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The Campbell $1.00 County Observer

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June 17 - 24, 2011

“If it doesn’t have to do with Campbell County, we don’t care!”

Volume 2 • Issue 14

April 6 - 13, 2012

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Happy Birthday! By Nicholas DeLaat The Campbell County Observer is now one year old and wow, has this been a year. It only feels like it has been a couple of months but here we are, getting stronger by the day. Some of you (very little) have been with us from the beginning, when we came out with that ﬁrst issue. You went down to one of the 6 stores we were selling them and took a chance and bought one. We hadn’t even sold a subscription yet. The idea for the Observer came in two parts. I had always wanted to own my own business, I just did not know in what. Glenn Woods and I were sitting in my “man-cave” as he calls it smoking cigars one day and we were talking about better ways to get government goings on to the people. A spark of an idea came. “Why not have a publication that tells people when and where all the meetings are?” Well, this did not quite work out as the agenda’s for every local government come out at different times so there is not any way you could completely keep everyone informed. Well, the idea went to the back burner as I was running (or learning about) a campaign and had enough going on at the time. Between swing shift working for C.A.T. as a mechanic and running for State Representative there was not any time for anything, especially a paper. My parents came out during the election, which also happened to be just 3 days after my father and daughter’s birthday. The day after Election Day in 2010, we went to see Casper and Casper Mountain. Coming home, I was already bored. Free time was something that was not in my vocabulary and I didn’t know what to do with it. I started wondering again about the newspaper, but started thinking hard. Discussing it with my father, the name came out. “How about Observer? The Campbell County Observer?” He liked it, and I decided right then and there, on the 3rd of November of 2010 that I would come out with the paper. Of course, I needed one crucial thing, and I got it. My beautiful wife Candice gave me all her support, so it was time to move forward. We worked on ideas over the next couple

months, learning how to layout, design, advertise, and more. Neither of us had ever even delivered a newspaper in our life and here we were starting one. We got a few people to help us out who came on before the first issue as writers. They were voluntary to start out as we had no money to pay them. Four of these are still left today; Keary Speer, Glenn Woods, Sandra Boehler, and Mike Borda. In January of 2011 we made a commitment of having our first print in the first week of April. There was still a lot to do, design our first paper, find out where we were going to be printed. We did go to a couple local places first, but were refused with bad excuses. So, though competition in N.E. Wyoming wouldn’t take our money, we found a great partner in the Rapid City Journal. I must personally say that Rex Albright, who works for the Journal, has been a constant morale booster and one of our largest individual supporters (don’t worry Rex, I won’t call you a cheerleader)! So, we made our deadline of the first week of April and our first paper came out…we did it. We came out with a newspaper. Next problem, how to sustain a constant print on the money. We started with $4,126.70 exactly. But as we went on, I found that I could not work the swing shift and publish a weekly newspaper at the same time. A decision had to be made…Take a chance and do the paper, or keep working. Again, with the (hard fought) blessings of my loving wife Candice I quit my job that May. With a mortgage and three children, I gave up almost six figures a year, insurance, and more. I dumped all of my 401K and took a chance…a big chance. We started growing immediately. As with anything new, we had to grow with what worked. We dropped some segments and added others. Some things just seemed to fit, like the history stuff and Glenn’s Editorial. The local political talk show host writing the local political column? That was much better than some editor’s opinion or a columnist out of New York. We started things like “Readers on the Road,” and “Sports what’s go-

ing on.” Some of our stuff even got copied by other publications, which meant that we must have been doing something right. After the paper started growing so did our readership. The ﬁrst week our paper came out we sold 47 in the stores, the second week we sold 56 and 2 subscriptions. Now, on our one year mark I can proudly tell you that last week we sold 934 papers in the stores and have 458 subscriptions for a total paid distribution of 1,392. That is gaining over 100 paid readers per month since we have been in business! We are still growing, and fast. We try to do the right thing, and we also donate many of the papers we don’t sell to the Campbell County Memorial Hospital for long term patients, to Pioneer Manor, and to the Senior Center. After donated papers, our readership is now about 1,800 per week. We are very proud of that! We have had some trials, but some help. Great advice from people who have been in similar businesses for a while like Hugh, owner of Anybody’s Auto and House Hunter have been vital to our success. The best advice I get is from the 3 or 4 conversations I have a day with you readers, telling me what you want! We have a great staff that is as passionate about the Campbell County Observer as I am. We have helped raise 10’s of thousands of dollars in local charities for different groups or people, and we just started our own scholarship fund for one of our local students. I am looking forward to this next year, and to tell you the truth, am very excited. I hope you all are as excited as I am, as this year the plan is to expand to 3 sections, go to color, and much more. We also plan to continue to serve our great community and its people. Since we started we have created 18 full or part time jobs. We are very proud of that, and with your help, this year we will create another 20! Thank you all for reading, and remember two things. First, we are open submission, so submit your own articles on your kids little league game, or charity event. And second, our new motto…”It’s not news, its personal!”

For subscriptions go to www.CampbellCountyObserver.net

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Theta chapter of Beta Sigma Phi in Gillette contributes to CASA of the 5th Judicial District in Gillette by making Easter Baskets for the children. The baskets are ﬁlled with chocolate, eggs ﬁlled with candy, and toys and goodies for the children. This year they were able to donate almost 70 baskets. Donating the baskets and treats is a small way to bring joy to our community at Easter time and we look forward to this event every year! For this event our legacy members are encouraged to participate. Beta Sigma Phi is an International friendship network open to women of all ages and backgrounds focused on friendship and community service. For more information please contact Theta Vice-President Joli Carr at 660-6493 or learn more about Beta Sigma Phi at www.betasigmaphi.org. The group includes (left to right) in front, Brenna Carr, Sharon Cole, Chloe Williams, Alyssa Stumbaugh, Delaney Knottnerus, and Libby Himes; and in back, Dedra Ladd, Audra Stumbaugh, Stacy Straight, Sarah Williams, Becky Peterson, Melinda Bauman, Rebecca Knottnerus. Middle Row left to right: Shannon Carr, Joli Carr, Lorraine Miller, Andrea Bauman, Maxine Nice, Allyson Black, Jenny Himes-Baumgartner, and Lucy Himes.

Autism research group launches non-proﬁt organization to improve quality of life for individuals with Autism

The Autism Research Group announced last week that its new non-profit organization places individuals with autism first by providing scientifically proven research that helps those with autism to break through barriers and improve their quality of life. Autism Research Group (ARG) announced today the launch of its pioneer non-profit organization highlighting its mission of placing individuals on the autism spectrum and their families first. ARG is founded on the principal of using science to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as well as their families and caregivers. Individuals with ASD have the right to live life to the fullest and this right transcends social, cultural, and economic barriers. “Our organization does research that matters to families of children with autism and our mission is to share the results with the world. ARG’s research findings will allow more families to access effective treatment,” says ARG Executive Director Jonathan Tarbox, PhD, BCBA-D. This launch coincides with the newlyreleased report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing 1 in every 88 children in America has an autism spectrum disorder; a 78 percent increase since the study first began in 2002. The latest figure reconfirms that autism is more prevalent than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer, and pediatric AIDS combined. ASD is a range of complex neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by social impairments, communication challenges, and restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped patterns of behavior. Autistic disorder is the most severe form of ASD, while other conditions along the spectrum include milder forms known as Asperger’s syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. “Our first step in reaching out to families affected by autism is our Parent-Generated Research Initiative. It’s designed to give

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parents a voice on what matters most to them” says Tarbox. Parents can complete a 10-question survey at www.autismresearchgroup.org and ARG will use the input to design research programs that directly address the needs and preferences of families affected by autism. ARG’s objectives include: • Innovate and test new treatments that hold promise for improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders • Increase awareness and access to treatments that are already proven to work • Conduct research to improve the effectiveness of proven treatments • Establish benchmarks to increase accountability for the effectiveness of services for individuals with autism spectrum disorders About the Autism Research Group: The Autism Research Group (ARG), is a non-proﬁt organization dedicated to identifying, evaluating, and disseminating treatments that make a real, measurable difference in the lives of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. ARG uses science to improve quality of life for people with autism spectrum disorders and the families who love them. The Autism Research Group is a non-proﬁt organization. For more information about the Autism Research Group, visitwww.autismresearchgroup.org.

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t h g i l t o Sp of the Week

Warden’s Corner The ice is finally off area lakes and just after ice off can be a great time to catch fish. The trout and crappie have been biting for the last week at the Fishing Lake at Dalby Memorial Park. The limit on trout in the Fishing lake is six trout of any size and the limit on crappie is 50 in aggregate with other fish like green sunfish, perch, bullhead, etc. A fishing license is required to fish any waters in the state including lakes like the Fishing Lake and make sure you have a copy of the new fishing regulations with you. With warmer weather arriving each week it’s a great time to get out of the house and take your family fishing

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Wyoming Governor Matt Mead speaks to a crowd of about 70 people Friday morning at the American Legion Post #42 in Gillette for Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day.

Wyoming welcomes home military vets By Nathan Kobielusz - Basin Radio Approximately 70 people, mostly veterans, turned out at the American Legion Post #42 in Gillette Friday morning to hear Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and other dignitaries welcome all U.S. military personnel home. This marks the second annual Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day. The day was codiﬁed into law by the Wyoming legislature last year as a way to honor military servicemen and servicewomen. Even though the day was specially designed in response

to the unkind treatment country was exactly that—a your service,” Mead says. Vietnam Veterans received service. “Welcome home and God following their deployment, “Sometimes it’s not very bless you.” the day is a chance to wel- easy. Sometimes it’s pretFollowing the ceremony come home all veterans. ty dangerous. Oftentimes in Gillette, Gov. Matt Mead Mother's Contest While speaking to the Day you’re a long way from and other speakers will audience, Veterans Comhome,” Gen. or Reiner travel Worland, Laramie, Next week add e-mail mail deletters to: to The Campbell County Observer mission Vice Chair Lee scribes. “But that’s what and Cheyenne. 5105 Tarry St. Alley says legislation was this nation needs, and 82718 passed markingGillette, the dayWy that’s what service is all to ensure the mistakes the about.” nation made in the past are Gov. Matt Mead says never repeated again. everyone must always reAdjutant General of Wyo- member to give military ming Gen. Luke Reiner veterans a warm welcome told the veterans in the home. audience that America is “To all veterans and to all a better place because of families, thank you for your them. Their service to their sacriﬁce and thank you for

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City of Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy is one of several local ofﬁcials to have recently expressed disappointment in the lack of interest generated by the city’s landscape incentive grant.

City grant helps pay for commercial landscape projects By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News The City of Gillette is making a push to inform local business owners of the city’s Landscape Incentive Grant available to defray part of the cost of commercial landscape projects. While the incentive has been around for years, the lack of participation has frustrated some public officials, including City of Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy. During last week’s Gillette City Council workshop, Murphy expressed his desire to see more interest in the program. With this program, existing businesses can apply for money to help pay for projects to landscape and beautify areas in front of commercial, industrial, and multi-family properties. According to City of Gillette public information officer Joe Lunne, the grant will provide up to $5,000 to beautify commercial property. “That’s 50 percent of the project,” Lunne says. “So if you had a $10,000 commercial landscape project you could apply for this grant. It would go through the Parks and Beautification Board and if they award the grant, $5,000 of that project would be paid for on a pro-rated basis throughout the project.” An application for the Landscape Incentive Grant is available online at www.gillettewy.gov. To apply for the grant, return a completed application, along with plans or sketches of the landscape project to the City Parks Division, attention Parks Superintendent at 611 N. Exchange Ave., Gillette, WY 82716.

307-682-7001 306 W. Lakeway Rd.

Campbell County Observer

CampbellCountyObserver.net 5105 Tarry St. Gillette, WY 82718 (PP-1) Volume 2 Issue 14 The Campbell County Observer is published by Patriot Publishing L.L.C. in Gillette, WY every Friday. Postmaster: Send address changes to 5105 Tarry St. Gillette, WY 82718 Writers Candice De Laat - Owner/Publisher CandiceDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Nicholas De Laat - Owner/Editor NicholasDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Sandra Boehler (Charities/Fundraisers/Veterans Events) SandraBoehler@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Keary Speer - Editor KearySpeer@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Glenn Woods (Political Column) GlennWoods@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Anne Peterson - Advertising Sales Manager AnnePeterson@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Mike Borda (American History) MichaelBorda@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Robyn Brooks - Sales/Marketing RobynBrooks@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Elizabeth Albin (Wright) ElizabethAlbin@campbellcountyobserver.com

Traci Jefferson - Sales/Marketing TraciJefferson@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Lin Stephens LinStephens@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Dale Russell - Sales/Marketing DaleRussell@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Josh Uzarski (Science) JoshuaUzarski@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Owen Clarke - Ad Design OwenClarke@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Ken De Laat (About Nothing) KennethDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Ken McCoy - Distribution Manager

“Juice” (Political Cartoonist) Juice@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Pattie Ladd - What’s Going On PattieLadd@CampbellCountyObserver.com Clint Burton - Photographer ClintBurton@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Jeff Morrison (Local History Contributor) JeffMorrison@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Community Northern Rockies Night Sky’s

Jewelry does not make the woman

Submitted by Jay Norris - University of Wyoming A monthly look at the night skies of the northern Rocky Mountains, written by astronomers Ron Canterna, University of Wyoming; Jay Norris, Challis, Idaho Observatory; and Daryl Macomb, Boise State University. Say adios to the conspicuous winter constellations: Orion the hunter, Taurus the bull, and Canis Major, the big dog. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky in Canis Major, is as bright as Jupiter, which can be seen right after sunset in Aries. The brightest object in the sky right after sunset is Venus, which is located in Taurus this month. April heralds some of our summer constellations and the night skies will now be ruled by two familiar constellations -- Ursa Major, the Big Bear, and Leo the lion. Both are visible, high and to the northeast, and easily identiﬁable. The Big Bear, known to most as the Big Dipper, allows us to spot the star Polaris by following northward a straight line from the two stars at the end of the dipper. Polaris, the North Star, is in the constellation Ursa Minor, which means Little Bear, and is known as the Little Dipper. Note that Mars is in Leo and will rival the brightness of the star Regulus. Toward the zenith, you can see the constellation Auriga and its bright star, Capella, as well as the two Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux. For our planetary watchers this April, you can see Jupiter, Venus, Mars and

Saturn, which rises right after sunset in the constellation Virgo. Meteor shower alert for April 21-22: Look in Lyra after midnight. The Lynids will average around 20 meteors per hour. April Interest: Stellar Death: 5 -- Gamma-Ray Bursts Infrequently, a star that goes supernova also will have very unusual characteristics that result in the emission of a gamma-ray burst at nearly the same time as the supernova itself. The required stellar prerequisites appear to be very rapid rotation; prior ejection of the outer layers of the star; and very low ratio of metals to hydrogen in the star’s composition. These conditions generate extremely intense magnetic and electric ﬁelds. This causes the acceleration of charged particles that emit gamma rays. Photons are just like ordinary light, except that the gamma-ray photons are at least 100,000 times more energetic than visible photons. Such photons also are generated, for instance, in energy transitions that occur within a nucleus. Satellites, designed to monitor the Earth’s atmosphere for violations of the nuclear test ban treaty created in the late 1960s, instead detected gamma-ray bursts coming from outer space. Gamma-ray bursts look like randomly placed pulses, with total durations lasting from a fraction of a second to hundreds of seconds. This wide vari-

ety of burst appearances, combined with the fairly low angular resolution of the satellites’ gamma-ray detectors, kept astronomers guessing for 30 years as to the nature of the bursts. Hypotheses ranged from the burst sources being near our solar system, to somewhere within our Milky Way galaxy, to the limiting distance of the universe -- billions of light years distant. The luminosity of a burst, at such cosmological distances, would be, very brieﬂy, around 1 billion times the luminosity of a galaxy. The cosmological hypothesis turned out to be true, as revealed when groundbased telescopes and orbiting X-ray telescopes detected long-lived afterglows (lasting hours to months in the optical part of the spectrum) associated with the bursts, and localized their sources to lie within small young galaxies. These host galaxies lived in the universe about 1-3 billion years after the Big Bang, or 10-13 billion years ago. Approximately one gamma-ray burst per day can be seen from Earth. The bursts that we get to see are “beamed” in our direction, like a narrow-cone search light. For each burst we see, about 500 are beamed in other directions. Evidence points to two kinds of bursts: Short ones, possibly associated with coalescing binary white dwarfs or neutron stars, are Type Ia supernovae . Long ones, associated with extreme core-collapse, are Type Ic supernovae.

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1103 E. Boxelder, Suite C Gillette, WY USA 82718

We want to get it Write. Oops we mean Right. The Observer strives to make news reports fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, Contact us at nicholasdelaat@campbellcountyobserver.com

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Wounded Warriors Raft Trip through Canyonlands National Park on the Colorado River Experienced Tag-ALong Expeditions boatmen and guides of Moab Utah take you on a memorable and somewhat challenging 3-1/2 day raft trip down the scenic Colorado River from Moab Utah to Hite Marina in the upper reaches of Lake Powell. The adventure starts at Potash Boat Ramp on July 11. There are two days of ﬂat water into beautiful Canyonlands National Park, with opportunities to visit Indian petroglyphs, small Indian ruins, a petriﬁed forest, and a hike up to the Doll House and the Land of the Standing Rocks. If the sun gets hot, a dip in the river is right at hand. The Cataract rapids are

encountered on the third day in Cataract Canyon. In extreme water years these rapids can be rated 5/5. We are expecting a moderate ﬂow year, but the rapids are still exciting and refreshing. Safety is always foremost, and those that are not swimmers or otherwise uneasy will be put into two life jackets for a more comfortable ride or if they decide to go swimming. The boats are highly stable “Jrigs”, having 10 separate air chambers. Cuisine is quite good, typically steak, chicken, or taco-burritos for carnivores and omnivores and a vegetarian menu for herbivores. Menu suggestions from vegetarians

are encouraged. Bacon, eggs, pancakes, and potatoes are typically served at breakfast. The schedule includes plenty of time to set up camp each evening and socialize. After supper, enjoy relaxing to spectacular views of the clear Canyonlands night sky. The personal gear requirement is quite simple; just outdoor clothing, a hat, camera, toiletries, a ﬂashlight or headlamp, sunscreen, and a sleeping bag and pad, perhaps a cot. All special needs will be accommodated. At the end of the trip ground transportation is furnished back to Moab from Hite Marina. This trip is underwritten and spon-

sored by Tag-A-Long Expeditions and Aarchway Inn in Moab for Wounded Warriors and their caregivers. For more information, contact Fred Solheim at (303) 818-7600 or email solheim@radiometrics.com.

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Featured Crime Vehicle Burglary (March 31)

Crime Stoppers needs your help in solving a vehicle burglary that occurred to a vehicle in the Dollar Tree parking lot between 3-31-12 at 2000 hours and 3-31-12 at 0900 hours. Unknown suspect(s) broke the front windshield and two side windows on a 2000 Ford Windstar Van. After the suspects entered the vehicle they slashed all of the cloth seats. Taken from the vehicle was a checkbook and tire jack. If you have information that can solve this or any other crime please call Crime Stoppers at 686-0400 or the High School Crime Stoppers at 682-4185. You can remain anonymous and may earn up to $1,000 in reward.

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Comics

To submit a quote of the week go to www.CampbellCountyObserver.net

Solutions from last week

“With every action I take I look at it and say ‘will I look back at this and be proud’?” - Nicholas De Laat

Community Wyo. Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention members recognized as outstanding

From an Elegant Event to a Backyard BBQ!

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Submitted by Trudy Woodcock, MSgt. WY NG Deputy Public Affairs Ofﬁcer - Joint Force Headquarters - Wyoming Senior Master Sgt. Gary Foster, of Cheyenne, Wyo., a member of the Wyoming Air National Guard recently received the national Recruiting and Retention Superintendent of the Year Award. “It’s always an honor to recognize the outstanding achievements of our Wyoming Airmen,” said Col. Shelley Campbell, chief of the Joint Staff. “These selﬂess men and women uphold the core values of the Wyoming Air Na-

tional Guard, always maintaining the ideals of people ﬁrst and mission always.” Wyoming’s recruiting team competed against four other regional nominees for the National Award in each of the following categories. Each regional award means they were one of the top ﬁve teams or individuals for each of the above categories out of 89 teams and more than 600 Recruiting and Retention personnel nationwide. Wyoming was recognized in

ﬁve of the eight categories in which they were eligible to compete. Region 1 consists of 14 states and/or territories with the following Wyoming Air National Guard individuals being recognized: Senior Master Sgt. Gary Foster - Recruiting and Retention Superintendent of the Year Tech. Sgt. Mark Hill - Production Recruiter of the Year Tech. Sgt. Iris Honrado Unit Career Advisor of the

Year Top Recruiting and Retention Team - Patriot Team Award Top Recruiting and Retention State - Golden Eagle Award FY 11 - 2nd Quarter Wing with most health professional accessions (out of 89 Wings) FY 11 - 1st Quarter Wing with highest average accessions (out of 89 Wings)

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Spring into the Library Spring is ﬁnally here! That’s reason enough to celebrate and Campbell County Public Library System is throwing a weeklong party. National Library Week is April 8-14 and our Cabin Fever Reliever series will wrap up this week also. That makes two great reasons to stop by your libraries in Gillette and Wright! We’re celebrating the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians as well as the contributions made by library patrons to our library endowment. Please join us.

All Week

• Treats, thanks to The Library Foundation, Inc., will be served all week at CCPL and WBL. • Graphic Novel Contest Entries will be displayed throughout April. • Come write on our wall! Share “How I Relieve My Cabin Fever” on our display. • Puppet shows and Mittens the Cat will be at all story times in Gillette Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.; and Thursday at 9:30 a.m., 10:30a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Children 6th grade and younger can enter drawings to win books.

Monday, April 9

• Wright Branch Library will host “And the Band Played On” featuring the Gillette Guitar Guild at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, April 10

• National Library Workers Day • Tell your favorite librarian “thanks.”

Wednesday, April 11

• Wright Branch Library After-School Special featuring Mittens the Cat at 3:15 p.m.

Thursday, April 12

• Cupcake Wars at CCPL at 5 p.m. • The public is invited to taste test a variety

of locally made cupcakes and vote for a favorite. 15 bakers are signed up for a chance to win great prizes. People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards will be presented in four categories: taste, texture, presentation of cupcake (including table decoration), and originality (of cupcake ﬂavor, theme, etc.) as well as overall People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice winners. Sandy Daly, Clark Kissack, Carol Seeger, Micky Shober and the winner of our CCPL Graphic Novel Character contest (to be publicly announced following this event) are ofﬁcial judges. The cost to be a “People’s Choice” judge is $5. The evening will also feature music by The Gillette Guitar Guild and free gourmet coffee courtesy of The Library Foundation. • Taste and Vote: 5-7 p.m. • Cupcake Wars and CCPLS Graphic Novel Character Contest Awards: 7:30p.m. The Cabin Fever Reliever series of Library Endowment fundraising events began in February and featured Art in the Stacks, a Scavenger Hunt throughout Gillette, and a (nearly) 5k run/walk that started and ended at CCPL. These events raised nearly $5,000 toward The Library Foundation’s goals in The Wyoming Public Library Endowment Challenge Program. Through the Challenge Program, that amount will be matched by the state for an addition of nearly $10,000 to the library’s endowment. The Challenge Program began in July of 2008 when the state legislature passed a bill which provides an endowment to the foundations of the state’s 23 public libraries. Every dollar

raised for Campbell County libraries is matched by the state up to $550,000. The Library Foundation has raised nearly$245,000 for county libraries since 2008 only another $305,000 to reach our $550,000 goal and a million dollar endowment which will protect the long term health and sustainability of our county libraries. The Library Foundation, Inc. would like to thank the following donors for sponsoring Cabin Fever Reliever endowment fundraising events: • Above the Line CPAs, PC • Dr. Laura Anders/Family Medical Care • Beverage Broker •The Bicycle Shop • Bill & Mary Carson • CCPLS Board • CCPL Staff •Classic Portrait Studio • The Embroidery Place • Gillette Printing •Susan McKay CPA LLC • Mufa Cafe • Phagan Photography • Stetson Engineering, Inc. • Teacher’s Corner/Kid’s Mart • WBL Staff • Zip Printing For more information and to make a donation to your libraries, call 687-0009.

Gillette

16TH ANNUAL BANQUET April 28, 2012 • 5:30 p.m.

For more information call:

307-660-5934 or 307-660-9869

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Banquet Ticket $40 - Adults, $30 - 14 and under

Tickets can be purchased at

• Served Dinner choice of: Ribeye Steak or Chicken Breast • Cash Bar • Door Prize Guns • Wall of Guns Board

• Gun Traders • Rocky Mountain Discount Sports • T&T Guns & Ammo • Gillette Pawn & Gun

PRE-EVENT RAFFLE Grand Prize: DPMS AR10 .308 Win Kimber Ultra Carry II .45ACP NRA Pistal Vault Second Prize: URBERTI 1885 Highwall 45/70 GOV

Tickets purchased by April 15 will be entered in the Early Bird Gun Draw

NEED NOT BE PRESENT OT WIN.

Easter Egg Hunt!

for discounted drinks Starting an Noon!!

HOME OF THE ADULT DAYCARE CENTER 302 E 2nd • Gillette • (307) 682-9442

Until all are found! Also . . . Easter DINNER

Weekly Weather Forecast Saturday, April 7

Sunday, April 8

Monday, April 9

Tuesday, April 10

Wednesday, April 11

Thursday, April 12

52/29

59/34

66/40

70/39

70/42

65/40

63/35

We will have a high of 52 deg. with a low overnight of around 29 deg. We will see clouds on and off, and the Humidity will be around 46% with a UV index of 6-High. Wyoming wind will be out of the West-Northwest and blowing at about 16-18 miles per hour consistently until nightfall. The sunrise over the range will be at 6:31am and sunset will be at 7:38pm. Wind in the evening will slow down to about 8-10mph with a humidity maintaining at around 46%. Moonrise is at 9:20pm, and Pluto rises at 1:15am.

We will have a high of about 59 deg. with a low overnight of around 34 deg. We will not see any clouds throughout the day, and the Humidity will be around 38% with a UV index of 6-High. A slight breeze will be out of the East and blowing at about 6 miles per hour on and off all day. The sunrise over the Rushmore will be at 6:29am and sunset over Yellowstone will be at 7:39pm. Wind in the evening will slow down to a crawl with a humidity maintaining at around 48%. You won’t see any clouds all night, perfect for stargazing. Moonrise is at 10:36pm and Venus is at 8:08am.

We will have a high of 66 deg. with a low overnight of around 40 deg. There won’t be any clouds again in the sky all day, and the Humidity will be around 35% with a UV index of 6-High. A decent breeze will be on and off with speeds out of the Southeast at around 10mph. The sunrise over the range will be at 6:28am and sunset behind the bighorns will be at 7:40pm. Wind in the evening will maintain 8-11mph with a humidity maintaining at around 38%. Moonrise is at 11:47pm and Mars will rise at 3:20pm.

We will have a high of 70 deg. with a low overnight of around 39 deg. We will see on and off clouds, and the Humidity will be around 39% with a UV index of 6-High. Wyoming wind will be out of the South-Southeast and blowing at about 14-16 miles per hour consistently until after nightfall. The sunrise over the Black Hills will be at 6:26am and sunset dipping to the west will be at 7:41pm. Wind in the evening will not slow down until early morning hours but stay about 13-16mph with a humidity maintaining at around 56%. The moon will still be up from Monday night and set at 9:06 am, and Saturn rises at 7:53pm

Weekly Weather Forecast Sponsored by

More clouds than the day before, but we will have a high of 70 deg. and still plenty of sunshine with a low overnight of around 42 deg. The Humidity will be around 45% with a UV index of 6-High. Wyoming wind will be out of the SouthSouthwest and blowing at about 16-18 miles per hour consistently through the overnight. The sunrise over the basin will be at 6:24am and sunset into our lake of field grass will be at 7:43pm. Wind in the evening will slow down to about 8-10mph with a humidity maintaining at around 52%. Moonrise is at 12:48am and Jupiter will rise at 7:28am.

We are going to get some rain, with pretty good chance of showers all day. We won’t see any sunshine today, but will have a high of 65 deg. and a low overnight of around 40 deg. Humidity will be around 46% with a UV index of 6-High-though watch these change as the weather system comes in. Wyoming wind will be out of the West and blowing at about 16-18 miles per hour consistently until nightfall, where it will change direction a little and come out of the West-Southwest but maintain consistent speeds. The sunrise over the grasslands will be at 6:22am and sunset behind the buttes will be at 7:44pm. Wind in the evening will slow down to about 13-14mph with a humidity rising to 53%. Moonrise is at 1:40am and Uranus comes up on the sky at 5:50am.

Today will be a continuation from yesterday, but the aftermath. We will have a high of 63 deg. with a low overnight of around 35 deg. We will see on and off clouds, though expect mostly cloudy skies and little sunshine, and the Humidity will be around 49% with a UV index of 6-High. Wyoming wind will be out in force from the Northwest and blowing at about 20-22mph until nightfall. Plan on wind gusts in the 35-40mph range. The sunrise over the range will be at 6:21am and sunset behind our beloved State will be at 7:45pm. Wind in the evening will slow down to about 15-20mph with a humidity rising to 62%. Moonrise is at 2:23am and Neptune climes up at 4:33am.

Community

Where is this picture taken? Answer from last week The Wright Museum

INDUSTRIAL ALTERNATOR & STARTER

Marathon Oil Corp. pledges $1 Million to UW Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO), celebrating its 100th year in Wyoming and 125th anniversary as a company, today (Tuesday) announced a $1 million gift commitment to the University of Wyoming to further improve UW’s academic and research offerings in alignment with the needs of the state’s energy industry. The announcement was made during a ceremony at the UW College of Business atrium. Speakers included Jim Bowzer, Marathon Oil vice president of North American production operations; UW President Tom Buchanan, UW School of Energy Resources Director Mark Northam and UW Foundation President Ben Blalock. “This kind of commitment goes a long way toward strengthening Wyoming’s energy industry and will continue the University of Wyoming’s leadership in energy research,” Gov. Matt Mead says. “I thank Marathon for their investment in Wyoming and our state’s future.” Marathon Oil’s gift will be doubled to $2 million with funds allocated by the governor and the Wyoming State Legislature during the recent session. The matching funds help UW pursue partnerships, which will lead to the distinction of its energy programs in critical areas of strategic importance to Wyoming’s energy economy -- areas that are essential to the nation’s ﬁnancial future. Through distinction, UW strives to achieve core recruiting school status with a broad group of industry partners. UW’s strategic plan for energy programs focuses on three areas: unconventional reservoirs, climbing the value chain and renew-

able resources. “Climbing the value chain” means adding steps in Wyoming’s chain of natural gas production and coal production to mitigate boom-andbust cycles. Research into renewable resources includes increasing efficiency so that such resources are more cost effective. “This contribution to the University of Wyoming is consistent with Marathon Oil’s focus on supporting key educational initiatives in communities where we operate,” Bowzer says. “In this case, the community is Wyoming, where our company has had the privilege of operating for 100 years. We understand and fully support UW’s efforts to advance key energy research activities in support of the state’s and our industry’s efforts to meet growing energy needs, while creating jobs, economic growth and securing our nation’s energy future.” The partnership with Marathon Oil will support research into the extraction of energy resources from unconventional reservoirs. Research programs within the center include reservoir geomechanics and hydraulic fracturing, characterization and flow, drilling and completions, and improved recovery. For this research, the center will focus on increasing faculty expertise, research facilities and outreach. The announcement with Marathon Oil is the first of several public-private partnerships totaling $30 million that are being pursued. Because Wyoming’s economy is largely based upon natural resource extraction, this research has direct implications for the future of the state and its citizens. Significant new

says. “Marathon’s leadership gift in this exciting new phase of UW’s energy programs is a clear statement that UW is shoulderto-shoulder with our energy partners, and Marathon has worked closely with UW in shaping the university’s plans for advancing teaching and research in the area of unconventional reservoirs. Once again, Marathon is investing in UW excellence, and we greatly appreciate our Marathon partners.” UW is committed to the continued advancement of its energy-related teaching, research, and outreach programs through corporate partnerships. The goal of UW’s strategic plan for energy programs includes commitments totaling $15 million from corporate partners to take advantage of the $15 million in state matching funds.

oil and gas reserves within Wyoming are projected to be discovered in tight rock formations, and incremental improvements to production represent major new revenue streams to the state. “Quite simply, UW wouldn’t be a leader in energy research and education today without the tremendous support of our partners in the Wyoming Legislature, state government and energy industry,” Buchanan says. “Marathon’s gift continues a tradition of collaboration between industry and university research to equip UW students with the stateof-the-art know-how required to solve the energy challenges facing Wyoming and the world.” Marathon Oil is once again renewing its commitment to UW energy programs, conﬁrming that Wyoming’s university is on the right track for the future of Wyoming and its citizens. This support represents Marathon’s second major contribution to UW. In 2008, a $1 million gift, also doubled by the state of Wyoming, was given to support the Energy Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art research and collaboration facility that will help the School of Energy Resources and its various centers of excellence realize their full potential. The 2008 gift also supports the College of Engineering and Applied Science Student Services Center and the Department of Geology and Geophysics Rocky Mountain Field Camp. “The important corporate partnership that UW has enjoyed with Marathon for years is now being elevated to a new level,” Blalock

(307) 686-7300 5352 S. Windland Dr. • Gillette, WY 82718

HOLD THE DATE!

e2e Gillette with Nels Paine “Company Growth: Navigating the Challenges” Tuesday, April 17, 2012 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, Gillette College Tech Center

Most companies want to experience positive growth, but what does that mean? And how can your company avoid disastrous pitfalls? Nels Paine, founder of Paine Paciﬁc, addresses these issues with early stage companies and more established companies on a daily basis. He is an entrepreneur and an investment banker. Nels has built and sold three successful companies and now works closely with businesses teaching them how to grow strategically. Paine Paciﬁc, located in Portland, Oregon, has been in more than 160 engagements across over 32+ different industries since its founding in 1998. Come out and hear how you can navigate the challenges of growth. This event is FREE for e2e Wyoming Members and Guests. Register online at http://a3.acteva.com/ orderbooking/bookEvent/A317575?emailAttendeeI d=3211253B0135A22810E0031201A42D31&email SkusId=3211253B0136565C4F5C743B007C1B3C

o t e m o H n o e m Back Roads Law Man Co ORN TIRE

H G BI

By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News

The Todd Road, the Black and Yellow Road, the Bay Horse Road—you could have spent the majority of your life in Campbell County without ever being on one of these roads or ever even hearing of them. However, if you ever find yourself an hour from Gillette city limits on a twolane gravel road, don’t be surprised to find someone over the next hill checking how fast you’re traveling. “In my mind it’s been effective; traffic speed has decreased a lot,” explains Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Gauthier. “The number of contacts I’ve had for speeding have decreased over the time I’ve done this.” If you ever spot a sheriff’s vehicle returning to the sheriff’s office covered in dust, chances are that’s Gauthier returning from one of his typical eight hour shifts. During that time, Gauthier can cover 150 to 200 miles of backcountry

roads that are mostly seen by antelope and work vehicles. Gauthier has been the rural patrol and traffic officer for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office for approximately two years. According to Campbell County Sheriff Bill Pownall, reports of people speeding down the county’s rural, gravel roads used to be more frequent. Those reports have decreased, however, since the sheriff’s office added the position now filled by Gauthier in July 2006. In a county that is approximately 50 miles wide by 100 miles long, Pownall says his office needed to focus their attention on all the county’s residents. “The good thing about it is he’s out working the county roads,” Pownall says. “He stops, he visits with people out there; he does a lot of traffic stops.” According to Pownall, the sheriff’s office wants to give the proper attention to pub-

lic traffic safety out in the county, saying the county roads can be treacherous at times. “I want people to be aware that there’s a deputy out there. Hopefully they’ll slow down and drive careful,” says Pownall. In addition, the rural patrol officer is ensuring to ranchers in the far out corners of the county that there’s someone around who is paying attention to their interests. “They pay taxes. They deserve that right to see law enforcement in their area,” says Pownall. The public relations part of the job is fine with Gauthier, who says he feels welcomed and appreciated. “If they see me they’ll stop me on the road and invite me in, or comment on the fact that they like to see a deputy out and about,” Gauthier describes. “Some of the ranchers up north refer to me as their deputy.”

, IN C.

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Community What’s Going On? Friday, April 06 Spring Break

-AVA: Little Tikes, 10 a.m. -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Kids Night Out, 6-9 p.m., Rec. Center -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -Senior Center 1st National Bank Birthday Dinner -Senior Center 9:00amQuilting, Yoga -Senior Center 9:00amCeramics -Senior Center 9:30amWalking -Senior Center 10:00amSenior Singers -Senior Center 1:00pmCards, Dance Clas -Judd Hoos-Jakes Tavern

Saturday, April 07 Spring Break

-AA- Discussion, 8:30 a.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Judd Hoos-Jakes Tavern -KOOL 105.3 Bouince Fest, 1pm-6pm-Central Pavilion, Camplex -AVA art center, artists sweep-4H Dog Show, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Camplex Barn 3 -Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 10 a.m., CCPL -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

Sunday, April 08 Happy Easter!!

Spring Break -Senior Center- CLOSED -National Library Week -Libraries Closed (Gillette and Wright) -Wyoming Bikers Association Meeting-Jakes Tavern -AA-Morning Spiritual, 10:15 a.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Monday, April 9 Spring Break

-AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Adult Reading Discussion, 5 p.m., CCPL -And the Band played onWright Library 7pm -National Library Week -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -9am Yoga at Senior Center -11am Scarlet Bells at Senior Center

Tuesday, April 10

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab, 6881222 -Storytime, 3-5 yr. olds, 10:30 a.m., CCPL -Cloud Peak Energy Sponsored Dinner at Senior Center -10am-Oil Painting at Senior Center -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -National Library Week -AVA- Preschool Art, 2 p.m. -AVA- Grade School Pottery, 4 p.m. -Teen Card Game Club, 4 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Beginners, 6:45 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Wednesday, April 11

-Children’s Immunization Clinic, 8-11:30 a.m., Public Health -Are you my Mother? Childrens Play-6:30pm Camplex Heritage Center -Nelson Brothers Mining Beneﬁts Meeting-Wright Library 5:30-8pm -Storytime, 3-5 yr. olds, 10:30 a.m., CCP Library -National Library Week -Wright Library After School Special 3:15pm -Storytime, All Ages, 11 a.m., Wright Library -Chamber Luncheon: Business Forum on Local Issues featuring -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Grade School Drawing, AVA art center, 4pm-5pm -Mommie and Me class, AVA art center, 1pm-2pm -9:00-12:30 VITA Tax Assistance (by appt), Senior Center -Senior Center, 9:00-Yoga/ Ceramics -Senior Center, 9:00-Ceramics -Senior Center, 9:30-Walking -Senior Center, 1:00-Cards

Thursday, April 12

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab, 6881222 -Toddler Time, 18 months3 yr., 9:30 a.m., CCPL -EMS University at Energy Hall. Pre-Registration Required -Storytime, 3-5 yr. olds, 10:30 a.m., CCPL -National Library Week -Cupcake wars at CCPL 5pm -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AVA- Homeschool Art, 2 p.m. -Senior Center: Tin Lizzie Bus, 2 p.m.

Tracy Norris

Insurance and Financial Agent

-AVA- Grade School Kids Club, 4 p.m. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Families & Jammies, Birth- 6th Grade, 6:30 p.m., CCPL -Teen Anime Club, 7 p.m., CCPL -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Senior Center, 9:00am-Tin Lizzie Bus -Senior Center 10:00amOil Painting -Senior Center 10:00amExercise Class -Senior Center 1:00pmCards, Bingo

Friday, April 13

-Badger Horse @ Jakes Tavern -AVA: Little Tikes, 10 a.m. -Recycled, Refurbished, and Reused Artist Reception, AVA art center 6-8pm -EMS University at Energy Hall, Camplex. Pre-registration required -Powder Basin Equestrian Ass. Clinic, East Pavilion, Camplex 9am-9pm -National Library Week -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -Senior Center 9am Ceramics -Senior Center 9:30am Walking -Senior Center 10am Senior Singers -Senior Center Spring Dance-5-9pm

of Neon” Central Pavilion, Camplex 7-11pm -Gillette Chamber Singers “wine and cheese” Camplex Heritage Center 6pm -Thar’s Ranch Sorting Clinic, Camplex Barn 3 9am-8pm -Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 10 a.m., CCPL -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

Saturday, April 14

-Badger Horse @ Jakes Tavern -Van Gogh Kiddo’s AVA art center 10-11:30am -Pottery with Tricia Jr. High and Highschool-AVA art center 9-10am -Pottery with Tricia-Adult AVA Art Center 1-3pm -Puppet Making, AVA Art Center 10-11:30am -AA- Discussion, 8:30 a.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -EMS University Energy Hall, Camplex. Pre-registration required -Powder Basin Equestrian Ass. Clinic East PavilionCamplex 8am-4pm -National Library Week -Powder Basin Equestrian Assoc. Horse show, East Pavilion, Camplex 6:30pm9:30pm -Camplex Garage Sale, Wyoming Center, Camplex 9am-3pm -9th Grade Formal “Night

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Sunday, April 15

-WBA Meeting @ Jakes Tavern -AA-Morning Spiritual, 10:15 a.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -Powder Basin Equestrian Assoc. Horse show. East Pavilion, Camplex 9am-6pm -National Library Week -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Senior Center- Carry In Game Day, 12 noon -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

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Call for Information

Community Campbell Co. Fire Dept. March 28, 2012

- At 2:51 a.m. to the intersection of W. Boxelder and Beaver Dr. for gasoline that had leaked onto the street from a vehicle that had not yet been located. Firefighters applied Bio-Solve and Floor Dry to the gasoline on the street and none of it reached the storm drains. - At 2:18 p.m. to the 700 block of Means Street for an EMS assist. At 6:25 p.m. to the 700 block of Express Drive for a structure fire. Fire suppression systems extinguished the fire prior to CCFD personnel’s arrival. Crews ensured the fire was extinguished and investigated the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation and total damage estimate is not yet available. - At 9:35 to Echeta road for an unknown fire. Crews arrived to find a controlled burn.

March 29, 2012

- At 10:47 am to the 2300 block S. Douglas Hwy. for an EMS assist. - At 11:55 am to the 600 block of FourJ Ct. for an EMS assist. - At 13:32 pm to Union Chapel Rd. for an EMS assist, cancelled en-route. - At 17:04 pm to the 400 block of Warren Ave. for an EMS assist. - At 17:37 pm to the area of Garman Rd. for a natural gas odor. Fireﬁghters arrived on scene and discovered a small propane spill in the yard of Farmer’s CO-OP. - At 20:21 pm to the 2600 block of Torrey Pines Ct. for an EMS assist

March 30, 2012

- At 7:41 AM to Interstate 90 near mile marker 123 for a 1 vehicle rollover. - At 4:20 PM to Highway 50 for an EMS assist. - At 6:23 PM to East Sunset for an EMS assist. - At 6:59 PM to Rodgers Dr. for an EMS assist. - At 10:59 PM to Warren Ave. for an EMS assist.

March 31, 2012

- At 11:10 am to the intersection of E. 4th St. and Brooks Ave. for a 2 vehicle accident. - At 13:48 pm to the intersection of Powder Basin and Lakeway Rd. for a 2 vehicle accident. - At 14:22 pm to the 400 block of Prairieview Dr. for an EMS assist. - At 15:08 pm to 31 Biggerstaff Rd. for a possible structure fire. Firefighters arrived on scene and found an electrical problem inside the home. The home had lost power supply and the occupant was advised to contact an electrician, no fire damage to the home. - At 15:14 pm to the area of 205 Fairview Rd. for a reported tractor on fire. Firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished a tractor that heavily involved in fire. - At 7:49 pm to the 900 block of Greenwood Ave. for a reported dumpster fire. Firefighters arrived on scene and extinguished a dumpster that was smoldering. A homeowner in the area reported the fire and was able to contain the fire with buckets water prior to the arrival of the firefighters.

April 1 , 2012

- At 12:37 PM to Running W for an EMS assist. - At 3:09 PM to Sierra Dr. for a small fire in the wood chips and plastic paneling in a park. Damage is estimated at $200, the cause of the fire is unknown. - At 4:55 PM to Union Chapel and Fairview Rd. for a motorcycle accident with injuries. - At 5:37 PM to 510 Lincoln for a structure fire. Upon arrival the 1st due engine found heavy fire from 3 sides of the vacant structure with heavy fire impinging on a motor home on the west side. Exposure lines were immediately placed on the west side to extinguish the motor home and to protect the home on the west side. Large master streams were also put in place to extinguish the fire in the home. 8 pieces of fire apparatus and 3 support vehicles

were utilized to contain the blaze, the building is a loss along with the motor home and the cause is under investigation. Crews returned to the motor home around 9:38 to extinguish some more burning debris. - At 8:01 PM to an area 9 miles west of Wright for a tank battery fire involving 12 tanks. As of this report the fire is still burning. The cause of the fire was a transfer pump malfunction. - At 9:29 PM to Collins Rd. for an EMS assist. - At 10:07 PM to Antelope Road, railroad mile marker 58 for a locomotive fire. The fire was contained in a short time as the bulk of the fire was in some air filters.

Correction

April 2, 2012

- At 9:55 AM to the address of 70 Sunny Slope Road for a shop building fire. The fire was contained to the shop and its contents. The fire was extinguished in about an hour after the fire department arrived on scene and they remained on scene for several hours after to make sure all hot spots were cooled down. The shop and contents were totally lost in the fire and was estimated at around $200,000.00. The cause of the fire is believed to be from burning coal in and around a coal stoker stove that was used to heat the building.

April 3, 2012

- At 9:15 to the 400 Block of Laurel Ct for an EMS assist. - At 10:53 AM to Svalina Rd. for a report of a possible grass fire, upon arrival it was determined to be a controlled burn that was not called into the Sheriff’s Office. - At 4:49 PM to 108 Huntington for a cut gas line, fire crews clamped the 2” gas line that was cut by a backhoe. - At 8:55 PM to Mallard for an EMS assist.

Princess Sydney and her Father Preston Gulley ﬁnish off the night together on their wonderful date! Last week’s issue inadvertently mis-identiﬁed Preston Gulley. The Campbell County Observer prides itself on accuracy and apologizes for this error.

Choose Your Hours, Your Income and Your Rewards. I DO! Contact: Julie Balmer Avon Independent Sales Representative

307-689-6812

jkbpennigwen@msn.com www.yourAVON.com/juliebalmer

The Campbell County Observer has now been in business for one year, and we would like to extend a thank you for all that you have done to keep us alive and help us grow. Thank you from our family to yours! The Borda Family Mike and Page Lillian

The De Laat Family Nicholas and Candice Quintan, Izzabella, and Parker The Clarke Family Owen and Angela Skylar, Alison and Keera

The Peterson Family Kevin & Anne Brittany, Brooke, Jacob, Aspen and Noah

The Jefferson Family Shawn and Traci Kori, T.J., Carson, and Jacinta

The Sjolin Family Terry and Kyra Nick

The Morrison Family Jeff and Valerie Grace

The Russell Family Dale and Cheryl Jonathan

The Speer Family Casey and Keary Anabell and Brandon

And the rest of Our Campbell County Observer Family Glenn Woods Robyn Brooks “Juice” Clint Burton

The Boehler Family Jerry and Sandy The McCoy Family Ken and Cathy

Community Easter

Retraction:

We would like to apologize for the article in last week’s Campbell County Observer. It was an update article on the search for Ruth Martinson, as owner Nick De Laat and others in the company took the day off to be involved in the search that day. We go to press Wednesday evenings, and Friday is the day the paper came out. At the time we went to press, the search was still on and we were trying to help get the information to as many people as possible. We will not run a news article this week with respects to the family and our community, as we do not believe it to be ethical. Paul Wallem with Basin Radio has already done an absolutely wonderful job reporting on the tragedy accurately and we believe that enough has been said. Our columnist, Glenn Woods, has wrote in regards to community response to the tragedy, but you will not see another news article from us, as it is time to let the family and friends of Ruth mourn and move on. This tragic event is a hard blow to our community, and we would like to extend our condolences to the family. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

By Pastor Dale Russell - Jericho Baptist Church Is it Spring Break, the Easter Bunny with eggs, or the Resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ? Well for the politically correct crowd, that does not want God in their thoughts, it’s Spring Break. Wow, how things have changed. The bunny and eggs is an old tradition representing new life of spring. To the saints, children of the Living God, the worshippers of the One True God, Jehovah, believe it is the resurrection of His only begotten Son Jesus, the Savior of the world. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” - Philippians 2: 6-8 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacriﬁce to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” – Ephesians 5:2 “For I delivered unto you ﬁrst of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: - 1 Corinthians 15: 3-4 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” – John 11:25-26 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt

believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Romans 10: 9-10 It is not a natural thing for someone to rise from the dead. God has put in man to believe in the supernatural. “Because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” – Acts 17:31 So to the true born again believer, it is a time to observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the ﬁrst day of the week. “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:54b – 57 The Apostle Paul said “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. - Romans 8:11 “But ye are not in the ﬂesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” – Romans 8:9 I hope you have a wonderful observance of the Resurrected Savior. Do not let traditions of man or ideology steal that from you. – Pastor Russell

Patriot Publishing is a small publishing business starting up right here in Wyoming. We not only publish the Campbell County Observer and calendars, but anything in print. We will soon also have a monthly publication that we think you will enjoy. If you have a book and can’t get a major company to publish you, we are a new and American-owned publisher that may print your work. Please feel free to contact us at anytime with your idea.

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The Campbell County Observer will print articles in the churches corner for any Priest, Reverend, Pastor, Minister, Preacher, or others who wishes to submit their article. All must take turns representing their respected churches.

Joke of the week

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Submitted by Cathline Baily One must take pride in paying up every April 15. Look at it this way: If you don’t spend your dollars on the IRS, you’d probably just squander it on foolish things, like food, rent.

CHURCH BULLETIN

This spot could be yours for only $20 Call Anne Peterson today 307-299-4662or e-mail annepeterson@campbellcountyobserver.com

Community Wyoming Girl’s Under 19 Hockey Team picks up win at Nationals

Team Wyoming’s 19 and under girl’s state hockey team rebounded from their 10- 0 loss to the Mid-Fairﬁeld Connecticut Stars at the 2012 Tier II Girls National Championship in Frisco, TX earlier today with a 4-2 win over the Cape Cod Sharks. The Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead with just under 5 minutes gone in the second period only to see Team WY score 4 unanswered goals. Lindsey Sullivan scored

the ﬁrst of her two goals to get WY on the board and her sister Macy assisted on both of her tallies. Rachel Mockenstrom scored the tying goal with about 4 ½ minutes left in the second period and then Kelsey Cross scored the game winner with just over a minute remaining and Lindsey Sullivan tallied her second goal with just 0:16 seconds remaining.

2012 National Championships - Tier II Girls Frisco, TX United States - 3/28/2012 - 4/1/2012 Team Wyoming vs Cape Cod Sharks Visitor: Cape Cod Sharks Home: Team Wyoming

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Lane Closure

Vivian Court & Allen Avenue Intersection Construction to fix a fire hydrant will take place April 4th through April 8th A contractor will be fixing a fire hydrant problem at the corner of Vivian Court and Allen Avenue. A lane of

Vivian Court will be closed from Wednesday, April 4th through Sunday, April 8th. Allen Avenue will remain open during the construction work.

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Final 2 4

Period Clock Time Home/Visitor Scorer Assist 1 1 03:02 Cape Cod Sharks Cleary 2 15:14 Cape Cod Sharks Corbett Kennedy 2 08:51 Team Wyoming Sullivan Coons 2 04:34 Team Wyoming Mockenstrum Praska 3 01:16 Team Wyoming Cross Mockenstrum 3 00:16 Team Wyoming Sullivan Praska

Super Scientiﬁc Circus coming to CAMPLEX May 2 ﬁrst place in clowning at the International Circus Festival in Sarasota, Florida. His twoman show, The Funny Stuff Circus, performed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and all over the United States and Canada. A graduate of Oberlin College and the LeCoq School of Mime and Clown in Paris, he is the proud father of four children. Trent Arterberry has toured across North America and Europe, and appeared as a star attraction on the QE2 and S/S Norway. He has performed with symphony orchestras and opened for Julio Iglesias, B.B. King, and the Kinks. In New York he starred in the Christmas Revels. His television appearances include an Emmy-nominated news feature; his awards include “Performing Artist of the Year” by the National Association of Campus

3 0 2

Period Summary

Goals

CAMPLEX Heritage Center Theater proudly presents Super Scientiﬁc Circus on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. The Super Scientiﬁc Circus starring Mr. Fish and Trent the Mime, proves that science can be fun and funny. Alternately assisted and foiled by the comedic antics of Trent the Mime, Mr. Fish uses amazing circus skills involving boomerangs, bubbles, beach balls, bull whips, and magic to introduce the principals of friction, inertia, centripetal force, aerodynamics, sonic booms, air pressure, and ultraviolet light. Mr. Fish, born John James Lepiarz, spent seven years as featured clown with the Big Apple Circus in New York and on tour. He has appeared on HBO and on ABC’s “Great Circus Performances of the World,” and was awarded

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Penalties

Activities. His most unusual assignment was being filmed underwater with the sharks and eels in the Giant Ocean Tank of the New England Aquarium. For more information go to www.superscientificcircus. com. Please join the CAMPLEX Heritage Center staff for the presentation of Super Scientific Circus on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. Due to generous grant funding tickets are only $6 for Adults, $4 for Youth/Students/Seniors/ Military. For more information, contact the CAMPLEX Ticket Office at 307-6828802 or visit our website at www.cam-plex.com.

Period 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3

Clock Time Home/Visitor Player 06:03 Team Wyoming Mockenstrum 04:56 Cape Cod Sharks Kennedy 07:26 Cape Cod Sharks O’Connor 00:01 Cape Cod Sharks Kennedy 13:38 Team Wyoming Sullivan 09:11 Cape Cod Sharks Mayo 05:11 Cape Cod Sharks Woods 01:51 Cape Cod Sharks Mayo

Assist 2 Cleary Sullivan Marcus Sullivan

Type SH ES ES ES PP ES

Type Duration BodyChecking 02:00 TooManyPlayers 02:00 Interference 02:00 Tripping 02:00 Tripping 02:00 BodyChecking 02:00 Tripping 02:00 Hooking 02:00

Power Plays Home: 2/ 6 Visitor: 1/ 2

Goalkeeper Stats: Summary GK Home/Visitor 1 Cape Cod Sharks 2 Team Wyoming

Player Spalt Zanetti

Time Total Shots 51:00 30 51:00 28

Goalkeeper Stats: Shots by Period GK Home/Visitor 1 Cape Cod Sharks 2 Team Wyoming

Player Spalt Zanetti

1 2 8

Goalkeeper Stats: Goals Against by Period

Leave Your Mark on Campbell County...

GK Home/Visitor Player 1 Cape Cod Sharks Spalt 2 Team Wyoming Zanetti

1 0 1

Total GAs 4 2

2 17 6

3 11 14

2 2 1

3 2 0

Decision Win Loss

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Where is this picture taken?

Find out in next week’s Campbell County Observer

Public Pulse Bold Republic Weekly Community-minded reporting in a time of tragedy By Glenn Woods

Is wyoming more corrupt than New Jersey? A Commentary by Benjamin Barr - Wyoming Liberty Group If you’ve recently seen the headlines declaring Wyoming as one of the most corrupt states in America, you might be scratching your head. Not that long ago the media instructed us that Wyoming was the “best run state” in the nation. Now, enter stage left, the Center for Public Integrity. This self-styled “reform” organization suggests that Wyoming is more corrupt than the Sopranos’ New Jersey, more corrupt than Blagojevich’s Illinois, and perhaps more corrupt than Marion Barry’s D.C. The Center’s report does a fine job confusing the definition of corruption in the first place. Its rhetorical sleight of hand is important to observe, because the Center believes that state governments with more intrusive laws are “less corrupt” states. Those states with less regulatory machinery and less power wind up being “more corrupt.” However, John Steinbeck would remind us “power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts ... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” Maybe what’s really behind this odd definition of corruption is this very fear. Much of the impulse behind these socalled good government accountability projects rests not so much in preventing actual corruption (bribery, pay-offs, and the like) but out of a fear that the public might become active, engaged, and therefore powerful in the electoral process. This is the incumbent political class having fear of accountability for their actions. Folks, that’s not corruption. In fact, reasonable minds might not agree with the Center’s definition of corruption. Just because the Center says a policy is “wrong” doesn’t mean it makes a state “corrupt.” For example, the Center gives Wyoming an “F” for “political financing” because it feels that existing laws that regulate speakers, parties, and candidates are not effective. Of course, these types of laws usually make it more difficult for speakers, parties, and candidates to have a voice in the electoral process -- and have been routinely thrown out by the courts. The end result is the Center favors laws that regulate the political process more, even if they might be constitutionally suspect, and labels states without them as

“corrupt.” The Center gives Wyoming an “F” for its lack of “judicial accountability” because it doesn’t care much for its method of regulating courts. It simply prefers states with more intrusive laws that regulate judicial campaigns and judges’ lives. Again, this is an area that reasonable minds can and do differ about. Do you favor an open and competitive process for the selection of judges or a more closed and quiet one? Do you favor vigorous public involvement in these campaigns or prefer judicial nominations occur behind closed doors? The Center just prefers centralization, more restrictions, and less public engagement and gives an “F” to those who differ in opinion. This is not the mark of corruption. To be certain, the Center does offer a helpful insight into many states, but its simplistic, and often wrong, labeling of states as “corrupt” or “clean” based on its own wrongheaded policy preferences is absurd. The Center’s report rightfully identiﬁes an issue the Wyoming Liberty Group has tracked in the past, where the members of the legislature have exempted themselves from much of the state open records law. But so much of the Center’s analysis favors controversial and often unconstitutional regulations it wishes more states would adopt and labels those states who haven’t adopted their view “corrupt.” A fundamental question should be put to the architects of the study in question: what is the true nature of corruption? In the American tradition, we favor open and competitive elections with a rich public discourse. All too often, we take this for granted, forgetting the sacred nature of the rights we enjoy while those worldwide are imprisoned just for speaking up. But America is a nation where the people are sovereign, and masters, over their leaders, our servants. The truest measure of an upright government rests not in how many obscure regulations it imposes on its citizenry, but upon how respectful it is of their natural rights. And what better a state to represent that robust tradition than Wyoming?

Woman pleads not guilty to Gillette fraud By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News A 50-year-old woman accused of working with her husband to defraud donors to a magic show charity in Gillette has pleaded not guilty to a fraud charge. Debra Sue Magnus is charged with conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses. The Gillette News Record reports that Magnus, who now lives in Las Vegas, is free on a $7,500 bail. Magnus is accused of helping her husband, Larry Edward Magnus, run a scam last year that collected donations to fund a nonproﬁt magic show for children. According to court documents, more than 300 donors in Gillette and Casper who were defrauded of more than $12,000 in the case. Larry Magnus was sentenced Feb. 14 to eight to 10 years in prison.

As soon as the news broke that Ruth Martinson had gone missing I knew that the community of Gillette would turn out and help in the search, and we did. We searched on horseback, on ATV, jeeps, pickups, on foot and in airplanes. I have found Campbell County to be the most reliable and giving of all the communities I have lived in. But like every community, we do have our faults, and I witnessed them too. From the very beginning the rumor mill began to churn and second hand speculation was soon treated as fact to the point that we, the public, had identified a suspect, tried him, and convicted him without a shred of evidence before us. We are human, after all, and such temptations toward story telling are part of our nature. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I’m perfect. Far from it. The temptation to be drawn into the whirlwind of storytelling and speculate and tell a few stories myself was with me the entire time. But, I will say that I am grateful for the years I have spent working for responsible media outlets, as well and the responsible outlets I work for now, (Campbell County Observer and Basin Radio Network) that taught me restraint during times like these. At the radio station I work with a news crew that knew not to release any unconfirmed information and not to release anything unless and until we had been given a green light from the authorities. Imagine how hard it is to have full knowledge of what is going on, directly from the men in the field who are

conducting the investigation, and to see the rumors flying on the internet, but to have to sit on that information until we are told that we can release it. There is a reason that the authorities withhold information and a reason that they ask us to. When a loved one is found in a manner such as this the authorities would prefer that family and friends are notified first, by someone who has been hired by the community to come to them in an official capacity. Someone who is trained and experienced in breaking the bad news. This is done out of respect. Imagine walking down the soup aisle at a grocery store and hearing that your spouse has just died. Or hearing about it on Face Book, or Twitter. Imagine logging in and seeing it on a news site or reading about it in an E-mail. Imagine driving home and turning on the radio and hearing it that way. Imagine picking up the daily newspaper and finding it is front page news. Then what about the investigation? Imagine if there was a suspect in the case and the authorities did not want said suspect getting wind that the police were on their way. He might barricade himself in. He might run. Now we are putting law enforcement in harm’s way. Imagine a family member hearing, or a friend hearing who then takes off to get revenge. I arrived at work the day she was found at my usual time of just before 3am. I spent that entire day in my studio. Part of that time I was helping our news department bring in news

from the field. Mostly, I was sitting and waiting. A good part of it was spent on the internet telling people what most of what they were saying was absolute nonsense, but I could not tell them why I knew it. It is not easy to be in that position, but a responsible news organization thinks of the community first and foremost. The best I could do was to ask them to wait, hold on, and to please not speculate or spread rumors. Since she has been found I must have told a dozen people, in person, that NO, the husband did not commit suicide. He is alive. Yes, there was another body found that day, but it was unrelated. I’ve had to correct people on where the body was found, and how, and so much more. In other words most every detail of the case that you think you know, you do not know. It’s bad enough when unconfirmed stories flash around town at the speed of Twitter and texting and worse even when news organizations print what they think they know but is unconfirmed, or release information without making sure, first, that it is ok to release that information. I am proud of the way Basin Radio Network and The Campbell County Observer handled this local tragedy. MY ADVICE! If you get your news from an organization that does not think of community first, but rather runs with the first bit of information they find before it is confirmed, or before they have permission to release that information, stop listening or cancel your subscription.

To listen to Glenn Woods morning radio show tune in to 1270am KIML Gillette Monday through Friday from 6 - 10 a.m. www.boldrepublic.com

Utility rate hikes pass first of three reading By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News On the first of three readings, the Gillette City Council voted 6-1 to increase the rates for wastewater service, refuge collection fees for solid waste, and electrical service during Monday night’s Gillette City Council meeting. City Councilman Robin Kuntz was the lone no vote for all three rate adjustments, which were all voted on individually. A proposal calls for increasing the city’s electrical rates by 1 percent each year for the next two years, increasing wastewater rates by 7.5 percent every year for a projected five years, and increasing solid waste rates by 6.5 percent each year over the next two years. According to City of Gillette public information officer Joe Lunne, the average household will see a $1.48 monthly increase in their wastewater bill and a $1 monthly increase in their solid waste bill. The proposed rate increases are designed to keep the city’s enterprise revenues on pace with expenses, according to Lunne. Enterprise funds are the city’s utility funds, and Lunne says they are set up to be their own entity and they are required to cover their own costs.

Previously, two citizens used a public hearing to express their views on the rate changes. The ﬁrst citizen said his focus centered on the solid waste pickup fee, saying the council should take a closer look at the cost of recyclables. “I don’t want to subsidize a program for other people just to make them feel good and have to raise the rates on the solid waste,” he said. The man says he sees it as a given that citizens have to pay for electricity and solid wastewater, but he says he believes the city should not continue operating the recycling program at a loss. “I don’t want to ruin things, but I think we should bring it up to a point where at least it breaks even,” the ﬁrst man says. “If that means we have to charge everyone who recycles $5 a month to recycle then we need to do that.” The second citizen said he was concerned with rate increases all around, saying he believes the city is nickel and diming the citizens. “You’re taking our money from us,” the second man tells the council. “We have no choice but to pay you for electricity, water and sewer and trash, because I cannot choose who I use my

electricity through. I can’t choose who I get my water through.” City of Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy says until recently the city council has not raised water rates for 20 years, and funding the water supply has been something the council has struggled with. Murphy explains, “So the Wyoming Water Development Commission said ‘We’ll be glad to help you out. What are your water rates?’ And we told them and they said, ‘You’re not getting any money from the State of Wyoming until your water rates are at a sustainable level.’ And so we were left with having to have a tremendous increase which we asked the community to bear over three years.” City Council President Kevin McGrath wrapped up the public hearing by admitting the current council may look like the bad guys, but with Gillette’s recent growth he says it’s important to look at the history. “I think a lot of the problem is—and it’s been told to me by previous councils, and I’m not going to badmouth them or anything— but they say their one thing to glory was they never raised the rates,” McGrath says. “Well, here are the bad guys raising the rates.”

Public Pulse Decision on Field of Dreams postponed By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News

Submitted by Wyoming Liberty Group

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The City ﬁnally made a good decision, though I see some rough ones coming up ahead. Councilmen McGrath, Boss, Kuntz, Opseth and Jerred all thought that the City Council needed more time to decide the Field of Broke. Good job boys! I am proud of you. But wait, Louise Carter-King and Mayor Murphy, the two leading spend-happy government control liberals on the council were opposed and ready to push forward despite HUGE negative public feedback. I applaud all the other City Council members for their restraint and recognition of public needs compared to wants, but Louise and Tom need to be voted out now! They will both work together to make sure that we have only a desolate and bleak future. John Hammond From Editor Nicholas De Laat: Yes, I believe the Gillette City Council made the right decision. One thing I have learned in business is to take time to formulate every decision, and if you question whether you should do something or not and you can’t ﬁnd the answer, just don’t. The City Council showed two virtues in this decision. First, they showed that they listened to their concerned constituents (and see what getting involved does?). Second, they showed the virtue of patience. The decision may still be made in the near future, but patience will always produce better quality, even in decisions.

Dear Editor, I would like to respond to Miss Krousman’s letter last week about stopping coal mining. ARE YOU INSANE? You are in college, but that obviously means you haven’t learned anything. Maybe you should quit partying and learn about the economy. You can’t shut down coal. Alternative energy, with the exception of nuclear, does not work. Coal plants do not spew out tons of “deadly pollution.” And one more thing, coal is a good kind of dirty. It provides energy, over 60 percent of the nation’s energy, which provides the ability for your hippy professors to not work in candle light. Susan Barlew From Editor Nicholas De Laat: Amen! Dear Editor, Make America better by raising the minimum wage and giving a cost of living for everyone. Then street people could have enough money to pay bills and something left over for spending and saving. We are paying for things we did not

want. Wars are a primitive solution. They cost lives and money. I like the way (President Barack) Obama got Bin Laden without a fullscale war and killing innocent people. This was an intelligent solution. He is a president worthy of another term. Gail Brown From Editor Nicholas De Laat: I’m sorry, that would not make America better. First of all, the only thing that raising minimum wage does is raise the cost of living. If the cost of living increases with minimum wage, then you are not making any more wealth (look up the difference between wealth and money). Wars are not a primitive solution, they are a necessary evil. In Kosovo, we saved lives by going to war, and what about WWII? Tell that statement to a veteran of the European front and maybe you will learn to think before you speak. As for President Obama, I am very happy that he got Bin Laden. I am very happy that we elected a black president; I just wish it was not this one. I think Condelizza Rice would have been great! Of course, I am not speaking for the employees of the Campbell County Observer or the paper itself, just my opinion. We do have 2 President Obama supporters. But I have to tell you the truth, I thought this letter was a joke…

Dear Editor, A recent article from the Fraser Institute that hit the internet, which I noticed you did not publish in your paper, claimed that most welfare payments are adequate. They quote another member of the Fraser Institute, Chris Sarlo, to justify this claim. It is one thing to sit in a comfortable ofﬁce with a well-paid job and play around with numbers and quite another thing to have real experience. Jagrup Brar discovered this – he had read all the reports on poverty but nothing prepared him for the experience of a month on $610. Time and again Brar met single parents and people with disabilities who lived in grim poverty – all the welfare rates are poverty rates. And for many people on the disability rate this will be their income for years or even the rest of their lives – endless poverty. The people who know about life on disability and single parents on welfare, The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities and First Call, both support a raise in welfare rates as part of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy. However if conservative academics want to conduct some real research into the other welfare rates, Raise the Rates would willingly organize a Fra-

ser Institute Welfare Challenge where one of them lives on the welfare with their children or, if one of them has a disability, on the disability rate. Bill Hopwood From Editor Nicholas De Laat: I agree, the payments are inadequate for some, but more than adequate for others. If I paid into disability welfare and had to use it where I could not work, I would hope that I could still live the decent life I worked for. The problem is that in a recent study by the Merrill Institute, 93% of welfare and disability recipients are abusing the system. I have seen it her. Bad back, on disability. I always ask, there are no jobs that you can do to earn a living? I have a friend who got paralyzed from the waist down in high school. He refuses to take government money, and developed himself into a software engineer. He can’t use his legs, but he has a mind. One thing that most of these people are missing…Pride. Dear Editor, I like how you always say to get involved, and I can tell that you do Nicholas. I am very proud that we have a young, energetic, and captivative veteran like you in Campbell County. I met you once at the Bald is Beautiful event at Hickey’s, but I am not sure if you remember, because you were shaving heads at the time. But you talked me into starting to get involved. I explored some of the options you gave me and may have come up with my own. I am not a good writer, and I don’t have a ton of time for meetings. I don’t believe I am good enough to run for office, so I came up with my own. Instead of campaigning for office, why not campaign against someone in office? Is that legal? From Editor Nicholas De Laat: Yes, it is legal, but watch it. I agree, if you see someone holding an office that you don’t want in, of course campaign against him or her. Support the other candidate, or bring their political (not personal) faults to light. But watch the slamming. I always want to see facts, not rumors. Usually when a candidate runs a slam campaign or even someone on their own, I tend to vote against that. I ran a campaign against Representative Sue Wallis in 2010, and never had a bad word to say about her. During the forums and debates, we talked about the issues, and joked together on the side. Now we are friends. I am very happy you’re getting involved, KEEP IT UP. It makes me proud! Just remember, the higher road is the hardest, but it is also the most satisfying.

Wyoming’s Head Start State Collaboration Ofﬁce moving to DWS

Governor Matt Mead announced that the Head Start State Collaboration Office is moving from the University of Wyoming Institute for Disabilities to the Department of Workforce Services. The Governor of each state designates the location of the Collaboration Office when renewing the state’s five-year grant. Wyoming’s current grant expires on July 31, 2012. “One of my goals as Governor is to streamline government services and particularly services for children and families,” Governor Mead said. “This change houses Head Start alongside ‘WY Quality Counts!’ integrating high quality child care with early education.”

“WY Quality Counts!” is a Department of Workforce Services program that collects data and raises awareness about early childhood care as part of its program. Wyoming Head Start provides early education services for eligible, at-risk students. It also provides health services and screenings. There are over 2,500 students enrolled in Head Start programs in Wyoming. “WY Quality Counts!” funding can be used for scholarships for early childhood educators to pursue degrees. There is a new federal requirement effective in 2013 that requires Head Start education coordinators and 50% of Head Start teachers to have a bachelor’s

degree. “The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services is thrilled to have the Head Start State Collaboration Ofﬁce join in our efforts to serve the people of Wyoming,” said Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Director Joan Evans. “This move will streamline the Head Start State Collaboration Ofﬁce’s mission with DWS’s “WY Quality Counts!” program. Working alongside other early childhood stakeholders in our communities, this improved collaboration will allow us to more effectively work toward our shared goal: ensuring Wyoming children are well-prepared to succeed in school, and in their future.”

During Monday’s Gillette City Council workshop, city council members reviewed a draft of new agenda items for their regularly scheduled city council meeting on April 2. One such item the council was set to consider in less than a week was the Field of Dreams master plan. However, consideration of the master plan was pushed back by a 5-2 decision after City Council President Kevin McGrath and Councilmen Everett Boss and Robin Kuntz raised concerns about the project. The extra time will allow council members to discuss the Field of Dreams in more depth. McGrath says when he looks at the Field of Dreams master plan he sees an indication that the city council lost their focus. “Now I agree that this is excellent work. I think the committee did an excellent job; they picked a top notch designer,” McGrath expresses. “We said we need Little League fields. We got Little League fields to the tune of $90 million on the low end. Bruce [the architect for the Field of Dreams] gave us a different figure the night he had the meeting with us. But I don’t know where we went from Little League to $90 million. That’s the problem I’m having and that’s the problem I think a lot of the community has.” Boss agreed with McGrath, saying the city council should give more time to consider the master plan itself. As a group, Boss believes the council has not taken enough time to look at the plan. “I’m not comfortable with the plan the way it is,” Boss says. “We really have not had a discussion. We’ve had all this public input but the council has not sat down and talked about this plan amongst themselves, period.” Boss says while the public has had several months to discuss the plan for the Field of Dreams, he wants to sit down with other city council members to discuss what they think needs to be in the plan. Boss asks, “This is the public’s idea and special interest groups, but what would the council like to see?” While McGrath, Boss, Kuntz, Opseth and Jerred agreed the city council needed more time to discuss the master plan for the proposed Field of Dreams, Councilwoman Louise Carter-King and Mayor Tom Murphy opposed the majority decision to delay considering the project until after the April 2 city council meeting. Mayor Murphy says that he believes any reservations council members have regarding certain aspects of the master plan can be handled by proposing amendments for the council to vote on during their meeting on April 2. Additionally, Murphy says approving the master plan does not obligate the city council to build certain projects at a predetermined cost. Rather, he says approving the overall master plan is not the same thing as approving the construction of each separate component of the Field of Dreams. “Our master plan for our traffic in this community I think when it was first designed was somewhere in the neighborhood of over $100 million,” the mayor cites as an example. “We have not come close to building all of the roads and arterials that are in that master plan.” The mayor says he views the master plan for the Field of Dreams similarly. “The fact of the matter is we have public input that got us to this point, and as far as anyone’s crystal ball is concerned this is what the people want.” Murphy says. “Whether it gets built in the future as funds become available and our budget cycles go year after year remains to be seen, but the plan is there.” With the vote to delay a decision on the Field of Dreams master plan, City of Gillette administrator Carter Napier says they will set up a meeting to further discuss the project. Although a date has not been set yet, he expects the meeting to take place sometime in mid-April. The Field of Dreams consists of 320 acres of land east of the Country Club Golf Course near Garner Lake Road and Boxelder Road that the City of Gillette purchased from the State of Wyoming at auction for $2.534 million on January 18, 2011. The Field of Dreams master plan, as presented, would cost approximately $90 million. Some of the amenities included in that price tag are 13 Little League baseball fields, 4 Babe Ruth baseball fields, 8 Women’s Fast Pitch Softball fields, 4 soccer fields, 6 multi-purpose fields, a skate park, a toboggan run, a hockey ice rink, and basketball courts. On the other hand, the total does not include the costs of projects within the Field of Dreams that will be covered by other entities, such as the covered stadium, BMX track, golf course, and a facility for the Boys and Girls Club.

What’s Going On In Government? Monday, April 09

-City Council Special Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 2nd ﬂoor community Room, City Hall Agenda: • ACTION ITEM (2nd Reading): An Ordinance to Revise Rates for Wastewater Service Furnished by the City of Gillette. • ACTION ITEM (2nd Reading): An Ordinance Amending Section 9-1(L) of the Gillette City Code to Increase the Refuse Collection Fees for Solid Waste Pickup. • ACTION ITEM (2nd Reading): An Ordinance Amending Gillette City Code Section 17-6.A.1, 17-6.B.1, 17-6.C.1, 17-6.D.1, 17-6.E.1, and 17-6.G(3) to Revise Rates for Electrical Service within the City of Gillette. • International Advanced Coal Technology Conference

2012 • Social Services & Outside Funding Discussion • Review April 16th City Council Agenda

Tuesday, April 10

-Board of Examiners, Community Conference Room 12:30pm

Wednesday April 11

-Campbell County Joint Powers Fire Board 6pm-Fire Department’s Community Room Station 01

Thursday April 12

-Parks and Beautiﬁcation Board, Community Conference room (City Hall 2nd ﬂoor) 5:30pm -Campbell County Public Land Board, Camplex Board Room 7pm

Sports Report First annual Campbell County Observer Scholarship 5K Run/Walk

Photo submitted by Campbell County Resident

Team Wyoming Pee Wee Hockey Meets with Congressional Leaders (left to right)Hunter Brown (Casper), Ethan Swedlund (Rock Springs), Ryan Welch (Pinedale), Harrison Sauter (Jackson), Austin Newson (Gillette), Thomas Lubnau III (Gillette), Brock Spiegelberg (Casper), Conall Keegan (Cody), Sandis Cook (Sheridan); Back Row: Congressman Cynthia Lummis, Sen. John McCain, Sen John Barrasso. Not pictured Sen. Mike Enzi, Austin Clemetson (Gillette)

Dacia Lyman signs NLI to play volleyball

What’s Going On In Sports?

By Ted Ripko Basin Radio Sports Tuesday afternoon at the Campbell County High School North Campus Gillette’s Dacia Lyman put her signature to her National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play volleyball at Sheridan College beginning this fall, which is a dream come true for her. “I’m really, really excited about it. It’s definitely going to be a whole new experience for me,” Lyman said shortly before signing her NLI. Lyman has gotten some interest from other colleges, but she says Sheridan felt right to her. “Casper was kind of looking at me and I was kind of looking maybe at Black Hills as well, but Sheridan was the definite place for me,” Lyman says. Lyman was a standout at CCHS in two sports, basketball and volleyball, and her love of volleyball is what helped her make her decision. “I’ve always liked it. I really got into it the last couple of years. I’ve always liked basketball, but volleyball just hit me the hardest.” In Lyman’s final year playing for Head Coach Toni Hladky and the Lady Camels, Lyman was second on the team with 299 kills and she had one of the best serve percentages on

Come join us on Saturday April 7th at 8:30am to help us celebrate our one year anniversary of publication! At 8:30am, at the Gillette College, we will be hosting a 5K run/walk to raise money for a scholarship fund at Gillette College. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! We will be giving all proceeds to the Campbell County Observer scholarship fund. The scholarship winner will be a Campbell County (Gillette or Wright) High-school student who will enter in an essay contest, gets their essay printed in our paper, and who plans on going to Gillette College the next year. Keep it local. Most students going to big out of state schools come out with some scholarships, but what about the ones who stay home and go to the local community college? Well we, the local paper, will give our scholarship to a local student who is going to the local college. Hope you can show up and help! $10.00 to enter the race. $20.00 to enter with free t-shirt $50.00 to enter with free t-shirt and free subscription There will also be a small rafﬂe, and a business card rafﬂe. BRING YOUR BUSINESS CARDS! Registration takes place Saturday morning. ALL proceeds go to the Campbell County Observer scholarship fund.

Friday, April 06

Photo by Nathan Kobielusz - Basin Radio

Dacia Lyman receives a hug from her mother, Roberta Lyman, after signing her National Letter of Intent Tuesday to play volleyball at Sheridan College. the team at 89%. Defensively Lyman had 81 digs and she had the best blocking percentage on the team at 48%. Lyman will not be the only incoming freshmen getting ready to suit up for second year Head Coach Jennifer Weitzel and the Lady Generals according to Lyman. “I think she (Coach Weitzel) said they (Lady General) would be taking like six freshmen or something like

that and we could all compete for a starting position and that’s what my next goal is,” explains Lyman. Before that, though, Lyman will be getting set to graduate from CCMH in May, and she’ll also be helping out with a local kids camp and some summer volleyball workouts. Besides playing volleyball at Sheridan College, Lyman will be studying Elementary Education starting this fall.

“Golf has probably kept more people sane than psychiatrists have.” - Harvey Penick

-CCHS BSOC (JV/V) vs. Laramie, 3 p.m., CCHS South Campus -CCHS GSOC (JV/V) @ Laramie, 3 p.m. -CCHS Track Meet in Spearﬁsh -WJSH Spring Musical, 7 p.m., Town Hall -(Beginning of Spring Break) Saturday, April 07 -Jr. High Solo/ Ensemble Festival, 8 a.m., TSJH -CCHS BSOC (JV/V) vs. Cheyenne South, 10 a.m., CCHS South Campus -CCHS GSOC (JV/V) @ Cheyenne South, 10 a.m. -WJSH Spring Musical, 7 p.m., Town Hall

Tuesday, April 10th

-Gillette College Rodeo @ Colorado State University -Camels Track in Casper 12am -Gillette Roughriders at home vs. Rapid City Central HS 7pm -Listen to Ted Ripko and Nicholas De Laat call the game Live on AM 1270-

Wednesday, April 11th

Camels Track in Casper 12am

Thursday, April 12th

-Camel Girls Soccer at home vs. Sheridan 3:30pm -Camel Boys Soccer at Sheridan 4pm -Panther Golf @Gillette 10am

Friday, April 13th

-Camel Boys Soccer at home vs. Sheridan 12am -Panther Boys Golf 11:30am at Big Horn -Camel Girls Soccer at home vs. Sheridan 12am -Camel Track at Rapid City 12am

Saturday, April 14

-Camel Track at Rapid City 12am -Gillette Rustlers at home for Triangular Tourney -Panther Golf Tournament at Tongue River 12am -Gillette Roughriders in Cheyenne Snowball Series at Cheyenne -Panther JH Track at Buffalo 12am -Camel Boys Soccer at Home vs. Natrona 1pm -Panther Track: Center of the Nation at Bell Fourche, SD 3pm -Camel Girls Soccer vs. Natrona in Casper 1pm

Sunday, April 15th

-Gillette Roughriders in Cheyenne Snowball Series at Cheyenne -Gillette Rustlers vs. Billings Halos 12and2pm

Photo submitted by Jannie Miller

On March 31st and April 1st, several Peak Wrestlers traveled to Waterloo, Iowa to compete in the 2012 Asics/USAW Folkstyle National Wrestling tournament. Three wrestlers placed at the tourney earning them All-American status. Taylor Jeffries (middle) in the Schoolboy 112 lb division placed third, Trevor Jeffries (left) in the Schoolboy 77 lb division placed 6th, and Warren Carr (right) placed 7th in the Intermediate 80 lb division. Competing but not placing include: Rayce Mason, Tanner Macy, Mason Miller, Hunter Schultz, Josh Macy, Dalton Macy, Hunter Rawlins, and Lane Barbour.

Where is this picture taken?

Find out in next week’s Campbell County Observer

Classiﬁeds Help Wanted Cook needed at Lu La Bells. Motivated and Energetic. Days Only. Apply at Lu La bells. Are you a friendly outgoing individual? Do you connect with people casually? Are you looking for supplemental income? Do you need to be in charge of your own hours? We are looking for an independent contractor for commissioned based ad sales. For more information call Sandra at 307-689-0028 or email at campbellcountytidbits@yahoo.com Needing Models for style show. Contact corey or cassee @ fashion bug. 6862588 Job Opening - Advertising Sales-N.E. Wyoming and more. Pays 20% commission, gas allowance, monthly team and individual bonuses. Set your own hours, work around your own schedule. You would be selling advertising for the fastest growing company in N.E. Wyoming. In the next ﬁve years, we will be expanding to many new areas and cities around the country. If you join our team now, you can be on top later. This position is a career, not a job. If you are interested, please call 307-670-8980 or e-mail us at CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com Contributors wanted for weekly newspaper. Need a doctor, a Politician, a lawyer, and more to contribute an article a month. E-mail CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com for more information. State Wide Sales people. Print Advertising Sales for new State-wide newspaper. Call 307-299-4662 Website/ad designer wanted. Must be familiar with building/maintaining websites and website advertising design. Commission and base salary pay. Call the Cowboy State Free Press at 307-670-8980

Wanted to Buy I Buy Militaria. Swords, uniforms, bayonets, medals, guns/parts, ﬁeld gear. 6827864 Newspaper vending machines. Contact us at: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com WILL PAY CASH FOR CAMPERS. Call Scott (307) 680-0854. Manual Transmission for 93’ Chevy Pickup 4wd. Must be in good shape. Call 2572306.

Guns for Sale

Business Opportunities Choose your hours, your income, and your rewards. I DO! Contact Julie BalmerAvon Independent Sales Rep. 307-689-6812 or email jkbpennigwen@msn.com Health problems? Try doTERRA certiﬁed pure essential oils. 307-680-0363. www. myvoffice.com/healingisbelieving

Personals Interested in founding a Sherlock Holmes Society in Gillette? Contact gillettesherlockians@gmail. com for info.

Toy Parts & Accessories Stock pipes for Sportster. 500mi. Stock pices for Dyna Wide Glide. 1500mi. Email baxtersmom62@gmail.com for info. Harley Accessories for sale. Call 307-670-8980. Ask for Tammy.

Merchandise 1939 HA Selmer Trumpet $750 OBO. 687-1087 Exterior door with window, interior light ﬁxtures, and computer supplies. E-mail Corsair115@yahoo.com QUEEN SLEEP NUMBER BED like new. $700 call 680-2982. Can text photo if you like. Blue Dual Reclining Sofa. Good shape $100 Call 6802982. Can text photo if you like.

Services Homeowners and renters insurance for house, trailer, or apartments. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520 Auto insurance preferred and SR-22’s. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520 Motorcycle and ATV insurance. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520

For Rent 2 Bedroom Duplex, with one car garage, washer/dryer, no pets. $700rent/$700deposit. 307-689-0202

Homes for Sale Home for sale by owner in Western Way. Asking $239,000 for the 1,800 sq. ft. 3 bedroom 2 bath home with an unﬁnished basement and a two car garage. Fully fenced, large landscaped yard with a sprinkler system. Home is within walking distance to the new recreation center and the new elementary school that is being built. Please contact me at 307-670-1209 if you are interested. Tri-level house for sale 4 bed 2 bath $209,000 (307) 6701925. Gorgeous land home package set up in Wright. 3 bedroom, 2 full baths, hickory cabinets throughout, front porch, central air, and much more. Financing available. For a personal showing call (307) 687-0333 40+ Acres 2 miles south of Wright 1999 Atlantic Oak Modular. $250,000 OBO Call 307 - 680 – 2374

Spyder Semi-auto paint ball gun. cal..68 Special Edition. Only used twice! New $300 For you $175 plus two canisters. Call 680-1302

FSBO 2,688 SF home on corner lot with fenced back yard. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, upgraded kitchen, ﬁnished walkout basement, oversized garage. $259,000. 307-680-9180.

If you are interested in purchasing Nutrient Rich Ranch Raised Beef grown locally, call 307-340-1108.

Apartments for Rent

Great Jerky http://www.rberlinger.jerkydirect.com/ My First Computer hardly used. Asking $15. Call 605 - 545 – 1188 Five roasts and twelve pounds of hamburger for a ﬂat rate. $150.00. All ranch raised beef. This is an approximate savings of 10% on the total. Contact Jason Walker at 307-686-0577 Two place aluminum snowmobile trailer. $1,600. 307689-0202

Toys (ATV’s Boats, Etc.)

.380 Smith and Weston Bodyguard. Built in laser site. $450.00 ﬁrm. Trades possible. Call (307) 6827864.

BOAT FOR SALE. 18ft 120 port jet outboard bass tracker for sale. Call 307-680-5947

1903 Springﬁeld. 30o6 Cal. U.S. Military. $700 obo. Call (307) 682-7864

Boat for Sale with trailer. Needs work. Call 670-8980 for info.

1-5 bedroom units available for rent. Please contact Real Estate Systems of Gillette Inc at 307-682-0964 for all the updated details. Spacious & new, 1, 2, &3 bdrm affordable apartments available now! Call 6858066. Washer and dryer in every unit. Private sunny patio or balcony. Special move-in rate, 1 bdrm: $694, 2 bdrm: $777, 3 bdrm: $888. Move in now and deduct $ 200 off ﬁrst month while special lasts. Call Konnie or Celeste at Highland Properties 685-8066.

Home Appliances/ Camping/Fishing Furnshings Minnows, crawlers, leeches, Microﬁber couch with 2 recliners combined. Green. $100 Call 299-4967. Booth Table. L-shaped. With Chairs. Seats 6. $500.00 Call 299-4967 Three antique pressedbacked oak chairs. Excellent condition. $85 each. 6820042 Storage Unit Sale!!!!! Home stereo, car speakers, 2 dressers, mattress and box spring sets $20, chests, coffee table, chairs, end tables and much more. Call (307) 682-7864

Campers & Motor Homes 1997 32ft. Class A Motor Home. Sleeps 6, Only 31,000 Miles. Asking $17,000. Call (307) 660-7520. Large Private RV/Camper Lot for rent. Big yard, trees. All utilities available. $400 per month, $400 deposit. 1 year lease. Call (307) 6601007. 5th wheel camper for sale. Call Skip (307) 680-0073

Heavy Equipment/ Trailers 6x10 trailer. Great shape, fits your biggest Harley. $1,400 obo. 299-4967. 1981 Circle J 4-horse Horse Trailer. New floor, paint and wiring. $2500 OBO Call 307 - 680 – 2374 1981 Circle J 4-horse Horse Trailer. New floor, paint and wiring done in shop class 2 years ago. No rust only used once since redone. $2500 or OBO Call 307 - 680 – 2374

Miscellaneous Licensed daycare now open. Spots available full-time and before and after school. Close to Rozet school and the post ofﬁce. Monday through Friday 6:30am to 6pm. Ages 3 and up. Call 307-299-1915 ACE will reduce your appetite and give you energy. The natural way to lose weight. www.facebook.com/AcePill 660-2974 RYO Filling station has come to Gillette! Stop in and see just how easy and affordable it is to roll your own for a fraction of the cost of name brand cartons. Stop in at Jack’s Liquor, home of the adult daycare at 302 E. 2nd st, right across from NAPA

Produce for Sale Fresh local “Free Range” eggs. All natural, no animal by-products. No antibiotics. $3/Doz. 257-9049

Work Wanted

ﬁshing tackle, boating and camping supplies. Fully furnished cabin rentals, 50 Amp Full Hookup RV sites 5 minutes from Keyhole Reservoir in Pine Haven. Empire Guesthouse & RV Park 307756-3454. www.empireguesthouse.com

Autos, Trucks and Vans 1986 Toyota Tercel 4x4. $1050.00. Call 307-2995918 Chopper - Custom built frame, s&s engine, carb, etc. 80ci. Evolution engine. Wide glide front end. Low. Torn apart down to frame. Have all parts, could be built in two days with under $200.00. Asking $5,500 or best offer. Price:$5,500obo. Contact: 307-670-2037 1993 Chevy 1500 4x4 350 Engine, runs great. 5 spd. manual, transmission needs rebuilt. Transfer case in great condition. No other problems other than transmission. Asking $2,000 or best offer. Price: $2,000obo. Contact: 307-670-2037 2004 Yukon Denali XL,6.0 Motor, Loaded $14,000 OBO 660-9351 1982 Chevy Ventura Van. 350 Engine, 400 Turbo newly rebuilt transmission. Interior in GREAT shape, has a working electric wet bar and built in cooler in back. Carb. needs re-jetted, other than that there are no problems. Must see. Asking $3,500 or best offer. Price:$3,500obo. Contact: 307-670-8980

For advertising email us at Advertising@ CampbellCounty Observer.com

Autos, Trucks and Vans 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo SS (White) with 137,000 mi; $6500. Call 307 - 689 – 0966 Custom Harley Soft tail. Being built, need to sell now. Almost ﬁnished. Chopper, built in Sturgis, SD. Asking $5,500 and will help you build it. HAVE ALL PARTS! Call 257-2306 ‘76 Electra-Glide would consider trade on Pan or Knuck if ya know of anyone, ‘81 sent it to LA-S&S, 11.5to1 and dual-plugged to run regular-gas, had burn-out time at Hog-Jam! Ben 680.7464. 1981 Harley Davidson FXBSturgis, 1st dual-belt drive to commemorate Hill-Climb @ Sturgis, Jack-Pine Gypsies rally started in ‘41, 50th anniversary model. 12K on straight-up original paint, new Moetzler’s driven-by beefed Shovel, 102hp at wheel. Perfect in every aspect, serious inquiries only, loan is $15K and value of over 25K. Ben 680.7464, 3-other older bikes and this has to go to the right person! 2008 Hyundai Sonata LMTD, 40,000 mi. $13,500, Call 307-660-2532.

Leave Your Mark on Campbell County...

Hickey Unlimited LLC

Your New Generation of Beautiful

NOW OPEN •Hair Extentsions Ultratress II

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307-682-7001 306 W. Lakeway Rd.

Tony’s Towing

& Equipment $85,000

Business, Equipment, Everything Goes! Prudential Preferred Properties 819 Country Club Rd Gillette WY 82718 Call Keni Cundall @ 689-799 or Jason Walker @ 307-340-1108 www.gillettehousebay.com & click commercial

HELP WANTED Advertising Sales/Marketing Specialist

Skidsteer with Operator. For all your Snow Removal and Dirt needs. Call Ken at 307680-5947

   

Weekly house cleaning-$50.00 per week. Windows, ﬂoors, dusting, bathrooms, etc. Call 670-2037.

20% Commission plus gas allowance Monthly Individual & Team bonuses Fun Work Enviroment Set Your own hours

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Owner Nicholas De Laat and columnist (and radio show host) Glenn Woods hold up a copy of the Campbell County Observer while smoking cigars in Deadwood, SD.

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The Campbell County Observer welcomes “Readers on the Road” submisisons. Take a picture of yourself and your family holding the Campbell County Observer while you are somewhere out of the county and submit it to us at 5105 Tarry St., Gillette, WY 82718 or by email at CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com.

Our Roots Events leading to the Spanish-American War By Mike Borda Among the wars the United States has participated in, there have been many bigger and more memorable than the Spanish-American War. However, as in any event, the circumstances leading up to the war are often as interesting as the events of battle. In this case, the events happened outside of the United States, and for the first time in our history, a misunderstood event led to international conflict. For most of the latter part of the nineteenth century, Spain was rapidly losing control of their American territories. Whether by sale, force, or independence, the lands Spain once held in the New World were fast becoming new enemies of their previous rulers. Meanwhile, for years the United States had fixed an eye on Caribbean islands for allies and territories. Things came to a head on one island – Cuba. On this island, rebels had for years been vying for indepen-

dence from their Spanish rulers. However, they were never successful, often drawing violent responses. With the rebels struggling to gain a foothold, their United States neighbors (who wanted a foothold in the Caribbean) were the perfect allies. During the Cuban conﬂict, American shipping routes were being disrupted. This gave the government a perfect reason to increase our military forces in the region, which did not please the Spanish royalty. Even with this tension, however, there was diplomacy. With United States help, the Spanish gave in to the Cuban rebels and Cuba became autonomous as of 1898. Autonomy would not mean peace, though. Shortly after Cuba became independent, there was a riot in the capital city of Havana. Being concerned about American citizens in the country, the McKinley administration

summoned the USS Maine to Havana Harbor. This is when things really became interesting. On February 15, 1898, the Maine experienced and explosion, and sunk. The cause of that explosion is still debated today. What we do know is that over 5 tons of powder was detonated on the ship, costing 274 men their lives. What we do NOT know, though, is who (if anyone) caused the explosion, and what their motives may have been. There have been several theories in the years since the event. Initially, it was believed that a small charge ignited the powder, causing the explosion. Later investigations, however, suggested that a spontaneous spark in the coal room caused an accidental explosion. No matter the source of the explosion though, the consequences are not in doubt. The American newspapers (using tabloid-style “journalism”) widely reported that the Spanish were behind the incident, and two months later the United States and Spain were at war. The Spanish American War was not a conﬂict that caused the most casualties, gained us the most land, or caused massive internal changes. However, the manner in which it began is one that should never be forgotten.

“We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” - President George H. W. Bush

Oh Give Me a Home... By Jeff Morrison

One of the biggest challenges to moving into northeast Wyoming is not so much how to get here, or what to do for a living, but rather what to live in after you get here. The same dilemma existed for the early inhabitants of the high plains. In a land where the need for adequate shelter from the elements was paramount, and available building materials were exceeding scarce, ingenuity and adaptability where essential skills every pioneer possessed. The first home that was truly adaptive to the prairie to make an appearance in Powder River country was the tipi. For the Plains Indians, housing had to be both warm enough to stave off the bitter cold winds of winter, and portable enough to be easily carried from camp to camp. Fortunately, the buffalo not only provided food, but a large, thick hide that could be tanned and sewed together with other hides to create one of the best natural housing materials to be found on the wide-open landscape. The frame of a typical plains tipi was created by making a tripod from three tall, straight poles, often made from the trunks of the lodgepole pine. Once the base of the tripod was arranged in the proper spacing, five or six more poles were added to form a cone, and lashed together where they joined. Next, the buffalo hide cover that was shaped like a large half-circle with two extra flap extending from the center. The hide was lifted into place with two poles attached to those flaps and then draped around the pole frame and lashed together where the sides met. The two flap-poles were then set so that the flaps formed a slit opening at the top of the tipi. A roundish hole near the bottom of the hide served as a doorway, and was covered with a separate hide flap. The bottom of the tipi was held to the ground using rocks, which were left in place when the tipi was torn down and moved. These circles of rocks, called tipi rings, can still be seen today, scattered about the prairie. For added ventilation in summer, the bottom of the tipi was often lifted off the ground in places and lashed to the lodgepoles. In cold weather, the tipi could be heated very efficiently by a small fire near the center of the interior. The fire drew air from the doorway and vented smoke through the chimney slit near the top of the tipi. The heavy buffalo hide and cone shape reflected the heat back into the living space. What smoke remained inside the tipi served as an effective bug repellant. The first non-Indian settlers were the mountain men who

came to trap and trade for furs in the early 1800s. Most of the trapping was done in forested areas where the trapper could build a dwelling out of logs, although quite a few chose to trade for an Indian tipi, which could be used while living in the Indian village and then taken with them when they set out alone to trap. A typical fur trapper cabin was built by setting the wall logs vertically, in the same fashion as a stockade. This method of construction could easily be performed by one man, without the need to spend vast amounts of time shaping the logs for a tight fit, as was required to build a cabin in the “traditional”, horizontal fashion. The gaps between the logs were sealed using a mixture of mud and grass and the roof was most often made by laying sod onto a log frame. This method of roofing provided very efficient insulation and helped to keep the cabin warm in the cold and cool in the heat. A big drawback was that the warm sod became a preferred home for mice, snakes and bugs. Fur traders, who spent more time at the lower elevations, trading with Indians along the rivers, overcame the shortage of usable cabin logs by digging into a convenient bank or bluff. This provided three sides of the dwelling, known as a dugout, leaving only the front to be timbered. A sod roof completed the structure. The earthen sides greatly improved the heating and cooling efficiency, although it increased the amount of vermin and pests. An added danger was that the livestock occasionally walked onto the roof to graze and the weight could cause a collapse. Although the use of sun-dried mud bricks, called “adobe”, is more often associated with the American southwest, many of the early trading forts in Wyoming were made of this material, including Fort William, the original fort which was later bought by the army and renamed Fort Laramie. Fort Connor, later renamed Fort Reno, located west of Pumpkin Buttes was also partially constructed of adobe brick. Adobe brick has been used as a construction material for centuries. It is easy to make, and durable. But the next wave of settlers to find their way to northeast Wyoming found a building material that was even easier to come by, and just as durable. As it turned out, the same sod bricks that had been used for years to roof the dugouts and cabins, could also be used to build walls. Sod houses, or “Soddies”, could be built quickly, and renovated and expanded as needed. It took about an acre of land

to cut enough bricks to make a fourteen by sixteen foot sod house, although some overachievers cut enough sod to create two-story structures using the material. The deep roots of the native grass were the secret to the strength of a sod brick, just as rebar strengthens concrete. The only timber actually needed for a soddie was what was required for the roofing timbers, doors, and window sills. Floors were mostly made of leveled dirt, but many a pioneer woman insisted on the addition of plank flooring. Another “must” for the soddie was enough muslin to cover the ceiling. This kept dirt clods from plopping into the evening meal, as well as any mice or snakes. Another pest the settlers had to contend with was bedbugs. No matter what material was used in construction, every ranch and homestead eventually became infested with the small parasites. A surprisingly effective remedy was to set the legs of the bed frame into gallon size coffee cans, then fill the cans half way with lamp oil. The influx of homesteaders during the dryland farming years gave rise to another adaptive dwelling known as a “claim house”. Most of these wood structures were not much bigger than a tent, roofed with corrugated metal, and sided with tar-paper. They were often built on skids so that they could be pulled from one homestead claim to another with a team of horses. These houses fulfilled the requirement of a permanent dwelling, as specified under the Homestead Act, in order to re-

ceive a patent on the land. This allowed the homesteader more time to build a proper home before removing the claim house. From the tipi to the claim house, each of these dwelling types were forerunners of building concepts and practical designs still in use today. The natural insulating properties of sod, adobe, dugout and logs have given rise to modern-day equivalents. But very few of the originals structures have survived. Occasionally one can ﬁnd

an old claim house disguised as a tool shed or chicken coop. Small depressions and the occasional roof-tree mark where a dugout once stood. Almost all of the sod, adobe and trapper cabins have long since eroded into nothing. And, outside of a few museum pieces and modern replicas, the only evidence left of the tipis that once dotted the plains are the occasional circle of rocks that once held the hide down to keep out the howling Wyoming wind.

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Elizabeth (Betsy) Jones, Agent CPIW, DAE, LUTCF