Tag Archives: featured

Hobby Turned Into A Business For Carol Jones

Carol Jones. Submitted.
Crafting started out as a hobby and became a business for Carol Jones.
Jones began her Rainbow Unicorn Boutique business at a booth in a flea market in 2018 and opened a  storefront shop downtown this month at 5 E. Wall.
The Rainbow Unicorn Boutique is located at 5 E. Wall. Submitted photo.
“I make about 80 percent of all I sell,” Jones said.
Jewelry for sale at the Rainbow Unicorn Boutique. Submitted photo.
Jones works with many different mediums for her crafting, which focuses on custom jewelry and custom kitchen towels, she said.
Submitted photo.
She uses leather (both real and faux), natural stones, semi-precious stones, stainless steel and sterling silver.
Submitted photo.
Jones also offers classes or parties including painting and wire-wrapping crafts.
Submitted photo.
She also has Easter baskets for this time of year.
Her hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday.
She can be reached by phone at 904-609-8155.
Jones is a local girl who moved to the southern U.S. for a period, but returned home.
“Many people here probably knew my parents and grandparents,” she said.  “I grew up on a farm with a huge pond near Jayhawk Road. My mom was Carol Lawson-Winship, my uncle was Charles Lawson and my grandfather was Woodrow “Pete” Lawson who had a radiator shop in Belltown.”
“I moved to Tulsa (OK)and then Savannah (GA), lived there for about 30 years and moved back due to health and wanting to be near my family, (son-Josh Jones),” she said. “My other son Dustin lives in Jax, Florida. My daughter Kendria is still in Savannah, and my youngest daughter lives in California.  I have 11 grandkids and I love to travel. Cruising is my favorite.”

Motorcycle Service Shop Opens On National Avenue

Old 54 Cycles is located at 223 N. National Avenue. Submitted photo.

Motorcyclists in the community will now have some help with repairs.

Jesse Hazen spent the last eight years working for Harley-Davidson Motorcycles as a research and development mechanic.

Jesse Hazen is the owner-operator of Old 54 Cycles. Submitted photo.

“Before that, I was a race mechanic for an amateur racer in Phoenix,” Jesse said.

He recently opened a new motorcycle service shop at 223 N. National and is the owner-operator.

Old 54 Cycles is a full-service shop.

“I am Harley-Davidson, Yamaha and Suzuki certified, but can work on it all,” he said. ” We work on American V-twins, import motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATVs, and side-by-sides. We are in the process of getting part supplies. We can do anything from tire changes, services all the way to full builds.”

“Quality work, growth, and exposure are our number-one priorities,” Jesse said.

Business hours are Monday through Friday,  9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and closed on Sunday.

His cellphone number is 928-230-0642, and he is in the process of getting a business line, he said.
The business email is old54cycles@ gmail.com, and one can find it on Facebook and Instagram page that both are Old 54 Cycles.
“We are hosting a Chamber Coffee on April 1st,” he said. “Currently, we are planning a car and bike show for April 3rd. We also plan on trying to do other events, such as car and bike nights, benefit rides, etc.”
“My Wife Kaytlin is going to be my support at the shop,” Jesse said.  “She will be working a full-time job as well, so she might not be here all the time.”
Kaytlyn and Jesse Hazen. Submitted photo.

Request For Proposal: The Eagle Block Building This Evening

The Eagle Block building at 10-12 N. National Avenue. March 22, 2021.

The Fort Scott LandBank members will meet at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, at City Hall, 123 Main, in the City Commission meeting room to discuss a grant project with another local entity and also a request for bids for the Eagle Block building at 10-12 N. National Avenue.

There will be an update on the Eagle Block Building,  FS Landbank Manager AllysonTurvey, said.  “This discussion will include a request to go out for a Request For Proposal for the interior demo work.”

Allyson Turvey. Submitted photo.

“A request for proposal is a written request asking contractors to submit specifications and prices that fit the customer’s requirements”, according to Request for Proposal Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.

 

Also at this meeting, the members will have a presentation from the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, which has budgeted $4,000 for LandBank projects that tie in with HBCAT initiatives, according to Turvey.

 

Jody Hoener. Submitted photo.

“The HBCAT Board decided to include Landbank’s package in our Neighborhood and Physical Environment Pathway,” Jody Hoener, leader of the HBCAT, said. “We have allocated $4000 of our Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant Funds towards it.”

Hoener provided the following information from Pathways to Healthy Kansas:

 

“LAND BANK Focus Area & Pathway:

“Activity Summary: Land banks acquire, hold, manage, and develop problem properties (e.g., vacant lots, abandoned buildings, tax-foreclosed) property and transition them to productive uses such as affordable housing developments, community-focused commercial buildings, community gardens or green spaces.

“Land banks can also demolish abandoned or unsafe buildings.

“State and local governments can support land banks by allowing low or no-cost purchases of tax foreclosured property, clearing titles and/or forgiving back taxes, holding land tax-free, or negotiating property transfers that address community needs.

“Land banks are generally governmental entities created and managed at the local or regional level.

“Land banks policies can be adapted to prioritize projects of nutrition, physical activity and other health promoting activities.

“Activities could include building support for a policy, exploring options necessary to pass policy changes or further expanding land bank policy to include health and equity priority goals related to the health focus areas. Local governments would be required to implement one of the following tracks:

1) pass a new policy

2) improve or expand existing policy

3) enforce an existing policy.”

 

Although there will be a majority of the city commissioners present, no city commission business will be conducted, according to a press release from the City of Fort Scott.

 

The meeting will be made available via the city’s Youtube channel at the City of Fort Scott.

 

Fort Scott City Commissioners are a part of the Landbank members and include Josh Jones, Kevin Allen, Pete Allen, Randy Nichols, and Lindsay Watts. Additional members are Jim Harris-a Bourbon County Commissioner, who was selected to be Vice-Chairperson of the group; Turvey-who is also the Fort Scott Tourism and Community Development Manager and Susan Bancroft-Fort Scott Finance Director, who is the treasurer of the Landbank, and Gregg Motley-Director of the Bourbon County Economic Development Board, Inc.

Josh Jones was selected to be the chairperson of the group.

 

 

 

Fort Scott Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt March 27 at 10 a.m.

At the sound of the Fort Scott Fire Truck horn, children and parents in the pre-school division take off on the Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt in 2018.

An annual part of the ritual of spring is the Easter egg hunt.

This Saturday, March 27 at 10 a.m. that ritual in Fort Scott will be at Gunn Park, as in years past.  Ages for children who can participate are toddler through grade 5.

Parents can look for signs at the entrance of the park that will direct traffic to shelter house no. 2, which is located between the first and second lake.

The hunt is facilitated each year by the Fort Scott Kiwanis and support from the community.

“This event to me is our most fun event of the year,” Ralph Carlson, spokesman for Kiwanis, said. “To see  the excitement and joy on the faces of our children hunting Easter eggs and visiting with our Easter bunny is amazing.”

“I have been in the Kiwanis Club since 1969 and this Easter Egg Hunt was started before I became a member of the club,” Carlson said. ” Last year the hunt was at a later time of day so parents should pay attention to this earlier time of 10 a.m.”

“One might ask why we do this every year,” Carlson said.  “I am reminded of the 30 years or so the Fort Scott High School performed Handel’s Messiah at Easter time. We had a 500 voice choir, directed by Carl Clinesmith. The choir was so large that we performed from the elevated seating and the audience sat on the main floor facing the elevated seating.”

This, too, was an annual ritual for over 30 years, Carlson said.

“It’s a spring wake-up,” he said.

The Easter bunny,(aka Scott Flater) with friend Dan Meara in the 2009 egg hunt. Submitted photo.

Fort Scott Kiwanis has 27 members.

“The Kiwanis Club has help from our supporters, Big Sugar Lumber, Heidrick’s True Value, R and R equipment Inc., Don Spirits, Diehl Banwart and Bolton, Merle Humphrey, Fort Scott Cinema, Marsha’s Deli, McDonald’s, Dairy Queen, Papa Don’s, and Citizens Bank.”

Sponsors will be recognized at the egg hunt, he said.

“We could not do it without the dedicated and sustaining help from our friends,” Carlson said.

 

In 2018, the Easter bunny, portrayed by Carmen Flater, gets a little help from her husband, Scott, before appearing to the children.

 

Bailey Lyons Opens New Realty Business

Bailey Lyons. Submitted photo.

Bailey Lyons is a lady on the move.

 

“After more than three years as a realtor in Bourbon County, I decided to launch my own independent brokerage,” Lyons said. “It was a dream of mine to open…in my hometown.”

 

 

Lyon’s real estate business has grown over the years from repeat business and word-of-mouth introductions of friends, family, and neighbors, she said.

 

Lyons Realty Group’s new office is at 8 E. Wall St., in the recently restored Tribune Building. The office is part of the LaRoche family’s investment in the block of storefronts at Wall and National Avenue.

 

Katie Hueston is the business’s office administrator.

Katie Hueston. Credit photo: Facebook page of Lyons Realty Group.

 

“We invite you to stop in and visit anytime,” Lyons said. “Stay tuned for more details regarding a grand opening in the very near future.”

 

She can be reached via phone at (620)266-9448, or email at [email protected].

 

Born and raised in Fort Scott, Lyons values this community.

 

“Growing up in this wonderful community was a blessing,” she said. I want to see it grow, thrive, and evolve, and I love playing a small part in that. The many benefits of small-town, Midwest living is not lost on me, especially since I have chosen to raise my family here. It is a true joy to help people fall in love with our little gem, and allow other families to call this place home.”

 

“Up until I found my calling in real estate, I worked in banking and finance, a background that compliments real estate and one that I capitalize on to help my clients as they work through the loan process or contemplate financial decisions.”

 

“I care about giving clients sound advice they can trust and truly want the best for them,” she said.

 

She works with a team of professionals that include marketing, lenders, home inspectors, title companies, financial advisors, and attorneys.

 

Bailey and husband Nate reside in Fort Scott with their four children, Addison-19 years old, Jhett and Jaxon-7 , and Lute-3.

 

Lyons and her family have played an active role in the community and the new business will carry on that tradition, she said.

 

“At Lyons Realty Group, we want to give back to the community that supports us,” she said. “Our business wouldn’t exist without the support of this community. It’s our goal not to express in words how much we appreciate that support, but to display it in action and deed.”

 

She is dedicated to getting top dollar for clients while making the process “enjoyable, smooth and stress-free.”

 

“Buying or selling a home is a deeply personal endeavor,” she said. “Our clients deserve the full service and attention that only a team of experts can consistently provide.”

 

 

“Working with us, you will have personal attention, professionalism, honesty, integrity, and extremely hard work ethic,” she said.

 

Lyons said she loves what she does.

 

“I hope that shows,” she said. “I am sincerely grateful that I get to work with wonderful clients, in a wonderful community. It is truly an honor and a pleasure.”

 

Lyons attended The University of Kansas where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in both finance and accounting, as well as her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA).

She has worked in Tulsa and Kansas City but ultimately made her way back to Fort Scott.

Activity This Weekend

This weekend the new business is a part of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Lollipop Hop & Shop + Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest.

“Bring the kids and have them draw their dream house in front of Lyons Realty Group’s new downtown office,” she said.

“Put your name in for a drawing for a prize from us,” she said.  “And of course, don’t forget to snap a pic or two and tag us on Facebook at @lyonsrealtygrp and use the hashtag #lyonsrealtygroup. Chalk and lollipops are provided!”

 

Spring Pop Up Event: Lots of Goodies For Foodies

Two area food vendors are planning an event on March 27 at the Tractor Supply parking lot, on South Main Street in Fort Scott.

The Blue Spoon, Pittsburg, and Perry’s Pork Rinds, Bronson, are partnering for a second annual Spring Pop Up Event.

Blue Spoon

 

Christina Oberle and Brenda Davis are the owners of The Blue Spoon Food Truck. Submitted photo.
From left are Christina Oberle and Brenda Davis. Submitted photo.

The Blue Spoon is a food truck whose specialty is a variety of macaroni and cheese dishes and was created in Pittsburg, by Brenda Davis.

Davis began her food truck venture in July 2017.  Christina Oberle is a partner in the business.

“It became very well-liked and instead of a hobby it became a success,” Oberle said.

“The name (The Blue Spoon) just came to us… we thought and thought and thought,” Oberle said. “Brenda wanted to create a memory and have our customers walking away remembering who we are. With that, the Blue Spoon was formed and the logo created,” Oberle said.   “Every dish is served with a blue spoon… if the dish needs a fork, well it’ll be white.”

“We specialize in mac ‘n cheese (dishes)… all varieties,” Oberle said. “Plain to Chicken Mac, to Chops and Cheese, which is a grilled pork chop in a bowl of mac ‘ cheese, and soon to be released, Lobster Mac.”

The Lobster Mac and Cheese bowl. Submitted photo.

“We have a great variety, eleven flavors, at big events,” she said.  “We also serve fresh-cut fries, nachos, and funnel cakes. All with varieties… nothing plain Jane here, we even put it on a sandwich!”

Oberle lived a few years in Fort Scott, working at Lifetouch and Woods Grocery.

“I came to know a lot of people there and wanted to share our awesome food with Fort Scott,” Oberle said. “A few years ago we got into the Good ‘Ol Days and last year we were able to do the wonderful pop-up with Perry’s Pork Rinds! They are wonderful people and through this journey, we have had the great honor of meeting many entrepreneurs like them!”

The food truck is currently part-time, Oberle said.

“You just never know when this can become a full-time gig,” she said.

Perry’s Pork Rinds

Kelly and Thaddeus Perry are the owners of Perry’s Pork Rinds. Submitted photo.

Perry’s Pork Rinds is a family-owned business, with the husband and wife team of Thaddeus and Kelly Perry.

Perry’s Pork Rinds sold their rinds last year at the pop-up event. Submitted photo.

They make small-batch pork rinds in the following flavors:

Original, Spicy, Ranch, BBQ, Cinnamon Sugar, Chili Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream & Onion, Chili Lime, Garlic Parmesan, Shoe String Cracklings, Bacon Cheddar.

They recently expanded their business with a new product: fudge.

Chocolate walnut fudge. Submitted photo.
They can make up to 350 flavors but they feature chocolate walnut, chocolate fudge, birthday cake, and peanut butter.
Birthday cake fudge. Submitted photo.
“We use real cream and butter to make our fudge,” Kelly Perry said. “We pour them directly into containers and ship them nationwide and take them into the fairs and festivals.”

 

The cost for both rinds and fudge is  $8 for 8 oz.
Fudge is poured into individual containers to sell to customers. Submitted photo.
“The company that we actually bought into is the same company that is selling inside of Bass Pro shops and Ozark Land,” Kelly Perry said.  “We had to pay a hefty price for a custom kettle, as much as a small car!”

THRAMS Antiques, A Picker Family

From left: Tyler Ericson, Helen Bolling, Rayma Ridge, Amber Ericson, and Mandie Ericson. All “pickers” for THRAMS Antiques and Collectibles in Bronson. Submitted photo
Photo credits: THAM’s Antiques Facebook page.
THRAMS Antiques has been open in Bronson for about four months and was started by women because of their hobbies that turned into a business.
“We pick up antiques and furniture in our spare time,” Mandie Ericson, one of the pickers said. “This is a hobby that we started several years back and used the extra room at the Bronson Locker (same building and same family) to display our unique finds. We take passion in finding rare collectible antiques that can be repurposed and used in homes.”
According to https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Picker,

a picker is an early bird who hunts swap meets, estate sales, thrift stores, etc, and scoops up the good deals – often for resale in antique shops or on eBay.

“All antiques have a story to tell, and they become more valuable over time,” she said.  “It is our passion to make people happy and for people in our area to have the opportunity to shop for antiques and unique items.”
  “We find things (to sell)  through people selling on the marketplace and estate sales as well as people wanting us to buy from them directly,” said  Mandie Ericson.
The antique storefront is adjacent to the Bronson Locker, 504 Clay Street.
THRAM’s Antiques and Collectables is located next door to Bronson Locker in Bronson, KS. Photo credit: Facebook
“Helen Bolling is the owner of the Bronson Locker so we had room to open it in the old hardware building (adjacent to the Bronson Locker) and we think it’s a great addition to the town of Bronson,” said Mandie.
The name of the antique shop is THRAM’s Antiques, with the R for Rayma Ridge, recently added.
T is for Tyler Ericson, H is for Helen Bolling, R is for Rayma, A is for Amber Ericson, and M is for Mandie Ericson.
Helen and Mandie work at the Bronson Locker, while Amber Ericson, the main investor of the antique shop, is a 4th-grade teacher at Uniontown. Tyler Ericson is currently at Pittsburg  State University pursuing her degree in elementary education and Rayma works in insurance, helps at the locker when she can and has her own disc jockey business.
“Helen is Amber’s mom and Mandie and Tyler are Amber’s daughters-in-law and Rayma is my sister,” Mandie said. “I basically manage the Bronson locker so we take care of the antique shop through the locker while Amber teaches at school.”
Mandie and Helen work at the antique shop during the day while Rayma and Tyler help on weekends and Amber helps after school and weekends, Mandie said.
The antique store will be open every weekend in March on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Contact Amber (call or text) 620-363-1159 to schedule an appointment or with any questions regarding the store, according to their Facebook page.
Photo credit: THAM’s Antiques from their Facebook page.
“Our family has been collecting antiques for several years and really enjoy it,” Mandie said.  “We have very nice collectible items, household basics, as well as one-of-a-kind furniture for fantastic prices!”
Photo credit: THAM’s Antiques from their Facebook page.

Care To Share Has a Good Problem

Lavetta Simmons, middle, holds a Sharing Bucket with other supporters of the helping organization. Photo credit: Facebook.

A local helping organization has a good problem.

Too many people wanted to contribute to their upcoming garage sale.

They have worked to solve the problem.

Care to Share, a local helping organization for cancer patients and their families, is having two garage sales in the coming weeks.

“We have had many ask if they could add to our garage sale at 106 Washington when we posted it,” said Lavetta Simmons, secretary/treasurer of the group. “It was a full garage with the Marsh’s belongings. So, we have scheduled another one, and we invite anyone that would like to come to set up their own space to join us, and have their own sale and collect for their own sale, for a small donation to help cover rental expenses for the day.
Or, we will take your donations for Care To Share Cancer Support Group/The Sharing Bucket.”

The first garage sale is at 106 S. Washington, Fort Scott. Household items donated by Donnie and Barbara Marsh will be for sale.

The Marsh’s are Simmons in-laws who died recently.

“They were always involved with Care to Share,” Simmons said. “We’ve moved things into the garage, that the family is selling.”

The sale is scheduled for Saturday, March 27 from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Marsh garage doors open on the west side of the garage, in the alley.

“Miscellaneous items from Donnie and Barbara Marsh’s many years together,  with their wishes to donate to Care To Share Cancer Support Group to fill The Sharing Bucket,”  Simmons said.

Some of the items for sale at the Marsh garage sale to benefit Care To Share. Photo credit: Facebook.
Some of the items for sale at the Marsh sale to benefit Care to Share. Photo credit: Facebook.

The group is providing bags to fill with items, then you make an offer for the bag.

The second garage sale will be Saturday, April 10 from 8 a.m. to noon at Buck Run Community Center, located just east of the Fort Scott Aquatic Center on Main Street.

For more information contact. Lavetta Simmons-620-224-8070.

Care to Share office is housed at the CHC/SEK facility at 902 South Horton Street, across from Medicalodge. Photo Credit: Facebook.

The group has an office at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas facility on South Horton Street. CHC donated to office space to Care to Share. Housed in the space are wigs, bras, books, Ensure products, walkers and other personal items for cancer patients. One can meet by appointment to see the items.

 

GNAT Setting Up To Help Neighbors With Outside Projects

A Good Neighbor Action Team past project, before volunteers, worked on painting the house. From the Good Neighbor Action Team Facebook page.
After the GNAT volunteers painted the house. From the GNAT Facebook page.
Good Neighbor Action Team is gathering resources and also looking forward to helping people with projects in the community of Fort Scott.
 If a person is interested in serving on the committee, organizing a group of friends, co-workers, a civic club, relatives, or your neighborhood, contact Craig Campbell on the Good Neighbor Action Team Facebook page.
The first organizational meeting of the  2021 GNAT season is at 4 p.m. on March 18 at  Fort Scott City Hall.

“Clint Anderson, the Bourbon County Appraiser, will speak on the topic of GNAT projects and the impact on assessed valuations of the property,” Campbell said. “AndJeremy Frazier, Fort Scott City Manager, will speak on his experience with a similar organization in Cushing, OK.”

 

“I am willing to meet with citizens in small groups if unable to attend the first meeting on the 18th,” Campbell said.

Interested people are encouraged to attend the meeting.
Ideas will be discussed for this year’s projects.
 

For over a decade the Good Neighbor Action Team has been helping Fort Scottians with painting, helping rid yards of debris, building handicap ramps, and other needed projects.

 

The team provides help for those who are not able to do the job themselves.

 

 

GNAT has tried to handle the project workloads using the model of Habitat For Humanity, Campbell said.

 

Work project recipients are asked to provide family and friends to assist GNAT workers.

 

For example, if GNAT provides five people, the recipient will need to bring five people to help with the project, he said in the prior feature.

 

In addition,  proof of income is required with one of the following: income tax return, pay stubs from the last two paychecks, a Vision card or Healthwave card.

 

Logo from the Good Neighbor Action Team Facebook page.

 

 

Fort Scott Community College Rodeo March 12-14: YEE HAW!

The FSCC Rodeo is this weekend. Submitted photo.

The FSCC Spring Rodeo is from March 12-14, at the southern side of the college, located at 2108 S. Horton.

 

There are four hundred contestants from 20 colleges who will participate, said FSCC Assitant Rodeo Coach Caitlyn Wiswell.

 

Caitlyn Wiswell. Photo credit-FSCC.

 

Tickets go on sale on March 10 at 2 p.m. To secure a ticket contact the following number, 913-259-8453. Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Schedule of events:

  • Friday, March 12th:
    • 9 am- Slack, $5
    • 7:30 pm- Performance, $10

 

  • Saturday, March 13th:
    • 9 am- Slack, $5
    • 1 pm- Performance, $10
    • 7:30 pm- Performance,$10

 

  • Sunday, March 14th:
    • 1 pm- Short Go, the top ten in each event perform, $10.

 

Limited fan space is available with the FSCC COVID-19 regulations listed below.

Fort Scott Community College will allow spectators to attend athletic events up to 25% fan seating capacity.

 

  • FSCC students must present their student ID in order to attend the games.
  • All fans must wear masks for both indoor and outdoor venues.
  • There shall be no concession allowed.
  • No outside food or drinks allowed.
  • Every effort will be made to ensure a 6-ft area marked off separating the teams and participants from the spectators.
These are among the FSCC Rodeo Sponsors for 2021. Submitted photo.

Local Author Marti Wells-Smith Releases Book

The cover of Marti Wells-Smith’s new book. Submitted photos.

 

Marti Wells-Smith is not a stranger to pain and loss.

Her only child died an unexpected death in 2019.

A Fort Scottian for 18 years,  Wells-Smith has written a book that relays her innermost thoughts and emotions concerning her son’s death.

 

She hopes it will help someone else with loss.

 

“Lamentations of the Heart – Mingled with Peace and Joy, was recently published through MSI Press, and soulfully combines contemporary poetry with nonfictional prose to reach out to others who have experienced similar pain and loss,” she said in a press release.

 

Written from a Christian perspective, it is a book that provides comfort and hope in the healing process, she said.

 

 The book has true stories of people she has met both in Fort Scott and in other communities where she grew up and lived.

Wells-smith has a bachelor of arts degree in English and sociology from Pittsburg State University and has worked as a writer and in varied positions in radio, authoring numerous human interest stories, articles, and poems over the years, she said.

 

She has also worked in social services, and served on a variety of boards, including Shirley Yeager Animal Friends Foundation and Mother to Mother Ministries.

She assisted with crisis services, providing resources and support for individuals and families in need through Southeast Kansas Mental Health.

She continues to raise funds for Paws and Claws with a booth at the Treasure Hunt Flea Market in downtown Fort Scott.

The book is available locally and online.

Lamentations of the Heart is available at Hedgehog INK!, also in downtown Fort Scott, with a book signing to be announced in the near future.

The book is also available through MSI Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

The author can be reached at her website: martiwellssmith.com.

A poem from her book:

SADNESS, LEAVING
by Marti Wells-Smith
Grief, in time,
is but a gentle missing;
a breath of want
for those gone on,
for those held dear–
a fond desire to bring them closer;
a wish to draw them near.
Sadness transforms,
making way for tomorrow,
as we each choose what will follow
in the aftermath of sorrow.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Marti Wells-Smith. Submitted photos.

 

Knights of Columbus Fish Fry Is A Drive-Through This Year Through March 19

The men of Knights of Columbus Council #796 serve the Lenten meal in February 2020.

 

New this year because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the annual Knights of Columbus Fish Fry planned a drive-through pickup of the food served.

There are only two dates left for the event, both on Fridays from 5-6:30 p.m. March 12, and March 19.

Because of the pandemic, all the workers will be wearing masks and gloves to serve the meals.

But as in the past, it will be at 702 Holbrook,  at Kennedy Gym, which is a part of Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church.

 

The fish fry in 2016.

 

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic men’s organization, that has a “great tradition of fish fry’s nationwide,” Mark McCoy, spokesman for the group said.

 

The meal had to be simplified this year because it is a drive-through, McCoy said.

 

“Meal #1 will be catfish, french fries and coleslaw, Meal #2 is catfish, cod, fries, and coleslaw and Meal #3 is baked cod with fries and coleslaw,” McCoy said.

 

There will be no home-made desserts this year that have been provided by the ladies of the parish in past Lenten fish fry meals.

A row of homemade desserts lines tables at the Knights of Columbus  Lenten Fish Fry in February 2020 at Kennedy Gym.

Logistically, it would not work, McCoy said, since the drive-through was new this year.

The annual Lenten fish fry is also a community event where lots of conversations happen between attendees, McCoy said.

“We look forward to going back to sit down dining” in the future, he said.