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“Bald is Beautiful” event to support local girl’s battle with cancer By Nicholas DeLaat

Community involvement…that is the key in Campbell County. One thing you will notice about Campbell County residents is that if one of us is in trouble, we all pitch in. It is time to do that again, and it is time for me to introduce you to Isabelle Peace. She is four years old, and is a huge ball of energy. She loves pink, purple, and princesses. “She is deﬁnitely a girl’s girl,” said her mom. I want to re-iterate that she is FOUR, and she has already gone through so much, that it is a wonder how she can keep in good spirits. On October 30th of this year (2011), she complained of side pains. Of course, her mother took her to the hospital, which resulted into a trip to Denver. She had a Wilm’s Tumor, or nephroblastoma, which is cancer of the kidneys that typically occurs in children, and rarely in adults. Its common name is an eponym, referring to Dr. Max Wilms, the German surgeon (1867–1918) who ﬁrst described this kind of tumor. Approximately 500 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. annually. Isabelle has Stage III cancer. The tumor had attached to her abdomen, and she needed surgery now. The surgery removed the softball size tumor, but had to take her entire left kidney with it. Then they had to take a piece of a right lung. Now, as soon as Isabelle woke up from these surgeries, she was

already painting and asking to watch “Tangled” for “the millionth time,” according to her mom. She was bright eyed, and ready to go. Again, I want to say this. She is FOUR! What strength, what courage. She is a role model to our community, and that is why it is time to give back to her. After leaving the hospital, and before she started Chemotherapy, her mom took her to a place that participates in “Locks for Love.” They both donated their long hair. “That was a hard day for me,” said Katie Peace, her mom. “That is the day I told her she had

cancer.” Isabelle is still strong, and determined. There will be an event on December 30th (exactly 2 months after the initial diagnosis) at Hickey’s Unlimited on Lakeway Dr. called “Bald is Beautiful.” Here, you will have the chance to shave your head (male or female) and show Isabelle, who is starting to lose her hair, how beautiful you can be without it and help her through this rough time. The Campbell County Observer will be designing donation boxes that you will see on all of our newspaper racks starting Sunday, Hickey’s unlimited

will be supplying workers to cut hair and the space to hold the event, Basin Radio will do a live feed, Wyoming Sign and Design are making stickers that you can buy for $5.00 (all proceeds go to the Peace Family), and I am sure that once the word gets out, there will be much more. So, help this four year old local hero, and come down and get a shave. I know that 4 women have already dedicated to the cause, and the more members in our great community that can show support the better.

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Devon Energy donates $9K to Powder River Basin emergency responders

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Nine Campbell and Johnson County emergency response organizations have received $9,000 in donations from Devon employees. Supporting local emergency medical services and volunteer fire departments is a top priority for the company. Devon Energy’s Preston Farnsworth presented a donation to Campbell County Fire Chief Don Huber (pictured above).

Christmas classic comes to Heritage Center stage

When Charles Dickens wrote his “ghostly little tale” in 1843, he couldn’t know that A Christmas Carol was destined to become one of the most beloved holiday traditions of all time. By telling this fable illustrating the unfairness of the Industrial Revolution and the necessity for brotherhood and unselfishness, Dickens gave the world one of its most enduring Christmas stories. This captivating performance of the familiar classic will be presented at the CAMPLEX Heritage Center on Wednesday, December 21 at 7:00 p.m. Crotchety Scrooge, lovable Tiny Tim, and all the fascinating characters that audiences have come to love make A Christmas Carol an enchanting story and a treasured holiday event. Twenty-eight performers bring Dickens’ fable of redemption to life on a magical set created by noted designer James Othuse. A full array of traditional Christmas carols is woven into the classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Each carol was chosen for the dramatic atmosphere it contributes to the total evening. The songs themselves are traditional, but musical arrangements courtesy of John Bennett are contemporary and exquisitely beautiful. According to the show’s originator, Charles Jones, “I think of this adaptation as a masque. […] True to masque form, the entire production […] unashamedly takes advantage of the excitement of live theatre. The characters are larger than life could ever be.”

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One of the many reasons for the success of NTC’s production of A Christmas Carol is this unique re-telling of the oft-told tale. It is enormously enhanced by James Othuse’s beautiful set, which recreates 1880s London, and gives the entire production the effect of being a Christmas card come to life. Each Christmas carol is chosen to create a specific dramatic effect; although the carols themselves are traditional, the scoring is contemporary and exceptionally beautiful. Like a three dimensional Victorian Christmas card that magically unfolds, this staging of the Dickens tale evokes both the chilling poverty and luxurious wealth of 19th Century London as a thrilling backdrop to the spellbinding fable of Ebenezer Scrooge, a lonely man who is given the rarest of gifts—the chance to change his life and to find his heart. Before the show, Santa Claus will be making a special appearance to hand out candy canes. This is a holiday event you won’t want to miss. Bring the whole family to see A Christmas Carol at the CAM-PLEX Heritage Center at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21. Reserved seats are $30 for adults and $25 for children, students, seniors, and military. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $20 apiece. For tickets, call the CAM-PLEX Ticket Office at (307) 682-8802 or buy online at www.cam-plex.com.

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Sounds of the Holidays By Keary Speer Nothing quite completes the holidays like going to the theatre. Whether it be the Nutcracker Ballet, a performance of “A Christmas Carol,” or even your local Church’s Christmas pageant, the holidays tend to bring people closer to the arts. It is no different here in Gillette. Along with many other events, the community of Campbell County has come to expect the Powder River Symphony to perform their annual “Sounds of the Holidays” concert. There truly is something magical about getting dressed up in your holiday best and taking the family to enjoy a true cultural art. Apparently, many people agree because the Heritage Center at the Cam-plex was packed full of holiday music enthusiasts. They beauty of this concert is, simply, the timelessness of the music being played. No matter what your age, each song brings back a warm memory of Christmases past. The very first song, being a compilation of many carols heard all over the world, instantly overwhelmed the room with that warmth of holiday joy. It would have been torturous to have had to have sat through the entire performance without being able to belt out the words to any of the familiar songs, but they covered their bases and had the audience sing along to “O come,

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All Ye Faithful,” and “Joy to the World.” The conductor, Norman Gamboa, who travels to Gillette to do his work, brought a charisma to the stage that made him seem so personable. It seems he would be a real pleasure to work with and his talent to conduct is exceptional. A special guest, seasoned Soprano, Nannette Hoffer, lent her vocal talent to two of the songs performed, “Gesu Bambino,” and holiday favorite, “O Holy Night.” Her experience was apparent and she excelled at the most challenging of notes. This extremely family-friendly environment was the perfect amount of time to keep a child’s attention. Also, the long table of Christmas treats and refreshments that greeted the audience as they left the theatre completed the all-round experience in a magical way. We are very blessed to being living amongst such musical talent as every single person who took the time to perform. If you missed out this year, do not worry, they will be back again next year. Also, do not miss their next performance, “Birds, Bears & Other Animals,” on February 19th. For more information, to purchase tickets, or even read up on symphony audience etiquette, please go to www.prsymphony.org.

Community Gillette, WY named a top 10 Winter City by Livability.com

From dog sledding to ice fishing to a bologna drop on New Year’s Eve – when temperatures drop you can count on these 10 best winter cities to heat things up Gillette, WY has been named one of the Top 10 Winter Cities by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live. Livability.com editors narrowed down the list of 500 cities to those with an average January temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Editors then looked at cities that adapt well to wintry weather, embrace the cold and even view it as a valuable commodity. Gillette was chosen because it also ranks high for other livability factors, such as ample outdoor recreational opportunities, arts and cultural offerings, affordable housing and unemployment rates lower than the national average. Gillette is a town where a kid can be a kid any time of the year. The Campbell County Parks and Recreation Department indoor

Field House hosts youth soccer leagues during the cold months, culminating in the Gillette Edge Winter Blast indoor soccer tournament in February. And Gillette’s CAM-PLEX multievent facility brings artists, musicians, competitions and performances from around the country to entertain the entire family. “The best winter cities plan for and pay attention to the details of winter livability,” says Patrick Coleman, CEO of the Winter Cities Institute. “They find opportunities for innovation and improvement in services, building and product design. Winter cities embrace the winter season and have a winter culture. This extends to transportation, outdoor recreational opportunities, winter tourism and festivals, and appreciation for indoor arts and culture.”

Top 10 Winter Cities

1. Anchorage, AK 2. Fargo, ND 3. Bozeman, MT 4. Logan, UT 5. St. Cloud, MN 6. Saratoga Springs, NY 7. Bangor, ME 8. Spokane, WA 9. Lebanon, PA 10. Gillette, WY

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Catherine Brown after being crowned Miss Wyoming in Sheridan on June 25.

Gillette resident to compete in Miss America pageant

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By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News At the age of 24, Catherine Brown recently graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wyoming with a graduate degree in Speech Pathology, and she’s putting it to good use working for the Campbell County School District as a speech language pathologist. For most young adults, embarking on a new career fresh out of college is strenuous in its own right, but Ms. Brown also has her sights set on the national spotlight. On June 25, Ms. Brown was crowned Miss Wyoming during the competition in Sheridan. On January 14, she will be at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas competing for the title of Miss America in front of a live, national audience. Before then, however, well-wishers have the opportunity to preview her outfits, as well as her onstage talent, during a sendoff party this Saturday at the Gillette College Tech Center. “I really want people in Gillette and in Wyoming to be able to see my competition gowns, my swimwear, the outfits I’ll be wearing for interview, on-stage question, and my talent as well,” Ms. Brown explains. She continues, “So this is really my opportunity to show all the people who’ve helped me get to this point, show them how my hard work has paid off and all of their support too.” Saturday’s event is free and open to the public, although donations will be accepted to help Ms. Brown pay for the expenses that accompany the Miss Wyoming title. “One of the really interesting things about the Wyoming organization is that we do not have any funding for the state title holder, so I am completely self-funded supporting myself and my gowns and my travel ex-

penses, everything,” she says. “And since I have made a huge effort to travel around the state it gets costly.” In fact, she began a full year of appearances throughout the state upon being crowned Miss Wyoming. Many of her appearances center on her platform of Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness and Prevention. Besides relating to her professional background, Ms. Brown’s platform is near and dear to her heart as well. “My brother, Jeremy, suffered a traumatic brain injury in December 2008 and while he is a walking, talking miracle, our lives have been changed forever,” Ms. Brown previously wrote. “There is an incredible need for knowledge on this subject, both for prevention and awareness. I plan to be a catalyst in spreading knowledge regarding traumatic brain injury and hope to eventually obtain my Ph.D. in speech-language pathology to be a part of further research-based developments in my field.” In the Miss America program, quite often state winners have the opportunities to have their message reach across state lines throughout the country. Catherine states “this is a whole new world to me, but I am so excited to have this opportunity to stand as a strong leader and role model for people within our state and across the nation.” In the meantime, she says she’s received an extremely warm welcome to the Gillette community since she arrived here from Laramie just over three months ago to work at the South Campus and Rozet Elementary School. “I have had so many amazing opportunities provided for me by Campbell County School District, and

Joke of the week Submitted by Jake Keller To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

the Rozet community has been amazing,” she says. “I didn’t know even one single person coming into Gillette, and now I have families I feel like all over the town.” The 2012 Miss American Pageant will be televised live from Las Vegas on ABC on January 14, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. MST.

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The Campbell County Observer Staff CampbellCountyObserver.net (PP-1) Volume 1 Issue 35 The Campbell County Observer is published by Patriot Publishing L.L.C. in Gillette, WY every Friday. Postmaster: Send address changes to 5105 Tarry St. Gillette, WY 82718 Writers Candice De Laat - Owner/Publisher CandiceDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com

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

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

Keary Speer - Editor KearySpeer@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Glenn Woods (Political Column) GlennWoods@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Anne Peterson - Advertising Sales Manager AnnePeterson@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Mike Borda (American History) MichaelBorda@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Brittany Miller - Sales/Marketing BrittanyMiller@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Elizabeth Albin (Wright) ElizabethAlbin@campbellcountyobserver.com

Traci Jefferson - Sales/Marketing TraciJefferson@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Lin Stephens LinStephens@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Cyndee Stoneking - Sales/Marketing CyndeeStoneking@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Josh Uzarski (Science) JoshuaUzarski@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Owen Clarke - Ad Design OwenClarke@CampbellCountyObserver.com

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

Ken McCoy - Distribution Manager

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

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

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

Community New Fire Station The construction on the building across the street from the Cam-plex was ﬁnally completed and dedicated last Monday. This is Gillette’s newest ﬁre station No. 7. The land was generously donated by the Camplex itself and came in remarkably under budget. “We’re very pleased with it. We’ve been very pleased with the whole process,” says Huber, the Campbell County Fire Chief. “We’re hoping to in the future to relocate some of the other stations that are no longer good locations because of the direction that the city has grown.” “It was over in Fox Park and was owned by the

How to discuss the topic of death with young children

Grieving mother learns how to broach the subject with her young son, releases children’s book of her experiences When Melinda Whiteley lost her newborn child, she was devastated. Having to explain the infant’s death to her other children was an additional heartbreak. Whiteley sought guidance in how to discuss the matter with her young children, but was surprised when she ended up empty-handed. “I went to the library to ﬁnd a book dealing with the death of a sibling for young children,” remembers Whiteley. “The librarian helped me look. We couldn’t ﬁnd anything.” Whiteley recalls the librarian turning to her and stating what would become a call-to-action: “I

guess you’ll have to write one yourself.” It was a challenge Whiteley accepted and has now achieved with the release of her newlyreleased book A Brother for Nicholas: A story of love, loss and family (published by AuthorHouse). In A Brother for Nicholas a young boy looks forward to becoming a big brother. The book chronicles his anticipation, allowing young readers to journey with him as he experiences myriad emotions – joy, excitement and eagerness. When the young boy’s mother leaves for the hospital, the bigbrother-to-be can’t wait to

welcome the bundle of joy into his new home. When things don’t go as planned, the young boy is left bewildered. With tender storytelling and intimate real-life photos, A Brother for Nicholas is a moving testament of one young boy’s education in the realities of life and death. “I was forced to learn and accept this through a painful, unforgettable experience,” remembers Whiteley. “Living through the pain, and helping Nicholas live through the pain became my new experience.” When asked what she

wants readers to gain from reading A Brother for Nicholas, Whiteley wholeheartedly responds, “a better feeling about what makes a family.”

About the Author

Melinda Whiteley is a dancer, a teacher of dance, a poet, a painter, a photographer, a designer, and a ﬁlm critic for MovieSnapShots, International News Service. She is the founder of The Castlecreek YoungReaders Book Club. She currently serves on the board of directors of Excellence on the Community, an arts-based non-proﬁt organization.

No child deserves to live in fear; Every child deserves a Merry Christmas By Theresa Rodriguez

There are hundreds of abused children in our community that need someone to physically stand for them and walk with them through things no child should not have to endure. Make this the season in your life to get involved and empower an abused child. Talking about it will not ﬁx the

problem, it will take action. Don’t ﬁnd yourself being one of those that just say “How awful it is”. Take action and do something about it, get involved. Now is the time to “Do Something”. If

you know or suspect a child is being abused, report it to your local police department or Department of Family Services. “BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE” is taking a stand for abused children in our community. They are dedicated individuals that believe in a child’s basic right to a safe and happy childhood. If you are ready to do something and want to get involved, contact your local B.A.C.A. chapter @ 307-257-0605 or visit their international web site at www.bacaworld.org for more information. If you know an abused child that could beneﬁt from being involved with BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE call their local helpline @ 307-257-0605. BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE (B.A.C.A.) exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children. We exist as a body of Bikers to empower children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live. Change your holiday mission and empower a child today; change the vision of their holiday!

By Paul Wallem At about 1:00 am Friday morning, law enforcement around Gillette heard a call over the radio from a police officer at Squaw Valley Apartments saying he needed backup. Just then, that same officer was heard over the radio telling someone at the scene to put down a screwdriver. That call sent police officers and sheriff deputies racing to 905 Camel Drive. After all was said and done, no officers were harmed, a 29-year old Gillette man was arrested, and an unsuspecting Christmas tree saw better days. “Officers responded to his apartment in reference to an EMS assist,” explains Gillette Police Sergeant Dirk Blackmer. “When officers arrived, the apartment was torn apart and Christ-

mas ornaments were scattered everywhere. Officers contacted a 32-year old female who reported she had fallen down and possibly broke her ankle.” The woman told officers that the apartment was a mess because the man threw the Christmas tree out of the apartment. While officers were interviewing the woman, the man returned to the apartment with a screwdriver. According to Blackmer, the man eventually dropped the screwdriver, although he continued to fight with officers while they attempted to detain him. The suspect suffered minor injuries, Blackmer says. He was been charged with interference with a police officer and breach of peace, both misdemeanors.

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Christmas should to be a time of celebration, joy, family, love and affection. Unfortunately, children right here, in our own community, are not afforded the opportunity to celebrate Christmas as they should; safe, happy and in a healthy environment. As you and your family enjoy all the festivities of the holiday season; the festive dinner with all the ﬁxings, the brilliantly lighted Christmas tree surrounded by elegantly wrapped gifts, remember the children in our community that will not see these things this Christmas season. Instead, they are abused; living in fear of each moment, fear of a “Family” member, fear of going hungry, fear of being cold, and fear that everyone will see how they live. Their stomachs are twisted with uneasiness, their minds wander and their little bodies tremble with thoughts that no child should have to bear. Recently CASA reported that they have several children that go without an advocate on a regular basis. The Department of Family Services is also in need of respite and foster families to house children in their care every day. Too many children in our community are going without.

Ofﬁcer calls for backup during early morning incident

There is still time for the Veterans Tree. Come to Perkins and buy a gift that is on the tag of the tree. This gift will go to a local Veteran.

homeowners association,” explains Huber. “I believe that station’s been there since the late 70’s or early 80’s, and we’ve been running out of that station. “When we had the opportunity to build a new ﬁre station we pulled it out of Fox Park so we could service the surrounding area as well as Fox Park.” “As we know the National High School Finals Rodeo is, I think, the thirteenth largest city in Wyoming when it’s here and we need to have emergency care and service there while that event is going on as well as other events,” the mayor says.

Anne Peterson

advertising sales manager annepeterson@campbell countyobserver.com (307) 299-4662

At this holy season, of Christmas may your heart be ﬁlled with the blessings of God’s grace and the fullness of His love.

Merry Christmas from

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Find out in next week’s Campbell County Observer

Community Local library director elected to American Heritage board By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News

Featured Crime Burglary (Dec. 4 - 5)

Crime Stoppers needs your help in solving a burglary that occurred at Quick Wheels on E. 2nd St. between 7:30 p.m. on 12/4/11 and 8:00 a.m. on 12/5/11. Unknown persons broke the window on the front of the business to gain entry. Once inside they went through the offices and stole approximately $85. There was damage to the plumbing in the business after the window was broken, due to the extreme cold. If you have information that can solve this or any other crime please call Crime Stoppers at 686-0400 or the High School Crime Stoppers at 682-4185. You can remain anonymous and may earn up to $1,000 in reward.

Settle Inn & Suites offers “Room at the Inn” program Settle Inn & Suites of Fargo, ND and of Gillette, WY has introduced the “Room at the Inn” program. This program reaches out to families, friends and loved ones who have somebody admitted to any hospital, nursing home or treatment center during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and offers them a free room. “We do not want our guests to worry about the added expense of a hotel room, even if for one day,” says Ray Lewis, Director Of Operations. The program is for anyone coming from out of town that needs a place to stay. For more information, or to reserve a room, please contact the Settle Inn & Suites at: 307685-6363 Gillette, WY gm@settleinngillette.com 701-235-4699 Fargo, ND gm@settleinnfargo.com

Campbell County Public Library director Patty Myers was recently elected to the American Heritage Center, UW, Advisory Board. Myers was selected for the board because of her broad interests that coincide with the goals of the Heritage Center and her library career opportunities in three separate counties, according to the nominating committee. “I’m pleased to be on it because I’ve used the American Heritage for 20 or 30 years as a research facility, so this actually gives me an avenue to give some feedback to them and also share experiences that I’ve had as a library directory,” Myers says. “We have mutual interests and mutual causes and mutual efforts, so I’m looking forward to working with that organization.” Myers is a past-president of the Wyoming State Historical Society, past president of WYLD (Wyoming Libraries Database Network), as well as a Historical Society chapter president in Johnson, Platte, and Campbell counties. She has served with regional library organizations, and currently

is the WY representative to the American Library Association. Myers is a freelance writer of historical feature stories. “Librarians are closely connected to their communities through cultural, historical, and literacy endeavors,” said Myers. “Arts and music, history and genealogy, autobiographies and story times are part of our work lives. It’s all a pleasure for me. I have used AHC for historical research, and I expect my term on UW’s Heritage Center board will expand my awareness of their collections and exhibits.” AHC is considered one of the finest repositories of special collections in the nation. The current exhibit of Monster Movie posters from the 1950s is an example of the unusual topics available. Preservation, exhibition, accessibility, and teaching are among the goals of the Center. Ann Noble, ranch womanwriter, from Cora, WY was also elected to the board. Terms officially begin in January, 2012, but both women attended the recent fall meeting in Laramie.

Gillette Man wins ADA award $1.2 Million was awarded to a Gillette man by a federal jury in a wrongful termination suit. It was determined that Wyoming Machinery Co. had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by terminating Robert G. Bush after having open heart surgery and only having missed two days or work. He had been employed there for 9 years.

BRN Photo by Paul Wallem

Campbell County Public Library Director Patty Myers was recently elected to the American Heritage Center, UW, Advisory Board. “Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but Christmas is for everyone. The idea of how much charity is given, how people suddenly become kinder, and all the help gives to one’s neighbor is something that everyone can feel.” - Nicholas De Laat

Joke of the week Submitted by Swede’s

Research confirms that drinking gives you the same benefits yoga does!!! Photo courtesy of the City of Gillette

City of Gillette Sustainability Coordinator Michael Foote says the home energy audits are great for homeowners who believe their utility bills are too high.

City offers rebates for home audits

Savasana - Position of total relaxation.

Balasana - Position that brings the sensation of peace and calm.

By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News For those looking to cut back on their residential energy costs, the City of Gillette is offering their utility customers rebates to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and save money on their utility bills. First, the city is offering a $125 rebate for Home Energy Audits conducted by their partner Green Steps, Inc. These audits cost $250 of which half will be returned to the customer in the form on a rebate check. As a result, for just $125 homeowners can identify if energy efficient improvements are worth the effort and expense. “Home energy audits I think are a great tool for a homeowner that perhaps feels that their utility bills are too high,” explains City of Gillette sustainability coordinator Michael Foote. During a home energy audit, homeowners will learn techniques to lower their home’s energy usage, how much money they can save by consuming less energy, and how energy efficiency can also improve year-round comfort. In return, this can lead to lower utility bills, fewer drafts, and more efficient use of heating and cooling systems. Anyone interested in a home energy audit is encouraged to register now, because the number of audits is limited to 50. To register for a home energy audit, call John Schneider at Green Steps, Inc. at (307) 620-5360. Secondly, the City of Gillette has partnered with the Center for Resource Conservation to conduct irrigation audits this upcoming summer beginning around mid-July 2012. The two hour audit costs $99, and the city will rebate $49.99 back to the homeowner. This program will assist homeowners to conserve water by operating their irrigation systems in an efficient manner. Several tests are conducted during the audit to measure the characteristics of the irrigation system and subsequent recommendations on how to improve its efficiency. As well, homeowners are educated about proper maintenance procedures. They will also receive a watering schedule and advice on how to implement landscape best management practices. Foote says now is a good time to make an appointment for one of the limited number of home irrigation audits. “There’s only 40 available and we’re taking reservations now, and folks need to give me a call to reserve their spot for next summer,” Foote says. To reserve a home irrigation audit for the summer of 2012, call Michael Foote at 686-5228.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana - This position calms the brain and heals tired legs.

Halasana - Excellent for back pain and insomnia.

Salambhasana - Great exercise to stimulate the lumbar area, legs, and arms.

Marjayasana - Position stimulates the midriff area and the spinal column.

Dolphin - Excellent for the shoulder area, thorax, legs, and arms.

Ananda Balasana - This position is great for massaging the hip area. Pigeon - Tones the body, and builds flexibility and helps get rid of ‘stress’.

Malasana - This position, for ankles and back muscles.

So in the interest of healthy relaxation ... Let’s start drinking !!

C ommunity

Band and Orchestra Instruments · Sound Systems

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The town of Wright is ready for Christmas, and had their Christmas Expo last weekend. Next year, the 4-H club is planning on asking Santa to come down during the Expo to talk with the kids.

Don’t pay too much for official Wyoming certificates The Wyoming Department of Health’s Vital Statistics Services Office is warning residents to avoid commercial vendors who charge unnecessary high fees to individuals seeking official birth certificates or other similar certified documents. “We have seen a significant increase in official birth certificate requests this year due to Wyoming’s new driver’s license renewal law,” said Jim McBride, deputy state registrar with the Vital Statistics Services Office. “For most of us, getting a license now requires either an unexpired passport or a certified copy of our birth certificate.” For people born in Wyoming, certified copies of official birth and death certificates are only available from Vital Statistics Services. McBride said commercial online vendors who promise to obtain the docu-

ments must get them from his office. “These are secondary providers. People pay them to simply forward requests to us.” “We suggest people contact our office directly rather than spending extra money,” McBride continued. “We’re hearing about some secondary providers charging much, much more than the $10-13 we charge for the same documents.” For more information or to order a certified birth certificate for those born in Wyoming, please call 307777-7591 or go tohttp://www.health. wyo.gov/rfhd/vitalrecords/index.html. The Vital Statistics Services office may also be visited in person in Cheyenne at 2300 Capitol Avenue on the first floor of the Hathaway Building. McBride noted his office receives numerous complaints related

to some online vendors due to inconsistent quality control. “These commercial services guarantee delivery timelines that simply are not possible. It’s unfortunate and very frustrating for customers.” “It’s clear these companies pay search engine advertising fees so their sites are listed prominently on online search results pages. For example, if you search for ‘Wyoming Birth Certificate,’ our Wyoming Department of Health site may not appear at the top of the list,” McBride said. “Many people simply miss our listing and unfortunately choose a commercial vendor.” Individuals born in other states can find where to get certified birth certificates by visiting http://www. cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm. Leave Your Mark on Campbell County...

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By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio The Gillette Police Department respond“He was placed in handcuffs. The man ed to the Smart Choice Inn about 9:00 pm continued to be agitated and uncooperaWednesday after tive and attempted receiving a report to pull away from the that a man was unofficers,” Wasson conscious on a charsays. tered bus. While checking the “It was also rebackground of the ported that the male 32-year old Rapid was in possession City man, officers of a firearm,” exdiscovered he is a plains Gillette Police convicted felon. Lieutenant Brent “One for aggravatWasson. “Upon ared assault in Oakrival, officers found land, CA in 2002, the male still unconand a vehicular scious with the firehomicide in Mead arm in a shoulder County, SD in 2004,” holster.” says Wasson. Wasson says ofAccording to Wasficers were able to son, charges of a felwake up Rocky Benon in possession of a Rocky Benson son. At that point, firearm are currently police say Benson pending against began yelling profanBenson. He also ities at then in the presence of other bus faces two misdemeanor charges. occupants.

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City’s Web Domain Name will change Feb. 20

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New domain name will be www.gillettewy.gov On February 20, 2012, the City of Gillette will change its web domain name to www.gillettewy.gov The new domain name (www.gillettewy. gov) works now and will re-direct to the existing page. After February 20th, visitors to the site will need to use www.gillettewy.gov to navigate to the city’s home page. The City of Gillette encourages everyone who uses the website in their printed or electronic materials, such as web links, calendars, guides, mailing lists, flyers, etc. to please use the new domain name. On that same day in February, all city email addresses will change due to the new domain name. To convert your address book to the

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new email address, just use the existing user name and add the new domain name. For instance, if Madonna worked at the City of Gillette her email address would be: madonna@ci.gillette.wy.us* Her user name is madonna. add @gillettewy.gov and you get: madonna@gillettewy.gov *For the record, no one named Madonna works for the City of Gillette, but you get the idea of how easy the email address changeover will be. It’s pretty simple, but keep in mind the email change won’t take place until February 20, 2012. So, don’t begin using the new email addresses before then.

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Community What’s Going On? Friday, December 16

-Early Release, 1 p.m.Secondary, 1:30 p.m.- Elementary- Holiday Break -Ruff Cut @ Jakes Tavern -Pinnacle Bank Shop Local Drawing, 1708 W. Hwy 14/16, 682-0089 -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Early Release Party, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AVA- 12 Days of Christmas, 4 p.m. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -8th Annual Dodgeball Tournament, 6 p.m., Rec Center, $80 per Team, 6828527 -Open MIC Night, 7 p.m., Brother’s Coffee -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

Saturday, December 17

-Ruff Cut @ Jakes Tavern -AA-Discussion, 8:30 a.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -All About Women, Last Minute Holiday ShoppingLots’ of Bargains, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., American Legion- Upstairs -Holiday Flea Market, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Anytime Storage 1708 Gold Rd., 6826266 -Breakfast with Santa @ Brother’s Coffee, 9-11 a.m. -Phagan Photography: Breakfast & Santa Photos, 9-11 a.m., Brother’s Coffee -Teen Dungeons & Dragons, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m., CCPL -Horse Drawn Wagon Rides, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., Downtown Gillette -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Gillette is the Place to Bee Holiday Promotion, Final Drawing, 12 p.m., Wyoming Work Warehouse -4-6th Grade Wii-Play Saturdays, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

Sunday, December 18

-Senior Center- CLOSED -AA-Morning Spiritual, 10:15 a.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Phagan Photography: Santa Photos, 1-4 p.m., Teacher’s Corner/Kid’s Mart -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Monday, December 19

-AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Craft Afternoons, CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Library Board Meeting, 4 p.m., CCPL -AVA- 12 Days of Christmas, 4 p.m. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Tuesday, December 20

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab, 6881222 -Teen Craft Afternoons, CCPL -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Visually Imparted, 1 p.m., Senior Center, Pat Edwards 257-2949 -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AVA- 12 Days of Christmas, 4 p.m. -Teen Card Game Club, 4-6 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Beginners, 6:45 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Wednesday, December 21

-Children’s Immunization Clinic, 8-11:30 a.m., Public Health -Senior Center, First Gold Bus, 9 a.m. -Storytime, All Ages, 11 a.m., WBL -ABATE- Toy Store Open, 12 noon -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Craft Afternoons, CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AVA- 12 Days of Christmas, 4 p.m. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -A Christmas Carol, 7 p.m., Camplex Heritage Center, 682-8802 for Tickets -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Monday, December 26

-AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

-Senior Center- CLOSED -CCPL- CLOSED -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Saturday, December 24

-CHRISTMAS EVE -Grease Monkeys @ Jakes Tavern -Senior Center- CLOSED -CCPL- CLOSED -Camplex Ticket Office CLOSED- Dec.24- Jan. 2 -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Last Call Group, 10 p.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy.

Tuesday, December 27

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab, 6881222 -Brain Injury Group of Gillette, Call Carmen 680-5926 for Time & Location after 5 -Senior CenterVet’s Breakfast, 8 a.m. -Guns ‘n Hoses Blood Drive, 11 a.m., Rec. Center, 687-6160 -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -Teen Card Game Club, 4-6 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Beginners, 6:45 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Sunday, December 25

-MERRY CHRISTMAS -Jakes Tavern- CLOSED -Senior Center- CLOSED -CCPL- CLOSED -AA-Morning Spiritual, 10:15 a.m., 2910 S Douglas Hwy. -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Thursday, December 22

-HealthCHECK Testing, 7-11 a.m., CCMH Lab, 6881222 -ABATE- Toy Store Open, 12 noon -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Senior Center Luncheon, 12-1 p.m. -Teen Craft Afternoons, CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Adult Anime, 7-8:30 p.m., CCPL -Teen Anime Club, 7-8:30 p.m., CCPL -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy.

Friday, December 23

-Grease Monkeys @ Jakes Tavern -Pinnacle Bank Shop Local Drawing, 1708 W. Hwy 14/16, 682-0089 -ABATE- Toy Store Open, 12 noon -AA- Mid-day Serenity, 12 noon, 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Teen Craft Afternoons, CCPL -Teen Open-Play Video Gaming, 1-4 p.m., CCPL -AA-Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -AA-Hopefuls(BB), 8 p.m., 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. -Laser Light Show/Dance, 8 p.m.- Midnight, Camplex Central Pavilion, $30 per person, 5 & under FREE, Tickets at the Door Only

“Love came down at Christmas; love all lovely, love divine; love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign.” - Christina G. Rossetti

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Attorney General Greg Phillips joins 54 other attorneys general in ﬁght against robo-calls to cell phones

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Attorney General Greg Phillips today joined 54 other state and territorial attorneys general in asking Congress to oppose legislation targeting consumers’ telephone privacy. The “Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011” [H.R. 3035] would amend the Communications Act of 1934 and allow for robo-calling to all cell phones, leaving consumers to foot the bill. For example, debt collectors and other businesses could place automated “informational” calls to cell phones, impacting those who pay by the minute or have a limited number of minutes available. In addition, since businesses frequently have the wrong contact information, consumers could be getting and paying for repeated robo-calls on their cell phones to accounts that are not their own. “This federal measure invades the telephone privacy of Wyoming residents” said Attorney General Phillips. “If passed, H.R. 3035 would create a huge inconvenience for Wyoming consumers as they would be subjected to a ﬂood of unwanted solicitations to their cell phones.”The attorneys general are asking mem-

• Let Consumers Know What You Have to Oﬀer

bers of Congress to reject U.S. House Resolution 3035. As chief protectors of consumer rights, many state attorneys general would not be able to enforce their more strict state laws against junk faxes, prerecorded calls or text messages. “Wyoming statutes prohibit many robo-calls” Phillips said. “This measure could potentially interfere with Wyoming’s current efforts to investigate and curtail illegal robo-calls made to Wyoming residents.” This legislation would also narrow the deﬁnition of what constitutes an illegal “automatic telephone dialing system.” If passed, the new deﬁnition would only prohibit “random or sequential number generators” which means “targeted” calls would be permitted, General Phillips said. Currently, federal law allows robocalls to be placed to people who have given their explicit consent to receive them or in case of an emergency. If this federal legislation passes, the law will be expanded to allow businesses to robo-call any consumer who has provided their telephone number in the course of a transaction – regardless if a consumer asks not to be

contacted. In the letter, officials also pointed out that an increase in calls to mobile phones could present a hazard to drivers who may become distracted. A 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that cell phone use was involved in 995 or 18 percent of fatalities in distraction-related crashes. The proposal is currently being considered in the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce – the first step in the legislative process. Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller joined other consumer advocates in November to provide testimony in opposition to the legislation during a hearing before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in Washington, D.C. Citizens can also voice their opinion on the proposal by contacting their representative or by voting on Popvox’s nonpartisan website https:// www.popvox.com/bills/us/112/hr3035. Popvox will also forward consumers’ comments to members of Congress. All of the states and territories have signed the letter except Virginia and Nebraska.

Wyoming’s Call of the Wild to premiere Dec. 31

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s newest TV series—Wyoming’s Call of the Wild—will premiere on theSportsman Channel on December 31. This 13-episode series focuses on getting kids and their families into Wyoming’s great outdoors. “Across the nation, we have been experiencing a decline in the number of people participating in hunting and fishing,” said WGFD Public Information Officer Eric Keszler. “This show is one way we’re working to get people excited about getting outdoors and enjoying Wyoming’s wildlife. People who hunt and fish contribute more to conservation and management of wildlife than anyone else. So getting people off the couch and into the outdoors is vitally important for our outdoor heritage and for the future of our wildlife resources.” Each episode of Wyoming’s Call of the Wild features a different youth hunter or angler on an outdoor adventure somewhere in Wyoming. Kids from all over the United States applied to be on the show, at one of several “casting calls” hosted around the country or via the internet. “We had hundreds of ap-

plications from youngsters all over the country,” said Keszler. “It was very difficult to choose a handful of kids to participate in the show. We eventually picked kids both from within Wyoming and from other states to participate. We looked for kids who had interesting stories and who we felt would benefit from an experience in Wyoming’s great outdoors.” The first episode features a turkey hunt in northeastern Wyoming, hosted by WGFD Game Warden Matt Withroder and Biologist Joe Sandrini. The guest on this episode is Jake Bullock, a teenager from Colorado who lost his father to cancer. Jake recently won his own battle with cancer, and is looking to the outdoors to help heal some of the scars accumulated during his young life. The host of this groundbreaking series is nationally known author, lecturer, and teacher Craig Conrad. Known for his inspiring presentation “The Unstoppable You,” Conrad has devoted his career to helping youth reach their full potential. Conrad’s innovative 26-year teaching career has earned him six nominations for the Who’s Who Best Teachers in America,

Warden’s Corner With the weather turning colder bobcat and other furbearing animal’s pelts should be prime soon. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has enacted many regulations that trappers need to keep in mind such as marking and checking traps. Commission Regulations also state that no trap or snare may be set within 30 feet of any exposed bait or carcass over 5 pounds in weight. Also keep in mind that no part of any game animal can be used as bait for trapping. Regulations also state that if a trapper is using a snare it must have a breakaway device that releases the snare at 295 pounds of pressure or less and that the loop size shall not exceed 12 inches in diameter measured from side to side. These regulations were developed so that the snare will kill the target animal (coyote or bobcat) quickly while releasing other wildlife such as deer and antelope.

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the receipt of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching from Colorado Governor Roy Romer, and the first-ever Tradition of Excellence Award. The WGFD contracted with Orion Entertainment to produce this series. Orion is the country’s largest producer of outdoor adventure programming. “Wyoming is a state that clearly understands that to effectively manage fish and wildlife resources you must first have the support of conservation-minded anglers and hunters,” said Orion President Chris Dorsey. “And growing the ranks of sportsmen and women is vital to creating future conservation advocates.” The Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. For specific episode times, check your local listings or go to www.thesportsmanchannel.com. For more information on the show, visit callofthewildtv.com or at Wyoming’s Call of the Wild on Facebook.

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Public Pulse Public transportation system receives broad support By Paul Wallem - Basin Radio News Over 20 local agencies representing a diverse range of interests showed their support for a comprehensive public transportation system in Gillette by packing the seats wall-towall for Monday’s Gillette City Council workshop. Even though many of the groups represented different needs, they had one common goal. They were not there to design a detailed plan that would immediately meet the public’s need. Rather, they went before the Gillette City Council to share how each constituency they represent could benefit from a wider availability of public transportation. After all, they agree that the biggest obstacle to their plan is the perceived lack of demand for such services in Gillette. Some of the groups in attendance to show their support for a greater availability of public transportation included the Youth Emergency Services, the Department of Workforce Services, the Campbell County Senior Center, the United Way, and the Campbell County Library, among others. For over an hour, they expressed their rationalization for public transportation in Gillette to city council members without becoming redundant. In all, the basis of their arguments can be summed up in the following five themes:

Youth and Students

Lauren Benedict works at the Youth Emergency Services (YES House) providing independent living and transitional services to 16 to 22 year olds who just left custody of the Department of Family Services, are runaways, or are otherwise homeless. Currently, she says she is working with 39 youth. “The majority of those young adults are in need of transportation services,” she says. Opponents to increased public transportation argue that several cab companies already serve the City of Gillette. Benedict addressed that concern while speaking in front of the council. According to Benedict, having to rely on a cab numerous times each day is unaffordable for people already unable to afford their own transportation. “It is not a viable option for my youth who are just starting out on their own and can’t even afford to pay the insurance on their vehicle, which is why they can’t get where they’re going without public transportation to begin with,” Benedict says. “So a cab service as a sole means for transportation in this community is not an affordable option.” Mary Kelley, who is a member of the Gillette Express Transportation (GETS) that is spearheading the effort to improve access to reliable public transportation in Gillette, says the Campbell County School District supports the idea for more public transportation as well. “[The school district] can take children to the library but then the children have no way to get home after that,” Kelley explains. “They take children to the Boys and Girls Club or to AVA but there’s no way to get the children home after that, and the school district recognizes this.”

Workforce and Career Development

CLIMB Wyoming is a program that helps single mothers gain valuable workforce skills that will help them climb out of poverty and into success.

CLIMB Wyoming program director Jennifer Holmes says reliable transportation is a huge obstacle for the single mothers she helps as they struggle to improve their lives and the lives of their children. “I can tell you it’s probably 80 percent of the women we serve run into issues with reliable transportation,” Holmes tells the city council. As an employer-driven job training and placement organization, CLIMB Wyoming works closely with area businesses and entrepreneurs to learn the skills and abilities employers look for when making hiring decisions. In most cases, the number one requirement employers look for is reliability, Holmes states. “Number one first and foremost that they tell me is dependability. It’s paramount that they’re there to do the job in order to keep the job,” Holmes says. She says although many of the single mothers she consults have transportation, the associated expenses such as maintenance and licensing fees is cost prohibitive for too many. “I believe that public transportation just removes one more burden and one more barrier on becoming independent and staying independent if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve always been dependent on somebody else to get you where you wanted to go,” she adds. Meanwhile, Second Chance Ministries works with men and women recently released from incarceration to provide re-entry assistance for the first three months of their release. According to Rod Warne, Second Chance Ministries board of directors member, increasing the availability of public transportation will enable his clients to become more dependable as they work to get their lives back on track. Last year, he says they worked with 216 clients, and 99 percent didn’t have their own transportation. “We serve a lot of clients and a lot of people in this town that may not be as blessed, but still have very definite needs to be able to go out throughout our city and county to take care of business and to be good citizens,” Warne says. Kay Roth from the Department of Workforce Services says her organization works with many clients who lack personal transportation as well. “We had 78 walk-in customers today and many of those do not have drivers’ licenses,” she reports.

Public Safety

Over 1,000 DUI cases are prosecuted every year in Campbell County, according to Campbell County Public Attorney Jeani Stone. “They’re saying, ‘I waited for my buddy to pick me up but I got impatient’ or ‘I called for a cab and it took a while.’ So low and behold they get in the car and drive off,” Stone says. Earlier in the evening, Benedict echoed those sentiments. “Separate from my work experience I have had people talking about care cabs or something like that,” she says. “People are waiting an hour or more, sometimes two, to get a cab.” Both agree that accessible and dependable public transportation could alleviate much of the drunk driving that occurs in Gillette.

Economic Diversification

Kay Roth attended Mon-

day’s meeting representing the Department of Workforce Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Workers’ Compensation, and the Employment Center. She says a comprehensive transportation sector will add jobs to the area while diversifying the local economy. “A public transportation system would have to have mechanics, they would have to have dispatchers, they would have to have drivers, they would have to have trainers, they would have to have cleaners,” she advises.

core, branching out into the subdivisions, airport, and other areas of the surrounding city. “It was a very, very efficient system,” she adds.

Coordinating the Project

City of Gillette Mayor Tom Murphy said a central agency would need to coordinate such an extensive project if it were to see the light of day. “We have to have an entity that is going to grab the bull by the horns and take this project on and become the Campbell County Transportation System or the City of Gillette Transportation Authority if you will,” he conceives. Mary Kelley responded by saying she envisioned a similar solution. “I would like to see a Gillette Transit Authority, and I believe that’s in city bylaws to allow that sort of an entity but Marty [Shukert] specifically asked that we not become a 501(c)(3) or any kind of a legal entity until it was decided what sort of an organization would run that system,” Kelley describes. Even still, Murphy was unsure at the moment of how much big a role the city would play in the formation of a local transit authority. “Historically, governments provide services to communities that may not make a buck sometimes,” the mayor says. “So I think as a community we need to work through this as we move forward, so I’m interested in seeing more information.”

Old Age, Disability, and Health Concerns

The Campbell County Senior Center offers public transportation to those with disabilities and seniors aged 60 and up. Gillette’s rapid growth in recent years, however, is putting a strain on their resources. “What we do on a daily basis is door-to-door, but we take care of all the doctor’s offices, therapy, the dentist office, taking people to grocery shop, pretty much anything that they need to do,” explains Nanci Rasmussen, transportation supervisor of the Campbell County Senior Center. “But we find that we are just not big enough; we just cannot take care of the whole city. It’s too large, there’s too many people.” Campbell County Memorial Hospital says they spend a lot of money on taxi rides to get discharged patients home. Retired community volunteer Vicki Swenson expressed a message from Campbell County Memorial Hospital discharge planner and social worker Katie Holmes. According to Swenson, Holmes was adamant that the city council know the hospital spends $7,500 annually on cab fares. “A lot of people that are at the hospital have no way home, and she [Holmes] sees it time and time again that there is really a need for public transportation,” Swenson expresses.

Another Study?

Near the conclusion of Monday’s city council workshop, Mayor Tom Murphy noted Gillette’s everchanging environment and said a new study may need to be completed to determine if the so-called Field of Dreams project will impact any plans for a comprehensive public transportation system. Although the planning is still in its infancy, the Field of Dreams is comprised of a 320-acre plot of land the city purchased from the State of Wyoming earlier this year. Possible attractions that have been explored include a 10,000 seat capacity covered stadium, a BMX racetrack, and archery, baseball, and soccer fields. “I don’t believe the Field of Dreams was even an idea when that [2010] study was started, and so that is another spot that will probably need to be considered in the route system,” the mayor says. Considering the costs of the 2010 study, members of GETS, including Mary Kelley, were noticeably distraught by the idea of having to conduct another study. “I do have to say I’m very surprised that they want to have another study done since that study was released in June 2010,” Kelley told Basin Radio Network following Monday’s meeting. “We don’t need a whole new study. It was just done.” At the same time, however, Kelley was quick to say she was pleased with the overall direction of the meeting. When asked if she believed they achieved their primary goal of informing the city council that a broad demand exists for a public transportation system, Kelley immediately responded with an enthusiastic yes. “I do feel that that was the case,” she concludes. “And that was really the goal for tonight’s meeting, to overcome the everyonewho-needs-a-ride-has-aride mentality.”

A 2010 Study Revealed a Need

Ten years ago, the Campbell County Senior Center conducted a study to determine the need for public transportation in Gillette. Although that report lacked precise details, GETS member Mary Kelley says the study found a considerable need for public transportation. When organizers approached the Gillette City Council a time later, the council requested an updated, more detailed study. With $20,000 from the Wyoming Department of Transportation and $5,000 from private donations, GETS hired Marty Shukert to complete a comprehensive study on the public transportation needs in Gillette. Shukert, who has worked with the City of Gillette on other projects, completed the new study in June 2010. The study concluded that the Gillette urban area could benefit from an expanded community transit system. “It [the study] will answer all of your questions,” Kelley informed the city council. “Who else in the community has public transportation? What the vehicles might be, what the routes might be, what the costs will be, all the coordinated plans that these folks are working on now is in that study that was released in 2010.” Kelley says Shukert devised a very innovating system to address the city’s

Campbell Co. Fire Dept. December 6, 2011

- At 7: 42 AM to Running W Dr. for an EMS assist. - At 2:30 PM to Mohan for an EMS assist. - At 3:03 PM to Sage Valley Junior High for an automatic fire alarm, upon arrival it was determined that smoke from some maintenance operations had caused the alarm to activate, the building was checked and students were allowed to re occupy. - At 3:58 PM to Westover Rd. and Four J for a 2 vehicle accident with no injuries.

December 7, 2011

- At 2:23 AM to Highway 51 and Timber Creek Rd. for a vehicle vs. deer that was possibly on fire, upon arrival it was determined that the vehicle was not on fire. Crews applied some absorbent to the spilled antifreeze. - At 2:29 AM to Mingles Bar for an EMS assist. - At 4:58 AM to S. Gurley for an EMS assist. - At 8:06 AM to the intersection of Garner Lake Road and HWY 59 for a 2 vehicle collision. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival determined no one was injured in the collision and no hazardous materials were leaking from the involved vehicles. - At 9:50 AM to Independence Drive for an EMS assist. - At 1:52 PM to 1204 Duck Head Drive for a cut gas line. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival found a 2” natural gas line leaking after hit was hit by an excavator. CCFD firefighters applied clamps to the line and stopped the leak approximately 20 minutes after arrival; the scene was turned over to SourceGas once the leak was stopped. - At 2:55 PM to Independence Drive for an EMS assist. - At 5:13 PM to Miller Avenue for an EMS assist. - At 6:22 PM to 708 Rockpile Blvd for a possible structure fire. CCFD responded to the scene and upon arrival was advised by the homeowner that the fire was out. The homeowner advised that a glass pan broke on the stovetop resulting in the fire. The home was ventilated and firefighters checked the area around the stove to ensure no fire extended beyond the it.

December 8, 2011

- At 1:55 AM to Wyoming Avenue for a vehicle vs transformer collision. No one was injured in the crash and the scene was turned over to the City of Gillette Police Department and Electrical Division. - At 11:09 AM to Eagle Butte coal mine for an EMS assist. - At 12:57 PM to Mercantile for a report of a natural gas smell, upon further investigation we were unable to detect any natural gas or find a source of the smell. - At 2:15 PM to Mohan Rd. for an EMS assist. - At 2:47 PM to Nogales Way for an EMS assist. - At 5:53 PM to Longhorn for an EMS assist. - At 10:02 PM to Butler Spaeth for an EMS assist. - At 20:46 PM to Newton Rd. for an EMS Assist.

smell back to a mercaptain bottle located in a pile of steel at Pacific Steel and Recycling. - At 12:33 PM to E. 2nd Street for an EMS assist. - At 3:17 PM to American Road at the I-90 interchange for a 2 vehicle collision. No one was injured in the crash and CCFD contained fluids leaking from the involved vehicles. - At 9:50 PM to Wolff Road for an EMS assist.

December 11, 2011

- At 9:49 AM to the 700 block of Carey Ave. for a smoke report, cancelled enroute. - At 11:54 AM to the 900 block of Chandler Lane for an EMS assist. - At 12:06 PM to mile marker 144 N. Hwy 59 for a report of a semi-hauling hay that was on fire. The driver was able to get the tractor trailer to a pull out and disengage the trailer of hay from the tractor. The trailer and approximately 38 tons of hay were destroyed by the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation. - At 2:22 PM to the 1200 block of Raymond St. for an EMS assist.

December 12, 2011

- At 9:19 AM to the 3200 block of South Four J Road for a medical assist. - At 9:27 AM to 300 South Gillette Avenue for a gas odor inside the building. Firefighters utilizing a gas monitor were unable to detect any flammable gas inside the building. The odor may be from sewer gas – water was poured down floor drains in basement. - At 10:08 AM to the intersection of East Highway 51 and Gold Buckle Road for a two vehicle accident with injuries. - At 10:13 AM to the 2200 block of South Gillette Avenue for a medical assist. - At 10:24 AM to the intersection of West 3rd Street and Brooks Avenue for a two vehicle traffic accident with injury and air bag deployment. - At 1:51 PM to the area of Mallard Road for a medical assist. - At 2:49 PM by mile marker 110 on West Interstate 90 (west bound lanes) for three small (all less than an acre in size) grass fires along the roadway. The fires were extinguished without incident. The cause of the fires was undetermined. - At 3:03 PM to the 1400 Block of Estes Lane for a medical assist. - At 6:42 PM to the 100 Block of Sierra Circle for a medical assist

December 13, 2011

- At 8:19 AM to Night Train for an EMS assist. - At 4:22 PM to Gillette Ave. and 4th St. for a two vehicle accident with injuries. One patient was transported to CCMH.

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December 9, 2011

- At 12:59 AM to Gurley Ave for a one vehicle accident with injuries, the patient was transported to CCMH. - At 8:26 AM to South Highway 59 for an EMS assist. - At 10:32 AM to the area of 301 West Warlow Drive for a gas smell. CCFD responded to the area and traced the

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Weekly Trivia Question Who tried to assassinate President Roosevelt in 1912?? Look in next week’s paper for the answer

Public Pulse Bold Republic Weekly Santa had a lousy year By Glenn Woods

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Gillette needs a bus system. We only have three cab companies, and no other public mode of transportation. I know people do not like spending money, but in this case we need too. It is community improvement. Just think of all the emissions we will save, all the parking in downtown, and some extra jobs it will create. The people who are against this and other projects are also the same people who don’t do anything for Campbell County. Joan Archer From Editor Nicholas De Laat: I do not have all the facts, but I tend to disagree at this moment. There is no stopping other cab companies from starting up (and I think we have 6 companies now). Also, Gillette is not very big. Many people could use more exercise and a walk around the beautiful City would do people very good. I know many times I have walked (or ran) from my office on Third Street to the Rec Center to work out, then back again. Also, we have been spending a ton of money lately, never a good thing. I have said this before, that creating government jobs is not creating jobs. It takes an average of 10-12 private sector employees to pay for one of those jobs. Many of these jobs are needed (example: Police, admin, fire, ems, hospital, etc) but we should weigh what is not needed very carefully. One more thing, is that I disagree with you on your point that the people who are against certain projects are people who don’t do anything for the County. I know many people who don’t want to see money spent on un-needed projects who do more for this county than people realize, and I am proud of them. I may be wrong on my opinions, please let me know. I would love to hear from you! I love seeing people show up at meetings though, and whatever side you are on, great job getting involved, and thank you for that! Dear Editor, What a stupid Idea this public transportation thing is. Spend more of the tax payer’s money? All of our City Councilmen, and our Mayor, and our commissioners, are nothing but a bunch of liberals, even though they campaign on conservatism. They are performing the socialistic values of Washington D.C. I live out in County, so let’s break this down. I pay a tax for water I don’t get access too. I am going to pay for a new field of dreams I won’t use. I might have to pay for people (who I am sure lost their license through court) to get around when I bought and paid for my car. I may have to pay for a dog park, when I own over 60 acres for my dog. Hey, why don’t I just send you my paycheck, and you can distribute it how you see fit, have me eat at the soup kitchen, and live off the welfare. That is the direction we are heading, and it amazes me that people are ok with this. PLEASE STOP IT, we are one of the last great places to live in the country, and you are ruining it with every one of these decisions. It may look good for your re-election in the short term, but will kill us in the long term, and I think you all know that! Bruce Shimmerer From Editor Nicholas De Laat: I don’t know if they are all a bunch of liberals, that might be too harsh. Remember, the idea was only presented, and a decision has not been made yet. We don’t know how they will vote, so I would caution you to jump the gun in judgments. They may vote your way, but the key is to get involved. The people who showed up to the meeting was

respectful and organized. They care about it, and when they see what they believe is a problem, they are getting involved and trying to do something about it. I applaud that! I do agree with you about spending being too high. I also agree that the more taxes a government takes, the more money is wasted. Yes, I think many of these decisions will hurt us down the road, and I always hate any level of government taking money from me and giving it to other people in some way. Since I started this company and quit my job for Wyoming Machinery, I could be collecting welfare in the form of WIC, Medicaid, and much more. I refuse too because I believe that it is stealing. Instead, I work for this newspaper, and perform countless side jobs for my personal bills. Please, keep getting involved. Dear Editor, Thank you so much for the recipes in last week’s edition of your newspaper. I have tried a couple out, and they are wonderful. What a great section. Keep it up! Jackie Cornswell via. Facebook. From Editor Keary Speer: Dear Jackie, Thank you for writing in your positive thoughts! I am so glad you tried and liked some of our recipes! You are welcome to also submit your own as well. That way you can return the favor! Hopefully we can continue to periodically print amazing recipes for the public to use. Thanks again! Dear Editor, I would like to hear your thoughts on the UFO that was spotted in the Russian protest. Ron Causwell via. Facebook From Editor Nicholas De Laat: Yes, and it looked like a helicopter carrying something. Remember, a UFO is not necessarily extraterrestrial, it is simply an un-identified flying object. I am not saying that that was your intention, but just in case… Dear Editor, Who are you going to vote for in the Republican Nomination? Personally I like Ron Paul, he is the best candidate that 1. Can beat our current president and 2. Will get our government back on track. Your thoughts? I know you are very into politics. Katie Welkeson via. E-mail From Editor Nicholas De Laat: I am not sure if I can vote for any of the candidates. I am not going to vote for the current President, and I don’t see anyone in the nomination that is constitutional. I think Ron Paul is the closest to being Constitutional, but I don’t think he can get past the Republican Big-Wigs. I am looking for a president who only says that he is an executive, and that his job is to run and implement the policies set forth by the legislature. I am sick of presidents that think they are legislators. He has a veto pen, and that is it. He is also supposed to handle foreign affairs and protect our country. As soon as I hear “I will create jobs,” and “I will fix the economy,” and “I will legislate for your rights,” I immediately stop listening. I am looking for a Statesman, not a politician, and I don’t see a statesman yet. I just might vote third party or write in as a protest vote. Disclaimer: This is the opinion of Nick only. There was a polite but heated debate in the office about this subject, and that tells you that Nick is not speaking for the rest of the Campbell County Observer staff.

I hope he gets the presents out. Kids all over the world are counting on that big, fat, jolly old guy. But Santa did not have a good year in 2011. It all started with PETA! They have seen about enough of a sleigh, pulled by animals that are forced to haul a 400lb pound man and enough gifts for every man woman and child on the planet, around the world, in one night. That’s got to hurt. I’m sure Prancer has pulled a muscle or two. Living up in the North Pole, I guarantee Santa is not a vegetarian. I hate to upset your kids like that so don’t let them read this but, I’m betting Santa keeps those deer around for more than just pulling the sleigh once a year. Being overweight, as Santa is, brought on the weight-loss Nazi’s demanding the old guy set a better example. “Fat Santa, fat kids,” they said. When Santa was caught grumbling that he has had just about enough of cookies and milk being replaced by vitamin water and carrots it sent the food Nazis off on an Anti-Santa publicity junket. “I have a lot to haul in one night. I need the carbs,” grumbled the formally jolly old man. “Besides, it’s cold up here. A man needs some body fat.” Then there was the little issue of the little guys that work for Santa. They were not UNION, complained SEIU. And the North Pole, apparently, is one of those “right to work” states that brought the wrath of several unions who demanded that the toy factory be moved to Washington State. On that note, have you ever seen anything but a white elf? No Asian or AfricanNorth-Pole-Elves? Well, Jesse Jackson and the NAACP sure as heck noticed, and demanded affirmative action and reparations on top of payoffs to their organizations. Come to think of it, what is with only employing WHITE elves? Now poor ole’ Santa is fighting off bad publicity from charges of racism, sexism, elf-ism, dwarfism, and any other “ism” that he could be sued over. Just fighting the lawsuits alone might put Santa’s factories out of business. He has now had to hire a team of lawyers, and you know that is costing a fortune. Speaking of factories, there is that little issue of Santa’s carbon footprint. See, windmills freeze up in the North Pole, and solar panels get covered in snow and ice, so Santa has no choice but to burn COAL! Where do you think he gets to excess coal for those bad kids? By the way, that’s Campbell County Coal, you’ll be happy to know. You can imagine how that has the environmentalist screaming. Santa needs to go GREEN, they say. But when you are charged, by GOD, with producing enough toys for every man, woman, and child, around the world, one needs reliable energy, and green energy is NOT reliable. More than once Santa has suggested drilling for the massive amounts of oil that has been

Monday, December 19

-Directors, 1:30 p.m., Chambers #1 -City Council Pre-meeting, 6-7 p.m., 3rdFloor Conference Room, City Hall -City Council Meeting, 7 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall

Tuesday, December 20

-Brieﬁng, 8 a.m., Conference Room -Commissioners Meeting, 9 a.m., Chambers #1 -Citizen Advisory Board Applications Due, 4 p.m., City of Gillette -Strategic Planning Ses-

sion City/County/Town of Wright/ CCSD/CCMH, 5 p.m., George Amos Building- Cottonwood Room -Rockpile Museum Quarterly Meeting, 6 p.m., Museum Board Room

Wednesday, December 21

-Public Works & Utilities Advisory Committee, 5:30 p.m., Engineering Conf. Room, 2nd Floor, City Hall -Campbell County Joint Powers Fire Board, 6 p.m., Fire Dept. Community Room, Station 1

Thursday, December 22

-Parks & Beautiﬁcation Board, 5:30 p.m., 2nd Floor Community Conference Room, City Hall

Monday, December 26

-Wright Town Workshop, 7 p.m., Room, Town Hall -Wright Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Room, Town Hall

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

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Council Council Council Council

Tuesday, December 27

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

discovered under his property and running his power plants on that. Again, you can imagine the outcry from environmentalist. See, there I went and mentioned that GOD thing. Santa has been having a bit of a problem with people who refuse to, or are afraid to, associate Christmas with Jesus. You’ve never seen one of God’s saints so angry as to spit ﬁre and brimstone until you have seen “Saint Nicholas” learn that kids are no longer supposed to remember that Christmas is about the baby Jesus. “What the HECK IS A HOLIDAY TREE?” Santa screamed. Elves went scurrying in every direction at the sound of his bellowing voice. “I’m not putting any toys under any HOLIDAY TREE! They are called CHRISTMAS TREES!” I’d tell you what ole’ Santa said after that but this newspaper could not and should not print words like that. Mrs. Claus poured the old guy a nice hot glass of apple cider, (the hard stuff) and went to work calming the old guy down. After that things seemed to be going well until Occupy North Pole showed up. Apparently, Santa is part of the “One Percent,” or something. He must be if he is to afford a factory that can crank out that many toys in one year and deliver them all in one night. Add to it that Santa, it seems, works with all the major retailers, (big corporations), all over the world and makes appearances in shopping malls and major retail stores and the “Occupiers” had no choice but to camp out on Santa’s front um - lawn. (There isn’t any grass up there in the North Pole, but you get the idea.) I understand that Mrs. Claus was out trying to talk to those Occupiers into leaving before Santa comes out the front door with his shotgun. Apparently, the sight of their trash and human refuse on white snow, plus the smell, is more than Santa can handle. “WHY DON’T YOU MAKE YER OWN TOYS NEXT YEAR?” Santa yelled out the window at them. “WHERE THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOUR KIDS GOT THOSE IPAD’s AND CELL PHONES FROM? THEY DON’T GROW ON ‘HOLIDAY TREES’ YOU KNOW!” After that Santa was heard to say that he was going to cut off the power that those kids were jacking into in order to recharge their electronics and keep their tents warm. “Those are MY power plants, after all,” Santa grumbled. “Bunch of ingrate moochers.” Last week, Santa got a note informing him of Senator Enzi’s news Internet Sales Tax. Since more people are asking for toys, online, apparently Santa must now start paying sales tax, when, up until now, he had been avoiding it. I don’t know about you but --- I’m feeling sorry for the guy. This year I plan to leave an extra cookie or two, next to a glass of hot cider, (the hard stuff), and I’ll leave it by the Christmas tree.

(307) 687-7070 2800 S. 4J Road Gillette, WY 82718

Sports Report Lady Camels finish second at Camel Basketball Tournament By Ted Ripko - Basin Radio Sports

Photo by Nathan Kobielusz - Basin Radio

The Gillette College Pronghorns fell to the Williston State College Tetons in the final seconds of the game despite Kash McKinney’s team-leading 16 points Saturday night.

The Gillette Lady Camels (3-1) rebounded from their first loss of the season with a dominating 70-26 win over Uintah, UT (0-6) in a game that Gillette led from start to finish and the outcome was never in doubt. The Lady Camels claimed second place in the Flogistix Camel Basketball Tournament after Natrona wrapped up the championship with another impressive win to remain undefeated on the season. The Fillies ran all over Rock Springs by the same score Gillette beat the Lady Utes, 70-26. Gillette ran out to a 22-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and held a 42-8 advantage going into halftime. That’s when Lady Camels Head Coach Mitch Holst had his team stop their full court pressure, which was wreaking havoc on the Lady Utes and forcing them into countless turnovers. Continuing her hot start to the season, Sierra Toms ended up with a career high 23 points. So far this season, Toms is averaging 14 points per game. Every Lady Camel that suited up for the game got on the scoreboard. Dani Williams and Lexi Hill each finished with 9 points, a career high for Hill.

Gillette also faired very well from the free throw line where they were 18 of 27 as a team and Hill was 5 of 6, while Williams made 3 of her attempts. For the Lady Utes they also shot well from the charity stripe, making 8 of 12. Uintah had seven different players score with Taylor Henline leading the way with 7 points. Once again, the Lady Camels have a short week of preparation as they’ll be preparing for the Flaming Gorge Tournament in Green River, which tips off on Thursday for Gillette when they take on Evanston (1-2) at 1:40 pm from Lincoln Middle School (LMS). Gillette took down the Lady Red Devils at last season’s Flaming Gorge 55-36 to hand Evanston their first defeat of the season after winning their first five games to start the season. The Lady Camels’ schedule for the rest of the tournament will see them playing American Fork, UT on Friday at 2:40 pm, at Green River High School, and then on Saturday they play bright and early against Star Valley at 8:15 am from LMS. You can hear all of Gillette’s games at the Flaming Gorge on 97.3 KAML FM and online athttp://www.network1sports.com/station/kaml#menus.

Photo by Clint Burton Campbell County Observer Photographer

Sierra Toms led the Lady Camels in scoring with a career high 23 points Saturday against the Utes.

Williston State defeats Gillette College at Buzzer By Vic Wright - Basin Radio As time was expiring, the Tetons of Williston State College were able to come away with a 7776 win against the Gillette College Pronghorns, as WSC made a 35-foot desperation shot to get the win. It was a heart breaker in which Kash McKinney led the team with 16 points, followed by George Edwards with 14. The Pronghorns fell for the second time in December and only the third on the season (not including the forfeit against the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture). Gillette College went 2-2 for the month. All of those games were on the road, and two of which they were without Head Coach Shawn Neary, guard Asante Smiter and forward Tony Lowry Jr. due to suspensions. The team will take a 10-4 record, 1-0 in Region IX play, into the holiday break. The team’s next game will be against Neary’s old team, Mile Community College, on January 7 at the South Campus at 7:30pm. You can hear the game on News/Talk 1270 KIML and online athttp://www. network1sports.com/station/kiml#menus.

Photos by Clint Burton Campbell County Observer Photographer

Gillette drops 2nd game in 3 days By Ted Ripko - Basin Radio Sports

Gillette (2-2) knew they would have their hands full before they even took to the court against Scottsbluff, NE (6-0) for the final game of the Flogistix Camel Basketball Tournament, but they believed that could compete against a team that had blown out both Rock Springs, who gave Gillette their first loss of the season 55-54, and Natrona County. After falling down by as many as 23 points in the second half, the Camels were able to get it as close as 8 late in the fourth quarter. However, they couldn’t get any closer as the Bearcats prevailed 73-63 at the Castle of Chaos. Scottsbluff was able to take advantage of the fact that Cody Anderson was in early foul trouble after picking up his second foul early in the first quarter. As a result, he sat out almost the entire rest of the first half, and the Bearcats jumped out to a 42-28 lead at half. Gillette was finally able to execute the way Head Coach Mike Curry had hoped they would in the fourth quarter, outscoring Scottsbluff 20-12. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. Three Camels finished

Twin Spruce Wrestling Results Submitted by Jeff Wagoner On Saturday, December 10th the Warrior Wrestling team of Twin Spruce competed in the Newcastle Team Tournament along with Douglas, Buffalo, Newcastle, Kaycee/Midwest, Wheatland, and Sage Valley. The Warriors won their pool by defeating Newcastle 72-19, Wheatland, 78-9, and Kaycee/Midwest 72-9. The Warriors were defeated by Sage Valley in the championship round 48-30. The coaches were proud of the performance of the Warriors, especially the never quit attitude of the 6th grade wrestlers. The team consisted of Kaleb Gossel, Austin Cunningham, Kolter Izatt, Michael Cunningham, Alvin Ross, Hunter Rawlins, Wyatt Rising, Tanner Potter, Dalton Mckinsey, Kurt Kremer, Mason Bonar, Logan Wagoner, Logan Bulkley, Tyson Keith, Johnny Ross, Ariel Dixon, Zach Clark, Colby Chandler, and Blake Griffin. Tanner Potter, Alvin Ross, and Logan Bulkley won the Heart Award for the week.

the night in double figures with Westin Hinkel’s career high 19 points leading the way. Anderson finished 17 points, including 15 in the second half. Sophomore Cody Kelley continued his hot start to the season with 10 points. Kelley has been in double figures in all but one of Gillette’s games. For the Bearcats, they were once again led by Zach Clemens who poured in a game high 23 points. During the tournament, Clemens averaged 18 points per game. Rich Williams was also in double figures for Scottsbluff with 16 points. Now the Camels have their sights set on the Flaming Gorge Tournament in Green River, which tips off for the Camels on Thursday against Union, UT at 8:20 pm from Green River High School (GRHS). Then on Friday, they’ll battle Evanston (3-0) at 11:20 am at GRHS and finally they’ll close out the tourney against Star Valley on Saturday at 11:45 am from Lincoln Middle School. You can hear all of Gillette’s games at the Flaming Gorge on 97.3 KAML FM and online athttp:// www.network1sports.com/ station/kaml#menus.

Sports Report Rider suspended for Jan. 7 game versus Miles

“The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital.” - Joe Paterno

What’s Going On In Sports?

By Vic Wright - Basin Radio Gillette College Pronghorns Women’s Head Coach Will Rider will be absent on January 7 when the Miles Community College Lady Pioneers come to the South Campus. Coach Rider will be serving a one-game suspension. Coach Rider was given a technical foul with four seconds to go in Saturday’s game against Williston State College, followed by a second technical without time going off the game clock. After his second technical, he was removed from the court and went into the team’s locker room. Per National Junior College Athletic Association rules, when you are removed from a game for a non-violent ejection you must serve a one-game suspension. Coach Rider’s suspension comes less than a month after Head Coach Shawn Neary of the Pronghorns Men’s team was suspended for two games. Assistant Coach Adam Jacobson will take the role of interim head coach when Rider serves his suspension against Miles Community College. This will be Jacobson’s first opportunity as a head coach at the NJCAA level, as an interim or permanent. Rider will be eligible to return at the head coaching spot against Western Wyoming Community College on January 11.

Friday, December 16

-CCHS BSW Riverton Duals/Invite, Riverton -CCHS GBB/BBB(JV/V) Flaming Gorge, Green River -CCHS WRE(V) Pat Weede Memorial Invite, South Campus -WJSH B/G BB @ Wind River -CCHS GBB/BBB(SO) vs. Arvada-Clearmont, 4 p.m., North Campus -Gillette WILD vs. Bozeman, 7:30 p.m., Haynes Pavilion

Saturday, December 17

Photo by Nathan Kobielusz - Basin Radio

Pronghorn Women’s Head Coach Will Rider will miss the Jan. 7 game in Gillette against Miles Community College as he serves a onegame suspension for being ejected in Saturday’s loss against Williston State College.

-CCHS BSW Riverton Duals/Invite, Riverton -CCHS GBB/BBB(JV/V) Flaming Gorge, Green River -CCHS WRE(JV) Bison Bonanza, Cheyenne South -CCHS WRE(V) Pat Weede Memorial Invite, South Campus -WJSH B/G BB @ Wind River -WJSH WRE, 9 a.m., Wright -Gillette WILD vs. Missoula, 8 p.m., Camplex Spirit Hall

Sunday, December 18

-Gillette WILD vs. Missoula, 1 p.m., Camplex Spirit Hall

Classifieds Help Wanted Cook needed at Lu La Bells. Motivated and Energetic. Days Only. Apply at Lu La bells. 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 670-8980. State Wide Sales people. Print Advertising Sales for new State-wide newspaper. Call 307-299-4662 Delivery Driver wanted. Retired? Want a little walking around cash? Work one day per week delivering the Campbell County Observer to people’s homes. Contact the Campbell County Observer at (307) 670-8980. Website/ad designer wanted. Must be familiar with building/maintaining websites and website advertising design. Commission and base salary pay. Call the Cowboy State Free Press at 307-670-8980

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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.

.380 Smith and Weston Bodyguard. Built in laser site. $450.00 firm. Trades possible. Call (307) 6827864. 1903 Springfield. 30o6 Cal. U.S. Military. $700 obo. Call (

Wanted to Buy I Buy Militaria. Swords, uniforms, bayonets, medals, guns/parts, field gear. 6827864 Newspaper vending machines. Contact us at: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com

Services

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

Homeowners and renters insurance for house, trailer, or apartments. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520

Manual Transmission for 93’ Chevy Pickup 4wd. Must be in good shape. Call 2572306.

Auto insurance preferred and SR-22’s. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520 Motorcycle and ATV insurance. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520

Sporting Goods

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

Tri-level house for sale 4 bed 2 bath $209,000 (307) 6701925. Gorgeous land home package set up in Wright. 3 bedroom, 2 full baths, hickory cabinets throughout, front porch, central air, and much more. Financing available. For a personal showing call (307) 687-0333 40+ Acres 2 miles south of Wright 1999 Atlantic Oak Modular. $250,000 OBO Call 307 - 680 – 2374 FSBO 2,688 SF home on corner lot with fenced back yard. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, upgraded kitchen, finished walkout basement, oversized garage. $259,000. 307-680-9180.

Miscellaneous

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

Apartments for Rent

Exterior door with window, interior light fixtures, and computer supplies. E-mail Corsair115@yahoo.com

Business Opportunities

Home Appliances/ Furnshings

Health problems? Try doTERRA certified pure essential oils. 307-680-0363. www. myvoffice.com/healingisbelieving

Microfiber couch with 2 recliners combined. Green. $100 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.

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Merchandise 1939 HA Selmer Trumpet $750 OBO. 687-1087 Spyder Semi-auto paint ball gun. cal..68 Special Edition. Only used twice! New $300 For you $175 plus two canisters. Call 680-1302 If you are interested in purchasing Nutrient Rich Ranch Raised Beef grown locally, call 307-340-1108. Great Jerky http://www.rberlinger.jerkydirect.com/ My First Computer hardly used. Asking $15. Call 605 - 545 – 1188 Five roasts and twelve pounds of hamburger for a flat rate. $150.00. All ranch raised beef. This is an approximate savings of 10% on the total. Contact Jason Walker at 307-686-0577 307) 682-7864

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

Booth Table. L-shaped. With Chairs. Seats 6. $500.00 Call 299-4967 Chest Freezer. $100. 307299-5918 Three antique pressedbacked oak chairs. Excellent condition. $85 each. 6820042 Storage Unit Sale!!!!! Home stereo, car speakers, 2 dressers, mattress and box spring sets $20, chests, coffee table, chairs, end tables and much more. Call (307) 682-7864

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

Spacious & new, 1, 2, &3 bdrm affordable apartments available now! Call 6858066. Washer and dryer in every unit. Private sunny patio or balcony. Special move-in rate, 1 bdrm: $694, 2 bdrm: $777, 3 bdrm: $888. Move in now and deduct $ 200 off first month while special lasts. Call Konnie or Celeste at Highland Properties 685-8066.

Personals

Hickey

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

Autos, Trucks and Vans

1981 Harley Davidson FXBSturgis, 1st dual-belt drive to commemorate Hill-Climb @ Sturgis, Jack-Pine Gypsies rally started in ‘41, 50th anniversary model. 12K on straight-up original paint, new Moetzler’s driven-by beefed Shovel, 102hp at wheel. Perfect in every aspect, serious inquiries only, loan is $15K and value of over 25K. Ben 680.7464, 3-other older bikes and this has to go to the right person!

Chopper - Custom built frame, s&s engine, carb, etc. 80ci. Evolution engine. Wide glide front end. Low. Torn apart down to frame. Have all parts, could be built in two days with under $200.00. Asking $5,500 or best offer. Price:$5,500obo. Contact: 307-670-2037

2008 Hyundai Sonata LMTD, 40,000 mi. $13,500, Call 307-660-2532. 1982 Chevy Ventura Van. 350 Engine, 400 Turbo newly rebuilt transmission. Interior in GREAT shape, has a working electric wet bar and built in cooler in back. Carb. needs re-jetted, other than that there are no problems. Must see. Asking $3,500 or best offer. Price:$3,500obo. Contact: 307-670-8980 1993 Chevy 1500 4x4 350 Engine, runs great. 5 spd. manual, transmission needs rebuilt. Transfer case in great condition. No other problems other than transmission. Asking $2,000 or best offer. Price: $2,000obo. Contact: 307-670-2037

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‘76 Electra-Glide would consider trade on Pan or Knuck if ya know of anyone, ‘81 sent it to LA-S&S, 11.5to1 and dual-plugged to run regular-gas, had burn-out time at Hog-Jam! Ben 680.7464. 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo SS (White) with 137,000 mi; $6500. Call 307 - 689 – 0966 1983 Ventura (Chevy) for sale. WORKING WET BAR. Closet, fold down rear seat bed, caption swivel chairs. Great shape. Needs carburetor adjustment. Newly rebuilt Transmission, 400 Turbo. $4,000.00. Call 307670-2037. 1986 Toyota Tercel 4x4. $1050.00. Call 307-2995918

2004 Yukon Denali XL,6.0 Motor, Loaded $14,000 OBO 660-9351

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Seeking a new member for our team! Looking for a public water system operator for sampling, monitoring and maintenance of water systems. Must be able to obtain a level 1 water license within one year. Will train highly motivated individual. Clean driving record, drug testing and background check. Wages are DOE. E-mail resume to therese@waterguywyoming.com or fax to 303-686-4044.

Sports Report Harry Houdini By Mike Borda

For as long as we have had culture, people have expressed the need to be entertained. Singers, actors, dancers, and all other types of entertainers have found success in running people through the gambit of emotions, both literally and vicariously. Some of these performers, however, have risen above the rest in their ability to both captivate and move us in ways that continually make us think. One of these performers was Harry Houdini. Born on March 24, 1874 under the name Erik Weisz, he was one of seven children born to Rabbi Mayer and Cecelia Weisz. The family came to America when Erik was four years old, arriving in New York and making their way to Appleton, Wisconsin. They did not stay there too long, however, moving nine years later to New York City. It was here that the future Houdini found his passion for performing. He first worked as a trapeze artist at age 9, and soon after began doing magic. He picked the name Harry Houdini in homage to a French magician he admired, and his life from that point would never be the same. He started out small, doing basic card tricks. His attention soon turned, however, and he began experimenting with escape acts. In 1893, still in his magic infancy, he met his future wife, at one of his performances no less. While performing a show with his brother, he met Wilhelmina Rahner, who was working in another act. They hit it off, and married less than a year later, with Wilhelmina becoming

Houdini’s assistant. They performed around the nation in small shows, until 1899 when he made an impression on a vaudeville operator named Martin Beck. They decided that Houdini should concentrate on his escape acts, and during a European tour, he finally decided that handcuff tricks would be his path to success. This path turned out to be wildly popular, and Houdini wowed crowds all across the European continent. By 1904, however, he had determined that it was time to move back to the United States. Upon his return, he began touring again, challenging himself further with tricks like straitjackets and chains. However, even these tricks eventually turned pedestrian for the great Houdini, and he soon began to take suggestions from the audience in order to create more danger and excitement for both himself and the crowds. The acts themselves are one of the more amazing parts of Houdini’s remarkable life. His acts eventually came to include such tricks as being locked in beer barrels, milk cans, and the infamous Chinese Water Torture Cell. In this performance, Houdini would lock his feet in stocks, hang upside down, and be lowered into a water tank. Once the curtain fell, he would make his escape. The legend of Harry Houdini would not end, however, with just magic. In his later life, Houdini also became a leading figure in films, aviation, and spiritualism. He spent many years disproving psychics and other super-

natural conjurers. In one of the more famous stories, Houdini and his wife agreed that after he died, there would be a code he would give if he found a way to communicate from the grave. They settled on “Rosabelle believe”, but to this day none of the séances held yearly have garnered results. Erik Weisz died on Halloween, October 31, 1926 in Detroit, Michigan. For years, he had a running challenge that he could endure any blow to the stomach. The week before he died, he had been feeling ill. The witness accounts say that when a local university student asked him (while Houdini was groggy) if the challenge was true, Houdini mumbled or nodded. The student punched him three times in the stomach, but since Houdini was not expecting it (or unaware of what was going on), he could not tighten his muscles. The force caused great damage, and he was diagnosed with appendicitis. He still performed that week, however, showing a true dedication to his craft. Harry Houdini was a man like few others. His ability to entertain was among the greatest in recorded history, and the ways in which he expanded our minds is something that we can still be thankful for today. He showed us that magicians are not just tricksters, but can also fuel imagination and enlighten the world from those who would try to deceive us. While he was not born an American, he showed the citizenship and character that we strive for and should be honored as simply a great man.

As Iraq and Afghan wars end, costs mount on pace to rival Vietnam By Chris Adams - McClatchy Newspapers The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may be winding down, but the long-term costs of caring for those wounded in battle is on path to rival the costs of the Vietnam War. While Vietnam extracted a far higher death toll — 58,000 compared with 6,300 so far in the war on terror — the number of documented disabilities from recent veterans is approaching the size of that earlier conflict, according to a McClatchy analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs data. The data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and detailing all disability payments to veterans of all wars, show that veterans leaving the military in recent years are filing for and receiving compensation for more injuries than did their fathers and grandfathers. At the same time, McClatchy found, the VA is losing ground in efforts to provide fast, efficient and accurate disability decisions. And the agency has yet to get control of a problem that has vexed it for years: The wide variation in disability payments by state and region, even for veterans with the same ailments. For soldiers now coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, this ongoing variation in an already-clogged disability system means the size of monthly compensation checks might be a quirk of geography. Given the nature of today’s disabilities, it’s difficult to calculate how much it all might ultimately cost. “We’re in somewhat uncharted waters,” said Linda Bilmes, a Harvard University professor who has conducted an exhaustive study on the long-term costs of the wars. Her most recent estimates, from 2010, indicate that providing disability payments to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans could range from $355 billion to $534 billion over the next 40 years; on top of that, costs to the VA’s medical system could range from $201 billion to $348 billion to treat veterans of the current wars. For the VA system, that means costs will grow for years to come — even as the country is entering a period of belttightening that could reduce the size of government and put a damper on the agency’s ability to find the money to pay these expenses. The fatalities in war are only a small portion of its ultimate human cost. Soldiers back from the war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, or the war in Iraq, which began in 2003, carry with them a lifetime of physical and mental reminders. According to VA and Department of Defense information compiled by the advocacy group Veterans for Common Sense, 2.2 million service members have deployed to one of the wars since Sept. 11, 2001; 942,000 have deployed two or more times. Of those, 6,300 service members have died, and 46,000 have suffered non-fatal wounds in action. But more than 600,000 veterans have filed for VA disability benefits, and more than 700,000 have been treated in the VA’s medical system.

“Right now, VA is getting about 10,000 new Iraq and Afghanistan claims and patients per month,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates, which helps veterans file their disability claims. “The numbers are devastating.” Compensating veterans for those injuries is the duty of the VA. The department has long been guided by the words of President Abraham Lincoln, who vowed “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.” The VA’s ability, or willingness, to do so has long been questioned by veterans who felt the agency tangled them in red tape. Those complaints are still aired, but outside observers say the VA has made changes in recent years to improve both its medical and disability systems. But the department is fighting a huge tide of new veterans back from Iraq and Afghanistan. With them comes a range of mental and physical ailments that generally worsen as a veteran ages. McClatchy analyzed the VA’s compensation database, which includes 3.2 million records documenting each veteran and his or her mental or physical disabilities; information that could identify a specific veteran was blacked out. The VA doesn’t actually specify whether somebody was in Iraq or Afghanistan, instead lumping all veterans from the first Iraq war in 1990 into a “Gulf War” category. McClatchy zeroed in on veterans who left active duty in 2003 or later, an approximate cohort of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Among the findings: • Recent veterans are filing claims at a far higher rate than veterans from previous wars or generations. That could make the eventual payout for the VA far higher than it has been for previous wars. • The VA’s disability payments are still wildly uneven, despite years of attempts to improve consistency to the regional offices that process veterans’ claims. It means, for example, that a veteran who lives in Kentucky is likely to have a higher disability payment than one who lives in South Dakota, often for the same ailment. • The speed at which the VA processes disability applications has gotten worse, and the percentage of claims with an error in them has worsened as well. In fiscal 2011, 16 percent of VA disability decisions contained an error, the VA’s own review shows, far higher than the 2 percent error rate the VA is aiming for. The VA said that it is working to do better and that it has hired 2,700 new workers. “We think we’ve got the problem identified and we think we have the right disciplines in place,” said Thomas Murphy, who directs the VA’s compensation program. The true cost of war can’t be known for years and decades after the last bullet has been fired and the final base torn down. A disability tied to military service might

take years to emerge and or might steadily worsen after it does. Bilmes, the Harvard professor who cowrote “The Three Trillion Dollar War” with Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, said the peak for paying out claims from World War II didn’t come until the 1980s. The peak for the Vietnam War, which ended nearly four decades ago, hasn’t yet been reached. “We expect to see the same kind of lag this time around,” said Bilmes. In addition to aging, the wars fought this time around have been different. Beyond that, there’s been a cultural shift among veterans and the VA. Veterans file disability claims with the VA if they’ve been injured during military service — whether in a combat zone or stateside. Based on the severity of the disability, the VA pays veterans compensation checks that range from $127 to $2,769 a month. Veterans today are applying with greater frequency and greater urgency than in years past. Part of that, Bilmes said, is the nature of these wars. In previous wars, a general seeing a brigade under stress might have pulled it back — putting the soldiers on kitchen duty for a while, she said. Now, those functions are being handled by contractors, eliminating that relief valve. “The guys who are out in the field are relentlessly out in the field,” she said. Beyond that, far more soldiers in this allvolunteer military have been back for two, three, four or five tours, and the long-term impact on hearing and on traumatic brain injuries caused by improvised explosive devices will be felt for years. Other factors are at play: Better war zone medical treatment means more injured soldiers come home alive. Veterans are more willing to claim their disabilities than were vets of previous generations, and the VA is more accommodating than it once was. According to VA data, the average Vietnam veteran in the VA system has 3.5 documented disabilities — more than those from the Korean War or World War II, but less than those in the Gulf War era. Veterans who have left military service since 2003 have an average of six disabilities on file, VA data show. These recent veterans have a combined total of 3.5 million disabilities on file, compared with 3.9 million from Vietnam, McClatchy’s analysis shows. While the annual cost of those Vietnam disabilities is higher, recent vets will see their monthly checks go up as they age. As it deals with the rush of new veterans, the VA also is contending with an overwhelmed system that is getting slower and sloppier — despite years of promises and efforts to fix it. The VA received a record 1.3 million disability claims in fiscal 2011. The time to decide those rose to an average of 188 days — far above the goal that no claim

take longer than 125 days, and going in the wrong direction. That should change, the VA’s Murphy said. Workers hired in the past three years are now experienced enough to handle the complex claims coming in. While some award decisions are relatively straightforward, McClatchy found that others — particularly those involving mental illnesses — are subject to wide variation among the VA’s regional offices that decide claims. The VA first confronted this problem in 2005, when news organizations reported that veterans’ monthly checks varied widely depending on where they lived. The VA pledged to improve its training to ensure consistently among its 57 regional offices. That wide variation still exists, McClatchy found — and particularly for posttraumatic stress disorder, one of the costliest disabilities of the war. For recent veterans who are part of the Louisville, Ky., regional office, 67 percent have a high PTSD rating; 17 percent have the highest rating of 100. For veterans who are part of the Sioux Falls, S.D., regional office, 42 percent have a high rating, and just 1 percent have the highest rating of 100. For “chronic adjustment disorder” — not as big a condition as PTSD but still involving 12,700 recent veterans — the spread was even more dramatic: 24 percent with a high rating in one office, just 4 percent in another. The reasons for the variation are many, but much of it goes to training — or the lack of it — at regional offices, as well as differing attitudes toward some of the bigticket disabilities such as PTSD. Sullivan, from the veterans’ advocacy group, said that the VA falters because of demands to “rush decisions, causing too many mistakes,” a “lack of thorough training for thousands of new claims processors” and “overly complex and adversarial regulations,” among other reasons. McClatchy’s analysis shows little change since 2005, and it shows some regional offices are consistently high while others are consistently low. The VA’s Murphy said the agency put in place a new system to guide the regional offices through their disability decision process. That, he said, should help improve consistency.

Who’s Brand is this in Campbell County? Find out in next week’s Campbell County Observer

Our Roots The Hardship Post By Jeff Morrison

When Major William Dye of the 4th Infantry arrived on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of La Prele Creek and the North Platte River in the summer of 1867, he decided he had found the perfect place to build the newest fort to be added to those constructed to protect the Bozeman Trail. Dye described the site in a report to the Adjutant General as “being neither so low as to be seriously affected by the rains or snow; nor as high and unprotected as to suffer from the winter winds.” As it turned out, he was completely wrong. Dye and four companies of infantry began building the new fort on July 19. On July 31 they named their new post Fort Fetterman, in honor of Captain William Fetterman who had disobeyed orders, blundered into an Indian ambush and died along with his entire command of 80 men the previous December near Fort Phil Kearney. Their first task was to acquire the material necessary to actually build the fort. When Forts Phil Kearney and C. F. Smith were built the year before, all the building materials were brought to the site in wagons. Both of those forts also had an ample supply of wood nearby from which lumber could be milled. Dye lacked both of these luxuries. Fortunately, forty-five miles upriver, and Dye sent his men there to salvage as much usable building materials as could be found. This turned out to be a slow process. When Lieutenant Colonel H. W. Wessells was arrived at Fetterman to take command in November, the

construction was nowhere near finished, and the men were still living in their field tents. “Officers and men,” he reported, “were found under canvas exposed on a bleak plain to violent and almost constant gales and very uncomfortable.” The new fort also lacked a ready source of potable water. Being on a plateau, digging a well was next to impossible, and so water was carried by hand from the river in buckets. Supplies and provisions for the garrison had to be hauled fifty miles from Fort Laramie, or brought north from the Union Pacific station at Medicine Bow. Freezing wind, supply shortages and water details eroded the moral of the garrison soldiers, and soon they began referring to their new post as “Fort Hell Hole”. When the Treaty of 1868 was signed, all forts north of the North Platte were scheduled for abandonment by the army. Fetterman was saved from decommission due to being located on the south side of the river, much to the disappointment of the hardluck garrison no doubt. This made Fetterman the northern-most fort along the Oregon Trail, and as such it was tactically important to the army; and so construction continued. After the initial construction phase, improvements and additions to the fort were made. Unlike the three Bozeman Trail forts, Fetterman was not a stockade. This meant there was plenty of room to spread out and grow. A hospital, Sutler’s store and theater were added. A water pump, driven by a steam-powered “donkey” engine was set up

on the river to relieve the water carriers and the fort was actually one of the first west of the Mississippi to have indoor plumbing. One of the earliest additions, albeit totally unsanctioned by the army, was an establishment called The Hog Ranch that was built a mile north of the fort. Gambling parlor, saloon and brothel all rolled into one, the “ranch” was one of the few moral lifters to be found that far from civilization. Regardless of the fact that a soldier looking to blow his $13 per month had to swim the North Platte and walk another mile just to get there, many a soldier was willing and the Hog Ranch quickly became the first place a duty sergeant searched when looking for AWOL troopers. In its heyday, Fort Fetterman was an important center of activity, not only for the army, but for the nearby Indians and settlers in the Platte Valley. General Crook made it his supply headquarters from which he launched his expedition during the 1876 “Sioux War”. Many famous people of the American West passed through Fetterman around this time, including: Jim Bridger, Buffalo Bill Cody, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

But to the soldiers stationed at Fort Fetterman it was always a hardship post. Desertions were frequent and at least two of the soldiers buried in the cemetery had died of selfinflicted gunshot wounds. Even one of the “soiled doves” from the Hog Ranch had killed herself by drinking a lethal dosage of laudanum. In 1874, Captain F. Van Vliet used a novel argument in requesting an immediate transfer him and his men, because there was “no opportunity for procuring fresh vegetables and gardens are a failure,” he complained to the Adjutant General, “There is no female society for enlisted men…the enlisted men of the company are leaving very much dissatisfied, as they look upon being held so long at this post as an unmerited punishment..” By 1882 Fetterman had outlived its usefulness as a frontier post, as far as the Department of the Interior was concerned. At long last the garrison soldiers got their wish and the army pulled out of Fort Fetterman for good, leaving the hated post to dry rot into dust. But the fort wasn’t ready to fade into the western sunset just yet. As the army left, the civilians moved in and Fort Fetterman became Fetter-

Bennett said the City of Gillette’s net assets grew by $33 million over the last year to $334 million. “That’s up $150 million over the last four years,” Bennett explains. “So the city basically doubled in four years.” According to Bennett, the net assets of the city are similar to the equity in a private firm. According to City of Gillette public information officer, Joe Lunne, the public should be able to view the city’s financial report online at the city’s website by the end of this week. Meanwhile, the mayor expressed his interest that the public should see the additional money the city receives from the additional 1 percent sales tax levy, which is subject to renewal every four years by voters

at a general election. “You collected $19 million [from the 1 percent sales tax levy],” says Bennett. “That’s 34 percent of the city’s revenues.” Murphy responded by saying it’s important that the city council continually express to the public the important role the 1 percent sales tax plays in the operation of the City of Gillette, rather than waiting until the election season to talk about the projects the levy supports. “I cautiously speak for the rest of the council in saying we could not run the city without that $19 million, without that one-third of our budget,” the mayor concluded. Following the preliminary report, the council and Shuck Bennett & Weber openly praised the city’s

staff. The section of the report that dealt with the Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs appeared squeaky clean. “There’s really two internal control and compliance reports summarized here. I’m very happy to say we had no findings,” Bennett says.

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Campbell, after jailing Capps in the old guardhouse, left his assistant deputy, Tom Walker, to watch the prisoner while Campbell went home to eat supper. He had barely sat down to eat before Walker came in and informed Campbell he could take his time with dinner. Walker claimed to have been surprised and overpowered by some of Elgin’s friends. Campbell returned to the jail to find Capps hanging from a protruding log on the corner of the building. Owen Wister was so impressed with the notorious town that it became the basis of the down he named Drybone in his first western novel, “Lin McLean”, written in 1887. Wister, of course, went on to pen the prototypical Western in 1902, and called it “The Virginian”. Fetterman City disappeared almost overnight in 1886. By then the railroad had made it as far as Antelope, which was moved a half mile closer to the tracks and renamed Douglas. The first citizens of Douglas faced a similar dilemma as did Major Dye in 1867, when he needed a source of building material. Perhaps the Major would not have been the least surprised to know that the first buildings in Douglas were made primarily from the buildings of Fort Fetterman.

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Audit shows city’s net assets grew $33 million in one year During Monday’s Gillette City Council workshop, the council heard an audit report from Shuck Bennett & Weber. Gillette Mayor, Tom Murphy, and the rest of the city council appeared to be pleased with the city’s financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. “I’m very pleased with the results you’re about to hear from our auditing team this evening,” explained City of Gillette administrator Carter Napier. “We’ve invited our auditors to present to you the preliminary draft of the audit this evening. We anticipate that the formal acceptance of the audit would be in our next regular meeting.” Murphy said he understood there was going to be good news, and invited Mike Bennett to begin his presentation.

man City – the wildest cow town in Wyoming Territory. During the four short years of the town’s turbulent existence, Fetterman City was host to many brawls, stabbings, and deadly gunfights. The town attracted cowhands from the surrounding area, partly due to the Hog Ranch and another notorious “watering hole” that had taken up residence in the old fort, and partly because it was the closest thing to a “real” town within 100 miles. Those wishing to avoid the law and other miscreants of society were also drawn to Fetterman due to the mistaken belief that the town, because it remained a federal reservation, was lawless. Malcolm Campbell, a recently appointed deputy, was tasked with keeping the relative peace in Fetterman. For the most part, he was successful in doing so by turning a blind eye to all but the most violent of infractions. In one incident a bitter feud turned deadly when a saloon owner in Fetterman went after the proprietor of the Hog Ranch. In the ensuing gunfight, five bystanders were shot – two of them later died of their wounds. Campbell didn’t make an arrest, mainly because the two combatants had managed to kill each other. On another occasion, a drunken cowhand named Red Capps killed Dick Elgin, the paymaster of the outfit they both worked for. Apparently Capps became belligerent when Elgin would not advance him more money after having spent all of his monthly pay. In an attempt to bully Elgin into giving in, Capps put his hand to this pistol in a threatening manner. The pistol discharged, grazing Capps on the hip. In his drunken state, Capps thought Elgin had fired his own pistol and so he drew and killed Elgin, then fled town on Elgin’s horse. He didn’t get far before the horse threw him and Campbell was able to arrest him without trouble.

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