Fort Scott National Historic Site Welcomes 200 New Citizens
Special Naturalization Ceremony
Fort Scott, Kan. – Friday, September 20, 2024, Fort Scott National Historic Site will host the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration services (USCIS) and the U.S. District Court, Kansas District, for a Special Naturalization Ceremony of 202 new citizens from 57 countries. Check-in for new citizens begins at 9 a.m. and the ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. The Honorable Teresa J. James, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of Kansas, will preside over the proceedings on the historic fort Parade Ground.
The ceremony features musical performances from the Fort Scott High School Orchestra, with welcoming remarks by Fort Scott National Historic Site Superintendent Jill Jaworski and Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin. A keynote address will be made by Angela Bates, founder, past president, and current executive director of the Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum.
There will be seating for the applicants, but additional seating will be limited. Friends, family, guests, and the public are highly encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets for seating. In case of rain or inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to Fort Scott’s Memorial Hall.
Fort Scott is the story of the growth of our nation, and its fight for freedom. On the same parade ground that the very first African Americans were brought into the Northern Armies to openly fight for their freedom and a better life, these new citizens are starting down their own path of freedom and a better life.
September 17 to 23, the nation observes Constitution Week. The commemoration honors both the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, (Constitution Day), an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day,” and Citizenship Day that began in 1952 based on a law signed by President Harry Truman,
Each year, USCIS celebrates the connection between the Constitution and citizenship by reflecting on what it means to be a citizen of the United States and holding special naturalization ceremonies across the country.
We encourage new citizens and guests to share their naturalization ceremony experiences and photos through social media, using the hashtags #NewUSCitizen #ConstitutionWeek, #FortScottNPS, and #FindYourPark.
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Fort Scott National Historic Site
1 Old Fort Blvd.
Fort Scott, Kansas, 66701
-NPS-
Credit Photo as: NPS Photo, Naturalization Ceremony at Fort Scott National Historic Site.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports Sept. 9
Auditions for Voices From the Grave Are Sept. 19
Bourbon County Community Theatre Announces Auditions for Voices from the Grave
Bourbon County Community Theatre is holding auditions for Voices from the Grave, an original production based on stories from Bourbon County’s history.
Auditions are 6-8 p.m. on Sept. 19 or 20 at the Ellis Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College. Those who audition must be age 14 or over and only need to attend one evening of auditions. Rehearsal times will be scheduled in small groups with the Director, Regen Wells.
Voices from the Grave takes place from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Riverfront Park in Fort Scott, KS. Guests will enjoy a guided walking tour of short acting vignettes centering around stories of murder and mayhem in Fort Scott. Scenes were written by the students in the Advanced Drama class at Fort Scott High School and are based off of stories from local author Brian Allen’s books about Fort Scott.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and are available from bcct.ludus.com in Fort Scott. Tour times must be pre-scheduled and run every 15 minutes. Parents must accompany children under the age of 14.
More information can be found on the Bourbon County Community Theatre Facebook page or by contacting Wells at 620-215-3510.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FUNDRAISER: Repair of Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS FUNDRAISER
To support repair/replace Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church
WHAT: Spaghetti and meat balls, salad, garlic bread,
dessert and drink. (Spaghetti with sauce only available)
WHEN: Friday, Sept 13th ,2024 5 PM to 6:30 PM
WHERE: Kennedy Gym located at 704 S. Holbrook
COST: Freewill Offering.
TO GO MEALS ARE $8.00 MINIMUM
EVERYONE WELCOME
100% of the proceeds will go to our Church Building Fund
Bad Baby Names by Carolyn Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
Bad Baby Names
Choosing your child’s name is one of the most-important responsibilities of parents. Children are stuck with their name (unless it’s legally changed) for the rest of their lives. Several years ago, the old-fashioned names were brought back, which was refreshing for something old to become new. All my aunts are now deceased, but here are their first names: Letha, Mildred, Pearl, Floy, Elva, Christine, Ruth, Velda, Delta, Theresa, Ila, and Pauline. I would probably cause parents to have great anxiety if their son married a woman named “Jezebel,” or if their daughter married a man whose name was “Judas Iscariot.”
Judas Iscariot was the greatest pretender. He appeared to be right on the outside (one of Jesus’ chosen twelve disciples) but he became full of darkness and evil on the inside. The other eleven disciples rubbed shoulders with him on a daily basis and didn’t know who he really was. Judas went his own risky way rather than following Jesus. He didn’t allow the light and love of Jesus to penetrate his grasping, greedy heart. He fooled everyone — except Jesus. The all-knowing Savior was not deceived when He spoke to His followers, “’But some of you do not believe Me.’ (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and He knew who would betray Him.)” (John 6:64 NLT).
Judas had a toxic love affair with money. It’s interesting to note that he was appointed treasurer for the disciples. He pretended to care about the poor, but he was actually covetous of the money spent on the expensive perfume used to anoint Jesus’ feet. Judas said, “’That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.’ Not that he cared for the poor — he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself” (John 12:4-6 NLT). Apparently, Judas would do anything for money because he became the archtraitor against God’s one and only Son. There’s nothing wrong with having plenty of money, but if the love of money takes precedence over loving God, we’ve got a big priority problem.
Jesus genuinely loved Judas even though He knew what Judas was going to do. Theologians agree that Judas must have been on the left side of Jesus at the table of The Last Supper. The position on the left of the host was the place of highest honor and reserved for the most-intimate friend. How amazing that, if Judas did occupy the seat of honor, it would have been at Jesus’ invitation to do so. Jesus extended His unfailing love, mercy, and grace to Judas right up to the very last minute. Scripture states that, “When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him” (John 13:27 NLT). Regrettably, Judas had yielded to the evil thoughts in his soul and opened the door to the devil. And Satan hit the doorway with destroying power like an EF5 tornado.
Judas pretended to love Jesus. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he approached the Son of God and betrayed him with a kiss from hell. Jesus then said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” (Matthew 26:50 NKJV). The reason Judas was able to do these appalling things was because he only knew about Jesus, he never really knew Jesus. I wonder if he would have dropped out of the discipleship classes if he’d not been the treasurer. He later regretted his act of betrayal, however, he did not repent. Sadly, Judas Iscariot didn’t know Jesus well enough to understand that he could ask to be forgiven and receive it.
The Key: No matter what bad things you’ve done, you can be forgiven. Just ask Jesus.
Agenda for the Bourbon County Commission on September 9
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Brandon Whisenhunt
1st District Commissioner
Jim Harris, Chairman
2nd District Commissioner
Clifton Beth
3rd District Commissioner
Bourbon County Commission Agenda 210 S. National Ave.
Fort Scott, KS 66701
September 9, 2024 5:30 p.m.
- Call Meeting to Order
- Flag Salute
- Approval of Consent Agenda
- Approval of Minutes from 8/26/2024 and 8/30/2024
- Approval of Payroll Totaling $292,060.51
- Approval of Accounts Payable Totaling $568,222.20
- Approval of July Financials
- Public Comments
- David Saker/Casey Johnson/Greg Post-Towing Policy
- Department Updates
- Public Works
- Matt Quick-Sanitation
- Work Session Regarding Solar Panel Setbacks
- Commission Comments
- Adjourn Meeting
Executive Session Justifications:
KSA 75-4319 (b)(1) to discuss personnel matters of individual nonelected personnel to protect their privacy.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(2) for consultation with an attorney for the public body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the
attorney-client relationship.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(3) to discuss matters relating to employer/employee negotiations whether or not in consultation with the
representative(s) of the body or agency.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(4) to discuss data relating to financial affairs or trade secrets of corporations, partnerships, trust and individual proprietorships
KSA 75-4319 (b)(6) for the preliminary discussion of the acquisition of real property.
KSA 75-4319 (b)(12) to discuss matters relating to the security measures, if the discussion of such matters at an open meeting
would jeopardize such security measures.
Parents: Help Your Kids Have a Healthy Relationship with Social Media
Social media brings both advantages and drawbacks, with particular concerns for young people. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy highlights in his Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health that children aged 10 to 19 are in a critical stage of brain development. During this time, their sense of identity and self-worth is still developing. They are also more emotionally sensitive, prone to peer pressure, and likely to engage in risky behaviors they might otherwise avoid.
More research is needed to see if social media is the direct cause of mental health issues but we shouldn’t ignore the correlations. Parents can take practical action now to help protect our youth.
- Set guardrails early. Setting ground rules before giving kids a smart phone can set you up for success. Examples include making certain rooms technology-free or limiting use to certain times of day. Delay social media use until 16.
- Navigate and strategize together. Have an open, non-judgmental conversation about social media. Explore what they enjoy, share any challenges you face, and work together to establish guidelines, such as deciding when to take breaks, adjusting privacy settings, or considering which platforms to avoid.
- Have an ongoing conversation about needing to put real-life effort into forging meaningful relationships.
- Work with teens to choose appropriate privacy settings for their social media. Social media sites provide tools for parents on how to set privacy settings. You can also visit Common Sense Media – the “Parents need to know” section – provides everything you need to know about social media, how different apps work, and how to set privacy controls.
- Be clear about what is unsafe to post: full name, address, specific places they go, phone numbers, vacation plans, or anything else that would help someone identify or locate them.
- Not allowing teens to sleep with their cell phone nearby. When teens are always connected, their rest will be interrupted.
- Monitor for any behavioral changes that could be linked to internet use. Look out for signs such as increased secrecy, spending excessive time online, and withdrawal from friends, schoolwork, or previously enjoyed activities.
- Make sure your teen knows they are loved unconditionally and can come to you with any problem. Engage with your child by joining them in an activity you both enjoy, like watching a baseball game or playing a video game. Use this shared experience as a starting point for meaningful conversation.
Today’s article was adapted with articles by the Greater Good Science Center and University of Minnesota Extension. For more information contact Tara Solomon-Smith, [email protected], or call 620-244-3826.
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Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
Core Community Fall Farm Festival is October 19
Splash Pad’s Last Day of the 2024 Season is September 22
ATTENTION: The last day the Splash Pad will be open is September 22nd.
Brad Matkin
City Manager
City of Fort Scott
Bourbon County Coalition Meeting Minutes of Sept. 4
Bourbon County Inter-Agency Coalition
General Membership Meeting Minutes
September 4, 2024
- Welcome: Twenty-four members representing nineteen agencies attended the meeting held at the Keyhole. Billie Jo announced the following items from the Board:
- The swim pass program had allowed 42 families, 128 children, and 170 total people to use the Aquatic Center this year.
- To date for 2024, the Coalition Board has assisted 31 families including 80 children with rent and utility assistance in the amount of $6,862.
- Janelle Tate has been added to the Coalition Board to complete Elizabeth Schafer’s term.
- Travis Wilcoxen and Nick Johnson will be the Bourbon County Coalition Co-Chairmen beginning in October. Billie Jo will remain on the board for one more year to insure a smooth transition.
- Billie Jo also shared a recent newspaper article and congratulated The Beacon for being in operation in Bourbon County for forty years.
- Member Introductions and Announcements:
- Kathy Romero introduced Lauren Klinksick the new account executive for Angels Care Home Health.
- Cherie Walrod, KState Extension: They will be starting a support group for parents of special needs children with a “Meet and Greet” on September 13; all the information is in the attached flyer.
- David Gillen, The Beacon: David reviewed all the services the Beacon provides and reminded members that the Beacon is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p..m. In August they served 329 families and 826 total people. Requalification will be held in October. David noted that due to increase in costs, they need about $9000 more this year to provide the same amount of assistance as in 2023.
- April Jackson, Thrive Allen County, SEK Recovery Resources: Their federal grant ended last month but they are continuing their programs; to date, 38 have been served through the Recovery House. Their most recent project has been to build a drug endangered children alliance; they do whatever they can to help with substance abuse disorder.
- Christine Abbott, SEK Kansasworks: For now, Christine will be in Fort Scott on Mondays and Wednesdays at the HBCAT building. The KEYS (Kansasworks Empowering Youth Success) Summit will be October 10. The Pittsburg office is now located at 1005 East Jefferson.
- Megan Rogers, Safehouse: Megan reminded members that they can provide emergency shelter and help with about anything to allow a person to live a life free of abuse.
- Theresa Amershek, Safehouse: She handles the referrals from the court system; at present she is overwhelmed with people from Bourbon County. There is a small fee for her services; her goal is to make children safe during supervised visits.
- LeaKay Karleskint, KState Snap educator: Her only class right now – Create Better Health – started in Fulton on September 3: She is looking for new partners to provide space for her classes for the coming year.
- Shanna Willey, Community Health Worker CHC: Shanna can assist people with any resource applications.
- Angela Handly, Compassionate Ministries/Salvation Army: Box fans are available for those who need them. She can be contacted at 620-223-2212; her office is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
- Shanda Stewart, Community Resource Director, Kansas Renewal Institute: They presently have 40 children in residence; they can house 50. They are currently hiring behavior therapists, nurses, and several other positions. Shanda expressed thanks to Buck Run for providing school supplies and USD 234 employees who make sure school goes on for those clients.
- Lisa Robertson, HBCAT: Her employer has changed but she continues to help individuals that are insecure.
- Ashely Reeder, SEK Mental Health: Currently they provide school therapists in each school in USD 234 and USD 235.
- Michelle Stephenson, FSPSC: Michelle works with parents who have children prenatal through age 6 to assist the parent in preparing children for preschool or Kindergarten; she has a few slots available.
- Rachel Carpenter, HBCAT: The “Dare to Dream Women’s Entrepreneurship” event will be held on September 28; flyer with all the information is attached.
- Deena Betts, CORE Community: Core graduated twelve from their first class; the second class will be starting on September 10. Their first annual fall festival will be held on October 19 at the Shead Farm; information for the event can be found on the CORE Facebook page or the attached flyer
- Program: Judy Hood, along with her jobs as wife, mother, grandmother, juvenile intake officer and part of the county attorney’s office, has been a Keyhole board member since 2018. The Keyhole is now open from 3-6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for middle and high school students. Keyhole provides games, electronics, and snacks; many who come to Keyhole have their evening meal while there. The space is available for use; the Keyhole board wants to figure out how to make Keyhole more of a benefit for our community. The Keyhole is funded by the Key Charitable Trust and donations.
- Open Forum: Nothing further came before the membership.
- Adjournment: The next General Membership meeting will be October 2, 2024.
The October program will be presented by Dustin Emmett, Retain Outreach Coordinator for SEKANSASWORKS.
195th Street Will Be Closed On Sept. 9
ATTENTION: Starting the morning of Monday 9/9/2024, 195th street north of the rearing pond will be shut down to traffic due to work being done on the culvert system. Traffic to the east side of the lake will have to use Hackberry Road to access their properties and the east side of the lake. We are going to use a quick hardening concrete so the road should be open by Thursday if not sooner. We asked the Bourbon County Public Works to add rock and grade Hackberry, which they did, so the road should be much better to use over these three days. Sorry for the inconvenience as we thought we could do one side at a time or lay steel plates over the hole but with the size of the culvert this will not be possible. Thank you for your patience.
Brad Matkin
City Manager
City of Fort Scott