Tag Archives: featured

Bourbon County, Business, Fort Scott

KTCCU: Low Interest Rate for Vehicles Are Offered

Leave a comment
Kansas Teacher Credit Union employees, from left: Teller – Lacey Miles, Teller-Elizabeth Thurston, Member Service Officer – Bonnie Boyle, Branch Manager- Bob Hanson Submitted photo.

Spring is here and the pandemic is waning, allowing more travel for Americans.

Some people are purchasing new cars for their travels.

A recent look at auto loan rates on bankrate.com for April 2022 shows the range of percentage rates for vehicle loans is from 2.49 to over 7 percent on average.

A local credit union is offering a low interest loan for autos.

Kansas Teachers Community Credit Union, 24 S. National Avenue is offering a 1.99 percent loan for qualified applicants with the best credit scores, for vehicle loans through June 30.

Kansas Teachers Credit Union is located at 24 S. National Avenue in Fort Scott. Submitted photo.

Vehicles must be a 2013 model year or newer and a credit score of 600 up, or no score. Terms can be up to 84 months, based on mileage under 100,000 miles.

“The KTCCU promotional rates then have stair step increases from there, based on individual credit scores and mileage that exceeds 100,000 miles,” Bob Hanson, Fort Scott Branch Manager said. “This promotion also allows qualified applicants the option for no payment for up to 90 days.”

“You do not have to be a member of KTCCU to apply for a loan with KTCCU,” Hanson said. “But if you are approved and choose to complete the loan, you would have to open a KTCCU membership share savings account with a minimum $5 deposit.  It only takes a few minutes,  give identification, complete an account card, and make a deposit.”

To qualify for membership with KTCCU, one of the following conditions must be meet:

  • Be an employee of any Kansas school.
  • Work or reside in Allen, Anderson, Atchinson, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Clay, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Miami, Montgomery, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte, counties;
  • Reside in the Pittsburg Kansas trade area:
  • Be an employee of KTCCU;
  • Be a family member of a current credit union member; or
  • Be an organization of a current credit union member.

Membership, once established, may continue regardless if the above conditions still apply.

Hanson said new leadership has begun in the organization, of which Fort Scott is a branch.

Elesa Parsons, from https://heartlandcua.org/news/2022/cu-people-on-move-cua-ktccu.aspx

“2022 brought KTCCU a new CEO/President, Elesa Parsons,” he said. “Elesa brings with her an extensive credit union administrative and accounting background. The previous CEO/President Mark Kolarik has retired from KTCCU, and has relocated out of state.”

“The Fort Scott branch of KTCCU was established/opened in September 2008,” he said. “Since opening the KTCCU Fort Scott location has been successful in carrying out the KTCCU mission.      That mission is to be a sound, quality driven organization that provides the most desirable financial services for community members while safeguarding their assets.”

 

Hanson can be reached at

[email protected]   

or phone (620)223-1475 Fax (620)223-1387

Art, Business, Fort Scott

Cut Flowers: Art and Business to Richards

1 Comment
Calista Ricards in her garden at 1301 S. Horton. Submitted photos.
The Little Flower Farm LLC owner, Calista Richards, sees herself as an artist.
“I love that you can simultaneously be an artist while being completely covered in sweat and dirt,” she said.
She grows, sells and delivers her product, cut flowers, from her home at 1301 S. Horton, as of January 2021.
 “I provide fresh and local flowers in bouquets and arrangements,” Richards said. “The types of flowers change as the seasons change.  You can tell what time of year it is by the contents of my bouquets and arrangements.”
  The flower arrangements are available for delivery within Fort Scott city limits, for purchase at the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market (On Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings), and for pickup on Horton Street at her home.

Directions On Picking Up

“When using Buzz for Blooms (1301 S. Horton) enter the southern driveway and go around the fence until you see a post in a pot with a sign that says Buzz for Blooms,” she said. “If I am not already outside, ring the doorbell found there and I will be out to assist you with your order.  You can even customize your purchase by pointing to things you would like out in the field.  Then, you exit out the northern driveway with your blooms– or future blooms– without ever having leave your car.”
Submitted photos.
About The Entrepreneur
“I graduated from high school in 2020, having been  home schooled  the whole time, and wanted to start a business instead of going to college,” she said. Richards believes college could not teach her what she wanted to know and “can lead to crushing debt,” she said.  “I would not shackle myself with that.”
 “There is nothing like being a part of the community this way,” she said.  “Flowers are bought for every time of life: birth, death, joy, sorrow, great occasions, and no occasion at all.  I want to see all these things and play my little part to bring beauty to all of it.”
The young entrepreneur is involved in the community, since opening her business
She is a member of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, the Bourbon County Garden Club, and  a board member of the Fort Scott Public Library.
In addition, “I have participated in the downtown cleanup and have done numerous fundraisers for the local cancer support group Care to Share,” she said.
Richards wanted to start a business that she could operate out of her home.
“Zoning Section 20-601.05 Temporary Uses states that you may have a business made up of seasonal sales of farm or garden produce, bulbs, plantings, or cut flowers, on an individual’s place of residence and raised by the same individual, provided no structure is constructed for such use,” she said.
Contact info
 
Submitted photos.
Richards is eldest of the six children of Jeremiah and Jennifer Richards.
“I have no employees but I cannot say I have no help,” she said.  “My family has been nothing but supportive and are working so hard so I can live this dream.  I could not have done it without them.”
Business, Fort Scott

Twin Mansions Reopens With New Owner/Operators

3 Comments
Carrie and Marty Elton. Submitted photo.

Marty and Carrie Elton who purchased the two former Lyons Mansions on National Avenue and restarted a restaurant in the southern most one, is now reopening the northern bed and breakfast mansion.

“The name of the bed and breakfast will be Twin Mansions B and B,” Elton said. “Myself and Carrie are the owners and operators. We have decided to re-open to share the historic beauty of the mansions with everyone.”

The business was formerly owned by Larry and Pat Lyons.

Submitted photos.

“We also look forward to helping the community with more interesting and unique places to stay,” he said. “Tourism is vital to small towns and we look forward to being a bigger part of that industry. We will provide traditional bed and breakfast services.”

Submitted photos.

Breakfast( with a discounted rate) will be available at the Dry Wood Creek Cafe, which the Elton’s own and operate in the southern most mansion.

Submitted photos.

“We will provide not only rooms to rent but will have the main floor available for functions as well,” he said. “Our amenities will include all the standard hotel fair as well as manicured gardens, a Koi pond and a pool table.”

Submitted photos.

The address is 742 South National Avenue, Fort Scott, with reservations made through airbnb.com , vrbo.com, bedandbreakfast.com, and many other platforms, he said.

“We have five rooms available, one with an extra bedroom and Jack and Jill restroom,” Elton said.

Prices vary from weekday to weekend and discounted rates are available for business stays. The range is anywhere from $100 a night to $150.

“Myself and Carrie will still be onsite, we have moved to an apartment on the premises,” Elton said.

Bourbon County, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Community College, Fort Scott National Historic Site, History, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Youth

Brenner: Other Stories Need To Be Told

Leave a comment
Carl Brenner stands in front of the entrance to the fort in this August 2018 photo.

In 2019, a group of representatives from Fort Scott National Historic Site, Gordon Parks Museum, Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes, Fort Scott Community College, Bourbon County Historic Preservation Assn. and other partners, began work on a grant proposal.

The project title is Student Researched Unsung African American Heroes of Bourbon County.

The proposal idea came from Carl Brenner,  who has been the Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management at FSNHS since 2018.

The idea for a grant proposal came “from the dark recesses of my mind,” Brenner said.

“The fort has told the stories of white (mostly male) people coming….but Native American, women and African American stories need to be brought into the story.” he said.

“This project is funded through the National Park Service to work with community youth to uncover those stories that are little known or untold or under told,” he said.  “It is a partnership with the Park, the Gordon Park Museum, Fort Scott High School, and Fort Scott Community College.”

“Our historian, Dominic Henry, and other local volunteers, will assist students to research local African American leaders and those who fought for or ushered in change in our community and beyond,” Brenner said. “Once they have completed their research, they will create videos and social media posts to share their newly found stories in their own ‘voice’ to better connect with other youth.”

Those videos and social media posts will be shared on the park’s web and social media platforms and also shared by the Gordon Parks Museum, Fort Scott High School, and Fort Scott Community College.

“As the project is wrapping up, we will work with all of the partners to develop exhibits to share these stories and the student’s work with our visitors,” Brenner said.

“Through small stories like these, the hope is to have conversations about equality and equity and discuss the history and what we have learned from it,” Brenner said.

A kick-off for the project was planned for April 25, but due to unforeseen circumstances will need to be rescheduled, Brenner said.

Brenner is Acting Superintendent Since March

Brenner recently has been designated as the FSNHS Acting Superintendent, since former Superintendent Betty Boyko left in March 2022. He is also Acting Superintendent of Fort Larned National Historic Site and also providing guidance and training to Nicodemus National Historic Site.

The park phone number is 620-223-0310, its website https://www.nps.gov/fosc/index.htm

 

Fort Scott National Historic Site Schedule of  Annual Events

 

Civil War Encampment – April 23

Experience artillery, cavalry and infantry troops preparing for battle. Hear, see, and smell history come to life in a weekend of living history demonstrations and stories.

 

Symbols of Sacrifice – Memorial Day Weekend:

Approximately 7,000 flags commemorate the ultimate sacrifice members of the United States Armed Forces have made to keep this country free.

 

Good Ol’ Days – First Friday-Saturday of June:

Relive yesteryear in a town-wide celebration of Fort Scott’s history. Each year a different historical theme will be highlighted.

 

Independence Day Celebration – July 4th Weekend:

This holiday weekend feature talks, tours, demonstrations, and living history programs about Fort Scott’s role in pivotal events of American History in the place where they happened!

 

Labors of the Fort – Labor Day Weekend:

Learn about the jobs and tasks vital to the survival of the fort. Rangers and volunteers demonstrate skills and trades of the 1840’s.

 

Naturalization Ceremony – September 23:

Reflect on the privileges of US citizenship as you witness new citizens take the oath of allegiance to their newly ad- opted country.

 

Veterans Day Programs – Veteran’s Day Weekend:

Flags honoring our nation’s veterans will be on display and we will host discussions around service and the meaning of service.

 

Candlelight Tour –  December 2-3:

1,000 candle lanterns illuminate the site as reenactors (including you) bring the fort to life. Ticket sales begin November 1st.

Fort Scott National Historic Site glows during the annual candlelight tour event.

 

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Youth

4-H Shooting Sports Continue with New Instructors

Leave a comment
Submitted photo. From left: Chad Guthrie, Zach Ross, and Katie Hueston.

Katie Hueston, Chad Guthrie and Zach Ross became certified in shooting sports at Rock Springs Ranch  in Junction City on  March 25-28.

Hueston with be the Southwind District 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator.

” I will be helping with the logistics of the project, making sure instructors have what they need to be successful, proper paperwork is turned in, and help with planning and organizing of the project and events,” she said.

“You must be an active certified instructor to teach shooting sports in 4-H,” she said. “Chad Guthrie was certified in the shotgun discipline and Zach Ross was certified in bb, air rifle and .22 rifle”.

The sport shooting venues for practice will be at different places.

” This depends on the discipline, BB, air rifle can be done inside with the proper backdrop and targets,” she said. “An .22 rifle and shotgun will be outside at different ranges. Locations are to still be determined on how many kids from what counties sign up.”

The children from 8-years-old on up have until May 1 to sign up for the project.

To compete in a discipline, a bulletin will state what age group are allowed.

“We will be doing a starter/ safety class this summer for the bb, and air rifle,” she said. “And this fall (we will)be ready to go strong with the shotgun discipline, in hopes to have kids ready for competitions.”

“4-H has a strong background to ‘learn by doing’,” she said. “We are giving them the opportunity to learn their first shot fundamentals though competition level skills, all while providing a positive youth development environment.”

Short History of 4-H Shooting Sports

“The Shooting sports is not a new project; it has always been an option to the 4H youth,” she said. “There are many other disciplines such as archery, muzzle loading, western heritage and pistol that we will want to have instructors certified in to grow our youths options as well.”

The COVID-19 Pandemic halted many of the shooting programs.

“With COVID they could no longer meet in person so that specific project was unable to continue,” she said. “Since COVID halted many of the current programs we are starting by evaluating what equipment we have, while kids continue to join until May 1st,” she said.

“We will be looking for sponsors and donors to help with some new equipment and have some fun fundraising ideas planned once meetings begin, to update and upgrade what we do have,” Hueston said. “So far everyone has been super supportive and the previous instructors Joe Foulk and Gary Buntain have been fabulous in helping answer any question and willingness to help continue the project.”

 

Area News, Entertainment, Fort Scott

Coming Soon For Patty LaRoche: Book Publication

2 Comments
Patty and Dave LaRoche. Submitted.

Patty LaRoche is a former Fort Scott High School teacher and a regular contributor to FortScott.Biz and other media outlets.

For the past decade, she has been writing and re-writing a Christian book: A Little Faith Lift…Erasing the Lines of the Enemy.

The book is directed toward those who doubt their worth and encourages them to take risks and was initiated while working with teens as a school teacher.

The school of life has also prompted LaRoche to write.

Married to major league baseball pitcher Dave LaRoche in 1973, Patty spent most of her adult life in the world of professional baseball where wives are subject to much of the same public scrutiny and comparison as their husbands, she said.

“My 30+ moves in 48 years of marriage have given me van loads of humorous illustrations for this ‘Rejection-Collection,'” she said.

“Using humor and candor, no doubt from teaching high school for 20 years, I share not only my spiritual journey,” she said.  “One mapped by faithfulness—yet detoured by faithlessness, while also retelling many individual stories of those who have, and have not, refused to let their circumstances or others’ opinions have any power to destroy who they are in Christ.”

The humor in her book has a serious message and is written for all age groups, she noted.

“A Little Faith Lift is for everyone who doubts their worth, to help them move past the pain caused by others that has left them insecure or bitter, to teach them to accept the potential (that) humor has over rejection,” LaRoche noted. “My objective is to convince them to take risks and refuse to give anyone or anything the power to make them less than God desires, to know that He’s the C.E.O. of the ‘Beauty from Ashes’ business.”

“My intended audience is adult women, the majority of people I meet, who have memories of betrayal by teachers, coaches, family members, friends or bullies who used them as their personal punching bag,” LaRoche said. “They have a hard time understanding that hurt people hurt people, thanks to a spiritual enemy who passes out stogies any time he can manipulate their self-worth.”

“These individuals measure themselves against others who have the looks, talents, or personality traits they think they lack,” she said.  “Walking into a room full of strangers produces enough sweat to frizz their hair, and if asked to spearhead the church social, they hyperventilate.”

“I taught public speaking to high schoolers for 20 years, but when a group of senior girls asked if I would lead them in a Bible study, the message became clear:  if my students could recognize from Whom their value came—challenging in a public-school setting—and not from what others thought of them, their lives forever would be changed.  An organizing principle of A Little Faith Lift focuses on the teens in that study,” she stated.

“Nearly one in three teens meet criteria for an anxiety disorder by age 18, and 70% of them describe anxiety as a major problem for people their age, a number exacerbated by Covid,” LaRoche said.   “My counselor friends tell me that, because of the pandemic, they are overwhelmed by young adults who feel hopeless. But it’s not only our youth who are affected. Too many people go to the grave never feeling like they were valued or used the talents God gave them, all because they never bought into the truth of how precious they are to their Creator.”

When will the book be ready?

“Probably when my social media numbers impress a publisher,” she said.  “Right now, I have a very respected agent who will be pitching it to different Christian publishers.”

To support LaRoche in this new venture of book publication go to her Instagram posts patty_laroche, which is called PATTY’s PITCH

PATTY’s PITCH will appear on Instagram on Mondays and Fridays.

 

Business, Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

There is Much Activity in Fort Scott’s Downtown

Leave a comment
Dolly the Trolley in downtown Fort Scott. From VisitFortScott Facebook page.

Fort Scott is moving forward to the future.

At the Quarterly Downtown Meet and Greet on April 19, the Fort Scott Chamber Executive Director Lindsay Madison led the discussion on all the activities that are planned for the downtown area. There are many.

This Friday the downtown division of the Chamber is facilitating the community downtown clean-up in preparation for all the activities that will be happening.

Bailey Lyons, chair of the committee, told the attendees there will be curbing and striping on National and Scott Avenues, benches painted and three murals going up, among many of the activities that will be going on.  So far 150-200 volunteers are scheduled to help.

The three murals are 1) along the north face of Angie Dawn’s Boutique on Scott Avenue,

The north face of Angie Dawn’s Boutique will have a mural painted during the downtown clean-up this Friday. The building is located on Scott Avenue.

2) along the south face of the Structure Hair Salon on National Avenue,

A new mural will be painted on the south side of Structure by Margo Salon building on National Avenue.

and 3) along the old cable office building on 2nd Street.

A mural will be painted by local artists from the Fort Scott School District on the side of the old cable company building east of the Fort Scott Public Library.

The third mural is a collaboration of art teachers in Fort Scott, Lyons said. “This is student-driven,  and will be literary-themed.”

To volunteer to help out in this community project, one must sign a waiver from the City of Fort Scott by today,  April 19. This day is also the last day to pre-register to be able to receive a free t-shirt, commemorating the clean-up. Contact the Chamber at 620-223-3566.

Fort Scott students and FFA members will be working in the 1-3 p.m. time frame, with the majority of the volunteers working from 3-6 p.m. Workers will be fed supper from a Healthy Bourbon County Action Team Grant with Marsha’s Deli serving the meal.

City Manager Kelly Zellner told the attendees that there are plans in the making for a  canopy at Skubitz Plaza for the Fort Scott Farmer’s Market and also signs that help visitors find their way around town.

He said the city is also working on parking issues downtown that will provide designated parking spaces for residents living downtown, which will clear up spaces for businesses.

The goal is to make the area with a “more comfortable traffic flow for people to be willing to come in and visit us,” he said.

Other info from the meeting:

Papa Don’s and Sharkey’s Restaurants now have a “Toast” app for ordering available.

There is a Civil War Encampment this weekend at Fort Scott National Historic Site.

There are resources available at the Small Business Development Center at the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team office on National Avenue. Contact Dacia Clark.

Mark McCoy, former business owner and former interim city manager, is available for entrepreneurship mentoring through  Bourbon County Regional Economic Development Inc., which is located on the second floor of Landmark Bank.

There are e-community loans available through the Chamber of Commerce for help with signage, HVAC, and other business needs.

There will be a Red Cross Blood Drive at Buck Run Community Center on April 20  from 12:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. and April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Volunteers are needed for the NICA Kansas Mountain Bike Race for youth at Gunn Park Trails this weekend to set up the infield on Saturday and course materials and parking on Sunday.  To sign up: https://signup.com/go/oFWBuyG.

More stories of upcoming events will be featured on fortscott.biz in the near future.

 

 

 

 

Bourbon County, Government

Shane Walker Begins As New Fort Scott City Commissioner

Leave a comment

Shane Walker, 53, is the new Fort Scott City Commissioner, replacing Pete Allen who resigned last month.

Walker is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Bourbon County.

He has 10 years experience in a corporate setting, five years running his own business and 18 years of local government experience, he said. He has also been a firefighter for 10 years and has served on a regional Homeland Security board through the State of Kansas.

Walker’s education history involves multiple schools and programs mainly in information technology from IBM, Cisco, Sun and Microsoft.

Currently, he is involved in the community as a part of Gunn Park Trails, a volunteer mountain bike trail group; is the local Historic Preservation Association Vice President and is in the Knights of Columbus.

He and his wife have four daughters.

Walker applied for the city commissioner vacancy because he wants to “help make Fort Scott a better place that my kids want to come back to, after college, and live.”

His first meeting as a commissioner was April 5.

The duties of Fort Scott City Commissioners are to set policy, procedures and budgets, he said.

The commission meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 123 S. Main.

Bourbon County, Exercise, Schools

Uniontown School Reopens Fitness Center

Leave a comment
Uniontown High School.
The USD 235 School District reopened Uniontown Fitness Center to the public. The fitness center is located on the southeast corner of the junior/senior high school, and has its’ own door with a key entry.
It re-opened to the public April 13.
The fitness center was closed to the public by the administration in November 2021, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It  also was closed from November 2021 through March 2022 for the junior high, high school, and Kids Club Wrestling season.  They previously had used the fitness center as a practice room, Superintendent Bret Howard said. The room was the former library room.
The center is open before and after school.

“The fitness center is available to our physical education classes,” he said. “Our junior high and high school classes really don’t use it as they have the weight room. Our elementary PE classes used it on Friday’s before COVID. That hasn’t resumed post-Covid at this time.”

The Uniontown Fitness Center has a separate door to the district’s building, on the southeast side of the building.
Bret Howard, Superintendent of USD 235. Submitted. photo.

A keycard is sold to USD235 District residents for $10, a one time fee, unless the card is lost.

“For those of you who have a keycard, those should still work,”  Howard said. “To obtain a key card to access the fitness center you will need to contact Mr. Vance Eden, Principal at West Bourbon Elementary School.”
For any additional questions, contact  Eden at (620) 756-4335 or Howard at (620) 756-4302.

“You will be required to sign a sheet acknowledging you will agree to follow the rules and regulations for the Uniontown Fitness Center,” he said.  “You will also need to pay a one-time fee of $10. Once you have done those two things, you will be given a keycard and may begin using the Uniontown Fitness Center.”

Hours of availability to the public: Monday – Friday from 5 to 7 AM and 5:30 to 9:30 PM.  Saturday and Sunday from 6 AM to 7 PM.
Picture of the Rules and Regulations to the USD 235 Uniontown Fitness Center
The fitness center first opened in 2018 following the receiving of a grant.
U235 Students were trained how to use the equipment in this 2018 photo. Four students from each grade, 4th through 12th, were randomly selected to be student fitness ambassadors. They were given prior training in the weeks leading up to the official ribbon cutting.Submitted.
To learn more about the history of the center:

 

Business, Food, Fort Scott

Cookie Food Truck at Tractor Supply April 14

Leave a comment
People line up at the Crumble and Cream food truck in October  2021 in Fort Scott.
Crumble & Cream, a mobile food trailer that features Deep Dish Cookies, will be returning to Fort Scott today, April 14.
The food trailer rotates stops throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas in 2022. They are headquartered in Wichita.
“We typically just schedule one day per city, in some of the larger cities we do extend for more than one day,” Rachel Marlow, owner of the food trailer said.
“We visited Fort Scott back in October and will be returning for one day Thursday,”  Marlow said.
The food trailer will be at Tractor Supply, 2420 S. Main, on
April 14 from 11 am to 7 pm.
https://fortscott.biz/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/crumble-tandi-jackson-sells-to-Cara-Guthrie.jpg
More details about about the Thursday set up can be found on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/crumblecream.
To view a prior story on the Crumble and Cream Food Truck:
People line up at the Crumble and Cream food truck at the Tractor Supply Company parking lot in October 2021.
Some of the new flavors to try:
Easter Surprise (fudge filled sugar cookie topped with buttercream frosting and Cadbury eggs
Sugar Cookie
French Toast
Carmel Apple Pie
Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Roll
Milk Chocolate Chip
Maple Glazed Snickerdoodle
Dirt n Worms
Red Velvet White Chocolate
Monster Cookie
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter
Fort Scott, Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce

Downtown Clean Up Slated for April 22: Volunteers Needed

3 Comments
Judy and Jerry Witt paint benches on Skubitz Plaza for the Downtown Clean Up in 2021. Submitted photo.

The Downtown Division of the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Good Neighbor Action Team, is hosting their second Downtown Clean-up  which coincides with Earth Day, Friday, April 22, according to a press release.

The majority of the workers will be on task from 3 pm to 6 pm, but there will be different projects starting at different times throughout the day, an organizer said.

Submitted photo from the 2021 downtown clean up.

The board members of the Chamber and GNAT organizations have created a list of several areas of the downtown area that could benefit from some time and attention, according to the press release.

Volunteers will be striping, curbing and painting crosswalks, planting flowers at the north end of Main Street-with help from the Bourbon County Garden Club, washing storefront windows, creating temporary signage for vacant buildings, creating new murals, helping with alley clean-ups, trash pick up, and miscellaneous painting of tables.

“The Bourbon County Garden Club will be using their own tools, but the majority of tools (for projects) will be provided,”Rachel French, member of the Fort Scott Chamber’s Downtown Division, said.

“At this time we are not planning on closing any streets, but there will be certain areas of downtown that will be closed for parking,”  French said. “These areas will include part of National Ave. and Scott Ave.”

Submitted photo from the 2021 downtown clean up.

“Several community members asked us to do another downtown clean-up to prepare the area for several major events happening this spring, including the Big Kansas Road Trip in early May, Good Ol’ Days the first weekend of June, and the all-school reunion at the end of June. The downtown division quickly started planning the next clean-up and asked the Good Neighbor Action team to partner with them on this project,” Chamber Downtown Division Chairwoman Bailey Lyons said.

The Chamber’s Downtown Division held its first Downtown Clean-up in August of 2021, with over 250 volunteers in attendance.

“We are excited for this next clean-up because the first one was so well received by the community and made such a large impact quickly,” Lyons remarked.

Submitted photo from the 2021 downtown clean up.

Volunteers are needed to participate in the downtown clean-up, and can register to help at https://www.jotform.com/form/220906422828052.

“We are currently expecting 100 volunteers, but we could still use more,” French said.

MyOneStop, a downtown business that sells apparel, will be providing the volunteers with a free t-shirt for preregistering before April 19, through the above link.

“We have created a commemorative shirt for the event to thank the volunteers,” commented  French,  who is also president of MyOneStop.

Members of the Downtown Division of the Chamber include:

Lyons, owner of Lyons Realty, Chairwoman; John Crain, owner of Crain Insurance Agency; Sandra Davis, President of Davis Accounting;  French, President of MyOneStop; Lindsay Madison, President of Fort Scott Chamber; Angela Simon, Owner of Angie Dawn’s Boutique and Bids & Dibs; and Craig Campbell, Coordinator of the Good Neighbor Action Team.

 

 

 

 

Area News, Entertainment, Exercise, Youth

Getting More Kids On Bikes

Leave a comment
Submitted photo from NICA.

A state league mountain bike race will be in Fort Scott on April 23.

Kansas NICA is coming to Gunn Park Trails!

The primary goal of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is to get more kids on bikes, according to information from  NICA.  NICA provides opportunity for student athletes, 6th through the 12th grade, to compete in the growing sport of mountain biking, and develop the life-long skill of cycling.

Submitted photo from NICA.

Gunn Park will be closed April 23-24 to the Public

On April 24, Fort Scott’s wooded and hilly Gunn Park Trails will be one of the venues this year for the Kansas League of NICA.  Setup will begin on Saturday, April 23, and Gunn Park will be closed for the weekend except to spectators, volunteers, and obviously participants.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking IS for flatlanders too.

Mountain biking is synonymous with off-road biking/trail-riding, as opposed to paved or gravel trails.  As long as you have elevation, rocks and dirt, you can have a trail, according to information provided by Frank Halsey, who is the liaison between the race organizers and The City of Fort Scott.

Halsey is an avid mountain bike rider and hosts other local mountain bike races in Gunn Park during the year. He initiated the trails in the park and started the Gunn Park Trails organization several years ago.

He was contacted by Tina Kahn, Director for Kansas NICA, about eight weeks ago, for permission to host a mountain bike race on Gunn Park Trails. He approached the city commission about “this great opportunity to showcase our local trails as well as the awesome hospitality of Fort Scott,” Halsey said, and the city commission approved.

Submitted photo from NICA.

“To host this type of event is an honor for our team of volunteers and tremendous opportunity for Fort Scott”, said Halsey. “The whole thing is very, very organized, and follows a 200-page rules and regulations book produced by the NICA.  It’s kids, so they are ultra-careful about doing things safely and professionally”.

“It is quite the production,” he said.  “Their infield/staging area is awesome with vendor and sponsor tents set up, everything fenced off, creating a pro-sport atmosphere.  It’s all about the experience for the athletes.”

New Fort Scott Team Next Year?

“The nearest team is currently from the Pleasanton-Louisburg area, but I hope we can field a team next year,” Halsey said.  “There are currently about 140 (Kansas) student athletes, making up eleven different teams from across the state.”

Submitted photo from NICA.

To learn more about the Kansas league: https://www.kansasmtb.org/

NICA’s Kansas League is asking for 40-50 volunteers to help with the event and one can sign up here: https://signup.com/go/oFWBuyG

To learn more:

2020 NICA Dirt Tour – final

Submitted photo from NICA.