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Fort Scott

FSHS Thespians Present “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

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Submitted by Angela Bin

Fort Scott High School Thespians presents their children’s theatre production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10, in the high school auditorium.

The cast includes 44 local children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Some featured roles include second grader Gianna Gorman as Cindy Lou Who, fifth grader Remy Witt as the Grinch, and sixth grader Jericho Jones as the Mayor of Whoville. Other members of the Who family include Lou and Betty Lou played by seventh graders Zachary Cox and Lillian Collins, Drew played by fourth grader Payton Bowling, and Sue played by fifth grader Annabelle Gorman. The Grinch’s dog, Max, is played by fourth grader Matthew Eaton.

Tickets are $5 and currently on sale at the FSHS Office, 1005 S. Main, and at Common Ground, 116 S. Main. Seating is limited and doors will open 30 minutes before showtime.

FSHS Thespian Director Angie Bin is producing the show with leadership from FSHS Thespians including juniors Hunter Adamson and Darrick Green and sophomore Kaitlyn Hanks as assistant directors; junior Mary Gladbach and senior Katie Button as vocal directors; and sophomores Mesa Jones and Addy Labbe as choreographers. The show serves as the major fundraiser for students attending the International Thespian Festival next summer in Lincoln, Neb.

Additional information can be found on the “Fort Scott High School Thespians” facebook page.

 

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

Where Is Winnie?

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Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Administrative Assistant Allison Turvey holds Winnie the elf. ” Where is Winnie” is a promotion for local businesses.

Winnie the elf works for the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce.

Her job is to encourage people to shop in Fort Scott.

“Where is Winnie” is the Facebook page where you can learn more about her.

“The goal is to get people to shop local businesses,” Allison Turvey, administrative assistant at the Chamber said.

Turvey “escorts” Winnie to one of the Chamber member’s businesses and places her there.

A photo clue is given on the  Chamber Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/196009193830966

Participants can win a chance to enter a drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks.

There are two ways to win a chance.

The first is to guess where Winnie is at and post the answer on Facebook.

The second way is to shop at the store Winnie visits then take a photo of your receipt and post it to the discussion board of the “Where Is Winnie” Facebook event page.

All receipts must come from shops where Winnie visited and be posted by December 15.

Each is one entry into the drawing for the $100 Chamber Bucks prize. The bucks can be spent at any of the 55 Chamber businesses.

Anyone unable to upload their receipt photos to Facebook may bring their receipts to the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall.

For more information, contact Turvey at 620-223-3566.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Submitted

Health for Life Fitness Center Waives Joining Fee

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Fitness just got easier, or at least the cost of it.

Now through Feb. 28, 2018, Mercy Health for Life fitness center is waiving the new member joining fee. That means members can access all the best cardiovascular equipment, free weights and strength training equipment at Health for Life, plus the services and amenities for the low monthly rate.

Monthly fitness center membership rates are $30 plus tax for a single, $40 plus tax for a family, or $25 for active duty military. SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit memberships are also available for those who qualify.

And at Health for Life members can upgrade to 24-hour access with the purchase a special access card. The cost is only $10 per card. With the card, members can simply swipe the card at the fitness center entrance to enjoy the freedom of exercising at a convenient time, any day of the week. For security and safety, a sophisticated security and camera system will monitor the facility around the clock.

“We take pride in providing an environment that meets all of our member’s needs,” said Kirk Sharp, fitness center manager. “Whether new to exercise or fitness fanatic, we’ve got something for everyone.”

For starters, the fitness center offers new members one, free baseline-fitness assessment and a customized workout plan.

“It just gets better from there,” Sharp added. “We offer dietician consultation, free towel usage, daily locker usage and shower facilities. Members can also purchase personal training packages with one of our two certified personal trainers.”

With the New Year quickly approaching and resolutions to eat healthily and get fit, here’s a chance to make the first move. And, a membership to Health for Life makes a great Holiday gift.

To learn more, call Mercy Health for Life at 620-223-7073 or visit the fitness center in the lower level of Mercy Hospital.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Bourbon County Commission Agenda For Dec. 5

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The Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Avenue.

The Bourbon County Commission Room meets on the 2nd Floor of the Bourbon County Courthouse, 210 S. National Ave. at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays.

Today, December 5, 2017, the agenda is:

9-9:45 a.m.-Jim Harris

9 a.m.-Motor Grader Bid Opening

9:30 a.m.-Open Bank Bids for 2018 Mac Dump Truck

9:45-10:15 a.m.-Commissioners consider and take action on any and all questions or issues which may arise regarding the law enforcement project.

10:15-10:30 a.m.-  Bill Martin

10:30-10:45 a.m.-KCAMP and Cereal Malt Beverages Licenses

10:45-11 a.m.-2018 Wages

11:00-11:15 a.m.-Justin Meeks

11:30-11:45 a.m.-Clint Anderson

Commissioners will be gone by noon.

1st District Commissioner is Lynne Oharah,2nd District-Jeff Fischer, 3rd District-Nick Ruhl, County Clerk-Kendell Mason.

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

HPA’s Annual Fundraising Event Concludes

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To help meet the Historic  Preservation Association of Bourbon County’s goal to save historic buildings in Fort Scott, money has been raised since 1980 in their annual Homes for the Holidays tour. This year in addition to four homes showcased and a shopping event offered, a quilt show was added along with a Christmas tree contest.

 

This year, the Ed and Christine Lundberg home on Friday evening was the first part of the HPA’s tour, called Moonlight and Mistletoe. The home was built in 1970s contemporary style. Guests were limited to 100 and appetizers were served.

The doorman greets visitors at the Lundberg home on Lees Circle Drive Friday evening.
Deb Martin takes a photo of Carl Repp, Dande Lyon Vredenburg, Christine and Ed Lundberg at the Moonlight and Mistletoe Event.
Jeff and Vera Norris get a tour of the Ed and Christine Lundberg home.
Crystal Mason, Elaine Kirby, and Bernita Hill share a conversation during Moonlight and Mistletoe evening Friday.
Piles of food were provided by the Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County at the Lundberg home.

The Stocking Stuffer shopping event was held Saturday and Sunday at Fort Scott Middle School also as part of  Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County’s fundraising.

Mercy Hospital Auxilary volunteers work a booth at the Stocking Stuffer.
Shoppers pick out gifts at a booth during the Stocking Stuffer at Fort Scott Middle School Saturday morning.

Three Homes for the Holiday were decorated for the tour.

The Nate and Bailey Lyons home at 919  Burke was built nearly 100 years ago by Charles Gunn and completed renovated into a contemporary family home by the Lyons.

The completely remodeled kitchen of the Lyons home.
The living room, which was completely renovated in the Lyons home.

The Bob and Terri Taylor home at 315 Holbrook was built in the 1880s in the Victorian style.

Visitors admire the front room of the Taylor home Saturday morning during the tour.
A hostess tells of the home’s history during the tour.

The Shiney Studio, 2nd Street and National Avenue, is the former St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

DandeLyon Vredenburg greets visitors to the Shiney Studio in costume as Cindy Lou Who.
Visitors were given tours of the Shiney Studio which included the private home of DandeLyon Vredenburg along with other businesses.

The Presbyterian Village Christmas Tree Contest was part of the Homes for the Holiday tour for the first time this year. The village is an assisted living facility.

Pictured are some of the trees that were stationed around the assisted living facility at 2401 S. Horton.

 

A quilt show was a feature of the Homes for the Holidays tour for 2017, which was located in the Beaux Arts Center, north of the Fort Scott Post Office.

Denise Duncan stands before a few of the quilts that were part of the quilt show. The Duncan’s own the Beaux Arts Center.
Some of the quilts that were displayed as part of the Homes for the Holidays tour.

 

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Fort Scott National Historic Site Candlelight Tour

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A visitor catches the full moon over the fort on his cell phone during the candlelight tour Saturday evening.

Fort Scott National Historic Site celebrated its 175th anniversary by presenting the 36th annual Candlelight Tour Friday and Saturday evenings.

The theme for this year’s candlelight tour: “Happiness Amid Hardship.”

The tour featured five scenes from the 1840s at Fort Scott, the years that it was an active frontier military fort.

Traditionally, the site’s candlelight tour has been “ghosted,” meaning that the reenactors in the scene do not interact with or even recognize the people on the tour.

This year, the staff encouraged some audience participation in most of the scenes, which made the scenes fun and engaging.

The full moon as a backdrop to the tour added to the ambiance of the evening. Temperatures in the 50s added to the enjoyment as well.

Visitors get information from Park Guide Tiffany on the scene that is about to be portrayed on the Fort Scott National Historic Site Candlelight Tour Saturday evening.
Visitors are invited to join in dancing at the dragoon barracks in this scene.
Enlisted men are treated gruffly in this scene.
There is a discussion of reasons why soldiers are going to become Oregon pioneers in this scene at the sutler building.
Men enjoy visiting during this scene at the fort’s store.
Visitors participated in an evening social at the officers’ quarters, amidst gossiping and matchmaking activities in this scene.
There was singing of Christmas carols led by Ralph Carlson and also refreshments offered in the Grand Hall at the end of the tour.
Submitted

“A Classic Christmas” Presented Dec. 17 at FSHS

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The Fort Scott High School Select Ensemble Presents “Classic Christmas”  at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 17 at  FSHS Auditorium.

Please come enjoy an afternoon of classic Christmas music performed by the FSHS Select Ensemble with guest appearance by Dan Duling and the Stone Country Band. The program will feature songs like “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “We Three Kings,” and many more!
Cookies and coffee to be served following the concert.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students K-12. All proceeds go to the Select Ensemble.
Tickets can be purchased from the FSHS office or from Select Ensemble students.
Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Christmas In The Park

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A sneak preview of Gunn Park before the first viewing Friday evening showed some of the hard work that had been put into Christmas in the Park, a community holiday event.

Diana Mitchell and Tom Robertson work on last minute details Friday evening before the first showing of Christmas in the Park in Gunn Park.
The big rock shelter house at Gunn Park is lit by Christmas lights Friday evening as part of Christmas in the Park.
The small rock pavilion on a hill in Gunn Park is decorated with lights for Christmas in the Park.
The nativity scene is lit in preparation for the Bethel Community Church Live Nativity.
Fort Scott Recreation Department decorated a shelter house in Gunn Park for Christmas in the Park.
The big rock shelter house was decorated for Christmas in the Park by Niece Products of Kansas.
Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Beacon Still Has Older Children In Need of Christmas Presents

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Sue Emmons, executive director of The Beacon.

The Beacon is a helping agency that during the Christmas season is the go-through agency for Adopt-A-Child.

This program helps provide Christmas presents to families with children up to fifth-grade age.

Currently, all families have been adopted, but “I have a few families that have older children that need presents,” Sue Emmons, executive director of the Beacon said. “Several grandparents on fixed incomes are raising grandchildren.”

For the Christmas Adopt-A-Child, sponsors are asked to choose only one clothing item and/or one gift item for each child, with a $30 per child limit.

Stated needs are asked to be purchased before toys.

The gifts are asked to be gift wrapped and tagged with the child’s first name and family member and delivered to Community Christian Church, 1919 Horton, not later than December 18, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“We also handle the Elks Christmas Food Basket,” Emmons said. “It’s a generous Christmas basket they deliver.”

For more information contact Emmons at 620-223-6869 during office hours 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

As a helping agency, the Beacon follows these guidelines:

Food Assistance Guidelines

 

 

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Thankful for the Good and the Bad

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My dear friend Frank responded to my Thanksgiving article in which I listed several things for which I am thankful. “Don’t forget good weather…and bad weather.” Simple message with a poignant prompt. I need to be thankful for everything because God many times uses the bad more powerfully than He does the good.

Then, this morning, my husband’s daily Baseball Chapel devotional, submitted by Arnie Knecht, titled “Thanksliving,” reminded me that this holiday wasn’t about a day of thanks; it was about a life of thanks. In Knecht’s words, “Thanksgiving is good. Thanksliving is better.” It is a lifestyle involving how we respond, knowing God “has saved us from a hopeless end and given us an endless hope.”

No matter what He uses to get us there.

Twelve of us were to share a Thanksgiving meal this year. We all are condominium owners in the same complex here in Mazatlan, Mexico, and over the years have become close friends. Deb and Jim offered their unit, and Deb led the charge in organizing things—including writing hysterical minutes when the women met to discuss the details. After all, it mattered whose oven had two shelves and whose had one, who owned a gravy boat and whose stuffing recipe was best. Jim purchased an additional table, and both were set a day ahead with linen cloths, fine china and crystal. Since Dave and I were the last two to arrive and were driving, we were given a list of grocery items the girls could not find in Mazatlan. Captain Deb was prepared for everything.

Except an emergency trip to the E.R. Thanksgiving morning. Deb had awakened her doctor-husband with severe abdominal pain. Because she was recovering from a recent car accident, Jim was concerned it was related. As they left for the hospital, we five wives met in Deb’s condo to create a Plan B for our late afternoon dinner.

Mary asked me to lead us in prayer for Deb and Jim. It was a precious moment of calming reassurance that we were sharing a special experience and gave us the teamwork attitude we needed. Sharon shifted recipe responsibilities as we assumed the duties originally assigned to Deb. Joyce offered her condo for the dinner, but Deb’s would still be the gathering place for much of the food preparation. Their units were ten floors apart but in the same wing, so the elevator became our best friend.

The men transported the second table, the extra chairs and all the place settings to Joyce’s condo, and we were in culinary business. What one couldn’t do, the other could. Sharon rolled out the pie crusts; Carolyn perfected the fluting before making a quick trip to the herb garden to pick fresh rosemary for the turkey. Three worked to skewer the turkey skin over the stuffing while another video’d the surgery. (Three chiefs, no Indians.) In between our assignment at Deb’s, we all returned to our own units to prepare our assigned dishes and then regrouped at Deb’s to make sure everything was covered. We spent the day laughing, cleaning up each other’s spills, comparing recipes and communing in sweet Thanksliving.

Deb’s trip to the hospital was not on our agenda, and when she returned home later that day, we all agreed that God had given us a treasured Thanksgiving memory. Had Deb not become ill, we all would have spent the day in our own condos preparing our dishes, our husbands would have watched football, and later we would have joined together for our meal.

Two days before Thanksgiving, Jim had asked my husband to say the prayer before our meal. Dave’s words were full of thanks, especially that Deb and Jim were home, and that God had done more than we ever expected.

He’s good at that, you know.

“Good weather…bad weather.” Thanksliving at its finest.

Fort Scott

Christmas Decorations On Burke Street

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Story idea submitted by Jana Walker, who provided the photos.

Bob Lemons leads neighborhood children in painting candy canes that he created to display in yards. From left:  Ella Walker, Olivia Walker, Grace Walker, Annabelle Gorman, Johnny Kerr, Owen Smith, Bob Lemons, Gianna Gorman, Audrey Walker.

Candy canes, bows, bells… these are all symbols that bring to mind the Christmas season.

The Burke Street neighborhood in Fort Scott created candy canes as yard decorations this month using these symbols of Christmas.

“We started talking about it at the annual 4th of July picnic,” Jana Walker, said. The Burke Street residents have an annual 4th of July parade, and with a picnic following.

It was at the picnic that the neighborhood decided to do Christmas decorations. Burke Street resident Sara Ellis recommended a candy cane lane, said Jana Walker.

“We are trying to build a community with each other,” Jana Walker said. “We wanted to include the children.”

Walker said she would like to encourage other neighborhoods do projects together because it helps people get to know each other.

“It’s fun getting to know the neighborhood,” Bob Lemons said of the project.

Lemons was the carpenter on the project and spearheaded the children painting the candy canes.

“Shane (Jana’s husband) knew that Bob had done carpentry work,” Jana said.

In October, the Walkers then went door-to-door in the neighborhood seeking input about the Christmas candy cane yard decorating project.

“They supplied the materials,” Lemons said. “I cut them out.”

“They needed a place to paint, so I offered my garage,” he said.

Just before Thanksgiving, when the neighborhood children were out of school, the painting portion of the candy cane project got started in the Lemons garage.

From left: Ella Walker, Olivia Walker, Grace Walker and Annabelle Gorman paint candy canes in Bob Lemons garage.
From left: Owen Smith, Gianna Gorman and Audrey Walker paint candy canes during Thanksgiving break.

“He volunteered to cut them out and directed the children in painting them white,” Jana Walker noted. “He then finished painting the red stripes.”

Then bows and bells were attached along with the hardware to allow them to stay in the ground.

One of the candy canes that were a community project on Burke Street.

On Monday, Betty and Bob Lemons, went down the neighborhood street, putting the candy canes on display in the yards, after getting permission from each family.

Candy canes are posted in yards of residents on Burke Street. The decorations are a community project of the people who live on the street.

About 12-14  children off-and-on helped with the project, Lemons said.

“We’ve just lived here three years, it’s a great way to get to know the neighbors,” Lemons said.

 

 

Fort Scott

Volunteer Bell Ringers Needed

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Allen Schellack, Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries Outreach Center, shows the bell and bucket needed to volunteer for the Salvation Army fundraising campaign.

It’s that time of year again!

The Salvation Army needs volunteers to ring bells in their annual fundraising campaign.

Allen Schellack, Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries(FSCM), is seeking bell ringers in partnership with the Salvation Army.

The hours and days are flexible, he said.

Individuals, families, churches, and community service organizations are encouraged to call 620-223-2212 to set up a time to serve.

All donations stay in Bourbon County, he said.

This year $4,134.47 is assistance was provided to local families.

FSCM is the designated Salvation Army Disaster Relief and Services Extension Unit for Bourbon County. Through the partnership the following services are provided:

  • disaster relief,
  • rental and utility assistance,
  • prescriptions (no narcotics),
  • temporary lodging,
  • gasoline for work or doctor,
  • vision help(eyeglasses),
  • Salvation Army Kids Camp,
  • and other unspecified needs are on a case by case basis.

In addition, FSCM is a volunteer organization that provided these services in 2016-17:

  • fire disaster packs,
  • homeless/transition assist packs,
  • Christmas presents for teens,
  • school supplies for middle and high school students.
Fort Scott Compassionate Care Ministries is located on the second floor at 26 N. Main. Pass through the Senior Citizens Center to get there.