March 21 28, 2014

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County Observer

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Volume 4 • Issue 12

March 21 - 28, 2014

ThisJune Week’s 17 - 24, 2011 Highlights “If it doesn’t have to do with Campbell County, we don’t care!”

www.campbellcountyobserver.net

• No Charges in Shooting .............. Page 6 • Street Renovation Plans ........................ Page 9

PINERIDGE “A ridge above the rest.”

• Bold Republic: Unlicensed ............. Page 11

Cleaning & Restoration

• Town Hall Meet with Haynes ........... Page 14

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Water, Fire & Mold Damage

Dusty Linder

307-660-7856 www.pineridgeclean.com

Photo by Dan Ekberg

On the Stump

Gubernatorial candidate Taylor Haynes stopped in Gillette for a town hall meeting at the Knights of Columbus last week. This will be Haynes’ second run for governor, this time as a Republican candidate.

• Cole Sports Report .................... Page 15 • Our Roots: Gillette Water Projects ....... Page 18

Governor to Mark Wyoming’s 4th Veterans Welcome Home Day n Friday, March 28, Governor Matt Mead will travel the state to several events thanking veterans for their service and welcoming home veterans who did not receive a proper reception after serving. As in past years, Governor Mead is joining with the Wyoming Veterans Commission to commemorate “Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day.” The day of welcoming was added to state law in 2011 during the 61st legislative session.

All Wyoming veterans, especially those from the Korean War, Vietnam War, and other veterans who were not properly recognized upon their return home, are invited to attend.

Military personnel, surviving spouses of veterans and family members are also invited.

“I look forward to greeting each veteran, welcoming each veteran, and passing along the thanks of a grateful state. Wyoming cares deeply for its veterans and this is a way to show

we care,” Governor Mead said. “It saddens the heart to know that men and women who served did not come home to handshakes and a supportive nation. It is a small gesture, but a necessary one, to pause and honor these veterans – to warmly welcome them home.”

• Ceremonies in Torrington will begin at 8:30 am at the Eastern Wyoming College Fine Arts Auditorium, 3200 West C Street.

• Ceremonies in Buffalo will begin at 11:00 am at the Veterans’ Home of Wyoming, 700 Veterans Lane.

• Ceremonies in Jackson will begin at 3:00 pm in the auditorium of the Jackson High School, 1910 High School Road.

This year’s ceremonies will feature remarks by Governor Matt Mead, Major General Luke Reiner, the Adjutant General of Wyoming, and Veterans Commission Chairman Al Ellefson of Hulett and Vice Chair Lee Alley, a Distinguished Service Cross recipi-

ent of the Vietnam War. Local officials and veterans from the community will also be speaking. Receiving lines will be formed so Wyoming residents can join the effort to thank our veterans. In the past, “Wyoming Veterans Welcome Home Day” events have taken place in Casper, Cheyenne, Wheatland, Gillette, Worland, Laramie, Sheridan, Riverton, Afton, Rock Springs and Cody.

“Wyoming veterans who served and sacrificed will be thanked for their efforts and welcomed home. It is never too late to say ‘thank you,’” said Al Ellefson, Chairman of the Wyoming Veterans Commission.

All Wyoming communities are encouraged to host celebrations to honor Wyoming veterans who may not have been thanked for their service or properly welcomed home.

For more information, contact the Wyoming Veterans Commission at (307) 777-8151.

Eekhoff Will Not Pursue 6th Term Campbell County Coroner Tom Eekhoff has announced he will not seek reelection as coroner. Below is a copy of his announcement.

March, 18 2014 – After considerable deliberation, I have decided not to pursue a 6th term as Campbell County Coroner. I would like to

THANK all the agencies and their members that I have worked with over the years. It has been an honor and pleasure working with all of you.

My thanks to Sheriff Bill Pownall, Chief of Police Jim Hloucal, Lt. Zilka of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, CC Fire Dept, CCMH, all personnel from

each of these entities and the countless others too numerous to list. I would also like to thank YOU, the people of Campbell County, for your continued support. It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve you as your county coroner.

Stone Will Not Seek Re-Election

After serving twelve years as Campbell County & Prosecuting Attorney, Jeani Stone is opting to not run for a fourth term. “The position has given me so many great opportunities and experiences. I have enjoyed the challenges, making the tough decisions, feeling like I have made a positive contribution to our community, and working with a lot of great individuals.

I have been able to focus on abuse and neglect cases, early intervention programs for juveniles, and working with victims of crime, all areas that I am passionate about. I have made some lifelong friendships with other prosecutors in the state, who I greatly admire and respect. I love my job, the opportunities that it has given me, and serving the community. It has really been a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am going to miss it.

“I hadn’t planned four years ago to run again, but felt at that time that my

leadership was still needed. A couple months ago, Ron Wirthwein, Chief Deputy, approached me and indicated that he was interested in running for County Attorney. I was thrilled that Ron wanted to step into this leadership role, as he is a talented trial attorney who has excelled as Chief Deputy. He has done a little of everything in the office, and has excelled with his prosecution of the high profile cases.

He has a good head on his shoulders and uses good judgment when faced with difficult decisions.

“A couple weeks ago, Lisa Finkey let me know that she was interested in the County Attorney position as well. Lisa worked at the County Attorney’s Office for a period of time and has good common sense in her approach with cases. Lisa also is a talented attorney and would also serve the county well.

“Given the individuals who have

stepped forward to run for the position, I know that the leadership of the office is in good hands. It is time to pass the reigns, and let someone else serve as County Attorney. The position is a highly demanding, both mentally and physically, with long hours and difficult decisions, and after giving the position 110%, it is time to have some renewed energy put in the leadership position. I hope to finish strong the next nine month and will help whomever is elected with a smooth transition.

“As to my future endeavors, I am going to see what opportunities come my way. More than likely I will continue to work with juveniles in some capacity. If the opportunity presents itself to stay as a Deputy County Attorney, I would likely continue, as I enjoy the work and feeling like I am making a difference every day.”

Community

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

In My Garden...

By Kathy Hall Campbell County Master Gardener khgardenhelp@gmail.com o what does a self-professed gardenaholic do when spring just doesn’t seem to want to get here? She conferences! It seems that late winter and early spring is when most of the gardening educational conferences begin to happen around the state (and beyond) and I strive to attend something plant oriented each year. As schedules come out I carefully arrange my calendar to accommodate as many seminars, conferences and classes as I can and then life happens. Other commitments pop up, weather blows in prohibiting travel or grandbabies are born (ha! I knew I could sneak that one in somewhere! I am a new, first time grandma (‘oma’ in my case) and plants have somehow slipped to second place!)

All the cards were dealt properly this weekend and I managed to slide in a trip to the State MG/FM conference in Sheridan. They had a great program and numerous speakers educating on everything from soils to bees to chickens and greenhouses. Even arranging the schedule of speaker sessions you want to attend can be daunting as there are always conflicts so I have to pick and choose which are more important to me.

I mapped out my weekend and settled into the dash from class to class ready to absorb information like a dehydrated sponge. The first class on my agenda was ‘Sustainable Ag: Soils maintenance. I have attended many ‘soils’ lectures and most often they are a snooze fest but I like to refresh my knowledge regularly so I settled in for the talk. I was so amazed by our speaker who kept us engaged and entertained while presenting the facts we all know and love about soil structure and maintaining and improving its health. I came away with not only a refresher course but there was a smile on my face and a bounce in my step. This was going to be a great conference!

My day continued with a seminar on greenhouse production and a meat chicken operation tickling my interest in both these subjects.

I have been exploring raising chickens and have always been fascinated by greenhouse production and hope someday to have both a little coop and not so little greenhouse. And on I went to a talk on ‘herbs’.

This class on herbs was so totally not what I expected delving into medicinal herbs and their variety and uses. The list of local ‘wild’ herbs that grow in our area just ready for harvest was impressive and others that were easily cultivated have me ready to jump into this art and start a whole new area of study.

Many samples of products were there for viewing and a home grown mint tea brewed as well as a salve for sore muscles and bruises concocted before our eyes. My little kitchen herb garden is about to take on a whole new dimension.

My final class of ‘day 1’ was tomato grafting.

If you are like me you are seeing all these commercials for that super tomato which involves grafting one plant onto another’s root stock. I understand the process but have never seen it done live on garden plants.

(I’ve only experienced fruit tree grafting.)

The beginning of the class was a lecture on plant biology and techniques. The speaker was from the Cheyenne botanic children’s garden so he was able to relate to us fanatical gardeners quite effectively. After our quite lecture time and a quick question and answer session we were able to get our hands dirty!

Everyone was allowed to pick their own seedling to be the scion (top portion of the grafted plant) and a corresponding seedling for the root stock…..

Stay tuned for next week’s conference coverage: Tomato Grafting; success or failure?!

Happy gardening everyone!

Find the Solution on Page 17

The Dinner Bell

By Holly Galloway One of my sons introduced me to some very authentic Latin American cooking. He served this country in the Marine Corp for over nine years, and lived in many areas of the world. He would come home on leave and always show me something new that he had learned. During his last three years in the corp he worked at our embassies in three different countries; Chile being the last one. This past December he was honorably released and is now attending school on the G.I. Bill. Hallelujah!

Bob Rohan is a cartoonist in Houston, Texas and has been drawing “Buffalo Gals” since 1995. He was awarded “Best Cowboy Cartoonist” in 2009 by The Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Awards out of Gene Autry, Oklahoma.

Campbell County Observer

Chilequiles

4 C. Shredded Cooked Chicken or Turkey 1 C. Sour Cream 12 Corn Tortillas, cut into strips 4 C. Shredded Cheese (any type you like) 3 C. Salsa Verde ½ C. Heavy Cream In a 9x13 inch pan, place half of the shredded chicken.

Place half of the Salsa Verde on top and spread it to cover the chicken.

In a small bowl, mix the cream and sour cream together.

Spread half of this on top of the salsa verde.

Top with half of the tortillas strips and half of the shredded cheese.

Repeat.

Bake this at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Now for a zesty sauce that you can put on top of this casserole if desired or on a taco.

CampbellCountyObserver.net (307) 670-8980 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 • Gillette, WY 82716 (PP-1) Volume 4 Issue 12 The Campbell County Observer is published

by Patriot Publishing L.L.C. in Gillette, WY every Friday.

1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 • Gillette, WY 82716 Postmaster: Send address changes to 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 • Gillette, WY 82716 Candice De Laat - Owner/Publisher CandiceDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com Nicholas De Laat - Publisher NicholasDeLaat@CampbellCountyObserver.com Jeff Morrison - Editor (Local History Columnist) JeffMorrison@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Fresh Cilantro Lime Sauce

3 Limes, juiced and zested 2 Garlic Cloves 1 tsp. agave nectar 1 bunch Cilantro, washed ½ C. Plain Greek Yogurt Salt to taste In a food processor or blender, add the cilantro (leaving the stems out) the lime juice and zest, agave nectar, garlic cloves, yogurt and salt.

Blend until everything is pureed.

Enjoy!!

Clint Burton - Photographer ClintBurton@CampbellCountyObserver.com Anne Peterson - Advertising Sales Manager AnnePeterson@CampbellCountyObserver.com Lisa Sherman - Advertising Sales Rep LisaSherman@CampbellCountyObserver.com Bridget Storm - Advertising Sales Rep B.Storm@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Writers Glenn Woods (Political Column) GlennWoods@CampbellCountyObserver.com Mike Borda (American History) MichaelBorda@CampbellCountyObserver.com James Grabrick (Where is This?)

JamesGrabrick@CampbellCountyObserver.com Holly Galloway - Writer/Government H.Galloway@CampbellCountyObserver.com Tony Heidel - Writer/The Cole Sports Report Sports@CampbellCountyObserver.com Duke Taber - Writer/Comunity/Ad Design DukeTaber@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Weekly Weather Forecast

Saturday,

Sunday,

Monday,

Tuesday,

Wednesday,

Thursday,

Friday,

March 22

March 23

March 24

March 25

March 26

March 27

March 28

30/18

39/22

32/15

30/21

47/29

42/28

51/33

Precipitation: 20% Wind: N at 12

Precipitation: 30% Wind: W at 12

Precipitation: 30% Wind: NNW at 10

Precipitation: 10% Wind: SW at 10

Precipitation: 0% Wind: S at 10

Precipitation: 20% Wind: WSW at 12

Precipitation: 0% Wind: WSW at 13

Weekly Weather Forecast Sponsored by

Dr. Daniel J. Morrison, DDS Dr. Amber Ide, DDS

We accept Delta Dental and Kid Care Chip.

307-682-3353 • 2

Community

Campbell County Observer

March 21 - 28, 2014

Summer Retail Opportunities Opening Up for Wyo-Made Products he Wyoming Business Council is encouraging companies that sell Wyoming-made products to begin planning now for summer retail opportunities.

The Wyoming Business Council manages the General Mercantile in the Old Frontier Town at Cheyenne Frontier Days, the Wyoming Mercantile at the Wyoming State Fair, and the Wyoming State Fair Farmers Market.

“All three opportunities see a lot of traffic and are a fantastic way for Wyoming companies to market and sell their products,” said Terri Barr, Wyoming Products program manager.

“Sales have been great the last few years at Cheyenne Frontier Days and State Fair, and we hope to continue the trend. We encourage companies

to start planning now if they are interested in participating.”

The General Mercantile at Cheyenne Frontier Days runs July 18-27. The Old Frontier Town highlights Western merchants, craftspeople and artisans.

Products must be western, frontier or uniquely Wyoming in nature. The General Mercantile is limited in space and can only accept product from 40 companies. This event is open only to current Wyoming First members.

A Business Council committee determines the best product mix for the mercantile.

The Wyoming State Fair will run Aug. 9–16, in Douglas, Wyo. The Wyoming Mercantile will be open each day during State Fair and will sell merchandise that is made in or substan-

tially enhanced in Wyoming.

Applications to participate in both the Frontier Days and State Fair Mercantile are due by April 1. For information about the General Mercantile and the Wyoming Mercantile contact Terri Barr at 307.777.2807 or terri.barr@ wyo.gov.

The Wyoming State Fair Farmers Market will be held Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Douglas, Wyo. Space for companies interested in participating is free. Products range from fresh produce, BBQ sauces, jams and jellies, to popcorn and lotions, among other items. If you are interested in selling at the State Fair Farmers Market contact Donn Randall at 307.777.6578 or donn.randall@ wyo.gov.

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

307-686-6666

New Campaign Promotes Sexually Transmitted Disease Testing The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) continues to promote free and confidential testing for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through its recently updated “KnoWyo” campaign.

The WDH effort aims to promote awareness as well as prevent disease by providing vouchers for free testing services to Wyoming residents. Participants simply visit KnoWyo.org, select their location and then print a voucher for free testing at locations throughout the state.

“Unfortunately, our data shows us 1 in 17 young people in Wyoming between the ages of 15 to 25 has a sexually transmitted

disease,” said Tai Cooper, interim WDH Communicable Disease Prevention Program manager. “Many may not realize they have been infected and that’s why testing is so important.”

Cooper said the voucher program is not new. “We’ve successfully encouraged testing over the last few years with the KnoWyo campaign. Our new theme uses a touch of humor to get attention for what can be a serious health issue,” she said.

The updated campaign encourages audiences to “Make 1 Count.” The campaign explains, “We’ll each go 2,500 times this year” and “we each have 165 ounces of blood.” Wyo-

ming residents are asked to “make 1 count” with HIV and STD tests.

KnoWyo will use a variety of tactics to both increase awareness of the voucher program and increase the number of redeemed vouchers. Highlights include a new television commercial and an aggressive social media campaign. An interactive Facebook app estimates how many of the user’s friends might have an STD. “Bathroom takeovers” have been popping up across the state, and a booth is planned at summer and fall entertainment events.

“These new tactics are exciting additions to our marketing efforts,” said

Cooper. “We view ‘Make 1 Count’ as a fun and engaging way of communicating with our target audiences, which includes sexually active young people between the ages of 15 to 25, men who have sex with men and injection drug users.” The KnoWyo campaign is produced for WDH by Adbay, a Casper-based advertising agency.

Find the Solution on Page 17

Women’s Council Seeks Award Nominations

The Wyoming Council for Women’s Issues is seeking nominations for its 2014 Woman of Distinction and Employer of Choice Awards.

According to Sherrill Helzer of Torrington, chair of the Home and Community committee responsible for selecting the annual Woman of Distinction recipient, nominations should be sent to the Wyoming Business Council in care of Chava Case by April 30. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime recognition for the recipient’s impact on women and/or families in one or more of our council’s areas of focus: education, employment, community outreach, legal issues or health and wellness,” Helzer said. “In addition to welcoming new nomination packets, we will also consider those received during the last three years.”

Previously honored as WCWI Women of Distinction, from 2013 through 2000,respectively, are Lynne McAuliffe of Riverton, Bev Dye of Casper, Dessie Bebout of Riverton, Linda Fleming of Baggs, Mickey Babcock of Jackson, Connie Coca of Laramie, Willadeen Chamberlin of Cheyenne, Anne Robinson of Casper, Frances “Merle” Haas of Ethete, Kayne Pyatt of Evanston, Cindy Knight

of Jackson, Denice Wheeler of Evanston, Mary K. Schwope of Cheyenne and Oralia Mercado of Casper.

Formerly known as the Summit Award, WCWI’s Employment of Choice Award recognizes Wyoming companies for implementing family-friendly practices benefitting their employees and their families. “We especially encourage and applaud businesses that offer flexibility and minimize the stresses of balancing work and family obligations while increasing employee productivity,” said Tammie Archibald of Afton, chair of WCWI’s Employment Practices committee responsible for choosing recipients. “Our recipients - most recently the Wyoming offices of the law firm of Holland and Hart, CLIMB Wyoming, Peregrine Leadership and Wind River Casino - typically have in place generous family leave policies, part-time/flex-time options, opportunities to work remotely away from the office when necessary and more.” Nominations from the previous three years will be considered along with new nomination packets, she added.

WCWI’s Woman of Distinction Award is presented during a no-host luncheon

coordinated by the Home and Community committee in the recipient’s home town in late summer or early fall.

The Employer of Choice Award is typically presented during the Governor’s Business Forum in Cheyenne in November .

For more information or to receive 2014 nomination forms for either WCWI’s Woman of Distinction or Employer of Choice Awards, visit www. wyomingwomenscouncil. org or contact theWyoming Business Council at (307) 777-2823. A Woman of Distinction booklet with recipient photos and short bios is also available.

Penrose Place Apartments

in Sheridan, WY Great News for Seniors 62 Yrs of Age or Older Comfortable One-Bedroom Apartments Accepting Applications for Seniors

CALL 307-751-7110 307-672-0475 TTY (800) 877-9965

• Rent Based on Income, HUD 202 PRAC Program • On-Site Community Administrator • Off Street Parking • Mailboxes on Premises • Laundry Facility •Gas, Water, Sewer & Trash Pickup Paid by Penrose Place • Community Room Available for Social Gatherings and Meetings For More Information or Application: 1876 S. Sheridan Avenue • Sheridan, WY 82801 • 307-672-0475

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Find the Solution on Page 17

Community

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Hope’s Haven

Dear Readers, Welcome to “Hope’s Haven”. Hope: to believe, desire, or trust. Haven: any place of shelter and safety; refuge.

“Hope’s Haven” is a column that will be filled with life testimonies from real people just like you. God’s grace, mercy and love will weave through each testimony that is printed in this column. The text of the articles submitted will be left in the writer’s original verbiage (we will spell check and do minimal grammar correction). If you would like to share the good news of how God’s grace has blessed your life please send your testimony to: praiseGod@CampbellCountyObserver.com

Christ in Colossians (Part 1 of 5) “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Col 1:15 The book of Colossians in the New Testament has been a source of encouragement to Christians in many circumstances. It is quite brief. In my Bible it covers a little more than two pages, and yet only eternity will tell how powerful its message has been in the lives of believers over the last 2000 years.

The reason for this is that it has so much to tell us about Jesus Christ, who He is and what He has done for us. He, Jesus, is the vital message for us in this day and age. The media screams at us and demands our attention, the internet and the web pound us with advertising and e-mails, prominent personalities invade our televisions and movie screens promoting their particular projects and calling for action. And yet through the urgency and frenetic pace of our world, the message of Jesus quietly continues to arrest the attention men and women.

When it does, it brings change. Change which consists of love, peace, joy, forgiveness, purpose and a personal relationship with the Living God, things that humans crave for, yet are unable to attain by themselves.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be taking a very brief and simple look at a number of the statements about Jesus in this remarkable part of the Bible. I do pray that you will find them meaningful and encouraging for your life.

Being sent by Jesus “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ” Col 1:1 Paul was an apostle. An apostle is a person who is sent on a particular mission.

In one sense everyone who believes in Jesus and who has received the gift of eternal life, is sent by Jesus to serve and proclaim Him. But there is another important meaning to the word apostle. The twelve apostles who were appointed by Jesus, were especially commissioned to take the teachings of Jesus to all of

those who believed in Him. See Matthew 28:20. (By the way, Paul took the place of Judas who had betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide) Sometimes this mission was carried out by preaching, but more importantly for us, often what the apostles taught was also written down. This is where our New Testament came from. Every book in the New Testament was either written by an apostle (for example John, James or Paul) or by someone who knew and had heard an apostle personally and could accurately record their teachings (Mark or

Luke).

What does this mean to us? Well two things, firstly, it means that we can trust the accuracy, truth and authority of the New Testament. It came from those who had been appointed by Jesus himself. Secondly, it serves as a warning to us to test any teaching and preaching we hear. Does it have the stamp of an apostle on it (that is, is it in full accord with all of the New Testament)? If not, there may be dangerous error lurking somewhere and we need to beware.

Blessings, Graham Kissack from Accrington UK

Poetry on the Wind

“Mirror”

By David Dunbar

Am I Who, You of Cares, Do you Know, Know of You. Created You, Seen to Be, Grow up to Be, Which seed are You. Eternal internal Question, Lies of Not, Where am I, What is Answer.

A look in the mirror: Answer is What, I am Where, Not of Lies, Question internal Eternal.

Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM #3 Industrial Dr. Pine Haven Wy. 689-8326

Come Holy Spirit

You are seed Which, Be to up Grow, Be to Seen, You Created.

You of Know, Know you Do, Cares of You, Who I Am.

Roadway Alliance Church 687-7738 811 Hemlock Ave Gillette, WY Sun. Service: 10:15 am Gillette Christian Center 686-6680 6201 Swanson Rd Gillette, WY Sun. 7am Men’s Bible Study 9:30 Coffee Café Sun. Worship 10am 11:15am

Living Rock Church “Life of the Rock” 670-1518 1001 S. Douglas Hwy Bld B Sun. Service 9am & 10:45am Open Door Church 685-3337 111 E 2nd St Gillette, WY Sun. Worship 10am Wed. Worship 6:30pm www.gillette-church.com Grace Bible Church 686-1516 4000 Collins E Rd Gillette, WY Sun. School 9:00 Worship 10:00am Evening Service 6:00 PM Cornerstone Church Of God 686-6429 406 S Brooks Ave Gillette, WY Sun. School 9:15am Worship 10:30 Seventh-day Adventist Church 682-8465 901 Apricot St Gillette, WY Sabbath School: 09:30A Worship Service: 11:00A Vineyard Christian Fellowship 686-2485 585 Westside Dr Gillette, WY 9 am - Men’s Study/Fellowship, 10 am - Vineyard Cafe Opens (Coffees/ Pastries), 10:30 am - Worship and the Word, 6 pm - Various Activities First Baptist Church 682-4816 501 S Gillette Ave Gillette, WY Sun. 10:45am Sunday School for All Ages at 9:30am Mike Morrison Ministries 685-2272 2 W McKenzie Rd, 82716 Gillette, WY Tuesday night Bible Study 7:00 - 9:00 Saturday Night 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran 686-4080 1010 W Beaver Dr Gillette, WY Service 9am

First United Methodist Church 686-7339 2000 W Lakeway Rd Gillette, WY Sun. Contemplative Service 8am Sun. Blended Service 9:15-10:15 Sunday School 10:30

Antelope Valley Baptist Church 682-1602 2801 Antler Rd Gillette, WY First Assembly Of God-family 682-3308 601 Carey Ave Gillette, WY Sun. School 9:30 Sun. Worship 8am, 10:30am 6pm

Westside Baptist Church 682-3505 604 W 10th St Gillette, WY Sun. Worship 8am Sunday School 9:30 Sun. Worship 10:45 Hispanic Service 6pm

St Matthew’s Catholic Church 682-3319 1000 Butler Spaeth Rd Gillette, WY Sat 5:00pm Sun 9:00am & 11:00am Sun 5:00pm Spanish Mass

Central Baptist Church 682-2543 1170 Country Club Rd Gillette, WY Sun 7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study 9:30 Worship Service 10:00am 11:15am

Emanuel Southern Baptist Church 686-4132 1851 Chara Ave Gillette, WY

New Life Wesleyan Church 682-5642 1000 Comanche Ave Gillette, WY Sun. 9:15 & 10:45

High Plain Community Church 685-0044 3101 W Lakeway Rd Gillette, WY Sun. Worship 9am and 11am 7pm. Wed. Worship

Church Of Christ 682-2528 1204 T-7 Ln Gillette, WY Sun. Bible Study 9am Sun. Worship 10am & 6pm

Trinity Lutheran Church 682-4886 1001 E 9th St Gillette, WY Sun. School 9:15am Sun. 8am and 10:30am

Calvary Missionary Baptist Church 682-9779 600 Longmont St Gillette, WY Sun. School 10am Worship 11am 6PM

Jericho Baptist Church 686-5626 211 S Brooks Ave Gillette, WY 10am Sun. School 11am Sun. Worship 6pm Sun. Worship 7pm Wed. Worship

Christian Church 682-3316 100 E Flying Circle Dr Gillette, WY Sun 10:30am First Presbyterian Church 682-7264 511 Carey Ave Gillette, WY Sun. Sun. 10am Wed 6pm Adult Bible Study & P-K – 7th, 8th – 12th 6:30pm

First Church Of The Nazarene 682-2562 3010 W 4J Rd Gillette, WY Sun. School 9:30am Worship: Sun. 10:45am Wed. Bible Study 6:30

Family Life Church 687-1083 480 State Highway 50 Gillette, WY Sun. 9am

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church 682-4296 804 Emerson Gillette, WY 10am Sunday

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Jesus Christ of LDS 555 Wright Blvd.

Wright, WY 9am Sun. Worship Jesus Christ of LDS 2903 Aqllen Avel Gillette, WY 9am Sun. Worship 11am Sun. Worship Jesus Christ of LDS 1500 O’Hera Gillette, WY 9am Sun. Worship 11am Sun. Worship Westside Baptist Church 682-3505 604 W 10th St Gillette, WY Sun. Worship 8am & 10:45 Sun. School 9:30 Bible Study 6:00pm Abundant Life United Pentecostal Church 687-0074 1612 E Us Highway 14-16 Gillette, WY 82716 Sun. 10 to 11:30 Wed. 7pm to 8:30 pm Calvary Community Church 682-9553 631 N Commercial Dr Gillette, WY 82716 Sunday School 9:15 10:30 Worship 6:00pm Foundations Class Faith Community Church 682-7333 177 American Rd Gillette, WY 82716 Sunday School 9:45am Service 10:45am Wed Evening Study 7pm Prairie Wind Unitarian Universalists 686-4812 10am 2nd & 4th Sun at Lakeway Learning Center Wright Baptist Church 464-0464 225 Ranchero Dr Wright, WY 82732 Sun 9:30am Bible Study 10:45am Worship Service 6:00pm Evening Prayer & Discipleship St Francis on-the-Prairie 464-0028 357 Willowcreek Dr. Wright, WY 82732 Sun. 10am Wed. 5:30 Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church 682-3319 624 Wright Blvd Wright, WY 82732 Sun 5:30pm

Community

Campbell County Observer

March 21 - 28, 2014

Women’s Council Reschedules Planning Meeting

American Radio and Hi-Fi welcomed their new store with a ribbon cutting on March 13, 2014 at 4:p.m. Jerry and Mary Green are excited for the new space as more space equals more merchandise. They are

the store that now carries the “Smart T.V.” They welcome the opportunity to be in a new location at 2610 S. Douglas Highway Suite 235 Powder Basin Shopping Center.

Just two doors south of Petco.

Is Bead Fishing Legal in Wyoming? n recent years the use of trout beads is gaining popularity as a method to fish for trout in many states throughout the country.

Depending how the bead is rigged on the line, it may or may not be legal under Wyoming statutes. Wyoming law prohibits the snagging of fish and the definition of “snag” under Wyoming laws is “Attempting to take a fish in such a manner that the fish does not take the hook voluntarily into its mouth.”

Currently, attaching the bead to the leader above a bare hook is an illegal fishing method. Fish caught by this technique do not take the hook into its mouth, but bite the bead. When the fish bites the bead the angler feel-

ing the hit pulls back so the line slides through the fish’s mouth snagging the fish on the outside of its mouth. Because the fish is not voluntarily taking the hook into its mouth, this method of rigging the bead is a method of snagging so it is illegal under Wyoming law.

A trout bead used as an attractor in combination with a fly is a legal method. When used as an attractor the bead should be fixed on the leader two (2) inches or less above the fly to minimize injury to the fish.

Due to growing interest in this fishing method, Game and Fish biologists will be collecting data and asking for public input to help determine if statutory/regulatory changes are warrant-

ed in order to clarify the snagging law and how it pertains to bead fishing.

Based on data collected and public input, the Game and Fish Department will determine if using a bead as a lure (fixed on a leader with a trailing bare hook) should be legal or illegal, and in either case, will attempt to clarify the snagging regulation.

Game and Fish officials say they will be holding public meetings this summer to receive input regarding possible changes to Wyoming fishing regulations pertaining to bead fishing.

Snagging is defined on page 5 of the Wyoming Fishing Regulations. The prohibition of snagging is on page 6 of the fishing regulations booklet.

Industry Leaders Form Construction Safety Alliance

Governor Matt Mead thanks leaders from the Wyoming construction industry for creating a Wyoming Construction Safety Alliance. The Governor notes the value of such a coalition to improve safety on the jobsite, where safety is imperative.

“Formalizing this Alliance is an important step. I thank those from industry for taking action – it sends the message that safety is priority number one. As those in construction can share what works, better on the ground practices should result,” Governor Mead said.

“The state has resources in place to support workplace

safety and provide grants for enhanced safety equipment and training. We are making progress on workplace safety and must remain focused to continue to see improvements.”

Representatives from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) are supporting the Wyoming Construction Safety Alliance, including State Occupational Epidemiologist Dr. C. Mack Sewell. Dr. Sewell released a outlining workplace fatalities and their circumstances by industry for 2012. This report can provide important data for those in the Alliance.

“The Construction Safety

Alliance will provide more opportunity for Wyoming construction companies to share best practices regarding improving worker safety throughout the industry,” said Joan Evans Director of the DWS. “I applaud the partnership forged today.”

Several industry groups have formed over the past several years dedicated to promote safety in the workplace including the flagship coalition of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Industry Safety Alliance (WOGISA), the Wyoming Refinery Safety Alliance and the Transportation Safety Coalition. Although the DWS provides some assistance, these

groups are run entirely by industry representatives.

Each group has identified needs in its respective industry to improve the safety culture and well-being of workers.

State Engineer Appoints Deputy State Engineer

Wyoming State Engineer, Patrick T. Tyrrell wishes to announce the appointment of Philip Stuckert, P.E. to the position of Deputy State Engineer effective March 31, 2014. Mr. Stuckert replaces Greg W. Lanning, who resigned effective March 6, 2014, to take a public utilities manager position in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Mr. Stuckert was born and raised in Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Mr. Stuckert’s career experience includes work as the Public Services Director for the City of Casper and most recently he has served as the for the City of Lakeland, Tennessee. He is a registered

Professional Engineer in the States of Wyoming, Colorado and Tennessee State Engineer Patrick T. Tyrrell congratulates Philip on his appointment. “I am excited Phil will be joining us at the State Engineer’s Office. His Wyoming roots and experience as an engineer and administrator will serve the agency, the state, and our constituents well.”

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he Wyoming Council for Women’s Issues will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 29 in the Wyoming Business Council board room in Cheyenne.

Originally scheduled March 1, following the Council’s sponsorship of and participation in the February Leap into Leadership conference, the quarterly business meeting was postponed because of weather concerns. WCWI meetings are open to the public.

According to Chair Carma Corra, the March meeting will be facilitated by Mary Randolph of the Wyoming Business Council and will include an analysis of the organization, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. “We will review and validate the purpose of our organization and our structure and programs, develop goals and action items for 2014 and beyond, discuss leadership succession and transition and develop a plan to expend remaining funds before the current biennium ends in June,” Corra said.

The Wyoming Council for Women’s Issues focuses on the needs and concerns of women and girls in Wyoming, educates the public and government on the current status of women in the state and brings attention to related issues through a variety of events, activities, publications and partnerships. Volunteer members are appointed by the Governor and include representatives from each of the nine judicial districts, four persons chosen at large and one ex-officio member from the Wyoming Business Council.

Current members include Corra of Cheyenne, chair; Jan Torres of Rock Springs, vice chair and education committee chair; Maureen Neavill of Sheridan, secretary; Pamela Downing of Cheyenne, treasurer; Tammie Archibald of Afton, employment practices chair; Sherrill Helzer of Torrington, home and community chair; Suzan Campbell of Laramie, legal rights and responsibilities chair; Candy Dooper of Lusk; Donna Thompson of Riverton; Laurel Vicklund of Gillette; Mary Billiter of Casper; Susan Bates of Rock Springs; Susan Peck of Lovell; and Chava Case of Cheyenne, ex-officio.

For additional information about WCWI, visit www. wyomingwomenscouncil.org or Facebook or contact the Business Council at (307) 777-2823.

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Community

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

No Charges to be Filed in Wright Shooting he Campbell County and Prosecuting Attorney’s office released the following statement on March 14, 2014, in regards to the recent fatal shooting in Wright Wyoming: No criminal charges will be filed against the fourteen year old who shot and killed Sam Fears on February 19, 2014. After review of the investigation it appears that the juvenile’s actions were as a result of self-defense or defense of others and were justified.

On February 19, 2014, the Campbell County Sheriffs Department responded to 215 Nelson Court, South of Wright, Wyoming, to a report of shot being fired.

Upon arrival, deputies found Sammy Fears, age 48, lying in the driveway to the residence. Life saving steps were taken, however, Fears subsequently died enroute to the hospital as a result of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Investigators learned that Cathy Fears, Sam Fears’ wife, had recently left him as a result of allegations of ongoing domestic violence and abuse. Cathy reported that her husband had been abusing her for four or five years and that she and Sam had been married for twenty-four years.

Cathy reported that on numerous occasions she had reported incidents to the Casper Police Department but felt that those calls did not help. Cathy reported that Sam had threatened to kill her on a number of occasions.

In an attempt to get away from Sam, Cathy moved from Casper to Wright on February 14, 2014, and was staying with Jason Grannis, and a fifteen year old, D.G. On the evening of February 19, 2014, Cathy and D.G. were

at the residence. Cathy heard a knock at the back door of the trailer and ran to the back room where D.G. was at, concerned that her husband Sam Fears may have come to Wright. Sam could not gain entry from the back door as it was locked, and subsequently found the front door unlocked and gained entry into the residence. Cathy came out of the back room and confronted Sam in the living room area. Sam grabbed Cathy by the shirt collar area, picking her up using both arms, picking her up off the ground, and eventually began dragging her from the residence. D.G. described Sam as “violently” grabbing Cathy and attempting to carry her out of the residence. Cathy stated that she was fighting Sam putting her in the car. Cathy was taken to Sam’s vehicle and placed in the front passenger seat.

Cathy stated it took everything Sam had to shove her into the front passenger seat. He kept punching her in the chest.

After placing Cathy in the vehicle, Sam returned to the residence to retrieve other items, thought to be Cathy’s purse and dog. D.G. described fearing that Sam would “hurt me or something.”

D.G. stated he retrieved the .22 caliber handgun, which had been on the counter, when Sam carried Cathy out the door, and followed them out. D.G. watched the events from the front deck. D.G. further explained that he held the firearm behind his back in his left hand and held the door with his right hand as he went to the deck.

D.G. said he went back inside as Sam ran toward the front door.

D.G. positioned himself behind

the door near the entry to the extra dining room so he could view Sam and still have a “good view of cover.” As Sam entered the home for the second time, D.G. raised the pistol and pointed at Sam. Sam said, “Hey, easy buddy,” and ran back out. D.G. said he stepped out and shot.

D.G. said he thought Sam may have a gun in the car because people had seen him with guns in the past. He added that he was told that Sam carried firearms “on his leg” or “in his pocket.” Cathy had previously advised Jason and D.G. that Sam regularly “packs a gun,” with sometimes as many as three with him.

D.G. said he believed he fired the first shot when Sam was almost to the end of the house.

D.G. described Sam coughing “like I had hit him in the chest.”

As Sam appeared again from around the house, D.G. thought he fired a couple more rounds.

D.G. thought one of the rounds struck Sam in his lower body because Sam then fell to the ground.

D.G. stated he waited near the front door after firing the initial shots, fearing that Sam may come back with a firearm or something.

Cathy said she then saw Sam run around the house and Cathy saw him “get in his back pocket,” a place she knew he regularly carried a gun. Cathy said she got out of the car to run to D.G. and she saw Sam running toward her.

Cathy said she saw Sam coming toward her and feared for her life so she ran back into the house.

When Cathy looked back outside, she saw Sam lying by the car.

When asked why D.G. felt the need to fire at Sam when he was moving and facing away from

D.G., D.G. was insistent and stated, “because he was going to hurt her no matter what.” D.G. said his main concern was Cathy being harmed. Cathy had previously shared with him that she had an aneurysm and if she was struck in the head again, she could die.

Again D.G. stated he did not want Cathy “to lose her life.”

Upon securing the scene, deputies found a .44 special handgun, fully loaded with five rounds, under the back deck of the home, with aspirated blood by it, believed to have been discarded by Fears after first being shot. Inside Fears’ car, deputies found a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun under the driver ‘s seat, a loaded Ruger 77 25-06 rifle with scope from the trunk, a loaded Remington 1100 12 gauge shotgun from the trunk area, and one loaded high standard .22 caliber semiautomatic handgun from the trunk area.

Toxicology reports indicate that Sam Fears had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system on February 19,2014.

The Fears’ Casper home was found to have had all the doors in the house screwed shut, this occurring after Cathy Fears left the residence on February 14, 2014.

A witness who had contact with Sam the night prior to the incident in Wright stated that Sam was “acting very strange” and had a gun in every room.

Following the incident, the Sheriffs Department learned that Sam Fears had been previously convicted of felony fraud and had a firearms disqualification. Domestic violence charges were pending in St. George, UT. Charges were pending in

Natrona County and a Summons had been issued for two criminal counts, Battery (FVPA) and Unlawful Contact stemming from an incident on June 22, 2013 with Sam and Cathy Fears. The Summons was issued on February 18, 2014.

Wyoming Statute Section 6-2602, Use of Force in Self Defense, provides: (a) A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or serious bodily injury to himself or another when using defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury to another if: (i) The intruder against whom the defensive force was used was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, another’s home or habitation or, if that intruder had removed or was attempting to remove another against his will from him home or habitation; and (ii) The person who uses defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring. (c) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter another’s home or habitation is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence.

As a result of the investigation, it appears D.G. was acting in defense of himself or in defense of others and that his actions in shooting Sam Fears on February 19, 2014, were justified.

Obituaries

Charles Oliver Jossens Funeral Services for Charles Oliver Jossens were held Thursday, March 20, at the Gillette Memorial Chapel in Gillette, WY with Pastor Ernie Bishop officiating.

Charles Oliver Jossens, age 72, died March 13, 2014 of Leukemia at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Charles was born on January 25, 1942 in Grayling, Michigan to John Lawrence Jossens and Mabel Marie (French). He attended school in Houghton Lake, Michigan and graduated from Houghton Lake High School in 1960. Charles married Sandra Skinner on September 26, 1964.

Charles along with his wife Sandra moved to Wyoming in 1968. They had two sons Donnie and Randy after moving to Wyoming.

Charles started working odd jobs at a very early age, buying his first car at the age of 15. He pumped gas, delivered oil and gas, worked as a mechanic, drove a wrecker, worked at a power plant and hauled crude oil before entering the oil and gas production industry in Wyoming in 1970.

He worked for Apache Corporation for 25 years.

Charles started consulting on his own before hiring on with Barrett, then Williams.

He retired for good in 2009.

Charles was involved in many organizations; including being a life member of the NRA, member of Rugged Grouse Society, Pheasants Forever, Wyoming State Muzzleloaders, Recluse Petroleum Club and Sagehoppers Flying Club.

Along with all the organizations he was a member of Charles also enjoyed every type of shooting sport; especially bird hunting with his dog Bess. He enjoyed gunsmithing, metal engrav-

ing, building and flying radio control airplanes, building dune buggies, hot rods and taking personal care of all his vehicles. He could fix or rebuild any kind of motor; he liked building anything with wood or steel. He built many muzzle-loading and flintlock rifles. He loved attending and participating in Rendezvous around the state. He was most fond of traveling, camping and just being outdoors with his family, friends and dogs.

He was survived by his wife, two sons; Donnie and Randy Jossens of Gillette, Wyoming; Brother-in-law; Bill Skinner of Gillette, John (Teresa) Skinner of Sheridan, Wyoming, along with many nieces and nephews.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Mabel Jossens; grandparents; and mother-in-law; Lucille Skinner.

The family asks donations be made in Charles’ name to the Wyoming Special Olympics-Gillette Masters Group or charity of your choice.

Memorials and Condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel 210 West 5th Street Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be sent via our website at www.gillettememorialchapel.com

Patricia (Patti) Knotts Patricia Lee Knotts, age 75 passed away Wednesday, March 12, 2014, at her home in Gillette, Wyoming of natural causes.

Patti was born June 28, 1938 to her proud and loving parents, Lee and Frances Wells in Douglas, Wyoming. 8 years later she was given the gift of a sister, Bette. She attended and graduated from Campbell County High School in 1956. While attending school she worked at the

Stephanie Kirchoff (Eddie) and Kyle Merchen (Janna).

From those children were born Hailee, Trinity, Alayla, Alandria, Alex, Kinslie, Jacob, Kylie, and Frances.

Sonny (Tami) had two children, Cole and Emma.

Chris Harwood had two children, Jessica and Taylor. And Susan Ness (Greg) had Brian, Joshua (Kayla), Nathan, and Katelyn.

This many grandchildren kept her busy making baby quilts, and as they grew she was able to teach some of them to sew and quilt as well.

Patti’s life has made an indelible mark on all that loved and knew her and she will be greatly missed.

Fiesta Theater. After graduation she aspired to be a flight attendant but was told she was too tall and too skinny, so she went to work in the doctors’ office of Dr. Hoadley and Dr. Hannum.

In July of 1960 her life took an unexpected turn when she attended a dance at the VFW Hall in Worland, WY. A handsome young man, Mark Knotts, saw her and fell instantly in love with her. She felt the same way, and on November 26, 1960 they devoted themselves “for better and for worse,” to each other for the rest of their lives.

Soon their first child Rebecca (Becky) was born, followed by Marshall (Sonny), Christy and Susan.

With the family complete she embarked on the adventures of 4-H leader, Jobie mom, Boy Scout mom, FFA mom and anything else her kids could ask of her. She was an avid seamstress, sewing clothes for her family, and making pocket money by sewing for people in the community as well as sewing for the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Once all of her children had flown the nest, she followed her creative heart to making western clothing that she enjoyed selling at Festival in the Park and Wyoming State Fair annually. As the joy of sewing clothes wore off she discovered her passion for quilting. Patti was a member of several quilts clubs and made many life-long friends as a result. She excelled in quilting and entered them in competitions winning many awards. In 2009, she was awarded The Golden Thimble Award by the Wyoming State Quilt Guild for enthusiasm, patience, encouragement and creativity in the art of quilting. She found hours of enjoyment piecing and assembling quilts, and teaching many others the art of pride and precision in every block.

Patti had a love for flowers and gardening and it showed in the yard that she cultivated from pasture land to a relaxing, shady oasis full of color.

While she enjoyed her quilting her family continued to grow. Becky Merchen had three children, Michael Merchen(Ashley),

Raymond Runyon Funeral Service for Raymond Runyon were held Friday, March 21, 2014 at New Life Wesleyan Church in Gillette, WY with Pastors Billy Wilson and Wes Smith officiating.

Raymond (Ray) Chester Runyon was born December 26, 1951 in Olney, Illinois, to Roscoe and Juanita (Harmon) Runyon. He graduated from Olney High School in 1970 and shortly after received a draft notice from the Army during the Vietnam War. He chose to enlist and in 1972 Ray went to basic training in Fort Campbell, Kentucky and then served two years in Berlin, Germany as a medic. Ray was honorably discharged in 1974. He then went to college, attending Olney Community College in Olney and University of Illinois in Springfield, receiving a degree in Human Services. After moving to Casper Wyoming in 1978, Ray was hired on at Wyoming Machinery Company (Caterpillar) in 1979 in Casper and later transferred to Gillette in 1985. He continued to work there for a total of 32 years, enjoying the job and the people he worked with.

Ray always enjoyed the outdoors, whether it be hunting, fishing in the Bighorns, hiking or biking in the Black Hills, or running and walking on the bike trails in Gillette. He spent much time with friends or by himself doing the things he loved. In 1990, he married Rebecca Sperr and they made a home together in Gillette. They welcomed a daughter, Jessica in 1996.

They took several trips here and there, but one trip that

changed his life forever was a tour of Israel and Jordan shortly after they were married. Seeing the land of Jesus birth was so meaningful to him. Another trip that had much meaning was just recently to Alaska, a lifelong dream fulfilled. In October of 2011, Ray suffered a stroke which was later determined to be caused by a cancerous brain tumor.

He spent the last two years fighting to regain the ability to walk and talk again with the same determination that he did when he was hiking in the mountains or running a marathon. His faith in the Lord kept him strong and sure. Ray felt he lived a good, full life and had no regrets.

He is survived by his wife, Becky Runyon; daughter Jessi Runyon; mother Juanita Runyon of Olney, IL; sister Maxine Tarpley of Albion, IL; brother Calvin Runyon of Hempstead, TX; niece Lisa Eagleson of Woodstock, GA and all those who called him friend.

Ray is preceded in death by his father Roscoe Runyon of Olney, IL. A memorial has been established in Ray’s name to benefit a college fund for his daughter. Memorials and Condolences may be sent in his name to Walker Funeral Home 410 Medical Arts Court Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be sent via our website at www.walkerfuneralgillette.com

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Campbell County Observer

Community

March 21 - 28, 2014

What’s Going On? Friday, March 21, 2014 -AA Midday Serenity Group 2910 S. Douglas 12pm -AA Out to Lunch Bunch Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 12pm -AA Happy Hour Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 5:30pm -AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -AA Hopefuls Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 8pm -AA Last Call Group 10pm -Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-Wright Alcoholics Anonymous at Park Community Center 6:30 p.m.

-Free Artist Reception- Community Show at the AVA Community Center 6 p.m.

-Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

- Spotlight Dance Cup at Cam-Plex Heritage Center 4 p.m. – 11 p.m.

- National Turkey Federation Banquet Cup at Cam-Plex Energy Hall 5 p.m.

- Fundraising Banquet - CASA Red Wagon - Pulling for Kids at Cam-Plex Wyoming Center Frontier Hall 5 p.m.

- St. Jude Benefit Concert Featuring Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band & Rukus at Jake’s Tavern 8 p.m.

- Team Roping - ACTRA Friday Night Roping at Cam-Plex East Pavilion 6 p.m.

- A Preacher In The Patch and Friends at Cam-Plex Energy Hall 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 22, 2014 -Girl Scout Cookies Sales February 1st - April 13th -Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 6:45 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-PALS (People Actively Living Single) at Village Inn 10:30 a.m.

-Teen Dungeons & Dragons at Campbell County Public Library 10 a.m.

-Teen Open-Play Gaming at Campbell County Public Library 1 p.m.

-Wii Play 4th -6th grade Saturday at Campbell County Public Library 1 p.m.

-WJSH Spring Musical at Wright Town Hall 7 p.m.

- Spotlight Dance Cup at Cam-Plex Heritage Center 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

- A Preacher In The Patch and Friends at Cam-Plex Energy Hall 7 p.m.

-Children’s Festival at Cam-Plex Central Pavilion 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

- Gillette Dog Owner’s Group at Cam-Plex Barn 3 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.

- 2014 Gillette Jackalope Jump benefit Special Olympic Athletes at Campbell County Recreation Center West Parking Lot 250 W. Shoshone Ave. 12 p.m.

- Energy Capital Indoor StrongMan Level One NAS National Championship Qualifying Event at Campbell County Recreation Center 7:30 a.m.

Sunday, March 23, 2014 -AA Morning Spiritual Group 10:15 a.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. Noon -Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-Type 1 Diabetes Support Group at Rozet Elementary Gym for Details Call Tammy Bennett 307-689-6420 3 p.m - Spotlight Dance Cup at Cam-Plex Heritage Center 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

- Barrels & Poles - Pro Jackpots at Cam-Plex East Pavilion 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

- 4-H Horse Clinic at Cam-Plex Barn 3 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

- A Preacher In The Patch and Friends at Cam-Plex Energy Hall 7 p.m.

Monday, March 24, 2014 -AA Out to Lunch Bunch 1302 Butcher Court Jacob’s Touch Cabinetry 12 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. Noon -Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m

COMMUNITY

-AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -Al-Anon at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 8 p.m.

-A.M. Lion’s Club Perkin’s Restaurant 7 a.m.

-Overeater’s Anonymous 1302 Butcher Court Jacob’s Touch Cabinetry 7 p.m.

-Teen Dungeons & Dragons at Campbell County Public Library 4 p.m.

-WJSH Spring Musical at Wright Town Hall 7 p.m.

- Citizen Advisory Board Member Training: Basic Session at City Hall - 2nd Floor Community Room 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 -Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 6:45 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Al-Anon at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -Gillette Rotary Club at Tower’s West Lodge 6 p.m.

-Razor City ToastMasters at City Hall police entrance Call Rita Mashak at 687-7165 or 682-2054 6:45 a.m.

-CCHS Parent Advisory Council Meeting at Campbell County High School North Campus Library 7 p.m.

- Gillette Rotary Club at Towers West Lodge 6 p.m.

-Story Time 3 – 5 years at Campbell County Public Library 10:30 a.m.

-Teen Card Club at Campbell County Public Library 4 p.m.

-Adult Game Night Age 19 and up at Campbell County Public Library 6:30 p.m.

-Pottery Planet at the AVA Community Center 4 p.m.

-Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

-WJSH Spring Musical at Wright Town Hall 7 p.m.

- Paintbrush 1-2 Grade School Program at Cam-Plex Heritage Center 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 -AA Out to Lunch Bunch 1302 Butcher Court Jacob’s Touch Cabinetry 12 p.m.

-AA Happy Hour Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 5:30pm -AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -Gillette Noon Lions Club at Tower’s West Lodge 12 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-Homeschool Art at the AVA Community Center 1 p.m.

-Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

-Storytime 3 -5 year olds at Campbell County Public Library 10:30 a.m.

-Story Time at Wright Branch Public Library 11:15 a.m.

-Immunization Clinic at Campbell County Public Health Building 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

- 2014 Hunting Season Open House at Campbell County Public Library, Gillette Branch 2101 4-J Rd. 4 p.m.

Thursday, March 27, 2014 -AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -Alcoholics Anonymous at the Vineyard 585 Westside Drive 7:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 6:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous at 7th and Kendrick 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-TOPS 104 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 1000 Commache Ave. 9:30 a.m.

-TOPS 285 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 9:45 a.m.

-Grief Share Support Group at 631 N. Commercial Drive 10 a.m. For details call Don Wright 682-9553 -Gillette Energy Rotary Club at Tower’s West Lodge 12 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous at 7th and Kendrick 8 p.m.

-Peer Players: A Group for Teens 910 E. Third St. ,Suite I Call 6868071 for Details -Doodlers Kid Club at the AVA Community Center 4 p.m.

-Gillette Main Street Power Hour at the AVA Community Center 6 p.m.

-Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

-Toddler Time 18 mos. – 3 yrs. at Campbell County Public Library 9:30 a.m.

-Story Time 3 – 5 years at Campbell County Public Library 10:30 a.m.

-Teen Minecraft Club at Campbell County Public Library 4 p.m.

-Families and Jammies Birth thru 6th grade at Campbell County Public Library 6:30 p.m.

-Anime Club at Campbell County Public Library 7 p.m.

- City Advisory Board Member Training: Advanced Session at City Hall - 2nd Floor Community Room 5:30 p.m.

- Gillette Main Street Art Walk: Featuring Artists From Local Schools at Campbell County Chamber of Commerce 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

- NE Wyoming Career Fair at Gillette College Tech Center 3251 S. 4-J Rd. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

-CCHS Spring Play at CCHS North Campus Auditorium 7 p.m.

Friday, March 28, 2014 -AA Midday Serenity Group 2910 S. Douglas 12pm -AA Out to Lunch Bunch Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 12pm -AA Happy Hour Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 5:30pm -AA Grupo Nuevo Milenio 6:45pm -AA Hopefuls Group 2910 S. Douglas Hwy 8pm -AA Last Call Group 10pm -Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-Wright Alcoholics Anonymous at Park Community Center 6:30 p.m.

-Little Tikes at the AVA Community Center 10 a.m.

- Uncorked! Featuring Sandi Aberle at the AVA Community Center 7 p.m.

-Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

-CCHS Spring Play at CCHS North Campus Auditorium 7 p.m.

-Festival: Rotary Wine & Microbrew at Cam-Plex Wyo Center 7 p.m.

- Team Roping - ACTRA Friday Night Roping at Cam-Plex East Pavilion 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 29, 2014 -Girl Scout Cookies Sales February 1st - April 13th -Community Show at the AVA Community Center 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 6:45 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m.

-PALS (People Actively Living Single) at Village Inn 10:30 a.m.

-Teen Dungeons & Dragons at Campbell County Public Library 10 a.m.

-Teen Open-Play Gaming at Campbell County Public Library 1 p.m.

-Wii Play 4th -6th grade Saturday at Campbell County Public Library 1 p.m.

- Singles Mingle at the AVA Community Center 6 p.m.

-CCHS Spring Play at CCHS North Campus Auditorium 7 p.m.

- Team Roping- Wrangler Team Roping Championships at Cam-Plex East Pavilion 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

- Horsemanship Barrel Clinic: Robert Welsh at Cam-Plex Barn 3 Call to pre-register at 682-2091 or 660-9152 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

-Fundraising Event: Gillette Girls Fast Pitch Assn at Cam-Plex Energy Hall 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday, March 30, 2014 -AA Morning Spiritual Group 10:15 a.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. Noon -Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 5:30 p.m.

-Alcoholics Anonymous 2910 S. Douglas Hwy. 8 p.m.

-Serenity Seekers of Narcotics Anonymous at 2000 W. Lakeway Rd. 7 p.m - Horsemanship Barrel Clinic: Robert Welsh at Cam-Plex Barn 3 Call to pre-register at 682-2091 or 660-9152 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

- Team Roping- Wrangler Team Roping Championships at Cam-Plex East Pavilion 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

GOVERNMENT

Monday, March 24, 2014 -Library Quarterly Board Meeting at the Public Library 1 p.m.

-Wright Town Council at Town Hall 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 -Joint City/County Pre-Budget Meeting with CC Public Land Board at Cam-Plex Frontier Hall 5:30 PM -Planning Commission Meeting at Council Chambers 7 p.m.

-School Board of Trustees Meeting at Educational Central Services Building 1000 W. Eighth St. 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014 - Joint City/County Pre-Budget Meeting with CC Joint Powers Fire Board Fire Training Center 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 27, 2014 -Senior Center Luncheon : Seniors Q & A for Mayor at Campbell County Senior Center 701 Stocktrail Avenue 12 p.m.

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

Saturday, March 29, 2014 -NEWY Municipal Leaders Regional Meeting at City Hall - 2nd Floor Community Room 8:30 a.m.

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Community

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Community Colleges Cheer Boost in Enrollment-Based Funding Submitted by Ron Feemster - wyofile.com t the end of the legislative session, the refrain was the same everywhere in the Capitol: Community colleges did very well in the budget this year.

That is true. After Gov. Matt Mead recommended no extra budget appropriation to compensate for enrollment growth at the state’s seven colleges, the Joint Appropriations Committee added $9 million to the schools’ budget. Budget amendments passed by both houses increased that total to $14.3 million for the biennium, exactly what the colleges had requested.

Compared to the $260 million biennial budget for the whole community college system, that may not seem like much. But 60 percent of the twoyear budget goes for fixed costs. Only 40 percent of the basic appropriation, or $104 million, is driven by enrollment, according to Jim Rose, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Commission. $14.3 million is a 14 percent increase.

So are the colleges happy? Yes. But only in the short term. Although colleges got what they asked for, the uncertainty in the funding model causes problems for long-term educational planning.

“We’re extremely grateful to have the money,” said Jason Wood, executive vice president of Academic and Student Services at Central Wyoming College.

But he was quick to add that spending the money well is harder than it looks.

When future funding is uncertain, schools are reluctant to risk money on programs that might take time to grow.

“We look at it as onetime money,” said Wood.

“We need to build a program that we can run sustainably.”

Wood aims to spend some of the money on a new program in simulation technology, which grows from a common thread running through the nursing and rural justice training programs. Students in both programs use simulators to learn proper responses in situations that mimic real life.

In nursing, the simulator might be a mannequin that shows symptoms of a heart attack or a pediatric emergency. Criminal justice students on a digital shooting range might face a simulated hostage situation, perhaps a child trapped in the upstairs bedroom of a house. Students respond to the simulation. Their reactions are recorded and reexamined after the fact, noting the warning signs

they recognized and the ones they missed.

“We have an IT person who is a genius at building these simulators,” Wood said. “We want to develop a program to teach students to build them, too.”

The program is likely to be popular, and thus less risky than many that the college could attempt to build with short-term funding, Wood said. If enrollment is good, the new program could be paying for itself before this one-time appropriation runs out.

At Northwest College, President Stefani Hicswa and her budget committee want to put new money toward expanding the first-year seminars, which would likely require more faculty, and enlarging a new advising center.

Opened as a trial project, the center has helped the college retain students.

But she is not certain that ongoing legislative funding will enable the school to sustain the larger programs.

“I’m very pleased with the money,” she said. “I’m not whining. But one of the hardest things for a president is when you fund a new program and you can’t maintain it. We want to keep it going. We don’t want RIFs — reductions in force.”

Such spending dilemmas are typical of the hard choices that administrators face when they do not know what the next round of funding will bring. In particular, college leaders find it hard to commit to programs that require a school to attract new faculty with the promise of long-term employment. Community colleges look with envy on the K-12 system, which adjusts its funding and distribution levels every five years based on enrollment.

“We would really prefer to recalibrate the standard budget every four years,” Rose said. In other words, the biennial and sometimes annual enrollment adjustment could be made as part of the main appropriation for the colleges and held steady across two biennial budgets. “We’d live within the budget for four years. Enrollment fluctuations could be documented. We would reassess every four years.”

Volatility The payoff would not necessarily come in a higher budget, but in more reliable financial forecasts.

“The current funding model creates volatility on the college side,” Rose said.

Another difficulty with the enrollment-funding model is its reliance on the 20042005 academic year as

a baseline. Enrollments jumped in 2009-2010 as a result of the economic downturn. And they have gone up and come down slightly since then. In general, community college enrollments spike when unemployment rises. If people can’t work, they go to school.

The Wyoming Community College Commission asked for $14.3 million based on the 2009-2010 academic year as a baseline. This is the standard the schools would like to see anchored in the statute.

“We recognized we shouldn’t be asking for money based on a baseline that is a decade old,” Rose said. In fact, the colleges might have asked for $20 million based on that other formula, according to Steve Bahmer, executive director of the Wyoming Community College Trustees Association.

Rose, Bahmer and a parade of college presidents buttonholed legislators in Cheyenne during the budget session, arguing for the less volatile funding model.

Rose said that in several discussions with lawmakers he felt what he called a “glimmer of recognition, but not the political will.” This year, the idea was a nonstarter. Like many ideas before it, including the fuel tax and perhaps now Medicaid expansion, progress will be measured over several legislative sessions.

“I think we’re going to have this conversation again,” Rose said. “We have a good model for allocating money to the colleges. It’s transparent and it works. But we need a better funding model.”

If the system changed, the House and Senate might not have community college presidents sitting in the gallery every day at every session. An ongoing budget appropriation might take the pressure off legislators and colleges alike.

As it is, the colleges show up every year making what the law calls an “exception request.”

“It always looks like we’re asking for more money when we’re actually asking for the same onetime enrollment growth funding,” said Jo Anne McFarland , president of Central Wyoming College, who spent a week watching lawmakers from the galleries. “We asked in the budget request that the $14.3 million move into the ongoing budget. We asked the Legislature either to do that in a budget footnote or to change the statute.”

basis of enrollment increases, the money will be divided up between colleges based on course completion.

As funding criteria, enrollment and completion are very different. They underline how colleges are asked to meet two goals that are often at odds. On the one hand, the community colleges have always been dedicated to open access. All residents of Wyoming with a high school diploma or GED certificate may enroll, whether they are fully prepared to do college work or not. On the other hand, the colleges are increasingly asked to cut the amount of remedial coursework they offer and speed the time to a degree, even when students struggle with the work.

“We’re real good at getting them in the door,” Rose said. “But we need to get better at getting them across the stage.”

While the new performance metric, as of this session, is course completion, it may eventually become graduation rate, according to Rose. For now at least, course completion is usually looked at in two sub-metrics. Course completion rate — the number of course completers divided by the number of course starters — often favors some of the smaller colleges. Course completion volume, the number of completed courses at a college, tends to favor the larger campuses.

Under this year’s budget bill, the Community College Commission must distribute $14.3 million among the seven community colleges on the basis of their course completion volumes in the previous academic year.

As the lawmakers put it in the budget bill, each year $7.15 million will be distributed “in direct proportion which the number of class completions for the prior school year at each college bears to the total number of class completions among all colleges for the prior school year.”

A course completion is one student finishing one course with a passing grade. On the assumption that roughly the same percentage of students drop or fail classes at each school, the number of completions should mirror enrollment.

But the academic climate of the school plays a role as well. The emphasis on getting students to the finish line in every course makes faculty, not colleges, the key player in the funding formula, notes Steve Thulin, professor of history at Northwest College. Colleges enroll students. And colleges grant degrees. But

Distributing the money Although the $14.3 million was budgeted on the

faculty members decide who passes and who fails, who earns funding for the school and who does not.

Giving faculty more influence can also put faculty members under more pressure, especially adjunct faculty members, young professors and others worried about job security. What if an institution began to evaluate faculty members on the rate at which students pass their courses?

“We are told there would not be any of that kind of pressure,” said Thulin. “But administrators are going to sit down and think about this. They’ll want to find a way to get more students a passing grade.”

Hicswa, Thulin’s boss, says he needn’t worry.

“My philosophy is that academic rigor is what makes or breaks the college,” Hicswa said. “We must never compromise our values for money.”

No matter which funding variable she has to work with, or how many, Hicswa believes her job is to focus on student success. Access, enrollment, completion, retention and graduation could all be funding metrics. They are just different measures of success, in her view. “If you do it right and focus on student success, the money will follow,” she said.

Performance pitfalls History suggests that states, if not professors, will lower their standards to avoid losing money.

This was the case under No Child Left Behind in state K-12 systems. When student performance did not increase fast enough, some states, including Wyoming, lowered standards in reading and math so that more students and schools achieved adequate yearly progress and the states avoided federal penalties.

“That is the real danger,” said McFarland. “It’s a road we’re not willing to go down. We can’t afford to abandon high standards.”

For now, the community colleges are receiving a little less than 6 percent of their budget based on performance. “Almost 15 percent of the 40 percent driven by enrollment — or 6 percent of the total budget — is to be distributed using a completion metric,” Rose calculates.

That percentage may increase as performance metrics become more entrenched in state education politics. Complete College Wyoming is an ever-growing policy super-committee made up of trustees and college presidents, with a member each from the governor’s office, the Legislature and a community college faculty. The goal of CCW, as it is known, is to increase the graduation rate at community colleges by 5 percent a year for the next 10 years. If it is successful, the stage will be set for using graduation rates in the funding formula.

Workforce growth It is possible to sidestep at least some tricky funding issues by seeking outside sources of income. At Western Community College in Rock Springs, local and state companies donate equipment and money to support programs that train prospective workers.

“We train the skilled workforce at Western,” said Karla Leach, president of the college. “We serve the industries that pull the minerals out of the ground. We are growing that space in our institution to build more training facilities.”

About 15 percent of Western’s 4,000 students pursue a technical certificate or degree related directly to oil and gas technology. That technical part of the institution is growing faster than the transfer part. Leach says the technical training programs serve 25 percent more students today than in 2004.

“Employers want students who can read and write technical writing, who can read a schematic,” Leach said. “We are trying to teach leadership, computer skills, math and communication.”

Leach says she sees students working in the oil and gas fields as an initial step.

They move on to supervisor and then to automated systems, where they could run a field operation from a computer terminal.

Companies sometimes pay for instructors and often donate equipment the college needs to train the workforce. The school received a pump from Williams Petroleum worth $250,000, she said.

While this funding is bound to specific courses, it is decoupled from the annual rounds of exceptionrequest funding. “About $300,000 comes in every year,” Leach said. “We spend it all.”

New models?

The Legislature may eventually change the enrollment-funding model and move the exception requests into the standard budget. But it is equally likely to increase the amount of money distributed among the colleges using performance metrics. It is important to make sure that those metrics — especially graduation rates — make sense for the special population of students at community colleges, according to Rose.

“The three year graduation rate is about 30 percent,” Rose said. But that rate is misleading in many ways. The rate does a poor job of tracking a student who left the state and finished an Associate’s degree elsewhere. Some students transfer successfully to four-year schools without graduating. All of those students failed to graduate from community colleges but succeeded in their education.

Perhaps more important, the current definition of successful graduation misses the success stories of people who return and graduate after taking a break from school to address life problems.

“Life gets in the way,” Rose said. “Many community college students need to deal with other issues before they can concentrate on school.”

But if students are gone too long, their graduations don’t count. When such a student returns and finishes a degree, Rose said, that should not be viewed as a failure to meet a threeyear timetable. Instead, community colleges and the Legislature that funds them must recognize the graduate as a success.

Weekly Trivia Question How long did it take Gutzom Borglum to carve Mount Rushmore?

Look on Page 16 for the answer

Contact Us to Enroll!

Photo courtesy Northwest College/Daniel Baney

Students and Professor Steve Thulin at Northwest College in Powell. Community colleges asked for, and received additional enrollment-based funding, but uncertainty in the funding model could causes problems for long-term educational planning.

8

307-686-1392 510 Wall Street Ct • Gillette, WY www.hcsgillette.org

Community

Campbell County Observer

March 21 - 28, 2014

Business Council Welcomes New Communications Director he Wyoming Business Council has chosen a new communications director for the organization.

Ron Gullberg of Casper, Wyo., began this week in the Business Council’s Cheyenne, Wyo., office.

Gullberg has had a long career in journalism including jobs at college papers and as a sports reporter/editor in Alaska, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. He was the sports editor for the Casper Star-Tribune for 12 years and later served as the newspaper’s online director for content and advertising. Gullberg was the Star-Tribune’s managing editor for state and online coverage before recently becoming managing editor of the newspaper as a whole.

“I am excited about the opportunity to apply my skill set acquired in 25 years of daily journalism, learn new things at the same time, and spearhead efforts to communicate the Business Council’s products and services to targeted and general audiences,” said Gullberg.

Gullberg graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science in political science.

He is married to Mary Billiter, a Casper College writing instructor, weekly newspaper columnist and author. The couple has six children between them, ages 26 to 7.

Gullberg may be reached at 307.777.2833 or ron.gullberg@wyo.gov.

Gillette Street Renovation Plans

By Holly Galloway n Friday, business owners, property owners, and city liaisons met at The Teachers Corner to learn more about the upcoming renovation and streetscape project set to begin this spring. There are seven phases planned for this renovation. The first phase begins in April and will entail the block of Gillette Avenue from First to Second Streets. The last phase will be at Sixth Street, ending by early October.

The work will be done in a leap-frog method, getting one block finished before starting the next block. The main concern businesses have is parking for the customers. With the leap frog method, customers can park on the next block from where the business they want to go to is located and walk a little. There will also be some downtown parking lots open during the renovation. One is just off of Second Street and Warren Avenue. Another

is located off of 3rd Street and South Kendrick Avenue. There will be signs provided for drivers.

This meeting called the ‘Power Hour’ is every second Thursday of each month at six in the evening. If you have questions, John Costner is the president of the Gillette Main Street board of directors. He can be reached at jcosner@fibgillette.com.

“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”

-Louis L’Amour

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Submitted by Krys Park Last week, the Speech and Debate team traveled to Rock Springs Western Wyoming Community College for the State Competitions. We brought home State Championship First Place in Public Forum Debate.

Congratulate Taylor Reisling and Taylor Mowery when you see them. We

also brought home 3rd in State for Lincoln Douglas Debate. Congratulate Lucas Davis when you see him.

Taylor Mowery double placed; in addition to Public Forum, she placed third in Original Oratory.

Of the 11 students 6 broke into semi-finals rounds. We had a blast.

We cannot wait until Districts in Cheyenne here in a few weeks. Thank you all again for the help you have provided us over the years with our our tournament in January. Once again, Camels are ranked top in the state.

Wyoming Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.3% in January 2014 The Research & Planning section of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services reported that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 4.4% in December to 4.3% in January. Wyoming’s unemployment rate has been trending downward for the past four years, and remains significantly lower than the current U.S. unemployment rate of 6.6%. Seasonally adjusted employment of Wyoming residents rose, increasing by 1,961 individuals (0.7%) from December to January.

Nearly all county unemployment rates followed their normal seasonal pattern and increased from December to January. Seasonal job losses are often seen in January in many sectors, including construction, retail

trade, professional & business services, and government. The largest unemployment rate increases were seen in Washakie (up from 4.2% to 5.5%), Lincoln (up from 5.9% to 7.1%), and Fremont (up from 5.6% to 6.6%) counties. Teton County’s unemployment rate fell from 6.4% in December to 4.7% in January as the winter tourist season got into full swing.

From January 2013 to January 2014, unemployment fell in every county, suggesting continued improvement in the state’s economy.

Unemployment decreased by a full percentage point or more in 15 of the state’s 23 counties. The largest decreases occurred in Teton (down from 6.4% to 4.7%), Sheridan (down from

7.3% to 5.8%), and Crook (down from 6.5% to 5.0%) counties.

The lowest unemployment rates were found in Sublette (3.6%), Converse (3.7%), and Campbell (4.0%) counties. Lincoln County posted the highest unemployment rate (7.1%).

It was followed by Fremont (6.6%), Johnson (6.6%), Big Horn (6.2%), and Park (6.2%) counties.

Total nonfarm employment (measured by place of work) rose from 280,200 in January 2013 to 283,700 in January 2014, a gain of 3,500 jobs (1.2%).

Research & Planning has scheduled the February employment news release for March 31, 2014.

Governor to Participate in International Advanced Coal Technology Conference Governor Matt Mead and researchers from the University of Wyoming are traveling to Australia to participate in the 2014 International Advanced Coal Technology Conference. The focus of the conference is to address coal use and carbon capture, storage and utilization. The emphasis is on developing valueadded products from coal.

The conference brings together officials from the United States, China and Australia as well as private partners.

“Those involved in this research are looking at technologies to add value to coal and its use now and in the future,” Governor Mead said. “We in Wyoming have much to offer to this work and much to gain from it.

The advancement of coal research will benefit Wyo-

ming, its people and the coal industry. I fully support it.”

The conference is part of an ongoing international collaboration among policy makers, developers of technology and industry leaders from the United States, Australia and China. The group meets every other year to discuss research and advanced coal projects underway across the globe. This is the fourth conference.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the University of Wyoming, the University of Queensland, and the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Energy Resources and Chemical Engineering are the conference supporters this year.

The University of Wyo-

ming’s School of Energy Resources is also participating in the conference, which takes place at the CSIRO Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies.

Governor Mead will have the opportunity to speak about Wyoming coal and also to learn more about Australia’s coal industry.

He will tour coal export facilities in Australia and conduct meetings with various companies.

“Australia exports millions of tons of coal each year to Asian markets. These same countries are interested in Wyoming coal. I look forward to visiting and seeing a vibrant coal port to better understand the benefits and challenges associated with this method of export,” Governor Mead said.

9

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Wyoming Public Service Commission (Commission) hereby gives notice that Qwest Corporation d/b/a CenturyLink QC (CenturyLink) has filed for authority to enter into an Interconnection Agreement with BCN Telecom, Inc., and requests Commission approval pursuant to the provisions of 47 U.S.C. § 252(e)(1) of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Under 47 U.S.C. § 252(e)(2)(A)(i) and (ii), the Commission may reject a negotiated agreement, or any part of such agreement, if it finds (a) that the agreement, or any portion of it, discriminates against a telecommunications carrier not a party to the agreement, or (b) that the implementation of such an agreement, or portion of the agreement, is not consistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity.

The agreement is on file with the Commission at its offices in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and may be inspected by any interested person during regular business hours.

If you wish to provide the Commission with a statement or other comment regarding this filing, please do so in writing on or before April 11, 2014. Thereafter, the Commission will further review the agreement and any statements filed with respect thereto, and will decide its acceptability under the above criteria.

If you need additional information in this matter, please contact the Commission at (307) 777-7427, or write to them at 2515 Warren Avenue, Suite 300, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002. Communications impaired persons may also contact the Commission by accessing Wyoming Relay at 711. Please mention Docket No. 70000-1602-TK-14 or Docket No. 702432-TK-14 when you call or write.

Dated: March 12, 2014.

March 21 - 28, 2014

Comics

Campbell County Observer

Find the Solution on Page 17

For advertising space and prices go to www.CampbellCountyObserver.net or email us at CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com 10

Public Pulse

Campbell County Observer

March 21 - 28, 2014

Bold Republic Weekly

Are You Licensed For That?

By Glenn Woods

here is a dear woman in Arizona who, for a living, massages horses.

At first that might sound like an odd profession, but, if you work around horses, you’ll find that after a hard day’s work a good rubdown goes a long way. Let’s face it, if massage works so well for humans why not horses.

Business was booming for this dear lady until the state of Arizona stepped in and told her that she had two choices: 1). Become a licensed veterinarian. 2).

Massage horses for free.

The first problem is that she would have to leave Arizona to get a veterinary license.

Next, getting a veterinary license would cost tens of thousands of dollars, which she does not have.

Finally, it’s rather useless to get a veterinary license when there is not one veterinary school on thet planet that teaches horse massage.

Let’s add to this list of problems something that seems to be a bit curious: Why is it okay for her to massage horses for free, but against the law for her to do it for pay?

If she was “unqualified” while getting paid then she is “unqualified” for no pay, isn’t she?

How is it that just because she is taking money she suddenly has to take a class and pay government for a license?

Why was she suddenly unqualified without that license but perfectly qualified to do it for free?

The good news here is that the conservative Institute for Justice is helping her with her case. They have appointed a lawyer for her, free of charge.

A few years ago there was a woman in Utah who braded women’s hair for a living. Until the state demanded that she take a course and pay for a license.

Once again, it was okay for her to braid hair for free. But as soon as she took money for it, suddenly she was unqualified, even though she has a long list of customers who were very happy with her work. There is nowhere that she could go to take a class in hair braiding. Any cosmetology school would be useless to her. Yet, she has to pay for it and get a useless degree, then pay for a useless license or she cannot do business.

There are a couple of gentlemen in Campbell County Wyoming that keep bees. They jar the honey (great stuff I might add) and sell it. But they were told to stop because - you got it - no state license.

License for what?

I would really like to know. All they have to do is fill a jar with honey, without getting stung, and sell it. Why does that require a license?

The very idea that every

activity we engage in needs to be regulated and licensed by government shows us, once again, that we are no longer the free nation we once were.

The politicians and bureaucrats will argue that, without licensing and regulations, they cannot guarantee the safety of the products and services that we are paying for.

To that I answer, “We never asked you to, and we don’t want you to.”

Simply put, we do not need, nor desire, government to regulate, license, and control, every little thing. If a woman is doing a good job at massaging my horse, I’ll gladly pay

her for that. Hair braiding does not require government oversight. A man should not have to get permission from the government to fill a jar with honey and sell it.

We, the costumers, have no problem with these people being unlicensed.

It seems that only the people in government seem to think that everything needs to be licensed and regulated.

While writing this article, I was given what I think might be the best example yet of why we should do away with most licenses and regulations: Say I’m a fourteen-yearold boy and I come to

your house and offer to mow your lawn for twenty bucks. Say that you are more than happy to pay me for my services. No licenses are required.

But now let’s say that I am an adult and I have decided to start my own lawn care company.

Suddenly I have to get licensed and registered as a business.

Well, hold on, what’s changed?

If I had done a lousy job at cutting your lawn when I was fourteen years old you would have not allowed me to cut your lawn again. If I do a lousy job at cutting your lawn as an adult you would not invite

me back.

For the record, there are actually a few cities in America that do not let teenagers cut lawns, for pay, unless they are licensed and registered.

I’m not kidding.

It is far past time we end this nonsense.

Those of you in government, elected or not, would be doing us all a favor by digging into those file cabinets of regulations and licensing requirements and throwing most of them away.

We are all big boys and girls out here. We don’t need nannies.

(Have your own opinion on the issue? Write us a letter to the editor at: 1001 S. Douglas Hwy B-6 Gillette, WY 82716 or email one at: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com)

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Glenn Woods is a newspaper columnist and Radio Talk Show Host.

You can find him back on the air LIVE on 103.1 FM or 1450 AM. Can’t listen right away or not in the signal range? Go to BoldRepublic.com to watch the show live or listen after!

Weekly Constitution Study

Republican County Convention

By Holly Galloway Campbell County Republicans met for their biennial convention at the public library in Gillette on Saturday, March 15. Out of nearly 90 delegates for the county, the top head count for votes was 49. Most of the delegates were elected precinct committee men and women. A few of the delegates were elected as alternates to replace their precinct man or woman if they weren’t present during roll

call.

The County and State bylaws, platforms, and resolutions were reviewed. Some new language was added to these statements and sometimes had to be debated on.

The county Republican Party chairman, Chris Smith, was absent due to work. A former chairman kept the vote process rolling along.

A county convention is the grass

roots for any political party. Any ideas or change in existing language can be brought before the delegates for a vote at that time.

The convention was gaveled-in at ten in the morning and lasted until after three in the afternoon. A short lunch break was taken at noon. A final vote was taken to elect delegates to the state convention, which will be held in Evanston in May.

Every week, the Observer prints one article, paragraph, or section of either the U.S. or State Constitution for your information.

United States Constitution, Article 2 - The Executive Branch Section 2 - Civilian Power Over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointment The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall beestablished by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

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Public Pulse

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Andy Johnson’s EPA Case a Quick Test of Senate File 78 Submitted by Steve Klein - Wyoming Liberty Group hen the Environmental Protection Agency decided to go after Andy Johnson, they probably did not believe they were throwing a rock at a hornet’s nest. Since the story broke last week that the EPA is threatening Johnson, a welder who lives with his family on an 8-acre plot near Fort Bridger, with $75,000 a day in fines for constructing a pond on his property that is supplied by a small creek, the uproar has gone nationwide. As Johnson points out, if his pond—a pristine home to wild fish and source of clean water for his horses—is in any way a hazard to the environment, what isn’t?

But this is just business as usual at the EPA. They lost the Sackett case two years

ago, meaning their administrative overreach can be quickly challenged in court, but that does not mean they won’t keep reaching.

After all, if the EPA can’t get people with fines they’ll at least rack up their legal fees. Bankrupt a small landowner, shock-and-awe the entire surrounding region into fear of the EPA’s power, maybe set a precedent to put even the smallest creeks in the EPA’s jurisdiction… all in a day’s work!

It’s this kind of thuggery that led the Wyoming Senate to pass this year’s Senate File 75 unanimously 300, followed by a 54-4 (with 2 excused) vote in the House.

Among the bill’s legislative findings is the following: Current rulemaking and other actions of the fed-

eral environmental protection agency have severely impacted the ability of the state and its citizens to prudently develop the state’s natural resources; The new law (which went into effect when Governor Mead signed it on March 10), gives the Wyoming Attorney General and the Governor broad power to challenge the EPA: The attorney general may seek to take action before the federal environmental protection agency or in any state or federal court to stop the enforcement, administration or implementation of rulemaking or other actions taken by that agency if, in his judgment, the rulemaking or other action exceeds the authority granted by the United States congress or

otherwise rests on questionable authority. Before intervening in or initiating any lawsuit pursuant to this section, the attorney general shall obtain the approval of the governor.

(Emphasis added.)

Well, around a week after the bill became law, the time is already right!

Johnson has been in con-

Fourth Amendment Follies Coming Soon to Wyoming seen Colorado going toward this trend,” Cheyenne Police Chief Brian Kozak said [in 2012]. “We’ve trained all 105 officers in drug recognition.”

I can’t help but be amused at the thought of training for marijuana detection. For those who have not smelled marijuana (that is, had the pleasure of attending a rock concert, public high school, or traversing a ski slope with snowboarders), let me be frank: marijuana has a unique and pungent smell. If you’ve smelled it once, you will never mistake it again.

Under current Fourth Amendment doctrine, police simply have to smell marijuana to attain probable cause to search for the drug.

This often happens during traffic stops, and is probably how most successful interdiction of marijuana occurs after it crosses over from Colorado into Wyoming. As a constitutional matter, this is fairly well settled law, but how much longer can the smell of marijuana realistically indicate anything?

Perhaps the most immediate example traces to pot tourism. I recently heard of an incident at Denver International Airport where an individual whose final destination was Wyoming had to go through three different rental cars before the company came up with one that did not smell of marijuana. Like many strong aromas, marijuana smoke permeates clothes and upholstery just as effectively as cigarette smoke, and even a thorough cleaning may not eliminate the smell. Especially

not wane, and that the EPA feels a littleRomanesque shock-and-awe itself. I would like to see useless federal bureaucracies like this dismantled entirely, but for now I’ll settle for a simple course correction that would force the EPA to focus on real environmental problems and leave the rest of us alone.

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Submitted by Steve Klein - Wyoming Liberty Group Now that marijuana is legal in Colorado under state law for not only medicinal but recreational use by people over 21, a new industry is taking off. As reported earlier this week by the Denver Post, “Commercial real estate tracker Xceligent Inc. estimates that marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facilities in [Denver] occupy about 4.5 million square feet — the equivalent of 78 football fields.”

Wherever you stand on recreational marijuana policy, I’m sure you’ll agree that’s jaw-dropping.

Of course, expansive legalization has led topot tourism, resulting in an even greater demand than under the state’s old marijuana laws.

So, perhaps it’s no surprise at all that Colorado is now cultivating so much “product” and jobs to go along with it. But as marijuana becomes a normal facet of Colorado culture (well, normallegal facet, that is), the conflict between its laws and Wyoming’s will become more pronounced. This conflict may have implications on theFourth Amendment, which protect Coloradans and Wyomingite alike from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Wyoming maintains draconian marijuana laws in comparison to Colorado, and especially here in Cheyenne (just 100 miles from Denver) the police prepared for interstate conflict long before the new Colorado laws went into effect: “We have prepared, though, because we’ve

tact with the Governor’s office, and I hope the AG is seriously looking into his case under this new authority. There won’t be a better case than this one when it comes to the average Wyomingite.

In the meantime, I hope Andy Johnson keeps speaking out, that the outpouring of support does

if the police were to bring out a drug-sniffing dog, it’s practically guaranteed Zeke will take a seat and indicate the presence of drugs in just about any rental car from Colorado.

I don’t necessarily expect earth-shattering legal cases to arise from this, but as a practical matter Wyoming law enforcement may find itself on the wrong end of bad press if officers continue to use the smell of marijuana as probable cause to search vehicles coming up from Colorado. Even with individuals who actually consume marijuana in Colorado and come to Wyoming with just the smell (and not driving under the influence), the most pungent smell could soon yield nothing more than probable cause to believe the car was in Colorado.

I don’t believe Wyoming’s marijuana laws will change anytime soon, and even then they will not approach Colorado’s amendment. But the Colorado shift is probably here to stay, and Wyoming must be careful not to sacrifice due process in the name of keeping that shift south of our border.

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Featured Crime Burglary (March 1)

Crime Stoppers needs your help in solving a burglary that occurred at 1605 W 1ST ST, Apple Self Storage, sometime during the night time hours on March 1st.

Unknown suspect(s) forced entry into the storage locker by cutting the lock and removed a jumbo Rubbermaid Roughtote storage box containing SWAT gear from a department in Louisiana. The SWAT gear consisted of: one extra large Interceptor Body Armor in Army digital cammo with two extra large ceramic strike plates, one Blackhawk Commando Recon Chest Harness, one Eagle Industries olive drab EOD Tactical Vest, one Eagle Industries olive drab green Slim Tactical Backpack, one olive drab Blackhawk LRAK Rifle Harness, one grey Camelback Delta 5 Tactical Vest , one black Safariland Beretta 92 drop holster, and one Army digital cammo Blackhawk LRRP Pack. Other items stolen include: one Tokyo Mauri MP5 airsoft gun with sliding stock, one Tippmann X7 paintball gun with folding stock, one Phantom pump paintball gun with folding stock, and one KWA H&K USP Tactical airsoft handgun.

If you have information that can solve this or any other crime please call Crime Stoppers at 686-0400. You can remain anonymous and may earn up to $1,000 in reward.

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Public Pulse

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Hill’s Attempt to Storm Bastille Fails: Just Another Dog and Cindy Show Submitted by Publius - WyPols indy Hill, standing in the lobby of the Department of Education, which she used to head, held two pieces of paper Monday [March 10] morning and dramatically asked her supporters which one they believed.

One was a letter written last Friday by Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael to DOE Director Rich Crandall, who has Hill’s old job, stating the management of the department remains in control of the director until a final district court order is written.

The other was a copy of a Casper StarTribune article late Sunday that explained the Wyoming Supreme Court declared the state’s action unconstitutional and stated unequivocally Hill “has since been reinstated and granted all of her previous authority.”

Which one to believe? Hmm, I’m going to go with the opinion expressed by the state’s highest legal officer, and disregard the one probably put together by a copy editor 180 miles away who doesn’t have a clue that what he wrote isn’t true.

Turns out I was right. This grandstanding effort by the elected superintendent of public instruction to take back her office – which had been ripped out of her hands

by Gov. Matt Mead and the Legislature a year ago by Senate File 104 – ended with a whimper, not a bang.

Hill, flanked by her staff, drove up to the front of the Hathaway in an SUV shortly

after 8 a.m. and greeted supporters, who handed her flowers and gave her hugs.

While Hill addressed about 30 supporters who followed her to the Hathaway Building’s second floor, her attorney, John Masters, met in a corner office with Crandall and other officials.

“I do not know yet if as the superintendent of public instruction we have general supervision of the public schools, but we’ll find out in a few moments,” she told the crowd, including supporters, reporters, photographers and onlookers from all over the building.

“I thought that was already decided by the court,” yelled a supporter.

“Well, actually it was decided by the court,” Hill replied. “I don’t know if it’s being recognized by the governor of the state of Wyoming yet.”

Hill added, “The time for waiting and the time for deference has long since passed.”

“Amen” said several true believers.

“For those of you who just arrived, we’re waiting to see if the governor is going to recognize the constitution of the state of Wyoming,” the superintendent said.

“Has he read it?” someone asked, drawing a few laughs. Mead is expected to announce Tuesday he is running for a second term, while Hill announced in January she will run for governor.

Another asked what Hill has to say to the people who voted for her.

“When you’re an elected superintendent of public instruction, when you make decisions it’s about principles and the will of the people,” she said. “It’s not about politics or personal gain. That’s the message that I want everyone in this state to hear and I hope begin to trust our elected officials.”

Masters came out of Crandall’s office after his boss again questioned whether the governor and the state recognize her authority to run the DOE. “Not yet,” the attorney told her.

“There’s your answer,” Hill said. Then in unison they said, “Not yet.”

Hill said her next stop would be to the district court, where she would ask that the order to reinstate her be made.

She then referred to the other job the district judge has before him, which is overseeing the capital murder trial of a former DOE employee who is charged with killing two people and shooting another one, who survived despite being hit in the head.

“I will take great sensitivity as I walk down [to the court] and I will merely ask for that order,” Hill said. Later she added that she will make the request with “heightened sensitivity.”

Despite the extreme sensitivity on display at all times, Hill did not get her order.

She indicated she may have a press conference later Monday.

This was my favorite part of the morn-

ing sideshow. A supporter interrupted Hill to ask (in a completely unrehearsed manner, of course), “I just want to make sure I have this straight – so the attorney general is instructing basically a noncitizen of Wyoming to obstruct justice?”

She was referring to Crandall, who was a state legislator in Arizona before resigning to take the Wyoming job.

“Right now, an unconstitutionally appointed director of education is still signing contracts and making decisions on behalf of the people of Wyoming,” Hill said. “I’m hoping that changes very quickly, given that we again have, from the Casper Star-Tribune, that as of 15 hours ago they are stating, ‘The Wyoming Supreme Court declared the Legislature’s action unconstitutional,’ and the Casper Star also stated, ‘Hill’s been reinstated and granted all of her previous authority.’

“Do we know that to be true?” she asked. “No. And yet, there it is in print.”

Note to the superintendent: Don’t believe everything you read. But If you had read WyPols last Friday, you would have known everything you learned by going to the DOE Monday. But then, you and your lawyers didn’t really expect to do anything but use the media to help rile up your base, did you? And, like the obedient little newshounds that we are, we took the bait and showed up, just in case news happened. And it didn’t.

Letters to the Editor Readers Should Stop Taking Talking Points from Tea Party

Dear Editor: The Letter (“What Mike Enzi Isn’t Telling You about His Role in Obamacare “ printed on 1-21-2014 in the Observer) wrote by Kara Ahern concludes that Obamacare is a “bad” law. Why? It provides health insurance to those that can’t afford it, cuts out policies that are ripoffs and reduces the debt and the deficit. There is a serious lack of fact in your editorial. You need to do research and fix it, not listen to talking points from the Tea Party.

Bob Hirst (Editor’s note: It is not the policy of the Campbell County Observer to “fact-check” Letters to the Editor. They are the opinions of the person submitting them and readers would be wise to take the information contained therein with a grain of salt. Those submitting letters are entitled to their opinions, and are welcome to express them in this format. This courtesy also applies to the opinions expressed above. “Reduces the debt and deficit…”? Indeed….)

A Letter to Our Elected Officials

Dear Editor: As I’ve been reading all of the articles in the News Record and the Casper Star Tribune; I felt it was time to write my thoughts.

A couple of Saturdays ago I attended our County Republican Convention. As I sat and listened to the platforms put forth by my party, I was proud to be a Republican.

The problem I have with some of our Legislators and Alan Simpson speaking for me on homosexual marriage. I wish that they would look at the platforms set by the Republican Party of this great state and follow them to the letter. The 2012 Wyoming Republican Party Platform under ‘Health and Society, #3’ states, “definition of marriage: The Wyoming Republican Party believes that the definition of marriage is the union of one man to one woman.” These elected officials do not speak for me when they state, as Republicans, they will embrace “homosexual marriage” in Wyoming.

I do not want to see our state go down the same road as Colorado in legalizing homosexual marriage. I urge all Republicans to call, write, or email the Republicans in office and tell them to read and follow the platforms the people have laid out for them.

I do not think we need to change the definition of marriage in Wyoming. It should be between a man and a woman. If that is a problem for those wanting to change the great State of Wyoming there are plenty of other states that do allow it, so go there and leave Wyoming alone. If you feel as I do, you better get involved in your State’s politics and watch what your legislators do and how they vote. Wake up Wyomingites, It is election year. Get involved before it is too late and your state is changed forever.

Stever Bricker

Fixing Congress

Dear Editor: These are hard times for Congress. Our democracy’s keystone political institution is widely derided as ineffective, unproductive, irrelevant, and sadly out of touch.

It is no coincidence that at the same time, Congress has developed a taste for socalled “unorthodox lawmaking,” wandering far outside its traditional procedures.

That’s why I would argue that as grim as

things seem now, there is a fix for what ails Congress.

Broadly speaking, it involves congressional process. In legislative bodies, whoever controls the process controls the result. If it wants to restore itself, Congress must make its processes exemplary and fair.

They should begin by opening the floor to more amendments. At the moment amendments are tightly limited, if not banned outright, in an effort by the leadership to control the outcome. This restricts debate, impedes the free flow of ideas, and strengthens leaders while disempowering ordinary members.

The leadership also needs to give up its concentrated power and hand more authority to congressional committees to hold hearings and inquire deeply into issues.

Congress seems to devote less and less time to crafting and then passing legislation; it is losing the habit and the necessary skills, and its work product suffers. It needs to work harder at the job Americans expect of it.

To make this possible, the Senate should do more of its business by simple majority vote of the senators present and voting.

It’s important for the majority to assure fair procedures that take minority views fully into account, but at the end of the day Congress needs to work, not be hamstrung by loyalty to a filibuster rule that has outlived its purpose.

Other key processes also need mending. The confirmation of presidential appointees is absurdly slow, seriously jeopardizing a president’s ability to govern.

The congressional ethics committees are dormant. Travel privileges are routinely abused. The crucial oversight process has become a political sideshow. Campaign expenditures should be limited and donors should be disclosed.

The point of all this is that Congress is listing, but it can right itself. It may not be able to tackle all of these proposed fixes at once, but each is within its power. Members should quit throwing up their hands and protesting that they can’t do anything about their own institution’s problems. It’s their job to put Congress back in working order and they have the power to do it.

By Lee H. Hamilton

Senator Displaying Anti-Republican Stance

Dear Senator Von Flatern, Again Senator you are displaying a very anti Republican stance. When I Iast emailed you concerning Common Core you dismissed my request to vote against Common Core. I stated that it was an overt attempt by the federal government to take over our education in America and in Wyoming.

Your reply unceremoniously dismissed my email by saying you believed Common Core was good for Wyoming. Many legislators have since disagreed with your position.

Now concerning your stance on gay marriage, I also don’t agree that it is a Republican issue or position. Your argument that government has no business in our marriages. You are absolutely correct, government has no business redefining marriage. It has already been defined as a union between one male and one female.

You are also correct in saying that love should not prevent two from cohabitating.

But in no way should that be considered as marriage. Love than could be construed to consider marriage as between a adult human and a dog, an adult human and a

child, an adult human and a horse. How about three adult humans? There is no end to witch human depravity can take this. My point is: why should love define marriage. It has already been defined by God in the Bible and reaffirmed by our previous governing bodies, DOMA. Government has no business defining marriage, it has already been defined here in Wyoming, where it belongs, as between one male and one female.

Your positions do not reflect those of the citizens of Wyoming and the citizens of Campbell County.

Respectfully, Don Resset – Gillette

Tom Murphy Does Not Deserve Consideration

Dear Editor:

So ex-Mayor Murphy resigns from office early and suddenly to “pursue a business” with is son, apparently siting the reason of not having time to serve that office. I talked to the owner of this newspaper and asked why the ex-Mayor really resigned. Mr. De Laat stated that he had comments from two city councilmen on why, but that he could not tell me because they were not willing to go on record and that his reporters had no documentation to back up the statements as of yet.. He will not tell me his City Council sources or anything about the situation until, he says, the story is ready for print. I applaud Mr. De Laat for taking journalism seriously, but the public needs to know the real reason. If our public officials are hiding something about another elected official, that is borderline treason and they should come clean.

Where the real problem is, is now Tom Murphy wants to be a hospital board member. Really? He didn’t have time to finish one public position before resigning but now he wants another? We would be the worse off for it as he obviously has never represented the people, only himself. Do we think that he wouldn’t be the same over-spending bully that he was as a councilman and Mayor? What about the real reasons he suddenly and abruptly quit? If I was to even consider him to another public trusted position I would have to hear the real story of his prior resignation as mayor.

John Hammond Ukraine and the Return of the Cold War When Russian forces crossed into the neighboring nation of Georgia in 2008, the moment arrived to acknowledge the return of the Cold War. However, the West refused to accept this.

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Now comes wonder and outrage for Russia’s acts of aggression in Ukraine. Such confusion fails to recognize (as Cold-Warera diplomat George Kennan did) the traditional, neurotic insecurity of Russian ruling elites.

Throughout the time of Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, rulers used power projection to overcome feelings of isolation and inferiority toward the West.

President Obama’s confidence in his Nobel Peace Prize and the West’s commitment to diplomacy and politics are misplaced. Russian President Vladimir Putin perceives only beleaguered feebleness, and he relishes the befuddled reaction to the chicaneries of his diplomacy.

There can be no lasting peaceful coexistence with authoritarian Russia, but neither is armed warfare inevitable.

Forceful initiatives require immediately curtailment of efforts to integrate the former republics of the Soviet Union into the economic, cultural and political life of the free world. Next should come serious military cooperation between NATO and former Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet republics.

The Cold War has resumed. Diplomacy must use overt and clandestine activities to exploit contradictions and tensions among Mr. Putin’s ruling elite, the Russian people and countries with which Russia needs alliances. Effective containment will again reveal the fragility of authoritarian rule and a command economy.

Dale Ostrland

Allies no Longer Trust Obama

Dear Editor:

Whenever I hear President Obama stating that he will never allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, I am reminded of Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve Heard That Song Before.”

Mr. Obama’s words on this score are empty ones with no meaning, as Iran has continued on its now nearly successful objective of building a nuclear arsenal with no hindrance from the United States in five years of Mr. Obama’s tenure. Tehran is only encouraged more by the premature removal of sanctions.

Fortunately, none of our allies, including Israel, believes Mr. Obama anymore. His words are words only, and his actions or lack thereof are the true indicators of his feeling about the state of Israel and its government.

NELSON MARANS

Letters to the Editor Letters and responses to letters can be posted to: Attn: Editor Campbell County Observer 1001 S. Douglas Highway B6 Gillette, Wyoming 82716 or by e-mail: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com All letters must be under 250 words and must be signed with a valid name and telephone number. We reserve the right to not publish any letter for any reason. We will call you before printing your letter for verification that you wrote it for two reasons. The first is that we do not want to print a letter that has the wrong name on it, and the other is that it is the position of this newspaper that any public opinions or writings where the source is hidden is not worth being printed.

Public Pulse

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Town Hall Meeting With Taylor Haynes

By Holly Galloway ubernatorial candidate for the Republican Party, Taylor Haynes, came to the Gillette area last week to meet and greet likely voters and to answer their questions. It was a very busy day for Haynes, including an interview at the Observer Office and a town hall meeting held at the Knights of the Columbus hall on the south side of town.

Haynes, who owns a ranch outside of Cheyenne, noticed the federal government’s intrusion with ranchers and land leasing during President Bill Clinton’s administration. During this same time ‘Hillary Care’ was close to becoming the national health care program. Haynes, a retired Urologist, was told by an underling of Hillary’s, “If you don’t want to work under a government healthcare system, you had better get out, because the government is going to run it.”

These two issues started Haynes towards public life. When he tried to lobby the legislatures he said, “The light went on.

These people in the legislature are not bad people; they just do not know the Constitution.”

Haynes said that he is running for governor to put our state on a strong constitutional footing. “We have gotten away from the Constitution and our Judeo/Christian foundation.”

When speaking about the family and the importance of children having both a father

and mother in the home, Haynes said that, “…growing up in a family teaches us patience and respect for others. Being kind becomes second nature.”

Haynes said, “We were told we were poor when I was growing up, but I never knew it.” He grew up on a farm, so there was always food on the table and he had a mother who made their clothes. He joked by quoting his father who said, “We use everything on the hog except the squeal.”

The ethics he was taught by his parents is in the forefront. “You do the best job you can, even if the job is a bad job. You can be looking for a better job, but you always do your best,” Haynes said. This is what was taught to what is known as the greatest generation. They won World War II and built up this nation to be the strong country that it is. This generation also made this country into the most generous nation in the world.”

Haynes has a very strong Christian background. Sometimes he has been told that this might make some people uncomfortable and that he should not bring this part of himself up. His response is, “So are you telling me that the real Taylor Haynes should not be there? That is not what I am going to be. I am comfortable in this skin.”

He wonders why we have to use the courts to interact with each other. Using his ranching neighborhood as an example, a stray animal could be found at a neighbor’s

ranch. The rancher can identify the animal and give his neighbor a call to let him know where the animal is. And he could give the animal some hay and water until the neighbor could retrieve it. This is a typical happening in his neighborhood. The courts do not have to be used to take care of such issues.

Haynes taught a maturation class in Laramie County schools until a few years ago. He told the young men he taught that whenever they wanted to date they needed to remember that the young woman was a sister and a daughter. He wanted them to think of how they wanted their own mother or sister to be treated, and to do the same to those they wanted to date.

The state of Wyoming has a DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality).

Haynes said he would show the EPA, (Environmental Protection Agency) which

is a federal agency, to the door when he is elected. “The federals do not want Wyoming to bloom any more economically,” Haynes said.

“Coal and other elements were put in the ground for our use,” said Haynes. He would support the mineral industry in all endeavors. He would love to see UW and the coal companies work together on the coal gasification theory.

Haynes, who is 68, said his health is great, “by the grace of God.” When asked about the Wyoming National Guard and the Second Amendment, in reference to “a well-regulated militia” Haynes stated, “That amendment was written because the nation had just come out of a war with a tyrannical government. The militia is for the people to defend themselves from a tyrannical government.”

Wirthwein Announces Intent to Run

After much thought and soul searching, it is with great pleasure that I announce my intention to run as a Republican candidate for the Office of Campbell County and Prosecuting Attorney in the 2014 election.

In 1996, I graduated from Cheyenne East High School. I graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science in 2001. In 2006, I graduated from University of Wyoming College of Law with a Juris Doctorate Degree with Honors. In law school, I received the Excellence in Advocacy Award.

Following law school, I clerked for the Sixth Judicial District Court for roughly two years. I then ventured out and became an Assistant Public Defender, gaining a considerable amount of trial experience in the two years I worked in that office. In 2011, I began work at the Nick Carter Law Firm as a defense attorney. In September, 2012, I was hired as a Deputy County & Prosecuting Attorney, handling primarily the felony caseload in the office. In October, 2013, I was promoted to Chief Deputy County & Prosecuting Attor-

ney, where I have handled primarily the felony caseload, and high profile cases.

During my tenure at the Campbell County & Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, I have been assigned a high caseload, including a First Degree Murder case, Second Degree Murder case, several Aggravated Vehicular Homicides, Sexual Assault and Abuse Cases, and Child Abuse. In my role as Chief Deputy County & Prosecuting Attorney, I am also tasked with many of the managerial duties involved with 33 employees.

In January, 2013, I attended a nationally renowned trial school which was held over the course of a week, that helped to further develop my courtroom skills. Attending this course built my skills and also gave me the opportunity to share what I learned with other attorneys in the office.

Some of the cases I have handled in the past year and a half, have included: State vs. Gregory Hawes, Kidnapping, Stalking and Aggravated Assault. Hawes was found guilty following Jury Trial of the Kidnapping and Stalking in August, 2013, and sentenced to 30 to Life.

State vs. David Norgaard, Second Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Norgaard pled guilty and was sentenced in January, 2014 to Life in Prison Without Parole.

State vs. Alex Jennings, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide.

Jennings pled guilty and was sentenced in April, 2013, to 11-18 years in prison.

State vs. Justin Helsper, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide. Helsper pled guilty to the charge in January, 2014, and is awaiting sentencing.

State v. M.S., Five Counts of First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor. M.S. found guilty following Jury Trial on the five counts in March, 2014. Sentencing is pending.

If elected, I hope to: · Focus on reduction of violence in our community, domestic violence, aggravated assaults, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and homicides, by working more closely with prevention agencies and law enforcement, and when prevention and interventions fails, to aggressively prosecute and jail violent offenders who are not likely to change. · Continue to work closely

with the Sheriff’s Office, Police Department, Highway Patrol and DCI in drug interdiction with hopes of better curtailing drug trafficking in Campbell County. · Continue to promote early intervention for juveniles and their families, through continued use of the Early Age Intervention, Teen Intervention and Diversion Programs. Continue to support Juvenile Court intervention for juveniles and their families, in an effort to provide services early and to deter future crime. · Continue to work closely

with other elected officials, commissioners, and department heads in advising and addressing county civil issues. · Continue to build the skills of attorneys and support staff within the office through mentorship and training opportunities.

“My time at the County Attorney Office has been some of the most rewarding work of my life. I have enjoyed getting to know the key players in the criminal justice system, law enforcement, probation officers, victim advocates, social

service agencies, and family services. I look forward to building stronger relationships with these agencies as I admire what they do on a day to day basis. There is no better feeling than seeking justice for victims of crime in our community. I have enjoyed my leadership role in the office by mentoring other attorneys. I am unconditionally dedicated to keeping our community safe and will do everything I can to ensure that the services of the County Attorney’s Office meets the needs of the community.”

Praise to Our County Attorney It seems that it is rare these days that we get a chance rectly. to praise an elected official. Individually, we know that they The thing is, everyone talks about their firearm rights up all try their hardest, but as a group it seems like the result to the point of the act of protection itself. Two years ago is always the faster driven train heading toward a wreck.

I attended a speech by former Jackson County Sheriff’s It is even rarer that the county attorney is in the news Deputy Shepard Humphries that opened my eyes to a as well in such a small town area. In different matter. What happens after you this case, not only does county attorney have to protect yourself? It was a great Jeanie Stone deserve some press, but presentation on what to do ‘after the fact’ much praise. in the civilian world.

On February 19th, Sam Fears came Many of us have fired firearms in the to Wright, WY to try to take back his wife military where death has been the result. whom he had been physically abusing for The after-effects of that kind of shootyears. She had been staying there to get ing is mentally and spiritually the same, away, and at the time was home with a but logistically different. If the military 14 year old, D.G. ordered you to shoot the enemy, the Sam Fears than grabbed his wife Cathy questions stop as soon as you clear the and, while punching her repeatedly in scene.

By Nicholas DeLaat the stomach, forced her out of the home In the civilian world however, you have and into the car. He then returned to to deal with many other things. Most the home twice to gather a couple things, and as he was police do assume that you are guilty upon scene arrival as walking out, the fourteen year old D.G. shot him with a .22 they are trained to do. You will also be at the mercy of the cal. Pistol. prosecuting attorney, whose major decisions can rest on That is the basic story; more details have been released whether or not there is an election coming up, if they are by the county attorneys’ office which you can read in full in going to move up in politics, or are wishing to become a this edition of the Campbell County Observer. judge. We also know that on major cases, that the public After reading the report in full, there is no question in my and media pay close attention to, the courts also become mind that Sam Fears needed to be killed in this situation nothing that has to do with justice so much as showmanand that it was a clear act of self-defense. ship. Include in the lawyers, the questioning, and more As many of you know, I lobby intensely for firearm rights. and you have a heck of a situation.

I am a constant fighter for logical Constitutional laws, and Let’s not forget the fourteen-year-old boy who has to in this case our Second Amendment was exercised corhave another’s death on his conscience during this young

developmental age, and for the rest of his life. It is a hard thing to be responsible for killing another person, and much to ask of a young adult even if for the right reasons.

Three things need to be done by us as a community now. First, we need to publicly recognize County Attorney Jeani Stone for making the correct decision, and the deputies involved from the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department for investigating the event correctly. Second, we as a community need to make sure that this situation does not harm the development of this young man so that the regret does not make him into the type of animal that he was well to put down. Third, we need to teach ourselves, our families, and our young adults proper firearm usage (safety, handling, and situational awareness), as well as what to do after a self-defense situation happens to protect oneself against over-ambitious government officials.

Remember, though in most self-defense acts the death is well deserved, the criminal’s spirit lives on in possibly splitting a community, tearing apart families, and being a torn memory of the victim that had to shoot the criminal.

That is right; I said the shooter is the victim. He is the good soul who has to live with a conscience that apparently the criminal did not possess.

(Have your own opinion on the issue? Write us a letter to the editor at: 1001 S. Douglas Hwy B-6 Gillette, WY 82716 or email one at: CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com)

801 Carlisle • 682-9451

14

“A just government can only be derived by an educated and involved people.”

- Nicholas De Laat

Surplus Unlimited

Campbell County Observer

March 21 - 28, 2014

#1 In Sports Equipment In N.E. Wyoming!

Cole Sports Report Provided by Cole Sports

Located on the corner of Gillette Ave and 4th “Horse racing is animated roulette.”

- Roger Kahn

Surplus Unlimited 801 Carlisle • 682-9451

Weekly Sports Trivia Question What is the longest running sporting event in America?

Look on Page 16 for the answer

Picture by Dottie White

Twin Spruce Junior High Warrior 8th Grade Boys “B” Results n March 8th, the Twin Spruce “B” boys basketball team traveled to Sheridan for Districts and placed third. In the first game against Sage Valley, the Warriors struggled offensively and lost to Sage Valley 26-40.

Casey Schreirer was high scorer with eight points, and he had two rebounds and a steal. Corey White scored six points, six steals, and two rebounds. Deven Dulany scored six points as well, had six points, three assists, and steals. Franklin Ramirez scored four points and had five rebounds. Wesley Brunelli

scored a basket and pulled down five rebounds.

In the next game, the Warriors avenged a loss to Buffalo earlier in the season by beating Buffalo 39-26.

Joey Storm had his best game of the season scoring 10 points, four rebounds, and five steals. Deven Dulany scored seven points, had 10 rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Wesley Brunelli also scored seven points, had six rebounds, and one steal. Joseph Merida scored six points, had two rebounds, and one steal. Corey White had an impressive game with four points,

five rebounds, seven steals, and two assists. Franklin Ramirez had four points, four rebounds, and one steal. Casey Schreirer scored a free throw to round out the scoring. Bryan Charles pulled down five rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Fathan Dixon had foru rebounds and a steal.

Rico Delgrande had two rebounds and a steal.

The Warriors ended their season with a 10-6 record.

Our managers were Quinton Howard, Shantell Gladson, Sam Jones, and Gabe Guzman.

Quality Musical Instruments A Pleasure An Investment Address: 500 O-R Drive Gillette Wy. 82718

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Touch of Gold Wrestling Results Rocky Mountain Nationals, Denver, CO Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 8 & Under 45 - Tayce Lake participant 8 & Under 58 - Blaize Burrow participant 8 & Under 87 - Lane Catlin’s place is 4th 10 & Under 65 - Jeric Igo participant 10 & Under 65 - Jace Walters participant 10 & Under 69 - Dylan Catlin participant 10 & Under 89 - Isaiah Huus’s place is 3rd.

Windy City - Sarah Tolin Memorial Tournament Sunday, March 16, 2014 PeeWee 40 - Channing Wendel participant PeeWee 40 - Carlen See’s place is 6th PeeWee 40 - Gavin Marty’s place is 4th PeeWee 45 - Tyler Wenzel’s place is 1st PeeWee 50 - Spencer Clabaugh’s place is 4th PeeWee 50 - Christian Bailey’s place is 3rd Bantam 50 - Peyton Marty’s participant Bantam 50 - Kobe Craig’s place is 1st Bantam 50 - Logan Brakke’s place is 5th Bantam 50 - Hunter Baileys participant Bantam 55 - Mason Kuhbacher participant Bantam 55 - Landon Hofer’s place is 3rd Bantam 60 - Zachary Wofford’s place is 2nd Intermediate 55 - Devin Brotherton’s place participant Intermediate 70 - Carsen Haugen’s place participant Intermediate 70 - Johnathan Peel’s place is 4th

Intermediate 70 - Dalton Wright participant Intermediate 80 - Keenan Wenzel’s place is 4th Intermediate 87 - Kadin Craig’s place is 2nd Intermediate 95 - Garrett Halder’s place is 2nd Novice 80 - Wyatt Peel’s place is 3rd Cadet 132-138 - Logan Guerrero’s place is 1st Cadet 132-138 - Bryton Peel’s place 2nd Brady Read Memorial Saturday, March 15, 2014- Folkstyle Results 8U Bantam 41-44 - Tarver Zebroski’s place is 2nd 8U Bantam 49-52 - Landon Hofer’s place is 2nd 10U Intermediate 45-51 - Teryn Zebroski’s place is 2nd (Douglas Wrestling Club) (TF 10-0) Brady Read Memorial Saturday March 15, 2014- Freestyle Results 8U Bantam 48-54 - Landon Hofer’s place is 2nd 10U Intermediate 53-59 - Austin Enriquez’s place is 5th 10U Intermediate 93-93 - Garrett Halder’s place is 2nd 14U Schoolboy/Girl 98-118 - Erik Enriquez’s place is 4th Brady Read Memorial Saturday, March 15, 2014- Greco Results 10U Intermediate 80-93 - Garrett Halder’s place is 1st

What’s Going On in Sports?

Friday, March 21, 2014 -CCHS FBLA State Conference at Cheyenne, WY Saturday, March 22, 2014 -CCHS FBLA State Conference at Cheyenne, WY -Camel Soccer (V) at Casper for East vs.

West Jamboree TBA -Camel Soccer (JV) at Sheridan TBA -Camel Track at Casper NC for Glen Legler Memorial Early Bird 10 a.m.

Friday, March 28, 2014 -Camel Soccer (JV/V) at home vs. Laramie 3 p.m. /5 p.m.

-Lady Camel Soccer (JV/V) at Laramie 3 p.m. /5 p.m.

-Camel Track at Casper NC for Natrona Invite 9 a.m.

-Camel Track at Buffalo for Jerry Campbell Invite 9 a.m.

Saturday, March 29, 2014 -Camel Soccer (JV/V) at home vs. Cheyenne South 10 a.m. / 12 p.m.

-Camel Soccer (JV/V) at Cheyenne South 10 a.m. / 12 p.m.

-Eagles Track at Campbell County Rec for Twin Spruce Invitational 8 a.m.

-Warrior Track at Campbell County Rec for Twin Spruce Invitational 8 a.m.

"Supporting Campbell County Youth Since 1978"

307-682-4522 • proffice@vcn.com 310 S. Gillette Avenue www.powderriverofficesupply.com

15

Empire Guesthouse, RV Park & General Store Pine Haven, Wyoming 82721 307-756-3454/307-670-0428 http://www.empireguesthouse.com/

Need to market your business?

This space could be yours!!

Call for details Anne Peterson 307.299.4662

Classifieds

March 21 - 28, 2014

Child Care Christian Daycare/PreSchool is now open. One-onone Pre-School and crafts.

Group circle time, Spanish, songs, phonics, counting, American Sign Language, and more. Pre-School, Kindergarten and older school children welcome. An all Christian environment. Reasonable rates. 685-6610.

(4.10x4) Licensed daycare now open.

Spots available full-time and before and after school.

Close to Rozet school and the post office.

Monday through Friday 6:30am to 6pm. Ages 3 and up. Call 307-299-1915 In a Pinch?? Back up Daycare service call 307-6807948

Services Homeowners and renters insurance for house, trailer, or apartments. Call Elizabeth Jones Agency 307-682-6520 Mobilehome handyman is the business for all your home maintenance and repairs we do skirting decks windows doors freeze ups re-levels and much more 30 years experience call Rick.@ (307)281-1457 Two energetic women are looking for homes to clean.

Reasonable rates. If interested call (307) 299-4660 or (307) 257-4816 RV Winterization starting at $99.95 at YOUR house. Call Randy at 307-660-3091 (b340-tfnh) Tree Trimming and removal.

Certified Arborist! No job too big or small. Experienced, licensed, bonded and insured.

Veteran owned and operated for 13 years. Top Notch Tree Service 970-556-5000 Spring Cleaning Special! Any purchase over $200 prior to 5-31-13 Will have the choice of: Free couch cleaning (up tp 8ft. long) or Free 1 year warranty on oil/water based spots. www.pineridgeclean. com 307-660-7856 find us on Facebook Want To Get in Shape?Like to have Fun? Learn The Graceful moves of American Oriental Belly Dancing! The 3rd Sunday of every month.

Call Leanna Tabatt 307-6808457 Looking to buy a new computer? Why waste the money? “Your Computer Store” has refurbished towers and laptops rebuilt right here in our store. Plenty of memory, disc space, and advice. Come by and see our inventory at “Your Computer Store,” where YOU come first! 802 E. Third St next to Ice Cream Land “Did you see this? Than it worked. Go to www.campbellcountyobserver.net to list your ad today!”

Computers have become like cars, and they need repaired.

Want the best quality repair work in N.E. Wyoming? Bring your computer to “Your Computer Store.” Quality work at a quality price. “Your Computer Store,” where YOU COME FIRST 802 E. Third street next to Ice Cream Land.

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

Miscellaneous Have you heard the Buzz lately?

Bring your catch by the Empire Guesthouse for photographs which may be published in this newspaper with our fishing reports. Along with that, the Guesthouse staff will be awarding monthly prizes for those that let us photograph them and their catch. It doesn’t have to be a trophy to enter and there will be special prizes for those 12 and under. Carp shooters are also welcome to enter.

Check with the Guesthouse for more details.

What are you looking at?

Others could be looking at your ad for only $0.25 per word per week. Go to www.campbellcountyobserver.net ACE will reduce your appetite and give you energy. The natural way to lose weight. www.facebook.com/AcePill 660-2974

Toys (ATV’s Boats, Etc.) 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!

International Tractor 300 Utility For Sale. $2000 Artic Cat 4X4 2001For Sale. $2000 Call Bill 307 - 660 – 8563.

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: 307-670-2733 2013 Custom Harley Hardtail Bobber all new $9,500. Marlins 685-4452 or 685-8100 2010 Polaris 550 eps with less than 100 miles, books for $8,000. make and offer.

Call Steve Terry at 307-2992992 16ft Sea Nymph Fishing Boat, 50 hp outboard Merc, trolling motor, just serviced at wyoming marine $2,500 O.B. O 307-299-4662 or307-6220825

Camping/Fishing

Merchandise

Help Wanted

1939 HA Selmer Trumpet $750 OBO. 687-1087

Hiring Newspaper Sports Writer. Must be able to attend Campbell County Sports games at all levels and various sports. Can write in a bias/home team manner. Must also be able to take photographs of covered games, get information from coaches, and retrieve stats. Much of the work is performed Home. Pays per article/Part Time position.

Please send Cover Letter, Resume, and Writing Sample to CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com.

Large Underground Tank. 307-680-8838

Fuel

Large and Small Band Saws call for info. 307-680-8838 18v Dewalt tools - sawzall, hammer drill, one battery and one charger. $150 obo. call (307)299-1382 Exterior door with window, interior light fixtures, and computer supplies. E-mail Corsair115@yahoo.com “As the economy worsens, don’t rely on government... rely on us to sell or trade. $0.25 per word per week.

Stop in or go to www.

CampbellCountyObserver. net.

Refrigerator (white) Great condition $100 307-2995918 Blue Dual Reclining Sofa.

Good shape $100 Call 6802982. Can text photo if you like.

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/ For sale: whirlpool refrigerator, brand new patio propane heater, still in box Cabela’s shower tent, large dining room dark blue/red rooster rug, 10” wet tile saw, treadmill. Call 682-6353.

Camper spot for rent $300 per month in Silver Hills 307680-8838

Kojac series One, two and three dvd $65.00 $98 value 307 - 670 - 1887

07’ Prowler 5th wheel.

2slides. 32ft with extras. Call 307-672-8766

Two place aluminum snowmobile trailer. $1,600. 307689-0202

1994 Southwind by Fleetwood 34 foot Class A Coach Rear Engine Turbo Diesel Cummins, 230 HP, Motor Home in good condition.

180,000 miles on original Cummins Diesel 33H Engine. Three captain’s chairs including driver.

Couch makes into a full bed. Full kitchen, stove with oven, microwave. Dining area. Propane or electric refrigerator/ freezer. Lots of storage. Rear bedroom with queen bed.

Bathroom with shower. Dish portable satellite TV setup and small flatscreen TV goes with it. Trailer receiver hitch.

Lost my husband in December and don’t have any use for it. Would like to sell fast.

Make me an offer. 307 682 4808. sue.wallis52@gmail. com http://wyoming.craigslist.org/rvs/3965643910. html

Used Engine. FI 1600cc 1975 VW. Complete w/generator. 68K mi., New Heater Boxes $1,000.00. Call Jim at 307-257-3277

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

Scams THESE ARE KNOWN SCAMS GOING THROUGH NEWSPAPERS AT THE MOMENT. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE ADS IN ANY NEWSPAPER. HONDA 1988 GL1500 MOTORBIKE FOR FREE IF INTERESTED CONTACT:(petermaris@live. com) if interested AD TEXT : Free 2007 Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300RZZ GSX-R Sport Bike , It is in excellent condition with no dents or dings, 100% mechanically okay .If interested please contact me for pictures,I bought the Motorcycle for my grandson as his birthday gift last year august and am giving it out to a good home contact me at johnstark227@yahoo.com Help Wanted- Office/Clerical; PT Clerical Person needed from 11:00AM To 3:00PM, Monday-Friday, $900.00 weekly.Computer skills are a must. Need to be detail oriented, possess good customer service skills, some cash & items handling skills,Must be able to do Lil errand. Apply @ nicoledevlin Linkahead,Email: nicoledevlin150@gmail.com

Help Wanted *Immediate Openings!* Are you looking to join a fast paced, growing company?

Are you ready to earn the income you know you’re worth?

Are you outgoing and enjoy meeting new people? Do you enjoy sales and have sales experience? Do you enjoy leading and helping others to succeed? If so, this is the career for you! We have openings that provide print, website, and radio advertising as well as marketing solutions to businesses. We focus primarily on smaller communities, providing personalized, in-depth information specific to each coverage area. It is our goal to ensure that every customer has a positive experience, from the initial sale to final publication. We are looking for a few highly motivated and passionate individuals that will provide exemplary customer service and sales expertise to keep our clients happy and keep our company growing! If interested, please email cover letter and resume to CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com for an interview.

Summer Job - Age 14 and up. Newspaper Subscription Sales. Pays $5.00 for every 6-month subscription sold and $10.00 for every year subscription sold. Perfect for summer money. Extra bonuses for 100 subscriptions sold (Pizza Party at Godfathers with friends/family) and more. Email the Campbell County Observer at CampbellCountyObserver@gmail. com Are you a motivated animal lover? Gillette’s newest veterinary hospital is in need of a fabulous part-time (with potential full time) receptionist to join our TEAM! We love upbeat attitudes, big smiles, and a willingness to please the client while keeping all of the important details in check. Inquires please email your cover letter and resume to info@redhillsvet. com Please have these items submitted by January 26, 2014.

Full Time Flooring Installers wanted. Must have experience. Bring resumes in to Carpet Express Direct on Hwy. 59 next to the Prime Rib Restaurant.

Temporary Help Wanted.

J&G General Construction, home improvement company is looking for a temporary construction laborer. Experience preferred but not necessary. Could turn into full time position depending on devotion, responsibility, and skill. Call James (307) 2574441 to set up an interview.

Campbell County Observer

Joke of the week A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend.

The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump.

“Reverend,” said the young man, “I’m so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.”

The minister chuckled, “I know what you mean. It’s the same in my business.”

Joke of the Week provided by

Swede’s Specialties 307-686-0588

For all your beer/wine making equipment

Weekly Trivia Answer

How long did it take Gutzom Borglum to carve Mount Rushmore?

Transportation assistants NEEDED! Up to $25/hr. For a complete job description & application, please apply via e-mail: lori.delucia.hr@rsithr. info

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

APPLY NOW!!! CLERICAL PERSONNEL NEEDED. candidates that are ambitious and career motivated should please contact {bervelyscoot@outlook.com} (4.12x1) Rocky Mt Merchandising is looking for dependable, outgoing person to execute four in store demos in Sept showing the features and benefits of the Straight Talk Cell phone. Must commit to all four Saturdays from 10:00-4:00. Email Jackie@ rockymm.com or call 800723-9008 Hiring Newspaper Journalist.

Government/Politics. Work at Home. Must be able to perform advanced research, and write unbias. Must be able to attend government meetings and conduct interviews professionally. Pays per article/Part Time. Please send Cover Letter, Resume, and Writing Sample to CampbellCountyObserver@ gmail.com.

Help Wanted. Warehouse Manager.

Monday-Friday, flexible schedule. Inventory management and warehouse upkeep. $10/hr, doe.

Apply at Carpet Express Direct on Hwy. 59.

Looking for CDL to work in North Dakota full time. Call 307-670-3629.

16

14 Years

The construction of Mount Rushmore National Memorial took about 14 years, from 1927 to 1941.

Borglum’s original design was a sculpture of the four presidents intended to go down to their waists, but time and money only provided for their heads

Contact Us to Enroll!

307-686-1392 510 Wall Street Ct • Gillette, WY www.hcsgillette.org

Weekly Sports Trivia Answer What is the longest running sporting event in America?

The Kentucky Derby

In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr., grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England, visiting the Derby, a famous race that had been running annually since 1780.[4] From there, Clark went on to Paris, France, where in 1863, a group of racing enthusiasts had formed the French Jockey Club and had organized the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamps, which at the time was the greatest race in France.

Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club for the purpose of raising money to build quality racing facilities just outside of the city. The track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack.

[5]Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937.

Classifieds

Campbell County Observer

Guns for Sale AR-15, K98k Mauser, Win Mod 12-12, Ruger Blackhawk, PA-63, 307-778-6493 Wyoming Mountaineers now offers easy payment plans on any in stock firearm. Your debit card is your line of credit. Purchase any firearm that is in stock making 4 payments weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Processing fee and payment plan fee apply. Call Wyoming Mountaineers for more details. Call Wyoming Mountaineers 299-2084 and mention this ad.

Get a piece of history. Mosin Nagant Russian M91/30 Surplus Rifle. Very good to Excellent condition 7.62X54 Caliber. These are a very accurate rifle shooting 4” groups at 1000 yards. Open sights are adjustable to yardage with a push of a button.

Great gun for hunting deer or elk very cheap ammo available for target practice.

Comes with military issue sling, sling pouches, bayonet, and cleaning tools. Call Wyoming Mountaineers 2992084 and mention this ad.

1903 Springfield. 30o6 Cal. U.S. Military. $700 obo. Call (307) 682-7864 A friend of mine called the other day and tells me he has 2 friends that are looking for some AR-15’s do I have any?

I told him yes I do, They are M4 style scope ready models and priced at $695.00.

Great, he says, They will be right over. They never showed up so a few days later I asked him if his friends were still interested. He told me nope, they bought them online for $1500.00. So, here they come with UPS, I still made my $15.00 for the transfer but while they were there they looked at the rifles I had in stock and discovered they were the same models they ordered with the same features and they could have bought 2 from me for the same price they paid for one they ordered. Don’t let this happen to you, Any gun, Any models, Any features can be ordered or built for a lower cost. Call for a free quote.

Call Wyoming Mountaineers (307)299-2084 to get yours today.

Before you buy, make a call to get a quote. We can order any gun you are looking at and just may be able to save you a ton of money. Call for a free quote. $15.00 FFL Transfer Fee on all internet purchases. Call Wyoming Mountaineers 299-2084 and mention this ad.

Gunsmithing Special of the week. Electrolysis Barrel Cleaning. Increase the accuracy of your firearm, get ready for hunting season or a summer of shooting fun.

Most cleanings complete overnight and your gun is ready the next day. Call Wyoming Mountaineers 2992084 and mention this ad.

With the current controversy of gun control you can expect changes. One of these changes will be permanently attached low capacity magazines. Make your current guns compliant to this regulation. Call for quotes on all your gunsmithing needs.

Call Wyoming Mountaineers (307)299-2084 to get yours today.

Chinese Type 53 Carbines 7.62X54R. These guns have been fully restored and are excellent shooters. They are a shorter model of the Mossin Naugant making them easy to carry through the brush and trees. Large caliber with plenty of take down power for the largest and most dangerous game.

Ammo is still available and still very reasonably priced.

This gun comes with a fold down bayonet permanently attached. Adjustable sights on an elevation ramp rear sight makes this package very versatile. permanently attached floor plate magazine holds 5 rounds with one additional one in the chamber. Call Wyoming Mountaineers (307)299-2084 to get yours today.

Wanted to Buy Military Items From WW2 and Vietnam, 307-778-6493 I Buy Militaria. Swords, uniforms, bayonets, medals, guns/parts, field gear. 6827864 Wanted: Old Batteries. Call 307-670-1675. D4-30-8P WILL PAY CASH FOR CAMPERS. Call Scott (307) 680-0854.

Apartments for Rent

Autos, Trucks and Vans

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

‘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.

2 Bedroom apartment $650 per month, $650 security, $650 last months. Above Gillette Cheese House. No pets, no smoking, laundry facilities available 685-6449 Criminal background check and renters insurance Required Immaculate 1-2 bedroom apartments, fresh paint, and new flooring. (no pets). Call for move-in special starting at $595 307-686-6488 Apartment for Rent in WindRidge Appts. Water/Trash/ Washer/Dryer. Air and Heat.

3bs/2bth. Must qualify for low income housing. $740.00/ mo. Call 307-685-8066 Foothills View Apartments Hot Move In Special! Cool, Clean, Quiet Apartments.

A/C, 2 Bdrm. $695 1Bdrm. $595. Showing anytime Call 307-686-6488 C3-28-2v Apartments for rent. Foothills View Apartments. Clean and Quiet. One and Two bedroom units starting at $595.00. Call for showing andmove in special 307-6866488 (c3-42-3v) 2 bedroom apartment $675 per month, $675 security, $675 last months rent. Above Gillette Cheese House no pets, no smoking laundry \ facilities available 685-6449 Criminal Background check and renters insurance required.

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.

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

307-689-0202 Office and Retail space for rent Marlins 685-4452 or 685-8100 For Rent Single Bedroom House in Silver Hills 307680-8838. C2-12-4h Room for Rent. Nice Room for Rent for one responsible person. $480.00 per month.

689-9358.

Homes for Sale 2010 Fairmont 16x80 mobile Home. 3 bed-2 bath. Central Air, 10x10 deck, 500gl propane tank, and all utilities.

Excellent condition. $30,000 OBO. Please call after 5pm.

605-209-7584.

Home For Sale By Owner.

Great Horse Property for sale, in Buffalo Wyoming.

11.5 acres with three bedroom, 3 bath home with 2 car attached garage, afull length covered redwood deck and walk out basement, irrigated pastures, bite corrals, Cleary Barn, and much more.Call 307-684-5844 after 5p.m. for appointment

March 21 - 28, 2014

Executive Director Position

05’ GMC Duramax Extend Cab. 52,550 mi. Call 307672-8766 2008 Dodge Charger AWD Hemi, loaded Black $18,000 books for $22,500 Marlins 685-4452 or 685-8100.

2006 Dodge Mega Cab 4x4 Laramie 102,000 miles $16,000 307-689-7290 2002 Oldsmobile Aurora.

Black. Leather interior. Good condition. 87,400mi. Power everything. Front wheel drive. New tires. Call Charlene 307-660-7316.

1993 Chrysler LHS for sale or trade.

Needs tie-rod and alignment. Runs good. $1,500.00 OBO. Email KevlarGrease@gmail.com 1994 Plymouth Voyager for sale or trade. Runs/ looks great. 188,000 miles. $2,000.00 OBO. Email KevlarGrease@gmail.com 2004 Yukon Denali XL,6.0 Motor, Loaded $14,000 OBO 660-9351 2008 Hyundai Sonata LMTD, 40,000 mi. $13,500, Call 307-660-2532.

2000 Chevy Silverado 4x4 1/2 Ton Pickup. New tires, ext. cab, long bed. 148,000 mi. One owner. 307-6700858 or 303-250-4096 97’ Chevy Long Box Extended Cab. ¾ Ton, selling for Parts. $1,000 OBO. 307680-7431 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

Business Opportunities Looking for investor in local business. Call for Details.

307-257-2306.

Exciting career available Now! No weekends, holidays, or nights. Unlimited income potential. 20% commission plus gas allowance selling print advertising. Call Anne Peterson (advertising manager) at (307) 299-4662 or email AnnePeterson@ CampbellCountyObserver. com Get your doTerra essential oils at Health Corner 101, 500 O-R Drive Suite 4 or call 307-689-1998

Pets 2 AKC Registered male and female English Bulldogs free to a new good home, They have current shorts and play along with children and other animals. contact (billingsjeff151@yahoo.com) for more information.

Subscription Sales

Part Time. Newspaper Subscription Sales.

Pays $5.00 for every 6-month subscription sold and $10.00 for every year subscription sold. Perfect for supplemental income. Extra bonuses for every 100 subscriptions sold. Apply in person at the Campbell county Observer office at 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 (Behind Subway) in Gillette.

Part time Help Wanted

Newspaper Delivery Route 7-days per week.

3am-6am. Gillette Area.

Must have own vehicle and vehicle insurance.

Pays 23 cents per paper. Good average income per month plus tips. Great supplemental income.

Must be able to do route EVERY DAY. Must be reliable. Apply in person at the Campbell county Observer office at 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 (Behind Subway) in Gillette.

Part Time Writers Wanted

Sports/Community/Government writers wanted. Part time. Starts $10 per article, with raise after 3 months. Must have own camera. Apply in person at the Campbell county Observer office at 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 (Behind Subway) in Gillette.

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Campbell County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) CCEDC is a non-profit corporation head quartered in Gillette, Wyoming providing support and guidance to its county, local government and agencies. The ideal candidate for this position will have: • Considerable experience in economic, business and community development.

• Ability to communicate effectively to groups and individuals in all areas of business and professional organizations and the general public • Ability to establish working relationships with other organizations and economic development practitioners is vital.

• Preferred candidate will have experience in economic development and a combination of education and experience commensurate with a Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, marketing, or related field.

Salary is based on experience and noted successes and ranges from 85k – 115k. Position will be open until filled. When applying please include a list of success with your resume.

Please send all inquiries and resumes to: ccedc@ccedc.net.

Contact Mary Melaragno for complete job description.

Advertising Sales/Marketing *Immediate Openings!*/Full Time

Are you looking to join a fast paced, growing company?

Are you ready to earn the income you know you’re worth?

Are you outgoing and enjoy meeting new people?

Do you enjoy sales and have sales experience?

Do you enjoy leading and helping others to succeed?

If so, this is the career for you!

If you are experienced in Print or Radio Advertising Sales, think of this. What if you could sell both with the time it takes to see one client? Imagine the income potential.

The Campbell County Observer and American Standard Media has teamed up to create openings that provide newspaper, magazine, website, and radio advertising as well as marketing solutions to businesses. We focus primarily on smaller communities, providing personalized, in-depth information specific to each coverage area. It is our goal to ensure that every customer has a positive experience, from the initial sale to final publication.

We are looking for a few highly motivated and passionate individuals that will provide exemplary customer service and sales expertise to keep our clients happy and keep our company growing! Apply in person at the Campbell county Observer office at 1001 S. Douglas Hwy. B-6 (Behind Subway) in Gillette or email resume and cover letter to CampbellCountyObserver@gmail.com 20% Commission for Newspaper/magazine, and Syndicated Radio Show. $500 bonus monthly for newspaper if sold $10,5K+, $200 Team Bonus for $16,5+, $500 Bonus for 6 magazines yearly for $5,5K+, and Team $200 Bonus for $10,5K+ per magazine. Christmas Bonus for Syndicated Radio Talk Show of 2% of total commissions. Future 24hr. news talk radio station will pay 15% commission plus $500 bonus when $45K in sales per month is reached.

Solutions from this week

Our Roots

March 21 - 28, 2014

Campbell County Observer

Campbell Co. Fire Dept.

March 12, 2014 - At 11:30 a.m. to Mountain Meadow Lane for an EMS assist.

- At 6:23 p.m. to the 2300 block of Harder Dr. for an EMS assist.

March 13, 2014 - At 12:04 a.m. to 200 Prospector Parkway for an automatic fire alarm, firefighters discovered it was a faulty heat detector.

- At 9:16 a.m. to 704 Stanley for a report of a carbon monoxide release.

Moderate levels of CO were found in the home which was evacuated and ventilated by CCFD crews.

The source was determined to be a vehicle that was started in the garage.

- At 10:46 a.m. to Interstate 90, Garner Lake on ramp for a vehicle fire.

Upon arrival crews found an engine compartment fire in a passenger vehicle. The fire was contained with the use of a fire extinguisher.

The damage to the engine compartment is minimal.

- At 2:16 p.m. to 10560 S. HWY 59 to check on a controlled burn that possibly contained material not authorized by the Wyoming Department of Environ-

mental Quality. Information was forwarded to Wyoming DEQ. - At 5:06 p.m. to 1908 Cliff Davis Dr. (Holiday Inn) for an automatic fire alarm, crews were cancelled en route by the alarm company.

March 14, 2014 - At 12:05 a.m. to Brom St. for an EMS assist.

- At 1:09 a.m. to 105 Wright Blvd. (Latigo Hills Storage Units) for a reported structure fire. Upon arrival crews found heavy fire in one storage unit with fire extending to an adjacent storage unit. Crews quickly brought the fire under control and heat damage was limited to two units with moderate smoke damage to an additional three units. The fire did result in one civilian fatality. The fire is under investigation and the Wyoming State Fire Marshals Office is assisting CCFD with this investigation.

- At 4:14 p.m. to Daredevil Avenue for an EMS assist.

- At 4:20 p.m. to the area of Rozet on HWY 51 for a grass fire. Two small fires were found burning along the railroad tracks. The

fires were quickly extinguished and the cause was believed to be from a passing train.

- At 7:10 p.m. to 25 Gold Buckle Place for an odor investigation inside the home. CCFD was unable to find anything hazardous.

- At 7:24 p.m. to 805 Frontier Drive for a residential fire alarm activation.

This was a false alarm and all units were cancelled.

- At 7:47 p.m. to the area of Barrel Racing Avenue for a small grass fire. The fire was quickly contained to less than a quarter of an acre in size.

March 15, 2014 - At 9:02 a.m. to 2597 S. Douglas Highway (Country Inn and Suites) for an automatic fire alarm, prior arrival units were cancelled as they had burnt some bacon.

- At 9:18 a.m. to Sammye Ave. for an EMS assist.

- At 11:00 a.m. to E. Highway 14 16 for an EMS assist.

- At 8:11 p.m. to Warlow Dr. near the animal shelter for a report of a large cloud of smoke. Upon arrival in the area it was determined to be smoke from tire burn-

outs.

- At 8:36 p.m. to Towers West Lodge for the report of a pull station activation.

There was no fire and the pull station was reset by CCFD personnel.

- At 9:53 p.m. to 601 S. Douglas Highway (Prairie Fire Brewery) for a fire alarm, it was determined that a faulty compressor caused a low air pressure alarm. A maintenance contractor was contacted.

March 16, 2014 - At 12:32 a.m. to South Douglas Highway for an EMS assist.

- At 4:14 p.m. to mile marker 115 on westbound I-90 - At 10:42 p.m. to Trinidad Court for an EMS assist.

March 17, 2014 - At 7:17 a.m. to 4520 Running W Dr. for an EMS assist.

- At 8:57 a.m. to Raven Street for an EMS assist.

- At 10:22 a.m. to Round Up Drive for a one inch natural gas line that was struck by an excavator.

Fire department personnel used a gas clamp to stop the leak.

March 18 , 2014 - At 1:11 a.m. to the 300 block of Sierra Circle for an EMS assist.

- At 3:54 a.m. to Grandview Circle for an EMS assist.

- At 4:41 a.m. to 5834 S. Winland Dr. for a report of smoke in the building. Firefighters arrived on scene and were advised that the building had suffered an electrical failure.

A transformer overheated and melted a rubber mat causing the smoke in the structure.

- At 6:11 a.m. to the 100 block of Dubois Ln. for an

EMS assist.

- At 7:56 a.m. to 4901 Sleepy Hollow Boulevard, Conestoga School for an automatic fire alarm activation. The alarm was caused by a system malfunction.

- At 12:58 p.m. to 408 S. Douglas Highway, Pokey’s for an EMS assist.

- At 9:08 p.m. to 1304 Mary Court for a burning smell in the residence.

Upon arrival to the scene CCFD determined that the smell was coming from a blower motor in the furnace.

“Do you want to know who you are?

Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”

-Thomas Jefferson

$5,000.00

On the Purchase of Your 1st Home With This Coupon

Water Projects, Early Gillette Style

By Jeff Morrison roviding a sufficient amount of water to meet the demands of an ever-growing population has always been a challenge in Gillette, requiring creative – not to mention costlysolutions even in the earliest days of our town’s history.

The very first water crisis began the day the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad made the decision to run the track north of an existing community calling itself Donkey Town and created a new settlement, named after one of the railroad’s track engineers, two miles north. Donkey Town, named after the creek, had a source of water. The new town had a mostly-dry seasonal drainage wash, optimistically named Stone Pile Creek. Not only would the new population require drinking water, but steam engines required water as well. Added to that was the plans for a large stock yard for shipping sheep and cattle from Gillette to eastern markets, which would also require water.

From 1891 to 1906, the new community of Gillette made do with what water they could get from shallow wells, hauling water from Donkey Creek and pumping water from a nearby seasonal pond we now call Burlington Lake. But it was apparent to all parties that, in order for the town to grow, something needed to be done. Fortunately the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad had a solution. The proposed to the town a canal system that would divert water from Donkey Creek to Stone Pile Creek and from Stone Pile Creek into the seasonal lake, which would be enhanced with a dirt dike. In a 1920 article, the Campbell County Record said of the original proposal “… strange as it may seem, there were few those days who thought that the town would ever grow to any proportions and it was generally talked among our residents that it was better for the town to permit of the building of the ditch than of getting the ill will of the company and losing the freight division point, and thus it was put through.” A very good point, considering railroad communities either thrived or withered on the whims of railroad officials who decided where certain off-shoot businesses would be built along their lines.

Construction of the Burlington ditch began in 1907 and was completed in 1908. The ditch ran from Donkey Creek, through the lower part of present-day Sutherland Estates and Sage Bluffs subdivisions, crossed to roughly parallel with Boxelder Road where it runs between 4-J and Highway 59. It then ran diagonally northwest, crossing Gillette Avenue next to where the George Amos Memorial Library would be built in 1941, and continuing back to 4-J road. Running due-west, south and parallel to what would become Highway 14-16, it crossed the road at the Rock Pile, wound around the town’s main landmark then turned northwest again to feed into Stone Pile Creek just north of the railroad tracks and west of Burma Road. Although the natural streambed of Stone Pile runs north of the tracks until just east of Brooks Avenue, at some point another

portion of ditch was run on the south side of the tracks, dividing the tracks from the town. Two wooden bridges were constructed on either side of Gillette Avenue to facilitate passenger traffic between the depot and town. This portion of the ditch fed back into Stone Pile Creek at Brooks Avenue. A third portion of ditch was dug from Stone Pile, just west of modern-day the baseball fields at Bicentennial Park and ran east to the holding pond, which had by this time a variety of names: Burlington Lake, Burlington Reservoir and Gillette Reservoir.

As with most Gillette water projects, it was a costly endeavor. Expenses went far beyond just digging a ditch. Buildings in the path of the ditch had to be moved.

Several bridges had to be constructed and maintained. Head gates, dikes and dams had to be installed along the canal system. All of this was done at the railroad’s expense, which meant that the entire water system, once completed, belonged to the railroad. This was both good and bad. The railroad was, indeed, responsible for the maintenance of the ditch system and everything relating to it, however permission had to be granted by the railroad for anything crossing it. This included things like proposed bridges crossing over it and town water supply pipes crossing under it. Early on this wasn’t much of a difficulty, but it became increasingly burdensome as town growth came into conflict with the ditch.

At one point, permission to move the city dump from one side of the ditch to the other had to be granted.

Another problem became apparent early on. The ditch was prone to flooding during heavy rains. In 1909 the flash flood caused by a large hail storm wiped out a half mile of dike at the head of the ditch. But the worst disaster occurred one August evening in 1912, when nearly two inches of rain came down in a two hour time period. During the deluge, the ditch overflowed and the water turned Gillette Avenue into “a veritable sea of water,” according to the Gillette News, “the gutters being utterly inadequate to carry off the immense volume, and as a result many business houses were caught by the overflow, cellars were flooded and first floors inundated, ruining several thousand dollars’ worth of goods of different kinds.”

Burlington ditch broke in several places, washing out nearly every bridge that crossed it. The sidewalks on the east side of Gillette Avenue, all being made of wood, floated away down the street.

Most of the businesses that existed on Gillette Avenue at the time suffered flood damage. Passengers, debarking from train number 43, were faced with the choice of staying put at the station or trying to wade across the rushing, waistdeep torrent of water that separated them from the hotels in town. The Goings Hotel flooded both its cellar and some of the lower rooms to a height “sufficient to cover the mattresses on the beds.”

At the Montgomery, one block down from the Goings, and across the street, the water filled both cellars and six inches of water covered the floors on

The Burlington Ditch as it snaked through Gillette’s downtown, the old fairgrounds, and the Rock Pile. ground level. The water also lifted off the cellar door that covered an opening in the front of the building. J. A. Wood, foreman of the Burlington roundhouse, was walking by the hotel and stepped into the open cellar hatch, and sunk out of site. According to the Gillette News, “He managed to pull himself out of his perilous plight uninjured and ahead 35 cents for a first-class bath.”

At the Dodd and Fowlston saloon, patrons decided to save the establishment by building a bulkhead across doorways. Two feet of water showed on the outside, but the bulkheads kept all but two inches of water out of the building. Presumably they saved happy hour.

The greatest amount of property damage was suffered by the Daly Brothers general store where it was estimated they lost about $5,000 of goods. According to one account, about $1.200 of this was a shipment of prunes. They sued the railroad for damages and received $1,000 in restitution, then allegedly dried the prunes out and sold them later that summer.

Demands to fill the ditch in probably started that next day, but it wasn’t until 1920 that a serious look into removing the ditch got people’s hopes up. The railroad went so far as to send officials to Gillette with a plan to rework the canal system by rerouting from Donkey Creek on a path that would have taken it around the west side of dump hill, similar to the Burma Road extension.

It would then join up with the existing ditch near the Rock Pile. Part of the plan called for a portion of it to be subterranean. It also included a larger dam to be built at Burlington Lake so that it could hole even more water. The only problem was that it would cost an estimated $125,000 at first-blush. By January of 1921, the railroad reneged on the proposal due to the expense, and the ditch stayed, even though it cost them a small fortune to maintain

18

it and the bridges crossing it. And the growing town was demanding more bridges every day.

It took another twenty years before the railroad relinquished ownership of the ditch to the city in 1942, and another five years before the ditch was mostly filled in and the old bridges removed. In the meantime the ditch continued to flood from time to time, but fortunately never to the extent that it did in 1912. As the ditch disappeared, so did the ground water in northern Gillette. When I was growing up in the late 1960s and 1970s, Stone Pile Creek was a dry gulley that ran behind my best buddy’s house, where we road bikes, had dirt-clod fights and built forts into the banks. I didn’t even know it had a name until I was an adult. Burlington Lake was a hit or miss mud puddle.

Some years it would flood enough to wash out part of Warlow Drive, but most years there wasn’t any water in it. It was later dredged to become a permanent lake and bird refuge.

Very little of the Burlington ditch remains today. There is a small section of it that has been preserved on the corner of 4-J and Boxelder, along with some equipment that was used for maintenance of the ditch. However, the best preserved portion of the ditch can be seen at the Rockpile Museum on Highway 14-16. Here, the ditch was dug into the slope on the eastern side and bends around the Rock Pile and runs northwest toward the corner of Burma Avenue and First Street. The ditch that ran from Stone Pile Creek to Burlington Lake remains intact. It was reworked by the city in 1964 to draw spring flood water away from the housing that was built just north of the railroad tracks along Stone Pile Creek.

The portion of ditch that ran in-between First Street and the railroad tracks is actually still there, but it has slowly been covered over with cement slabs until it has become a tunnel.

The Local “Our Roots” Column is sponsored by

· Auto · Preferred · SR22’s · Home · Renters · Life · Health

Elizabeth Jones Agency 1001 S. Douglas Hwy., Suite 184 Gillette, WY 82716 Office (307) 682-6520 Fax (307) 682-3536

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

www.farmersunioninsurance.com/ejones ejones@vcn.com