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Fort Scott lights up
The streets of downtown Fort Scott light up with pride as residents gather for the Streetscape Lighting Ceremony Friday evening.
Fort Scott residents gathered at the intersection of Main Street and Wall Street for the ceremony which featured speeches by Fort Scott Director of Economic Development Dale Bunn, Fort Scott City Mayor Gary Bukowski, Judy Renard representing the Phoenix Committee and the downtown business owners. Bunn also read two letters of recognition from Senator Pat Roberts and Senator Sam Brownback.
"This event provides a point of major accomplishment in the comprehensive plan to build a brighter Fort Scott," Bunn said.
After a short welcome by Bunn, First Christian Church Pastor Reed Hartford present the crowd with a recent finding from the Historic Preservation Association. He held a copy of the 1969 Comprehensive Plan in which he found a poem. The poem was centered around the theme that a town is made by those who live in it. After reading the poem Hartford lead a prayer.
Bunn read letter from Roberts and Brownback in support of what Fort Scott has been able to accomplish. Roberts mentioned in the letter her admiration for how the town has recovered following the fire.
"When I saw news reports in the days after the tragic fire, I immediately knew that Fort Scott would rebound from this unfortunate event," Roberts' letter read.
Brownback took the opportunity to congratulate Fort Scott for its incredible amount of volunteer work to get the project done.
"While the federal dollars were invested beneath your streets, it was your local volunteer efforts by the Phoenix Committee that have further enhanced one of our State's most picturesque and historic downtowns," Brownback's letter read.
The Phoenix Committee received further acknowledgments as Bukowski was at the podium. He credited the success of the town's recovery to those who volunteered their time and efforts for the betterment of the town.
"They are representative of the many volunteers that we have in this town...the kind of people that take a wish and make it come true."
The highlight of the evening was the official lighting of the downtown street lights by Renard. Renard began by telling the story of the downtown fire. She told the crowd how she remembered coming around the corner and seeing the smoke and how she burst into tears because part of her life was burning down. She also spoke of how the community has come together to rebuild the town.
"Out of this ... we got these positive planners not negative nay-sayers," said Renard.
The crowd applauded and cheered as Renard ceremoniously turned on the lights of downtown Fort Scott. The lights will do more than light the streets, they will light the future of Fort Scott.
Watch a video of the whole ceremony at www.fstribune.com/gallery/lightingceremony/