Fort Scott on its way to achieving its community goals

Rick Behrens, Public Square Communities Colleague, said Fort Scott is well on its way to achieving goals set out from the start of the Public Square Community process.

In fact, of the 15 Public Square Communities, Fort Scott was one of the first six to achieve accreditation, the final phase in the process.

Co-convener of the Fort Scott Visioning Committee Clayton Tatro said the accreditation will be promoted by signs which will be placed at the four major entrances to the city.

"This is definitely something to brag about," he said. "We are on the leading edge ... "This process makes a difference."

Behrens was in attendance at Thursday's Fort Scott Visioning Committee forum in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College to talk about what Public Square Communities are and how well Fort Scott is progressing.

Behrens, who works with the communities of Conception, Mo., and Humboldt said youth have a large part to play in community development.

Earlier in the week, he attended the first youth conversation in Humboldt. He said 25 young people attended and discussed their desires for the community and their worries about the future.

"If you think that youth don't care and don't have ideas, you better disarm yourself of that," he said.

Behrens added that Fort Scott is moving in the right direction and the annual forum is a great way to keep things moving.

"Positive conversation can change the world," he sa