The 21st Annual Fort Scott Holiday Open House Shopping Event in the historic downtown district and around town is next week.
The main kick-off event is Thursday, November 7 from 5-8 p.m. Some stores will remain open to 9 p.m.
The evening includes festive refreshments, drawings and deals on products, according to a Chamber of Commerce press release.
On Thursday evening the Kansas Museum Conference will end a meeting at 8:30 p.m. at the River Room and most of the stores will remain open to accommodate conference attendees, said Lindsay Madison, Chamber Executive Director.
There will be approximately 130 conference attendees in Fort Scott for that conference.
Most stores will continue to have Open House on Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9.
Drawings, discounts, and treats await, while shoppers find unique apparel, gifts and holiday décor.
The asterisk beside the participating store names below indicates they are staying open until 9 p.m.
110 South Main Mercantile* Angie Dawn’s Boutique* Barbed Wire & Roses Vintage Market* Bartelsmeyer Jewelry* Be the Light Boutique* Bids & Dibs* Hedgehog.Ink!* Iron Star Antiques & Such* Laree + Co* Mayco Ace Hardware* Museum of Creativity* Sekan’s Occasion Shop* Sunshine Boutique* The Artificers* The Kitchen Collective + Collaborative* US Cellular* Varia Quality Resale
History of the Event
The first holiday open house was in 2003 at the Iron Star Antiques and Such, 3 North Main.
Santa sits on a bench in front of The Ironstar and gets a second look from Ernestine Eden in 2017.
Barb Trimbur and Cindy Bowman were vendors in the Iron Star and they decided to host an open house after Trimbur had made an offer to purchase the store from Yvonne Beck and Beck accepted the offer. The deal was finalized in 2004.
“The purpose of the first holiday open house was to introduce myself as the new owner,” Trimbur said. “We were decorating the store and thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have a party to kick off the season.”
Trimbur said about 10 years ago other downtown stores decided to have an open house as well.
Madison said the last quarter of the year, the holiday season, is the busiest time of the year for businesses.
Bill Keith, looks on as his combine is engulfed in fire on Oct. 28, during strong winds in the region. Submitted photo.
The unusually warm weather—almost 90 degrees—and the strong winds have created dangerous conditions for fires once they have started.
Stacy Racy stated on her Facebook page last night that her dad, Bill Keith , had a piece of farm equipment engulfed in fire.
Her dad was combining wheat on his farm near Hammond, about 12 miles north of Fort Scott on Monday evening, October 28.
“You can’t see right behind you on a combine,” Racy said. “The combine died and he stood on the platform on it and saw that it was on fire.”
“Tonight, my dad’s combine caught fire. Once again, Jerry Nafzger, my dad’s guardian angel here on earth, came to his rescue,” she said on her Facebook page. “My dad didn’t know the combine was on fire until it died in the field. Jerry had seen the fire and called the fire department as he headed to the field.”
“Two young men Kyler Tweedy and Clint Barker from the Muddy Waters Farms elevator (in Hammond) arrived and plowed around the north side of the combine since the wind was blowing fiercely,” she said. “They plowed around… to keep the fire from jumping.”
Racy thanked the Bourbon County Fire District #3 for aiding in putting out the fire. This rural fire department had just come from a grass fire in the area.
“Thank you to Bourbon County Fire District 3. This rural fire district covers the Devon, Uniontown, Hiattville, Fulton, Bronson, and Redfield areas in the county,” she said
“Most of these young men and women are volunteers and all worked together to get the fire under control quickly,” she said.
Racy noted that the fire crew had to wait on a train at Soldier Road in traveling to the site of the fire.
Racy posted the above photo on her Facebook page and said:
“I have several pictures ( she took of the combine fire) but this one spoke volumes as a 80-year-old man watches his combine go up in smoke,” she said. “We can replace the combine, it’s just materialistic, but once again Jesus protected him and sent people to help him. Jerry (Nafger)even came back later to pray with him!”
“Numerous neighbors came to check on him,” Racy said.” Living in this community is such a blessing.”
The combine is a total loss, she said.
This morning she received a text from a young farmer neighbor, Charles Johnson, who volunteered to come combine the rest of the wheat, she said.
“When people need help, people step up,” she said. “We have such good people as neighbors.”
This is the proclamation against all outside fires in Bourbon County, until lifted.
“Due to the extreme heat and little rain, fire-hazard conditions in Bourbon County are very high. Because of the limitations of water usage by rural fire districts, there is concern for the capabilities of those fire districts to address any fire. Once started, with the present weather conditions, a fire will be difficult to control by fire departments. Water usage is of great concern to all fire departments, and the availability of enough water to contain a fire.
The dry conditions, above-normal temperatures and fire danger will continue unabated until sufficient rainfall occurs across the area.
It is hereby proclaimed, directed, and ordered by the Bourbon County Commissioners, in accordance with K.S.A. 48-932, that the following acts are prohibited within the boundaries of this County by all citizens and visitors:
All outside burning, unless specifically approved in writing by the Fire Chief, with the exception of covered barbeque grills.
The knowing and willful violation of this order shall constitute a Class A misdemeanor and any person convicted of such violation shall be punished as provided by law. [K.S.A. 48-939]
This Proclamation shall be in full force and effect until lifted.
Passed in open session by the Board of County Commissioners of Bourbon County, Kansas, this 15th day of October 2024.”
Two questions will be decided by Bourbon County voters at the end of November 5th’s election, along with choosing the leaders at all government levels. At a recent Bourbon County Commission meeting Clerk Jennifer Hawkins laid out the Kansas Law prohibiting electioneering, following is the excerpt from the minutes.
Electioneering Not Allowed
Bourbon County Clerk Jennifer Hawkins. Submitted photo.
Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk, discussed the upcoming General Election and went over what electioneering is.
“Jennifer stated that KSA 25-2430 outlines electioneering and defines it as
“knowingly attempting to persuade or influence eligible voters to vote for or against a particular candidate, party or question submitted, including wearing, exhibiting or distributing labels, signs, posters, stickers other materials that clearly identify a candidate in the election or clearly indicate support or opposition to a question submitted election, within any polling place, on election day or advance voting site, during the time period allowed by law for casting a ballot by advance voting, or within a radius of 250 feet from the entrance thereof.”
“Jennifer explained this means that there cannot be any t-shirts, hats, flags on vehicles, magnets on vehicles, pins, or other wearable advertisement containing a candidate’s name or slogan.
“Jennifer said that the statue exempts “bumper stickers that are affixed to a motor vehicle that is used to transport voters to a polling place or to an advance voting site for the purpose of voting.”
“Jennifer said that any political yard signs near a polling place cannot be within 250 feet of an entrance.”
Questions On The Ballot
County Question
“Shall the current number of Bourbon County Commissioner Districts set forth in KSA 19-203(a)(b)(c)(d) & (e), be increased to five (5) Commissioner Districts?
Yes or No
Commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt said that the question is on the ballot because of a petition that was passed around the county to increase the number of commissioners.
The number of petition signers was not going to meet the deadline but was coming close to the required number, and the petitioner, Michael Hoyt, requested that the commission put it on the ballot for the voters to decide. In a 2 to 1 vote, Clifton Beth and Whisenhunt voted yes and Jim Harris voted no.
“I am hoping it will cause more discussion of issues,” Whisenhunt said. “There will be more discussion with five people talking about an issue instead of three.”
USD 234 Question
“Shall the method of election in Unified School District No. 234, Bourbon County, Kansas, be changed from the six-member district method of election, under which the school district is not divided into any member districts and all board members are elected at large?
Yes or No
Destry Brown. Submitted photo.
Destry Brown, Superintendent of USD 234 provided the following ballot question explanation.
“The USD # 234 Board of Education is asking patrons to consider a change to how Board of Education members are selected. Currently, each member is chosen from a specific area within the district boundaries, and all voters within the district vote on every position.
“This was done years ago when consolidation was done and the
district wanted to have representation from the different school communities: Winfield Scott, Eugene Ware, and rural schools like Fulton.
“Today, all students in the district attend all our schools. No attendance center boundaries exist any longer.
“In recent years, we have had to fill positions on the Board of Education due to death, movement of members out of the district, changes in job responsibilities, and retirement.
The district has found it difficult to find people to run for the Board of Education based on these specific areas that were designated years ago. Consequently, we only have six board members right now.
“We are asking the community to consider changing all our Board of Education members to at-large seats.
“This will allow people in any area of the district to run for the Board of Education.
“Some concerns have been voiced that all the board members could be elected from one neighborhood. Theoretically, that could be possible. However, it has not occurred in the districts that use the at-large format. In fact, the makeup of those boards often are more diverse.
“What would that look like? Next year, the district will have four positions open.
“Anyone interested in becoming a board member can file for a position. Suppose six people decide to run for the board. Then, the ballot next November will list all six people, and voters will select four candidates they would like to have on the Board
of Education.
“The four with the most votes, then become board members no matter where they live within the district boundaries.”
The First Southern Baptist Church, 1818 S. Main. The Family Life Center is on the right.
First Southern Baptist Church at 1818 S. Main is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024.
“It was chartered in 1963,” said current pastor, Joel Crippen.
The church currently has nursing home ministries, men’s and women’s fellowships, and they support missionaries through the Southern Baptist Convention Mission Board, he said.
The church’s theme for its anniversary is “Standing on the Word of God, Past, Present, Future.”
The public is invited to join the celebration events that start on Friday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with a traveling museum, and 6:45 p.m. is the Family Life Center Dedication. The museum will continue Oct. 25-27 with daily hours.
On Saturday the Tucker Family Band will perform at 7 p.m.
On Sunday, the Missourians Gospel Group will perform at 6 p.m.
There will be free-will offerings for all concerts and the Bible Museum.
Church service times are Sunday School at 9:30 a.m. and Morning worship at 10:50 a.m. They average about 80 people in attendance the pastor said.
Evening services each week are at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays with Youth AWANA at 6:30 p.m.
Pastor Crippen said the mission of the church is to “spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Traveling Bible Museum
Beginning on Friday, Oct. 25, a traveling museum on the Bible will be on exhibit at the church, at 1818 S. Main in the Family Life Center.
Ancient artifacts and a working replica of the press that printed the first Bible will be on display.
There will be tours/viewing and teaching classes with exhibit presentations daily at 1:30 p.m. with curator John Sliffe.
For more information contact the church at 620.223.2986
The Tucker Family Band
The Tucker Family Band. Submitted photo.
The Tucker Family Band will perform at the church on Saturday, October 26, at 7:00 p.m., 1818 S. Main.
The Tucker Family Band is comprised of Carolyn Tucker (keys and vocals) Fort Scott; daughter Mariam Tucker Self (lead vocals and saxophone) Peculiar, MO; son Aaron Tucker (drums and vocals) Asbury, MO; cousin Jessie Bergen (electric bass) Anderson, MO; and J Williams (lead guitar) Columbus, KS. Kitten Lagoon from Anderson, MO, is the sound engineer and emcee according to a press release.
As youngsters, singing and playing instruments was just a normal part of being a kid and having fun. All of the band members grew up in the church and have a passion for sharing the gospel through music. The members have been involved in worship at their own individual churches for years.
The TFB’s repertoire includes the beloved gospel music of Elvis Presley plus other Christian recording artists. Some of the featured songs are: I Believe, Up Above My Head, Where Could I Go, Peace in the Valley, Bosom of Abraham, Can‘t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus, and many more. No matter what your musical preferences are, there will be something for everyone.
There is no admission fee for the one-hour concert. A free-will offering will be received.
The Missourians
The Missourians will perform at 6 on Sunday, October 27 at the church.
What started as a male trio in the 1980s took on that traditional four-part harmony sound several years later and the group hasn’t looked back, according to their website. This vocal group is comfortable performing on concert stages before thousands, as well as in rural churches. The group’s versatility makes them a favorite among young audiences and older music lovers alike. Their ability to adapt to any setting, without compromising the message they present, makes them a favorite wherever their music is shared.
Over the past 30+ years, the group has recorded a total of 19 albums and 2 videos with their latest project “Jesus Saves”. The recording, like each performance, is a testament to the versatility of the quartet, as it encompasses a mix of both traditional hymns and Southern Gospel classics, without distracting from the Gospel message.
The Missourians have shared the stage with such greats as Gold City, Brian Free & Assurance, Ivan Parker, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, and many others.
The Missourians continue to reach new plateaus, as they consistently strive for perfection in their musical presentation of the Gospel message. “We believe we are constantly reaching new levels, lyrically, vocally, and spiritually. We believe that’s what God expects of us, and our greatest desire is to please Him in all we do,” according to their website
Dale Griffiths, FSCC John Deere Tech Program Instructor shows the College of Tomorrow Award. Submitted photo.
This month, Fort Scott Community College received the 2023 College of Tomorrow Platinum Award from John Deere.
“We received the award on Oct.4th, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa,” said Dale Griffiths, who along with Mike White is an instructor at the Fort Scott Community College John Deere Technology Center.
“John Deere’s College of Tomorrow Award scores John Deere TECH schools on many things like facilities, recruiting, retention, graduates, the amount of training our instructors put in annually, and website, just to name a few,” said Griffiths. “The levels that are awarded are platinum, gold, and bronze. With Platinum being the highest possible score. We are honored to receive this award for 2023 and hope to continue in 2024.”
About The Program
At Fort Scott Community College’s John Deere Tech Program, approximately 20 students per year graduate, “With 95% employed by their sponsoring dealership after graduation,” said Dale Griffiths.
John Deere Tech Program students work on lessons in the classroom.
A student can complete the John Deere Tech certificate in one year with an option to complete an Associate of Applied Science Degree after that, according to information provided by Griffiths.
Candidates for the program must secure a sponsorship from a John Deere dealer but can be helped, if necessary, by an FSCC John Deere Tech Instructor in locating a dealership near you to visit to obtain your sponsorship.
John Deere Technical Program Center, 2223 S. Horton St., Fort Scott.
A group picture from the Girard’s meal site, the Beach Center Senior Center. Submitted photo.
On November 4 at 11 a.m., a new place for senior citizens to get healthy meals and an opportunity for social engagement will begin at Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue, Fort Scott.
Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue.
“60+ Nutrition Bourbon County is the name of the program,” said Kathy Brennon, Executive Director of Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging.
“We currently provide approximately 1,000 home-delivered meals a month to 72 people in Bourbon County, from Monday through Thursday,” she said. “This is generally known as Meals on Wheels, but there are other organizations that provide meals to individuals in their homes.”
The meals are cooked in the agency’s industrial kitchen in Pittsburg and transported to Fort Scott to be portioned for home delivery.
The Older American Act, OAA funding has two goals: to provide healthy meals to homebound individuals and, for those not homebound, to also provide a healthy meal and opportunities for social engagement which contributes to health and well-being, she said.
“The funding is primarily through the Older American Act which is federal funds, and also funded by the State of Kansas,” she said. “This funding has a required match which is provided with county funding and donations.”
Volunteers Are A Key Component Of The Funding
” For Fort Scott, there is only one SEKAAA paid staff, with volunteer staff doing the home delivery. Last year, volunteers provided over 2000 hours of assistance. Without these committed volunteers, the program couldn’t occur,” she said.
“Volunteers can be daily, one day a week, or whatever works for the person. Sometimes a business or church takes home- delivery as a project and commits to a specific day or week and they rotate their staff.”
“We do conduct background checks for all our volunteers. Volunteers frequently say they get so much out of the experience and typically people are so grateful. If someone is interested in volunteering they can call 620-305-1539 for more information.”
The Target Participants
“The target participant is individuals 60 and older. The spouse of the participant, regardless of age, and individuals less than 60 years of age with a disability, who reside in the home with and accompany a participant are also eligible to participate.”
If interested, the person must make a reservation by calling 620-305-1539.
Why this service?
“I started at SEKAAA as executive director in 2021,” she said. “I had a vague knowledge of the nutrition program but did not realize how important it was to the participants. We were coming off the COVID restrictions, in which we were slowly opening our meal sites. Social isolation and poverty is an identified concern for the elderly in the nine-county area, Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, Woodson.”
“Veivek Murthy, US Surgeon General reports that there is significant health concerns associated with loneliness. He reports that the health impact of social isolation is similar to what is caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”
“Home delivery is a very important service we provide, but we also believe that people meeting together for a healthy meal and seeing and making friends is also important. In our surveys of the congregate program, 35.6% of our participants eat alone. America’s Health Ranking reports that nearly 10% of Kansans age 60 and over face the threat of hunger. Murthy’s Social Connection Advisory reports that studies have shown that socially connected people live longer and are typically healthier. We at SEKAAA made it a goal to promote social connections whenever possible.”
“In Bourbon County over 26% of the population is over the age of 60 and it is anticipated it will continue to grow,” she said. “This program helps us meet our organization’s mission of helping people age their way, by having resources in place to keep people in their communities healthy and safe as long as possible.”
“There is a requested donation of $2 per meal, but no one is denied a meal. We do accept SNAP (foodstamps), she said.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative members in Linn County and surrounding areas will soon benefit from enhancements to electric power grid resilience thanks to state and federal awards totaling more than $615,000, according to a press release from HREC.
“The project was designed to address some challenges in Linn County, where we have had problems with the power supply from the transmission lines,” said Doug Graham, Communication Specialist for Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. .
“What happens at our substations is that we tap into the transmission lines and get the power we need to distribute to our members,” he said. “What this project will do is link 10 of our substations together and make new paths for electricity to flow — paths that we can control remotely.”
“The idea is that if we lose power to one of our Linn County substations because there is a problem with the transmission line in that area, but we still have access to power through a transmission line that’s connected to a different substation, we will be able to remotely reroute power from that other substation and get the Linn County people back online.”
“But the reverse could also be true,” he said. “There could be situations where we have lost power at, say, our Devon substation in Bourbon County, but we still have access to power at our Linn County substations. Thanks to the improvements this project will make, we would then be able to quickly and remotely reroute power to the members who are usually served by that Devon substation and keep them on until the power supply issue is resolved.”
“For that reason, this project will benefit folks in the counties around Linn as well,” he said.
Heartland’s Project RESTORE (Resiliency Enhancements to Strategically Transfer Optimized Reliable Energy) involves the installation of 10 remote-controlled reclosers to allow for speedy rerouting of power along existing lines to bring Linn County members back online within minutes rather than hours in the event of a substation outage, according to the press release.
By replacing hydraulic reclosers with remotely operated electronic reclosers, Heartland staff will be able to reroute power much more quickly, greatly reducing the time consumer members are out of power due to power supply interruptions. The project will allow Heartland staff to remotely reroute power between a total of 10 substations.
Heartland will receive $414,627 in federal funding for the project through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience Grant Program, and an additional $200,403 from the Build Kansas Fund, which was established by the Kansas Legislature to help Kansas organizations meet the matching fund requirements for federal infrastructure grants, according to the press release.
While the project was designed to address needs specific to Linn County, members in adjoining counties served by the affected substations will also benefit from these grid enhancements.
Heartland Chief Executive Officer Mark Scheibe said few electric distribution utilities serving rural areas would consider this type of project because of the cost and the technical knowledge required to make it work. As a result, already underserved areas miss out on technology that could substantially reduce outages.
“Our goal is for Project RESTORE to serve as a model for other rural providers to follow as they work toward improving grid resilience,” Scheibe said.
Project RESTORE was one of 11 projects selected for a total of nearly $17 million in funding through the DOE grid resilience program and the Build Kansas Fund.
About Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. powers rural lifestyles throughout more than 11,000 locations in eastern Kansas. Heartland’s service area includes consumer-members in 12 counties, including Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson.
Heartland REC traces its roots back to three original rural electric cooperatives: Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company, Sugar Valley Electric Cooperative Association, and Sekan Electric Cooperative Association. Cooperative Electric Power & Light Company joined with Sugar Valley in 1975 to form United Electric Cooperative; United Electric Cooperative joined with Sekan Electric Cooperative Association in 1996 to form Heartland.
Fall Farm Fest is days away to raise funds for Core Community.
“It is all coming together,” said Deana Betts, the community liaison with Core Community, a local helping organization that has a mission to engage the community to lift families out of poverty.
“We have had a great response from the community! We have Camren Lamb performing (guitar and singing) at noon, the Fort Scott High School Orchestra playing from 1-2 p.m. and Michael Lundine will play from 2 -5 p.m.,” Betts said.
“We will have face painting, horse rides, a corn pit, lots of animals and games to play, a food court, a pumpkin patch, paint a pumpkin, pumpkin art, and lots of vendors will be set up throughout the day,” she said.
Larry and Vickie Shead agreed to open the Shead Farm on Saturday, October 19 for a fundraiser for the Core Community organization. The farm has an annual community spring festival that has grown larger each year.
Vickie and Larry Shead, 2020, from her Facebook page.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the farm located at 2468 Calvalry Road, Garland, south of Fort Scott.
The cost is $5 per person, for families with over five members it’s $25 and there will be food, vendors, games, and raffles to entertain the family.
To learn more about Core Community or the Fall Fest, contact Betts at [email protected] or 785.488. 8411.
Natalie Peitsmeyer is a new Park Guide at Fort Scott National Historic Site. She began employment in this month.
She is a 30-year retired science teacher.
“During that time, I taught life and physical science classes (grades 8-12). Prior to teaching, I was a lifeguard, swim instructor, and summer day camp counselor,” she said.
She attended the University of Colorado at Denver and completed a bachelor’s degree in biology, a Master’s in Secondary Science Education, and a Doctorate in Leadership for Equity in Education.
With the new Park Ranger title, comes a variety of duties.
“I open the buildings and exhibits for visitor access. In the visitor center, I provide information about navigating around the National Park site, as well as history significant to the National Park site.”
“I have always loved National Parks,” she said. ” I grew up in an Air Force family and was fortunate to have lived in a variety of places such as Florida, Okinawa and Colorado. I love the outdoors and appreciate uncovering history. The history of Fort Scott National Historic Site is unique to no other National Park. I look forward to sharing its stories, researching its history, visiting with visitors, developing lessons and tours.”
Filling Vacant Positions Has Been Ongoing
Carl Brenner.
“We had an advertisement to fill our two vacant Park Ranger positions that closed last Friday,” said Carl Brenner. Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Management
Fort Scott National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/fosc)
“We are hoping to have them onboarded before Rob (Holmes New FSNHS Ranger: Robert Holmes) leaves in January. Our goal with Natalie and Rob here is that we will be able to have the buildings open seven days a week once she is trained in the next week or so.”
Robert Holmes, a Fort Scott National Historic Site Ranger. Submitted photo.
Robert Holmes is a new Park Ranger at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
“We had an advertisement to fill our two vacant Park Ranger positions that closed last Friday,” said Carl Brenner Program Manager for Interpretation and Resource Management for
Fort Scott National Historic Site (www.nps.gov/fosc).”We are hoping to have them onboarded before Rob leaves in January.”
Holmes is here on a temporary assignment.
“While I am here, I will be a supervisory ranger working to hire and train new staff members for the park as well as all being part of all of the daily operations, educational programs, and special events.”
“Since I am here for a detail (temporary assignment) and not as a permanent staff member, I arrived on the 23rd of September and will be here until sometime around the middle of January,” he said.
“I have worked with the National Park Service for almost nine years; at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Minuteman National Historical Park, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, the National Mall and Memorial Parks, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, and Kings Mountain National Military Park.
He earned his education from Lycoming College, with a Bachelor of Arts, and from Villanova University, with a Master of Arts Degree.
Holmes is doing this temporary assignment to gain experience and travel to the Midwest.
“I applied for the detail at Fort Scott NHS because I have not done a lot of this sort of work in the past, so I wanted to get the experience. I also like forts and had never been to this part of the country before,” he said.
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Ongoing Construction Projects
The park has had several construction projects this year.
Carl Brenner.
“Our roofing project is complete, though they have a couple more gutters to install,” Brenner said. Our fire suppression system replacement is almost complete and far ahead of schedule. They began in February and were expected to work for a year and a half. Nine months later they are working on the final building.”
“After the remaining elements of touch-up, a lot of cleaning, and bringing the museum objects back to the park and resetting the displays, the final buildings should reopen.”
“We are hoping that the West Infantry Barracks and theatre will reopen by early November and Officer’s Quarters #1 will be reopened in early 2025. These are estimates. The Dragoon Barracks rehabilitation has just begun. This rehabilitation is due to a water line break that released approximately 1,500 gallons of water into the building. Currently, we do not have an estimate for the completion of the work, fabrication and installation of the new exhibits, and reopening of the remaining portions of the building.”
Attendees introduce themselves at the Downtown Meet and Greet at the Courtland Hotel and Spa on Oct. 2.
The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce sponsored a quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet on Oct. 2, during which attendees shared information about upcoming community events.
Frank Adamson, owner of the Courtland Hotel and Spa, hosted the event and said that he and his wife, Cheryl, have owned the building for 20 years this year. He commended all the owners of the downtown historic district for the revitalization that is going on.
“Look around, it’s amazing,” he said.
Comments from other attendees:
Fort Scott Tourism Director Jackson Tough listed all the avenues he is taking to get Fort Scott’s many assets to the public in surrounding areas. In addition, The Kansas Museum Association Conference will be coming in a few weeks, The Military Preservation Convoy toured the town on Oct. 13-14. His office is once again in the Chamber office, 231 E. Wall St.
Diane Striler, the event organizer, spoke of the 2nd Annual Christmas on the Bricks, the first weekend in December. Fundraising for the new skating rink has started in the community and another addition will be costumed Christmas characters walking around the festivities. This year there will be a big Christmas tree near the First Colored Infantry mural on Skubitz Plaza. Volunteers of all kinds are needed for the event. She is looking for a business to provide free gift wrapping for the festival shoppers.
Fort Scott National Historic Site Supervisor Jill Jaworski said that two new employees have been hired and the fort will be open full-time within two weeks. She thanked the community for supporting the recent Naturalization Ceremony conducted at the fort, with over 1,000 visitors that day. The Dragoon Barracks is being renovated and the fort is preparing for the annual Candlelight Tour, the first weekend in December. Tickets will go on sale for this event in the 1st part of November.
Mary Wyatt, Fort Scott Community Development, said the city is “putting together a housing committee to do a housing needs study.” She is also working on a mini-golf project for the community, looking at updating the city’s comprehensive plan and introduced the new Housing and Community Development Coordinator, Lisa Dillon. Dillon told the group of some ideas she has for the position.
Kari West, spokesperson for Evergy, the electric company, said there is a Kansas Business Energy Program available.
Bailey Lyons, a spokesperson for the splash pad that was opened this summer, told the group that in this off-season they are putting up shade structures, building an ADA bathroom and installing a new sprinkler system for the landscape around the facility.
Kathy Dancer, whose building at 110 S. Main, houses a cafe, retail store, and bar is undergoing facade renovation. The bar, called The Green Lantern, added a murder mystery dinner and was sold out for that, but will offer another in the spring, she said. The bar, which they call a speakeasy, is open on Friday and Saturday nights and can also be booked for special events. The distilling of bourbon should be operational by the end of this year, with bourbon tastings in the future.
The building at 23 S. Main, Main Street Vintage and Co. is for sale, FS Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison said.
Upcoming Chamber events:
The Community Connection Panel luncheon is Oct. 19 at the Empress Event Center.
Outpost 13 West Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting is Oct. 17, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m.
Bourbon County Clay After-Hours is Oct. 24, 5:15-6:30 p.m. at the Artificers.
Manufacturing Day is Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with tours of local manufacturers.
Christmas Light Trolley Tours are Dec. 12-23 nightly.
Christmas Light Contest is in December with cash prizes, contact the Chamber for more information.
Overhead view of the playground equipment. Submitted.
Because of a need for parents with children playing ball, new playground equipment will be installed next month at Ellis Park, 1105 E. 12th Street on Fort Scott’s east side.
“We decided to install play equipment at this area to help encapsulate a full-family entertainment experience at Ellis Park,” Lucas Kelley, Buck Run Community Center Manager said.
Lucas Kelley. Submitted photo.
“Parents/older siblings are often entertained by watching or playing a game on one of these two fields,” he said. “However, many times siblings/other children are not too excited to sit in the bleachers and watch a game. This allows them to have a fun experience while they are there.”
The playground area will be by the basketball/volleyball court at Ellis Park, near the ballfields.
Ellis Park.
“We felt as if the play structure would get more use right next to the main attraction,” he said. “As a parent, I would not feel comfortable with my kids being on the opposite end of the park, where I would not be able to see them. This location allows for both easier access and parent comfortability of being able to watch all of their kids at once.”
The Fort Scott Recreation Department will fund the equipment through the renewal of Fisher Park Advertising Signs, 5Ks races, sports photos, and the Steele Foundation Money that is received yearly, said Kelley.
“The play structure is called Sunset Harbor from Recreation Installations out of Kansas City,” he said. “This play structure will include three slides total, one wave slide on one side and a double wave slide on the other. It also includes a pod climber, rain wheel, single drum, and a set of monkey bars.”
“The play structure is on pace to start installation the week of November 14th, and should be completed by the end of the month.” he said.
The Ellis Park Playground equipment. Submitted photo.
“We have tentative plans to find either a shade structure or cover for this play area, to help protect children from foul balls. However, we have not decided which option we would like to add yet,” Kelley said.
The Recreation Department has completed two projects this year.
“Our two main projects for this year were to resurface the outdoor basketball court at BRCC, and to add a play structure at Ellis. I am happy to say we were able to get both of those projects done before the new year!”
“Looking ahead we will try to improve/add an aspect of our reach each year,” he said. “In the spring, the hope is to resurface the outdoor basketball courts at Ellis and 3rd Street Park. These projects will depend on where we sit budgetary-wise at that point. If anyone has any project ideas/suggestions please feel free to email [email protected] or call (620)-223-0386
Graphic of the playground equipment at Ellis Park.
