JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | JANUARY 11-17, 2017
How a community came together to bring a Sierra Leonean surfer to the Tetons and what locals learned in the process.
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JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE
VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 1 | JANUARY 11-17, 2017
12 COVER STORY UNBREAKABLE BONDS How a community came together to bring a Sierra Leonean surfer to the Tetons and what locals learned in the process. Cover photo by Greg von Doersten
4 THE NEW WEST
20 CREATIVE PEAKS
6 REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
22 FREE SPEECH 24 FEAST
8 OPINION
28 COSMIC CAFE
18 MUSIC BOX
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January 11-17, 2017 By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey January of 1969 was the snowiest January ever in Jackson, with 56 inches of snowfall. That is also the snowiest month ever recorded. January of 1969 was also the wettest January on record, with 4.91 inches of water contained in all that snow. Rain in January, while not common, does occur here in Jackson. As a matter of fact, in early January of 1997 we had almost an inch of rain over a three-day period, with temperatures in the 40’s.
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Last week we had three days of 30-below zero or colder, which has not happened for quite some time. Average low temperatures this week would be more like in the single digits. Record low temperatures each day this week range from the mid-30’s to the coldest low temperature ever recorded in town during mid-January of 49-dgrees below zero on January 12th, 1963. That was one of those exceptionally cold and dry Januarys here in Jackson,
Average high temperatures this week have crept up a degree or so from the late-December and early January average high temps, with an average high this week of 28-degrees. Record highs are almost unbelievable, but if you were around here in mid-January 1974, then it would have felt like it was mid-April. That is when we had a record high temp of 55-degrees, on January 16th, 1974. We also reached that same high temp back on January 11th, 1953.
NORMAL HIGH 28 NORMAL LOW 6 RECORD HIGH IN 1974 55 RECORD LOW IN 1963 -49
THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.5 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 4.9 inches (1969) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 19 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 56 inches (1969)
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Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com
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THE NEW WEST To Live Or Die Counting the seconds in your grizzly bear moment of truth. BY TODD WILKINSON
S
ix seconds: A flash of time and yet, as the adage goes, if it means putting your hand in boiling water or having one’s head in the mouth of a grizzly bear it can seem an eternity. A world-class human sprinter, running 21.7 miles per hour, can cover 60 yards—180 feet—in roughly that time. A charging grizzly can reach a speed of 44 miles an hour. Do the math in calculating how long it might take for a bruin to close the distance of half a football field. Now heighten the urgency of the equation by putting yourself in the picture—on the potential receiving end of a mauling—with literally a moment to react. Will the bruin hurling toward you halt; continue to advance; what are its intentions? Should you stand your ground; drop to the earth and brace; or reach for a holster, extract what’s in it and begin firing? Reading these words and soaking them in just took half a minute. Is your blood pumping yet? During a meeting in Missoula, Montana, in early December 2016, something extraordinary happened. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the government entity comprising federal and state agencies involved in the management of grizzlies in the northern Rockies, rescinded the long-standing “six-second rule” when it comes to suggested requirements for bear spray. Bear spray has been a radical game-changing invention over the last quarter century. Prior to bear spray’s arrival, lots of grizzlies were killed by people with firearms, their deaths representing a major challenge for those wildlife managers trying to pull back grizzly populations in the Lower 48 states from the brink of extirpation. It was not uncommon—still isn’t— for people shooting bears, and claiming self-defense, to also get injured, if not killed. Bear spray, according to extensive research and expert opinion, has proved itself to be more effective and reliable than bullets. At its annual end of year meeting, the grizzly bear committee voted to abandon the six-second rule based upon a request from a lawyer representing a bear spray brand called UDAP, founded by Montana bear attack survivor Mark Matheny, who was badly-injured while on an archery hunt in September 1992. UDAP had argued in June 2016 that the six-second rule gave, essentially, preferential treatment to another, older bear-spray brand, Counter Assault, that, in the eyes of some, has been considered the reliable gold standard for bear sprays. Engineered by Vietnam veteran Bill Pounds and developed with research insights gleaned by the late Chuck Jonkel and Carrie Hunt—herself today an internationally-recognized trainer of bear dogs used to protect domestic livestock—Counter Assault had four principal priorities in the beginning: 1. To reduce the number of lethal outcomes for both humans and bears and serve as an alternative to guns. 2. To have a proven chemical composition capable of thwarting a charging bear by temporarily disabling its senses of smell, taste, and sight. 3. Possess enough spray in a can to
last for at least seven seconds to give a human user enough time to start spraying long before a bear was merely feet away, and 4. Project a forceful cloud of atomized spray that would remain suspended in the air, essentially creating a fog that a bear had to pass through before it reached you. Counter Assault emerged from tests done on captive bears in Missoula. Years later, in 2008, then-head of the Yellowstone Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team Charles Schwartz led an investigation on the bear spray’s efficacy. As the oldest major bear spray brand (it has been the brand of choice for many bear researchers) and considering Jonkel’s longstanding role in advancing bear conservation, Counter Assault set, in a de-facto way, the high bar for what other bear sprays ought to do. Before Counter Assault could go to market, the US Environmental Protection Agency performed testing on the ingredients to insure they did not permanently harm people or bruins, and the agency handed down requirements that all cans hold at least 7.9 ounces of chemicals. A few years after Counter Assault was developed, UDAP emerged and it was forced to meet the same standards established by EPA. A can of Counter Assault casts a spray that lasts between 7.2 and 9.2 seconds. UDAP offers three different sizes of bear spray. Two of those UDAP products comparable in size to Counter Assault emit a spray with a duration of around four seconds for one and 5.4 seconds for the other. While such data might seem wonky and inconsequential, those involved with bear spray say otherwise. What the IGBC change means, in layperson’s terms, is that no longer will the bear committee suggest that cans of spray hold enough repellent that, when the trigger is squeezed, guarantees a blast of ingredients lasting at least six seconds. This unexpected move was shocking to Chuck Bartlebaugh, who, more than any other person in the US, has been a bear spray evangelist, trying to educate the masses about why bear spray has worked in reducing the number of maulings. “Most of the public out there, especially people travelling from urban areas to Yellowstone or Glacier, aren’t that familiar with bear spray and how it works,” said Bartlebaugh, who started the nonprofit Be Bear Aware. In general, bear spray has been spectacularly effective and while he stops short of suggesting Counter Assault is superior to UDAP, Bartlebaugh noted: “Every split second you can buy yourself when faced with a charging grizzly matters. You can cram 7.9 ounces of chemical ingredients into a can and meet EPA requirements but what makes the difference is how it is dispensed.” Some sympathize with Matheny. He and UDAP have been involved in a fierce competition for market share with Counter Assault, with some outdoor gear retailers only carrying one brand or the other. The photo of Matheny’s bloody face, snapped after his fateful encounter with a grizzly down Montana’s Gallatin Canyon, became his attention-grabbing calling card in stores. When Bartlebaugh—whom I’ve known for 20 years— called me in the wake of the IGBC decision, he was incredulous mostly because he believes the move sends a confusing message to a mostly uninformed public. That message is that people, when navigating bear country, can now let down their guards a bit. The EPA’s permit approval process for bear spray addresses toxicity of ingredients and amount of ingredients in a can; it does not deal with the intricacies of how it is deployed, for example in proscribing how far the fog of spray is projected. Frank van Manen, who oversees the Yellowstone Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, a research unit
whose staff has had thousands upon thousands of contact hours with wild grizzlies, told me the IGBC did not want to be in a position where it was perceived to be endorsing one bear spray brand over another. “There’s something to be said for manufacturers themselves specifying best use of their own product rather than an organization like the IGBC being overly prescriptive on what the criteria should be,” van Manen said, noting that the IGBC doesn’t have the resources to function in a regulatory capacity like EPA. Matheny believed the IGBC’s six-second rule gave Counter Assault an unfair advantage UDAP offers three sizes of bear spray: a can with 7.9 ounces of repellent that sprays for approximately four seconds; a 9.2-ounce can that lasts for 5.4 seconds; and a 13.4-ounce can with a continuous spray of seven seconds. Based upon his research of bear attacks, Bartlebaugh says four seconds is too short. He asserts that bigger cans, which can forcefully project a spray with greater carry, provide a better cushion. “As a grizzly bear attack survivor, I believe that in a bear attack you want to have a high-volume spray,” Matheny told me. “Studies show that in most cases you have less than two seconds to react before the bear reaches you. It’s not a matter of how long the can sprays in a constant duration. Bear spray is designed to be deployed in repeated bursts of spray. It’s more about being prepared and knowing how to operate your spray and following the manufacturer’s instructions on the label. To get more spray in seconds does not make a can have more spray. High volume bear spray works.” Bartlebaugh worries that recreationists in grizzly country might interpret the abandonment of the six-second rule as a reason to be less vigilant. “My recommendation is that when a charging bear gets within 60 feet, the user should start spraying for two to three seconds so a cloud is 30 feet out when the bear gets there and enters the cloud. You don’t worry about aiming at the face, the eyes or nose. You just get that cloud out there. In many incidents previously reported in newspapers, bears that encountered the fog would break off their charge,” Bartlebaugh said. “But it’s not uncommon for bears to not be seen because they’re in thick brush or laying in day beds or suddenly appear from closer distances. In those cases you spontaneously spay the front the front of the bear, slightly downward, and keep spraying until it breaks off its charge or you decide to go to the ground and lay flat,” he added. There can be complications, however. More than one bear may actually be in an area as in the case of hikers moving through berry patches and stumbling upon a carcass where bears are feeding. “Other variables are that if you have rain or a headwind or side-wind, the spray can get blown out of the bear’s path, so you better have enough reserve,” Bartlebaugh said. “And, if you’re only carrying one can, you should have a little left for the hike out should the bear happen to return, as it did with Todd Orr.” PJH
Read the full version of this story at planetjh.com and find Bartlebaugh’s assessment of the 2016 bear attack on Orr here: thebullseye.media/guru-bear-spray-probesmontana-hunter-got-attacked-griz-twice
Todd Wilkinson has been an environmental journalist for 30 years and his work has appeared in publications ranging from National Geographic to The Washington Post. His award-winning column, The New West, appears in The Planet every week and is syndicated via thebullseye. media
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Dispatch from Chios: Lousy Trades For the people living at the Souda refugee camp, life has become a game of concessions. BY NATOSHA HODUSKI
I
didn’t know that color grey before I came here: snow melt mixed with raw ash, as the walkways between tents become causeways. All of the rain/sleet/ snow pooling in rainbow oil streaks underneath the rotting pallet floors of the shelters in Souda refugee camp on the Greek island of Chios. And I can’t stop seeing that color, washing in from the sea, soiling the lips of their tents as the water pushes up, ever higher, toward their feet. The world is colder this week than it’s been all year. The world, I think to myself, the world is a colder place. And we make trades. We bargain for the warmest future. Every moment is a coin toss for what will preserve the blood in our toes, or the feeling in our fingers. Yesterday I accidentally walked into the wrong Ikea container—the small shelters that refugees call home at the camp. There were three men leaning over a cement block they had placed red-hot pokers on top of, warming their hands from the perspiring heat of the metal.
A woman in one of our volunteer meetings asked that morning, “Do the heaters pose a risk for fire?” in her earnest, absurd way. Of course they do, but it is a hazard so far from the refugees’ current reality it’s nearly absurd to contemplate. It’s a trade. Just like those men who wore their only pairs of shoes yesterday to stand in line for food. Sometimes it takes an hour, shifting three inches at a time forward in line against the freezing temperatures and sludgy puddles of a wild, winter storm. You make a trade. Today, they stand in flipflops, because their other shoes are caked in ice. That grey ice is everywhere. It’s on the road. It’s on the frozen corners of the tarps. It’s on the slick tables and slippery toilets and the floors of the cold-water showers. It’s in my hardened soul as I’m forced to tell people “no,” when they ask for more and more, because nothing we ever do is enough. Every living space in Souda refugee camp is on a timer. A different section of the camp illuminated in its turn, to keep the circuits from overloading. It’s not enough time for the ancient space heaters installed in each tent to wake up, dust off the cold, and begin to warm the tent before they switch off again. A settled, long enduring creak, before moving on to another tent to almost-heat that one, too, before almost heating again. It’s a trade. Even the tea kettles. If more than one or two people plug in their kettle at the same time, more times than not, it will overload the circuits for the entire camp, shutting down electricity for everyone. That simple, tiny luxury, and now people are left to panic in the cold, begging for their day allotment of heat. Sometimes, when I’m greeting a family in my nearly
NATOSHA HODUSKI
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Increasingly cold, inclement weather is taking its toll on refugees at Souda refugee camp. Whipping winds and rain sucked this tent at the camp into the sea. useless Arabic, I can see my breath inside their homes. The white, steam spokes of my halting words, an incarnation of how much I will never understand what they are going through. We tried our best to get some of the most vulnerable families out of the cold as the temperatures continue to plummet by bringing them into our English Center at night. The old, Greek-styled marble floor of the building is hard, as only marble can be, and ice cold. We tried to layer mats and old donated Disney sleeping bags across the rooms to make it as comfortable as possible for the families taking refuge there, but it was still a cold, stone floor no matter how we dressed it. A temporary Band-Aid on an open wound. We never found out if the families had eaten dinner before they arrived, but they were too thankful to tell us if they needed anything else other than the heat, so we gave the children biscuits and tea and let them watch Frozen, in a way I hoped didn’t smack too much of irony. One of the moms
SNOW PACK REPORT
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EXTREME WEATHER, EXTREME CAUTION From day to day extreme weather differences have caused rapid changes to the snowpack. Last week’s arctic air mass ended on Sunday as pacific moisture moved into the area for four days. The epic storm brought snow rates of up to an inch an hour and wind gusts at ridge tops into the sixties. This snow fell on light density and faceted snow surfaces, which had formed during the previous cold, dry period. The new snow increased both the avalanche hazard and the quality of skiing. Periods of dry, cold weather weakens the snow as heat within top fifteen inches of the snow’s surface radiates into the cold air. Cold temperatures caused snow crystals to morph into faceted snow and lose cohesion. Then dense wet snow formed over the lighter density snow creating an upside
down snowpack. The strength of the lighter snow could not withstand the weight of the new snow and it failed resulting in avalanches. On Monday the avalanche hazard quickly increased to high when warm temperatures and rapid loading caused many slides at all elevations. Reports of snow crossing roads and sliding off roofs shut down businesses, closed schools and roads. The extreme changes in weather created poor structure in the snowpack and added over an inch and a half of water in a twenty-four hour period. Although this was only a taste compared to the snowfall this storm caused the Sierras, it still stopped our world as we tried to keep up with it. — Lisa Van Sciver
showered her children, because there is no warm water in the camps. Many children haven’t showered in weeks. Stepping from cold weather to cold shower to cold tent is a good way to get hypothermia, but it’s a trade. The flu swept through the camp, knocking on every door. No one was healthy enough to ward against it. The tent flaps sealed shut against the cold become a petri dish of stale air. It’s a trade. And I know, in the end, I’m no different than them. If it came down to it, I’d burn my last belongings to keep warm. I’ve see other people do it. PJH After volunteering this fall at a refugee camp on the Greek island of Chios, reporter Natosha Hoduski couldn’t stop thinking about the people she had met there. So she packed up all her things in Jackson Hole and returned to the island to continue her work with refugees. SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM
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GUEST OPINION While You Were Tweeting… We discovered who is actually responsible for draining the swamp. BY DUSTIN H JAMES
THE TOPPS COMPANY
T
his week we go exploring. So grab some waders, rubber gloves, goggles, a bug net, and maybe a machete or two, because we are off to find the swamp that President-elect Donald Trump promised us he would drain. Before we set off blindly in search, I will let you know that I spent the past week asking people if they know where the swamp is and what it looks like. Some said it was teeming with Republicans, while others declared just the opposite—the swamp is a breeding ground for sneaky liberals. My grandma told me that we will come to find the swamp by the stench of those who have been there far too long, marinating in their own self-worth, disconnected from those that sent them there in the first place. When I looked to the media for clues, I discovered that the swamp is a wine bar for the 1 Percent, but then I turned the channel and found it to be a job fair where special interests went to hire professional swamp creatures and where regulations proliferate like the plague. No matter how many different ways the swamp was described to me, each explanation contained a common thread: When we do find the swamp, do whatever we can to drain it. Americans, I was told, are tired of the system not working for them. In my daunting quest I finally headed over to donaldjtrump.com and checked out what he had to say about the swamp. “It’s time to drain the swamp in Washington D.C.,” Trump is quoted saying in a October 17 press release. “That’s why I’m proposing a package of ethics reforms to make our government honest once again.” According to Trump, when we find corruption in government, we will have stumbled upon the swamp. That sounds like a worthy cause, yes? Unfortunately, a swamp does not drain fast and it does not drain easy. Think about it—those swamp creatures have been there for a long time. Coated in slime, with their tentacles securely wrapped around our democracy, they are slow moving. Not to mention the current tenants of the swamp are going to do whatever they can to plug the drain—which they recently tried to do—and successfully pissed me off (and you?) in the process. These dirty swamp monsters held what they hoped would be a secretive vote to castrate the Office of Congressional Ethics. The OCE is an independent, non-partisan body charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of Congress. The keyword there, being “independent.” You see, the swamp people of Congress were voting to strike that part of the OCE and merge it with the House Ethics Committee. That’s right, they wanted the OCE under the control of the very people it was charged with investigating. They complained that the office was too aggressive and overzealous in its investigations. Are you kidding me? Dear Congress, you signed up for this, remember? You are elected public officials fighting
Meet the newest Garbage Pail Kid on the block, ‘Drain The Swamp ‘ Donald. Sorry, the card is already sold-out. for the interests of your constituents. We need to always know that you represent us and not special interests. If you can’t handle a little ethics investigation here and there, perhaps you should step out of the swamp before you drown. Fortunately, the plumber himself stepped in to save the day tweeting, “With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority…” Trump’s tweet concluded with the hashtag #dts. It was an effective move. After an emergency meeting, the House Republican Conference decided to scrap its plan, and thus the plug was removed. Now we must ask ourselves if we think Trump really meant it. Is he serious about raking out all the muck of Washington? Or, was it the most clever campaign slogan ever? If you think about it, what Trump did was basically say that those who have been in Washington are the swamp and he is the plumber. He took his campaign theme of outsider vs. establishment a step further with his advocacy to “drain the swamp.” He is the guy who was going to end the establishment. Powerful stuff, right? The only problem here, however, is that Trump will not
be draining the swamp. Yes, he thinks he is a plumber, but he is not a plumber—although I’m sure he knows “the best” plumbers. You see, you can’t drain the swamp once you already inhabit it; it’s just not possible. As president, one is forced to work within the existing system in order to get things done and unfortunately the foundation of our democracy is built on a swamp. Rich Lowry expounded on this with his December 1 opinion piece in Politico: “The fact is that in a country with an enormous federal government and a First Amendment that guarantees the right to petition the government, the swamp is always going to be extensive and miasmic. As long as there is so much power and money in D.C., the lobbyists, the consultants, the associations, the media pooh-bahs, the contractors and the courtiers will gather and jockey for influence here.” As citizens, as voters, we have to scrutinize the actions of our government, because we are the swamp drainers, and we do not care if you are Republican or Democrat. We care that you represent America—us small guys. We demand transparency. That means every time someone tries to plug the drain, we must point it out. PJH
THE BUZZ Slashed But Not Burned, Yet Local agencies battered by the storm of 2016 budget cuts fear further reductions. CHILDREN’S LEARNING CENTER
BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
A
Children’s Learning Center provides integral community services that may suffer if it sees another round of state budget cuts. life ensures far more successful outcomes than if those needs are ignored, Boyd explained. “It costs a lot to try to fix things later in life. Early childhood programs have a proven positive cost savings outcome, and the children can reach much more of their full potential. But unfortunately the state does not feel they have the opportunity to take advantage of that concept.” Adults with developmental disabilities may also see changes to the services available to them. Right now the organization that serves them, Community Entry Services (CES), is in a holding pattern, according to director Lindsay Long. “We don’t have a projected budget cut yet, so we are trying to remain hopeful,” she said. But Long also has done some belt-tightening, including cutting employee hours and some staff positions. She said that since 2008, CES has had its budget cut 12.5 percent with no cost of living adjustments. And cost of employee health care has gone up 27 percent each year. “We haven’t seen raises in four years and we’ve had to stop capital projects,” Long said. “Just keeping daily operations going has been our main focus.” To make up for budget shortfalls, various nonprofits will not only look at areas where further cuts can be made, they will also have to rely more heavily on private donations. Boyd hopes to bring in an additional $100,000 for CLC to make up for the state shortfall, on top of the $500,000 she already had budgeted to come from private donations. Long says private dollars will be have to be an increasing piece of the funding puzzle too. Ten percent of CES’ $1.3 million dollar budget is slotted to come from donations in the upcoming fiscal year, an increase from years past. “We will continue to focus on fundraising,” she said. “We’ve done a good job of communicating our need so far.” PJH
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Seeley Foundation endured a $70,000 shortfall in funding in 2016. “We anticipate more cuts for this next fiscal year, but are not sure of how much, which makes it really difficult to plan for the future,” said executive director Trudy Funk. “The last thing I want to do is cut services, as that means individual people will be affected, which means the health of our entire community will be affected.” Funk said she had to scramble to deal with recent budget shortfalls. She has left certain staff positions vacant, which has burdened existing staff. “Basically, I didn’t fill all of my previously available positions. So I’ve got less staff, doing more work,” Funk said. Now, another concern for the organization is the impending repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which will affect some of Curran Seeley’s clients. “When people are able to pay for services it certainly increases our revenue stream and we don’t have to subsidize as much,” Funk explained. The Children’s Learning Center (CLC) is in a particularly precarious position when the state starts slashing funds. Executive director Patti Boyd explained that 89 percent of the CLC budget comes from the state. “We have been told we may face additional cuts,” she said. “All special education providers are anticipating that may be the case.” Like a number of core health and human services organizations, CLC is funded through a unique private-public partnership with the state. In other states, there might be a state agency for children’s learning. But in Wyoming, those services are contracted out through local nonprofits. It’s a model that Boyd says is cost effective. “The state has chosen to offer these services through nonprofit organizations,” Boyd noted. “That has proven to be much more fiscally responsible because the state is not responsible for employees and buildings.” In 2016, CLC lost $100,000 in state funds, and had to dip into its rainy day fund to make up for the shortfall. Like Funk, Boyd is looking at making adjustments to her budget that will affect employees, measures like cutting hours. Organizations like CLC provide essential services that affect communities further down the line. Experts agree that addressing developmental delays early in a child’s
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s the Wyoming Legislature convenes, local health and human services organizations are girding themselves against more budget cuts after recent painful slashes in funding. In response to the energy sector’s sluggish revenues, Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead cut the state budget by nearly $250 million in the last fiscal year. Consequently, the Wyoming Department of Health alone had to cut $90 million from its budget. That meant steep cuts to a number of Teton County agencies that receive state funding through the health department, as well as other area nonprofits that contract with the state. “There was no way to do those kinds of reductions without affecting real people,” said Kim Deti, public information officer for the Department of Health. “We had to make tough choices. Our leadership tried to minimize the impact on safety net services, and vulnerable provider groups that are more dependent on our funding.” Among the affected orgs is the statewide entity Prevention Management Organization (PMO), which contracts with the Department of Health to provide suicide prevention and alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention services. PMO weathered a 16 percent budget cut in 2016. According to Matt Stech, PMO community prevention specialist for Teton County, the future of the organization could be uncertain. “We are currently waiting to see if there will be potential cuts via the legislature or motions for elimination,” Stech said. “It’s hard to say what we should expect. But at the minimum we expect a budget cut. At worst we’ll be eliminated by the legislature.” The effects of cutting PMO’s funding further or eliminating the organization could have profound consequences. Amid the national rising suicide rate, which increased by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014, Wyoming suicide numbers have held steady. Suicide prevention advocates say this is testament that prevention efforts in the Cowboy State are working. [Quote from Stech.] In 2015, PMO Teton County trained nearly 400 people in suicide prevention and distributed 4,500 gunlocks to aid in such efforts. In a town where alcohol is widely served at community events and a casual attitude towards drinking pervades the valley milieu, an absence of PMO’s alcohol prevention work would also sting. Among its myriad efforts to combat substance abuse, PMO staff educate professionals, health care providers, business leaders, parents, educators, and students about the risks of substance abuse and community approaches to reduce the risk. It has worked with law enforcement to provide free responsible beverage server training and has worked on ordinances to prevent community alcohol problems. The drug and alcohol treatment organization Curran
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THE BUZZ 2 Redmond and Hall Moves Forward Town and county officials voted to pour $1.95M into the affordable housing project in East Jackson. BY MEG DALY AND ROBYN VINCENT
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treacherous storm on Monday that prompted officials to shut down Teton Pass highlights this area’s deepening housing crisis—myriad critical service providers who live in other communities couldn’t make it to work. This fact was not lost on some town and county officials that same day, when they unanimously voted to appropriate $1.95 million in town and county funds for the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust’s Redmond and Hall affordable housing project. Twenty-eight affordable rental units are slated for construction there for a project that has been in the works since 2013. Up until now, town and county officials had not been able to agree on whether or not to fund the effort. The project—which is estimated to cost $12M—will be subjected to another vote February 6, after town and county staff crafts an agreement with the trust. If that vote passes, construction could begin as early as the spring, according to a town and county staff report. A drawn out process of bidding and rebidding has spiked the cost of the project. The trust has raised $4M to date and will likey have to borrow another $4M from a private donor. The money that town and county electeds voted to appropriate for Redmond and Hall in this first vote comes from the sale of Cheney Lane. Using specific purpose excise tax funds (SPET) that voters decided in 2007 should go to the creation of affordable housing, the Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing Department sold the property to Sage Flats LLC last fall. A lengthy conversation ensued during Monday’s meeting about whether to approve the funding now or earmark the requested amount for a SPET item that voters would decide on in May. But waiting could be problematic. If pushed to a SPET ballot, the funding would be up for yet another vote and it would cause construction delays and likely increase the price of the project, explained Anne Cresswell, executive director of the Housing Trust. Jackson Mayor Pete Muldoon and Councilman Jim Stanford were vociferous about appropriating money for the project
One step closer to housing...
now instead of earmarking the funds for a SPET item in May “Voters have been waiting a long time for affordable housing to go in the ground,” Stanford said. “The 300-plus people on the Housing Trust list are still waiting for housing to be built. Today we are going to direct and authorize the use of funds that voters already approved for affordable housing.” Muldoon also emphasized that voters made their decision long ago. “The funds we are considering appropriating today were raised through SPET 10 years ago with a promise that they’d be used to build affordable housing for the community,” he said. “The voters who paid that tax are still waiting for housing to be built with that money.” Other electeds proceeded with caution. Councilor Hailey Morton Levinson said she would support funding the project now, but she expressed concern that appropriating the requested funds would leave the town council and the housing department without much money for other projects. “We as electeds are in a difficult position to see all of our other needs. Emptying funds all on one project is dangerous,” she said. During public comment, Jackson resident Stephen Koch said he supports approving the funding now. “It’s dire out there,” he said. “The quicker we can get the money to build these units, the better. I don’t think we should wait to rebid. I would encourage you all to get this going as soon as possible.” Running on a platform that was hyper-focused on housing, Muldoon is hopeful that electeds will support pouring the funds into the project again during the February vote, when the agreement between the trust and town and county is presented. “This project is ready to go and it is going to help us house our local workforce right here in town,” Muldoon said. “The importance of [the unanimous vote] was even more apparent on a day when Wyoming weather prevented critical town and county employees who live in Victor and Alpine from coming to work.” PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM
Online headline: Roundup From the World’s Press
NEWS
By CHUCK SHEPHERD
OF THE
n The Dubai-based Gulf News reported in November that 900 Kuwaiti government workers had their pay frozen during the current investigation into no-shows, including one man on the payroll (unidentified) who reportedly had not actually worked in 10 years. Another, who had been living abroad for 18 months while drawing his Kuwaiti pay, was reduced to half-pay, but insisted he had asked several times for assignments but was told nothing was available. (Gulf News reported that the 10-year man is appealing the freeze!)
WEIRD
Too-Much-Reality TV Russian producers are planning the so-far-ultimate survivors’ show—in the Siberian wilderness for nine months (temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit), with 30 contestants selected after signing liability waivers that protect the show even if someone is raped or murdered. (Police may come arrest the perpetrators, but the producers are not responsible for intervening.) The show (“Game2: Winter”) will be telecast live, around the clock, beginning July 2017 via 2,000 cameras placed in a large area full of bears and treacherous forest. Producers told Siberian Times in December that 60 prospects had already signed up for the last-person-standing prize: the equivalent of $1.6 million (only requirements: be 18 and “sane”). (Bonus: The production company’s advertising lists the “dangerous” behaviors they allow, including “fighting,” “murder,” “rape,” “smoking.”)
Roundup From the World’s Press
With car-camel collisions increasing in Iran’s two southern provinces, an Iranian government ministry is in the process of issuing identification cards to each camel, supposedly leading to outerwear license “plates” on each of the animals. Authorities told the Islamic Republic News Agency the registration numbers are needed if an accident victim needs to report the camel or to help trace smugglers. (No actual U.S.-style license plates on camels have yet made the world’s news photographs.) n Martin Shkreli became the Wall Street bad boy in 2015 when his company Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the right to market the lifesaving drug Daraprim and promptly raised its typical price of $18 a pill to $750, but in November, high schoolers in the chemistry lab at Sydney Grammar in Australia created a molecular knockoff of Daraprim for about $2 a tablet. Their sample of “pyrimethamine” (Daraprim’s chemical name) was judged authentic by a University of Sydney chemistry professor. Daraprim, among other uses, fights deadly attacks on immune systems, such as for HIV patients.
Gazing Upon Nature as Nature Calls
n Oops! Organizers of the Christmas Day caroling program at the Nelum Pokuna theater in Colombo, Sri Lanka, drawing thousands of devout celebrants, were apparently confused by one song title and innocently included it in the book for the carolers. (No, it wasn’t “Inna Gadda Da Vida” from a famous “Simpsons” episode.) It was “Hail Mary” by the late rapper Tupac Shakur—likely resulting in the very first appearance of certain words in any Christmas service publication anywhere.
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n World-class chess players are famous for intense powers of concentration, but a chess journal reported in October that top-flight female players have actually been disqualified from matches for showing too much cleavage as they play, thus distracting their opponent (according to Ms. Sava Stoisavljevic, head of the European Chess Union). In fact, the Women’s World Chess Championship, scheduled for February, has decreed that, since the matches will be held in Tehran, all contestants must wear hijabs (leading a U.S. women’s champion to announce she is boycotting).
News You Can Use
German Horst Wenzel, “Mr. Flirt,” fancies himself a smooth-talking maestro, teaching mostly wealthy but tongue-tied German men lessons (at about $1,500 a day!) in how to approach women—but this year has decided to “give back” to the community by offering his expertise pro-bono to lonely Syrian and Iraqi refugees who have flooded the country. At one class in Dortmund in November, observed by an Associated Press reporter, most “students” were hesitant, apparently divided between the embarrassed (when Wenzel informed them it’s “normal” to have sex on the first or second date) and the awkwardly confident (opening line: “I love you. Can I sleep over at your place?”). But, advised Wenzel, “Don’t tell (a German woman) that you love (her) at least for the first three months (because) German women don’t like clinginess.”
Undignified Deaths
A 24-year-old woman who worked at a confectionary factory in Fedortsovo, Russia, was killed in December when she fell into a vat of chocolate. (Some witnesses said she was pouring flour when she fell; others say she fell while trying to retrieve her dropped cellphone.) n A 24-year-old man was decapitated in London in August when he leaned too far out the window of one train and struck an extension on a passing train. Next to the window he leaned from was a sign warning people not to stick their heads out.
For all MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES WEEKLY CALENDAR JOB OPENINGS SOLICITATIONS FOR BIDS PUBLIC NOTICES AND OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION
The Passing Parade
A poll revealed in December (sponsored by University of Graz and Austria Press Agency) that Austria’s “word of the year” for 2016 was a 52-letter word beginning “bundespraesident” and referring to the postponement of the runoff election for president in 2016. n The Wall Street Journal reported in December a longstanding feud on the tiny Mediterranean island of Gozo, Malta, which has only 37,000 residents but two opera houses because of the owners’ mutual antipathy. Thanks this week to Peter Swank, Alexander Campbell and the News of the Weird Board of Editorial Advisors.
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TetonWyo.org The public meeting agendas and minutes for the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission can also be found in the Public Notices section of the JH News and Guide.
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 11
n Officials of the Ulm Minster in Ulm, Germany, the world’s tallest church (530 feet high), said in October that they fear it might eventually be brought down—by visitors who make the long trek up with a full bladder and no place to relieve themselves except in dark alcoves, thus eroding the structure’s sandstone. A building preservation representative also cited vomit in the alcoves, perhaps as a result of the dizzying height of the view from the top. (News of the Weird has reported on erosion damage to a bridge, from spitting, in Mumbai, India, and at the Taj Mahal, from bug droppings.)
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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
To serve restroom users in a public park in China’s Hunan Province’s picturesque Shiyan Lake area, architects gave users in toilet cubicles a view of the forest through ceiling-to-floor windows. To discourage sightseers who believe the better view is not from the cubicles but into them, the bottom portion, up to the level of the toilet, is frosted—though that stratagem probably blurs only a pair of legs, seated. CNN reported in October that China has at least one other such restroom, in Guilin province, viewing distant mountains.
n Prosecutors in Darlington, England, obviously take child “cruelty” seriously because Gary McKenzie, 22, was hauled into court in October on four charges against a boy (whose name and age were not published), including passing gas in the boy’s face. The charge was described as “in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health.” He was on trial for two other slightly harsher acts—and another gas-passing, against a different boy—but the judgment has not been reported.
SCOOP UP THESE SAVINGS
he first time Alpha Barrie clicked into his snowboard bindings, the wind was howling from the west, blowing snow that coated his goggles in a white film. Barrie, 23, shivered, unable to see more than three feet in front of him as snow danced in the cool morning light. He stood up slowly on his donated Nidecker snowboard and pulled his buff closer to his face. The expert surfer had never been in temperatures below 70 degrees, let alone on top of a mountain. Almost two years ago, while researching his next surfing destination on the internet, local snowboarder Adam Towle fortuitously connected with Barrie, of Sierra Leone. A longtime bartender at the Knotty Pine, Towle is an experienced international surfer. To date, he holds 30 passport stamps for his surfing sojourns alone. Barrie, on the other hand, lives in a tent on the beach of Bureh in Sierra Leone. He has no material wealth, little opportunity to make money, and had never been outside of his country. In 2015, Towle traveled to Sierra Leone, just as the small West African country was recovering from a massive outbreak of the Ebola virus. While he was there, he learned Barrie wanted to learn to snowboard. In an unlikely turnabout, the two athletes would help each other. To help Barrie obtain a visa and visit the Tetons, myriad folks banded together. It is a tale that highlights the generosity of people in this area and the way passions centered on nature and outdoor exploration, like that of catching waves and riding snow, transcend cultures. “Really, it is the unity of sport that can bring many communities and different walks of life together,” said Marvin Howard, Towle’s friend.
GREG VON DOERSTEN
12 | JANUARY 11, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
How a community came together to bring a Sierra Leonean surfer to the Tetons and what locals learned in the process.
Surfing has become a vehicle of happiness and healing for the people of Sierra Leone, a country that has endured massive turmoil. It is a place rife with wounds from an 11-year civil war that ended in 2002. The war was waged over diamonds, mined mostly to fund the purchase of weapons, and the conflict was made famous in the movie Blood Diamond. It claimed 50,000 lives, and more than one million people were displaced, according to Human Rights Watch. Now surfing serves as a means toward economic stability for the people of Bureh, Barrie’s hometown. An hour and a half south of Freetown, Sierra Leone’s bustling capital, Bureh is a seaside enclave of about 400 people. It boasts a small emerging surf community surrounded by verdant mountains, coconut trees and two rivers. Here, Bureh’s people eke out a meager living as fishmongers and tourist guides. Barrie connected with Towle through the Bureh Beach Surf Club website. In 2012, Bureh locals established the community-run outfit, with the help of German NGO, WeltHungerHilfe, which works to eradicate hunger and poverty in developing nations. NGO members constructed the surf club’s building, and distributed donated surfboards to Bureh’s residents. Locals work for the surf club on a volunteer basis, offering tourists surf lessons and boards, and serving food and drinks. Though volunteers are not paid, they can accept tips. For them, it is a place to call home, and a source of pride.
ADAM TOWLE
Above: Bureh Beach Surf Club
ADAM TOWLE
Below: Alpha Barrie sets up transportation for a day of surf exploration.
ABOVE: Alpha Barrie, surf ninja BELOW: Barrie and Adam Towle in a dugout canoe on their way to River Number Two Beach in Sierra Leone.
ADAM TOWLE
Barrie’s journey to a foreign land came with a host of new experiences. He had never been on an airplane, had never left his homeland, and had no idea what to expect. “At first, I only saw uniformed security and immigration officials, so I was a bit scared,” Barrie said. “But I felt confident because I had my visa in hand.” Barrie flew into Salt Lake City on December 7. It was 8 degrees and Barrie had no winter clothes. Luckily, Towle had thought ahead. He outfitted Barrie with an expedition weight North Face jacket, donated by “Dave the Wave” from the Jackson Hole Air Force, and head-to toe-clothing donated by Teton Valley resident Dom Santiarese. For the Sierra Leonean, the four-hour road trip from Salt Lake City to Idaho was an adventure in itself. “First I saw all the snow in the valley, and I thought it was just incredible. I felt really excited to be here,” Barrie said in perfect English, one of four languages
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 13
With help from valley locals, Towle arranged for Barrie’s travel visa to the United States, a $160 expense—roughly equal to half the yearly income in Barrie’s homeland. More than 72 percent of the population there lives on less than one dollar per day. Towle wired Barrie the money, though he remained uncertain of what would happen next. To acquire an American visa for a Sierra Leonean citizen, especially someone who has no bank account and does not own a business, is no easy feat. “I was on the fence,” Towle admitted. “I wondered if I was sending the money for nothing, but I had given him my word.” In June, Towle wrote a letter to US immigration: “Just like surfing has been healing, snowboarding could give a broken nation something to be proud of.”
But Towle knew he could not orchestrate Barrie’s visa alone so he partnered with Lance Pitman, head snowboard coach at the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club. Pitman’s letter referenced the club’s 80-year history of supporting and training budding athletes. “Barrie’s visit would provide us with a unique opportunity to introduce a Sierra Leonean to the joys of snowboarding, and help us further our goal of making snow sports an inclusive activity for all to participate in,” the letter read. Back in Sierra Leone, Barrie was nervous but hopeful when he traveled to Freetown’s immigration office one morning in October. He watched as the four people ahead of him were denied visas. “It didn’t discourage me,” Barrie said. “I explained my desire to learn snow sports, and that I intended to invite everyone I met [in the United States] to visit my country.” When immigration officials asked what would keep him from staying in Idaho, he replied, “I don’t think I can handle the cold for more than three months.” In the two-minute interview, officials scanned the letters and granted Barrie a three-month visa; his case was the first of its kind in his country. “He is the first Sierra Leonean with no assets, no bank account, no real job, no business, to be granted a visa for the purpose of learning to snowboard,” Towle said. Indeed, he had overcome a major hurdle. Next came the cost of the overseas journey. Towle decided to send Barrie a plane ticket out of his personal savings. “Alpha doesn’t have the option to earn money in his country like I do here,” Towle said. “Life just doesn’t give you many opportunities like this.” A veritable global citizen, Towle, from a young age, learned the importance of helping people who are struggling no matter their home address. His parents sponsored a refugee family of four from Rhodesia who were trying to escape the civil war. After hosting them for three weeks, Towle’s parents got them settled in his hometown of Topeka, Kansas, and helped them get jobs and housing. Later, they became American citizens. Growing up in Topeka, Towle craved the culture and diversity absent from his small town. “My parents took my sister and I on many trips in the US and abroad. From an early age, traveling and adventure was what I wanted to do.”
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
In addition to teaching surfing lessons, Barrie also serves as the club’s secretary. He maintains business records, documents the number of surfboards used per day and records transactions. He hand writes the information in a notebook and enters the data into a computer at the end of each month. But the surf club struggles to survive. With no reliable transportation, no electricity and no governmental support, its future is uncertain. “It would be nice to have electricity,” Barrie said. “We could get more tourists that way.” But with more tourists comes more demand for accommodation. Roofing is poorly constructed in Bureh, including the roof of Barrie’s family home. “There is no money to fix the structures,” Barrie said. “When it is raining, some people can’t even sleep at night.” Still, the surf club remains a glimmering light for Bureh’s young population, especially since 70 percent of the nation’s youth is unemployed or underemployed, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Before the surf club’s inception, the young people of Bureh Beach, known as the Bureh Boys, had no real occupation. Since Ebola, the Bureh Boys have again found themselves in this predicament. The 2015 epidemic left the beaches of Bureh empty. Barrie said Towle is the only tourist who has made the journey to Bureh since the outbreak. He wishes more people would consider traveling there now. “The sunsets are incredible. The plankton glow in the water, and shooting stars reflect off the surface of the waves at night,” he said. For youth who lost their parents to war, Ebola or another disease, the beach, and the gift of surfing that it bestows, has made it a home. “It’s a place for kids to go where they can have a family,” said Tressa Allen, Towle’s wife, who has welcomed Barrie into her Teton Valley home for three months. Towle said he was moved by the plight of the Bureh Boys, and impressed by the generosity and warmth of Bureh’s people, especially Barrie. “He immediately struck me as a thoughtful and intelligent person,” he said. “I wanted to give back.” And he did. Towle painted the beach’s restaurant, and stood firm on his word to Barrie when he left. He promised to help him find a way to visit America; just as Barrie had coached him in surfing, he vowed to share his passion for snow with the 23-year-old Sierra Leonean.
GREG VON DOERSTEN GREG VON DOERSTEN
14 | JANUARY 11, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Barrie and Towle trade the sea for the mountain at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
he speaks fluently, along with his native Krio and two tribal languages. “Everything was different,” Barrie continued. “I had never seen an overhead bridge with cars on top, and I was nervous because there were so many white people.” It was the first of many new experiences for Barrie, and he had yet to step out of the car. Later, Barrie, who spent his first 15 years of life in a war-torn nation, says he was overcome by the myriad differences between his country and the US. “People here live in nice houses, have jobs, and so many kinds of food,” he said. “They have money to go snowboarding and pay for things like going to the doctor and dentist.” In Sierra Leone, health care is scarce. Barrie struggles with unresolved health issues such as a problem molar tooth. Central Intelligence Agency statistics for 2010 listed less than one doctor per 1,000 people in Sierra Leone. Due to such grim statistics, average life expectancy in Sierra Leone is 46—one of the lowest rates in the world, according to 2015 World Health Organization data. In addition to the dismal health care situation, during the civil war people in the country endured horrific cases of rape and amputations inflicted by the Revolutionary United Front, the rebel force that started and ultimately lost the war. “Chopping off the hands and limbs of the farmers was crippling for them because our people farm the land, growing vegetables, nuts, cassava and rice,” a Sierra Leonean was quoted saying in a BBC News report. Due to these and other hardships, nearly half a million refugees have fled Sierra Leone, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Still, Barrie urges foreigners to see his homeland in a different light. “Sierra Leone is peaceful now. There is no war and there is no Ebola anymore.” Although peace is finally a reality in Sierra Leone, Barrie admitted that life will be difficult for him when he returns. “With no work and no money, it can be hard to enjoy the beauty of Bureh.”
Barrie adapted to life in the Tetons quicker than he expected. “I liked the mountain town culture almost immediately,” he said. Accustomed to eating rice three times a day, Barrie reported a new love for bacon, chicken noodle soup and hot cocoa—all firsts for him. In the comfort of Towle’s home, he ate steak for the first time while watching huge snowflakes fall from the night sky. One of Barrie’s first stops was the National Elk Refuge, where he watched the snow sift through his fingers. “I have never seen snow before. It is so light. Not at all like sand on the beach,” he said. “Everything I saw that day I had never seen before. I was mesmerized when I saw my first elk.” Barrie strapped into a snowboard for the first time at Grand Targhee. One of Barrie’s instructors, Watts Barden explained: “Here, instead of surfing waves, we surf mountains. It’s almost indescribable—a pure love of sport that brings people together.” Barrie was surprised at the unique nature of the sport. “I thought snowboarding would be like surfing, but it wasn’t,” he said. “It’s totally different standing on top of a mountain than paddling out to catch a wave.” Getting Barrie on the hill was a joint community effort. Teton locals rallied to outfit Barrie with snow gear. “I had a set of snowboard boots and bindings that would fit Alpha, and I was very happy to donate those,” Barden said, adding that Barrie was “completely
GREG VON DOERSTEN
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 15
The Grand Targhee Resort community has shown remarkable interest and support for Barrie’s quest, and many recognize him at the resort. Nine-year Targhee employee Cart Wheel Huette enjoys seeing Barrie on the slopes. “He is riding with some of our mountain’s best, and we’re not stopping the lift for him,” he said. Given his rapid progression, on his tenth day on a snowboard, it was time for Barrie to sample the goods at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort with the goal of riding the tram. As the sun rose over the Tetons, Barrie met one of his most important benefactors, Lance Pitman, for access to JHMR’s early gondola. Under a bluebird sky and standing in six inches of fresh powder that had fallen overnight, the two exchanged heartfelt handshakes and hugs. Barrie thanked Pitman for the auspicious letter from JHSC that persuaded US Immigration officials to grant him
Barrie + Big Red= face shots.
GREG VON DOERSTEN
trusting right out of the gate.” Equipped with a used 155-centimeter board from Towle, Barrie’s infectious smile spread all over the ski hill. In less than two hours on the mountain, the expert surfer, who had never experienced altitude or cold weather, was linking turns on a snowboard. “Once he was able to see the mountain as his wave, it really began to click for him,” Barden explained. Through Grand Targhee’s “1-2-3 Start Me Up to Ski or Ride” program, Barrie quickly excelled. At $349 during the month of January, the program offers beginning skiers or snowboarders three days of lift tickets, daily rental equipment and two-hour group lessons. “The opportunity creates lifelong skiers and snowboarders,” said Jennie White, Grand Targhee’s marketing and social media manager. “It is a way to get them into the sport, and help the sport grow industry wide.” Barrie is the first person from a developing country to reap its benefits. With the help of instructor Kate Robey, he aced the program. “He was so excited to be out there, learning to navigate the mountains on a snowboard,” she said. When Barrie told Robey he wanted to be more confident on his toe edge, go on steeper terrain, into the trees and hopefully learn a few tricks, she wasn’t surprised. “The foundation was already there for him being a surfer,” she explained. “Barrie’s body mechanics and muscle memory allowed him to progress quickly. He picked up ollies right away.” He even landed his first and second 180. “I max out at switch 180s, which he also mastered that day,” she said. Robey plans to ride with Barrie a few more times this season at Targhee. “To see someone genuinely appreciate this sport makes me step back and realize that I am a truly lucky individual to live where I do,” she said. “This is a gift that is literally in my own backyard, one that is not accessible to everyone.” Snowboarding with Barrie was a magical experience for Robey. “Whenever Alpha got whitewashed in the trees, he just laughed,” she said. “Falling was just as much fun as landing his first trick. Nothing could squash his enthusiasm. I can see him being able to rip Corbet’s by the end of the season.” Targhee rider Gary Hansen pointed to the bridge Barrie has helped to build in the valley. “We live in a bubble here. It’s heartwarming to see the enthusiasm people have for Barrie as a first time snowboarder from Africa,” he said. “It’s beyond race or culture or ethnicity when we are in the mountains.”
GREG VON DOERSTEN
Before long, Barrie will grace the Grand Targhee website and social media platforms as one of the resort’s spokespersons for the 1-2-3 Start Me Up to Ski or Ride program, which has seen a couple hundred participants over the last four years. The program, alongside the overwhelming generosity of the Teton communities, opens the door to host more unique candidates like Barrie, and introduce them to the joys of snow sports. “The more we get to interact with people from other cultures, especially in each other’s environments, the better we can understand that we are all human, and we are all just here trying to figure out how to get along,” Pitman said. “Barrie and Towle have not only shown us how people from extremely different cultures can get along,” he continued, “but also how we can connect through sports, and help each other in a way that impacts the world.” In the meantime, stay tuned for Barrie’s drop into Corbet’s, which is soon to come. PJH
Lance Pitman imparts snowboard wisdom on Barrie.
GREG VON DOERSTEN
16 | JANUARY 11, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
a visa to visit the Tetons. Pitman, a local mountain legend, would be Barrie’s escort for the day. Former owner of Illuminati Snowboards and co-founder of Jackson Hole Snowboarder Magazine, Pitman is known for carving big lines in the Tetons and expertly navigating the backcountry. At age 14, he was one of the first snowboarders in the JHSC, and is now ushering a new generation of groms into the craft as head snowboard coach and assistant director of JHSC. Recently, Pitman was a panelist at SHREDtalk, a gathering of industry experts. Jeff Moran, JHSC’s advancement director, told The Planet: “Pitman is one of the first people to really put Jackson Hole on the map.” For him, snowboarding is a teacher and a healer. In response to Moran’s compliment, Pitman was humbled. “If anything, Jackson put me on the map,” he said. Under Pitman’s guidance, Barrie quickly advanced from gondola runs to the expert-only tram in just a day and a love for snowboarding forged a fast bond between Barrie and Pitman. “I feel like Lance is my brother,” Barrie said. “It’s not easy to find someone so kind and friendly. He is very funny and an incredible snowboarder. He’s done so much to help me.” Barrie glimpsed the possibilities snowboarding holds watching “Legendary Lance” launch cliffs. At the end of the day, Barrie compared the two ski resorts: “Targhee is like secondary school, but the village is like going to university.”
THIS WEEK: January 11-17, 2017
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 20
n Jackson Hole Communty Band 2017 Rehearsals 7:00pm, Centre for the Arts, Free, 307-200-9463 n Major Zepher 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Salsa Night 9:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500 n The Drunken Hearts 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, 307-733-3886
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 13
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Open Studio: Portrait Model 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Feathered Fridays 12:00pm, Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, Free, 307-201-5433 n Snow Stomping, Warming Gallery and After Party 2:00pm, Downtown Driggs, Free n Boondocks 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Screen Door Porch 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7334466 n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Pam Drews Phillips Plays Jazz 7:00pm, The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch, Free, 307-7338833 n Moose Hockey Game 7:00pm, Snow King Sports & Event Center, $10.00, 307-2011633 n Rink Celebration 7:00pm, Kotler Ice Arena, Free, 208-399-2423 n Free Public Stargazing 7:30pm, Center for the Arts, Free, 844-996-7827
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 17
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12
n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Beginning Throwing 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $184.00, 307733-6379 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164 n JD High Country Outfitters Brown Bag Fly Tying 11:00am, JD High Country Outfitters, Free, 307-733-3270 n Networking Event and FREE Workshop 2:00pm, Teton County Library Auditorium, Free, brett.housholder@uwyo.edu n After School Monthly Workshops 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $180.00, 307733-6379 n Stackhouse 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Teton Pines Country Club Chamber Mixer 5:00pm, Teton Pines Country Club, Free, 307-733-3316 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Monotype + Collagraph 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson, $45.00, 307-733-6379 n JHW Kidlit/YA Critique Group 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7336379 n Mix’d Media 6:00pm, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Free, 307-733-5771 n Armchair Adventures: Iceland-The Land of Fire, Light and Ice 6:30pm, Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center, $5.00, 307739-9025 n Beer Dinner 6:30pm, The Handle Bar, $75.00, 307-732-5062 n JD High Country Outfitters Beginners Fly Tying 6:30pm, JD High Country Outfitters, $75.00, 307-733-3270
Compiled by Caroline LaRosa
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Women’s Business Roundtable 12:00pm, Hansen Hall on St. John’s Campus, Free, 512-2775047 n PTO 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Silver Metal Clay: GR 4-8 3:45pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $99.00 - $118.00, 307-733-6379 n Winter Wonderland - Ice Skating on Town Square 4:00pm, Town Square, $0.00 $8.00, 307-733-3932 n Age Friendly Jackson Hole 5:30pm, Senior Center, Free, 307-733-7300 n Cyber Security Chance Meeting 5:30pm, Silver Star, Free, scott@ siliconcouloir.com n Open Studio: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $70.00, 307-7336379 n Fit and Fast Over 49 6:30pm, Jackson Whole Grocer Meeting Room, $10.00 - $13.00, 307-739-9025 n JD High Country Outfitters Winter Fly Tying 6:30pm, JD High Country Outfitters, $75.00, 307-733-3270 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500 n The Bo & Joe Sexy Show 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886
GOT SOME GRIPE-WORTHY ISSUES, OR EVEN… SOMEONE TO PRAISE?
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
18 | JANUARY 11, 2017
MUSIC BOX
Trio of Monster… Songwriters Jackie Greene, Anders Osborne and Hayes Carll form fierce trifecta at Center and The Lil Smokies fire up the Tavern. BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch
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here’s a new tradition being sown at the Center for the Arts. While the Center has hosted quality concerts since its inception, it is now putting together one-off pairings of artists who might only casually know each other from, say, hanging out backstage at a festival. Take a peek at the tour dates listed on the websites of Jackie Greene, Anders Osborne and Hayes Carll and
Jackie Greene and Anders Osborne you’ll find only one date listed as “An Evening with” featuring these three monster songwriters playing together in Jackson. “I planted the seed with these guys and then didn’t hear anything back for a while,” said Shannon McCormick, program director for Center for the Arts. “Anders and Jackie ended up liking the idea so much that they put together a couple of other duo shows in the region.” Analogous to the recent show in which Nicki Bluhm joined Lucas Nelson’s band, or the never-before combination of Rich Robinson, Luther Dickinson, Robert Randolph, and Ivan Neville last winter, these inventive bills are more than meets the eye. Whereas the touring bands of any of these artists are well-rehearsed, “tight” as a unit and building on years of live stage chemistry, the open personality and creative capacity requirement for gathering with peers in unfamiliar territory is a testament to both the vision of McCormick and the skill of the musicians. Risk is where the magic looms and Jackson audiences get to stay on the edge of their seats. “They’ll be trading songs back and forth in the round
[in the same spirit as the Robinson-Dickinson-RandolphNeville show] and sitting-in when they’re feeling it,” McCormick said. “Hosting these scenarios is a real treat, watching them get to know each other and work out the creative process right before our eyes.” From previous shows at the Center to Grand Targhee festivals and free concert series, Greene, Osborne and Carll each have a rich history of performances in Teton County. Greene, especially, is no stranger to jumping into unfamiliar territory and seems to feed off of it. Back in 2007, he was tapped as singer/guitarist for Phil Lesh and Friends, dedicated to the interpretation of the Grateful Dead songbook. It was completely unfamiliar material for him. The next Targhee Fest he opened with the Dead tune “New Speedway Boogie,” and a long jam ensued. “It’s great being on the edge of what could be a train wreck at any moment, but somehow the band manages to figure it out on the spot,” Greene told Dead.net in 2011. “Phil gave me the best advice. He told me, ‘You just have to give yourself permission to do it.’” Of course locals that attended the 2015 Fireman’s Ball, which featured Osborne as a member of North Mississippi
WEDNESDAY Vinyl Night (The Rose) THURSDAY Major Zephyr (Silver Dollar), Drunken Hearts (Town Square Tavern) FRIDAY The Lil Smokies (Town Square Tavern), Fire & Guns (Virginian), Boondocks (Trap Bar)
Hayes Carll Allstars, will never forget it. Some attendees have noted the set as their favorite Jackson concert of all time. Osborne, like Greene, is equally comfortable finger-picking a ballad on acoustic guitar or turning their electric guitar amp to 10 and melting faces in an open-ended jam session. Adding Carll to this mix—a Texas troubadour that is firmly established as the now generation of Towns Van Zandt/Guy Clark style of singer-songwriter country-folk— will certainly add to the collective storytelling element. An Evening with Anders Osborne, Jackie Greene and Hayes Carll, 7 p.m. Sunday, January 15 at the Center Theater. $59$69. JHCenterForTheArts.org, 734-8956.
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em Half of the faces of The Lil Smokies have changed since performing at Town Square Tavern in 2015, including the parting of vocalist/guitarist and former Jackson local Pete Barrett. But being awarded the 2016 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year is serious street cred. It’s no wonder the band hasn’t released an album since its 2013’s self-titled album—it seems they haven’t had time. Now a fivepiece, the Missoula-based progressive bluegrass outfit
has been on a roll since winning both the 2015 Telluride Band Competition and the Northwest String Summit Band Competition. The feisty ensemble now features founding members Andy Dunnigan (dobro) and Matt Cornette (banjo) along with Scott Parker (upright bass), Jake Simpson (fiddle) and Matt Rieger (guitar). “The awards are huge for publicity and notoriety … they have all been kind of stepping stones,” Dunnigan recently told The Poke Around. “It’s cool, you get to put it on the poster, and people who wouldn’t normally check out your music will be like, ‘Oh shit, I’m going to check out this show.’ They’re big catalysts, and I think maybe they help with our own sanity and the fact that maybe we’re not as delusional as we once thought we were.” The Lil Smokies, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, January 13 and 14 at Town Square Tavern. $10. 733-3886. PJH 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.
MATZAH BALL GALA DINNER & DANCE
CALL OR EMAIL TO PURCHASE TICKETS
3 0 7 -7 3 4 -1 999 O R I N F O@ JHJEWIS HCO M M UN I T Y. O R G
MONDAY Elle Carpenter (Mangy Moose), Patrick Chadwick & Lauren Conrad (Trap Bar)
TUESDAY PTO (Hole Bowl), Maw Band (Mangy Moose)
NOSH, DRINKS, DINNER, SILENT AUCTION, LIVE MUSIC AND DANCING! S AT U R DAY, JA N . 21 6:30 P.M. AT THE JH CONFERENCE CENTER $100 PER ADULT ($75 YOUTH AND $40 CHILD)
RESERVATIONS ONLY. TICKETS GOING FAST! WINE AND LIQUOR SPONSORED BY THE LIQUOR STORE & MUSIC SPONSORED BY JUDD GROSSMAN ENTERTAINMENT
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 19
FEATURING THE JUDD GROSSMAN BAND
SUNDAY Anders Osborne, Jackie Greene & Hayes Carll (Center Theater), Stagecoach Band (Stagecoach)
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE JACKSON HOLE JEWISH COMMUNITY’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY
SATURDAY Gipsy Moon (Knotty Pine), Jonathan Warren & The Billy Goats (Silver Dollar), The Lil Smokies (Town Square Tavern)
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
20 | JANUARY 11, 2017
n Country Western Swing with BJ & Clayton 7:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $65.00 - $90.00, 307-733-6398 n Jonathan Warren & The Billy Goats 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n The Lil’ Smokies 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-7333886 n Friday Night DJ Featuring Fiesta Bob 10:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-7331500
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Alexander Technique and Dance 9:00am, Dancers’ Worshop, $25.00, 307-7336398 n Powder 8’s Local’s Qualifier 9:00am, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, 307733-2292 n Enameling on Metal 9:30am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $70.00, 307-733-6379 n Teton Ridge Classic 10:00am, Teton Ridge Ranch, 208-201-1622 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Solarplate Printmaking 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $135.00, 307-733-6379 n Teton Valley Winter Farmers’ Market 10:00am, MD Nursery, Free, 208-354-8816 n “Water by the Spoonful” Auditions 10:00am, The Blackbox Theater, Free, 307-7333021 n Women’s Fat Bike Workshop 10:00am, Snake River Sporting Club, $35.00, 307-739-9025 n 6th Annual Adaptive Awareness Day & Demonstration Booth 11:00am, Teewinot Lift, Free, 307-733-2292 n Winter People’s Market 2:00pm, Teton County Fairground Building, Free n Après Soirée 3:30pm, Hotel Terra, $0.00 - $20.00, 307-6991633 n Après Ski and Art 5:00pm, Diehl Gallery, Free, 307-733-0905 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Moose Hockey Game 7:00pm, Snow King Sports & Event Center, $10.00, 307-201-1633 n Jonathan Warren & The Billy Goats 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n Laff Staff 8:00pm, Dornans, $15.00, 307-733-2415 n The Lil’ Smokies 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-7333886
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 23
CREATIVE PEAKS Passageway to Art Center awards six artists with a home in one of the valley’s most traversed indoor thoroughfares. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
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ntricate illustrations, icy edges, bursts of color, projected poems, nature observations, and conceptual carvings—these are themes that will be on view this year in the Center for the Arts’ Theater Gallery. The Center just announced its line-up of six local and regional artists who will fill the gallery walls with compelling works in the months to come. Four local artists made the cut in a competitive juried process: Scotty Craighead, Matt Daly, Thomas Macker, and Bronwyn Minton. Two out-of-state artists, Courtney Blazon of Missoula, Montana, and Leslie Gifford of Denver, Colorado, were selected as well. “It’s a really eclectic group,” said Carrie Richer, the Center’s creative initiatives coordinator. “The work is very interesting. The selected artists are innovative and a bit nontraditional.” Richer coordinates the gallery shows, while an anonymous jury from across the state selected this year’s artists from a pool of 50 applicants. The gallery space itself holds a lot of promise and even some obstacles to artists. Also known informally as the ramp gallery, the space is essentially a sloped hallway between different halves of the building. There are some awkward corners, and public restrooms at one end of the hall. Even though it wasn’t designed to be a gallery, however, the space is considered prime real estate among artists. “The ramp gallery is a challenging space because it is a place where people are getting from one place to another,” Minton explained. She has shown her work in the space before, and has also curated shows there. “It makes it interesting to show work because people are passing through. Because it’s in an interdisciplinary building, you get a lot of different audiences.” In a departure from recent years when nine to 10 artists were selected, this year’s roster is focused on only six artists in order to give each artist more exhibition time. The first artist of the 2017 line up is Leslie Gifford, a painter and dancer in Denver, Colorado. Gifford’s work will be on display March 7 to April 17. Much of Gifford’s work is abstract and involves bright plumes of color as she tries to capture motion and
‘Welcome to the Pleasure Dome’ by Courtney Blazon. light through painting. Beautiful swirls of pink, orange and violet might erupt in one painting, emulating a dancer in motion, or perhaps goldfish in a bowl. The exuberant paintings often lend themselves to the viewer’s interpretation, the intent being to convey a mood more than represent an exact object or scene. “I programmed Leslie’s work in March on purpose,” Richer said. “I thought by that point in the winter we will all need a little color.” From April 18 to June 5, Thomas Macker will exhibit work from his recent show, “Holdout,” at the Nicolaysen Art Museum. The show explores ideas of camoflage, warfare, loyalty, duty, and inner turmoil. “Camouflage means embedding something into the environment,” Macker said. “With camo, we are disguising something, making it invisible. I wanted to look at the ways camouflage literally changes the landscape.” The exhibit features several sculptures, paintings and prints, all involving complex materials and processes. The work draws upon references from war history as well as art history. The jury selected a literary artist for the first time this year. Poet Matt Daly has an exhibit scheduled June 8 to July 31. He will curate a poetry ensemble that will be projected on the gallery walls using multiple small projectors. Daly plans to collect short poetic stanzas from a number of local poets. All stanzas will relate to the theme, “Oh how we play,” and describe activities that bring people together in Jackson Hole. These short stanzas will then be projected on the gallery walls in random, rotating order. With several projectors running at once, a random but cohesive poem will appear on the wall at any given moment. The exhibit was scheduled to coincide with the Jackson Hole Writers Conference, June 22 to 24. [Daly is the brother of reporter Meg Daly. – Ed.] “I’m excited to explore the idea that poetry can be a community-building art form,” Daly said. “There will be a lot of voices exhibited on walls and the writing will focus on what brings us together. Anytime someone experiences the exhibit it will be a new poem. It’s like a conversation on the wall that will be changing all the time.” Bronwyn Minton’s work will be on
exhibit August 1 to September 11, including the Fall Arts Festival and the Palettes & Palates gallery walk. Minton said she will show all new work, a combination of drawings and sculpture, and perhaps even some video. She’ll be exploring her signature themes of observations of nature as well as the ways we observe nature.
From October 10 to November 1, the gallery will house illustrations by Missoula artist Courtney Blazon. Surreal, whimsical and darkly humorous, Blazon’s detailed color illustrations tell historical tales. Think Steampunk meets Lewis and Clark. Each illustration seems to tell a story, but what that tale or allegory is can be interpreted by the viewer. Many of Blazon’s illustrations seem rooted in the 19th century, judging by her use of clothes, maps, and scenes of settlers. Another obsession appears to be meat—the animals who feed us and an unflinching portrayal of bloody bits. Because her figures are largely caucasian, one reading of Blazon’s illustrations could be a commentary on Manifest Destiny, the plunder and pleasure of the natural world, and discoveries of beauty and horror. Not all the artists know exactly what they will be showing yet. Scotty Craighead’s exhibit is scheduled November 15 to January 8, 2018. He said he will be showing new work, likely continuing one of his favorite themes: edges in nature. Craighead creates abstract landscapes from macro photographs of microenvironments, like the edge of an icy stream where solid and liquid water interact. Craighead assembles geometric slices of photos from an existing landscape to create a new, fragmented tableau. Richer noted that each artist will conduct a lunchtime artist talk. These brown bag lunch events in the gallery have become uber popular, so stay tuned for future articles delving further into the artists’ work and highlighting opening reception and artist talk dates. In addition, the Theater Gallery will host exhibitions throughout the year from some of The Center’s resident nonprofits, including the Art Association, Central Wyoming College, Jackson Hole WILD, KHOL, Off Square Theatre Company, and the Wyoming Humanities Council. PJH
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Mission Impossible
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Silence is a beautiful, complex mix of Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
••••••••••• Monday-Saturday 11am, Sunday 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors)•733-7901
BY DAVID RIEDEL
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Andrew Garfield and Shinya Tsukamoto in Silence. purging the shores of anything not resembling Buddhism. When the Jesuits arrive in Japan, an underground Christian community greets them as heroes. Rodrigues and Garupe are soon performing mass in Latin and hearing confession, with difficulty, in Japanese. Soon other Christians come looking for them, and that brings fresh scrutiny from the local authorities. Rodrigues and Garupe split up in an effort to keep hidden and locate Ferreira. An inquisitor named Inoue (Issey Ogata, whose performance is simultaneously benevolent and malevolent, and therefore terrifying) tortures and kills several locals before capturing Rodrigues and giving him a choice: Apostatize, or watch your followers die. It’s here that Silence takes a contemplative turn, going from what is essentially a subdued cat-and-mouse thriller into full-blown philosophical head-scratcher. An interpreter (Tadanobu Asano) for Inoue makes the point that the Portuguese Jesuits have come to Japan in bad faith. How can the local authorities treat the Jesuits with respect if the priests don’t respect the Japanese enough to learn their language? Rodrigues is taken aback. He’s met someone who’s at least as smart as he is, and he’s not even the inquisitor. Rodrigues suggests that it’s the Japanese who are acting in bad faith—that the soil in Japan is rotten if it doesn’t allow the seed of Christianity to bloom. There’s a lot of back and forth like that between Rodrigues, the interpreter and Inoue. It’s a pleasure to watch Ogata
contort his face in myriad ways as he hears Rodrigues answer his questions in exactly the same fashion as other Jesuit priests. And as Inoue tortures Rodrigues’ followers, it becomes clear he doesn’t enjoy it. As he puts it, the Japanese people and its government have very different ways of viewing the world from the Jesuits—but he’s not going to blink before Rodrigues does. Silence isn’t without its problems. Kichijiro keeps showing up and making things better or worse as the plot demands; if there were ever a character you’d want to punch in the face, it’s this guy. Ferreira’s explanations for his decisions don’t quite ring true (though maybe that’s the point), and Driver’s accent goes as quickly as it comes. But the cinematography is beautiful, the bulk of the performances stellar, and Garfield deserves some kind of award for playing Rodrigues and Desmond Doss in Hacksaw Ridge in the same year. Ultimately, Scorsese puts forth no answer to the question of God’s silence; that would be pretty bold. Silence will probably feel like a reaffirmation of Christian faith to some and an impugnation of Christian arrogance to others. Whether it’s a Good Friday picture or an Easter Sunday picture likewise is open to interpretation. The movie’s final shot is one big question. PJH
SILENCE BBB.5 Andrew Garfield Adam Driver Issey Ogata Rated R
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
here’s an old story that one of Martin Scorsese’s New York University professors said his films contained too much Good Friday, and not enough Easter Sunday. It turns out, as Scorsese told America Magazine, the phrase uttered was by Rev. Francis Principe in reference to Taxi Driver, and goes like this: “I’m glad you ended it on Easter Sunday and not on Good Friday.” A story that examines the profundities of faith, Silence has Easter Sunday and Good Friday running through it. It’s a quieter Martin Scorsese movie (though not too quiet; there’s enough gore to go around). Its central question is open to interpretation: Why is God silent in the face of human suffering? In the 17th century, Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), a Portuguese Jesuit priest, watches in horror as his fellow Jesuits are tortured. Eventually, we end up back in Portugal in the offices of Father Valignano (Ciarán Hinds). He’s explaining to Fathers Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Garupe (Adam Driver) that Ferreira, their mentor, is an apostate, having renounced Christianity. Rodrigues and Garupe want permission to go to Japan—where practicing Catholicism has been banned— find Ferreira, bring him home and preach to the converted, if they find any. Valignano doesn’t resist much, despite reports that priests are dying in large numbers. Soon Rodrigues and Garupe are recruiting Kichijiro (Yôsuke Kubozuka), a Japanese sailor and a drunk, to aid them once they get back to Japan. Kichijiro lives in a state of constant self-recrimination for adopting Christianity, then abandoning it to save himself while his family was burned alive at the hands of samurai
TRY THESE The Mission (1986) Robert DeNiro Jeremy Irons Rated PG
Black Robe (1991) Lothaire Bluteau Aden Young Rated R
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) Willem Dafoe Harvey Keitel Rated R
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 21
Taxi Driver (1976) Robert DeNiro Jodie Foster Rated R
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
22 | JANUARY 11, 2017
Cowboy Courage How a former UW student shed light on civil rights issues in the face of intolerant school and state officials. BY SARAH ROSS
W
hen he woke up on October 17, 1969, Mel Hamilton was a starter for the 12th best football team in the country, the University of Wyoming Cowboys. The team was undefeated and was slated to play Brigham Young University the next day. But things did not go as planned. That evening the Cowboys’ coach, Lloyd Eaton, kicked Hamilton and the rest of the 13 African American players off the team for standing up against racism in the Mormon Church, which operates BYU. It created a national controversy that has affected Hamilton ever since. Known as “The Black 14,” the men’s expulsion from the team also crippled the Cowboys and damaged the university’s reputation. It was a time of national and regional racial tension, and athletes were using their playing fields as a stage to engage with the civil rights struggle. The year before, US Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists on their medalist platforms at the 1968 Summer Olympics in solidarity with the civil rights movement. Simultaneously, collegiate athletes were boycotting competitions with BYU because of racism within the Mormon Church, specifically the church’s ban against black men in the priesthood. In April 1969, black track athletes at the University of Texas in El Paso were kicked off their team when they refused to participate in a meet against BYU. Hamilton also wanted to take a stand. But trouble ensued for him because athletes at UW were prohibited from demonstrating. According to Phil White, then-editor of UW student newspaper The Branding Iron, the 14 black members of the Cowboys walked into their coach’s office to have a conversation about the rule while sporting black armbands in solidarity with the UW Black Student Alliance, which had called for some kind of protest. Hamilton told PJH he never expected his fate to be the same as the Texas athletes. He thought Eaton would tell them that they couldn’t wear the armbands during the game, but that “they’d figure something else out.” Instead, they were kicked off the team and berated in what Hamilton called “a racial manner.” Eaton condemned the men for being ungrateful, saying he’d taken them off of the streets, put food in their mouths, saved them from welfare. The event highlighted a fissure in Wyoming. In an interview with The Planet, White estimated that 90 percent of Wyomingites backed the Cowboys’ coach. Meanwhile, however, students on campuses and folks across the country showed their support for the players. Four black track athletes left the university in solidarity with the football players. According to an article by White on Wyohistory.org, a month after the incident, the
president of Stanford University decided that his school’s athletes would not compete against BYU. In light of negative publicity, UW reversed its ban on athletes protesting. Still, in Wyoming, former governor Stanley Hathaway and the school administration stood behind Eaton, and many notable citizens in the state did too. Casper businessman Dode Gerdom told the Casper Star-Tribune, “We don’t care if Wyoming wins another game—we stand behind the coach.” The dismissal of the men hurt the team’s success. After years of triumph, the team faltered, losing 26 of their next 38 games through 1972. White reported that the team struggled to recruit African American players for years afterwards. In response to sustained student outcry, Eaton eventually decided that The Black 14 could be allowed back on the team, but only if white teammates individually voted them back in. Only three decided to rejoin the team. The rest left the state. Hamilton was the only one who stayed at UW without rejoining the team. He refused “the indignity” of being voted back by white players, not one of whom had stood up for The Black 14. “I wouldn’t beg them to take me back,” he said. Hamilton, who moved from Wyoming to South Carolina just months ago, told PJH that this incident remains “one of the most painful memories of my life to this day.” Hamilton couldn’t watch football for 15 years. Some teammates, he says, left the state and never “wanted to hear the name ‘Wyoming’ again.” His experiences as a member of The Black 14 highlight both the high cost of protest and its importance, and contain special relevance today. In August of 2016, the 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling when the national anthem played during games. “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he told NFL.com. In November, ThinkProgress reported that since Kaepernick began his silent protest, at least 48 NFL athletes from 13 teams have joined, as well as many student athletes. Protests have occurred in more than 50 high schools, 39 colleges, and one middle school across 35 states. Like Hamilton, these athletes have faced extreme backlash. They have lost endorsements, and kids as young as 11 have received death threats. Hamilton is not surprised by the outrage. He tells people they should prepare to be “hit in the face” if they decide to speak against injustice. However difficult it is though, he believes that “every person will have their own time when they know they have to take a stand.” His advice for people who want to exercise their rights to peacefully demonstrate? “You have to help people who are afraid see that they can do it too ... if you know what you’re fighting for, you’ll be OK ... it’s always important to speak when people are suffering.” For many African Americans, protest has come at a high cost. “This whole country has always made it very hard for people to express their concerns, especially black people,” Hamilton said. Just four years before The Black 14 incident, about 50 people who were marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in support of voting rights were hospitalized when police attacked them with tear gas, whips and clubs. Black people have also faced outcry simply for being in historically white dominated spaces. In 1962, the first black student enrolled at the University of Mississippi, and the violent outcry caused former president John F. Kennedy to send 5,000 troops to campus. Hamilton experienced this kind of backlash firsthand
WYOHISTORY.ORG
FREE SPEECH
‘The Black 14’
as an educator in Wyoming. He spent 28 years in the Natrona County School District, where he was the vice principal of East Junior High School in Casper for three years. There was much opposition to having him as a leader. In an interview with White published by Wyohistory. org, Hamilton says someone wrote a big 666 in the snow in front of his house, that people called him the “head n*gger in charge,” mocked the way he spoke, and made jokes about how he could hold the door for white colleagues. There was a “concerted effort to get me out of there.” Eventually the administration removed him as vice principal. “It never really ended for me,” Hamilton told PJH. People frequently brought up The Black 14, and said he was too outspoken. Sometimes, he said he wished it would just go away. As a black man in Wyoming, Hamilton says he was expected to “know my place ... to give in to whatever happens.” As long as he remained in the sports sphere he was OK. “But boy, if I step out of that box, people told me that I was out of place.” On that fateful October day, Hamilton lost his scholarship and a team he said he truly loved. Being kicked of the team “destroyed some of the joy of my life ... it was like having a grandma who doesn’t want you, who throws you out of the house, and you’re hurt to the deepest part of your body, and you know you can’t go back anymore.” He spent much of the rest of his time at UW feeling vulnerable and on guard. This pain, however, taught him a kind of strength he’s passed on to his children and hundreds of students in the state. When Eaton was berating The Black 14, Hamilton stared him in the eye and smiled. This small defiance is emblematic of his attitude. At UW and throughout his time in Wyoming, his pride sustained him. “I put on a brave front, I threw my head and chest back, and I took everything they gave me ... even when it was hard to.” PJH
n Gypsy Moon 9:00pm, Knotty Pine, $5.00, 208-787-2866 n Live Music w/ Joe Rudd 10:30pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15
MONDAY, JANUARY 16
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Level 1 Avalanche: Decision Making In Avalanche Terrain (AIARE 1) 8:00am, CWC-Jackson, $375.00, 307-733-7425 n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n A Journey: Channeling Expression through Drawing Technique 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00, 307733-6379 n 6th Annual Snowscapes, The Art of Sculpting Snow 9:00am, Driggs City Plaza, Free, 307-690-2234 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307733-2164
FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS VISIT PJHCALENDAR.COM
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 23
n Dance & Fitness Classes All Day 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Level 1 Avalanche: Decision Making In Avalanche Terrain (AIARE 1) 8:00am, CWC-Jackson, $375.00, 307-733-7425
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17
n White Lightning Open Mic Night 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Brain Works 3:00pm, St. John’s Medical Center, $300.00, 307-739-7493 n The Maw Band 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Hand and Wheel 3:45pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $180.00, 307733-6379 n Winter Wonderland - Ice Skating on Town Square 4:00pm, Town Square, $0.00 $8.00, 307-733-3932 n Exceptional and Effective Board Practices 5:00pm, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, $20.00, 307-739-1026 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Teton Raptor Center Volunteer Orientation 5:30pm, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Free, 307-203-2551 n Cribbage 6:00pm, Valley of the Tetons Library, Free, 208-354-5522 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Silver Metal Clay - Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $137.00, 307-7336379 n Meet, Make & Good Vibes 6:00pm, Lotus Vibes, Free, 804380-6728 n Handbuilding Clay 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $184.00, 307733-6379 n Watercolor 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00, 307733-6379 n State Of The Snowpack 6:00pm, Headwall Sports, Free, 307-734-8022 n Jackson PFLAG Meeting 7:00pm, St. John’s Church, Free, 307-733-8349 n One Ton Pig 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Jack Nelson Band 8:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207 n B.O.G.D.O.G. 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Inderdenominational Worship Service at Rendezvous Lodge 9:30am, Rendezvous Lodge, Top of Bridger Gondola, Free, 307-733-2292 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n Solarplate Printmaking 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $135.00, 307733-6379 n NFL Sunday Football 11:00am, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Hole Hats 11:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $65.00, 307-7336379 n Major Zephyr 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Winter Wonderland - Ice Skating on Town Square 4:00pm, Town Square, $0.00 $8.00, 307-733-3932 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n The Center Presents An Evening with Anders Osborne, Jackie Greene, and Hayes Carll 7:00pm, The Center Theater, $57.00 - $67.00, 307-733-4900 n Knock On 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Hospitality Night - Happy Hour 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500
n Beginning Painting 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00, 307733-6379 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n Sleigh Rides 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, $15.00 - $21.00, 307-733-0277 n MLK Day March and Speakers 1:00pm, Jackson’s Town Square, Free, 307-733-5427 n Chadwick & Conrad 3:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n B.O.G.D.O.G - Band On Glen Down on Glen 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Hootenanny 6:00pm, Dornan’s, Free, 307733-2415 n Great Until Late 6:00pm, Local Stores, Free, 307-733-3316 n Intro to Astrophotography 7:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $280.00, 307733-6379 n Elle Carpenter 8:00pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Jack Nelson Band 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
24 | JANUARY 11, 2017
DAVID STUBBS PHOTOS
FEAST
Juicy Resolve Healthy Being wants to set you on a path to a nutritious new year. BY TRACI MCCLINTIC
A
mong New Year’s resolutions there seems to be one vow that resurfaces every year: To eat healthier and lose weight. Quick fix solutions are everywhere, from plastic wrapped powders and pills that support muscle gain to detox cleanses and supplements for appetite control. And don’t forget the dreaded meal replacement supplement—with a projected $12 billion dollar worth by the year 2020. As I look down at my post-baby/post-holiday body, I am incredibly tempted to throw some of my own dollars into the kitty. But there’s just a tiny nagging hiccup in this quick fix solution: I love food, and everything that comes with it. I love my relationships with local farmers and ranchers. I love the way it feels to run a sharp knife through a shiny red tomato. Indeed, food is social, cultural, familiar in a way that a powdery scoop of whey protein at the bottom of a glass of skim milk can never be. But alas, we are busy people in a busy society and the one problem with a lot of healthy food made from scratch is that it is neither quick nor easy. Jessica Marlo Vandenbroeke, owner of Healthy Being Juicery and Cafe, understands this conundrum and has come up with a number of fast, healthy solutions to help people achieve healthy eating and weight loss goals. The juicery-cafe offers an array of cold pressed, immune enhancing juices, smoothies, and energy shots made with potent ingredients like turmeric, ginger, and cayenne, along with a variety of made-from-scratch salads, sandwiches and soup. And anyone interested in a cleanse and detox program can choose one-, three-, or five-day preset meal plan options. Menu items are made with organic,
From a modest juice stand she launched at Inversion Yoga to a brick and mortar juicery and cafe serving local, organic fare, Jessica Marlo Vandenbroeke has turned her passion for healthy living into a lifelong pursuit. local vegetables from Haderlie Farms, White Lake Farms and Heidekoper Ranch. Vandenbroeke, former president of the Jackson Hole Farmers Market board, is an entrepreneur whose passion for healthy living has guided her trajectory. She has taken courses from the Institute of Integrated Nutrition in New York and studied conscious eating under Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Center in Arizona. When she returned to Jackson, armed with this nutrition knowledge, raw foods and juicing became an every day staple. Soon, Vandenbroeke’s friends were asking if she could make extra juice for them. As word of her juice spilled out into the valley she launched a juice stand at Inversion Yoga. Now, five years later, she juggles Healthy Being Juicery and Cafe with a new baby and a bag full of personal goals and professional aspirations. I met with Vandenbroeke earlier this week to discuss real food alternatives to quick fix supplements and her own New Year’s resolutions. It was a meeting of two multi-tasking moms. Asking Vandenbroeke probing foodie questions, I jumped and swayed around the room with my four-month-old in a pacifying football hold. Meanwhile, her nine-month-old son slept against her chest as she answered me with an earnest alacrity I thought impossible for a new mother and business owner to possess. Whatever she was taking, I wanted some of it. “So, is there an ultimate all-in-one juice, nut milk, or smoothie on your menu that can compete with what meal replacement supplements are promising?” I asked. “I don’t think there is such a thing as an ‘all-in-one,’” Vandenbroeke replied. “The key is to vary your food, have different colored foods, and juices, and have juice smoothies and whole vegetables. If you are eating meat, then choose local grass-fed options.” Our conversation moved on to resolutions and why so many people end up falling off the wagon when it comes to weight loss and healthy eating goals. “When I was younger, I tried a lot of different meal supplements,” she said,
“but in the end, it didn’t make me healthier.” The marketing for some of these overnight solutions is getting smarter, but I don’t think the ingredients have changed, she added. Vandenbroeke says they are still made with processed foods, chemicals, “and other weird stuff.” When we rob ourselves of real food, it catches up with us eventually, she explained. “We were made to enjoy food and all that comes with it. If you are just eating a protein shake, eventually it may backfire because you are going to crave something later that you have been denying yourself,” Vandenbroeke said. “If you look at how our brains and bodies are wired, we want to experience pleasure, and food can be amazingly pleasurable.” Like many successful entrepreneurs, Vandebroke’s New Year’s resolutions are goal driven. She wants to make her business more approachable, to continue to deliver tasty food that is good for the body, and to rebrand her businees so folks know there is more than juice on the menu. While she is not letting her top-secret summer plans out of the bag, she did say that moms, dads, and kids are going to be happy. Though delicious real/raw food options abound on the Healthy Being Juicery and Cafe menu—like a Shanghai wrap that you can also order as a salad, or the tangy lemon tart bar for breakfast—admittedly, I have an addiction to the wild side, specifically Healthy Being’s wild side smoothie. It is a blend of almond milk, almond butter, bananas, raw cocao, dates, bananas and cold brew coffee. I will also admit that I feel a little guilty dipping into baby’s college fund for an $8 blended drink that contains no alcohol whatsoever. But I can get on board with the idea of supporting a local business that is invested in the health and education of our community. “It’s not about choosing to lose 10 pounds, it’s a different approach,” Vandenbroeke said. “It’s about building a healthy community and a life experience filled with quality and intention.” PJH
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.
Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly
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
HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm
45 S. Glenwood
307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE
Available for private events & catering
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 25
EMAIL WRITING SAMPLES TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
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.
For reservations please call 734-8038
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
26 | JANUARY 11, 2017
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
1110 MAPLE WAY, SUITE B JACKSON, WY 307.264.2956 picnicjh.com
LOCAL & DOMESTIC STEAKS SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK @ 5:30 TILL 10 JHCOWBOYSTEAKHOUSE.COM 307-733-4790 THE LOCALS
FAVORITE PIZZA 2012, 2013 & 2014 •••••••••
$7
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
20%OFF ENTIRE BILL
Good between 5:30-6pm • Open nightly at 5:30pm Please mention ad for discount.
733-3912 160 N. Millward
Make your reservation online at bluelionrestaurant.com
$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
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) 733-0022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai.com.
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.
THE BLUE LION
®
Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)
Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread
$ 13 99
for an extra $5.99/each
(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY
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. Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY
www.mangymoose.com
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 5:306:0pm, Open nightly at 5:30 p.m. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome. 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant. com.
CAFE GENEVIEVE
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 TuesSat 3-5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 732-1910, genevievejh.com.
ELEANOR’S
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
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.
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 seasonally-inspired food. We offer an extensive wine list and an abundance of locallysourced 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 Mon-Sat 11:30am. Dinner Nightly 5:30pm. 55 North Cache, (307) 201-1717, localjh.com.
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. 140 N. Cache, (307) 734-0882, tetonlotuscafe.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.
MILLION DOLLAR COWBOY STEAKHOUSE
Jackson’s first Speakeasy Steakhouse. The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is a hidden gem located below the world famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. Our menu offers guests the best in American steakhouse cuisine. Top quality chops and steaks sourced from local farms, imported Japanese Wagyu beef, and house-cured meats and sausages. Accentuated with a variety of thoughtful side dishes, innovative appetizers, creative vegetarian items, and decadent desserts, a meal at this landmark location is sure to be a memorable one. Reservations are highly recommended.
SNAKE RIVER BREWERY & RESTAURANT
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.
TRIO
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) 7348038 or bistrotrio.com.
ITALIAN CALICO
A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965, the Calico 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.
MEXICAN EL ABUELITO
Two- fer Tuesday is back !
Two-for-one 12” pies all day. Dine-in or Carry-out. (LIMIT 6 PIES PER CARRYOUT ORDER, PLEASE.)
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.
PIZZA DOMINO’S PIZZA
11am - 9:30pm daily 20 W. Broadway 307.201.1472
PizzeriaCaldera.com
ELY U Q I N U PEAN EURO
F O H ‘ E TH
R DINNEAGE I H LUNCTETON VILL I T S IN FA BREAKE ALPENHOF AT TH
AT THE
PINKY G’S
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.
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.
SWEETS
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
307.733.3242
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.
MEETEETSE CHOCOLATIER
JANUARY 11, 2017 | 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
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
28 | JANUARY 11, 2017
Decoding the Truth When trying to discern fact from fiction, pay attention to signals from your heart and your body. “Believe nothing no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and with your own inner wisdom.” - Buddha
Truth and untruth As long as the nature of the collective world reality is polarized, there will be truth and untruth and all the shades in between. We are living in a universe of information, in which we are both senders and receivers, and we are equipped with builtin ways to discern what’s true and what’s in our greater good. We can sort it out and navigate more effectively, if we choose.
The challenge The expansion of global digital information gives us unprecedented access to the accelerated pace of new discoveries and breaking world events. Whether the news relates to nutrition, interstellar space, politics, well-being and more, when it is publicly “reported,” it can also be laced with misinformation (error or incomplete info) and disinformation (intentional manipulation of info). Increasingly, it is a challenge to discern what’s true.
Your heart is wired to know Research indicates that the physical heart picks up all information first and informs both hemispheres of the brain. Together, the three process and assemble information for use. The heart knows truth and untruth instantly without any mental processing. The right brain is intuitive and non-linear; the left brain relies on gathering linear, physical data. Heart/soul and brain/mind are all designed to act together in synergy to give us as much of the complete hologram as possible. Studies have shown, for example, that in job interviews people make decisions about candidates (via the heart and the right brain) in a matter of seconds, and then the rest of the time is spent gathering the linear data to support the near instant decision.
Be still and listen The long-standing wisdom to listen to your heart is valid. This is neither a mental activity nor about emotions. It requires being still, quieting the mental chatter and paying attention to the often-subtle inner signals the heart is sharing. We have most of the answers to all of our questions when we pay attention to and value this awesome source of direct knowing. I was once at a lecture given by Buckminster Fuller, who was a brilliant scientist and inventor. When it came to the Q&A portion, people eagerly raised their hands to ask him questions. Fuller then asked the audience to pause and to silently ask themselves their own question and listen internally for an answer. He also
requested that if anyone realized they had an answer to their question, to please put their hands down. Many did. His point was that if we pause and tune in, we often know the answers. Whether or not we follow what we know, however, is a matter of many variables. But the “hardware” is there. The inner “voice” is always trying to guide us.
Body wisdom The body also knows truth about external and internal environments. Everyone has some kind of physical “truth energy meter.” In the presence of something that is true or untrue, the body will give you many signals. These include shivers, heat, a rush of energy, a stomachache, tears, even a good or a yucky feeling. When someone is telling the truth or not telling the truth, your body is responding to the incoming energy and giving you signals. Your job is to know your body’s code and allow it to inform you. Another example of body wisdom happens in the presence of other people. The heart instantly assesses the energy of another person. In response to someone kind, the heart opens and the body relaxes. Alternatively, in the presence of a person who is not kind, the heart automatically closes and the body tenses. If you’d like to test this, bring to mind an image of someone you know who is loving. See what happens in your body. Now bring to mind an image of a cruel person and note how your body responds. The wisdom of the body also includes knowing... and trying to tell us... what foods, exercise, music, indoor and outdoor environments are supportive to our individual make-up and which are not. The point is to pay attention. Don’t allow your mind to override the signals. The mind can make a case for anything.
Critical thinking And then there is critical thinking, the ability to value the intuitive- and body-wisdom and then examine physical, linear data to see if it supports what you are picking up. No one knows everything. The good news about experts is they are likely to have more knowledge on a given topic. Though it is still important to check in with your common sense and your inner knowing to see if it makes sense to you.
Balance Everyone is well served to develop a more expanded repertoire for knowing what’s true. Listen to the signals from your heart and utilize both sides of your brain. Listen to experts and trust your own inner knowing.
Finding the positive The silver lining in all the current confusion and manipulation about what’s true is that it’s pushing us to self-validate and attune to the higher intelligence of the universe and the greater wisdom in our souls, hearts and minds. This “inside job” is a very important aspect of being an empowered person. Allowing all the parts of our inner “hardware and software” to guide us supports our greater good as individuals and as a collective.
Remain receptive Life is always revealing new possibilities. A useful skill is to hold beliefs as only a temporary foundation of truth. Remain resilient and open to expanding your horizons. There is always more. 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
WELLNESS COMMUNITY
These businesses provide health or wellness services for the Jackson Hole community and its visitors.
DEEP TISSUE • SPORTS MASSAGE • THAI MASSAGE MYOFASCIAL RELEASE CUPPING
Oliver Tripp, NCTM MASSAGE THERAPIST NATIONALLY CERTIFIED
253-381-2838
180 N Center St, Unit 8 abhyasamassage.com
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L.A.TIMES “SAY CHEESE!” By Ed Sessa
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2017
ACROSS
1 Put away the leftovers? 4 Stagecoach shout 8 Charge 15 Like much brandy 19 Avian water source 21 Heated dispute 22 Go ballistic 23 Cheese tray displays? 25 Scientologist Hubbard 26 X-Men co-creator Lee 27 Full of holes 28 GPS info 29 Screwdriver component 30 Jet black 32 Prepare for the prom 34 Pastina relative 36 Moray or conger 37 Repress 38 Exams for future J.D.’s 41 One-customer link 43 Partners’ phrase 45 Real cheese? 49 Bologna bone 50 Dirt cake ingredient 51 Queen Victoria’s toy, for short 52 Looks at 54 Shaky 57 They may be good losers 60 Coke by-product 61 One-named “Skyfall” singer 62 Meager 64 Strip stake? 66 Lever in a limo 68 Unspecified degree 69 Cheesehead’s accessory? 74 iPhone purchase 75 Abandoned buildings, say 77 D.C. insider 78 Raw bar selection 80 Catkin producer 81 Half a dance 83 “My 60 Memorable Games” author 86 Change the decor of
87 Diamond nickname 90 Affliction 91 Creamy color 95 Puffin relatives 97 Cheese graters? 100 Bunch of clowns in a circus stunt, say 103 Word of enjoyment 104 Wipe out 105 “__ been a puppet, a pauper ... ”: Sinatra lyric 106 “Foolery ... does walk about the __ like the sun”: Shakespeare 107 Shell-shedding creature 109 Syrian president 111 Title for Helen Mirren 113 Foam 115 Make hay? 117 Like the talus 120 First name in desserts 122 Idée __ 123 Highland cheese? 126 Twilight times 127 Packs, in a way 128 Military encampment sight 129 Take it easy 130 Prepare, as dough for zeppole 131 Early depictor of today’s Santa Claus 132 Muddy quarters
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5
Goes out Like missiles in a dogfight Percussion instrument Ring org. Instrument featured in “Waltz of the Flowers” 6 Other, to Quixote 7 Grief 8 Have a row 9 Classic Southern dessert 10 Summa __ laude 11 Lyft competitor
12 __ Domingo 13 Channel with many branches 14 Avg. newborn’s 7.5 15 “Alice’s Restaurant” arrestee 16 Cheese-growing plot? 17 Summoned 18 North America’s highest peak 20 Naysay 24 Language of Oslo, in Oslo 29 Paris pronoun 31 First year of Claudius’ reign 33 Meyers of late-night TV 35 Places staffed by vets 37 Old Pontiac with a V8 engine 39 Key holder in much religious artwork 40 Scads 42 Hoot 44 Off-topic remark 46 It’s often drawn through straws 47 Clampett portrayer 48 Forms into metallic waste 53 Stoker creation, briefly 55 Plane features 56 Shepherd’s cry 58 Likely to experience 59 Batting stat 61 Brandy flavor 62 Distinctive manner 63 Cheese factory supplies? 65 Premier 67 Potpourri holders 68 Get close to 70 Debugging pro 71 “My Name Is __ Lev”: Potok novel 72 Like some ATM withdrawals 73 Cotton gin inventor Whitney 76 East Asian capital 79 “Whose woods these __ think ... ”:
Frost Birth announcement words Athos, for one “The Last of the Mohicans” sister 87 Old Russian dynast 88 Blue-green color 89 Lead that misleads 92 Subarctic and Mediterranean 93 Deferential 94 “What’s the ___?” 96 NYC mayor after Beame 98 Therapy subjects 99 Gratified 100 Valuables holder 101 Come 102 Brooklyn crooner Vic 108 Italian bowling game 110 Likely to talk back 112 Kind of D.A. 114 Acid __ 116 Sound of a blow 118 Ambient quality 119 NASA lunar transports 121 Like some gallery patrons 123 Headed up 124 Bad check letters 125 Ochs Sulzberger pub. 82 84 85
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) I recently discovered Tree of Jesse, a painting by renowned 20th-century artist Marc Chagall. I wanted to get a copy to hang on my wall. But as I scoured the internet, I couldn’t find a single business that sells prints of it. Thankfully, I did locate an artist in Vietnam who said he could paint an exact replica. I ordered it, and was pleased with my new objet d’art. It was virtually identical to Chagall’s original. I suggest you meditate on taking a metaphorically similar approach, Capricorn. Now is a time when substitutes might work as well as what they replace. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “It is often safer to be in chains than to be free,” wrote Franz Kafka. That fact is worthy of your consideration in the coming weeks, Aquarius. You can avoid all risks by remaining trapped inside the comfort that is protecting you. Or you can take a gamble on escaping, and hope that the new opportunities you attract will compensate you for the sacrifice it entails. I’m not here to tell you what to do. I simply want you to know what the stakes are. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) “All pleasures are in the last analysis imaginary, and whoever has the best imagination enjoys the most pleasure.” So said 19th-century German novelist Theodor Fontane, and now I’m passing his observation on to you. Why? Because by my astrological estimates, you Pisceans will have exceptional imaginations in 2017—more fertile, fervent and freedom-loving than ever before. Therefore, your capacity to drum up pleasure will also be at an alltime high. There is a catch, however. Your imagination, like everyone else’s, is sometimes prone to churning out superstitious fears. To take maximum advantage of its bliss-inducing potential, you will have to be firm about steering it in positive directions. ARIES (March 21-April 19) In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is a huge holy tree that links all of the nine worlds to each other. Perched on its uppermost branch is an eagle with a hawk sitting on its head. Far below, living near the roots, is a dragon. The hawk and eagle stay in touch with the dragon via Ratatoskr, a talkative squirrel that runs back and forth between the heights and the depths. Alas, Ratatoskr traffics solely in insults. That’s the only kind of message the birds and the dragon ever have for each other. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aries, I suggest you act like a far more benevolent version of Ratatoskr in the coming weeks. Be a feisty communicator who roams far and wide to spread uplifting gossip and energizing news.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) “I never wish to be easily defined,” wrote Cancerian author
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) There are some authors who both annoy me and intrigue me. Even though I feel allergic to the uncomfortable ideas they espouse, I’m also fascinated by their unique provocations. As I read their words, I’m half-irritated at their grating declarations, and yet greedy for more. I disagree with much of what they say, but feel grudgingly grateful for the novel perspectives they prod me to discover. (Nobel Prize-winner Elias Canetti is one such author.) In accordance with the current astrological rhythms, Virgo, I invite you to seek out similar influences—for your own good! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Now would be an excellent time to add new beauty to your home. Are there works of art or buoyant plants or curious symbols that would lift your mood? Would you consider hiring a feng shui consultant to rearrange the furniture and accessories so as to enhance the energetic flow? Can you entice visits from compelling souls whose wisdom and wit would light up the place? Tweak your imagination so it reveals tricks about how to boost your levels of domestic bliss. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) In 2017, you will have unprecedented opportunities to re-imagine, revise and reinvent the story of your life. You’ll be able to forge new understandings about your co-stars and reinterpret the meanings of crucial plot twists that happened once upon a time. Now check out these insights from author Mark Doty: “The past is not static, or ever truly complete; as we age we see from new positions, shifting angles. A therapist friend of mine likes to use the metaphor of the kind of spiral stair that winds up inside a lighthouse. As one moves up that stair, the core at the center doesn’t change, but one continually sees it from another vantage point; if the past is a core of who we are, then our movement in time always brings us into a new relation to that core.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) The Tao Te Ching is a poetically philosophical text written by a Chinese sage more than two millennia ago. Numerous authors have translated it into modern languages. I’ve borrowed from their work to craft a horoscope that is precisely suitable for you in the coming weeks. Here’s your high-class fortune cookie oracle: Smooth your edges, untangle your knots, sweeten your openings, balance your extremes, relax your mysteries, soften your glare, forgive your doubts, love your breathing, harmonize your longings and marvel at the sunny dust.
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.
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) I love and respect Tinker Bell, Kermit the Frog, Shrek, Wonder Woman, SpongeBob SquarePants, Snow White, Road Runner and Calvin and Hobbes. They have provided me with much knowledge and inspiration. Given the current astrological omens, I suspect that you, too, can benefit from cultivating your relationships with characters like them. It’s also a favorable time for you to commune with the spirits of Harriet Tubman, Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie or any other historical figures who inspire you. I suggest you have dreamlike conversations with your most interesting ancestors, as well. Are you still in touch with your imaginary friends from childhood? If not, renew acquaintances.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Here’s my declaration: “I hereby forgive, completely and permanently, all motorists who have ever irked me with their rude and bad driving. I also forgive, totally and forever, all tech support people who have insulted me, stonewalled me, or given me wrong information as I sought help from them on the phone. I furthermore forgive, utterly and finally, all family members and dear friends who have hurt my feelings.” Now would be a fantastic time for you to do what I just did, Leo: Drop grudges, let go of unimportant outrage and issue a blanket amnesty. Start with the easier stuff—the complaints against strangers and acquaintances—and work your way up to the allies you cherish.
WELLNESS COMMUNITY
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You have a divine mandate to love bigger and stronger and truer than ever before. It’s high time to freely give the gifts you sometimes hold back from those you care for. It’s high time to take full ownership of neglected treasures so you can share them with your worthy allies. It’s high time to madly cultivate the generosity of spirit that will enable you to more easily receive the blessings that can and should be yours. Be a brave, softhearted warrior of love!
Franz Kafka. “I’d rather float over other people’s minds as something fluid and non-perceivable; more like a transparent, paradoxically iridescent creature rather than an actual person.” Do you ever have that experience? I do. I’m a Crab like you, and I think it’s common among members of our tribe. For me, it feels liberating. It’s a way to escape people’s expectations of me and enjoy the independence of living in my fantasies. But I plan to do it a lot less in 2017, and I advise you to do the same. We should work hard at coming all the way down to earth. We will thrive by floating less and being better grounded; by being less fuzzy and more solid; by not being so inscrutable, but rather more knowable.
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