Tag Archives: featured

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Overlooking a Wrong

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Being wronged is never easy, no matter how menial the offense, because the chance to demonstrate our faith is always on the line. “I’m right, and you’re not” lurks like a caged animal desperate to escape. Because of my trust in Google Maps, I was in that cage last week.

Dave and I chose a four-star, Chinese restaurant—obviously so-ranked by starving reviewers– that, although eight miles out of the way, promised a grand buffet worth the drive. Clue one this wasn’t a popular restaurant was the lone car in the parking lot which, as it turned out, belonged to the hwc (hostess/waitress/cook). Multi-tasking at its finest. The menu wasn’t extensive—there was no buffet—but it had several chicken dishes, so I asked which ones had white meat. Simple question.

In her thick, Chinese accent, our hwc mentioned three, with General Tso being one. To avoid any language barrier, I spoke slowly. “General-Tso-is-white-meat?” She assured me it was. “Not-pressed- chicken-but- real-white-meat?” Yes, it was. Dave gave me his look which let me know I’d gone too far. In his opinion, we should not be fussy in a restaurant. Even if he asks for a hamburger well done and it arrives mooing and swatting flies, he won’t complain. If I, on the other hand, ask to speak to the management, he skedaddles for the bathroom.

While our entrees were being prepared, our hwc refilled three times the three sips we had drunk from our water glasses, brought Dave chopsticks and repeatedly asked if we would recommend the hot and sour soup to our friends. She was desperate and I felt sorry for her. I said I would.

But I won’t.

When our food arrived, Dave’s shrimp fried rice looked scrumptious. My “chicken” was a crusty shell encasing a pea-size portion of dark meat. DARK—white’s opposite. I munched on the two broccoli pieces and the rice, and because we were the only customers and our hwc was trying so hard, I opted to say nothing. I know. Shock! Shock! “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” I’m sure I heard angels applauding. Or perhaps it was Dave.

No, it had to be angels.

When our check was presented and my chicken leftovers removed from the table, I was flabbergasted by what came next from our hwc: “Why you order General Tso since you say you like white meat? Next time you come, you need order white meat.” Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

While I decided if what my heart was meditating on should stay there or be uncaged, Dave hastily pulled out his wallet, paid the bill and reminded me that we were in a hurry. (We weren’t.) I knew I had a choice. I could be honest and help this poor lady not make the same mistake in the future with someone less loving, or I could make Dave happy and remain silent. I opted to please my husband. After all, it was a long ride home. Too, when it came down to it, it could have been worse.

At least my chicken wasn’t mooing and swatting flies.

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Brewery Is Coming

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The Boiler Room Brewhaus will be located in the Beaux Arts Center, 102 S. National.

Barbara and Bryan Ritter are turning a  homebrew hobby into a business.

“Over the past year several people have mentioned that we should do this,” Barbara said. “We brew beer at home and enjoy it. So we decided to go for it.”

Barbara Ritter did research and found that microbreweries are opening in small historic towns, she said.

The Ritter’s are leasing the southwest corner of the Beaux Art Center’s basement from owners, Bobby and Denise Duncan.

“We envision that it will bring in people to Fort Scott,”  she said. “They will see these old buildings and start putting money back into this amazing town. We see the brewery as bringing in new tourists.”

Bryan and Barbara Ritter hope to have a microbrewery open by years end.

Bryan Ritter will be the primary brewer.

“It will be craft beer, part of it from the water from Fort Scott Lake and the Marmaton River,” Bryan said. “The other part of the beer is grain and hops. Hops are what gives it flavor.”

The Ritters found a hops farm in Ottawa and other ingredients will be locally resourced, he said.

They will use honey from their farm in producing the beer, along with wildflowers, fruit, and nuts.

The Ritter’s have owned Black Dog Farm, near Garland, for five years.

So far in the process, city, county, and federal approval have been given the Ritters.

“The state has visited the premise,” Bryan said. “A few more things they need to receive from us. Then we can start the brewery.”

Because beer takes time to ferment, it will have to cook for a few months, he said.

“We are hoping around Christmas or New Years to be open,” Bryan said.

Fort Scott

Fort Scott Commemorates 175th Anniversary during 36th Annual Candlelight Tour

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Submitted by Fort Scott National Historic Site

“Life has a positive and negative side. Happy people ignore the negative side” Bangambiki Habyarimana

One hundred seventy-five years ago, soldiers established a fort atop a bluff overlooking the Marmaton River. Its purpose was to keep peace on the frontier and to contain westward expansion. To patrol the frontier, the army stationed dragoon and infantry soldiers at Fort Scott. These soldiers faced the challenges of boredom, isolation, the uncertainty of life on the frontier and the vast distances involved in patrolling the region. Nevertheless, they found ways to celebrate life and to make the best of their situation. They remained vigilant in their duties yet took time out to enjoy dances, dinner parties, evening socials, and camaraderie. They found a reason to celebrate at Christmas time, the 4th of July, and other occasions. Although isolated on the frontier, they sought excellence as they built “the Crack Post of the Frontier.”

Fort Scott National Historic Site will celebrate its 175th anniversary by presenting its 36th annual Candlelight Tour. The theme for this year’s candlelight tour is Happiness Amid Hardship. The tour will feature five scenes from the 1840s at Fort Scott, the years that it was an active 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, Fort Scott staff is changing things up so that there is some audience participation in most of the scenes. Visitors might join in dancing at the dragoon barracks, participate in an evening social at the officers’ quarters, or discuss at the sutler store the reasons why they are going to become Oregon pioneers.

During the candlelight tour, over 700 candle lanterns illuminate the site and over 100 reenactors bring the fort to life. This year’s tours will be offered December 1 and 2, 2017. Tours on December 1, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. On Saturday, December 2, the tours will run from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Ticket sales begin on November 1. You can purchase tickets by calling 620-223-0310 or by coming to the visitor center at Fort Scott NHS. Be sure to get your tickets early for your choice of tour times as this event usually sells out. Tickets are $8.00 each and are non-refundable. Children 5 and under are free.

From November 1 to March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For more information about the candlelight tour or other events at the site, call 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.

Fort Scott

Halloween On Horton

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Community Christian Church and Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene are partnering this year to produce “Halloween on Horton” on October 31.

“We are partnering to do advertising on social media about both churches doing something the same evening,”  Paul Martin, children’s pastor at CCC, said.

“We thought, let’s promote it together,” Jeff Dillow, associate pastor at the Nazarene church, said.

The CCC event is from 5 to 8 p.m., the Nazarene event is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Halloween evening. Both the churches are located on Horton Street near Fort Scott Community College.

“This is the sixth year we’ve done it on-site,” Dillow said. “A small army gets involved that night.”

Susan Lemon heads up the Nazarene volunteers, Dillow said.

“We want to take the opportunity to let our community know we care about them and their families,” Dillow said.

The Nazarene Church will have their Trunk or Treat event in its parking lot, at the corner of 18th and Horton Streets.

 

Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, at the corner of 18th and Horton Streets.

Community Christian Church has been doing a Halloween event since Martin came, in the late 1990s.

Community Christian Church, across from Fort Scott Community College on Horton Street.

At first, they did a trick-or-treat event but when the church went through a fall sermon series in 2008, the event changed, he said.

“We were going through a fall series called 40 Days Of Community by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California,” Martin said. “We wanted to pull more people from the church to serve. We added more food and inflatables.” They changed the name of the event to Fall-O-Ween at this point.

The church staff and volunteers work with Martin each year to plan and facilitate the event.

“It’s an opportunity to love on the community and provide a safe place on Halloween evening,” Martin said.

“We would love to have people be a part of both events,” Dillow said. “You could easily fill a night of trick-or-treating between both.”

Check out the events on Facebook: Fort Scott Nazarene and  Community Christian Church.

Bourbon County

KState Southwind Extension: First Impressions

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Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director 

All communities have difficulties viewing their surrounding as others – customers, visitors, potential residents and potential businesses – see them. Our views are skewed by over-familiarization, a lack of differing perspectives, expectations and a reluctance to be completely honest with our neighbors when dealing with difficult issues, such as the appearance of buildings, customer service and the maintenance of public facilities.

Next month, a group of volunteers from Iola will be traveling to Baldwin City, Kan., to participate in a program offered by K-State Research and Extension called “First Impressions.” Likewise, a team from Baldwin City will travel to Iola to gather their First Impressions of our city.

With First Impressions, a team of volunteers from other towns makes an unannounced visit to a participating community to explore its residential, retail and industrial areas, plus schools, government locations and points of interest. The idea is to take a look at a community with a fresh pair of eyes.

Whether in one’s own home or community, it’s easy to pass by something without thinking about how it looks to others. For the first-time visitor, is the drive into town welcoming? Is there something unique that may help draw people to shop? Does it strike them as a community they would like to return to? Sometimes strengths are taken for granted, and weaknesses are accepted as part of the norm.

First Impressions is an effort to strengthen Kansas communities and is made possible by a partnership started in 2015 between K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas PRIDE Program and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Once completed, the assessment helps drive goal-setting and priorities for new development, plus identifies ways to strengthen community services.

What’s next? After the two visits, a K-State Research and Extension Specialist will compile the results from each team. Those findings will be shared locally in the form of a community meeting that will likely be conducted after the first of the year. Details will be shared through local media outlets to make the program available to anyone interested.

I look forward to facilitating and participating with the Iola Team and working with the City of Iola. However, readers should be know that this program is offered by K-State Research & Extension and open to any Kansas Community, regardless of size. If another town in Bourbon, Neosho or Allen County sees the benefit of First Impressions, please do not hesitate to contact me by calling Southwind Iola at 620-365-2242.

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Baby Shower For Community Mothers

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Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue, is the site for a baby shower Oct. 30 for new mothers.

New and/or expectant mothers are invited to the Southeast Kansas  Multi-County Health Department baby shower from noon to 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30 at Buck Run Community Center’s gym.

Food, gifts, and prizes will be given out to the mothers attending the event.

Prizes to give away are  a breast pump,  a pack and play crib, and car seats, according to Alice Maffett, public nurse in the Bourbon County Health Department.

Gift bags for each participant and free health care resource materials will also be available.

In addition, healthy snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Kayla Tinsley, Mercy RN  will speak about the hospital’s High 5 Program and the benefits of breastfeeding. Sergeant Tim Harper with the Fort Scott Police Department will speak on child passenger safety, and Accent Dental Clinic will present valuable information on the importance of oral hygiene during pregnancy during the event, said Angie Reinking, Outreach Specialist with United Healthcare Community Plan.

For more information contact the health department at 620-223-4464.

The event is provided by the SEK Multi-County Health Department, United Health Care Community Plan, and Mercy Hospital.

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

The Future Of Bridal Veil Park Is Weighed

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The view from Second Street looking northwest into Bridal Veil Park.

Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin is seeking input from the community on what to do with Bridal Veil Park.

The park is located just west of the Marmaton River on Second Street on the west side of town.

It is a low-lying area encompassed by an attractive, low rock fence on the south.

History of the park

Three concrete picnic tables, a pavilion, and numerous large tree stumps, with a meandering dirt road, are all that’s left of an area that was at first two community swimming pools, one for girls, one for boys.

“It began as Napp’s Park in the 1880s,” Fred Campbell, a local historian said. “It had a large artesian water well in the southeast corner of the park, 40 yards from the entrance. It flowed mineral water. As the water shot up about 20-30 feet from the spring, it looked like a bridal veil.”

Three concrete picnic tables that have survived since the 1930s at Bridal Veil Park.

In 1936, the Works Progress Administration of the federal government built a new community swimming pool at the current site on Main Street, said Don Miller, a local Fort Scott historian.

“At that point, the (Bridal Veil Park) swimming pools were turned over to the African-American community,”  Miller said. “Segregation was the law until 1954.”

After desegregation became law the swimming pools were filled in, Miller said.

In 1986, a flood swept away the brick shelter house at the site, he said.

The current pavilion at Bridal Veil Park. The original brick one was destroyed during the flood of 1986.

“After that, it was used for a hang-out place,” Miller said. “There was a lot of illegal activities going on.”

Keep or sell the property?

Fast forward to 2017.

Martin said there is still “suspicious activity” for the Fort Scott Police Department to investigate at that location and it floods easily because of its location near the Marmaton River.

The cost of maintaining the park is approximately $5,000 to $10,000 a year, Martin said.

“Taking care of that park, is it a vision for the future of our city?,” Martin asked in an interview with FortScott.biz.

“There is a vision to have a hookup between Gunn Park and Riverfront Park in the long-term,” Martin said. “We will try to keep an easement for that,” Martin said.

The vegetation overgrowth prevents a view of the Marmaton River, on the east edge of Bridal Veil Park.

Input requested by November 21

“I’m wanting input from the community between now and November 21,” Martin said. “I talked to people who feel it would not be a good idea to sell the land.”

At the November 21 city commission meeting,  a decision will likely be made, he said.

Emails can be sent to [email protected] or call Martin on his cell phone at 620-644-2498.

“I think it will be good for the city to sell the property,” Miller said. “But save the picnic tables. Those were built by the WPA, they have historical value.”

 

 

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

3rd Saturday Downtown Marketplace Tomorrow

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North Main Street in downtown Fort Scott Thursday afternoon. October 21 is the 3rd Saturday Downtown Market Place when this street will be lined with vendors.

Last month a collaboration of Fort Scott Farmer’s Market, Chamber of Commerce, city personnel and downtown merchants led to the first ever 3rd Saturday Fort Scott Marketplace.

The September event went well, according to Lindsay Madison, executive director of the chamber.

Tomorrow the North Main section of the downtown area will once again be cordoned off for vendors. This will be the last marketplace this year.

“This is the second one,” Madison said. “The plan is to set it up for May to October next year. Which is when Fort Scott Farmer’s Market is open.”

Fresh produce vendors, downtown merchants, and other organizations will take advantage of the warm weather to sell their wares from 8 a.m. to noon.

Papa Don’s Pizza, 10 N. Main will take its turn doing “Breakfast on the Bricks,” which is the breakfast offering each farmer’s market day.  On the menu are breakfast pizza, cinnamon rolls, coffee, and juice.

Breakfast on the Bricks gets its name from the brick Main Street in Fort Scott.

Downtown merchants The Iron Star and J & W Sportshop will be open early for the event.

A free spinal screening will be offered by Hartman Spine and Joint.

Other vendors will be Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries, and Gold Canyon Decor, to name a few.

Continuing from last month, city golf carts will be available to transport people or purchases to their cars, say, for instance, produce vendor Ronnie Brown’s pumpkins.

One of the goals of the chamber is to boost the benefit of the downtown stores and farmer’s market, Madison said.

October 28 will be the last Fort Scott Farmer’s Market for 2017.

 

 

 

Opinion

Patty LaRoche: Forgetting the Past

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Isaiah 43:18 (NIV): “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

I’m not sure there is better—or more difficult—advice.

If your mind is like mine, it chooses to cleave to the past like contact paper to fingers, even though by dwelling on the injustices done to us, we will miss out on what God has for us now. That’s because our brains cannot dwell on two things at once. We are incapable of reliving our past and our present at the same time. Get that? Incapable.

My mind has a tendency to love history, and no, not the “Name the presidents in order” kind of history. The history to which I’m referring is that which happens when Dave and I disagree. It can be something as simple as him telling me that it’s frustrating to wake up to dirty dishes in the sink. I now have a choice: I can make a mental note to never go to bed without cleaning up, or I can thank him for sharing with me what he is feeling and promise to never, ever, ever do that again.

OR…

I can tell Dave that (a.) dirty dishes have no eternal repercussions, (b.) since there’s nothing wrong with his hands, he is perfectly capable of taking care of the dishes if they bother him so much, or (c.) he has a critical spirit that needs addressing because this is not the first time he has found fault with something I have done. And then I will replay whatever has happened over the past, say 43 years, that I have found irritating. (When it comes to remembering these details, I have a photographic memory.)

You can guess how well this all works out. I just have the hardest time remembering that my past is not my destiny.

Unless, that is, I choose to live there.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians gives a better suggestion. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (3:13b-14 NLT)

The challenge of the past is not to see the mistakes of others. It is to train me to remember my mistakes so I can work towards becoming the kind of person God wants me to be. Where I was once selfish, I now can be tender-hearted and other-oriented. Where I was once angry, I now can be loving and kind. Where I was once lackluster about my sin, I now can be pained by how I have pained God.

The truth is this: my heart will not change if I cling to my past. I am to deal with it honestly and then displace it. An old Peanuts cartoon has Lucy standing in the outfield of Charlie Brown’s baseball diamond. As a fly ball sails toward her, she remembers all the other times she’s dropped the ball. And she drops this one, too. Lucy calls out to Charlie Brown, who’s standing on the pitcher’s mound: “I almost had it, but then my past got in my eyes!”

And I assure you, Readers, if we want to “receive the heavenly prize,” that is a ball we cannot afford to drop.

Business, Fort Scott

Lowell Milken Center to Hand Out Candy, Coloring Books During Parade

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The Lowell Milken Center will be participating in the annual Halloween Parade events from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, at 1 S. Main by handing out candy and free coloring books to everyone who enters the Hall of Unsung Heroes! In celebration of the spooky day, we are encouraging the community to participate in the downtown Halloween Parade festivities and stop by to see our newest exhibits!

Area News, Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Fall Fun At Fort Wise

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Fort Wise Pumpkin Patch will be a hub of activity, this weekend.

Two races and a Fort Scott organization’s social gathering are on the agenda.

The seasonal business has been in operation since 2015 and is owned by Chad and Melissa Wise.

Since the couple opened Fort Wise Pumpkin Company, they have geared up for each weekend in October when they open their property to the public for family fall activities.

Activities such as pumpkin chunking, a corn maze, a corn pit, an obstacle course, a slide, and a hayride on an army truck are available at this fort. Food, pumpkins and Stewart’s Mums can be purchased as well. The large mums are $10 until sold out.

The entry fee to Fort Wise is $5 person, with kids under two-years-old, free.

Fort Wise is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sundays in October.

Patriotic 5K/1 mile fun run

This weekend, there will be a 5k/1 mile competition to benefit Wreaths Across America,  a non-profit organization that puts live wreaths on the graves of military veterans in December each year, to honor those who served in the military.

This is of interest to the couple because Chad Wise just retired from military service in May 2017.

The local group of this organization is hosting a Wreath Ride Patriot Pumpkin 5K/1 Mile Fun Run at Fort Wise for Saturday, October 21. Registration is at 8 a.m. Costumes are requested. The 5K run starts at 9 a.m. with the one-mile fun run starting at 10 a.m. Prizes will be awarded at 10:30 a.m. Preregistration for the event is $20 for the fun run and $30 for the 5K. The day of the race, each race registration fee will increase $5.

The runners/walkers will be traversing the 40 acres of the Wise property, which has some hills.

December 16 is the National Wreaths Across America Day, with Fort Scott National Cemetary as the local site for the ceremony to honor military service men and women.

For more information: 620-224-8933, 620-215-2174 or http://www.fortscottwreathride.com

Young Professional Social

In addition, Fort Wise is hosting a Young Professional League Social  Sunday.

“This is for YPL members and their families,” Melissa Wise said.

From 4-5 p.m. the families will enjoy the activities at Fort Wise. From 5-6 p.m., after Fort Wise closes to the public, there will be a safety briefing on firearms, then a competition on shooting targets.

During both Saturday and Sunday activities at Fort Wise, it is open to the public from 11 a. m. to 5 p.m.

The gate to Fort Wise Pumpkin Company, six miles west of Fort Scott on Maple Road.
Fort Scott

FSHS Students to “Feed the Need,” Perform High School Musical

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Submitted by Angie Bin

FSHS THEATRE AND PRIDE STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TO “FEED THE NEED”

The International Thespian Society (ITS), a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), is pleased to announce the participation of Fort Scott High School, Thespian Troupe #7365, in the Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat program.

Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a national community service program for ITS member schools to collect canned and dry goods for local charities and food banks. Theatre students from FSHS will collect food donations on Friday, Oct. 27, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thousands of pounds of food will be collected in one week across the state, giving organizations the ability to help thousands of local people.

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than 4,100 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. High school inductees are known as “Thespians” and junior high/middle school inductees are known as “Junior Thespians.” ITS is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), a professional organization with approximately 100,000 members nationwide.

Thespians will also partner with other high school clubs including Pride, to collect food.  If you would like to donate to the cause and the students miss your home on Oct. 27, please drop your donation by FSHS and address it to Angie Bin, FSHS Thespian Director.

Fort Scott High School Performs “Disney’s High School Musical”

The Fort Scott High School Drama Department presents “Disney’s High School Musical” on November 7, 9, and 11, at 7 p.m. and on November 11, at 2 p.m.

Disney Channel’s smash hit movie musical comes to life on the newly renovated FSHS auditorium stage. Publisher Music Theatre International describes the musical: “Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High must deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities. It’s the first day after winter break at East High. The Jocks, Brainiacs, Thespians and Skater Dudes find their cliques, recount their vacations and look forward to the new year. Basketball team captain and resident jock, Troy, discovers that the brainy Gabriella, a girl he met singing karaoke on his ski trip, has just enrolled at East High. They cause an upheaval when they decide to audition for the high school musical that is being led by Ms. Darbus. Although many students resent the threat posed to the ‘status quo,’ Troy and Gabriella’s alliance might just open the door for others to shine as well.”

The show involves nearly forty students in acting roles. Leads include sophomore Levi Bin who plays Troy Bolton and junior Morgan Rohr playing Gabriella Montez. Also featured are sophomore Mesa Jones as Sharpay Evans, junior Darrick Green as Ryan Evans, sophomore Mary Gladbach as Taylor McKessie, and senior Alex Gorman as Chad Danforth. Sophomore Kaitlyn Hanks portrays Ms. Darbus and senior Micah Self plays Troy’s dad, Coach Bolton. More than 30 students also serve in technical roles backstage and behind the scenes from costuming and lighting design to set design and building.

The musical is directed by FSHS Drama and Thespian Director Angie Bin with Music Director Mary Jo Harper, Eugene Ware Music Teacher. Taylor Schilling, a music education student at PSU and FSHS alum, serves as the Assistant Music Director and Choreographer and Jason Huffman of Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium serves as Technical Director.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children and are on sale now at the FSHS office, 1005 S. Main and at Common Ground, 116 S. Main in Fort Scott. Seating is limited, so audience members are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. Doors open thirty minutes before showtime.