Friday Night Free Concert: Church of Christ
The performance for this week’s Friday Night Concert will be presented by the Church of Christ (15th and Crawford). The music will feature an evening of a cappella hymns and gospel songs.
“The singers represent multiple ages and they really shine with a passion for blending harmonies with their musical styling of the gospel,” concert series organizer Ralph Carlson said. “Come out and join us for a great opportunity to see friends and enjoy some beautiful music. We are happy to welcome this church group to the park pavilion.“
The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Park Pavilion at First and Main streets. The shows, sponsored by the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, are free and open to the public. We are pleased to have Dave Oas, Parsons, Kansas, serve as sound technician each week. Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved to the Common Ground Coffee Co., 12 E. Wall Street.
Obituary of Lela Gier
Lela Ann Gier, age 88, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Monday, July 12, 2021, at Medicalodge of Ft. Scott. She was born March 19, 1933, the daughter of Oscar Jacob Gier and Lizzie Bell Goff Gier. Lela enjoyed reading, needlework, quilting, and flowers.
Survivors include four nephews, Gary Gier, Roger Gier, Kenneth Gier, and Dennis Meech; four nieces, Linda Murdock, Trudy Stultz, Cindy Bright and Kathleen Gier; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles Gier, and Merle Gier; 2 sisters, Opal Gier, and Estella Meech; a nephew, Jim Meech; a niece Charla Cambers; and her parents.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 10:00 AM Friday, July 16th, in the Hepler Cemetery.
Services are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Alex Specht: New FSHS Assistant Principal
Alexander M. Specht, 53, is the new Fort Scott High School Assistant Principal.
He has taught biology, advanced biology, environmental science, applied physics, anatomy, and physiology for 20 years at the high school level at Hoisington, Osawatomie, and Great Bend and 7th-grade science at McPherson Middle School.
He has also been a head high school girls basketball coach, middle school boys basketball coach, high school and middle school track coach, and boys and girls high school golf coach.
Specht has been a two-time Teacher of the Year, a Walmart Teacher of the Year, and a Kansas Master Teacher of the Year.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Emporia State University in 1991, a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership, from ESU, in 2006.
The best part of teaching science for him is engaging students in inquiry-based learning, he said.
“I would set the students up for the biological concept of the day, give them a general procedure to follow, and then watch as they discovered the science lesson for the day,” he said. “To see the expression on their faces and interacting with them as they discovered something new, cool, smelly or amazing is always an awesome way for a student to get hooked on science and the learning process!”
“The greatest challenges I see in education today is at the daily instruction level,” he said. “Classroom teachers are dealing with the personal problems of the students. These personal issues include family, home, school, friends, and athletic concerns that cause a great deal of stress on the student. I believe we need to build relationships with our students and to work with their families to let them all know how committed this district is to partnering with them to help their students be successful. When students struggle with ‘outside’ problems, it is definitely a challenge for them to focus ‘inside’ the classroom.
Family and Interests
Born in Faribault, MN, Specht moved to Smith Center, KS then moved to Sharon, KS where he graduated from high school.
“A fun fact: I went to high school with country music singer Martina McBride. I asked her out on a date once but she said no,” he said. “Dang!”
Amy, his wife of three years, is a manager in the Farmers Alliance Insurance Company. His oldest son, Tyler, graduated from Kansas State University and moved to Dallas to begin work in the financial investments industry. His son, Jacob, is a sophomore at Fort Hays State University, majoring in biology. He also has a stepson, named Tyler.
Specht loves being outdoors, he said.
“I have a fishing boat and a kayak and love to fish!” he said. “I mountain bike, work out a little and like to target shoot and do some hunting with…Amy.”
“As a biologist, I also love flowers and landscaping,” he said. ‘It’s a fun and creative way for me to spend time.”
A college chemistry teacher encouraged him to teach.
“I always enjoyed science classes and in college, I had a chemistry teacher who was impressed by the way I led our chemistry class through a review session for an upcoming test,” he said. ” He told me that I presented ideas and helped the other students so well that I should become a teacher. That was never a thought for me until that moment.”
His father inspired him.
“He was a good dad and raised me with high expectations, understanding of accountability, and a strong work ethic,” he said.
He was consistently teaching him or encouraging him, he said.
“My dad was my elementary principal as I grew up and my first basketball coach,” he said. “He was a special education teacher and a superintendent…being in a school was a part of my life.”
Also following his father’s example, Specht served in the U.S. Navy.
FS Area Community Foundation’s Newsletter
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The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports July12
Local Democrats Meet July 18
The Bourbon County Democrats will hold a social meeting on Sunday, July 18th from 2-4 p.m. at Fort Scott Community College in the Administration Building’s Heritage Room.
Submitted by Carol MacArthur, Chair, Bourbon Co. Democrats
620 215 1505
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Fort Scott Police Department Daily Reports July 8-11
FS Commission Special Meeting July 13
The Fort Scott City Commission will meet on Tuesday, July 13th, 2021 at 5:15 p.m. in the City Hall Commission Meeting Room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas to hold a special meeting to discuss the move of City Hall to the Courthouse and the H.R. Shared Services.
The Work Session to discuss the 2022 budget will begin at 6:00 p.m. This meeting is open to the public, but no action will be taken.
The work session will also be available on the City’s YouTube channel.
Living in the Goodness of God by Carolyn Hayward Tucker
Keys to the Kingdom
“This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior all the day long.“ Blessed Assurance is one of Fanny Crosby’s 8,000 songs she penned during her 95 years as a blind hymnist. While reading Psalm 71 recently, I realized that this chapter is the epitome of my story. God’s Word is alive and powerful; sharper than any two-edged sword and my heart was pierced with His loving truth.
Although there are 24 verses to this Psalm, the following seven are the ones that specifically spoke to me that Sunday morning: “(3) Be to me a great protecting Rock, where I am always welcome, safe from all attacks. (5) O Lord, You alone are my hope; I’ve trusted You from childhood. (6) Yes, You have been with me from birth and have helped me constantly — no wonder I am always praising You! (15) I cannot count the times when You have faithfully rescued me from danger. I will tell everyone how good You are, and of Your constant, daily care. (16) I walk in the strength of the Lord God. (17) O God, You have helped me from my earliest childhood — and I have constantly testified to others of the wonderful things You do. (22) I will praise You with music, telling of Your faithfulness to all Your promises“ (Psalm 71 TLB).
As I worshipped God a few hours later in church, we sang “Goodness of God.” My heart was overflowing with the anointed lyrics because it was a perfect parallel to Psalm 71. I experienced a “God moment” with my loving heavenly Father. This revelation was my personal confirmation from Him concerning something I had been leaning toward, but now I knew I had my definite answer.
“Goodness of God” was written by Jenn and Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, and Ben Fielding. I have lived this song — this is my story: “I love you Lord, oh Your mercy never fails me. All my days I’ve been held in Your hands. From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head, oh I will sing of the goodness of God. ‘Cause all my life You have been faithful. And all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able oh I will sing of the goodness of God. I love Your voice, You have led me through the fire. And in the darkest night You are close like no other. I’ve known You as a Father, I’ve known You as a Friend. And I have lived in the goodness of God.”
What do God’s promises in His Word say to you? Perhaps your past is one you’d rather forget. If so, then that’s exactly what you’re supposed to do — forgive, forget, and move on. Lay those hurtful experiences and memories down at the foot of the cross and leave them there. Never ever carry that heavy baggage again. Today is a new day chocked full of God’s loving mercy, kindness, and faithfulness. Reach out and take what God offers and freely run on the path of blessings He has for you. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).
Accept what God offers through Christ Jesus and let His mighty power work in you. Then you, too, will have your own story and song.
The Key: Sing about the goodness of God at the top of your lungs until your last breath.
Public/Private Partnerships by Gregg Motley
When healthy, government entities focus primarily on serving their constituents, and private entities focus on their investors. This is called incentive; if an elected official does NOT focus on the public good, they should be voted out of office. Likewise, a private entity, which ineffectively represents the shareholders, goes broke. The incentive in both cases is for effective behavior.
In some cases, both incentives are needed. A government entity needs a specialized building, so they hire a qualified contractor, and negotiate a fair price to serve the public, while allowing the contractor a reasonable profit. Win/win.
In more complicated situations, sometimes it is necessary for a public entity to invest in a project owned privately, to promote the public good, and allow for the private corporation to have the control they need, within reasonable boundaries. One of the common examples of this is a Land Bank, created by a government entity to act as a connector between owners, who no longer have a viable plan for a property, and investors, who have a profit incentive, to take on the property development. The public is saved the spectacle of a dilapidated building deteriorating before its eyes, and the investors make a reasonable profit.
Bourbon County is in need of expanding these types of opportunities. We have dozens of situations in which it does not make sense for a private entity to buy a property, absorb all the costs to reverse the years of deterioration, and make all the necessary investments to turn the project into a viable income producing property. This is where government has the opportunity to step in.
Additionally, local charities have an opportunity to enhance these partnerships. Donation money invested in these permanent improvements to our community may make as much sense as routine handouts. Government, businesses, and charities need to think outside the box, get creative, and look for ways to make our communities better.
Grant money and advantaged loan programs can help. Some of these opportunities are geared to the private sector, some to government, and some to not-for-profit entities. These possibilities need to be sought out, and structures put in place to effectively deploy the resources.
The key in all these opportunities is to keep the incentives where they belong. Asking a business to only serve the public good, or for a government to produce a profitable real estate venture, is a losing strategy long-term.
Let’s all get creative, and look for ways to work together to improve our communities, while keeping everyone operating in their lane. Bourbon County REDI (formerly BEDCO) will be looking for ways to build together county-wide.
As Parents Get Older
As parents get older, we want to be reassured they are taking care of themselves and staying healthy. That can be hard to discern at times, especially if we live a distance away. The Mayo Clinic suggests these questions to think about as we consider the abilities and health of our older parents.
Are they able to take care of themselves? Pay attention to their personal appearance and to things around the house. Failure to keep up with personal hygiene, yard work, and housework might be signs of dementia, depression or physical impairments.
Is there an issue with memory loss? It’s normal to forget things from to time to time. However, asking the same question repeatedly; getting lost in familiar places; and becoming confused about time, people and places can be indicators of memory loss.
Are your parents safe at home? Here again, watch for red flags around the house. Do they have difficulty in navigating narrow stairways? Have either of them fallen recently? Are they having difficulty reading directions on medication containers?
Are your parents safe on the road? Driving can be challenging for older adults. If they are easily confused while driving or they have experienced a moving violation, it might be time to stop driving.
Have your parents lost weight? Weight loss without trying could be a sign that something is wrong. They may be experiencing a lack of energy, difficulty in grasping tools, or reading labels. They may have lost interest in eating, due to a loss of taste and smell. Weight loss can also signify other serious underlying conditions.
Are your parents in good spirits? Monitor your parents’ moods and ask how they are feeling. A drastic change in mood or outlook could be a sign of depression or other health concerns.
Are they still social? Inquire about their activities. Are they staying connected with friends, their usual organizations or faith-based communities? Are they maintaining interest in hobbies and other daily activities? If they have given up on some of these activities, it could indicate a problem.
Are they able to get around? Note how your parents walk. Are mobility issues limiting their usual walking distances or activities? Would an assistive device, such as a cane or walker, help?
If any of these indicators exist, consider sharing your concerns with them. Talk with your parents about seeing a doctor and making changes. Including close friends in the conversation may help. Encourage regular medical check-ups where weight loss, changes in mood, or memory loss may be a concern. Maybe you or someone else could attend the doctor visit with them.
Discuss potential safety issues with your parents and work with them to make a plan to address them. Some simple home modifications may help in preventing falls. Transportation options may be discussed rather than driving themselves. Home care services may also be an alternative to assist with house cleaning, running errands, or in-home meals.
Contact the doctor for guidance if your parents dismiss your concerns. The doctor may need permission from your parents to discuss your parents’ care. However, these discussions may give you and the doctor insight on future doctor visits.
Look into local agencies that offer aging assistance services. A local or area Agency on Aging would be a good first place to start. There may be social workers available that may evaluate your parents’ needs and help connect them with local services.
Some older adults don’t want to admit they can’t do something on their own or don’t realize they need help. They may not know where to start to look for assistance to help them remain as independent as possible.
It’s important that they understand the problem and the proposed solution. Remind your parents that you care about them and that you want to help support their health and well-being, both today and in the years to come.
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