Planet Jackson Hole 6.07.17

JACKSON HOLE’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE | PLANETJH.COM | JUNE 7-13, 2017

COWBOYS IN

CRISIS

The good, the bad and the ugly of mental health care in a small Western town.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

2 | JUNE 7, 2017

Elizabeth Kingwill,

MA/LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor • Medical Hypnotherapist

Counseling: • Individual • Premarital • Marriage/Family • Anxiety, Stress

• Anger Management • Pain Relief • Depression • Stop Smoking

733-5680

Practicing in Jackson since 1980 • www.elizabethkingwill.com Flexible Hours - Evening & Weekends • Now Accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield

HOMES • BUSINESS • REAL ESTATE Windows • Carpets & Upholstery PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED, FLEXIBLE Licensed, Bonded, Insured

307-690-3605

JACKSON HOLE'S ALTERNATIVE VOICE

VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 22 | JUNE 7-13, 2017

12 COVER STORY COWBOYS IN CRISIS The good, the bad and the ugly of mental health care in a small Western town.

Cover illustration by John Holcroft

6 THE NEW WEST

20 CREATIVE PEAKS

7

22 CINEMA

THE BUZZ

9 THE BUZZ 3

24 IMBIBE

18 MUSIC BOX

31 SATIRE

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Davis, Kelsey Dayton, Annie Fenn, MD, Carol Mann, Sarah Ross, Ted Scheffler, Chuck Shepherd, Tom Tomorrow, Todd Wilkinson, Jim Woodmencey, Baynard Woods

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THIS WEEK

June 7, 2017

By Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey With temperatures in the valley topping 70-degrees every day, except one this past week in Jackson, and with copious amounts of snow remaining the mountains, it is no surprise that creeks and rivers are rising.

More important is the fact that temperatures up at 10,000-feet have been above 50-degrees, with overnight lows staying well above freezing. That causes melting to occur 24/7, and we should expect more of that to come this week.

SPONSORED BY GRAND TETON FLOOR & WINDOW COVERINGS

We had our first official 80-degree day in Jackson this year on Sunday, June 4th. The only day that was below 70-degrees for a high temperature, so far in June 2017, was last Friday, June 2nd, with a high of 68-degrees.

Normal high temperatures this week are right at 70-degrees. So, we will begin this week with above normal temps. The record highest temperature ever recorded here during this week in June is 89-degrees, set on June 13th, way back in 1933.

70 37 89 20

THIS MONTH AVERAGE PRECIPITATION: 1.63 inches RECORD PRECIPITATION: 4.2 inches (1967) AVERAGE SNOWFALL: .01 inches RECORD SNOWFALL: 5 inches (1973)

Carpet - Tile - Hardwood - Laminate Blinds - Shades - Drapery Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Open Tuesdays until 8pm 1705 High School Rd Suite 120 Jackson, WY 307-200-4195 www.tetonfloors.com | www.tetonblinds.com

JUNE 7, 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, and the threat of below freezing temperatures overnight temps in the valley is now relatively low for the next couple of months. That is not to say we couldn’t see a morning that dips below 32-degrees, but much colder than that is very rare. Good news for the flower and veggie gardens.

However, just so you know, the record low temperature this week is 20-degrees. That happened back on June 9th, 1979.

NORMAL HIGH NORMAL LOW RECORD HIGH IN 1933 RECORD LOW IN 1979

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

JH ALMANAC

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

4 | JUNE 7, 2017

FROM OUR READERS Dear Wyoming’s congressional delegation I would like to write to you today in disappointment of your support for Mr. Trump’s recent announcement regarding the United States withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

I see Mr. Trump’s actions as thinly veiled rhetoric to keep the American (and especially Wyoming) workers in the typewriter industry employed. I am disappointed that you, as a leader of this state, have yet to recognize the future in a technology that will soon replace the typewriter: the computer. Currently, countries like China have booming industries in the manufacture of these new technologies.

Many U.S. states, while perhaps not on the cutting edge of the manufacture of these technologies, are on the cutting edge of use of these technologies. It seems like our own state might have an opportunity to jump into this industry, whether it is the manufacture of these computers, or simply the efficient use and job creation associated with this new technology (which by all measures, is outpacing typewriters both from economic and efficiency standpoints).

I know, the workers of our state are really good at making typewriters, and really good at using typewriters. But the times are changing and I don’t feel like your support of Mr. Trump’s actions, largely on behalf of the Americans who build and use typewriters, is the correct direction for the people of this state. Yes, there will always be a small niche for typewriters (I hear the Portland “hipster” scene has been a strong market in recent years), but I would hate to have all my state’s investments tied up in stock from Royal or Smith Corona when there is opportunity to invest in companies like Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and others.

I urge you to re-think your support of Mr. Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, and consider the opportunities our state has in transitioning our current workforce towards the technologies and job creation of the future (computers!).

– Ben Johnson

On The Buzz: “A Man’s World,” May 31

I didn’t like this article. It was inconsistent—women are capable to do burly jobs but completely incapable of speaking up for themselves. I wonder if the young woman whom didn’t return a second season, if she had said something to her boss while it was going on ( it’s called sexual harassment and most bosses take it seriously) if things could have been different. I mean you can’t blame someone for a sexist environment if you don’t speak up. You need to make people aware in order to give them a chance to change it. And not only did she not mention it to her boss, she participated in it and ...... what? Am I suppose to feel like she suffered some injustice because she made a choice to Stay silent as well join in? They way this article written, it makes it seem like women still need men to save them from this injustice.

Save yourselves ladies! Speak up and take action! PS the article also fails to mention that men way outnumber women in Jackson so it would be logical there would be more males employed than females.

– Alycia Patencio

You’re right, silence is permission. However, I know many stories of women guides reporting harassment to their trip leaders and bosses and being fired for being “emotionally immature and difficult to work with.”

To climb the guiding ladder and be recommended by supervisors for elite guiding jobs, silence is mandated.

A female guide cannot be a squeaky wheel and advance.

So yes, in this instance, pioneer and silent can coexist and are actually requisite for advancement in the field.

– Bridget Crocker The Forest Service takes all harassment very seriously whether it be employee, outfitter, guide, customer, etc.

If someone chooses to file one, reports go immediately to the Chief of the Forest Service. There is no tolerance for even non-participatory acts like condoning or claiming ignorance when it’s your job to know what’s up and protect employees. Always happy to talk or answer questions at 307.739.5417. Great article on a topic that was pervasive in the guiding industries I worked in years ago.

– David Cernicek Silence is NOT permission. Silence is fear. That statement is inherently victim-blaming. You can’t tell someone they’re responsible for what happened to them because they didn’t speak up about it. How about we teach people not to be violent and discriminatory?

– Lucy Tompkins

On The New West: “Sage Civil Servitude,” May 31

During a 32-year career in the National Park Service, I worked for several superintendents, but none were the equal of Bob. He was my boss, but more than that, he was a good friend and counselor. I was thrilled to learn that he was coming to Yellowstone. Finally, I thought, Interpretive Division would get the attention it needed, and a fair share of the budget. And, it happened.

Bob’s mischievous sense of humor was memorably expressed in several annual budget presentations by

division chiefs directed, I think, at me, a fellow interpreter. On one occasion I entered the staff room to find Bob and the other division chiefs (including the chief ranger full armed and wearing a Kevlar vest) all sitting at a table in front a single chair illuminated by two spotlights. I had expected something, and rose to the occasion with my visual aid, a large recumbent sow representing the total park budget, with suckling piglets representing the various divisions. I then suggested that the Interpretive Division should move closer to the sow’s head. Others may speak of the annual staff “Death March,” into the backcountry, a classic Barbee week-long team building exercise. I’m happy to say that I survived.

I have many fond memories of the times that I shared with Bob. He was an extraordinarily skilled and sensitive manager, kind, generous, understanding, yet decisive and firm when circumstances required. His leadership during the epic fires of 1988 and the media firestorms that followed are models for future park managers during similar crises. I am proud to have known and worked with Bob. I miss him.

– George Robinson

Bob opened every Yellowstone door for the Denver Post, which led to “Letters from Yellowstone.” I came back to cover the fires, and he agreed to write a forward for “Summer of Fire.” When I uncovered and included stuff that pissed him off he kept his commitment, disagreeing openly. A genuine, honest, man of his word, a public servant in the truest sense. He must be boiling beneath the Firehole today.

– Jim Carrier

BAYNARD WOODS

Reinventing the Underground, Part 1 A countercultural exorcism and its missing young participants.

BY BAYNARD WOODS @demoincrisis

S

Ed Sanders

whatever setup passes on a decent, humane, sharing semi-socialist or socialist agenda is the one that will triumph, and everything else is in the service of the war machine.”

He has found some bit of inspiration in online activism and the nurturing of semi-social or socialist ideas, but he acknowledged “it’s really a terrible situation.”

“I don’t have a lot of hope,” he said. “It’s like when they grow a sugar maple stand in New England. You plant the sugar maple tree not for your own children but your grandchildren. So the seeds of peace are like sugar maples, we’re planting them for long after we’re gone.”

The performance of the exorcism was quite powerful, but it was also a throwback, a reprise. And the recording, which lacked the spookiness of the live performance, is kind of bad and not likely to speak to the kids coming up now who feel a need to express their disgust with the world they grew up in. I noticed there weren’t many young people at the performance, and I wondered who will create our new cultural forms. Even Antifa, among the most politically radical factions on the left, seems culturally retro, mimicking the political punk of the 80s.

As I watched Ed Sanders walk away, I stood there, almost gagging as the wind blew the porta-john stench my way and I didn’t even consider the possibility that the spell may have worked.

But later the same night Trump tweeted, “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” Maybe it worked after all and the demon Covfefe was exorcised.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer seemed to prove me right the following day when he told reporters he thinks “the president and a small group of people knew exactly what he meant.” PJH

Baynard Woods will periodically revisit the idea of reinventing the underground. Send him examples of new countercultural expression in Jackson Hole: baynard@democracyincrisis.com

JUNE 7, 2017 | 5

Cooper Union in New York, where Sanders stood behind the same lectern that Abraham Lincoln used to deliver his “House Divided” speech in 1860.

This seems like a perfectly Sandersian moment, where time loops in on itself. Here he is reprising a 50-year-old idea in a new context while hearkening back to what was our nation’s moment of greatest division.

And it fits him, because he is as much a connecter, scholar, and archivist as he is a poet.

I ask him what he would tell a young person now trying to make some kind of life counter to our corporate culture.

“Always spend time every day, set aside time to study, to read books and read articles and always take a lot of notes and create files, create alphabetical files on subjects you’re interested in, but also chronological files,” he said. “And to dare to try to make yourself part of the history of the place you’re living in.”

I am stunned by the power of that last sentence. But he isn’t done.

“And start figuring out what other people are doing.

And then, if you’re young, to do what Allen Ginsberg said— ‘I saw the best minds of my generation’—and that is to link up with the very best minds in all the subjects you’re interested in. Poetry, music, engineering, rocket science, find the best minds,” he said.

“Hang out.”

Since Sanders was the face of the 60s counterculture, I asked what he makes of the claim by members of the alt-right, like Infowars’ Paul Joseph Watson, that they are the new counterculture.

“I don’t know what to say to them,” he said. “I don’t read them. I live in the woods. I heat with wood. I don’t have anything to do with those people. It’s a free world and the internet is one of the new conflict grounds and so…” He trailed off for a moment, looking down toward the reflecting pool.

“They’re like a cult,” he said finally. “A cult ultimately has to deal with dentistry, children, passing on books and heritage and poetry and culture. So

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

tanding on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, poet and provocateur Ed Sanders shouted, “Out demons, out!” his arms raised in clenched fists above his head, a computer bag hanging from the shoulder of his powder-blue sports coat. With a wild halo of white hair exploding from his balding pate, small glasses perched upon his crinkled button nose and a drooping mustache, Sanders looks like a wild elder statesman, the Benjamin Franklin of an alternate United States.

Fifty years ago, in 1967, Sanders appeared on the cover of Life magazine, which proclaimed “the worldwide underground of the arts creates The Other Culture.” The other culture was not yet dubbed “counterculture,” but whatever it was called, Sanders was at the center of it—especially in New York, where he founded the band The Fugs and started the famous Peace Eye Bookstore, and Fuck You: A Magazine of the Arts. He was an instrumental member of Youth International Party, or Yippies, which combined political activism and countercultural expression.

As the Vietnam War escalated, Sanders and his band The Fugs performed an exorcism of the Pentagon later the same year.

Today, as we are faced with an urgent need to reinvent the underground, Sanders and the current lineup of The Fugs—newbies who didn’t start playing with him until the 1980s—are performing an “Exorcism of the White House” at the Lincoln Memorial.

“In the name of Rosa Parks, Lilith, Mary, Aphrodite, Hera, Rose Pesotta … We call upon the malevolent spirits in the White House/ To be banished and exorcised! Out, demons, out!” Sanders chanted over the drone and pounding rhythm rising from his bandmates as his white hair bobbed in the porta-potty wind.

“People were always saying, ‘Why don’t The Fugs do something about Trump?’” he said after the performance, still standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial. “We decided to exorcise the White House, because it’s not so much Trump as these real creepy people he’s put into power. So in the exorcism I list all the secretaries and the people he’s put in power.”

The song, he says, premiered earlier this year at

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

6 | JUNE 7, 2017

Protected Ideals Study refutes Trump administration’s claim that monuments are a liability to communities.

BY TODD WILKINSON @BigArtNature

BLM

P

ublic lands: a boon for communities in the New West or a bane to our existence? With the value of nature-related tourism alone worth billions of dollars annually to the regional economy of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, we know the dividends of having national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, tracts administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and healthy landscapes all around us.

Still, the oft-made assertion advanced by some politicians is that federal public lands are a liability to the well-being of rural counties. These same people, including members of Congress, also claim that protected landscapes impinge upon the economic vitality of local communities. And they insist that creation of national monuments by presidents using authority granted them under the federal Antiquities Act of 1906, are destroying future job prospects, undermining prosperity and preventing folks from making a living.

These are arguments invoked by President Trump (who obviously hasn’t spent much time out here) and by his Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in ordering that 27 national monuments designated since 1996 be placed under review for possible revocation.

Now a new economic study prepared by analysts with Headwaters Economics challenges the very heart of those contentions.

Far from being economic yokes, public lands, especially those bestowed with higher levels of environmental protection, are actually shown to be huge assets for attracting new residents and job creators, and fostering economic resiliency as a contrast to the notorious boom and busts cycles of traditional Old West communities wholly dependent on natural resource extraction.

Every three years, Headwaters Economics completes a review of data in different Western states related to the presence of national monuments and has distilled their impacts, positive or negative, down to the local level. Rather than wait until autumn 2017 to complete its latest deep dive into numbers, the renowned data-crunching think-tank, based in Bozeman, Montana, and led by economist Ray Rasker, decided to subject the claims made by the Trump Administration and national monument opponents to scrutiny.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.

The report, The Economic Importance of National Monuments to Communities, is available free at headwaterseconomics.org and comes with interactive maps.

The organization’s communications director, Chris Mehl, who is also by night an elected member of the Bozeman City Commission, says it’s important to separate fact from mythology.

“This latest analysis builds upon lots of other work that has already been done showing that, in general and maybe with only a few exceptions, rural counties in the West with more public lands inside their borders outperform other counties that have a smaller percentage of public lands,” he said.

In 2011, 2014, and again in 2017, Headwaters analyzed the economies surrounding 17 national monuments in 11 Western states that are larger than 10,000 acres and were created between 1982 and 2001. It includes Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah and the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument in Montana.

Local economies surrounding all 17 of the national monuments in the study expanded following monument designation. Population, employment, personal income, and per-capita income in the vast majority of counties increased after monument creation.

In two thirds of the communities located next to national monuments (13 of 17), those key economic indicators mentioned above grew at the same or a faster pace compared to similar counties in the same state; four counties did experience a slow-down in some of the indicators.

“While the results showing continued growth in nearby communities does not demonstrate a causeand-effect relationship, the findings show that there is no evidence that the new national monuments prevented economic growth,” the authors concluded.

That’s significant because opponents of national monuments have portrayed pictures of economic devastation resulting from land protection.

In Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante Region, which members of Utah’s congressional delegation and governor claimed has caused economic calamity and depopulation since former President Bill Clinton created a national monument there, the facts tell another story.

Between 2001 and 2015, the number of residents grew by 13 percent, real personal income grew by 32 percent, jobs grew by 24 percent (jobs related to services representing the biggest leap) and real per capita income rose by 17 percent.

Notably, agriculture accounted for just 6 percent of total employment, mining 0.4 percent of total private employment and timber only 0.2 percent.

“One of the largest and fastest growing sources of new personal income in the Grand StaircaseEscalante Region is non-labor income, which is made up of investment income such as dividends, interest and rent, and government transfer payments such as Social Security and Medicare,” the study reads.

“For people with investment income and many retirees, protected public lands and recreation provide important aspects of a high quality of life. Non-labor income already represents more than a third of all personal income in the West—and will grow as the Baby Boomer generation retires.”

This, of course, raises many questions that will be explored in future columns. PJH Todd Wilkinson has been writing his award-winning column, The New West, for nearly 30 years. He is author of Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek about famous Grizzly 399 featuring 150 pictures by renowned Jackson Hole photographer Tom Mangelsen. Autographed copies only available at mangelsen.com/grizzly.

THE BUZZ Jackson Joins Paris NASA.GOV

Town pledges to support goals outlined in the Paris climate accord.

BY ROBYN VINCENT @TheNomadicHeart

S

In good company

Local efforts underway and a few things you can do

A national declaration released Monday titled “We Are Still In” represents the involvement of 120 million Americans and $6.2 trillion dollars of the U.S. economy. Jackson is now part of an effort that, so far, includes 13 states and territories, and 19 state attorney generals. It’s also joining the ranks of major U.S. cities from New York and Los Angeles to Atlanta and Honolulu. Other mountain communities analogous to Jackson Hole, like Park City, Utah, and Aspen, Colorado, have signed on, too.

In Aspen, it’s not just local government but also the ski industry pledging eco largesse. Auden Schendler, Aspen Skiing Company’s vice president

Jackson and Teton County are part of conservation efforts already effecting demonstrable change in the valley.

The town is committed to a “40 x 20” goal. By the year 2020, it promises to increase energy efficiency and reduce waste and waster usage in all town buildings and vehicles by 40 percent. The Energy Conservation Works joint powers board, comprised of representatives from the town and county, Lower Valley Energy, Energy Conservation Works, and the public, is helping facilitate this goal. It focuses on shrinking the carbon footprints of both town and county facilities and individual citizens.

According to the Department of Energy, cities consume 70 percent of energy globally and house 60 percent of the population. A quick look at some of the local numbers points to progress on this front.

The leading source of greenhouse gas in the U.S. comes from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation, and buildings account for about 40 percent of all energy used. Town and county buildings have been operating on 100 percent renewable energy since 2007 and 2013 respectively, sourced from Lower Valley’s hydroelectric power. Through Conservation Works, many of these buildings, like the rec center, the library, the waste water treatment plant and town hall, have been converted to energy efficient facilities.

Phil Cameron, executive director of Conservation Works, said this is also “saving the community hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.”

One of the easiest things citizens can do right now, Cameron said, is switch to 100 percent renewable energy through Lower Valley. But there is a trade-off.

Opting for renewable energy—in this area it’s wind and hydroelectric—will raise your power bill by 10 to 15 percent. Still, folks like Cameron say if you can afford it, make the switch. “It’s one action that is simple and contributes substantially [to shrinking your carbon footprint],” he said.

Indeed, locals have an appetite for clean energy.

In 2016, the amount of renewable energy residents voluntarily purchased climbed 50 percent. This represents an average increase from about 1,200 to 1,800 households. However, these green power subscriptions were not limited to homes, Cameron said. “A significant portion of the increase were businesses opting into the green power program.”

While residents (much to their chagrin) cannot control the deluge of traffic pouring into Jackson, they can, at least sometimes, control how often they get behind the wheel. It’s an obvious solution that now holds additional weight.

Cameron says this means riding START buses in both the winter and summer months, peddling on the new bikeshare bicycles and across the valley’s extensive pathway system, using the new rideshare app Duet, and investing in electric and fuel efficient vehicles.

“People are activated right now,” he said. “We just need to tap into that and let our [behaviors] reflect the values of the community.” PJH

JUNE 7, 2017 | 7

of sustainability, said in the letter: “Aspen Skiing Company isn’t just opposing withdrawal from Paris.

We’re going to fight it to the ground, and we’re going to implement the Paris accords ourselves, in our business, in Colorado, and as soon as possible, nationally.”

As of press time, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort had not replied to an email asking if it, too, planned to take similar steps.

Hundreds of businesses from Apple and Microsoft to Amazon and Target have also signed on and almost 200 universities and colleges have thrown their hats in the ring. One of the most integral actors in this effort, though, is former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He helped coordinate the letter, “We Are Still In,” along with Richard Branson of Virgin.

Committing $15 million dollars to the U.N. for climate efforts—promised from Washington under the accord—Bloomberg has already met with French President Emmanuel Macron to assure him the U.S. will do its part, and to propagate that message.

“Through a partnership among American cities, states, and businesses, we will seek to remain part of the Paris agreement process,” Bloomberg said in a statement after meeting with Macron. “The American government may have pulled out of the agreement, but the American people remain committed to it— and we will meet our targets. Through my role as the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, I will notify the SecretaryGeneral and Climate Change Secretariat that U.S. cities, states, businesses, and others will aim to meet the U.S. commitment to reduce our emissions 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.”

“We are already halfway there,” he continued, “and we can accelerate our progress further, even without any support from Washington.”

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

eeds of change are often sown at the local level.

During Monday’s town council meeting, the council reaffirmed its belief in this notion when it joined the growing list of more than 200 cities vowing to uphold the Paris climate accord.

The council unanimously approved a resolution that outlined three commitments: reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a climate action plan; joining other US cities in the Climate Mayors network to adopt and support the goals of the Paris agreement; and a vow to explore the benefits and costs of adopting policies and programs.

The key goal of the Paris accord is to slow the rate at which the earth warms to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

But the ways this is reached are to be dictated by each country (and now, American cities).

The resolution is a landmark move for several reasons. Among them, it sends a message that local government condemns President Trump’s decision to pull out of Paris, and it underscores the climate legacy of former Jackson Mayor Mark Barron, who was the first Wyoming mayor to sign the US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement in 2006. Several local environmental initiatives followed that agreement.

What’s more, the resolution is in stark contrast to the ideals vaunted by Wyoming’s congressional delegation. Both Sens. Barrasso and Enzi urged Trump to withdraw from Paris and Rep. Cheney, along with Barrasso and Enzi, extolled the president’s decision.

“I recognize the threat not just here but to other people less advantaged and less privileged around the world,” Mayor Pete Muldoon said. “There are 194 other countries in the world. Wyoming’s uniquely qualified to take advantage of [renewable energy]. To friends across the state, I hope we can move in a direction that we can take advantage of that.”

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

8 | JUNE 7, 2017

To NEPA or Not Public will get a voice in the Phase 2 Snow King saga.

BY SHANNON SOLLITT @ShannonSollitt

S

now King Mountain will not yet move forward with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, which would bring it one step closer to realizing its Phase 2 Development Plan. Instead, town councilors heard public pleas for revising the Resort District Master Plan, and directed staff to draft a plan that allows for public discussion of the master plan prior to, or at least concurrently with, any United States Forest Service updates.

Quick refresh: Snow King Mountain is hoping to move forward on Phase Two of its development plan, which would add a gondola, a restaurant at the summit, and expansions to the recreational land on Bridger Teton National Forest.

To do so requires Forest Service approval, which first requires Snow King to go through the NEPA process. But some think that moving forward with the NEPA process before amending Snow King’s 17-year-old Base Master Plan is premature.

While the May 15 town council meeting brought a slough of citizens forward to support Snow King’s Phase 2 Development Plan, public comment at Monday’s meeting was more wary of growth.

“NEPA is kind of like an oil or gas leak,” one local said. “It’s hard to stop things once that’s gone through.”

She questioned whether Snow King Mountain was more concerned with recreation, or with profit. “Phase 2 to me is all about bringing more and more visitors in to recreate,” she said.

“That impacts animals. [Snow King] is already close to over-recreated.”

Jeff Golightly, vice president of Gardiner Capital Management, says such concerns are misinformed.

“There’s a misconception about how important the recreational component is to the land around Snow King from an economic value standpoint,” he said.

Most guests of Snow King resort, he said, aren’t there to ski the King. If anything, they’re there to ski Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and just happen to be staying at a hotel in town that just happens to sit at the base of another ski resort.

Golightly noted that of the 88 percent of winter tourism driven by skiing, Snow King attracts just one percent of those destination travelers. The rest, he said, end up at Snow King by chance, on their rest days. So the mountain isn’t increasing tourism, Golightly said. It’s “distributing tourism.”

But the guest who stays at Snow King Resort and skis at Teton Village, councilman Jim Stanford said, should still contribute to the mountain. That’s how the Snow King Base Master Plan is supposed to work. The fact that it’s not working that way, Stanford says, is exactly the problem, and why a reevaluation of the master plan is necessary.

Stanford reminded fellow councilors and the public about the snow King Resort Master Association, SKRMA, that was written into the master plan.

SKRMA, Stanford said, is supposed to integrate all of the different elements of Snow King—the resort, the mountain, the ice rink, etc.—into one functional, cohesive unit. But, Stanford said, “it did not even exist until a few years ago when we started asking questions about it.” Or, it did exist; it just wasn’t doing anything it was supposed to do. “[SKRMA] has never done anything in 17 years,” Stanford said. “It’s supposed to be front and center, in charge of integrating all these different elements of the resorts.” But in reality, “it only exists on paper.”

But the Snow King of today is vastly different than the Snow King of 2000, when the master plan was written. The biggest difference, of course, is in ownership. Snow King was once one cohesive entity, under the same ownership, so SKRMA’s job was easier. Now, recreation is separate from lodging, which is separate from the ice rink. Each entity, Stanford said, is supposed to support community recreation—in other words, revenue from the resort should help subsidize recreational costs. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“The master plan states that it’s expensive to provide recreation,” Stanford said. “We’ve been told now for years, ‘Hey, you need to approve this to keep recreation running.’ But the master plan explicitly stated, ‘this is how we support recreation.’ Tools were

ROBYN VINCENT

THE BUZZ 2

Sitting on the Town Hill, contemplating its future.

provided, but nobody’s ever followed through.”

If such a central pillar to the original master plan isn’t holding up, Stanord said, isn’t it time to reevaluate the master plan? Stanford clarified that he does not fault the new ownership, nor is he opposed to development that could save Snow King and maintain its character. But, he said, that can’t happen without public discourse. “The master plan should be opened up so community can weigh in and come to an agreement on what the future of the resort can be.”

Golightly and Snow King Mountain Resort general manager Ryan Stanley said it’s not that simple. “I’m sure Manuel [Lopez, former owner] didn’t imagine his empire breaking up,” Stanley said, “He didn’t put that in [the master plan.]” But that’s the reality Snow King faces. Updating the master plan and trying to move forward with Phase 2 developments at the same time, Golightly said, could require resources that neither Snow King nor the town have.

“If everyone knew 10 years ago what we know today, things may have been done differently,” Golightly said. “We’re a relatively new ownership group that has knowingly purchased an asset that we were hopeful we could invest in.” And growth is part of that investment. As it relates to SKRMA: it’s hard, Golightly said, to ask for money and cooperation from people who “bought

assets from the old ownership” and didn’t have to pay as much.

“We thought that if we went through the right public process—we’ve had 20-plus public meetings over the course of the last year, three town council meetings, a two-year scoping process— we could try to capture the community’s will. I feel like we’ve reacted to that.” Golightly noted that a large part of the NEPA process is, in fact, public comment. It’s a balancing act, he said.

“We’re continuing to alter plan to serve needs of community, but we also have to serve ourselves to make it viable long-term. We really want to find that balance.”

At the end of another lengthy discussion, the council moved to direct staff to draft another motion for the next meeting. As per Councilors Bob Lenz’s and Hailey Morton-Levinson’s suggestions, the motion will allow public dialogue to happen somewhat concurrently with Forest Service improvements. It will include an update to the master plan to reflect what is actually on the ground today, and allow the town and the public to discuss the master plan before the council drafts a letter of recognition to the Forest Service to begin the NEPA process.

“I do want to sign a letter to start the NEPA process,” Morton-Levinson said, “and start looking at the NEPA process by the end of the year/beginning of next year. I wish we could do everything at once.” PJH

THE BUZZ 3

Come Together New efforts are taking shape in Wyoming to protect the state’s immigrant populace.

BY SARAH ROSS

“Am I the only person of color here?”

JUNE 7, 2017 | 9

Dalia Pedro, 22, is one of the people on the frontlines. She moved from Olympia, Washington, to Casper a year ago and was troubled by the lack of resources for immigrants. “When I moved to Casper, I looked around and thought, am I the only person of color here? I know there are immigrants here, and I know they need help.”

In the spring, Pedro organized a meeting for immigrants and allies. Forty people attended. “We asked those immigrants who feel alienated what they need, and did a know your rights training.”

Two weeks later, an undocumented mother called Pedro’s co-organizers, telling them that ICE had been following her, and showed up at her door without a warrant. Besides a couple traffic tickets, she had no criminal history. According to a Casper Star Tribune

article, ICE officers became annoyed when the family refused to let them enter without a warrant. They demanded the family speak English, and threatened to send the whole family to Mexico, though the kids are US citizens.

Pedro communicated with a lawyer and another member of the response team, sending them to the house. The ICE officials left in an unmarked car as soon as the lawyer arrived.

Since that call in March, they’ve had three similar cases.

Casper’s response team is still developing. Right now, they are trying to fill in the gaps. They’ve donated money and groceries. Once, a group member drove to Nebraska to help a Wyoming resident who was detained there.

Pedro’s goals are wide-ranging: “Groups like this could have a big impact because there’s no one here to advocate for immigrants. We want to help people know their rights, and to prepare for the worst—what will happen to their kids in the event of a deportation?

We want to make sure people can be on the scene to make sure ICE doesn’t violate their rights.”

Eventually, Pedro hopes to engage on the policy level. For example, she said, “In Wyoming, we don’t give undocumented ID cards, like drivers licenses. We want people to do the right thing, but we give them no avenue to do so.”

While Wyoming groups begin to clarify their missions, regional groups have already done so.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

I

n response to increased Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence, local communities are creating ICE Rapid Response Teams to advocate for immigrants and to hold ICE officers accountable. Two such groups recently formed in Wyoming, one in Casper and one in Cheyenne.

These groups help individuals understand their rights, are available to observe interactions with ICE, and help families rebuild in the wake of deportation.

According to Wyoming Public Media, arrests and deportations by ICE in Colorado and Wyoming are more than double what they were this time last year, a trend mirrored across the country. As reported by WBUR, the number of immigrants without criminal records arrested by ICE has more than tripled under the Trump administration. Some of these arrests occurred using tactics previously considered off limits. ICE agents, for example, have made arrests at schools and courts, and have detained people who are here legally, such as a DACA (Deferred Action for

Childhood Arrivals) student.

“These groups are important because so much of what these arrests do is disturb community,” Sabrina King, of the Wyoming American Civil Liberties, said.

“Rapid Response Teams use the fabric of the community to respond to an outside force.”

Support for immigrant communities must be local, King said. “It’s a community response that makes this work effective. It makes it harder for ICE to break or fudge the law when the community is watching. The ACLU can train people, but there have to be community members on the frontlines.”

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

10 | JUNE 7, 2017

Siena Mann, a paralegal for an immigration attorney in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is part of a statewide effort to create a 24/7 hotline to answer calls and dispatch local volunteers to help those in need.

“It will be a statewide hotline that anyone can call at anytime. Bilingual volunteers will be there if people think ICE is at their door, and they will determine if the fear is legitimate. If it is, they will activate a local response team.

There will be legal observers to take notes and keep an objective record of what happens … to hold officers accountable at the local level.”

Legal observers may film or take notes, let immigrants know what their rights are, and, potentially, help deescalate conflict. There will also be a public relations team that will publicize any abuse of power on ICE’s part.

Observers are important, Mann said, because if ICE breaks a law, such as entering with an unsigned warrant, it cannot use any information it finds afterward against the immigrant. It is also critical that immigrants feel confident advocating for their rights. People may know that they have the right to remain silent, but during an intimidating situation, they may feel pressured to speak.

During a recent visit to Jackson to target specific individuals, ICE arrived at a target’s door to find that he wasn’t home. His wife answered the door, but refused to speak. Officials told her that if she didn’t tell them where her husband was, her kids might be taken away—an empty threat. She told the officers where her husband was.

“One of the main ways ICE gets people is that they themselves will tell officials that they’re not legally documented,” Mann said.

It is especially important now for people to understand their protections because of ICE’s renewed focus on undocumented immigrants without a criminal history and those who they may not have been specifically looking for. These detainments are known as “collateral arrests.”

Someone who has been an ICE agent for 10 years recently told The New York Times that ICE had previously been disallowed from making these collateral arrests and arrests of those without a criminal record: “Before, we used to be told, ‘You can’t arrest those people,’ and we’d be disciplined for being insubordinate if we did … Now those people are priorities again. And there are a lot of them here.”

Building networks of support The goal of the response team is also to demonstrate support: “It’s a community building mechanism,” Mann said.

“We’re building solidarity, especially in a town that is so conservative, much of the monolingual Spanish speaking community faces really intense segregation.”

Mann and other volunteers are currently training as legal observers, and hope to be ready to serve the Colorado Springs community soon. ICE has recently trained 100 new officers in Colorado, so they expect to see an increased need for advocacy.

King hopes to see other towns in Wyoming follow the lead of Casper, Cheyenne and Colorado.

Elisabeth Trefonas, a local immigration attorney, notices the impacts of increasing arrests. “When I first got here, we had a deportation once every week or every two weeks … that’s not the case now,” she said. “It’s not quite double, but nearly.”

Currently, she is handling five new deportation cases. Normally, she says she would have one.

Trefonas sees that a response team in Jackson Hole could be useful, partly as a mechanism to spread accurate information. “It’s beneficial to get the correct information out there. We’re having a telephone tag that is kind of hysterical, and we’re trying to have the library, the sheriff, and us all in line, all sharing the same information.”

An “information tree” that can gather and disperse objective, dependable information may help calm those in the immigrant community who are feeling intensely afraid right now.

Across the state, immigrants and allies are banding together to address this fear.

As Pedro explained, it’s important for the immigrant community to see this solidarity. “As a Latino, I feel for this community ... I think of them as my extended family. When you’re in a place as isolated as Wyoming, when you see people who look like you, you want to help.” PJH

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Visit our website

TetonWyo.org The public meeting agendas and minutes for the Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission can also be found in the Public Notices section of the JH News and Guide.

Troubling Airwaves

NEWS OF THE

decision, some North Carolinians tried once again this year to change a state law that explicitly states that once a person (almost always, of course, a female) has consented to an act of sexual intercourse, that consent cannot be withdrawn—even if the encounter turns violent. The violence might be prosecuted as an assault, but never the more serious crime of rape. State Sen. Jeff Jackson, whose bill to change the law failed in April to get a legislative hearing, said, “We’re the only state in the country where ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘no.’”

WEIRD

A country-and-western radio station in Benson (near Tucson), Ariz., owned by Paul Lotsof, has periodically run “public service announcements” about one of Lotsof’s pet peeves: the harsh sentences usually given to mere “collectors” of child pornography. Many, he believes, are non-dangerous, daydreaming hermits—but often imprisoned for long stretches. Thus, his PSAs publicize tips for avoiding the police, such as saving child porn only on an external computer drive (and hiding the drive securely).

Despite recent community outrage (causing Lotsof to retire the announcements), he remains defiant that, since he personally avoids child porn, he is merely exercising a free-speech right.

Can’t Possibly Be True

The inexplicable ease with which foreign hackers attack U.S. computers and security systems is finally grabbing the attention of officials. In a March Washington Post report, a technology expert from Britain’s King’s College London told a reporter of his astonishment to realize that the “security chips” on Congressional staff members’ identification badges are fake: The badge “doesn’t actually have a proper chip,” he said. “It has a picture of a chip.” Apparently, he added, “It’s (there) only to prevent chip envy.”

Bright Ideas

In May, the British tribunal dealing with student cheating rejected the appeal of a law student who was caught taking an in-class exam with her textbook open (permitted) but containing handwritten notes in the margins—not permitted, but written in invisible ink legible via the UV light on her pen. n On testing day in March for Romania’s 14- and 15-yearolds, administrators of the country’s popular DEX online dictionary, acting on suspicion, changed the definitions of two words likely to be improperly looked up by cheaters during the exam. “[H]undreds” of school searches for the words took place that morning, but administrators were still mulling an appropriate punishment for the cheaters—who were, of course, easily identified by their misapplication of the suspect words.

n Suzette Welton has been in prison in Alaska for 17 years based almost solely on now-debunked forensic evidence, but the state’s lack of a clemency process means she cannot challenge her life sentence unless she proves “complete” innocence. Evidence that the fire that killed her son was “arson” was based not on science but on widely believed (but wrong) folklore on how intentional fires burn differently than accidental ones. (The bogus arson “trademarks” are similar to those used to convict Texan Cameron Todd Willingham, who suffered an even worse fate than Welton’s: Willingham was executed for his “arson” in 2004.)

n With limited trade, investment and ownership rights, many Cuban producers are forced to improvise in order to bring products to market—like Orestes Estevez, a Havana winemaker, who finds condoms indispensable, according to an April Associated Press dispatch. The “most remarkable sight” the reporter saw was “hundreds of [open] bottles capped with condoms,” which inflate from gases as the fruit ferments. When fermentation is done, the condom goes limp. The AP also noted that fishermen use condoms to carry bait far from shore and which also increase tugging resistance when nibbling fish fight the line.

n Reverence for the lineage of asparagus continues in epic yearly Anglican church festivities in Worcester, England, where in April celebrants obtained a special blessing for the vegetable by local priests as a costumed asparagus pranced through the street praising the stalks as representing “the generosity of God.” Critics (including clergy from other parishes) likened the parades to a Monty Python sketch, and “an infantile pantomime,” with one pleading plaintively, “Really, for [God’s] sake,” can’t the Church of England offer “more dignified” worship?

Awesome!

Andrew Bogut, signed as a free agent by the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers in March and expected to be a key player in the team’s quest to defend its league championship, checked into his first game and played 58 seconds before crashing into a bench and breaking his leg. For that 58 seconds, the Cavs owe Bogut $383,000. n Jose Calderon signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors in March, but the NBA-leading Warriors changed their mind for unforeseen reasons two hours after the deal and released Calderon. For his 119 minutes as a Warrior (from 6:06-8:05 p.m.), Calderon was paid $415,000.

Police Report

In a legislative battle waged since a 1979 state court

A News of the Weird Classic (November 2013)

Secrets of Highly Successful Business Owners: When Michelle Esquenazi was asked by a New York Post reporter in September 2013 why her all-female crew of licensed bounty hunters (Empire Bail Bonds of New York) is so successful at tricking bail-jumpers into the open, she offered a (five-letter-long) euphemism for a female body part. “It’s timeless,” she counseled. “Of course he’s going to open his door for a nice piece of [expletive]. … The thing about defendants is no matter who they are [of whatever color], they’re all dumb. Every single last one of them is stupid.”

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In May, as Taunton, Mass., police were about to arrest Amy Rebello-McCarthy, 39, for DUI after she left the road and crashed through several mailboxes (with the crash causing all of her tires to deflate), she, laughing, told officers there was one other thing: She had a bearded dragon in her bra, where it was riding while she drove. The lizard was turned over to animal control.

India’s Supreme Court approved an order recently that forced bars and liquor stores to close down if they were located less than 500 meters (1,640 feet) from state or national highways. India Times reported in April that the Aishwarya Bar in North Paravoor, Kerala, is still legally operating at its old location even though it is clearly within the 500-meter restricted area. The owner explained that since he owns the land behind the bar, too, he had constructed a “serpentine” wooden maze in back and front that requires any entering customer to take the equivalent number of steps it would take to walk 500 meters. A tax office official reluctantly accepted the arrangement.

SAVE UP TO

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Leading Economic Indicators

Fine Points of the Law

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

12 | JUNE 7, 2017

COWBOYS IN

CRISIS

The good, the bad and the ugly of mental health care in a small Western town.

BY MEG DALY

@MEGDALY1

“W

SHRINKING STIGMA

JUNE 7, 2017 | 13

According to a 2009 study in the journal Psychiatric Services, in the U.S., almost four out of five prescriptions for psychotropic drugs are written by physicians who aren’t psychiatrists.

Patients often feel more comfortable going to their GP for psychiatric complaints, perhaps feeling safer with a doctor they know. Also, they might think they are avoiding negative stigma attached to “seeing a shrink.” But this is problematic. “Primary care providers do not have the time or the expertise to obtain a really good psychiatric history and complete a thorough assessment,” Victoria L. Dunckley, M.D., wrote in a 2013 column in Psychology Today. “They’re not able to sit down with the patient and the patient’s family to discuss potential short- and long-term risks of medication in detail, and may not even be aware of them. They also can’t fully assess or address psychosocial issues that may be relevant to the person’s well-being and safety.”

In a “frontier” town, however, it’s common for generalists to assume the role of specialists in a variety of health issues. Ethan,* a Jackson resident who struggles with depression, said he has been impressed with local GPs willingness to help him. “The primary care physicians are very open to discussing those topics and helping you begin a process of treatment,” he said. “But at some point, you

need to find more specialization.”

A doctor trained in psychiatry can better discern whether to prescribe medication at all.

Depending on the severity of the condition, like mild depression versus severe depression, talk therapy may be more effective.

A 2012 article in Monitor on Psychology noted, “A growing body of research suggests that antidepressants aren’t as effective as many people believe … Psychotherapy may be just as effective as antidepressants in many cases, without the risk of side effects and with lower instances of relapse, according to some studies.”

GPs who prescribe psychiatric meds may not be as thorough or as trained in diagnosing illnesses. This opens the door to patients abusing the system. For instance, websites abound with “five easy steps” advice on how to get a doctor to write you a script for Adderall, known as the “get-ahead drug” that can help with focus and energy, but is intended for people with ADHD and is not without serious side effects, like addiction. One Jackson resident said all she had to tell her doctor was that she was having trouble concentrating at work and she walked out with a prescription for Adderall. When her usage began to feel like addiction, she was the one to “shut it down,” not her doctor.

Psychiatrists, in contrast to general practitioners, provide a thorough evaluation of patients and can diagnose illness based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, not merely the patient’s reported complaints. Psychiatrists monitor patients’ responses to medication, and work with them to find the correct medication at the correct dose. A psychiatrist would know not to suddenly switch a patient taking Effexor to another antidepressant (as happened to the author after a visit to her GP). Effexor is notorious for severe withdrawal symptoms and must be discontinued slowly over weeks.

The psychotic behavior and extreme stress of a sudden Effexor withdrawal is uncomfortable at best, if not dangerous, for a depressive patient.

Still, local psychiatrists praise local GPs. According to O’Ann Fredstrom, one of Jackson’s two practicing psychiatrists, family doctors in Jackson do a good job of prescribing psych meds within their comfort level. If they have questions, they often call Fredstrom, or her husband Stuart Sugarman, the valley’s other psychiatrist, for advice.

“In this community, primary care physicians

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

elcome to the Wild West of mental health care.” That’s how Stephanie,* a 40-something professional and Jackson native, described the day she checked into the emergency department at St. John’s Medical Center a few years ago.

She has struggled with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction, with some issues dating back to her teens. Her constellation of mental health challenges has meant several bouts of crippling depression, despite medication and therapy.

At the time, she was severely depressed and suicidal. She didn’t feel safe to be alone, so she called a friend to take her to the hospital.

Because there is no other crisis facility in the valley for mental health patients, the hospital was Stephanie’s only option. And though the ER staff kept her from harming herself, the experience was less than optimal. She was placed in a sparse, sterile room, asked to change into a hospital gown, her belongings stored elsewhere, and then literally locked in the room whenever a staff person couldn’t be with her.

“When things are critical, we don’t have options in Jackson,” Stephanie said. “When you are in imminent danger to yourself, you are put into involuntary lockdown.”

Having grown up in the valley, Stephanie is not new to seeking mental health care from local providers. An intelligent, proactive woman, she is skilled at gleaning the best of what’s available in Jackson Hole. She is also all too familiar with the ramifications of a community in which physical health is exalted and mental health too often neglected until people reach a crisis.

When Stephanie was a teenager in the 1980s, the first time she sought mental health care was from her family doctor. No licensed psychiatrists were practicing in the valley at the time, so general practitioners were often patients’ first option for mental health care.

That situation hasn’t changed much, and it’s not exclusive to Jackson. According to the Institute for Behavioral Health Integration, as many as 70 percent of all visits to primary care are the result of psychosocial issues.

Stephanie said she was lucky to have a doctor who understood the seriousness of her symptoms. “Had I not had that I would not be alive today,” she said.

While primary care providers play a crucial role in helping patients with mental health

issues—whether in the ER or the doctor’s office—they only have so much expertise.

A recent St. John’s Hospital Foundation study found that Jackson is in dire need of psychiatrists, with only two practicing in the valley. The search is on for ways to serve this need.

In the meantime, a dedicated community of mental health care professionals— counselors, addiction specialists, psychiatric nurses, and others—work with scarce resources. But in a state with nearly twice the rate of suicides as the national average and in a county where an average of three people per year die by suicide, mental health crises, and how they are addressed, is a life and death matter.

From a 10,000-foot view, Jackson Hole is lucky compared to other communities in the rural West. But when all that’s between you and oblivion is the life raft you cling to, you’re not thinking about the sky above. You’re just focused on immediate conditions that might rescue you, or threaten your grasp.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

14 | JUNE 7, 2017

are astute in their assessments and use of psychiatric medications,” Fredstrom said.

“They’ve had to be. Before Stuart and I were here, there were no psychiatrists.”

Prevention management specialist and licensed counselor Matt Stech sees pluses and minuses in GPs offering psychiatric care. With only a few licensed psychiatrists in town, family doctors might be able to provide care in a timelier fashion, Stech said. But problems may arise when GPs step beyond their knowledge and

comfort zone in treating mental illness, mood disorders and addiction.

“General practitioners will have varied training and experience in dealing with mental health issues and addiction,” he said. “Sometimes, the patient wants the medication but doesn’t want to see a psychiatrist when that would be more appropriate.”

Because psychiatric issues and substance abuse can exist concurrently, diagnosing a patient correctly can be challenging, especially for GPs. “The practitioner may or may not be well equipped to manage the situation,” Stech said. “Even if the practitioner wants to engage the patient in more supports and services, the patient may—for reasons that are related to stigma, finances or due to the nature of the disorder—resist engaging in psychiatric services or counseling.”

In addition to Fredstrom and Sugarman, Jackson has a few nurse practitioners that specialize in psychiatric meds. Fredstrom serves local mental health agencies like the Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center and Teton Youth and Family Services. She also maintains a private practice. Sugarman practices privately. Together, they have managed to serve most of the community’s psychiatric needs. However, Fredstrom recently announced she will retire in the coming years, raising the question of what

options will be available to patients who have little choice in doctors to begin with.

Unfortunately, more psychiatrists would not have changed Stephanie’s lockdown experience in the ER (which was dictated by an arcane state statute, Title 25). But there is no doubt that more options and broader expertise among practitioners would be a boon to residents who struggle with mental health issues. The challenge is how to attract those professionals to Jackson Hole amidst a national shortage of psychiatrists. In the meantime, psychiatric and mental health care is available in the valley if you know how to piece it together.

a protocol in place that protects everyone.

We are starting from scratch. We don’t know what’s been going on prior to them coming in.

It may not be ideal, but it’s the safest.”

But from Stephanie’s point of view, one-sizefits-all care does not work for everyone.

Though her stay in the hospital did stop her from attempting suicide, she did not receive the care she hoped for. “We need a hospital that treats us as human,” she said. “We are not meat puppets. We are minds inside of bodies.”

The need for more psychiatrists was one of six key mental health needs highlighted in the report conducted by the St. John’s Hospital Foundation. The study surveyed 75 participants, including representatives from the valley’s various mental health service agencies, as well as physicians, elected officials, and law enforcement.

The purpose of the study was two-fold: to provide a snapshot of the mental health system in the valley, and to identify possible gaps in care. Adolescent psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry were two noted areas of need.

Additionally—and importantly—having more than one or two doctors to choose from enables patients to find someone they can really talk to. Stephanie, for one, didn’t click well with Fredstrom. Personality matters. More than one patient interviewed for this article said Fredstrom was gruff or callous. Another psychiatrist who recently left the valley was described as “arrogant.” An iffy bedside manner may be annoying in an orthopedic surgeon, but finding a mental health specialist with whom you feel comfortable talking candidly is crucial.

Patients like Ethan and Stephanie, who have struggled with bouts of severe depression for years, have experience working with a variety of doctors and counselors.

“I find psychiatrists in general to be socially awkward,” Ethan said. “How can they be supportive when they try to play such an objective role? Maybe by their professional

“Sometimes, the patient wants the medication but doesn’t want to see a psychiatrist when that would be more appropriate.”

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL What Stephanie experienced in the emergency room was what St. John’s emergency medicine specialist Dr. Albert Wheeler calls “a last resort” approach to care.

When a patient is brought to the hospital, or checks herself in, and appears a danger to herself or others, the hospital staff may begin what is known as a Title 25 process.

This Wyoming statute delineates rules for hospitalization of mentally ill persons. Once the Title 25 process begins, the patient’s rights are compromised, something that Wheeler doesn’t take lightly.

“Telling someone they are staying in the hospital against their right of issue is very serious,” he said. “The Title 25 process is the last-ditch effort to assist someone.”

It’s also a catchall for any kind of mentally ill person, including those who are violent or homicidal. The same kinds of protocols get applied to all patients under Title 25, regardless of whether or not they are a danger to others.

“Certainly we don’t want to dehumanize people,” Wheeler said. But he can understand why the process might feel that way. “We need

code they can’t provide that kind of support.”

“It’s hard to find a good therapist or psychiatrist who fits you,” Stephanie said.

“And managing medication is trial and error.

It’s hard to do unless you find someone with whom you have actual interchange and discourse. I want to find someone I trust.”

Local agencies do trust Fredstrom and rely on her almost exclusively.

“Our psychiatric needs are met very well

by Dr. Fredstrom,” Teton Youth and Family Services executive director Bruce Burkland said. “When O’Ann does officially retire that will be more of a challenge, but we will look to meet that need with some form of a new psychiatrist, telemedicine or psychiatric nurse practitioner, or some combination thereof.”

OF MEDS AND TELEMEDICINE What Stephanie’s story illustrates is that while the basics of psychiatric care are covered in Teton County, including garden-variety prescriptions from general practitioners, specialized psychiatric care is more elusive.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten all the care I’ve needed, but I’ve gotten enough care to make do,” she said. She has sought care through the Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center, as well as via private practitioners.

Stephanie doesn’t fault the counseling center for her frustrations. “They are doing a great job with the demand they have and the amount of money they have to answer that demand. But that doesn’t mean it’s enough for the community or serving patients to the highest possible standards.”

For his part, Ethan is pleased with the counseling he receives through the counseling center, which includes talk therapy as well as med management by a psychiatric nurse.

“The counseling center has been my best resource,” he said. “I’ve found their counselors to be so helpful. I worked with two or three people until I

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

JUNE 7, 2017 | 15

found the right fit.”

But even the professionals in the mental health field acknowledge that Jackson has areas where it could improve. Sugarman noted that, “Jackson and Teton County can’t be all things to all people. It is similar in other fields of medicine. We’re simply too small to provide everything.”

Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center executive director Deidre Ashley says the community is experiencing growing pains.

“We’ve hit a tipping point,” she said. “We are trying to come to terms with the scale. This is not a frontier town anymore when you look at the influx of people in the summertime. The needs for mental health care are rising. We are seeing more people at higher levels of crisis.”

Ashley said Jackson’s seasonal, transitory population is a factor, as is a nationwide trend toward an increased need for mental health services. In 2016, local hospital assessments for being in danger of doing harm to self or others were up 30 percent, Ashley said, and 2017 looks to be on that same trajectory.

“As we grow, we start to see bigger city problems,” she said. “Cities have similar issues, but they have more resources.”

While Fredstrom’s impending retirement increases the urgency of the search for additional psychiatrists to serve the valley, attracting psychiatric doctors has been a challenge. Housing costs are likely a factor, both Sugarman and Fredstrom agreed. They also said that psychiatrists don’t make as much as, say, surgeons.

“It would be a risk for somebody having to support themselves while they built up their practice,” Sugarman said.

Fredstrom pointed to another factor that she has learned about attending conferences around the nation.

“Younger doctors are looking for either a flexible schedule, or to be in an inpatient psychiatric unit,” she said.

Instead of an inpatient unit, the hospital has taken a different tack to addressing Jackson’s dearth of psychiatrists. Starting this summer, St. John’s will test-drive a telephsychiatry program that will allow clinic physicians to access psychiatrists remotely.

According to Goettler, St. John’s will soon sign a contract with Aligned

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

16 | JUNE 7, 2017

Telehealth, a behavioral telemedicine provider based in California. Beginning July 1, providers at St. John’s can connect with psychiatric specialists via live video for consultations about their patients. Goettler said the service should also include ways for patients to access psychiatrists directly via smartphone apps.

“Strategically, it is more viable to contract with a telemedicine firm,” he said. “It may not be as ideal as in-person consultations, but a telemedicine approach is consistent with what we’ve found with other specialists and subspecialists in this region.”

Aligned Telehealth has 2500 psychiatrists on staff or on retainer. At least eight of those are licensed in Wyoming. How well patients will respond to telehealth consultations remains to be seen. For patients like Stephanie, it could be a godsend. She would have a choice of doctors, and perhaps find one who specialized in her specific concerns.

Fredstrom is tentatively supportive of the hospital’s move toward telepsychiatry, which she says is a logical next step. “It’s some place to start,” she said. “It will depend on the quality and the usefulness to patients. People tend to want to work with someone in person.”

Local patients and health care providers may have to utilize telepsychiatry, whether it is ideal for them. A nationwide shortage in psychiatrists means that Jackson Hole’s shortage is part of a larger problem.

According to the American Medical Association, the total number of physicians in the U.S. increased by 45 percent from 1995 to 2013, while the number of adult and child psychiatrists rose by only 12 percent, from 43,640 to 49,079. Additionally, a recent survey by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that 59 percent of psychiatrists are 55 or older, and may be preparing for retirement.

INSOURCE, OUTSOURCE It’s not just psychiatrists that are needed to improve the valley’s psychiatric care. Ashley says that an intermediary level of care is needed that would serve people in crisis.

Ashley and others would like to see a crisis stabilization facility in the valley.

Currently, the state of Wyoming operates a regionally based crisis stabilization system.

The nearest facility is in Rock Springs, where trained staff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ashley said the counseling center

helps approximately 10 people per year get into the regional program.

The state defines crisis stabilization service as “a short-term, residential service for persons experiencing a mental health crisis, with a focus on retaining connections to the family and community.”

A local facility would be used as a “stepdown” from more restrictive settings like inpatient hospitalization or correctional facilities. “It would help people with bipolar issues such as mania or depression to stabilize their mood,” Ashley said. Though the crisis stabilization facility would still not be able to treat acute suicidality, it could help a patient like Stephanie from becoming suicidal in the first place.

“We have most of the components of a project like this,” Ashley said. “But not a facility where patients could stay, nor the 24/7 staff.”

However, with land and building costs so high in Teton County, a crisis stabilization facility is just a dream on paper at this point.

Still, it’s the kind of whole-person care a patient like Stephanie could use.

When Stephanie was at her worst and could not cobble together the care she needed here, she checked herself into a depression treatment facility in Salt Lake City. “At that point, I was so desperate that I told myself I would do the inpatient treatment for 30 days but if it didn’t work, I would kill myself when I got back to Jackson.”

Fortunately, the inpatient treatment was effective and Stephanie’s situation stabilized.

“It was an intense and holistic treatment,” she said.

Referring patients out of the county for intensive care is part of local psychiatrists’ quiver of options. “The reality of our hospital is that we are more of a psychiatric triage place,” Fredstrom said. She refers clients with crisis or intense care needs to facilities in Idaho Falls, Riverton, Casper, Salt Lake City, or even further afield like the prestigious Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas. She said she looks for places patients might have friend or family support.

Despite the resources available in Jackson, locals say mental health care is still not addressed adequately.

“It’s ridiculous that in one of the most physically healthy counties in the country, mental health care is all but ignored,” Stephanie said. She feels that Jackson’s reputation as a playground for the wealthy obscures the importance of mental health care here. “Mental health care is not pretty,” she

said. “And we like to define ourselves as this pretty, aggressively physically fit community where things like poverty and mental health problems don’t exist.”

As for Ethan, he would like to see more collaboration between medical and therapeutic treatments, as well as access to mental health care innovations. He mentioned that mindfulness training has been helpful to him. He’s also curious about new approaches to treating depression, like the theory that it’s caused by allergies. “There should be a way of looking beyond meds,” he said. “I’d like to see some kind of clearinghouse for resources beyond what we have here.”

While providers recognize improvements can be made in the available mental health care in Jackson, many say the care available is good, especially in comparison to other places in the state. St. John’s Hospital Foundation vice president Jen Simon said Jackson is fortunate to have the resources it does. “One of the things I learned from doing the Mental Health Report is that as much as we as a community are striving to do a better job, we are resourcewealthy compared to the rest of the state,” she said.

This was a sentiment Sugarman expressed as well. “In our community we have many mental health resources along the continuum of care, including various psychotherapies, more intensive outpatient interventions, residential programs, and expertise in psychopharmacology, just to name a few such resources.”

But comparing Jackson to other towns in Wyoming may not be the best measure.

Jackson’s shifting demographics from frontier outpost to cosmopolitan small city mean the demand for comprehensive psychiatric care is rising to meet the demand for other quality health care. Residents increasingly value fixing torn minds as expertly as torn ACLs. “In Jackson, they can have you back skiing in 10 weeks, but it’s not the same schedule for psychiatric care,” Ethan said. “When you have to go outside the valley for care, that adds stress. And when you are in crisis, stress is exactly what you don’t need.” PJH *This person’s name has been changed.

THIS WEEK: June 10-16, 2017

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 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 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, 307-7392246 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Pursue Movement Studio Chamber Mixer 5:00pm, Pursue Movement Studio, Free, 307-733-3316 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 JHW Kidlit/YA Critique Group 6:00pm, Center for the Arts, Free n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307-733-6379 n Taniko: Finger Weaving 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, 307733-6994 n Improvisation for Adults with Josh Griffith 6:30pm, Black Box Theater, $150.00, 307-733-4900 n Jackson Hole Community Band 2017 Rehearsals 7:00pm, Center for the Arts, $10.00, 307-200-9463 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 Annual Series of Shorts 7:30pm, Dancers Workshop Studio 1, $12.00 - $15.00 n Salsa Night 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307733-1500 n BJ Barham of American Aquarium 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, $10.00, 307-733-3886 n Sage Junction 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 n Open Studio Modeling: Portrait Model 9:00am, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Summer Grilling Series 11:00am, Jackson Whole Grocer, $5.00, 307-733-0450 n Sneak Peek: “Photo Ark: Photographs by Joel Sartore” 11:30am, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307-733-5771 n Vertical Harvest Tours 1:00pm, Vertical Harvest, 307201-4452

JUNE 7, 2017 | 17

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 20

n Silversmithing: Projects 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 The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 - $68.90, 307733-6994 n Annual Series of Shorts 7:30pm, Dancers Workshop Studio 1, $12.00 - $15.00, 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, 307733-1500 n Karaoke Night 9:00pm, The Virginian Saloon, 307-733-2792 n Sage Junction 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 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 Beginning Drawing Topics 1:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $160.00 - $192.00, 307-733-6379 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 Genealogy: Finding Historical Books on Two Great Websites 2:00pm, Teton County Library Computer Lab, Free, 307-7332164 n Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-7392246 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 Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group 6:00pm, Eagle classroom at St. John’s Medical Center, Free, 307-732-1161 n Barbara Trentham Life Drawing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379 n Open Studio Modeling: Figure Model 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $10.00, 307-733-6379 n Foundation Training for a Strong, Pain Free Back 6:00pm, One to One Wellness, 307-739-9025 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Mardy’s Front Porch Conversations 6:00pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-7392246 n Women’s Basic Bike Maintenance Class 6:00pm, Fitzgerald’s Bicycles, $30.00, 307-739-9025

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

18 | JUNE 7, 2017

MUSIC BOX Rockingham in the USA American Aquarium’s BJ Barham performs in lower 48 states in 59 days.

BY AARON DAVIS @ScreenDoorPorch

E

motional sparks derived from haste are often straight-from-the-bone. When it came to writing his first solo record, Rockingham, American Aquarium frontman BJ Barham wanted the immediate satisfaction of totality as quick as the inspiration hit him without sacrificing authenticity, and without the frills of studio magic.

The impetus for the eight-song set Rockingham—a fictional narrative depicting Barham’s home town of Reidsville, North Carolina—came during American Aquarium’s fourth European tour in 2015. They were in Belgium less than two hours from Paris when bad news arrived. A series of terrorist attacks, including one in a rock club, had left more than 100 dead. Family members, friends and the fans American Aquarium had amassed from a decade of touring immediately reached out to make sure the band was safe. That onslaught of text messages and voicemails was the spark that left Barham piecing together composites of folks and places he’d known since childhood who had impacted his life in fundamental ways. Forty-eight hours later, Barham had written a batch of songs that were glued together in subject matter.

“I wanted to do something honest, I wanted to catch something raw,” Barham explained. “The record was written in two days, and so I wanted the recording to

BJ Barham

reflect that. I met the band on Sunday. We rehearsed on Monday and Tuesday; Wednesday and Thursday we tracked it, Friday we mixed it, Saturday we mastered it, and in less than a week I had a finished copy from the time I shook the guys’ hands [in the band] and met them.”

“I’ve never done a record that way,” he continued. “It has always taken months and going through it with a fine tooth comb. I wanted this one to be real, not perfect. The coolest thing about this record is that there’s

not one single comp on this record—it’s 100 percent live.”

In the title track, Barham sings about his father, though it could very well describe a touring musician: “I worked a 40-hour week selling auto parts / nobody ever told me it would be this hard / Raise a wife and two kids off an honest wage / twenty-eight years old feelin’ twice my age.”

Lyrical prowess is around every bar of this album; alt-country-folk to the core of a blue collar town and the everyday Southern characters that inhabit it. It’s a laidback cousin to American Aquarium’s twangy, rusty rock that draws influence from Whiskeytown and Drive-by Truckers.

The biggest divergence comes in the form of

“It has always taken months and going through it with a fine tooth comb. I wanted this one to be real, not perfect.”

WEDNESDAY Vinyl Night (The Rose); Karaoke (Virginian) THURSDAY BJ Barham & Bo Elledge (Town Square Tavern); Major Zephyr (Silver Dollar) FRIDAY Sneaky Pete & the Secret Weapons (Silver Dollar); Charles Ellsworth (Town Square Tavern)

Bo Elledge

touring for his solo record. Instead of the six-piece and crew, it’s Barham’s wife and dog on a family road trip.

Performing 53 shows in 59 days in all 48 continental states is a serious grind.

“I think it was one part ambition one part ignorance,” Barham responded when asked about the tour concept. “I’m doing it quicker than other folks that have done it previously. On paper it looked much easier, but it’s week four and we’ve only had two days off.

Exhaustion is setting in, but so far it’s been easy going.

We’re driving through 31 of the 59 national parks, so it’s really spoiling me to be able to do this with my wife and my dog.”

Bo Elledge, lead singer/guitarist/percussionist of Canyon Kids, opens the show. Elledge has co-penned two albums of material for Canyon Kids—a self-titled

in 2014 and Best Loved Poems of the American People in 2016—as well as a seminal Jackson Hole album from his first local project with Elk Attack, Second Born. One of the strongest male vocalists in the region and a prolific writer, Elledge will be recording a solo EP this summer.

BJ Barham with guest Bo Elledge, 9 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at Town Square Tavern. $10. PJH

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.

Sat & Sun 10am-3pm •••••••••••

SUNDAY Derrik & the Dynamos (Silver Dollar); Open Mic (Pinky G’s) MONDAY JH Hootenany (Dornans) TUESDAY Dopapod (Pink Garter); One Ton Pig (Silver Dollar); The Workshy (Town Square Tavern)

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

WEEKEND BRUNCH

SATURDAY Divinity Roxx (Knotty Pine)

HAPPY HOUR

JUNE 7, 2017 | 19

1/2 Off Drinks Daily 5-7pm ••••••••••• Mon-Sat 11:00am | Sun 10:30am 832 W. Broadway (inside Plaza Liquors) 733-7901

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

20 | JUNE 7, 2017

CREATIVE PEAKS

Metallic Mind Artist unveils his works of metal and heat for new Asymbol show.

BY KELSEY DAYTON @Kelsey_Dayton

T

he idea came to him as artistic inspiration often comes, unexpectedly, naturally and fluidly.

First Tai Williams saw a wave cresting over and breaking. Then he thought of the ravens he’s always chasing while snowboarding in the mountains. He pictured wings of a raven spread and the pattern it made in the air. He combined it with the wave and from the raven form he drew an owl. He forged his vision with metal and heat and created “Reverent,” a sculpture about eight feet long, three feet deep and two feet tall. It is the centerpiece of Williams’ show “A Thousand Steps,” which opens at Asymbol Gallery Thursday, June 8.

The show features seven of Williams’ metal sculptures, one wood piece and three concept drawings used to guide his sculpture creations. The show doesn’t have a theme. It is instead a representation of his art evolution that began as a child with drawing, morphed to wood and now is based in metal, he said.

The show title is a nod to the journey he’s taken to arrive as an artist with a gallery show.

“To me it pretty much means I began down this road of working with metal and being artistic naturally, but it wasn’t until recently that I really focused on taking deliberate steps,” he said. “It’s now opening a whole new journey. It’s about how if you want to do something, you put your head down and do it one step at a time.”

Williams grew up in a family that appreciated art. His mother was a potter, his grandmother a painter. He started drawing and painting so young he doesn’t remember exactly when, just that it was always part of his life.

For more than 20 years, Williams worked in construction and created art from wood as a hobby. He was a general contractor in Oregon working on highend custom homes in 2008 when the economic recession hit. He took another job at a suspension shop working on hot rods. His grandfather was a machinist so he’d worked with metal, playing around in his shop. Williams was also named after a welder his mother read about in a New York Times article. Moving to welding work was a natural, and an almost pre-destined transition.

Williams took work in an oil patch as a pipe fitter, but went back to school to get his welding certifications. Whenever he had spare time he collected scrap metal and started creating art from it.

“The biggest difference is metal has a really primal, caveman energy to it because you are working very directly with fire— straight-up 4,000-degree flames,” he said. “It is this pretty cool, raw, very visceral power.”

Yet the finished product can be refined, soft, almost fragile, he said.

Williams was in school when he saw an Avalon7 logo with a giant raven in

the center on social media. He messaged founder/pro-snowboarder Rob Kingwill to see if he could use it as inspiration for a three-dimensional fine art project he needed to create for a welding class.

His connection with Kingwill led to other Jackson connections and about three years ago Williams moved to Jackson Hole, a step that pushed and inspired him artistically.

Williams’ show is eclectic, like his inspiration.

“I find inspiration everywhere,” he said. “Most of my inspiration comes from powerful emotional experiences whether they are in nature or with a person.”

One sculpture depicts a phoenix. It includes video footage showing the process of foraging the three-foot tall bird.

He also created a giant sea turtle with a two-foot wide shell that is also a huge sun.

Then there’s a small eight-inch raven that many people see as an owl.

“I try to create lines and basically a negative space drawing in my work,” he said. “If you look at it from different angles and aspects, everyone finds something different in it. I like seeing people’s reaction to it and the spectrum of what people see.”

Williams’ show will be up during the second Midtown Throw Down from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 10. The block party on the corner of Scott and Alpine Lane will feature live music, pop-up art shops, food trucks, face painting and giveaways.

It’s also a perfect chance to check out the show. PJH A Thousand Steps: Metal Sculptures by Tai Williams at Asymbol Gallery. Show opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, June 8 and is on display through June 24.

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 Beatles Cartoon Pop Art Show featuring animator Ron Campbell 4:00pm, Rare Gallery, Free, 610-389-1807 n FREE Friday Tasting 4:00pm, Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Free, 307-733-0450 n Friday Tastings 4:00pm, The Liquor Store, Free, 307-733-4466 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-7395386 n FoundSpace 5:00pm, Wilson Centennial Ponds, Free, 307733-4707 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38 - $46, 307-733-5386 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Silversmithing: Projects 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 Teen Night at the Library 6:30pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-7332164 n Annual Series of Shorts 7:30pm, Dancers Workshop Studio 1, $12.00 - $15.00, n Sneaky Pete and the Secret Weapons 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307732-3939 n Country Western Social Dance 7:30pm, Dancers’ Workshop, $25.00 - $90.00, 307-733-6398 n Free Public Stargazing Programs 9:00pm, Rendezvous Park, Free, 1-844-9967827 n Charles Ellsworth 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-7333886 n Friday Night DJs 10:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500 n Sage Junction 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307-733-2207

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

n Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole Rummage Sale 8:00am, Teton County Fair Building, Free, 307-734-0388 n HFR Garage Sale 8:00am, Private home, Free, 307-201-3010 n Jackson Hole Half Marathon 8:00am, Teton Village, $75.00 - $85.00, n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 21

BUY, SELL, SWAP OR BARTER

n 5th Annual Touch-A-Truck 10:00am, Jackson Hole Children’s Museum, Free, 307-733-3996 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Beatles Cartoon Pop Art Show featuring animator Ron Campbell 12:00pm, Rare Gallery, Free, 610-389-1807 n Summer Kickoff and Bike Rally 12:00pm, TAS Office, Free, 307-413-9440 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25.00 - $35.00, 307-7333370 n Stagecoach Band 6:00pm, Stagecoach, Free, 307-733-4407 n Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 n Derrik and The Dynamos 7:00pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-7332190 n Hospitality Night 8:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500

HOUSING,

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MONDAY, JUNE 12

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $16.00, 307-733-6398 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 Docent Led Tours 2:30pm, Murie Ranch of Teton Science Schools, Free, 307-739-2246 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, 307-7333370 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 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Get Ready for the Great Jackson Eclipse of 2017 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-739-9025 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 n Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 n Teton Photography Group - Informal Critique and Comments 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 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 SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307733-2207

•FREE FIRST 4 LINES OF TEXT •$3 FOR EACH EXTRA LINE •$5 FOR LOGOS OR IMAGES

EMAIL LISTINGS TO SALES@PLANETJH.COM

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5 ft. walnut electric fireplace. Includes: grate, irons, logs, hearth and heater. $500. 690-7373

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3bd/3ba home, 5 fenced acres. $988,000. Agents welcome.

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JUNE 7, 2017 | 21

SEE CALENDAR PAGE 22

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

n REFIT® 9:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10.00 - $20.00, 307-733-6398 n Grand Summer Adventure Park & Gondola Open for Summer 9:00am, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, 307-7332292 n Artist Writer and Photographer in the Environment 9:00am, Grand Teton National Park, Free, 307739-3606 n Passholder Appreciation Day 9:00am, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Free, 307-733-2292 n Volunteer Trail Day I 9:00am, Sheep Bridge Trail, Teton Canyon, Free, 208-201-1622 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-733-9212 n Backyard Composting Workshop 10:00am, Calico Restaurant, 307-733-7678 n Library Saturdays: Mini Music & Movement 10:15am, Teton County Library, Free, 307-7336379 n Beatles Cartoon Pop Art Show featuring animator Ron Campbell 12:00pm, Rare Gallery, Free, 610-389-1807 n Vertical Harvest Tours 1:00pm, Vertical Harvest, 307-201-4452 n Ancestry: How to start your family tree 1:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-733-2164 n Raptor Encounters 2:00pm, Teton Raptor Center, $15.00 - $18.00, 307-203-2551 n Midtown Throw Down 3:00pm, Scott Lane, Free, 307-413-2214 n Teton Pride 3:30pm, Phil Baux Park, 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, 307-7333370 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 Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackosn Hole, 307733-6379 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 $68.90, 307-733-6994 n Annual Series of Shorts 7:30pm, Dancers Workshop Studio 1, $12 - $15 n Sneaky Pete and the Secret Weapons 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-7323939 n Jackson Hole Rodeo 8:00pm, Teton County Fairgrounds, $15.00 $35.00, 307-733-7927 n Divinity Roxx 8:00pm, Knotty Pine, $8.00 - $10.00, 208-7872866 n The Otters 9:00pm, The Rose, Free, 307-733-1500 n DJ Era 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-733-3886 n Sage Junction 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307733-2207

HELP WANTED,

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

22 | JUNE 7, 2017

CINEMA

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

Desperate Times A24 FILMS

It Comes at Night offers a chilling allegory for compassion versus fear.

Joel Edgerton in It Comes at Night.

BY ERIC D. SNIDER @EricDSnider

I

t Comes at Night opens on the lesioned face of a dying old man, surrounded by tearful loved ones wearing gloves and gas masks. He has a fatal and highly-contagious disease that has decimated the population. He’s euthanized by the end of the next scene—not to put him out of his misery so much as to protect his family from him. The man’s 17-year-old grandson watches it happen.

This is an intense psychological thriller, slow-boiling and unsettling, written and directed by Trey Edward Shults, whose under-the-radar debut Krisha won near-universal acclaim in 2015. Here he presents another family in crisis, doing what they believe is right but plagued by doubts, fear, mistrust and an actual plague. Can over-caution be as destructive as carelessness? How drastically can you alter your lifestyle to prevent harm before the alterations become worse than the thing you’re afraid of? Whether taken as an allegory for immigration, terrorism or something broader, Shults’s cool, sure-handed sophomore effort will stick with you.

Living in a spacious, isolated house in the woods in some part of what used to be America is a small family: Paul (Joel Edgerton), his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and their son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Sarah’s father was the old man at the beginning, but she and Paul are of one unsentimental mind when it comes to matters of safety. The

front door to the house (painted red for ominous effect) is always closed and locked, and any stranger the family encounters is assumed contagious unless proven otherwise. Paul, a history teacher before the plague, never intended to be a rugged survivalist, but has become one through his desire to protect his family.

This natural instinct has made Paul jumpy, so cautious about his wife and son that he’s indifferent, even cruel, toward others. They meet another, slightly younger family— Will (Christopher Abbott), Kim (Riley Keough) and their little boy Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner)—with whom they can share resources, but Paul is never sure he can trust them. Travis, a sweet kid through whose eyes much of the film is seen, is charmed by the newcomers, envious of their familial intimacy. Seeing this, Paul reminds him: “You can’t trust anybody but family.”

Paul’s fear infects Travis’ dreams, too, which comprise the movie’s creepiest imagery and serve as a running commentary on the daytime action.

Everyone’s fear, whether awake or asleep, is that one of them will turn out to be infected, at which point severe protocols would need to be followed.

Shults isn’t interested in the details of the epidemic, though, or how it affects people’s bodies, but in how the threat of it affects their minds. Though the pronoun of the title remains ambiguous—several things do—“fear” seems to be the thing “it” refers to most. Shults

captures this fear, this claustrophobic paranoia, with sweaty, nightmarish precision, incorporating shifts in the sound design and even the movie’s aspect ratio to disturb our sense of comfort.

Another smart choice Shults makes is to occasionally show us the second family when the main family isn’t around. Those moments don’t reveal enough to convince us that Paul’s apprehensions about them are unfounded— there remains tension on that point until the shocking climax—but they do make us consider how the story would be different if it were from their point of view. Early on, Will tells Paul, “I know you’re just protecting your family, but don’t let mine die because of it.” Paul is the “hero,” and we put ourselves in his shoes. Maybe we would let another family die if we thought it would save our own. Paul, speaking of Will and Kim, warns his own family, “Have you ever seen people when they get desperate?” He doesn’t realize he’s describing himself.

Edgerton is excellently understated, often using just his eyes to convey his inner misgivings. As his son, Harrison gives the movie its heart and humanity, linking us to the love-thy-neighbor attitude that prevailed before the world fell apart. The question for us, as viewers, is whether that philosophy still has a place in our world, or whether the times have become desperate enough to require desperate measures. PJH

TRY THESE Outbreak (1995) Dustin Hoffman Rene Russo Rated R

28 Days Later (2002) Cillian Murphy Naomie Harris Rated R

Krisha (2015) Krisha Fairchild Alex Dobrenko Rated R

Midnight Special (2016) Joel Edgerton Michael Shannon Rated R

n Dance & Fitness Classes 8:00am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10 - $16, 307-733-6398 n REFIT® 8:30am, Dancers’ Workshop, $10-$20, 307-733-6398 n Teton Plein Air Painters 9:00am, Outdoors, Free, 307-733-6379 n Historic Miller Ranch Tour 10:00am, National Elk Refuge, Free, 307-7339212 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, 307-733-6379 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, 307733-6379 n Covered Wagon Cookout 4:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-739-5386 n Teton Poetry Slam 4:30pm, The Center Theater Lobby, Free, 307733-4900 n REFIT® 5:15pm, First Baptist Church, Free, 307-690-6539 n Bar J Chuckwagon 5:30pm, Bar J Ranch, $25 - $35, 307-733-3370 n Covered Wagon Cookout 5:30pm, Bar T 5, $38.00 - $46.00, 307-733-5386 n Green Drinks JH 5:30pm, Habitat ReStore, Free, 307-201-2303 n Jackson Hole Shootout 6:00pm, Town Square, Free n Teton Trail Runners Run 6:00pm, Different Location Each Week, Free n Jackson Hole Bird & Nature Club Auditorium B 6:00pm, Teton County Library, Free, 307-7332164 n Relief Printing 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 n Silversmithing: Projects 6:00pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, 307733-6379 n Advanced Photography Techniques 6:30pm, Art Association of Jackson Hole, $65.00 - $78.00, 307-733-6379 n The Unsinkable Molly Brown 6:30pm, The Jackson Hole Playhouse, $37.10 $68.90, 307-733-6994 n Bluegrass Tuesdays with One Ton Pig 7:30pm, Silver Dollar Showroom, Free, 307-7323939 n Stackhouse 7:30pm, Mangy Moose, Free, 307-733-4913 n Dopapod 9:00pm, Pink Garter Theatre, $15 - $17, 307-733-1500 n The Workshy 9:00pm, Town Square Tavern, Free, 307-7333886 n SMOKEN’ MIRRORS 9:00pm, Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, $5.00, 307733-2207

Avocado Aficionado

Tasty ways to love the ahuacatl morning, noon and night.

BY ANNIE FENN, M.D. @JacksonFoodie

H

Left: Learn how to select the best avocados in the pile. Center: Blend avocado into a sippable creamy lassi for a portable treat.

Right: Chocolate avocado pudding is easy, satisfying, slightly savory and not too sweet.

a blender with vanilla, maple syrup, cocoa powder, fresh orange juice and Kosher salt. Puree until ultrasmooth and taste; add a bit of agave nectar if you like it more sweet. Chill and serve topped with chopped pistachios, flaky sea salt, berries, chia seeds, or even black sesame seeds. Let your friends and family guess the secret ingredient to this creamy, satisfying, slightly savory, not-too-sweet pudding. The avocado flavor is just subtle enough to keep them all guessing.

Recipes Avocado Lassi Place 1 ripe avocado, 1 cup plain yogurt, 3 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. lime juice and 1 cup milk (I like almond milk) in a blender and whiz until smooth. Makes 2 lassis.

Avocado Butter Place ½ cup unsalted, room temperature butter, the flesh of 1 ripe avocado, 5 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, ¼ tsp. Kosher salt, and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley in a food processor or blender. Scoop into a bowl or form into a log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Keeps for 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Makes about 1 cup.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Scoop the flesh from 2 ripe avocados into a blender. Add the seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract), ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, and ½ tsp. Kosher salt.

With the motor running, gradually stream in ¾ cup hot (but not boiling) water. Blend until perfectly smooth. Taste; add more orange juice or water to thin, a dash of agave nectar to sweeten. Divide amongst 8 4-6-ounce ramekins or small bowls, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Serve with toppings of your choice. (I like chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt.) Makes enough for 8 servings. PJH Annie Fenn is a physician with a passion for food, health, sustainability and the local food scene. Current mission: spreading the word about how to cook and eat to prevent dementia. Find recipes for longevity at brainworkskitchen.com and more food and stories at jacksonholefoodie.com.

JUNE 7, 2017 | 23

it will hasten the ripening process.

Bring your perfectly ripe (fingers crossed) avocado home and cut stem to tail with a knife. Twist the two avocado halves away from each other to separate, and carefully plunge a sharp knife into the pit. Twist and remove the pit, use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh, and place the avocado pit side down on a plate.

Now, how do you keep that avocado from turning brown? Squirt with lemon juice? Store it with its pit?

Submerge in cold water? Wrap tightly in plastic wrap?

Unfortunately, none of these methods work. Avocados turn brown because the outer part of the flesh is covered with an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase.

When the flesh is exposed to air, this enzyme initiates an oxidation reaction that results in brown, unappetizing avocados. The trick? Wipe off the exterior (the side that touched the skin) with a paper towel to remove all the polyphenol oxidase. Your avocado will stay green for several hours at room temperature. (Or, you could just eat it right away and not worry about brown spots.)

Transform a ripe avocado into a portable, sippable breakfast by taking a cue from India’s famous mango lassi, a creamy, shake-like drink made with mango and milk. Whizzed in a blender with yogurt, milk, honey, lime juice, and a touch of salt, your avocado makes the perfect breakfast to go or sports recovery drink.

I have my mom to thank for my recipe for avocado butter. Back in the 1970s she slathered it on swordfish steaks for an elegant dinner party entrée. Avocados were new to the scene back then, and their arrival at the market of my small hometown in upstate New York made quite a splash. To make avocado butter, cream the flesh of a ripe avocado with softened butter, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt. Form into logs and chill, then smear on everything from fish to steak to corn on the cob. Since avocado butter freezes well, this recipe is a great way to deal with a bunch of avocados about to go off.

Chocolate avocado pudding may not sound like a good idea, but trust me, it’s a keeper. And, it’s the easiest dessert you’ll ever make that both your vegan and non-vegan friends will love. Place avocados in

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

ey, avocado lovers: Smearing the buttery flesh of a ripe avocado on toasted bread and topping it with nothing but flaky sea salt may be the world’s most perfect snack. But when you are ready to branch out from your avocado toast obsession, I have a few more ideas. Have you ever swirled an avocado into a smoothie? Turned it into garlic butter?

Or folded it into a decadent chocolate dessert? Bear with me, I will explain.

First, let’s consider a few interesting factoids about the fruit (technically a berry) that has launched a million Instagrams of avocado toast. We have the Aztecs to thank for discovering the aphrodisiac properties of ahuacatl, as they named them, perhaps inspired by how avocados hang in pairs on the tree. Centuries later, food scientists determined that the avocados’ high levels of vitamin E certainly could help maintain youthful vigor. Avocados are loaded with heart healthy fats, fiber, and contain more potassium than a banana.

There’s an art to picking the perfect avocado from the towering pile at the market. The flesh of a Hass (rhymes with “pass”) avocado, the most typical variety we see, should yield ever-so-gently to uniform pressure on the skin, which should be dark brown and lacking any obvious dents. Even the most careful avocado squeezer can get burned, however, by purchasing an over-the-hill fruit. A far better way to prevent the bummer of a brown avocado is to take a peek under the stem before buying. Pull off the stem and you’ll find a window into the avocado’s flesh: bright green or mottled with brown. Discretely toss that brown one back and plan to eat the bright green one within a day — once the stem has been peeled off

ANNIE FENN, MD

THE FOODIE FILES

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

24 | JUNE 7, 2017

Pinot Panache Pinot Gris’ versatility is just right for summer.

BY TED SCHEFFLER @Critic1

A

t a friend’s recent mudbug—that’s crawfish, to the uninitiated—boil, I was reminded of both how much I enjoy Pinot Gris wines and how versatile they are. Sipping Adelsheim Pinot Gris ($18.99) from Oregon, I noticed how this nuanced wine worked so well with boiled, spicy crawfish, corn, spuds and even artichokes. Pinot Gris is generally a good choice for clams, fish and most lighter seafood, as well.

Called Pinot Gris in France’s Alsace region and in the United States, it’s a pinkskinned grape known in Italy as Pinot Grigio, in Germany as Ruländer and as Grauer Burgunder in Austria. The Swiss

BEER, WINE & SPIRITS

IMBIBE

call it Malvoisie. But wherever you find it, wines made from the Pinot Gris grape are, above all, versatile. If you’re not drinking it, you should be.

Like with most grape varietals, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio come in a variety of styles, ranging from bone dry and crisp to slightly sweet, and from being lighter than air in body to full and rich enough to eat with meat.

Indeed, Pinot Gris is the classic pairing for choucroute in Alsace. With the exception of one or two from California, I’ve never met a Pinot Gris or Grigio that I didn’t like. Or, at least, I’ve never met a Pinot Gris or Grigio that was offensive. “Harmless” is a term that wouldn’t be inappropriate, which also makes it a slamdunk to serve at barbecues, picnics and other summer outings.

Most Pinot Grigio comes from the northeast of Italy and the Lombardy area. Italian Pinot Grigio

tends to be lighter in style than Pinot Gris from France or the United States, with no trace of oak and little or no aroma on the nose. Most of it is wonderfully inexpensive.

But it’s also not a wine to put away in the cellar. Most of it should be served young, chilled and without a lot of fanfare. Since it’s light, crisp and acidic, Pinot Grigio enhances salty, spicy and fried foods. So, it’s a natural choice for fried calamari, fettuccine Alfredo and spicy Asian dishes when you don’t want to drink something as sweet as Gewürztraminer.

Some of the Italian Pinot Grigio producers I’m fond of include Maso Poli, Lageder, Tiefenbrunner, Livio Felluga and Mezzacorona.

My first encounter with Alsatian Pinot Gris was in Strasbourg, where the natives drink copious amounts with their foie gras and aforementioned choucroute. Although

Local is a modern American steakhouse and bar located on Jackson’s historic town square.

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made from the same grape, Alsatian Pinot Gris is a bit bigger and a bit bolder than its Italian cousin, not to mention a bit more expensive. It’s a sturdier wine, generally with more body and higher alcohol content. And it’s known for its distinctive “flinty” flavor and aromas, reflective of the minerals in the rich soil in which the grapes are grown in Alsace. More so than Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris is a serious food wine that can hold its own with the smoked meats and other hearty dishes that are standard fare in places like Strasbourg. Good choices for Alsatian Pinot Gris include Schlumberger, Weinbach, ZindHumbrecht, Trimbach and Hugel. Recently, I picked up a bottle I hadn’t tried before: Helfrich Pinot Gris 2008 ($13.99), which was simply marvelous.

Here in America, Pinot Gris is made in California, Oregon and Washington, primarily, with the best, in my opinion, coming from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. That Pinot Gris tends to be made in the Alsatian style, with producers like King Estate, Eyrie, Ponzi, WillaKenzie and Adelsheim leading the charge.

So, for summer, pick up some of the other Pinot. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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.

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Make your reservation online at bluelionrestaurant.com

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.

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1110 MAPLE WAY JACKSON, WY 307.264.2956 picnicjh.com Free Coffee with Pastry Purchase Every Day from 3 to 5pm

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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

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Large Specialty Pizza ADD: Wings (8 pc)

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

307.733.3242

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

26 | JUNE 7, 2017

PICNIC

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

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Lunch special Slice + Side Salad = $8 Happy Hour 4-6 PM DAILY

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20 W. Broadway 307.207.1472 pizzeriacaldera.com OPEN DAILY 11AM-9:30PM

TV Sports Packages and 7 Screens

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

FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

FRESH, LOCALLY SOURCED OFFERINGS TAKE OUT AVAILABLE Dining room and bar open nightly at 5:00pm (307) 733-2460 • 2560 Moose Wilson Road • Wilson, WY

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.

MOE’S BBQ

A Jackson Hole favorite since 1965

www.mangymoose.com

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.

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.

HOUSEMADE BREAD & DESSERTS

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

LOCAL

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Mangy Moose Restaurant, with locally sourced, seasonally FRESH FOOD at reasonable prices, is a always a FUN PLACE to go with family or friends for a unique dining experience. The personable staff will make you feel RIGHT AT HOME and the funky western decor will keep you entertained throughout your entire visit.

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.

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.

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

MILLION DOLLAR COWBOY STEAKHOUSE

Jackson’s first Speakeasy Steakhouse. The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is a hidden gem located below the world famous Million Dollar

Cowboy Bar. Our menu offers guests the best in American steakhouse cuisine. Top quality chops and steaks sourced from local farms, imported Japanese Wagyu beef, and house-cured meats and sausages. Accentuated with a variety of thoughtful side dishes, innovative appetizers, creative vegetarian items, and decadent desserts, a meal at this landmark location is sure to be a memorable one. Reservations are highly recommended.

SNAKE RIVER BREWERY & RESTAURANT

America’s most award-winning microbrewery is serving lunch and dinner. Take in the atmosphere while enjoying wood-fired pizzas, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts. $9 lunch menu. Happy hour 4 to 6 p.m., including tasty hot wings. The freshest beer in the valley, right from the source! Free WiFi. Open 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 265 S. Millward. (307) 739-2337, snakeriverbrewing.com.

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.

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L.A.TIMES “GETTING OLD” By James Sajdak

SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2017

ACROSS 1 7 11 14

80 82

Good as gold, e.g.

Inventory alert at the highway sign supplier?

85 NFL advances 86 Actor Morales 89 They come from têtes 90 Sans opposite 91 Season, in a way 94 Got into the market 96 Gay song locale 98 Aromatic oils?

101 Pelts 103 Problem when using a well?

104 Sheltered side 105 1898 Dewey victory site 110 Airheads 111 Saw you can’t discuss publicly?

114 Late, in Los Cabos 115 Farm layer 116 River to the Caspian 117 Evasive tactic 118 Guatemala girls: Abbr.

119 “Go on ... ” 120 Hand off 121 Boundary marks

17 18

78 Piece of one’s mind?

79 __-Tass 81 Start 83 Prepares for guests 84 Classical theaters 87 Bill passer?

88 Swift’s birthplace 92 Legal drama fig.

93 Lost moments 95 Citrus drinks 96 Serengeti families 97 Not upright 98 Diamond equipment 99 Co-Nobelist with Menachem 100 __ Sketch 101 Some are epic 102 Article in Le Monde?

105 Curators’ credentials, on a C.V. 106 “__ dash of ... ”: recipe words 107 Request for Alpo?

108 Feverish feeling 109 Itches 112 Quarterback Dawson 113 Novelist Levin

JUNE 7, 2017 | 27

Enter again “Maid of Athens, __ part”: Byron 24 Bard’s nightfall 25 Significant times 30 “__ you to try it!”

32 Vamp Theda 33 Community coll. class 34 Tropical plant with large foliage 35 Join the cast of 36 Sassy 37 Gavel sounds 39 Adventurer Ericson 40 More recent 41 Professor __ 43 “Gross!”

45 Cabinet dept. formed under Carter 46 Lyre-playing emperor 48 Retreat in the face of 48 Retreat in the face of 49 Wild party 50 Formal lament 52 Less polished 53 Game-ending call 56 Pilot’s announcement: Abbr.

DOWN 57 Do some serious bar-hopping 1 Beliefs 61 Scout carriers 2 Coward often quoted 62 Type 3 Massachusetts motto opener 64 Energy source 4 Freelancer’s enc.

65 Half a dance 5 Gun insert 66 Realty ad count 6 “Tequila Sunrise” group 67 Lawrence Welk’s 7 Lift upbeat 8 UFO pilots 68 Approve 9 Request a pardon?

69 Set of cards 10 Seeing eye to eye 70 Island entertain11 Changes course suddenly ment symbol 12 It’s charged 73 Mescal source 13 Activist Chavez 74 “Wow!” 14 Seeing no evil?

75 Infinitesimal span, 15 Long-distance lover’s question for short 16 Nickname based on a saluta- 77 PBS part: tion Abbr.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

Actually existing Bottle in a playpen?

[Not my mistake] Six-time NBA All-Star Stoudemire 19 Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” e.g.

20 Designer Cassini 21 Anguish 22 Meet competitor 23 “Reduce, reuse, recycle”?

26 “__ Mio” 27 Involving a lot of tossing, perhaps 28 Go wrong 29 Stunt setting 31 About six weeks on the liturgical calendar 32 Harm caused by some lodge builders?

34 Cod and others 37 Ups 38 Tap output 39 Mantilla material 40 Teach improperly?

42 Pejorative 44 Half a score, or a perfect one 47 Black Friday scene?

51 On topic 54 Gets going 55 First name in Solidarity 58 It may be set in stages 59 Certain dancer’s accessory 60 In any way 61 Michelangelo work 63 Unborn, after “in” 64 Shredder fodder?

68 “Heavens!”

71 Tasteless 72 Swear words 73 Got an __: aced 76 Gold standard 77 Went under 78 Means more than

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

28 | JUNE 7, 2017

Savvy Spiritualism

M

any of you have asked how to know what’s best for you when it comes to signing up for an online spiritual development course, attending a live workshop, choosing books to read on metaphysical topics, and/or seeking counsel from an intuitive reader. Here are some helpful tips when making choices for developing your consciousness.

Knowing what to choose: your soul knows Of course you can ask other people or follow what’s most popular. However, the purpose of seeking spiritual workshops/courses/books/intuitive readers is to support your journey into higher consciousness. Therefore, when it comes to the greatest good for your spiritual evolution, you want to consult the source of your most accurate guidance, which is your heart and soul. The heart is the link to the greater wisdom and higher intelligence of the soul. Soulful guidance bypasses the mind, and shows up in the form of instant, direct knowing.

A skill worth developing Get still, close your eyes and take about five deep, slow breaths. Focus your awareness on your own physical heart.

(This immediately gets you out of your head/mind.) Keep breathing slowly and deeply, and ask your heart/soul if what you’re wanting to do is in the highest good for your evolution now. Feel into your heart and “listen” for the answer.

If someone should ask you, “How do you know this is the right workshop for you?” The answer reflecting guidance from your soul is, “I don’t know; I just know.” Trust yourself.

Then find more information. If your direct knowing is “not this” or “not now,” believe it and move on. If your direct knowing is a “yes,” then you’ll enjoy gathering more information from other sources and via other kinds of input.

Validation for your mind To get a better take on the presenter, do some research.

Perhaps sample a book the person has written. Their credentials, how the person writes, what they write about, and how others rate them can satisfy your mind’s need to know that kind of data.

If you know someone who has taken a seminar from this presenter, ask your friend specific questions about their experience. Because you know the person, their answers can also give your mind some useful information. (Random testimonials online are unreliable.)

Body validation Watch several of the presenter’s videos on YouTube. Pay attention to what’s going on in your body as you watch them online. Are you leaning in and feeling drawn to learn from that person? Or are you not attracted; is your body contracting and pulling back, signaling this may not be for you.

Choosing books Ask people you respect for recommendations and research online. Before you hit “purchase now,” look on Amazon and read a sample chapter. If it draws you in, go for it. If it doesn’t, skip it. If you are in a bookstore and see a title that intrigues you, open the book randomly to any page and begin to read a bit. You’ll know if what you are reading grabs you and you’d like to read the entire book.

Selecting an intuitive reader In this case, word of mouth recommendations from people you know who have experienced the work of a specific intuitive are very valuable. During your session, what a psychic says should resonate with you. If it doesn’t, let it go. I always seek out people whose talent will reveal what’s right about you and how to lovingly upgrade aspects that can be improved. Skip people whose readings are fear-based; you don’t need negative input to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Know how you learn best To repeat an adage, “One size does not fit all.” Everyone has a preferred, dominant learning modality. Some people are predominantly audio learners; some are visual learners, and others learn best kinesthetically, hands on. Notice which is typically your most comfortable go-to. Also reflect on whether you are a self-motivated, self-paced learner or if you do better with the support, stimulation and motivation of a live class situation. Once you have your soulful green light, locate a format combining what you want to learn, with how you learn best.

Your soul knows Your mind loves information and the caveat is that it can make a story about anything, whether it’s true or not. The ego tends to stir up self-doubt. The body does not lie. Tune in first to your heart/soul …then gather other sources of information for corroboration. Enjoy becoming spiritually awake. PJH

Carol Mann is a longtime Jackson resident, radio personality, former Grand Targhee Resort owner, author, and clairvoyant. Got a Cosmic Question? Email carol@yourcosmiccafe.com

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| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

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30 | JUNE 7, 2017

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY REDNECK PERSPECTIVE

BY ROB BREZSNY

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) “When I grow up, I’m not sure what I want to be.” Have you ever heard that thought bouncing around your mind, Gemini? Or how about this one: “Since I can’t decide what I want to be, I’ll just be everything.” If you have been tempted to swear allegiance to either of those perspectives, I suggest it’s time to update your relationship with them. A certain amount of ambivalence about commitment and receptivity to myriad possibilities will always be appropriate for you. But if you hope to fully claim your birthright, if you long to ripen into your authentic self, you’ll have to become ever-more definitive and specific about what you want to be and do.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) As a Cancerian myself, I’ve had days when I’ve stayed in bed from morning to nightfall, confessing my fears to my imaginary friends and eating an entire cheesecake. As an astrologer, I’ve noticed that these blue patches seem more likely to occur during the weeks before my birthday each year. If you go through a similar blip any time soon, here’s what I recommend: Don’t feel guilty about it. Don’t resist it.

Instead, embrace it fully. If you feel lazy and depressed, get REALLY lazy and depressed. Literally hide under the covers with your headphones on and feel sorry for yourself for as many hours as it takes to exhaust the gloom and emerge renewed.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) In the early days of the Internet, “sticky” was a term applied to websites that were good at drawing readers back again and again. To possess this quality, a content provider had to have a knack for offering text and images that web surfers felt an instinctive yearning to bond with. I’m reanimating this term so I can use it to describe you. Even if you don’t have a website, you now have a soulful adhesiveness that arouses people’s urge to merge. Be discerning how you use this stuff. You may be stickier than you realize!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Ancient Mayans used chili and magnolia and vanilla to prepare exotic chocolate drinks from cacao beans. The beverage was sacred and prestigious to them. It was a centerpiece of cultural identity and an accessory in religious rituals. In some locales, people were rewarded for producing delectable chocolate with just the right kind and amount of froth. I suspect, Virgo, that you will soon be asked to do the equivalent of demonstrating your personal power by whipping up the best possible chocolate froth.

And according to my reading of the astrological omens, the chances are good you’ll succeed.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) You’re like a prince or princess who has been turned into a frog by the spell of a fairy tale villain. This situation has gone on for a while. In the early going, you retained a vivid awareness that you had been transformed. But the memory of your origins has faded, and you’re no longer working so diligently to find a way to change back into your royal form. Frankly, I’m concerned. This horoscope is meant to remind you of your mission. Don’t give up! Don’t lose hope! And take extra good care of your frog-self, please.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Lysistrata is a satire by ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It takes place during the war between Athens and Sparta. The heroine convinces a contingent of women to withhold sexual privileges from the soldiers until they stop fighting. “I will wear my most seductive dresses to inflame my husband’s ardor,” says one. “But I will never yield to his desires. I won’t raise my legs towards the ceiling. I will not take up the position of the Lioness on a Cheese Grater.” Regardless of your gender, Aquarius, your next assignment is twofold: 1. Don’t be like the women in the play. Give your favors with discerning generosity.

2. Experiment with colorful approaches to pleasure like the Lioness with a Cheese Grater, the Butterfly Riding the Lizard, the Fox Romancing the River, and any others you can dream up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Take your seasick pills. The waves will sometimes be higher than your boat. Although I don’t think you’ll capsize, the ride may be wobbly. And unless you have waterproof clothes, it’s probably best to just get naked. You WILL get drenched. By the way, don’t even fantasize about heading back to shore prematurely. You have good reasons to be sailing through the rough waters. There’s a special “fish” out there that you need to catch. If you snag it, it will feed you for months—maybe longer.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) If you chose me as your relationship guide, I’d counsel you and your closest ally to be generous with each other; to look for the best in each other and praise each other’s beauty and strength. If you asked me to help foster your collaborative zeal, I’d encourage you to build a shrine in honor of your bond—an altar that would invoke the blessings of deities, nature spirits, and the ancestors. If you hired me to advise you on how to keep the fires burning and the juices flowing between you two, I’d urge you to never compare your relationship to any other, but rather celebrate the fact that it’s unlike any other in the history of the planet.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The Milky Way Galaxy contains more than 100 billion stars.

If they were shared equally, every person on Earth could have dominion over at least 14. I mention this because you’re in a phase when it makes sense for you to claim your 14. Yes, I’m being playful, but I’m also quite serious.

According to my analysis of the upcoming weeks, you will benefit from envisaging big, imaginative dreams about the riches that could be available to you in the future.

How much money do you want? How much love can you express? How thoroughly at home in the world could you feel? How many warm rains would you like to dance beneath? How much creativity do you need to keep reinventing your life? Be extravagant as you fantasize.

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.

True Path to Enlightenment

BY CLYDE THORNHILL

A

ccording to the most recent academic account, Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Hogsara Islandvira), the blessed was born to a wealthy family in Teton Pines in the holy year of 5 CE. (CE is the academically accepted denotation for the era in Teton County when cappuccino and espresso became available at the bagel shop. BEC is before cappuccino and espresso.)

While scholars are hesitant to make definite claims about certain historical facts, it is generally believed Siddhartha led a sheltered life as his parents—his father was a hedge fund manager from New York and his mother a Connecticut heiress—hoped to shield Siddhartha from Hog Islanders, and especially Hoback Junctioners, so he may have no knowledge of human suffering.

The young Siddhartha was fed only the finest sushi and drank cold pressed organic juices. He played with other West Bank children. When he was older, he drank imported wines, joined the music festival and attended college at Middlebury. However, one day after his parents forgot to engage the monitor on the cable TV, Siddhartha, while clicking through the channels saw a rerun of the program Cops. He was stunned.

“Do people really live in trailers?” he wondered. “And why were police always arresting them?”

Siddhartha decided he needed to see for himself how others lived. The next day, when his parents thought he was at a friend’s house in John Dodge practicing cello, he drove to Whole Grocer. He nourished himself with organic yogurt and a latté before beginning his travels. Then he drove south on Highway 89.

Siddhartha had never been past High School Road before and he was shocked to see tiny houses in Rafter J. He wondered if people could exist in such confined spaces.

“Where would the servants live?” he thought. “And what about wine cellars?”

Siddhartha drove further, passing

the South Park bridge and entering Hog Island. This is when he saw suffering on a massive scale. People living in trailer houses, children playing basketball without nanny supervision, and no landscape companies to mow the grass.

He pulled over in front of an older single wide trailer and approached the couple barbequing in the yard. They offered Siddhartha a beer and a platter of barbequed ribs. One sip of Bud Lite and Siddhartha realized he had underestimated the suffering humans and their capabilities to survive.

After more beers and ribs, Siddhartha fell asleep in the bed of a 78 Chevy truck. In his dreams, the demon Mara tempted him with visions of vintage wine, rich, loose Connecticut chicks, and catered cocktail parties in big West Bank homes. He battled Mara all night and in the morning, after a breakfast of biscuits and gravy and Folgers coffee laced with Jim Beam, Siddhartha became enlightened.

That day he bought a .22 rifle and went chiseler hunting (Wyoming slang for sign shooting, beer drinking and four wheeling) and when he returned home, shocked the household chief by fat frying the sashimi salmon in beer batter.

Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha and his teachings are revered in Hog Island to this day.

PJH

JUNE 7, 2017 | 31

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) People might have ideas about you that are at odds with how you understand yourself. For example, someone might imagine that you have been talking trash about them—even though you haven’t been. Someone else may

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) “God doesn’t play dice with the universe,” said Albert Einstein. In response, another Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, said to Einstein, “Stop giving instructions to God.” I urge you to be more like Bohr than Einstein in the coming weeks, Capricorn. As much as possible, avoid giving instructions to anyone, including God, and resist the temptation to offer advice. In fact, I recommend that you abstain from passing judgment, demanding perfection, and trying to compel the world to adapt itself to your definitions. Instead, love and accept everything and everyone exactly as they are right now.

SATIRE

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Do you have your visa for the wild side? Have you packed your bag of tricks? I hope you’ll bring gifts to dispense, just in case you’ll need to procure favors in the outlying areas where the rules are a bit loose. It might also be a good idea to take along a skeleton key and a snake-bite kit. You won’t necessarily need them. But I suspect you’ll be offered magic cookies and secret shortcuts, and it would be a shame to have to turn them down simply because you’re unprepared for the unexpected.

describe a memory they have about you, and you know it’s a distorted version of what actually happened. Don’t be surprised if you hear even more outlandish tales, too, like how you’re stalking Taylor Swift or conspiring with the One World Government to force all citizens to eat kale every day. I’m here to advise you to firmly reject all of these skewed projections. For the immediate future, it’s crucial to stand up for your right to define yourself—to be the final authority on what’s true about you.

| PLANET JACKSON HOLE |

32 | JUNE 7, 2017

JULY 19 SUMMER FOODIE EDITION

CULINARY

C ONFESSIONS 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.