On a cool, cloudy, Friday morning, chamber members gathered to celebrate the opening of one of Fort Scott’s newest businesses–The Game Cafe. Teens have long lamented the absence of local entertainment stores, and entrepreneur Korey Pearson has created a business in response to the need. Police Chief Travis Shelton said of The Game Cafe, “The 13 year old boys are going to love this!”

Pearson introduced himself to those in attendance and explained exactly what The Game Cafe does: “We buy, sell and trade games, and visitors can play games here for free.” He gestured to a console and large TV screen in one corner of the store. He also mentioned that the store is usually packed at 6:30 on Tuesday nights, which have been designated “game nights” in which anyone can participate.

Aside from selling electronic games, The Game Cafe also sells card games, including the  “Magic: The Gathering” cards, which Pearson says have been very popular. According to Pearson, these cards can range in price from “20 cents to 50 dollars.” When asked what age groups frequent the store, he said, “Anywhere from 6-7 all the way up to 71 years!”

City Manager Dave Martin commended Pearson and his family for starting the business. Martin said, “This young man and his dad have a trait that I do not have–entrepreneurship.” Martin assured Pearson that the Chamber was “here to help” in any way possible, and that Pearson’s vision and work with the young people of Fort Scott is very important.

Commissioner Barbara Albright addressed the concerns of campers at Elm Creek Lake about separate charges for the shelter house and electric outlets. In the past, campers hadn’t been charged fully for both because of a misunderstanding of the caretaker’s. Caretakers in the past allowed access to the shelter for $5 instead of the usual $20 because they knew use of exterior outlets on the shelter could easily trip the old breaker. In order to reset it, campers needed access to the shelter, even if they did not plan to use the shelter, itself.

“It’s just a 20 amp breaker, so it’s going to trip a lot faster than anything newer” said Commission Chairman Warren.

Commissioners discussed the possibility of replacing the 20 amp breaker box in the shelter with a 30 amp breaker box to prevent problems with overload on the breaker at the shelter. However, commissioners decided to start enforcing previously set charges in the meantime. The official costs for using electric hookups at Elm Creek are $10 per outlet per night on the electric poles, $20 per night for the shelter house.

The total cost if all outlets are in use $80 per night. “If they [campers] want access to that breaker box, they need to pay for the shelter” Warren explained. The reasoning behind the choice was that if the shelter were opened without payment, the electrical outlets on the interior of the shelter would be used without charge. Commissioner Barbara Albright remarked, “It just needs to be uniform for everyone.” Commission Chairman Warren indicated that from now on, if the shelter house were not rented, the outlets on the exterior of the shelter would not be turned on.

Albright suggested that the county notify campers in writing on the exact charges when they reserve the area.

Warren also updated Commissioners Albright and Coleman on the situation at the landfill following April’s hailstorm. Warren brought to their attention the increased revenue being generated by the disposal of shingles and other roofing and siding material, but also reminded those in attendance that the landfill had added two new employees and was paying overtime for Saturday work. “In May, we jumped up over 3,200 tons” Warren said.  Warren also mentioned that the bulldozer at the landfill is being used much more than in the past, and that it is old. The commissioners discussed keeping revenue in reserve in case the old bulldozer fails. Warren says that with the huge amount of waste coming in, in the event of the bulldozer failing, the county would need to have reserves of money to rent a bulldozer to keep up with demand at the landfill. According to Warren, the hopper at the landfill also needs work. According to Public Works Director Marty Pearson, the unit has had 1.5 days of welding work done on it to keep it running. “That unit needs to be replaced–that’s all there is to it,” Warren told Pearson. Warren suggested that at the end of the year, the commissioners amend the budget in order to include new equipment for the landfill using revenue generated by increased traffic at the landfill, which has seen an increase in Construction and Demolition (C & D) waste consumers from 122 loads in January to 1,268 loads in May.

“I think it’s working out [well], I really do. We’re keeping up,” Warren said.

Other business

•  At a departmental meeting for the county, Commissioners and attendees also discussed performance reviews. Warren said that performance reviews, once finished, would be administered at the end of the year. Warren said “Right now, [employees] get the same raise as everyone else” regardless of how employees perform. He asked, “Is that fair?” Warren asked that department heads develop a list of 4-5 criteria for performance review for employees. Bourbon County Emergency Manager Terri Coop pointed out that doing these evaluations would have the positive effect of protecting the county from unwarranted unemployment claims and other legal issues.

At today’s County Commissioners’ meeting, commissioners revisited the issue of the landfill filling quickly from storm-related debris. Commissioner Allen Warren estimated the containers full of shingles and discarded roofing materials weigh about 10-12 tons. Warren said, “It’s a mountain–it’s an absolute mountain” in reference to the amount of discarded materials being unloaded each day at the landfill. However, there is room for the extra material on the west side of the landfill between the pit and the fence. Warren encouraged landfill employees to deposit shingles in an area that would not require employees to move piles of shingles with a bulldozer. According to Warren, it would be more efficient fuel-wise not to use the bulldozer to push shingles, which the bulldozer does not do efficiently.

Commissioners also listened as J. R. Stewart presented his concerns involving the 911 system and his address. He explained that fire crews have been misdirected by the system in the past when his barn caught fire, delaying them 20 minutes. Stewart proposed that a section of 235th street be renamed “235th Terrace” in order to eliminate the confusion in the system, and all three commissioners were in agreement.

Other news:

• Commissioners signed three resolutions involving the purchase of the courthouse annex building at 108 West 2nd. Resolution 15-13 approved the purchase of the building, while Resolution 16-13 approved the sale of $190,000 in general obligation bonds.
• Attorney Dan Meara requested the commissioners delay this year’s tax sale in order to allow more properties to be processed before the sale. According to Meara, this action could provide a better number of properties to be presented at the sale and might generate more interest. Meara said, “It’s like any public auction–the more tracts [of land] you have, the more interest you have.”Meara pointed out that at times, the sale costs the county more than it profits from the sale, but Commission Chairman Warren pointed out that it would be good to get the land in question back into the hands of someone that will pay taxes on it, and that the taxes would make up for any money lost.
• Commissioners reviewed bids for fish food to be used at Elm Creek Lake and accepted the low bid from Tractor Supply Co., which was $607.60 per ton.

At today’s Chamber Coffee, chamber members and visitors listened intently as Rhonda Dunn outlined the entertainment to be available at this weekend’s Good O’l Days celebration. Dunn thanked the community and local businesses for their support saying, “We know where our bread is buttered, and we really appreciate it [support from businesses].” Dunn mentioned that the Good O’l Days has never been rained out since its beginnings in 1982, and that the city would have an emergency plan in case of severe weather moving through the area in the next few days.

Fire Chief Paul Ballou stepped forward to give those in attendance an idea of what that plan would be. Ballou said that Memorial Hall would be used as an emergency shelter in the event of severe weather, and that any overflow of people from Memorial Hall would be sheltered in the nearby Methodist Church in downtown Fort Scott. Dunn commented that she was impressed by the quick response of the city in formulating the plan. She said, “All it took was a phone call” to set things in motion.

Other news:

• The Bourbon County Long-term Relief Committee is still accepting donations from contractors and others who have building materials to donate at a location near Trainwreck Tees on North National in Fort Scott. Those interested in donating should text Craig Campbell, Director of Pharmacy at Sisters of Mercy Health System.
• The Fort Scott Idol competition will be held this evening at 6:00PM at Memorial Hall. Tickets ($3, 5 and under get in free) are available at Country Cupboard until 4 o’clock today and are also available at the door. According to Rhonda Dunn, 30 contestants are scheduled to compete.
• A Mercy Hospital Seminar meeting on the Affordable Care Act will be held today from 3:00PM-4:30PM. This seminar is a free service of Greenbush and is open to the public.
• New attractions at the Good O’l Days include a new carnival, Professor Farquar and Polecat Annie, the James Ernest Zydeco band. All of the traditional events, music and vending of past years will also be available to festival goers.

Though most of us are aware of damage done in residential areas of Fort Scott to homes and vehicles, we may not have considered the damage done to other structures within the city. One of the harder hit areas of town seems to be along Burke Street, which is very near one of Fort Scott’s most beautiful attractions–Gunn Park. Though at first glance the park may look undamaged, a closer look reveals some destruction.

Most notably, several of the newer playground structures were damaged, rendering them unusable and unsafe. Thankfully the city quickly took notice of the safety hazard and placed a temporary fence and warning signs around each of the damaged playground areas.

One of the structures by the 2nd lake actually has a large hole in the slide portion of the play area, which shows just how forcefully the hail came down during the storm.

In addition, several shelter house roofs have been damaged, most notably the roof of the Fern Lake shelter house.

The good news is that the city seems to have put new metal roofs on quite a few shelter houses already, including one of the historic shelter houses by the 2nd lake which was built by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.

The photo below shows a plaque commemorating the efforts of the Works Progress Administration and the City of Fort Scott during the Great Depression.

Other familiar sights at the park, such as the old grills, have escaped damage from the storm. Perhaps the old saying, “They don’t make things like they used to” is true in this case!

Most of us would call any organization that betters the community a good investment, but Lee’s Paws and Claws Animal Shelter (located at 721 240th Street in Fort Scott) goes above and beyond in that respect. The shelter, opened in July 2012, has rescued a large amount of animals since it opened. According to Interim Director Ann Gillmore-Hoffman, the shelter has taken in 109 dogs and 85 cats, while it has adopted out 73 dogs and 46 cats. The shelter has also returned 6 animals to their owners and transferred 27 animals to other no-kill shelters.

As visitors enter the shelter, they are greeted with a very clean, bright atmosphere and plenty of well-cared-for animals. The dogs have neatly designed runs that offer indoor/outdoor access as the animal chooses, while the cats have what all cats love–carpeted structures to climb and soft beds on which to take frequent catnaps.

According to Gillmore-Hoffman, the shelter plays an important part in the community in that it provides “a safe, healthy environment for stray or unwanted animals.” The community has gotten involved in several ways in the past year. Students from Fort Scott High School FFA along with other organizations raised $1,000 for the shelter, while kindergarten classes brought food and small monetary donations to the shelter at Christmastime. In addition, the FSCC softball team members take turns volunteering to walk dogs for the shelter. Gillmore-Hoffman mentions, “There is a lot of community involvement already, but we need a few checkbooks[to be involved]!” She says that fundraisers are essential to keeping the shelter running, and that having regular volunteers helps as well.

One big event coming up for the shelter is the “Strut Your Mutt” at Good O’l Days to be held Friday May 31st at 7:00PM. This event is an important fundraiser for the shelter, so get out there and show off your canine friends! In addition, the shelter will have a booth at Good O’l Days and will also be host on June 18th to Pawprints On the Heartland, an organization that offers low cost spay and neutering.

To get involved financially or by providing volunteer time, please contact the shelter at (620)-223-2888 or send them a check at PO Box  343, Fort Scott, Kansas 66701.

P.S. As an added bonus, you just might get a chance to hold a lap full of soft, purring kittens or cuddle with a friendly dog.

At today’s meeting, County Commissioners signed an annual audit approval to be done by Terry Sercer, and also passed Resolution 14-13 to name Diehl-Banwart-Bolton as auditor for 2012 financial records for Bourbon County.

Commissioners also addressed a concern from local contractor Hubert Thomas of Thomas Construction Incorporated. Thomas was concerned that bids had not been consistently advertised in the past and requested that Warren, Coleman and Albright correct the problem by beginning to advertise all bids despite the precedent. Commissioners agreed that all bids should be advertised and agreed to change the practice.

Other announcements:

• The courthouse and landfill will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday, with the exception that the landfill will by open only Saturday from 8AM-4PM
• Commissioners revisited goals for 2013, which include hosting a sub-county meeting (which they have done), and developing the county calendar so that the community is aware of what is going on in Bourbon County

At this morning’s chamber coffee, those in attendance were greeted with the meticulously-kept bays of the Fort Scott Fire Department. The Fort Scott Police Department hosted the meeting, and sounds of laughter and jovial conversation rang throughout the room.

Barbara Albright, member of the Chamber Board, welcomed attendees and asked for new Chamber of Commerce members or visitors to step forward. Common Ground coffee shop announced the hiring of a new manager, Tyler Hazen. Everyone in attendance seemed excited about the presence of the coffee shop in the community. Let’s face it–not many of us do well without our daily cup of joe!

Albright started the weekly “Dollars for Dolly,” in which members of the Chamber of Commerce may step forward and make announcements related to their businesses or the community by donating a dollar to the Chamber. Macy Cullison, City Economic Development Director, announced the opening of the Aquatic Center on Monday, May 27th. Cullison remarked, “We have a great staff of supervisors and lifeguards.”

City Manager David Martin and County Commissioner Barbara Albright next addressed a concern from the community that truckers traveling through the area cannot find places to eat early in the morning/late at night. Albright assured everyone that the Chamber considers informing local hospitality businesses and convenience stores of the needs of visitors an ongoing responsibility.

Martin also remarked that when he first accepted the position of City Manager, he was told that the police might not get along with the community, and that the police and fire departments might not get along. However, Martin said that both departments have proven that statement incorrect. Of the good rapport between the police department and the community, Martin said, “I have two chiefs that believe that [police and community can remain on good terms] from the bottom of their hearts” and that the police chief and staff have “citizens at their heart.”

Following this discussion, Chief Travis Shelton presented a short history of the Fort Scott Police Department. According to Shelton, Kathy West had the idea to collect and compile old photos of the Police Department to preserve its history. Shelton presented a few photos via projector and encouraged those in the community who held such photos to consider letting the department scan them and keep copies. Shelton presented a few interesting facts about the department’s past:

• 1860–Fort Scott had only one town marshall
• 1873–The department held a municipal ball to raise money to buy uniforms for police officers
• 1878–James Eggleston was appointed as the first African-American police officer on the force

Other announcements:

• The Aquatic Center has received a generous donation that has enabled the pool to offer season passes to lower-income families
• Food 4 Summer program to be hosted at Buck Run Community Center. Volunteers needed to deliver food.
• Terri Coop has formed the Bourbon County Long-term Recovery Committee in order to promote recovery in lower-income areas of the city. This program allows contractors to drop off leftover building/roofing materials north of town at the former site of Midwest Trucking.
• Gary Palmer announced the ongoing photo exhibit “A Day in the Life of Fort Scott’s Working World” at Fort Scott Community College. The exhibit is located in the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center and according to Palmer, displays 31 photos. The project was funded by a grant written by Jill Warford of the Gordon Parks Center at FSCC.
• Life + Style will present their “We Love Local Sale” May 28th-31st. The sale will include 20% off bake ware, pots and pans.

“It is pool season again! The City of Fort Scott is happy to announce that the Fort Scott Aquatic Center will be opening for the 2013 Aquatic Season on Monday, May 27th at 1:00PM. This season, Aquatic Center hours will be 1:00-7:00PM Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 1:00-6:00PM. The Aquatic Center will be open full time through August 11th. For the remainder of the month in August, the Aquatic Center will be open weekends only (Aug 17-18, 24-25, and 31-Sep 2) from 1:00-6:00PM.

Aquatic Center admission prices and season pass prices have remained the same this year. For more information on pricing, please contact the Aquatic Center office starting May 27th at 223.8142. Season passes will be sold throughout the summer during normal Aquatic Center hours, with the exception of the first week of operation; from May 27th-31st, season passes will only be sold from 9:00AM-Noon.

We are excited to kick off summer with the opening of the Aquatic Center and hope you and your family will join us for some pool fun this season!”

The Iron Star is one of Fort Scott’s most popular stops for antiques, furniture, decorations and collectibles. Located in Historic Downtown Fort Scott, the store’s charm stems not only from its merchandise but also from the beautiful building in which it resides.

Owner Barbara Trimbur states that one neat thing about The Iron Star is that it offers a mix of the “old and new”–beautiful antiques as well as unique new pieces of furniture and other household items.

This small business plays an important part in the downtown, attracting not only tourists, but also many local shoppers. According to Trimbur, her favorite part of being a downtown business is “meeting people from all over” and that The Iron Star loves to welcome tourists, but it also depends on local citizens to keep its doors open. The very morning I visited the store, several cars carrying local shoppers were already waiting to enter the store when it opened its doors.

Before entering the store, a visitor is greeted with the beautiful, well-kept exterior of the Victorian-era commercial building. When walking into the store, visitors will find tastefully appointed furniture for sale, as well as antiques from a variety of vendors. The store also offers a selection of decor items that are rustic and charming in nature, but the selection is wide enough so that a visitor might find something to fit a style of decor in any home.

The store’s biggest event is its Open House in November. According to Trimbur, The Iron Star started a tradition that many downtown business continue to follow. Trimbur said with a smile, “We have people calling to ask, “When’s your Open House?”

The welcoming atmosphere, tasteful merchandise and friendly associates have made the store what Trimbur terms a destination for downtown visitors, and I have no doubt that the store and its staff are a great ambassador for the store and for Fort Scott, just as the owner wishes.

At today’s Commissioners’ Meeting, Allen Warren, Barbara Albright and Harold Coleman discussed and debated a wide range of issues while listening to the concerns of citizens from several townships.

Public Works Director Marty Pearson dropped by to report on storm damage from the previous evening’s storm. Pearson said, “A lot of wind damage–we’ve got a few trees we’re working on, so we’re trying to get them cleaned up.”

Other issues addressed by Pearson include repairs to one of the county’s road graders and possibly hiring seasonal workers for mowing.  The grader will need a new o-ring seal around its engine and transmission. The cost of repair, according to Pearson, is estimated to be around $2,700. Warren moved to hire 4 seasonal workers at $10.00 per hour, and  Albright seconded. Commissioners discussed possibly hiring retiree workers, who according to Harold Coleman, “got a lot of miles [of mowing] covered and the machines were taken care of.” Albright also mentioned that Fort Scott Community College might be contacted to let students know about the seasonal jobs at Public Works. Pearson expects the positions to be part-time, but that weather permitting, the workers could put in up to 40 hours per week.

After Pearson left, Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Michaels stepped in to discuss billing for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. Because the payment schedules for the county and the Heartland differ, a problem arose. The county attempted to correct the issue by offering to pay with a credit card or by asking the company to change the schedule for that particular payment. When the company did not accept these measures, Commissioners and County Clerk Kendell Mason agreed that it would be best for the county to pay $100 in advance on the account to avoid late fees. Albright moved that the county should pay ahead $100, and Allen seconded.

Following the discussion of the electric bill, Sheriff Ron Gray and Undersherrif Bill Martin brought to the commissioners’ attention a proposal to possibly replace some of the county’s aging or damaged patrol vehicles. According to Undersherrif Martin, the county had only 2 fully functional patrol cars with which to work last month as a result of storm damage and patrol-related damages.

Gray and Martin have proposed a 5-year plan to purchase seven (7) new patrol vehicles for the county while keeping the three remaining vehicles they possess that are in good working condition. The vehicles Gray and Martin would like to purchase are three pickups (1500 range in size) and four SUV-type vehicles equipped with All Wheel Drive (AWD). Martin presented the state bid from Olathe Ford, which was $27,174 per truck, which includes all extra electrical equipment and installations of light bars, strobes, etc. The price for an SUV-type vehicle is estimated to be $31,858 fully equipped. Martin said that the vehicle would basically be a “Ford Explorer” with AWD.

Martin pointed out that though it costs a bit more to have Ford install the necessary components such as light bars, strobes and electrical work, it is worth the cost. Martin mentioned that if even one wire crosses another, it could ruin the vehicle’s computer system, rendering it useless. According to Martin, it is better in the long run to pay a Ford mechanic to do the work correctly.

Next commissioners and County Attorney Terri Johnson discussed the purchase of the building at 108 W. 2nd Street in Fort Scott that the county currently leases. According to Johnson, the price per square foot to purchase the building is very low–$35 per square foot. The initial cost for purchase of the building is estimated to be $162, 700. According to Johnson, the roof of the building needs to eventually have drains installed or be remodeled so that it sheds water effectively, and the electrical work also needs to be updated in the future.

Finally, Custodial Supervisor David Neville came back to update commissioners on last weeks situation regarding insurance. According to Neville, the insurance company still has not recognized the damage that will occur to the existing insulation on the roof of the courthouse during repairs necessitated by the April hailstorm. Oddly enough, Neville says that the scope of work from the insurance company includes 1/2 inch of insulation, but the company still does not acknowledge the 2+ inches of existing insulation that would be damaged.

The adjuster mentioned perhaps being able to work on the air vents on top of the courthouse, but remains firm on the company’s stand regarding repairing exterior walls of the correctional center.

Today  Bourbon County Commissioners Harold Coleman, Allen Warren and Barb Albright met to address several issues pertaining to the county and its residents.

Grader operator Randy Hayden explained his concern that the existing culverts along 250th street near the state line in his district were not functioning properly due to overgrowth of vegetation and other debris. Hayden mentioned that a farmer who owns fields along this road could not enter his field through the original entrance, but rather had to create a new entrance to his field elsewhere. Hayden expressed his view that new culverts had been installed in other places along 250th, but that the area he mentioned still needed work. County commissioners addressed the issue.

Following this issue, commissioners signed off on documents pertaining to the repairs on the Noble Road bridge. The project is expected to take 120 working days to complete.

Later today, commissioners will hold a 20 minute executive session with Schafer, Kline & Warren, a consulting company based out of Kansas City.

After discussing the Noble Road bridge project, commissioners listened as County custodial supervisor David Neville explained the ongoing situation with repairs from the hail storm in April. Neville handed out copies of a preliminary proposal from contractor Wray Roofing, Inc., as well as an email message from Jeremy DeMuth of Kirberg Company which pointed out some potential problems with Wray Roofing, Inc.’s original proposal. The main issue is that the proposal does not include replacement of insulation that would be damaged during the roof repair process. Insurance for the both the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center and the Bourbon County Courthouse has not acknowledged the issues with insulation on the courthouse roof, damage to vent hoods also on the courthouse roof, or the damage to the exterior side walls of the jail. Neville opined the scope of work estimated by insurance was not exactly what it should be.

Though the insurance company has recommended Wray Roofing, Inc., Commissioner Allen Warren requested that Neville contact the insurance company once again to explain that the scope of repairs to the buildings had not been correctly estimated. Warren stated, “We’ve got to stay in line with what our insurance will pay.”

Following the discussion of county building repairs, Bourbon County Emergency Manager Terri Coop reported on the situation with regard to storm damage. Coop had encouraging reports of contractors donating labor and materials to those in need: “Contractors are already out there volunteering.” Coop also mentioned that one contractor, Tim Emmerson of KCM, offered to act as a sort of liaison for the county with other contractors. Coop says, “We have heard some bad stories [about contractors] and will continue to hear bad stories,” but she emphasized that many contractors are doing a great amount of good in the area.