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Fort Scott

IOFRK Grant To Fund Snake Pit Park

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The dog park in Gunn Park in Fort Scott, Kansas is very popular with local dog owners. Many canine pet owners meet there regularly to let their four-legged friends get exercise and socialize with other dogs in a safe, enclosed area made especially for them to play and burn energy.

While a dog park meets the needs of many pet owners, local ophidian owners haven’t had a good place to recreate their pets. John Snalt, a senior at Fort Scott High School, is a local pet owner who has personally felt the lack of options. “There just aren’t a lot of places I can take Fred to get exercise,” he said. Fred is John’s 4.5-foot copper-headed water cobra that he got when he was 12.  That’s about to change for John, Fred, and other snake owners in the area.

John Snalt with his pet copper-headed water cobra named Fred.

Thanks to a grant from the International Order of Friendly Reptile Keepers (IOFRK), Gunn park will be getting two snake pit exercise areas this coming year.

Located just North of the dog park will be the non-venomous snake pit, and just North of that will be the venomous snake pit.  Sue Stalkholm from the IOFRK stressed the importance of having two separate areas for the different types of snakes. “I need to stress the importance of having separate areas for different types of snakes,” she said in her comments to FortScott.biz. “This isn’t just a simple hole in the ground. We’ve designed everything to maximize safety and fun for everyone using the snake pit park,” she said.

Plans call for an emergency telephone and a snake bite kit located between the two pits as well as educational signs to make sure everyone knows that they should always check with the snake’s owner before attempting to pet a snake or play a flute for it.  Sue said, “Many people who haven’t been around snakes don’t understand proper snake-handling etiquette so we want to make sure everyone has all the knowledge they need to be comfortable in the snake pit park.”

The grant will cover the construction of the two snake pits as well as ongoing maintenance for the first five years. Ms. Stalkholm said that in most communities, snake pits have become very popular, and local donations can usually fund maintenance after a few years.  She stressed the economic value of having snake pit park options for the community and suggested that it might open up opportunities for reptilian pet stores that wouldn’t have been able to stay in business without a local snake pit park.

Several local community members expressed concern about the project. “Is this a good thing to put in Fort Scott before we have an emergency room?” asked John Shnoodle. Mr. Shnoodle doesn’t want anyone to think he is against snakes as pets, but just wasn’t sure if emergency response time should be considered.

Jane Pfeffle also weighed in with strong opinions on the subject. “We shouldn’t build a snake pit until we have a hospital,” she stated emphatically. When told that the funding for this was coming from an outside source and wouldn’t be available to fund a hospital anyway, she responded with, “That doesn’t matter. We need to shut everything down until a hospital opens in Fort Scott again. That includes all of our roads, schools, electricity, water, etc. If it has a budget, power switch, or valve, it all needs to shut down until a hospital reopens.”

According to IOFRK the snake pit park is expected to be completed in exactly 1 year. “We like to see a grand opening that the entire community can participate in.” said Sue. “In other communities, we’ve brought in some snake charmers for the opening day, and that has been a really big hit with local residents,” Sue said. The snake pit park plans to celebrate the opening day on April 1st of 2025. “Plans like this really best when everything related to them happens on April 1st. It really doesn’t work well to have discussions about it on any other day of the year,” said Sue.

FortScott.biz reached out to Fort Scott Mayor Sam Sneedle (who isn’t the normal mayor but is briefly filling the role for the purposes of April 1st) for comment, but he said that current litigation prevented him from making in comment. He went on to say, “They are going to build what in Gunn Park?!”

Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Volunteers Needed For Downtown Clean-up On April 22

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Downtown Fort Scott looking south on North Main Street.

The Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce Downtown Committee is sponsoring another spring Downtown Cleanup event.  This year’s event will be held on Monday, April 22, to coincide with Earth Day.

According to committee member John Crain, there are several projects being planned downtown, that the committee hopes will make the area a little more attractive for both local residents and visitors.  This is the third downtown clean-up sponsored by the committee, the first in 2021, and second in 2022.  These included some of the same types of projects this year’s event will have, but also included others, such as the painting of awnings, striping of parking spaces on the streets and parking lots, painting of Skubitz Plaza light poles, and five murals on the sides of downtown buildings.

According to Crain, “This year crews will be cleaning up, and removing stuff from the downtown gutters, sidewalks, alleys and parking lots. Things such as trash, leaves, weeds, and remnants of the winter’s ice and snow treatments.  We will also be washing windows of unoccupied buildings, painting street lights on Main and Wall, as well as benches and tables on Skubitz Plaza.  New mulch will be put down in a couple of areas, and flowers planted in others.  We’re also hoping to get another mural painted.”

“This is the third downtown cleanup we’ve had, and what made the first two so successful and rewarding, was all of the community members that volunteered their time, to come together for a common good,” Crain said.  “And we need that same type of volunteer help again this year.  The actual cleanup starts at 4 p.m. and goes till 6 p.m., so if you can spare about two and a half hours, from 3:45 to 6:15, we’ll find something for you to do, give you a tee shirt, and feed you when you’re done.”

“We also need some tools, such as flat blade and scoop shovels, loppers and pruning shears, brooms, dust pans, and step stools,” he said. ” If you can volunteer, and or have any of those items that we can use, please call (620) 266-9448, and ask for Katie or Bailey.  You can also email them at [email protected].  I promise, when you’re done, you’ll feel good about what you helped accomplish.”

The Clean Up Committee is made up of Chamber Downtown Committee members Baily Lyons, Cathy Bishop, Kate Freeman, and John Crain, Chamber President Lindsay Madison, and Craig Campbell, representing The Good Neighbor Action Team.

Crain said the committee would like to thank the following businesses and entities for their support:  Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Scott, Good Neighbor Action Team, My One Stop, Fort Scott Elks Lodge, Big Sugar Lumber, Bourbon County Arts Council, Bourbon County Garden Club, Holmtown Pub, Papa Don’s, Brick Street Barbecue, Common Ground Coffee, Sharkey’s Pub & Grub, Health Bourbon County Action Team, Fort Scott Community College, and Fort Scott USD 234.

Bailey Lyons is the owner of Lyons Realty Group. Submitted photo.
Cathy Bishop is the events coordinator at the River Room Event Center. Submitted photo.
Kate Freeman and her husband Trent own the Artificers, a downtown art gallery. Submitted photos.
John Crain,is owner of Crain Insurance.
Lindsay Madison is the executive director of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce. Submitted photo.
Craig Campbell is the chairman of the Good Neighbor Action Team.

 

“We’ve had several people volunteer already, but still need lots more,” he said.

Church news, Fort Scott

Catholic Church and Rectory Buildings are Coming To Fruition

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The Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church following the fire on August 29, 2022. Submitted photo.
Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church was damaged beyond repair following the lightning event that struck the church on August 29, 2022.
Since then the church members pulled together to design a new building, which is anticipated for completion in December 2024.
Statutes are being restored by an artist

“When I heard about the fire, I immediately contacted Fr. Yancey Burgess ( the parish priest)  to offer my help,” Robert Elliot, an artisan specializing in church renovations and statue restoration, said. “Father Yancy …presided over my wife’s funeral mass along with three other priests and this has always meant a great deal to me, so helping him and his community was the only thing to do.”
Elliot’s studio in Wichita. Submitted photo.

He received the Stations of the Cross and other statues last May, he said.

Some of the statues that are being restored. Submitted photo.
“We are restoring the fourteen Stations of the Cross and the following statues: The Corpus Of Christ, Mary Queen of Angels, The Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph with the Infant Jesus, two angels with ribbons, and one free-standing angel.
Elliot anticipates completion of the statue restoration project in mid-September after 16 months of work,  he said.
Elliot started his company in 1995 and is located in Wichita.
Update on the church rebuild
Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church at 714 S. Eddy earlier this month.  Photo from Margaret Humphrey.
Simpson Construction, Wichita,  is the general contractor for the project. which began a year ago and is scheduled for completion in December 2024.
“Currently, they are working on the outside,” putting up OSB boards,” said a spokesman, Mark McCoy.
Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church from Holbrook Street, the back side of the church, on March 26, 2024.
Then a sealer will be applied, followed by brick masons, who will be coming in approximately three weeks, he said.
“The base of the church will look like St. Mary’s school, which is adjacent to the church,” he said.
“Our plan is to have a dedication Mass in December,” McCoy said.
The image of the church will look like the previous church, he said.
To view prior features:
The Rectory

The rectory, where the parish priest lives,  should be finished and Father Yancy moving in by the end of April, McCoy said.

The Catholic Rectory on March 26, 2024. Workers putting up rails are Bruce Swank, Frank Casper, and Bo Casper of Casper Enterprises.

That project is being completed by Casper Enterprises, Bo Casper is the contractor.

 

Bourbon County

Free Trees Available From Fort Scott Kiwanis: Deadline For Request Is April 13

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Looking south on National Avenue, one can see the many trees placed between the street and the sidewalk, some of which were planted by Kiwanis, according to Kiwanis member Craig Campbell.
Among the Fort Scott Kiwanis Club community service projects is a free tree to Bourbon County residents.
The trees were purchased using a Fort Scott Area Community Foundation grant, said Kiwanis member Craig Campbell.
“Sugar Maple was recommended by our area Kansas Forestry expert Tim McDonnell this year,” Campbell said.  “Tim is very knowledgeable about what trees thrive in southeast Kansas.  Tim also knows the existing tree inventory in Bourbon County and works to ensure we remain diverse to avoid widespread loss due to drought, late freezes, wind, and pests.”
The trees are very hardy 4 to 5 feet tall and in a 3-gallon root ball pail.
“Anyone in Bourbon County who commits to adequately caring for the tree is eligible,” he said.  “This requires 5 gallons of water each week regardless of rainfall for the first year.  With the drought last year, we asked folks to water every 4 to 5 days.”

 

The trees will be received by the Kiwanis Club on the last Saturday in April.

 “The Kiwanis group will plant trees on the morning of Saturday, May 4th for anyone needing our assistance,” Campbell said. “If the Kiwanis plants them, Tim McDonnell and I will go to each location on April 16th and ‘spot’ the tree for optimum growth, and shade, and to avoid utilities.  We do NOT plant under power lines.”
The deadline to request a tree is April 13th.  
To apply for a free tree, text your address to  Campbell at 620-224-0167.
Fort Scott Kiwanis Club meets at Burris Hall on the Fort Scott Community College campus every Tuesday from 12-1 p.m.
Business, Fort Scott, Government, Kansas

New DCF Building Exterior Framework Is Going Up

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Piles of dirt lay in the new parking spaces of the Kansas Dept. of Children and Families building that is being created at Wall  Street and National Avenue. This view is looking southwest from Wall Street.

The exterior framework began on March 22, on the new Kansas Department of Children and Families building project at Wall Street and National Avenue.

If all goes well, the completion date is July 2024, said Mike Anders, job supervisor of Silverrock Ventures.

The 13,000-square-foot building will house offices, several conference rooms, interview rooms, a large central file room,  reception/waiting areas, break rooms, and storage spaces. There is a storm shelter built into the plan.

Kendall Schoenrock, owner, and developer of Silverrock Ventures who is building the new office space for the KDCF, spent time in making the facade of the building fit in with downtown Fort Scott, Anders said.

The east side of the building is on National Avenue.

“It will have a red brick face and a limestone three-foot starter around the bottom of the east and north side,” Anders said. “It will have a different roof to fit in with downtown. It will have outside lighting like that of E3 Ranch, right across the street.”

There will be parking on the north side of the building, on Wall Street,  which the building will face. They are also leasing parking spaces from the City of Fort Scott for some parking west of the building, on the south side of that lot.

There is a whole slate of tradesmen lined up for the work ahead: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, framing, masonry, and painting, Anders said.

Skitches Hauling and Excavation, Inc., Fort Scott, was the demolition contractor for the building site.

“He supplied all of our backfill and got our job site ready to build on,” Anders said. “A great guy.”

“We tried to use local contractors,” he said. “A  lot are from a 30-mile radius approximately.”

Silverrock Ventures will do the interior finishing he said.

Wall and National Avenue is the sight of the new building for housing the Kansas Department of Children and Families. The building is currently in the exterior framework stage of the project.

About DCF

The Kansas Department for Children and Families is available to assist​ with child care and child support, employment education and training, food and cash assistance, support for youth who have experienced foster care, and more.

For further information about services to the community:

https://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/Pages/default.aspx

 

If you suspect a child or vulnerable adult is being harmed emotionally, physically, or sexually, report it to the Kansas Protection Report Center 24/7 at 1-800-922- 5330 ​or online.
Bourbon County, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office, Schools, Youth

Update on Uniontown Teacher Accused of Felony With A Student

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Breanna Hampton Taylor, taken from the USD235 website.

Breanna Janise Hampton Taylor was arrested on February 25, 2024, by the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office for unlawful sexual relations of a teacher with a student 16 + years of age, according to Bourbon County District Court Documents.

This was Taylor’s first year of teaching.

The offense date was February 17 and was outside the school environment, according to a press release from the school.

Taylor, who in court documents is now using her maiden name, Hampton, was arrested on February 25, and a $10,000 bond was posted on February 29. The case is listed as pending.

Her first appearance hearing was February 29, and her next court date, a preliminary examination, is March 28.

In the State of Kansas VS Breanna Janise Hampton, the prosecuting attorney is Bourbon County Attorney Tiana McElroy and the defense attorney is Geoffrey Clark.

Mark Ward is the judicial officer.

Hampton is being charged a Level 5 Person Felony in violation of K.S.A. 21-5572 ((a)(9)) and (b)(2).

The penalty range is a minimum of 31 months to a maximum of 136 months in prison and/or fines of up to $300,000 and 24 months post-release supervision.

The presumption of innocence in a criminal case is considered a due process of the law:

To view the  USD 235 press release on February 25, about the arrest:

Uniontown Teacher Arrested for Allegation of Inappropriate Conduct Towards a Student

 

Bourbon County

Local Reservoir Is Dead In The Legislature, But A Community Discussion Meeting is March 22 in Mapleton

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The Kansas Senate Bill 497, to begin the long process of building a reservoir in northern Bourbon County, is dead.

Kansas Senator Tim Shallenberger introduced the bill to start a discussion on a new reservoir in northern Bourbon County on February 9, 2024. Shallenberger is the District 13 Republican from Baxter Springs.

Tim Shallenberger from the Kansas legislature website.https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/members/sen_shallenburger_tim_1/

The bill was to establish the Pike Reservoir Project District Act to provide for a lake and related commercial and residential development in Bourbon County and authorize a governing board and sales and property tax increment financing for such project, according to HTTPS://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb497/

To view the bill introduced on February 9, 2024: sb497_00_0000(3)

The bill was referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources on February 12.

“There is a process, you introduce a bill, they have hearings, committees, then goes to the House and Senate,” Shallenberger said. “It’s a decades-long thing, the bill was just to kick it off.”

“The whole thing is dead, as best as I can tell,” Shallenberger said. “Unless someone locally wants to take it up again. The next thing that would  have to happen is a feasibility study.”

“By looking at the bill, it could give a framework for possible future plans,” he said. “Before you do anything you have to have a framework. That’s why the bill was drafted. There would have been a lot of public input in the years-long process.”

“There are no plans currently,” he said. “The bill is gone, the whole process would all have to start over again.”

“There was pushback from local people,” he said. “They were upset.”

Shallenberger said when he visited Fort Scott last year he met with local business and government representatives “People were talking about a new lake.”

Shane Walker, Bourbon County Director of Information Technology, “had a map of the proposed lake…(and) took me up through the area.”

“It was an interesting landscape, hills and valley, perfect for a lake,” Shallenberger said. “Water is needed in Kansas and there is federal money for it.”

“If someone wanted to do a feasibility study they would have the bill as a framework,” he said.

Shallenberger said “I am optimistic about Fort Scott, there is a lot of potential, even without a new lake. You are a net win on sales tax. People are coming to Fort Scott to buy things.”

 

 Community Members Facilitate Discussion On The Reservoir

 

There is a meeting this Friday,  March 22, in Mapleton, which was initiated by Joe Bisogno, property owner near the reservoir site.

 

A flyer was provided by Mike Hueston.

 

The meeting is scheduled to discuss the reservoir from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Mapleton Community Center tomorrow,  Friday, March 22.

“It was Joe Bisogno’s idea to get something together for information for citizens,” Mike Hueston, Mapleton City Councilman said. “Everybody I talked to, didn’t have a clue about this (reservoir).”

Landowners, community members, and political representatives are welcome to come.

Joe Bisogno owns Timber Hills Ranch in the proposed area.

“I own property that would be flooded,” he said. “The meeting will be about the pros and cons and questions of a lake in the proposed area.”

“I don’t know enough about it to be ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but I know we need water,” Bisogno said. “If the landowners and the officials can work out the details, I think it’s a great project.”

 

 

Business, Fort Scott

New Service Offered at Bartelsmeyer Jewelry: Laser Engraving

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Wyatt and Krysta Hulbert in their store. Submitted photo.

Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,  22 North Main in historic, downtown Fort Scott recently purchased a new laser tool for the store.

Wyatt and Krysta Hulbert are the owners of the store since July 2023, when they purchased it from John and Cindy Bartelsmeyer.

The  xTool P2, 55 Watt, CO2 laser engraver can cut through wood, multi-colored acrylics, leather and more, Krysta said.

Submitted photo.

“We can also engrave pictures and designs on a diverse variety of materials such as paper, fabric, leather, acrylics, glass, slate coasters, phone cases, and wooden cutting boards,” she said. “With the addition of a special metal marking spray, we can create permanent etchings on the surface of several different types of metal as well.”

Submitted photo.

They purchased the new laser engraver in December of 2023 and spent a few months getting accustomed to the uses and creating displays to showcase what can be done.

Submitted photo. Earrings made with the new laser.

“So far, I have used our laser engraver to cut out and engrave acrylic and leather earrings, engrave a coated metal tumbler, engrave a wine glass, create a wooden photograph on basswood, and engrave a personalized wooden cutting board,” she said. “We have also engraved a stainless steel dog tag, and the back of a watch case using Cermark laser marking spray. As we continue working with this new equipment, I am sure we will find many more applications and uses.”

Submitted photo. A computer case engraved by Krysta Hulbert.

“The minimum charge to have an item that is laser engraved will be around $25, however, each project is different and will be quoted on a per-item basis,” she said.

Submitted photo.

About the store
The Hulberts provide other services/products to the community.

Jewelry repair, ring sizing, watch battery replacements and watch repair, stylus and laser engraving, buying and selling of gold and silver jewelry and coins, and custom jewelry design.

“We offer many products such as silver fashion jewelry, estate jewelry, diamond engagement rings, and many colored stone rings, necklaces, and bracelets,” she said. “We can special order a variety of gift items such as pen sets, jewelry chests, baby silverware, frames and piggy banks, and other specialty giftware items.”

“We have an amazing team working with us at Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,” she said. “You are sure to be met with a familiar, smiling face when you walk in our door!”

The team members include the  Hulberts, John Bartelsmeyer, Julie Kibble, Kerragan Davis, Sammie Ragan, Yvonne Holloway, and Anna Laubenstein.

Hours of operation are Tuesdays-Fridays from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The store phone number: 620-223-2070
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.bartelsmeyerjewelry.com

Entertainment, Food, Fort Scott, Youth

Easter Egg Hunters Are Invited To Gunn Park This Saturday

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Egg hunters begin their search at the Fort Scott Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt, on April 1, 2023. Submitted photo.

The Fort Scott Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt is this Saturday, March 23 at 11 a.m. sharp at Gunn Park Shelter #2. The event is for children preschool through fifth grade, with participants bringing their own Easter baskets to gather the goodies in.

The Kiwanis-sponsored event is always the Saturday before the Easter weekend.

“We recommend people get there at 10:30 a.m.,” Kiwanis President John Crain said. There is always a crowd and it may take a while to get to the child’s age-designated area.

“It’s over at 11:07,” said event coordinator Bob Eckles with a chuckle.

The Easter bunny in the 2009 egg hunt.

The Easter Bunny will be there, so parents can get a snapshot of their children with him.

“Kiwanis packs the goodies on Thursday at 6 p.m. before the event,” Eckles said. “We get help from the Key Club at the high school.”

They usually spend several hundred dollars on candy, but this year “Candy is more expensive, especially chocolate,” Eckles said.

In some of the eggs are coupons from local businesses: Hedgehog Book Store, Dairy Queen Restaurant, McDonalds Restaurant, NuGrille and Flowers By Leanna.

Cash donations for the event are from: R and R Equipment; Diehl, Fletcher and Banwart CPA;Don’s Spirits and Wines; Merle Humphrey Insurance and Photography; Iron Star Antiques; Big Sugar Lumber; Bids and Dibs Consignment and Walmart.

 

Bourbon County, Church news

Catholic Convent Coming to Rural Bourbon County In April

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The interior of the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
After Easter, in April 2024, a group of 17 Catholic Sisters will be moving to a rural Bourbon County property to make their home.
“We Sisters were invited to make our home on a piece of property near St. Martin’s Academy, by Dan Kerr and by the organization Ave Philomena,” said Mother Maria Regina, a spokeswoman for the Sisters “We have obtained the property we will live on to serve as a place to support the spiritual life of the students, faculty, and families at St. Martin’s Academy. If all goes well, we hope to come very soon after Easter.”
Submitted photo.
“Our present convent home is in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” she said.  “While we have been grateful to live in Minnesota, we needed a larger place, as we had outgrown our home there.  Also, we have longed to live in a more rural area, which is more conducive to our lifestyle.”
The name of the new Catholic establishment is St. Joseph Convent on Hackberry Road, southwest of Fort Scott.
Submitted photo. This photo is the housing for the Sisters, located at St. Joseph Convent, rural  Bourbon County. Each cottage is 16 ‘ by 20 ‘ with two sleeping quarters and a shared bathroom in between.
The name of this group of Sisters is Filiae Laboris Mariae, which means “Daughters of the Work of Mary.”
“We are a group of Catholic religious Sisters, who dedicate our lives to prayer and to service,” she said.  “We are a rather new community.  We were founded in 2017, and most of our Sisters are still rather young–the large majority in their 20s and 30s.”
The 5,300 square-foot chapel is flanked by the Sisters’s cottages on the left in this photo.
“Our primary purpose is to dedicate our lives to prayer and that is the reason that the largest building for our new convent is the chapel,” she said.  “We Sisters give our lives entirely to God and live in community: praying together, working together, recreating together each day.  In addition to our life of prayer, we also intend to serve the community by organizing events that will foster the spiritual life for various groups of persons.  We have heard that there are nursing homes in Fort Scott and would very much like to make regular visits to the residents of the nursing homes.”
Submitted photo of the Sisters.
They are a community of 17 Sisters.
  “Nuns is the term for those Sisters who serve the world exclusively by their prayer and sacrifice.  Since we also have some external service to others, we are called Sisters,” she said.
“For those who become Sisters, there are stages of formation,” she said.  “The first stage is called the postulant and we have one postulant.  The next stage is that of the novice (you can tell a novice because she wears a white veil), and we have eight novices.  The last stage is that of a Sister who has professed the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and total consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The professed Sisters wear a blue veil, and there are eight professed Sisters. “
Submitted photo. The  Novice wears a white veil.
Submitted photo. A blue veil is worn by a Sister.
About the build
Steve McTavish, Olathe, is the project manager for Ave Philomena, the owner of the project. The 160-acreage was purchased from Delbert and Darla Crays.
“We started last August,” he said. “April 2 is the scheduled move-in.”
The current phase of the build is the 5,300 sq. ft. chapel,  16′ by 20 ‘ residence cottages, a 2,000 sq. ft. community center, a 4,000 sq. ft. dining, kitchen, sewing laundry center,  and a small cottage for meetings.
The future phase is for three other buildings for community and additional lodging, and a replica of the House of Loreto with courtyards,  McTavish said.
Almost all of the work on the St. Joseph Convent project has been done by local tradesmen.
The people who have helped with the build are Advantage Building and Remodeling-Fort Scott; R2 Construction-Fort Scott; Geiger Plumbing-Fort Scott, H2 Painting-Fort Scott; Wes Davis Drywall, Kelly Electric-Uniontown,  5M Restoration, LLC-Prescot; George Collinge (road and land clearing work); Bar/Rose Custom Wood Designs-Fort Scott; C.D. L. (HVAC); Aegis (fire protection); Rural Water District #2; Heartland Electric Coop; Harris Propane, Invictus Roofing, Mike the Carpet Man (flooring) and Winvent/Extrusions (windows).

 

Bourbon County, Fort Scott

Bourbon County Garden Club Activities Start March 21: No Experience Necessary

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This is the club selling plants at the May 2022 Fort Scott Farmers Market, annual event for the club. From its Facebook page.
The Bourbon County Garden Club sells plants on the opening day of the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market. Club member Paula Blincoe is in the visor. Photo from 2022.

The Bourbon County Garden Club started in 2003 and gives time and talent to the community through public garden care.

The Bourbon County Garden Club will open its season on Thursday, March 21, with a meeting at 6 p.m. at the Lowell Milken Center in downtown Fort Scott, at Wall and Main Street. The club meets once a month from March until October.

“New members bring new energy and new ideas,” said Martha Jane Gentry, co-president of the club in a press release.  “Learn how you can contribute to Bourbon County Garden Club activities for the coming season by attending the March 21 meeting.”

“Garden experience is not necessary for participation,” said Gentry,  “The club offers opportunities for learning and for community service.”

“The Garden Club started in 2003 and has grown in membership since then,” she said. “There are now about thirty members representing different ages, interests, and areas of the county.”

Membership is free, with the club’s activities financially supported by one fundraiser.  The annual plant sale occurs on the opening Saturday of the Downtown Farmers’ Market, this year on May 4.

“The club partners with Tri-Valley Developmental Services to sell a wide variety of plants, all of which are geared to our area’s growing conditions,” she said. “Club members offer plants freshly dug from their own gardens, and Tri-Valley provides plants and hanging baskets from the agency’s greenhouse.”

About one-third of the members have chosen to further their gardening knowledge by taking the K-State Master Gardener course through the K-State Extension Service.

“The class is offered via Zoom in the fall, with occasional in-person meetings,” she said. “Master Gardeners are required to share their knowledge through area activities, and the local club offers some of those opportunities.”

Many Projects

In addition to increasing in number, the number of community projects has increased.

The partnership with the City of Fort Scott has been vital for many of these projects.

The club sets new plants in place at the Heritage Park. Submitted photo.
There are four pocket gardens at the intersection of 8th and Crawford. The one that is most established is at the corner of 801 S. Crawford. Submitted photo.

“The city installed the watering system for Heritage Park (at First and Main Street) which members designed and planted in 2006,” she said. “That garden features a mix of annuals and perennials and is a colorful backdrop for Friday night concerts, photo shoots, and downtown gatherings.”

Club members Paula Blincoe on the left, Sheryl Bloomfield on the ladder, and Judy Wallis on the right. Submitted photo.

“Later, the city added a watering system for the downtown hanging planters and for the island gardens at the pool,” Gentry said.” In addition to those projects, the club has planted, cared for, and watered gardens in the North Main area.”

This garden at the north end of downtown Main Street is one of projects of the Bourbon County Garden Club. From the club's Facebook page.
The garden at the north end of Main Street is planted and cared for by the Bourbon County Garden Club.

“A recent project is the island garden at Riverfront Park, a collaboration with the Fire Department and Riverfront volunteers,” she said.

The newest project is outside the downtown area.

Residential pocket gardens were expanded last year through the club. Several members had already planted corner/pocket gardens, and the club decided to expand the project. Two local homeowners won free gardens from drawings through the club’s Facebook page and at the plant sale.

A pocket garden. Submitted photo.

“A pocket garden is a small planting plot or large pot tucked into a convenient corner of your property,” according to www.bobvilla.com>articles>pocket-gardens.

“I do the four corners at 8th and Crawford as part of the pocket garden project,” she said. “There are bulbs currently blooming”

A pocket garden. Submitted photo.

A  club committee collaborated with those homeowners in the fall, before planting the garden.

“Look for Garden Club Pocket Garden signs throughout Fort Scott to see what can flourish in small areas with challenging conditions,” she said. “For all gardens, the plant selection focuses on choices that are drought. Both the city staff and club members are committed to minimal water usage.”

Leadership
The officers of the club are:
Barbara McCord and Martha Jane Gentry – co-presidents
Austin Bollinger – vice-president
Ronda Hassig – secretary
Sheryl Bloomfield – treasurer