The weather cooperated to make the annual Fort Scott Holiday Open House well attended Thursday evening. Shopping, eating, and visiting with friends and acquaintances were highlights of the event.
Fort Scott Holiday Open House
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Patty LaRoche: A Protest or Ungratefulness?
I see you…I see you, professional football player, as you kneel down during the playing of the National Anthem…I see you, with your arm raised in protest…I see you thinking you are doing something to unite people over social and racial injustice. I see you…
But, more than that, here is what I really see…
I see a man pushing the wheels of his wheelchair as he returns home from a foreign land unable to function as he once did, due to fighting to protect you as you kneel on the ground.
I see a young widow, dressed carefully in black, mourning the remains of her husband, hugging a coffin on the tarmac of an airport. I see that same woman clutching a perfectly folded flag to her bosom as taps is played at his graveside. I see her young son, tears streaming down his face, knowing his father would never come home again.
I see graveyards full of tombstones, here and overseas, with names of those fallen, with dates showing a much-too-early death. I see so many, from so many different wars and conflicts, crosses and stones. They are too numerous to count.
I see the sacrifices made, the hearts broken, the tears shed, the shattered lives all in the name of freedom… all in the name of that red, white and blue piece of cloth that you choose to protest.
Social and racial injustice? You who make millions of American dollars for playing a game in a country where you have more opportunity to make a better life for you and your family than anywhere in the world? Really? The hypocrisy of it astounds me.
First of all, if you really want to protest, give your money and time to make changes. Give to those less fortunate than you. Help those people get an education, buy them food and shelter. Show them opportunities to make better decisions. Teach them that they have a purpose in life. If you really want to protest injustices…
Protest the treatment of veterans, who have to wait extremely long periods of time for healthcare, who are living under interstate bridges in boxes, who are committing suicide. Today over twenty of them will take their lives out of hopelessness and despair.
Protest the people whose goal in life is to make sure an unborn baby doesn’t see the light of day. There will be around 3,500 of them today. There is no greater injustice than that.
Protest the loss of religious rights as some atheist complained so much that public prayer by a group of young players on an athletic field is not allowed.
When I see that flag, when I hear that song, when I sing those words, I give homage to those who died for this land, who continue to protect this land, who don’t know if and when they will ever see their loved ones again. Some say that they died for your freedom so that you can take a knee. I say they died for your freedom so you can stand proudly and be thankful that God has blessed you enough that you can live in a country of so much opportunity.
Go ahead…Go ahead and kneel…Go ahead and be ungrateful.
I am watching…as are millions and millions of others.
We don’t see a protest of unity… we see a protest of disgraceful ignorance.
Source: Anonymous
Auditions Announced for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Submitted by Angela Bin
Fort Scott High School Thespians announces auditions for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Auditions are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 13 or 14, in the high school auditorium.
Performances are at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10. Rehearsals will mostly be from 5:30 until about 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the high school auditorium.
Roles include: Narrators, Grinch, Max the Dog, Cindy Lou Who, Lou Who, Betty Lou Who, Mayor of Whoville, Assistant to Mayor, Clerk, Shopper, Sue Who, Drew Who, Police Man and Whos. No preparation is necessary for auditions and actors only need to attend on one of the audition nights. Children will perform theatre warm-ups, read from the script, and sing and dance to a short song segment. The show is primarily a play, but does include two songs, including a solo from Cindy Lou Who.
Thespian Director Angie Bin will oversee the production with leadership from FSHS Thespians in all artistic director positions. The show serves as the major fundraiser for students attending the International Thespian Festival next summer in Lincoln, Neb. Those who are cast will have a $25 participation fee. Please contact Angie Bin at FSHS with questions.
Roadwork Activity Ongoing
Kansas Department of Transportation and Bourbon County Public Works have both been working on roadways south of Fort Scott.
People who use Calvary Road will soon have access again, according to Priscilla Peterson, Public Affairs Manager with the Kansas Department of Transportation District 4.
Cherry Grove Baptist Church sits at the intersection of Calvary Rd. and U.S. 69 Hwy. where the access is closed currently.
“Right now they are doing a re-route behind the church,” Peterson said. “If the weather is good, the Calvary Road access should be opened by the end of the month.”
KDOT personnel makes an effort to contact people before limiting access to a road, Peterson said.
The Calvary Road closure is part of the improvements being made to U.S. 69 Hwy.
The six-mile highway expansion to a four-lane upgradeable expressway, with access points, was started in March 2017 and is scheduled for completion November 2018, according to Peterson.
Two-way U.S. 69 Hwy. traffic is being maintained while building the new lanes, she said.
County Roads Converted From Asphalt To Gravel
Two county roads south-east of Fort Scott have been ripped up this year to eventually be improved, according to a county official.
Eagle Road between 69 Hwy. and 250th Street and 230th Street between Kansas and Jayhawk Roads were converted from asphalt back to gravel.
“This is part of a process,” Jim Harris, Bourbon County Public Works director, said. “We did several miles last year.”
“We turn it back into gravel, then our goal is to overlay on top in the spring,” Harris said. “We do a manual contraction, but leaving it over the winter helps with compaction.”
Exactly what improvements these roads receive is up to the Bourbon County Commissioners.
In March the Bourbon County Commission holds a public meeting annually to discuss the priorities for road repair and maintenance.
“We’ll have a work session on roads, ” Harris said. “I make recommendations about repair or maintain, the commission decides.It’s a public meeting. In March the road priorities are determined by the commission. They decide what roads we are going to reclaim.”
The gravel road has left at least one Garland area resident re-routing his travel.
“It’s so bad I don’t go down that way,” Raymond Kalm said. “It’s too rough and too dusty.”
Extension Master Gardeners Donate Time to Communities
Submitted by Krista Harding
You may or may not be aware of a group of volunteers in your community providing horticulture information to the public. I am speaking of the Extension Master Gardeners. Extension Master Gardeners come from all walks of life, but they have two things in common and that is their love of gardening and the joy of sharing with their communities.
Currently there are 21 certified Extension Master Gardeners in the Southwind District. These individuals were trained by state specialists from Kansas State University and have been through forty to fifty hours of instruction in all aspects of horticulture. After training, the Master Gardeners volunteer an equivalent number of hours back to their communities as was received in their training.
In the Southwind Extension District, many of the gardeners received their training in 2008, 2010, 2013 or 2015 so they have several years of experience as Master Gardeners under their belt.
There are a number of Master Gardener volunteer service projects currently happening in Southwind Extension District communities. This year, 684 hours of volunteer service was completed. According to most recent data from the Independent Sector (a coalition of charities, foundations, corporations, and individuals that publishes research important to the nonprofit sector), the estimated value of volunteer time is $24.14 per hour. That calculates to $16,500 worth of service to our local communities!
Here are some of the projects that the Master Gardeners have worked on this year:
Pepper and Tomato Variety Trials – A K-State research trial on peppers and tomatoes was conducted at the Elm Creek Community Garden in Iola and the community garden in Fort Scott with many different varieties. Various individuals in the community were able to sample and evaluate the produce at Farmers Markets.
Flower Trial – An annual flower research trial was conducted at the courthouse in Iola. The trial showed that not all flowers can withstand the brutal climate in Kansas. All plants were labeled so people could see which varieties did well and which ones did not. It is hoped that the general public noted which plants performed well and which plants did not and will make future plant purchases accordingly.
Programs and Presentations – the Master Gardeners gave many public presentations this year including how to grow herbs, container gardening, vegetable and berry production, attracting hummingbirds, and establishing native prairie plants. In addition, there were Master Gardeners writing blogs, newspaper columns and helping youth with various horticulture projects. This is a very brief listing and does not include every public presentation that was given nor the countless contacts made with the general public, friends and neighbors!
Community Work – various volunteer projects were completed in Humboldt, Chanute, Moran, Iola, Uniontown and Fort Scott. Most of these projects centered around community beautification efforts.
As an Extension agent, I called upon the Master Gardeners many times this year to assist me with programs. They were always eager to help and share their expertise. The Master Gardeners are very knowledgeable individuals that love their communities and want to give back to them. If you would like to know who the Master Gardeners are in your community, please give me a call and I would be happy to visit with you.
A Master Gardener training class will be offered in the fall of 2018. If you are interested in taking the class, please contact me and your name will be put on a mailing list.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension Agricultural agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244- 3826.
Body-Worn Cameras For Police Department
A few weeks ago the Fort Scott Police Department began wearing body-worn cameras.
“We upgraded to a system that has both body cameras and car cameras,” FSPD Chief Travis Shelton said. “We always had car cameras.”
“We budgeted for them, approximately $65,000, and received them about three weeks ago,” he said.
Each of the five FSPD officers will additionally have a spare camera for charging purposes, Shelton said.
The cameras were purchased to give several benefits to the police department, Shelton said.
“We can better document calls for service, there is officer accountability, better evidence collection, we can document crime scenes,” he said.
Shelton said body-worn cameras also:
- enhance officer and public safety,
- enhance officer ability to document and review statements and actions for internal reporting requirements for courtroom preparation,
- preserve video and audio information for current and future investigations,
- are an impartial measurement for self-critic and field evaluation during duties conducted by an officer,
- enhance public trust by presenting factual representations in the form of video/audio recordings.
In an emergency situation, when the patrolman turns on the car’s emergency lights, the body-worn camera automatically comes on, Officer Derick Burke said.
“It’s linked to the car camera,” Burke said.
No-shave November
The public may notice that some FSPD officers have beards, Shelton said.
In an effort to boost department morale, officers can grow beards this month, Shelton said.
“It’s ‘no-shave’ November at the Fort Scott Police Department,” he said.
Election Results 2017
The following are the unofficial results of the November 7, 2017 elections.
FSCC BOARD OF TRUSTEES: John Bartlesmeyer, 1,141; Elizabeth Meyer, 680; Tina Rockhold, 904; Kevin Wagner, 656.
USD #234 SCHOOL BOARD POSITION 4: Geoff Southwell, 418; David Stewart, 704.
USD #234 School Board Position 5: Gary Billionis, 922
USD#234 School Board Position 6: Jamie Armstrong, 953
USD #235 School Board Position 4: Brian Stewart, 242
USD # 235 School Board Position 5: Mike Mason, 241
USD #235 School Board Position 6: Tyler Martin, 255
FOR MAYOR BRONSON: Alan Stewart, 57; Lee Roy Whitcomb, 20
FOR CITY COUNCIL BRONSON: Clearsia Botts, 64; Geraldine Reeder, 61; Charlotte Stewart, 43; Kathaleen Stewart,29; Michael Stewart. 50
CITY COMMISSION FT. SCOTT: Cheryl Adamson, 439; Carol MacArthur, 329; JoLynne Mitchell,544; Robert Nichols, 632.
FOR MAYOR FULTON: No Candidate Filed
FOR CITY COUNCIL FULTON: No Candidate Filed, 45 write-ins
FOR MAYOR MAPLETON: No Candidate Filed, 7 write-ins
FOR CITY COUNCIL MAPLETON: No Candidate Filed, 11 write-ins
FOR MAYOR UNIONTOWN: No Candidate Filed, 26 write-ins
FOR CITY COUNCIL UNIONTOWN: No Candidate Filed. 30 write-ins
FOR SOUTHWIND EXTENSION DISTRICT: Ethan Holly, 761; Terri Williams, 1037
FOR MAYOR REDFIELD: Clarence “Ed” Guss, 20
FOR CITY COUNCIL REDFIELD: Michael Beerbower,30; Wilma Graham,17; Clarence “Ed” Guss,20; Kirby Martin, 31; Richard A. Smith, 25.
Veterans Ride Free In Observance of Veterans Day
Submitted by Larry Gazaway
In observance of Veterans Day, the City of Fort Scott says, “Thank You”, by offering free tours of Fort Scott on Dolly the Trolley to our veterans and active duty service men and women.
The special free tours will be available this Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Veterans Day Saturday, tours will be given from 1 a.m. until 3 p.m. These 50 minute narrated tours take you down the historic brick streets of Fort Scott, past Fort Scott National Historic Site, U.S. National Cemetery Number One, Victorian homes and much, much more.
Tours begin and end at the Fort Scott Tourism Center located at 231 E. Wall in Fort Scott. Call 620.223.3566 for more information. Seating is limited. All tours are available on a first come, first served basis.
Bridal Veil Park Proposal from Fort Scott High School Students
In 2015 Fort Scott High School students Gabrielle Allen, Olivia Houston, Austin Bolinger, and Morgan Stoughton, under the instruction of teacher Amber Toth, put together a proposal for renovating Bridal Veil Park.
This was a semester long team project requiring students to research and implement solutions to community concerns in the City of Fort Scott.
Their school project included an analysis of what could be done with a virtual budget.
The student project to renovate the park included playground equipment, a walking trail, some new lighting, four new picnic tables, 14 new trees, and benches, with a total cost of just under $75,000
It also included an analysis of the ongoing costs. The project was presented to the Fort Scott City Council.
With the recent discussion about the future of the park, the four students have graciously allowed us to share their proposal for the park. The proposal can be downloaded here.
Equipment Failure Causes Power Outage
A piece of equipment called a lightning arrester, failed Saturday about 3:30 p.m. in the southern part of Fort Scott and some rural areas south of town. Power was restored in stages between 5 and 6 p.m., according to Gina Penzig, media relations manager with Westar Energy.
“It was in a sub-station that serves Fort Scott,” Penzig said.
About 3,000 customers of Westar, were affected, she said.
Penzig encourages people while the power is on and the weather is fine to download the Westar app, mywestar and/or sign up for text alerts.
To register for text alerts on a mobile phone, text 97827 and send “reg”. Then if there is a power outage in the future, text to that same number and send “out” for the outage, she said.
Calling 1-800-544-4857 or 1-800-LIGHTKS is another way to tell of a power outage and a person can also go to westarenergy.com and report it there, Penzig said. Click “Outage Center” to see the map of the affected area and how to prepare for an outage.
“On the outage map, you can see if someone is on the way and an outline of the affected area and when electricity will be back on,” she said.
It is best to prepare ahead of time for power outages with a storm kit of bottled water, batteries, charging up a cell phone, and making sure flashlights are working, she said. For an extensive list of preparedness, see the website.
“For winter storms, we usually have advance notice of severe weather,” Penzig said.
If power lines are down, assume they are live and call 911, she said.
Check for damage to electric meter boxes and the power line that attaches to the house.
“If the damage is to those items, you may need an electrician before we can safely reconnect power,” she said.
Using the different messages received from Westar, “You will want to see if you should stay home or find shelter somewhere else she said. In addition, check on neighbors safety, she added.
Community Grants Awarded
Local helping agencies, businesses, and organizations were presented with grant awards Thursday morning as part of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee, at the Landmark Bank in downtown Fort Scott.
“From the interest of the general endowment fund, we are handing out $30,000 today,” Blake Hudson, chairman of the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation (FSACF) board, said. “Last year $150,000 was raised for the general fund.”
Hudson said a new fundraising campaign is set to begin with FSACF.
This year, 29 entities submitted grant applications this year, with 18 funded, he said.
Grant committee members are Hudson, Stephanie Witt, Greg Mottley, Larry Seals, Patty LaRoche and adviser, Dave Martin.
LaRoche is committee chair of the granting committee.
The Beacon inadvertently did not receive a check at the coffee and will at a later date. The helping agency received a grant to add healthy food additions to the food pantry they facilitate.
Patty LaRoche: Preparing for Death
Occasionally I receive an email that makes me laugh out loud. That was my reaction when I read the following:
Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb had been friends all of their lives.
When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day.
One day, Barb said, “Rose, we both loved playing women’s softball all our lives, and we played all through high school. Please do me one favor: When you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there’s women’s softball there.”
Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, “Barb, you’ve been my best friend for many years. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favor for you.”
Shortly after that, Rose passed on.
A few nights later, Barb was awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, “Barb, Barb.”
“Who is it?” asked Barb, sitting up suddenly. “Who is it?”
“Barb – it’s me, Rose.”
“You’re not Rose. Rose just died.”
“I’m telling you, it’s me, Rose,” insisted the voice.
“Rose! Where are you?”
“In Heaven,” replied Rose. “I have some really good news and a little bad news.”
“Tell me the good news first,” said Barb.
“The good news,” Rose said, “is that there’s softball in Heaven. Better yet, all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, it’s always springtime, and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.”
“That’s fantastic,” said Barb. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So what’s the bad news?”
“You’re pitching Tuesday.”
You’re at least smiling, right? Maybe even chuckling. How can you not? Still, the message is sobering. What if you and I substitute our names for Barb’s? What if we were told that we had less than a week to live? If you’re like me, all my time would be spent on relationships, hugging longer and more intentionally, making phone calls that should have been made months (years?) ago, having deeper, spiritual conversations with those close to me, asking forgiveness of those I’ve wounded.
Last week, I attended the funeral of Tim Bloomfield. Tim woke up Tuesday morning, having no idea it would be his last. He and his wife Sheryl were going to run errands. He called his brother, ended the conversation with “Later,” and hung up.
But there was no “later.” And the same will be true for all of us. Every second could be our “latest,” bringing us closer to eternity. We must prepare, and no, I’m not talking about getting our arm in shape for the Heavenly softball match. I’m talking about what Jesus referred to as “the greatest commandment:” Love God above all else, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
And that, Readers, is no chuckling matter.