Fort Scott families and other individuals attended Stubby Day Saturday morning, celebrating Sergeant Stubby, one of the unsung heroes featured in the Lowell Milken Center and the most decorated military dog in United States history.

Families came with their canine friends as the center provided activities for both the pets and the children, including snacks, photo opportunities, a chance for the dogs to show off their tricks and face-painting by Fort Scott High School students.

Cathy Werling of the Lowell Milken Center told Sergeant Stubby’s story—how he was a stray discovered by a young man at Yale, and then was smuggled aboard a ship when the soldier was shipped overseas during World War I. Stubby assisted the soldiers by smelling poison gases in the air and even warning of German spies, being present for 17 battles before returning to the United States.

“Stubby was really a hero,” Werling told the children.

Local vendors and organizations such as Lee’s Paws and Claws were present, as was Jacy Jenkins, the director of outreach/partnerships for the Fun Academy Motion Studios, located in Columbus, Ga., in the United States with roots in Ireland, which is creating a movie about Stubby’s story.

Jenkins said Stubby’s tale is a captivating one because it starts with him as a stray dog who becomes a hero, an underdog story that can inspire children and families. With the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War I approaching, Jenkins said the movie will also be educational in sharing information about the often lesser known world war.

The movie is expected to be shown on 3,000 screens in North America with its release on April 13, 2018. Currently 400 animators are working on the movie in both Paris and Montreal, where the production of the CGI movie is being done.

“This is just getting started,” Jenkins said of Stubby’s story, which may soon include three movies.

The teaser trailer for the first movie can be seen here. Lead voice actors include Helena Bonham Carter, Logan Lerman and Gerard Depardieu. Patrick Doyle, popular for music score from movies such as Thor, Brave, the live-action Cinderella and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, will be the movie’s composer.

Almost 250 people participated in Fort Scott’s first Hit the Bricks Wine Stroll Friday night, as local and out-of-town wineries displayed their wares and gave samples to ticket-holders walking along downtown Fort Scott.

The event hosted not just wineries from other cities such as Overland Park, Topeka and Parsons, but also provided a venue for local artists to show and sell their art. Food vendors were also there. The evening also included live music with the weekly Friday night concert and ended with a performance by country artist Blane Howard.

About 135 people registered early while a steady stream of others purchased tickets that evening. Profits from the ticket sales benefited the Mercy Health Foundation of Fort Scott.

Submitted by the Fort Scott National Historic Site

Join in the fun at the Old Fort before it is time to go back to school. Fort Scott NHS announces its first-ever “Selfie” contest, going on now. You can win $50 just for snapping a picture of yourself at the Fort. Also coming up, the Fort is holding its second annual Scavenger Hunt; new and improved and twice as much fun as last year. The Scavenger Hunt takes place on Saturday, August 5 at 1 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the first and second place teams.

The Fort Scott NHS Youth Engagement Team has created a brand new “Selfie Station” on the second floor of the Dragoon barracks, complete with frontier era costumes. Using Instagram, take your selfie there in costume for a chance to win the 1st Place prize of $50. If dressing up isn’t your thing, you can still take a selfie anywhere on the Old Fort grounds without the costumes. Non-costume selfies are eligible to win a $25 prize. Either way, be sure to submit your selfie to Instagram, tag @fortscottnhs in the caption, and include the hashtag #fortscottselfiecontest2017. The winner of the Selfie Contest will be announced at the conclusion of the Scavenger Hunt on August 5, although winners do not need to be present to win.

Be sure to join in the exciting and family friendly Old Fort Scavenger Hunt as a last hurrah of summer. The Hunt will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 5, 2017. All participants are encouraged to show up 10 minutes early with their cell phone or camera. Contestants will be given a list of clues directing them to certain items that tell a story about the rich history of the site. Participants will then take photos of the corresponding items. The winning team/individual will receive a $50 gift card, with $25 awarded to the second place finishers.

This fun event is being hosted by the Youth Engagement Team at Fort Scott National Historic Site in partnership with the Friends of the Fort. Thanks go to the Friends of the Fort for sponsoring the prizes. Call the Fort, 620-223- 0310, with questions or for more information.

“Build a new playground at the Mercy of Frank Halsey”

Presented by The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team

Underwritten by Janet Irby Braun and Family

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, as part of Fort Scott Community Visioning, is sponsoring a community event on Saturday, August 19, at Liberty Theatre to honor local community champion, Frank Halsey, for his grass roots initiative to build mountain biking and hiking trails.  While not alone in his efforts, his leadership demonstrates how one person can be an agent of change, engage community members, and increase awareness of healthy lifestyle. Environmental challenges tend to be strongest in low-income communities and community perception results show that Bourbon County is no different.

In addition, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team has partnered with the Youth Activities Team to seek additional resources and construct a Multi-Sensory Playground that will be accessible by all youth, regardless of ability, and meet therapeutic needs for children with special needs. The children and families in our community could benefit from safe, inclusive, places to play. An inclusive recreation area is desperately needed in the Fort Scott area.

Currently we have families in our community who are forced to drive 45 miles to the nearest adaptive park. One of many families personally impacted is that of Matt and Cherie Witt, the parents of a 6-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder with significant sensory needs. They have shared their story:

We want to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves and explain why we believe an all-inclusive playground with adaptations for children with special needs would provide a much-needed asset to our community. Prior to the birth of our child and his subsequent diagnosis, we were not unsympathetic, but, nevertheless, highly uninformed of the vast number of children with special needs in our community and the lack of resources available to them. In the four years since our diagnosis, we have learned much and now realize to a far greater extent the struggles of parents of children with exceptionalities to find healthy and appropriate recreational activities for their children. Our children, much like their typically developing peers, want and need to simply have fun. There is no better environment for these children to thrive than playing alongside their typical peers. It is our understanding that this park would promote inclusion of all types of children with varying needs rather than separating them by ability or physical skill.  

Our home town of Fort Scott, Kan., is a small community with many children with special needs but few resources to engage them. As parents of a son with autism, we realize the financial burdens that come with the territory. Many times, parents feel pressure, and rightly so, to direct financial resources toward the many types of therapy our children require, leaving little for recreation. Furthermore, we have many low-income families dealing with these sorts of problems whose children do not have access to opportunities for fun activities. Moreover, Fort Scott has an exceptionally high rate of children with autism. For these young people, a means to meet sensory issues is essential for them to learn, develop and cope with life. An adaptive playground would serve children in each of these categories. We would love to see all these children laughing, playing and socializing the same as their typical peers.

Recent studies have shown that as a society, we tend to place disproportionate emphasis on academics over physical activity for very young children, much to their detriment. Many believe the result is a lack of social skills such as sharing and turn-taking and an increase in sensory issues. Active, free play is an invaluable learning experience. Maneuvering the environment with its variances in terrain and experiencing all the sights, sounds and feelings of the great outdoors fully engages the senses. These experiences may be even more important for children with special needs who, depending on their diagnosis, may already be at a social or physical disadvantage. A play area constructed with these children in mind, would give them a chance to spread their wings and strengthen their minds and bodies in ways otherwise impossible. 

There is no better investment than one in our youth. We believe that children with special needs can become active, responsible members of our community. We would love to see them benefit from a safe, friendly environment to promote the life skills they will need to live a productive life and have a little fun at the same time.

You can show your support and purchase your tax-deductible tickets online at fortscott.com or at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce 231 E. Wall Street Fort Scott, KS 66701. Ticket are $50 each.