Fort Scott, Kan. – Join a ranger for a walk back in time to the “Good’ Ol’ Days” Saturday, June 1, 2024. Programs and living history activities will be ongoing from 9:30 am – 3 pm. All activities are free and open to the public. To find out more, please contact the park at 620-223-0310.
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
9:30 a.m. – Artillery Demonstration/Discussion
10 a.m. – Ranger Guided Tour of the Fort
10 a.m. – Windy Hollow Folk Music (10-2)
11 a.m. – Artillery Demonstration/Discussion
1 p.m. – Ranger Guided Tour of the Fort
2 p.m. – Oklahoma Fancy Dancers (Native American Cultural Presentation)
Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, exhibit areas and visitor center are currently open Friday through Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Park grounds are open daily from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/fosc.
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce invites members and guests to a Chamber Coffee hosted by the Fort Scott Good Ol’ Days Committee, Thursday, May 30th at 8 a.m. on Skubitz Plaza, Downtown Fort Scott. Coffee, juice, and light refreshments will be served along with door prizes.
Shawn O’Brien, Chairman, and the Good Ol’ Days committee are excited to celebrate the 43rd Annual Good Ol’ Days festival with the theme of Where Our History Comes to Life.
Tickets are on sale at the Chamber of Commerce for the Good Ol’ Chicken Dinner with a deadline of Friday, May 31st at 12pm. Meal pick up will be behind the Lowell Milken Center on Friday the 31st from 4:30pm-6pm. The $10 ticket includes 2 pieces of chicken, 2 sides, bread, and a bottle of water. The Chamber is also taking entries for the Good Ol’ Days Parade planned for 6pm Friday, May 31st. The full schedule of events may be found on the festival website fortscottgoodoldays.com.
Chamber members and guests are invited to Chamber Coffee events each Thursday at 8 a.m. to network, make announcements, hear about happenings in the community as well as learn about the host business or organization.
People may have noticed the warning tape on the steps at Memorial Hall, located at Third Street and National Avenue.
The tape was put up last Tuesday, May 21, when city personnel noticed some of the mortar above the steps was coming off and felt it was unsafe for citizens to use the steps, according to Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin.
“The problem with Memorial Hall is the mortar on the top of the entryway is crumbling and pieces of it have been falling onto the stairway,” Matkin said. “There is nothing wrong with the stairs, we roped it off believing we do not want citizens to go into those entry doors and have something fall on them. It is strictly for the safety of our citizens.”
“We are going out for bids to get the area fixed,” he said.
The Good Ol’ Days Baby Contest WILL take place in Memorial Hall on Saturday, June 1. Citizens are asked to NOT use the front steps, but instead the doors on the north and south of the building, according to Shaw O’Brien, chairman of the steering committee.
Those who served their Country and died in the battle for freedom deserve every ounce of honor and respect we can give them. Audie Murphy’s classic war memoir, “To Hell and Back,” graphically paints the grim picture of war. In the book’s foreward, Tom Brokaw states that he had researched many WWII combat veterans and had never learned of anyone involved in so much up close and personal fighting as Audie Murphy. He was a courageous Texan warrior of valor who deeply cared about his fellow soldiers, their safety, and their united mission.
I’m embarrassed to confess that I didn’t know who Audie Murphy was until 2013. He was the most-decorated soldier of WWII. I didn’t know that — according to my heart, I thought it was my dad. And that’s the way every daughter should feel about her father’s exploits of military service.
Dad was in the thick of things (Battle of the Bulge cleanup, etc.) in Germany from 1944-46, so I’ve studied some of the famous campaigns in the European Theater. General George S. Patton wasn’t particularly loved by every soldier, nevertheless, he was gifted with a brilliant military mind. “Blood and Guts Patton” did the planning and his fighting men determined to bravely carry it out. He did what others said couldn’t be done.
It appears that Memorial Day is lost on the majority of Americans who are pursuing their dreams and enjoying their freedom. It’s not just a sunny holiday to celebrate the beginning of summer. It was no picnic to sleep in a foxhole in freezing weather and snow. Dad told me that there were no athiests in foxholes because everybody prayed and called on God. Some veterans survived the war and some didn’t. Civilians have no idea how bad it was — and I fear that many Americans don’t care. That makes me extremely sad.
I’m reminded of an old hymn entitled, “Lead Me to Calvary” with lyrics by Jennie Evelyn Hussey. “Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine Agony. Lest I forget Thy love for me, lead me to Calvary.” If we don’t remember on purpose the important highlights in life, the memory sadly fades through the years. Memorial Day is an annual opportunity to contemplate and honor our military loved ones and strangers for their ultimate sacrifice. Why do we, as a Nation, have to stand for what’s right and fight? Because that’s what Jesus did when He died on the cruel cross of Calvary. He willingly died and rose triumphantly so others could have an abundant life now and then live eternally with Him.
“Then He [God] will judge disputes between nations and settle arguments between many people. They will hammer their swords into plow blades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again” (Isaiah 2:4 GW). One day, firepower and military strategies won’t be needed. But until then, we owe a great debt to our military heroes who left behind a great Nation under God. What shall we do with our freedom? Let’s not take it for granted, squander it foolishly, nor live carelessly. Let‘s honor and respect the brave men and women who selflessly gave their lives for the benefit of others. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13 NLT).
The Key: Enjoy your freedom and give honor and respect to those who made it possible.
David Troutman, age 75, resident of Fort Scott, KS died Friday, May 24, 2024, at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, MO. Services for David Troutman will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main.
Joanna Woody, age 96, resident of Fort Scott, KS died Friday, May 24, 2024, at Guest Home Estates Fort Scott. Services for Joanna Woody will be announced by the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201
Southeast Kansas will send one project to the National History Day Championship in College Park, Maryland June 9-13. Two groups from the Bourbon County community attended the State National History Day Championships in Topeka in April.
The Fort Scott State Champion group who will compete at Nationals in June will present their performance project at 6 PM on May 28th at the Empress Event Center, 7 N Main, Fort Scott. A second group will also present their documentary that received third place at the state competition in June. This presentation will allow the students to practice sharing their projects and raise funds for their trip to College Park, MD. The community is invited to attend and support these students.
The following students are the State Champions and will be sharing their projects on June 1st:
Kenlee Eden, Blair Felt, and Kodie Wells from Fort Scott Christian Learning Center will participate in the Junior Group Performance category, coached by Megan Felt and Rachel Wells. Their project is entitled Tillie Anderson and Her Bicycle: the Picture of Free, Untrammeled Womanhood. Their project is a performance based on Tillie Anderson, one of the first professional female athletes. As the world champion cyclist from 1895-1902 Tillie Anderson was a turning point for women’s athletics, fashion, exercise, and freedom.
Charlee Wells and Hadley Wells from Fort Scott Christian Learning Center participated in the Junior Group Documentary category at the State National History Day competition, coached by Rachel Wells. Their project is titled Etching Voices: A Turning Point in the Recording and Music Industry. The documentary is based on the inventions of Emile Berliner specifically the impact of the gramophone. Due to the invention of the gramophone, recordings and music were made more accessible to all people which would revolutionize the mass production of music.
History Day encourages students to express their knowledge of and interest in history through creative and original dramatic performances, media presentations, historical papers, website design, or three-dimensional exhibit projects. The research and study for district, state, and national competitions take place throughout the entire school year.
The national competition involves the top 2,800 students from across the nation, chosen from over 800,000 who compete in order to advance from local to state to national competition. All 50 states and several countries will be represented at the National competition. The theme this year is “Turning Points in History.”
The Lowell Milken Center provides critiques and helps with research for National History Day Unsung Hero projects from Kansas and throughout the United States.
At the invitation of Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Nickelson Lee Davis of Fort Scott High School, son of Jason and Nicole Davis, was selected to attend the 41st Annual Governor’s Scholars Awards Program on May 5, 2024, in Topeka.
The recognition ceremony honors the top academic one-percent of Kansas high school seniors. Scholars are selected from accredited public and private schools in the state.
“These high school seniors have shown dedication in their studies and a commitment to learning. They’ve earned this honor, and I want to congratulate them on this achievement,” Kelly said. “We also should recognize their families, teachers and mentors for helping these outstanding students achieve their academic goals.”
This program is coordinated for the governor by the Confidence in Kansas Public Education Task Force, which was formed 41 years ago to strengthen confidence in public education. The following organizations are members of the task force: American Association of University Women, Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas Congress of Parents and Teachers, Kansas State Department of Education, Kansas State High School Activities Association, Kansas National Education Association, Kansas League of Women Voters and United School Administrators of Kansas.
As a distinguished Kansas Governor’s Scholar, Davis was given the opportunity to recognize an exceptional educator in his life with a Teacher of Influence certificate. Davis chose to recognize FSHS math teacher, Morgan Felt.
Davis is a 2024 graduate at FSHS and is attending the University of Kansas, School of Engineering in August of 2024.
