Are you a deer hunter? Do you have land that you want to attract deer onto? If the answer is yes, then join us for an informational meeting on deer management for landowners.
Hi, this is Christopher Petty, Livestock Production and Forage Management Extension Agent for the Southwind District of K-State Research and Extension. I would like to invite you to attend this meeting on November 16, beginning with a meal at 6 p.m. at Coburn’s Kitchen in Stark, Kan.
The program will feature Kansas State University Extension Wildlife Specialist Charlie Lee, and will focus on habitat evaluation, food plots, feed supplements, diseases and antler growth.
A $10 fee payable to Colburn’s Kitchen will cover meals and materials. Space is limited, so call now to pre-register at the Southwind District – Erie Office at 620-244- 3826, that’s 620-244-3826.
USD 234 Director of Curriculum Nicki Traul, looks over a computer a student turned in.
Options.
Additional options are what Nicki Traul, USD 234 director of curriculum says is a good reason to offer school classes at home for students.
“Students for all reasons; medical, parent choice, multiple reasons find that a brick-and-mortar school isn’t for them,” Traul said. “High school isn’t a good fit for everyone.”
One example Traul gave is supporting a student who had surgery and wasn’t able to attend school, she said.
USD 234 started offering home-school options to junior and senior high students one year ago.
The school district initially looked at home-school options for students who failed a course and had to retake it, she said.
“I had worked at Greenbush (Southeast Kansas Education Service Center), and had a background in virtual learning,” Traul said.
But lest students think this is an easy way out of not having to attend classes at school, Traul says this option is not for everyone.
“You have to be disciplined,” she said. “You have to put in 30 hours per week and at least six classes…about the same as a brick-and-morter school. You can be truant if not putting hours into the school work. ”
“We meet with the student and parents,” Traul said. “I want them to fully understand it’s not easy. They have to be self-driven.”
During an initial orientation, students learn “all the ins and outs of the system,” she said.
Full-time students are provided with a computer on which to do assignments, with internet service to be provided by the student.
The computer is turned in at the end of the year, she said.
The district uses a state-approved system, Edgenuity, which has teachers instructing a lesson.
Edgenuity is a provider of K-12 online and blended learning solutions including online courses, credit recovery, intervention, and test preparation, according to its’ website.
The system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, she said.
Parents and students can meet with Traul at any point in the year.
A part of the program is letting students know if “they are on track or behind” in progress during the semester, she said.
Students must pay high school fees that other students are required to pay.
Funding for the initiative is from the U.S. Department of Education, rural and low-income school program.
Being wronged is never easy, no matter how menial the offense, because the chance to demonstrate our faith is always on the line. “I’m right, and you’re not” lurks like a caged animal desperate to escape. Because of my trust in Google Maps, I was in that cage last week.
Dave and I chose a four-star, Chinese restaurant—obviously so-ranked by starving reviewers– that, although eight miles out of the way, promised a grand buffet worth the drive. Clue one this wasn’t a popular restaurant was the lone car in the parking lot which, as it turned out, belonged to the hwc (hostess/waitress/cook). Multi-tasking at its finest. The menu wasn’t extensive—there was no buffet—but it had several chicken dishes, so I asked which ones had white meat. Simple question.
In her thick, Chinese accent, our hwc mentioned three, with General Tso being one. To avoid any language barrier, I spoke slowly. “General-Tso-is-white-meat?” She assured me it was. “Not-pressed- chicken-but- real-white-meat?” Yes, it was. Dave gave me his look which let me know I’d gone too far. In his opinion, we should not be fussy in a restaurant. Even if he asks for a hamburger well done and it arrives mooing and swatting flies, he won’t complain. If I, on the other hand, ask to speak to the management, he skedaddles for the bathroom.
While our entrees were being prepared, our hwc refilled three times the three sips we had drunk from our water glasses, brought Dave chopsticks and repeatedly asked if we would recommend the hot and sour soup to our friends. She was desperate and I felt sorry for her. I said I would.
But I won’t.
When our food arrived, Dave’s shrimp fried rice looked scrumptious. My “chicken” was a crusty shell encasing a pea-size portion of dark meat. DARK—white’s opposite. I munched on the two broccoli pieces and the rice, and because we were the only customers and our hwc was trying so hard, I opted to say nothing. I know. Shock! Shock! “Let the words of my mouthand the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” I’m sure I heard angels applauding. Or perhaps it was Dave.
No, it had to be angels.
When our check was presented and my chicken leftovers removed from the table, I was flabbergasted by what came next from our hwc: “Why you order General Tso since you say you like white meat? Next time you come, you need order white meat.” Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
While I decided if what my heart was meditating on should stay there or be uncaged, Dave hastily pulled out his wallet, paid the bill and reminded me that we were in a hurry. (We weren’t.) I knew I had a choice. I could be honest and help this poor lady not make the same mistake in the future with someone less loving, or I could make Dave happy and remain silent. I opted to please my husband. After all, it was a long ride home. Too, when it came down to it, it could have been worse.
At least my chicken wasn’t mooing and swatting flies.
Kenneth Don Cook, age 56, a resident of Fort Scott, died at his home Thursday, October 26, 2017.
He was born May 10, 1961, in Kansas City, Kan., the son of Don Cook and Linda Ingle Cook. He attended J.C. Harmon High School in Kansas City, Kan. He Married Debra J. Austin on December 31, 1998, in Randolph, Mo. Together Kenneth and Debra operated KDC Transportation. He loved to watch NHRA drag racing and working on cars and trucks. Kenneth loved spending time playing with his grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Debra, of the home; two sons, Stuart Lee Cook, Fulton, Kan., and Steven Louis Cook, Mound City, Kan.; four daughters, Stephanie Ann Pritchard Varner, Bartlesville, Okla., Jennifer Colleen Pritchard Bresee, Kirbyville, Mo., Jessica Joann Coolidge Wells, and Stephanie Lynn Cook Spangler, both of Fort Scott; his mother, Linda Ingle Main, Olathe, Kan.; grandmother, Regina Keeton Ingle; two sisters, Sandra “Sandy” Cook Mather, Olathe, Kan., Melissa “Missy” Cook Courtright, Gardner, Kan.; 17 grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his father; grandparents, Oliver L. Ingle, Minnie Belle Cook, and John Thomas Cook.
There was cremation. A celebration of life will be held 2 p.m. Monday, October 30, 2017, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until service time Monday at the chapel. Memorials are suggested to Kenneth Cook Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Boiler Room Brewhaus will be located in the Beaux Arts Center, 102 S. National.
Barbara and Bryan Ritter are turning a homebrew hobby into a business.
“Over the past year several people have mentioned that we should do this,” Barbara said. “We brew beer at home and enjoy it. So we decided to go for it.”
Barbara Ritter did research and found that microbreweries are opening in small historic towns, she said.
The Ritter’s are leasing the southwest corner of the Beaux Art Center’s basement from owners, Bobby and Denise Duncan.
“We envision that it will bring in people to Fort Scott,” she said. “They will see these old buildings and start putting money back into this amazing town. We see the brewery as bringing in new tourists.”
Bryan and Barbara Ritter hope to have a microbrewery open by years end.
Bryan Ritter will be the primary brewer.
“It will be craft beer, part of it from the water from Fort Scott Lake and the Marmaton River,” Bryan said. “The other part of the beer is grain and hops. Hops are what gives it flavor.”
The Ritters found a hops farm in Ottawa and other ingredients will be locally resourced, he said.
They will use honey from their farm in producing the beer, along with wildflowers, fruit, and nuts.
The Ritter’s have owned Black Dog Farm, near Garland, for five years.
So far in the process, city, county, and federal approval have been given the Ritters.
“The state has visited the premise,” Bryan said. “A few more things they need to receive from us. Then we can start the brewery.”
Because beer takes time to ferment, it will have to cook for a few months, he said.
“We are hoping around Christmas or New Years to be open,” Bryan said.
“Life has a positive and negative side. Happy people ignore the negative side” Bangambiki Habyarimana
One hundred seventy-five years ago, soldiers established a fort atop a bluff overlooking the Marmaton River. Its purpose was to keep peace on the frontier and to contain westward expansion. To patrol the frontier, the army stationed dragoon and infantry soldiers at Fort Scott. These soldiers faced the challenges of boredom, isolation, the uncertainty of life on the frontier and the vast distances involved in patrolling the region. Nevertheless, they found ways to celebrate life and to make the best of their situation. They remained vigilant in their duties yet took time out to enjoy dances, dinner parties, evening socials, and camaraderie. They found a reason to celebrate at Christmas time, the 4th of July, and other occasions. Although isolated on the frontier, they sought excellence as they built “the Crack Post of the Frontier.”
Fort Scott National Historic Site will celebrate its 175th anniversary by presenting its 36th annual Candlelight Tour. The theme for this year’s candlelight tour is Happiness Amid Hardship. The tour will feature five scenes from the 1840s at Fort Scott, the years that it was an active military fort. Traditionally, the site’s candlelight tour has been “ghosted,” meaning that the reenactors in the scene do not interact with or even recognize the people on the tour. This year, Fort Scott staff is changing things up so that there is some audience participation in most of the scenes. Visitors might join in dancing at the dragoon barracks, participate in an evening social at the officers’ quarters, or discuss at the sutler store the reasons why they are going to become Oregon pioneers.
During the candlelight tour, over 700 candle lanterns illuminate the site and over 100 reenactors bring the fort to life. This year’s tours will be offered December 1 and 2, 2017. Tours on December 1, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and go every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. On Saturday, December 2, the tours will run from 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Ticket sales begin on November 1. You can purchase tickets by calling 620-223-0310 or by coming to the visitor center at Fort Scott NHS. Be sure to get your tickets early for your choice of tour times as this event usually sells out. Tickets are $8.00 each and are non-refundable. Children 5 and under are free.
From November 1 to March 31, Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, will be open for its winter hours of operation from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For more information about the candlelight tour or other events at the site, call 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
Community Christian Church and Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene are partnering this year to produce “Halloween on Horton” on October 31.
“We are partnering to do advertising on social media about both churches doing something the same evening,” Paul Martin, children’s pastor at CCC, said.
“We thought, let’s promote it together,” Jeff Dillow, associate pastor at the Nazarene church, said.
The CCC event is from 5 to 8 p.m., the Nazarene event is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Halloween evening. Both the churches are located on Horton Street near Fort Scott Community College.
“This is the sixth year we’ve done it on-site,” Dillow said. “A small army gets involved that night.”
Susan Lemon heads up the Nazarene volunteers, Dillow said.
“We want to take the opportunity to let our community know we care about them and their families,” Dillow said.
The Nazarene Church will have their Trunk or Treat event in its parking lot, at the corner of 18th and Horton Streets.
Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, at the corner of 18th and Horton Streets.
Community Christian Church has been doing a Halloween event since Martin came, in the late 1990s.
Community Christian Church, across from Fort Scott Community College on Horton Street.
At first, they did a trick-or-treat event but when the church went through a fall sermon series in 2008, the event changed, he said.
“We were going through a fall series called 40 Days Of Community by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California,” Martin said. “We wanted to pull more people from the church to serve. We added more food and inflatables.” They changed the name of the event to Fall-O-Ween at this point.
The church staff and volunteers work with Martin each year to plan and facilitate the event.
“It’s an opportunity to love on the community and provide a safe place on Halloween evening,” Martin said.
“We would love to have people be a part of both events,” Dillow said. “You could easily fill a night of trick-or-treating between both.”
Check out the events on Facebook: Fort Scott Nazarene and Community Christian Church.
Submitted by Carla Nemecek, Southwind Extension District Director
All communities have difficulties viewing their surrounding as others – customers, visitors, potential residents and potential businesses – see them. Our views are skewed by over-familiarization, a lack of differing perspectives, expectations and a reluctance to be completely honest with our neighbors when dealing with difficult issues, such as the appearance of buildings, customer service and the maintenance of public facilities.
Next month, a group of volunteers from Iola will be traveling to Baldwin City, Kan., to participate in a program offered by K-State Research and Extension called “First Impressions.” Likewise, a team from Baldwin City will travel to Iola to gather their First Impressions of our city.
With First Impressions, a team of volunteers from other towns makes an unannounced visit to a participating community to explore its residential, retail and industrial areas, plus schools, government locations and points of interest. The idea is to take a look at a community with a fresh pair of eyes.
Whether in one’s own home or community, it’s easy to pass by something without thinking about how it looks to others. For the first-time visitor, is the drive into town welcoming? Is there something unique that may help draw people to shop? Does it strike them as a community they would like to return to? Sometimes strengths are taken for granted, and weaknesses are accepted as part of the norm.
First Impressions is an effort to strengthen Kansas communities and is made possible by a partnership started in 2015 between K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas PRIDE Program and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. Once completed, the assessment helps drive goal-setting and priorities for new development, plus identifies ways to strengthen community services.
What’s next? After the two visits, a K-State Research and Extension Specialist will compile the results from each team. Those findings will be shared locally in the form of a community meeting that will likely be conducted after the first of the year. Details will be shared through local media outlets to make the program available to anyone interested.
I look forward to facilitating and participating with the Iola Team and working with the City of Iola. However, readers should be know that this program is offered by K-State Research & Extension and open to any Kansas Community, regardless of size. If another town in Bourbon, Neosho or Allen County sees the benefit of First Impressions, please do not hesitate to contact me by calling Southwind Iola at 620-365-2242.
Deborah Diane Slivers, age 66, of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Sunday, October, 22, 2017, at the Promise Skilled Nursing Facility, Overland Park, Kan.
She was born on December 11, 1950, in Fort Scott, the daughter of Perry and Juanita Blake Roberts. Deborah worked in housekeeping for several nursing homes and hospitals in the area. She attended the Fort Scott Church of the Nazarene, and enjoyed crocheting.
Survivors include two sons; Harold Slivers and wife, Christina, of Branson, Mo., and Jason Silvers, of Walker, Mo., a brother, Weldon Roberts, of Fort Scott, Kan., three sisters, Rowena Jahansouz, of Fort Scott, Kan., Brenda Moser, of Joplin, Mo., and Rhonda Spears, of Fort Scott, Kan., and three grandchildren, Aubrey, Conner and Logan Slivers. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, James and Ronald Roberts, and a sister Linda Roberts.
A celebration of life for Deborah will be held at a later date.
Brenda Crystal Asbury, age 50, a resident of Redfield, Kan., passed away unexpectedly, Thursday, October 19, 2017, at the Mercy Hospital Emergency Room in Fort Scott, Kan.
Rev. Kevin Moyers will conduct funeral services at 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 25, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Private burial will take place in the Moline City Cemetery in Moline, Kan. Memorials are suggested to the Brenda Asbury Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Buck Run Community Center, 735 Scott Avenue, is the site for a baby shower Oct. 30 for new mothers.
New and/or expectant mothers are invited to the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Department baby shower from noon to 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30 at Buck Run Community Center’s gym.
Food, gifts, and prizes will be given out to the mothers attending the event.
Prizes to give away are a breast pump, a pack and play crib, and car seats, according to Alice Maffett, public nurse in the Bourbon County Health Department.
Gift bags for each participant and free health care resource materials will also be available.
In addition, healthy snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Kayla Tinsley, Mercy RN will speak about the hospital’s High 5 Program and the benefits of breastfeeding. Sergeant Tim Harper with the Fort Scott Police Department will speak on child passenger safety, and Accent Dental Clinic will present valuable information on the importance of oral hygiene during pregnancy during the event, said Angie Reinking, Outreach Specialist with United Healthcare Community Plan.
For more information contact the health department at 620-223-4464.
The event is provided by the SEK Multi-County Health Department, United Health Care Community Plan, and Mercy Hospital.
