JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | JUNE 14-20, 2017
PRECIOUS DROPS HOW THE PARCHED WEST RELIES ON WYOMING'’S WATER> WATER..
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JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE
VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 22 | JUNE 7-13, 2017
12 COVER STORY PRECIOUS DROPS How the parched West relies on Wyoming’s water.
Cover illustration by Vaughn Robison
4 EDITOR’S NOTE
10 THE BUZZ 3
5
OPINION
18 MUSIC BOX
7
THE NEW WEST
22 CULTURE KLASH 29 COSMIC CAFE
8 THE BUZZ
THE PLANET TEAM PUBLISHER
Copperfield Publishing, John Saltas EDITOR
Robyn Vincent / editor@planetjh.com
ART DIRECTOR
STAFF REPORTERS
Vaughn Robison / art@planetjh.com
Shannon Sollitt
SALES DIRECTOR
COPY EDITOR
Jen Tillotson / jen@planetjh.com SALES EXTRAORDINAIRE
Caroline LaRosa / caroline@planetjh.com
Kelsey Dayton, Natosha Hoduski, Carol Mann, Scott Renshaw, Ted Scheffler, Chuck Shepherd, Cary Smith, Dane Smits, Tom Tomorrow, Todd Wilkinson, Jim Woodmencey, Baynard Woods
Jessica Sell Chambers CONTRIBUTORS
Rob Brezsny, Jessica Sell Chambers, Aaron Davis,
MEMBER: National Newspaper Association, Alternative Weekly Network, Association of Alternative Newsmedia
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THIS WEEK
JUNE 14-20, 2017 By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey The month of June began with a week or more of non-stop melting of the snowpack up in the mountains. Then a little cooler temperatures this past weekend helped slow the flow of that melted snow into the rivers and creeks. Temperatures then turned colder early this week to throttle-back that flow quite a bit more. Ironically, adding some new snow to mountains, which will eventually add more water to the historic runoff we are experiencing this June.
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Highs in the 70’s to around 80-degrees last week sure made it feel like summer was on its way. Then much cooler temperatures, with highs in the 50’s and 60’s made us think, maybe not just yet. The average high temperatures this week are in the lower 70’s. We should be back up close to that again this weekend. The recorded hottest temperature ever recorded in Jackson in mid-June was a blistering 92-degrees. That happened 43 years ago on June 15th, 1974.
72 38 92 21
THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.63 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 4.8 inches (1967) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: 0.1 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 5 inches (1973)
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JUNE 14, 2017 | 3
Jim has been forecasting the weather here for more than 20 years. You can find more Jackson Hole Weather information at www.mountainweather.com
Average low temperatures this week are in the upper 30’s. Running a bit cooler to start this week, then closer to average as we roll into next week. In 2011 it was still snowing up in the mountains into mid-June. There was actually more snow yet to melt in 201l, as compared to this June. Record coldest mid-June temperature ever recorded was during that year, the thermometer in Jackson dipped down to 21-degrees on June 18th, 2011.
NORMAL HIGH NORMAL LOW RECORD HIGH IN 1974 RECORD LOW IN 2011
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EDITOR’S NOTE Honor and Dishonor The danger of normalizing President Trump. BY ROBYN VINCENT @TheNomadicHeart
M
ayor Pete Muldoon’s decision last week to replace the town hall portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with an image of Shoshone Chief Washakie incited uproar in Jackson Hole and across the nation. While some people exalted the mayor, others decried the move as divisive and a dishonor to the office of president. Some of the clamor is akin to complaints waged against anti-Trump protesters following the 2016 presidential election. Critics said protesters were in the wrong because, after all, the people elected Trump. These protesters, they argued, were essentially protesting democracy. Except they weren’t. We know Hillary Clinton received almost 3 million more votes than Trump. But because of an antiquated system called the electoral college, the will of the people was silenced. Protesters understood there is nothing more American than standing up to a broken system. Indeed, the authority of a government comes from the consent of the people, and when government becomes destructive, it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish it. So says a wrinkled old document called the Bill of Rights. When the government targets people for the color of their skin or their religious beliefs, when it mines public distrust in the free press, when it rails against peacekeeping institutions, and erodes the American values that have largely kept the world at peace since the end of WWII, it has devolved into an agent of destruction. And when instances of the president’s untenable actions become too numerous to count, proceeding as normal is an exercise in obfuscating the truth. And the truth is, none of this is normal. It’s not normal to ignore the murders of two American heroes, and the assault of another, who died at the hands of a white supremacist. They were killed for defending two young Muslim women, one donned in a hijab. For almost three
days, the president remained silent about this despicable act, tweeting instead about fake news and Obamacare, until the cries grew too loud. Finally, one of his staffers apparently used his White House Twitter account to extend a brief conciliatory message. Trump’s personal account—the one with substantially more followers—remained silent. That Twitter is somehow an acceptable channel to acknowledge national tragedy is for another conversation. It’s not normal to break from a planned speech during a NATO meeting to gruffly condescend key American allies. This has resulted in the apparent unraveling of some of America’s most important foreign relationships. That the president shoved Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic during the same summit to better position himself for a photo while on the world’s stage should make all Americans cringe. It’s not normal for a president to use Twitter to bully the mayor of a city that has just fallen victim to a terrorist attack. Trump took the words of London Mayor Sadiq Khan out of context, perhaps to fuel fears and garner further support for his racist travel ban. Which, by the way, federal judges have repeatedly ruled unconstitutional. The latest federal appeals court to overrule the ban likened it to the U.S.’s discriminatory practices when it targeted Japanese Americans and placed them in internment camps. It’s not normal for an American president to be affiliated with a group the Southern Poverty Law Center defines as an “anti-Muslim hate group.” ACT for America organized the nationwide “anti-Sharia law” protests this past weekend in a country where there has never been a threat of Sharia law. It was a clear attempt to propagate hate and confusion about Islam. The Washington Post reported Saturday that ACT for America is a lobbyist organization with “close ties” to the Trump administration. It’s not normal that the president and his administration are mired in scandal over the Russian involvement in the presidential election. Nor is it normal that while under oath, former FBI Director James Comey—who served three presidents from both parties—claimed the president is a liar who defamed the FBI and acted recklessly. And it’s certainly not normal to use Paul Ryan’s defense “he’s new to this,” every time the president flails, taking down innocent people with him. Now, whether American democracy—a model countries around the globe
The honorable Chief Washakie
have adopted and emulated with glittery hope—survives Trump’s vitriol, his utter disdain for democratic institutions, and his willful ignorance of history and the truth remains to be seen. But the cultural wounds he has inflicted on the U.S. will not heal soon and the longer this goes on the deeper the gashes will be. After talking with an esteemed cohort who happened to be in Italy this past weekend, I began thinking about the cautionary tales I’ve heard from Italians. Indeed, to see how a modern cultural landscape shifts under an unsavory leader, one needn’t look any further than Italy circa 1994 to 2011. The comparisons between former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Trump are bountiful. As my colleague later noted, however, Berlusconi—a deeply misogynistic, xenophobic, populist leader whose children run his billionaire empire—could never wield the governing weight the leader of the free world can. But he has certainly left a cultural scar on Italy. Italian author Lorenzo Newman explained that while Italy’s democratic institutions survived, “there’s a sense that profound mistrust, aimed at the judiciary and the media, has outlasted him and may have trickled down to everyday life. “Since Berlusconi left office, politicians of all stripes are unabashed in accusing prosecutors and journalists of grandstanding whenever they are caught up in one of Italy’s many corruption scandals. By many accounts, parents override teacher decisions more than they used to. Referees seem to have lost respect on the soccer pitch.” Newman noted some of these behaviors may also be the symptom of a country that was under the rule of other European powers for 1,500 years. In other words, the Italians have developed some aversion to authority. But, Newman writes, Berlusconi “fray[ed] any remaining vital semblance of trust in institutions and [in] one [an]other.” Take it from the folks nursing fresh wounds—this isn’t a normal moment in history. As citizens of a world super power, where much is at stake both near and afar, we should stop acting like it is. PJH
OPINION Weighty Gestures The decision to remove presidential photos at town hall was illconceived. BY JESSICA SELL CHAMBERS @Jesellechambers
“All democracies are emerging democracies, in the sense that they are always in danger of sinking into bad habits of thinking and acting.” – Anonymous
M
ayor Pete Muldoon’s decision to remove President Donald Trump’s and Vice President Mike Pence’s photos from the walls of town hall was a misstep for three reasons, all hinging on the principle of respect for our democracy, elections, and the office of the presidency. While many, many people despise our current president for what they deem to be deplorable behaviors and actions— which I cannot argue with—Trump is and remains, at least for the time being, the president of the United States. The office itself deserves a certain level of respect, for the sake of democracy. While Muldoon has maintained he would have taken down a photo of former President Barack Obama from the walls of town hall, that too would have been disrespectful to the
President Donald Trump
office of the presidency, regardless of the non-partisan designation of Jackson’s Town Hall. When Trump won the election in 2016, former Secretary Hillary Clinton and Obama pleaded with the majority of the American public, that was aghast by the result, to respect the tradition of the peaceful transition of power. Obama and Clinton understood our civil democracy is dependent on maintaining the tradition of decorum, and respect for the “ballot” to avoid the “bullet.” Many things in our democracy that have come to be foundational to maintaining civility are not enshrined in the Constitution but are merely tradition. The president releasing tax returns or allowing press to access the White House are two examples of tradition that we have come to rely on for our democracy; neither are enshrined in any formal laws. Many of these traditions have been cast aside by the current president, which is why the public must maintain the tradition of respect for the office of the presidency, our institutions, and for our fellow citizens (and voters).
While removing a photograph of the president is seemingly benign, it is in fact highly charged. Leaving the photo of the president on the walls of town hall signals respect for our democracy and the ballot, including the ballot that elected Muldoon, which is something much larger than Trump or his actions. If we, too, disrespect our democratic system, we, too, will be responsible for its demise. There was an election and Trump won, regardless of how his behavior is viewed; many citizens voted for him. There are appropriate avenues for addressing disagreements with the president and his actions while maintaining respect for our electoral system and voters, and the same holds true for addressing disagreements with our mayor. Muldoon’s decision to uphold the Paris climate accord after Trump’s withdrawal is one such avenue, which I emphatically support and commend. However, removing Trump’s photo from town hall was an inappropriate manner to express disapproval with the man. Presidents last four to eight years, but the value of our democracy, our elections, and the highest elected office endures. Its respect must therefore be elevated beyond who holds the office. Many have supported Muldoon’s actions by saying the president, the person, is not deserving of our respect. Respect in that sense is a matter or personal opinion. In that regard, I’m of the opinion that in order to get respect one must give it. But that kind of respect is in terms of politeness or admiration for a person or his actions. Respect in this regard is contractual, as in socially. By
TRAIL WEEK
As soon as you drop into the business, the original trail disappears and it basically becomes a rocky creek bed. Check yourself before you wreck yourself first time down that trail this year. The trail crews have been busy clearing more than 100 trees from Snow King alone. If you see them out there, stop, say hi, throw them a high 5 and thank them for all their hard work. Or, better yet, get out and help either physically or with a donation to one of our trail advocacy groups. Most of Teton Pass is still covered in snow. Parallel and Powerline Jump trails are clean but wait for the other trails to dry before venturing too high. And, please, don’t ride muddy trails. It wrecks the trail for everyone and makes all cyclists look like inconsiderate jerks. And if you see an equestrian riding muddy trails, tactfully remind them of the same thing. – Cary Smith
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JUNE 14, 2017 | 5
Welcome to the first installment of the 2017 Singletrack Report. I’ll be using this space throughout the riding season to give trail info, discuss upcoming events, recap past events, spread the stoke, and climb up on my soapbox (only when necessary). The cycling season here in JH got off to a slow start, but, luckily, you could choose between great skiing or the warm desert. The riding’s on now, though, at least in the Greater Snow King area. As we all like to hear at the top of the tram, all major trails (runs) are open. The one exception to this is the Gauging Station trail. It still more closely resembles a creek than a trail. Speaking of creeks, be careful on the bridges during high runoff. One trail OF THE that has seen a drastic change over the winter is the Wilson Canyon trail.
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removing the photo in which Trump is depicted in his capacity as president of the United States, it is a violation of respect as a social contract, of respect for our democratic institutions. Trump’s photo represents more than the man himself, it represents an entire democratic system, a system that, without respect is eroded. Finally, removing a photo of the president placed the focus of our local government, press, and now that of the national press on a photo. It is highly unlikely Muldoon could have predicted the reach of this action, but there are far more dangerous threats to our democracy occurring. There are real risks that the president and his cabinet, not to mention Russia, pose to our democracy and the institutions that protect us. The more division we have within our nation and even our local community, the less able we are to move forward on significant issues. At a time of extreme partisanship, division, and disrespect, pouring fuel on those fires was a poor decision. Perhaps during a period of less political divisiveness, this decision could have gone under the radar, but sadly, that has not been the political climate for the last 20 years. Much of what we value in our peaceful democracy is not enshrined in the Constitution but is merely tradition that relies upon a contract of respect. At a time when the president is disregarding those traditions, it is even more important that the public, and especially those holding elected offices, remain steadfast in observing and respecting those traditions. Otherwise, we too, are complicit in the dismantling of our democracy. PJH
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A Checkered Past BAYNARD WOODS
Amid Comey chaos, lessons surface about the history of America’s Secret Police. BY BAYNARD WOODS @DemoInCrisis
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undreds of people lined up in the marble hallways of a Senate office building, hoping to get one of the 88 public seats in Room 216, where James Comey, the former FBI director Trump fired over the Russia investigation, was scheduled to testify at 10 a.m. That was at 8:30 a.m. More came. Some of the people waiting in the winding line said they arrived at 4 a.m. Bars were opening early and, for once, it seemed like reporters and senators were the only people in Washington not day-drinking. But it was serious shit. Comey said that Trump asked him for loyalty. It freaked the then-director out—because if the FBI is not independent of political factions, it becomes a secret police force abetting tyranny or totalitarian control. At one point, Comey tried to explain why he had assured the president he wasn’t personally under an investigation on several occasions. Comey said he told the president about salacious material—the Russian sex workers pissing on the bed the Obamas slept in, I guess—in a dossier gathered by a former intelligence official and later published by Buzzfeed; he didn’t want Trump to think that the FBI would use the material against him. “I was worried very much of being in kind of a— kind of a J. Edgar Hoover-type situation,” Comey said, referring to the legendary director—you might say dictator—of the FBI for half a century. It was remarkable to hear Comey talk this way about the man more associated with the bureau than anyone else—but he had good reason: It helps us contextualize what is happening now, because things were even more fucked up a century ago, and that should make us feel a little better. Hoover, a powerful, paranoid, and proud eccentric, crafted the modern FBI. He started working for the Department of Justice in 1917. The country had finally entered World War I in April of that year. But back in 1915, as the war in Europe escalated, Germany feared U.S. involvement and began a propaganda campaign (or “active measures,” as we’re calling it). As Tim Weiner writes in his book Enemies: A History of the FBI, a German official “began to build a propaganda machine in the United States; the Germans secretly gained control of a major New York newspaper, the Evening Mail; their front men negotiated to buy The Washington Post and the New York Sun.
Political fixers, corrupt Germans and crooked detectives served the German cause.” The U.S. eventually entered the war, and the government—especially the bureau, which worked under the Department of Justice—began to arrest and surveil German immigrants. “The bureau launched its first nationwide domestic surveillance programs under the Espionage Act of 1917, rounding up radicals, wiretapping conversations, and opening mail,” Weiner writes, noting that more than a thousand people were convicted under the act. In 1920, a few years later, Hoover orchestrated the “biggest mass arrest in U.S. history,” according to Weiner’s research in unclassified documents, when the bureau “broke into political meetings, private homes, social clubs, dance halls, and saloons across America,” arresting more than 6,000 people, for many of whom there were no warrants. Two hundred people, included a reporter, were charged with felony rioting charges for protests on inauguration day and arraigned the day after Comey’s testimony and Reality Winner, the NSA contractor who leaked secrets about Russian attempts to hack voting machines in 2016, was arrested and charged under the Espionage Act a couple days earlier. But it’s still hard to imagine the scope of those 1920 raids. It shouldn’t be. Hoover later distanced himself from the raids and denied involvement. But rather than backing off as outrage grew over the violations of civil liberties, Hoover started to collect secret files on his political enemies. That’s what Comey was referring to when he referred to a Hoover-type situation. David Grann’s stunning new book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, shows how valuable a centralized investigative force can be in its detailing of the early FBI’s role in solving at least some of the murders of the indigenous Osage people in Oklahoma in the early 20th century, committed as a means to steal their money. The entire white power structure—from businesspeople to police to doctors—were in on the conspiracy
to kill the Osage. But the FBI was outside of that local structure and were able to solve and prosecute some of the crimes as a result. But much of the bureau’s history is shameful, reactionary, and racist, as in COINTELPRO, or Counterintelligence Program, which targeted civil rights and peace activists in the 1960s. In a 2015 talk, Comey said he kept Hoover’s application for a warrant to wiretap Martin Luther King Jr., which cited “Communist influence in the racial situation,” on his desk. He said he required agents to study the Bureau’s MLK files and other instances of injustice, “to insure that we remember our mistakes and that we learn from them.” The idea of remembering our mistakes and learning from them is about as far as you can get from the whitewashed view of history implicit in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Trump doesn’t seem like a person who is capable of admitting, much less learning from, a mistake, so the Senate needs to be particularly vigilant in their confirmation of Christopher Wray, Chris Christie’s Bridgegate lawyer, whose appointment as Comey’s replacement was announced over Twitter the day before Comey testified. Things may seem bad now, but the bureau’s previous political persecution of the left, immigrants, and minorities should remind us that they can always get worse. PJH
Baynard Woods is editor at large for Baltimore City Paper. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The New York Times and The Washington Post. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy, focusing on ethics and tyranny, and became a reporter in an attempt to live like Socrates. Send your tips to democracyincrisiscolumn@ gmail.com.
Teaching Coexistence Greater Yellowstone’s wildness will only be saved if humans live smarter.
A
Renee Seidler, biologist and co-founder of the Teton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, in 2005. Here, Seidler was on the Pinedale Anticline as a researcher studying the migration of antelope and the impacts of oil and gas development.
celebration. Seidler is a biologist and former veterinary technician known for her work with the Wildlife Conservation Society, carrying out research projects on coyotes, wolves, moose, elk, small mammals and other species, including notably pronghorn. She contributed to the work that resulted in Path of the Pronghorn, a collaborative effort to protect the ancient migration route for pronghorn traveling seasonally between Grand Teton National Park and the Upper Green River Valley. It’s true that wildlife agencies focus efforts on managing species at population levels, but this doesn’t mean individual animals do not matter. If a fur trapper accidentally catches a single wolverine and kills it, it can mean the loss of an entire population from a large expanse. Similarly, individual pronghorn carrying the knowledge of how to migrate teach it to their young. “We believe it is our responsibility to counter the adverse impacts of humans on wildlife, where possible, and to teach people how to reduce human-wildlife conflicts,” Jones and Seidler write on their website tetonwildlife.org “We provide an educational resource and standard for conservation of native wildlife species through the rehabilitation of injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife. We envision fostering the local community’s desire to assist wildlife in need by encouraging an understanding of wildlife ecology and a respect for how human-wildlife conflict impacts populations, thereby decreasing future incidents of injury.” If we want to save the best of wild Greater Yellowstone that remains, it is up to us to know how our footprint impacts wildlife. The most powerful thing we can do: become educated. PJH Todd Wilkinson has been writing his award-winning column, The New West, for three decades.
JUNE 14, 2017 | 7
animals, large and small, mammal and bird, common and sometimes imperiled. It’s noteworthy that until recently wildlife rehab and rescue facilities in Greater Yellowstone have been exceedingly rare. Those important specialized wildlife hospitals that do exist—such as the Teton Raptor Center in Wilson, Wyoming and Montana Raptor Conser vat ion Center near Bozeman, Montana,—constantly struggle for funding to meet growing demand for their services. Moreover, there hasn’t been a single facility dealing with both mammals and birds and dedicated to bringing injured wildlife in for treatment, getting them quickly on the mend and releasing them back into the wild. This is the impetus behind Jones and Seidler creating Teton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center a few years ago. While they have a supporter who donated land on the west side of the Tetons, they’ve had difficulty securing necessary permits. As they await approval, the dynamic duo has been out doing things equally as important—hosting public education programs on conf lict prevention. A year ago, Seidler tried to get a coyote family denning with pups near the exurban John Dodge subdivision spared after adult predators attacked a pair of miniature schnauzers roaming the woods unattended. One of the pet dogs was killed and another injured. In response, the pet owner, who was caretaking someone’s house, publicly announced he shot and killed some of the adult coyotes. (It is not known if the pups were left orphaned). A few simple actions, Seidler says, could have prevented the conf lict. Before moving West, Jones did wildlife rehab work in Tennessee. She says the high wildlife attributes in Greater Yellowstone need safeguarding and
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s they recount the grim statistics, Lindsay Jones and Renee Seidler can tell you a lot about co-existence between people and our wild neighbors. They see the story written daily on highways, in bird strikes against big picture windows, in power line collisions, habitat being fragmented and lost, and clashes with family pets. The toll registers in a thousand different ways expressed in thousands of different casualties. The startling truth, they say, is that many animal deaths and injuries can be averted if only humans were more committed to smarter behavior; if certain species weren’t treated as “good for nothing.” And if the automatic historic response from some wasn’t simply to call in “wildlife control” agents whose primary emphasis has been resolving “problems” by lethal removal instead of teaching people skills in compatibility. The founders of Teton Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, to be based in Driggs, Idaho, with hopes of also opening a facility in Jackson Hole, say it’s not a matter of people having malicious intent, but more often naiveté and lack of understanding. It’s especially prevalent in the zone known as exurbia. The verbatim definition of “exurb,” according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a region or settlement that lies outside a city and usually beyond its suburbs and that often is inhabited chief ly by well-to-do families.” In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, more people each year are dwelling in exurbia, areas of rural landscape that traditionally provided homelands for wildlife but with human invasion are increasingly turning into conf lict zones. Forests, river corridors and wildlife migration routes, edges of wetlands and treeless winter range fit the description. Many of the newcomers and part-timers building in exurbia are moving here from cities and suburbs where they have no experience thinking about how to responsibly inhabit a wild neighborhood. The result has been a steady erosion of the very wildlife values drawing them here in the first place. And, amid higher rates of conf licts have come a corresponding rise in numbers of injured
TODD WILKINSON
BY TODD WILKINSON @BigArtNature
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A Storm Ensues People from across the country react to Muldoon’s presidential portrait switch. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt
A
fter Mayor Pete Muldoon replaced town hall photos of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence with a photo of Chief Washakie, Muldoon’s inbox (and subsequently PJH reporters’ inboxes) flooded with emails from across the country denouncing the decision and pledging their tourist dollars to... anywhere but Jackson Hole. Many claimed that they had already cancelled their trips. “My family and I ski and snowboard a lot during the winter but we will NEVER spend our money in Jackson again,” wrote Ricky Jackson. “Your stupid mayor has offended over half the country with his insulting childish behavior… Tell the faggot pete (sic) to knock off the Chuck Norris look because Chuck Norris voted for trump … Screw you and your craphole of an overpriced resort town.” So far, that has not actually been the case, says Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rick Howe. Howe, who just returned home after a brief vacation, said his voicemail and inbox were also “inundated” with messages—but from people on both sides. Many called to express disdain, but many offered their support, too. “People can choose to get involved in the kettle of boiling water, or they can choose to rise above it,” he said. Howe said so far one business has expressed concern about the consequences of Muldoon’s actions, but there have been no verified cancellations. The Travel and Tourism board has received two angry voicemails so far, and a handful of Facebook comments. But online outrage, members agree, is hardly cause for concern.
The vocal minority Indeed, social media and internet scholars have coined a term for loud online commenters: the “vocal minority.” The theory goes that people who
strongly disagree with something, or have a negative experience, are more likely to speak out than people who are amicable to whatever is being shared. It’s visible in online reviews, MIT Sloan Management Review reports: “When conversations in online product forums start to skew negative, they tend to stay that way.” Scientific American identified a “perfect storm” of factors that make people on the internet act so mean: distance, anonymity, and the medium of writing (it takes a lot more courage to yell at someone to their face). Its article “Why Is Everyone on the Internet so Angry” reports: “[commenters] are at a distance from the target of their anger … and people tend to antagonize distant abstractions more easily than living, breathing interlocutors.” While email addresses often forfeit anonymity—in fact, most who emailed Muldoon proudly signed off with their name—sending something into cyberspace creates a buffer of time and space that real-time conversations don’t allow. And since Muldoon made national news when Fox, HuffPost and The Washington Post picked up the story, many of the emails literally come from far away: Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Indiana, Texas. Steve Conn Sr.’s email is perhaps a perfect example of online vitriol: “Your maggot (mayor) is a piece of shit tell that fake cow puncher to list 1 act that has been put into law by POUTUS that has hurt a single American,” he wrote. “Oh really it’s about undoing your mayors (sic) god, the terrorist he loved so much, anti American and un American laws and actual dictator like EDICTS from osama Obama. Thanx a lot.” Other names hurled at the mayor included “small-minded metrosexual pajama pansy globalizer,” the increasingly popular “snowflake,” “pussies” (in reference to all Democrats), and “little girl.” But not all emails were crass. Jackson resident Paul Gagnon encouraged Muldoon to pick his battles wisely. “I can understand your disappointment with the results of the recent election—but I do not believe using your elected position to voice your own personal grievance benefits the town of Jackson, or the hardworking people who try to make a living here.”
Free speech and identity politics The common thread among those who disapprove of Muldoon’s decision
VAUGHN ROBISON
THE BUZZ
Cowboy snowflakes, find them only in Jackson Hole.
is that to remove Trump’s photo is disrespectful to democracy and the office of president. Regardless of the mayor’s political inclinations, many argued, he should respect the leader of the free world. “I certainly find it acceptable to have the President’s picture in any public space, no matter who the President is,” wrote Rick Schaeffer of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Muldoon has defended his decision, saying that such a display is an “honor that must be earned.” “Donald Trump is an extremely divisive figure,” Muldoon wrote. “Whether you agree with his opinions or not, it’s undeniably true that many residents intensely dislike him, and find his political views odious. Our previous president, whether deserved or not, evoked a similar response from some residents.” Indeed, many were outraged at the election of Barack Obama. “You know Pete, millions of us felt unrepresented by Barrack (sic) Obama,” wrote Kortney Dunkle of Pennsylvania. “I felt that he was a left-wing dictator but I respected the office.” But the backlash to both elections is telling: in 2008, NBC reported that Obama’s election sparked a series of racially motivated hate crimes. Obama effigies hung from nooses. Racial epithets adorned buildings and car windows. Trump himself did his best to delegitimize Obama’s presidency, asserting that Obama was not American-born, and should be forced to show his birth certificate as proof. Fast-forward eight years, and the scene is eerily similar. Reports of hate crimes spiked once again after Trump won the election. Southern Poverty Law Center reported 876 “hate incidents” in the first 10 days after the election, with the largest number occurring the day
after the election. Elementary school students were told to “go back to Mexico.” This time, the crimes were celebratory. Another angry email from Floyd Knobs echoed that Obama was a “dictator. Simply look at the executive orders signed by Obama,” he wrote. “Obama did more than any president in history with executive orders, bypassing Congress and the desires of the American people.” Actually, Obama averaged fewer executive orders per year than any president in 120 years, according to Pew Research Center. Trump signed 32 such orders in his first 100 days. Obama signed an average 35 a year. Regardless, Muldoon asserts his move was not partisan. “If Barack Obama was still president, I would make the same decision,” he wrote. There were, however, a few congratulatory emails in Muldoon’s inbox. Will Sullivan from Tucson, Arizona, praised Muldoon’s decision to display Washakie. “My step mom was Navaho and Lakota Sioux, now as I am 72 in August, I do recall some teaching about the great Chiefs and his name comes to me. He belongs there, good for you and thank you,” Sullivan wrote. A handful of Canadians also commended the mayor’s decision. In stark contrast to threats to pull tourist dollars in Trump’s defense, one couple from Ontario wrote: “We have made the decision to avoid spending the majority of our tourist dollars in any place that fully supported Trump. Your county’s courage in rejecting the hate is a beacon during a very dark time. We are hoping that, with careful planning, we’ll be able to visit your lovely town.” Another signed off: “As we say in Canada … Way to go eh!” PJH
THE BUZZ 2 Nature Rages on
NPS.GOV
Wading through Jackson Hole’s water world and the victims it has inconvenienced and claimed. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt
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An aerial shot of the soggy environs surrounding North Highway 89.
Weather Station in Riverton. Braun said that especially in light of the cold weather in the forecast for this week, water levels have already crested. Precipitation, he said, could bring them up again, but paired with cooler temperatures slowing down snowmelt, “it’s probably not gonna make that big of a difference overall.” The Snake River has not reached flood levels, and is not expected to. NWS predicts it will crest at 9.19 feet—just below the 10-foot flood stage. It’s still roaring at about 30,000 cubic feet per second, which is the highest it’s been since 1997 when it reached a record-breaking 38,000 CFS. Teton County Emergency Management Coordinator Rich Ochs says mitigation is almost impossible because of the sheer velocity of it. “We’re putting in boulders the size of cars that are getting swept downstream,” he said. “It’s a heavy equipment type of flood fight.” But the biggest concern for many county residents is creeks and tributaries, Ochs said. “That’s what’s gonna sneak up on people. There are folks living on Cache Creek who have never seen it this high before.” Ochs said that tributaries tend to crest late in the afternoon and early in the evening, so concerned residents should pay extra attention then. Teton County is offering sandbags to anyone concerned about flooding, and “quite a few people” have already claimed theirs.
Pilgrim Creek, Leigh Lake, Ditch Creek and Little Granite Creek are also closed to vehicle and recreational traffic. Ochs offers a message for “anybody planning on recreating in the forest: don’t assume that because the Forest Service didn’t post a picture on Facebook or there’s not a barricade, that a road is safe. Problems are being reported on a daily basis. Roads are washing out. If you cross a stream early in the day, don’t assume you’re going to be able to make it out later in the evening.” Ochs said he and his team were preparing for the worst after such a heavy winter, but hoping for the best. “We all knew it was gonna come eventually,” Ochs said. “I was hoping that we would just keep getting snow. Every day we pushed further into summer, we were rolling the dice … winter definitely took its toll, we were hoping maybe we’ll get lucky with the spring.” But Teton County had no such luck. Ochs emphasized that a lack of injuries or worse, fatalities, is actually lucky. “We’re still pretty fortunate,” he said. Ochs and his team will remain hard at work trying to get things back to normal. Through it all, he’s tried to keep things in perspective. “For the time being, I’m thankful for what we’ve got,” he said. “But we’re not gonna let our guard down.” PJH
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least update,” she said. “There’s a lot of anxiety around the ‘what if.’” But Grand Teton National Park Spokeswoman Denise Germann said that until the water goes down, there’s not much of an update to give. “The Gros Ventre is basically the same as it was,” Germann said. “It slowly gets closer to the road.” An “indefinite” road closure is all they can offer until the river calms. In the meantime, park officials are doing their best to monitor the situation and keep park visitors safe. Cattleman’s Bridge, which was scheduled to be replaced in 2018, began to crumble Thursday afternoon. A buildup of debris from a raging river, coupled with an already-deteriorating structure, caused the bridge to buckle. It is still unclear whether WYODOT will attempt to make temporary repairs, or just keep the bridge closed until its scheduled replacement date. “Ironically, we had meetings with WYDOT on Thursday to discuss concerns with that bridge, with the pilings being so close and the log jams building up against those piling,” County Commissioner Paul Vogelheim said. The new bridge, he said, will be “much safer long-term, but obviously we’re trying to figure out now what to do. We’re still assessing the situation.” As far as future flooding is concerned, “it looks fairly decent out there overall,” said Jeff Braun from the National
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wo weeks ago, PJH reported about a man who warned local officials of catastrophic flooding after a wet, heavy winter. He gave up after feeling like no one was listening. If there was ever a time to say “I told you so,” last week might have been it. Raging waters in the Gros Ventre River have claimed Cattleman’s Bridge and 4.5 miles of Gros Ventre road. While officials predict the worst is over, Teton County residents like Megan Griswold are still paying the price. “Just having to mentally adjust to feel like I live much further away from the grocery store,” Griswold said, has taken a toll. Bank erosion in the Gros Ventre has closed the main road “indefinitely” since Tuesday. The detour takes Kelly residents and park visitors through Antelope Flats, which Griswold estimates adds at least an hour to her commute a day. And that’s before peak traffic. Griswold bemoans the narrow road she now drives every day. “It’s not considered a through-way,” she said. “It’s narrower by quite a bit than Gros Ventre. It’s a little sketchy, really. And add that to the dynamic of tourist-season traffic…” She says people are now using Antelope Flats Road to get to the iconic Mormon Row, and visitors stop at every opportunity to take photos of wildlife and scenery. “It’s a little bit daunting, actually,” Griswold said. She acknowledged that a longer commute is a “firstworld problem,” especially when she’s lucky enough to live in a place like Kelly, but it’s been a difficult adjustment. She already reminisces about the days when she “used to turn” at Gros Ventre. “I’m nostalgic already,” she said. Griswold is frustrated with the lack of information she feels Grand Teton National Park has offered about the closure. “I think it’s fair that they should at
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10 | JUNE 14, 2017
THE BUZZ 3 Attacking Affordables Residents’ false notions of affordable abuses are at odds with housing objectives. BY JESSICA SELL CHAMBERS @Jesellechambers
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ackson Hole’s housing market is unreachable for the average worker. Although most agree affordable housing options are necessary to keep the community intact, some spuriously view the program. Teton County residents gave input at the Center for the Arts on June 1 for the Engage JH 2017 Open House. The initiative is a project of the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan, which seeks to ensure “wildlife and workforce” in the valley, two community priorities. But natural resource protection and parking took a backseat to the subject of housing—who ought to build it, where, and who should live in it. Mainly the fear of affordable housing abuse and a desire to limit the upward mobility of affordable homeowners, something local housing authorities say is largely misinformed, repeatedly arose. Trapping affordable homeowners in their homes disables the program from achieving its aim: to keep as many workers and community members in the valley. Indeed, public input highlighted an increasing shift in what the community once deemed key priorities. The input reinforced results from the recent SPET and 1 percent sales tax elections, which flew in the face of the community’s commitment to house 65 percent of the workforce locally. Paradoxically, participant comments revealed increasingly individualistic mentalities of “I got mine, now you get yours” and “Why should they get something I’m not getting,” along with the acknowledgment of the absolute need for workforce housing. Participants were willing to help but wanted to do so begrudgingly, chiding and punishing recipients under the guise of preventing “abuse” of the system. However, officials say the notion of rampant abuse of affordable housing is unsupported. Jackson Hole Community
Housing Trust director Anne Cresswell said there are some problems, but noted sometimes people fall on hard times. One woman reported for having a roommate, a practice interdicted, confessed to Cresswell that she and her husband had recently separated and were struggling to keep it all together. “Am I supposed to say, you have to go?” Cresswell asked. Still, attendees were critical of affordable homeowners. One attendee was adamant some affordable homeowners are taking advantage of the system and that in general affordable homeowners should not be allowed to profit from their homes. “I just know so many people who abuse it,” the woman said. “Instead of providing affordable housing, bus service should be expanded to outlying communities like Alpine and Victor.” She also said the system isn’t fair to renters who put away money to buy a home. She suggested enforcing a minimum hourly work week for owners as well as employers raising employee wages. She was not alone in her concerns. Another participant cited people who cut back on their work week because they have low mortgage payments. Someone else said affordable homeowners have transferred assets to family members to qualify for the program. Housing Trust employee Stefani Wells, who attended the open house and also lives in affordable housing with her husband, a teacher, said it’s not fair to “take a snapshot” of an affordable homeowner and generalize their financial situation. Some people see someone driving a particular car and assume they are too wealthy to be in affordable homes, she said, which is an inaccurate metric to judge a person’s financial status. Cresswell said, like with any system, noncompliance exists, which is why the Jackson Hole Housing Authority recently hired a compliance director. Housing Authority director April Norton restructured the department to bring on a full-time compliance specialist. In the last two weeks alone, they’ve received 16 compliance complaints. Action has been taken on other cases. “We are currently forcing the sale of a home due to noncompliance,” she wrote. “The Housing Authority Board will be hearing an appeal of another forced sale due to noncompliance next month.” She expects compliance efforts to continue to pick up at least in the next year or so. Non-compliance issues
are violations of affordable housing requirements and restrictions, which vary widely from having a roommate to renting out the home, or not working enough locally. Community participants offered solutions to prevent abuses but they did not mesh with affordable housing program objectives. Engage JH attendees opined that owners of affordable units ought to be required to “requalify” annually, work at least 30 to 35 hours a week and not be able to own any additional real estate anywhere. Most participants were very vocal about limiting the return on affordable properties when sold so owners would make little to no profit. Cresswell said limiting appreciation undermines the point of the affordable housing program. “Allowing our homeowners to capture as much equity as possible so they can roll that up into something bigger in the free market is what we want,” she said. “We have a totally failed housing market, therefore we are manufacturing a housing market. We want people to graduate into free market homes, not remain in affordables forever.” Many affordable housing opponents are aghast at the prospect of Jackson having “housing projects” akin to the inner-cities. But by preventing affordable homeowners from getting up and out of their affordable homes, what some fear —“projects”—are likely to be realized. Suggested measures, such as disallowing ownership of other real estate, a viable investment or asset that sometimes materializes through a death in the family, or by limiting profit upon sale, provide little incentive or ability for upward mobility. Cresswell and Wells cited the Mountain View Meadows affordable housing development, the area’s first affordable neighborhood, as proof that the system works. Homes bought 20 years ago, priced around $82,000 are now worth $150,000, with a rate of about 3.8 percent appreciation and owners are positioned to sell and upgrade. “There’s no evidence to support limiting appreciation to two percent; evidence supports setting appreciation at four percent actually makes homes more affordable,” Cresswell said. Recapturing the Mountain View Meadow homes would be cost effective, and they could be resold around $200,000, still affordable for buyers while bringing in a little money for the housing trust.
Local engagers
Engage JH participants were not representative of affordable housing recipients by a long shot. Attendees were given clickers and asked to weigh in regarding demographics and subjects to be discussed, and responses were quickly tabulated and projected in front of the audience. Of the approximately 80 people in attendance, most were males—a trend for the day, organizers said. Norton was pleased with the number of participants to the open house and outreach session as well as the Spanish language outreach held the previous week. But she was surprised by the lack of diversity even though they structured an all-inclusive event. “From my perspective, there were very few women who participated and community members earning less than 120 percent of area median income were underrepresented. We offered childcare and only one person took advantage of that service,” she wrote in an email. The evening’s opening exercise confirmed Norton’s observations. Responses projected onto the screen revealed 38 percent of attendees claimed to make more than $141,000 annually; 20 percent between $111,000 and $140,000; and 21 percent made between $76,000 and $110,000. A mere nine percent in attendance made $45,000 or less; and 12 percent made between $46,000 and $75,000. Additionally, 51 percent of the respondents lived in Jackson for more than 15 years, with another 30 percent claiming residence between five and 15 years. After answering the series of questions, participants walked through five stations, each dedicated to the issues on the agenda that evening. Some stations had creative spins on the traditional workshopping format of Q&A, such as a large “Mad Lib” sheets for affordable housing qualifications and restrictions, the responses to the blanks were solicited by the facilitators. One of the key goals of the event, Norton said, is to create broad-based community buy-in for this work and that “whatever the outcomes, we will avoid having a last-minute disruption from community members who choose not to participate throughout the process.” PJH
IN MEMORY CLASSIFIEDS
Georgia Smiles
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An older brother remembers the unbridled joy of his sister.
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HOUSING + HOME ACCENTS Dane, Joanna, Katie and Georgia Smits at a Denver Nuggets game.
Georgia wanted to get crepes. She had talked about these crepes the whole ride down. So the two of us got dropped off in town on a quest for crepes. I expected my sister to eat her crepe fast, but it was impressive how fast she actually ate them. Then, we walked over to Eric’s arcade, where at the last second she beat me at a racing game, which of course I couldn’t let stand. After, we wandered around the hotel, exploring everything together. When we found some frosted windows we drew our own emojis, they were so stupid they were funny. That was what it was like to hang out with Georgia. She was a person you just wanted to be around because she was just so much fun. It didn’t matter what we were doing, we’d always end up laughing. I feel blessed to have had those final days with her. My sister Georgia lived, laughed, and loved. That’s what she would wish for others. Her laughing and how she made others laugh is what I’ll miss most about her, that and how she “showed up.” She was always on the move, trying new things, engaging with life. Georgia showed me not to take things for granted, to work hard all the time, and to be grateful for everything and everyone, and that’s how I plan to live going forward. PJH
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JUNE 14, 2017 | 11
shore, but she knew it was really funny and that we were never going to let her live it down, or let it go. So she stood up, in a prideful kind of way to finish walking back towards us. One of our cousins yelled out, “Where’d your fish go?” She looked down and saw the empty line as an otter swam away with her fish. Then she said, holding back laughter, “Why’d we do this? This is why I didn’t want to come!” It was funny. Georgia was funny. She was always laughing or making everyone laugh, especially with her clumsiness. We’d always say, “Of course Georgia would be the one to do that,” when she’d fall off a log, or we’d hear something break in the kitchen. We’d all just start laughing. For a long time, it was just Georgia, our sister Joanna, and me. It wasn’t until later that our two little brothers Sebastian and Oliver were born. Often we’d gang up on each other, but mostly it was my sisters who would gang up on me. But sometimes, that worked out for my benefit like when Georgia and Joanna would play two-on-one against me in basketball. They were both very competitive, we all are. So when Joanna would take a shot and Georgia had been wide open, Georgia would tell Joanna she should’ve passed the ball and they’d get distracted bickering with each other. Then I’d score. It was like playing one-on-one, and I’d always beat them while they were chirping at each other. I was really looking forward to them playing varsity together! The days before Georgia died, I was really happy to have had some oneon-one time with Georgia. We were in Breckenridge, Colorado, somewhere we had lived when we were younger, and
5 ft. walnut electric fireplace. Includes: grate, irons, logs, hearth and heater. $500. 690-7373
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few years ago, we had a “Family Fun” meet-up in Gould, Colorado. This meant my seven family members, my mom and dad, my two sisters and our two little brothers, and our aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents would all meet up somewhere in the wilderness for four or five days. We’d all get cabins, and sit around the campfire and make food at night. During the day, we’d usually go touring on ATVs or fishing. One afternoon, a dozen of us went down to the lake with our fishing gear. Georgia didn’t really want to go because she didn’t like fishing. But, she loved “Family Fun” and didn’t want to miss out on hanging with the cousins. We got all of our rods ready, and started fishing. Everybody was catching fish, except for Georgia, who was getting more and more frustrated. Even our grandfather who never catches fish was catching fish. Finally, Georgia half-jokingly declared, “This isn’t working!” and decided to isolate herself on a little strip of land that was exposed from the low water level. Getting out onto the end of the strip of land required her to walk along a log that blocked the way in the middle. So, Georgia decided to walk over it and out to the end to catch a fish on her own. She was just sitting there, no chair, pole in her hand, just patiently waiting. She looked like the loner in the lunchroom, sitting by herself over in the corner. Ten minutes later, all of a sudden we heard her screaming, “It’s about dang time!” and she started reeling it in. The fish was pretty small, and she would have to release it anyway, but she was so happy. She finally reeled in the fish. I remember the fish dangling from her pole, as she started to walk back towards us. She climbed on the log and started to make her way across it when the log started to roll over and she fell in. First, onto one knee, then she sort of plopped down into the shallow water, her fishing line, fish on it, dipping into the lake. She pretended to be mad, as we all were laughing from the
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PRECIOUS DROPS
HOW THE PARCHED WEST RELIES ON WYOMING'’S WATER. By Natosha Hoduski
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Waging bets
their land, limiting food availability.
Just how much water does Wyoming have? The US Drought Monitor released a report predicting the possible impact this year’s snowmelt could have: “Major drought improvements were made not only in California but at many areas of the West, including parts of Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The decent snowpack should greatly contribute to a good spring snow melt runoff and recharge if conditions are maintained.” Tyrrell called this past winter a “prodigious” snow year. But he was quick to caution against enthusiastic predictions about how much damage Wyoming snowmelt could rectify in one season after 16 years of drought. “It’s staying cool, so [the snowmelt is] not coming out fast yet, and the water will go into the ground and recharge water supplies because of such a big snowpack. But a larger system like the Colorado [River], well, we don’t contribute a good enough amount of water to it. You would need similar snowpacks [downstream] to really be of significant benefit to Lake Mead and Powell, but they’ll see a rise.” Tyrrell’s office oversees water and water rights management for in-state water sources as well as the plethora of transboundary compacts and agreements in which Wyoming is involved. These compacts spread through most the of the West, literally supplying millions of people with produce and/or water. Ensuring that everyone gets their piece of the pie can be extremely difficult, even in water rich years like this one. Managing riparian rights involves considering eight river compacts and four decrees to which Wyoming is bound, directly involving every surrounding state and many states down the line as well. States as far as Arizona are lining up for a long-awaited break in drought conditions. Governor Matt Mead’s senior policy advisor for water Nephi Cole studied Wyoming’s water resources and drainage. He estimated the Snake River alone had a drainage of more than 5 million acre feet per year, with Wyoming total drainage averaging more than 18 million acre feet per year. An abundantly snowy winter increases the state’s water exports. Even in the Tetons, everyone knows the resort got an atypically heavy dose of snow this past winter. JHMR
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Water is a high stakes game no matter where your farm is located. Reid says farmers in Wyoming and Idaho finalize their crop plans during the capricious late winter months, planning their year’s projected investment based on predicted temperatures, weather patterns,
and water availability. “Every year is a gamble,” he said, weighing the weight of his words. “This year looks like there might be plenty of runoff for the season, but by the late summer months, you never know.” Wyoming state engineer Patrick Tyrrell reiterated this notion: “In some sense, farmers are the ultimate gamblers. They buy seed and fertilizer in January and February, so they have to be prepared to farm under just about any circumstances.” Oscillating wet and dry years can make those bets very difficult, but water demand is steady in Teton Valley, no matter the forecast. Agriculture is a $27 billion industry in the Spud State, and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture estimates that agriculture is one of the largest contributors to the state’s economy. University of Idaho Agricultural Economist Garth Taylor estimates food production comprises roughly 20 percent of the state’s sales and a whopping 16 percent of its gross domestic product. All that agriculture requires a lot of water, especially since much of Idaho is arid, high desert. To finance agriculture, Idaho owns 96 percent of the Snake River’s water supply. In 1992 Idaho farmers used the entirety of their water rights allocation, which ended up draining a lot of Jackson Lake and shutting down Colter Bay Marina for much of the summer season. But when farmers can’t irrigate, crops die, which is a big problem for everyone. Reid worries that extended growing seasons—a result of a warming climate—are exacerbating water demand. Since he’s been farming in the valley, he’s seen a 12-week growing season increase to 16 weeks. “We’ve started getting two additional weeks on each side—though you never know when a frost might hit—but now we’re seeing two extra weeks in the spring and two in the fall, and that is bound to stress existing water supplies,” he said. And it’s not just an extended growing season Reid is concerned about. As populations continue to rise, Reid is afraid that the stress to sell off land will fall heavy on farmers, as water scarcity reduces profits, restricting which plants farmers can grow. Reid has needed to restructure his farm from his initial plan to produce high profit cash crops, which are usually water intensive, to raising cattle, because the crops related to cattle, like wheat, do not rely heavily on water. This is crucial in late summer months when water is at its scarcest. Problems are compounded by the price of land skyrocketing in Teton Valley. Reid believes this will encourage farmers to sell off
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ike Reid stands alone, looking at a swollen field of saturated wheat rows and snowmelt. The waters haven’t stopped pouring out of the Tetons for weeks, leaving the ground kneehigh in snowmelt, with more runoff predicted. A soft-spoken intellectual, Reid has always been a thrill-seeker, and farming in Teton Valley, Idaho, is its own sort of gamble. This year, the farmer should see a healthy crop thanks to a historically high snowpack. But there is no guarantee, no consistency to this work. Reid has been farming the valley for 10 years, and adjusting to the temperamental water supply flowing out of Wyoming has sculpted his livelihood, at times restricting his ability to turn a profit. Reid runs a small 400-acre farm, and his experience is by no means anomalous. From large-scale 10,000-acre farms to massive fisheries and cities down the line that depend on the Snake River for water, when the Snake turns into the Columbia, even Portland relies on the Snake-Columbia to fuel the city. Indeed, “downstream” for Wyoming snowmelt has the potential to extend as far as the Pacific Ocean and even the Gulf of Mexico. Known as the “Headwaters State,” Wyoming holds the headwaters of four major river basins, including the Missouri-Mississippi, the Green-Colorado, the Snake-Columbia, and the Great Salt Lake. During normal snow years, the water with an origination point in Wyoming is expected to provide everything from agriculture and infrastructure to tap water and recreation for millions of people in the US. On heavy snow years, like this past winter, excess snowmelt in Wyoming has the potential to restore parched locales across much of the drought-ridden Southwest. Wyoming’s impact on water resources, instate and downstream, are not only the agricultural and commercial life force of the valley, they are some of the most vital headwaters in the nation. And as the Southwest experiences drier days, Wyoming’s water will become more precious.
percent snowpack. During his 16 years as Wyoming state engineer, Tyrrell hasn’t seen anything quite like it before. “I don’t ever remember sitting with this much snow this late in the season. The use should be fabulous, irrigators will have a plentiful supply for at least the first part of the summer, and we’ll see what August and September bring.” But even now, with an abundant snowpack, it’s hard to say if the water will last. If the temperatures climbed quickly enough, flooding concerns could later turn to water shortage concerns, and Tyrrell insists there has yet to be a year when his department didn’t need to turn off someone’s water supply, so that senior water rights holders could receive their water allocation down the line. As Cole always says, “First in time, first in line,” meaning those who own the oldest water rights have priority during water shortages, but trying to prepare for future water use, even with senior water rights as a template in place, can be difficult when access to water varies so dramatically from year-to-year.
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reported 593 inches, and several areas, including Riverton and Rock Springs, had record years. The Natural Resources Conservation Service reported every major river basin in Wyoming saw an increase in snowpack in May. Specifically, those cool May temperatures and heavier precipitation have caused snowpack levels in certain areas to read out as significantly above average. At the highest, Cheyenne is currently sitting at 1,100 percent snowpack. The Wind River Basin is at 377 percent, and the Upper Green is more than 700 percent, according to the Water Resource Data System. USDA’s regional snow report also indicates Wyoming is home to the only regions in the country experiencing more than 500
A slide from the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office that Nephi Cole uses in presentations to explain water allocation.
Predictability, variability, and Mother Nature’s mood swings
Mead called water “Wyoming’s most precious natural resource.” As a building block of life, it’d be hard to deny his claim, but with growing populations, demand for that “precious natural resource” continues to skyrocket, and as temperatures fluctuate, it’s harder and harder to ensure states can meet the growing demand. The National Integrated Drought Information System notes drought is affecting more than 36 million—approximately one in 10—people in the United States. The trouble with contemporary projections is there is so much inconsistency in temperature and water supply. Professor Doug Wachob of the University of Wyoming’s Environment and Natural Resources Department believes the only real consensus concerning the predictability of future weather patterns is that it’s largely unpredictable. “Due to climate change, how those same systems operated in the past might not be very good models of how they will perform in the future. … most models predict a warmer and dryer situation, but that is difficult to scale down to a local level. The truth is we really don’t know exactly how climate change will affect precipitation patterns, the amount of snow it will accumulate, those sorts of things. The future has a lot of questions around it that will be largely unanswered until we observe them.” “There’s a quote I like,” he added, “‘All models are wrong, but some models are useful.’” Hence, unreliable models and unpredictable climate patterns relegate the development and implementation of appropriate legislation aimed at mitigating and/or managing water crises to reactionary practices at best. Big water years like this past winter only further illustrate what an impact climate change is having on water management. The year of 2016 could be considered a full-fledged archetype of unpredictability. As temperatures spiked in April and May last year, forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Climate Predictor expected above average temperatures and higher than average precipitation. According to Jim Woodmencey, chief meteorologist at Mountainweather.com, the temperatures actually settled down, coasting
several degrees below average in July, even hitting a spate of days below freezing in August. But this was coupled with much lower than average precipitation. Below average snowpack melted off sooner than expected during the warm spring months, meaning limited water supplies in the water-scarce late summer months. Lyle Swank of the Idaho Department of Water Resources could hardly believe how dry the later months of last summer were. “If you look statistically at the data, we’ve had drier and/or long summers than before, especially when you’re looking at 2016, which was the driest June, July, and August that we had ever had last summer.” In contrast, this past winter Jackson Hole had its second deepest season since snow reports began more than 40 years ago. Woodmencey reported that winter events in the valley itself were atypical too. Deemed the “snowpocalypse” by locals, a February wind storm resulted in a multi-day power outage in Teton Village and surrounding areas, followed by warming temperatures and subsequent flooding. It was the first time Jackson Hole Mountain Resort shut down for multiple days since 1986. “Snow and water numbers in the mountains might be mind-blowing,” Woodmencey wrote
in his post-season snow report, “but what happened in town this winter was nothing short of being one of the wildest weather winters on record. Snow, rain, cold, warm… we had it all. And we had it over, and over, and over again.” The winter of 2016/17 got the record for “most rain fall” during a winter season. With that much precipitation, it’s hard not to count that runoff before it melts. Electrifying as the prospect of replenishing water stocks might be, Tyrrell doesn’t think getting comfortable after one good snow year is a wise decision. “The Colorado mountains didn’t get as much snow [as Wyoming],” he said, “so we’re muted by lower runoff in the upper Colorado; they don’t quite have the snowpack Wyoming does. No, I wouldn’t expect you to see the same drought concerns this year. But that doesn’t mean we should quit planning or working on long-term drought solutions. Is [the snowmelt] a helpful thing? Absolutely. But you don’t want to get lolled to sleep by one good snow year.” The huge variability in predictions is
reflected in the research journal Nature Communications’ April 2017 report. The study’s projections include everything from major drops in snowpack levels to even potential gains by 2040. Co-author John Fyfe says it’s hard to predict. Accounting for all the factors from climate change to naturally occurring cycles in atmospheric conditions could cause expected snowpack to vary greatly. He warns water managers to be prepared for either outcome. “It’s a cyclic phenomenon,” he said. “It’s eventually going to come around and bite you.” But the overarching consensus, Fyfe says, is the West should expect water to become a scarcer resource in the future. The report explained that snowpack currently supplies about two-thirds of the West’s water, but that snowpack availability is dropping, and it’s dropping precipitously. The report noted that from the 1980s to the 2000s, snowpack decreased by as much as 20 percent in some areas. Predictions are always tricky when it comes to weather, but Fyfe and co-author Chris Derksen concluded snowpack could continue to dwindle by as much as 60 percent within the next three decades if nothing changes. “The projected losses have serious implications for the hydropower, municipal and agricultural sectors in the region,” the report cautions.
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Snowpack depths as of June 10.
Managing water scarcity and mitigating its impact is nigh impossible. Wyoming is involved in compacts with seven states and Mexico, just in the 1922 Colorado River Compact. Wyoming’s drainage routinely sits at close to 18 million acre-feet per year, feeding into some of the largest river systems in the country. The Green River, with its origination point in the Wind River Range, is one of the chief tributaries of the Colorado River (a segment of which is the most endangered river in the United States, according to the 2017 report America’s Most Endangered Rivers). The Green supplies more than 6,200 cubic feet per second to the Colorado when the two converge.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
A river runs through it
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
16 | JUNE 14, 2017
That water accounts for nearly one third of the Colorado’s total northern water supply, providing millions of people with access to fresh water. However, due to overdraw, the Colorado River has already receded reducing its once rich, marshland delta in Mexico from 3,000 sprawling, square miles in the 1920s to just 250 today, according to Sarah Zielinski for Smithsonian Magazine. “There’s a long-term deficit beyond just a short-term drought that we have to come to grips with,” Bill Hasencamp said. “There’s just not enough water in the Colorado River to meet the demands that were designed in the 1922 Compact.” Hasencamp is the Colorado River Program Manager at the Metropolitan Water District, and he has been worried about managing water demand on the Colorado for more than a decade. “Lake Mead is like going to Vegas,” he said. “You might win a couple of times. You might even hit a jackpot. But in the end, the odds are stacked against you.” Even with the additional snowpack, Tyrrell believes Lakes Mead and Powell will have a hard time recharging, and has no doubt they won’t recharge fully after just one good year. Colorado owns more than 50 percent of the upper basin water in the Colorado River Compact, which means it gets approximately 3.86 million acre feet per year compared to Wyoming’s 1.04 million. As water rights go, all the water that originates in Wyoming that contributes to downstream riparian rights, by law, must pass through the state, regardless of Wyoming’s demand, agricultural or otherwise. The states in the compact also have a “use it or lose it” policy that means any water not used by the state must pass through and cannot be stored, then transferring that excess water to downstream water rights holders. Even with this year’s heavy snow and robust spring runoff, Tyrrell can’t imagine Lakes Powell and Mead will recharge completely any time soon.
Lake Powell hasn’t been full since 1999.Its water levels have dwindled for the past 17 years. Today its high water marks are exposed more than 70 feet above the current water line. The lake sits at only 45 percent capacity. Tyrrell calls water stresses like this “structural imbalance.” That means that even though no one is overdrawing past their water rights, there simply isn’t enough water to go around. Historically, neither Colorado nor Wyoming has used its total water rights allotments, or has allowed excess water to run down stream. But as Colorado populations soar (it happens to be the second fastest growing state in the union), it will continue to use water that had historically been considered excess. Wyoming is looking at a similar scenario, hoping to refurbish, expand, or construct 10 new dams before Mead leaves office, according to Cole. But much of California and Arizona have come to rely on that excess water, which will inevitably exacerbate drought conditions in the future, once Colorado and Wyoming start using their full water rights. Water rights and access are a quagmire, especially considering restricted availability, but Tyrrell believes current allocations of water are the fairest way it could have been done, and that there is no threat Wyoming and Colorado will not have access to their full water rights in the future. Tyrrell considers water compacts ironclad pieces of legislation, even “bordering on constitutional.” But there have been other go-arounds for many Southwestern states that have helped them bear the burden of water shortages. Because agriculture is such a big part of the Southwest, and water is already so costly, large farms in the area have seen heavy subsidies that cover the true cost of water, especially for irrigation. The Environmental Finance
Center at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill estimates federal, state, and local government spend an average of $120 billion subsidizing the cost of water and waste water treatment every year. Adjusted for inflation, the government has spent $4.4 trillion on water and waste water subsidies over the last 50 years. As many smalltime farmers with limited access to such subsidies often say, “Water flows uphill, toward money.” According to The Economist, California’s agriculture consumes 80 percent of water resources granted to the state. However, irrigation water costs farmers less than 2 percent of what it costs residents of Los Angeles after subsidies and senior water rights allocations. How is this possible? As an example, the Water Education Foundation reported that San Joaquin Valley farmers and the Westlands Water District have until 2030 to repay $497 million for water projects— dams and canals — built in the 1960s. As of 2008, 15 percent of that debt had been repaid. The federal government absorbed the cost of the dam at the point of construction and its continued maintenance. Wyoming’s own water proposal is facing road blocks as plans to implement the governor’s 2015 Water Proposal are slow to get off the ground. The proposal outlines strategies to better utilize and protect water in the state of Wyoming, which include better use of water rights allocations and the construction of new reservoirs. The plans may be stalled a little bit as the state’s coffers dwindle post-coal, but the Wyoming-first mentality concerning proper management of water rights has many local farmers breathing a collective sigh of relief. Cole was happy to share that the state had already broken ground on several projects. Based on the governor’s water strategy that Cole helped design, Wyoming is set to build, or rehabilitate, a total of 10 water storage facilities in the state, primarily aimed at building up a few “un-rainy day” funds to help mitigate the impact of unpredictable water supplies. Because expert consensus is, winters like this are not indicative of the new norm concerning water availability in the West. But for now, as Wyoming continues to eagerly empty its metaphorical snowmelt coffers, it’s hard to envision that the flooded sidewalks and road closures in Jackson will someday put bread on someone’s table, or that the flood warnings and overflowing rivers are someone else’s relief from 16 years of drought. PJH
THIS WEEK: June 14-20, 2017
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
THURSDAY, JUNE 15
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Community Volunteer Day 9:00am, Grand Teton National Park, Free, 307-739-3379 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 Teton Toastmasters 12:00pm, Teton County Commissioners Chambers, Free, n Raptor Encounters 2:00pm, Teton Raptor Center, $15.00 - $18.00, 307-203-2551 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246
n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Ringholz Studios / Jackson Hole Gallery Association Art Walk Night 5:00pm, Ringholz Studios, Free, 307-730-7582 n Caldera House Chamber Mixer 5:00pm, Caldera House, Free, 307-201-2309 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 $35.00, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n Grand Teton Gallery 5:30pm, Grand Teton Gallery, Free, 307-201-1172 n Friends and Family Mental Health Support Group 6:00pm, Eagle Classroom of St. John’s Medical Center, Free, 307733-2046 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n American Red Cross Adult CPR 6:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $65.00, 307-733-7425 n A Journey Into Silver and Self Love 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Bacchus & Brushes 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Glaze Doc 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Jack Holmer, Manifesto Against Gravity 6:00pm, The Center Courtyard, Free, 307-733-4900 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 - $68.90, 307733-6994 n Jackson Hole Community Band 2017 Rehearsals 7:00pm, Center for the Arts, $10.00, 307-200-9463 n GTMF Presents: 2017 Summer Season Preview 7:00pm, Walk Festival Hall, Free, 307-733-1128 n Hoback Sports: MTN Bike Suspension Clinic
JUNE 14, 2017 | 17
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 19
6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Adult Intermediate Bike Maintenance Class 6:00pm, Fitzgerald’s Bicycles, $30.00, 307-739-9025 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Teton Photography Group Peer Mentoring in Photography 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Disc Golf Doubles 6:00pm, Teton Village, $5.00, 614-506-7275 n Introductory, Conversational Spanish 6:00pm, CWC-Jackson, $110.00, 307-733-7425 n Chi Running 6:00pm, One to One Wellness, 307-739-9025 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 - $68.90, 307733-6994 n Screen Door Porch 7:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307733-4913 n Jackson Hole Rodeo 8:00pm, Teton County Fairgrounds, $15.00 - $35.00, 307-733-7927 n KHOL Presents: Vinyl Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-7331500 n Karaoke Night 9:00pm, The Virginian Saloon, 307-733-2792 n SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207
Compiled by Caroline LaRosa
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Coffee Hour with Bob McLaurin 8:00am, Wort Hotel, Free n Nature Hike with The Hole Hiking Experience 9:00am, Teton Recreation Center, $10.00, 307-739-9025 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Fables, Feathers & Fur 10:30am, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Free, 307-732-5417 n TGC Pint Night at Grand Teton Brewing 11:00am, Grand Teton Brewing, 208-354-2500 n Beginning Drawing Topics 1:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00 - $192.00, 307-7336379 n Vertical Harvest Tours 1:00pm, Vertical Harvest, 307201-4452 n Raptor Encounters 2:00pm, Teton Raptor Center, $15.00 - $18.00, 307-203-2551 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Jackson Hole People’s Market 4:00pm, Base of Snow King, Free n Age Friendly Jackson Hole 4:00pm, Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Free, 307-733-7300 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 $35.00, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n JH Community Pathway Bike Tour 5:30pm, Murie Family Park (North park), Free, 307-739-9025 n Hula Hoop for Beginners 5:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $60.00, 307-733-6398 n Barbara Trentham Life Drawing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379 n Open Studio Modeling: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379 n Jackson Hole Shootout
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
18 | JUNE 14, 2017
MUSIC BOX Bayou Rebirth and Raptors 12th annual Crawfish Boil, New Orleans Suspects and RaptorFest kick off the Jackson Hole Live series. BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch
L
ike waiting for the roll-down-the-windows chorus of your favorite anthem, the sprawling outdoor concert scene of summer is highly anticipated. How many rad community events can be fit into one special Sunday in June? To celebrate Father’s Day, summer solstice and the kick-off of the Jackson Hole Live series, the celebrated RaptorFest will precede the 12th annual Crawfish Boil featuring New Orleans Suspects with special guests Boondocks, a band I happen to be a member of. It’s all happening this Sunday at Snow King Ball Field and it’s flavored with a huge scoop of New Orleans culture. The Crawfish Boil has been a labor of love for 307 Live production company since 2006, when co-founder Harper Hollis, a Louisiana-native, hauled fresh crawfish and equipment back from his native state to host about 15 friends in his backyard. As the event grew into a community event at 43 North, The Bird, and several years at Cutty’s, Hollis aimed to bring bigger acts despite taking all of the risk on a personal credit card. 307 Live has consistently delivered Southern charm to the event, complete with cajun food and Big Easy bands, and the partnership with Jackson Hole Live has helped solidify the future of the event that now draws thousands. “For the past six years, there are a few guys that
New Orleans Suspects
drive32 hours from Louisiana with two thousand pounds of crawfish and their own equipment,” Hollis said. “Crawfish are like lobster—they need to be cooked while they’re still alive. This way, they are fresh. I have about 15 volunteers, Southerners, that are a big help every year and the JH Live partnership is a perfect fit.” New Orleans is an anomaly of a music mecca, and the sound that permeates the streets and clubs is a blend of second line beats, Funky Meters-esque grooves, Mardi Gras Indian dancing and chanting, and almost always, brass. Originally called The Usual Suspects, the New Orleans Suspects embody this very spirit and its members live in the same Riverbend neighborhood. Formed in 2009 and solidified as a touring unit a few years later,
the five-piece supergroup is comprised of drummer “Mean” Willie Green (of the Neville Brothers), bassist Charlie Wooden (Royal Southern Brotherhood and Bonerama), guitarist Jake Eckert (Dirty Dozen Brass Band), pianist and electric kazoo player CR Gruver (Outformation), and saxophonist/producer Jeff Watkins (James Brown Band, Joss Stone). Though highly experienced individually, there’s no denying the chemistry born from the sum of these parts. “There were a lot of misconceptions about who we were in the beginning, people thought we were just a supergroup, just a collection of people from other bands,” Gruver told Gambit. “We felt like we were more than that, more of an actual band.” The notion of leaving their own stamp on the greater
WEDNESDAY Screen Door Porch duo (Mangy Moose) THURSDAY Major Zephyr (Silver Dollar); Canyon Kids duo (Mangy Moose) FRIDAY Maracuja (Mangy Moose); Louque (Three Peaks); DJ Londo (The Rose) SATURDAY The Funk Felons (Town Square Tavern); Quenby & West of Waylon (Silver Dollar) The Boondocks
NOLA scene was solidified with the release of the band’s third album, Ouroboros, which was the band’s first set of original tunes. Now with the recent release of Kaleidoscoped, an effervescent musical gumbo has erupted in a decisively 70s style—Louisiana swamp pop, soul-infused rambas, upbeat funk, and traditional R&B. Opening the show is country-blues, Southernrockin’ five-piece Boondocks (this columnist happens to be a band member), bringing a juke joint vibe to the local scene for more than a decade. Besides having three soloists and four singers, another distinction that sets the band apart is the “righteous harmonica playing,” as described by Bluegrass Now magazine, by electric harmonica player John Kuzloski—a roots/blues
connoisseur capable of wailing a la Little Walter, the revolutionary harp player that joined Muddy Waters’s band in 1948 and used amplification to explore radical new timbres. PJH Jackson Hole Live and 307 Live present the 12th annual Crawfish Boil featuring New Orleans Suspects and Boondocks, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, June 18 at Snow King Ballpark. All ages, $5. RaptorFest begins at 2:30 p.m., after which crawfish, sausage and all the fixins will be available for purchase. 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.
SUNDAY 12th annual Crawfish Boil: New Orleans Suspects and Boondocks (Snow King Ball Field); Jason Tyler Burton (Silver Dollar) MONDAY JH Hootenanny (Dornan’s) TUESDAY One Ton Pig (Silver Dollar); Stackhouse (Mangy Moose)
FRIDAY, JUNE 16
n Dance & Fitness Classes
8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-7336398 n Portrait Drawing 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379 n Open Studio Modeling: Portrait Model 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307733-6379 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Summer Opening Day 10:00am, Grand Targhee Resort, 800-TARGHEE n Summer Grilling Series 11:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer, $5.00, 307-733-0450 n Contemporary Dance Wyoming Open Rehearsal 12:00pm, Dancers’ Workshop, Free, 307-733-6398 n Vertical Harvest Tours 1:00pm, Vertical Harvest, 307-201-4452 n Raptor Encounters 2:00pm, Teton Raptor Center, $15.00 - $18.00, 307-203-
2551 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n FREE Friday Tasting 4:00pm, Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Free, 307-7330450 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store, Free, 307-733-4466 n Community Resource Center Teton Valley BBQ 4:00pm, CRCTV, Free, 208-354-0870 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n Jackson Hole Shootout
6:00pm, Town Square, Free n PAWS of Jackson Hole’s Tuxes & Tails Gala 6:00pm, Center for the Arts Lawn, $125.00, 307-7342441 n A Journey Into Silver and Self Love 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 - $68.90, 307-733-6994 n Shabbat Dinner @ the JHJC 6:30pm, JH Jewish Community, Free n Chanman - SOLO 7:00pm, Moe’s BBQ, Free n Quenby and the West of Wayland Band 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Country Western Social Dance 7:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $25.00 - $90.00, 307-7336398
JUNE 14, 2017 | 19
7:00pm, Hoback Sports, 307-733-5335 n Major Zephyr 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Free Country Swing Dance Lessons 7:30pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Free, 208-870-1170 n Canyon Kids 7:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n The Center Presents An Evening with David E. Sanger 8:00pm, The Center Theater, $37.00 - $57.00, 307-7334900 n Salsa Night 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500 n Salsa Night 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, 307-733-3886 n SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 20
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
20 | JUNE 14, 2017
n Marcuja 7:30pm, Mangy Moose, 307-733-4913 n Free Public Stargazing Programs 9:00pm, Rendezvous Park, Free, 1-844-996-7827 n Friday Night DJs 10:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500 n Chris Polk 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886 n SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-7332207
SATURDAY, JUNE 17
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307733-6398 n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307733-6398 n 13th Annual Shirley’s Heart Run 9:00am, Rendezvous Park, $25.00, 307-739-7517 n Women’s MTB Camp with Pro Rider Amanda Carey - Level 1 9:00am, Grand Targhee Resort, $275.00, 800-TARGHEE n Plein Air Fest, Etc. 10:00am, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307-7335771 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Library Saturdays: Mini Music & Movement 10:15am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Teton Pass Bash 11:00am, Stagecoach, Free n Vertical Harvest Tours 1:00pm, Vertical Harvest, 307-201-4452 n Raptor Encounters 2:00pm, Teton Raptor Center, $15.00 - $18.00, 307-203-2551 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 $68.90, 307-733-6994 n Quenby and the West of Wayland Band 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Jackson Hole Rodeo 8:00pm, Teton County Fairgrounds, $15.00 - $35.00, 307-733-7927 n The Funk Felons 10:00pm, Town Square Tavern, 307-733-3886 n Live Music with Minor Keys 10:30pm, Pink Garter Theatre, Free, 307-733-1500 n SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-7332207
SUNDAY, JUNE 18
n Women’s MTB Camp with Pro Rider Amanda
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 21
CREATIVE PEAKS Virtual Movement Humanity and gravity face off in a new installation. BY KELSEY DAYTON @Kelsey_Dayton
F
or artist Jack Holmer, gravity isn’t an undisputed physical law. It is instead a barrier to overcome. “To be against gravity is to challenge the laws of physics by using art to overcome the limits of the human,” Holmer said in an email interview. His installation, “Manifesto Against Gravity,” is meant to push people to think about new possibilities and about what it is to be human, he said. The show features six sculptures that interact with the observer. “Bodies created in a virtual environment make their way to the concrete world where the laws of physics modify their properties conceived in the virtual world,” reads a press release from Center for the Arts. The installation will take over the Center for the Arts courtyard starting Thursday and hang through Aug. 7. Holmer will give a talk about his massive straw sculptures suspended in the air and his personal manifesto against gravity from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the courtyard. The Brazilian artist was a resident at Teton Artlab last year and each year the Center picks one resident to invite back to Jackson Hole to display work from the previous year, said Carrie Richer, the creative initiatives coordinator at the Center for the Arts. Holmer’s work combining robotics in his sculptures was unique. His six-feet-tall sculptures made of straws will hang suspended by wires in the courtyard and one will be lifted by a large helium balloon. Holmer is known for his work integrating robotics and has added small motors buzzing throughout the sculptures. “They are essentially defying gravity,” Richer said. The sculptures were inspired by Matisse’s “The Dance,” a painting depicting dancers holding hands and moving in a circle. The motors in the sculptures make them dance like the people in the painting, Richer said. Holmer created the exhibition
specifically for the Center’s courtyard. “It’s going to be a really cool use of that vertical space,” Richer said. “The straws are so light you can see the light through them. It’s just a really pleasing, dreamy setting.” Holmer said his work is open source, meaning anyone who wants to can replicate his creative process. So he is drawn to cheap, easily accessible materials that often don’t have a long life span. “I think that works have a life linked to the materials that make them … and everything is not meant to be eternal,” he said. He likes the challenge of working with cheap materials alongside complex electronic systems. His interest in robotics goes back to childhood. In 2009, he built robots that hugged visitors in an exhibition. The robots were also used in nursing homes and child health treatment centers to encourage patients, he said. In 2014, he started to delve into the search for more robust artificial intelligence and more malleable robotic bodies. “Art gives me permission to think of alternatives that scientists and engineers do not think about and approach the problems of robotics in a poetic way,” he said. Thinking about gravity changed the way Holmer thought about sculpture. In
the digital world, there is no gravity. He wanted to bring that into his work in the real world. His research led him to the idea of using helium gas balloons to null gravity in material sculptures. “What interests me is the impossible,” Holmer wrote. “I think watching the works, people think about limits of life, life on Earth, the limits of technology, in the robots that are coming to life (and) a new way of life that is changing the way humans live.” He also wants people to think about art when they see his work and realize it can be different, collective and open source. Holmer is working on installing the sculptures this week and welcomes visitors to come by and talk about his work. The helium balloon holding one piece up will need to be refilled every few days and volunteers are invited to stop by to sign up for a shift and learn how to fill it. Interested people can also email Richer at carrie@jhcenterforthearts.org. PJH While in Jackson, Holmer also will teach a workshop at Camp Colter about how to build solar robots from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 14. Manifesto Against Gravity, an installation by Jack Holmer, hangs Thursday, June 15 through August 7 in the Center for the Arts courtyard. An artist talk happens 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the courtyard.
Carey - Level 1 9:00am, Grand Targhee Resort, $275.00, 800-TARGHEE n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n CHANMAN - SOLO Father’s Day Brunch 10:30am, Lotus Organic, Free n Father’s Day Gunfighter Course in Jackson Hole with Sonny Puzikas 2:00pm, Jackson Hole Shooting Experience, $170.00, 307-690-7921 n RaptorFest 3:00pm, Snow King Ball Park, $0.00 - $5.00, 307203-2551 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307-733-3370 n 12th Annual JH Crawfish Boil 5:30pm, Snow King Ball Park n JacksonHole Live presents New Orleans Suspects with Boondocks 5:30pm, Snow King Ball Park, $0.00 - $5.00, 307201-1633 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Jason Tyler Burton 7:00pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-732-3939 n Hospitality Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500
MONDAY, JUNE 19
JUNE 14, 2017 | 21
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 22
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307733-6398 n Planet eARTh 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n The Shadow Masters 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Art Education: Kindercreations 9:30am, Art Association Borshell Children’s Studio, $16.00, 307-733-6379 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writing Camp: Scott Savage 10:00am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Library Summer Fun Craft: Make Balloon Animals 2:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Chanman - SOLO 4:00pm, Snake River Brew Pub, Free n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n Hootenanny 6:00pm, Dornan’s, Free, 307-733-2415
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
22 | JUNE 14, 2017
n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writing Camp Featured Speaker: T.A. Barron, “Magical Worlds & Inspiring Heroes 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n The Art of Creative Journaling 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 $68.90, 307-733-6994 n Isaac Hayden 7:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Dan Conklin & The Regulators 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-7332207
TUESDAY, JUNE 20
n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307733-6398
SEE CALENDAR PAGE 24
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
CULTURE KLASH From East to West Korean artist finds her niche in Jackson Hole. BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt
Jina Kim sold her first piece of art ever on Thursday. “Someone liked what I made? That’s incredible!” Kim said through an ear-to-ear grin. Her first sale at her Thursday art show at Penny Lane Cooperative was of two canvas bags printed donning her original art. She sold all but two bags that night, and exchanged business cards for a commissioned painting. The South Korean painter moved to Jackson Hole just six months ago, but her art suggests a much older familiarity with the West. “Colorfreak Jina,” as Kim calls herself, draws inspiration from tribal patterns and global colors, from Laos to New Mexico and now Jackson Hole. Her art features iconic bison, deer and elk skulls geometrically colored in vibrant blues, purples, greens, often set against the Tetons in the background. As an artist, Kim said that coming to Jackson Hole felt like coming home. “I can’t even explain what I felt at the time,” Kim said of her first visit to the valley. “Like this is where I belong. It felt like God is showing me where to go.” Kim’s art has always been bold and vibrant, but such a style didn’t fit in South Korea. Korean style, she explained, is simple, modern, and minimalist. Hers, by contrast, is “wild.” “I had a hard time as an artist,” Kim said. “I just painted as a hobby at the time because I didn’t want to show anyone. I didn’t want to get hurt.” It wasn’t until her now-husband Troop Brenegar found her paintings in her closet and encouraged her to “put them out there” that she even considered a future as an artist. Kim has since had a series of artistic awakenings. The first was during her and Brenegar’s travels throughout Southeast Asia. The two of them spent time with local tribes, and Kim was awestruck by the colors and patterns she saw in their embroidery. “It changed the way I see everything,” she said. Those same colors and patterns
have informed her every brush stroke since. Her second revelation was at the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. O’Keefe’s use of color felt familiar to Kim. “I didn’t know on earth that there is someone whose paintings are so similar to mine,” Kim said. “It just hit me—that’s me.” Kim’s confidence swelled after that visit, and her paintings become larger and more frequent. Hers is a family business. Her husband’s father Ed Brenegar is a Jackson resident and Presbyterian Church community member, and started boasting about her work to his friends in the art community. Andi Keenan, owner of Penny Lane Cooperative, was among them, and agreed to host Kim’s first-ever art show. Kim’s paintings, she said, fit perfectly with the “vibe” in her shop. “What I’m impressed by the most is that [Kim] very quickly integrated herself into the community and let the landscape of Jackson inspire her work,” Keenan said. “I saw what you were doing here and thought, this is a perfect fit for Jina,” Ed Brenegar echoed. “And here we are. It’s really nice to know you can have a plan, and it actually happens.” Ed Brenegar acted as proud fatherin-law all evening, taking photos and videos of Kim to promote the show on Instagram, glowing almost as much as the artist herself after each sale. Kim’s
husband also did his share of gloating, commenting that Kim has become more efficient and dedicated. “It takes you, what, two or three days to finish one of these now?” he said, gesturing at the paintings on the wall. “Or four or five,” Kim corrected him. The two met while Brenegar was teaching English in Seoul. Kim needed an English tutor, and picked him because she “thought his picture was cute.” Kim said she wants to see her paintings grow bigger and bolder. Her style continues to evolve to fit the landscape, and reflect her growing confidence. “I can see from my paintings that I got more confident,” she said. “The colors changed, they got more bold, and even wilder.” She has another exhibition teed up for October, and is preparing to show her work at the art fair this summer. Thursday’s show was her first time ever printing her art on fabric—she sold canvas bags and pillows—and she says it “worked out really well.” Indeed, the canvas bags were her top seller, and are wearable advertising as Ed Brenegar pointed out. And as far as Jackson Hole living goes, Kim says she’s hooked. “I love it here,” she said. In Korea, everything is right there, 24/7… [In Jackson] I’m not distracted, I can really focus on [making] something really valuable.” PJH
CINEMA Fifty years on, Monterey Pop captures something that was more than a musical moment. BY SCOTT RENSHAW @ScottRenshaw
D
A famous Jimi Hendrix moment captured in Monterey Pop.
to a major live-music event, making possible later efforts like Woodstock and the Maysles brothers’ Gimme Shelter (Albert Maysles served as one of the cinematographers here). The performances themselves are certainly the centerpiece, and Pennebaker demonstrates a brilliant instinct for how to focus the audience’s attention. It might not take a genius to understand the charisma of Jimi Hendrix summoning forth flames from his guitar at the finale of his cover of “Wild Thing,” or keep the camera fixed on Janis Joplin as she tears into her ferocious rendition of “Ball and Chain” before cutting away to the reaction of an awestruck “Mama” Cass Elliott in a true game-recognize-game moment. Neither of them were stars before these performances, but they were also the characters at the center of the stage Pennebaker, however, watches the way a spectator in the crowd would likely watch. He doesn’t keep his eye on Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane even though he’s singing the lead vocal—not when Grace Slick is right there to be the magnetic focus. The Who’s performance of “My Generation” isn’t all about singer Roger Daltrey or even the guitar-smashing Pete Townshend; Pennebaker spends as much time watching the crazed drum-pounding of Keith Moon more than the other two combined. As indelible as many of the individual images are, the magic more often comes from Pennebaker’s sense for knowing when to tell his viewers, “OK, but now take a look at this.” Beyond the music performances, of course, is the “happening” of the festival itself, which one blissed-out young woman describes at the outset as “like Easter and Christmas and New Year’s and
your birthday all together.” Monterey Pop captures a cultural moment as much as it captures an artistic moment, and Pennebaker seems to grasp that intuitively. He pokes his nose behind the scenes to show the logistics of police trying to prepare for the thousands of attendees descending on Monterey without much infrastructure to support them, and the festivalgoers living in makeshift tent cities or setting up tables to sell flowers. For much of the running time, it feels like even more of this background texture is needed. There’s something happening here, to quote Buffalo Springfield, and we want to understand what it is. Pennebaker ultimately nails it during the film’s improbable climax, in which he devotes 17 minutes of a 78-minute feature to a single song by Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The music initially plays over images of festivalgoers doing everything from praying to sleeping; Pennebaker waits eight minutes before even showing Shankar’s face. Yet it’s intoxicating watching a rapt festival crowd embrace these strange rhythms of a musician who was not a radio idol or a rock god. When the attendees erupt into a prolonged standing ovation at the end of Shankar’s song— even Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees can be seen in the audience, losing his mind— the genuineness of the moment is impossible to ignore. Before it was a shorthand for Baby Boomer self-indulgence, this “love-in” was real. PJH MONTEREY POP AAA.5 Documentary Not Rated
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
irector D. A. Pennebaker launches into the documentary Monterey Pop by playing Scott McKenzie’s recording of the hippie anthem “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” over images of people gathering for the landmark Monterey International Rock Festival—and with 50 years of distance from the event, it’s easy to look at that choice with a bit of cynicism. The song was written by John Phillips—frontman of The Mamas & the Papas, as well as one of Monterey Pop’s co-founders—specifically to help promote the three-day June 1967 festival. Pennebaker was recruited to chronicle it for a movie, a decision smacking of enough commercialism that it reportedly led to the Grateful Dead’s decision not to allow their performance in the documentary. Was the Summer of Love just an opportunity for savvy businessmen to capitalize on a demographic shift? As a film, Monterey Pop feels like a repudiation of that idea, even if there was no way for Pennebaker to know it might ever be considered. It feels like something of a minor miracle that it exists at all, given that Pennebaker and his crew essentially had to invent the synchronized 16mm cameras that would allow them to capture the performances, with a new color film technology that made it possible to shoot the evening performances. It was groundbreaking in its you-are-there approach
JANUS FILMS
If You’re Going to San Francisco
TRY THESE “Gimme Shelter” (1970) Documentary R
“The Last Waltz” (1978) Documentary PG
“Stop Making Sense” (1984) Documentary NR
JUNE 14, 2017 | 23
“Woodstock” (1970) Documentary R
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
24 | JUNE 14, 2017
n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-7336398 n Teton Plein Air Painters 9:00am, Outdoors, Free, 307-733-6379 n Planet eARTh 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n The Shadow Masters 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Ginormous Pop Art Food In 3D 10:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-7336379 n Membership Orientation 10:00am, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, Free, 307-201-2301 n Toddler Time 10:05am, Teton County Library Youth Auditorium, Free, 307-733-2164
n Toddler Time 10:35am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Toddler Time 11:05am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-6379 n Photography Open Studio 12:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, Free, 307733-6379 n Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writing Camp: Amy Kathleen Ryan 1:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246 n Photoshop Basics 3:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n R Park Summer Solstice Celebration 5:00pm, Rendezvous Park, Free, 307-733-3913
HEY DUDE,
WATCH YOUR TUBE
Attention Floaters •
• • • • •
Per Town of Jackson municipal code: No trespassing on private lands. Open alcohol containers are strictly prohibited on Flat Creek. Dogs are prohibited in public parks. No dogs at large. Public urination is prohibited. Please respect private property at all times. Utilize designated public access locations when accessing Flat Creek. Be considerate of neighbors and environment by limiting noise and disturbance to riparian habitat. Respect wildlife. Glass containers are prohibited. Please dispose of garbage in designated receptacles. Float at your own risk – no safety personnel present. Dangerous and swift flowing cold water, low clearance bridges shallow Respect our community! water occur in some locations.
For additional information and maps of public access points the Town of Jackson or the Parks and Recreation Department: www.townofjackson.com or www.tetonparksandrec.org
BEER, WINE & SPIRITS
Sipping Portugal Vinho Verde is a refreshing summer sipper. BY TED SCHEFFLER @Critic1
A
few weeks ago I wrote about green wines. That is, wines that are produced in an ecologically responsible manner. This week, the topic is a different kind of green wine: Vinho Verde. Translated from the Portuguese, Vinho Verde literally means “green wine.” But the name actually means “young wine.” The wine is not green, but it does tend to come in tall Riesling-style bottles made with green glass. Port, of course, is
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.
Portugal’s primary gift to wine drinkers, but Vinho Verde is that country’s contribution to the world of white wines. That being said, Vinho Verde tends to get the short end of the wine-press stick; virtually no one talks or writes about it. Think of Vinho Verde as the Rodney Dangerfield of white wine: It gets no respect. My mission is to change that. There is a lot to like about Vinho Verde, most of which is produced in the lush, fertile countryside of Portugal’s Minho region, in the far northwest of the country and just across from Spain’s Rías Baixas wine region. For my money, it’s a great warm-weather wine—perfect for sipping on the patio or deck or opening at a picnic. Most Vinho Verde is relatively low in alcohol, usually about 9 or 10 percent by volume, which adds to its warm-weather appeal. On a hot day, you don’t really want to be drinking wines weighing in at 15 percent alcohol and higher. Also, Vinho Verde has a refreshing, slightly effervescent
mouth-feel. It’s not a sparkling wine, but it does have just a hint of fizziness. Racy, bracing acidity is the calling card of Vinho Verde, which makes it a great food wine. It’s hard to beat as a foil for grilled fish, seafood, chicken or pork. Thanks to the wine’s high acidity, each sip serves as a palate cleanser, which means that Vinho Verde is particularly good paired with oily fish. And, it’s also a nice, light wine to serve as an aperitif. Flavors range from citrus-peach to almond-pineapple-honeysuckle, with floral aromas. Since most Vinho Verde isn’t aged or fermented in wood, the wine is very light and airy on the palate. The subtle fizz comes from carbon dioxide, which is added just prior to bottling. Keep in mind, though, that Vinho Verde is not a wine to cellar. It’s intended to be drunk young. In fact, many producers don’t even bother putting a vintage date on the label, since it’s usually consumed within a year of the wine’s release.
Maybe the best reason to try Vinho Verde is the price. It’s obscenely cheap, with most bottles running well under $10. Even the high-end models—to the extent there are any—are usually priced under $20. It’s a helluva bang for your buck. The premier producer of Vinho Verde is Aveleda. Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde is priced at a mere $8.34. The primary flavor components are lemon-lime and green apple. It’s a wine that really rocks with ceviche and oysters on the half shell. Another version is Broadbent Vinho Verde ($8.99). Producer Bartholomew Broadbent actually ships his wine in refrigerated containers so that, as he puts it, it will “taste like it does in Portugal.” Like Aveleda, Broadbent Vinho Verde offers green apple and lime notes, with a hint of creaminess. I haven’t tried this match, but one writer called it “the world’s best pairing for Caesar salad.” PJH
JULY 19 SUMMER FOODIE EDITION
CULINARY
C ONFESSIONS
HAPPY HOUR Daily 4-6:00pm
307.201.1717 | LOCALJH.COM ON THE TOWN SQUARE
Don’t miss the 2017 summer dining issue, Culinary Confessions, where some of the valley’s rising and famous foodies agree to bare it all.
JUNE 14, 2017 | 25
BOOK NOW FOR BEST RATES! CALL 307.732.0299 OR EMAIL SALES@PLANETJH.COM
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Lunch 11:30am Monday-Saturday Dinner 5:30pm Nightly
IMBIBE
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
26 | JUNE 14, 2017
Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom and pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves!
ASIAN & CHINESE TETON THAI
Serving the world’s most exciting cuisine. Teton Thai offers a splendid array of flavors: sweet, hot, sour, salt and bitter. All balanced and blended perfectly, satisfying the most discriminating palate. Open daily. 7432 Granite Loop Road in Teton Village, (307) 733-0022 and in Driggs, (208) 787-8424, tetonthai.com.
THAI ME UP
Home of Melvin Brewing Co. Freshly remodeled offering modern Thai cuisine in a relaxed setting. New tap system with 20 craft beers. New $8 wine list and extensive bottled beer menu. Open daily for dinner at 5pm. Downtown at 75 East Pearl Street. View our tap list at thaijh.com/brews. 307-733-0005.
CONTINENTAL ALPENHOF
LOCAL & DOMESTIC STEAKS SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK @ 5:30 TILL 10 JHCOWBOYSTEAKHOUSE.COM 307-733-4790
Lunch special Slice + Side Salad = $8 Happy Hour 4-6 PM DAILY
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
A Jackson Hole favorite for 39 years. Join us in the charming atmosphere of a historic home. Serving fresh fish, elk, poultry, steaks, and vegetarian entrées. Ask a local about our rack of lamb. Live acoustic guitar music most nights. Open nightly at 5:30 p.m. Early Bird Special: 20% off entire bill between 5:30 & 6 p.m Must mention ad. Reservations recommended, walkins welcome. 160 N. Millward, (307) 733-3912, bluelionrestaurant.com
20 W. Broadway 307.207.1472 pizzeriacaldera.com OPEN DAILY 11AM-9:30PM
ELY UNIQUPEAN EURO
F O H ‘ E H T
INNERGE D I UNCHETON VILLA L I T IN T FAS BREAKE ALPENHOF AT TH
1110 MAPLE WAY JACKSON, WY 307.264.2956 picnicjh.com Free Coffee with Pastry Purchase Every Day from 3 to 5pm
AT THE
307.733.3242
Cheers to Dad!
$1 DRAFTS FOR DAD-
JUNE 17 & 18 HAPPY FATHERS DAY!
1155 S HIGHWAY 89 JACKSON, WY 83OO1 | OPEN DAILY: 7AM - 1OPM | 3O7-733-O45O | JACKSONWHOLEGROCER.COM
THE LOCALS
PICNIC
FAVORITE PIZZA
Our mission is simple: offer good food, made fresh, all day, every day. We know everyone’s busy, so we cater to on-the-go lifestyles with quick, tasty options for breakfast and lunch, including pastries and treats from our sister restaurant Persephone. Also offering coffee and espresso drinks plus wine and cocktails. Open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Wknds 7am-3pm 1110 Maple Way in West Jackson 307-2642956www.picnicjh.com
2012-2016 •••••••••
$7
$5 Shot & Tall Boy
LUNCH
SPECIAL Slice, salad & soda
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••
ELEANOR’S
TV Sports Packages and 7 Screens
Enjoy all the perks of fine dining, minus the dress code at Eleanor’s, serving rich, saucy dishes in a warm and friendly setting. Its bar alone is an attraction, thanks to reasonably priced drinks and a loyal crowd. Come get a belly-full of our twotime gold medal wings. Open at 11 a.m. daily. 832 W. Broadway, (307) 733-7901.
Under the Pink Garter Theatre (307) 734-PINK • www.pinkygs.com
LOCAL
Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally FRESH FOOD at reasonable prices, is a always a FUN PLACE to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel RIGHT AT HOME and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. Reservations at (307) 733-4913 3295 Village Drive • Teton Village, WY
www.mangymoose.com
PIZZAS, PASTAS & MORE HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE
A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965
®
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
733-3912 160 N. Millward
Make your reservation online at bluelionrestaurant.com
Medium Pizza (1 topping) Stuffed Cheesy Bread
$ 13 99
for an extra $5.99/each
(307) 733-0330 520 S. Hwy. 89 • Jackson, WY
Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally fresh food at reasonable prices, is a always a fun place to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel right at home and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit. 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 through its award-winning Alabama-style pulled pork, ribs, wings, turkey and chicken smoked over hardwood served with two unique sauces in addition to Catfish and a Shrimp Moe-Boy sandwich. A daily rotation of traditional Southern sides and tasty desserts are served fresh daily. Moe’s BBQ stays open late and features a menu for any budget. While the setting is familyfriendly, a full premium bar offers a lively scene with HDTVs for sports fans, music, shuffle board and other games upstairs. Large party takeout orders and full service catering with delivery is also 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
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.
ITALIAN CALICO
A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965, the Calico continues to be one of the most popular restaurants in the Valley. The Calico offers the right combination of really good food, (much of which is grown in our own gardens in the summer), friendly staff; a reasonably priced menu and a large selection of wine. Our bar scene is eclectic with a welcoming vibe. Open nightly at 5 p.m. 2560 Moose Wilson Rd., (307) 733-2460.
MEXICAN EL ABUELITO
Serving authentic Mexican cuisine and appetizers in a unique Mexican atmosphere. Home of the original Jumbo Margarita. Featuring a full bar with a large selection of authentic Mexican beers. Lunch served weekdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nightly dinner specials. Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 385 W. Broadway, (307) 733-1207.
PIZZA DOMINO’S PIZZA
Hot and delicious delivered to your door. Handtossed, deep dish, crunchy thin, Brooklyn style and artisan pizzas; bread bowl pastas, and oven baked sandwiches; chicken wings, cheesy breads and desserts. Delivery. 520 S. Hwy. 89 in Kmart Plaza, (307) 733-0330.
PINKY G’S
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 using the
freshest ingredients in traditional and creative combinations. Five local micro-brews 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.
JUNE 14, 2017 | 27
Good between 5:30-6pm • Open nightly at 5:30pm
Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)
MANGY MOOSE
SNAKE RIVER BREWERY & RESTAURANT
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY
ENTIRE BILL
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.
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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.
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.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
28 | JUNE 14, 2017
SUDOKU
Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.
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SALE A I D E M
T S O O B R + E T S L BO ia al Med
Digit ractive b • Inte e W • ssy
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. AREER C R U YO
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JEN TILLOTSON (JEN@PLANETJH.COM) & JOHN SALTAS (JOHN@CITYWEEKLYNET)
L.A.TIMES “PRODUCT EXPANSION” By JIM HOLLAND
SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2017
ACROSS 1 5
Icy coating Heroine in the “Divergent” films 9 Route shower 12 Castro, for one 17 Unlike spring chickens? 18 __-car 20 One-of-a-kind 21 Bud in Baja 22 Automaker’s expansion into music? 25 Tijuana restaurant staples 26 Work out 27 “SNL” parody Baba __ 28 Behavioral oddity 30 Fore relative? 31 “Are you __ out?” 33 Dizzy’s jazz 36 Story line 38 __ port 41 Antitoxin 43 Lamb by another name 44 Observed 45 Candy company’s expansion into exercise equipment? 49 Studio amendment 52 Run 53 Supermodel Sastre 54 Self-satisfied 56 “Family” actress Thompson 57 Like some twins 61 Final financials 63 __-de-France 64 It may quash dreams of a musical career 68 Ed’s title 69 Air-escape sound 72 Drink container company’s expansion into bakery products? 75 Montevideo Mrs. 76 “Tough!” 78 Rouse to action 79 Co. that merged into Verizon 80 Like car carburetors, for the
most part Victimized by bad spelling? They often have quotas Stella __ cookies Singer Horne Emphatic type: Abbr. Shelley’s Muse Jewelry company’s expansion into fishing for delicacies? 100 Figure (out) 102 Latin trio part 103 Older Obama daughter 104 Turf 105 “Route 66” co-star 107 Saint Kitts’ island partner 109 Agree to, in a way 110 Mil. address 111 Classical start 113 Draft category 115 Med. diagnostic procedure 120 Shell lining 122 Cleaning products company’s expansion into arena seating? 126 Comic book artist 127 Bits 128 Jeer 129 Cosmo competitor 130 Sends a fly flying 131 Be in a red state? 132 Place 133 Political group 82 87 88 90 91 93 95
Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Fan sounds “__ You Babe”: 1965 #1 hit Actress Suvari What goes around Work newbie Clergy abode Forbes competitor Pack away Farm sound Gothic novel pioneer Radcliffe Unrelenting annoyance One usually crouching
13 14
Thurman of film Writing implement company’s expansion into jewelry? 15 Selling spot in Sparta 16 Went snooping 19 Many an Omani 20 Held to account 23 “__ Called Wanda” 24 Stereotypical pocket protector wearers 29 Part of TGIF 32 Repeat annoyingly 34 Louvre displays 35 Ancient Syrian trade center 37 Piece maker 38 Broadcast format: Abbr. 39 __-employed 40 __ Rabbit 42 Sea cow 46 Blue map area 47 Museum pieces 48 Respond to defamation, say 50 Milk container 51 Iraq’s main port 55 One of two zygote producers 58 Word before wave or pool 59 Slurred in pronunciation 60 T. __ 62 High grounds 65 Kook 66 Anaphylaxis treatment 67 NATO, for one 69 Target, for one 70 Grave 71 Kitchen supplies company’s expansion into security? 73 __ Peninsula 74 Metric wts. 77 Second-easternmost U.S. state capital 81 Wee one 83 Rooms in a casa
84 85 86
Beatle Paul’s title Nice summers Ballpark rallying cry based on a 1950s hit 89 “How silly __!” 90 Bodega patron 92 Trip provider 94 Corkscrews, essentially 96 Party gifts 97 Food 98 Move periodically 99 __ button 101 Byron’s “before” 105 Frenzied 106 Bucky Beaver’s toothpaste 108 Racy message 112 Prefix with -pus 114 Down with, in Dunkirk 116 “The Purple People Eater” singer Wooley 117 Holding area 118 Woody’s boy 119 Brief time pd. 121 U.S. Army rank qualifier 123 Prosecutor’s field 124 Tribute in verse 125 Him, to Henri
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Barefoot Therapy
O
ne of the many pleasures of summer is kicking off your shoes and walking barefoot. We all know how great it feels to walk without shoes on a sandy beach, on soft grass or on a gentle path in the woods. What’s new, is that beyond our spontaneous smiles and “oh this feels so good,” it turns out that sustained skin contact with the earth is the best antioxidant there is.
Healing electrons
Visit our website
Beyond free radical management According to research by Dr. James Oschman, grounding appears to improve sleep, normalize the day–night cortisol rhythm, reduce pain, reduce stress, shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic toward parasympathetic activation, increase heart rate variability, speed wound healing, and reduce blood viscosity. Another physician, Dr. Laura Koniver, lists the benefits of regular skin contact with the earth to include: reducing chronic pain, improving sleep, reducing stress hormones, relieving muscle tension and headaches, speeds healing of wounds, and even eliminating jet lag.
Earthing and baring it all The new name for getting grounded is Earthing, and there are ample books to read and products to get grounded to the earth without having to be barefoot outdoors. If you are curious, research “earthing” online and discover everything from bed sheets, sandals and body bands to computer mats crafted to facilitate grounding with the earth. The recommended helpful dose of bare feet on the ground is a minimum of 10 minutes per day, even walking on the earth with natural fiber socks creates the grounding connection. This is so simple. Summer’s here. Experiment on your own; it’s free, and see how this works for you. PJH
The public meeting agendas and minutes for the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission can also be found in the Public Notices section of the JH News and Guide.
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
JUNE 14, 2017 | 29
TetonWyo.org
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
For all MEETING AGENDAS AND MINUTES WEEKLY CALENDAR JOB OPENINGS SOLICITATIONS FOR BIDS PUBLIC NOTICES AND OTHER VALUABLE INFORMATION
We get oxygen from trees, and vitamin D from the sun. What we get from skin contact with the earth is a free and unlimited supply of healing electrons that the body can use to counter the unhealthy buildup of inflammation-causing free radicals. People who routinely sit or sleep on the ground, walk barefoot or wear animal hide shoes receive ample skin contact with the earth. We all accumulate free radicals throughout the day from our own stresses, from chemical toxicity in the air, in the water, and in our foods. These are exacerbated by sedentary lifestyles, poor diets, too much time spent indoors and little or no skin contact time with the ground. Researchers point out that the free radicals we build up throughout the day have a positive charge, and eventually overwhelm our immune systems. On the other hand, the surface of the earth has a negative charge. Therefore, connecting the body to the ground allows the negatively charged electrons from the earth to permeate the body and rebalance the accumulation of free radicals. This can prevent and heal chronic
inflammation, which is the role antioxidants play. In addition, electrons from the earth have no secondary side effects. Our bodies have evolved to require and benefit from the recharge from the earth for eons.
WELLNESS COMMUNITY
These businesses provide health or wellness services for the Jackson Hole community and its visitors.
DEEP TISSUE • SPORTS MASSAGE • THAI MASSAGE MYOFASCIAL RELEASE CUPPING
T2BB.COM
Oliver Tripp, NCTM MASSAGE THERAPIST NATIONALLY CERTIFIED
253-381-2838
30 | JUNE 14, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
180 N Center St, Unit 8 abhyasamassage.com
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 No physician referral required. (307) 733-5577•1090 S Hwy 89
www.fourpinespt.com
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
HALF OFF BLAST OFF!
BY ROB BREZSNY
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Actress Marisa Berenson offers a line of anti-aging products that contain an elixir made from the seeds of a desert fruit known as prickly pear. The manufacturing process isn’t easy. To produce a quart of the potion requires 2,000 pounds of seeds. I see you as having a metaphorically similar challenge in the coming weeks, Gemini. To create a small amount of the precious stuff you want, I’m guessing you’ll have to gather a ton of raw materials. And there may be a desert-like phenomena to deal with, as well. CANCER (June 21-July 22) There are three kinds of habits: good, bad, and neutral. Neutral habits are neither good nor bad but use up psychic energy that might be better directed into cultivating good habits. Here are some examples: a good habit is when you’re disciplined about eating healthy food; a bad habit is watching violent TV shows before going to bed, thereby disturbing your sleep; a neutral habit might be doing Sudoku puzzles. My challenge to you, Cancerian, is to dissolve one bad habit and one neutral habit by replacing them with two new good habits. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, cosmic forces will be on your side as you make this effort. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “Dear Dr. Astrology: Good fortune has been visiting me a lot lately. Many cool opportunities have come my way. Life is consistently interesting. I’ve also made two unwise moves that fortunately didn’t bring bad results. Things often work out better for me than I imagined they would! I’m grateful every day, but I feel like I should somehow show even more appreciation. Any ideas? -Lucky Leo.” Dear Lucky: The smartest response to the abundance you have enjoyed is to boost your generosity. Give out blessings. Dispense praise. Help people access their potentials. Intensify your efforts to share your wealth. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Years ago, a fan of my work named Paul emailed to ask me if I wanted to get together with him and his friend when I visited New York. “Maybe you know her?” he wrote. “She’s the artist Cindy Sherman.” Back then I had never heard of Cindy. But since Paul was smart and funny, I agreed to meet. The three of us convened in an elegant tea room for a boisterous conversation. A week later, when I was back home and mentioned the event to a colleague, her eyes got big and she shrieked, “You had tea with THE Cindy Sherman.” She then educated me on how successful and influential Cindy’s photography has been. I predict you will soon have a comparable experience, Virgo: inadvertent contact with an intriguing presence. Hopefully, because I’ve given you a heads up, you’ll recognize what’s happening as it occurs, and take full advantage.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Inventor, architect, and author Buckminster Fuller lived to the age of 87. For 63 of those years, he kept a detailed scrapbook diary that documented every day of his life. It included his reflections, correspondence, drawings, newspaper clippings, grocery bills, and much other evidence of his unique story. I would love to see you express yourself with that much disciplined ferocity during the next two weeks. According to my astrological analysis, you’re in a phase when you have maximum power to create your life with vigorous ingenuity and to show everyone exactly who you are. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You have a cosmic license to enjoy almost too much sensual pleasure. In addition, you should feel free to do more of what you love to do than you normally allow yourself. Be unapologetic about surrounding yourself with flatterers and worshipers. Be sumptuously lazy. Ask others to pick up the slack for you. Got all that? It’s just the first part of your oracle. Here’s the rest: You have a cosmic license to explore the kind of spiritual growth that’s possible when you feel happy and fulfilled. As you go through each day, expect life to bring you exactly what you need to uplift you. Assume that the best service you can offer your fellow humans is to be relaxed and content. ARIES (March 21-April 19) You have to admit that salt looks like sugar and sugar resembles salt. This isn’t usually a major problem, though. Mistakenly sprinkling sugar on your food when you thought you were adding salt won’t hurt you, nor will putting salt in your coffee when you assumed you were using sugar. But errors like these are inconvenient, and they can wreck a meal. You may want to apply this lesson as a metaphor in the coming days, Aries. Be alert for things that outwardly seem to be alike but actually have different tastes and effects. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Here’s a possible plan for the next ten days: Program your smart phone to sound an alarm once every hour during the entire time you’re awake. Each time the bell or buzzer goes off, you will vividly remember your life’s main purpose. You will ask yourself whether or not the activity you’re engaged in at that specific moment is somehow serving your life’s main purpose. If it is, literally pat yourself on the back and say to yourself, “Good job!” If it’s not, say the following words: “I am resolved to get into closer alignment with my soul’s code—the blueprint of my destiny.”
Go to RealAstrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to go gallivanting so heedlessly into the labyrinth. Or maybe it was. Who knows? It’s still too early to assess the value of your experiences in that maddening but fascinating tangle. You may not yet be fully able to distinguish the smoke and mirrors from the useful revelations. Which of the riddles you’ve gathered will ultimately bring frustration and which will lead you to wisdom? Here’s one thing I do know for sure: If you want to exit the labyrinth, an opportunity will soon appear.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your life in the coming days should be low on lightweight diversions and high in top-quality content. Does that sound like fun? I hope so. I’d love to see you enjoy the hell out of yourself as you cut the fluff and focus on the pith … as you efficiently get to the hype-free heart of every matter and refuse to tolerate waffling or stalling. So strip away the glossy excesses, my dear Capricorn. Skip a few steps if that doesn’t cause any envy. Expose the pretty lies, but then just work around them; don’t get bogged down in indulging in negative emotions about them.
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) You’ll never get access to the treasure that’s buried out under the cherry tree next to the ruined barn if you stay in your command center and keep staring at the map instead of venturing out to the barn. Likewise, a symbol of truth may be helpful in experiencing deeper meaning, but it’s not the same as communing with the raw truth, and may even become a distraction from it. Let’s consider one further variation on the theme: The pictures in your mind’s eye may or may not have any connection with the world outside your brain. It’s especially important that you monitor their accuracy in the coming days.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Over the years I’ve read numerous news reports about people who have engaged in intimate relations with clunky inanimate objects. One had sex with a bicycle. Another seduced a sidewalk, and a third tried to make sweet love to a picnic table. I hope you won’t join their ranks in the coming weeks. Your longing is likely to be extra intense, innovative, and even exotic, but I trust you will confine its expression to unions with adult human beings who know what they’re getting into and who have consented to play. Here’s an old English word you might want to add to your vocabulary: “blissom.” It means “to bleat with sexual desire.”
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32 | JUNE 14, 2017
| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |