During their first June meeting held Tuesday evening, the Fort Scott City Commission approved of the 2016 street improvement program, but also discussed that department’s need for further revenue sources in future years.

Finance Director Jon Garrison said the budget will be sufficient for the next year or two, but by 2018 the city may have to find other ways to fund the street department as it continues to use up carryover finances, becoming a “major concern” financially.

City Manager Dave Martin said the need for street repairs is great in Fort Scott and the city could benefit from spending $300,000 to $400,000 on projects each year to keep ahead of that need. The 2016 program approved Tuesday was for a total of $130,429 in improvements, as presented by Streets and Traffic Supervisor Chad Brown.

“It’s not unique to Fort Scott,” commissioner Jim Adams said of the need for repairs, saying he frequently hears from residents listing areas that need repaired.

Garrison said the department is currently funded annually by the gas tax, which brings in about $225,000 from the state annually, and $400,000 from the city’s general fund. Options for other revenue sources could include earmarking a portion of the sales tax for the street department, reallocating existing resources or continuing taxes such as the pool tax that will sunset in upcoming years, instead using that amount of about $675,000 a year for street maintenance and repairs.

The improvement plan the commission approved includes 11 projects, five of them road projects and the other six off-street parking projects.

Road projects include 9^th, 10^th and 11^th streets between Main Street and National Avenue, Judson Street from 1^st to 2^nd Street and the intersection at 8^th and Wilson streets.

Two of the road projects, at 10^th and 11^th streets near the high school, will include taking up about two blocks of brick roads and replacing it with asphalt, which Brown said is a quicker and much cheaper process. Commissioner Randy Nichols said he realizes the brick roads are an important part of the historic downtown community, but the area for the project is outside that designated historic area and will benefit those driving around the high school.

Parking areas are included in the program at areas that need consistency where surfaces are currently made up of asphalt, concrete and brick as well as improvements in order to make them safer for pedestrians who have tripped or fallen on uneven areas.

“Parking is becoming more critical as we continue to improve downtown,” Martin said. “And these parking lots haven’t had anything done to them for quite a few years.”

Brown also gave an update on the city’s use of the new pothole patching equipment, used since the beginning of the year. It has been used for a total of about 135 tons of patching material at the cost of just over $3,400, saving the city almost $15,000.

“That’s a tremendous asset to us,” Brown said of the machine, which has saved the city employees time and efficiency as well as money.

After Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced in recent months that the state would have to delay indefinitely the Highway 69 project that would widen the highway between Fort Scott and Highway 44, that project could be back on schedule once again after Southeast Kansas politicians  and residents fought for the project.

“This is a perfect example of people speaking up and legislators listening,” Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, expressing appreciation to those involved in the change such as Senator Jake LaTurner and Kansas Secretary of Transportation Mike King.

After the project’s delay was announced in April, LaTurner wrote a letter to the governor emphasizing the importance of the project and then met with him and other administration personally to find a way to continue the project. With the help of King, who agreed to use funding remaining in the Kansas Department of Transportation budget, an agreement has been reached that will allow phase one to begin within the next year.

“I’m not naïve enough to know we’re not there yet,” Martin admitted. “It looks like the first battle’s been won, but until they actually sign contracts and break ground, we can’t let up. We have to continue to fight.”

Although he admitted some might believe he is biased because of his position in Fort Scott, Martin said he believes, among the approximate 25 other projects the state of Kansas had to choose among, the connection between Southeast Kansas and Kansas City is probably the most crucial to the economic development of the state as it makes travel easier for visitors.

Martin added he and Fort Scott Director of Economic Development Heather Smith have made commitments to businesses located along that corridor and have even received commitments from businesses when they learned of the widening project, making its continuation important for area development.

“We can’t turn our back on it,” Martin said, encouraging the public to continue to keep pressure on the legislators. “That’s what we need to do to continue our development of our great city and county and Southeast Kansas.”

Contracts for the project could be let by October of 2016 with construction beginning on the $25 million phase one in the spring of 2017, earlier than it had been previously scheduled. The first phase will widen Highway 69 to four lanes from south of Fort Scott to the Crawford County line. Future phases will continue that widening even further south.

“I think once they start phase one, it makes even more sense to go ahead and continue it and get it done,” Martin said.

The 35th Annual Good Ol’ Days Festival, celebrating the 100th birthday of the National Parks Service, successfully brought large crowds of visitors to downtown Fort Scott as the city and local businesses provided a wide selection of events and activities.

Kicking off the weekend with the Fort Scott Idol competition Thursday and the parade Friday evening, the festivities did not end until Saturday evening as vendors lined Main Street for the street marketplace and performances were put on regularly such as the Red Garter Show, the Hemphill Family Band and the Dueling Pianos along with others.

The Fort Scott National Historic Site also played a key role as eight different national historic sites were present to provide information and demonstrations, including American Indian dancing.

Other events included a baby judging contest, petting zoo, pony rides, human foosball tournament, a carnival and a motorcycle and car show.

The event will wrap up with a post-event meeting and then the Good Ol’ Days committee will begin preparing for another year of the popular festival.

Thursday evening marks the beginning of the 35^th annual Good Ol’ Days Festival in downtown Fort Scott, as local businesses, organizations and other participants prepare for the wide range of events and attractions that will be held Thursday through Saturday.

Celebrating the 100^th birthday of the National Parks Service, the Fort Scott National Historic Site will play a role in the weekend activities as eight different national parks will be represented and will provide tours, artillery and other demonstrations, a variety of historic presentations as well as a performance by Native American Dancers at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Entertainment will be provided throughout the weekend at stages located at 1^st and 3^rd streets intersecting with Main Street, including local bands such as the Hemphill Family Band, Danny Brown, BJ Pruitt and Close to Nowhere, as well as visiting artists such as the Vogt Sisters. The Red Garter Show will also be performed Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday. Street dances will be held Friday and Saturday evening.

Activities will kick off Thursday evening with the 11^th Annual Fort Scott Idol Contest at Memorial Hall, featuring contestants divided into groups ranging from 5 years to adults and group performances. From 7-11 p.m., visitors can then enjoy the carnival located at the west end of Skubitz Plaza.

The Good Ol’ Days Parade will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and will travel north on Main Street and then turn at Wall Street and head south on National. A chicken dinner will be provided for $7 between 5 and 7 p.m.

For the first time, visitors will also be able to shop the street fair on North Main Street Friday between 5 and 10 p.m. as well as 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. A total of about 115 vendors will be on hand for the street fair.

Other activities and events throughout the weekend will include races at Frary Field, a human foosball tournament, dueling pianos show, a petting zoo, baby judging contest, motorcycle and car show, the farmer’s market, guided shuttle tours and food vendors.

Visitors should prepare for road closures throughout the weekend in downtown Fort Scott. A full schedule of events and map brochure can be found at: http://fortscott.com/images/userfiles/File/Events/2016_Brochure_-_Good_Ol_Days_Festival.pdf

In upcoming months, a new feature will be available at Gunn Park as work begins on the Bark in the Park dog park, which will provide a fenced-in, dog run area in the field located near Shelter House #7.

Those involved in initiating the planning for the dog park as well as the city leaders and Gunn Park crews who helped in the process participated in a groundbreaking ceremony Friday evening while other members of the community attended with their dogs.

“With the leash laws, our doggies need exercise,” organizer Jim Scott said, saying he and his wife first Martha considered the idea of a dog park when they saw one while visiting another city park five years ago. “What a great opportunity for them to get out. And I think it will be used far more than people anticipate.”

The dog run will cover under an acre of fenced-in land, where dog owners can enter the gate and then choose whether to take their dog into an area for large dogs or small dogs.

“It should be a lot of fun,” Scott said.

After about a year of planning and receiving approval from city leaders, whom Scott said were very supportive of the idea, the team of organizers was able to raise the needed funding for the fence from the community without having to ask the city for financial support from taxpayers’ dollars.

“Things don’t get done unless you have citizens that step up and raise money to make things happen,” City Manager Dave Martin said, saying the city can accomplish projects such as the dog park only through that partnership with the community.

Recent rains have prevented work from beginning as the ground has been too damp to begin digging post-holes for the four-foot fences, which have already been purchased. But once work begins, it will likely only take about a month to complete the project.

Though funding for the fences have already been raised, the group will continue to accept donations in order to purchase additional features such as toys for the dog park.

A fundraiser that will help that purpose will be held on June 12, with today being the deadline for signing up. That event will allow participants to submit photos of their pets which will then be made into a sketch that the participants can paint themselves on canvases during the event.

Those interested in registering for that fundraising event can visit TinyURL.com/FSDogPark

Residents of and visitors to Fort Scott honored fallen heroes of the United States of America Monday with a Memorial Day ceremony at the National Cemetery, hosted by organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1165 and American Legion Post 25, along with others.

Kevin Johnson, director of the Leavenworth National Cemetery Complex and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom II and III, said many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans’ Day, admitting he himself did the same before he served in Iraq. Johnson stressed that Americans should take time to remember those soldiers throughout the country’s history who did not get the opportunity to become veterans, but made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country.

“The first day you lost a brother you understood what Memorial Day was,” Johnson said of when the holiday truly gained meaning for him while he was serving in Baghdad in 2004.

American Gold Star Mother Jennifer Jackman also spoke during the Fort Scott event and praised the city and local organizations for their care for the local cemetery, which she described as beautiful.

“What a wonderful way to remember our fallen,” Jackman said of the many flowers throughout the cemetery and especially the American flags placed at each grave.

Jackman also encouraged listeners to take time to visit private cemeteries and look for similar headstones and flags marking the places where other veterans are buried outside the national cemetery.

In his invocation of the event, Reverend Chuck Russell encouraged those in attendance to make sure they never forget America’s fallen heroes, but that they also make sure their children understand those sacrifices as well, since anything less could be a disservice to those men and women who died to protect the freedoms Americans enjoy.

“We answer a call and do what we’re told,” Johnson said of himself and his fellow soldiers. “And that’s why we’re all free today.”

The event also included an honor volley, Taps, the Gettysburg Address, pledge of allegiance led by a local boy scout and the reading of General Logan Order Number 11 concerning the purpose and origins of Memorial Day.

On Tuesday May 31, the Fort Scott Public Library will celebrate the beginning of their summer schedule, reading program and other activities with a party at the Fort Scott Community College walking trail from 10 a.m. to noon.

Children of all ages are invited to attend the event which will include water games, trivia, snacks, crafts, prizes and an opportunity to register for the summer reading program.

A family story walk and scavenger hunt will be available along the walking trail for the first hour of the event, with Fort Scott High School mascot Tigger on-hand for photos. Relay races will be held during the second hour with an Olympic-style medal ceremony at the end to award prizes with help from the local Boy Scout Troop 114.

Those interested in volunteering their time or donating items such as food, beverages and other supplies for the event are encouraged to contact Youth Librarian Valetta Cannon.

In the case of rain, the event will be moved to the public library for a scaled-down version of the planned events.