Spruce up set for Keyhole

Those attending Thursday morning's Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Coffee got a glimpse of the beginnings of The Keyhole youth center, as well as activities and projects that are planned for the near future.

Laurie Uhler, co-director of the center, located at the corner of 10th and Main streets, said the plan is to do some small renovation projects at the recreational center, which opened in 1992 as a place where local youth can spend time with friends and enjoy a variety of activities.

The center is targeted at middle and high school youth.

"The center has grown a lot," Uhler said.

The building will feature some new paint and decor, such as a new mural done by students and new furniture that is funded through the city through a drug and alcohol awareness program "to keep kids off the streets," Uhler said.

Keyhole Board Chairwoman Joy O'Neal said the effort to create the center started about 20 years ago. Several local residents, including members of the Fort Scott Ministerial Alliance, got together with the idea of starting a youth center. Through the Key Charitable Trust, the group obtained some funding for the center and formed a nonprofit corporation called the Youth Ministries of Bourbon County.

"That was our beginning," O'Neal said. "The support was phenomenal in the community."

O'Neal said it took several months to make the center a reality.

"I'm real happy with how things have gone," she said.

The center offers a furnished entertainment center area with big-screen television and DVD player, an informational center, computers with filtered Internet access, Ping-Pong and pool tables, outdoor basketball, various video game consoles and games and other activities.

An average of 10 to 20 kids visit The Keyhole daily during the summer. Last year during the school year, an average of 30 to 50 kids stopped by each day after school. The center opened for summer hours the week after Memorial Day and Aug. 15 will be its last under its summer hours, Uhler said.

The center conducts various fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for the facility and other groups, such as the United Way of Bourbon County, which also provides funding for the center.

It receives a majority of its funding from various churches, the Key Charitable Trust, United Way of Bourbon County and other community service organizations. The center also gets community contributions and periodically receives funding from the city for upkeep on the building that houses it.

"We always need funding to keep the building up since it's an older building," Uhler said, adding the center can "always use things like chalk for the pool tables," and equipment for the Ping-Pong table.

Uhler said she and co-director Jan Elliott are "always trying to think of new events or activities to do with the students."

Upcoming events include a back-to-school get-together in the fall and fundraisers for some of its supporters, such as sending money raised through recycling aluminum cans to the United Way, a girls' night in winter in which money raised goes to breast cancer awareness, and a Guitar Hero tournament in which the canned goods obtained as entry fees are sent to The Beacon, a local food pantry and community assistance agency.

"We get support, but we also try to give back to some of these groups and committees," Uhler said.

The center has a new program started by Elliott that allows youth who cannot afford to buy concessions to complete chores in exchange for refreshments. Kids can pick a chore from a list of tasks, such as sweeping and dusting to wiping down game controllers, and will earn 10 cents per minute they can use to purchase items from the concession stand.

"Some kids come in and don't have 30 cents to get a can of pop," O'Neal said.

The program has an educational goal, Uhler said.

"Our hope is to teach them sometimes you have to work for your spending money," she said. "It helps the children who might not have the money to come in and eat."

Uhler said concession items are available at a minimal cost -- the most expensive item is $1.50. Some of the least expensive items cost 5 cents. There is no admission charge or cost to participate in activities offered. There will sometimes be a small fee charged for events that raise money for local groups or organizations.

The center's summer hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. During the school year, the center will be open from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, from 3 to 9 p.m. Fridays for middle school students and from 3 to 10 p.m. for high school students, and from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturdays for middle school students and 5 to 10 p.m. for high school students.

For more information, call the center at (620) 223-4700.

Other announcements at the chamber coffee Thursday included:

* Pam Spear with Hillside Guest Homes said the facility is in the process of being updated and has a new Facebook page.

* Clayton Tatro with the Youth Activities Team thanked the community for the recent sell-out of the Jason Aldean/Luke Bryan concert to be held this fall. The YAT team will conduct a fundraising dinner prior to the concert that Tatro said Aldean and Bryan should attend.

The YAT's three-man golf tournament will be held July 28, with a pre-tournament social and golf club sale on July 27.

* City Manager Dave Martin said he has been asked recently about jobs in the community and said several area companies are hiring.

* Becky Tourtillott of Citizens Bank said Fort Scott High School Tiger cards are now on sale for $10 each. The cards provide discounts to various businesses around town.

* Gina Findley of Bourbon County Relay for Life said the Relay for Life event last month had a good response and was a good event.

* Allen Warren, representing the Bourbon County Fair, said fair events kick off Saturday. The first is a dog show at 9 a.m. At 6:30 p.m., the Jordan Snyder Memorial ATV Shodeo is scheduled. Call 224-9186 for more information on that.