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Volunteers spruce up downtown for Good Ol' Days
A group of local volunteers recently assembled in downtown Fort Scott with a mission.
The group's goal -- to help spruce up buildings in the downtown historic district prior to this weekend's Good Ol' Days celebration, a street fair that runs through Saturday.
Fort Scott Director of Economic Development Heather Griffith said she and Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lindsay Madison were walking downtown May 28 and "noticed several storefronts where some touch-up paint would make things look much nicer on Main Street."
"We decided to make an attempt to gather local volunteers to do some painting Friday so that things might look a little more fresh before Good Ol' Days," Griffith said.
Madison talked with Chris Maycumber of Mayco Ace, a local hardware store, and Maycumber matched paint colors for the group and also gave the group a discount on the total bill, Griffith said.
"Somehow we were able to coerce 13 volunteers with one day's notice to roll up their sleeves and paint our downtown," she said.
A grant provided by local residents Steve and Elaine Buerge covered the cost of paint the group used for downtown facades. The Buerges also agreed to fund supplies for the project, Griffith said.
While working, the group also had some ideas for vacant downtown buildings and storefronts.
Staff at the Lowell Milken Center located downtown saw the group and purchased lunch for all of the volunteers. Staff at the Fort Scott National Historic Site allowed the group to display the site's new banners at an empty storefront next to La Hacienda, a local Mexican restaurant also located downtown.
Staff at the Milken Center also offered the group some banners for display in other vacant storefronts during the Good Ol' Days celebration.
"Lindsay and I had posters made and have placed them in some of the available buildings to catch people's attention and provide city and chamber contact information for passersby who might be interested in renting or purchasing the space for a business idea," Griffith said.
The group completed the following projects:
* Painted posts on the awning at the Common Ground Coffee Company located at 116 S. Main St.
* Painted posts and framing on the awning and corners of the facade of Main Street Gallery and Gifts located at 23 S. Main St.
* Removed and discarded frayed awning fabric and painted posts and framing on the awning of the Spoiled Brat store at 19 S. Main St.
* Painted the entire lower level facade and door of the Spoiled Brat store.
* Painted the lower facade between and above the windows of the old Kress building at 17 S. Main St.
Griffith said the group was inspired by the Presbyterian Church's Sunday Serve event last month, when members of the church congregation cleaned windows and completed other upkeep in the downtown area. Some members of the Fort Scott Rotary Club have also made curtains for the upper stories of some downtown buildings.
Volunteers who Griffith said deserve recognition for giving their time on such short notice to "give our Main Street a facelift" May 28 were; Darlene Doherty and her boyfriend, Roger; Deb Hilts with Shelter Insurance; John Crain with Crain Insurance; Melissa Wise with Wise Tax and Accounting; Sarah Davis with Meeks Law Firm; Tabatha Kedigh with the Lowell Milken Center; Bob Goltra with Fort Scott Community College; Samantha Doherty-Nivens with Peerless; Ruth Garner and one of her sons; Griffith's husband, Bill, who helped during his lunch break, and her son, Levi, who helped paint.
Griffith said she and Madison worked throughout the day as well.