Just as Fort Scott citizens are becoming creative with ways to stay within their budgets, the City of Fort Scott is doing the same. City Manager Dave Martin explained at this morning’s Chamber Coffee the challenges the city faced as a result of the destructive April hailstorm. As a result of increased workload in the Codes Department, the department needed more help to keep up with notifying homeowners of the need to clean up their properties, and  keeping track of licensing for the numerous roofing contractors coming into town. “I’m real proud of our codes department,” Martin said. Martin said that the “extra hours and the extra money” resulting from the storm have been successfully absorbed by the city. Part of these money-saving strategies was the transfer of Bruce Swank from Streets to the Codes Department.

Codes assistant Bruce Swank said of the situation, “Since the hailstorm . . . we’ve just been swamped.” Swank described operations at the codes department as a “three-tiered cake” of goings on with repairs, cleanup and daily operations. Of progress on home repairs in the city, Swank said, “We’re only about halfway through.” Codes Manager Brent Crays reported that of the 183 occupational licenses issued to contractors, only “two or three” have been problematic. When asked how long work on storm-damaged homes would continue, Crays said that work would likely continue into next year.

In other storm-related news, Tim Emmerson Jr. reported that for residents 62 years old and older whose homes have been damaged, an income-based grant of $7,500 may be available. Emmerson said that the application is easy to fill out, and that County Emergency Manager Terri Coop is the person to see about getting an application.

In other news:

• The Santana family, owners of La Hacienda, hosted chamber members and guests for this morning’s Chamber Coffee. “We are very happy to have everybody here,” said Mirna Santana. According to Santana, the restaurant is now in its 3rd year of serving Fort Scott. Mark McCoy, announcer for today’s Chamber Coffee, added that La Hacienda is run by “wonderful, accommodating people.”
• City Economic Development Director Heather Griffith announced that the city is working with officials in Lawrence to discuss options for other internet service providers in town. “The city is working hard . . . to expand our internet offerings in Fort Scott,” Griffith said.
• Chamber Executive Director Lindsey Madison announced the Chamber After Hours event to be held next Thursday from 5:15PM-7:30PM at the Fort Scott Professional Building, formerly Newman-Young Clinic. Madison also announced that next Friday an Art Crawl event will be held downtown from 5Pm-8PM. Madison said that booths are free, and encouraged local artists to participate in the event. According to Madison, Ralph Carlson has organized musical entertainment for the 3 hour event.

Jamie K. Armstrong of the financial services firm Edward Jones in Fort Scott, Kansas recently won the firm’s exclusive Spirit of Partnership Award for outstanding performance during 2012.

Jim Weddle, the firm’s managing partner, calls Armstrong a leader in the firm and an example of what a dedicated Edward Jones financial advisor can achieve.

“Jamie has demonstrated unyielding dedication and enthusiasm for her business of serving individual investors,” Weddle said. “Jamie has reached a benchmark in her career that deserves recognition, and the Spirit of Partnership Award provides that recognition. I am proud to call her an Edward Jones financial advisor.”

Armstrong said she is honored to receive the award.

“Edward Jones is a partnership. That structure is not just financial, it’s a philosophy,” Armstrong said. “We work together, help each other and all share in the rewards of working with long-term individual investors. That brings out the best in everyone.”

Armstrong was one of only 1,061 financial advisors out of the firm’s more than 12,000 to receive the award.

Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly 7 million clients to understand their personal goals — from college savings to retirement — and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. Edward Jones embraces the importance of building long-term, face-to-face relationships with clients, helping them to understand and make sense of the investment options available today.

In January 2013, for the 14th year, Edward Jones was named one of the best companies to work for by FORTUNE Magazine in its annual listing. The firm ranked No. 8 overall. These 14 FORTUNE rankings include 10 top-10 finishes, consecutive No. 1 rankings in 2002 and 2003, and consecutive No. 2 rankings in 2009 and 2010. FORTUNE and Time Inc. are not affiliated with and do not endorse products or services of Edward Jones.

Edward Jones is headquartered in St. Louis. The Edward Jones website is located at www.edwardjones.com, and its recruiting website is www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.

This Saturday, August 17th at Crooner’s Lounge a 6PM, Mercy will be holding a Friends of Mercy Kickoff event, including a  happy hour, dinner and auction to raise support for the Telemedicine Initiative at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott. The cost to attend the event is $25, and registration for the event is available online. “Telemedicine is a wonderful new form of medicine where a patient is able to have a physician visit via a computer,” said Tina Rockhold, Regional Marketing/Communications Manager. Rockhold said that telemedicine holds great opportunities for increased care in rural communities. “The beauty of that in rural communities . . . is that it gives access to our patients who need care quickly and we may not have that specialist in that community,” Rockhold said.

Rockhold explained that telemedicine has been very effective and had great results for stroke victims in other areas where telemedicine has been used. “We don’t have those specialists like neurologists face to face,” Rockhold said. Rockhold said that through telemedicine, a local practitioner works with the specialist to treat and assess the patient. Rockhold said that in the case of a stroke victim, prompt treatment can help reverse potential damage. “That time is precious,” Rockhold said. Through telemedicine, Rockhold explained, a stroke patient could potentially be treated faster than if that patient had to travel to see a neurologist.

“The goal of the event on Saturday night is to raise funds to have the equipment and the necessary components in place,” Rockhold said. Rockhold explained that Mercy would like to have the equipment set up so that when specialists are in place for the program, Mercy will be able to serve patients as soon as possible.

For more information about the event, please contact Tina Rockhold at (620)-223-8094.

The bright blue metal roof of the Ellis Foundation building is quite visible on the downtown Fort Scott skyline. In contrast, the work that the Ellis Foundation does is quiet and behind the scenes, but that work makes a priceless difference in the lives of students all over the United States.

We caught up with Chris Ellis, President of the Ellis Foundation, to ask a few questions about the mission of the Ellis Foundation, its impact, and the daily operations of the foundation.

Ellis started by giving a bit of background on the beginnings of the foundation. “My sister, Kathy, grew up here,” Ellis said. Ellis explained that his sister, a beloved English educator at Blue Valley High School, passed away from cancer in 1997. Ellis said that students held a ceremony for the family and “said things that were just amazing” about Kathy and how she had encouraged and supported her students. “That was an inspiration for everything we do here,” Ellis said.

In 1998, the Ellis family gave out 3 scholarships funded with their own money. “That was the beginning,” Ellis said. After about 5 years, positive feedback from recipients and a desire to expand and continue the work prompted Danny and Willia Ellis to ask their son, Chris, to take over the running of the foundation.

Ellis said that the foundation has grown from its initial few family-funded scholarships to 185 new scholarships this year. Ellis added that the foundation now has over 100 partners that fund scholarships, including the Helzberg family of Helzberg Diamonds fame. The first year of Ellis’ involvement, the foundation raised $13,000 from donors for scholarships. This year donations jumped to over $3 million. “It’s grown like you wouldn’t believe,” Ellis said.

Ellis said that the foundation attracts donors for two reasons. The first is that the foundation requires students to be accountable, and the second is that 100% of the donors’ money goes directly to paying tuition and fees for students.

Ellis explained that the mentoring program begun by his’ wife, Cathy, helps students succeed throughout all 4 years of college. Cathy Ellis identified an Ellis Scholar, Alexandria Horttor, whom the foundation hired as Mentoring Coordinator. Horttor travels to every university where Ellis Scholars are enrolled to hold mentoring meetings. In addition, each student is given a student-created “survival guide” specific to the college they attend. According to Ellis, this guide includes not only information geared toward academic success, but also the best place in town to get pizza. “We try to take the mystery out . . . and make them part of a family,” Ellis said.

Ellis also mentioned that donors appreciate the way the foundation operates financially. Not a cent of donors’ funds go to running the foundation. Ellis said of the donors that many are wealthy people in the Kansas City area who took it upon themselves to give back. “Our list of donors is impressive,” Ellis said. “When you have that kind of people . . . you can do a lot.” And the foundation does, indeed, do a lot. This year, according to Ellis, the foundation has offered scholarships of $1,000 per semester for 8 semesters to about 600 students. In addition, students send a personal letter to their respective donors each semester keeping the donor up-to-date on the progress of their education. Ellis said that at least one donor was moved to tears after reading a letter from a student.

The foundation not only looks to metropolitan areas for funding, but also looks locally to generate opportunities for scholars. The foundation involves the community of Fort Scott to offer a Community Scholarship funded by local donations. “It’s the cumulative total of masses of people that create an opportunity,” Ellis said. According to Ellis, $6-10,000 is the amount usually raised by the annual campaign the foundation holds every year in Fort Scott.

Regarding the process of selecting scholarship recipients, Ellis and his wife interview every candidate personally. This is quite a task, considering the foundation works with about 75 different high schools in 19 different states, and an additional 105 colleges and universities, according to Ellis. “We interview every kid face to face,” Ellis said, except for a few in remote areas that the foundation interviews through telecommunication. “That’s powerful.” The approach has, indeed, been a successful one. The retention rate for returning freshmen is 95.41%, and Ellis expects that percentage to rise. “Our overall percentage of students retained is 81%,” Ellis said. “The national average is 47%. We’re almost double the national average.” So far, the foundation has “given 2,140 scholarships and graduated 823 students out of college,” Ellis said.

Of the students the foundation works with, Ellis said the foundation likes to work not only with students who are at the top, academically, but also with those “gap kids” who may be hardworking and possess a decent GPA, but have been overlooked by colleges.

The foundation also does valuable work in connecting industry with prospective workers. According to Ellis, the foundation works with Westar Energy as well as Delta Dental to identify students these companies would eventually want to hire, and in some cases, the company will pay the entirety of the student’s tuition through college. Ellis used as an example the program through which Delta Dental funds a student’s education on the agreement that a dental student will go to work in a “dental desert,” an area that is in desperate need of a dentist or dental hygienist.

Aside from the daily work the foundation already does, Ellis said that foundation is planning for the future. “Absolutely, we’re big thinkers,” Ellis said. “We’ve already met with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation twice.” Ellis said that he hopes to build the foundation until it has a national reach and a “$100 million endowment.” “I think that’s realistic,” Ellis said. There’s need out there.”

Fort Scott Community College is in the process of adding a welding program to its offerings. According to Interim Dean of Instruction Regena Lance, documentation for the curriculum has been sent to the Kansas Board of Regents for review. Lance said that the program had been approved by the board of trustees, and that the curriculum had been revised before it was sent to the Board of Regents. According to Lance, students enrolled in the program would work toward a Work Ready Certificate, which they would earn after the successful completion of 24 hours of classwork. Successful students would also earn Certification A American Welding Society Credentials after the 24 hours of courses.

Lance explained that the program resulted from “a push by the Crawford County Workforce Education Alliance. It was requested by local business and industry,” Lance said. According to Lance, FSCC has received financial support for the program in the form of $33,000 from the Crawford County Workforce Education Alliance, and $16,000 from Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center. Lance said that these donations will help purchase initial equipment for the program.

“I’m looking forward to getting it [the program] up and running because I think there will be a good turnout,” Lance said. Of the benefit the program provides for students, Lance explained that the program would provide “a quick turnaround.” “It puts them in the workforce a little bit quicker,” Lance said.

Though Gunn Park has had several 5Ks run through its grounds, Frank Halsey, the Fort Scott Recreation Department, Redlogic and Red Team Racing have teamed up to hold a new kind of running event in the park–a trail run.

The run, which will be held August 31st at 8:00AM, will take place at the Gunn Park Trails located near the entrance to the park. According to the Frontier Fanatic event website, the race will cover approximately 4.1 miles–a bit more distance than the usual 5K, which is equivalent to 3.2 miles. The race is also unique in that it will be timed with disposable time chips. The race may just be the first of its kind in Fort Scott. Regina Cassner of Red Team Racing said that while the Mercy Day running events had used time chips in the past, the Frontier Fanatic is “the first ever trail race in Fort Scott using chip timing.” Halsey added that Red Team Racing had used this method for races located in Mound City.

When asked if the Frontier Fanatic trail run could become an annual event, Halsey indicated that he had considered it. “We are hopeful this can become an annual event,” Halsey said. “Ideally, this could become an annual festival, with the trail run, a mountain bike race, possibly a music festival, and more. There is even talk of hosting some sort of ‘Tri’ event, including running, biking and swimming or kayaking. We would love to take advantage of the great venue that Gunn Park can provide.”

Of expected participation in the event, Halsey said that previous events coordinated by Red Team Racing had “attracted more than 100 participants.” “However,” Halsey said, “considering this is scheduled for the start of Labor Day Weekend, it’s our first ever event, and the beauty of our trails is somewhat unknown outside of Fort Scott, we simply don’t know what to expect. I feel certain we will have at least 40 to 50 participants, but we’d love to have more.”

Those interested in participating can register online or download a registration form. “Early Birds” who register by August 17th are guaranteed a race t-shirt.

Residents of Fort Scott may have noticed emails in their inboxes concerning participation in the Fort Scott Community Visioning Survey. In an effort to garner opinions and ideas from citizens all over town, the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce and the City of Fort Scott have teamed up on the project, which was begun by former city Economic Development Director Macey Cullison.

According to Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsey Madison, the survey deadline has been extended in order to allow for increased participation. Madison said that the survey was based on a former survey done in years past, but that the current survey had been updated to reflect current issues.

“We wanted some more feedback,” Madison said, from all quadrants of the town. According to Madison, a volunteer sat outside Gene’s IGA promoting the survey within the past few weeks, which Madison said was a success.

According to Visioning Steering Committee member Gary Palmer, the purpose of the survey is to collect feedback from the community to be used in determining future projects. Palmer explained that the committee is “interested in surveying residents of Fort Scott and the entire county to receive feedback on recent efforts deployed over the last several years from the community visioning process. Furthermore, as a part of the visioning process we would like to collect data on what our next challenge should be.” Palmer explained that the next step after collecting survey information is to hold a “community conversation” in which the compiled survey data will be presented to the public.

“The visioning process is community wide,” Palmer said.  “We want to ensure the public is constantly and consistently informed in the work we are doing. This survey is one of the ways our committee felt we could do that.”

For those taking the survey, there is an opportunity to win $50 in “Chamber Bucks,” which gives the holder $50 to spend at local businesses.

Today’s Bourbon County Commissioners’ meeting brought about controversy surrounding the hire of the new Public Works Director. At the start of the meeting, Public Works Director Jim Harris stated that he was “glad to be here.” “There is a lot of work to be done, but that’s what we’re here for,” Harris said. Harris made positive remarks about Public Works Supervisor Marty Pearson’s work in the county. “I’ve seen some good things that Marty has done that we can build on and move forward,” Harris said. Harris and Pearson left the meeting to get started on other Road and Bridge work.

Jarrod Handly later came to the meeting to question the commissioners’ choice of hire for the position, as well as the addition of the Director’s job to the structure of the Road and Bridge Department. Handly stated that his intent was not to launch a personal attack against Harris, but rather to bring forward questions he had heard from other citizens.

Handly asked how the salary and new truck for the Public Works Director had been fit into the 2013 budget. “Where did that money come from?” Handly asked. Commission Chairman Allen Warren replied that the $40,000 for the Director’s salary had been planned in the 2013 budget, and the remaining $4,000 to pay Harris’ salary of $44,000 would come from a reduction in the County Supervisor’s salary. “The pickup, we had budgeted for a 3 yard loader and we didn’t buy it,” Warren said, explaining that room had been left in the budget for the purchase of the truck.

Handly said that he spoke for the public in saying, “People are not happy with the spending.” Handly added that citizens are “definitely not happy” with the choice of hire for the position.

Commissioner Harold Coleman asked why the citizens in question had not attended the meeting to voice their concern. “Why haven’t they appeared here?” Coleman said, to which Handly replied that he didn’t know.

Handly made accusations against Harris based on information he said was given to him by two contractors and a former commissioner. “I have documentation that he has lied to the county commission in the past,” Handly said. Handly brought with him minutes from the June 1st County Commissioners’ meeting in which Harris had told the commissioners workers were all mowing, except one whose machine had broken down. Handly said a commissioner later discovered that four employees had been working on a bridge instead of mowing. Handly also said he had been told that Harris had received, “numerous kickbacks” from equipment companies. Handly added that he had been told Harris manipulated bids.

Commissioner Barbara Albright reported that she had heard positive feedback on the hire of Harris as Public Works Director. Albright said of the need for the Public Works Director’s position, “What I’ve seen, it is just a very large job.” Albright explained that the decision to bring back Harris as Director was made because of his previous experience. Albright said that the reason Harris left county employment reflected a commission decision to eliminate the Director position. Albright indicated that there had been no documentation to indicate Harris was dismissed for wrongdoing.

• County Public Works Supervisor Marty Pearson reported that some areas had been further damaged by heavy rains. “Anderson County got hit pretty hard Saturday morning,” Pearson said.
• Public Works Supervisor Jim Harris observed that the goal for quarry production in the past year was 180,000 tons, and that only 90,000 tons were generated. Commission Chairman Allen Warren suggested that on rainy days, one county worker could break up large rock at the quarry with a jackhammer. Warren said that the county had spent extra money to “run lines” for a jackhammer to be attached to the track hoe, and that it would be a good use of time in wet weather. “I’ll bet that thing has a windshield wiper,” Warren said, indicating that the track hoe could be operated during wet weather.
• Larry Runkle came in to report that work to remove an old gas line had put one of his fences at risk. “It’s going to for sure wash out,” Runkle said. Commissioner Warren said that he would ask Harris to look at the situation this week.
• Jim Stewart and Dan Meara conducted the county Tax Sale today at 10:00AM in the Bourbon County Courthouse. “We have had a number of redemptions of some of these properties,” Meara said. “We started out with 59 tracts.” Meara explained to those in attendance that there was no minimum bid or reserve at a tax sale, and that an $8 fee from the Register of Deeds would be collected at the end of the sale from those who had purchased properties. Meara also outlined the stipulation that relatives of a person with property being sold at the tax sale could not purchase the property formerly held by that relative. Tom Davis of the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office reported that the properties sold for a total of $1,832.

Bourbon County Commissioners put the stamp of approval on the purchase of 4 SUVs and 2 pickup trucks for the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Department at today’s meeting. Commission Chairman Allen Warren moved to accept the low bid for financing from City State Bank at an interest rate of 2.35% over a 5-year period. Undersheriff Bill Martin said that it would take approximately 6-8 weeks to receive the vehicles from Shepherd Team Auto Plaza. “It can be longer than that,” Martin explained. Martin said that other agencies would be submitting their requests, which would slow down the process.

Warren suggested that the department apply the $11,000 from insurance on hail damaged patrol cars to the current loan amount. “If you could lower that $186,000 by $11,000, that would help you out on your payments,” Warren said. Warren recommended that Martin request “new numbers” from the bank for budget purposes.

As far as the old, wrecked patrol cars are concerned, Martin said that he had contacted the adjustor, who in turn would contact someone to haul off the old vehicles. According to Martin, the department had $2,700 budgeted for July, August, September and October of 2013 that would not be used to pay for the old patrol cars, which were paid off June 30th. This money, according to County Attorney Terri Johnson, will be returned to the County General Fund.

The meeting also revealed positive results concerning efforts to reduce overcrowding in the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center. Bobby Reed presented new data from that morning, which revealed that out-of-county inmate housing had been reduced. “As of this morning,” Reed said the jail had “46 inmates in house, and 11 housed out,” and “The numbers are down.” Reed explained that the reduction in numbers was due to efforts by Johnson, the courts and employees at the SEKRCC.

Reed has also managed to cut some of the overtime costs discussed in recent meetings. The jail will implement 8-hour shifts starting August 23rd, which will eliminate built-in overtime. Reed explained that a total of 4 employees had quite following the announcement of the switch to 8-hour shifts, and that he had recently hired two new employees. Because of the turnover, Martin requested that the county run a classified ad in the Tribune and other local papers in order to hire two more new employees to return the jail to full staff.

In other business:

• Assistant County Attorney Valorie LeBlanc brought a letter from the Family Peace Initiative organization. The organization received $12,500 from the county in the past year for court-ordered counseling services. For the upcoming year, commissioners opted to reduce this year’s contribution from $12,500 to $3,000. The service, according to LeBlanc, is intended to be funded by more than one county in the area, though the organization received county funding from just Bourbon County in the past year.
• Dwayne Neil stopped by the meeting to ask for an extension on baling hay at Elm Creek. “I want to get it baled as fast as I can get it baled,” Neil said. Neil cited recent rains as the delay in his work. As far as a new deadline, Warren said, “It’s hard to put a date on it, and “Just get it off there as soon as you can.” Neil also brought positive news to the meeting. Neil mentioned that Bourbon County’s flood control dams are working hard to hold flood water back. “It’s saving you a lot of road damage,” Neil said.
• Greg Stine of Reformer’s Unanimous came to the meeting to present the Reformer’s Institutional Program. Stine said that his organization had been working with Sheriff Gray and Undersheriff Martin since mid-April to provide addiction counseling for inmates. The program gives the student “the tools to work with to know where to start, what to do,” Stine said. Stine explained that the curriculum involves work in small groups, and that after each meeting the student is given a challenge for that week. The faith-based program has been endorsed by several different dignitaries, including the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Bernard Salandy. Salandy called the program “a huge success” and that he had “never seen a program transform a facility the way R.U. did.” Salandy said that former repeat offenders had returned to being productive members of society as a result of the program. Lawrence J. Morrissey, Mayor of Rockford Illinois, also endorsed the efforts of the faith-based Reformers Unanimous.

In the next year, Fort Scott residents will have access to a new convenience store at the south end of town. According to Pete’s #14 owner Grant Spears, Pete’s has purchased the old Bailes Auto Sales building just north of the store and plans to expand into that area. “We’re going to build a new, modern convenience store facility just north of our existing store,” Spears said. Spears explained that the new building will cover 4,600 square feet and that the new filling station will contain 16 hoses for gasoline fueling and 2 hoses for “high-volume diesel fueling.”

Of the start date for work on the project, Spears said, “We’re hoping to get started as soon as possible, but no later than October 1st.”

Spears said that normal operations will go on during construction. “We will operate simultaneously and there will be very little disruption for our customers,” Spears said. “We hope to be open [in the new location] in the spring. That’s kind of our target.”

Umbrellas sprouted rapidly this morning as chamber members and visitors hurried into the building that now houses Mother to Mother Ministry. The building, which is located at 728 N. Heylman, was once a state of the art youth home, built to conserve energy and cut down on heating and cooling costs.

Ralph Carlson, Chairman of the Fort Scott Youth Home, explained that the building, which was constructed in the 1980s, is built in such a way that sunlight does not enter the windows during warmer months, but that during the winter, the design allows for sunlight to shine in. According to Carlson, the furnace hardly needs to run in the winter on sunny days. “It was really a state-of-the-art design,” Carlson said. “It is great that Mother to Mother is using it.”

Wilma Leach, who is in charge of Mother to Mother Ministries, reported that the ministry is in its 15th year. Leach explained that the ministry was begun with a grant from the Sisters of Mercy, and is now funded by the United Way and grant writing done during the year. Leach said that the ministry trusts in God in meeting its financial needs. “We have a lot of people come through our doors,” Leach said.

Another facet of the ministry is the support Mother to Mother provides for crisis management teams coming to Fort Scott from Pittsburg. Leach explained that the basement floor of the building is used for emergency housing for a victim of crisis and also as a place in which crisis management workers can counsel those in need.

In addition, Mother to Mother assists needy families by distributing clothing for children. “We give a lot clothes, we receive a lot of clothes [from donations],” Leach said. Mother to Mother ensures that children are able to attend school in nice, appropriate clothing for the season, according to Leach. Leach said that Mother to Mother often works with the Beacon to assist those that come for help, and that the working relationship has been a good one.

In other business:

• City Manager Dave Martin announced that the sidewalk work on National would be temporarily suspended as the city focuses on the 69 corridor project, on which some work may begin as early as May 2014. “We worked with KDOT all day yesterday,” Martin said. “More than likely, we will not be adding the National upgrade until next year.” Martin said that there would likely be “lots of activity” going on in the city next year.
• Angie Kemmerer, Early Childhood Coordinator for USD 234, announced the Community Resource Fair to be held this Saturday, August 10th. The event will be held from 10AM-2PM at Fort Scott Middle School. According to Kemmerer, the purpose of the event is to connect and acquaint residents with service providers and resources in the Fort Scott area. Numerous seminars on Healthy Living and Financial & Legal Affairs will be offered throughout the day. According to Chamber Executive Director Lindsey Madison, Angela Meyers of Reynolds Law firm was instrumental in organizing the seminars.
• Madison announced that the city would be holding 3 more Art Crawl events August 23rd, September 27th, and October 25th.  Of the first Art Crawl held in July, Madison said, “It was a great success.”
• Brian Comstock of Citizens Bank, N.A. announced that Citizens was “very excited” about the merger with Landmark. Comstock assured the community that operations would continue as before. “After the transition, you will see the same faces,” Comstock said. “Both our locations will continue to operate as usual.” Comstock explained that checks, debit cards and financing services would remain the same.

When most residents of Southeast Kansas consider gourmet cooking opportunities, they may think these resources exist solely in urban areas such as Kansas City. However, life+style offers not only gourmet cooking supplies, but also cooking classes to allow area residents to hone their culinary skills.

We asked Jim Pitts and Cynthia McFarlin how they arrived at their business idea, and their reply shows a commitment to the historic area of downtown Fort Scott.

Pitts explained that as the couple traveled, they saw “a lot of kitchen/gourmet shops, and since Cynthia loves to cook it seemed like a good fit.” Pitts said that he and his wife chose the name “life+style” because of the “combination of essential and aesthetic,” and that both owners “believe that preparing and sharing good food with family and friends is more important than pretentious settings or exotic ingredients.”

In addition, life+style is also active in the community. Pitts said that the business holds cooking classes “pretty much every week during the fall/winter/spring and once a month during the summer.” Pitts remarked that it had been “delightful” to find a number of good cooks in the area, and that those cooks have been open about sharing their knowledge and cooking experiences with others.

Pitts said that past cooking classes have covered topics “from basic stocks to sushi to tailgate appetizers,” a fairly wide range of food items and cooking skills. Pitts mentioned that the cooking classes are limited to 10-12 seats, and that “reservations are required, and most of them sell out.” Pitts said a few pluses of the cooking classes are that they are held in a “casual, relaxed atmosphere and you get to eat the lesson.” In addition, the cooking classes attract people in a wide range of ages and with everything from “novices and veterans in the kitchen.” According to Pitts, life+style has added private classes in which friends or social groups can “get together and do something different.”

Regarding what life+style enjoys about being a downtown business, Pitts said “We love historic architecture” and that he is often able to refer customers to other downtown business, and that other business return the favor. Of the community, Pitts said that “We have been amazed by the generosity of the community” through life+style’s “involvement with organizations like the Beacon and Mother to Mother Ministries,” and that “Our regular customers have been very supportive.” Pitts explained that as he and his wife came from a large city, “it has been very rewarding to have [customers] voluntarily tell us ‘we’re glad you’re here,’” and that they have been able to meet people from “all over the world” because of their location adjacent to the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

Pitts and McFarlin have also renovated both the interior and exterior of their building at 22 N. Main. According to McFarlin, the antique wood floor that now covers the interior was taken out of the Lincoln School in Pittsburg, KS before it was demolished. McFarlin said that the floor was “new” compared with the building in which it now resides, even though the floor is mid-1920s vintage. McFarlin also mentioned that she and her husband had done quite a bit of work to the bay windows on the upper story of the building, replacing wood and metal that had rotten or rusted through over the years.

In addition to their cooking classes, life+style offers a wedding registry and gifts “for all occasions,” Pitts said. “In general, we like to remind everyone to Shop Local!” Pitts said. “We carry some terrific gourmet foods and are always ready to help you have a culinary adventure!”