I noticed in the agenda for the next commission meeting under item 10 of “New Business” is a proposal for discussion “Consideration of Old Fort Boulevard/Skubitz Plaza Maintenance and Beautification Project” proposed by Mayor Wells.
It is my belief that for Fort Scott to succeed as a tourist town, we must put our best foot forward and this would be a project that would fit in with our comprehensive plan toward promoting tourism for economic benefit.
When I went downtown last June and walked the bricks from 3rd Street to the Old Fort, I was appalled and embarrassed by the filth on the street, the dips and low spots in the bricks, the grass and weeds growing in the bricks and gutters, and I noticed the theme of the GOD’s was “walk the bricks”.
And then I walked the alley behind the buildings, and I saw filth and potholes that would break the leg of a horse if he stepped in it, and I wondered how we could ignore common housekeeping and maintenance.
It has been 50 years since Skubitz was built and the lack of maintenance shows the city has just been incapable of maintaining anything. I think back to the years when we had a water truck with spray nozzles on the front and every so often following a good sweeping it was used to wash the bricks and gutters into catch basins, getting the downtown ready for the inevitable and welcomed crowds of people coming to shop, socialize, and partake of movies and activities on Friday and Saturday nights.
My thanks to Mayor Wells for recognizing a need and for acting.
I just hope the other commissioners will recognize the need and push for this much-needed project. (I can even remember when farmers were chastised for bringing their muddy trucks to town and parking on the clean streets!)
Pete Allen