








Good Ol’ Days, Bourbon County’s biggest festival, is a go for June 3-5, 2021.
Last year there was a celebration of the event’s 40 years planned, but the COVID-19 Pandemic shut it down.
“It’s always been an annual event, until last year,” Shawn O’Brien, chairman of the festival steering committee said.
“We got the news from the Southeast Kansas Multi-Health Department that we are approved to have the festival this year,” O’Brien said.
“Come out and walk Main Street,” O’Brien said. “We are looking forward to seeing everybody.”

New this year is a zipline, with more details to follow, O’Brien said.
“There will be a talent show on June 3, and the other activities are June 4-5,” he said.

Vendors will once again line Main Street for people to enjoy, along with food trucks.

The Red Garter Saloon will perform, along with balloon artists and caricature drawings on Main Street, all for free.
There will be the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce sponsored parade on Friday evening, June 4, as well as the Chicken Mary’s Meal on the Mall that evening.

The baby contest will be Saturday morning, June 5.

“We will have live entertainment on Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Heritage Pavilion (First and Main Street), featuring the Wayward Betty’s,” O’Brien said. “This is free to the public.”
Saturday at the Heritage Pavilion, Public Display of Affection, will be the featured performers, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Fun Shows Carnival will be set up across from Luther’s BBQ at Oak Street and National Avenue.

The Steering Committee
The committee is comprised of O’Brien as chairman, Kayla Hull, Melissa Wise, Charlotte Thompson, Cheryl VanHoecke, Tim Van Hoecke, Shaylynn Clements, Kelsey Demott, and Carl Brenner.
“We are excited,” O’Brien said. “We have waited two years.”
Tickets for each event will be available soon at the Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce, 231 E. Wall Street.

Applications for different events are on their website.
Check out the latest on the Fort Scott Good Ol’Days Facebook page and their websitehttp://fortscottgoodoldays.com

It’s official.
The former Price Chopper building on south Main will be developed for a new site of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Fort Scott.
CHC currently leases the former Mercy Hospital building at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.
“The sale has been finalized including an outparcel that was once being held for another development that didn’t materialize,” Krista Postai, CEO of CHC said. “So the entire building and parking lot is ours to develop.”
CHC paid $3,625,000 for the former grocery store that sits on the main thoroughfare of Fort Scott.

CHC Closing On Price Chopper Building April 9
“The outparcel was immediately off US 69, near the sign,” Postai said. “A very large chunk of the current parking lot.”
The future site is in a high-traffic area of Fort Scott, on U.S. Hwy. 69, with an address of 2322 S. Main Street.
The medical center will be making a large investment in the community.
“We estimate that when it’s all complete, we’ll have a $7 to $8 million investment including renovation and diagnostic equipment,” Postai said.
The project will be completed in less than two years, with the expiration of CHC’s current lease with Mercy ending in December 2022.
“We have less than two years to get it done so we’re jumping into the design phase,” Postai said.
CHC will be combining the clinic, walk-in care clinic and the pharmacy into the new development at 2322 S. Main.
“We did invite Via Christi Ascension to join us in this project but they indicated – very graciously – that they would need more time and were opting to remain in the existing Emergency Room in the Mercy Hospital Building (at 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.) which is still owned by the Mercy Health System.:
“As they requested, we will be donating back the land and helipad Mercy gave us behind the hospital for new construction now that we have the Price Chopper Building finalized,” she said.
The former Price Chopper tenant was there for two years.
Allergy Clinic Coming
Also new on the horizon is a regional allergy clinic CHC will be starting this summer, she said.
“We thought Ft. Scott would be a good location for access from throughout our north and south service area,” Postai said.



Ralph Carlson, Coordinator of the Concerts

“The Friday Night Concerts in the Park began after the Heritage Park Pavilion concept came out of the Community Visioning process back in 2007,” said Madison. “That’s when multiple key projects were conceived such as Riverfront Park, the Aquatic Center, Youth Activities Team, and the Good Neighbor Action Team. A large number of community members met several times during that period for ‘Community Conversations’ through a facilitated process with Public Square Communities and one outcome was to have a gathering park in Downtown Fort Scott where live music would be played often along with other events and activities.”
“Cheryl Adamson was on the team,” Carlson said of the original committee for concerts in the park. “Darlene and Jim Shoemaker were involved and it became my job to get the talent and coordinate the show. There were others, including the Manns.”
“Dean and Becky Mann, formerly of Fort Scott, were instrumental in designing and raising the funds needed for the pavilion and park area which included electricity and outlets needed for music equipment, benches, flower beds maintained by the Bourbon County Garden Club, and a beautiful clock donated by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry,” Madison said. “Many community members donated to the cost of the pavilion and those donors are recognized on plaques in the park area at 1st and Main in Downtown Fort Scott.”
“The Concerts have fallen under sponsorship of the Chamber since they began I believe, as the Chamber helps with organizing and promotion, and has helped with some equipment and other expenses needed in the past,” Madison said.

Her duties have included ‘just about everything!” she said. “I always said, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be an accountant, teacher, or do social work, and being a city clerk you do all that and more.”
“It’s not just sending out utility bills and answering the phone,” Harper said. “There are so many different aspects to the job. You work with the governing body, keep records, ordinances, accounting, utilities, human resources, reporting, court records, take citizen’s complaints -that’s a tough one-and anything else necessary to serve the community. I’ve learned that with the government you never learn everything and what you do, they change it. You have to do the best you can and accept you can’t please everyone.”
“Working in public service is challenging and sometimes you deal with adverse situations,” she said. “I enjoy meeting people and being part of helping the community on a local level, but I’ve also met many great people through the state agencies I’ve worked with and colleagues from other cities throughout the state. We have some great state organizations to help us grow personally and professionally and just be there to help each other out.”
Harper pursued her career because she needed a job, but it became so much more, she said.
“This was close to home while raising our children, but it became so much more,” Harper said. “I grew up here and I care about the community.”
Fort Scott City Clerk Diane Clay sent the news tip of Harper retiring.
” We both attended the Wichita State University City Clerk School and graduated together in 2003,” Clay said. “We have attended numerous city clerk functions and trainings together as well as many court clerk trainings. We have traveled together to many trainings and I enjoy her company.”



Jana Walker started the Facebook group, Buy Nothing Bourbon County, in August of 2020.
“When feeling I could not communicate well enough that this group is a reflection of Christ’s love in us and for us, I asked God that when I opened my Bible, I would find his words to express the reasoning behind and the heart of this group,” Walker said. “I opened my Bible blindly to, 1 Corinthians 4:1. It says, ‘Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.'”
“There were things in our home that we no longer wanted or needed, but there was not a local place to donate the items to, on a daily basis,” Walker said.
“When people are cleaning out their homes or purging most would rather not store their unwanted things for a garage sale once or twice a year,” she said. “We have such a throw-away society. This gives people an option to share their resources instead of tossing it in the trash or donating the items to a nearby community when there are people in Bourbon County who could benefit and appreciate the kindness from their friends and neighbors.”
“After realizing that there was a need and benefit for sharing with people in our county, it was only a matter of figuring out how to go about advertising and exchanging,” Walker said. “There are large followings on other local Facebook pages that are for buying and selling, and there are members who occasionally offer free items there, but why not promote this as only free items to really be a quick resource to meet the needs of both the givers and receivers?”
“This also gives community members the opportunity to ask if someone might have an item they are no longer using and might want to pass on, or even ask to borrow something,” she said.
Everything has value to someone, she found.
“Group members have shared joy through splitting plants and sharing new starts, listing a dining room table so now a family can sit together and enjoy a meal, home decor, used furniture, old magazines to be used for recipes or collages, children’s bikes, sports equipment, empty egg cartons for chicken owners, and so much more,” she said.
“No money may exchange hands in this group, and local free resources can be listed,” she said. “There are wonderful opportunities to both donate to and benefit from that we want the community to know about!”
“Most people exchange by porch pick up at their home, but each party can make their own arrangements according to their preference,” Walker said.
Members of this Facebook page have listed the following resources for the community, according to Walker.
A small free food pantry is located in a yard on 4th Street (underneath a willow tree) that one can give to or take from.
It has all kinds of donated non-perishable foods, she said.

The Washeteria, 5th Street and National Avenue accepts used clothing, washes them and people can ‘shop’ the clothing in the sheds at the business, Walker said. They are currently operating by appointment only. They request that you call ahead with requests and sizes. They prepare clothing in those sizes for you to go through at your appointment, and it is a totally free service they offer! The other option is they set out clothing of all sizes on the third Saturday of each month for people to come and ‘shop’ at their location.
They have adult, children, and baby sizes.

Bids and Dibs, 108 Scott Avenue, also accepts donations of gently used clothing and then sells them as regular stock, then the proceeds or credit for merchandise go to local groups, such as Care to Share, documented fire victims, the Beacon, and others, she said.
Fort Scott Compassionate Ministries assists community members in need of heaters, coats, hats, gloves, and blankets, Walker said.
Angel Gifts Facebook page was created in December 2020 to provide family adoptions for Christmas, she said.
“The people of Bourbon County are just amazing,” Walker said. “We are blessed to live in this community!”
Here are the rules for Buy Nothing Bourbon County





The manager’s job is to oversee operations such as ordering supplies, purchasing equipment, preparing and decorating the facility, Covey said.
“As a team, our Project Based Learning group worked together to accomplish all of the preparations to open a coffee shop,” Covey said.
” I think that the Eagles’ Nest opens up a multitude of opportunities to our high school and junior high students,” Covey said. “Not only do students get to enjoy a beverage that has not previously been offered to them at school, but students can sit down at the tables, visit, and hang out.”
“By opening up the coffee shop, we give students a calm environment that we can continue to utilize and grow in the future,” Covey said.
“The Eagles’ Nest project has also been a great learning experience to teach us the basics of running and operating a business,” Covey said.

The PBL presentations will take place on April 27 and 28 during the PBL period, he said.

Thursday, May 13 is the last full day of classes for all FSHS, including seniors.
Graduation is Saturday, May 15.
“Graduation is on May 15th at 8 p.m. at the FSHS Football Stadium,” Jeff DeLaTorre, activities director for FSHS, said. “There will also be baccalaureate in the FSHS gym at 4 p.m. “We are also working on details for a senior parade at 10 a.m. on the morning of the 15th. Nothing official yet but we will release details when they do become official.”
“At this time we plan on having full capacity at graduation,” he said. “Masks will be required and social distancing expected, but no other limitations at this time.”
“There will be a senior trip for seniors that choose to go on May 24th and 25th,” DeLaTorre said. “They will be traveling to Branson.”
“This school year has been challenging for everyone in the district,” he said. “But our teachers, staff, students, and community have done an outstanding job of following protocols and procedures to keep our distractions and interruptions to a minimum. We are looking forward to finishing this school year strong and hope to return to more of a normal school year next year!”


With city street improvements, comes a little inconvenience.
And the City of Fort Scott has two projects on National Avenue in the works.
National from 13th to Wall
A pavement preservation project began on April 13 and will continue through next week.
National Avenue from 13th Street to Wall Street will be affected by this project, with one lane open at all times, according to a City of Fort Scott press release. Each day, specific sections of the street will be targeted in an effort to mitigate the impact on local businesses.
“This project is being performed…by Proseal Asphalt Preservation,” Fort Scott City Manager Jeremy Frazier said.

He said the contract for this work was awarded in November 2020, prior to his arrival as the city manager.
The first phase is completed, phase two started yesterday.
“Proseal is currently prepping the cracks in the pavement by blowing them out with extremely high-pressure air blowers to address heavily damaged and cracked street areas.”
“On Thursday they will be going back through those same cracks starting at the bridge near the Marmaton River… but this time they will be blowing the cracks and then filling them immediately thereafter street (with) crack filling solution,” he said. “This will reduce further damage to the roads and extend the life of the streets. The debris will be blown to the side of the streets and the larger portions taken away.”
Friday, workers will finish what is needed from Thursday’s work.
“If the weather cooperates, it is expected that this process will conclude by Monday of next week,” Frazier said.
City employees will use the street sweeper to remove debris, Frazier said.
“City staff has reached out to the affected businesses along National to provide notices of the work to be performed,” Frazier said.
The cost of the second phase work was quoted to be roughly $38,000, Frazier said.
National From Hwy. 69 to 13th
A second project will begin in late spring 2021 for a mill and overlay project on National between 13th Street and Hwy 69, Frazier said.
“We received heavy rains a few weeks ago that resulted in the drastic deterioration of National (Avenue) near Hwy. 69,” Frazier said.
At an unrelated meeting with KDOT, Frazier mentioned this deterioration.
KDOT informed Frazier that there was a possibility of piggybacking on the mill and overlay work that was soon to begin on Hwy. 69 by Bettis Asphalt.
The news couldn’t have come at a better time, he said.
“After checking with the city attorney, and given the water-related damage that had occurred on National, coupled with the possibility of adding to a project currently underway, I felt that it was necessary to address the damage as quickly as possible,” Frazier said.
The city staff requested a bid from contractor Bettis Asphalt, to add National Avenue up to 13th Street from Hwy. 69 onto the existing project, he said.
The company was already going to pave a small portion of the entrance from Hwy. 69 onto National Avenue.
“It made sense to take advantage of this contractor’s presence for a few additional and recently damaged blocks,” Frazier said.
The quote was received on April 6, 2021, in the amount of $116,350.50 and presented to the Fort Scott City Commission for consideration and possible approval.
They approved the project and it is estimated that the project begins in late May or early June after the completion of the US-69 project, Frazier said.
“This project will consist of milling the existing asphalt over the bricks and the replacement of a 1.5” overlay on top of those bricks,” he said. “There is a possibility that in an effort to save or reduce project costs that the city may offer street sweeping services for cleanup during the project. Otherwise, this project would be completely executed by Bettis Asphalt.”
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Please contact City Hall at 620-223-0550 for questions.



“Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production,” according to https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture
Kenny works full-time on the farm, and Kerry works full-time as a hospice nurse in Fort Scott.

“1. Custom built raised beds to fit size, shape, location and budgets.2. Garden consults- we visit your site and provide input for the best possible outcomes. The first visit is always free of charge!3. Started plants- vegetables, herbs, wildflowers, decorative grasses.4. Fresh vegetables and herbs in season available at our self-serve plant stand. We also have a you-pick section in the garden if you want to pick your own.5. Rejuvenation of flower or vegetable beds that a grower already has in place.6. Raised bed rentals through our community garden program.7. Lawn mowing, maintenance, and clean-up.8. Custom raised meat chickens on request. We will raise and either deliver live birds to you or to the processor for butchering.”






The Johnson’s are looking at ways to expand and grow their brand, he said.
