JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | NOVEMBER 23-29, 2016
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
2 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
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Invest in your home this holiday shopping season
SHOP SMALL SATURDAY NOVEMBER 26 LOCAL SHOPS WILL BE STAYING OPEN LATE ALL WINTER SEASON BEGINNING DEC 9TH – MARCH 26TH FOR YOUR SHOPPING CONVENIENCE. TOWN SQUARE LIGHTING & KICKOFF EVENT
FRIDAY 5-7PM ON TOWN SQUARE
JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE
VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 46 | NOVEMBER 23-29, 2016
14 COVER STORY LETTERS TO THE FUTURE The Paris Climate Project, part two.
Cover illustration by Serene Lusano
4 OPINION
20 MUSIC BOX
6 THE BUZZ
22 CULTURE KLASH
13 NEWS OF THE WEIRD
24 FEAST 30 REDNECK
THE PLANET TEAM PUBLISHER
Copperfield Publishing, John Saltas EDITOR
Robyn Vincent / editor@planetjh.com
ART DIRECTOR
STAFF REPORTERS
Cait Lee / art@planetjh.com
Meg Daly, Jake Nichols
SALES DIRECTOR
COPY EDITOR
Jen Tillotson / jen@planetjh.com SALES EXTRAORDINAIRE
Caroline LaRosa / caroline@planetjh.com
Sell Chambers, Aaron Davis, Carol Mann, Traci McClintic, Andrew Munz, Sarah Ross, Skye Schell, Chuck Shepherd, Tom Tomorrow, Jim Woodmencey
Meg Daly CONTRIBUTORS
Alastair Bland, Mike Bressler, Rob Brezsny, Jessica
MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, Alternative Weekly Network, Association of Alternative Newsmedia
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November 23-29, 2016 By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey It looks like we will be getting back into a cycle of storms, from now until the end of the month, to get us back on track, snowfall-wise. All that snow that fell up in the mountains in early October was melted or washed away by the time early November arrived. That week or so of warm and dry in early November is now behind us and winter, which is still officially a month away, seems to be knocking at the door.
SPONSORED BY GRAND TETON FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS
Last week had a couple of cold mornings, the lowest of those was 5-degrees in town last Friday, November 18th. Cold, but not cold enough to break a record for that date, which was minus 15-degrees, set back in 1951. Average overnight lows this week are in the mid-to-low teens, and the record low temperature this week is minus 20-degrees, set back on November 26th, 1952. Plenty of cold turkey for that Thanksgiving Holiday.
Two days after that low of 5-degrees, we had a high temperature of 54-degrees in town on Sunday, November 20th. Not quite enough to break the record high for that date of 56 degrees, set back in 1989. The average high temperatures in town this week are in the mid 30’s. The record high temperature this week is 58-degrees, which was established on November 25th 1949. It was not-so-hot on November 25th, 2010 when the afternoon high was only 5-degrees.
NORMAL HIGH NORMAL LOW RECORD HIGH IN 1949 RECORD LOW IN 1952
36 13 58 -20
THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.3 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 4.2 inches (1988) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 9 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 40 inches
Carpet - Tile - Hardwood - Laminate Blinds - Shades - Drapery Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Open Tuesdays until 8pm 1705 High School Rd Suite 120 Jackson, WY 307-200-4195 www.tetonfloors.com | www.tetonblinds.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 3
Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com
WHAT’S COOL WHAT’S HOT
THIS WEEK
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
JH ALMANAC
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
4 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
FROM OUR READERS JH Watchdog
I received 1,812 votes, but fell short of victory in my run for Jackson Town Council. I’m disappointed in the outcome, but I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to campaign and advocate for common sense solutions to our housing and traffic problems that don’t require blank check tax increases and that don’t require working people to provide subsidies for the private business sector. The concerns and hopes we share about the future of our community were always the real focus of my campaign, not my own personal success or failure. I’m hopeful that in spite of my loss at the polls the ideas and principles I espouse will continue to advance and gain traction. I very much appreciate all the folks who donated money and sent good wishes to my campaign. I hope you feel that I represented you well. Congratulations to Jim, and Hailey, and best wishes to Jessica. I enjoyed discussing the issues with you all at the candidate forums. Our interactions were always cordial, respectful, and actually pretty darn fun! I was the only town council candidate who opposed the 1 percent General Revenue Sales and Use Tax increase, and I’m proud that the community resoundingly rejected the tax increase on election night. Now we can continue to fund our community priorities using SPET with direct voter input and oversight, and keep our tax rate at a reasonable 6 percent. We will all need to stay vigilant to make sure that the town council doesn’t attempt to circumvent this clearly stated will of the people. My love for our town and my concern that we tackle our challenges fairly and effectively will keep me involved in the planning and political scene. It’s up to all of us to stay involved and hold government accountable. My alter ego for local politics is JH Watchdog. Please join me there to continue the conversation!
- Judd Grossman Jackson, WY
Keep up the Resistance
Thank you, Planet JH, for a great issue [Resistance is not Futile, Nov. 16] about the situation we are now in because of the election. The Editor’s Note is spot-on. Standing with you.
- Anpeytu L. Raben Jackson, WY
Closing the Divide
I have quietly sobbed and loudly bawled many tears for our children, and lost sleep trying to wrap my head around the results of the presidential election. And I have heard a lot of awesome positivity
and optimism from fellow Hillary supporters who are right when they evoke Ghandi: We can be the change we want to see in the world, we are powerful, and the majority of Americans are not hateful people. We can be the moral compass for our children. We can enact positive change in our communities and protect our most marginalized populations on a local level. We can donate to progressive organizations that fight for equality and our environment. I am looking for silver linings. At first I’ll admit I couldn’t see any. But what if this great American tragedy is the kick in the butt that we need to actually engage in the civic process? To stand up for racial justice? To choose a cause and put some energy into an effort that reflects our ideals? A wellspring of grassroots activism could be a very powerful force. On a personal level, this result has laid bare my privilege. It has shaken me to the core. My privilege and my surroundings (physical and digital) have distorted my understanding of reality in this nation. My upbringing and my education told me this result was not possible. And I was so wrong. I am not alone here. We were wrong. We are at a loss that there are so many Americans who gave Trump (and all the ugliness that he stands for) legitimacy. We thought America would reject it. (When all the conservative newspapers rejected him as unfit and we heard about Republican after Republican who was going to vote country over party, it was hard not to.) The polls told us Clinton was favored and we believed them. We thought Hillary could win in a landslide. We were over confident that rationality would prevail and America would elect the most qualified for the job. We thought that our nation was ready for their first female president, and it didn’t occur to us that sexism could be the last word. And so we grieve this result because we were naive that we have not come as far as we thought. We are embarrassed that we didn’t see it coming, and we are ignorant and/or apathetic to the struggles of Middle America. We are in pain that our nation is so divided, and we are in pain that good Americans cast their vote for Trump not because of his hateful platform but in spite of it, as a protest against the status quo. (Perhaps they too believed Clinton would win regardless, and we wouldn’t be stuck in this place we are now?) But here we are. And now it’s our job to find out why the nation didn’t reject hate and learn how to change the tide—to fight like hell to protect the marginalized and our planet, who need a voice louder than ever. And of course we can all hope that Trump conducts himself with a newfound decency and decorum that the presidency demands, chooses competent people to
run the executive branch, and that our institutions prevent the unraveling of the hard work of the Obama administration and those before him. I will not be hardened. Hillary is an inspiration to me. She has persevered and handled this most unexpected result with utmost grace and dignity. She will continue to fight for us and be a role model for women and girls. As a woman and mother, I have so much gratitude for her path.
- Meg Posey Scott Seattle, WA
Snow King Slide?
Remember when the Budge Drive landslide was national news? This summer, local residents approved the usage of $6M in tax revenue to fix a portion of it to ensure public safety. This small landslide can be considered just a minor threat compared to the road system planned for Snow King Mountain, which has a steeper grade and soils that are likely much more prone to a landslide than East Gros Ventre Butte. There is visual evidence of the earthen sloughs that eroded from the ridges and gullies to form various knolls, like the one that the Snow King Resort Hotel sits on. The proposed wide road will cut through about a mile’s worth of the face of Snow King, cutting through the upper starting zones, middle faces, and right beneath some of the steepest shots on the mountain. Will this new and wider road be engineered well enough to support an entire mountain? Will it be stable enough to support heavy machinery such as cement trucks, excavators, haul trucks, and concrete pumping cranes? Could the snowmaking pipes eventually become leaky and contribute to a landslide? Will the increased weight of an artificial snowpack and constant freeze/thaw cycles contribute to erosion problems? Could a forest fire contribute to a sudden loss of water retention in the soils? Will expensive mitigation projects such as rockfall fencing and cement retaining walls become a major liability for the ski area, and become an eyesore to the backdrop of Jackson? This road would likely be Phase 1 of the years-long construction project, and would be done first in order to facilitate building the gondola and large restaurant, and will definitely close down the mountain to all summer users and have a huge price tag. There are many reasons why the historical service road goes up Leeks Canyon on the backside, and the current road on the front side, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps for hikers, horses, and skiers would be mostly obliterated and backfilled. It will take many years for fresh scars to disappear, and possibly decades for the forest to conceal a new road. One of the reasons that Free Snow King
is advocating for an aerial tram is to avoid the need for this road. A tram would help facilitate the construction of a restaurant (JHMR’s tram can carry a snowcat beneath it) and could be installed in just one summer with the usage of helicopters, similar to how the new Rafferty lift was built in just a few weeks without needing a road. The tram’s span might only require one tower, and would be a more iconic lift to the top, full of camaraderie for the four-minute ride. It might even be less costly to construct, and will not require a storage facility that is required for all of the gondola cabins. A new lift to the summit should be the highest priority for Snow King Mountain, and just the scenic ride alone will bring more visitors and revenue to the Town Hill, and likely outperform the $37 summer tram ride over at JHMR. A tram could have been built already under the terms of “categorical exclusion,” and would not have required the multi-year process of undergoing an environmental analysis. The BTNF should be extremely hesitant to approve this project and the boundary expansion, which will require a costly and extensive process to study the issues of erosion and avalanches (and definitely wildlife), while guaranteeing the safety for public users, future construction, and the private lands beneath. Maybe the proposed road would be more likely to be approved at a narrower scale, and designated for recreational use only, with exceptions for certain mountain operations that require ATV usage. Another key issue and major hurdle for future construction is the current road system on their private lands, which contains some tight switchbacks and grades well above 20 percent that will access the proposed 12 percent grade service road. It is unknown how any repairs could be made to this bottom portion of their access road, since all possible alternative routes are now obstructed by the Cowboy Coaster. This problem should be addressed by a new and revised Resort District Master Plan, which is long overdue and will likely be required as Step 1 for Phase 2. The Town of Jackson should require the same protocol that the BTNF would require for road design and construction. Is a new service road to the summit truly feasible and necessary? Could a tram be the answer? Could the Rafferty Area be improved to offer an ideal area for beginners instead?
- Shane Rothman/Free Snow King Jackson, WY
Submit your comments to editor@ planetjh.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line. All letters are subject to editing for length, content and clarity.
GUEST OPINION Movements Will Move Us Coming to terms with America’s dark past and its possibility for a different future. BY SKYE SCHELL
T
with homemade napalm, America is Black Lives Matter, America is the Dreamers, America is #NoKXL and Standing Rock. America the ideal is the overcoming of America the history. And the only way we’ve ever overcome our dark side is through nonviolent mass movements. Our society tells us to stay alone, in as small a family unit as possible, drinking corporate TV. We’ve been isolated. But our movements are stronger now than in years past. This is why I still have hope. The movements are not beholden to the parties, or the military-industrial complex, or the 1 percent. The movements are divided, but they’re talking. And if the movements come together, we have power. Enough power to radically take over a party, or to form a new party based on liberation and human rights, not fear and “security.” Main Street, not Wall Street. Food, not Bombs. What do we do now? We speak truth about our history, and we spend the next four years building power. Let’s all join a movement, or better yet join two movements and build bridges between them. Let’s get out on the streets, speak up, stand up. Let’s not pretend Trump is an aberration or “un-American.” Let’s admit his rhetoric is precisely our death-mask heritage, and let’s work and love as hard as we can to create a different future. PJH
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of this newspaper. SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 5
Skye Schell lives in Jackson. He welcomes your thoughts at skyeschell@gmail.com.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
rump won. I watched the election results come in with a friend, both of us in utter shock. How could America, we wondered, elect someone so virulent with hate and contempt for so many of us—immigrants, women, Muslims. My first reaction was intense fear. Fear that America could fall into fascism, like Germany did in the 1930s, resulting in our loss of civil liberties, militarized police, and concentration camps for Muslims. Martin Niemoller sprang to mind: “First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist… Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.” And then I realized that while I’m afraid of American fascism, it’s already been a reality for so many Americans. Let’s look at our history. An “us vs. them,” mentality has always been prevalent in this country. This nation, this American Dream, was founded on genocide and rape, slavery and plantations. Massacres at Sand Creek, at Wounded Knee. America grew up with patriarchy, xenophobia, ruthless wars of expansion and concentration camps. We became a great empire, we had cheap consumer goods and cheap energy, and we needed force to maintain that empire. Inside our borders, after the Civil War ended slavery, the South installed obscene, murderous segregation. Lynchings. The Klan. In the 1960s, police tortured African American men in Chicago jails. Police still regularly shoot unarmed Black men. We were afraid of “the other”—Black Americans. America stands by, Amerikkka looks away. In 1973, Chile elected a socialist president. Again, we were afraid of the other, this time the communists. Henry Kissinger helped a military coup overthrow the president, “disappear” and torture thousands of leftists, launching 25 years of dictatorship. We have installed and supported horrendous fascist dictators all over the world.
We’ve trained death squads that murdered Salvadoran Archbishop Romero, and massacred thousands. We stand by, we look away. This year, Hillary Clinton ca lls Henry Kissinger a close friend and advisor. On 9/11, we get attacked. We’re afraid of the other—the terrorists—and we let our government do horrendous things to “keep us safe.” Rendition, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo. We torture innocent people. We launch more wars. President Barack Obama has sold more weapons to the murderous regime in Saudi Arabia than anyone in history. We help Saudi Arabia bomb civilians in Yemen. We bomb hospitals in Afghanistan. We whisper about “collateral damage.” We drop bombs from drones, we hit kids at weddings. Survivors go back to find the bodies and we drop bombs on them. Families hold funerals and we drop bombs on the funerals. We stand by, we look away. Neither party is about peace, or justice, or liberation, or human rights. Not because they’re “bad.” Because they’re us. We want to be safe, protected, with cheap consumer goods and cheap energy. We value our lives more than other lives. So our government does this. Maintains the system, maintains the Empire. More war. More torture. National security. When Bush does it, Democrats protest. When Obama does it, Democrats look away. Some of us—especially middle-class white men like me—haven’t experienced America’s oppression. We’ve been privileged to live the myth that America is about “freedom,” a “city on the hill,” a “force for good.” We’ve seen only America’s smiling face. Suddenly it turns, and we see the ghoulish grinning death mask on the other side. America is Donald Trump. Donald Trump is America. The chickens just came to roost right in the middle of the Oval Office. But we also know this: America is more than our dark history, more than the Evil Empire, more than Donald Trump. America is Martin Luther King Jr. and the moral arc of the universe, America is Rosa Parks, America is Freedom Riders willing to endure torture by racist Southern police, America is Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta building a union, America is Dorothy Day and seemingly hopeless protests against wars, America is Dan Berrigan burning Vietnam draft cards
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
6 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
Bridges, Not Walls Community addresses what’s next for Latino community under a Trump presidency. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
S
t. John’s Episcopal Church overflowed with concerned people of all ages and races on Wednesday to address how a Donald Trump presidency may impact this area’s Latino community. More than 250 residents gathered for a discussion led by attorneys Elisabeth Trefonas and Rosie Read of Trefonas Law. Psychotherapist Daniela Peterson joined the attorneys to offer advice about managing post-election anxiety and stress. With reports of families already closing bank accounts and leaving town, the forum served to dispel outsized fears and give practical advice to Jackson residents worried about deportation. One of the key issues addressed during the discussion is the potential for Jackson to become a sanctuary city—a place that employs a range of policies to protect undocumented immigrants. According to Lieutenant Tom Combs, of the Teton County Sheriff’s Department, the sole written agreement the county has with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is as a detention facility to hold federal immigration detainees. “The only other time that ICE is contacted is if we have physical arrest where we need to verify the person’s identity and the person is foreign born,” Combs said. “We do not want the community to fear us,” he added. During the evening forum, children played on the sidelines while a rapt audience of adults listened as Read and Trefonas tag-teamed discussion of the potential threats now facing undocumented immigrants. The diverse turnout signaled community solidarity in the face of impending crisis. “If you leave with two things tonight, I hope you get valuable information,” said Mary Erickson, forum organizer and One22’s executive director. “And I want you to take a minute and look around the room. This is our community and we are standing together.” Trefonas began the discussion addressing what she and Read say is the worst news for undocumented immigrants. Trump has promised that the current program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA), will cease to exist on day one of his presidency. “We think this is the hardest thing that is going to happen, and it can happen just by the president-elect’s decision to do so,” Trefonas said. “He doesn’t need Congress or courts to make this decision.” DACA, Trefonas explained, is a privilege that Obama extended to children who were brought to this country before the age of 16. These young people have little to no criminal background, are educated, and of good moral character, meaning they pay their taxes. “President Obama said we will not deport those individuals,” Trefonas said. “In exchange for paying a fine, those individuals could get a work permit and a driver’s license.” Almost one and half million individuals nationwide will be impacted by eliminating DACA, Trefonas said. In Wyoming, there are 1,323 DACA applications, 605 of which have been approved. Trefonas said in an email that she would guess the majority of the approved DACA cases are in Teton County. In other words, hundreds of individuals and families here will be affected if Trump makes good on his promise to end DACA. “I knew of 10 people in the room at the forum whose DACA cases we handled,” the attorney noted. Trefonas had two pieces of advice regarding DACA. If individuals were currently thinking of applying for DACA for the first time, Trefonas Law advises that they not do this. “There are some concerns it might flag your life here,” Trefonas said, meaning that a DACA application might draw attention to an undocumented status. However, Trefonas advised that people pursue DACA renewals if they are eligible. “If you are close to renewal, we are advising you do that as soon as possible,” she said. She also recommended correcting illegal entry by leaving the country briefly under an advance parole document and then re-entering the U.S. lawfully. Read said that, realistically, Trump will not be able to deport the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Currently, Congress earmarks enough money to remove only 400,000 illegal immigrants. Trefonas advised that people, if approached, are not required to speak with an ICE official. “If they do not have an order to arrest you from a judge, you do not need to answer questions about your status here,” Trefonas said. “With local law enforcement, you never need to answer those questions. You might have to identify yourself, but if they ask where your visa is or if you are here unlawfully, you don’t have to answer them.” At the end of the forum, several people said they want Jackson to become a sanctuary city. Erickson said she supports the concept, but acknowledged sanctuary can mean different things to different people.
MELISSA BRUMSTED SNIDER
THE BUZZ
St. John’s Church’s Hansen Hall was filled to brimming for an immigration forum hosted by One22. “The idea has generally gotten a bad rap,” Erickson said. “I hope we can all agree that violent criminals should be arrested and eventually deported. But I would like our local police to be allowed to use their discretion and not ask for documentation during simple traffic stops.” Indeed, discretion is the name of the game in what Mayor-elect Pete Muldoon calls “uncharted territory.” “We don’t know yet what we’re up against, but we have to stand together,” he said, referring to Trump’s promises. “It’s a test for our community, but I believe we are up to the challenge.” In general, elected officials showed interest in exploring policies that would protect undocumented immigrants in Teton County. County commissioners Greg Epstein, Natalia Duncan Macker, and Smokey Rhea all told The Planet they would be willing to look at options. Town councilors Jim Stanford and Hailey Morton Levinson also expressed interest in looking into the sanctuary issue; both councilors said they want to ensure that all Jackson residents feel safe and respected. Councilors Bob Lenz and Don Frank did not reply to emailed questions on this matter. Commissioner Mark Newcomb also did not respond to an email inquiry. Muldoon said he is looking at “all feasible actions that we can take to make sure that no members of our community have to live in fear, and that we show support for them in word and in deed.” One such action taken by the town council of Santa Ana, Calif., was that the town council recently voted to cancel the city’s contract to hold federal immigration detainees in the city’s jail. According to the news website, Voice of OC, the contract was the main funding source for the jail, which doesn’t hold people arrested by local police. Another action taken in Seattle was to pass an ordinance barring police officers from asking about a person’s immigration status without reasonable suspicion that the person has been previously deported or has committed a felony, unless required to by law or a court order. This is the case in Seattle. Sheriff Jim Whalen, who attended last Wednesday’s forum, said that his
agreement with ICE exists solely for the purpose of public safety. The verbal agreement is that the sheriff’s office will contact ICE whenever they “take someone into custody for state law violation and there is evidence to suggest they are undocumented and foreign born.” In the wake of Trump’s election, a number of cities nationwide have vowed to maintain their sanctuary status, including Seattle, Santa Fe, Portland, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Trump has promised to cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities. However, there are discrepancies about what “sanctuary” means in each city. Seattle’s chief of police and mayor recently affirmed their version of sanctuary. The Seattle Times reported: “Despite threats of reduced federal funding, a Seattle Police Department policy barring officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status will not change, Chief Kathleen O’Toole said Tuesday.” Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales told NPR that Santa Fe would continue to be a sanctuary city. “We have to do everything we can at the city level to make sure that families who are living in fear now are protected and that we don’t use any local law enforcement resources to do really what the federal government’s job is, and that’s to check immigration status,” he said. In an interview following the forum, Whalen echoed Gonzales’ sentiment. “We don’t have interest in our officers acting as immigration enforcers,” he said. Whalen, however, says he was disappointed that Read and Trefonas advised immigrants not to answer police officers if asked about immigration status. “I thought there should have been an emphasis to not violate state law,” he said, including driving without a license. “We have good public transportation, or drive with someone properly licensed.” Engendering a spirit of cooperation and coexisting between law enforcement and the public is Whalen’s hope. “My message is to please see yourself in terms of cooperating,” he said. “Let’s build a bridge and not a wall.” PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM
Early Riser?
DUD e , WHere’s my car?
The Town of Jackson’s overnight parking ban has gone into effect. SO, if you want to void all kinds of hassles, listen up!
PARKING RESTRICTIONS
CALL 307.732.0299
SHOVELING REQUIREMENTS Additionally, we would like to remind people: Town residents are responsible for keeping sidewalks shoveled. • The TOJ assists with snow removal in the downtown core and along Broadway. • Residents should not put their garbage cans out the night before, but rather after 7:00am on garbage days. • Please keep trash cans, cars, and other obstacles out of the streets and off of the curbs. This saves your property and makes the streets more clear of drifts and snow. • Residents are also encouraged to help keep fire hydrants clear of snow.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDLY FOLKS AT THE TOWN OF JACKSON
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 7
it is illegal to park overnight on Jackson streets, including public parking lots, regardless of weather (rain, snow or shine). Crews begin plowing at 3am. Parked cars on town streets make the job of keeping roads clear of snow more difficult. Consequently, cars left on town streets between 3am & 7am will be ticketed and may be towed by Jackson police. To retrieve your car, contact Ron’s Towing at 733-8697, 1190 S. Hwy 89. Overnight parking for 48 hours or less is allowed in the public parking structure at W. Simpson Ave. and S. Millward St. but not on other town parking lots.
2-3 days/wk Must have own vehicle Clean driving record Hourly wage + mileage
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Through April 15th, between 3:00am & 7:00am,
PLANET JH NEEDS A DELIVERY DRIVER TO START IMMEDIATELY.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
8 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
THE BUZZ 2 Renter Rights Some glean hope from council’s first discussion on ways to protect tenants. BY SARAH ROSS
J
ackson’s housing crisis was at the forefront of the local election and remains a dire issue for many of this area’s residents. While there are several ideas that both electeds and advocates have suggested for mitigating this crisis, Monday’s Jackson Town Council workshop included discussion on tenant rights, something that may help citizens struggling with unstable living conditions—a result of the crisis. Though the item was slated for 30 minutes of discussion, it only received about five minutes of attention and did not prompt a single public comment from the workshop’s attendees. In the final mayoral-forum prior to the election, Mayorelect Pete Muldoon said tenant rights have not been adequately addressed. “[Wyoming has] some of the worst tenant protections in the country,” he said, “and we don’t really have anything on the books for Jackson.” Tenants often live in unsanitary or unsafe environments without leases and have “zero leverage” and “no recourse,” he added. Mayor Sara Flitner agreed that tenant protections are necessary in a place where citizens have scarce housing options. “We are working to give you answers as fast as possible,” she said. Indeed, tenant rights are salient for the many community workers who rent homes in the valley where the median price for a home in Jackson is $1.2 million dollars. In Jackson, it is not unusual for someone to move once a year or more, like Aimee MacDonald, who has moved five times in three years. “All of my living situations have felt unstable,” she said, “and there has been no accountability for housing conditions or concern for tenants.” MacDonald says it has been impossible to stand up for her rights as a tenant in Wyoming. Living in unsafe and insecure conditions, she has faced financial, physical, and emotional hardship. It has made her future in Jackson Hole uncertain. The conversation on tenant rights and the issues that impact MacDonald and many other renters was based on two documents. The first was a staff report compiled by the Town’s legal department and presented by town attorney, Audrey Cohen-Davis. The second was a letter submitted by Shelter JH, an advocacy group addressing the emergency of homelessness in Jackson. The staff report highlighted possible renter protection regulations, including: minimum notice requirements informing a tenant that a unit will not be available for renewal, notice requirements for rent increases, and requirements that landlords “repair/maintain premises in the originally-rented condition” to ensure “minimum health and safety conditions.” Shelter JH’s letter expanded on these ideas, and specifically asked that the town council work to pass ordinances to protect tenants. Unlike resolutions, ordinances are enforceable. “Wyoming laws disproportionately favor landlords, providing virtually no protections for tenants,” the letter stated. Currently, “local ordinances contain nothing at all
Jackson resident Aimee MacDonald has had to move 5 times in 3 years. on the subject of landlord-tenant law.” Hence Shelter JH requested that the council “dedicate resources to ensure that tenants have basic protections.” Shelter JH proposed six specific actions the Town and Housing Department could take. These actions range from requiring landlords to provide a 30- to 60-day notice for no-cause evictions to passing an ordinance that would protect tenants from discrimination based on immigration status and sexual orientation. Some of Shelter JH’s proposals might be relatively easy to address, such as creating a “standard lease” for renters and landlords to use to ensure leases are in compliance. Some proposals, however, may be more contentious, such as preventing “egregious rent increases.” Implementing this measure would require “a limit on how much landlords can raise rent in a year” to ensure that tenants aren’t subjected to 20 or 40 percent increases. The majority of the short discussion during Monday’s workshop focused on the possibility of passing an ordinance that would require that landlords, in the words of Shelter JH, “maintain a minimum standard of habitability (including heat and appliances like stoves and refrigerators, beyond the plumbing, electricity, and running water required by the state),” as well as “make repairs to property as needed to keep premises in the condition in which they were rented.” MacDonald says these regulations would have made all the difference in her experience as a renter and community member. “They would have saved me a lot of time, money, and health problems,” she said. MacDonald says she suffered a serious bout of pneumonia due to a severe mold allergy at the first apartment she rented in Jackson. According to MacDonald, mold was everywhere in the apartment, in the windowsills, the bathroom and the ceilings. When she asked the landlord for help, however, he told her, “Mold is in every house in Jackson.” She also reported other major issues with the apartment. Air pockets in the construction and loosely installed windows and doors meant egregiously high energy bills. MacDonald says her pleas to the landlord for help were met with defensiveness and aggression. “We were told to get out or lose our deposit,” she said. “So, we lost our deposit.” Neglecting major safety issues such as these would not be allowed if the town passes an ordinance to protect the health of tenants. At the workshop Flitner said that of all the proposals, “Health and safety protections could be acted upon immediately.” Some of the other ideas, however, might require that the participation of other agencies, and therefore cannot be enacted as rapidly.
When no one stepped forward for public comment, however, the conversation ended there. A motion was passed to direct staff to review possible health and safety regulations to implement, and the discussion was over. Nick Grenoble, a board member of Shelter JH, was encouraged by the conversation. “It was good to see the council looking into options to ensure safe and affordable housing for everyone,” he said. There was no argument among council members that these issues should not be addressed, though it remains unclear how long it might take for ordinances to be passed, and what town councilors specific stances will be. “It would have been good to see them take action,” said Anne Marie de Puits, a performer and nanny who attended the meeting. She receives housing through her employers, but without them, she says she would not be able to live in Jackson. For many, these conversations are not theoretical, but a matter of their health and ability to stay in town. “I keeps holding onto some hope that I will find a situation that works for me, but I have been repetitively let down,” MacDonald lamented. “It’s becoming very difficult to trust anyone or have any hope.” Recently she moved into a house in early October that was on the market. Her contract stated that she and her roommates would pay “an additional $250 a month if the landlord promised not to show the house and keep the house off the market” during their eight-month lease. Within two weeks of moving in, however, the landlord had shown the house twice, and it sold before the end of the month. She’s still trying to find a new housing situation. Domenic Cuzzolina, a member of Shelter JH, says that their hope going forward is that the town can commit to implement tenant protections to avoid situations such as these. “Community means that people are able to rely on one another,” he said. The hope for Jackson is that its inhabitants are “collectively motivated,” and work to support one another. In June, Shelter JH did just that when it held a rally in Jackson’s streets and town chambers to bring visibility to the plight of the many without homes or stable housing. “The power of the march was from the volume of people willing to come out and say, ‘It isn’t acceptable to continue to normalize extreme housing insecurity as a cultural experience,’” Cuzzolina said. Citizens, he says, have already taken action. “Now the onus is on all of us to make actual change.” PJH
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10 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
THE BUZZ 3
Undone Americans A history of the House Un-American Activities Committee and its potential to be reinstated. BY JESSICA SELL CHAMBERS
T
he day after the Orlando shooting in June, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called for the resurrection of the House Un-American Activities Committee to help defeat radical Islam. Created in 1938 to investigate allegations of communist or fascist activity during the Cold War era, HUAC has been described as a dark period in U.S. history. HUAC interrogated law-abiding citizens solely over political beliefs and for exercising their right to free speech. It was a crusade turned witch-hunt, trampling on people’s rights, reputations, and careers. Present day parallels to the faceless “War on Terror” are clear. Overlap of the present day geopolitical climate with the Cold War era is remarkable. Journalist and author of The Fear Within, Scott Martell said, “Hysteria about the ‘red menace’ mushroomed as the Soviet Union tightened its grip on Eastern Europe, Mao Zedong rose to power in China, and the atomic arms race accelerated. Spy scandals fanned the flames, and headlines warned of sleeper cells in the nation’s midst—just as it does today with the ‘War on Terror.’” The tentative balance of power between the U.S., the Middle East, Russia and China cannot be ignored, nor can the tactics used to fight against this quivering balance. The HUAC recipe is fairly simple: declare an enemy, often faceless or intangible such as communism, terrorism, or radical Islam, and vigorously pursue that enemy in the name of security. The list of enemies is growing. So far, the aftermath of the Presidential election has resulted in politicians calling for Muslim registries and camps similar to those used for Japanese Americans during World
Newt Gingrich has called for the resurrection of the House Un-American Activities Committee to help defeat radical Islam. War II, the impossible deportation of millions of immigrants and the extreme vetting of refugees. For some, investigating the “Red Menace” was a necessary evil, integral to protecting national security. Others saw it as a thinly veiled partisan attempt to delegitimize President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal programs or doubts about the strength of capitalism in the post-Depression era. During the Second Red Scare of the 1950s, also known as the McCarthy era, anti-communist hysteria and fear was stoked by advertising campaigns and thousands of high profile hearings of suspected communists. Treasonous citizens had purportedly infiltrated the government, schools, unions, and Hollywood, to name the more prominent targets of the investigations. HUAC’s controversial tactics, now synonymous with the term “McCarthyism,” gave credence to suspicions without conclusive evidence. Anyone deemed suspicious was subpoenaed by HUAC and brought before Congress to testify. “Subversives” were pressed for their political beliefs and associates in very obscure ways. In an archived recording from a 1940s HUAC hearing, an unidentified interrogator asked an unidentified suspect, “Any real American would be proud to answer the question: Are you or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Newly named associates were then subpoenaed and treated in the same manner. It was a rabbit’s hole. Suspects who refused to participate were indicted; those who chose to “plead the Fifth” to avoid self-incrimination were viewed as criminals. Blacklists were created by employers and industries, and the careers of those investigated were often destroyed. From a 2005 interview, University of Texas historian David Oshinsky explained, “Few, if any of them, were shown to be dangerous, and they also had every right to the opinions that they held.” The slippery slope argument of resurrecting HUAC may seem like a stretch to some, but it is something people should pay attention to. HUAC and McCarthyism provide evidence that degradation of rights is often slow and done in the name of security. The erosion is often unnoticed. Last week, a Broadway actor from the Hamilton musical read a statement to Pence noting that the diverse cast
was concerned about their safety with a Trump-Pence administration. Soon after, President-elect Trump Twitter bashed the Broadway Hamilton cast for their harassment of Pence, and their rude, and terrible behavior. @theRealDonaldTrump called for an apology and oddly said the theatre must always be a “safe and special place.” A reinstallation of HUAC could result in the Hamilton cast appearing before the committee to defend their actions. It happened to Hollywood in the 40s and 50s. President Truman’s administration enacted earlier measures similar to President Bush and Obama. During Truman’s tenure, Congress passed legislation increasing the federal government’s power to monitor Communists within the US, to detain them, and to strip them of their citizenship. Written only weeks after 9-11 and signed into law by Congress in 2001, President Bush’s Patriot Act also enhanced government’s anti-terrorism investigation powers. Couple that with Bush’s 2002 establishment of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the military prison where suspected terrorists were detained indefinitely without trial, and the parallels mount. In 1947, Truman initiated a loyalty-security program for all federal employees designed to root out communist influences in the name of national security. The accompanying Loyalty Review Board investigated more than three million government employees, releasing only 300 of them for security risks. Actions of the Truman administration bear resemblance to the actions of the Obama administration towards whistleblowers who also threaten national security. Whistleblowers who were at once commended for their acts of “courage and patriotism” were treated with ferocious hostility by a more mature Obama administration. According to former Department of Justice whistleblower Jesselyn Raddack, while the Bush administration was unmerciful with whistleblowers, “the Obama administration has been far worse. It’s actually been prosecuting them.” Some fear that restoring HUAC would merely accessorize the battle against first amendment rights in the name of national security. PJH
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JESSICA SELL CHAMBERS
THE BUZZ 4
Prophetic Pupils Members of the student populace have advice for today’s leaders. BY JESSICA SELL CHAMBERS
W
hile world leaders met in Marrakech for the COP22 climate summit last week, more than 200 students from Wyoming and Idaho converged at the Jackson Hole High School for the Teton County Model United Nations Conference. In the wake of the presidential election, the ability to appreciate different perspectives took on a new meaning for the delegates, who had specific advice for the incoming POTUS. The students’ viewpoints reflect a rising movement of politically engaged young people seemingly more energized in response to the election. Students gathered in part to understand the international system, practice diplomacy, negotiate solutions to world problems, and to do so while remaining in the character of their assigned country. The keynote speaker, student delegates, teachers, and program advisors cited how the skills worked on at the conference were more important now than ever. The timing of President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to walk away from various international commitments made the conference particularly relevant for its young participants. From the Marrakech climate summit, UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-Moon urged Trump to stay the course with the Paris Agreement on climate change that 180 countries painstakingly negotiated last year. Trump has said he will pull the United States out of the historic international agreement to cut carbon emissions. Andreas Olvera is student secretary-general. A senior at the Journeys School, Olvera has participated in many MUN conferences over the years. Olvera shared Ki-Moon’s words of advice, saying he thinks Trump’s recoil from the
JHHS senior Anna Gibson, chair of the Model United Nation’s High Commission on Refugees. Paris Agreement is a preposterous notion. Citing post-isolationist China’s thriving economy and the Soviet Union’s collapse due to isolationism Olvera said, “If you look at the history of geopolitics, nations that tend to thrive are those that are able to work with and connect with other nations.” Admittedly “Pro-UN,” Olvera noted, “For all my disagreements with President-elect Trump, it’s so important we all listen to each other. That’s in the spirit of what we do here at the Teton County Model UN.” JHHS junior and TCMUN undersecretary of operations Aaron Trauner said he too disagrees with Trump’s promise to back out of the Paris Agreement. Trauner says he sides with the many scientists and people around the world who believe fighting climate change is crucial to humanity’s existence and well-being. “A step in the right direction is better than no step at all,” he said. “Listen to your experts,” urged Bridget Murphy, TCMUN security council chair , when asked what advice she would offer Trump. Discussing her council’s struggle to tackle international counter-terrorism measures, the JHHS senior said listening to the needs of other countries is also paramount in moving any issue forward. Regarding climate change, Murphy said it’s clearly a global issue and not just matter of what’s best for the U.S. President-elect Trump is likely to fast track extraction measures and oil pipelines, which flies in the face of Native American “water protectors” presently trying to prevent the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. In October The Guardian explained Trump’s financial ties to the hotly contested pipeline: Trump’s financial disclosure forms show the Republican nominee has between $500,000 and $1M invested in Energy Transfer Partners, with a further $500,000 to $1M holding in Phillips 66, which will have a 25 percent stake in the Dakota Access project once completed. JHHS Senior Abby Brazil chaired the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund. Rights of indigenous children
were their first topic of debate. Brazil cautioned that indigenous peoples were first inhabitants of our nations and they are owed honor and respect. TCMUN keynote speaker Kathleen Thomas, a human rights attorney from New York who reported to the UN on human rights violations in India and Haiti, Brazil, reminded students that human rights are inherent and inalienable. “Making America great again, you also need to make the world great as a whole,” Thomas said. On the subject of refugees, Trump has said he supports extreme vetting to prevent terrorists from slipping through the cracks. Chair of the UN High Commission on Refugees and senior at JHHS, Anna Gibson said Trump focused a lot of his campaign on refugees and the threats they may pose to the U.S. Gibson said she understands there are minimal dangers with harmful people getting through the refugee process but “there are people who really need our help and we can provide for them.” Caring for refugees, people who have fled their home country out of extreme danger or fear for their lives, is an obligation, she said. “It’s really scary to see someone who doesn’t cooperate well and who alienates people based on gender, orientation, job or religion. “ Gibson also participated in the Washington Area Model UN Conference at American University this past spring. She said she was awed by student participants. Today’s leaders, she said, could benefit from listening to the student work at these conferences. At WAMUNC, which simulates organizations outside the scope of the UN, Gibson was a member of the Democratic National Committee. Students there wrote a party platform and chose a nominee. “We chose to support Elizabeth Warren. How different would this election have been had the DNC chosen to go with Elizabeth Warren? Could it have been different?” Gibson paused, “It may have been different.” PJH
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NEWS Democracy in Action
OF THE
WEIRD
While “democracy” in most of America means electing representatives to run government, on Nov. 8 in San Francisco it also expected voters to decide 43 often vague, densely worded “issues” that, according to critics, could better be handled by the professionals who are, after all, elected by those very same voters. Except for hot-button issues like tax increases or hardened legislative gridlock, solutions on these “propositions” (e.g., how certain contractors’ fees should be structured, which obscure official has primary responsibility for which obscure job, or the notorious proposition asking whether actors in the tax-paying porno industry must use condoms) would be, in other states, left to elected officials, lessening voter need for a deep dive into civics.
Police Report
The police chief of Bath Township, Ohio, acknowledged the overnight break-in on Oct. 10 or 11 at the University Hospitals Ghent Family Practice, but said nothing was missing. It appeared that an intruder (or intruders) had performed some medical procedure in a clinical office (probably on an ear) because instruments were left in bowls and a surgical glove and medication wrappings tossed into a trash can (and a gown left on a table). n A 35-year-old man was detained by police in Vancouver, British Columbia, in October after a home break-in in which the intruder took off his clothes, grabbed some eggs and began preparing a meal. The homeowner, elsewhere in the house, noticed the commotion and the intruder fled (still naked). n Ashley Basich, 49, was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in October and charged with DUI after police found her, late at night, using an industrial forklift to pick up and move a van that she explained was blocking her driveway. Problems: She works for the state forestry department and had commandeered a state-owned vehicle, she had a cooler of beer in the forklift and was operating it while wearing flip-flops (OSHA violation!), and the van “blocking” her driveway was her own.
Compelling Explanations
Two men in rural Coffee County, Georgia, told sheriff’s deputies in November that they had planned to soon attack a science-research center in Alaska because peoples’ “souls” were trapped there and needed to be released (or at least that is what God told Michael Mancil, 30, and James Dryden Jr., 22, causing them to amass a small, but “something out of a movie” arsenal, according to the sheriff). The High Frequency Active Aural Research Facility, run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has long been a target of conspiracists, in that “the study of the Earth’s atmosphere” obviously, they say, facilitates “mind control,” snatching souls. Motorist Luke Campbell, 28, was arrested near Minneapolis in September and charged with firing his gun at several passing cars, wounding one man (a bus passenger)—explaining to a bystander that shooting at other vehicles “relieves stress.” n Briton Mark Wright, 45, caught with illegal drugs taped to his penis following his arrest for burglary, told
Newcastle Crown Court in September that he had “hidden” them there to keep them secret from his wife (perhaps identifying one place that she no longer visits).
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Paula D’Amore claimed she deserved a discount from the $7,400 “delivery room” charge for the April birth of her daughter at Boca Raton (Florida) Regional Hospital— because the baby was actually born in the backseat of her car in the hospital’s parking lot. (Nurses came out to assist D’Amore’s husband in the final stages, but, said D’Amore, only the placenta was delivered inside.)
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n In October, new father Ryan Grassley balked at the $39.95 line-item charge from Utah Valley Hospital (Provo, Utah)—for the mother’s holding her new C-section son momentarily to her bare chest (a “bonding” ritual). (Doctors countered that C-section mothers are usually drugged and require extra security during that ritual—but that Utah Valley might rethink making that charge a “line item.”)
People with Issues
A 49-year-old man was partly exonerated by a court in southern Sweden in September when he convinced the judge that he had a severe anxiety attack every time he received an “official” government letter in the mail (known as “window envelopes” in Sweden). Thus, though he was guilty of DUI and several other minor traffic offenses while operating his scooter, the judge dropped the charge of driving without a license because the man never opened the string of “frightening” letters informing him that operating a scooter requires a license.
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Least Competent Criminals
Jacob Roemer, 20, was arrested in Negaunee Township, Michigan, after a brief chase on Oct. 29 following an attempted home invasion. The resident had confronted him, chasing Roemer into the woods, where a State Police dog eventually found him lying on the ground unconscious and bloody, after, in the darkness, running into a tree and knocking himself out.
Recurring Themes
The most recent case in which an unlucky cannabis grower came to police attention occurred in Adelaide, Australia, in August when a motorist accidentally veered off the road and crashed into a grow house, collapsing part of a wall. Arriving police peered inside and quickly began a search for the residents, who were not at home. n The latest market price for a coveted automobile license plate is apparently the equivalent of $9 million— the amount paid by Dubai developer Balwinder Sahni at government auction recently for plate number “5.”
Readers’ Choice
For not the first time in history, a fire broke out this year in a hospital operating room caused by the patient’s passing gas during a laser procedure. The patient at Tokyo Medical University Hospital, in her 30s, suffered burns across her legs in the April incident, which was finally reported in the Japanese press in October when the hospital completed its investigation.
The Passing Parade
Asher Woodworth, 30, was charged with misdemeanor traffic obstruction in the Portland, Maine, arts district in October as he stood in a street after covering himself with branches of evergreen trees. A friend described Woodworth as a performance artist contrasting his preferred “slow life” with the bustle of downtown traffic. Thanks this Week to Caroline Lawler, Jenny Van West, Babs Klein, Larry Nixon, Maggie Morgan, Zach Riipinen, Andrew Hastie, and Elaine Weiss, and to the News of the Weird Board of Editorial Advisors.
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n Though most Chicago Police Department officers get no more than five civilian complaints in their entire careers (according to one defense attorney), CPD internal records released in October reveal that some had more than 100, and, of 13,000 complaints over 47 years in which police wrongdoing was conceded, only 68 cases resulted in the officer actually being fired (although the worst police offender, Jerome Finnigan, with 157 complaints over two decades, is now in federal prison).
By CHUCK SHEPHERD
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14 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
by Alastair Bland
I
n 2015 dozens of alternative weeklies and other newsmedia outlets participated in Letters to the Future, a project published ahead of the Paris climate talks that compiled letters from nationally acclaimed writers, scientists, intellectuals and other concerned citizens. As part of the project, the letters were dispatched to hundreds of targeted delegates and citizens before they convened at the Paris sessions. Now, with the election over, we pick up where Letters to the Future left off, with a piece that examines what Donald Trump’s administration could mean for climate change—and a call to action list for what must come next. PJH
After Paris
Six things leaders must prioritize to address climate change Impose a price on carbon
This could occur in several ways. The revenue-neutral carbon fee has a great backbone of advocacy support. It would charge fossil fuel producers at the first point of sale, and the revenue would be distributed among the public. Prices of goods and services dependent on fossil fuels would go up, while people who buy less of those products and therefore contribute less to climate change would come out ahead. The revenueneutral system’s one flaw, by some opinions, is that it doesn’t provide government with a new source of revenue for funding social systems that promote renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and other climatefocused measures. A cap-and-trade system, on the other hand, would fund public agencies while creating incentive for industries to pollute less. Republicans, however, tend to oppose cap and trade because it acts much like a tax on businesses that they argue will depress the economy.
Carbon farming
Agriculture has been one of the greatest overall emitters of atmospheric carbon. Now, agriculture must play a role in reversing the damage done to the planet—and it’s theoretically a simple task: When plants grow, they draw carbon into their own mass and into the soil. All that a farmer needs to do is keep that carbon there. By planting long-standing trees and perennial row crops, farmers and other land managers have the power to sequester a great deal of the carbon dioxide that has been emitted into the atmosphere. In the process of slowing climate change, soils will become richer and healthier, with more natural productivity and greater water retention properties than depleted soils.
Redesign our cities
Urban areas are responsible for more than half of America’s carbon footprint, by some estimates. The role of cities in driving climate change can be largely offset by turning linear material and waste streams— like water inputs—into circular loops that recycle precious resources. Jonathan F. P. Rose, author of The Well-Tempered City, says 98 percent of material resources that enter a city leave again, mostly as waste, within six months. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings would be one very significant way to reduce a city’s carbon footprint. Upgrading transit systems and making streets more compatible with zero-emission transportation, like walking and riding a bicycle, would also cut emissions.
Shift to renewable energy
This is a big one that has to be tackled, and it will mean fighting the powerful petroleum lobby. Generating electricity currently produces 30 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, the single largest source by sector in the country, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. However, Donald Trump has promised to revive the American coal industry and tap into domestic reserves of natural gas and oil—quite the opposite of developing renewable energy technology.
Strive for low- to zero-emission transportation
Driving your car—one of the most symbolic expressions of American freedom—contributes significantly to climate change. Transport accounts for 26 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, says the EPA. More than half of this total comes from private vehicles. Airplanes, ships and trains produce most of the rest. Against the will of the petroleum industry, national leaders must continue pressing for more efficient vehicles, as well as electric ones powered by clean electricity.
Make homes more efficient
A single pilot light produces about a half ton of carbon dioxide per year, according to Peter Kalmus, author of the forthcoming book Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution. That is just one example of how households contribute to climate change. According to the EPA, commercial and residential spaces produce 12 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In his book, Kalmus discusses how and why he took simple but meaningful action that reduced his carbon dioxide emissions from about 20 tons per year to just two.
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 15
There is no question the Earth is warming rapidly, and already this upward temperature trend is having impacts. It is disrupting agriculture. Glacial water sources are vanishing. Storms and droughts are becoming more severe. Altered winds and ocean currents are impacting marine ecosystems. So is ocean acidification, another outcome of carbon dioxide emissions. The sea is rising and eventually will swamp large coastal regions and islands. As many as 200 million people could be displaced by 2050. For several years in a row now, each year has been warmer than any year prior in recorded temperature records, and by 2100 it may be too hot for people to permanently live in the Persian Gulf. World leaders and climate activists made groundbreaking progress toward slowing these effects at the Paris climate conference. Here, leaders from 195
A CALL TO ACTION
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
If President-elect Donald Trump actually believes all the warnings he issued during the election about the threats of immigration, he should be talking about ways to slow global warming as well. Rising sea levels, caused by the melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice caps, will probably displace tens of millions of people in the decades ahead, and many may come to North America as refugees. Climate change will cause a suite of other problems for future generations to tackle, and it’s arguably the most pressing issue of our time. A year ago December, world leaders gathered in Paris to discuss strategies for curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and scientists at every corner of the globe confirm that humans are facing a crisis. However, climate change is being nearly ignored by American politicians and lawmakers. It was not discussed in depth at all during this past election cycle’s televised presidential debates. And, when climate change does break the surface of public discussion, it polarizes Americans like almost no other political issue. Some conservatives, including Trump, still deny there’s even a problem. “We are in this bizarre political state in which most of the Republican Party still thinks it has to pretend that climate change is not real,” said Jonathan F.P. Rose, a New York City developer and author of The Well-Tempered City, which explores in part how low-cost green development can mitigate the impacts of rising global temperatures and changing weather patterns. Rose says progress cannot be made in drafting effective climate strategies until national leaders agree there’s an issue. “We have such strong scientific evidence,” he said. “We can disagree on how we’re going to solve the problems, but I would hope we could move toward an agreement on the basic facts.” That such a serious planetwide crisis has become a divide across the American political battlefield “is a tragedy” to Peter Kalmus, an earth scientist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech in Pasadena, who agreed to be interviewed for this story on his own behalf (not on behalf of NASA, JPL or Caltech). Kalmus warns that climate change is happening whether politicians want to talk about it or not. “CO2 molecules and infrared photons don’t give a crap about politics, whether you’re liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat or anything else,” Kalmus said. Slowing climate change will be essential, since adapting to all its impacts may be impossible. Governments must strive for greater resource efficiency, shift to renewable energy and transition from conventional to more sustainable agricultural practices. America’s leaders must also implement a carbon pricing system, climate activists say, that places a financial burden on fossil fuel producers and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. But there may be little to zero hope that such a system will be installed at the federal level as Trump prepares to move into the White House. Trump has actually threatened to reverse any commitments the United States agreed to in Paris. According to widely circulating reports, Trump has even selected a well-known skeptic of climate change, Myron Ebell, to head his U.S. Environmental Protection Agency transition team. Ebell is the director of the Center for Energy and Environment at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Steve Valk, communications director for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, says the results of the presidential election come as a discouraging setback in the campaign to slow emissions and global warming. “There’s no doubt that the steep hill we’ve been climbing just became a sheer cliff,” he said. “But cliffs are scalable.” Valk says the American public must demand that Congress implement carbon pricing. He says the government is not likely to face and attack climate change unless voters force them to. “The solution is going to have to come from the people,” he said. “Our politicians have shown that they’re just not ready to implement a solution on their own.”
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
16 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
ILLUSTRATION BY HAYLEY DOSHAY.
countries drafted a plan of action to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and steer the planet off its predicted course of warming. The pact, which addresses energy, transportation, industries and agriculture— and which asks leaders to regularly upgrade their climate policies—is intended to keep the planet from warming by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit between pre-industrial years and the end of this century. Scientists have forecasted that an average global increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit will have devastating consequences for humanity. The United States pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent from 2005 levels within a decade. China, Japan and nations of the European Union made similar promises. More recently, almost 200 nations agreed to phase out hydrofluorocarbons, extremely potent but short-lived greenhouse gases emitted by refrigerators and air conditioners, and reduce the emissions from the shipping and aviation industries. But in the wake of such promising international progress, and as 2016 draws to a close as the third record warm year in a row, many climate activists are disconcerted both by United States leaders’ recent silence on the issue and by the outcome of the presidential election. Mark Sabbatini, editor of the newspaper Icepeople in Svalbard, Norway, believes shortsighted political scheming has pushed climate change action to the back burner. He wants to see politicians start listening to scientists. “But industry folks donate money and scientists get shoved aside in the interest of profits and re-election,” said Sabbatini, who recently had to evacuate his apartment as unprecedented temperatures thawed out the entire region’s permafrost, threatening to collapse buildings. Short-term goals and immediate financial concerns distract leaders from making meaningful policy advances on climate. “In Congress, they look two years ahead,” Sabbatini
said. “In the Senate, they look six years ahead. In the White House, they look four years ahead.” The 300 nationwide chapters of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby are calling on local governments and chambers of commerce across America to voice support for a revenue-neutral carbon fee. The hope is that leaders in Congress will hear the demands of the people. This carbon fee would impose a charge on producers of oil, natural gas and coal. As a direct result, all products and services that depend on or directly utilize those fossil fuels would cost more for consumers, who would be incentivized to buy less. Food shipped in from far away would cost more than locally grown alternatives. Gas for heating, electricity generated by oil and coal, and driving a car would become more expensive. “Bicycling would become more attractive, and so would electric cars and home appliances that use less energy,” said Kalmus, an advocate of the revenueneutral carbon fee. Promoting this fee system is essentially the Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s entire focus. “This would be the most important step we take toward addressing climate change,” Valk said. By the carbon fee system, the revenue from fossil fuel producers would be evenly distributed by the collecting agencies among the public, perhaps via a tax credit. Recycling the dividends back into society would make it a fair system, Valk explains, since poorer people, who tend to use less energy than wealthier people to begin with and are therefore less to blame for climate change, would come out ahead. The system would also place a tariff on incoming goods from nations without a carbon fee. This would keep American industries from moving overseas and maybe even prompt other nations to set their own price on carbon. But there’s a problem with the revenue-neutral carbon fee, according to other climate activists: It doesn’t support social programs that may be aimed
at reducing society’s carbon footprint. “It will put no money into programs that serve disadvantaged communities who, for example, might not be able to afford weatherizing their home and lowering their energy bill, or afford an electric vehicle or a solar panel,” said Renata Brillinger, executive director of the California Climate and Agriculture Network. “It doesn’t give anything to public schools for making the buildings more energy efficient, and it wouldn’t give any money to farmers’ incentive programs for soil building.” Brillinger’s organization is advocating for farmers to adopt practices that actively draw carbon out of the atmosphere, like planting trees and maintaining ground cover to prevent erosion. Funding, she says, is needed to support such farmers, who may go through transitional periods of reduced yields and increased costs. California’s cap-and-trade system sets up an ample revenue stream for this purpose that a revenue-neutral system does not, according to Brillinger. But Valk says establishing a carbon pricing system must take into account the notorious reluctance of conservatives in Congress. “You aren’t going to get a single Republican in Congress to support legislation unless it’s revenueneutral,” he said. “Any policy is useless if you can’t pass it in Congress.”
Sequestering the farm
In Washington, D.C., the nation’s leaders continue tussling over popular issues like immigration, taxes, healthcare, abortion, guns and foreign affairs. Climate change activists wish they would be thinking more about soil. That’s because stopping greenhouse gas emissions alone will not stop climate change. The carbon dioxide emitted through centuries of industrial activity will continue to drive warming unless it is removed from the air and put somewhere.
advocacy group Project Drawdown and the author of The Carbon Farming Solution, says many other countries are far ahead of the United States in both recognizing the importance of soil as a place to store carbon and funding programs that help conventional farmers shift toward carbon farming practices. France, for instance, initiated a sophisticated program in 2011 that calls for increasing soil carbon worldwide by 0.4 percent every year. Healthy soil can contain 10 percent carbon or more, and France’s program has the potential over time to decelerate the increase in atmospheric carbon levels.
“A lot of the practices they’re paying farmers to do to protect water quality or slow erosion also happen to sequester carbon. ”
National politics and city reform
Climate reform advocates still talk about Bernie Sanders’ fiery attack on fracking as a source of global warming in the May primary debate with Hillary Clinton. “If we don’t get our act together, this planet could be 5 to 10 degrees warmer by the end of this century,” Sanders said then. “Cataclysmic problems for this planet. This is a national crisis.” Sanders was not exaggerating. The Earth has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, and it’s getting hotter. Even with the advances made in Paris, the world remains on track to be 6.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by 2100 than it was in pre-industrial times, according to a United Nations emissions report released in early November. The authors of another paper published in January in the journal Nature predicted temperatures will rise as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In light of the scientific consensus, conservatives’ denial of climate change looks childish at best and dangerous at worst. In low-lying Florida, so vulnerable to the rising sea, an unofficial policy from its Republican leadership has effectively muzzled state employees from even mentioning “climate change” and “global warming” in official reports and communications. Republican senator Ted Cruz suggested NASA focus its research less on climate change and more on space exploration, according to The Christian Science Monitor. Most frightening of all, maybe, is the incoming American president’s stance on the matter: Trump said in a 2012 tweet that global warming is a Chinese
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 17
Toensmeier is optimistic about the progress being made in the United States, too. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds programs that support environmentally friendly farming practices that protect watersheds or enhance wildlife habitat, largely through planting perennial grasses and trees. “And it turns out a lot of the practices they’re paying farmers to do to protect water quality or slow erosion also happen to sequester carbon,” Toensmeier said. He says it appears obvious that the federal government is establishing a system by which they
will eventually pay farmers directly to sequester carbon. Such a direct faceoff with climate change, however, may be a few years away still. Climate activists may even need to wait until 2021. “First we need a president who acknowledges that climate change exists,” Toensmeier said.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
“There are only three places carbon can go,” Brillinger said. “It can go into the atmosphere, where we don’t want it, into the ocean, where we also don’t want it because it causes acidification, or into soil and woody plants where we do want it. Carbon is the backbone of all forests and is a critical nutrient of soil.” But most of the Earth’s soil carbon has been lost to the atmosphere, causing a spike in atmospheric carbon. In the 1700s, the Earth’s atmosphere contained less than 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide, according to scientists. Now, we are at more than 400 and counting. Climate experts generally agree that the atmospheric carbon level must be reduced to 350 or less if we are to keep at bay the most disastrous possible impacts of warming. This is why farmers and the soil they work will be so important in mitigating climate change. By employing certain practices and abandoning other ones, farmers and ranchers can turn acreage into valuable carbon sinks—a general agricultural approach often referred to as “carbon farming.” Conventional agriculture practices tend to emit carbon dioxide. Regular tilling of the soil, for example, causes soil carbon to bond with oxygen and float away as carbon dioxide. Tilling also causes erosion, as do deforestation and overgrazing. With erosion, soil carbon enters waterways, creating carbonic acid— the direct culprit of ocean acidification. Researchers have estimated that unsustainable farming practices have caused as much as 80 percent of the world’s soil carbon to turn into carbon dioxide. By carbon farming, those who produce the world’s food can simultaneously turn their land into precious carbon sinks. The basic tenets of carbon farming include growing trees as windbreaks and focusing on perennial crops, like fruit trees and certain specialty grain varieties, which demand less tilling and disturbance of the soil. Eric Toensmeier, a senior fellow with the climate
DON BUTTON
Simply integrating nature into city infrastructure is a very low-cost but effective means for countering the changes that are coming, Rose says. Many cities, for example, are planting thousands of street trees. Trees draw in atmospheric carbon as they grow and, through shade and evaporative cooling effects, can significantly reduce surface temperatures by as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit in some circumstances, Rose says. Laws and policies that take aim at reduced emissions targets can be very efficient tools for generating change across entire communities. However, Kalmus believes it’s important that individuals, too, reduce their own emissions through voluntary behavior changes, rather than simply waiting for change to come from leaders and lawmakers. “If you care about climate change, it will make you happier,” he said. “It makes you feel like you’re pioneering a new way to live. For others, you’re the person who is showing the path and making them realize it’s not as crazy as it seems.” Kalmus, who lives in Altadena, California, with his wife and two sons, has radically overhauled his lifestyle to reduce his carbon footprint. Since 2010 he has cut his own emissions by a factor of 10— from 20 tons per year to just 2, by his own estimates. This personal transformation is the subject of his forthcoming book, Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate Revolution, due out in 2017.
Kalmus rides a bike most places, eats mostly locally grown food, raises some of it in his own yard, has stopped eating meat and—one of the most important changes—has all but quit flying places. He hopes to serve as a model and help spark a transition to an economy that does not depend on constant growth, as ours currently does. One day, he believes, it will be socially unacceptable to burn fossil fuel, just as it’s become shunned to waste water in drought-dried California. The oil industry will eventually become obsolete. “We need to transition to an economy that doesn’t depend on unending growth,” Kalmus said. Unless we slow our carbon emissions and our population growth now, depletion of resources, he warns, will catch up with us. “We need to shift to a steady-state economy and a steady-state population,” he said. “Fossil-fueled civilization cannot continue forever.” Though Americans will soon have as president a man who is essentially advocating for climate change, Valk, at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, expects time—and warming—to shift voter perspectives. “As more and more people are personally affected by climate change, like those recently flooded out in Louisiana and North Carolina, people of all political persuasions will see that acting on climate change is not a matter of partisan preferences, but a matter of survival,” he said. PJH
DON BUTTON
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
18 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
hoax. In January 2014, during a brief spell of cold weather, he asked via Twitter, “Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?” While most of the rest of the world remains poised to advance emissions reductions goals, Trump is aiming in a different direction. The Trump-Pence website vows to “unleash America’s $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, plus hundreds of years in clean coal reserves.” His webpage concerning energy goals only mentions reducing emissions once, and it makes no mention of climate change or renewable energy. While meaningful action at the federal level is probably years away, at the local level, progress is coming—even in communities led by Republicans, according to Rose. That, he says, is because local politicians face a level of accountability from which national leaders are often shielded. “At the city level, mayors have to deliver real results,” Rose said. “They have to protect their residents and make wise investments on behalf of their residents. The residents see what they’re doing and hold them accountable.” Restructuring and modifying our cities, which are responsible for about half of America’s carbon footprint, “will be critical toward dealing with climate change,” Rose said. “On the coast, we’ll have sea level rise,” he said. “Inland, we’ll have flooding and heat waves. Heat waves cause more deaths than hurricanes.”
THIS WEEK: November 23-29, 2016
Compiled by Caroline LaRosa
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Happy Thanksgiving!
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23
n HAPPY THANKSGIVING n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307-733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n 24th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 7:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $15.00 - $30.00, 307739-9025 n Yellowstone Ski Festival 8:30am, West Yellowstone, info@skirunbikemt.com n Yoga 9:00am, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Spin 12:10pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Zumba 5:30pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Whiskey Experience 6:00pm, VOM FASS Jackson Hole, Free, 307-734-1535
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307-733-0450
HAPPY HOUR
1/2 Off Drinks Daily 5-7pm
••••••••••• Monday-Saturday 11am, Sunday 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors)•733-7901
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NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 19
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 21
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
•••••••••••
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Yoga 7:00am, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307-733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Toddler Gym 8:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $4.00, 307-739-9025 n Yellowstone Ski Festival 8:30am, West Yellowstone, info@skirunbikemt.com n Storytime 10:00am, Valley of the Tetons Library Victor, Free, 208-7872201 n Fables Feathers & Fur 10:30am, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307-732-5435 n Lap Sit 11:00am, Valley of the Tetons Library, Free, 208-787-2201 n Total Fitness 12:10pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Things That Go Boom: Science & Games (Afterschool) 3:45pm, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164 n Barbara Trentham Life Drawing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379
n Cribbage 6:00pm, Valley of the Tetons Library, Free, 208-787-2201 n Open Studio: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500
n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307-733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n Toddler Gym 8:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $4.00, 307-739-9025 n Yellowstone Ski Festival 8:30am, West Yellowstone, info@skirunbikemt.com n Yoga 9:00am, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Tai Chi for Better Balance 10:30am, Senior Center of Jackson Hole, $3.00, 307-7337300 n Zumba 12:00pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Total Fitness 12:10pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7334466 n Town Square Lighting 5:00pm, Town Square, Free, 307-201-2309 n Whiskey Experience 6:00pm, VOM FASS Jackson Hole, Free, 307-734-1535 n Pam Drews Phillips Plays Jazz 7:00pm, The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch, Free, 307-7338833 n Free Public Stargazing 7:30pm, Center for the Arts, Free, 844-996-7827 n Vince & Mindi Swing 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Whiskey’s Alibi 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207 n The Bo Show 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886
Come check out your favorite NFL/College team on our 10 HD tvs!
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
20 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
MUSIC BOX
From SLC to NYC Folk-blues songwriter Charles Ellsworth and an electronic double bill at the Tavern. BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch
T
here are songs that live in dark alleys, with pain-stricken lyrics of human struggle laid over minor tonality. This kind of vulnerability and openness presents the listener with the topside of a rock, evoking an eagerness to find what’s under that rock. With a broken-in baritone voice and simplistic acoustic guitar as his foundation, singer-songwriter and folk-blues act Charles Ellsworth digs at this phenomenon with a raw clarity.
Pondering the human spirit while crisscrossing the country is a way of life for Charles Ellsworth. “When I’m working on a song I try to take the simplest approach to capturing what I felt in the moment of inspiration,” Ellsworth explained. “Once I feel I’ve successfully broken it down to its simplest form, I can try to dress it up a bit. That’s most likely why I start writing most of my music on just an acoustic guitar and then bring in other instrumentation.” Ellsworth’s recently released EP, Wildcat Chuck Charles, was recorded earlier this year in Salt Lake City, his former base before moving to Brooklyn, New York. The four tracks are dark in timbre, downtempo yet luster in their ease. Pondering of the human spirit while crisscrossing the country is not just subject matter for Ellsworth, but a lifestyle he’s committed his adult life to. “I think that spending as much time on the road as I have, you are forced to learn to let things happen and accept your lack of control,” Ellsworth said. “It’s a life centered around movement and how to properly approach
that constant state of change. It’s the same when I’m at home in Brooklyn. My roommates and I joke about how living in NYC—you have to learn that you aren’t stuck in traffic, you are traffic. It’s all a sort of exercise in being present in the moment. The people I’ve met on the road, as well as the places I’ve visited most certainly influence what I write. There is no lack in characters or scenes with which to tell stories, and being a stranger passing through allows a kind of freedom to distort the reality or creatively fill in the gaps.” Ellsworth has released four albums since 2011’s The Shepherd Lane Sessions, and is currently offering a download of his entire catalog for only $10 via CharlesEllsworthMusic.com. In early 2017, he’ll be releasing a new album and plans to be on the road for most of the year including his first string of international dates. For Ellsworth’s upcoming Town Square Tavern show, he’ll have a band in tow and will also play a handful of tunes
WEDNESDAY Karaoke (Virginian) FRIDAY Bo Elledge (Town Square Tavern), Vince & Mindi Swing (Silver Dollar) SATURDAY Tram Jam (JHMR), TiLTED (The Rose), Late Night Radio with Flamingosis (Town Square Tavern)
Alex Medellin of Denver-based Late Night Radio. solo. The difference between the two is substantial. “Usually if I’m playing with a band we will have practiced and structured out the set a lot more. I find being prepared only helps when an opportunity of improvisation comes up,” he said. “You can’t over practice when it comes to getting multiple musicians on the same page. My solo shows are usually a little more free form. I’ll have a list of the songs that I want to play and a general idea of what I want to say, but I kind of feel out the crowd more. It keeps things interesting for me when I’ve been playing every night for several weeks or months.” Charles Ellsworth plays 10 p.m. Tuesday, November 29 at Town Square Tavern. Free. 733-3886.
Electronic emotion If you can’t sleep at night and you love to shake it until you have a chance to break it, Denver electronic/funk/ soul duo Late Night Radio has the cure. Led by the prolific
production of Alex Medellin and supported by drummer Tyler Crawford Unland, Medellin is guided by the mantra “emotion over energy” and settled in Colorado after coming up in Texas and California. Opening the show is New Jersey-based Flamingosis (aka Aaron Velasquez), which refers to a freestyle frisbee move that his father invented. The electronic producer and beatboxer gathered influences from other beat making luminaries like Flying Lotus, J Dilla and Madlib. Late Night Radio and Flamingosis, 10 p.m. Saturday at Town Square Tavern. $10. 733-3886. PJH
SUNDAY Stagecoach Band (Stagecoach) TUESDAY One Ton Pig (Silver Dollar), Open Mic (Virginian)
Aaron Davis is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer, member of Screen Door Porch and Boondocks, founder/host of Songwriter’s Alley, and co-founder of The WYOmericana Caravan.
n 2 Films: Good Company: Vice Versa and Level 1:Pleasure 7:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, $8.00, 307-733-1500 n Vince & Mindi Swing 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Candace Miller & Friends 9:00pm, Knotty Pine, 208-7872866 n Whiskey’s Alibi 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207 n Late Night Radio & Flamingosis 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-733-3886
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n NFL Sunday Football 11:00am, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307.353.2300 n The Nutcracker Screening 2:00pm, The Center Theater, Free, 307-733-6398 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28
n Yoga 7:00am, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n Toddler Gym 8:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $4.00, 307-739-9025
n The Clay Surface: Color & Pattern 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $110.00, 307733-6379 n David Reif Gallery Talk 12:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7336379 n Total Fitness 12:10pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n After School Kidzart Club: Grade K-2 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $150.00, 307733-6379
n Free Public Planetarium Programs 3:30pm, Teton County Library, Free, 1-844-996-7827 n Movie Mondays: Films & Gaming (Afterschool) 3:45pm, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164 n Kiln Formed Glass 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $210.00 $252.00, 307-733-6379 n Etching - Evening 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $180.00, 307733-6379
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 21
n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Small Business Saturday 9:00am, Local Shops, Free, 307-733-3316 n Yellowstone Ski Festival 10:00am, West Yellowstone, info@skirunbikemt.com n Whiskey Experience 6:00pm, VOM FASS Jackson Hole, Free, 307-734-1535
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 22
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
22 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
n Babe Force Ladies-Only Backcountry Workshop 6:30pm, Teton County Search and Rescue, $10.00
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
n November Food Drive at Jackson Whole Grocer 7:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer and Cafe, $20.00 - $25.00, 307-733-0450 n Peggy Prugh Art Show 7:00am, Pearl Street Bagels, Free n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Yoga 8:30am, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307-733-2164 n Tai Chi for Better Balance 10:30am, Senior Center of Jackson Hole, $3.00, 307-733-7300 n Bubble Play 11:30am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307-733-2164 n Spin 12:10pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Make It & Take It: Themed Crafts (Afterschool) 3:45pm, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307-733-2164 n Zumba 4:30pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-6906539 n Total Fitness 5:30pm, Teton Recreation Center, $8.00, 307-739-9025 n Ski Fitness 5:30pm, Teton County/ Jackson Parks and Recreation, $8.00 - $85.00, 307-732-5754 n Tuesday Trivia Night 6:00pm, Q Roadhouse, Free, 307-739-0700 n Glaze like a Pro 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $84.00, 307-733-6379 n Cribbage 6:00pm, Valley of the Tetons Library, Free, 208-354-5522 n Ladies Avy Awareness Night 6:00pm, Teton County Search & Rescue Facility, $15.00, carisa@shejumps.org n One Ton Pig 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n Charles Ellsworth 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307733-3886
FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS VISIT PJHCALENDAR.COM
FREE SPEECH Beauty from Chaos How the creative process helps people to move forward. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
I
n the wake of Donald Trump’s election, which many fear will result in a curtailing of our rights and freedoms, a quote from the great novelist and intellectual Toni Morrison has been making the rounds on social media. “This is precisely the time when artists go to work,” Morrison wrote in a March 2015 article for The Nation. “There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” As the world continues to make sense of a Trump presidency, The Planet intends to scour the valley in the name of creative expression and free speech. We want to talk with artists and other creative people about the realm of imagination, which is so vital to a free society. For this week’s Free Speech column, we spoke with two visual artists about the importance of dis-location, of getting outside of one’s home turf and practicing art in unfamiliar territory. Yeon Jin Kim is a visiting artist who has been in residency at Teton Artlab for the month of November. Kim is originally from Korea, but now lives in New York City. She immigrated to the U.S. 10 years ago. She is a multimedia artist, focused primarily on making videos featuring tiny diorama sets she makes in intricate detail. Based on dreams and imaginings, Kim’s videos turn domestic scenes into surreal happenings. Her work takes the viewer inside the artist’s imagination where anything is possible. For instance, in her video Zoonomia, a deer uses its mouth to drag what looks to be a dead carcass of a fawn through a lush forest of vines and plant life. In another video, Spaceship Grocery Store, robotic aliens wreak havoc in a grocery store. “Many of my video works assume a breakdown of the natural order but also show wildly proliferating new growth from unexpected sources,” Kim writes in her artist statement. Kim has been in residence at the Artlab since November 1. The presidential election hit her hard. “I’ve been depressed,” she said. As an immigrant who holds a U.S. green card, she is safe from Trump’s promised
A still from Yeon Jin Kim’s video “Spaceship Grocery Store” (top) and a section of an untitled painting by Alissa Davies (bottom). deportations; however, she had been considering obtaining U.S. citizenship. Now those plans are off. “I have felt so welcome to this country, which has meant a lot to me,” she said. “But the past year or two I have felt more alienated and I don’t know why.” For Kim, making art is a way of exploring her unconscious. She is using her time at the Artlab to work on a monster movie. The movie will feature a set modeled after the Artlab apartment for visiting resident artists. It will also feature a monster that emerges from a colorful Yellowstone caldera and flies through the air to Jackson, slips in the window of Kim’s apartment and eats her. “It occurred to me I could make my monster orange,” Kim said, laughing, referring to the president-elect’s skin color. “I want my monster to take a human form,” she continued. “Because we are monsters ourselves. We see it in this election, this repressed racism and sexism exploding. We repress our bad nature, but then it just pops out.” Kim says her work is not overtly political. She takes inspiration from the dystopian novel 1984 by George Orwell. In it, the protagonist Winston Smith is mesmerized by art and architecture, which inspire him to try and escape the watchful presence of Big Brother. “That’s why dictators repress art,” Kim said. “They know the power of beauty and art.” For Jackson artist Alissa Davies, a recent intuitive painting workshop by Flora Bowley in Portland, Ore., provided an opportunity to tap into the process of creating beauty. Davies
has shown her work widely in Jackson; an exhibit of her work is currently in the St. John’s Medical Center professional offices building. “I tried to be as open as possible and not have expectations,” Davies said. “My process mirrored what was happening at the workshop and the beauty that can come from being vulnerable. If you keep being open and present, you just get to the other side and you’ve learned so much more by staying with the discomfort.” Davies said the goal of the workshop wasn’t necessarily to finish a set number of paintings so much as to tap into the process of art-making itself. “It was so special to have this experience right before the election,” she said. “I feel hopeful that artists can make a difference by sharing our stories in nonverbal ways. I think art can start dialogue.” As someone who has studied art therapy and life coaching, Davies says she intends to share the creative process with others “as a way to heal and to access our inner worlds.” What artists like Davies and Kim exemplify is that the creative process can be both healing and generative. Their creative processes point to the fact that humans need not stay stuck in despair and troubled emotions. In her article in The Nation, Toni Morrison concluded: “I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom. Like art.” Teton Artlab hosts an open studio and artist talk by Yeon Jin Kim from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 29. PJH
the latest happenings in jackson hole
WELL, THAT HAPPENED I’m a Local, Bro A snarky reference guide for people who are already convinced they’re Jacksonites. BY ANDREW MUNZ @AndrewMunz
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ANDREW MUNZ
A real, plaid-wearing local offers sound advice on how to fit in. paramount to your longevity in Jackson, and is just one of many elements you will need to consider yourself a local. Once you’ve convinced yourself of this, you’re going to need to update your wardrobe and blend in a bit more on the outside. It’s very confusing to the general population if you say you’re a local, but you don’t look like a local (especially if you’re a minority or an immigrant; no, Southern is not an ethnicity). Off to the secondhand stores, where you will acquire the wrinkled, flannel skins shed from departed locals who went back home or to grad school. Pick up that worn beanie as well, and the three pairs of Carhartts (hey, not just for dudes anymore!). Now that you’ve transformed yourself, you’ll realize how simple it will be to beef up your number of Facebook friends, not because people actually want to be friends, but because your profile picture looks like 54 percent of the rest of the Jackson population, and therefore people will add you by mistake thinking you’re someone else, especially if your first name is Ben, Kelly, Matt, Ryan, Sara(h), or Ben. Speaking of names, when you acquire a dog please choose from one of the following options: Cache, Luke, Dakota, Diego, or Zeke for males; and Stella, Mia, Grace, Zoë, or Shadow for females. If you don’t have time to train them, it’s OK. If he/she is “friendly,” then no further training is needed. Also, your friends will have no patience for your cats, so don’t even think about it. By following these simple guidelines, you’ll be a local in no time. I would tell you to share this article with your friends, but, you know, it’s a Planet article so you might just want to keep it to yourself. PJH
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 23
will welcome you with open arms if you follow the rules, compromise your eccentricities, and don’t get too weird about it. If you’ve rolled into town with a framed master’s degree, put that shit away. Sell it at a garage sale. Because your illustrious educational success, while important in other places, will alienate possible new friends and employers who might find your overachieving nature off-putting, and frankly, pretentious. I mean, really. Who the hell do you think you are? The less educated you are, the more the human resources person will have to talk to you about before they hire you anyway. Your conversation might drift from, “How long do you plan on staying in Jackson?” to “Where in Oregon are you from?” to “Oh, I have friends from Eugene. Do you know Trey Mortenson?” to “That’s amazing, we grew up together, how’s he doing?” to “Welcome to the JHMR crew, man, we should hang out,” and ultimately ending with a very formal handshake. When you tell people you work for the mountain (the other one’s a hill, apparently), you’ll find that just admitting this opens the door to multiple friend gatherings. And while you might have the impulse to shave beforehand, don’t. Because you’ll quickly find that there’s no point in spending tons of time trying to impress anyone in Jackson. They will look at you and conclude that you won’t stick around long enough to make any real impact. And soon, after a week when you start calling yourself a “Local From Jackson,” you’ll look at them the exact same way. (Apathy and skepticism are the main ingredients in every Jackson friendship.) “So, you gonna stay when the season’s over, or…?” you might inquire. This inflated sense of self-worth is
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
reetings, humble aspiring local! Welcome to Jackson Hole. You’re probably sitting in a coffee shop devouring this current issue of Planet Jackson Hole, or possibly even reading it online, ruminating at its majesty, its uniqueness, its grace. “Why, this paper is quite interesting!” you might say in an amplified voice to a full room. The locals who overhear you might grimace, as they do, and will quickly share their coveted opinion. “Psssh. Nobody reads The Planet...” (Note how cool they looked when they said this!) But alas! You knew nothing of this flippant perspective. How could these locals be so dismissive of such an illustrious paper full of limit-pushing reporting and opinion pieces? Without even realizing it, you have encountered the archetypal conundrum each Jackson newcomer (and burgeoning young refuge-bound elk) must face: Do I join the herd or become my own trophy buck? You’ll quickly learn that Jackson celebrates conformity and adaptation, and
pjhcalendar.com
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
24 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
HANNAH HARDAWAY JORDAN SIEMENS PHOTOGR APHY
HANNAH HARDAWAY HANNAH HARDAWAY
HANNAH HARDAWAY
FEAST
River of Dreams Meet floating chef Scott Nechay. BY TRACI MCCLINTIC
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ecently I caught up with chef and self-proclaimed trout bum Scott Nechay to chat about his burgeoning fly fishing/private chef business. He floats, literally, between Jackson Hole and Bozeman, Mont., calling both places home (although he lives more like a vagabond). He takes equal advantage of a network of fish filled waterways and local vendors to serve inspired food along the shores of our backcountry riverbanks. Introductions can be tough. So I blurted out one of the first things that came to mind after we sat down. “Apparently you have good knife skills,” I said, eying his fingers that rested loosely around his coffee cup. He smiled at my awkwardness as his windburned cheeks brightened. “Yeah, it’s been a long time since I cut myself,” he said. “[My hands] are looking pretty rough though. This time of year, I spend a lot of hours pulling [or rowing], then my hands are constantly immersed in the water when I’m cooking.” Nechay’s hands are testament to the rugged nature of long days on the river and his dedication to his craft. Demand for a good fishing guide and chef has taken him from Green River Lakes in the Northern Wind River Mountains, up to the Salmon, Bitterroot, and Missouri Rivers in Montana, as far south as Columbia and Central America, and east to Bar Harbor, Maine. In an industry that hinges on knowing the right people, Nechay doesn’t waste time forging quick connections. In Bar Harbor, he hopped off the plane and went looking for lobster. He asked around and ended up befriending
“a lobster guy.” Nechay asked the lobster guy where to source the best produce; he asked the produce guy where he could find a good wine store. He asked the wine guy about cheese, and he asked them all about the best local fishing spots. Nechay’s inspiration comes from a mix of personal experiences. He has a degree from the French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) and worked under Chef Sylvain LeCougic in Nashville, Tenn., for two years. He follows the work of acclaimed Argentinean chef Francis Mallmann and New York’s Dan Barber, both of whom gained international popularity from the Netflix series Chef’s Table. Nechay says he appreciates Mallmann for his rugged approach to slow cooking in the outdoors, and Barber for his passionate farm to table initiatives. But two other people were even more influential. His first good memories of the kitchen revolve around his grandmother, who had him whipping up vats of pasta bolognese by the time he was eight years old. Then at the age of fourteen, after landing a job as a caddy at the Royal Fox Golf Club outside of Chicago, he was pulled off the green by executive chef Paul Bringas. “Do you know how to make an omelet?” the chef asked Nechay. Soon he was working an omelet station for a banquet hall, helping turn 700-plus covers a day. The young Nechay was hooked. What does a day on the river look like for Nechay and his clients? The itinerary starts with outdoor breakfast at 5 a.m. Rustic benches surround a rustic table topped with a white linen tablecloth, ceramic-coated tin plates, coffee steaming over the fire, potatoes roasting in the coals. He might be serving corn beef hash or eggs benedict. The eggs are farm raised, the produce is from Cosmic Apple or the Bozeman Market, the butter is from Belgrade. On the river in a drift boat by 7:45, he and his guests arrive at noon
to a meeting place where his staff has set up a table, cold craft beer and chilled white wine. This is where Nechay will prepare his clients’ next meal. He points to his split top lobster roll and a soba noodle salad as major hit. And dinner? Is Nechay cooking up his catch? “Sometimes, but mostly catch and release,” he said. A true fly fishing guide, Nechay’s answer doesn’t surprise me. Instead, his clients suffer through nights of Wagyu beef, tuna belly, langoustines, whole roasted organic chicken and rack of lamb cooked over an open fire and served on walnut planks. Having been picked up by Orvis, Lattitudes, Montana Hunting Company, the Yellowstone Club, The Clear Creek Group, and a number of high profile clients whose names he makes a point not to mention, Nechay is rather a busy guy. In fact, he was forced to postpone his vacation this year. Oh, that’s too bad. I ask the poor guy who spends his days fishing and cooking what he had planned. He looks wistfully out the window. “Tarpon Fishing off the Yucatan.”
Q&A Lightning Round
What’s in your toolkit? A sashimi knife, 12-inch chef’s knife, utility knife, tongs and a Japanese mandolin. Favorite serving platter? 12-inch slab of black walnut Best local beef: Snake River Farms: New York Strip. Best produce? Cosmic Apple, Bozeman Market, The Chef’s Garden in Ohio. Wine pick? Whether it’s Old World or New World, I don’t spend more than $50. I’ll drink anything that Eric at Bin 22 or Joe from Liquor Down South recommend. My current favorite: The Transcendentalist Shiraz/Grenache Blend from California. Most important ingredient? Good quality sea salt. Thing to remember? Don’t overcomplicate things. Let the flavor of whatever you are cooking fend for itself. PJH
APRÈS–SKI THANKSGIVING Trio is located just off the town square in downtown Jackson, and is owned & operated by local chefs with a passion for good food. Our menu features contemporary American dishes inspired by classic bistro cuisine. Daily specials feature wild game, fish and meats. Enjoy a glass of wine at the bar in front of the wood-burning oven and watch the chefs perform in the open kitchen.
Dinner Nightly at 5:30pm 45 S. Glenwood
Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom and pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves!
ASIAN & CHINESE TETON THAI Serving the world’s most exciting cuisine. Teton Thai offers a splendid array of flavors: sweet, hot, sour, salt and bitter. All balanced and blended perfectly, satisfying the most discriminating palate. Open daily. 7432 Granite Loop Road in Teton Village, (307) 7330022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai. com.
Available for private events & catering For reservations please call 734-8038
THAI ME UP Home of Melvin Brewing Co. Freshly remodeled offering modern Thai cuisine in a relaxed setting. New tap system with 20 craft beers. New $8 wine list and extensive bottled beer menu. Open daily for dinner at 5pm. Downtown at 75 East Pearl Street. View our tap list at thaijh.com/brews. 307-733-0005.
CONTINENTAL ALPENHOF Serving authentic Swiss cuisine, the Alpenhof features European style breakfast entrées and alpine lunch fare. Dine in the Bistro for a casual meal or join us in the Alpenrose dining room for a relaxed dinner experience. Breakfast 7:30am-10am. Coffee & pastry 10am-11:30am. Lunch 11:30am-3pm. Aprés 3pm-5:30pm. Dinner 6pm-9pm. For reservations at the Bistro or Alpenrose, call 307-733-3242.
BUFFET NOV. 24
3-6:30 PM RESERVATIONS REQUIRED | $20 ADULTS / $10 CHILDREN
JOIN US AT THE ‘HOF,
THE ALPENHOF LODGE 307.733.3242 | TETON VILLAGE
McDonald’s ® November Locals Special ONLY
5
$ 49 + tax
THE BLUE LION
CAFE GENEVIEVE Local is a modern American steakhouse and bar located on Jackson’s historic town square. Serving locally raised beef and, regional game, fresh seafood and seasonally inspired food, Local offers the perfect setting for lunch, drinks or dinner.
HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm
307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE
Fast, Affordable and On Your Way!
ELEANOR’S Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our two-time gold medal wings. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 832 W. Broadway, (307) 733-7901.
1110 W. Broadway Jackson, Wyoming Open daily 5:00am to midnight Free Wi-Fi
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 25
Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly
Serving inspired home cooked classics in a historic log cabin. Enjoy brunch daily at 8 a.m., Dinner Tues-Sat 5 p.m. and Happy Hour Tues-Sat 3-5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 732-1910, genevievejh. com.
Get a Big Mac®, Medium Fries and a Medium Soft Drink for only $5.49 plus tax during the month of November.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
A Jackson Hole favorite for 38 years. Join us in the charming atmosphere of a historic home. Ask a local about our rack of lamb. Serving fresh fish, elk, poultry, steaks, and vegetarian entrées. Live acoustic guitar music most nights. Early Bird Special: 20% off entire bill between 5:30-6:0pm, Open nightly at 5:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays until ski season. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome. 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant.com.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
26 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
FULL STEAM SUBS The deli that’ll rock your belly. Jackson’s newest sub shop serves steamed subs, reubens, gyros, delicious all beef hot dogs, soups and salads. We offer Chicago style hot dogs done just the way they do in the windy city. Open daily11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located just a short block north of the Town Square at 180 N. Center Street, (307) 733-3448.
LOCAL Local, a modern American steakhouse and bar, is located on Jackson’s historic town square. Our menu features both classic and specialty cuts of locally-ranched meats and wild game alongside fresh seafood, shellfish, house-ground burgers, and seasonallyinspired food. We offer an extensive wine list and an abundance of locally-sourced products. Offering a casual and vibrant bar atmosphere with 12 beers on tap as well as a relaxed dining room, Local is the perfect spot to grab a burger for lunch or to have drinks and dinner with friends. Lunch MonSat 11:30am. Dinner Nightly 5:30pm. 55 North Cache, (307) 201-1717, localjh.com.
FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY
A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965
Re-opening
Tuesday, Nov. 29 th
(Just in time for 2-fer Tuesday!)
LOTUS CAFE Serving organic, freshly-made world cuisine while catering to all eating styles. Endless organic and natural meat, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices. Offering super smoothies, fresh extracted juices, espresso and tea. Full bar and house-infused botanical spirits. Open daily 8am for breakfast lunch and dinner. 145 N. Glenwood St., (307) 7340882, tetonlotuscafe.com.
11am - 9:30pm daily 20 W. Broadway 307.201.1472
PizzeriaCaldera.com
MANGY MOOSE Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally fresh food at reasonable prices, is a always a fun place to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel right at home and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Teton Village, (307) 733-4913, mangymoose.com.
SNAKE RIVER BREWERY & RESTAURANT
Food,
glorious food!
Yes,we Planetoids live to eat. Look for our next foodie issue coming December 21st
Book now
2FOR1 ENTREES
Good all night • Open nightly at 5:30pm Closed Tuesdays until ski season
733-3912
160 N. Millward • Reservations recommended Reserve online at bluelionrestaurant.com
THE LOCALS
FAVORITE PIZZA
TRIO
for Early Bird discount rates of 40% off! Deadline: November 30
America’s most award-winning microbrewery is serving lunch and dinner. Take in the atmosphere while enjoying wood-fired pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts. $9 lunch menu. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m., including tasty hot wings. The freshest beer in the valley, right from the source! Free WiFi. Open 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 265 S. Millward. (307) 739-2337, snakeriverbrewing.com.
OFF SEASON SPECIAL
th
To advertise, contact Jen or Caroline at 307-732-0299 or email sales@planetjh.com.
Owned and operated by Chefs with a passion for good food, Trio is located right off the Town square in downtown Jackson. Featuring a variety of cuisines in a relaxed atmosphere, Trio is famous for its wood-oven pizzas, specialty cocktails and waffle fries with bleu cheese fondue. Dinner nightly at 5:30 p.m. Reservations. (307) 734-8038 or bistrotrio.com.
ITALIAN CALICO A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965, the Calico
2012, 2013 & 2014 •••••••••
$7
$4 Well Drink Specials
LUNCH
SPECIAL Slice, salad & soda
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••
TV Sports Packages and 7 Screens
Under the Pink Garter Theatre (307) 734-PINK • www.pinkygs.com
continues to be one of the most popular restaurants in the Valley. The Calico offers the right combination of really good food, (much of which is grown in our own gardens in the summer), friendly staff; a reasonably priced menu and a large selection of wine. Our bar scene is eclectic with a welcoming vibe. Open nightly at 5 p.m. 2560 Moose Wilson Rd., (307) 733-2460.
®
Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)
MEXICAN EL ABUELITO
Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread
Serving authentic Mexican cuisine and appetizers in a unique Mexican atmosphere. Home of the original Jumbo Margarita. Featuring a full bar with a large selection of authentic Mexican beers. Lunch served weekdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nightly dinner specials. Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 385 W. Broadway, (307) 733-1207.
$ 13 99
for an extra $5.99/each
(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY
PIZZA DOMINO’S PIZZA Hot and delicious delivered to your door. Hand-tossed, deep dish, crunchy thin, Brooklyn style and artisan pizzas; bread bowl pastas, and oven baked sandwiches; chicken wings, cheesy breads and desserts. Delivery. 520 S. Hwy. 89 in Kmart Plaza, (307) 733-0330.
PINKY G’S
SCOOP UP THESE SAVINGS
1/16TH COLOR AD • FREE PRINT LISTING (50-75 WORDS) • FREE ONLINE LISTING ON PLANETJH.COM • 6 MONTH MINIMUM COMMITMENT
CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE TODAY TO LEARN MORE
SALES@PLANETJH.COM OR CALL 307.732.0299
PIZZERIA CALDERA Jackson Hole’s only dedicated stone-hearth oven pizzeria, serving Napolitana-style pies using the freshest ingredients in traditional and creative combinations. Five local microbrews on tap, a great selection of red and white wines by the glass and bottle, and one of the best views of the Town Square from our upstairs deck. Daily lunch special includes slice, salad or soup, any two for $8. Happy hour: half off drinks by the glass from 4 - 6 daily. Dine in or carry out. Or order online at PizzeriaCaldera.com, or download our app for iOS or Android. Open from 11am - 9:30pm daily at 20 West Broadway. 307-201-1472.
••••••••• Open daily at 8am serving breakfast, lunch & dinner.
BYOB
145 N. Glenwood • (307) 734-0882 WWW.TETONLOTUSCAFE.COM
Are you a discerning drinker who knows her scotch from her whiskey? When you’re talking bouquets, are flowers the last thing on your mind? Then we want YOU. The Planet is looking for a drink columnist who likes to imbibe and write about it with authority.
SWEETS MEETEETSE CHOCOLATIER
EMAIL WRITING SAMPLES TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM.
Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY
www.mangymoose.com
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 | 27
Meeteetse Chocolatier brings their unique blend of European style chocolates paired with “Wyomingesque” flavors. Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit, Sage, Huckleberry and Sarsaparilla lead off a decadent collection of truffles, Belgian chocolates and hand made caramel. Sample Single Origin and Organic chocolates at our Tasting Station. Open Weekends, 265 W. Broadway. 307-413-8296. meeteetsechocolatier.com
Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally FRESH FOOD at reasonable prices, is a always a FUN PLACE to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel RIGHT AT HOME and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
• $25 A WEEK CASH OR $40 A WEEK TRADE ON HALF OFF JH
The locals favorite! Voted Best Pizza in Jackson Hole 2012, 2013 and 2014. Seek out this hidden gem under the Pink Garter Theatre for NY pizza by the slice, salads, stromboli’s, calzones and many appetizers to choose from. Try the $7 ‘Triple S’ lunch special.Happy hours 10 p.m. - 12 a.m. Sun.- Thu. Text PINK to 71441 for discounts. Delivery and take-out. Open daily 11a.m. to 2 a.m. 50 W. Broadway, (307) 734-PINK.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
28 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
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Thicker than Water How to remain calm and receptive as you gather with family this holiday season.
I
n the spirit of upcoming family holidays, I thought it might be interesting to share some cosmic perspectives about family and familial relationships. Consider this big picture perspective particularly as you interact with family members whose viewpoints differ from your own.
The Ideal Environment
REDEEM THESE OFFERS AT HALFOFFJH.COM
SUDOKU
Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.
From a metaphysical perspective, we have two lineages. Families are simultaneously a gathering of genetically related people, and they are also a gathering of souls who may or may not have any prior soulful or past life connection to each other. The common link—which includes family members who have been adopted—is that the positives and negatives in that family grouping are exactly what each person needs for choosing to become their best self, regardless of what it may appear. So from a soul perspective, it’s the ideal set up for you to learn what you are intended to learn, and how you grow from your positive and negative family experiences.
Part One: Genetic Lineage
The metaphysical perspective is that while the physical body is developing in the womb, the soul magnetizes from the gene pool of each parent, the genetic content which will serve as the best “software” for the soul’s journey this lifetime. The spiritual truth is that, regardless of our opinion, everything in our genetic make-up is intended as purposeful support, leading us to the personal growth and contributions the soul is intending this time around. Another part of the soul’s intentional “software” includes the geographic location and the emotional and socio-economic environment in which we grow up. For those who are adopted, this part of your software is provided by your adoptive parents. Things we appreciated while growing up, we can emulate. What
we did not like, we can leave behind.
Part Two: Soul Lineage
Everyone has a soul, the eternal part of who we are. A metaphysical perspective is that our souls are on an infinite journey of incarnation experiences back to Source. In each life we are here to learn and to contribute. It follows that we may have shared past lives with some of the souls who are now family. You’ve likely had the experience of feeling an easy, deep connection with certain family members and relatives more than with others. This is a reflection of “recognizing” their soul from a previous, positive relationship. You may be interacting with other souls in the family for the first time. What matters, however, is what you do with it all now. From the soul perspective, souls come together as a family because they are working on common themes in their individual evolution. Each person has their own soulful “back story” and their own current personality strengths and issues, which contributes to a family’s overall ethos. Some family members are helpful with each other’s evolution by being supportive. Meanwhile, others unwittingly push each other where they need to be headed in life simply by not being supportive.
Useful Questions
Try on a positive spin related to inherited traits, the family environment growing up, and what your soul is intending to learn. You might ask yourself: • Growing up in your family, what did you love and what do you choose to maintain? What did you not care for and have you therefore happily upgraded in your own life? • What would you say is the issue, the common theme everyone in your family of origin is/was tackling in one way or another? • Most important, are you focusing on being your best self, and are you actively upgrading your wellbeing?
Accept and Move Forward
As always, there is help if you need it. We can all change if we want to and are willing to do the work. Keep in mind that everyone in every family is doing the best they can, given their present circumstances and past life experiences. Once you truly embrace this, compassion flows, forgiveness grows and you are free to be the best version of who you truly are. PJH
Carol Mann is a longtime Jackson resident, radio personality, former Grand Targhee Resort owner, author, and clairvoyant. Got a Cosmic Question? Email carol@yourcosmiccafe.com
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30 | NOVEMBER 23, 2016
REDNECK PERSPECTIVE COMMENTARY
The Trump Tirade We must not assume the traits we condemn. BY CLYDE THORNHILL
A
preacher was tired of the morally superior tone of his congregation. He told them, “If there was a drunken orgy in town, I would lay 10 to 1 that no one from our church was involved. However, if there was a lynching, I would lay 10 to 1 that members of our church were involved.” Americans compromised this political season and elected a president who would be at home at both an orgy and a lynching. While many celebrate Trump’s election as a grassroots movement of populism over elitism, others despise him as a narcissistic hater, and still others, African American, Latinos, women, the LGBTQ community and disabled people, fear it will become open season on them. Some fear losing our freedom, our democracy. Trump’s attacks on the press have turned to threats restricting freedom of expression. Trump has promised to have his opponent imprisoned. He calls his supporters “the greatest,” and those who disagree with him horrible, nasty, bad people. He defends gun rights on one hand and insists on stop-and-frisk laws that target inner city African Americans, making the Second Amendment a “white
only” freedom. He said if he didn’t win, he would not acknowledge his opponent’s victory, claiming the election was rigged. He encouraged his supporters to protest if this was the outcome, then he cried like a baby when citizens protested his election. What should the response be to those who fear for their republic? First, give Trump the benefit of the doubt. Does he deserve it? No, not after the divisive hate-filled way he ran his campaign. But America does, our traditions and values do, and America must not become that which we condemn. It is difficult and some may say it’s wrong to join in support of someone who has done all he can to divide us, to encourage hatred and bigotry. But he will be president; now perhaps the responsibility of his duties and the honor bestowed him will make him an objective leader, less concerned about himself, his ego, and more for the country. (I said maybe!) Trump had almost 60 million votes. Sure, there were Ku Klux Klan endorsements, protest votes and just idiots exercising their franchise. But the opposition has just as many if not more idiots and endorsements (Miley Cyrus, for example?). Talk to a Trump supporter; listen—a hard thing to do, I know. Ninety percent of them, just like 90 percent of the other side, are good, honest people willing to help out a neighbor in a time of need. Trump supporters are no more “deplorables” than Clinton’s are out-of-touch elitists. But both sides live in bubbles with Facebook friends and “news” sources that reinforce their views instead of
L.A.TIMES “DO STUFF” By Gail Grabowski
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2016
ACROSS 1 5 11 15 19 20 21
Udon cousin Not at all Poker pro’s concern Weather the storm Latin 101 verb Albéniz piano work Petty of “A League of Their Own” 22 Mind matter 23 Breakfast item 25 Lackluster 26 Let it all out 27 Blade holder 28 Heavy ref. 29 Ancient manuscripts 31 Gridiron figure 33 Bus station compartment 39 Bar menu heading 41 Zilch 42 “Do __?” 43 Decorative outdoor fixture 49 TV awareness-raiser 52 Action film props 53 Cookie shaped like two of its letters 54 Throw a feast for 55 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner 56 Handled bag 57 Started war? 59 Serious trend 60 Category including spacing and margins 62 Like some speeches, it seems 64 Ruffle feathers, so to speak 65 Tells 66 Musical with the song “Willkommen” 69 Collie collar danglers 74 Fugitive 76 Left hanging 77 Vehicle usage record 81 Coil on a reel 84 “That’s a fact!”
expanding their minds to new ideas and opinions. Our judgment and rage directed at others make us no better than Trump at his most arrogant. So fight for your beliefs, for basic decency, freedom and for our country, but do not judge, point and condemn. Otherwise we will all become Trumps, and one is enough. PJH The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the position of this newspaper.
85 Comparison words 86 Room access 87 Masonry mixture 89 Streamlet 90 “Leaving Las Vegas” co-star 91 Decorates mischievously, for short 92 Curbside check-in freebie 94 Yankee manager before Girardi 96 Sports statistic 97 One way to get dinner 98 Broadway director’s concern 104 Not just bargain 109 How many raises are given 110 Anger 112 Mason of “The Goodbye Girl” 113 Restrain 116 Cause to fluctuate 117 “American Graffiti” director 119 Kolkata’s locale 120 Paddock parent 121 Mental wherewithal 122 Construction site sight 123 Mannerless sort 124 Till stack 125 “He loves me” pieces 126 Hot times abroad
13 14 15 16 17 18 24 30 32 34 35 36
Sun blocker Legendary prophet Serving on a jury, e.g. Elevated lines? Waterman product Work on a course Early gaming name French royal Craftsman outdoor tools Generous offer Swindle, in slang Instrument that doesn’t need tuning 37 “Un Ballo in Maschera” aria 38 Zero out, say 40 Sonic Dash publisher 43 They may be cracked 44 Sports venue 45 Prepared 46 Big wheel’s wheels 47 Internet connectivity annoyance 48 IPA component 49 Sound of the Northwest 50 Champagne flute feature 51 Café order 55 Leave, with “off” 58 Colorful pet store purchase 60 Something to shoot for 61 Supplement DOWN 63 Looked for 1 Fresh 64 National Bike Month 2 Home of Heartland of America 66 Heads and tails Park 67 Illegal mil. status 3 Outdoor clothing 68 Paper or plastic entrepreneur Eddie 70 Irish lullaby start 4 Mideast president elected the 71 Surprise in a skit same year as the younger Bush 72 Duplicity 5 Overdrive 73 Period of time 6 Presidential nickname 75 Minimum-range tide 7 Transfer to a new city, briefly 76 Poseidon, e.g. 8 Sits on the line 77 Ketch pair 9 Godiva alternative 78 Seemingly can’t lose 10 Shaggy-haired bovine 79 Linney of “The 11 Lifetime chum Savages” 12 Biker’s headgear, maybe 80 Athlete’s
supplement 81 Fail to share 82 AA or AAA 83 “College GameDay” number 87 Short bond? 88 Training routines 92 Hammered 93 From around here 95 Big shoes to fill? 96 “But of course!” 99 Catcher on the range 100 Director Allen who was dubbed the “Master of Disaster” 101 Look daggers (at) 102 Birthday card rack subsection 103 Tiling job supply 105 Mutual agreement 106 Site of the Princess Margaret Stakes 107 Macbeth, when the play began 108 Alleviates 111 “At Wit’s End” author Bombeck 113 Zin kin 114 “Always by their side” org. 115 River in Spain 117 Lack of continuity 118 Styling product hidden in eight long puzzle answers
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Despite your sign’s reputation, you Sagittarians don’t always require vast expanses to roam in. You aren’t ceaselessly restless, on an inexhaustible quest for unexpected experiences and fresh teachings. And no, you are not forever consumed with the primal roar of raw life, obsessed with the naked truth and fiercely devoted to exploration for its own sake. But having said that, I suspect that you might at least be flirting with these extreme states in the coming weeks. Your keynote, lifted from Virginia Woolf’s diary: “I need space. I need air. I need the empty fields round me; and my legs pounding along roads; and sleep; and animal existence.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) “If you can’t get rid of the skeleton in your closet,” George Bernard Shaw said, “you had best teach it to dance.” This advice is worthy of your consideration, Capricorn. You might still be unable to expunge a certain karmic debt, and it may be harder than ever to hide, so I suggest you dream up a way to play with it—maybe even have some dark fun with it. And who knows? Your willingness to loosen up might at least alleviate the angst your skeleton causes you—and might ultimately transform it in some unpredictably helpful way. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “No pain, no gain” is a modern expression of an old idea. In a second-century Jewish book of ethics, Rabbi Ben Hei Hei wrote, “According to the pain is the gain.” Eighteenth-century English poet Robert Herrick said, “If little labor, little are our gains: Man’s fate is according to his pains.” But I’m here to tell you, Aquarius, that I don’t think this prescription will apply to you in the coming weeks. From what I can surmise, your greatest gains will emerge from the absence of pain. You will learn and improve through release, relaxation, generosity, expansiveness and pleasure. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) The less egotistical you are, the more likely it is that you will attract what you really need. If you do nice things for people without expecting favors in return, your mental and physical health will improve. As you increase your mastery of the art of empathy, your creativity will also thrive. Everything I just said is always true, of course, but it will be intensely, emphatically true for you during the next four weeks. So I suggest you make it a top priority to explore the following cosmic riddle: Practicing unselfishness will serve your selfish goals.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “Everybody is dealing with how much of their own aliveness they can bear and how much they need to anesthetize themselves,” writes psychoanalytic writer Adam Phillips. Where do you fit on this scale, Leo? Whatever your usual place might be, I’m guessing that in the coming weeks you will approach record-breaking levels in your ability to handle your own aliveness. You may even summon and celebrate massive amounts of aliveness that you had previously suppressed. In fact, I’ll recklessly speculate that your need to numb yourself will be closer to zero than it has been since you were 5 years old. (I could be exaggerating a bit; but maybe not!) VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Do you periodically turn the volume down on your mind’s endless chatter and tune into the still, small voice within you? Have you developed reliable techniques for escaping the daily frenzy so as to make yourself available for the Wild Silence that restores and revitalizes? If so, now would be a good time to make aggressive use of those capacities. And if you haven’t attended well to these rituals of self-care, please remedy the situation. Claim more power to commune with your depths. In the coming weeks, most of your best information will flow from the sweet darkness. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) One of your vices could at least temporarily act as a virtue. In an odd twist, one of your virtues may also briefly function like a vice. And there’s more to this mysterious turn of events. A so-called liability could be useful in your efforts to solve a dilemma, while a reliable asset might cloud your discernment or cause a miscalculation. I’m riffing here, Libra, in the hopes of stimulating your imagination as you work your way through the paradoxical days ahead. Consider this intriguing possibility: An influence that you like and value may hold you back, even as something or someone you’ve previously been almost allergic to could be quite helpful. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Between now and the solstice on December 21, you will have extraordinary power to transform into a more practical, well-grounded version of yourself. You may surprise yourself with how naturally you can shed beliefs and habits that no longer serve you. Now try saying the following affirmations and see how they feel coming out of your mouth: “I am an earthy realist. I am a fact-lover and an illusion-buster. I love actions that actually work more than I like theories that I wish would work. I’d rather create constructive change than be renowned for my clever dreams.”
Go to RealAstrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.
Available at
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Taurus musician Brian Eno has been successful as a composer, producer, singer and visual artist. Among his many collaborators have been David Byrne, David Bowie, U2, Coldplay, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones and James Blake. Eno’s biographer David Sheppard testified that capturing his essence in a book was “like packing a skyscraper into a suitcase.” I suspect that description might fit you during the next four weeks, Taurus. You’re gearing up for some high-intensity living. But please don’t be nervous about it. Although you might be led into intimate contact with unfamiliar themes and mysterious passions, the story you actualize should feel quite natural.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Have you been feeling twinges of perplexity? Do you find yourself immersed in meandering meditations that make you doubt your commitments? Are you entertaining weird fantasies that give you odd little shivers and quivers? I hope so! As an analyzer of cycles, I suspect that now is an excellent time to question everything. You could have a lot of fun playing with riddles and wrestling with enigmas. Please note, however, that I’m not advising you to abandon what you’ve been working on and run away. Now is a time for fertile inquiry, not for rash actions. It’s healthy to contemplate adjustments, but not to initiate massive overhauls.
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ARIES (March 21-April 19) “Creative people are at greater risk,” said psychiatrist R. D. Laing, “just as one who climbs a mountain is more at risk than one who walks along a village lane.” I bring this to your attention, Aries, because in the coming weeks you will have the potential to be abundantly creative, as well as extra imaginative, ingenious and innovative. But I should also let you know that if you want to fulfill this potential, you must be willing to work with the extra tests and challenges that life throws your way. For example, you could be asked to drop a pose, renounce lame excuses or reclaim powers that you gave away once upon a time.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You are free! Or almost free! Or let me put it this way: You could become significantly freer if you choose to be—if you exert your willpower to snatch the liberating experiences that are available. For example, you could be free from a slippery obligation that has driven you to say things you don’t mean. You could be free from the temptation to distort your soul in service to your ego. You might even be free to go after what you really want rather than indulging in lazy lust for a gaggle of mediocre thrills. Be brave, Gemini. Define your top three emancipating possibilities, and pursue them with vigor and rigor.
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