Planet Jackson Hole 4.5.17

JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | APRIL 5-11, 2017

Culture Killer How gutting the National Endowment for the Arts will hurt Jackson Hole.

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2 | APRIL 5, 2017

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THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE EXCISE TAX (SPET) SPECIAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD ON

TUESDAY, MAY 2ND, 2017.

To insure that all registered voters in the County have the opportunity to cast their ballot, we will begin absentee voting for the Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET) Special Election on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017. A qualified elector may cast their ballot at the absentee polling site, or request that a ballot be sent to them.

The absentee polling site is located in the basement of the Teton County Administration Building at 200 S. Willow Street, and will be open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., from March 23rd through May 1st, 2017.

Vote Centers will only be open at the Teton County Library, Teton County/ Jackson Recreation Center, and the Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center on Election Day. If you are unable to vote at one of these locations on Election Day, please arrange to vote by absentee ballot!

Please contact the County Clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot by mail, or to obtain more information regarding the Special Election.

All absentee ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on May 2nd, 2017 to be counted.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: TETONWYO.ORG/CC | ELECTIONS@TETONWYO.ORG | 307.733.4430

JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 13 | APRIL 5-11, 2017

13 COVER STORY CULTURE KILLER How gutting the National Endowment for the Arts would hurt Jackson Hole.

Cover illustration by Ryan Stolp

18 MUSIC BOX

6 DEMOCRACY

IN CRISIS 7

THE NEW WEST

8-11 THE BUZZ

22 FREE SPEECH 24 HISTORIC HIGHS 28 COSMIC CAFE

THE PLANET TEAM PUBLISHER

Copperfield Publishing, John Saltas EDITOR

Robyn Vincent / editor@planetjh.com

ART DIRECTOR

STAFF REPORTERS

Cait Lee / art@planetjh.com

Meg Daly, Shannon Sollitt

SALES DIRECTOR

COPY EDITOR

Jen Tillotson / jen@planetjh.com SALES EXTRAORDINAIRE

Caroline LaRosa / caroline@planetjh.com

Nichols, Sarah Ross, Ted Scheffler, Chuck Shepherd, Tom Tomorrow, Lisa Van Sciver, Todd Wilkinson, Jim Woodmencey, Baynard Woods

Jessica Sell Chambers CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Aaron Davis, Carol Mann, Jake

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April 5-11, 2017

By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey April is a month of ups and downs, weather-wise; it can be sunny and 60, or 20 and snowing and may literally change overnight.

April is not an especially wet month, averaging just 1.14 inches of precipitation in town.

Average snowfall for the month of April in town is just four inches. The wettest April ever was in 1963 with 2.66 inches of precipitation. The snowiest April ever was in 1967 when two feet of snow fell during the month.

SPONSORED BY GRAND TETON FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS

This past Monday morning temperatures in the valley dipped down into the mid-teens.

We hadn’t seen a morning that cold since the first week in March. Average low temperatures during this week of the year in Jackson are in the lower 20’s. The record coldest temperature ever recorded in Jackson during this week was 2-degrees below zero, set back on April 5th, 1936. The odds of going below zero this coming week are pretty low.

Average high temperatures this week are close to 50-degrees. Even though we have been over 50-degrees already in March and on April First, cooler temps started the week.

Warmer temps end the week, then back to cooler temps this weekend. It would take an unusual weather situation to push temperatures up close to the record highs during this week. In 2004 we had highs in the upper 60’s.

In 1996 we hit 72-degrees. On April 11th, 1934 we maxed out at 74-degrees.

NORMAL HIGH 49 NORMAL LOW 23 RECORD HIGH IN 1934 74 RECORD LOW IN 1936 -2

THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.14 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 2.7 inches (1963) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 4 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 24 inches (1967)

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APRIL 5, 2017 | 3

Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com

WHAT’S COOL WHAT’S HOT

THIS WEEK

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JH ALMANAC

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

4 | APRIL 5, 2017

FROM OUR READERS While there is much conversation about what divides us, our national parks continue to serve as common ground. Unfortunately, that ground is unsteady under the impacts of a $12 billion infrastructure repair backlog.

But fortunately, President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke have pledged to make infrastructure repairs a national priority.

During his address to Congress and the American public, President Trump called on Congress to pass an infrastructure bill, saying that “crumbling infrastructure will be replaced with new roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and railways gleaming across our beautiful land.” There are no more beautiful lands in America than our national parks, and no better place to start rebuilding our infrastructure than fixing our parks. In Secretary Zinke’s confirmation hearing, he stated that addressing the national park service backlog was one of his three top priorities.

At sharp contrast to the nearly three million visitors who spent more than $550 million in communities surrounding Grand Teton National Park in 2015 is the more than $207 million repair backlog in the park. No national park site is immune to this challenge. Parks face this daunting challenge because, for too long, they have not received enough funding to tackle these repairs.

It is time for President Trump, our members of Congress and Interior Secretary Zinke to put their words into action, to make funding our national

parks a priority again. Our park rangers and staff must have the resources they need to continue protecting America’s favorite places.

– Sandy Hessler

Cows vs. people Housing for seasonal employees is ridiculous and I hear it is even worse in the summer when the motels that provide a lot of winter housing rent out to the tourists instead.

There is plenty of land here despite protestations to the contrary. I see all this empty land every day while driving or standing on top of JHMR. North, west, south. The southern part of the Elk Refuge, south all along 191, west all along 2, all along Moose Wilson Road, on the buttes. There is land. I suspect the real problem is there is no political will. Keeping the views pristine or using land for horses or cows is viewed as more important. (Perhaps those owners have more money and more political influence?)

– Anonymous

On “Missing Lawmakers Dismay Residents,” March 31 This group of politicians totally disgusts me. Stay away, you pile of creeps.

–Greg Miles We knew they weren’t coming … Enzi hasn’t shown his face in Jackson for 30 years—they’re afraid of us because we’re the only place in the state that actively opposes their agenda—and they simply write us off as being “those

SNOW PACK REPORT A BANNER WINTER This winter a deep dense snowpack coated the mountains in white, revealing lines not always seen. These rare lines are only skiable because of near record-breaking snow depths above 9,000 feet.

Repeated melt-freeze cycles helped stabilize the snowpack and formed a few thick crusts within the top 12 inches. Typically, new snow easily slides off the hard surface crust, like on Monday, April 3, when small soft slabs were easily triggered.

As local ski areas close, Jackson Hole Mountain resort on April 9 and Grand Targhee on April 16, walking for turns will be the only alternative. The seven to 12 feet in the mountains has the potential to offer good skiing and riding until June. For now, with a mostly stable snowpack, the main concern will be

NPS

Let’s Preserve Our Treasures

National treasures like Yellowstone are worth the federal dollars, notes one reader.

kooks from Jackson.” Makes me furious and I never vote for them.

– Chris Christian

only thing you recognize is four corners with arches and antlers ???

– Elaine Wolfe

Too bad Ms. Liz doesn’t visit with us since she supposedly “lives” here.”

Maybe just when she’s here fishin’… she isn’t very neighborly.

– Bob Caesar

And those yet unnamed ELITE 1% who “ live” in Teton County and use our state as a tax shelter and loophole while driving our county based incomes into falsely inflated numbers. Working people paying $1,800 for an apartment while guiding tourists through the park DO NOT MAKE 350,000.00 DOLLARS PER YEAR. PLEASE DRAG TETON HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HUD INTO THIS DISCUSSION. – Suzanna Christine Semrow

On “Livin’ On a Prayer,” March 27 I’m not saying housing isn’t needed, but why take the historic character away from downtown? If this is approved I hope it will be out of town, not in town.

The buildings are too high and take the peaceful views and charm away from Jackson. This will be a wrecking ball for the rest of Jackson to come. Please think about it, do you want a town where the

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new snow loading the old snow surfaces. Even small slides could become deadly when people are exposed to terrain traps, like cliffs or steep slopes. This season’s deep snowpack has also widened start zones and lengthened slide paths. These features can turn small point releases into dangerous slides when snow is entrained.

Across the country, the winter season brought above average snowfall, historical storms, and so far below average avalanche-related fatalities. In the spring the mountains are a great place to be but keep in mind the hazards present. A few inches of new snow over big terrain can form an R1, D1 avalanche and catch a mountain traveler off guard. Check the local forecasts and be ready for unexpected conditions.

– Lisa Van Sciver

I agree with the Mayor. This is a real good deal for Joe Rice, but maybe not for the town down the road.

– Carla Watsabaugh

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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.

APRIL 5, 2017 | 5

CASH BACK ROCK CHIP ON WINDSHIELD REPAIR REPLACEMENT

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6 | APRIL 5, 2017

Health Scare Could the Dems use Trumpcare’s implosion to push for single payer health care?

BY BAYNARD WOODS @demoincrisis

A

s debate on Trumpcare raged on in the House, Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan spoke outside the Capitol at a small Progressive Caucus press conference, comparing the bill to a Trojan horse sneaking disastrous measures to the American public.

“And of course these days we know Trojans are something a little different, and they’re only used when you’re gonna get, well, pretty much what this bill does to America,” Pocan said.

Twenty-four hours later, it was Paul Ryan who was being screwed as he stood in front of the press to announce that Obamacare is “the law of the land” and that, after seven long years of complaining, the Republicans would move on from health care after working to pass a bill for less than 70 days.

“Moving from an opposition party to a governing party comes with growing pains,” Ryan confessed.

Meanwhile Minority House Leader Nancy Pelosi declared: “Today’s a great day for our country, it’s a victory.”

But for the members of the Progressive Caucus, this wasn’t a moment to rest on the Republican failure—it was time to fight for the kind of single-payer coverage they believe is the right of Americans.

“All I’m saying is health care is a right, not a privilege. We’re talking about giving the American people their health care rights,” said Michigan Rep. John Conyers. “So I’ve introduced HR 676, a bill that expands Medicare to every American. It’s not enough to say Obamacare represents progress, though it does.

It’s not enough to say that the Republican health care bill is terrible—and it is. What we’re saying is we’re going to organize the people of this country to bring a proactive, positive alternative vision to health care, and Medicare for all is where we’re at.”

Vermont senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he will introduce similar legislation into the Senate and called on Trump, who has expressed support for single payer, to get on board.

“President Trump, come on board. Let’s work together,” Sanders said. “Let’s end the absurdity of Americans paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.”

But when I asked the Democratic House leadership whether they might be on board with such a process, Pelosi gave a rather long and convoluted answer.

“When we did the Affordable Care Act, I wanted the public option, as I think everyone knows. We didn’t get that, but I think we mitigated for not having it by having provisions in the bill that enabled people to

Senate and House Democrats decry Trumpcare in January. Sen. Chuck Schumer even made a sign for the event.

receive benefits. The public option would have saved more money, it would have been cheaper because [there are] not so many administrative costs,” she said. “We couldn’t get that when we had a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress.”

Instead, Pelosi suggested more immediate fixes to ACA, such as “to make sure the secretary of HHS [Health and Human Services] is able to negotiate for lower prices with the pharmaceutical industry.

Prescription drugs are the biggest reason for the increase in medical costs.”

This response shows a failure of imagination on the part of Democratic leadership. Trump had already said his strategy would be to let ACA “explode.”

“We couldn’t get one Democrat vote, not one. So that means they own Obamacare and when that explodes, they will come to us wanting to save whatever is left, and we’ll make a real deal,” Trump said.

But since it was Trumpcare that had just exploded, the Democrats could have been the ones in the position to make a real deal.

More than a decade ago, Trump said he was for single payer, and when asked about it at the first Republican debate in 2015, he said, “As far as single payer, it works in Canada. It works incredibly well in Scotland. It could have worked in a different age, which is the age you’re talking about here.”

No one would deny that it is a different goddamn age now than it was in August 2015.

Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette, a chief deputy whip for the Democrats, later told me that the leadership “certainly is open to a conversation with the White House.”

“If the president and Tom Price are going to try to find ways to sabotage the system like the president threatened last week—to explode the system—that’s not a very good olive branch.”

Then the Republicans met on Tuesday, March 28, a few days after their spectacular failure, and indicated they might not be done with health care after all.

“Their celebration is premature,” said Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana. “We are closer today to repealing Obamacare than we’ve ever been before.”

On the same day, Trump signed a sweeping executive order designed to repeal Obama’s Clean Power

Plan, which attempted to reduce emissions and offer financial incentives to businesses for greener practices.

“We will provide the framework … for a strategy on energy, such that each executive department and agency in the United States government will be responsible for identifying all regulations, all rules, all policies, guidance documents that serve as obstacles or impediments to domestic energy production,” a senior White House official told reporters.

When Obama announced the Clean Power Plan in 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency said that by 2030, the plan’s effects would prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, nearly 100,000 asthma attacks and—since the Republicans clearly don’t care about the health of others—300,000 missed days of work or school.

If these numbers are accurate, this means Trump’s executive order could, like the failed Republican health care bill, lead to widespread death.

Marsha Wills-Karp, the chair of the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health Sciences, agrees. “There is tremendous evidence in the medical literature that exposure to chemicals or particulates that are released particularly by power plants are associated with increased death, deaths from cardio-respiratory diseases, also in asthma exacerbations,” she said.

In other words, Trump’s executive order means we need good health care more than ever. Just thinking about all of this shit is making America more stressed out and anxious—increasing the need for psychological care and, in my case at least, a big dose of medical marijuana, before Jeff Sessions fucks that up, too. PJH

Baynard Woods is editor at large for Baltimore City Paper. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times and The Washington Post. He is the author of the book Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Witchdoctor Sheriff. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, focusing on ethics and tyranny, and became a reporter in an attempt to live like Socrates.

Send tips to democracyincrisiscolumn@gmail.com.

Protecting Place Yellowstone’s Dan Wenk warns the ecosystem will only be saved by hard choices and vision.

BY TODD WILKINSON @BigNatureArt

M

Dan Wenk, superintendent of Yellowstone National Park

of decisions ripple across jurisdictions.

He pressed the Forest Service to welcome park bison and to have the Fish and Wildlife Service become better advocates for protecting transboundary park grizzly bears. In many instances, he ran into a brick wall, observers say. Many agencies are still stuck in their silo mentalities, still reticent to embrace ecosystem management as the vision was initially presented decades ago.

“I think Yellowstone and places like Yellowstone can survive because they’re becoming more important to segments of our population than they were before,” Wenk said. “Our society will not let them go. The challenge does not involve a larger societal question but it’s really one that should be directed to people in the region making decisions on a daily basis that all add up—county commissioners and city councils and other kinds of elected officials. And people willing to accept limits and self-restraint in order to hold onto something greater. We need leadership.

We need ecosystem actions to match the ecosystem rhetoric.” PJH Todd Wilkinson has been writing his award-winning New West column for nearly 30 years. It appears weekly in Planet Jackson Hole. He is author of the recent award-winning book, Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, An Intimate Portrait of 399, the Most Famous Grizzly of Greater Yellowstone only available at mangelsen.com/grizzly.

APRIL 5, 2017 | 7

A quarter century ago, U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming asked the Park Service to study the feasibility of having monorails built in Yellowstone but it was dismissed by the agency as too expensive. The upfront costs of constructing monorails were 15 to 30 times the price per mile of rebuilding the highways.

The irony with monorails, some claimed, is that many more people could have actually moved through the park resulting in less physical impact.

Even with frontcountry crowds, some see the backcountry as being “underutilized” and want more activities—something Wenk says is a bad idea because the goal shouldn’t be to fill up the park with as many people as possible.

Ecologists note that Yellowstone, by itself, isn’t large enough to sustain viable wildlife populations and packing more of us into the backcountry will only exacerbate stresses on those creatures, especially as climate change alters habitat. “Unfortunately,” Wenk said, “there are people who want us to take the risk in order to serve their own selfish desires. They want it because it’s forbidden fruit and they don’t care of the consequences it would have.”

In recent years, Wenk presided as chairman of the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee, the interagency body entrusted to look at land management issues across invisible human-drawn boundaries. He pressed colleagues with the Forest Service and sister agencies in the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, to be more attentive of how the impacts

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

ore than four decades ago, Dan Wenk was a college student in Michigan intent upon becoming a professional landscape architect. In a way, he fulfilled his dream. He never thought it would happen being a career civil servant in the employ of the National Park Service.

Today, holding down one of the most prestigious, most respected posts in government—the superintendency of Yellowstone—Wenk believes the essence of America’s first national park will only be secured not by aspiring to keep setting visitation records but in trying to reduce the impacts of our species.

Wenk’s skill set is equal parts 21st century corporate executive (overseeing a staff of 800 and a budget topping $40 million), tree hugger, motivational speaker, and, by the nature of terrain he’s charged with safeguarding, a field marshal.

Years before returning to Yellowstone (he actually had a stint there earlier in his life), Wenk oversaw Mount Rushmore, the very epitome of an artificial landmark. Like Yellowstone, Rushmore, he says, compels reflection.

“I came to believe that people took away from Mount Rushmore something of what they brought with them. If they were veterans of World War II and were highly patriotic, they left with a heightened sense of patriotism,” he said. “If they were Native Americans with a feeling of oppression, they came away still thinking of it [the faces of four white men chiseled into a mountain illegally taken from them] as a travesty imposed upon their native sacred lands.”

“But with Yellowstone,” Wenk continued, “I think it has the power to transform, to alter your notion of what nature is, to leave you a little more humbled and kind of stunned to think that the park belongs to you and you can have a feeling of connectedness to the things inside it.”

Wenk doesn’t mince words. Yellowstone is being loved to death and the least studied mammal, he likes to say, is humans. “We have to know more about what rising numbers of people are doing to impact the visitor experience and most importantly, the irreplaceable wonders they are coming to see. We can’t continue to have double digit increases in visitation without knowing exactly what the impacts already are.”

Could a public transportation system work to lessen the crushing impacts brought by cars and private tour busses?

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

8 | APRIL 5, 2017

THE BUZZ Gimme Shelter Council keeps focus on housing, approving an amendment tied to a 90-unit apartment complex.

BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

I

n a rather unexpected turn of events, town council voted unanimously to approve a text amendment that exempts new apartment buildings of 20 units or more from LDR affordable housing standards. So, rather than designating at least 25 percent of a development to affordable housing, all new rental units could be leased at market value. The concern among some councilors was that without deed restrictions, there is little to stop landlords from suddenly increasing rents and pricing out the “workforce” members these complexes are supposed to house.

The decision was the second housing action item the council has taken in as many months—it approved funding for the Housing Trust’s Redmond Hall affordable housing rental units in March. While last night’s vote does not advance a specific housing project, restaurateur Joe Rice is counting on the text amendment to break ground on his 90-unit Sagebrush Apartment complex on West Broadway. And the point of the amendment, proponents argue, is to get more housing units on the ground.

The vote also occurred moments—well, hours, but moments in government time—after a discussion about workforce camping sites reminded electeds just how dire the town’s housing shortage is. Mayor Pete Muldoon reminisced of the recent summers he spent sleeping in an RV. Providing legal camping sites in town, he argued, is a safe alternative to having people drive out to Curtis Canyon late at night. The conversation will continue in an April 17 workshop.

Ensuring homes are affordable Time and time again, lack of affordable housing is identified as one of the biggest crises the town and county and its residents face. Teton County Public Health identified insecure housing as a public health issue, and last summer more than 100 people participated in Shelter JH’s housing march. The community has repeatedly expressed a need for more workforce housing, and town council, it seems, is making housing a priority.

Monday night’s meeting was also perhaps a lesson in the myriad approaches the town must take to address such a pressing issue. Subsidized affordable housing, like Redmond Hall, is great, said former mayor Mark Barron, but it cannot be the only solution.

“If we think only taxpayers are going to provide the housing we need, we’re fooling ourselves,” Barron said.

Councilman Don Frank, who was absent in the last meeting and whose vote consultant Christine Walker and Joe Rice counted on, likened passing the amendment to dipping your toe in the water—there’s

Council members ponder an LDR amendment proposed by the developers of Sagebrush Apartments that will change affordable housing standards.

no reason not to try something new, he said. “You can talk about building a house, or you can build a house.”

Still, Muldoon and Councilman Jim Stanford were wary of the long-term implications of the text amendment. “I’m very concerned about the unintended consequences,” Muldoon said. Consequences, Stanford went on to outline, like rent hikes and apartment resale forcing people out of their homes.

What do people who have been priced out of their homes do? Stanford asked. “They come to town council to ask for help. And we can’t help them without deeds restrictions.”

Stanford said that letting the private sector do their thing is a temporary fix, at best. But over time, “the only thing that ensures affordability is deed restriction.”

Ultimately arguments in favor of the text amendment were strong enough to persuade Muldoon and Stanford to vote in favor. The version they passed, however, has a number of strings attached that make the amendment perhaps more palatable, and less risky, than previous drafts.

First, Frank suggested amending the definition of “apartment complexes” to buildings with 20 or more units, instead of the original 10 (for comparison, the Grove Phase I is 20 units). New unrestricted apartment complexes could not allow for short-term rentals. Frank also proposed a “sunset” that would allow electeds to reevaluate and perhaps eliminate the amendment in five years. Finally, owners of all new apartment complexes would be required to issue an annual report to the town council, so the council could monitor claims that apartments are inherently “workforce housing.”

“I’m persuaded,” Stanford said after hearing Frank’s suggestions. “Councilman Frank worked really hard to craft a compromise to eliminate long-term risks.”

Picking up the pace

Throughout the text amendment campaign, proponents argued that dense apartment complexes are inherently affordable. It is perhaps worth noting, however, that Teton County’s median rent in 2016 was $1,800 per month. It is the second highest amount among ski towns (Aspen, Colorado, is No. 1 with median rents at $1,950). The national median, meanwhile, is $1,164.

For some, that still only leaves them the option of shacking up in their car for a summer. Electeds and town staff are still weighing options to provide legal car camping sites to the town’s seasonal workforce.

The conversation will continue in an April 17 workshop, but councilor Hailey Morton-Levinson said time is of the essence.

“You have to get it right the first time,” MortonLevinson said. She reminded her fellow councilors that this was the “third year in a row we’ve talked about this in April or May.” While she would like to see something come of these conversations, she thinks they take at least a year. “We should start the conversation now, for next summer,” she said.

Monday’s conversation about workforce camping made for a powerful transition into LDR text amendments. While car camping is a temporary fix for seasonal workers, Frank said, building apartments actually puts roofs over peoples’ heads.

“The [text amendment] is an opportunity to take real action on housing that is clean, new, affordable, decent, and doesn’t contemplate people sleeping in parking lots,” he said. “I don’t want to look at a future where every year, we ask if people will be living in their cars.” PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

APRIL 5, 2017 | 9

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

10 | APRIL 5, 2017

THE BUZZ 2

Missing: Wyoming’s Congressional Delegation Barrasso, Enzi and Cheney are Teton County’s most wanted.

BY ROBYN VINCENT @TheNomadicHeart

F

rustrated Teton County residents filed into the county building last Thursday for a meeting with field reps from the offices of Sens. Barrasso and Enzi and Rep. Cheney. Since the start of the congressional session in January, all three representatives have eschewed facing their Teton County constituents. Thursday’s meeting, a normally scheduled event that field reps host quarterly, reminded voters of their representatives’ recalcitrance to meet with valley residents.

“It felt like we were just putting slips of paper into a comment box that was shot into space,” said Christie Koriakin of the activism group JH Activate. “The form letters, lack of responses, and [lawmakers] sending minions to sit in for [them] is getting old.”

It is not difficult to see why the meeting’s format would exacerbate already irked voters. Some residents scrawled their comments on pieces of paper while others aired their grievances for field reps who did what they could: sat silently scribbling people’s remarks onto notepads.

Several folks in the audience asked why they had yet to see the faces of Barrasso, Enzi and Cheney (who claims

Jackson Hole her home) in Teton County, which elicited booming applause from the room of about 60 people.

“Given that … congress people now average about 18 hours of scheduled attendance per week, would Rep. Cheney and Sens. Barrasso and Enzi commit to and publicize their schedule to visit Teton County in a public meeting with their constituents once every calendar quarter?” demanded one person.

Thursday’s meeting came about one month after the first congressional recess of the year, when residents invited Barrasso, Enzi and Cheney to a town hall meeting in Jackson on February 24.

The lawmakers declined invites to the meeting, organized by five locals, citing other obligations in different parts of the state.

Those “obligations,” however, included a fundraiser for Barrasso in Teton Village the same day as the meeting. So while a cardboard cutout sat in the senator’s place at the town hall meeting, he appeared at an event that supporters shelled out $1,500 per individual and $5,000 per political action committee to attend, according to The Intercept, which obtained a physical invitation to the fundraiser.

“The [fundraiser] has been scheduled for more than six months,” Laura Mengelkamp, press secretary for Barrasso, told PJH in February.

She defended her boss by rattling off other Wyoming towns where Barrasso spoke to constituents instead that week.

That Wyoming’s representatives are opting to schmooze with campaign contributors instead of talking with the people they’re paid to represent has fueled the ire of valley residents.

People like Jackson Town Councilman Jim Stanford, who attended Thursday’s meeting, expressed dismay.

“It’s ridiculous that our senators come to Teton County with their hands out for high-dollar fundraisers, yet they won’t take the time to hear the concerns

of working folks in the community,” Stanford told PJH. “It has been years since they’ve held a public event to talk about issues with constituents. And Rep. Cheney doesn’t even know the local elected officials in her supposed ‘hometown.’”

The town councilman pointed to Barrasso’s predecessor, whose accessibility starkly contrasts sitting lawmakers. “The late U.S. Sen. Craig Thomas came around often, met with the press, sometimes got an earful, but was willing to listen and share his perspective.”

The meeting Thursday was on the heels of at least one vote in Congress that outraged people on the left and the right: overturning the FCC’s landmark internet privacy protections. Now internet service providers can access and sell people’s browsing history.

Stanford mentioned this to field reps, along with representatives’ attacks on Planned Parenthood, as two inflaming moves. “I’m pretty irate that our representatives would somehow think that’s a good idea—for telecommunications companies to be gathering information about the websites we visit, the news we read, the products we buy. That’s our business … other than the tens of thousands of dollars our representatives have taken from telecommunications businesses, I can see no rationale justifying voting for that bill.”

Tea Partier Bob Culver also lamented the vote to overturn internet privacy rules. “When we talk about the internet privacy act, that’s something I do not want—federal or local or state or anybody poking around on what information I choose to read or look at.”

Almost every single senator who voted in favor of overturning the internet privacy rules is a Republican. Every single Democrat and Independent senator voted against the resolution. The final vote in the Senate was 50–48, with two Republicans voting against the resolution, and another two opting not to vote.

Of the Wyoming representatives who

all voted in favor of selling off people’s internet privacy, each has collected thousands in campaign contributions from internet providers that will benefit from overturning the regulation.

According to the nonprofit watchdog opensecrets.org, in 2016 Barrasso received $48,000 from the telecommunications industry while Enzi took home $17,000. Their career-long cashins up to this point are substantially more, however. Throughout their legislative tenures Barrasso has collected a total of $263,300 from telecommunications companies and Enzi has taken home $202,396. The freshman representative Cheney has collected $15,500.

As Wyoming’s congressional delegation continues to vote in favor of big business over individuals’ rights, folks like Koriakin are hoping Wyomingites are paying attention. “This is no longer about politics,” she said. “It’s about humanity, ethics, and the safety of our country.”

For people who want to learn effective methods for political engagement, JH Activate, JH United, Shelter JH and PFLAG are hosting a Civics 101 course 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 12 at St. John’s Episcopal Church.

Shelter JH’s Skye Schell will lead the exercise focused specifically on local involvement.

“Our goal is to show people who are fired up about national politics, but feel like they can’t make a difference, how much they can accomplish at a local level,” he explained. “We want to build on the great energy of the Women’s March and JH Activate and get people involved in their local government.”

The event will explain how local government works (town/county, ordinances/resolutions) and provide ways to work with local campaigns that protect and empower vulnerable members of the community.

Child care and a light dinner will be provided. PJH

THE BUZZ 3 To SPET or Fret

olls are open for the SPET election, but a debate has ensued since early voting began March 23.

People like Bob Culver are encouraging voters to “hold your fire” while others like, Lauren Dickey, say the ballot items are exactly what SPET is for.

Culver voted against the one percent general sales tax in November. He worried that with a general tax, there was no control over revenue spending. SPET allows for that control, he acknowledged, but he says the amount of items on the ballot has gotten out of hand.

SPET stand for “Specific Purpose Excise Tax,” but Culver calls it by another name: “Special Purpose Excise Tax.” He thinks that tax dollars should only go toward projects that are “special, extraordinary, critical…” etc. In his newsletters, he outlines five “factors” for measuring the appropriateness of SPET projects.

The second is that it addresses a “critical need” that is “timely or safety related.” Many of the projects on the ballot, Culver says, don’t pass the test.

“I think [electeds] got suckered into putting stuff on the ballot that shouldn’t be part of town and county projects,” he said.

Proceeding with caution

‘Our needs are increasing’

Opponents are wary of the price tag while SPET supporters say this is the last hope to address community needs.

BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

P

SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

APRIL 5, 2017 | 11

Dickey, however, says the projects are right in line with SPET goals. “It’s for doing a lot of these capital projects,” she said. The Friends of Pathways education director specifically supports projects that promote sustainable, alternative transportation, like sidewalk improvements and START bus fleet additions.

The town and county have collected SPET since 1989, and this year the county is expected to fall short on about $8 million in sales tax revenue when the tax drops back to five percent. About 56 percent of citizens—some who cited SPET as a better alternative—voted against the general purpose sales tax back in November, but community projects still need funding. For this reason, Town Councilman Jim Stanford says that SPET is more important now than ever.

“Most of these items that are going on the ballot would have been paid for under that sixth cent of general revenue,” Stanford said. But voters decided against it, and now must sleep in the bed they made.

“Our needs are increasing,” he continued. “We’re being asked to do more with the same pot of revenue, or even a decreasing pot.”

Teton County has also lost a significant amount of money in state grants, Stanford noted, and a lot of its capital projects depend on those funds. And with the lodging tax up for renewal this year, the town and county stand to lose even more tax revenue. Stanford says the town has to be willing to replace that revenue somehow.

He said town and county electeds did their best to “thoroughly vet” every project over the course of two months. The final ballot, he said, is a reflection of what town and county staff, and the community, identified as important. “[Citizens] didn’t want less government when the roads were impassable this winter,” Stanford said.

“They all wanted more services then.” Services like snow removal and the START bus, both of which stand to gain funding through SPET dollars. There are $15.33 million dollars on the line for an improved fleet maintenance and START bus storage facility.

Dickey encourages anyone who hasn’t seen the current START bus barn to check it out for themselves.

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Culver is on the board of the Jackson Hole Tea Party, and is responsible for the weekly newsletter “Hole in One.” For the past three weeks his newsletters have analyzed SPET ballot items. While he never says whether someone should vote for or against any particular item, he wants voters to carefully consider the ballot before making any decisions.

“I’m trying to get people to exercise their minds a little bit,” Culver said.

Since town and county electeds approved the ballot last month, responsibility has fallen on voters to educate themselves on the merits of each project. For citizens like Culver, however, the ballot in its entirety is a hard sell.

Culver’s primary concern with this year’s SPET ballot is the dollar amount: almost $70 million dollars. “That’s six years or so of collecting taxes,” he said. “What if another emergency comes? [Electeds] are sunk.”

Indeed, the tax generates about $10 to $12 million in revenue per year. If all 11 items pass in the May 2 election, it will take approximately six years to collect enough money to fund each project. Culver worries that if an emergency strikes the town, like the Budge landslide, the town and county will have to find another way to fund repairs—likely another tax. “The only thing they could do is add something on in parallel,” Culver said.

County Commissioner Paul Vogelheim shared Culver’s concerns throughout the SPET campaign. In the final ballot vote, Vogelheim was the only elected to vote “no.”

“When the voters weighed in on the general purpose sales tax, [they demonstrated] they wanted to go back to how we’ve handled SPET in the past,” Vogelheim said. Historically, SPET projects have been limited to a three- or four-year collection span. “Then voters every two years or so would bring different projects back,” Vogelheim explained. That system, he said, allowed for flexibility, and allowed funding to adjust to shifting needs and emergencies.

“You never know what’s going to come up tomorrow,” Vogelheim said. “Needs could change.

Emergencies could come up.”

“It’s incredibly inefficient,” she said. “Busses are in a tiny little space where they barely fit, and they can only work on three at a time.”

On top of that, Teton County Public Works houses almost 300 public service vehicles—police cars, snowplows, etc. under one roof, and it’s crowded.

“Realistically, we have a lot of needs as a community,” Stanford said—more than $100 million worth of needs, he estimates. So a $70 million price tag is actually pretty trim.

“We’re kidding ourselves if we’re not willing to look at this local funding option,” Stanford said.

Craig Benjamin, executive director of the JH Conservation Alliance, agrees. His organization joined the community-wide effort to pass the general sales tax in November. “It’s interesting the Tea Party is raising questions when their main concern was that the 1 percent [sales tax] wasn’t dedicated, and SPET [dollars] are.”

Benjamin says that the beauty of SPET is how much power it gives to voters. “Everyone has a different definition of critical,” he said. He acknowledged that the ballot’s price tag is high, but “the nice thing is that voters can pick and choose what they think is important.”

Longtime Jackson local Joan Anzelmo will also carefully cast her ballot this year after some backand-fourth with Stanford convinced her to vote at all. Anzelmo said she was concerned that the town Planning Commission approved a new hotel on Center Street. In retaliation, she voiced her concerns on Facebook and expressed that she would not vote in the May 2 SPET election.

“I didn’t see how you could ask the community to fund these projects, while at the same time continuing to make problems [like traffic and lack of affordable housing] worse,” Anzelmo told PJH. But she said that Stanford explained to her the intricacies of why the hotel passed—it’s in a commercial zoning area and actually exceeds affordable housing requirements—and she has since moderated her stance.

Still, she will heavily weigh each ballot item before voting yes or no. “They have to really earn my vote,” she said. Anzelmo says she will likely vote in favor of projects that provide affordable housing—there are three on the ballot—and will certainly vote in favor of funding for a new Living Center at St. John’s Medical Center.

For her, other projects, like additions to the START bus fleet, will require more convincing. “It’s not going to solve every traffic problem in this county,” Anzelmo said. “It’ll help, but [Teton County] is no like a regular urban center … I don’t think just throwing more money and adding more infrastructure is right if the numbers don’t add up.”

Voters have one more chance to publicly vet SPET ballot items 5 to 7:30 pm., April 19 at Teton County Library. PJH

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TP Goes High Tech

NEWS OF THE

WEIRD

China’s public-park restrooms have for years suffered toilet-paper theft by local residents who raid dispensers for their own homes (a cultural habit, wrote Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, expressing taxpayer feelings of “owning” public facilities), but the government recently fought back with technology. At Beijing’s popular Temple of Heaven park, dispensers now have facial-recognition scanners beside the six toilets, with pre-cut paper (about 24 inches long) issued only to users who pose for a picture. (Just one slug of paper can be dispensed to the same face in a nine-minute period, catastrophic for the diarrhea-stricken and requiring calling an attendant to override the machine.)

Latest Religious Messages

The church-state “wall” leaks badly in Spindale, N.C., according to former members of the Word of Faith Fellowship (reported in February by the Associated Press). Two state prosecutors (one a relative of the church’s founder), in nearby Burke and Rutherford counties, allegedly coached Fellowship members and leaders how to neutralize government investigations into church “abuse”—coaching that would violate state law and attorney ethical standards. Fellowship officials have been accused of beating “misbehaving” congregants, including children, in order to repel their demons. (Among the Fellowship’s edicts revealed in the AP report: All dating, marriages and procreation subject to approval; no wedding-night intimacy beyond a “godly” cheek kiss; subsequent marital sex limited to 30 minutes, no foreplay, lights off, missionary position.) n Babies born on the Indonesian island of Bali are still today treated regally under an obscure Hindu tradition, according to a February New York Times report, and must not be allowed to touch the earth for 105 days (in some areas, 210). (Carrying the infant in a bucket and setting that on the ground is apparently acceptable.)

Each birth is actually a rebirth, they say, with ancestors returning as their own descendants. (Accidentally touching the ground does not condemn the baby, but might leave questions about negative influences.) n Catholic priest Juan Carlos Martinez, 40, apologized shortly after realizing, as he said, he had gone “too far” in celebrating March’s Carnival in a town in the Galicia area of Spain—that he acted inappropriately in dressing as Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner, reclining on a red satin sheet on a parade float carrying men dressed as classic Playboy “Bunnies.” Despite apparent public support for Father Martinez, his Archbishop asked him to attend a “spiritual retreat” to reflect on his behavior.

The Bedroom of Tomorrow

In March, vibrator customers were awarded up to $10,000 each in their class-action “invasion of privacy” lawsuit against the company Standard Innovation, whose We-Vibe model’s smartphone app collected intimate data (vibrator temperature and motor intensity) that could be associated with particular customers—and which were easily hackable, and controllable, by anyone nearby with a Bluetooth connection. The Illinois federal court limited the award to $199 for anyone who bought the vibrator but did not activate the app. n The company British Condoms is now accepting pre-orders for the iCon Smart Condom, with an app that can track, among other data, a man’s “thrust velocity,” calories expended “per session” and skin temperature, as well as do tests for chlamydia and syphilis. Projected price is about $75, but the tech news site CNet reported in March that no money will be collected until the prod-

By CHUCK SHEPHERD uct is ready to ship.

Perspective

The U.S. House of Representatives, demonstrating particular concern for military veterans, enhanced vets’ civil rights in March by removing a source of delay in gun purchases. A 2007 law had required all federal agencies to enter any mentally-ill clients into the National Instant Criminal Background Check database for gun purchases, but the new bill exempts veterans (including, per VA estimates, 19,000 schizophrenics and 15,000 with “severe” post-traumatic stress syndrome). (An average of a dozen veterans a day in recent times have committed suicide with guns.)

Fine Points of the Law

Police and prosecutors in Williamsburg, Va., are absolutely certain that Oswaldo Martinez raped and killed a teenage girl in 2005, but, though he was quickly arrested, they have—12 years later—not even put him on trial.

Martinez, then 33, is still apparently, genuinely (i.e., not faking) deaf, illiterate and almost mute, and besides that, the undocumented Salvadoran immigrant has such limited intelligence that test after test has shown him incapable of understanding his legal rights, and therefore “incompetent” to stand trial. (Police made multiple “slam dunk” findings of Martinez’s DNA on the victim’s body and also linked Martinez via a store camera to the very bottle of juice left at the crime scene.)

Eyewitness News

On the morning of March 20 in Winter Park, Fla., Charles Howard, standing outside his home being interviewed live by a WFTV reporter, denied he had committed a crime in a widely reported series of voicemail messages to a U.S. Congressman, containing threats to “wrap a rope around your neck and hang you from a lamp post.”

He boasted that “proof” of his having done nothing wrong was that if he had, he would have already been arrested. “Three minutes later,” according to the reporter, agents drove up and arrested Howard.

People Different From Us

Royce Atkins, 23, told the judge in Northampton County, Pa., in March that he was so sorry he did not stop his car in 2015 and help that 9-year-old boy he had just hit and killed. However, Atkins had earlier been jailhouse-recorded viciously trash-talking the boy’s family for “reacting like they’re the victims. What about my family? My family is the victim, too.” (Atkins got a fouryear sentence.) n In February, in a Wayne County, Mich., court during sentencing for a DUI driver who had killed a man and severely injured his fiancée, Judge Qiana Lillard kicked the driver’s mother out of the courtroom for laughing at the victim’s sister who was tearfully addressing the judge. (Lillard sentenced the mother to 93 days for contempt, but later reduced it to one day).

The Aristocrats!

Among the facts revealed in the ongoing criminal proceedings against U.S. Navy officials and defense contractor Leonard (“Fat Leonard”) Francis, who is charged with arranging kickbacks: In 2007, Francis staged a party for the officials at the Shangri-La Hotel in the Philippines during which (according to an indictment unsealed in March) “historical memorabilia related to General Douglas MacArthur were used by the participants in sexual acts.”

Thanks this week to Anthony Yeznach, Robin Daley, Michelle Jensen, Michelle Collier, Mark Lillicrap, Mel Birge and the News of the Weird Board of Editorial Advisors.

I

Culture Killer

t’s been three weeks since President Trump released his federal budget plan that would slash funding to key social and cultural federal agencies. Among the proposed cuts, Trump wants to completely eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.

Though NEA has faced challenges in the past, Trump is the first president to formally propose ditching it altogether. Local arts organizations are still reeling from the announcement. Some have begun dire deliberations about what programming to lose if NEA disappears.

The heart of the issue, however, goes even deeper. Trump’s proposed cuts are sparking a spirited defense of the role of the arts in society. Here in Jackson, with our abundant art scene, the topic is critical. We need only survey a handful of arts organizations to see the ways arts programming benefits our lives, and our economy. But if the government refuses to value the arts, what ripple effect will that have on how our community defines itself and how we chart our future?

How gutting the National Endowment for the Arts will hurt Jackson Hole. @ MEG D A L Y1

‘A NATION’S MOST PRECIOUS HERITAGE’

APRIL 5, 2017 | 13

Art in Translation visiting artist Sandra Calvo

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The Art Association is currently preparing for the April 29 opening of the Art in Translation exhibition, a cross-cultural collaboration that explores Jackson Latinos’ sense of home. Led by a curator from Mexico City and involving three Mexican contemporary artists, the exhibition has involved months of research, including travel to Jackson and Tlaxcala, Mexico, original home to many Latinos now in Jackson. The project culminates this month with a series of artist talks, educational events, and an art exhibition at the Art Association gallery.

Art Association executive director Mark Nowlin said that the impetus behind Art in Translation was to spur community conversations using a variety of art mediums.

“This project helps bridge two different cultures so they can talk to each other more easily.”

For the exhibition, multi-disciplinary artist Edgardo Aragón will present a video showcasing

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BY MEG DALY |

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14 | APRIL 5, 2017

A still from a video by Art in Translation visiting artist Edgardo Aragón.

the parallel landscapes shared by Jackson and Tlaxcala. Artist Sandra Calvo will create an installation piece about housing, shelter, and territory issues in the valley. Artist and writer Verónica Gerber will present a radio program designed to share similar stories in both English and Spanish. Each art experience aims to foster understanding and dialogue.

The Art in Translation exhibition received a $15,000 grant directly from the National Endowment for the Arts. Such awards are extremely competitive and held in high esteem.

Without that funding, the exhibition would not have happened.

“This project is above and beyond our normal budget,” said Jill Callahan, Art Association development director. “We are stretching ourselves to do this for the community. Without funding from the NEA, we couldn’t do it.”

Not only do the actual dollars go a long way to meeting the budgetary needs of a project like Art in Translation, but other arts donors and funding organizations see an NEA grant as a stamp of approval.

“For us to receive an NEA award is a big indication of credibility,” Callahan said. “We’ve seen a catalyst effect. Because of the NEA funding we were able to secure three other sources of funding.”

This is a common refrain among arts organizations, NEA funding helps other funders feel secure about providing money too.

“Government support provides that

confidence to a donor that the state or federal government is invested in a project,” said Babs Case, Dancers’ Workshop artistic director.

Jackson Hole Public Art director Carrie Geraci agrees. “It’s like seed money,” she said. “It’s the spark that shows there’s value to a program or project. This creates real inspiration for other donors to get on board and know that they are funding projects that are transformative for communities, students, and artists.”

NEA was created to do just this, to provide necessary funding and seed other funding for arts programs. Congress established it in 1965, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities. When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Arts and Humanities bill that established the two independent federal agencies, he pointed to the vital role the arts play in human history.

“Art is a nation’s most precious heritage,” Johnson said. “For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves, and to others, the inner vision which guides us as a nation. And where there is no vision, the people perish.”

NEA supports visionary artists and arts programming in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Forty percent of its grant-making budget is awarded directly to the states through their state and regional arts agencies. The other 60 percent are awards made directly to organizations and individuals. For fiscal year 2016, the National Endowment for the Arts’ appropriation of $147.9 million constituted

approximately .004 percent of the federal budget—a miniscule amount when compared to the $3 billion Trump asked for to pay for his controversial U.S.-Mexico border wall and other immigration enforcement plans.

Case said Trump’s proposed cuts are disheartening. “It makes me deeply sad for our country because it isn’t going to make that much of a difference in our national budget or deficit,” she said.

But it will make a big difference to arts organizations that depend on every penny they can raise. While not all arts organizations rely heavily on NEA funding, many—especially rural arts organizations—receive at least part of their annual operating budget from grants from their state arts council. That is in addition to any direct funding from NEA for special projects like Art in Translation.

In fact, underserved and marginalized communities have the most to lose if the NEA disappears. When Trump announced his budget, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture issued a statement, urging their supporters to take action.

“Let’s create momentum, stay engaged in resistance, and work collectively across sectors to advocate for support of the NEA and other threatened agencies,” the statement read.

“Together, we must stay vigilant of the calculated frameworks of nationalism and racism that enshrine the current administration.”

RURAL STATES WILL BE HIT HARD

According to Wyoming Arts Council executive director Michael Lange, state arts councils were set up to be the pass-through entities for NEA funding. They are required to match NEA funds one-to-one with state funding. As with private donors, federal monies are leveraged to enhance arts funding overall.

“The NEA money comes to the states then the arts council re-grants the funds out to nonprofit organizations, government entities, and nongovernmental organizations around the state that sponsor arts programs,” Lange said.

“It’s a perfect example of federalism,” he continued. “It’s one of the only federal models that works like this, and it’s something to be proud of.”

As in other rural states, the Wyoming Arts Council’s NEA funding comprises a significant chunk of its annual budget. For fiscal year 2016, WAC received $708,700, or 40 percent of its budget. By comparison, California received about $1.3 million from NEA. But with a $20 million overall budget, NEA funding in California

PEN Award Winner Nina McConigley teaching a workshop at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference.

individuals each year. Grant recipients include the Art in Translation exhibition, Thin Air Shakespeare, Teton Artlab artist residencies, pARTners, Dancers’ Workshop, Jackson Hole Public Art, Jackson Hole Writers, and numerous others. At the heart of Center of Wonder’s giving mission is a belief in the value of art.

“Art is essential to who we are as individuals and as a community,” Silberberg said. “Art has the power to be a counterpoint to a consumerist society.”

Like Silberberg, Mott says the arts are fundamentally a part of what it means to be human. “Art has been around since the cavemen,” she said. “It’s the way to express ourselves, and teach each other culturally.” She pointed to theater in particular. “Theater shows us what our culture is and who we are as people.

It reflects how we interact with each other, and provides a way to talk about [difficult] topics.”

At the Center for the Arts, which houses 20 art, education, and humanities organizations, the impact of the arts on community is palpable.

“There is a heartbeat going on here,” said Ponteir Sackrey, president of the Center Fund.

“To dim that through the elimination of one of our country’s hallowed organizations is disheartening. The arts are part of our essential hierarchy of needs, like food and water.”

Jellen says the arts are about giving people a voice. “When we lose that, we lose our sense of self and community. We lose who we are.”

APRIL 5, 2017 | 15

back dramatically in order to survive. “In our “If WAC funds were cut, it would result in a case, that would probably mean shuttering tight squeezing of all our programming,” she the annual Jackson Hole Writers Conference, said, adding that her budget is also affected by an event which has been bringing top agents, school district budget cuts. editors and authors to our community for more And when arts education programs are than 26 years,” she said. forced to scale back, children suffer. “The arts For Riot Act, are such a good thing Inc., its $7,000 grant for our children to be from WAC makes up exposed to because, “ORGANIZATIONS about 14 percent of otherwise, how are its annual budget. So they going to foster THAT FOSTER while it wouldn’t have that creativity?”

THE MAKING OF to close its doors, Moran said. “The arts it would impact its give kids the ability ART ARE UNDER programming, to express themselves SIEGE. THEY according to director and try things out Macey Mott. without fear of ONLY SURVIVE “It might mean getting it wrong.”

BECAUSE OF THE that we do one less Center of Wonder production per year,” co-founder Gary COMMITMENT OF Mott said. “Or it might Silberberg says that THEIR LEADERS.” mean we can’t do while presenting art is bigger budget shows important, supporting like Hamlet.” the making of art— In addition to funding programs like whether it’s children’s art or that of highly theatrical productions and writers’ conferences, trained professionals—is even more essential in WAC also provides funding to arts education America. “Organizations that foster the making organizations like pARTners. A small organization of art are under siege,” Silberberg said. “They with a lean budget, pARTners coordinates arts only survive because of the commitment of their projects in kindergarten through eighth grade leaders.”

(CK) classrooms. It receives 20 percent of its Center of Wonder is a local grant-making funding from WAC. For pARTners’ executive organization that distributes thousands of director Ruth Moran, that money is essential. dollars to creative projects, organizations and

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

packs less of a punch.

Wyoming ranks third in the nation for amount of money received per person in grants from NEA. Most states receive less than $1 per person; Wyoming receives a little more than $1.25. Indeed, rural states will be the hardest hit if NEA is eliminated—Vermont, Alaska, South Dakota and Montana also rank high in terms of NEA dollars per person. Lange estimates that rural states would lose 40 percent of their arts councils. For these states, losing NEA funding could also drain state funding for the arts.

“One of the reasons that the partnership between the federal government and states has been so strong is because they have been able to hold each other accountable,” Lange said.

“There’s no doubt that partnership is put in jeopardy if NEA funding goes away.”

If WAC’s budget was cut by 40 percent, but state funding remained the same, it would likely correlate to a 40 percent reduction in the amounts given to arts organizations. As Jackson’s nonprofit arts organizations try to make sense of how those kinds of cuts would affect them, several are trying to imagine receiving 40 percent less each year from WAC. For some, it could mean the end of signature programs, and that’s best-case scenario, if state and private funding stays the same.

According to Jackson Hole Writers development director Jennifer Jellen, without federal arts funding, small community-focused organizations like hers would have to cut

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16 | APRIL 5, 2017

A scene from Riot Act’s February Production of Hamlet.

PAINFUL ECONOMIC LOSS Something else more quantifiable is lost when the arts go away, and that’s money. The arts are a significant economic driver. A study by Americans for the Arts found that in 2010, nonprofit arts and culture organizations pumped an estimated $61.1 billion into the national economy. In Teton County alone, in 2010, nonprofit arts and culture organizations generated $1,820,000 of revenue to local government, and $2,916,000 to state government.

“Arts and culture are such economic drivers,” Geraci said. “To not invest in those is bad business.”

The 2010 Americans for the Arts economic study backs up Geraci’s assertion. According to the study, “Nonprofit arts and culture organizations are good business citizens. They are employers, producers, consumers, members of their chambers of commerce, and partners in the marketing and promotion of their cities and regions.”

The study found that in 2010, nonprofit arts and culture organizations supported 2.2 million U.S. jobs, a fact which lawmakers would be wise to heed if they are touting job creation as part of their platforms. Notably, the study also found

that spending by arts and culture organizations resulted in $10.2 billion in total government revenue—for a $147 million investment.

Geraci said now is the time for concerned citizens to voice their support for NEA. The president’s proposed budget is only the beginning of a process. Congress ultimately writes budget and allocates funds, and that won’t happen until late summer. In the meantime, arts advocates like Geraci recommend delivering your message to elected officials.

“It would be helpful for arts administrators to invest in taking a trip to D.C., to visit our senators in their offices,” she said. “I am concerned our elected officials may not fully understand the value of the arts in Teton County and it would be unfortunate if they made decisions without being fully informed of the economic and quality of life impact the arts have.”

Both Sens. Barrasso and Enzi provided PJH with noncommittal statements regarding the president’s proposal to eliminate NEA. Though Enzi chairs the Senate Cultural Caucus, his press secretary Max D’Onofrio mentioned only vague arts support: “Senator Enzi has historically been a supporter of the arts and humanities,” D’Onofrio said.

However, a congressional report card conducted by the Americans for the Arts Action Fund in 2010 found the opposite. Enzi received a D+ and Barrasso received an F in regards to their support for the arts. Criteria included supporting museums and public art, voting to keep jobs in

the arts, and showing leadership in the arts.

Based on Rep. Liz Cheney’s freshman voting record so far, she is expected to toe the Republican line. She has voted against public lands, environmental protections, abortion rights, and internet privacy. It’s hard to imagine rural arts programs passing muster with her.

Barrasso was challenged publicly about NEA funding in February when he attended a chamber of commerce meeting in Big Horn, Wyoming.

Pinedale artist Isabel Rucker was in attendance and asked him about the threat to NEA. “He displayed a complete lack of knowledge of the issue and the organization and answered my question by saying Wyoming should ship beef to South Korea,” Rucker said. “When I pressed him a couple more times to answer whether he would support the NEA he dodged and said he’d see what Sen. Mike Enzi recommends.”

Instead of leaving things with Enzi, art lovers may want to more actively advocate for federal arts funding. Because they are federal programs, neither NEA nor state art councils can advocate for themselves. That’s where individuals, organizations and arts advocacy groups can play a vital role in the fate of NEA. On the front lines of that effort is the nonprofit Americans for the Arts (americansforthearts.org), which has numerous ways for citizens to become involved in saving NEA from petitions to letter-writing.

In the meantime, Lange urged Wyoming artists and arts groups to continue applying for Wyoming Arts Council grants.

“We are talking about a budget that would start July 1, 2018 and impact WAC grant awards that are not even open yet,” Lange said. “The arts council is moving forward as we always have.

We are building stronger Wyoming communities and using art to do that. All grants that have been allocated are completely funded. Funds are also in place for current grants. Don’t miss a deadline.”

This is good news for Art in Translation—the funding is secure and the exhibition is right on track. Carmina Oaks is a local Latina who has been working with Art in Translation artist Sandra Calvo on an installation about housing and shelter. Calvo’s work will help paint a picture of life in Tlaxcala compared to life in the valley, and the housing challenges faced in each place. “It’s about making two communities come together instead of putting a block in between,” Oaks said.

Oaks hopes the Art in Translation project will foster the understanding people in Jackson are craving. By illuminating conditions in Tlaxcala and the sacrifices many Latinos have made to come to Jackson, the project builds empathy, and shows how the two communities support one another.

“The world is made of so many different cultures,” she said. “We need to be sure to be kind to each other and care for one another.”

At a time in history when leaders seek to divide people with walls, an art project that builds cultural bridges might just be priceless.

PJH

THIS WEEK: June 10-16, 2017

Compiled by Caroline LaRosa

17th Annual Cardboard Box Derby 10 a.m. Saturday, Grand Targhee Resort Join Grand Targhee Resort for the annual Cardboard Box Derby. Watch as cardboard artists and mechanics turn little more than cardboard, paper, tape, glue, and string into creative race sculptures.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307-733-7425 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Storytime 10:30am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379

APRIL 5, 2017 | 17

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 21

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

n Storytime 11:00am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Teton Toastmasters 12:00pm, Teton County Commissioners Chambers, Free n Drawing & Monotype Printmaking 1:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00 $191.00, 307-733-6379 n After School Monthly Workshops 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $180.00 $216.00, 307-733-6379 n Stackhouse 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n The Liquor Store Chamber Mixer 5:00pm, The Liquor Store, Free, 307-733-3316 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Advanced Papermaking 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $132.00 $158.00, 307-733-6379

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307-733-7425 n German, Czech, and Polish Records 2:00pm, Teton County Library Computer Lab, Free, 307-733-2164 n Get Your Taxes Done For Free 3:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n PTO 3:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Listen Local Live at Lotus Happy Hours 4:00pm, Lotus Organic Restaurant, Free

n Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group 6:00pm, Eagle classroom at St. John’s Medical Center, Free, 307-732-1161 n Barbara Trentham Life Drawing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

18 | APRIL 5, 2017

MUSIC BOX

Split Rails and Acoustic Trails Boulder’s The Railsplitters touch down at Silver Dollar Showroom.

BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch

H

aving a banjo, mandolin, upright bass, and fiddle in your band was once synonymous with the genre of bluegrass. In some rural pockets of the country that homogenous assumption remains fairly intact. Though for the most part, traditional bluegrass bands are a thing of the past.

Modern day musicians soak in influences from a wider spectrum. Intricate acoustic music a la Crooked Still or David Grisman along with Americana-grass or jamgrass are common off-shoots, and the blend of personalities and backgrounds are integral to the musical chemistry.

Boulder-based quintet The Railsplitters exist in a branch of string music that underlines vocal harmony, space for instruments to breath, and a songbased approach that sometimes blurs the traces of its bluegrass roots. Listening preferences of its members seemingly come from contradicting sources, though these three ladies and two guys have found solid ground.

“The Punch Brothers have been a huge influence for me, especially while we we’re putting out our first record,” said Railsplitters banjo player and songwriter Dusty Rider. “My influences after that have varied.

During the second album, I was listening to Gorillaz

and some of that definitely crept in. Lately I’ve even been getting into house and electronic music. But I got into bluegrass in middle school when I started playing banjo, and I was exclusive with it for some time. Leslie takes influence from 50s songwriters and Buddy Holly is one of her favorites.”

The five-piece took home first place at the Rockygrass Best New Band Competition in 2015 and got busy touring the U.S. The distinctly clear voice of guitarist Lauren Stovall is the building block that is surrounded by three- and four-part vocal harmony, which further enhances a collectively tight, innovative sound that can grow powerful.

“I remember there being a really natural blend when we were first started singing and playing, really from the onset,” Rider said. “Once we started writing more and Leslie started singing, the parts worked out where there wasn’t room for vocals on top. But even on the first record, our producer Aaron Youngbird gave

us some pointers on how to blend better as an ensemble and we just kind of ran with that. We occasionally have four- and five-part harmonies.”

The Railsplitters have a Colorado denominator, a regional sound that can be traced back to the Centennial State’s progressive stringband onslaught of the last two decades. The fertile environment is supportive and readily available in an informal setting.

“One of the biggest reasons The Railsplitters was able to form was because of the jam sessions, the jam circuit if you will,” Rider explained of Colorado’s melting pot. “Not the Yonder Mountain or Greensky Bluegrass style of jam, but just a bunch of folks getting together. There’s a good scene in here. In our case, it was a mutual friend that had a pickin’ party and that’s where I met Pete (mandolin), and Lauren and Leslie (upright bass) would come every once in a while.

That’s where the core four got started. It still happens

WEDNESDAY Vinyl Night (The Rose) THURSDAY The Railsplitters (Silver Dollar) FRIDAY Pam Drews Phillips (The Granary), Wildflower Moon (Trap Bar),

everywhere, every night of the week within a 30-mile radius. And then you’ve got a lot of starter venues, like breweries, where you can make a little money and try out your songs on an audience. There are a lot of people around Colorado that just like music, regardless of what it is.”

The 2017 Railsplitters album, Jump In!, is due this fall though you can get a preview of new material from its live Daytrotter session from February, or check out the band’s first two studio albums—The Faster it Goes (2015) and The Railsplitters (2013).

The Railsplitters, 7:30 to 11 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at the Silver Dollar Showroom, free. 307-732-3939. PJH

SATURDAY Misfit Moonshiners (Under the Tram), Jon E. Boothe Band (Silver Dollar) SUNDAY Sneaky Pete & the Secret Weapons (Under the Tram), Aaron Davis & the Mystery Machine (Silver Dollar), Open Mic (Pinky G’s)

Aaron Davis is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, member of Screen Door Porch and Boondocks, audio engineer at Three Hearted Studio, founder/host of Songwriter’s Alley, and co-founder of The WYOmericana Caravan.

TUESDAY One Ton Pig (Silver Dollar)

SPECIAL Free steering and suspension inspection 1/2 price alignment with repair.

(A $149.00 savings) Call to make an appointment.

APRIL 5, 2017 | 19

CALL: 307-733-4331

4280 W. Leeper Lane | Wilson, WY

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

POT HOLE

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

20 | APRIL 5, 2017

CREATIVE PEAKS Football is over.

Let the BRUNCH begin!

Sat & Sun 10am-3pm •••••••••••

HAPPY HOUR

1/2 Off Drinks Daily 5-7pm

•••••••••••

SCOTT DAVIDSON

Monday-Saturday 11am, Sunday 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors)•733-7901

When Master Lines Align Visit this imaginative Asymbol show before it closes at the end of the week.

BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1

T

hree luminaries of the adventure sports world have fed off each other’s seemingly endless creative and physical energy at Asymbol gallery, where a unique show of collaborative work by Bryan Iguchi, Jamie Lynn, and Schoph hangs until April 7.

The three artists joined forces in February during Asymbol’s HMNTR 3 (Human Nature) show to create several collaborative murals. The idea originated with Asymbol staffers, who wanted the three artists to create a permanent piece for the gallery called “Alignment.”

“The inspiration of planning and conceptualizing this piece inspired them to do more,” Asymbol’s Ashley Rice said. “They had so much creative energy and inspiration they created a whole body of work.”

Snowboarding icon Iguchi lives in Wilson with his wife Lily and two sons. He says his art is an extension of his passion for the natural world, and incorporates themes of landscapes, precipitation, erosion, and waves.

Seattle-based rider/artist Jamie Lynn was the first snowboarder to create his own graphics for his pro-model board.

Asymbol’s artist statement describes

‘Alignment’ by Bryan Iguchi, Jamie Lynn and Schoph.

him as “one of the most universally respected, iconic snowboarders of all time.” No stranger to Jackson Hole, Lynn has visited here many times for friends, riding, and art.

Hailing from Northern England, Schoph’s eerie yet dreamy art has appeared on top snowboard brands like Mervin, Dragon and Elm. Schoph is one of the masterminds behind the HMNTR exhibition. This February was his second visit to the valley.

According to Rice, the three riders/artists spent one week shredding together during the day and making art at night. Working together at the Asymbol Gallery and at Iguchi’s home, the artists riffed off of one another, moving from mural to mural, adding a line, augmenting a gesture, or completing a scene. Cans of spray paint littered the floors.

The three artists’ style complement one another. In one piece, two arms draped in vines reach toward one another, fingers entwined. This is the work of Schoph, with a mountainscape background by Iguchi. The mountainscape rests under a cresting wave above the ocean at sunset with the sun and more mountains rendered in Lynn’s looping, swirling signature style.

The Alignment mural combines tribal motifs with mythic mountains. It feels like Hawaii, Jackson Hole, and the Amazonian jungle blended into one vision, with snakes and skulls, vinelike rays of sun, and radiating energy.

For the 14-foot by 5-foot work on wood panel, the artists utilized spray paint, shoe polish, and acrylic.

Photographer Andrew Miller documented the process of creating the

collaborative murals, and his photos are on display as well. The Salt Lake City-based photographer recently traveled to Nepal for a 40-day, high altitude, snowboard expedition with Jeremy Jones, who was shooting the final chapter of his film Higher.

In a statement accompanying his photos of the Alignment collaborations, Miller wrote, “To witness the process and quick transformation of a blank canvas into a finished work of art was mind blowing… Powder and paint were flying all week.”

Miller also spoke to the parallels between making art and riding, where solo motivation is required but camaraderie can take things to another level.

“As an artist I know how hard it can be to motivate creativity within your own work,” he wrote. “Finding that flow state can be tricky, but when surrounded by friends who all share the same passion, it is so much easier to get into the groove.”

The murals and photographs are not for sale, though a print of the Alignment mural is now available at the gallery and online (asymbol.co). Rice encouraged viewers to see the work in person before the murals disappear to their homes. “When you see work in the gallery, it’s amazing to see how well the artists’ unique styles work together as a whole. It makes you appreciate what happens when creative individuals get together.”

Alignment: A Collaboration hangs through Friday, April 7 at Asymbol Gallery, 150 Scott Lane. PJH

n Monotype + Collagraph 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $45.00 $55.00, 307-733-6379 n Introduction to Wildlife Photography 6:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $175.00 $210.00, 307-733-6379 n The Railsplitters 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939

FRIDAY, APRIL 7

SUNDAY, APRIL 9 n Quilting - Circles 12:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $100.00, 307-733-7425

MONDAY, APRIL 10

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n Digital Photography 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, 307733-7425 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307-733-7425 n After School Kidzart Club: Grade K-2 3:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $165.00 $198.00, 307-733-6379 n Studio Sampler 3:45pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $264.00 $316.00, 307-733-6379 n Intermediate Stained Glass - Design With Light 5:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $230.00 $276.00, 307-733-6379 n Hootenanny 6:00pm, Dornan’s, Free, 307-733-2415

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR PASSION ABOUT ALL THINGS JACKSON HOLE. Evenitatis int.

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SUPPORT THE PLANET.

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FOR ADVERTISING AND MARKETING INFO , CONTACT JEN OR CAROLINE AT 307-732-0299.

NEWS TIPS?

EMAIL EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM

APRIL 5, 2017 | 21

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 24

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-7336398 n 17th Annual Cardboard Box Derby 9:30am, Grand Targhee Resort, $10.00, 800-TARGHEE n Being Creative Workshop 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $80.00 $95.00, 307-733-6379 n Starting with Small Things: Poetry Workshop with Susan Austin 10:00am, Teton County Library - Alta Branch, Free, 307-353-2505 n Library Saturdays: Mini Music & Movement 10:15am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Personal Genealogist Day 1:00pm, Teton County Library Study Room 1, Free, 307-733-6379 n The People’s Market 2:00pm, Teton County Fairground Building, Free n Music Under the Tram with Misfit Moonshiners 3:00pm, Teton Village, Free, 307-733-2292 n Jackson Hole Juggernauts vs.

Bittersweet Bombshells 7:00pm, Snow King Sports & Event Center, $5.00 - $10.00, 307-690-1982 n Jon E. Boothe Band 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Upslope Tasting 9:00pm, The Liquor Store, Free, 307-733-4466 n BJ Barham of American Aquarium 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-733-3886

n Music Under the Tram with Sneaky Pete & The Secret Weapons 3:00pm, Teton Village, Free, 307-733-2292 n The Center Presents Coriolanus 4:00pm, The Center Theaer, $10.00 - $18.00, 307-7334900 n Lazy Suzy 4:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 307-353-2300 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407 n Brewer’s Dinner 6:00pm, Branding Iron Grill, $75.00, 800-TARGHEE n Aaron Davis & the Mystery Machine 7:00pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Hospitality Night Happy Hour 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307-733-7425 n Portrait Drawing 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379 n Bailey’s Tasting 10:00am, The Liquor Store, Free, 307-733-4466 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole, Free, 307733-4466 n FREE Friday Tasting at Jackson Whole Grocer 4:00pm, Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Free, 307733-0450 n Wildflower Moon 4:00pm, The Trap Bar & Grill, Free, 800-TARGHEE n Teen Night at the Library 6:30pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Pam Drews Phillips Plays Jazz 7:00pm, The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch, Free, 307-733-8833 n Free Public Stargazing 7:30pm, Center for the Arts, Free, 844-996-7827 n Jon E. Boothe Band 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Booty Breaks Closing Day Dance Party 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886

SATURDAY, APRIL 8

FREE SPEECH Living the Dream vs.

Reality Sometimes it is possible to go home again.

BY SARAH ROSS

22 | APRIL 5, 2017

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

OLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR THE LATEST PLANET HAPPENINGS! @

SARAH ROSS

D

uring a memorable high school spring break, I donned a bikini and ski goggles and lay outside without any sunscreen. It was a bluebird day—cold and sunny. My hands and feet went numb, but I persevered.

Later, I had to explain to my baffled parents how and why I’d gotten an intense sunburn on a 20-degree day without leaving our backyard.

It was worth it when the first person noticed my goggle tan and remarked that I must have skied a whole bunch over the break. “Yeah, I guess,” I said, shrugging nonchalantly.

For me, growing up in Jackson was an exercise in cultivating an exterior life that didn’t quite match my interior one.

The coolest kids were the most athletic, thin, and besotted with Jackson’s alpine terrain. I felt guilty for being a mediocre and lazy skier, a scaredy-cat, and the slowest person on the cross-country team. I tried to create a version of myself that at least appeared to be all I was not.

When, for example, people asked what I did after school, I vaguely referred to “stuff” rather than confessing that I was busy with community theater.

Despite hard-won tans and an elaborately constructed persona, I often felt under pressure. After briefly dating a popular semi-professional snowboarder, I broke up with him, exhausted from trying to be a cool and outdoorsy girlfriend. I received a flood of anonymous notes from his friends (people I’d likely known since kindergarten) via the now defunct Facebook feature “Honesty Box.” Most said he was out of my league, that no one understood why he was with me in the first place. One comment read: “With all the weight you’re gaining, no one here will ever want to date you anyway.” My journal that year included daily entries noting my weight and food intake each day.

My dad fled from the East Coast to Jackson, becoming a river guide at the

For the author, childhood in Jackson Hole was a bit easier than young adulthood, as evidenced by this journal entry.

age of 17. He worked hard to raise a family here, and taught his kids everything he knew about the rivers and mountains. Despite his efforts, each summer I returned to the suburb he’d escaped, happy to live with my grandparents and do theater camp, to escape the feeling that I should be more, better, thinner than I was.

There are many ways to understand a place, though. When I asked Fuller, my 20-year-old brother, how Jackson felt to him growing up, he described it as an accepting and comfortable place, full of endless opportunity: “It was so special. The kids I grew up with in kindergarten were my best friends when I was a senior. When I go home, it truly feels like I’m going back to a place I’m always welcome … everyone’s parents were an expert in something, I learned to do so much.”

For Fuller, growing up in Jackson was idyllic and simple. However, he doesn’t want to return for good. Now, he sees it differently. “I’d describe it as exhilarating, suffocating, and isolating.” Indeed, Jackson lends itself to extreme adjectives. When I asked a co-worker how she would describe the valley, she nearly got choked up. “It’s been an incredibly difficult place to live,” she said.

She’s struggled to find housing, a sense of stability. Still, she calls living here, “The thing I’m the most sure about out of everything in my life.”

Another co-worker told me that before moving here in her early 20s, she had no idea places like Jackson existed.

She loves it, but says it’s totally disconnected from “the real world.” When she goes to bars in her hometown, it’s a bit of a relief: “You forget that not everywhere is as amped up as this place.”

Other words I’ve heard to describe Jackson? Unreal. Perfect. Paradise. The dream.

Ultimately, those who reside here have to find ways to live within the conflicting narratives of a place that elicits such strong reactions. They have to find a way to feel real while living in a “dream.”

Six years ago I left for college and promised not to return. Now I’m back renegotiating my hometown. I still find it difficult to not get caught up in what I “should” be doing—the impulse to fake a goggle tan sometimes still kicks in— but I’m practicing a gentler approach.

The Tetons exist outside of Instagram photos, and snow doesn’t fall as a reproach to the non-skiers. Growing up, I felt that Jackson encouraged competition, judgment, and disengagement. But since moving back, I’ve been surprised by the people I’ve met and re-met who are supportive, thoughtful, and passionate about building a life and community here.

Growing up, I was consumed by what I thought people thought of me.

Now, I realize that my expectations of others were equally as limiting. In allowing a more honest approach to my Jackson life, I’m learning to see myself and those around me as more fully human. PJH

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

APRIL 5, 2017 | 23

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

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TUESDAY, APRIL 11

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 $16.00, 307-733-6398 n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307733-7425 n Teton Plein Air Painters 9:00am, Outdoors, Free, 307-733-6379 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307-733-2164 n Toddler Time 10:35am, Teton County Library, Free, 307733-2164 n Toddler Time 11:05am, Teton County Library, Free, 307733-6379 n Bubble Play 11:30am, Teton County Library, Free, 307733-2164 n Teton Plein Air Painters Critique 12:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-6379 n Photography Open Studio 12:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-6379 n Listen Local Live at Lotus Happy Hours 4:00pm, Lotus Organic Restaurant, Free n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307690-6539 n Intermediate Throwing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $154.00 - $184.00, 307-733-6379 n Wyoming Recreation Task Force Listening Sessions 6:00pm, Teton County Administration Building, Free, n Advanced Photography Techniques 6:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $65.00 - $78.00, 307-733-6379 n Full Moon Stargazing & Easter Egg Hunt 7:00pm, Rendezvous Park, Free, 307-7333913 n One Ton Pig 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939

FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS VISIT PJHCALENDAR.COM

Loyal Champs Olympians Pepi Stiegler and Billy Kidd reunite in the name of MS.

BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

DAVE SOLLITT

n Teton Photography Group – Monthly Public Presentations 6:00pm, Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, Free, 307-733-6379

HISTORIC HIGHS

O

n a sunny March day in Teton Village, Pepi Stiegler sat down with friend and former rival William “Billy” Kidd. The last time the two skiing icons had been together was for a Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser for fellow ski racer Jimmy Huega.

Huega won the bronze Olympic medal in alpine skiing the same year Kidd took silver and Stiegler took gold. He died from complications of the disease in 2010.

Kidd reunited with Stiegler, who was diagnosed with MS in 1993, as part of an ongoing fundraising effort to help Stiegler with medical expenses and contribute to MS research. It was also a moment to relive skiing history.

Turns of the past The year was 1964 when Kidd became the first American ski racer to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing—but Stiegler, an Austrian native, would win the gold medal.

“I remember Innsbruck well,” Stiegler said, reminiscing the 1964 winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. “I remember you trying to beat me. After the first run I looked pretty good, but then on the second run I was getting into icy spots trying to get to the finish line.”

“But my one-second advance from the first run still kept me in first place,” Stiegler continued. “You probably didn’t like that.”

“I didn’t mind,” Kidd replied. “I thought, if you’re a nice guy like Pepi Stiegler, I don’t mind if you win the gold because we’re in Austria. Austria had to win, the Austrians know the timers.”

Conversation between Stiegler, 80, and Kidd, 74, fluctuated between friendly nostalgia and playful competition. Stiegler joked that he “let” Kidd win silver, which was “good enough.”

Kidd recalled the precise margin by which Stiegler took the gold. “Fourteen

Billy Kidd and Pepi Stiegler

hundredths of a second,” Kidd said.

“Literally the blink of an eye. I spent the next six years trying to make up 14 hundredths of a second.”

Anyone who has skied in Jackson before has likely heard Stiegler’s name.

The Olympic medalist is the namesake for the restaurant on the West Bank and two ski shops that sat at the base of Teton Village until this season (the shops are still there, but they no longer bear Stiegler’s name; even local legends get priced out). Stiegler was instrumental in the early construction of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort back in the 60s.

And, perhaps most notably, Stiegler founded the ski school at JHMR. “Pepi taught me how to ski,” said local ski legend Benny Wilson. “My birthday present [as a kid] was always a free lesson.”

Community muscle The Pepi Stiegler Foundation was born last year, in the wake of an MS-related accident that left Stiegler in critical condition for months.

“A year ago, I heard you had a … slight miscalculation,” Kidd said of the accident. “The kind you used to do in downhill racing, but didn’t bother you.”

After Stiegler’s accident, members of the community came together to help alleviate medical expenses with the support of High Country Outfitters, who owned Pepi Stiegler’s Sports at the time.

Back home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, Kidd made some calls to see how he could help. In the end, he was not only a donor to the fundraising campaign, Kidd also filmed a video advertising a day of “Olympic training with Billy Kidd.”

Jim and Cindy Thorburn were the highest bidders, and spent all day last Wednesday learning ski tips from an Olympic medalist.

Jim Thorburn remembers watching Kidd become the first American to win a medal. “It was the most phenomenal experience,” he said. “To get a chance to actually meet and ski with him was priceless.”

Cindy Thorburn agreed. “It was the most special day I’ve ever had on skis,” she said.

Stiegler’s daughter Resi, an Olympic ski racer herself, joined Kidd and the Thorburns on the mountain.

“It was just like skiing with her dad,” Kidd said. “‘Resi, wait for me!’ It’s the same old thing in the Stiegler family.

They don’t wait for anybody.”

For their part, Kidd playfully praised the Thorburns for their Olympic potential. “They’re future Olympic skiers,” he said. (Kidd’s criterion for a “future Olympic skier” was that they “don’t fall down.”)

As they said their goodbyes, Kidd imparted the Thorburns with one last piece of sage advice.

Imagine, he said, competing in the Olympics, crossing the finish line, and hearing “Congratulations, you’ve won the gold medal!”

“What do you say?” Kidd asked his students. “First, thank your family and your sponsors. Then last, and most importantly: ‘I owe this all to Billy Kidd’s coaching.’” PJH

Fundraising efforts for Stiegler’s medical expenses and MS research are ongoing. Donations can be made at PepiStieglerFund.org, or directly through Rocky Mountain Bank in Jackson.

BEER, WINE & SPIRITS

Cava Comes of Age Why you should spend time with Spain’s sparkling wine.

BY TED SCHEFFLER @ Critic1

I

t’s a shame that Spanish Cava is the poor stepchild of the bubbles biz, since it can be such a terrific value. There are $15 Cavas that I would put up against $50 French Champagne in a blind taste test. And recently, the Spanish wine industry stepped up its game by creating a new Cava designation there, hoping to do justice to Spain’s signature sparkler.

More about that in a skosh. For now, what is Cava? Well, following a trip to France, where Don José Raventós of bodega Codorníu became enchanted with Champagne, he returned to his

home in Penedès with Champagnemaking equipment and created Spain’s first méthode champenoise sparkling wine. That was in 1872. Today, the best Spanish sparkling wines—called Cava—still come from the Penedès region.

Just like Champagne, the Spanish variation ranges from ultra-dry (called Brut nature) to sweet. By law, it must be made from one or more of five native grape varieties: xarel-lo, parellada, macabeo, chardonnay and malvasia (which is rarely used). Parellada provides delicacy and nuance; macabeo is fruity and acidic; xarel-lo gives it body and crispness. Adding chardonnay imparts finesse. Quality Cava producers to look for include Codorníu, Freixenet, Segura Viudas, Mirio, Huguet and Recaredo, as well as a new breed of young winemakers and wineries with terroir-driven wines like Avinyó, Raventós i Blanc and Pere Mata.

Last summer, Spain’s Cava Regulatory Board (Cava Consejo Regulador) announced the designation of a new premium category called Single Estate Cavas. To be classified

IMBIBE in the new designation, the wine must meet the following requirements, according to the Trade Commission of Spain’s Wines from Spain newsletter: 1. Made with grapes from vines that are at least 10 years old; 2. From vineyards that are hand-harvested and have a maximum yield of 8,000 kg per hectare; 3. Estate fermented and vinified with a maximum output of 48 hectoliters per hectare; 4. Fermented in bottle and aged for at least 36 months; 5. A certification of the base wine must be made for complete traceability from the vine to a store shelf.

The new classification should help consumers here identify high-quality Cava and enhance the visibility of those wines being made in the traditional méthode champenoise style. In a recent interview with Wines from Spain, President of the Cava

Consejo Regulador Pedro Bonet said, “This has been something in the works for quite some time. We proposed creating this new category to do justice to Cava. In terms of principal, we were eager to show the world Cava’s excellence while giving our producers a way to demonstrate the superior quality of their amazing wines.”

So far, no producers have been certified by the Cava Board as they are still awaiting definitive ratification from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, but that could be coming in a matter of days, according to Mr. Bonet.

In the meantime, I recommend trying these exceptional Cavas: Raventós i Blanc L’hereu ($21.99), Poema Brut ($13.95), Freixenet SemiSeco ($9.99), Sumarroca Brut Reserva ($12.99) and my very favorite, Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva ($16.99). 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.

HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm

307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE

SALES@PLANETJH.COM OR CALL 307.732.0299

APRIL 5, 2017 | 25

CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE TODAY TO LEARN MORE

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

26 | APRIL 5, 2017

Two- fer Tuesday is back !

Two-for-one 12” pies all day. Dine-in or Carry-out.

(LIMIT 6 PIES PER CARRYOUT ORDER, PLEASE.)

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!

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL

20%OFF

ASIAN & CHINESE TETON THAI

ENTIRE BILL

Good between 5:30-6pm • Open nightly at 5:30pm Please mention ad for discount.

733-3912

11am - 9:30pm daily 20 W. Broadway 307.201.1472

160 N. Millward

Make your reservation online at bluelionrestaurant.com

PizzeriaCaldera.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 Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)

ALPENHOF

$ 13 99

Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread

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.

for an extra $5.99/each

(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY

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

THE BLUE LION

FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE

307.733.3242

Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY

A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965

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 Tues-Sat 3-5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 7321910, genevievejh.com.

ELEANOR’S

Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our twotime gold medal wings. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 832 W. Broadway, (307) 733-7901.

LOCAL

LOCAL & DOMESTIC STEAKS SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK @ 5:30 TILL 10 JHCOWBOYSTEAKHOUSE.COM 307-733-4790

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 locally-sourced products. Offering a casual and vibrant bar atmosphere with 12 beers on tap as

well as a relaxed dining room, Local is the perfect spot to grab a burger for lunch or to have drinks and dinner with friends. Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am.

Dinner Nightly 5:30pm. 55 North Cache, (307) 2011717, localjh.com.

LOTUS ORGANIC RESTAURANT

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. Serving breakfast, lunch & dinner starting at 8am daily. 140 N. Cache, (307) 734-0882, theorganiclotus.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.

MOE’S BBQ

Opened in Jackson Hole by Tom Fay and David Fogg, Moe’s Original Bar B Que features a Southern Soul Food Revival. Moe’s Original Bar B Que offers award-winning Alabama-style pulled pork, ribs, wings, turkey and chicken smoked over hardwood served with two unique sauces in addition to Catfish and a Shrimp Moe-Boy sandwich. Additionally, a daily rotation of traditional Southern sides and tasty desserts are served fresh daily from recipes passed down for generations. With a kitchen that stays open late, the restaurant features a menu that fits any budget. While the setting is family-friendly, there is a full premium bar offering a lively bar scene complete with HDTVs for sports fans, music, shuffle board and other games upstairs. Large party takeout orders and full service catering with delivery for any size group for parties, business lunches, reunions, weddings and other special events is also be available.

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) 734-8038 or bistrotrio.com.

ITALIAN CALICO

THE LOCALS

FAVORITE PIZZA 2012-2016 •••••••••

$7

$5 Shot & Tall Boy

LUNCH

SPECIAL Slice, salad & soda

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TV Sports Packages and 7 Screens

Under the Pink Garter Theatre (307) 734-PINK • www.pinkygs.com

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

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

Hot and delicious delivered to your door.

Hand-tossed, deep dish, crunchy thin, Brooklyn style and artisan pizzas; bread bowl pastas, and oven baked sandwiches; chicken wings, cheesy breads and desserts. Delivery.

520 S. Hwy. 89 in Kmart Plaza, (307) 733-0330.

PINKY G’S

PIZZERIA CALDERA

Jackson Hole’s only dedicated stone-hearth oven pizzeria, serving Napolitana-style pies

Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY

www.mangymoose.com

APRIL 5, 2017 | 27

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.

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.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

The locals favorite! Voted Best Pizza in Jackson Hole 2012-2016. Seek out this hidden gem under the Pink Garter Theatre for NY pizza by the slice, salads, strombolis, 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.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

28 | APRIL 5, 2017

A Universal Principle “The universe is not separate from your perception of it. Change your perception and the universe changes instantly.” – Jeanne Houston, PhD

T

here are universal metaphysical laws governing how our human consciousness interacts with the higher consciousness of our universe and vice versa. Today’s article is an introduction to one of those chief universal principles, which offers a key to living a more fulfilled life.

The universe rearranges itself to accommodate our perceptions of what’s real and what’s possible. We are in a 24/7-feedback loop with the unified field of consciousness of the universe. The field is designed to continuously “read” the energy of our perceptions, thoughts, feelings, actions and beliefs. Then it matches the energies we have inputted, and returns them to us in the form of similar events, people and circumstances.

The universe does not judge or analyze or have an opinion related to what the frequencies of our thoughts, beliefs, actions, or emotions are asking it to deliver. The universe simply responds abundantly. Bottom line: The universe delivers what we are indicating we want. The feedback loop we have with the universe is that powerful.

Changing our input changes what’s possible in our lives.

Shift your perception Sometimes changing the message we’re asking the universe to match is as easy as a reminder to shift direction in some area of life or to adopt a different perception.

Here is an example of a quick shift. My office has a front door and a back door. Recently a good friend joined me for lunch in my office. She came in the front door looking glum, complaining about everything, expressing the “glass half empty” view of life.

After a while, I invited her to try an experiment to shift her perspective. I asked if she’d be willing to walk out of the front door of my office the way she came in, and then come back in via the back door. She did, and once in the office again, I asked her to list out loud the things in her life for which she’s grateful and things that are working well.

The combination of coming back into my office from a different door and then focusing on the “glass half

full” perspective completely changed her demeanor and attitude. After our lunch she left smiling saying, “I don’t even know anymore what I was so agro about.”

Sometimes, however, it’s not so simple. The more challenging and complex part of upgrading the energies going out to the universe is that many of our deeply held beliefs are in the part of our psyche that is unconscious.

This means the patterns are operating on autopilot from us to the universe and back to us. We’re not even aware of what we are asking the universe to provide.

We all have beliefs and patterns that don’t serve us well. Fortunately, it’s possible to bring those hidden beliefs to light, so we can first evaluate if they are true, and then change the energy quality of our messages so they inform the universe what we really want in our experience.

Discern the patterns Any time you notice a less than satisfying recurring pattern in your life—perhaps you seem to always have difficult bosses or co-workers, or the same issues with friends, or with money, health, and/or with love relationships—this is the perfect opportunity to inquire within yourself.

If what’s showing up in your life are lemons, but you want lemonade, there is likely a deeply buried and limiting belief signaling to the universe, “Bring me lemons.”

Perhaps you can figure out on your own what message/ belief you are unknowingly asking the universe to match, which isn’t what you say you really want.

It can be invaluable to seek professional help to identify, let go of, and then reframe limiting beliefs. Keep in mind that if you’re faking a new belief it won’t get you what you want.

Hopefully you now have a glimpse into what a powerful relationship we have in partnership with the unified field of consciousness of our universe. Though I have not introduced the quantum science behind this principle, if you’d like the scientific evidence there is plenty to discover on the web.

Remember “The universe rearranges itself to accommodate our perceptions of what’s real and what’s possible.” Enjoy reflecting on this metaphysical principle and how it operates. Experiment. Be mindful. Do your personal homework. Allow the co-creative relationship we all have with the universe to work in your favor and present you with opportunities for expanded horizons and greater happiness. 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

TRAINING TO BE BALANCED TRIAL MEMBERSHIPS $99

Oliver Tripp, NCTM MASSAGE THERAPIST NATIONALLY CERTIFIED

253-381-2838

180 N Center St, Unit 8 abhyasamassage.com

Professional and Individualized Treatments • Sports/Ortho Rehab • Neck and Back Rehab • Rehabilitative Pilates • Incontinence Training • Pelvic Pain Rehab • Lymphedema Treatments Norene Christensen PT, DSc, OCS, CLT Rebekah Donley PT, DPT, CPI Mark Schultheis PT, CSCS Kim Armington PTA, CPI No physician referral required.

(307) 733-5577•1090 S Hwy 89

www.fourpinespt.com

Enjoy

TM

®

Transcendental Meditation Center of Jackson Hole Introduction - Instruction Refreshers - Advanced Programs

307-690-4511

www.tm.org/transcendentalmeditation-jackson

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

APRIL 5, 2017 | 29

TO ADVERTISE IN THE WELLNESS DIRECTORY, CONTACT JEN AT PLANET JACKSON HOLE AT 307-732-0299 OR SALES@PLANETJH.COM.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

30 | APRIL 5, 2017

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

L.A.TIMES “SPOUT NONSENSE” By Gail Grabowski

SUNDAY, APRIL 9, 2017

ACROSS 1 5 10

Criticize severely Very little Musical with the song “A New Argentina” 15 Roll on a farm, maybe 19 Major attachment 20 Many an emailer 21 Pay 22 Northern terminus of I-79 23 Totally unlike wetlands 24 Golf goof 25 Plumber, at times?

27 Boxer in the wrong profession?

30 Finished behind 31 NBC show anchored by Lester Holt 32 “Pagliacci” clown 34 Muzzleloading aid 38 It holds water 39 Snowblower brand 40 Light beer?

41 Big bucks, briefly 44 Herb-carrying semi?

49 Monogram on L’Homme products 50 Put up with 52 Menu words 53 They’re not fast reads 54 Help in the gym 55 Allow access to 56 Pay ending?

57 Considerable care 58 Is sympathetic (toward) 59 “This Gun for Hire” actor 60 Mag man with a mansion 61 Under attack 62 Actor Morales 63 Affected by tears, as makeup 65 Winter air 66 “I thought it was a secret” 69 Biblical brother 70 Sported 71 Pester for payment 72 Quattro competitor

Flock mom “Grease” singer Domed dwelling Sleuths, for short Many bars no longer have them Turn into eventually Old Testament sanctuary Deliberate omission, some say Market closing?

What makes lists briefer, briefly Red wine choice “A Doll’s House” heroine “Just curious” Flat-bodied fish depiction?

The Christina in Wyeth’s “Christina’s World” 37 Lats relatives 39 Maker of nonstick cookware 40 Lats relatives 41 Places to browse 42 Steel girder 43 “Jush one more, bartender,” e.g.?

45 Rubbernecked 46 Minnesota’s St. __ College 47 Infomercial pitch 48 It’s trapped in house traps 51 Ernst genre 54 Broad-leafed maritime plant 57 1995 Reform Party founder 58 Baton Rouge sch.

DOWN 60 Female lobster 1 Darwin wore one 61 Throwing out a 2 Sunlit courts chain letter, and 3 Hitch others 4 Wouldn’t commit 62 Really big stretch 5 Sushi bar order 64 Relieved (of) 6 2014 U.S. Senior Open winner 65 Spelunker Montgomerie 66 New Mexico state 7 “I’ve had such a curious dream!” flower speaker 67 Remove 8 Part of a violin 68 Subsided 9 Spot with a bird’s-eye view 70 Natural elevation 73 Base with a coach 75 What an iron often causes 76 Pen name 77 Gonzalez in 2000 news 78 Ones not itemized 79 Willamette River capital 80 Crescent component 81 Have an inkling 82 Ristorante suffix 83 Unlikely to get sick?

87 H.S. dropout’s exam 88 Environmental destruction 91 Congenial 92 Wine flavorer 94 Filibuster site 95 Not in anymore 97 Most shabby 102 Took the wrong way?

104 One with a questionable sense of fashion?

106 News of a crude carrier sighting?

110 Mumbai money 111 Stallion’s mate 112 Skedaddle 113 Lacked roots 114 __ Gay 115 Island off Tuscany 116 It may cause quakes 117 How-to units 118 Ill-fated Ford 119 It’s usually graded

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 26 28 29 33 35 36

71 Scuttlebutt 73 Tastes 74 As a result 75 70-Down’s opposite 76 Private home 77 Opulent home 79 Court conferences 84 Obedient response to un capitán 85 Like navigable Arctic waters 86 Like paste, jewelry-wise 89 Life’s work 90 “... like __ not” 93 Fate 95 “Pet” problem 96 Mag sales staff member 97 Proofer’s finds 98 Two-time Billboard Top Artist awardee 99 Virtual transaction 100 Novi Sad natives 101 Pleasant surprise 103 Rorschach image 105 Provide money for 106 Wrong 107 Key for Ravel?

108 Grazing area 109 Some OT winners

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be interested in first things, Aries. Cultivate your attraction to beginnings. Align yourself with uprisings and breakthroughs. Find out what’s about to hatch, and lend your support. Give your generous attention to potent innocence and novel sources of light. Marvel at people who are rediscovering the sparks that animated them when they first came into their power. Fantasize about being a curious seeker who is devoted to reinventing yourself over and over again. Gravitate toward influences that draw their vitality directly from primal wellsprings. Be excited about first things.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Are you weary of lugging around decayed guilt and regret?

Is it increasingly difficult to keep forbidden feelings concealed? Have your friends been wondering about the whip marks from your self-flagellation sessions? Do you ache for redemption? If you answered yes to any of those questions, listen up. The empathetic and earthy saints of the Confession Catharsis Corps are ready to receive your blubbering disclosures. They are clairvoyant, they’re non-judgmental, and best of all, they’re free. Within seconds after you telepathically communicate with our earthy saints, they will psychically beam you eleven minutes of unconditional love, no strings attached. Do it! You’ll be amazed at how much lighter and smarter you feel. Transmit your sad stories to the Confession Catharsis Corps NOW! GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Now is an excellent time to FREE YOUR MEMORIES. What comes to mind when I suggest that? Here are my thoughts on the subject. To FREE YOUR MEMORIES, you could change the way you talk and feel about your past.

Re-examine your assumptions about your old stories, and dream up fresh interpretations to explain how and why they happened. Here’s another way to FREE YOUR MEMORIES: If you’re holding on to an insult someone hurled at you once upon a time, let it go. In fact, declare

a general amnesty for everyone who ever did you wrong.

By the way, the coming weeks will also be a favorable phase to FREE YOURSELF OF MEMORIES that hold you back. Are there any tales you tell yourself about the past that undermine your dreams about the future? Stop telling yourself those tales.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) How big is your vocabulary? Twenty thousand words?

Thirty thousand? Whatever size it is, the coming weeks will be prime time to expand it. Life will be conspiring to enhance your creative use of language … to deepen your enjoyment of the verbal flow … to help you become more articulate in rendering the mysterious feelings and complex thoughts that rumble around inside you. If you pay attention to the signals coming from your unconscious mind, you will be shown how to speak and write more effectively. You may not turn into a silver-tongued persuader, but you could become a more eloquent spokesperson for your own interests.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) We all need more breaks from the routine—more holidays, more vacations, more days off from work. We should all play and dance and sing more, and guiltlessly practice the arts of leisure and relaxation, and celebrate freedom in regular boisterous rituals. And I’m nominating you to show us the way in the coming weeks, Leo. Be a cheerleader who exemplifies how it’s done. Be a ringleader who springs all of us inmates out of our mental prisons. Be the imaginative escape artist who demonstrates how to relieve tension and lose inhibitions.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) People in your vicinity may be preoccupied with trivial questions. What’s more nutritious, corn chips or potato chips? Could Godzilla kick King Kong’s ass? Is it harder to hop forward on one foot or backward with both feet? I suspect you will also encounter folks who are embroiled

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. in meaningless decisions and petty emotions. So how should you navigate your way through this energy-draining muddle? Here’s my advice: Identify the issues that are most worthy of your attention. Stay focused on them with disciplined devotion. Be selfish in your rapt determination to serve your clearest and noblest and holiest agendas.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) I hope that by mid-May you will be qualified to teach a workshop called “Sweet Secrets of Tender Intimacy” or “Dirty Secrets of Raw Intimacy” or maybe even “Sweet and Dirty Secrets of Raw and Tender Intimacy.” In other words, Libra, I suspect that you will be adding substantially to your understanding of the art of togetherness. Along the way, you may also have experiences that would enable you to write an essay entitled “How to Act Like You Have Nothing to Lose When You Have Everything to Gain.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) If you have a dream of eating soup with a fork, it might mean that in your waking life you’re using the wrong approach to getting nourished. If you have a dream of entering through an exit, it might mean that in your waking life you’re trying to start at the end rather than the beginning. And if you dream of singing nursery rhymes at a karaoke bar with unlikable people from high school, it might mean that in your waking life you should seek more fulfilling ways to express your wild side and your creative energies. (P.S. You’ll be wise to do these things even if you don’t have the dreams I described.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) If you’re a Quixotic lover, you’re more in love with love itself than with any person. If you’re a Cryptic lover, the best way to stay in love with a particular partner is to keep him or her guessing. If you’re a Harlequin, your steady lover must provide as much variety as three lovers. If you’re a Buddy, your specialties are having friendly sex and having sex with friends. If you’re a Histrionic, you’re addicted to confounding, disorienting love. It’s also possible that you’re none of the above. I hope so, because now is an excellent time to

have a beginner’s mind about what kind of love you really need and want to cultivate in the future.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your new vocabulary word is “adytum.” It refers to the most sacred place within a sacred place—the inner shrine at the heart of a sublime sanctuary. Is there such a spot in your world? A location that embodies all you hold precious about your journey on planet Earth? It might be in a church or temple or synagogue or mosque, or it could be a magic zone in nature or a corner of your bedroom. Here you feel an intimate connection with the divine, or a sense of awe and reverence for the privilege of being alive. If you don’t have a personal adytum, Capricorn, find or create one.

You need the refreshment that comes from dwelling in the midst of the numinous.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You could defy gravity a little, but not a lot. You can’t move a mountain, but you may be able to budge a hill. Luck won’t miraculously enable you to win a contest, but it might help you seize a hard-earned perk or privilege. A bit of voraciousness may be good for your soul, but a big blast of greed would be bad for both your soul and your ego.

Being savvy and feisty will energize your collaborators and attract new allies; being a smart-ass show-off would alienate and repel people.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Here are activities that will be especially favorable for you to initiate in the near future: 1. Pay someone to perform a service for you that will ease your suffering. 2. Question one of your fixed opinions if that will lead to you receiving a fun invitation you wouldn’t get otherwise. 3. Dole out sincere praise or practical help to a person who could help you overcome one of your limitations. 4. Get clear about how one of your collaborations would need to change in order to serve both of you better. Then tell your collaborator about the proposed improvement with light-hearted compassion.

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SUMMER 2017

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DISTRIBUTED JUNE THRU SEPTEMBER 10,000 COPIES PRINTED DIGITAL VERSION ON THEHOLECALENDAR.COM INSERTED INTO THE PLANET‘S 6/28 ISSUE To find out what’s happening in the Hole, savvy locals visit www.TheHoleCalendar.com. Whether you’re looking for something to do tonight, this weekend, or next Wednesday morning, our exhaustive event calendar has you covered. And it’s way too good to keep to ourselves. Now, every visitor and local alike will have a chance to enjoy our all en-compassing summer 2017 pocket calendar.

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AD RESERVATIONS DUE MAY 12 | PUBLICATION DATE JUNE 7 | INSERTION DATE JUNE 28 EMAIL SALES@PLANETJH.COM OR CALL 307.732.0299