Eagle Scout candidate completes Cato bridge restoration project

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Cato bridge will once again serve as a path for visitors to easily walk between the Cato Christian Church and the Cato School thanks to Eagle Scout candidate Joe Otter.

Otter, 17, completed the restoration and rebuilding of the bridge this past Sunday as the project aspect of his candidacy for the recognition. About 30 family members and friends joined him for an informal ceremony and “ribbon cutting.”

“It was one of the largest projects we’ve worked on in our troop,” said Otter, of Pittsburg. “The arch of the concrete was completely cracked in half. We demolished the concrete part and basically rebuilt the entire bridge.”

Otter’s father, Jim, who works for the Pittsburg State University Department of Construction, did a survey of the Cato area and that was how the youngster learned the bridge was in bad shape.

More than 500 work hours, mostly completed on weekends, went into the project that began in August and was thought to be complete in October. Fellow members of Troop 81 and Otter’s younger brother Jacob, 13, as well as parents Jim and Cindy helped with construction.

“It’s important to retain these historic sites that have started to deteriorate,” Jim said.

Most of the original stones washed away and the bridge began to rapidly deteriorate throughout the past 10 years.

Susie Stelle, of Pittsburg, chairman of the Cato Historical Preservation Association and descendant of original Cato settlers, said the idea to restore the bridge was discussed but it’s “hard to find someone to take on a project like that, so we are thrilled to say the least.”

“It’s the beginning of building the little town back,” Stelle said.

Cato historic site was originally in Bourbon County until boundaries changed after the Civil War. In 1867, Cato, which then consisted of a store and post office, became part of Crawford County.

Ralph Carlson, of Fort Scott and a member of the Historical Preservation Association, said Cato founder John Rogers mustered out from Fort Scott wanting to start a business with settlers coming west.

“It’s closely tied to our fort,” Carlson said. “It’s really pretty exciting.”

Supplies were acquired from a farm located about two and a half miles from the bridge. Rudy Simpson, a third generation owner, let the Otters take stones that were falling out of use from around his farm.

With the hard work behind him and paperwork ahead, Otter looks to the future.

“Hopefully, the bridge is something I can go show my kids and grandkids,” he said. “Hopefully, the bridge will last 100 years plus.”

Illustrator draws in Winfield Scott kids

Saturday, March 3, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton/Herald-Tribune

 

While kids across the country buried their noses in books in celebration of Friday’s Read Across America day, students at Winfield Scott Elementary had somewhat of a different experience.

The Winfield Scott Leadership Club hosted Kansas illustrator Brad Sneed at Winfield Scott Elementary on Friday in their effort to inspire young readers to look at literature in a different, more exciting way.

Speaking to an audience of more than 400 students from grades kindergarten through second, Sneed explained to the children his role as an illustrator in the book making process.

“I draw and paint pictures,” Sneed said.” Pictures tell a story, too.”

Hands shot up across the auditorium as Kansas illustrator Brad Sneed opened up his program to questions from his audience of more than 400 students at Winfield Scott Elementary. Sneed spoke to the students in grades kindergarten through second in celebration of Read Across America day on March 2.

The Newton, Kan., native spent about 45 minutes with his captivated audience incorporating slides and illustrations into his presentation. Leaving enough time for a few questions, Sneed saw hands shoot up across the auditorium as students desperately wanted their questions answered.

“My dad frames pictures,” one student softly said as her question.

“What do you do when you mess up?” another curiously asked from the back of the room.

Taking a moment for an exercise in imagination, Sneed even free-handed an illustration of an overly-happy pig and dedicated it to “Winfield Scott Readers.”

He ended the program with a reading of a book he illustrated titled “The President Goes to School” by Rick Walton that garnered some giggles from students and teachers alike.

“I think it makes the kids think about books in a different way when they meet someone who creates them,” Sneed said. “Hopefully at this age they like books and now have a better understanding for how those books came to be.”

Sneed added, saying “and I hope they are inspired to do that now, too.”

First-grade teacher Linda Minor, head of the Leadership Club, said her students were reading more this week in anticipation of the day. She said her students visited different reading stations in the morning before Sneed’s program.

“We’re just trying to get them excited about reading,” Minor said.

Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers, according to the National Education Associ-ation Web site.

Research has shown children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.

Minor said last year the Leadership Club brought the Kansas City Chief’s mascot, the K.C. Wolf. She said the kids were impressed.

In 2009, musical guest Tony Juarez and his son Anthony, of Louisburg, performed for Winfield Scott students.

Celebrated annually on March 2 since 1998, NEA chose the birthday of Dr. Seuss, who once said in the book “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut,” “the more that you read, the more things you will know, the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”