Local and out of town cyclists as well as members of the community participated in the 4^th Annual Marmaton Massacre Festival over the weekend, as the Gunn Park bike trails dried out from recent rains.

Almost 100 cyclists rode the trails Saturday and Sunday for time trial courses, a marathon race, a children’s race and others during the UFD West Series event. Organizer Frank Halsey said a surprising number came to camp in town and take advantage of what Fort Scott has to offer.

“Everybody loves our small town and the hospitality we afford,” Halsey said.

While the rain earlier in the week threatened to cancel the event, the trails dried out enough for the races to go on. Halsey said the event was a success only because of help from volunteers, local business and the city of Fort Scott to clean the park as well as sponsor and run the event.

Apart from the races, the festival also provided food and retail vendors, live music and Bike Trial demonstrations Saturday evening to anyone in the public.

Halsey said he was pleased with the turnout from the community Saturday evening for the festival, admitting they have struggled in past years to attract local residents. But this year, Halsey said he considered the event a success and felt they gained traction with the higher attendance from the community.

“Our goal has been to not only provide a mountain bike race, but to also create a festival within the peaceful confines of Gunn Park,” Halsey said. “A festival that would attract locals as well as outsiders to Fort Scott.  Hopefully, this successful event creates enough awareness that we can continue to grow.”

Submitted by Jessica Schenkel

The Lowell Milken Center will be hosting the inaugural Stubby Day from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, at the city park in downtown Fort Scott. This fun-filled day is in honor of one of the Center’s unsung heroes, Sergeant Stubby, who happens to be the most decorated animal in American military history. We are encouraging the community to bring their families, four-legged loved ones and friends to celebrate.

Stubby’s story will be told at 9:30 a.m. while area businesses/vendors will be present: Lee’s Paws and Claws, Gypsy Soul Rescue, Fort Scott High School Thespians for face painting, Kenny Felt Photography pet portraits from 9:30 10:30 a.m., Kinede’s Cakes with special desserts and the City of Fort Scott. There will be games, prizes and beverages.

Sergeant Stubby saved many lives while braving countless battles in WWI and we want to share his story with you.

Submitted by Angie Bin

“There will be Drama” was the theme of this year’s International Thespian Festival and the phrase proved true for 25 Fort Scott High School Thespian troupe members who were lucky enough to attend this year’s festival for free.

FSHS Thespian troupe #7365 was selected by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) as a 2017 Send a Troupe to Festival Grant winner. The festival at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, June 19-24, was $740 per student which included rooming and meals each day and admittance to all the shows, workshops and late night activities.

FSHS Junior Ally Heenan said, “It was an amazing opportunity to experience and I feel extremely lucky to have been able to go. I made many friends and I feel it brought our troupe closer together as a family.”

Having never attended festival before, FSHS qualified for the grant by completing an in-depth application and providing an administrative recommendation letter from Superintendent Bob Beckham. As grant recipients, the FSHS troupe was recognized in front of more than 4,000 students and troupe directors on the main stage during the festival.

According to EdTA, the festival is a celebration of student achievement in the performing arts and a one-of-a-kind, weeklong immersion experience in singing, dancing, acting, designing, directing, creating, writing and memory-making. Festival featured workshops presented by theatre professionals, individual and group performances, programs for technical theatre students, and opportunities to audition for college admission and scholarships. Some students travelled from as far away as China and Dubai to attend this year.

“It made me have more of a passion for theatre,” said FSHS sophomore Carlee Studyvin.  “Meeting people from all over the U.S. was something that I will never forget.”

FSHS Junior Mary Gladbach added, “It was so exciting to be surrounded by people who I could share my love of theatre with, we were all complete strangers, but we still felt connected because of our shared passion.”

Theatrical make-up design, specialized choreography, playwriting and improvisational acting were some of the most popular types of workshops among the Fort Scott troupe. FSHS Thespian President Hunter Adamson, junior, also benefitted from a special class on Leadership that she attended each day. Many students attended panel discussions over productions they saw and even met the musicals’ composers.

FSHS Thespian Director Angie Bin, FSHS English teacher Mark Bergmann, and parent chaperone Mindy Bartlett also attended the festival.

Despite a few light showers on Wednesday, the Fort Scott Hurricanes swam against the Chanute Sharks in a swim meet at the Fort Scott pool. Fort Scott won the meet with 391 points to Chanute’s 333.

The Hurricanes will be swimming in Iola next Wednesday.

Swim Team Results PDF

After serving as part of the team at Mercy Hospital since 2010, Dr. Amy Sachau worked her last day there on July 5, after deciding to transition away from full-time and work and closer to her hometown of Overland Park.

“We have felt so loved in Fort Scott,” Sachau says, adding the rural hospital was just what she was looking for after completing her family medicine residence. “It is an honor to have worked at Mercy Fort Scott, as I feel the focus truly is on the care of our patients.”

Sachau will be starting an employee health clinic for the Shawnee Mission School District, where she attended school. There she will be able to care for the large school district’s employees and their families while spending more time with her two daughters, age 8 and 10 years, and living within walking distance of her mother.

“It was an incredibly difficult, tear-filled decision,” Sachau says, saying she wants to take advantage of the time she has with her daughters as they continue to grow up. “My new position will be part time, and will not require working nights, weekends and holidays, so I can spend that time with my family.”

While looking forward to moving closer to home and spending more time with family, Sachau said she will miss the community of Fort Scott, its slower pace and the friendliness of the residents and hospital staff.

“I love my co-workers at Mercy, and in fact, this is the very hardest part of leaving,” Sachau says. “My staff bends over backwards for our patients—and for me—day after day, and I could never thank them enough.”

Mercy staff also spoke highly of Sachau and her care for her patients.

“It has been an amazing experience working for Dr. Sachau,” says Kyla Probasco. R.N., of the Mercy Clinic. “She has always provided exceptional care for her patients. Their love and appreciation for her has been very apparent the last few months and speaks volumes for her character.

“This community is really going to miss her. I consider it an honor to be a part of her team and have always been proud to say, ‘I am Dr. Sachau’s nurse.’ I am extremely sad that Dr. Sachau is leaving, but am so happy for her and her family and all of their future endeavors together.”