JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
UNGULATE
UNCERTAINTY
The deepening debate over elk management in the Hole.
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OTICE
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CLOSURE NOTICE Per Wyoming State Statute §22-2-112, The following departments of the Teton County Clerk’s Office will not be open to the public on Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 for the SPET Special Election: Vehicle Titles/Security Agreements and Marriage License issuance. These departments will re-open for business on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017. Additionally, the Absentee Polling Site will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 1st, 2017 and will not be open on Election Day.
JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE
VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 16 | APRIL 26-MAY 2, 2017
12 COVER STORY UNGULATE UNCERTAINTY The deepening debate over elk management in the Hole.
Cover illustration by Lindsey Cowley
16 CULTURE KLASH
6 DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS 7
THE NEW WEST
8 THE BUZZ
18 MUSIC BOX 20 CREATIVE PEAKS 28 COSMIC CAFE
THE PLANET TEAM PUBLISHER
Copperfield Publishing, John Saltas EDITOR
Robyn Vincent / editor@planetjh.com
ART DIRECTOR
STAFF REPORTERS
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Meg Daly, Shannon Sollitt
SALES DIRECTOR
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Jen Tillotson / jen@planetjh.com SALES EXTRAORDINAIRE
Caroline LaRosa / caroline@planetjh.com
Scheffler, Chuck Shepherd, Melissa Thomasma, Tom Tomorrow, Todd Wilkinson, Jim Woodmencey, Baynard Woods
Jessica Sell Chambers CONTRIBUTORS
Rob Brezsny, Aaron Davis, Carol Mann, Ted
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April 26-May 2, 2017 By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey We are rolling out of April and into May this coming week, and the summer season is almost in sight. However, we have to endure this transition time of year, with some days that will feel like summer is already here, and others that will remind us that winter hasn’t really left town yet. Hopefully, not like it did on April 29th, 2004 when it snowed 4 inches in town. Or on May 2nd, 1973 when it snowed 8 inches. Expect that the weather will flip-flop this time of year.
SPONSORED BY GRAND TETON FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS
Long-term average low temperatures during this week are now into the upper 20’s in the valley, almost to the freezing mark. The record low temperature this week might surprise you, it got down to 4-degrees on the morning of April 26th in 2008. The coldest temperature ever recorded on the first day of May in Jackson is 5-degrees, which is also the all-time record low for the month of May in Jackson.
Average high temperatures this week are still in the upper 50’s, as they were last week. The record high temperature this week is 79-degrees, a feat that has been repeated on several occasions: on April 29th, 1992, and also on May 1st and 2nd 1985. Those were two exceptionally warm spring seasons, the kind that once you get a taste of that, there’s no going back. Head south to catch temps like that this week.
NORMAL HIGH 57 NORMAL LOW 27 RECORD HIGH IN 1992 79 RECORD LOW IN 2008 4
THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.14 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 2.7 inches (1963) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 4 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 24 inches (1967)
Carpet - Tile - Hardwood - Laminate Blinds - Shades - Drapery Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Open Tuesdays until 8pm 1705 High School Rd Suite 120 Jackson, WY 307-200-4195 www.tetonfloors.com | www.tetonblinds.com
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Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com
WHAT’S COOL WHAT’S HOT
THIS WEEK
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JH ALMANAC
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FROM OUR READERS In response to Peter Moyer’s PJH letter to the editor last week in opposition to increased sales tax to fund proposed SPET projects, I am willing to pay the increases for projects that will contribute to the common good of people who live and work here. I know many residents who rely on the START bus system and it is one of the best features of living here; people from out of state marvel at the service. The added bonus is reducing traffic, and not having to drive during the difficult winter months. I recently stayed in the Living Center, received superb care and saw the need for expansion. The new proposed building would have private rooms and shower facilities in each room. Currently showers are limited and must be arranged in advance. In 2014, I earned my culinary arts degree from Central Wyoming College. I had the privilege of having first class instructors. However, the school lacks its own kitchen so classes are conducted either at the Elks Lodge or at various restaurants but students must always work around the hours of the facilities where they receive instruction. Academic classes have been taught either at the Center for the Arts or the high school and this limits hours. CWC also trains nurses for the hospital and prepares students for transfer to other institutions. The education is affordable and one can pay off student loans in a reasonable amount of time. The truth is Jackson will grow and no amount of NIMBYism can stop it. The task will be to plan how we will grow. Will we become a community that plans a good quality of life for all of our citizens, or will we become an exclusive enclave pushing workers further out, which will increase traffic and a population with no emotional investment in our community? I hope we will do better. – Kathie Lou Eldridge
Low Income Folks Will Suffer Many Wyomingites do not know the proposed federal budget calls for the elimination of the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). This is the program that keeps many Wyoming residents warm in the winter. Earlier this year, the State of Wyoming legislature eliminated its usual additional funding for this program. Between the federal and state budget cuts, this translates to zero help for people in need of winter
FREEPIK
Pennies With Purpose
home heating assistance. I recently spoke with Brenda Ilg about this issue. Ms. Ilg is the LIEAP program manager for the State of Wyoming. She said she has no authority over budget decisions, but the media and legislators often contact her for information about the influence government programs have in the lives of Wyoming residents. She added that it makes a bigger impact when budget numbers are supported with declarations from recipients about how specific programs make their lives better. I encourage all who are concerned about these budget cuts to reach out as I did and offer their personal stories about the role LIEAP plays in their lives. We matter, and our stories can be emailed to DFSLieap@wyo.gov; or mailed to LIEAP, PO Box 827, Cheyenne, WY 82003. Also, it is up to us to let our elected officials know how our lives or the lives of people we know have been helped by the LIEAP program and what the elimination of it would do. I urge concerned Wyoming residents to contact each member of our state’s delegation in Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator John Barrasso, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, and U.S. Representative Liz Cheney—plus the Wyoming State Senator and State Representative from your district. Contact information is available on the Internet, from your local newspaper, or a public library. Standing together amplifies our voices. – Irene L. Hause
They Took My Mom Away I really don’t remember a lot of the day immigration took my mom away from my sister and me. But it was sad. It all happened in the morning, like 6 a.m. My sister and I were sleeping and my mom was up already. When immigration got to my home, they started
to kick the door. My sister and I got up really scared. My sister was crying a lot. She is only five and did not know anything. Then my mom opened the door and they all came in and they did not tell us anything. All they did was look all over our home and after that they were screaming at my mom a lot. Then they took her to one of the bedrooms and they were making her sign some papers. But they were making her cry a lot and she was scared and did not know what to do but to sing. I wanted to go back in the room with her because they were screaming at her and making her do that but they did not let me. After that they told me I could, so I did. She was crying and shaking because she was so scared. They told her to call my dad and she did. After that they told her to get ready because she was going to go with them, and my dad wasn’t even home to get my sister and I. When she was getting ready, she was going to change and they did not even let her close the door even though I was with her. They did not look but it was still really unnerving for my mom. They left and they took her and my sister and I were left home alone. I was scared and crying and my sister was too. The bad thing now is that she is still scared like I am. She can’t go to sleep like she used to. She will start to cry at night or have bad dreams. She tells us that she misses my mom. Sometimes she doesn’t want to eat. We really need my mom and we want her back. She is a really good mother for us. We hope to see her soon because we need her. – The child of an “illegal” immigrant Submit your comments to editor@ planetjh.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject line. All letters are subject to editing for length, content and clarity.
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The Death of Freddie Gray and the future of police reform. BY BAYNARD WOODS @demoincrisis
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n a cold and rainy day shortly after the election, I interviewed Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis in his office overlooking the city’s downtown. Donald Trump had just nominated noted racist Jeff Sessions as attorney general, and the consent decree the city had been negotiating with the federal government to reform its police department was in question. Davis is familiar with consent decrees—court-enforced legal agreements between city and federal agencies, in this case, the police department and the Department of Justice. He had been involved in them before, in other jurisdictions. “We lived through a George W. consent decree, [with a] Republican in the White House in Prince George’s County [in Maryland], and that consent decree lasted more than four years,” he said. “So anyone [who says] ‘with Republicans in the White House, consent decree is out the window,’ that’s not based on reality. So I expect we will have a consent decree. I expect it will be something we can work with.” Trump, of course, is not just any Republican. And the consent decree, which was finally approved just before Trump took office, was almost out the window when Sessions asked a federal judge to halt the court’s approval of the agreement, having placed all pending consent decrees under review. Had it not been approved before Sessions came in, the consent decree would have died—now it’s just uncertain. “I have grave concerns that some provisions of this decree will reduce the lawful powers of the police department and result in a less safe city,” Sessions said earlier this month. “Make no mistake, Baltimore is facing a violent-crime crisis.” The city is in the midst of a murder crisis—318 murders in a population
BAYNARD FOX
Civil Ills
of just more than 600,000 made 2016 Baltimore’s second most murderous year, after 2015, which saw 344 homicides—but Davis is clear that the consent decree will help, not hinder his attempts to fight violent crime. “We need a consent decree in Baltimore to fundamentally change this police department for decades to come,” he told me. The Department of Justice began an investigation of the Baltimore Police Department before Freddie Gray died in police custody and the uprising that followed in late April 2015. But the widespread unrest showed just how badly policing in the city was broken. “[The police] come in, they move us, and they push us wherever they want to go,” a young man named Greg Butler told me of his decision to take to the streets after Gray’s funeral, when a CVS pharmacy was looted and set ablaze. “Today, we say, ‘we’re not moving,’” Butler said. “This has been claimed by the people of the city, police-free, because the police don’t know what they’re doing, and they’re not treating us right.” In Baltimore, two years ago, there was almost a revolution. The riot on April 27, 2015, was preceded by weeks of peaceful protests, where residents took to the streets, primarily in Baltimore’s poorest and most deeply segregated neighborhoods. In Sandtown, where Gray was arrested, residents referred to the police as an occupying army, a reality symbolized by the barricades placed around the Western District station, where officers in riot gear lined up with sticks and shields. On Saturday, April 25, the barricades broke out of Sandtown and came to the tourists. Fights broke out between protesters and sports fans drinking at bars outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards. A racist slur, a thrown beer—it was suddenly chaos as punches, bottles, and chairs were thrown. Kids took orange traffic cones and smashed out the windows of a police car, reaching inside, taking an officer’s hat, and wearing it. Later that night the police had revenge, away from the cameras—most of them, anyway. When a line of riot cops wanted to snatch up a guy who had been yelling and shadowboxing in front of them,
they also beat on City Paper photographer J.M. Giordano and arrested a Reuters photographer. Giordano got the shot as they dragged him across the ground: They were beating the shadow boxer with a billy club. As the sun rose the next morning, National Guard trucks rolled into town as a weeklong curfew set in. For the next several nights, authorities tried to confine reporters to a pen in a corner near the protests. These moments prefigure our new reality. If there was almost a revolution, Trump is the backlash. He didn’t create violent cops or angry sports fans—they created him. And instead of reining in individual local cops, he wants to give them free rein. His policies will likely increase the dire poverty and segregation that account for so much crime. It’s hard to imagine another uprising where people don’t die. The patterns or practice report issued by DOJ in August 2016 was scathing, finding the department regularly violated the civil rights of citizens, made unlawful stops and used excessive force. Mid-level commanders, brought up on the drug-war policies favored by Sessions, were noted as the worst offenders. Still, it seems Sessions will gut the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division—Trump’s budget calls to cut the agency’s budget by more than $1 billion, and many expect much of that to come from civil rights enforcement—and doubts the effectiveness of consent decrees in
general, despite studies showing their success. “The time for negotiating the agreement is over,” U.S. District Judge James Bredar responded to Sessions’ request to delay the agreement. “The only question now is whether the Court needs more time to consider the proposed decree. It does not.” Baltimore is the 14th Obama-era consent decree to go through—and it may be the last. And there’s still the danger that the Feds won’t sue for violations of the agreement. It’s hard enough to win reform with people in the streets and a strong civil rights division in DOJ. Without that, the police union and the law-and-order rhetoric of the president could be the loudest voices in a commissioner’s ear. Sherrilyn Ifill, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, acknowledged this danger in a statement on the second anniversary of Gray’s death. “It will require unceasing dedication from the people of Baltimore to hold the DOJ and Baltimore officials to their commitment to enforce the agreement,” she said. PJH Baynard Woods is editor at large for Baltimore City Paper. His work has appeared in publications from The Guardian to The New York Times. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, focusing on ethics and tyranny, and became a reporter in an attempt to live like Socrates. Email democracyincrisiscolumn@gmail.com.
Creativity That Fosters Conservation An impending anniversary should remind locals of the art hub sitting in their backyard. BY TODD WILKINSON @BigArtNature
NMWA
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‘We are in an amazing era of worldwide concern for the earth.’
“Wildlife art is embedded in this zeitgeist of this ecological age. Artists today are doing all kinds of things using animal imagery. It doesn’t have to be a naturalistic portrayal,” says museum curator Adam Harris. “You can make a political point or engage in humorous satire. Or it can make people think about our own role and what we’re doing to nature and the environment. We are in an amazing era right now of worldwide concern for the earth. You see it being expressed in a multitude of ways.” This summer, two new exhibitions open: one features pop art portrayals of endangered species by Andy Warhol. Another is titled, “Exploring Wildlife Art” and features pieces in the museum’s permanent collection dating from 2500 BC to the present. You’ll be able to savor works by Carl Rungius (considered the best painter of North American megafauna who ever lived) to pieces by Thomas Moran, Robert Bateman, John James Audubon and Georgia O’Keeffe. There is no such thing as a bad day at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. In fact, if you’re having a bad day and need an escape, there’s a guarantee you’ll find solace and come home inspired by depictions of nature that have left others spellbound across the ages. 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, featuring photographs by Jackson Hole’s Thomas D. Mangelsen. Special autographed copies are only available at mangelsen.com/ grizzly.
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decades. And, on several occasions, have explored the role of art in advancing the cause of conservation. Were it not for Thomas Moran’s paintings and William Henry Jackson’s photographs, displayed for lawmakers to see on Capitol Hill, Yellowstone, America’s first national park, might never had been set aside in 1872. While some in the academic Ivory Tower evince a patronizing attitude toward “wildlife art”—equating it to bad duck and deer paintings—in fact it’s been subject matter explored throughout human history and reflects an evolution in thinking about our species’ place in the natural world that sustains us. The National Museum of Wildlife Art, which on May 16 officially commences its 30th anniversary festivities with a public get-together, is the only museum of its kind in the world, unsurpassed in its assets much like Yellowstone and Grand Teton are. It still astounds me how little Greater Yellowstonians actually know about the museum, including the fact that people around the world make pilgrimages just to see the art, its collection including pieces by some of the most famous painters and sculptors who ever lived. A great thrill has been watching it attain global distinction, moving from its original location along the Town Square to its striking edifice north of town whose architecture is equal parts ancient cliff dwelling and old-world Scottish castle. In a world otherwise dominated by digital distractions and throngs of summer crowds, the museum is a cathedral of quiet peaceful reprieve where you’ll find priceless, historically-significant paintings and sculpture worthy of display at any fine art museum in the world, including the Louvre in Paris. Just how relevant is wildlife art?
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s Greater Yellowstonians, there is much we take for granted, especially if one has never dwelled beyond the provincial bubble. We often forget that 99 percent of the rest of humanity does not have it as good as we do here. Wealthy or poor, few remain against their will, which is not to say there isn’t a lot of suffering and material inequality going on. But in so many ways we’re spoiled by an abundance of riches. Figuratively, just beyond the backdoor, are Yellowstone and Grand Teton, crown jewel national parks; framing them an equally-inspiring tapestry of national forests and wildlife sanctuaries; rising above, breathtaking peaks, and below, unmarred pastoral river valleys; between, a flow of migratory native animals, from bears and wolves to elk, bison and pronghorn, moving across the landscape unlike anywhere else in the Lower 48. The vast majority of the 22.5-million-acre ecosystem belongs to us, held in trust, as citizens. The rest, huge expanses of it, belongs to private ranchers and other entities, many of whom know they play pivotal roles in keeping the wildness of Greater Yellowstone intact. But this is a column about another kind of national treasure, often overlooked, not only by the people dwelling here permanently but millions of travelers coming to snatch glimpses of lobos, grizzlies and geysers. World-class museums—we have a surprising diversity of them too. Over in Cody, there’s the Buffalo Bill Center of the West complex holding the Whitney Western Art Museum, Plains Indian Museum, Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History; in Bozeman, the Museum of the Rockies with its astonishing trove of dinosaur bones and paleontological exhibits; in Billings, Montana, the Yellowstone Art Museum; and, nearby in Big Horn, Wyoming, the Brinton Museum. Yet in a class by itself is the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. As many readers know, I’ve written extensively about “nature art” for three
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THE BUZZ Feeding a Need Digging into food and funding insecurity in Teton County schools. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt
How hunger looks different here Since stepping into his position two years ago, Clarke has put access to nutritious food at the center of his work. He has committed to feeding every student in the district that needs it. But even government grants are not always enough in Teton County. The amount of students who qualify for, and use, free and reduced lunch programs has decreased from 32 percent to 25 percent in Clarke’s time at TCSD. But the amount of negative balances on student accounts has skyrocketed from $2,200 last year to a record-breaking $10,000 this year. Those trends, Clarke said, suggest that people in Teton County still live in poverty even if they don’t meet the national standard. The free and reduced meal applications are based on national poverty income limits. Families with incomes under 135 percent of the national poverty
SHANNON SOLLITT
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n uncertain financial future for Teton County School District could impact some of its most vulnerable students. But in the face of proposed state and federal budget cuts, TCSD information coordinator Charlotte Reynolds said the district will do all it can to ensure programs that most benefit students—like free and reduced meals—survive. President Donald Trump’s budget is subject to approval Saturday, his 100th day in office, and includes a 13 percent/$9 billion budget reduction to the Department of Education. Meanwhile, Governor Matt Mead is still deciding on a proposed $34.5 million budget cut to education in Wyoming. Reynolds explained that most funding for TCSD comes from the state, and the majority—86 percent— goes to staff. And while increased enrollment (about 50 to 70 additional students each year) also means increased funding, the overall pot is expected to shrink, and more resources are needed to accommodate a growing population. Teton County School District food service director Wes Clarke says there is little concern about eliminating the free and reduced lunch program altogether, but federal funding has its limits. The school district’s funding comes through block grants—sums of money predetermined by the state and given to the district to provide necessary services and resources, like food. Clarke receives applications for free and reduced lunch year-round. In fact, he sees an influx of applications this time of year, because the off-season often means lower wages. But if a block grant were to run out of money in, say, March, Clarke says his hands would be tied for the rest of the year. He doesn’t like the uncertainty of not knowing how long his funding will last.
Free and reduced cost lunches, that include nutritious vegetables, fruits and whole grains, feed about 25 percent of students in Teton County.
level qualify for free meals. For a family of four, Clarke said, that’s $14 an hour, for an entire household working full-time. “Trying to live on that in Jackson is really, really tough,” he said. “Because our rents and [cost of living] are so high, there are people who really struggle.” About 15 percent of valley children were considered impoverished in 2012, according to the Teton County Community Needs Assessment, compared to 21.2 percent nationwide. That the valley’s rate is below the national average may point to how poverty looks different here. Wages have increased to try to keep up with high living costs, but families “still don’t have enough money,” Clarke said. Teton County Public Health’s Community Needs Assessment identified food insecurity as a public health priority. It also identified severe housing as one of the community’s top 10 public health issues. Those two things are closely related, said Public Health director Jodi Pond. When more than half of a household income goes toward housing, other necessities, like food, take a backseat. It’s a ripple effect, Pond said. And if the most affordable living situation does not include a fully functional kitchen, access to nutritional food becomes scarcer. Clarke also suspects that eligible families abstain from applying out of fear. The application asks for a social security number and an address, which he thinks could deter undocumented families from applying. But he says he is the only one who sees the applications, and the only thing he looks for is income level. Documentation status and residency do not impact eligibility. “There shouldn’t be any fear with those,” Clarke said. “I keep them on file, they don’t go anywhere else.” Federal regulations and funding also mandate exactly what the students are eating. Clarke is proud that every student who goes through the lunch line is getting “all the things they need” in nutritional value. “We have very strict nutritional standards we have to
stick to,” he said. In addition to an entree, each meal includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and a juice or milk. Ellie Miles Begelman, who teaches third grade at Colter Elementary, says that fresh fruit grants, which are federally funded, provide healthy snacks for every student in the district. “Any time a kid says, ‘I’m hungry,’ we always have something in our cupboard,” she said. Should cuts to federal funding impact crucial student programs down the road, Clarke and Begelman both acknowledged that Teton County, as wealthy as it is, is also generous. “We’re really fortunate here,” Begelman said. “We have such a good community, lots of local resources.” Vertical Harvest, for example, donates sprouts for Fun Food Fridays, a program Clarke implemented to encourage kids to try new things. Clarke also started a program called Feeding the Hole, which lets private citizens add money to student lunch accounts. Clarke remembers a student who tried to pay for her lunch with change. “[Donors] just went in and quadrupled the amount, just to pay off her account,” Clarke said. It’s hard for donors to choose whose balances to pay off, Clarke says, but the difference it makes is palpable. “You see the stress level drop when [students] go through and see their balance out of the negatives.” Reynolds said it is too early in the budget process to make any definitive conclusions about the district’s future. But in any conversation about budget cuts, “our first and highest priority is funding classrooms,” she said. Budget cuts “can’t erode the foundations that our kids depend on.” A new budget for the 2017/18 school year will be finalized in August. PJH
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THE BUZZ 2 Traffic Tribulations Some want action on Stilson and START now to mitigate motor vehicle congestion. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
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hen town and county electeds discuss traffic and transportation during joint informational meetings this week, they will be presented with persuasive community input. A community gathering at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse on April 18 canvased the public on possible solutions to Jackson’s increasingly severe summertime traffic problems on Highways 22 and 390. Though public input is still ongoing, the organizers of the event will present an interim report to the town and county in time for their meeting. A main focus of the event was year-round park-n-ride options at Stilson parking lot. Four organizations—Teton Village Association, Snake River Fund, Friends of Pathways and the Old Wilson Schoolhouse—teamed up under the banner “Teton Traffic Busters” to host the event. While organizers aimed to put a congenial face on the gathering, Teton County Commissioner Greg Epstein was blunt when he discussed the intent. “The reason they created this workshop was in response to the county’s lack of response to providing such a workshop about Stilson,” he said. Epstein, who attended the event, said he has been pushing for a conversation about expanding park-and-ride options at Stilson parking lot since he was elected to the board, but had been “stonewalled” by other commissioners. “We as a county are still under the direction of a previous board’s approach to Stilson, which was basically that they weren’t going to talk about it,” Epstein said. “It’s time to move forward. I don’t see any reason why there shouldn’t be an open level of communication.” TVA executive director Melissa Turley is eager to communicate with the county and share their successes with wintertime traffic. TVA has been successful in keeping wintertime traffic levels similar to what they were in 2000 by efficiently utilizing START and
The days of vehicular madness are approaching.
a park-and-ride system via Stilson parking lot. “We have been interested in having Stilson be better utilized year round,” Turley said. When town and county approved the Integrated Transportation Plan in 2015, Turley said TVA stepped up immediately to volunteer its expertise. Turley emphasized her intent to work in conjunction with the county to find solutions. “Obviously the commission knows traffic is a critical issue,” she said. “This event wasn’t to say that they aren’t working on it. It was to say this is a complex problem and we need every tool in the toolbox.” An estimated 125 people attended the three-hour open house. The participating organizations hosted tables in the lobby of the Old Wilson Schoolhouse. The public could go from station to station to learn about the key focus of each organization. Participants were invited to fill out a public survey regarding traffic solutions. The survey is available through April 28 at SurveyMonkey. com/R/TetonTrafficBusters. Pathways promoted its summer commuter challenge, Pathways access, and the Teton Rideshare program. Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center advocated for retaining the town of Wilson’s essential character. The Snake River Fund’s main area of focus was parking for the Wilson boat ramp. The organization has several suggestions for diverting traffic at the actual boat ramp area and instead encouraging users to park at the Stilson parking lot. Incentives included improving access to restrooms at Stilson, testing a dedicated bike share idea, and creating a shuttle between the Stilson parking area and the river. Snake River Fund executive director Len Carlman said the ideas were “warmly received and endorsed” by the public. Carlman says the goal of the open house was to generate positive ideas and solutions to traffic problems along
Highway 22 and Highway 390, as well as the river access near Wilson Bridge. “It was a full house of interested citizens and a rich array of information for people to consider,” he said. Teton County Commissioner Smokey Rhea attended the open house. She talked with folks of all ages and with different interests, from bike commuting to commuting by bus. “The event gave me a chance to talk to people about how the bus can change Jackson into being more environmentally friendly,” Rhea said. “When you look at the number of people the START bus system takes off the road,” she continued, “think of how many cars that is in a day’s time.” Epstein said he was impressed by the event’s turnout and encouraged to just see public participation that wasn’t necessarily government sponsored. “I want to continue to see the public be engaged, because ultimately I would hope the other commissioners will jump on board with this.” In addition to expanded bus routes, Turley hopes to build covered bike storage at Stilson. She said TVA has the budget to purchase several bike lockers that would allow commuters to park at Stilson where their bikes would be stored securely. This would give commuters from Wilson and Idaho an option to bike part of the way to work. “It’s a near term solution,” Turley said. Rhea says small solutions like expanded bus routes, bike lockers, and expanded park-and-ride options could go a long way toward alleviating traffic problems. “We always search for one big answer. But I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she said. “It’s going to take a lot of little things. So let’s focus on what we can do.” Let’s get everybody off the road who wants to be off the road, she said. PJH SEND COMMENTS TO EDITOR@PLANETJH.COM
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UNGULATE UNCERTAINTY The deepening debate over elk management in the Hole. By Melissa Thomasma
D
Wasting away
the disease slowly eviscerates its host’s brain. CWD is among a constellation of similar diseases, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or TSEs, that includes mad cow disease and creutzfeldt-jakob disease in humans. Another truly bizarre characteristic of CWD prions is their resilience in the ecosystem. “Prions are notoriously hard to destroy and can remain actively infectious in the tissues and fluids of living and dead animals, as well as leaching into the environment as a carcass decays, contaminating soils and water for long periods of time,” explained PJH columnist Todd Wilkinson in his article “The Coming Plague.” “Recent scientific studies in controlled settings have shown that prions shed via saliva, feces and urine into the ground can persist, especially in clay soils, and they can be taken up in living, growing vegetation.” This means that a single infected animal can spread the contagion for years, even after its individual demise. CWD attacks the brains of deer, elk and moose, and is ultimately fatal. The progression isn’t pretty, either. Infected animals grow emaciated, and display tremors, aimlessness and eventually, as the disease’s name implies, waste away. Within two years, infected ungulates die. Though research is ongoing, there is no vaccine to prevent infection, nor any kind of intervention or therapy for infected animals. At the moment, there is also no scientific evidence that CWD can be transmitted to humans, but there’s no confirmation that it can’t. The Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization advise against consuming any elk or deer infected with the disease. However, as Wilkinson pointed out, “with long incubation times, elk and deer can appear asymptomatic of CWD for years.” Once the disease is present, it’s conceivable that a hunter would kill and consume an animal who appeared healthy, but wasn’t. This exposure, in theory, could increase the chance of the prion evolving and becoming more dangerous to humans. The origin of chronic wasting disease is unclear, though some theorize it evolved from scrapie, a similar degenerative disease found in sheep. It was first discovered in captive research ungulates in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the late 1960s. Shortly thereafter, it was detected in wild populations of deer. “From this regional epicenter, the epidemic … is now affecting wild herds as far away as southern Colorado, eastern Nebraska, Utah, and northern Wyoming including the edges of the world-renowned Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Dorsey explained. “Though its progress is not rapid, it is steady; in the Colorado-Wyoming area, the disease appears to push out across the landscape from endemic areas approximately 5 to 11 miles per year.” In 1985, the first case in Wyoming was confirmed in a mule deer. The following year, it was detected in an elk. Now, the disease is marching across the state, and according to
APRIL 26, 2017 | 13
Chronic wasting disease, a neurodegenerative disease that attacks members of the ungulate family, is reminiscent of some sci-fi pathogen. Neither bacteria nor virus, the prion that causes CWD isn’t actually a living thing, and it is not yet fully understood by scientists. The current hypothesis is that prions are misshapen proteins that are capable of binding to healthy brain cells and hijacking them into deforming themselves. Essentially,
SHANE MOORE
SHANE MOORE
seeing dying and dead animals,” Johnson continued. Ultimately, this is an example, she argues, of the federal government destroying Wyoming’s state assets, and it’s unacceptable. Some locals drive this notion even further. In what can only be described as a bombastic guest opinion piece, “Scientists to Blame for Wildlife Die-Off,” John C. Branca III slammed the calls for science and fact-based management in favor of what he feels is a more common sense approach. “Yes, the volume of ‘bio-babble’ and ‘Chicken Little’ management and management by photographer has taken center stage for many years now,” he lamented. “The call for ‘science-based decisions’ simply says, ‘I have no idea what I’m talking about, but I want someone to make up answers to fit my agenda.” He scoffs at “pale-faced mountain lion experts,” who he believes have somehow artificially bolstered the cougar population. “We did not have a lion population because of the harsh winters. The recent lion population has sure given a lot of people meaningless jobs to do meaningless research and make a lot of meaningless statements, especially at meaningless meetings.” Branca categorized those who are against feeding elk and removing predators as “misguided” and “good-intentioned newcomers” who do not “truly care about wildlife” and are “unable to see wrong from right.” He contended that “Hundreds and hundreds of big game animals could have been saved this winter.” At the opposite end of the spectrum are conservation organizations like Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, the Sierra Club and, to an increasing extent, the managers of the National Elk Refuge. “Not artificially feeding and concentrating deer and elk, spreading them out naturally across the landscape, and conserving abundant predators are the best tools we have to ensure the health of our wildlife for the future,” said Lloyd Dorsey, conservation director for Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter. Quality of herds, not quantity, is a far truer measure of ecosystem health. Championing artificial feeding and predator minimization is myopic—at best, old fashioned, at worst, utterly catastrophic. The landscape cannot sustain herds at these numbers, and dynamic factors, like climate change and a looming epidemic, are the realities of management in 2017.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
ead bodies of deer and elk are unpleasant to see. Whether they lay alongside a busy roadway, victims of an accidental strike, or on the National Elk Refuge. Casualties of an unforgiving winter, their specter is disagreeable if not gruesome. Over the course of the past season, we were witness to many such ungulate fatalities. The large amounts of snow made winter forage challenging for animals to access, and drove many deer and elk to linger near roadways. Though the final mortality estimates are still under calculation by Game and Fish, it’s fair to anticipate a higher number than in recent years. It’s not news: Winter 2016-17 was rough. The visible nature of this winter’s impact has brought an important conversation to the forefront in the Jackson Hole community: Are we managing local ungulates in the best way possible? Opinions on the topic vary, but there’s a sense on all sides that we’re at a crossroads when it comes to elk management. The numbers of elk inhabiting the refuge each winter are increasing, and the pending impact of climate change on habitat and weather patterns is tough to predict. And one of the most frightening threats to the ungulate population, chronic wasting disease, is knocking on the front door. Ultimately, everyone involved in the debate wants the same thing: a robust and sustainable ungulate population. How to achieve that, however, is a matter of fierce debate. Biologists and conservationists warn that continued practices like feeding record numbers of elk on the refuge are a cocktail for disaster. They champion the conservation of large predators to weed out sick and weak animals and strengthen the health of the overall herd. On the other side, passionate wildlife lovers argue that the elk will be decimated without wintertime support from humans. Wolves, lions and bears, they contend, are part of the problem; elk will only thrive when faced with fewer challenges, not more. Joanna Johnson, of local organization Concerned Citizens for the Elk, says that these predators have impacted the ungulate population in Jackson Hole. “Wolves have caused serious distribution problems. Elk are no longer migrating to traditional summer ranges. Instead many are hanging out in subdivisions along the river, in [Grand Teton National Park], to get away from the wolves. Grizzly populations are above objectives and are overreaching designated territories; they are killing newborn ungulates,” she said. Johnson finds the idea of letting elk starve over the winter inherently repugnant. “[The] refuge biologist says the public needs to be more tolerant of animals—elk and bison—invading private property and elk winter mortality through starvation,
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
14 | APRIL 26, 2017
SHANE MOORE
conservation groups Wyoming Wildlife Advocates and the Sierra Club, Teton and Uinta Counties are the only counties that have not yet detected the disease. The organizations have teamed up to map the progress of CWD as it moves ever closer to Jackson Hole’s iconic elk herd. According to Dorsey and Roger Hayden of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates, the map shows that over the past two years the CWD endemic area in Wyoming is expanding by 3.3 million acres per year, and is spreading inexorably in all directions. Its arrival in Jackson is only a matter of time. In mid-February, a dead doe deer was discovered near the Pinedale airport. She tested positive for CWD, marking a significant move of the disease closer to Jackson, and the first case in Sublette County. “Finding this positive deer is very unfortunate and concerning. It does let us know that the added surveillance has yielded valuable information. We will continue our increased level of monitoring in and around the new CWD positive area, including testing and removal of any animals showing clinical symptoms of CWD or animals we find dead that are suitable for testing,” said Scott Edberg, deputy division chief of the Wildlife Division for the Wyoming Game and Fish.
A vulnerable population
When an elementary school student is ill, it’s wise to keep the child home, as pathogens like norovirus or influenza can spread like wildfire in the densely packed environment of a classroom. This is precisely how disease behaves on elk feedgrounds. When animals linger in close quarters, and are encouraged to bunch up to eat human-distributed alfalfa pellets, disease communication among individuals tends to occur more easily than if they are browsing on natural forage. Likewise, the presence of excrement and the bodies of those who perish over the winter contribute to generally unsanitary conditions and more pathogens spread. “Not only do Wyoming elk carry brucellosis at elevated rates but feedground animals are at higher risk to catching other diseases, including virulent bovine tuberculosis, hoof rot and now, CWD,” Wilkinson noted. The census of the National Elk Refuge in early 2017 revealed a record-shattering number: nearly 9,000 elk weathered out the wintry season there. That’s a whopping 77 percent higher than the refuge’s goal population of 5,000 animals. According to environmental reporter Mike Koshmrl, “The population of the larger Jackson Elk Herd was much near its own goal of 11,000. The raw count of 10,766 elk was up a sliver compared to last year’s 10,668 animals, but discouragingly for managers, the herd is as concentrated as ever on the National Elk Refuge.” Refuge managers seek to minimize this concentration by beginning
feeding as late in the season as possible, ending it as early as possible, and spreading it out as much as they reasonably can. “Based on current scientific information, eradication of CWD from free ranging cervids is currently not a realistic disease management objective, particularly since the disease has become established in multiple states and Canadian provinces, but eradication remains the ultimate desired outcome,” reads the Wyoming Game and Fish’s CWD Management Plan. So, if eliminating the disease isn’t realistic, what do Game and Fish officials intend to do? First, keep a close eye on how the disease is spreading by testing tissue samples submitted by hunters, and testing suspicious sick or dead animals. Should a deer, elk or moose show signs of illness consistent with CWD, Game and Fish will put it down and immediately test for the disease. “We have a very robust monitoring program, especially compared to other states,” said Renny MacKay, communications director for Wyoming Game and Fish. In healthy herds, Game and Fish “will strive to meet herd population objectives by taking in account all factors and influences.” The plan says that killing large numbers of animals to achieve these numbers, while potentially effective, is not part of the agenda. “Large-scale culling in an attempt to reduce animal populations and minimize animal to animal contact has been attempted in other states … While such culling has shown it can reduce or maintain prevalence levels, it has proven to be expensive, unpopular, requires long-term application, and ultimately is unable to eradicate CWD,” the plan notes. When it comes to feedgrounds, Game and Fish isn’t ready to kick them to the curb entirely. “Elk have been fed in northwest Wyoming since the early 1900s,” the plan notes. MacKay further explained, “feedgrounds were set up for a variety of reasons including managing the elk as a national resource, one that certainly has economic value to the surrounding area. It’s also a tool to manage other diseases like brucellosis.” The plan also recognizes the complicated nature of feedgrounds. “Supplemental feeding of elk creates complex biological, social, economic and political issues. Wildlife disease adds to this complexity. Recent modeling … suggested that feedground elk may survive in the face of CWD at significantly reduced numbers … it is still unknown what impact CWD would ultimately have on feedground elk populations. Artificially concentrating elk on feedgrounds may result in more rapid spread of CWD and contribute to increased persistence of prions in the soil and uptake by vegetation.” The Game and Fish plan expresses the organization’s dedication to surveillance of animals, both living and dead, and a willingness to review feeding policies, quotas, population objectives, hunting seasons and other management recommendations. Though it
will strive to maximize the area in which elk are fed (to decrease density) for as little time as possible, Game and Fish officials plan to continue artificially feeding. Many conservationists believe that these efforts simply aren’t sufficient. “It is incumbent upon state officials, as well as managers of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, to implement a realistic plan to phase out artificial winter feeding now,” Hayden said. The deer that tested positive near Pinedale was only eight miles from the nearby Fall Creek feedground—a distance easily crossed by other infected animals in the region. Managers can’t afford to wait much longer to take meaningful steps to intervene. The feedgrounds, somewhat ironically, were in part developed as an attempt to minimize disease transmission between wild ungulates and cattle. In order to prevent hungry elk from mingling on the feed line with their cows and horses, specialized feeding stations were designated for the game. This separation, ranchers argued, would prevent infection of their herds with diseases like brucellosis. However, this logic has backfired to some degree. Elk on overcrowded feedgrounds are more susceptible to acquire diseases, and spread them around the ecosystem. Healthy elk, on the other hand, can’t harm cattle even when in close proximity. The National Elk Refuge was created as more land was taken up by ranches and human development, guided by the notion that without access to these previous stomping grounds, the animals would starve. “The justification for feeding is based upon the rationale that because so much elk winter range in Jackson Hole has been covered by human development and cattle ranches where elk are not welcome, feeding is necessary to maintain elk,” Wilkinson wrote. He goes on to explain why this logic doesn’t hold up. In other places around the West, elk populations endure without this kind of intervention. “What [the National Elk Refuge] stands in contrast to, however, are mountain valleys across the West where elk persist in sustainable numbers naturally and are not given a subsidy of rations. Moreover, by having feed available, elk in winter no longer migrate out of Jackson Hole to lower elevation areas like they used to. On top of this, elk numbers on the refuge and feedgrounds swelled beyond their traditional carrying capacity because natural predators, namely wolves, had been eradicated.” Ultimately, if elk were no longer fed through the winter, and predators were able to play their natural role in herd size management, the Jackson elk herd would shrink. The population would be smaller, but most likely healthier and more resilient in the face of the coming disease. But not everyone is amenable to that solution.
MARK GOCKE
MARK GOCKE
Hunters—human and animal
The big picture
What’s next?
Jackson Hole’s elk are an unquestionable resource. Tourists are delighted to see them, especially up close from the horsedrawn sleighs that traverse the National Elk Refuge. Hunters visit the state because abundant animals equal high success rates. Many locals fill freezers and feed families with responsibly and ethically harvested elk. Apex predators, many that top visitors’ wish lists to see, depend on elk as a critical food source. The prospect of rapidly dwindling elk numbers casts a shadow of doubt on each of these elements. And that has many locals concerned. There is no easy answer, no simple fix. There are myriad factors that managers, conservationists, biologists and wildlife advocates can’t fully predict: the trajectory of climate change, the impact of chronic wasting disease, populations of apex predators as hunting regulations shift. Indeed, Jackson Hole’s elk herd faces a murky path ahead. PJH
APRIL 26, 2017 | 15
As Taylor argued, managing Wyoming’s elk in a vacuum is not only short-sighted, such an approach will have many unintended consequences. Other species, spaces and communities must be taken into account. In an unprecedented move in late February, the Montana Senate passed a resolution urging Wyoming to cease feeding on 23 sites across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Part of the resolution reads: “This practice results in artificially high populations of elk in these areas and a loss of the animals’ natural instincts to survive without human assistance. The [Fish and Wildlife Service] acknowledges that elk congregating in these unnaturally dense clusters can result in environmental damage and contamination.” Montana lawmakers cited concern for the spread of brucellosis, hoof rot and, of course, chronic wasting disease. Montana officials have not yet detected chronic wasting disease in deer or elk. However, once the elk in and around Jackson Hole carry the prion, it’s only a matter of time before it spreads north through the national parks and into southern Montana. Similarly, Idaho is currently CWD-free. If Jackson Hole does nothing to buffer the impact of CWD, it won’t take long to spread westward, either. The potential for chronic wasting disease to ravage deer and elk populations across the region is clear. But there isn’t much discussion about another important question: If chronic wasting disease severely damages the elk population, what might that mean for the grizzly bear population?
Grizzlies have four major sources of food, two of which are already in serious jeopardy. The cutthroat trout population, thanks to invasive lake trout, is declining. Whitebark pine, victim of climate change and aggressive beetles, is likewise disappearing. As of now, the bears rely heavily on army cutworm moths, but their future is uncertain at best. “Army cutworm moths are at risk due to a well-documented warming trend. They summer at high alpine elevations and further warming could affect the wildflowers they feed upon and collapse the GYE army cutworm moth population,” writes Kent Nelson, grizzly advocate, in his article “A Question About Chronic Wasting Disease That No One Is Asking.” The bears’ final critical food source? Elk. “The effect CWD will have on grizzly bears of the Greater Yellowstone is largely unresearched,” Nelson explained. “The phrase ‘chronic wasting disease’ does not even appear in the grizzly bear Conservation Strategy that was recently approved by GYE bear managers.” In other words, Nelson is highlighting that management plans for grizzlies and elk are not appropriately considered in concert, but rather as discrete projects. That’s potentially detrimental to both species. Should warming trends continue, which they are almost certain to, and army cutworm moths die off and CWD decimates feedground elk, what will the grizzlies eat? The outcome is unclear but there is potential for a precipitous decline in population, more predation on livestock and conflict with humans as they roam further in search of sustenance—all bad outcomes for one of GYE’s most iconic species.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Wyoming, compared to neighboring states, is the place to hunt elk. With a hunter success rate of almost 45 percent, far more hunters fill their tags here than in Idaho, Montana or Colorado. And it’s not because hunters in the Equality State have some superior prowess. It’s because of the sheer number of elk. Many outfitters and hunting guides are pleased with this, of course. Some in this industry want feeding to continue, and put little stock in the potential impact of CWD, Wilkinson explained. “Big game hunters, especially Wyoming outfitters and guides who profit by giving their high-paying clients an inflated number of animals to harvest, have vigorously defended feeding at the same time denying that CWD is a serious issue.” Meredith Taylor, an outfitter and guide for more than 30 years, disagrees. “It seems inevitable that CWD will eventually infect the feedgrounds and when it does, the results will be catastrophic due to the high density of elk there,” she said. “It’s obvious that free-ranging wildlife are healthier and more sustainable than those on feedgrounds. So, the elk feedgrounds should be phased out to allow elk and other ungulates to migrate as they did before feedgrounds blocked their movement.” While hunters and outfitters may have to work harder to find elk, and there may not be as many overall, those that remain will be healthier and more resilient. Moreover, less density among the animals will act as mitigation against further pathogen spread. Another critical factor in herd size management and disease mitigation? Predators. “It’s important for wildlife and land managers to think like an ecosystem rather than focus on just one species like elk,” Taylor said. “That means looking at the big picture to understand the needs of all wildlife. We are fortunate to have one of the largest intact ecosystems in the world here in Greater Yellowstone. Twenty million acres of wilderness, national parks, and national forests has provided the landscape for this conservation success story. We have already benefitted from the wolf and grizzly bear recovery efforts over the past two decades. Large carnivore populations are essential to the predator-prey balance and therefore the health of all native flora and fauna.” “Having a healthy guild of predators—bears, wolves, coyotes and cougars—provides a line of defense that ultimately benefits cervids. Unfortunately in Wyoming, the state has treated predators as enemies of the big game herds when in fact, the opposite is true,” explained Dorsey of the Sierra Club. Wolves, for example, not only target the slowest, sick members of an elk herd, but also cause herds to spread out more across the landscape. They’re essentially slowing the spread of a disease in two ways.
Moreover, current research is exploring whether or not CWD prions can survive the digestive tract of a predator. Though not yet confirmed, some researchers theorize that passage through predators and scavengers may be one of the few ways the prions could be destroyed and no longer dangerous. In this capacity, the tough winter of 2016-17 may have a silver lining. Its harshness may have bought wildlife managers a little time to reconsider policies and actively mitigate for CWD’s arrival. “Serendipitously, what may allow us more time to put in place ecocentric predator-friendly policies to better manage elk and deer populations in the future is the severe winter of 2016-17… there will likely be significant loss among mule deer and whitetailed deer herds, which are the vanguard of CWD,” Dorsey said. MacKay agrees that the tough winter may have helped slow the spread of the disease. “It’s been one of the harshest winters on record, and that’s had a significant impact on the deer population. It will be very interesting to see if that has impacted the prevalence of CWD.”
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
16 | APRIL 26, 2017
CULTURE KLASH
Survive, Thrive and Ponder Events that question humanity, history and current global affairs. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
Movement is life In one of its signature programs of the year, Dancers’ Workshop presents New Dances/New Choreographers Friday and Saturday in Studio 1. This all student-run production showcases the talents of the Junior Repertory Company under the direction of Cady Cox. This year’s theme is “Verve.” “The choreographers created dances that speak to the infinite number of movement patterns and the endless creativity and vivacity of movement itself,” Cox said. The young choreographers produced the entire production, including casting, costuming, music editing, lighting, and marketing. The centerpiece is, of course, the choreography itself, all done by students based on their work in choreography class. “They have challenged themselves physically, pushing the architecture of their own bodies to the extremes,” Cox said. In addition to the creative physicality of the dances, the choreographers also tackle important social issues. A piece choreographed by student Caroline Kucera is set to spoken word recordings of the latest news headlines. Cox said the resulting chaotic and passionate solo by Annie Estes is very real, current and intense. Another piece, choreographed by guest artist Julia Eichten, engages the entire company in exploring the power and strength young women intrinsically possess. Cox recommends audiences absorb the movement itself: “Everyone’s interpretation of each dance can be different, we can let our imaginations take us
Among the offerings this week: a performance by Dancers’ Workshop and talks by artist Thomas Macker and Bert Romberg (depicted here as a young boy with his sister), who escaped Germany as a child just before war broke out in 1939.
wherever the movement leads.” New Dances/New Choreographers “Verve” fundraising event, 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 28 in Dancers’ Workshop Studio 2; 7 p.m. performance, Dancers’ Workshop Studio 1, $50. New Dances/New Choreographers “Verve” performances 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29 in Dancers’ Workshop Studio 1, $10 students, $25 adults.
Probing propaganda In his multimedia exhibit, “Holdout,” on view at the Center for the Arts, local artist Thomas Macker has created a body of work that brings camouflage from the background to the foreground of consciousness. Using new media materials and techniques, his work invites viewers to ponder the visual and psychological impact of warfare. Macker speaks noon on Thursday at the Center Theater Gallery. He will discuss his practice as a research-based, or conceptual artist. Macker spent two years researching camouflage, bygone war propaganda and the identity of the “holdout” figure in modern warfare. “With conceptual art, the concept is the point of it,” Macker told PJH. “Not necessarily the rendering. I’m trying to make the rendering important but it’s not like I’m sticking to a specific material or style in order to cohesively connect the work. The materials serve the ideas.” In part, the exhibit also draws upon the history of wartime propaganda—leaflets used during World War II designed to disturb the enemy psychologically. Macker created high tech paintings that reveal a secret message when touched, using thermal paint on a copper plate that turns into a kind of liquid in response to body heat. What looks like a black surface, for instance, becomes an image of a saluting soldier with the words “I’m hurting inside.” Macker said he doesn’t seek to polarize on political lines, but instead to explore the “vernacular” of propaganda. “The work has a voice. The topics are not as plain as documentation,” he said. As Macker probes and unravels various themes, he says he is trying to “discursively connect the dots.”
Artist talk by Thomas Macker, noon Thursday, April 27 at the Center for the Arts Theater Gallery, free.
Life after war
Off-Square Theatre presents Water by the Spoonful, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that follows Elliot, a Puerto Rican Iraq veteran living in Philadelphia as he embarks on a journey to put his life back together after his tour of duty. According to Off Square artistic director Natalia Macker, the racially diverse play presents a diversity of experiences. “Half of the play takes place in the present tense, and half in an online chat room,” Macker said. “It resonates with people in contemporary life, particularly younger audiences.” The play delves into themes of identity and family, as well as the concept of redemption. “Where can we find redemption?” Macker asked. “Who needs it, and who gives it?” The middle play in a trilogy of plays about Elliot, Water by the Spoonful presents challenges for set design in order to create a virtual world. Macker said that an open rehearsal last week generated discussion about the role of technology in our lives—our online identities versus our real identities. Water by the Spoonful at 7 p.m. April 27 to 29 and May 4 to 6 in the Black Box Theater at the Center for the Arts. Tickets Thursday night are $15, all other nights are $25.
Why remembering is important
The Jackson Hole Jewish Community presents Bert Romberg, a part-time Jackson resident who will speak about his experiences of the Kindertransport. “His story is one of the relatively few happy endings in that the Kindertransport took just 10,000 children out of Germany right before the outbreak of war in 1939,” noted JHJC’s Mary Grossman. Romberg’s presentation, “The Kindertransport: Memories of, and reflections on, a refugee’s escape from tyranny,” will also touch on what is happening in the world today and the parallels that can be drawn. Bert Romberg speaks at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, free. PJH
POT HOLE
THIS WEEK: April 26-May 2, 2017
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26
THURSDAY, APRIL 27
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 19
n Water by the Spoonful 7:00pm, Black Box Theater at the Center for the Arts, $15.00 $25.00, 307-733-3021 n Black Irish Texas 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Salsa Night 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500
FRIDAY, APRIL 28
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 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, 307-7336379 n Open Studio Modeling: Portrait Model 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n The Hottest Tips And Tricks On Social Media For Your Business! 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $40.00, 307-733-7425 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7334466 n FREE Friday Tasting at Jackson Whole Grocer 4:00pm, Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Free, 307-733-0450 n SPET Open House 4:00pm, St. John’s Medical Center, Free, 307-733-3932 n Immigration Q&A 5:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n New Dances/New Choreographers “Verve” Fundraising Event 5:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $52.00, 307-733-6398 n Rumor of a Riot 6:30pm, Elks Lodge, $20.00 $25.00, 307-203-9067 n Pam Drews Phillips Plays Jazz 7:00pm, The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch, Free, 307-7338833 n Low Light Defensive Pistol Workshop 7:00pm, Jackson Hole Shooting Experience, 307-690-7921
SPECIAL Free steering and suspension inspection 1/2 price alignment with repair. (A $149.00 savings) Call to make an appointment.
CALL: 307-733-4331
4280 W. Leeper Lane | Wilson, WY
APRIL 26, 2017 | 17
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT) 9:00am, CWC-Jackson, $1,995.00, 307-733-7425
n Beginning Throwing Morning 9:30am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $184.00 $220.00, 307-733-6379 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Storytime 10:30am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Storytime 11:00am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Art in Translation: Artist Talk with Edgardo Aragón 12:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-7336379 n Growing Through Grief 1:00pm, St. John’s Medical Center, 307-739-7483 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 Music Video Production: GR 4-8 3:45pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $99.00 - $118.00, 307-733-6379 n Adobe Photoshop 5:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $200.00, 307-733-7425 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Information Session for homeownership at the Grove with Habitat for Humanity 6:00pm, Hansen Hall at St. John’s Episcopal, Free, 307-7340828 ext 104 n Wyoming Connections Academy Free Family Information Session 6:30pm, Wyoming Connections Academy Free Family Information Session, Free n Introduction to Wildlife Photography 6:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $175.00 $210.00, 307-733-6379 n Jackson Hole Community Band 2017 Rehearsals 7:00pm, Center for the Arts, $10.00, 307-200-9463
Compiled by Caroline LaRosa
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 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 Organizational Assessment 9:00am, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, $20.00, 307-739-1026 n Listen Local Live at Lotus Happy Hours 4:00pm, Lotus Organic Restaurant, Free n Dinner with a Doc to feature Q&A on SPET Proposition #10 5:00pm, Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-7300 n Adobe Photoshop 5:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $200.00, 307-733-7425 n Information Session for homeownership at the Grove with Habitat for Humanity 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-734-0828 ext 104 n Barbara Trentham Life Drawing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n Beginning Throwing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $215.00 $258.00, 307-733-6379 n Open Studio Modeling: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-7336379 n Game Night 6:00pm, Snake River Brewing, Free, 307-739-2337 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
18 | APRIL 26, 2017
MUSIC BOX Weapons of Mass Funkiness Sneaky Pete & the Secret Weapons sign with a booking agency and prepare to enter the studio for the band’s third release. BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch
S
ince forming in 2011, local quintet Sneaky Pete & the Secret Weapons has taken the funk to new levels, and has arguably established the largest local fanbase. Vocalist, songwriter and trumpet player Bobby Griffith sat down to talk about the ins and outs of elevated touring, band chemistry, and entering the studio this spring to record the band’s third release. PJH: There are currently no other local bands that have booking agency representation. How does this recent move change the touring landscape for SPSW? Bobby Griffith: We were picked up by Nimbleslick Entertainment this winter, a national organization with offices in Denver and Athens, Georgia, and it’s definitely one of the most exciting things to ever happen to SPSW. In our eyes, it has kind of legitimized what we’ve been doing. We’ve been booking gigs ourselves the past few years, and now we have someone that represents our best interests. The relationship has already streamlined our whole booking process, which means better venues, new markets and more pairings with bigger national acts. We’re in the middle of booking our summer tour now, and it’s already led to some exciting offers. Just wait until this fall—you
might be seeing SPSW in a few new states. PJH: You guys have been building a solid fanbase locally and in the region, especially over the last couple of years. Does this give you guys more firepower to keep the machine rolling forward? Bobby G: I think there are two main things that are lighting the fire underneath us right now—our music is getting better and our fan base is growing. We can’t stress enough how important our local fans have been to our success, always packing the house and making it a party, and now we’re starting to build a buzz around the region as well. As long as people keep coming out and dancing their asses off, we’re gonna keep bringing you fresh progressive tunes to shake it to. PJH: You guys are about to leave for a nine-show Northwest tour. What have been your best touring markets and what does the road offer you guys that Jackson Hole does not? Bobby G: Yep, we’re spending two weeks playing our way from Seattle to San Francisco. The West Coast has always been one of our favorite places to
play outside of the Hole, places like Bend, Portland, and the Bay Area have been so good to us in the past. Our other strong markets these days are Colorado (we did a seven-show ski tour this winter) and Montana (we’ve got two festival appearances scheduled this summer, including a headlining slot at Harvest Fusion Festival). As much as we love playing in the Hole, it can be hard to know if the music really resonates when we play for our friends all the time. It’s exciting going to these new places, playing for total strangers, and watching them get down too. It’s like, oh, maybe these tunes really are good. I guess our friends aren’t just being nice.
PJH: What is the new recording project looking like for this spring? How is this batch of tunes a progression from your last release, Dojo, and will it represent the live show or more of a studio approach? Bobby G: As soon as we get back from the road, we’re hunkering down and setting up a studio on the Hoback River with our friend Joe “Goldcone” Rudd. He’s the man and with his help this is certainly going to be our finest album to date. We’ve got 10 songs ready to record, half of which are vocally driven.
WEDNESDAY Vinyl Night (The Rose) THURSDAY Black Irish Texas (Silver Dollar)
These songs are our best batch of original material yet and every band member will have at least one songwriting credit, something of which we’re super proud. In the past, our recordings have always represented what we do on stage, but with this one we want to embrace the magic of the studio a bit more, and mine some of the amazing musical talent that we have in the area. So expect to hear different textures, lush harmonies, and thick, full soundscapes. PJH: What are the contributing factors to the band’s evolving chemistry? Bobby G: The Secret Weapons are defined by a few things: a desire to always have fun, a need to constantly push ourselves musically, and an appreciation of original music as an art form. First off, the crowd is never going to have fun if you’re not, so since the beginning our motto has been to have more fun than everybody else. When it comes to the music, it’s very important for us to always be progressing, improving, and challenging ourselves. It’s the main reason for our tribute set last Halloween when we played Paul Simon’s Graceland in its entirety—to learn a new batch of songs, take on a whole
FRIDAY Pam Drews Phillips Trio (The Granary), The Flannel Attractions (Silver Dollar), Mr. Whipple (The Rose), DJ Era (Town Square Tavern)
different style of playing, and challenge ourselves as musicians. But when it’s all said and done, the best way to push yourself as an artist is to create your own art, which is why original music has always been the cornerstone of what we do. Now that the tram is done spinning, maybe we can sit down and write some songs again.
SATURDAY Cold Hard Cash (Town Square Tavern), Twenty Paces (Silver Dollar)
PJH: What should fans in the valley expect next from SPSW? Bobby G: Keep an eye out for our summer calendar, but Jacksonites should expect an early June weekend at the Silver Dollar (which is such a nice room these days), and a late-night rager at the Trap Bar to cap off the funkiest day in the history of Targhee Fest. PJH
SUNDAY Open Mic (Pinky G’s), Stagecoach Band (Stagecoach) TUESDAY One Ton Pig (Silver Dollar)
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.
SATURDAY, APRIL 29
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Hoff’s Bike Smith Bike Swap 9:00am, Hoff’s Bike Smith, 307203-0444 n Library Saturdays: Mini Music & Movement 10:15am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n New Dances/New Choreographers “Verve” 4:00pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $12.00 - $27.00, 307-733-6398
n Art in Translation Exhibition Opening & Celebration 5:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-6379 n Holocaust Remembrance Day Speaker 6:00pm, St. John’s Church, Free, 307-734-1999 n New Dances/New Choreographers “Verve” 6:00pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $12.00 - $27.00, 307-733-6398 n The Jackson Hole Jewish Community presents Yom HaShoah / Holocaust Remembrance Speaker Bert Romberg 6:00pm, St. John’s Church Hansen Hall, Free, 307-734-1999
n 2nd Annual Family Barn Dance 6:00pm, Teton Fairgrounds Building, $10.00 - $20.00, 307730-2267 n The Elliot Plays Talkback Series 7:00pm, Off Square Theatre Company - Black Box Theater @ the Center for the Arts, Free, 307-733-3021 n Water by the Spoonful 7:00pm, Black Box Theater at the Center for the Arts, $15.00 $25.00, 307-733-3021 n Twenty Paces 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939
n Live Music 10:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500 n Cold Hard Cash 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, 307-733-3886
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307733-4407
MONDAY, MAY 1
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398
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 Art Education: Kindercreations 9:30am, Art Association Borshell Children’s Studio, $16.00, 307733-6379 n The Studio Project 12:00pm, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307-733-6379 n Beginning Stained Glass Design With Light 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $176.00 - $211.00, 307-733-6379
APRIL 26, 2017 | 19
n Water by the Spoonful 7:00pm, Black Box Theater at the Center for the Arts, $15.00 $25.00, 307-733-3021 n The Flannel Attractions 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Free Public Stargazing 7:30pm, Center for the Arts, Free, 844-996-7827 n Friday Night DJ with Mr. Whipple 10:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500 n DJ ERA 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 24
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
20 | APRIL 26, 2017
CREATIVE PEAKS
When People See ‘the Other’ in Themselves Landmark new exhibit gives voice and perspective to the valley’s marginalized populace. BY MEG DALY @MegDaly1
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aturday evening marks the anticipated opening of “Art in Translation,” an exhibition by three Mexican artists who have been working in Jackson Hole to create art about Jackson’s Latino community. Presented by the Art Association and curated by Cecilia Delgado Masse, a curator at muca-Roma contemporary art museum in Mexico City, the exhibition considers the themes of home, language and identity. According to Delgado Masse, the project explores Jackson’s multicultural community, and to what extent we understand each other’s cultures. “Today we live with the idea of a global world, where everything is possible if you work for the capital model,” Masse said. “However, sometimes we don’t have the capacity to see the contexts, necessities and identities of ‘the others’ of the same community.” Bringing these “other” contexts into focus is exactly the point of the exhibition, explained Art Association executive director Mark Nowlin. “Identity, language and home are core elements that define our sense of self and feelings of belonging. It is through these constructs that individuals and communities tell our stories.” Masse said she chose the artists carefully, based
on their previous work and their ability to work with communities. The artists are all part of an emerging generation of contemporary Mexican artists. “Their work is characterized by a local creativity that identifies political, economic and social problems,” she explained. Artist and writer Verónica Gerber Bicecci has been working with Pati Rocha from Teton County Library. She will present a radio program in English and Spanish that combines visual and performance pieces to highlight the experience of similar stories being told in both languages. During an artist talk last week, Bicecci said she has been conducting workshops with students in the community and playing with a few words of particular interest: “border,” “language,” “migrant,” and “emoji.” “I’m reflecting on how language can bring us close but also separate us,” she said. “Words can signify subjective things to each of us. When we say them, we don’t know what the other is going to understand and feel, even if we are speaking the same language.” Award-winning multimedia artist Sandra Calvo utilized her social, collaborative and site-specific artistic practice to create an installation about housing, shelter, and territory issues in Jackson. In collaboration with Carmina Oaks and Jorge Moreno from One22, Calvo’s installation piece reflects the perils of the housing crisis here in Teton County and the people impacted. Calvo won Best Project at the Havana Arts Biennale in 2015. For her “Multiplicity of the Inner Landscape” project she reimagined Havana’s tenement housing in intricately designed cardboard structures inside crumbling historical buildings in the city. These structures replicated and commented on Cuba’s housing crisis, in which the state allowed families to build tenements in old buildings that it could no longer afford to maintain. “I wanted to explore what is a house, to its inhabitants, also to architects,” Calvo told Art Nouveau magazine. “Havana is an implosion, with everything
built up and up on the inside, hidden behind crumbling facades.” Filmmaker Edgardo Aragón will present a video showcasing the parallel landscapes shared by Jackson and Tlaxcala, Mexico. Aragón has been working with Angel Ramos from Hoback Junction. The video will feature some of Angel’s experiences attempting to integrate into the Jackson community while maintaining connections with his hometown. Aragon has exhibited internationally. According to the Art Gallery of Ontario, his film and photography “often document performance and sculptural interventions against landscapes that appear at once serene and foreboding.” He is particularly interested in the land near his hometown of Oaxaca as well as mythic landscapes of the American West. Masse said she hopes the three artists bring “fresh air” and ideas to Jackson, sparking new thinking and understanding. “The value of a work of art consists of its ability to arrest, even if temporarily, the stream of purposeful acts and dispositions that we bear as a routine of everyday life,” she said. “It affords us a moment’s respite from the strain of maintaining a purely functional [existence].” By examining how language functions, and taking a closer look at the meaning of a home and home territory, Art in Translation aims to open a dialogue among people of different backgrounds. “Jackson’s Latino community is a vital, vibrant part of our economy, culture and way of life here in the valley,” Nowlin said. “Art in Translation aims to engage our Latino community in meaningful art education experiences that help to bridge cultural barriers and facilitate a greater dialogue.” Masse said this dialogue will hopefully lead to a “second sight,” or better comprehension of the entirety of the local Jackson community, based on humanity not prejudice. PJH Art in Translation exhibition opening, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at the Art Association gallery.
APRIL 26, 2017 | 21
THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE POCKET-SIZED CALENDAR
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
SUMMER 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
22 | APRIL 26, 2017
MAY
SPECIFIC PURPOSE 2
20 1 7
EXCISE TAX
SPECIAL ELECTION | POLLS OPEN 7 AM-7 PM
ONLY THE FOLLOWING THREE VOTE CENTERS WILL BE OPEN ON ELECTION DAY: TETON COUNTY LIBRARY 125 VIRGINIAN LN, JACKSON, WY
TETON COUNTY/JACKSON RECREATION CENTER 155 E. GILL AVE., JACKSON, WY
THE OLD WILSON SCHOOLHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTER 5655 MAIN ST., WILSON, WY.
YOU MAY VOTE AT ANY OF THESE LOCATIONS, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE IN TETON COUNTY. If these locations are not convenient, you may vote at the absentee polling site in the County Administration Building at 200 S. Willow St., Jackson, Wyoming, until 5:00 p.m. on May 1st. If you would like a ballot mailed to you, please keep in mind that all absentee ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on May 2nd, 2017 to be counted. The Absentee Polling site will not be open on Election Day for voting.
QUESTIONS? CALL THE TETON COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE AT 733-4430
[
ONE BALLOT STYLE FOR ALL 18 PRECINCTS
]
11
OFFICIAL SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT 1% SPECIFIC PURPOSE EXCISE TAX (SPET) TETON COUNTY, STATE OF WYOMING
1-01 South of Jackson
TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2017 21
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER: 1. To vote "FOR" or "AGAINST", completely DARKEN THE OVAL immediately to the left of the choice for whom you desire to vote for. 2. If you make an error, return your ballot to a precinct official and obtain a new one. 3. Use a black ball point pen only.
Shall Teton County be authorized to re-allocate funds from the 2014 SPET as follows: South Highway 89 Pathway and South Park Boat Ramp Underpass 40 41 42 43
$1,500,000.00 in re-allocation of previously collected SPET funds, currently on hand, representing the unspent funds from the South Park Loop Road Pathway, to be utilized for the purpose of funding the planning, design, engineering, and construction of a South Highway 89 pathway and South Park Boat Ramp underpass. This project is sponsored by Teton County.
Proposition #3 Central Wyoming College (CWC) Jackson Center
Propostion #7 Redmond/Hall Affordable Housing/Rentals Project
$3,820,000.00 for the purpose of funding acquisition of land, easements, planning, design, engineering, and construction of a new Central Wyoming College (CWC) - Jackson Center that shall hold classrooms, medical/science labs, offices, and a commercial kitchen. This project is sponsored by Central Wyoming College.
$4,050,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of affordable housing/rental units preferably at Redmond and Hall Streets in the Town of Jackson, but may be used for other affordable housing/rental projects. This project is sponsored by Town of Jackson.
FOR the Proposition
FOR the Proposition
AGAINST the Proposition
AGAINST the Proposition
FOR the Proposition AGAINST the Proposition
51
Shall Teton County, State of Wyoming, be authorized to adopt and cause to be imposed a one percent (1%) specific purpose excise tax (the "Tax") within Teton County for the purpose of raising and collecting the amounts set forth below, the proceeds from which, and the interest earned thereon to be used and applied for specific projects, and to the extent necessary and allowed by law, the pledge to or payment of debt service and/or lease payments thereon:
Proposition #4 Town of Jackson Pedestrian Improvements $1,500,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of pedestrian improvements including sidewalks, crosswalks, and ADA facilities within the Town of Jackson. This project is sponsored by the Town of Jackson.
FOR the Proposition AGAINST the Proposition
Proposition #5 Teton County/Town of Jackson Recreation Center Capital Repair, Replacement, and Renovation
$6,500,000.00 for the purpose of funding the acquisition of replacement START buses for current service levels and for the purchase of additional START buses for future service expansion. This project is sponsored by Town of Jackson.
$2,400,000.00 for the funding of equipment purchases and construction of necessary aquatic and facility repairs, renovation, and replacement to existing infrastructure in the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. This project is sponsored by Teton County.
FOR the Proposition FOR the Proposition AGAINST the Proposition
$2,900,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of approximately 21 rental housing units. Priority shall be given to employees of Teton County and the Town of Jackson. The rental units shall be located on Town of Jackson owned property at Public Works. This project is sponsored by Town of Jackson.
AGAINST the Proposition
Propostion #9 Fire Station #1 (Jackson) and Fire Station #3 (Hoback) Improvements $6,800,000.00 for the purpose of funding the renovation, construction and seismic upgrades to Fire Station #1 (Jackson) and to fund the acquisition of land, easements, and the planning/engineering of a new Fire Station #3 (Hoback). This project is sponsored by Teton County. FOR the Proposition AGAINST the Proposition
Proposition #6 Town of Jackson/Teton County Housing at START Bus Facility $8,300,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of approximately 24 rental housing units. Priority shall be given to employees of Teton County and the Town of Jackson. The rental units shall be located on Town of Jackson owned property at the START Bus Facility. This project is sponsored by Town of Jackson.
Propostion #10 St. John's Living Center $17,000,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of a long-term nursing home, hospice, rehabilitation center, and memory care center. This project is sponsored by the Teton County Hospital District d/b/a St. John's Medical Center.
FOR the Proposition
FOR the Proposition
FOR the Proposition
AGAINST the Proposition
AGAINST the Proposition
AGAINST the Proposition
1-01 South of Jackson
Typ:01 Seq:0001 Spl:01
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Proposition #2 Town of Jackson/Teton County Housing at Parks and Recreation Maintenance Facility
$15,330,000.00 for the purpose of funding planning, design, engineering, and construction of a Fleet Maintenance Facility and START Bus Storage. The Fleet Maintenance Facility services and maintains critical response and general use vehicles of the town and county including, but not limited to, law enforcement, buses, snow plows, street maintenance, and water/sewer maintenance. This project is sponsored by Town of Jackson. FOR the Proposition
Proposition #1 Replacement of Current START Buses and Purchase of Additional START Buses
AGAINST the Proposition
Propostion #8 Fleet Maintenance Facility and START Bus Storage
0101
APRIL 26, 2017 | 23
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
24 | APRIL 26, 2017
n Wine Tasting on a Budget 3:00pm, Dornans, $10.00, 307-733-2415 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
TUESDAY, MAY 2
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, 307-7337425 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, 307-7332164 n Toddler Time 11:05am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-7336379 n Spring Business Development Luncheon 12:00pm, Ranch Inn, Free, 307-201-2294 n Photography Open Studio 12:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-6379 n Volunteer Open House: Tipple and Tour 4:30pm, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Free, 307-733-5771 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-6906539 n Intermediate Throwing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $154.00 - $184.00, 307-733-6379 n Beer Making and Brewing at Snake River Brewing 6:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $40.00, 307-733-7425 n iMovie Editing Basics 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $140.00 - $168.00, 307-733-6379 n Advanced Photography Techniques 6:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $65.00 - $78.00, 307-733-6379 n The Elliot Plays Talkback Series 6:30pm, Off Square Theatre Company - Black Box Theater @ the Center for the Arts, Free, 307-733-3021 n Bootleg Flyer 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307733-2190
FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS VISIT PJHCALENDAR.COM
Football is over. Let the BRUNCH begin! Sat & Sun 10am-3pm •••••••••••
HAPPY HOUR
1/2 Off Drinks Daily 5-7pm
••••••••••• Monday-Saturday 11am, Sunday 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors)•733-7901
BEER, WINE & SPIRITS
Sips From the Land of Cedars The wines of Lebanon offer something for every palate and pocketbook. BY TED SCHEFFLER @Critic1
Middle Eastern wines are often outstanding, and run a fraction of the price of their more esteemed European cousins. Bottles of wine from top-notch Middle East producers like Ksara, Chateau Kefraya, Chateau Musar and Massaya typically sell at restaurants in the $30 to $40 range. And keep in mind, that’s the marked-up, retail per-bottle restaurant pricing. They’re even cheaper if you can track them down or
order them at your favorite wine store. Once you taste these wines, you’ll know you’ve found a bargain. Most of the best Middle East wineries have French roots of one type or another. Such is the case of Chateau Musar: Gaston Hochar planted Musar’s first vineyards, in Lebanon, after returning from a visit to Bordeaux. Chateau Musar Rouge is a cabernet/carignan/ cinsault blend from vineyards in the Bekaa Valley that takes seven years to make. It’s truly a world-class red wine. It might surprise readers to learn (it did me) that Lebanon’s Chateau Ksara Estate winery was founded in 1857 by Jesuit monks. The Estate became privatized in 1973 following the Vatican’s urging to sell off monasteries’ and missions’ commercial assets around the world. The early 90s saw the planting of French “noble grapes”—cabernet sauvignon, syrah, semillon, chardonnay, merlot and sauvignon blanc. Today, in addition to Arak and Eau de Vie, Ksara produces exceptional still wines such as their Cuvée du Troisième Millénaire and Ksara Le Prieuré, as well as more affordable everyday wines like luscious
IMBIBE Blanc de L’Observatoire—the Middle East’s first observatory was established at Ksara, where the monks recorded rainfall and seismic activity—and Le Souverain, which is an unusual grape blend of arinarnoa, marselan and cabernet franc. I recently enjoyed the Massaya Blanc—a gorgeous white wine made of obeidi, clairette, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay from the Massaya winery in Lebanon. But I also really like Massaya’s Le Colombier. It’s a terrific red wine for everyday sipping, with appealing pepper and spice notes—a wine to be drunk young and without fanfare. Unlike Ksara, Massaya is a relatively new winery that dates back only to the mid 90s. The wines are very much French-influenced, thanks to a partnership with Bordeaux’s Maison Hébrard and Vignobles Brunier in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, maker of the notable Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. Massaya Terrasses de Baalbeck is a very Châteauneuf-like blend of grenache noir, mourvèdre and syrah grown in chalky clay. In a blind tasting, I’ll bet you’d peg it as a French Rhone wine. Chateau Kefraya is the second largest Lebanese winery, located in the Bekaa Valley (the Middle East’s Sonoma or Napa). Although the current Kefraya vines were planted in 1951 and 1979, grapevines in Lebanon were already growing more than 4,000 years ago, when the Phoenicians were fermenting grape juice in the Bekaa Valley. My favorite Kefraya offering is its rosé—an elegant and delicate blend of cinsault and tempranillo, the perfect wine for springtime sipping. PJH
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307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE
APRIL 26, 2017 | 25
CASH BACK ROCK CHIP ON WINDSHIELD REPAIR REPLACEMENT
Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Intermountain
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.
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
CLOSED FOR THE OFF SEASON. RE-OPENING MAY 10. 733-3912
160 North Millward | Jackson, Wyoming
F O H ‘ E H
T
INNERGE D I UNCHETON VILLA L I T IN T FAS BREAKE ALPENHOF AT TH
ASIAN & CHINESE TETON THAI
Serving the world’s most exciting cuisine. Teton Thai offers a splendid array of flavors: sweet, hot, sour, salt and bitter. All balanced and blended perfectly, satisfying the most discriminating palate. Open daily. 7432 Granite Loop Road in Teton Village, (307) 733-0022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai.com.
THAI ME UP
ELY UNIQUPEAN EURO
AT THE
307.733.3242
Home of Melvin Brewing Co. Freshly remodeled offering modern Thai cuisine in a relaxed setting. New tap system with 20 craft beers. New $8 wine list and extensive bottled beer menu. Open daily for dinner at 5pm. Downtown at 75 East Pearl Street. View our tap list at thaijh.com/brews. 307-733-0005.
CONTINENTAL ALPENHOF
Serving authentic Swiss cuisine, the Alpenhof features European style breakfast entrées and alpine lunch fare. Dine in the Bistro for a casual meal or join us in the Alpenrose dining room for a relaxed dinner experience. Breakfast 7:30am-10am. Coffee & pastry 10am-11:30am. Lunch 11:30am-3pm. Aprés 3pm-5:30pm. Dinner 6pm-9pm. For reservations at the Bistro or Alpenrose, call 307-733-3242.
THE BLUE LION
®
Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)
Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
26 | APRIL 26, 2017
Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom and pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves!
•••••••••
$ 13 99
for an extra $5.99/each
(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY
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. Closed for the off-season. Re-opening May 10th. Reservations recommended, walk-ins welcome. 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant.com
CAFE GENEVIEVE
Serving inspired home cooked classics in a historic log cabin. Enjoy brunch daily at 8 a.m., Dinner Tues-Sat 5 p.m. and Happy Hour TuesSat 3-5:30 p.m. featuring $5 glasses of wine, $5 specialty drinks, $3 bottled beer. 135 E. Broadway, (307) 732-1910, genevievejh.com.
ELEANOR’S
Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our two-time gold medal wings. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 832 W. Broadway, (307) 733-7901.
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 locallysourced products. Offering a casual and vibrant bar atmosphere with 12 beers on tap as well as
a relaxed dining room, Local is the perfect spot to grab a burger for lunch or to have drinks and dinner with friends. Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am. Dinner Nightly 5:30pm. 55 North Cache, (307) 201-1717, localjh.com.
LOTUS ORGANIC RESTAURANT
Serving organic, freshly-made world cuisine while catering to all eating styles. Endless organic and natural meat, vegetarian, vegan and glutenfree 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 MoeBoy 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
Two- fer Tuesday is back !
Two-for-one 12” pies all day. Dine-in or Carry-out. (LIMIT 6 PIES PER CARRYOUT ORDER, PLEASE.)
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 11am - 9:30pm daily 20 W. Broadway 307.201.1472
PizzeriaCaldera.com
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
FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE
A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965
PINKY G’S
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.
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
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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 |
Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY
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.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
28 | APRIL 26, 2017
Reader Questions on Family Reincarnation Q: What if dad reincarnates?
A: The first question I am sharing is one that often comes up. A reader writes, “For many years I have received comfort and guidance from my father who is no longer alive. But what happens if he reincarnates? Would I continue to feel the communication connection? And if yes, with whom would I be communicating?” In the spirit of simplifying a far more complex phenomenon, we can think of the soul like a tree with many branches and leaves. It’s all one tree emerging from the same roots and trunk, and yet each branch and leaf is unique. In a similar way, the soul gives expression to many lifetimes, each with its own special identity. Right now, you are relating to one “branch” of your father’s soul tree, the one during which he had a particular personality and purpose and was your dad. And he is relating to you in a similar way—to the specific “branch” on your soul tree in which you were his daughter. When you call on him with your thoughts and your love, the frequency of your soul “dials up” his soul. Your energy then links right to the specific “branch” of his soul tree in which you were his daughter and he was your father. To mix metaphors, it’s as if you have his area code (soul) and his cell number (your specific life with him). He can contact you in a similar way; he’s got your frequency number, too. Keep in mind the soul is omnipresent and eternal. It is non-local, meaning that it operates beyond the limits of time and space. Therefore, regardless of where or when his soul incarnates, you always have access to his soul, and to its expression as your dad. And then curious minds might ask, “What if he has been your father in many other lives?” We’ll save that for another week.
Q: Can my sister reincarnate during my lifetime?
A: The next question from a reader is the following: “My sister died when she was only 10, and I am wondering if it’s possible for her to incarnate again during my life? And if so, would I recognize her? “ Sometimes the souls of people who die young and/or tragically incarnate again very quickly, if that is in the highest good for their evolution. Based on their soul’s program, they may or may not show up as a new baby in your current extended family, and/or they might shift race, gender, geographic location. There are so many variables, which we won’t be privy to ahead of time. Therefore, you may or may not cross paths again in this life of yours. Assuming the soul does reincarnate in your family again, you’d look for truly uncanny similarities with your deceased sister in the new child. This includes identical birthmarks, scars, or physical weaknesses in the very same parts of the body involved in your sister’s death. Bottom line: If you cross paths with the same soul, whether in your family or not, you’ll feel it—you’ll just know. Soulful knowing is direct knowing. All the rest is merely rationalizing, and the mind can make up a reason for anything, whether it’s true or not. It’s very important to remember and honor that the new incarnation will have their own personality in their new life, with unique talents and lessons to learn. So though the soul might be the same, the new expression will be a brand new branch of the same soul “tree.” You’ll want to be open and get to know them, love and support them for who they are now. 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.
T2BB.COM
DEEP TISSUE • SPORTS MASSAGE • THAI MASSAGE MYOFASCIAL RELEASE CUPPING
No physician referral required. (307) 733-5577•1090 S Hwy 89
www.fourpinespt.com
MASSAGE THERAPIST NATIONALLY CERTIFIED
253-381-2838
180 N Center St, Unit 8 abhyasamassage.com
APRIL 26, 2017 | 29
To advertise in the Wellness Directory, contact Jen at Planet Jackson Hole at 307-732-0299 or sales@planetjh.com
Oliver Tripp, NCTM
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
TO ADVERTISE IN THE WELLNESS DIRECTORY, CONTACT JEN AT PLANET JACKSON HOLE AT 307-732-0299 OR SALES@PLANETJH.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
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
30 | APRIL 26, 2017
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) “One of the advantages of being disorderly,” said author A. A. Milne, “is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.” I wouldn’t normally offer this idea as advice to a methodical dynamo like you. But my interpretation of the astrological omens compels me to override my personal theories about what you need. I must suggest that you consider experimenting with jaunty, rambunctious behavior in the coming days, even if it generates some disorder. The potential reward? Exciting discoveries, of course.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Why would you guzzle mind-clouding moonshine when you will eventually get a chance to sip a heart-reviving tonic? Why spoil your appetite by loading up on non-nutritious hors d’oeuvres when a healthy feast will be available sooner than you imagine? I advise you to suppress your compulsion for immediate gratification. It may seem impossible for you to summon such heroic patience, but I know you can. And in the long run, you’ll be happy if you do.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) According to my reading of the astrological omens, it’s time for you to take a break from the magic you have been weaving since your birthday in 2016. That’s why I’m suggesting that you go on a brief sabbatical. Allow your deep mind to fully integrate the lessons you’ve been learning and the transformations you have undergone over the past eleven months. In a few weeks, you’ll be ready to resume where you left off. For now, though, you require breathing room. Your spiritual batteries need time to recharge. The hard work you’ve done should be balanced by an extended regimen of relaxed playtime.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “You’ll always be my favorite what-if.” Many years ago, I heard that phrase whispered in my ear. It came from the mouth of a wonderful-but-impossible woman. We had just decided that it was not a good plan, as we had previously fantasized, to run away and get married at Angkor Wat in Cambodia and then spend the next decade being tour guides who led travelers on exotic getaways to the world’s sacred sites. “You’ll always be my favorite what-if” was a poignant but liberating moment. It allowed us to move on with our lives and pursue other dreams that were more realistic and productive. I invite you to consider triggering a liberation like that sometime soon.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Apparently, a lot of kids in the UK don’t like to eat vegetables. In response, food researchers in that country marketed a variety of exotic variations designed to appeal to their palate. The new dishes included chocolate-flavored carrots, pizza-flavored corn, and cheese-and-onion-flavored cauliflower. I don’t recommend that you get quite so extreme in trying to broaden your own appeal, Cancerian. But see if you can at least reach out to your potential constituency with a new wrinkle or fresh twist. Be imaginative as you expand the range of what your colleagues and clientele have to choose from. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In speaking about the arduous quest to become one’s authentic self, writer Thomas Merton used the example of poets who aspire to be original but end up being imitative. “Many poets never succeed in being themselves,” he said. “They never get around to being the particular poet they are intended to be by God. They never become the person or artist who is called for by all of the circumstances of their individual lives. They waste their years in vain efforts to be some other poet. They wear out their minds and bodies in a hopeless endeavor to have somebody else’s experiences or write somebody else’s poems.” I happen to believe that this is a problem for non-poets, as well. Many of us never succeed in becoming ourselves. Luckily for you, Leo, in the coming weeks and months you will have an unprecedented chance to become more of who you really are. To expedite the process, work on dissolving any attraction you might have to acting like someone other than yourself. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) On numerous occasions, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked across a tightrope that spanned the gorge near Niagara Falls. His cable was three and a quarter inches in diameter, 1,100 feet long, and 160 feet above the Niagara River. Once he made the entire crossing by doing back flips and somersaults. Another time he carried a small stove on his back, stopped midway to cook an omelet, and ate the meal before finishing. Now would be an excellent time for you to carry out your personal equivalent of his feats, Virgo. What daring actions have you never tried before even though you’ve been sufficiently trained or educated to perform them well? LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Ready for some subterranean journeys? They may not involve literal explorations of deep caverns and ancient tunnels and underground streams. You may not stumble upon lost treasure and forgotten artifacts and valuable ruins. But then again, you might. At the very least, you will encounter metaphorical versions of some of the above. What mysteries would you love to solve? What secrets would be fun to uncover? What shadows would you be excited to illuminate?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) I’d love to see you increase the number of people, places, and experiences you love, as well as the wise intensity with which you love them. From an astrological perspective, now is an excellent time to upgrade your appreciation and adoration for the whole world and everything in it. To get you in the mood, I’ll call your attention to some unfamiliar forms of ardor you may want to pursue: eraunophilia, an attraction to thunder and lightning; cymophilia, a fascination with waves and waviness; chorophilia, a passion for dancing; asymmetrophilia, a zeal for asymmetrical things; sapiophilia, an erotic enchantment with intelligence. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You could go online and buy an antique Gothic throne or a psychedelic hippie couch to spruce up your living room. For your bathroom, you could get a Japanese “wonder toilet,” complete with a heated seat, automated bidet, and white noise generator. Here’s another good idea: You could build a sacred crazy altar in your bedroom where you will conduct rituals of playful liberation. Or how about this? Acquire a kit that enables you to create spontaneous poetry on your refrigerator door using tiny magnets with evocative words written on them. Can you think of other ideas to revitalize your home environment? It’s high time you did so. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Among America’s 50 states, Texas has the third-highest rate of teenage pregnancies. Uncoincidentally, sex education in Texas is steeped in ignorance. Most of its high schools offer no teaching about contraception other than to advise students to avoid sex. In the coming weeks, Pisces, you can’t afford to be as deprived of the truth as those kids. Even more than usual, you need accurate information that’s tailored to your precise needs, not fake news or ideological delusions or self-serving propaganda. Make sure you gather insight and wisdom from the very best sources. That’s how you’ll avoid behavior that’s irrelevant to your life goals. That’s how you’ll attract experiences that serve your highest good. ARIES (March 21-April 19)
I have misgivings when I witness bears riding bicycles or tigers dancing on their hind legs or Aries people wielding diplomatic phrases and making careful compromises at committee meetings. While I am impressed by the disciplined expression of primal power, I worry for the soul of the creature that is behaving with such civilized restraint. So here’s my advice for you in the coming weeks: Take advantage of opportunities to make deals and forge win-win situations. But also keep a part of your fiery heart untamed. Don’t let people think they’ve got you all figured out.
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.
Elizabeth Kingwill,
MA/LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor • Medical Hypnotherapist
Counseling: • Individual • Premarital • Marriage/Family • Anxiety, Stress
• Anger Management • Pain Relief • Depression • Stop Smoking
733-5680
Practicing in Jackson since 1980 • www.elizabethkingwill.com Flexible Hours - Evening & Weekends • Now Accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield
THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE EXCISE TAX (SPET) TUESDAY, MAY 2ND, 2017.
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.
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VISIT OUR WEBSITE: TETONWYO.ORG/CC | ELECTIONS@TETONWYO.ORG | 307.733.4430
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
SPECIAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD ON
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.
32 | APRIL 26, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |