For Immediate Release: Contact: Governor Kelly to Welcome Dolly Parton to Kansas for Imagination Library of Kansas
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Back to School Haircuts at Upper Cut Salon
Agenda for the Bo Co Commission on July 24
Bourbon County Courthouse
210 S. National Ave Fort Scott, KS 66701 Phone: 620-223-3800
Fax: 620-223-5832
Bourbon County, Kansas
Nelson Blythe
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
July 24, 2023 5:30 p.m.
- Call Meeting to Order
- Flag Salute followed by Prayer
- Approval of Consent Agenda
- Minutes from 7/17/2023
- Public Comments
- Department Updates
- Public Works
- 5:45 Public Opening of Motor Grader, Mini Excavator, and Trailer Bids
- Drew Talbot-Via Christi
- Jennifer Hawkins, County Clerk, Real Property Relief Application
- Clifton Beth Executive Session KSA 75-4319(b)(3)
- 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.
Agenda for the Fort Scott City Commission Meeting on July 25
NOTICE OF AND AGENDA FOR REGULAR
MEETING OF FORT SCOTT CITY COMMISSION
CITY HALL COMMISSION ROOM – 123 SOUTH MAIN ST.
July 25, 2023 – 6:00 P.M.
- Roll Call:
- VanHoecke K. Harrington E. Woellhof M. Guns M. Wells
- Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation: Led by M. Wells
III. Approval of Agenda:
- Consent Agenda:
- Approval of Minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 11, 2023
- Approval of Appropriation Ordinance 1339-A — $717,956.29
- Request to Pay – Earles Engineering & Inspection, Inc. – 2022 CDBG Sanitary Sewer Project – Inspection Services –
- May 31, 2023 – Invoice #16604 – $17,063.90
- July 5, 2023 – Invoice #16678 – $16,602.75
- Request to Pay – Ray Lindsey Co. – Grit Removal System $151,752.76
- Request to Pay – Haynes for WWTP Booster Station – $27,800.00
- July Financials
- Public Comment:
Sign up required. Comments on any topic not on agenda and limited to five (5) minutes per person, at Commission’s discretion.
- Old Business:
- Approval of Contract with Diehl, Banwart, Bolton to audit financial statement of the City for the year ended December 31, 2022 – $18,150.00 – presented by Terence Sercer, CPA
- Consideration of parking lease agreement for DCF building – B. Farmer
- Consideration to accept responsibility of Splash Pad – J. Jones and B. Lyons
VII. Appearances:
- IT Service Proposal for City of Fort Scott – Shawn Latimer – PCnet
- HBCAT: Downtown Arch Project – seeking approval from the City Commission
- HBCAT: Amendment to MOU – 3rd Street Park and Downtown Arch Project
- Cory Bryars: Care to Share Event
- Dakota Rusk and Austin Alfaro: Rumble on the Bricks – Temporary Street Closure on Old Fort Blvd (includes all of Skubitz Plaza)
VIII. Public Hearing: Petition to Vacate East 21st Street – Marvin A. Lewis – Norman Nation to present petition
- New Business:
- Consideration of bids for Evergy Sanitary Sewer Relocation Project for Infantry Substation – J. Dickman
- Consideration to Eliminate Inactive Accounts – B. Hart
- Reports and Comments:
- City Manager Comments:
- Engineering Comments:
- Commissioners Comments:
- VanHoecke –
- Harrington –
- Woellhof –
- Guns –
- Wells –
- City Attorney Comments:
- Executive Session:
XII. Adjournment:
Obituary of Larry Farris
Larry Clarence Farris, 71, of Arma, Kansas, passed away Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Medicalodge of Frontenac, Kansas. Larry was born on August 21, 1951, in Russell, Kansas, the son of Fred Warren Farris and Alice Marie (Coles) Farris.
Larry is survived by several cousins, including Jo Thompson, of Hugoton, Kansas.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and his two brothers, Kenneth Ray Farris, and Gary Leonard Farris.
Following cremation, Larry will be interred with his parents and brothers in the Richland Cemetery, Mound City, Kansas, under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.
The family will hold private memorial services at a later date. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
Obituary of Gary Saker
Gary M. Saker, 74, formerly of Fort Scott, Kansas, passed away July 14, 2023, after a battle with an ongoing illness. Gary was preceded in death by his father Don Saker and mother Eloise Richards Garnand.
Survivors include Tracy Saker, sons Andrae and Bryden Saker of the home along with Kaleb Saker of Girard, Kansas, and his family. Recently Gary enjoyed spending more time with his grandchildren in Girard prior to being hospitalized.
Gary also leaves behind his sisters, Sharon Conner, Debbie Garnand DeJong, Glenna Garnand, Sawannah Saker Lewis, and brothers Gary G., and Don Saker, along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and brothers and sisters-in-law.
Gary worked in restoration for several years before becoming disabled. Gary loved to cook, hunt, fish, and spend time with family and friends. Gary was loved by all who met him, and he would do anything for almost anyone. Gary’s loving kindness, thoughtfulness, and sense of humor will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched.
Following cremation, memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
Tradition, Adaptation, Tragedy, Triumph, Survival: Experience the Wahzhazhe Story In Fort Scott This Weekend
Wahzhazhe is the Native American name for the tribal people we know as the Osage.
A dance academy in Pawhuska, OK has created a ballet telling the 400 year-old story of the Wahzhazhe.
The performers are mostly from the Dance Maker Academy in Pawhuska, in Osage County, which is home to the Osage tribe.
There are about 24,000 Osage people throughout the world, Randy Tinker-Smith, the ballet producer said.
Tinker-Smith said the 20 children dancers in this ballet are from different tribes, not all Osage.
The ballet is “an artistic expression of who we are,”Tinker- Smith, who is Osage, said. “We are not history, we are still here.”
They performed the Osage story at the Smithsonian Institution in 2012, she said.
The scene that resonated with viewers there, was the last one, where the performers demonstrate walking in two worlds, the Osage world and the other white people world, she said.
The ballet is the story of tradition, adaptation, tragedy, triumph, survival, and the enduring spirit of the Osage people, told by the Osage Nation, according to a press release from the FSNHS.
“This is not our story to tell, but it is our responsibility to provide a platform for these stories to be told,” said Carl Brenner, FSNHS Chief of Interpretation and Resource Management.
“This area was their native homeland,” Brenner said. “This (ballet) is part of a Native American series (at the Fort). We will continue to talk about this.”
“We jump started our relationship with the Osages,” Jill Jaworski, FSNHS Superintendent said. “There are a lot of doors being opened for having conversations with the Osage. We are looking to update our exhibits and are asking ‘What would you like shared?'”
Ballet: an Osage Tradition
The first five prima ballerinas in the United State were Native Americans, two of them Osage, Tinker-Smith said.
Lavender Sarroll, a mom accompanying the ballet troupe, said her daughter, Lilliana Guillen, 17, has been dancing since she was six years old at the Dance Maker Academy.
The ballet still is emotional for her, Sarroll said.
“To this day, when they get to the place in the ballet, where they rise from defeat, I cry every time,” she said.
Sarroll said the Wahzhazhe have their own government and language.
Doors are opened to a college education for some through the ballet.
Several of the ballet performers are offered dance scholarships to colleges, including her daughter, Sarroll said.
Logistics
Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Friends of Fort Scott National Historic Site, Inc. offered special access for the media to the Wahshazhe ballet producer, Randy Tinker-Smith, and for viewing rehearsals on Wednesday, July 19.
The rehearsal was a prelude to the three performances, today, Friday, through Saturday at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the Fort Scott Community College campus, 2108 Horton St.
There are 50 people involved in the production of the ballet, but some parents accompany the group, with a total of 70 people. Most arrived on Wednesday and are staying in the FSCC Residential Halls.
Thursday was the dress rehearsal, then the performances are today, Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.
Youth tickets are just $15, adults are $35. Go to Friends of the Fort Facebook page or at OsageBallet.com.
Or one can take a chance, wait, and hope it’s not sold-out and purchase tickets at the door.
There is a question and answer session following the ballet.
Learning More
The performance is for those who are interested in Kansas and American history, Native American culture, the arts and dance, and those wanting to experience something spectacular and different from anything they have seen before, according to the press release.
Killers of the Flower Moon-The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, a story on a tragic part of the Osage tribe is a book that has been made into a movie and will be open in theaters this years, Tinker-Smith said.
“Mollie Burkhart is in the book,” she said. “Her grand-daughter is in the ballet. This movie, we can let people know, we are still here.”
For a synopsis of the book:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/books/review/killers-of-the-flower-moon-david-grann.html
Sacrifice by Patty LaRoche
A Christian businessman was traveling in Korea. In a field by the side of the road was a young man pulling a plow while an old man held the handles. The businessman was amused and took a snapshot of the scene. “I suppose these people are very poor,’” he said to the missionary who was interpreter and guide to the party.
“Yes,” was the quiet reply. “Those two men are Christians. When their church was being built, they were eager to give something toward it, but they had no money. So, they sold their only ox and gave the proceeds to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves.” The businessman, silent for a few moments, said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.”
“They did not call it that,” answered the missionary. “They thought themselves fortunate that they had an ox to sell!”
I read that story and wonder how much I really give up in order to advance the gospel, in order to obey Romans 12:1, where I am told to be a “living sacrifice” to the Lord. How about you? Are you content just to tithe and call it good? But aren’t there other things we are asked to sacrifice? In Mark 14, we learn of a woman who sacrificed not only her most valuable possession but also her pride. Could we say the same?
Just a few days before Jesus’ death, we read about a dinner party where an uninvited woman showed up with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume (about $15,000 today), broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. Guests were indignant and harshly rebuked her. “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” I love Jesus’ response.
“Leave her alone…Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
In Lady in Waiting, Becoming God’s Best While Waiting for Mr. Right, Jackie Kendall explains the purpose of the alabaster box in biblical times. When a young woman was old enough to marry, her family would buy this box and fill it with ointment. When a man proposed, the future bride would break this box at his feet in order to show him honor.
Don’t miss the importance in this story about Jesus.
Amidst the arrogant rudeness of the other dinner guests, she, a lowly woman, cared not that she was being mocked and ridiculed. Her entire focus was on her Savior. He who would be betrayed by Judas a short time later had to breathe a sigh of relief that someone understood what he had come to earth to do and wanted to honor him for it. His disciples certainly didn’t. The high priest didn’t. Those for whom he had performed miracles didn’t. Many of us still don’t.
But this woman did. In a few hours, Jesus would be on his knees, weeping that God would stop his crucifixion from happening. But at this moment, he had an acknowledgement that it was worth it. Someone wasn’t requiring anything from him but wanting to love on him right where he was.
Dear Readers, what is your most treasured possession, your “alabaster box”? This woman gave all she could. Could Jesus say the same about my life? Could he say it about yours?
Community Connection Panelist Luncheon is July 26
Community Connection Panelist Luncheon!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a Community Connection Panelist Luncheon on Wednesday, July 26th, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Empress Event Center, 7 N. Main St. Chamber members and the community are invited to attend for updates on things that are happening in the community!
The event is free to attend but registration is requested. Box lunches are available by pre-order for $10 and those need to be ordered by July 25th at 10am. Those planning to attend may RSVP online at fortscott.com under the events tab.
There will be a 7-minute update from each of the following panelists, ending with time for questions:
Fort Scott Area Community Foundation, Craig Campbell Chair, Becky Tourtillott Vice Chair
Fort Scott National Historic Site, Carl Brenner
Fort Scott Recreation Commission, Lucas Kelley
Good Neighbor Action Team, Craig Campbell
Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, Jody Hoener President/CEO, Rachel Carpenter Director
Kansas Small Business Development Center, Dacia Clark, Assistant Director PSU KSBDC
Moderator for the event will be Bailey Lyons of Lyons Realty Group, 2023 Chamber Board Chair.
Click here to RSVP and pre-order lunch!
This event is being sponsored by Davis Accounting, Inc.
and Labconco.
Contact the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce at 620-223-3566 for more information or visit fortscott.com.
Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce | 231 E. Wall Street, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Sales Tax Holiday: Aug. 4-5 in Fort Scott
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce an opportunity for shoppers to save money August 4th through the 5th. Select retailers will be offering a Sales Tax Holiday by volunteering to pay the sales tax for shoppers. Enjoy a 9.4% discount at these participating merchants: 110 South Main, Angie Dawn’s Boutique, Bids & Dibs, Hedgehog.INK, Laree + Co, Papa Don’s Pizza, Ruddick’s Furniture & Flooring (up to $500 of sales), Shirt Shack and Sunshine Boutique. These stores offer a variety of merchandise including apparel, home furnishings and décor – both new and repurposed, school supplies and much more. There is no need to cross the border during this No Sales Tax Holiday Weekend. Save money, shop local, shop Fort Scott.
This shop local promotion is organized by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce. Please contact (620) 223-3566 with questions.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports July 21
FSCC SELECTS GUGNANI TO FILL KEY ADMINSTRATIVE ROLE
Sonia Gugnani, whose connection to Fort Scott Community College goes back more than 10 years, is the school’s new vice president of academic affairs.
Her hiring was formally approved by the FSCC Board of Trustees on Monday, and elevates her from her previous post as associate dean of instruction and institutional effectiveness.
The move constitutes a small one geographically for Gugnani, she can just slide into the VP’s office from her current station in Bailey Hall, but a large one in terms of oversight and responsibility.
It’s a role for which she’s well-prepared.
“As the associate dean, I was involved in serving the needs of the high school students in our area,” she said. “That involved collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure the success of our students. I am very familiar with various processes and have been closely involved in curriculum development, assessment and accreditation.
“Having worked with the previous vice president of academic affairs (Adam Borth) has given me a better understanding of the job.”
Gugnani, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in psychology, began at FSCC in 2014 as a part-time instruction support specialist after two years as an adjunct instructor. She was appointed director of institutional effectiveness and outreach in 2019, then associate dean of instruction and institutional effectiveness in 2021. She participated in the Kansas Community College Leadership Institute last year, and is part of the Lead Bourbon County training cohort.
Teamwork is the key ingredient to success for a lead administrator, she said.
“Working with faculty and staff to offer our students opportunities and quality education is essential for this position,” she said. “I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with a great group of faculty and staff who support the college’s mission and go above and beyond what is expected of them in order to achieve shared objectives.”
Of course, the job does not come without challenges, Gugnani agreed.
“Most community colleges are seeing a reduction in enrollment as a result of students entering the workforce directly out of high schools,” she said. “Promoting general-education courses, dual-credit courses, and implementing short-term career and technical programs could help with enrollment and retention.
“By providing our students the resources they need to complete their education, we can help them be independent and self-sufficient. I strongly believe community colleges have the ability to strengthen our nation’s workforce.”
Personally, Gugnani and her husband, P.K., a local physician, are “proud parents” of three sons, Neil, 19, Shekhar, 19, and Raj, 14. The two eldest are recent graduates of Fort Scott High School and the youngest is an incoming freshman at FSHS.
“(We have) been part of this community for the last 19 years,” said Gugnani, who enjoys spending time with her family, watching action/comedy movies and taking long walks, making puzzles and playing board games.