Fort Scott–The Gordon Parks Museum at Fort Scott Community College will celebrate the anniversary of Gordon Parks’ birthday on Tuesday, November 30th with the showing of films by or about Parks throughout the day along with cupcakes for visitors.
The event is free of charge and the public is invited to attend.
The schedule of showings throughout the day will include:
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – “The Learning Tree,” (Filmed in Fort Scott) 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – “Half Past Autumn” 2:30 p.m. –4:30 p.m. – “Solomon Northup’s Odyssey”
Parks, born in Fort Scott on November 30, 1912, would have been 109 this year. He died in March, 2006 at the age of 93. For more information contact the Gordon Parks Museum at 620-223-2700, ext.5850 or by email at [email protected].
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The City of Fort Scott Administrative offices will be closed on Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th, 2021 in observance of the Thanksgiving Day Holiday. The regular offices will reopen on Monday, November 29th, 2021.
The City’s tree and brush dump site located on North Hill will also be closed on Thursday, November 25th, and Saturday, November 27th, 2021 for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. It will be open again on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health is a national nonprofit membership organizationthat represents the 50 state Offices of Rural Health aroundthe nation and promotes a healthy rural America throughstateandcommunityleadership.
“Jody Hoener is a prime example of how one person canmakeamassiveimpactonthelivesofthousandsofpeople,” according to the NOSORH award presentation. “Though she may not be a household name to the roughly7,500 residents of Fort Scott, her dedication, passion,strategic planning and grant writing skills, and deepcommitment to addressing the community’s healthdisparities are evident every place you turn in BourbonCounty,Kansas.”
ThisDayisanopportunityto‘celebratethepowerofrural’byhonoring the selfless, community-minded spirit that prevailsinruralAmerica.Learnmore:https:/www.powerofrural.org
The HealthyBourbonCountyAction TeamNewsletter
Table o fContents
CEO’sMessageP.2
GrantProgramP.3
BronsonBikewayPlanP.4
KANSASWORKS
HighlightP.5
HBCAT.ORG
JodyHoener
AMessagefromtheCEO
AtTheHealthyBourbonCountyActionTeam,wearecelebratingandgivingthanks.Wehaveseenaconsiderablenumberoflargewinsin2021andweareeternallythankfulforthe BCBS Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant that helped our organization get off theground in 2016.We have built lasting relationships as they continue to support us andourworktobuildhealthier,thrivingcommunities.
We remain steadfast to our mission and purpose to support our local food systems,advocateforincreasedaccesstorecreationandphysicalactivity,workwithallsectorsofBourbonCountyoncreatinghealthierenvironmentsandmakingthehealthychoicethedefault.
Our community has been awarded almost $1 million from the BCBS Pathways toHealthy Kansas Grant since 2016.This solid foundation has given us the capacity togrow our organization and address challenges head on with strength anddetermination.Thisyearwehavecelebratedbuildingourprogramtoaddresspovertyat the Center for Economic Growth with the $78,175 award from USDA Rural BusinessDevelopment and then a $560,140 award from the Patterson Family Foundation toexpand.
Thisfundingiscriticaltoourworkinaddressingthesocialdeterminantsofhealth.Thehealth of a community – and its people – is dependent on a number of social, political,economic, and environmental conditions. We believe in investing in our people.Todaywe recognize the gifts of our collaborations and grateful for our partners at PittsburgState Small Business Development Center, Southeast KANSASWORKS, and The FortScott Area Chamber of Commerce.These relationships have shown to be mutuallybeneficial while making measurable impacts on the lives of individuals and thecommunityasawhole.
WEARETHANKFUL
HBCAT’S
GrantProgram
TheHealthyBourbonCountyActionTeam(HBCAT)wasrecentlyawardedthePattersonFamilyFoundationGrant.ThroughthisgrantHBCATcreatedthreegrantprograms:Startupbusinesses,Restaurantsandfoodretail,andFarmers/Ranchers.Ahealthyworkforceisaprerequisiteforeconomicsuccessinanyindustry and in all cities. Through thesegrant programs, the HBCAT is supportinglocal entrepreneurs and building up moreresilientfoodsystems.
All applicants must enroll with PSU SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter(SBDC)atTheAction Team’s Center forEconomic Growth.TheservicesthatSBDCprovidesare,butnotlimited to, developing business plans,financialcashflowprojections,registeringfor LLC, applying for EIN, Marketing, andsettingupKSSalesTaxPayableAccount.
DaciaClark,theAssistantDirector,isinFortScott’s HBCAT office Mondays and Fridays oravailablebyappointmentviaZoom.
GrantapplicationscanbepickedupatHBCAT’sofficelocatedat104NNationalFortScott, KS or at The Chamberof Commerce.
Any questions regarding the Grant Programcan be directed to Rachel Carpenter at 620-215-2562 orthroughemailat[email protected].
A special thanks to Fort ScottCommunityCollege’sCheerleadersforhanding out Community Health NeedsSurvey flyers at Walmart! TheCommunityHealthNeeds
Surveygathersdata,solicitscommunity member perspectives, andcollects information about thecommunity’s resources. Moreinformation will be gathered throughfocus groups. It will measure health andwellness beliefs/perceptions aboutneeds and resources, the communityenvironments,anddemographics.Itwillensure programs, policies, and systemschanges are designed, planned, andcarried out in a coordinated mannerthat benefits the entire county. Thankyou for taking the time to fill out thesurvey and sharing yourvoice on theneedsofthecommunity.
CityofBronsonOpts-IntoTri-CountyBikewayPlan
PrairiePathwayshasmademajorprogresswith theapprovalofsignplacementfrombothCityofUniontown and City of Bronson Councilmembers.
Prairie Pathways began as ABC Trails in 2018when leaders of Thrive Allen County, TheHealthy Bourbon County Action Team, and LiveWellCrawfordCountyinitiatedconversationstobuildatri-countybikewaytrail system. Funding was soon obtained from theSunflower Foundation to turn the idea into astrategicplanningdocument.
GrantfundsfromHBCAT’sBCBSPathwaystoHealthyKansasGrantwasawardedforbrandingand implementation of the transportation plan.ABC Trails was re-branded to PrairiePathways.ThriveAllenCountyobtainedadditionalfundingthroughaCDRRgranttopurchasesigns. HBCAT worked with Bourbon County’s Public Works Department to purchase signpostswithBCBSPathwaysgrantfundsandinstallthesigns.
TheHealthyBourbonCountyActionTeamwasawardeda$4,000grantonbehalfofUninontown’s Saddle Club from The Fort Scott Area Cmmunity Foundation. Thegrant funds are going to be used to add 8 new RV electrical receptacles that therodeo contestants will be able to utilize. This affordable housing option will allowany visitors to stay in Uniontown year round and increases access to outdoorrecreation!
The house at 512 S. Judson has recently been approved for the Kansas State Historical Register.
The current owner, Ronda Hassig, and husband, Rob, moved in in February 2019.
“We are both history teachers and moved from Olathe to Lawrence for retirement,” Ronda said.
They were there for one year when a native of this area and friend, Carmen Streeter Misse, showed her the house.
“We drove right down and bought it outright,” she said. “It was the house we had always dreamed of owning and putting our Victorian antique furniture in.”
It had been up for auction two times since Ken Lunt died, she said.
Ken and his wife, Charlotte, were well-known volunteers in the community. Lunt who was the mayor of Fort Scott died in 2013, Charlotte in 2007.
“Both times (it went up for auction) there was interest from a salvage company in Kansas City,” she said. “We decided to get it on the Kansas Historical Register, once we settled in. Once on the register, it would be protected from such a fate.”
Ronda was a middle school librarian, and is a historical fiction author and “all-around research nerd,” she said and began researching the history of the house.
Ronda Hassig. Taken from the Lowell Milken Center Facebook page.
History of the house
“The Thomas and Anna Herbert house sits at 512 Judson Street, the sign on the house says it was built in 1887, but it was built in 1888,” she said. “Thomas bought the property in 1870 and married Anna in 1873. They waited a while to build the house though.”
“He owned a successful home design business at 2nd and Wall and sold paint, wallpaper, household items from all over the world, and anything dealing with decorating your home,” she said. “He was a painter. In my research, I found that he helped decorate some of the most beautiful homes in Fort Scott.”
The couple had no children and Thomas died in 1913. Anna sold the house in 1917 to a banker, C.D. Sample.
In seeking to be on the register, Hassig thought she could do the architecture piece on the application.
“It became apparent after trying to use the dictionary for every other word when explaining the features of the house, that this was a job for a professional,” she said.
Hassig hired Susan Fort, a preservationist, and architect from Kansas City, Missouri to help her with the application.
On November 13, 2021, she found out the application was approved.
Now it is on the Kansas State Historial Register, but is heading to the U.S. Park Service for approval for the National Register of Places, she said.
“We should know in three to six months,” she said. “Then a plaque will be put on its’ beautiful facade.”
“I hope that Ken and Charlotte Lunt are happy in heaven with the exciting news and won’t mind too terribly that the house will now be called the Thomas and Anna Herbert House,” she said.
From the Office of the
BOURBON COUNTY SHERIFF
293 East 20th Street
Fort Scott, Kansas 66701
[620] 223-1440 (office) or [620] 223-0055 (fax)
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office (Law Enforcement Center) is taking bids that will address any and all issues with the heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system together with the electrical conduit related to the HVAC system or other electrical conduit that needs to be corrected, adjusted or repaired.
An inspection was conducted on August 24th, 2021 finding the following issues that need to be addressed, including but not limited to:
* Numerous electrical conduits that are mounted on the roof feeding multiple pieces of mechanical equipment has threaded joint connectors that were not securely fastened and have multiple open slices causing the water inside of the conduit to freeze during the winter months.
* There are some electrical conduit connectors that have gasket access covers that were not sealed properly, or the proper material was not used.
* Most of the HVAC equipment locations have standing water in the units causing inadequate drainage.
* The HVAC systems are not changing over from heat to cool, cool to heat. The temperature has been as low as 64 degrees in the winter and as high as 80 plus degrees in the summer.
* Other issues that need to be addressed according to the inspection that was conducted on August 24, 2021. A copy of the inspection can be obtained upon request.
These are some of the issues and the bidder/contractor can make an appointment to review and inspect the area and equipment that will need to be fixed or replaced.
We ask that if your company can address all issues that you make the choice if you want to split the work in a separate bid or have a (complete) package.
We ask that the bid be broken down by line item. What item is being used for what?
The bidder/contractor will provide/present a sealed bid in person or by designee to the Board of County Commissioner. The commission will be opening bids and making the choice of contractor/bidder and during the November 30, 2021, public meeting at or around 10:00 am.
If the contractor/bidder would like to submit the bid by mail, the bid should arrive no later than the postmark date of November 26, 2021. The contractor/bidder or a designee is encouraged to attend
the Bourbon County Commission meeting, in case there are any question(s) asked of the commission.
The bid can be mailed to the Bourbon County Law Enforcement Center at 293 East 20th Street Fort Scott Kansas 66701: attention Bill Martin, Sheriff.
If you have any question, please feel free to call me at the above listed phone number.
On Saturday, November 20, The Talking Tigers took a small contingency of six teams to compete at the Louisburg Wildcat Invitational.
In the open division, Joy Self and Lillian Collins placed sixth, Berkley Wood and Thade Yates placed fourth, while Anna Hall and Reagan Wells finished in first-place.
The Talking Tigers’ combined scores were enough for a first-place team finish in sweepstakes.
“Thanks for your hard work,” said teacher/coach Angella Curran. “Tigers. It certainly paid off this weekend.”
In 1969, my Dad and I began watching the weekly TV variety show “Hee Haw” which featured comedy skits and country music guest stars. I was impressed with the musicians and singers as they performed their hit songs, and we laughed aloud at the outrageous silliness portrayed by the regular cast. Every week Grandpa Jones was asked, “Hey Grandpa, what’s for supper?” He would stop washing the fake window and reply something like, “Fresh cornbread slathered in butter, smoked ham and pinto beans, polk salad and turnip greens.” Then in unison everyone would shout, “Yum, Yum!” Eating together has always been a warm and fuzzy way to share food and love, whether you live in the hills and hollers or in the big city.
As we look forward to the cherished day of Thanksgiving, let’s think about feasting on something other than food. “So let us feast upon Him (Christ, God’s Lamb) and grow strong in the Christian life, leaving entirely behind us the cancerous old life with all its hatreds and wickedness. Let us feast instead upon the pure bread of honor and sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8 TLB).
Our bodies were made to love, serve, and worship the Lord, which is why substitutions do not satisfy. We should desire to worship the Lord with our bodies. Worship is a believer’s grateful response to the holiness of God. When mentioned in the Bible, worship is authentically individualized and it is not listless or motionless. Every time there is true worship, some part of the body is involved as indicated in the following scriptures:
Bowed head: “So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped” (Exodus 4:31 NKJV). Bowed body: “Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before Him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust” (Psalm 22:29 NLT).
Kneeling: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 3:14,15 NLT). Uplifted hands: “Daily I will worship you passionately and with all my heart. My arms will wave to You like banners of praise” (Psalm 63:4 TPT).
Falling prostrate: “And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle…and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering…on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:23,24 NKJV).
Singing and speaking: The mouth reverently and joyfully responds in worship also. “Remember what Christ taught and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with Him into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks” (Colossians 3:16,17 TLB).
The Key: Celebrate Thanksgiving, feast upon the Bread of Life and worship Him with all your might.
Gregg Motley. President of the Regional Economic Development, Inc. Submitted photo.
In last week’s column, I discussed some of the causes of our “help wanted” crisis in America, particularly in rural areas. What can we do about this in Bourbon County? Here are some thoughts:
Quality Housing. This has to be the number one reason why some people are reluctant to move to Bourbon County. Not many homes of adequate quality are available to purchase or rent that a working family can afford. The cost to build a 1,800 square foot, 3 bedroom, 2 bath house on a city lot far exceeds the appraised value once it is completed; this cost-to-value gap inhibits the construction of new homes. We need creative public/private/charitable solutions to bridge this cost versus value gap. This should be the focus of our community leaders.
Health Care. We need a hospital. A community without a hospital is a non-starter for many who might consider moving here. Let’s all pray that Noble Health Corporation says “yes” to reopening our hospital.
Taxes. As reported earlier, our property tax rates are prohibitive compared to our neighbors. We have to begin incrementally lowering the mill levy to solve this problem. We can’t do it in one fiscal year, but we have to start on the long-term solutions.
Schools. We have to work together to bring our school ratings up and do all we can to support all the schools in our county, both public and private. Support needs to come from everyone, whether or not one has a school-aged child.
Infrastructure. We have to repair our roads, bridges, sewers, wastewater systems, storm sewers, etc., to improve our quality of life and protect property values; this includes revitalizing all the downtowns we have in the county. Beauty and functionality are important to our everyday lives and turn off new people when they are not up to par.
Strategic Plan. We need our leaders countywide, both public and private, to create a civic vision for the entire county that we can all embrace. It should include a list of priorities that we want to achieve together and include every economic sector and geography of our county. We need a common community vision that will inspire hope and encourage investment.
No science supports this list, and you might legitimately see it differently. We are trying to attract a variety of working families, and their priorities might all be slightly different. It is time to come together and search for solutions as a county. Let’s pool our time, talent, and treasure; roll up our sleeves, and get to work.
