Government shutdown ends Visitors are welcome back to Fort Site

Friday, October 18, 2013
Loretta George/Tribune photo Visitors to Fort Scott National Historic Site were welcomed back Thursday, as the U.S. Government reopened after a 17-day shutdown. Rona and Mike Myers of Mira Loma, Calif., and Ethan, Kenneth, and Collett Myers of Evansville, Ind., look over the parade grounds from the FSNHS Visitor's Center balcony. No one was allowed on the site during the shutdown.

Nine of the 13 Fort Scott National Historic Site employees reported back to duty at the site Thursday, after President Barack Obama signed the end of the government shutdown earlier that morning.

"Everyone this morning, as people came in, all the employees were so glad to be back at work...it was a good feeling," said Betty Boyko, superintendent of FSNHS.

Boyko said it was an "unsettling" feeling not to be able to come back to work.

Kelley Collins, supervisory park ranger at the site, agreed.

"We are glad to be back to work and to have everyone here," she said. "Those questions I had I can now consult with others."

Only essential personnel were allowed to remain at the site during the shutdown. Kelley Collins was the only employee allowed on duty during the 17 days the government was shutdown, as the national government waited for a budget to be signed by the legislature.

Collins was considered an "excepted" employee because she has a law enforcement commission and was on duty for safety and resource protection.

"The grounds were closed as well as the buildings. There were some people who did walk around the barricade and if I saw them I had to explain it was closed," Collins said. "I found one sign that was crumpled up. It appears that someone had gotten frustrated and crumpled it up. Twice, I found barricades that had been removed or knocked down -- and they had been staked down."

Collins worked an eight-day stretch with no day off. She also performed many new duties, such as opening the office building and running the elevators as part of maintenance.

As a part of resource protection, Collins also had to spend time watering 40 newly planted trees, not something she normally does as part of her duties, she said.

"I was thinking we ought to write this (list of necessary duties) down. I don't open everyday," Collins said.

"It was frustrating for me, to know that Kelley was dealing with all that," Boyko said.

Boyko said it was difficult for the public to understand the shut down, especially since the FSNHS is part of downtown Fort Scott, and has no entrance gate.

"We tried to be flexible and still abide by the law," Boyko said. "Maintain what the requirements were, but still accommodate in anyway we could."

Meanwhile the downtown Fort Scott businesses noticed the shutdown had an affect on them, too.

"We definitely saw much less foot traffic," Cynthia McFarlin, owner of Life+Style, said.

"The whole time the government was shut down, we weren't very busy," Nicollette Greenway, an employee of Papa Don's Restaurant, said.