August 26-September 2, 2011 by C.C. Observer

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The Campbell $1. County Observer

Volume 1 • Issue 21

August 26 - September 2, 2011

www.campbellcountyobserver.net

June 17 - 24, 2011

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

Four Representatives from Campbell Co. attend Wyoming Liberty Fest By Nicholas DeLaat After passing the great little town of Lander, we started on the uphill climb into the mountains. Our destination was a place where everyone carries firearms and sleeps in tents, the kids fish and frolic, and the talk of the day is liberty. Campbell County had four representatives at this prestigious event. These included Representative Sue Wallis, her husband and cowboy poet Rod McQueary, radio show host Glenn Woods, and owner of the Campbell County Observer Nick De Laat. Saturday morning started off with a great breakfast, coffee, and a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. The kids played, the adults set up their booths and tables, and away we went with Wyoming Liberty Fest 2011. After arrival, the learning and sharing commenced. State Senator Cale Case, who is rated #1 on the state liberty index, started out with a speech about how “we have a liberty loosing tax system,” describing how much people in Wyoming unknowingly are expanding government here naively and with the help of our mineral wealth, which takes tax burdens away from citizens, and therefore makes it easier to spend the highest amount of money than any other state freely, even down to the local governments. One of Campbell County’s State Representatives, Sue Wallis, spoke of food freedom. “Nothing is more fundamental than food and water,” she started. “We are importing so much food compared to how much we produce, we are only a natural disaster away from what a wise man once said ‘the difference between civilization and savagery is 3 days without food.’” Representative Wallis went on to say that the total cost of regulation is nearly 2 trillion dollars, but those government resources are not regulating the major producing companies, but the local farmers and ranchers. “We raise the best cattle in the world, but we can’t feed it to our kids at school. Instead, we have to give them officially certified commodity meat from the lowest bidder nationwide. You can’t buy a quart of fresh milk from your neighbor if he just milked his cow.” “When are you going to miss the taste of that fresh tomato that was not made for transport how about that cream straight

from the cow, or the sweet honey from the hive? Instead you have swat teams moving in on an Amish family selling raw milk, federal raids on natural producers/sellers, and many more. Where is the satisfaction going to be while feeding the giant trough of the big elitists who are taking our right to grow and eat our own food?” Campbell County’s own radio talk show host Glenn Woods spoke next. “This is God’s country right? Well it is good that the bureaucrats got involved when the settlers moved out here. There were rules for wagons including wheel size and weight limits. You need a CDL to drive it, and look at the carbon foot print that the oxen are leaving. There was title, rules for agriculture, and subsidies to move out…No, if this was the case, we would not have made it.” He moved his speech with humor based on fact. “The ones who couldn’t make it in Wyoming moved on to California. The tough carried through and worked this land and they had the liberty to do so.” He ended talking about how liberty is precious and needs to be sustained at all costs. Taylor Haynes stood up as the keynote speaker of the day. He started about the starving times of the colonies, and where in order to survive, free enterprise was born. He went on through a history to the revolution. He showed how with liberty in religion and economics we became the greatest nation in the history of civilization. He went on to talk about changing back to that liberty which we lost not by a new constitutional convention or revolution but with involvement and intelligent debate. “What’s the thing Wyoming is missing? Free enterprise, we need a place for the conservatives to go. We have too many regulations. The reason is apathy from ignorance.” Shepard Humphries spoke about what to do if you ﬁnd yourself in a situation where you had to use deadly force to defend yourself. Anthony Bouchard spoke of tactics used to gain back our Second Amendment rights. A member of the Wyoming Liberty Group Steve Klein talked about “Another year of founding principles guiding innovative solutions in Wyoming.” Former Governor Candidate Taylor Haynes spoke of our history and what we

Liquor license appeal dismissed By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News Earlier this year on February 22, City of Gillette Council members voted to deny El Michoacano’s liquor license renewal after the restaurant had continuous problems complying with the requirements of the license. Speciﬁcally, city attorney Charlie Anderson said El Michoacano was not purchasing its liquor from the Wyoming Liquor Division as required under Wyoming law. The restaurant was also not paying sales use taxes. In actuality, Casa del Rey owned the liquor license and had a contract agreement with El Michoacano. Previously, Casa del Rey was considered a good operator of the license and after the city council denied El Michoacano the renewal, Casa del Rey began attempting to get that license back. In March, City of Gillette Council-

woman Louise Carter-King expressed concern that Casa del Rey was not more diligent. Anderson said a hearing was set for the appeal last week; however, the appeal never occurred. “We had discussions with the attorneys for the owners of that liquor license, and they basically decided that they didn’t want to proceed with the hearing on appeal and so we agreed to dismiss it.” According to City of Gillette public information ofﬁcer Joe Lunne, the dismissal means the City of Gillette has three full retail liquor licenses available. Currently, the city council is reviewing the procedures and criteria for awarded retail liquor licenses, and they will not award any new licenses until after November 1, 2011.

did to create liberty in the free market. There was also a ﬁrearm workshop, a barbeque dinner, and the best of all the Soap Box Speeches, where you stand on a soap box and talk for 3 min. The winner, a 12 year old boy, received money and a trophy. What a great weekend for liberty full of great people, good speeches, and lasting friendships. If you are a lover of liberty and want to learn how to ﬁght for it within our political system, think about coming out to Lander next year for a weekend of fun, it will be worth it!

Photo by Nathan Kobielusz - Basin Radio

Smoke from the 2,000 acre Rourke ﬁre burning along Highway 59 approximately 10 to 15 miles north of Gillette.

Wildfire smoke can cause health concerns, officials warn By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News Residents throughout northern Campbell County awoke this week to the recognizable smell of burning wildfires. Current conditions from wildfires in Campbell County are causing a concentration of visible smoke. As a result, the Campbell County Public Health officials are encouraging area residents to be mindful of the potential health effects caused by smoke from wildfires. Wildfire smoke can hurt your eyes, aggravate respiratory problems, and worsen the symptoms of heart or lung disease. Everyone should use common sense when their local air is smoky and avoid heavy outdoor exercise. People who have heart and respiratory conditions including allergies, asthma, and chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease are especially susceptible to wildfire smoke’s ill effects. Those who are at risk, including the elderly and young children, should be especially careful in limiting their smoke exposure. The largest fire in the area is the 2,000 acre Rourke Fire located approximately 10 to 15 miles north of Gillette along Highway 59. Lightning sparked the Rourke Fire began Sunday night or Monday morning. As a result of Tuesday’s high winds and hot temperatures, the fire grew over 550 percent from 300 acres to 2,000 acres in one day. As a result, Campbell County Emergency Agency issued an emergency evacuation for residents living in the Wildwood Camp Area Tuesday night.

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Community Why Can’t They Serve?

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By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News At the Gillette City Council pre-meeting on Monday, City Councilman John Opseth introduced an issue brought to his attention from local business owners. Those business owners want the city council to review a city ordinance that prevents restaurant servers under 21-years old from carrying alcohol from the establishment’s bar to the tables they are serving. Pokey’s BBQ owner Ric Schuyler says revising the law would make it a lot easier on his establishment. “It would just make it a lot easier if an 18, 19, or 20 year old could take a beer or a mixed drink to a table,” Schuyler explains. “Walking a newly poured beer to the table, an underage adult is not going to take a drink before the customer gets it. It is ridiculous.” Likewise, Brian Kelley and his brother own restaurants in Gillette, Wyoming, and the region, including the Grub and Pub restaurants of Humphrey’s, Sanford’s, and Uncle Freddie’s. Kelley believes revising the current ordinance will make it easier for 18 to 20-year olds to seek employment in the food service industry. “The bottom line is it opens up the employee clientele that you can hire,” Kelley says. The ordinance as it stands right now, according to Kelley, creates roadblocks for businesses. “Say your bartender is 21 and your server is 18,” Kelley describes. “Well the server can’t take the drinks to the table. The bartender has to leave the bar which discounts your service right there.” During the city council discussion, Councilman Everett Boss, who also owns Boss Lodge, brought up the point that Wyoming statutes already permit 18, 19, and 20-year olds to serve alcohol to their tables. In turn, Opseth stated that he wants to see a list of other Wyoming cities and towns that do not have a city ordinance preventing anyone between 18 and 20 from serving alcohol. Kelley says in the restaurants he owns and operates in Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, and South Dakota, servers between the ages of 18 and 20 are permitted to bring alcoholic beverages from the bar to their respective tables. As a result, Kelley believes restaurants in Gillette are at a disadvantage. Both Kelley and Schuyler would like to see 18, 19, and 20 year old restaurant servers allowed to bring alcohol to their patrons. If Gillette wants to grow as a college town, Kelley says, college jobs are needed. “If kids are going to go to college, they need part-time jobs,” Kelley says. “One of the places where young women and men get their jobs is in the restaurant industry. They can’t get hired on. They can get hired on as a host or something like that and it’s hard to get into the service aspect or even give them that job because they can’t fully do the job correctly.” During the city council’s discussion, Councilwomen Louise Carter-King reminded the council that this same issue was brought up in 2007. Carter-King and Boss both remembered the issue didn’t get very far. Similarly, City of Gillette attorney Charlie Anderson says the issue never had much support in the city council four years ago. “There were discussions back then that really had to do with the pinch that some of the restaurant owners and bar owners were feeling because of the huge demand for employees,” Anderson recalled. “So

there was some talk about corresponding our ordinances to state statutes which would allow 18, 19 and 20 year olds to serve in restaurants, and it was discussed but it ultimately didn’t have enough support at the council level to ever be introduced.” Councilwomen Carter-King told the other city council members that during the 2007 discussions, then-police chief Rich Adriaens was not a fan of changing the ordinance. Current City of Gillette deputy police chief Sawley Wilde provided Basin Radio Network with a refresher about the concerns brought up in 2007. “That was about the time we were instituting the whole liquor license protocol at that time, and currently, the city ordinance says no one under 21 can possess it,” Wilde says. “That was the interpretation of it at that time; if they’re bringing it out to a table they’re possessing it. The issues arise in who is responsible for carding at the table. Is an 18year old responsible for carding another 18-year old? All those types of peripheral issues is where the discussion went.” In an email, project coordinator for the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Kellie Furman said the current ordinance is in place to protect the community’s youth. The current ordinance, she writes, sends a strong message to local youth that they cannot possess, consume, or handle alcohol in any manner until they reach the age of 21. On the other hand, making exceptions to the current restrictions would send a confusing message, according to Furman. “[Making exceptions] puts our youth at risk of potential peer pressure situations, such as having to I.D. underage friends or having those friends ask to be served alcohol, even though it is against the law,” Furman says. Nevertheless, Schuyler argues the current city ordinance is not consistent when it comes to minors handling alcohol because underage server assistants can clear alcoholic beverages from their tables after the customer leaves. “The thing that irritates me the most is that a 21-year old has to take it to the table, but yet a 14-year old can take it from the table,” he says. “I don’t think it deters teenage drinking in any way, shape, or form to restrict a business owner from allowing an 18-year old or 19-year old to take it from the bar to the table.” Kelley echoed Schuyler’s sentiment. “People think that they’re going to drink the drinks on the way to the table,” Kelley describes. “I’ve never ever in the 25-year I’ve been doing this job ever seen that.” During Monday’s discussion, Councilman Opseth told City of Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy that he wants to have additional information on the subject from other municipalities, as well as comments from the public, by the end of the month. The Mayor responded by saying getting the public’s feedback and dealing with the issue as soon as possible might be a good idea. That assessment by the Mayor was not met with any resistance by city staff or council members at that time.

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Community Gillette’s Campbell County Republican Women to host state convention Gillette’s Campbell County Republican Women will host the state Biennial Convention of the Federation of Republican Women, September 9, 10, and 11. Inspired by the Centennial Year of Campbell County, the theme is “Energy for the Next 100 Years.” Sue Lynch, President of the National FRW, will attend all 3 days as featured guest and speaker. Wyoming’s federal, state, and local Republican officeholders have been invited. Campbell County delegates and alternates to the convention are Pam Werner, Mary Horning, Michelle Rodgers, Gayle Cooper, Cheryl Chitwood, and Mary Silvernell.

By Mary Horning

A reception for delegates and local members will be held Friday, September 9, at the home of Norine Kasperik, State Representative District 32. Representative Kasperik is a past president of both the Campbell County and the Wyoming Federation of Republican Women. An auction of gift baskets and other items will be conducted by Glenn Woods of Basin Radio and Republican County Chairman David Horning. Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy will open the Convention with a welcome to delegates Saturday morning in Presentation Hall at the Gillette College. Wyoming Federation President Dar-

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lene Vaughan of Lander will chair the proceedings. Following the business meeting Convention goers will travel to Eagle Butte Coal Mine and then to Durham Buffalo Ranch for a tour and cookout. CCFRW will conclude business on Sunday with a commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001, and a tribute to Wyoming’s fallen soldiers. Associate Member Chris Smith and State Representative Gregg Blikre will recognize those Wyoming sons, daughters and fathers who have died in service since “9/11”.

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Wyoming ARNG hosts monthly memorial for veterans in August

A state-wide effort to help bring closure to families who lost a veteran began in June 2010 with monthly memorial services conducted by the Wyoming Army National Guard’s Honor Guard Team, in partnership with the Wyoming Veterans Commission. The next ceremony will be held in Casper, at the Oregon Trail State Veterans Cemetery, Aug. 31, at noon, with participation from the Natrona County United Veterans Council,

other individual veterans, and the Wyoming Army National Guard Honor Guard. The public is encouraged to attend. The goal is to provide military honors to a larger number of deserving Wyoming veterans. The service opens with the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer, the reading of the names of the Wyoming veterans who died during the month, a rifle volley, the playing of “Taps” and the folding of the U.S. flag.

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Community Road Construction updates

The City of Gillette’s Utilities Department and the Engineering and Development Services Department announced several road construction updates. Please remember that school is back in session on Monday, August 29th. Please watch out for, and yield to, pedestrians entering and within crosswalks. The Gillette Police Department will also be performing Directed Trafﬁc Enforcement Patrols in School Zone areas - so make sure to observe and obey posted speed limits near schools. Following are road construction updates courtesy of the City of Gillette.

1st Street

Paving should be complete this week. 1st Street from 200’ east of 4J Road to Richards Avenue will be closed from Friday, August 19th through Saturday, September 3rd for the installation of Sanitary Sewer drop manholes.

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Enzi Drive Widening Project

Asphalt paving and striping activities will begin Monday, August 15th, on Enzi Drive from approximately 400’ south of West 4J Road through 500’ south of Shoshone Avenue. Please note that the north and south bound trafﬁc on Enzi Drive will be maintained and that the closures for the above intersections should only last for 24 hours, but any delay may cause them to be closed for a longer period of time. Please observe the posted signs in the area to navigate through the detour. The Enzi Drive Widening Project is funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax.

Photos by John Lasek

the contractor performs asphalt patching, asphalt pavement repair and an asphalt overlay. This work is for the City’s Pavement Management Schedule A and is funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax.

Alley Closures

The alley between Rohan Avenue and 4J Road from 3rd Street to 4th Street will be closed to through trafﬁc from Saturday, August 20th through Saturday, September 3rd while crews install Sanitary Sewer lines. This sewer installation is part of the City’s 2010 Sanitary Sewer Main replacement and is funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax. The alley between Ross Avenue and Warren Avenue from 1st Street to 2nd Street will be closed from Friday, August 5th through Saturday, August 27th while crews install sewer line associated with the Stonepile Creek Sewer Interceptor Phase IIB project.

Par Drive

Par Drive will continue being under construction from Monday, August 8th through Friday, August 26th for construction activities, including: asphalt pavement repair, asphalt overlay and subgrade prep. This project is part of the 2011 Pavement Management Schedule A, and is funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax.

Garner Lake Road

Lane constriction on northbound Garner Lake Road will take place from Wednesday, August 3rd through Wednesday, August 31st. The contractor is installing storm drain improvements under Garner Lake Road in conjunction with the Interstate Industrial Park Drainage Project. This project is funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax.

Clarion Drive & Clarion Court

Clarion Drive and Clarion Court will be under construction from Monday, August 15th through Sunday, August 27th while

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What’s Going On? Friday, August 26

-TSJH 8th & 9th Grade Schedule Pick-Up, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. -Microsoft Access 2007 Level I, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., K2 Technologies 686-3025 -Side by Side Mud Races, 1 p.m., Wright -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Lazy L Band Live in Concert, 7 p.m., Gillette College Tech. Center, 686-0254 ext. 2352 for more info.

Saturday, August 27

-Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m.- 12 p.m., Gillette College -Trash to Trees, 8 a.m.- 12 p.m., Gillette College Tech. Center -Cox Productions Team Roping, 9 a.m.10 p.m., Camplex East Pavilion, Doug Cox (307)682-9872 -Teen Chess Club, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., CCPL -Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., CCPL -4th-6th Grade WiiPlay Saturday, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Out of the Darkness Walk, 1 p.m., TSJH, To Be a Fundraiser, Walker or Donator call Charles Eddie Edwards @ 685-2741 -Car Racing; CLMA/WDRA, 7 p.m., Gillette Thunder Speedway

Sunday, August 28

-Senior Center- CLOSED -CCPL- CLOSED -Cox Productions Team Roping, 9 a.m.10 p.m., Camplex East Pavilion, Doug Cox (307)682-9872

Monday, August 29

-FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL -Cottonwood Open House, 8-9 a.m. -Kappucino Kaper, 8:15-11 a.m., WBL -Windows 7 Basic, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., K2 Technologies, 682-3025 -Little Powder Open House, 5:30-7:30 p.m. -AVA-Life Drawing Class, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, August 30

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab 688-1222 -Senior Center, Vet’s Breakfast, 8-9 a.m., 686-0804

-Microsoft Excel Level 3D ONLINE, 9-10:30 a.m., 686-3025 -Microsoft Word Level 1A ONLINE, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 686-3025 -Microsoft Word Level 1B ONLINE, 1-2:30 p.m., 686-3025 -Teen Card Game Club, 4-6 p.m., CCPL -Green Drinks, 5:30-7 p.m., Clarion Inn, 686-5228 for more info. -All About Women Monthly Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Brother’s Coffee -AVA-Adult Beginner Painting, 6:30 p.m.

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Wednesday, August 31

-Children’s Immunization Clinic, 8-11:30 a.m., Public Health -Microsoft Word 2007 Level I, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m., K2 Technologies, 686-3025 -Ribbon Cutting: Send Out Cards, 12:45 p.m., Chamber Ofﬁce -Microsoft Excel 2007 Level I, 1-4 p.m., K2 Technologies, 686-3025

Thursday, September 1

-Gillette Area Leadership Tuition, 682-3673 -HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab 688-1222 -Senior Center, The Lodge Bus, 9 a.m., 686-0804 -Microsoft Word 2007 Level I, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m., K2 Technologies, 686-3025 -Microsoft Excel 2007 Level I, 1-4 p.m., K2 Technologies, 686-3025 -4-J Open House, 6:30 p.m. -Parent Meeting for Environmental Camp 1-3, 6:30 p.m., Sunﬂower -AVA- Adult Intermediate Painting, 6:30 p.m. -Prenatal Series, 7-9 p.m., Series of 4 Classes Begins 1st Thursday of Every Month, 688-2200 for more info. & to register

Friday, September 2

-Wyoming Bike MS: Close Encounters Ride, Sundance Courthouse Lawn, 682-3673 for more info. -Senior Center- 1st National Bank Birthday Dinner -WJSH Drama Auditions, Town Hall -NADAC Dog Agility, 8 a.m.- 3 p.m., Camplex Barn 3, Barbara Steele 682-0552 -Microsoft Word 2010 Level I, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., K2 Technologies, 686-3025

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Community Wyoming Ofﬁce of Tourism extends fall campaign The Wyoming Ofﬁce of Tourism (WOT) is putting in some extra effort to extend visitation to the state well into the fall months. “Many businesses were adversely effected in the early part of the summer, so we are extending our fall campaign through September and adding eight new markets to our campaign for more lift,” said Diane Shober, Director of the WOT. “This investment tops $180,000 in additional advertising.” The new markets that will be added include: Rapid City, Billings, Butte/Boz-

eman, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Boise and Omaha. These markets are in addition to comprehensive campaigns already running in Denver and Salt Lake City. The ad campaign in each of the new markets will include TV and a newspaper insert driving consumers to www.roadtripwyoming. com where they can learn more about the great road trips throughout the state as well as great Deals and Packages offered by tourism industry businesses. In addition to the extended fall efforts in these new markets, the WOT is also

taking advantage of the taping of the Modern Family 2011 season premier in Jackson at the Lost Creek Ranch. The cast and crew are in Wyoming for the taping the week of August 15 and the season premier is scheduled for September 21. The WOT is placing TV commercials during the premier as well as working with ABC.com to place ads on the Modern Family page and the ABC.com home page. Added visibility through Hulu.com will also be purchased and a new venture into social media advertising on Facebook

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Campbell Co. Fire Dept. August 17, 2011

- At 5:59 AM to 3338 North Garner Lake Road (Wyodak Coal Mine) for a haul truck fire. - At 12:23 PM to the area of Grandview Drive in Concho Valley for a reported small grass fire in a field. The fire was quickly contained by CCFD crews and was one acre in size. The fire was caused by an electrical short in the overhead wires. - At 12: 38 PM to 1400 South Garner Lake Road (Settle Inn) for a fire alarm. Plumbers who were soldering caused a smoke detector to go into alarm mode – no fire. - At 3:12 PM to a grass fire East of South Highway 59 (1/2 mile north of Haight Road and 5 miles east of South Highway 59). The small grass fire is believed to have been started by an electrical transformer. - At 3:19 PM to Force Road (approximately ¼ mile west of Hidden Valley Subdivision) for a fire in the trash compartment of a garbage truck. The trash was dumped from the truck and extinguished. The fire is believed to have started from an unidentified hot/burning item picked up in someone’s trash. The truck is a 2009 Mack Front Load Truck and is operated by Ryan Sanitation. Preliminary fire damage to the paint on the truck is $5,000. - At 4:42 to Interstate 90 at mile marker 142 (Westbound lane) for a motorcycle accident with injury – driver transported by ambulance. - At 7:19 PM to 1715 West Echeta Road for a trailer of hay on fire. Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the 5th wheel trailer and protected a 2000 Chevrolet Truck. The 2005 tandem axle twenty foot Featherlite Trailer and the eight large round hay bales were a total loss. More likely than not a hot wheel bearing started the trailer on fire. The trailer is owned by Floyd Land & Livestock Inc. Preliminary fire damage is $6,500.

August 18, 2011

- At 10:56 AM CCFD responded to a grass fire off Force Rd. and I-90 started by down electric lines. The lines were knocked down by the mast of a truck. - At 11:42 AM to the area of the Keeline Road off of the Hilight Road for a small grass fire that was started by a passing train. The fire was contained to less than 2 acres in size. - At 2:41 PM to the area of 31 mile south of Gillette on South Highway 50 for a grass fire. The fire was quickly contained to 8 acres in size and was started accidentally by a vehicle that had a mechanical failure. - At 4:10 PM CCFD responded to a medical on the 2400 block of Dogwood Ave.

August 19, 2011

- At 6:20 AM CCFD responded to the 400 block of Prairieview Dr. for a medical assist. - At 8:41 PM to the intersection of Kluver Road and Gurley Avenue for a medical assist – Fire Department cancelled enroute. - At 11:37 PM to the 300 block of Ross Avenue for a medical assist.

August 21, 2011

- At 3:55 p.m. to the area of mile marker 77 on North HWY 14-16 for a grass fire. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival found a 10 acre fire burning in grass and sage brush. CCFD attacked the blaze and brought it under control in approximately 2 hours. The fire burned a total of 60 acres and was caused by an electrical short. - At 5:42 p.m. to 2200 South Douglas HWY for a 2 vehicle collision. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival it was determined no one was injured in the crash. - At 6:05 p.m. to Lasting Legacy Park for an EMS assist. - At 7:47 p.m. to the area of Japps arena on HWY 59 for

an EMS assist. - At 9:55 p.m. to the area of Middle Prong Road for a grass fire. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival - At 10:04 p.m. to 1198 Olmstead Road for a timber fire. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival found a fire less than 1 acre in size that had been extinguished by rains in the area. The fire was caused by lightning. - At 10:12 p.m. to 378 Recluse Road. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival found a fire less than 1 acre in size that had been mostly extinguished by citizens. CCFD assisted with mopping up the fire. The fire was caused by lightning. - At 10:15 p.m. to the area of 508 Elk Creek Road for two timber fires. CCFD responded to the scene but was only able to access one of the fires. The fire was approximately 20 acres and started by lightning. Crews contained the fire and continued to work on extinguishing it at press time. The second fire could not be reached at night due to rough terrain and safety concerns. Crews will make their way into the fire at day break on 8/22. - At 10:31 to the area of the Kennedy Ranch on North HWY 59 for a grass fire. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival found a less than 1 acre fire that had been extinguished by rain. The fire was caused by lightning. - At 11:38 p.m. to the area of North Hepner Road for a grass fire. The fire was extinguished by rains and was less than 1 acre in size.

a structure fire. The fire was contained to an exterior deck of the residence. The cause of the fire is under investigation. - At 6:04 PM to the 900 block of Camel Dr. for a broken fire sprinkler system.

differences between souvenir certificates often provided by hospitals and official birth certificates so they may avoid a frustrating visit to their local Driver Services office,” Rowe said. Rowe offered some telltale signs of souvenir hospital birth certificates: • There are baby footprints on the document. • The mother or father’s finger print is on the certificate. • There is a gold (or other color) seal from the hospital. Official birth certificates, Rowe said, include these features: • A state file number in the top right corner. • It will show city and county of birth, rather than the facility name. • Shows the birthplace for the mother and the father. • Shows the date of birth or age at the time of birth for the mother and the father.

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Department of Health: Not all “Birth Certificates” official The Wyoming Department of Health is reminding people that not all documents labeled as “birth certificates” are considered as official birth certificates frequently needed to prove identity. “If you are trying to renew or obtain your driver’s license and want to use a birth certificate to prove identity, a hospital birth certificate will not work,” said Matthew Rowe, registration supervisor with Vital Statistics Services. “These are essentially souvenirs with little legal value that cannot be used to prove identity.” The Wyoming Department of Transportation began requiring official proof of identity for driver’s licenses earlier this year to be consistent with federal security regulations. Official birth certificates are the most common document accepted under the new laws as proof of identity. “We want to help people understand the important

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• Shows a date issued at the bottom. • Regardless of how old the certificate is, the record will be issued on security paper. For people born in Wyoming, certified copies of their official birth certificates are available from Vital Statistics Services, which is part of the Wyoming Department of Health. Vital Statistics Services is located in Cheyenne at 2300 Capitol Avenue on the first floor of the Hathaway Building. For more information or to order a certified birth certificate for those born in Wyoming, please visit the office, call at 307777-7591 or go tohttp:// www.health.wyo.gov/rfhd/ vitalrecords/index.html. The office does charge $13 to provide the certificates. Individuals born in other states can find where to get a certified birth certificate by visiting http://www.cdc. gov/nchs/w2w.htm.

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Community What’s Going On In Government? Monday, August 29

-City Council Work Session Meeting, 6-7 p.m., 2nd Floor Community Room, City Hall

The Campbell County Observer Staff

Candice De Laat - Owner/Publisher CandiceDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Nicholas De Laat - Owner/Editor NicholasDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com Keary Speer - Editor KearySpeer@CampbellCountyObserver.com Owen Clarke - Ad Design OwenClarke@CampbellCountyObserver.com Ken McCoy - Distribution Manager Pattie Ladd - What’s Going On PattieLadd@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Workshop strengthens UW-NCAR partnership The University of Wyoming, with students from more than 75 countries, is a diverse place where the use of different languages is common. This week, though, UW was introduced to a new language: The National Center for Atmospheric Research’s (NCAR) Command Language. To bolster its deepening relationship with UW, NCAR staged one of its cutting-edge workshops for the ﬁrst time in Wyoming, using lectures, tutorials and hands-on computer work to educate researchers on how to analyze scientiﬁc data through calculations and visualizations. “It’s been a good learning experience,” says Damao Zhang, a UW Ph.D. student from China who studies atmospheric science. “The NCAR teachers are very good. They know their software and they provide a good guide on how you can learn it, even in just a few days. This is a great opportunity to learn tools that are going to be useful for me in the future.” With its newest supercomputing facility being constructed some 45 miles east of Laramie, NCAR saw the four-day workshop in the UW College of Engineering building as a “perfect opportunity” to strengthen its partnership with the university, says NCAR software engineer Mary Haley. The Cheyenne-based

NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) is being developed in partnership with UW, the state of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS, the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power. It will contain some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers dedicated to improving scientiﬁc understanding of climate change, severe weather, air quality and other vital atmospheric science and geoscience topics. The center will also house a premier data storage and archival facility that holds irreplaceable historical climate records and other information. The NWSC is expected to be in operation by June 2012. “The more people we have on campus with an understanding of NCAR Command Language (NCL), the more we’ll be able to take advantage of the time we have on the supercomputer,” says Bryan Shader, a special assistant to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and UW’s liaison with NCAR. “We’ll use the supercomputer to crunch all the data. But when we need to see it, present it to the public or analyze it, we ﬁrst need to understand the language.” While NCL could easily “take a semester” to learn, Haley says NCAR maximizes its short time with students by encouraging

Affairs has funded enhancements to a campus computer lab, equipping the space with the appropriate technology to conduct future workshops. “This,” says Shader, “is just the ﬁrst of what we hope will be a series of workshops on high-performance computing with NCAR.” To learn more about the NWSC project, go to the website at http://nwsc.ucar. edu/ .

them to use their own data. “We teach them how to use NCL to analyze their own data sets instead of providing canned examples or saying, ‘Here’s a toy example to try,’ because we want them to not only learn NCL but retain what they’ve learned,” says Haley, one of three NCAR instructors at the workshop. “They’re going to be much more likely to remember how to use the language when they looked at their own data.” The workshop included 24 participants: 14 UW students, four UW faculty or staff researchers and six students supported by the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). “Any workshop that NCAR organizes is really good,” says Sasha Hararuk, a Ph.D. student from the University of Oklahoma who studies solar-terrestrial ecology. “Last year, I visited the CLM workshop at Boulder, Colo., and that helped me a lot. So has this workshop. It helps a lot to listen to lectures, to have practice sessions like we do and to have instructors coming up to you and asking, ‘What do you need help with?’” “It’s also nice because you bring your actual data and that helps to advance your own studies.” UW researchers will likely have more opportunities to train with NCAR scientists, Shader says. The Ofﬁce of Academic

Writers

Sandra Boehler (Charities/Fundraisers/Veterans Events) SandraBoehler@CampbellCountyObserver.com Glenn Woods (Political Column) GlennWoods@CampbellCountyObserver.com Mike Borda (American History) MichaelBorda@CampbellCountyObserver.com Elizabeth Albin (Wright) ElizabethAlbin@campbellcountyobserver.com Lin Stephens LinStephens@CampbellCountyObserver.com Josh Uzarski (Science) JoshuaUzarski@CampbellCountyObserver.com Ken De Laat (About Nothing) KennethDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com “Juice” (Political Cartoonist) Juice@CampbellCountyObserver.com Jeff Morrison (Local History Contributor) JeffMorrison@CampbellCountyObserver.com

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National Public Lands Day By Amber Taylor Millions of students, teachers and scout leaders around the country are preparing to go back to school – and many are also planning a return to the outdoors. On Saturday, September 24th, more than 170,000 Americans will volunteer across the country on National Public Lands Day (NPLD). Students from elementary school to college are signing up to build trails, remove invasive plants and trash, paint signs, beautify landscapes, and more on America’s public lands. “Every year, Boy and Girl Scout troops from Massachusetts to Alaska play a major role in making NPLD a success – and this year is no exception,” said Robb Hampton, program director for NPLD, a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation. “Students from public and private schools, 4-H groups and colleges, like the University of Illinois and Middle Tennessee State University, have also committed their time.”

Events held at city and county parks, neighborhood green spaces, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and coastal areas are expected to draw the largest crowds in the program’s history. “In addition to the time and energy volunteers put into making parks better, NPLD is about introducing young people and adults to the opportunities public lands offer for them to be active and to give back to their communities,” said Hampton. “For example, one teacher in Oregon has had her 6th grade students involved for the last ﬁve years planting trees and picking up litter near an historic hydropower site.” As the nation’s largest one-day volunteer event in support of public lands, NPLD hosts more than 2,000 sites in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with a wide array of activities. Volunteers’ oneday efforts will equal more than $15 million in improvements. “Every year, students and

Readers on the Road

scouts apply the time they spend volunteering during NPLD toward service hours and scouting badges,” said Hampton. “Students receive credit, but they also have the chance to spend time outdoors, be active and work with their neighbors and friends.” NPLD is also a fee-free day in many federally managed lands, and volunteers who participate are given coupons for a second free entry into a national park or other federal public land. “Public lands can be anything from a small playground downtown to a sprawling national park. The size and scope of the land is as immense as the natural resources and family and recreation activities available to visitors,” added Hampton. “They are in every community for all people to enjoy, and are the responsibility of every citizen as well.” To ﬁnd a site, or register a new site near you, visit www.publiclandsday.org.

Rod McQueary and little Harvey Hibbert show off the Campbell County Observer in Lander, Wyoming.

***

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.

Community Gillette-Campbell County Airport reports July Passenger Traffic

Gillette-Campbell County Airport recently announced its 14th consecutive month of increased year-overyear passenger traffic. During July 2011, traffic climbed to 5,409 arriving and departing passengers,

an increase of 8.8 percent over July of last year. Year-to-date*, the airport has served 35,987 passengers through July, marking a 19.2 percent increase over the first seven months of 2010.

* July’s year-to-date calculations reflect a correction to June’s year-to-date report. Charter passengers increased June’s year-todate total from 30,452 to 30,586 passengers.

July 2011 Passenger Totals

July 2011 July 2010 % Change 2011 Y-T-D 2010 Y-T-D % Change 5,409 4,973 8.8 35,987 30,200 19.2

About Gillette-Campbell County Airport The Gillette-Campbell County Airport is located in Northeastern Wyoming in a major energy producing part of the country known as the Powder River Basin. Gillette is at the hub of this basin, and the Airport serves the commercial service and general aviation needs for a large portion of this corner of the state. The Airport sees approximately 56,000 passengers come through yearly and is currently served by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Great Lakes Aviation to Denver, Salt Lake City, Rock Springs, Wyoming, Miles City, Montana and Williston, North Dakota. The Gillette-Campbell County Airport and tenants currently employ approximately 260 people in the surrounding area.

Everything Kids Consignments

Photo courtesy of City of Gillette

A Gillette Police Officer write two children tickets for a free ice cream cone at McDonalds after catching them wearing their protective helmets while bicycling.

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“Caught with a Helmet” program winding down for summer The Gillette Police Department’s “Caught with a Helmet” program, which encourages local children to wear a protective helmet while biking, is winding down for the summer. During the summer, if a Gillette Police Officer sees a child biking with a protective helmet, the officer gives the child a gift certificate worth a free ice cream cone from McDonalds and thanks them for wearing a protective helmet. During the summer of 2011, the Gillette Police Department handed out over 250 coupons for ice creams. Young cyclists are more likely than adult cyclists to

die of head injuries, most of which are caused by motor vehicle collisions. Among children and youth age 0 to 19 in 2000, head injuries accounted for 62.6 percent of bicycle

fatalities, collisions with motor vehicles accounted for 75.7 percent of bicycle fatalities, and 61.7 percent of motor vehicle collision deaths were due to head injury.

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Here for the 2011 Pilots for Christ National Convention Our keynote speaker this year is Ms Jessica Cox, the first licensed pilot to fly without arms. If that isn’t enough, Jessica is also the first person without arms to get a black-belt in the American Tae Kwon-Do Association. Ms cox, who is recognized internationally as a motivational speaker, has traveled around the world sharing her stories of struggles and successes. She says, “I am convinced that how we react has a greater impact on our lives than our physical constraints. I provide unique and personal insight on how best to approach a challenge and attempt to redefine the concept of possibility.” The cost of the evening, dinner and speaker is $35.00 per person. Advance registration preferred but tickets available at the door also.

Submitted by Wade Swede A man was hired to paint a church. He thought he could make more money by diluting the paint. He had just finished painting when a storm came up and a driving rain washed all the paint off the church. There was a blinding flash of lightning and roar of thunder, in which he heard “repaint and thin no more”.

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Cyber Relationships... Real, fantasy, or just a way out? By Amanda Strong ship because you found a more exciting and passionate person; think this is your soul mate; or feel this is your way out of your current situation? Even if you get wrapped up in the hype and the temptation seems too much to handle, there is always that split second before you post something or encourage communication when you know you should not. Your actions could destroy the ones you love and change your life completely. Ask yourself, why would I choose to face those consequences? If you deal with the truth before you cross the line, you may save yourself from making a huge mistake. Couples are now citing Facebook on their divorce papers as one of the reasons their marriage fell apart. Can social media be blamed for giving everyone such an easy tool to cheat? Words of advice be honest with yourself, because your decisions are yours, and only yours, to make.

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connecting) with people, is a recipe that may derail one’s path. A person may feel they are receiving more support from a friend than a spouse. This attention sometimes leads to a tighter bond with your social media “friend” than the person you sleep next to at night. But is this new relationship based on finding the support more so than the person giving it? Sometimes, the relationship is not about the attraction or compatibility but the needed strength to get out of a difficult or lonely situation. Ask yourself, are you using this new relationship as an out? Do you truly believe this person will be around in six months? Be honest with yourself with where you are in life and why you have pursued another relationship in the first place. WHY TAKE THE RISK? Some people are going to cheat, whether facilitated by cyber relationships or not. Others may look for their ex and get into trouble pursuing the past or innocently be struck out of the blue with a connection they never thought would happen. Are you impulsive and want to just go for it? Have you thought about the consequences and decided to cross the line anyway? Ask yourself, are you risking your marriage or relation-

ships are tricky. Either you begin to correspond or communicate with someone after a reconnection or you meet someone entirely new. This excitement or newness resembles the easier days without responsibilities, work, and children. You feel special from all the attention solely focused on you, swept away with the thought of a less complicated life. The reality may be difﬁcult to swallow when you realize that the person you make that connection with, a. may not be the person you thought you knew, or b. turns out to be very similar to the person you are currently with when the fun times fade and reality slaps you in the face. Social networking hands you the opportunity to be anyone you want to be. Someone living in a fantasy may not grasp the impact on their family and themselves. Their new relationship is real to them but could it be masked by all the hype that surrounds social networking. When you take away Facebook, and you are just one on one, can you look at the person and feel your new reality will stand the test of time? WHAT IS LIFE LIKE? Lonely or feeling like you want more out of life? Vulnerability, mixed with the ease of connecting (or re-

Weekly Trivia Question Ben Franklin, John Adams, and one more man met Admiral Howe after the British capture of Long Island. Who was that third man? A. Thomas Jefferson B. Edward Rutledge C. Christopher Billop D. Alexander Hamilton Find out in next week’s Campbell County Observer

The Campbell County Observer

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After an exhausting day, all you want to do is put your feet up and spend time with the person you care about the most … and then your spouse walks into the room. Upon their arrival, you close your computer hoping you do not appear too startled to raise suspicion. Sharing intimate details of your life on Facebook with someone else probably would not go over so well with your significant other. Your relief is temporary, because this will likely become a reoccurring theme when you continue to “network” with that special person. This deception happens every day when a person decides to carry on an affair, especially one where social media plays a prime role. With over 700 million users on Facebook alone, many of those ask themselves, “am I crossing the line?” when they carry on with another “friend” either new or old. Things become foggy when you’re consistently tempted to look up an ex or confirm a friend who may not be the greatest choice to allow back into your life. The lines begin to blur and lies turn into infidelity. Before becoming just another statistic, ask yourself these three questions: IS THE RELATIONSHIP REAL? Cyber relation-

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Public Pulse Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, As your readers get ready for back-to-school, please consider sharing nomination info about this new awards program that is now open to local educators. Peabody Energy Leaders in Education has recently been expanded to include Campbell County educators and call for nominations are now open. The program asks parents and community members to nominate their favorite educator. Leaders in Education recognizes heroes in education, from teachers and coaches to librarians and counselors, who help children achieve their true potential. Winners will be chosen throughout the school year and receive recognition and $1,000 grants. Learn more or nominate a deserving educator at: www.peabodyenergyleadersineducation.org Thanks! Meghan Heeter-Peabody Energy

Bold Republic Weekly Wyoming Liberty Festival By Glenn Woods Last weekend, I was invited to attend the Wyoming Liberty Festival. Well, I have to tell you I was scared. I mean, come on, a gathering of Tea Parting, gun toting, Bible believing, Constitution-hugging conservatives way up in the mountains of western Wyoming for the weekend? No way was this going to end well. Imagine my shock when I found out that, everyone had to pay to get in. Nothing was free. It wasn’t even subsidized by the government to help the “less fortunate” who might have wanted to go but could not afford it. If you wanted to go you had better find the money and you had better find your own way out. AND NO ONE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT! It was as if they expected to pay their own way and did not want any free handouts. I was floored I tell you! Though I did hear of one couple who broke down on the way, and another fellow, who was going to the same event, stopped and tried to fix their vehicle, when he could not he offered them a ride. But I’m sure that one nice guy was just a fluke. Once we arrived on the scene I was shocked to see that no one needed or wanted any instruction other than to be pointed to where the camping area was. Other than that everyone took care of their own needs. It was as if they were prepared for anything! No one sat around claiming that they needed to be told where to pitch their tent. No one complained that someone had a nicer tent than theirs. Everyone took care of their own needs as

if they had a mind of their own and could fend for themselves. And get this, if it seemed that anyone did need help it was offered. JUST LIKE THAT! No one had to ask and everyone was willing to pitch in to help their neighbor without being told. I looked around the neatly laid out campground and watched the many men, and women, walking about with guns on their hips. I made note of a nice pile of rocks where I could hide once the shooting began. That night someone lit a campfire without asking permission. I was sure that everything would soon burn, but nothing did. They even let their children tend the fire! The children had no problem taking up that responsibility. Everyone gathered around and then came the sounds of beer cans popping open and I wanted to run for it. I was sure that as soon as everyone started drinking the guns would come out of the holsters and the shooting would commence. For sure there would be bodies lying around the grounds by morning with the smoldering remains of a campfire in the midst of it all. Those poor children would be caught in the cross fire. But, luckily, the night was no louder than the sounds of laughter. As the sun rose the next morning I stepped from my tent to the smell of coffee, and the sigh of a clean camp ground. REALLY? With all that drinking last night. No, wait, there was a beer bottle over there in the middle of the grass. But just as I noticed it a young boy, about nine years old, saw

the bottle as he crossed the grounds. He went out of his way to pick it up, and further out of his way to find a trash can. He did it all on his own. No one had to yell at him. Well, I’m sure that kid was just a fluke. A freak of nature. No nine year old is that responsible. Where would he learn such a thing? Next thing I knew that little snot nose was heading my way. He smiled and greeted me with a cheerful “Good morning Mr. Woods.” Mr. Woods? A few moments later I saw his parents crossing the grounds following the smell of coffee to the breakfast tent. I wonder if they know what a nice, responsible, boy they have? After breakfast came a series of speakers. I was ready for it. Would they start with, or end with their racist plot to take over the government? Or would it be the theme throughout the afternoon? I waited, and waited. There were speeches on big government getting too big. Speeches on too much government overspending. Speeches on personal freedoms and responsibility. I know you are going to find this hard to believe There was this one guy, A BLACK MAN, who everyone seemed to admire. They kept asking him to run for governor again, and no one seemed to care that he was black! And those darn kids who were running loose all over the place kept calling him Mr. and SIR! Well, I mean, this must have been the token black man right? He was just a fool. He had NO idea why he was there! Then he

stood and gave an inspiring speech on the history of our nation and what made America Exceptional! Here again, I was shocked! Why was he not bitter about the nation who had enslaved his people? There was no demand for reparations in his little talk. If anything he demanded more personal responsibility and LESS government “help” in his life! WHO WAS THIS GUY? What’s more was that no once seemed to care that his wife was white! I mean, REALLY, a mixed race couple in THIS CROWD! And no one cared? That night, another camp ﬁre. More singing. LOTS more beer. Three in the morning sent everyone staggering back to their tents when the beer ran out but a few needed rides back to their hotels and get this, there were sober people ready, willing, and offering to give them rides. A second night and not one gun left its holster. The next morning the camp grounds were almost spotless, just like the morning before. From a distance I spotted a lone beer bottle in the grass and went over to pick it up. As I tossed it in the trash I began to wonder if these people were rubbing off on me. Well --- WOW! This was not what those folks on MSNBC told me that it was going to be. Wait, hold on! Come to think of it, there was that one speaker --- he was a real JERK! No, wait, that was ME! Never mind.

From Editor Nicholas De Laat: Yet another great thing that energy companies do for our community. There is always plenty of bad media about energy companies, but this is just one in thousands of proofs of what they do good that you will not see reported. Thank you very much Mrs. Heeter, I am conﬁdent that our community will get involved. To Editor Keary Speer; Thank you for the article. It was well written and well timed. When I got to work and saw a new issue or The Campbell County Observer I couldn’t wait until my break to buy an issue. I made up an excuse that I was going to go smoke a cigarette which the ladies know means I am taking a seldom taken break. You surprised me by covering everything that I had e-mailed to you. I have been

told that I am long winded. Thank you again; when the “Walk” is complete my daughter is going to laminate all of the articles for me for my memory book. With all due respect; Charles Edwards From Editor Keary Speer: Dear Charles, You are so welcome for the article! It is people like you who keep our paper full of good content and, thus, keeping it alive and well! You are doing something great for the community and that deserves to be shared. Don’t stop doing what you are doing. Dear Editor, Why do people keep complaining about the new streets and the medians? Yes it costs a lot of money but it is for City beautification, and that is always worth it. This is something we should always spend as much money as needed on, and I enjoy the summer when I can drive down 59 and soon 4J and look at the wonderful endangered plants. I want to say that all that money was worth it, we will be leaving our kids with a beautiful city. From Editor Nick De Laat: I think that people are not complaining about the beautification, but the spending. After a vote for the water line to raise taxes, and the amount of gross spending that never seems to end people would just like to see it slow down. The country is still in a recession. It has not hit us yet, but very well could…and hard. There is a quote by a State Legislator saying “If you give us money, we will spend it.” The flower pots are a good example of this. I don’t think people have a problem with beautification, but with priorities. I have said this before, “It is easier to spend other people’s money than your own.”

“We can’t all be Washingtons, but we can all be patriots.” - Charles F. Browne

Joke of the week Submitted by John Billings The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1,000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people tried over time but no-one could do it. One day this scrawny little man came into the bar wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice “I’d like to try the bet.” After the laughter died down, the bartender grabbed the lemon and squeezed the juice out. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man. But the crowd’s laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his ﬁst around the lemon and sex drops fell into the glass. The bartender paid the $1,000 and asked the little man “What do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weightlifter, what?” “Neither,” replied the little man. “I’m an IRS agent.”

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.

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

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

Sports Report Gillette Thunder Speedway Current Standings LIMITED LATE MODEL - Main Event

Finish Start Car 1 6 81 2 4 2 3 5 12 4 3 C4 5 2 6 6 1 8W

Driver Danny Allen Marty Erivez Brian Allen Toby Smith Jeff Gorsuch John Smith

Hometown Race Points - 75.00 Gillette , Wy 70.00 Gillette , W 65.00 Gillette , W 60.00 Gillette , Wy 55.00 , Wy 50.00

Thunder Stock - Main Event

Finish Start Car 1 6 80 2 8 80P 3 7 13S 4 2 39 5 4 01 6 1 13T 7 3 6 8 5 S16

Lady Camels run away with Buffalo Invite By Ted Ripko - Basin Radio Sports The Gillette Lady Camel golf team made it two for two in this young season as they ran away with the Buffalo Invite yesterday by having the top three individual scores. Haley Shackelford, once again, led the way with a two day total of 160 after carding a 78 on the 1st day. She was followed by Ashlyn Pearson with a 168 and Jandey Shackelford with a 191. Also finishing in the top 10 for Gillette were Julia Seamans (222) and Jordan Dowling (226). As a team the Lady Camels finished 144 strokes in front of 2nd place Buffalo. “Those three are kind of like our three horsemen. They’re always going to play well and we expect a lot out of them,” explains Gillette Head Coach Rory Williams. “Then Julia Seamans has come a long way in her second tournament with her swing and getting that tournament experience under her belt. And Jordan Dowling is doing a good job as a freshman as well.” In all, Williams says they are really happy with how these girls performed. “We just got to kind of look at the big picture and not get caught up in these tournaments and how well we’re doing but what we can do to help our swings and pol-

ish up our game for the next six weeks,” he says. For the Camels they were once again led by Danny Davis as he helped them to a 2nd place finish behind the Sheridan Broncs. Davis opened up the tournament with a 69 and was tied with Sheridan’s Kamrin Allen, but then closed out the tourney with a 79 Tuesday to finish with a two day total of 148. Allen won the tournament with a two day total of 137 (69/68). Also in the top 10 for the boys was Alex King who came in 8th place (168). Sean Kelley finished with a 172, Ty Jensen carded a two day total of 183, and Brady Durgin followed up his day 1 DQ with an 86. Williams believes the Camels played better in Buffalo than they did in Sheridan. “I think this is a tougher course. This course is the complete opposite of what we play with every day at Bell Nob,” he explains. The coach says the team will continue to improve as they play more and more golf, and he is upbeat about the season. “Our boys are going to be in the thick of things,” says Williams. “Six weeks is a long ways away and I like our work ethic and just our competitive attitude that we have. They play with a little chip on their shoulder and they

always want to get a little better and we like that.” After playing five or six of the last eight days, Williams says he is looking forward to getting some practice in over the next couple of days before they hit the road again. “There’s something to be said about repetition and hitting a lot of balls, especially just working on your short game,” Williams describes. “So these next couple of days before we get back on the bus again to go to Cody and Powell we’re really going to work on the chipping green, our putting, stroke, and all that touch stuff. It takes a while to get the feel of that short game and we’re going to take advantage of the next couple of days.” Next up for the golf teams, they will be taking part in the Powell and Cody Invite this Friday and Saturday. Looking ahead, Williams says these two courses play into their style of golf. “Powell has a new nine. It’s wide open, there’s not a lot of trees.” Williams continues, “Cody is a lot like Bell Nob. It’s pretty long, pretty wide open.” In all, Williams says the team is really looking forward to this trip. “They’re two really, really nice golf courses,” Williams concludes.

Former Lady Camel to play for Gillette College

Finish Start Car 1 1 39 2 3 80 3 4 80P 4 2 01 Finish Start Car 1 1 13T 2 4 13S 3 2 6 4 3 S16

and her skills,” Rider praised. Reile played two years on the varsity team under Coach Mitch Holst, including last season when the Lady Camels won the state championship. “I’m excited for her opportunity. She has a motor that just doesn’t stop… she’s an aggressive defender,” Holst said of his former player. In regards to how she will be able to help out the Pronghorns Holst said, “I think her value [is] in a blue collar area… [a] hard working kid, that knows how to play hard.” Rider also said that Sara should transition well from high school to the junior college level due to the great program and many things that Coach Holst does at CCHS. Rider also thinks that is going to be a strong, fundamental building block for Sara going into the junior college ranks. You will be able to hear select games of the Women and Men’s Photo by Nathan Kobielusz Pronghorn games this winter on News/ Talk 1270 KIML and online at http://www.network1sports.com/station/kiml#menus with Vic Wright. The broadcast schedule will be released in the near future right here on basinsradio.com. This is also the place to go for all the information to be released on the other Pronghorn Women recruits as well.

“Lets face it. I’m not a headline guy. I always knew that as long as I was following Babe to the plate I could have gone up there and stood on my head. No one would have noticed the difference. When the Babe was through swinging, whether he hit one or fanned, nobody paid any attention to the next hitter. They all were talking about what the Babe had done.” - Lou Gehrig

Hometown Race Points Gillette , W 35.00 Gillette , Wy 33.00 Gillette , Wy 32.00 Gillette , Wy 31.00 Gillette , W 30.00 Gillette , Wy 29.00 - 28.00 Wright , Wy 27.00

Thunder Stock - Heat 2 Driver Mark Brandt Chad Horst Duane Haines Brittni Snyder

Hometown Race Points Gillette , Wy 10.00 Gillette , W 9.00 Gillette , Wy 8.00 Gillette , W 7.00

Thunder Stock - Heat 1 Driver Austin Long Seth Cavanaugh Chris Russell Teresa Schuler

Hometown Race Points Gillette , Wy 10.00 Gillette , Wy 9.00 - 8.00 Wright , Wy 7.00

Midwest Mod - Main Event

Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Race Points 1 8 17 Troy Leiker Gillette , Wy 35.00 2 5 14 Kenny Bell Gillette , W 33.00 3 7 34H Rob Hoffman Gillette , Wy 32.00 4 4 10J Scott Joslyn Gillette , Wy 31.00 5 1 28S Cannon Slawson Gillette , Wy 30.00 6 6 2J Jerry Martin Moorcroft, Wy 29.00 7 10 23 Ernie Acuna Gillette , Wy 28.00 8 3 26 Ray Nash Evansvile , Wy 27.00 9 2 23DB Maklain Harrison Gillette , Wy 26.00 10 9 36 Eric Slocum Gillette , Wy 25.00 11 11 27 Scotty Fischer Gillette , W 0.00 Finish Start Car 1 3 17 2 4 2J 3 2 34H 4 5 26 5 1 23

Midwest Mod - Heat 2 Driver Troy Leiker Jerry Martin Rob Hoffman Ray Nash Ernie Acuna

Hometown Race Points Gillette , Wy 10.00 Moorcroft, Wy 9.00 Gillette , Wy 8.00 Evansvile , Wy 7.00 Gillette , Wy 6.00

Midwest Mod - Heat 1

Finish Start Car Driver 1 2 14 Kenny Bell 2 5 10J Scott Joslyn 3 1 23DB Maklain Harrison 4 6 28S Cannon Slawson 5 3 36 Eric Slocum 6 4 27 Scotty Fischer

Hometown Race Points Gillette , W 10.00 Gillette , Wy 9.00 Gillette , Wy 8.00 Gillette , Wy 7.00 Gillette , Wy 6.00 Gillette , W 5.00

Mod Four - Main Event

Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Race Points 1 2 55 Duane Manning Gillette , Wy 35.00 2 7 70X Steve Schickentanz Casper , Wy 33.00 3 4 10 Todd Mccoy Gillette , Wy 32.00 4 8 307 Tom Manning Gillette , Wy 31.00 5 6 33 Robert Harley Casper , Wy 30.00 6 10 51 Amanda Manning - 29.00 7 9 28 Mark Hansen Bar Nunn, W 28.00 8 5 50 Wade Manning Gillette , Wy 27.00 9 1 42 Dakota Estrada Cheyenne , Wy 26.00 10 3 00 Benjie Bayne Casper , Wy 0.00

By Vic Wright - Basin Radio Sara Reile, a 2011 graduate of Campbell County High School (CCHS) and former basketball player for the Lady Camels, has decided to continue her basketball career. She will be doing so in the same town as her high school days, playing for the Gillette College Pronghorns Women’s team this season. When Head Coach Will Rider of the Pronghorns found out Reile was planning on attending Gillette College for classes, he was very interested in the possibility of having her on the team. “We’ve been talking to Sara all year,” Rider said. However, Sara was not sure if she wanted to continue playing basketball while going to college. As time went on, Rider discovered she was having second thoughts about not playing and that Reile began to miss it. “A couple of weeks ago, I bumped into her and asked her if she was still interested,” the coach said. Apparently, she was, as she became one of the last additions to the team roster that was completed last week. Coach Rider will use Sara in the team’s one or two post player sets, “prominently playing in the lane.” “We’re happy to have her energy, her background

Driver Chad Horst Duane Haines Seth Cavanaugh Mark Brandt Brittni Snyder Austin Long Chris Russell Teresa Schuler

Finish Start Car 1 5 307 2 3 50 3 2 10 4 4 00 5 1 51

Mod Four - Heat 2

Driver Hometown Race Points Tom Manning Gillette , Wy 10.00 Wade Manning Gillette , Wy 9.00 Todd Mccoy Gillette , Wy 8.00 Benjie Bayne Casper , Wy 7.00 Amanda Manning - 6.00

Mod Four - Heat 1

Finish Start Car Driver Hometown Race Points 1 3 55 Duane Manning Gillette , Wy 10.00 2 5 33 Robert Harley Casper , Wy 9.00 3 4 42 Dakota Estrada Cheyenne , Wy 8.00 4 1 70X Steve Schickentanz Casper , Wy 7.00 5 2 28 Mark Hansen Bar Nunn, W 6.00

What’s Going On In Sports? Friday, August 26

-CCHS Tennis(V-G)@ Rapid City, 8 a.m. -CCHS Volleyball(JV/V)@ Cokeville, 8 a.m. -WJSH Volleyball @ Riverton, 8 a.m. -CCHS XC (JV/V), Casper Invite, 12 p.m., Bear Trap Meadow -CCHS Girls Swim/Dive @ Casper, 1 p.m. -CCHS(V) Football vs. Evanston, North Campus, 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 27

-CCHS Tennis(V-G)@ Rapid City -CCHS Volleyball(JV/V)@ Cokeville -WJSH Volleyball@ Riverton -CCHS Football(JV) vs. Evanston, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. -CCHS Girls Swim/Dive Gillette Pentathlon, 9 a.m. -WJSH 9th Volleyball @ Newcastle, 9 a.m. -CCHS Volleyball SO Invite, 10 a.m., S. Campus -WJSH Football @ Lusk, 7 p.m.

Monday, August 29

-First Day of School -CCHS Football(SO) vs. Rapid City Central, 4-7 p.m., N. Campus

Tuesday, August 30

-WJSH Volleyball vs. Newcastle -CCHS Volleyball(SO/JV/V) vs. Sheridan, 4:30 p.m., N. Campus -WJSH Football vs. Moorcroft, 6 p.m. Thursday, September 1 -CCHS Tennis(V-G) vs. Rapid City Stevens/Central, 12 p.m. -CCHS Girls Swim/Dive vs. Buffalo/Newcastle, 4 p.m.

Friday, September 2

-CCHS Tennis @ Sturgis -CCHS Volleyball(JV/V) Camel Invite, N/S Campus -WJSH Volleyball @ Gillette -WJSH XC @ Sheridan, 2 p.m. -CCHS Football(SO/V) @ Rocksprings, 3-10 p.m. -CCHS Girls Swim/Dive @ Cheyenne Central, 4 p.m. -CCHS XC- Michelle Ludwig Invite, V/JV, 4 p.m., VA Hospital- Sheridan -WJSH Football @ Lovell, 7 p.m.

Sports Report John Hancock By Mike Borda

If you ask most people what a nickname is for their signature, they will probably say that it is called their “John Hancock”. If you ask people what the most famous signature on the Declaration of Independence is, a good amount will probably also say, “John Hancock.” However, if you ask people who the first Governor of Massachusetts was, or who turned out to be George Wa s h i n g t o n ’s chief opponent to be elected President, they would have to be an early American historian to know that it was also John Hancock. John Hancock, one of the Declaration’s original signers, led a very interesting and political life. On his way to being one of our Founding Fathers, he earned great success in as a businessperson, politician, and early statesman. Born in 1736 in Braintree, Massachusetts, Hancock grew up the son of a Reverend, which compared to most, was a very good profession. He did not have to struggle in his childhood, as he was well cared for. A childhood friend of fellow statesman John Adams, Hancock spent his childhood meeting the middle class socialites of his day. His life took a turn, however, when the Reverend Hancock died in 1744, leaving an eight year old John to live with his aunt and uncle, wealthy merchants. In fact, his uncle Thomas Hancock lived on Beacon Hill, one of Boston’s most elite neighborhoods, and made his money by trading with the British. John grew up in the upper class from then on, graduating from Harvard University in 1754. He started working for his uncle soon after, eventually inheriting his business. When the British and American relations began to break down prior to the Revolution, Hancock – being a leading so-

cial figure – quickly rose to fame as a politician, although he was slow to go against Great Britain at first. This reluctance to join the Revolution right at its onset, while at first surprising, makes sense when viewed in a monetary light. Hancock, a successful businessperson, was doing just fine for himself when the British were under control. This brewing change, then, must have seemed very intimidating for Hancock, as he had no idea what would happen to his business after this Revolution. However, under the mounting pressure from the other colonists, Hancock eventually rose to the top of the political world in this newly forming country. Many even believe that he used his merchant ships to help smuggle goods into Boston Harbor underneath the nose of the British. When the Revolution began in 1775, Hancock had already been elected to the Second Continental Congress in 1774, and was thus a ready and able leader for the people of Massachusetts. It was in 1775 that he was elected President of the Continental Congress, where he led all the colonies for his term of just over two years. He had many difficulties during the war, but survived with enough popularity to be elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1780, with the battles still raging. The Revolutionary War ended in 1783, and Hancock continued his service as Governor until his death in 1793 at the age of 56. The man we all know as famous for little more than his signature was in fact a great political leader who guided our country through its formation and unification. Perhaps it’s time he garnered a reputation for something more than his handwriting.

“America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.” - George W. Bush

Jacob Duvall

Classifieds Help Wanted

Homes for Sale

Autos, Trucks and Vans

Heavy Equipment/Trailers

Cook needed at Lu La Bells. Motivated and Energetic. Days Only. Apply at Lu La bells.

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.

1981 Harley Davidson FXB-Sturgis, 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!

6x10 trailer. Great shape, fits your biggest Harley. $1,400 obo. 299-4967.

Tri-level house for sale 4 bed 2 bath $209,000 (307) 670-1925.

2008 Hyundai Sonata LMTD, 40,000 mi. $13,500, Call 307-660-2532.

Gorgeous 3 bedroom 2 bath with den. 1800 sq.ft/Culdesac lot. Financing available. For a personal showing, call 6870333.

‘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 dualplugged to run regular-gas, had burn-out time at Hog-Jam! Ben 680.7464.

FOUND: one large trampoline. Currently located at 5350B M&M circle. If yours, please pick up any day any time. If not yours, do not trespass.

Mobile Homes for Sale

1994 Ford Ranger. Black. With Topper. Runs Good. 85k Miles. 2300 obo. Call 307-299-0223

Pets

Local journalists wanted. Always wanted to try? Must be 16 yrs of age. Contact us at CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com Advertising Sales for our weekly paper. Great commission rate, set your own hours. Contact 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. Sports writers, event writers wanted. Gillette, Write, Recluse, Rozet. Call 6708980.

Home Appliances/ Furnishings

Selling mobile homes. $3,000 to $12,000. All good deals. (608) 212-0056

Small washer. Needs new belt, $25. Email USSailorPatriot@gmail.com

Apartments for Rent

Microfiber couch with 2 recliners combined. Green. $100 Call 299-4967. Booth Table. L-shaped. With Chairs. Seats 6. $500.00 Call 299-4967

1-5 bedroom units available for rent. Please contact Real Estate Systems of Gillette Inc at 307-682-0964 for all the updated details.

Wanted to Buy

Campers & Motor Homes

I Buy Militaria. Swords, uniforms, bayonets, medals, guns/parts, field gear. 6827864

1997 32ft. Class A Motor Home. Sleeps 6, Only 31,000 Miles. Asking $17,000. Call (307) 660-7520.

Newspaper vending machines. Contact us at: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com

Large Private RV/Camper Lot for rent. Big yard, trees. All utilities available. $400 per month, $400 deposit. 1 year lease. Call (307) 660-1007.

WILL PAY CASH FOR CAMPERS. Call Scott (307) 680-0854.

Toys (ATV’s, Boats, etc.) Boat for Sale with trailer. Needs work. Call 670-8980 for info.

Sporting Goods

Toy Parts & Accessories Stock pipes for Sportster. 500mi. Stock pices for Dyna Wide Glide. 1500mi. Email baxtersmom62@gmail.com for info.

Lost & Found

Welsh Corgi Puppies. 3 females, and two males. 682-2598

Like new Horizon Elliptical. $300 obo. Call 299-7058 for more info.

Personals

Camping/Fishing

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

Minnows, crawlers, leeches, 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 307-756-3454. www.empireguesthouse.com

Merchandise 1939 HA Selmer Trumpet $750 OBO. 6871087

- LIMITED TIME ONLY -

Free Classified Ad - 10 words or less (Private ownership only - No businesses) For more details visit www.campbellcountyobserver.com or call (307)

670-8980

Our Roots Cowboys on Strike By Jeff Morrison

In the spring of 1886, the Powder River basin witnessed an event never before seen in Wyoming and never to be repeated: a labor strike by cowboys. Beef cattle were a boom industry in the 1880s, although cattle ranching had been an established institution in Wyoming as early as the 1860s. In Powder River country, the cattle industry began in 1879 when Moreton Frewen, an Englishman backed by investors from the old country, established the 76 ranch a few miles upriver from the site of old Fort Reno, near modern day Sussex. The next few years saw a veritable flood of cattle and cattle speculators invade the Powder Basin. Thanks to some optimistic publicity, extolling the unlimited supply of grass on the free range, describing Wyoming winters as mild and predicting annual profits from 25% to 40%, anyone with money and a desire to earn more began organizing ranching enterprises and driving herds onto the high plains. Actual prior experience running a cattle ranch was seen as unnecessary – after all, how hard could it be to turn cattle loose on the open range to eat? For many ranch managers, arriving from places like Pennsylvania, New York, and the British Isles, their knowledge of cattle was roughly the same as their knowledge of the back side of the moon. The same went for their knowledge of the West and the cowboys therein. Moreton Frewen, although enthusiastic and energetic, never really learned the business end of running a ranch. Others, such as Horace Plunkett, a younger son of the sixteenth Baron Dunsany in Ireland, not only learned the business end, but became pretty competent cattlemen as well. And yet, Plunkett still looked down on his cowboys with disdain. By and large the feeling was mutual. Most of the cowboys came from Texas, following the big herds north and staying on the northern range to work the ranches that were created. One exception was Oscar H. “Jack” Flagg. Although he did come to Wyoming in 1882 with a herd of Texas cattle, he was born in 1861 in West Virginia. He was a typical cowboy: tough, independent and outspoken. The cattle barons, most of whom were accustomed to their hired help tugging their forelocks and averting their eyes, where taken aback at the average cowboy looking them in the eye and voicing their blunt opinions openly. Unlike most of his colleagues, Flagg was well educated and articulate, which became an even bigger headache for the cattle barons. Cattle ranching in the 1880s had a vastly different method of operation than the ranches of today. The systematic removal of Indians from the plains left the northern plains in general, and the Powder River basin in particular a real-estate void, populated by next to no one and owned by the federal government. As such, anyone was free to use the land, and thanks to the Homestead Act of 1862, anyone could own 160 acres of it. In 1879, no one had seriously considered farming the Powder Basin, so the vast grassland remained open range. This was perfect for the needs of the cattle speculators, who turn cattle loose to wander the range freely by the thousands. Although most ranches observed an imaginary boundary, there were no fences aside from small areas used for holding and sorting pens. This guaranteed that cattle from various ranches would intermingle on the range. Since bulls were turned loose with the cattle, calving occurred all year long, and this made branding a never-end-

ing chore. Cattle were marked with brands to distinguish ownership and facilitate sorting the various herds in the fall for driving to market. Inevitably calves were missed with the branding iron and the range was full of half-grown un-branded cattle, called mavericks. Most were a l r e a d y weaned from their mother by the time of discovery, and establishing ownership became next to impossible. It could also be deadly if a dispute over ownership became heated. In an effort to organize communal roundups, solve ownership disputes and set acceptable standards in the cattle business, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association was born. Under the watchful eye of the Association, roundups were conducted in the spring to gather cattle off the range, sort them out for branding, and arbitrating the dispensation of all mavericks gathered. This usually involved an impromptu auction where the maverick went to the highest bidder. The Association, run by the cattle barons, became a law unto themselves, and had the final word on everything related to the cattle industry, from who could bid on mavericks, to who could attend a roundup, to who was allowed to work on a ranch. No one could employ a cowboy who owned cattle of his own, nor could anyone employ a cowboy who owned his own brand. This mandate was based on the assumption that the cowboy in question was undoubtedly branding mavericks for his own herd on the sly. Disobeying the Association meant being black-balled, which included being barred from the roundup. For a blackballed cowboy, this meant permanent unemployment. For a cattle baron it meant being put out of business. Many historians contend that the winter of 1886-1887, in which cattle died in the hundreds of thousands all over the northern plains, ended the boom years of the cattle industry. The truth is, most of the mega-ranches were already on their way to bankruptcy due to ownership ignorance and mismanagement. The open range had become overstocked with cattle and the grass was eaten down to nothing. The lack of grass, combined with a few hard winters and the utter lack of feeding hay meant inferior beef sold at market, which drove the price down. Stockholders, expecting their 25 – 40% profits meant that the cattle market was also overstocked, which cause prices to fall even further. The incredibly silly practice of buying cattle based on book-count, an optimistic guessing formula based in fantasy mathematics, rather than an actual head count left huge discrepancies on the books, which stockholders were beginning to look at with more scrutiny now that profits were low. And then came the cowboy strike of 1886. Panicked by the falling profits since 1884, the Association called on their resident financial expert to look for ways to boost their sagging bottom line. The expert, none other than Horace Plunkett, had two bright ideas. “Wages,” he had once said, “must come down very much lower.” His other idea was to “abolish free room and board at ranch houses.” This was referring to the time honored tradition of grub-riding, where seasonal cow hands would wander from ranch to ranch during the off-season, doing odd jobs and chores in return for a few nights stay in the bunkhouse and free meals. Plunkett thought they should be charged 50 cents per meal for that privilege, even though one could eat cheaper at a restaurant in town.

The shock came just as the spring roundup on the south fork of Powder River was getting under way. It has been speculated that the strike may have been organized by the Knights of Labor, but at least one cowboy in attendance was an apt rabble-rouser and agitator in and of himself. Jack Flagg, working for the Bar C had decided to put his foot down, and found his fellow cowboys were in the same frame of mind. The cowboys informed their employers that they were not gathering any cattle unless everyone on the roundup crew was paid $40 per month. One of the owners attending this roundup was Horace Plunkett, the architect of their angst. “They were not cordial at all,” Plunkett wrote of his own cowboys in his journal on the way to the roundup. “They have been talking of shooting me all winter because I have been made the scapegoat of the attempt to reduce wages.” Plunkett apparently suffered from selective memory. The “reps”, cowboys representing other ranches from adjoining roundups, on hand to pick up any of their strays off their main range, were told to return to their respective roundups until they were paid the same wage as well. This caused the strike to spread to other roundups. In the end, the owners gave in. As Jack Flagg later explained, “They were

caught at a disadvantage; work had to be shoved forward, they had to brand their calves and gather beef, and as they had no time to get more men, they were obliged to comply with the demands of the strikers and restore their wages.” The only non-compliance came from Joseph M. Carey, owner of the CY outfit on the North Platte, and president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. His reps returned with the news that Carey absolutely refused to restore their wages. Jack Flagg and the rest of the boys may have sympathized with their dilemma, but they were not allowing exceptions. The CY reps were told to cut their horses out of the picket-line and leave. They were not allowed to take the CY cattle that had been gathered on their absence with them, however, and those cattle were left wandering the range when the roundup was over. The cowboys had won the battle, and eventually won the war, but this victory was shortlived. According to Jack Flagg, “as soon as they could get men to fill their places, the strikers were either fired or compelled to have their wages reduced.” Later Flagg would admit the firings had less to do with participation in the strike and more to do with the fired cowboys having bid on mavericks. He was one of them.

Although the owner of the Bar C protested, the Association was not in a forgiving mood as far as Jack Flagg was concerned, and he was blackballed. This was a decision that ultimately blew up in their faces. Flagg, with four other partners, started the Hat ranch. They branded mavericks with a vengeance and Flagg made such a nuisance of himself his name was listed on the famed “execution list” of the Johnson County regulators. Flagg not only survived the Johnson County War of 1892, but a few days after the shooting stopped penned an account of the range war and all the mayhem in the preceding years leading up to it. It was published in the Buffalo Bulletin in serial installments that spring and summer. It is a very well written, accurate account from the perspective of the “rustlers”. As it turned out, Jack Flagg was a very good writer, and started his own paper that summer called the People’s Voice, which later became the Buffalo Voice. Horace Plunkett returned to Ireland in 1889 never to return to Powder River. In one of history’s great ironies, Plunkett devoted the rest of his life to bettering the lot of the Irish farmer through organizing farmer co-operatives and stressing the importance of the farmers “self-reliance”. For this he was knighted.

Joke of the week Disorder In The Court Submitted by John Kennegan Things people actually said in court, word for word: Q: What is your date of birth? A: July fifteenth. Q: What year? A: Every year. Q: This myasthenia gravis-does it affect your memory at all? A: Yes. Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory? A: I forget. Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you’ve forgotten? Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to? A: Oral. Q: How old is your son-the one living with you? A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can’t remember which. Q: How long has he lived with you? A: Forty-five years. Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning? A: He said, “where am I Cathy?” Q: And why did that upset you? A: My name is Susan. Q: And where was the location of the accident? A: Approximately milepost 499. Q: And where is milepost 499? A: Probably between milepost 498 and 500. Q: Did you blow your horn or anything? A: After the accident? Q: Before the accident. A: Sure, I played horn for ten years. I even went to school for it. Q: Now doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning? Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?

Q: Were you present when your picture was taken? Q: Did he kill you? Q: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision? Q: You were there until the time you left, is that true? Q: How many times have you committed suicide? Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? A: Yes. Q: And what were you doing at that time? Q: She had three children, right? A: Yes. Q: How many were boys? A: None. Q: Were there any girls? Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement? A: Yes. Q: And these stairs, do they go up also? Q: How was your first marriage terminated? A: By death. Q: And by whose death was it terminated? Q: Can you describe the individual? A: He was about medium height and had a beard. Q: Was this a male or a female? Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people? A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m. Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time? A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.