Loren and Regena Lance, owners of Mildred Store in Allen County. Submitted photo.
Loren and Regena Lance are contemplating duplicating what they have done to the Mildred Store in Allen County, in downtown Fort Scott. They have a grocery store in the town of Mildred, population 26.
See the end of this feature for how to give input to the Lance’s.
The Mildred Store in Mildred,KS, population 26.
“Loren and I purchased the Mildred Store six years ago this coming June,” Regena Lance said. “We purchased the existing store because we saw a community need. We have taken a store in the middle of basically nowhere and made it a hub to the community and developed it into a destination business.”
Produce offered by the Mildred Store. Submitted photo.
“We feel after nearly six years in business we have an idea of how to be competitive and provide a great service to our community,” she said. “We would hope to be able to duplicate this in Fort Scott, if we decide to pursue this opportunity.”
Mildred Store is known for sandwiches and live music that happens monthly.
Submitted photo of the Mildred Store.
” Several people from Fort Scott visit our Mildred Store, especially on the third Saturday of the month which is our ‘Music Night’ and had commented on how nice it would be to have a store like this in the downtown area of Fort Scott,” Regena said.
“After thinking it over and discussing it with employees of the city of Fort Scott, we have decided to give it further consideration,” she said.
Submitted photo of the Mildred Store.
“The situation in Fort Scott is similar to what we saw in Mildred,” Regena said. “There is a need in a community that could be fulfilled by a small store that stocks all the basic goods and a few specialty items. We are not trying to compete with any other existing businesses in Fort Scott just hoping to fill a void that has become apparent in the downtown area.”
Submitted photo of the Mildred Store.
Location
No location has been determined yet, she said, but the future grocery store would be in downtown Fort Scott.
When
“If we do decide to move forward with this venture we will be looking a late spring start up,” she said.
Submitted photo of the Mildred Store.
Community Input Sought
“We are looking for community input on what they would like to see in a future store, as far as staple goods, store hours and any other possible suggestions,” Regena said. ” We would like to invite anyone interested to come visit the Mildred Store to see how we could model a new store off of our existing one. Mildred Store is open seven days a week Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
“Music night is this Saturday night starting at 6:30 if anyone is interested in coming to see what’s happening in Mildred,” she said.
To comment ideas for staple goods and store hours, use the store’s Facebook page: Mildred Store or call the store at 620-439-5424.
Bryan and Barbara Ritter stand in front of the renovated area of the Broiler Room Brewhaus on Jan. 9.
Barbara Ritter, owner of Boiler Room Brewhaus at 2 S. National, has been extra busy since the new year began.
Her sister, Peggy, is a co-owner with Barbara and her husband, Bryan is the brewer.
Bryan and Barbara were doing the final touches of a recent reno last week.
Fort Scott’s first microbrewery is located on the busy corner of Wall Street and National Ave. The Ritter’s feature beer tastings, by the glass and take out.
Since having the business rebranded in the fall, they realized they needed to take some time to do some new things in the microbrewery.
They have expanded their tap selection.
“We are going to have six of our brews on at a time,” Barbara said. “We have been canning our beer since fall.”
They have been doing some decorative changes as well.
“Basically, we did a lot of painting,” Barbara said. “Walls, doors, vanities, tables…in nostalgic colors.”
Nostalgic colors were added to fit with the mid-century design of the building.The restroom vanity was painted.
Since the building was built in 1960, “we have added some elements from that time period,” to the decor, she said.
The Ritters are looking for vintage photos of the Downtowner Hotel, which now houses the microbrewery.
“If anyone has any vintage photos of the Downtowner or people, that they would be willing to share…to purchase or display,” Ritter said, please contact them at 913.636.4892 or 620-644-5032.
“This building was completed in February 1960,” she said.
A vintage photo of the Downtowner in the 1970s. Paul Milks found the photo and one of the Goodlander Hotel in the Bourbon County Genealogical Society library.The Boiler Room Brewhaus, 2 South National Avenue, Jan. 9, 2020.The Goodlander Hotel was the original building on the site. It was demolished for the construction of the Downtowner Hotel, Ritter said.
The Ritter’s moved their business to the new site at the corner of National Avenue and Wall Street on June 1, 2018.
The old logo is gone and has been replaced with nostalgic ones:
Barbara Ritter displays some of the new logos on the glasses, etc.
Taco night is each Thursday at the Boiler Room Brewhaus, catered by Crooner’s Lounge.Snacks and drinks are served each time the microbrewery is open.
Though the microbrewery doesn’t serve meals, they have menus from restaurants where people can order food and have it delivered or can bring it into the Brewhaus, she said.
“There is also a $5 taco bar catered by Crooner’s Lounge on Thursdays, $5 and you can eat all the tacos you want,” Barabara said.
They will also be offering some new appetizers.
Each Friday is karaoke from 7-9 p.m., and Sundays there are team trivia games from 5-7 p.m.
“We are looking to add a music bingo game, possibly on Saturday evenings,” she said. “We will try it once to see how it goes.”
“We are hoping to have musicians coming once a month,” she said. “There are three in the works so far for the next couple of months.”
Heather Fink did the lettering on the doors of the Boiler Room Brewhaus.
Currently, they have four part-time employees and two full-time.
“We are looking for one more part-time, one day a week,” she said. “Possibly an older employee with a good work ethic, who is looking for something to do.”
“We’ve had a really good year,” Barbara said. “Almost one-half of customers are new to Fort Scott. Fifty-one percent are local people.. We have a variety of people of all ages.”
“People say this is a cool little town,” she said. “This town has a lot to offer.”
Fort Scott Community College has been a part of the community for over 100 years and it is looking to help future generations find their career path.
“Even though we are in an era of declining enrollment in Kansas colleges and universities; I am very positive about the future of FSCC due to the fact we have great faculty and staff that make student learning and student success their mission,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said. “We are also extremely fortunate to have an incredibly supportive community and Board of Trustees, which is greatly appreciated.”
On January 13, the spring semester at the college began.
A recent 2019 Annual Report Centennial Edition gave glimpses of events throughout the years and named current offerings as well.
Thirty-seven fields of study are available to students: agriculture, art, biological science, business, certified medication aide, certified nurse aid, chemistry, computer science, construction trades, cosmetology, criminal justice, education, emergency medical technician, engineering, English, environmental water technology, farm and ranch management, Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Technology, heating-ventilation-air conditioning, history, home health aide, John Deere Technology, mathematics, manicuring, masonry, music, nursing, phlebotomy, physical education, physical science, physics, political science, psychology, sociology, speech, theater, and welding.
FSCC’s John Deere Progam has been recognized as a College of Tomorrow awardee by John Deere, Inc. The honor was earned because of program excellence, instructor development, internships, and facilities, according to the annual report.
The college marked 15 years in partnership with Harley-Davidson Motor Company. FSCC offers technician training in a hands-on Harley Davidson approved environment, equipping students with both knowledge and soft skills.
FSCC’s Nursing Program was ranked 2nd in Kansas because of its overall affordability and exemplary NCLEX pass rates after evaluating 36 nursing programs in the state.
In the college’s annual report, much has been accomplished in just the last year.
In 2019 FSCC initiated its eSports program, joining in a nation-wide growing collegiate sport: competitive video gaming. The FSCC eSports team helps students improve their gaming performance, social and leadership skills, according to the annual report.
Also, last year the college added onto the Burris Building, which gives FSCC agriculture program room for future growth.
Burris Hall on the campus of FSCC was expanded and the old section updated in 2019.
FSCC welcomed the new director of the Gordon Parks Museum,Kirk Sharp, after being a part of the Gordon Parks committee for over a decade. Kirk will work to advance the legacy and memory of visionary artist Gordon Parks.
Gordon Parks Museum Executive Director Kirk Sharp, center, looks over donated photos of the film “The Learning Tree” with onlookers during the Gordon Parks Celebration in Oct. 2019.
Sports Added
Women’s golf and track and field programs were added to the college in 2019.
New Board of Trustees Members
Two new board of trustees were elected in Nov. 2019: Dave Elliott and Kirk Hart. A third trustee Bill Meyer was selected to fill the vacancy of his wife, Liz, who died at the end of 2019.
2020
“The expectation for 2020 is to continue to meet the needs of our students, community, faculty, and staff, as well as all of our stakeholders,” FSCC President Alysia Johnston said.
FSCC retiree Carolyn Sinn, from left, and FSCC Centennial speaker Gina Shelton, help FSCC Class of 1941 graduate Esther Sewell cut the Centennial Celebration cake while President Alysia Johnston, along with centennial speakers Mark Muller, Marcel Normand and Jim Barrows watch in the background, in September 2019.
Some of the events in 2020 include:
Bailey Hall
The fundraising for the renovation of Bailey Hall at the college continues.
“We have a plan for Bailey Hall renovation with a price tag of around one million dollars,” Johnston said. “However, until we have more money we will not begin the project and we have no timeline for now. We hope to use the money donated by Mr. and Mrs. Bailey as seed money to receive more dollars.”
“All gifts would be greatly appreciated and people can contact our Chief Development Officer, Jeff Tadtman, 620 223-2700 ext. 5830 [email protected]”
Men’s Golf
The college will start a men’s golf program in August 2020.
Accreditation
“Accreditation is critical to the college as it allows us not only to ensure we are Title IV eligible (federal student financial aid), but we maintain high quality and transferable courses and programs,” Johnston said. “Accreditation is a peer-review, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. ”
“Accreditation also assists in the further improvement of the institutions or programs as related to resources invested, processes followed, and results achieved.”
” We will have our first Assurance Argument due this June under the Higher Learning Commissions (HLC) Open Pathway accreditation, and we have a committee that has been working on documentation and narrative for the Assurance Argument for at least a year.”
“We were fortunate to be placed in the Open Pathway accreditation model when we received our 10-year accreditation from HLC in 2016. The Open Pathway is a less prescriptive model for accreditation and allows us to determine our own path of continuous improvement.”
Nursing Program Evaluation
“The Nursing Program is scheduled for a comprehensive evaluation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN),” Johnston said. “ACEN is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) as a specialized accrediting agency for nursing education programs located in the United States and its territories.”
Lynne Oharah, District One Bourbon County Commissioner. Submitted photo
Bourbon County Commissioners are trying to close the gap in wages for its’ elected officials, according to chairman Lynne Oharah.
Recently the commission raised four elected officials earnings with a combined total of $46,000.
At the Dec. 17, 2019 county commission meeting Ohara made a motion to approve a salary resolution for elected officials effective Dec. 15, 2019, according to commission minutes. This raised the clerk and treasurer’s salary to $47,248 annually, the register of deeds to 44,821 and the sheriff’s salary to $60,000. Commissioner Jeff Fisher seconded and all commissioners approved.
Ohara then made a motion approving a wage resolution for Bourbon County employees changing the following: the salary for the correctional center captain, the emergency preparedness director and the deputy county appraiser were raised to $35,568 annually to comply with the U.S. Dept. Of Labor standards for salaried employees. A Maintenance 5 position was added at a rate of $17.47 per hour. Commissioner Nick Ruhl seconded and all were in favor of those changes. The economic development director’s salary was changed to $70,000 a year on the same resolution.
Jeff Fischer, District 2 Bourbon County Commissioner.
Ohara made a motion to approve changing her salary to $70,000. He said that if Bourbon County gets an administrative fee from Phase 2 of the Healthy Bourbon County Grant then part of the $70,000 salary would be subsidized from the grant, Fisher seconded this motion, Ruhl voted against this motion, and the motion passed.
Nick Ruhl, District 3 Bourbon County Commissioner.
The following is an interview with Bourbon County Commissioner Lynn Oharah.
He started with a history of the raises.
“In 2015, Sheriff Martin contracted an agency to do a wage study to compare Bourbon County wages with other comparable counties because he thought there was a large wage disparity between Bourbon County employees and other like counties,” Commissioner Oharah said. “The county commissioners also accessed Kansas county wage information from the ks.gov website. The results indicated that Bourbon County wages were significantly behind our peers. The commissioners resolved to address these wage disparities and devised a plan to increase FTE (Full Time equivalent) positions first and address the next positions that had the most wage disparity, which happened to be the elected officials. Along with this effort we wanted to incentivize employees to continue working for the county and we did this by approving a $100 per year of service longevity pay increase.”
Where did the money come from to give the raises?
“We gave four elected officials raises when combined totaled $46,000.00. This money came from most of the departments managing their budgets and workforce which created a carryover from the 2015 and forward budget years. These wage increases did not increase the mill levy and this carryover gave us the resources to create a competitive wage with our peers although Bourbon County wages are still on the low side.”
What is the justification for the doubling of the earnings of the Bourbon County Economic Development Director?
“This position was initially created to see how the position could help the county,” Oharah said. “It was created with a minimum of 20 hours of work per week at $35,000 annual salary and we would look at the performance and scope to see if we needed to increase the hours and wages.”
“Our economic developer has been a great asset and for the first six months spent a lot of time helping get the Bourbon County Ambulance Service up and running along with the other duties.”
“Since then all Bourbon County businesses and government entities have been contacted and surveyed to address their needs and identify what’s important to them. Also, new businesses have been guided through the process of starting a business, grants have been written, the County NRP program has been implemented and coordinated under economic development. Meetings and plans regarding healthcare are ongoing with economic development highly involved. This is just naming a few projects that are ongoing and the time spent well exceeds what was required.”
“Based on the need, the commission voted to increase the economic development salary and scope. The salary was based on what was being paid to other economic development directors in our surrounding market and the Bourbon County Economic Development budget is still lower than most of our competitive counties.”
“Bourbon County needs to grow and prosper and we cannot get there by doing the same thing that we have been doing for the last 100 years,” Oharah said.
The commission meets on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at the courthouse.
To contact Ohara: 620-223-3800, ext 110; Fisher at ext. 112 and Ruhl at ext. 111.
Dr. Katrina Burke, courtesy of Ascension Via Christi.
Dr. Katrina Burke’s first day at the new AscensionVia Christi Medical Clinic in downtown Fort Scott is Monday, Jan. 13.
She will be accepting new obstetrics and pediatric patients.
Burke will also see previous patients but is accepting no new adult patients, according to her receptionist Kristal Farmer.
Dr. Burke said that the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), her previous employer, did not send out letters, telling of the change to her patients when she left on Dec. 31. She had given CHC a 90 days notice of her intent to leave CHC/SEK.
Hours for the clinic, located at 109 S. Main (north of the Liberty Theater) are 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday.
Thursday afternoon she is out of the office, but is in the office in the morning, according to her receptionist.
To contact the office call 620-223-7008.
109 S.Main is the new location of Ascension Via Christi’s Medical Clinic in downtown Fort Scott. A new sign will be up soon.Ascension Via Christi employee Niki Bishir mans the desk of the new medical clinic on Jan. 9. She was temporary, while the employees were in an orientation meeting, she said.Dr. Katrina Burke has already added her personal touches to the new clinic: a hallway lined with a photo of her family and framed degrees she has earned during her career as a medical doctor.
New clinic employees are Farmer, Registered Nurse Rachel Judy, and Medical Assistant Chelsea Harrison.
For more information about the clinic, visit
viachristi.org/ftscott-clinic.
The Public Health Department, located on 6th Street, between Lowman and Horton Streets, Fort Scott.
“Parenting the Love and Logic Way”, a free parenting class, will be conducted by Jan and Dave Elliott, with class pre-registration beginning next week.
Jan and Dave Elliott. Submitted photo.
The Elliotts are independent facilitators of the curriculum.
Classes are presented in six sessions beginning Jan. 23 at 6:00 P.M. at the Health Department. Other sessions will be Jan. 30, February 6, February 13, February 20, and February 27.
There is no charge for participation in the sessions but space can be limited.
The new site for the health department is located at 524 S. Lowman St., 6th and Lowman Streets in Fort Scott.
Please pre-register at the health department by calling 620-223-4464. The deadline for sign up is Jan. 16th. The target audience is individuals that have children or take care of children.
The curriculum was developed by Jim Fay, Ph.D., and Foster W. Cline, M.D. of the Love and Logic Institute Inc. in Golden, Colorado.
“The goal of the program is to provide parents the opportunity to gain practical and proven tools for raising respectful, responsible, and happy children,” Alice Maffet, RN, said. “The program will teach responsibility and character, how to lower your stress level, have immediate and positive effects and up the odds that you will enjoy lifelong positive relationships with your children and grandchildren.”
Meaghan Russell meets with a student for lunch on Jan. 7 in the conference room at West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown. Russell is a school counselor and facilitator of the district’s mentoring program, TeamMates, that will be starting soon.
USD 235 staff have been working on the details of a mentoring program for the district’s students since August 2019.
On January 15, the school district will implement the program with training for mentors.
Mentors and mentees will meet during the student’s lunch period to eat and talk. There is a conference room available should the mentors/mentees want a little quieter space to talk.
Permission slips will be sent home with students for parents to agree to their child having a mentor.
“Once the forms come back signed, we will begin to match mentors with mentees, and the program will officially be up and running,” Meaghan Russell, one of the TeamMates USD 235 facilitators, said.
“We work with Michael McCambridge out of Greenbush (Education Service Center),” she said.
“We also have an advisory committee consisting of… Mike Reith (JH/HS principal), Vance Eden (elementary principal), Bret Howard (superintendent), Jeanne Camac (JH/, HS counselor), Marty DeWitt (Uniontown Baptist Church pastor), Chad Holt (banker), Sally Johnson (city clerk), Jeff Feagins (HS business teacher and pastor of Marmaton Church),” Russell said.
“The TeamMates Coordinators are out of Nebraska, and they will be here on January 15th to conduct the training,” she said.
The following is an interview with Russell:
What is the purpose of the program?
“The purpose of the program is to build interpersonal skills in our students by having them talk with an adult from the community at lunch once a week. This should not only help to build their communication skills, but also their confidence in talking with adults and having to get to know someone new.”
If one becomes a mentor, what are the expectations?
“Mentors must be 18 years of age, willing to provide three references, able to pass a background check, and willing to attend a one-time, two-hour training. After that, it just comes down to making the commitment to come and eat lunch with a student once a week. We are very much in need of mentors, so if you are someone that has a flexible lunchtime, and you could sit with a student for twenty to thirty minutes once a week, we would love to have you participate! Our students can easily keep you entertained as they are full of stories!”
Who is paying for the program?
“This year, the school has paid the initial fees to get this program started. That money covers the cost of the background checks, training, and all communication and support provided by the TeamMates coordinators and Greenbush.”
Initially, Third Through Fifth Grade
“The TeamMates program recommends third through twelfth grade have mentors and trying to get as many students matched as possible. This program is not intended for a certain demographic of students. Initially, the plan is to begin with third through fifth-grade students, but then add grades as the program grows and expands. Mentors will be matched with the same gender of students, and the matching will be based on interests and hobbies as much as possible. One of the aspects that makes this program special is that all communication between the student and the mentor is to be done through the school.”
Why start a mentoring program?
“When students leave our district, we want them to be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead for them. We may not know what they are going to face, but we do know that relationship will be a part of it. Any skills that they learn from talking with adults will definitely be beneficial to them in the long run. Also, from a social/emotional perspective, we want to ensure that all students have connections to people. Life has ups and downs, and it is nice to have a slightly larger circle of people to help listen to you in good times and in bad. The benefit of going through the TeamMates organization to start this program is that they have already completed the research to successfully implement this in different schools, and they are a great support system to help launch this here at USD 235.”
TeamMates Mentoring Program began in 1991 with the vision of the University of Nebraska Head Football Coach Tom Osborne and his wife Nancy. Osborne felt that the athletes in his program could make an impact on the middle school students, and twenty-two football players began meeting with middle school students in the Lincoln Public Schools. Of the 22 original mentees, 21 went on to graduate from high school while one left school early to pursue a successful Motocross career. Eighteen of the original mentees also obtained some form of post-secondary education.
The program has changed quite a bit since then. Now thousands of boys and girls across the Midwest are served, and mentors come from all walks of life. One thing, however, remains the same-mentors just have to be there. It’s that simple.
Dave Bruner, 46, is the new Fort Scott Fire Department Chief, effective Jan. 6, 2020.
Bruner has worked 25 years fulltime in the FSFD.
“He’s got all the training and certificates he needs for the position,” Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin, said of Bruner.
“I began with the department as a reserve firefighter in 1992,” he said. “I was hired full time in May of 1994. I was promoted to Lieutenant in 1999, then promoted to Deputy Chief in 2014.”
In addition to numerous firefighter, rescue, and fire officer certifications, Bruner is an Advanced EMT, and hold certifications as a Fire Investigator II, Certified Public Manager (CPM), and Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).
“I am a member of the MERGe team, Kansas Region VI EMS Council, Fire Marshal’s Association of Kansas, and the Kansas Chapter of International Association of Arson Investigators,” Bruner said.
Bruner received his Associates of Science from Fort Scott Community College in 1994 and also earned a Fire Science Degree from Hutchinson Community College.
He is following in his father’s footsteps.
” My father was a firefighter with the department for five years before taking a full-time position with the National Guard,” Bruner said. “After he left the department, he remained in close contact with many of the members. As a child, I would go to the fire station often with him to visit and over the years developed an interest in the fire service.”
For Bruner, the best thing in being a firefighter is helping people, he said.
Some of the challenges of the job?
“The constant changes in the fire service,” he said. “Changes from equipment, firefighting techniques, as well as rescue and EMS services will always be challenging.”
“The department has worked hard the past few years to update equipment,” he said. ” I want to continue that project in order to have the tools and equipment needed so that our department can continue to operate safely and effectively.”
Bruner has bee married to Michelle for 22 years and has a daughter Kylie, 21, and a son Dylan. 15.
“Michael Miles will be the new deputy chief,” Martin said. “We will find a replacement for Michael as a firefighter.”
A public program to start the Fort Scott Community College Centennial Celebration was one of speeches, a prayer and a song on Monday morning at the Ellis Arts Center on the campus.
Students, guests and the public were invited to hear the experiences of former students and teachers, then eat a quick hot dog lunch and some cake and cookies in celebration of the community college’s 100th year.
Speakers were FSCC President Alysia Johnston who welcomed the crowd and introduced Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson. Tyson then presented the college with a commendation from the Kansas Senate for its’ 100 years of serving the community.
The speakers at the Centennial Celebration were FSCC Vice President of Student Services Janet Fancher, retired FSCC instructor Jack Gilmore; Mark Muller, FSCC Class of 1979; Tyson; retired FSCC instructor Marcel Normand; Gina Findley Shelton, class of 1999; Jim Barrows, class of 1968 and Johnston. A letter read by Fancher from Esther Anne (Weeks) Sewell, class of 1941, who is 96 years old.
Additionally, FSCC Class of 2013 Taylor Bailey produced an introductory video, narrated by Tyler Covey, class of 2019. FSCC President’s Ambassador Hannah Reel led the flag salute and Dusty Drake, lead minister at Community Christian Church, said the closing prayer.
FSCC President Alysia Johnston, left, receives the commendation for the school of 100 years of continuous education in the county from Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson, right.The speakers at the Centennial Celebration from left: FSCC Vice President of Student Services Janet Fancher, retired FSCC instructor Jack Gilmore; Mark Muller, FSCC Class of 1979; Kansas Senator Caryn Tyson; retired FSCC instructor Marcel Normand; Gina Findley Shelton, class of 1999; Jim Barrows, class of 1968 and FSCC President Alysia Johnston. Not pictured is Esther Anne (Weeks) Sewell.
Following the program and lunch, the crowd was asked to stop by the tree planted in honor of the celebration near the front of the building, where a fly-by drone took an aerial photo of the group.
Some of the students, faculty and guests who stayed to be a part of the aerial picture taken by a drone, to commemorate the celebration.A tree was planted in front of the Ellis Arts Center in commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of FSCC.The plaque placed in front of the tree planted at the Ellis Art Center. John Bartelsmeyer, Kenny Blake and Stewart Gulager helped to provide the plaque to the college.
During the welcome FSCC President Alysia Johnston told the audience that the school was established in 1919 and is the oldest continuous public community college in Kansas.
FSCC President Alysia Johnston welcomes students, faculty, guests and the public to the Centennial Celebration program Monday morning at the Ellis Arts Center.
The school, established in 1919, was originally located at the Fort Scott High School building until 1967 when it moved to the 150-acre current site, and 200 students started classes. At this time, FSCC also began offering classes in Paola, according to information provided by the college.
In 1973 the administration building was completed and was later named the Dick Hedges Administration Building.
In 1982, Arnold Arena was completed, with one side a rodeo arena and the other a basketball gym, weight training area, athletic dressing rooms, classrooms, a computer lab and athletic offices. Arnold Arena just completed a renovation of the gym in Sept. 2019.
In 1986, the college acquired the cosmetology school from Pittsburg State University and N. Jack Burris Hall was completed in 1989.
A dormitory was opened in 2002 and named Chester Boileau Hall.
In 2004, FSCC purchased and renovated the former Sisters of Mercy Convent on Burke Street for the nursing program. Also in 2004, the college remodeled a wing of the former Miami
County Hospital in Paola, which then became the FSCC Miami County Campus.
The Gordon Park Museum and Center of Diversity also was established in 2004 at FSCC to honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, a photographer, writer, poet, musician and filmmaker.
The Danny And Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center was opened in 2009 which included a 600-seat theater, community meeting rooms, the Gordon Parks Museum the Kathy Ellis Academic Hall.
The Kansas National Guard Armory was purchased in 2010 and houses the John Deer technician program and the welding program.
The cosmetology department moved to a newly remodeled space in 2014 on campus and the rodeo program opened a new rodeo building.
This year, an addition to the Burris Hall which was provided by donations from the Chester Boileau and Lonnie Cleaver estates, opened with new offices, classrooms, bathrooms, and a trophy display area for the FSCC Livestock and Meat’s Judging Teams awards.
There will be a banquet on Sept. 20 as part of the continuing celebration, and a tailgate party with free food at the Greyhound Football Game, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
For more information: 620-223-2700.
Esther Sewell, FSCC Class of 1941 waits for other speakers to arrive for the cake cutting following the Centennial Celebration program Monday.
FSCC personnel feed students lunch following the program at the Ellis Art Center.
Students pick up a cool drink at the end of the food line. With temperatures in the 90s, the drink was welcomed.
This and following is memorabilia on display in the Ellis Art Center foyer for the Centennial Celebration.
There was a display case in the foyer of the Ellis Art Center with memorabilia from years past. Here, a band uniform designed by FSCC Band Instructor Ronda Bailey.
Ashlea Taylor, 29, is a new special education teacher at Winfield Scott Elementary School.
Taylor has taught pre-school children at Head Start 0-5 from September 2016-April 2019.
Her hometown is Phoenix, Arizona and she graduated from Pittsburg State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family, she said.
Is there someone who inspired you to teach?
“I have two aunts who are educators and I have always loved kids. Several family members have seen me with children and suggested it is where I belong.”
What is the best part of teaching for you?
“Learning each child’s individual way of learning and watching them experience breakthroughs in moments of doubt. “
Amber Toth, 42, was hired as the new principal of Fort Scott High School at the June 2019 USD 234 Board of Education meeting.
She has been assistant principal for one year at FSHS and has 18 years experience in education.
“When the district opened the position for high school principal, I applied in hopes of moving to the principal position,” she said. “After interviews were conducted, I was offered the position. The board of education approved my hiring at the June board meeting. “
The following is from an interview with Toth:
What is your education background?
“I have my Bachelor’s Degree in English Education from Pittsburg State University and my Masters in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University.”
Hometown: Caney, KS.
Family:
“I have been married for 18 years to my husband, Travis Toth. We have four children. Darby Toth is entering her second year of college at Missouri Western State University. Madison will be a senior this year. Trent is entering 8th grade and Kennedy is a 4th grader.”
What is the best part of the job for you?
“I love our kids. We have the most amazing students I have ever had the pleasure to serve. The best part of my job is being a servant leader. We have a wonderfully giving, hardworking and dedicated staff. I get to walk through the doors of a building I love, help students that I wouldn’t have been able to help staying in my classroom and work with adults who truly love the students in our building. I am blessed to be a part of this district, work with the parents we have, and watch the growth of students based upon that partnership.”
Any new responsibilities?
“As I move into this new position the biggest change will be in instructional leadership. While I had some of these duties as the assistant principal in the form of evaluation, it will be the center of my new role.”
Any challenges?
“The challenges at Fort Scott are the same as most schools. Students must be prepared for some type of schooling beyond high school. Changing the perception that high school graduation is the end goal can be difficult. But we know that students are most successful when they attend a vocational school, community college or a 4-year university. We have to ensure our students are prepared to be successful, regardless of the path they choose.”
Frank Halsey, the event organizer, hugs his grandson following a first place win in the 2018 kids’ race.
“The Marmaton Massacre Festival is rapidly approaching,” Frank Halsey event organizer said. “Once again I’d like to get the invitation out that Saturday evening entertainment is for our community. We would love to see locals come to enjoy the evening. ”
The event is held at Gunn Park on the west side of Fort Scott at 1001 Gunn Park Drive.
“The race part is important because it draws a lot of visitors to Fort Scott, but our real goal continues to be providing an evening of entertainment for visitors, as well as locals,” he said.
The Kansas State Mountain Bike Championship will be held Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
There is a free kid’s bike race at 5:30 p.m. for children under 10 years old.
A participant jam session will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, followed by a performance by Damaris Kunkler.
Sam and Louie’s Food Truck will be selling food.
Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy Gunn Park as a backdrop of this entertainment.
