 866-888-8650 and a second number for Spanish-speakers 620-240-8940 to make vaccination appointments.
As with all COVID-19 vaccines, there is no out-of-pocket costs to vaccine recipients.
FS Parks Advisory Board Meets April 29
The Parks Advisory Board will meet on Thursday, April 29th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas.
This meeting is open to the public. This meeting will be made available via the City’s youtube channel at City of Fort Scott.
Apple Pie by Patty LaRoche
Apple pie, the one slice of Americana not sacrificed on the altar of political greed, is next.
When professional baseball decided to stick its rosined nose into Georgia’s legislative voting protocol, Dave and I both held our hearts and grieved. Okay, I held my heart and grieved. Dave had a few, choice, frustrated words, as did numerous baseball buddies of his era.
Major League Baseball’s hierarchy opted to remove this summer’s All-Star Game from Atlanta, Georgia…the same Atlanta where our son Adam began his professional career and our youngest son Andy played his first major league game.
Our family loves Atlanta and the people who work at Braves’ stadium. Many employees we met were black and were some of the kindest, most dedicated individuals we’ve ever encountered in pro ball. But because somebody’s MLBPAA feathers were ruffled over the biased voter I.D. being required in Georgia (which would somehow be “unfair” to blacks), the mid-season game was moved to Denver…you know, where 93% of the people are white (as opposed to Atlanta where 76% of its citizens are black). And that is “fair” to the black people…how? Apparently, professional baseball thinks it prejudicial to ask voters to show their I.D.’s. The same organization that has asked for my I.D. for the past…oh, say 2,000 professional baseball games when I pick up my tickets at the Will-Call window. So, apparently everything is fair game…well, except where the All-Star game will be held. Nothing in my generation is to be left untouched as politics has caused a drastic upheaval in the way our citizens are asked to view:
1. The American flag
2. The National Anthem
3. The military
4. Prayer in school and in the workplace and in church and at assemblies and ________
5. Gender identification
6. Our police
7. Illegal immigrants
8. Freedom of speech
9. Guns
10. Rights of the unborn baby
11. Protests
12. God
And now, America’s favorite pastime…baseball.
Lucky #13 on the list.
Which brings us back to the one “untarnished” of American symbols: Apple pie.
After all, when you think of that popular dessert, surely you think “discrimination.”
Why else would the ala mode topping be vanilla and not chocolate? Um-hmmm! And then there is the “Gala” apple. Who, I wonder, came up with such a defamatory name? Reason enough to relegate apples to the orchard graveyard, if you ask me. One thing is for sure. Apple pie cannot remain guiltless. After all, many believe that an apple was the fruit of choice for Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden, leading to the fall of mankind. If that isn’t serious, I don’t know what is. And since Scripture is silent on the fruit, we might as well take matters into our own juicy hands.
Readers, call your Congressmen/women. Correction: call your Senate people and Representative people. Remind them that one bad apple spoils the whole barrel. They will know what you mean.
Bourbon County Leaves Mask Mandate to Entities
At the Bourbon County Commission meeting on Tuesday, April 6, the commissioners decided to continue following the federal Center for Disease Control guidelines requiring masks.
The community’s businesses, churches, and other entities can decide for themselves.
“We will continue requiring masks at the courthouse,” Commission Chairman Lynne Oharah said. “As far as the rest of the county, the (Kansas) legislators overrode the governor’s (mask) mandate. It would be up to individual businesses and entities to determine whether or not they want to follow CDC guidelines.”
In county operations other than the courthouse, it will be up to individual elected officials to determine if they will follow the CDC guidelines, he said.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the CDC are still recommending people wearing masks when in public, practicing social distancing, practicing good hygiene, and staying home when sick, Rebecca Johnson, administrator at the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department, said.
Governor Kelly reissued the mandate until May 28, but the legislative council overturned the mandate, Johnson said.
The governor has not reissued mitigation protocols for schools, she said.
“But USD 234 had decided to continue to require masks,” Johnson said. “USD 235 has stopped requiring masks.”
Vaccines
The health department is continuing with offering COVID 19 vaccines in its’ office in Fort Scott.
“We do have the Johnson and Johnson vaccine available now,” she said. This vaccine is a one-dose.
As of Monday, April 5, the county health department has administered 2,022 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Community Health Center and Walmart are also administering vaccines to the community, she said.
If interested in a vaccine, call the health department at 620-223-4464.
County Statistics of COVID-19
Johnson said there have been twenty-five COVID-19 deaths in Bourbon County, statewide-4,927 deaths.
Bourbon County has had 1,347 cases of the virus, 303,227 in the state, she said.
According to the CDC website, there were no deaths from influenza in 2020-2021 in Kansas, Johnson said.
“I believe that is from wearing masks,” Johnson said.
“Flu season runs from September 1-May 31,” she said. “According to CDC, 0 cases reported in Kansas, but I don’t believe all data has been submitted yet. ”
In 2019-2020, there were 118 deaths from influenza, she said.
Obituary of Mona Stern
Mona Lee Stern, age 92, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, April 2, 2021, at Country Place Senior Living in Ft. Scott.
She was born August 1, 1928, in LeRoy, KS, the daughter of Shot George and Oleeta Corwin George. Mona attended Aliceville, KS grade school and graduated from Westphalia high school where she was a cheerleader for four years. She attended Emporia State for two summers.
Mona taught for one year at Avandale rural school.
Mona married Donald Ray Stern on June 20, 1948, at Aliceville. They had three children, Tommy Lee, Gary Ray, and Donna Jo. Mona and Don moved to Ft. Scott in 1963. They purchased 40 acres and built their dream home, Don and Mona Ranch.
Mona worked for the Western Insurance Company and retired in 1993.
She enjoyed camping, fishing, playing cards, needlepoint, KU basketball, and cooking.
Following retirement, Mona and Don spent many winters in South Texas where she learned to create stained glass. They also enjoyed camping and fishing in Colorado and Canada.
Survivors include her daughter, Donna Britain and husband Roger; son Gary Stern and wife Pat; daughter-in-law Susan Stern; sister Patty Mathis; brother, Bill George and wife Mary; four grandchildren; and ten great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Donald; a son, Tom Stern; and her parents, Shot and Oleeta George.
Private family burial will take place Tuesday, April 6th, in U. S. National Cemetery, Ft. Scott.
Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Restoring the Family Table by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom
Carolyn Tucker
I didn’t grow up in a home with a formal dining room, so when Jimmy and I built our house 40 years ago, we customized the original plans. Raised in the country, I changed the dining room into a utility room and opted for a big comfortable kitchen. Early in our marriage, we purchased an antique walnut drop-leaf table that would seat ten when expanded with two additional leaves. This table was in mint condition and beautiful.
There’ve been a few times when I’ve considered getting rid of the table and chairs because they’ve been run through the mill and have seen better days. But when I get right down to it, there are simply too many memories in that table. We’ve spent hundreds of hours sitting at that table praying, talking, laughing, playing games, and sharing meals with family and friends. Nope. The table stays — it just needs to be restored.
The other night I was praying and, after a few sentences, my own words seemed to fail me. I then began to pray the words of the young shepherd boy. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He restoreth my soul. He restoreth my soul.” I could not get past the revelation of what those four words meant. The definition of “restore” means to return something or someone to a former condition. Just like the kitchen table, some of us have some boo boos in our soul that need to heal.
The soul is our mind, our will, and our emotions. The soul processes our circumstances, thoughts, emotions, and decisions. God has made a wonderful promise that in tough times He will restore our soul back to its former joyful condition. God has a unique path designed for all His children. If we will allow Him to be our Shepherd, He’ll guide us by His Holy Spirit to complete restoration.
I memorized Psalm 23 either in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School. I’m thankful for the teacher that realized the importance of children memorizing this valuable chapter. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). God’s Word is a powerful and precious gift to treasure. You can pull it out when you need it if it’s as close as your heart.
It’s interesting that David mentions a table later in the chapter: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (Psalm 23:5 KJV). For me, the kitchen table represents happy times sharing food with those you love. Even though David was a mighty warrior and had enemies, God prepared a banqueting table for him. There was no worry or confusion even though his enemies were lurking just outside the door. Likewise, God prepares a table for us right in the middle of storms and sorrows and we can choose to sit down, rest, and eat as if everything is in God‘s hands.
The Key: If your soul has been run through the mill, give it to the Shepherd and He will restore it.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 15
Weight Restriction Starts on K-7, North of Girard to K-39
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has placed a truck weight restriction of 20 tons on K-7, from K-47 at Girard north to K-39. The weight restriction is the result of asphalt failure on K-7 within the city limits of Girard. The restriction is in effect until repairs can be made to the highway.
Persons with questions may contact KDOT Construction Engineer Kyler Farmer, (620) 308-7621, or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.
K-7 width restriction: www.kandrive.org