McFarlin steps down as FSACC tourism director
After one year on the job, Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Tourism Cynthia McFarlin is stepping down.
"When I came, I committed to the position for one year ... and that year is over," McFarlin said.
When McFarlin and her husband Jim Pitts, a Fort Scott native, came to town their intent was not to stay and find jobs, rather it was to help redevelop the downtown area.
"Jim had talked about going back to Fort Scott and being part of the downtown revitalization," McFarlin said in a previous interview with The Tribune. "Initially, we were just going to go back to Fort Scott to restore a downtown building and not look at jobs."
After spending some time in Fort Scott McFarlin and her husband decided to stay and began her duties as FSACC Director of Tourism last November.
McFarlin will not have a hard time finding ways to keep busy. Her and her husband have purchased the building located at 22 N. Main Street with the intent of creating a culinary store in downtown Fort Scott.
"(Pitts) has wanted to buy a commercial building his whole life ever since he left in 1974," McFarlin said. "(It's) related to something we both love to do."
The goal is to create a cooking store complete with tools and equipment, gourmet food, and a commercial kitchen for hosting cooking classes, she added. In addition, they plan to convert the upstairs area into an apartment which they plan to rent out.