Uniontown City Agenda for July 11
The Uniontown City Council will meet July 11 at City Hall at 7 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER AT ________ by _____________________________
ROLL CALL:
___ Jess Ervin ___ Danea Esslinger ___ Josh Hartman ___ Amber Kelly ___ Bradley Stewart
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/PROJECTS
Globe Life benefits – Dakota Harris –
Appoint/Oath City Clerk/Municipal Court Clerk, Treasurer, Judge, Prosecutor, Designate Official Newspaper, Official Bank –
CITIZENS REQUESTS
FINANCIAL REPORT
Charlene Bolinger – Financial reports
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
- Minutes of June 21, 2023 Regular Council Meeting
- Treasurers Report, Monthly Transaction Report & Accounts Payables
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
Superintendent: Bobby Rich
Tool batteries
Codes Enforcement: Doug Coyan
404 Washington St
305 Clay St
505 Wall St
Clerk Report: Sally Johnson
LKM Voting Delegates –
LKM Conference –
COUNCIL & COMMITTEE REPORTS
Councilman Ervin –
Councilwoman Esslinger –
Councilman Hartman –
Councilwoman Kelly –
Councilman Stewart–
Mayor Jurgensen –
OLD BUSINESS
KMGA Gas Supply Management –
Mural Grant –
Placemaking Project – booth at Independence Day Bash
NEW BUSINESS
Fall Cleanup –
ADJOURN Time ____________ Moved by ______________, 2nd ___________________, Approved ___________
KS Is a National Leader in Economic and Income Growth
Kansas: National Leader in Economic and Income Growth in First Quarter of 2023
~~Bureau of Economic Analysis Report Reflects Success of Kelly Administration Efforts to Create Jobs, Support Businesses~~
TOPEKA – A report recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that, in the first quarter of 2023, Kansas ranked fourth in the nation for personal income growth and seventh in the nation for economic growth. The report highlights the Kelly administration’s success in recruiting and supporting businesses that grow the state’s economy and increase wages for workers.
“This report is further proof that the work my administration is doing to create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, and balance the budget is benefiting Kansans,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The days of Kansas making headlines for failure and mismanagement are long behind us. Now, we are leading the nation in creating a strong economy.”
Kansas’ real gross domestic product (GDP), or the market value of goods and services produced in the state, grew by 6.0% from the fourth quarter of 2022 when adjusted for inflation, triple the national average of 2.0%.
Personal income in Kansas grew by 8.4% over the same period, surpassing the national rate of 5.1%.
“This report demonstrates the resiliency and strength of the Kansas economy,” Secretary of Administration and Director of Budget Adam Proffitt said. “The state has placed in the top 7 for both GDP and Personal Income in the aggregate and across multiple sectors of the economy, showing that our economy is not overly dependent on any one sector. Our state’s fiscal health is strong, and the outlook remains promising.”
The report showed that agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting were the lead contributors to growth in states including Kansas – a testament to the Kelly administration’s efforts to reinvigorate the state’s economy across multiple sectors.
“The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and residents have worked hard to build a reputation for the Sunflower State as one of the top states in the nation for outdoor recreation, and our six percent rise in real GDP this quarter certainly reflects that,” Secretary of Wildlife and Parks Brad Loveless said. “By prioritizing sustainable practices and collaboration with private landowners, I’m confident we’ll continue to develop our great tradition of hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping for many more generations, and visitors, to come.”
“Agriculture has always been at the heart of the Kansas economy, and the growth we’ve seen in agriculture and agribusiness across the state shows the entrepreneurial spirit of Kansans,” Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam said. “Innovative approaches in technology, science, and sustainability will keep Kansas agriculture at the forefront of producing the food, fiber, and fuel that are needed in the future.”
Read more from the BEA here.
Presenting Osage History and Culture Through Ballet Requires Care
PAWHUSKA, Okla.—When researching Osage history for Wahzhazhe: An Osage Ballet, co-creator Randy Tinker-Smith, founder of Osage Ballet, spoke with around 50 elders. Tinker-Smith is Osage, and she knows that some things are not meant to be shared onstage.
“While doing research for the ballet, I spoke with around 50 Osage elders,” she said. “I did not want to do one thing without permission. I met with some of them numerous times, and by the end of that year we had lost three of them. Now looking back, I am just so thankful that I had that time with them.”
With Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon being recently filmed in the present-day Osage Nation, Osage history is on the minds of many people. Visitors to Fort Scott, KS have three opportunities to experience 400 years of the rich history of the Osage through artistic dance when Wahzhazhe: An Osage Ballet is presented at Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, July 21 and 22.
The production is the work of Osage Ballet, a nonprofit organization which seeks to preserve and share the history of the Osage people through dance.
The first half of the ballet depicts life in the Osages’ ancestral homelands, which encompassed much of the middle of the United States, including the entirety of what is now Missouri. One of the earliest diaries chronicling the Osage people describe them as the “happiest people in the world.” Family and ceremony were at the center of culture and moving with the seasons was a way of life. With the arrival of Europeans, many of the ceremonies and the complex Osage clan system were almost decimated by war and disease. Like many Indigenous people, the mighty Osage were forced west onto smaller and smaller pieces of land. Eventually, the Osage bought their own reservation in Indian Territory and settled there in what is now Osage County, Oklahoma.
Tinker-Smith said her own family’s history was on her mind as she researched.
“When our tribe left Kansas in 1871, there had been so much death because of smallpox and starvation and other diseases,” she said. “The buffalo had been slaughtered. Fences had been put up. Everything had changed drastically. Because of that, the elders put away our ceremonies because they did not have the animals, plants, and implements they needed to do them properly. We are a highly organized people: You have a purpose, you learn how to do it, and you pass it on, but that could not be done anymore. My great-grandfather was born at St. Paul Mission in Kansas. I read a diary that said 600 Osage people died in one week while he was living there. This history touches our family so deeply.”
The first act of the ballet chronicles what was lost, while the second act portrays how the Osage survived and continue to thrive despite so much trauma.
“When I started meeting with these elders, I wanted to have permission about what I could tell in the story,” she said. “As long as I am alive, for example, you will never see our sacred ceremonial ways on our stage, but what you will see are the things we still have: Fire, feathers, water. Songs. There is a lot that we can share, and it is exceptionally beautiful.”
The Osage Ballet, Wahzhazhe was created by a predominately Indigenous team with choreography by Jenna LaViolette (Osage) and original music by Osage composer Lou Brock. Dr. Joseph Rivers, chair of the film department at the University of Tulsa, composed original music and arranged the score. Osage artists Wendy Ponca, Alexander Ponca Stock, and the late Terry Wann, designed the costumes and backdrops. Shawnee Peoria artist Roman Jasinski, Jr. served as artistic adviser. (Jasinski is the son of Moscelyne Larkin, one of five Indigenous ballerinas from Oklahoma to gain international fame in the 20th century.) Professional dancers for the production are from ballet companies around the US. Joining the professional dancers are students of Dance Maker Academy in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, representing 19 Native nations.
For tickets and information on the July 21 and 22 performances in Fort Scott, KS visit their website, www.osageballet.com/events and watch for posts
U234 Job Fair July 11-12 at Fort Scott Middle School
KS Spanish Suicide Prevention App Now Available
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Downtown Quarterly Meet and Greet July 11 at Lyons Realty Group
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Service Notice of Neranjan “CU” Ramdial
Neranjan “CU” Ramdial, age 60, resident of Fort Scott, KS, died Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at his residence. There was cremation. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, July 15th, at the West Liberty Cemetery. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
New City Commissioner: Melissa Guns
Melissa Guns, 43, was recently selected to serve on the Fort Scott City Commissioner, replacing Josh Jones, who moved outside the city limits.
She was sworn in directly after being selected on June 18.
“The duties of the position include working with other council members to make fiscally and ethically sound decisions, closely reviewing and monitoring the budget and expenditures, creating the budget, passing ordinances that will benefit the greatest number of citizens possible, ensuring city policies do not harm vulnerable populations, bringing concerns and needs regarding the day-to-day operations to the attention of the City Manager, listening to citizens’ concerns and viewpoints, passing policies that will help the growth of the city’s economy, working to reduce or minimize the tax burden of citizens whenever possible, and collective oversight of the City Manager,” she said.
Citizens may contact Guns with concerns or comments by emailing [email protected] or calling City Hall and leaving a message with the City Clerk.
Background
Guns graduated from Barnesville High School in 1998, then earned a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science in 2005 and Master of Education in 2012, both through Wilmington University, New Castle, DE
She is currently employed as a Program Evaluator at Greenbush Education Service Center in the Research, Evaluation and Grants Department.
“In my current role, I have written three grants for 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) all of which were funded for $500,000 each over five years.”
She evaluates and writes grants. These grants provided funding for improving literacy by providing training for teachers, access to books, etc.
Guns is part of the Kansas Prevention Collaborative (KPC) evaluating for the Kansas Prevention Collaborative and other coalitions who have received prevention grants from the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS).
She also evaluates the Kansas Prevention Collaborative trainings, events, and workforce.
“I also build surveys and other evaluation tools, most recently supporting the State Opioid Response, Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers, Community Mental Health Centers, Assisted Outpatient Treatment, and the KS Heart Program, and has also written smaller grants outside of Greenbush.
Prior to moving to Kansas in 2016, she was an administrative assistant for Bradco Services, a small construction company, putting together bids and familiarizing herself with the International Building Code Standards, learning federal payroll compliance, developing marketing and media to promote the business.
In her youth, she taught Bible classes to younger children, went on mission trips within the U.S. and Honduras, cared for the elderly at an assisted living home, and participated in AmeriCorp/VISTA as a Volunteer Coordinator for a summer reading and nutrition program in Parkersburg, WV.
Philosophy
Guns believes good citizenship is a duty.
She loves the area in Ohio where she grew up and learned first-hand that there is a need to have ” a broad enough industry to provide jobs to people from all walks of life and education levels. I believe that if a town is not moving forward to ensure jobs, housing, infrastructure, and financial stability it will slowly die.”
“I want to ensure Fort Scott retains small town values while expanding enough that no matter what path our children take when they graduate high school, Fort Scott is a thriving desirable community where they will not have to choose between making their own homes in Fort Scott or having to move away in order to have a job in their chosen profession,” she said.
“The choices we make now will determine the future,” she said. “It is imperative that Fort Scott makes sound fiscal decisions, grows economically, and repairs infrastructure in a way that supports future maintenance and expansion, while retaining the City’s rich history. That is the reason I submitted my letter of interest for the open position. I want to help Fort Scott achieve these goals and believe my experience will allow me to examine the decisions that need to be made from multiple perspectives to determine the best course of action.”
“I am working on creating a public Facebook page by which citizens may also contact me,” she said. “Please note that the ability to post on my page will be limited as this is meant to be a method of contact and not a public forum. Any questions, information, or issues that are appropriate for the City Manager to handle will be forwarded to him. I will respond to let you know the issue has been brought to his attention and any actions that are taken as a result. If citizens would like to share their viewpoint on an issue, I am happy to listen. I will not and cannot comment regarding personnel issues or instruct city personnel, as the only city employee under the direct purview of the committee is the City Manager.”
“Issues or concerns regarding employees other than the City Manager should be directed to Brad Matkin,” she said. “I will however, listen to and confer appreciation and accolades for city staff. ”
Family
Doug and Melissa have five children. Doug Jr. lives in Virginia. Their son Zander and daughter Emma attend Fort Scott High School, son John attends FSMS, and youngest son Lincoln attends Winfield Scott Elementary School.
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports July 6
Fabric Art Classes offered July 8 at the Artificers
Not Your Grandma’s Quilting Class! |
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You’re invited to work with textile artist Liberty Worth to give new life and artistic outcomes to old fabric scraps. We will be “painting” (no paint involved) with fabric to create new objects d’art. Class will be held July 8th 10am-12pm & 1-3pm! |
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You’ll Need…a creative spirit, and an iron! That’s it! |
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Connect with your Teacher |
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For more of Liberty check out her social! |
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Obituary of Terry Wood
Terry Donald Wood, “Woody” age 72, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas passed away early Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at the Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kansas. He was born September 15, 1950, in Ft. Scott, the son of William Vern Wood and Juanita June Johnston Wood.
Woody graduated from the Uniontown High School with the Class of 1968 and then graduated from the Ft. Scott Junior College.
He married Susan Bollinger on April 13, 1985, at Ft. Scott.
Woody worked for Kansas City Power & Light at the Lacygne Power Plant. He retired as an electrician/technician after forty years of service.
Woody enjoyed woodworking, a talent he received from his father, and completed many projects including treasure boxes for his grandchildren. He also enjoyed golfing. Favorite times were spent at the “farm” where Woody enjoyed cutting wood, clearing trails and spending time outdoors. Country road “cruzin” in the Razor with his friends he enjoyed immensely. And of course, a few cold ones.
Survivors include his wife, Susan, of the home; three children, Shane Wood (Amy) of Overland Park, Kansas, Shannon “Sis” Pulliam (Kyle) of Arizona City, Arizona and Shannon Bollinger, of Ft. Scott and eight grandchildren, Chance and Chase Crawford, Derek, Drew, Dylan and Dalton Bollinger and Bentley and Jett Wood. Also surviving is a sister, Sherry Hicks of Palm Desert, California.
Woody was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and June Wood.
Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, July 8th at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Care to Share or the Wounded Warrior Project 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.