Fort Scott, Kan. May. 21, 2025 – The Gordon Parks Museum extends its sincere gratitude to the Kansas Arts Commission for its generous and continued support. Our 2024 Annual Gordon Parks Celebration and the Martin Luther King Celebration that was held in January, 2025 were made possible in part by funding from the State of Kansas through the Kansas Arts Commission (a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
In addition to recent support through the 2024 General Support Grant, we are deeply appreciative of the Kansas Arts Commission’s dedication and investment in our mission over the years. Their ongoing commitment to promoting and sustaining the arts has played a vital role in the success of our events, programs, and initiatives.
The funding the museum received helped tremendously in presenting the 21st Annual Gordon Parks Celebration and this year’s Martin Luther King Celebration that took place in January, 2025. This vital support ensures that the legacy of Gordon Parks and the diverse stories and cultures of Kansas can be shared with audiences locally and nationally.
Full funding of the Kansas Arts Commission and the NEA is essential to sustaining the creative lifeblood of Kansas communities. Their support empowers museums, artists, and organizations across the state to thrive.
We are truly thankful for the Kansas Arts Commission and encourage others to stand with us in supporting the arts in Kansas.
Help support the arts through the NEA and the Kansas Arts Commission, because Kansas stories matter.
In the Zoning Meeting in Fulton on Tuesday night, I raised a concern that there seems to be a big difference between what two members of the committee (Brian Ashworth and Brian Wade) think zoning will accomplish. (See Two Brians, Two Views Of Zoning) It is very different for anyone to form any coherent opinion of zoning when the committee has polar opposite ideas of what it will actually do in Bourbon County. What I stated in the meeting was:
“Brian Ashworth said it won’t prevent anything, just make sure there are common-sense guidelines being followed. For example, with solar, it might require setbacks from neighboring buildings, EMS training, or fully funded decommissioning agreements. However, Brian Wade has said that zoning is the tool to keep landowners from leasing their land to solar companies. These are two very very different goals. Mr. Ashworth thinks zoning will be a scalpel to carefully shape the way landowners use their land, Mr. Wade thinks it is a sledgehammer that will dictate what can and can’t be done.”
When I said this, Mr. Wade shook his head as if I was misrepresenting him. I want to make sure I correctly represent him, so I went back to find the video. It is hard to hear because it was recorded on a cell phone, since at this point they were not streaming their meetings, so the mics at the table weren’t being used.
Here is what Mr. Wade said:
“ My neighbor hit me up this morning at the gas station. He lives in Linn County, and, uh, him and another partner farm a bunch around us and he said if it wasn’t for zoning in Linn County, he’d have 5,000 solar or 5,000 acres around their house off of 52 highway.”
My best understanding of his statement is that the land owners who wanted to lease their land for non-agricultural use (to solar companies) were stopped by the fact Linn County is zoned. The result of zoning wasn’t to simply require a certain amount of setback or a decommissioning agreement. It didn’t provide some type of”common-sense” guidelines. Instead, he seems to indicate that they were prohibited from using their land how they wished.
If you want zoning to be used as a tool to keep solar out as Mr.Wade said it did in Linn County, then you should be concerned by Mr. Ashcroft’s view that it won’t do that.
If you support zoning because you feel it will still let land owners do what they want with their land as long as they follow “common-sense guidelines,” then you should be concerned when Mr. Wade indicates it is the mechanism that prohibits certain land use.
The point in my statement on Tuesday was that, despite trying to understand what zoning would mean for Bourbon County, I have no basis for forming any logical opinion on the topic because I have no idea what it would mean for land use other than farming and cattle. Based on the differences between what members of the zoning advisory committe have said zoning will do, it appears I’m in good company.
Note: FortScott.biz publishes opinion pieces with a variety of perspectives. If you would like to share your opinion, please send a letter to [email protected].
Tornado sirens interrupted in the first 5 minutes and the meeting was paused and most audience members and staff moved to safety until the sirens stopped. The pause lasted about 10 minutes.
Despite further sirens going off the commissioners opted to continue the meeting.
The north wing, east side of the Bourbon County Courthouse.
Public Hearing for Vacation of Road
Alley between lot 3 and lot 4 for the sublot of block 8 in Hiattville, KS.
No public comments were made.
The commission approved the resolution for the vacation of the road in Hiattville.
Old Business
Budget Reminder
Commissioner Mika Milburn addressed the elected officials and county department heads, reminding them to get their very detailed budgets in to the County Clerk’s office by June 1, and “be ready to defend your budget down to the dollar.”
Work Sessions Reminder
Both the June 16th separation of landfill and public works work session and the June 23 camera work session will be held after the regularly scheduled commission meetings on those dates.
Landfill Separation
Commissioner David Beerbower read a statement after apologizing to the chairman and members of the board as well as those in attendance at the May 12 meeting for his failure to follow Robert’s Rules of Order and the disrespect he presented towards the chairman in bringing his motion forward in that meeting. The heated discussion between himself and three citizens failed to allow Chairman Commissioner Brandon Whisenhunt control of the meeting at that time.
He brought the issue back up during the May 19 meeting because the motion he made to table it last week was based on incorrect information he received regarding an email about landfill rates. Regarding cost analysis he acknowledged the importance of the budget as well as services the county offers. Higher costs of operation in the future are a possibility.
He said that on its own, the landfill would be its own priority, giving it more attention than it has had historically. This isn’t about punishing anyone or saving money. The 2025 budget is set.
He again moved that the landfill department be separated from public works, that the landfill be increased by one employee from the current public works roster, that the equipment currently used at the landfill, including the dozer that is sometimes used elsewhere in the county, be placed under the control of the landfill supervisor; that the landfill will operate under the approved 2025 budget and public works will operate under their remaining department budget and that any revenue generated by the landfill must be presented to the commission before being used.
“There is a work session that you’ve told all these people is going to happen and now you’re trying it again,” said Milburn. She refused to discuss the issue with a second to Beerbower’s motion.
Whisenhunt seconded the motion.
Milburn then read a statement that included the statement that landfill employees have said they don’t want raises until they can prove that the landfill can make money. She is concerned with the cost of the change. “You could lower the budget if you didn’t do all these things.” It’s going to cost a secretary, a mechanic, and one more employee. “So we want to spoil this department and make sure they take all this money because it can generate revenue, when really we don’t have to do that?”
She then asked for public comments on the issue.
Whisenhunt reiterated that the motion had been made and seconded before acknowledging an audience member that had been at the previous meeting.
Kevin Allen, who does a lot of hauling out to the landfill transfer station, included Clayton Miller whose family had been in trash hauling since 1987, and other local trash companies as people he was representing in his comments said, “There’s several of us that are really nervous as to where this would head.”
One of their concerns is the county looking at the transfer station [landfill] as a cash cow. He asked the commission if that was a correct assessment.
Beerbower said, “The only way the rates [for dumping at the transfer station] would be raised is if the rates are raised where we take it.”
Allen said he and the other trash haulers were excited about the commission having a work session that would compare numbers because of the potential to lower fees for county businesses who dump there if the numbers worked out, though he admitted that idea was “pie in the sky.”
Allen said that he and other trash haulers in the area are friends with the landfill employees and don’t want to create hostility with them by questioning practices at county meetings. “We don’t want to look at this as a big hostile environment either, and we’re not going to be treated any different than what we ever have been. I’m not going to allow that either.” He reminded the commission that they all are watching.
He said he would rather talk about this stuff with the commissioners outside of the meeting than have these kinds of discussions in a public forum, but his call wasn’t returned. Beerbower was recovering from surgery at the time of the call.
He asked them to do a P&L (profit and loss) analysis on the landfill for the last three years. Beerbower said he was willing to do that.
“You have a pretty luxurious way to run it because if at any given moment they need extra help, it’s a phone call away,” said Allen, when referring to the fact that the landfill transfer station is under the umbrella of the Public Works Department.
Whisenhunt said that the county charges $40 per ton for household trash, but then pays $33.70 per ton to dump it at the landfill in Allen County.
Whisenhunt also said that one of his goals for the county is to go beyond a transfer station and create a Bourbon County landfill.
Allen said, as a tax payer and business operator in Bourbon County, “I just want to be heard, I want to be respected…I don’t want to make hasty decisions…that’s why I’m here.” He then thanked the commission for listening.
Whisenhunt mentioned that he has regular, weekly conversations with the “county boss” who has said that the landfill is probably not ready yet to be apart from Public Works.
Milburn used information from Susan Walker, County Clerk, to say the county is spending more money by making this decision. She also had further information for Beerbower regarding non-elected personnel that would inform his decision.
They tabled the motion, then adjourned to a 10-minute executive session.
Jennifer Hawkins, Deputy County Clerk, then asked how the commission would handle the required $250,000 which the transfer station must have on hand by state mandate. Currently, Public Works has that money set aside in its budget. “That’s a significant chunk of Public Works’ budget that’s just in limbo that they can’t use to buy equipment or do any repairs or upgrades,” she said.
Allen spoke up and said that would be a great item to be worked over in a work session. Another audience member said he didn’t understand the rush and it looked to him like they were lying when the commission proposed a work session for June 16, but made a motion to go ahead with the separation today.
Johnson reminded the commission to follow the rules for a public meeting, but not a public forum.
Beerbower made the motion to withdraw his original motion to vote on the separation of the landfill from public works.
The Commission will not be meeting during Memorial Day week.
Public Comments for Items Not on the Agenda
Nick Graham addressed the commission, saying the last time he spoke with them was at the first meeting of the new commission in January. “That night I felt something I had not felt for a long time: hope.” He believed the toxicity he had seen pervading the county’s operations was coming to an end. However, he no longer believes that is the case. He says the county suffers from “grievance mentality.” He addressed the cause of Leroy Kruger’s resignation, saying he believed Kruger felt caught in the middle of the internal wars the various departments within the county have with each other.
He said he hates to bring this up with people he considers friends and has respect for, but he hates even more the fact that, “every time I encourage good people like Leroy and Dillon and Mika to serve this county it turns out that what I’m really asking them to do is jump head-first into a spirit-grinding toxic meat grinder. That has to stop. And now.”
FSCC asking for gravel
Milburn did the cost analysis and said it will cost the county $1305 to give FSCC the gravel they are requesting to improved the drive to the softball facilities being used for regional games. Bailey said he wouldn’t have time to do it if the storms increased the work the county needs to do on roads. She said it was at his discretion whether to do it or not and she wasn’t sure the county should spend the money, either. She didn’t want to tell him to do it in place of the work he needs to do on the roads.
Beerbower said he thinks that if Bailey can do it, he should do it. Whisenhunt said he already told Bailey to do it if he can.
Milburn said she wanted to see a motion to that effect. Whisenhunt made the motion, Milburn voted against, but it carried.
Dale Griffith
Griffith spoke to the commission, saying he’s seen a lot of talk that the county has paid a large amount due to non-representation of the board in litigation. As a tax payer, he asked why.
Johnson said they cannot speak about pending litigation.
Don George with Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks
George asked the commission if they wanted to apply for further grants for repair of the Elm Creek Lake Dam.
Whisenhunt said he would get information on numbers from Bailey and get back to George.
Concerned Citizen
Another audience member spoke with the commission, saying he agreed with Nick Graham. He then thanked the commissioners for serving, acknowledging how hard their job is, and reminding them to do what’s best for the people who elected them. He encouraged them to hang in there despite the difficulties. “It’s not pretty, but it’s not meant to be pretty. It’s politics.” He reminded them to keep their heads up and do the best they could, saying that he and several other citizens he knows appreciate their service.
New Business
KCAMP Memorandum
The memorandum speaks to the need for replacing roofs on the county building. KCAMP inspect the facilities annually and submits their assessment. The information will need to be kept in mind as the commission makes their budgets.
Commissioner Comments
Mika Milburn; apologized for getting heated during the landfill discussion. She has spent several weeks talking to department head and elected officials in an effort to get acclimated to the county and find out where she can best serve.
“My opinion: there’s a lack of respect for the tax payer,” she said.
She isn’t aligning herself with any other elected offices, but seeks to represent the best interests of the county. She said that no one in the county employ deserves to be making “the most money.”
“There are men and women that sign up to defend our nation every day and they are signing up to serve. We all signed up to serve our county in a different capacity but want to set here and bicker about what we deserve. Well if you ask me, we all deserve to be elected out for our displeasing behavior that we subject our electorate to, and I don’t want to hear any more about it. Right now we have an economic crisis in our county. Let’s not forget that we all signed on to serve the people of Bourbon County and not ourselves. And if anyone chooses to stay the course and keep on, I’ll do nothing, because your choices are yours and they are not a reflection on me and mine,” she concluded.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by Heidrick’s True Value, 1508 S. National Ave., this Thursday, May 20th at 8am. Coffee, juice, and refreshments will be served, and attendees may register to win a special drawing.
Heidrick’s True Value in Fort Scott will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this September, as the store opened in 1975 as a second location to Heidrick’s in Girard, established in 1947. Heidrick’s is locally owned by Dennis Heidrick, the 3rd generation to own the business, and the Fort Scott store is managed by Dennis’ sister, Nancy Hofer, with a team that is eager to assist with DIY home improvement projects, tools, hardware, equipment, appliances and more. Whether you are a pro or taking on a project for the first time, Heidrick’s is in the neighborhood with advice and products to get the job completed.
Heidrick’s currently has a wide variety of flowers, shrubs, mulch, pots, and everything needed for spring planting. Inside the store features Nancy’s gift corner with home decor, candles, collectibles, and more.
Contact the Chamber of Commerce at (620) 223-3566 for more information. Visit the Events Calendar and category of Chamber Coffees on fortscott.com for upcoming locations.
Click HERE for Heidrick’s True Value Facebook Page!
Thank you to our Chamber Champion members shown below…
The Fort Scott High School Tiger Drama Camp presents “The Rainbow Fish: An Undersea Adventure” by Austin Zumbro at 7 p.m. on May 30 and 31 at the FSHS Auditorium.
The camp is directed and designed by the FSHS Thespians and open to children going into 1st through 9th grades.
Based on the international bestseller and award-winning book, The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister, the play includes a wonderful message of friendship and belonging. According to Pioneer Drama Service, “These ‘denizens of the deep’ admire the famous Rainbow Fish, the most beautiful fish in all the ocean. But when Rainbow Fish refuses to share their vibrant, shimmering scales, the whole ocean seems to turn against the vain creature. Unhappy that no one adores them anymore, the Rainbow Fish seeks out the wise Octopus. Octopus helps the young fish learn that it’s far better to be admired for being kind than for being beautiful.”
The cast includes nearly 30 students from the surrounding area while 16 high school students serve as directors and technical crew. FSHS recent graduates Emi King and Cooper George serve as Directors and Thespians is directed by FSHS Theatre teacher Angie Bin.
Tickets are $5 and available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door. Tickets are reserved seating and doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.
“The Rainbow Fish” is produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado.”
At the commission meeting on April 7th, Commissioner Beerbower read a statement about zoning. FortScott.biz offered to run a copy of his written statement, but the written text was not provided. Below is a transcript of his statement taken from the recording with only light editing to make it easier to read. The recording is the authoritative version and can be found here.
I would like to take a few minutes to speak about zoning. I would like to clarify several statements I made last week. In last week’s announcement to a panel advisory board in reference to Bourbon County’s enacting of zoning regulations. Stating is not a matter of if we zone, but how we zone. I have read the postings and comments on facebook, received phone calls, phone messages and texts, don’t start jumpin’, John, there were only four of ‘em. I am a proponent of social media, and see it as a platform for practicing our first amendments rights. I encourage people to voice their opinions whether they are for or against, or on the fence about a subject. Communicating is a chief component to a compromise. No community of friends, family friends and neighbors will survive without compromise. Based on a few posts and comments, you would believe that zoning is a bad taboo. The reality is that the wrong people are using the negative stima, to further their personal agendas. Last week was, to say the least, very frustrating. I take the blame as I bumbled and stuttered my way through announcing our intent to enact zoning regulations on industrial development. The discussion of this agenda item turned into a free-for-all with too many people talking at once. Me included. At times this is a struggle as I become impatient and too eager to reply. Maybe the classroom rule of raising one’s hand is needed.
I welcome the public’s input on agenda items, but they should come at the end of the commissioners discussing them. I didn’t allow that to happen before I was finished presenting it. When people talk, listen completely. People, most people never listen. That’s Ernest Hemingway. Are we listening to what is being said, or are we just hearing what we believe we already know? I did say three times, it was not a matter of if we were going towards zoning, rather what will zoning look like. Let me explain how I came to this belief that we are moving toward zoning. The issue of zoning is a touchy subject. But, in response to one of the facebook comments, it’s not just about solar. Solar became, because of our present circumstances, is at the top of the list as why this county needs to be zoned.
All three commissioners, Krueger, Wisenhunt and I sworn in on January 13th, made zoning a part of our campaigns. Commissioner Krueger, prior to his resignation, took the lead on researching zoning regulations for the county to adopt. Chair, Chairman Wisenhunt, while serving in the previous commission, had asked Shane Walker to begin constructing a preliminary map established in all non incorporated areas as agricultural. Requiring any other industries to receive board of commissioner approval. This included discussion from both former commissioners, Clifton Beth and Jim Harris who recently reached out to me because they thought I had said the county staff had been assigned by the previous commission. They were not listening, or rather they were gossipers who told them or was not listening. Nothing has changed with Beth, who just wanted to argue. Ironically, it was the actions, rather inactions, of these two former commissioners, that we are even having this discussion.
After learning of the first set of solar agreements, signed November 13, 2023, without prior knowledge of the stakeholders, without any public notice of this industry’s intention to establish in Bourbon County, no public hearings, nothing total lack of transparency until the agreements were signed. This on the notion, that because of the county not being zoned, that landowners have total dominion over their property. Ignoring the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S.Constitution, and as affirmed by the United States Supreme court that sole dominion of one’s property comes with the responsibility not to interfere with their neighbor’s rights, to include not putting them at risk. This stance of no recourse was repeated to non-participating neighbors who came those the commissioners for help, after learning that these huge solar sites, uh, panels numbering in the hundreds of thousands would be coming to a field near them. Only to hear from this board that only if citizens had been for zoning, uh, referring to a group that opposed the wind turbines, three years prior. Doubling down, stating they had no authority, because we are not zoned.
Some of these sites would be near the neighboring houses, maybe even as close as twenty-five feet. A fun fact. I have not, I have heard of no participating landowner having panels close to their own homes. That’s point one of why I said it’s not a matter of if zoning is being implemented. Point two, the former commission, who in their attempt to appease this growing group of neighbors, and a changing public opinion, requiring them to take action, uh, point two, is about, was about a temporary moratorium in the paneling of an advisory board. A zoning recommendation by this committee was ignored although the recommendations was never really conveyed by the committee leader. The committee members that were committed to finding solutions, had recommended zoning as a tool needed to regulate industries wanting to establish in Bourbon County. Point three, also from the previous commission, and this should clarify questions, uh, that I had received as to why voters are not deciding the zoning issue. From the first neighbor addressing this previous board, the issue of zoning was used as a stall tactic. Gathering a petition was a wild goose chase telling them it could be placed on the ballot this last election for voters to decide on zoning. Only to learn that zoning is not a ballot measure, but a commission action. It makes me wonder their intentions all along. Were they just in support of a few landowners? Funny, how now I’m hearing how this new commission is enacting zoning to support just a few disgrunted neighbors, disgruntled neighbors.
We need to do what is right, and now we need to do what is right for the whole county. Ironically, this commission supports all stakeholders in this situation. The move to zoning, the pending litigation, neither is designed to stop this solar, these solar projects. What I have read on social media, viewed, in the past meetings and had one on one discussions, is that most people believe the negative statement about zoning. Landowners, farmers, and ranchers, especially generational families, are very passionate about their land. Protecting their land has been ingrained over decades from one generation to the next. Our mistrust in government is equally ingrained. This speech is a case study of how just a couple of members of government can divide a whole community. The purpose of government legislation is to preserve the health, safety and welfare of the people. Although this basic principle, that is lost in today’s political arena, I choose not to abandon it.
Zoning is the practice of local governments to regulate land use through ordinance for the preservation and economic growth, while aiming to protect public health, safety and welfare. Zoning laws are tools used to control land development, minimizing risks, hazards, and reducing adverse effects to preservation and conservation of the land. Zoning is widely accepted and is firmly rooted in the U.S,. juris prudence. Zoning in the United States, dates back to the late 1800’s but became widely used in the early part of the twentieth century. Kansas adopted the Standard Zoning Enabling Act in 1924. This allowed for local governments to create and enforce their own zoning ordinances, regulating land use within their jurisdictions. Oddly, interestingly is that the concept of zoning follows the period in American history referred to as the second industrial revolution which saw widespread urbanization in to large cities like Los Angeles and New York, causing overcrowding and poor living and working conditions, pollution, and other health and safety concerns.
Those that hold onto the out-dated ideology that zoning is somehow robs their freedom and right to do whatever they want on their land are short-sighted. The Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed homesteaders to purchase land from the Louisiana Purchase, including Kansas, had stipulations including the requirements to live on and cultivate the land for five years, build a home and make improvements before gaining full ownership. This was just the nuts and bolts of what the government was telling these future landowners to do.
Just like the industrial revolution of the early 1900’s, saw urbanization in America drawn away from rural communities to bigger cities, today’s industrial development looks to invade rural areas not for manpower, but for the land. Let me reiterate. It is not a matter of if we will zone, it is a matter of what zoning will look like. I believe zoning is a tool needed to help Bourbon County’s economic growth.
Thank you for listening this evening. I hope this gives a little more insight on this, on the issue of zoning in Bourbon County. I invite you to submit letters of interest to me on the zoning advisory panel. Also, I encourage you to participate in an upcoming public hearing to further discuss this issue of zoning. Thank you.
A camping trip to Quivira Scout Ranch in Sedan, Kansas, combined both troop groups. Back row left to right: Cody Dean, Xanderia Fowler, Brenda Iverson, and Aaron Finley. Front row: Max Petrillo, Charlie Hoffmeyer, and Xaviar Fowler. The picture was taken on October 6, 2024.
Local Scouts are working towards a monetary goal to go to camp.
Scouting Troop 114 will sell pancakes for $3 on Saturday, June 7, at the Fort Scott Farmers Market. The market is from 8 a.m. to noon and is located under the Downtown Pavilion on North National Avenue at Skubitz Plaza.
The Downtown Pavilion is at the corner of National Avenue and Old Fort Boulevard. The pavilion houses the Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, and Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
This is the Troop’s final fundraiser before summer camp, which is planned for June 15-21 at Camp Arrowhead, Marshfield, MO.
At the camp, the children work on earning merit badges, making friends, and “making memories,” said Mandi Widder, one of the troop leaders.
The Troop is divided into Troop B, the boys, and Troop G, the girls.
“It’s called Scouting America, it was the Boy Scouts, they changed their name,” Widder said. “Both boys and girls can join who are entering sixth grade through age 18 can join. We meet on Mondays at 6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. The leaders of the Girls Troop are Jeff Pommier and Amanda Widder, and the leaders of the Boys Troop is Brenda Iverson. Both troops are number 114. The kids are working hard on merit badges and earning their ranks from Scout rank to Eagle rank.”
First United Methodist Church at Third Street and National Avenue,
Key Apparel is seeking a motivated person to join our Embellishment Team as a Screen Printer. This position will work with screen printing, digital printing, and embroidery equipment and processes.As part of the Embellishment Team, you are responsible for embellishing uniforms, hats, outerwear, and other accessories.
A Screen Printer should have an eye for detail, be comfortable on their feet and moving product, be able to navigate graphic design software, and be able to create expertly designed prints that fully meet the customer’s expectations. You should have the ability to work efficiently while staying on top of multiple projects. Prior experience is not required, but a willingness and excitement to learn is!
Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Receiving work order jobs for Screen Printing.
Examining work orders to determine estimated printing times, ink, and material quantities.
Designing screen patterns according to customer specifications.
Selecting screen size, degreasing agents, and emulsion coatings.
Running prints and performing quality checks throughout the printing process.
Troubleshooting problems as they arise.
Drying, folding, and packing completed articles after the run.
Loading screen into printer.
Installing and repositioning screen printing plates and pressure roles.
Calibrating printer before batch is printed.
The ideal candidate must have:
Excellent hand-eye coordination.
Ability to manually operate large machinery.
Ability to work alone for long shifts.
High level of creative and artistic skills. Some graphic design experience is required.
Ability to stand for long periods.
Ability to work with ink and chemicals every day.
Compensation/Benefits:
Key offers competitive compensation, including a highly competitive benefits package.
Please submit your resume to: [email protected], or stop by and pick up an application at our offices located in the Industrial Park at 400 Marble Rd in Ft Scott.
We’re at a precarious crossroads here in Bourbon County, and if the public doesn’t start getting involved and speaking out, various internal battles that have been brewing behind the scenes for years threaten to boil over and turn our County into a permanent laughingstock. As such, despite thoroughly enjoying my vacation from local politics, I read an abbreviated version of the letter below during Public Comments at tonight’s County Commission meeting, fittingly right after a heated battle over who should control the landfill:
The last time I sat at this table was the first meeting of the new Commission, and that night I felt something I had not felt in a long time – hope. Hope that the toxicity that has plagued this County for years was over. Hope that, to be blunt, the dumpster fire our county had become was finally extinguished. I come before you tonight with a heavy heart, as it has become clear to me that that fire rages on, and that without fast intervention, the sickness that fuels that fire is going to turn this county into a place no one with any sense will want to serve, work for, or live in.
That sickness has a name, and that name is “grievance mentality”. Google defines grievance mentality as “a pattern of behavior where individuals persistently perceive themselves as unfairly treated, unjustly wronged, or as victims of external forces”.
Just over 20 years ago I first entered the world of local politics, and I watched up close as a man I worked with, a man who was a good and decent person, was eaten alive from the inside out by grievance mentality. With his grievance mentality came paranoia, an inflated sense of entitlement, and an insatiable desire to control EVERYTHING. By allowing this to fester, this man made not only himself miserable, but just about everyone around him.
20 years later, history is repeating in front of my eyes, only this time it’s not just one person I care about being consumed by this sickness, but many, and it’s not just affecting one city, but the entire county. I truly believe every controversy that has popped up since January in Bourbon County, from shock resignations to legal controversies to battles over who controls the landfill, can be traced back to grievance mentality.
A lot of people have questioned why Commissioner Kruger resigned so quickly. I don’t want to speak for him, but I will say this: I believe Leroy felt caught in the crossfire of the endless civil wars within this Courthouse, wars between the Clerk and IT offices and the Sheriff’s department, wars between factions within the Public Works Department, and I’m sure others I’m not even aware of. Basically, there are more offices fighting each other than not within our Courthouse walls, and it’s been that way for a long time. I believe Leroy felt like an island unto himself at this table, like he was the only one here who wasn’t trying to serve one side of these wars or the other, and I hate to say it, but I don’t think he was wrong. These things are easy to get sucked into for the uninitiated – grievance mentality also tends to breed manipulation. I would also like to note that I don’t operate on hearsay – as a courtesy, I sent Leroy this portion of my comments this past weekend, and he had no issue with me making them.
Prior to the Special Convention to replace Commissioner Kruger, I met with both Dillon Duffy and Mika Milburn to encourage them but also to warn them about the giant toxic mess they were walking into. I told them about the internal wars being waged, and that if they were chosen, they would likely end up feeling just as isolated as Leroy did, but that I believed help would arrive this coming January. To their credit, this didn’t deter either of them. Flash forward to this past Friday morning when I received an unexpected phone call from an audibly frustrated Commissioner Milburn. Her message was short and to the point: “Nick, you were right.”. That phone call ate at me all day, as it had the same tone and tenor as phone calls I used to receive from Commissioner Kruger. Guys, I hate doing this, I hate public speaking, and I hate that by speaking out, I will likely get several people I consider friends mad at me. But what I hate even more is that every time I encourage good people like Leroy, Dillon, and Mika to serve this County, it turns out that what I’m REALLY asking them to do is jump headfirst into a spirit crushing, toxic meat grinder. That has to stop, and stop now.
Now I don’t want to discount the fact that there were many very legitimate grievances made against each and every one of these warring departments by some of the previous occupants of this table, and I have no doubt those previous occupants enjoyed playing each side against the other. But those occupants are gone now, and just because a grievance is legitimate, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy to hold on to. It’s past time for everyone in this County to put the past in the past, put down their swords, their paranoia, their sense of entitlement, and their need to control, and bury the hatchet. If they don’t, grievance mentality will eat both them and this entire County alive from the inside out like a cancer.
In closing, I want to end on a hopeful note. I haven’t spoken to the man I mentioned earlier in 18 years, and quite honestly I’m not sure he would want to speak to me, but out of curiosity, I’ve followed his career in the time since. By letting go of grievance mentality and moving on from here, he thrived, having a lengthy tenure in Ottawa, and retiring just last year after a well received stint as the Interim City Manager of Topeka. He finished strong, and left a legacy to be proud of. I know many in our County government plan to retire from public service in the next few years, and I would encourage them to do the same – don’t let grievance mentality define your legacy here. Finish strong.
Nick Graham, Uniontown, KS
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