Valley Volunteers 2017 by Teton Media Works, Inc.

Volunteers Valley

A supplement to the Jackson Hole News&Guide

April 12, 2017

Super

Volunteer

Teton County Search and Rescue member Tim Ciocarlan earned the title of Super Volunteer after spending nearly a quarter-century helping save lives in Teton County. See page 10.

INSIDE Dogs lend a paw

Local pups log hours handing out kisses and cuddles and accepting pats as volunteers for Teton County Pet Partners. See page 6.

Volunteers run radio

About 60 people donate their time to keeping KHOL airwaves full of life. See page 8.

Civics in action

From health care to housing, hundreds spend time helping the town and county by sitting on dozens of advisory boards. See RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Tim Ciocarlan prepares for a short-haul training run with Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers March 29 at the Teton County Search and Rescue hangar.

2 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

From the Editor

Every year thousands of people log thousands of hours making our community a better place — be it saving lives in the backcountry, hammering nails for Habitat homes or holding the hand of a hospice patient. Jackson is made of people who give their time freely, and that is (at least in part) what makes this community so special. In this year’s edition of Valley Volunteers you’ll read a lot about the people who keep our democratic process moving, like the dozens who sit on advisory boards and those who run our local Republican and Democratic parties. Reporter Kylie Mohr talks to several of the 60 or so election judges who volunteer to keep the polls running smoothly on Election Day, and reporter Emily Mieure sits down with some of the local attorneys who offer free or low-cost services to those who need help navigating the legal process. While we do not always agree, we are one engaged community — and there are a lot of people working behind the scenes to allow all of our voices to be heard. We are a stronger

THE AIRPORT WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERED TIME, ENERGY AND JACKSON HOLE KNOWLEDGE AT THE AIRPORT DURING THIS PAST WINTER.

community because of their work. This year’s volunteer section includes a Super Volunteer, what we hope will become an annual distinction driven by community nominations. It was difficult to name just one, but our inaugural title goes to longtime Teton County Search and Rescue volunteer Tim Ciocarlan, who received over a dozen nominations praising him for the nearly 25 years he’s been on the team. Sports Editor Clark Forster shares Ciocarlan’s story on page 10. Last but not least: Are you an organization looking for an extra hand? Are you a person who’d like to lend one? Check out VolunteerJH.org, a website run by the Jackson Hole Community Foundation. It’s a place organizations and volunteers can connect. And whenever you have a chance, thank a volunteer. As is noted in a story by Managing Editor Richard Anderson (page 18), it takes a village to run a village — and we’ve got a pretty good one going. — Melissa Cassutt Special sections editor

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, JHAIR and our volunteer hosts all contributed their talent to ensure our travelers had the best airport experience possible. The Airport would not be as welcoming to visitors without the support and dedication of our community. Volunteers are always welcome at the airport.

Special supplement written, produced and printed by the Jackson Hole News&Guide

If you are interested in volunteering at the Airport in the future, please contact Meg Jenkins by emailing megan.jenkins@jhairport.org or calling (307)-733-7695.

Publisher: Kevin Olson Associate Publisher: Adam Meyer

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head heart hands health

Advertising Sales: Karen Brennan, Tom Hall, Megan LaTorre, Chad Repinski, Andra Adamson Foster Advertising Coordinator: Oliver O’Connor Creative Services Manager: Lydia Redzich Advertising Design: Natalie Connell, Sarah Grengg

“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” -Sherry Anderson

Pressroom Manager: Chuck Pate Pre-press: Jeff Young Pressmen: Dale Fjeldsted, Steve Livingston, Kagan Crow

Teton County 4-H Volunteers are inspiring the next generation! Thank you for all you do for our community!

Office Manager: Kathleen Godines Customer Service Managers: Lucia Perez, Rudy Perez Circulation Manager: Kyra Griffin Circulation: Hank Smith, Jeff Young, Mark Whitaker

We would like to thank our outstanding volunteer leaders: Erin Abel Chance Abel Marty Anderson Carolyn Auge’ Anjie Beard Kayla Bonilla Dave Brackett Paul Brakke Diana Brown Jay Buchner Joey Budge Cola Budge Shawna Burge Joe Burke Rani Carr

Jeff Daugherty Josh Dieckmann Stacey Dieckmann Stefanie Eggett Melissa Fox Junie Fuchs Trudy Funk Rebecca Genzer Becca Griber Gwen Hansen Courtney Hodges Barb Huhn Jared Kuhns SaraLee Lanier Kathy Lucas Deb Lutz Becky Mitchell

Deirdre Morris LaRee Moyer Allison Neely Shannon Owens Theresa Paradis Pam Romsa Gayle Roosevelt Nancy Seaton Adria Stines Alyssa Watkins Amy Wilson Andrew Wilson Dana Wilson Meredith Wilson Brandi Wilson Buck Wilson

OUR

VOLUNTEERS Thank You!

Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact the Teton County 4-H Office at 733-3087

Editor: Johanna Love Managing Editor: Richard Anderson Valley Volunteers Section Editor: Melissa Cassutt Layout and Design: Kathryn Holloway Photographers: Bradly J. Boner, Ryan Dorgan, Ashley Cooper Copy Editors: Jennifer Dorsey, Mark Huffman, Tom Hallberg Features: Richard Anderson, Erika Dahlby, Jennifer Dorsey, Clark Forster, Isa Jones, Mike Koshmrl, Kylie Mohr, Emily Mieure, John Spina

Without you there would be no show. 326735

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 3

ASHLEY COOPER / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS

Casey Gaughan and Elizabeth Ferguson scrape ice from a house in Alpine that’s one of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area’s first two projects in Lincoln County.

Hearty hands build homes in Alpine Winter work keeps Habitat houses on track

“It’s more dedication than it is experience,” VanDerStad said. “None of us have construction backgrounds.” Habitat needs volunteers all year By Emily Mieure long but especially in the winter. “It comes to a real lull when no one olunteers worked through snow, wind and biting temperatures wants to be out in the wind and snow this year in the hope of keeping every day,” VanDerStad said. “It’s rethe construction of two Habitat homes ally been rewarding to connect to the community in ways we wouldn’t usuin Alpine on track. It’s been tireless work since October ally by just traveling through.” for volunteers who have been putting The homeowners, who help build up the first two projects in Lincoln the houses as part of the “sweat eqCounty for Habiuity” required tat for Humanity by Habitat, are of the Greater especially grateTeton Area. ful for the volunBut it seems teers. to be paying “The people off. The singlewith the Amerifamily homes Corps group are scheduled to have been a huge be completed in help,” Luis Ojeda May, marking said. “A lot of the — Selena Ojeda electrical is done the start of the owner of new habitat home in alpine already. The winnonprofit’s goal of expanding its dows are all in.” reach in the reOjeda, his gion. wife, Selena, and their two young chil“We’ve actually done a tremendous dren, Selah and Noah, are excited to service by being able to be here during leave their mobile home behind for that time when they don’t have many their new house, which even comes folks,” said Bradly VanDerStad with with a little patch of green. AmeriCorps National Civilian Com“We are excited about the yard,” munity Corps, a service group out of Selena Ojeda said. “We plan on being Sacramento, California. outside a lot.” VanDerStad and eight other volunHelping build their house has been teers wrapped up a project tutoring in a rewarding experience. inner-city Los Angeles in January and “We are very grateful for that,” she traveled to Alpine to work on the hous- said. “We can walk through our house es for nine weeks. The homes are be- and think, ‘I helped put that wall up.’ ing built on donated lots in the Alpine It brings it to a whole other meaning. Meadows subdivision. Getting our house built and putting “After this we will head and do the work into it — I don’t know how some trail building in Sacramento,” to explain it.” VanDerStad said. The team lived at Broken Arrow Contact Emily Mieure at 732-7066, Ranch for the winter while the volun- courts@jhnewsandguide.com or @ teers took on the labor-intensive work. JHNGcourts.

“We can walk through our house and think, ‘I helped put that wall up.’”

Volunteers from AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps, like Karin Unruh, Bradly VanDerStad and Nate Phillips, worked on the project for nine weeks.

Volunteer Sierra Knodle takes a measurement.

4 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Hospice volunteer Elizabeth Gerhard spends time with Leonard Ross, 107, on March 26 at his cabin in Moran.

Hospice helps patients die with dignity Volunteers make patients comfortable at the end of their lives simply by being present, call it an ‘honor.’ By Kylie Mohr

e try to succeed at everything in life, striving to be good students, spouses and parents. But when it comes to death, how do you measure success? That’s a question hospice volunteers are confronted with every time they help a patient. “It’s a life stage we don’t plan for, it’s a stage of life we don’t prepare for,” St. John’s Medical Center hospice volunteer Steve Duerr said. “We don’t know how to succeed at that.” Hospice care focuses on maintaining quality of life for patients whose condition is unlikely to be cured. The hospital’s hospice program is a team effort, involving a medical director, certified nurses, social workers, pharmacists, certified nursing assistants, spiritual care givers and trained volunteers. Volunteers like Elizabeth Gerhard are mostly there to provide companionship and emotional support. Gerhard worked in an oncology unit in a hospital in Ohio and has always been comfortable in hospitals and nursing homes, she said. She enjoys visiting them.

“I grew up with older parents, and I went to funerals when I was very young, so I never had a fear of death,” she said. “I’ve always taken care of older people. It’s just who I am.” Duerr falls on the other end of the spectrum, having felt like he wasn’t ready to face death when his parents passed. Hospice work is one way he’s trying to “do things better.” “I saw what not being prepared for death does to a family,” he said. “I didn’t do it right with my own parents, and I’m at the point of my life where I want to do things better. I regretted that I wasn’t there enough.”

Learning to listen Duerr, who said he was initially hesitant because he wasn’t sure if he had the “character or temperament,” admitted that the initial visit or visits can be overwhelming. But seven weeks of training that focuses on active listening helps volunteers understand how to best interact with people reflecting on their lives. “It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon and you’re going into a home to visit someone at the end of their life — it’s intimidating,” he said. “It’s such a private situation, and it’s unlike anything else. But I think you are there to give comfort by listening, and the satisfaction you get outweighs all of your trepidation of being in that room.” Bette Caesar, who has volunteered

Fostering.. .

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as birth,” Gerhard said. “We need a paradigm shift where we embrace death. In many other societies, it’s a celebration. “Hospice is a great service, but it’s not utilized,” she said. “It’s not a thing to be afraid of.”

Saying goodbye It can be hard for hospice volunteers to not get attached to their patients. “I’m so fond of them all,” said Caesar, who has volunteered since the ’90s. She became teary-eyed when talking about some of her patients. She’s done everything from read the Bible to online shop and go to Schwabacher’s Landing to take in the mountain views with them. “You have to have compassion and understanding, but you know the end will happen,” she said. “It’s sad when people pass on. You have to prepare yourself.” Hospice volunteers said their lives were richer having volunteered in such a personal way. “You don’t take things quite so much for granted,” Duerr said. “I was trying to go fast with my life and my career, but you just have to slow down and listen. To have done that a couple times, it really puts life in perspective.” Contact Kylie Mohr at 732-7079, schools@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGschools.

it takes a village 325984

Save lives with us as a volunteer

with patients for 16 years, has learned the key is staying in the moment. “You get an inward focus,” said Caesar, who visits the Living Center on Wednesdays. “You’re just being present.” Hospice caregivers are flexible in their visits, accommodating the wishes of the patients. Sometimes that means just listening, like when clients are energetic enough to share their life stories — something volunteers say is an honor. Or it can mean doing small chores or simply being around to give a tired family a break. “We are willing to embrace anything they want to do or not to do,” Caesar said. “You do what you can, which isn’t that much. It’s really just being there with an open mind and an open heart. Some people just want to be alone sometimes. Anything they want to do, it’s their call.” It’s all about dying with dignity and peace of mind, Gerhard said. “We accept that person where they are,” she said. “And we work to make them comfortable at all levels. I decided to be a hospice volunteer because I really believe in helping families and the patient to die with dignity.” Volunteers said spending time with those who are preparing to die has called their attention to how they’re preparing for the loved ones in their lives. “As a society we need to realize that death is as much a part of life

from raising walls, to serving on committees, to advocacy, to helping in the ReStore; volunteers help us with all the heavy lifting.

Hats off to our amazing volunteers! www.animaladoptioncenter.org

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join the team! please email: volunteer@tetonhabitat.org

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 5

Attorneys provide free legal services Partnerships with the state bar and legal advocates expand access for low-income clients and families.

self-help legal resource center and referrals to pro bono or reduced-fee attorneys. “It’s a good way for new attorneys to get active in the community,” Prescott said. The center offers reference assistance and legal resources from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at its 185 South Willow office. The donated space in the building’s basement was prepared with volunteer labor and features a law library available to walk-in clients.

By Emily Mieure

ighty percent of the legal needs of the poor nationwide remain unmet, according to a study by the American Bar Association, making it challenging for low-income clients to access legal services. In Wyoming there is roughly one private practice attorney for every 250 residents, and only one legal aid attorney for every 7,500 low-income residents, according to research by the Wyoming State Bar. “We need to make sure that people who can’t afford to go to court or get legal work done still can get it done,” Wyoming Supreme Court Justice Kate Fox said in an online video featured by the Wyoming State Bar, “because we all need to make sure the system works for everybody.” In Jackson there are attorneys who do pro bono work, but most of it is done quietly and privately, making it difficult for low-income clients to find an affordable attorney. Most criminal defendants are represented by the public defender, but a divorce or custody battle requires a different type of attorney.

Other pro bono offerings

Access to justice Wyoming needs more civil lawyers taking pro bono cases — work provided for little or no cost — and a sure sign is the promotional campaign called the “I’ll Do One” initiative produced by the Wyoming State Bar in partnership with a staterun program, Equal Justice Wyoming. “I believe in this whole concept of justice for all,” Wyoming Supreme Court Justice E. James Burke said in the video. “I just do.” In Jackson the Teton County Access to Justice Center, which is funded by donations, grants and Equal Justice Wyoming, offers a variety of legal resources for low-income clients. “We’re really busy,” Executive Director Barbara Prescott said. “We’re blowing the doors off our goals.”

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Attorney Nancy Norton checks in with Executive Director Barbara Prescott at Teton County Access to Justice Center. Attorneys working with the center have logged over 200 hours of pro bono work since July 2016.

Access to Justice has expanded in recent months, adding volunteer attorneys from Lincoln and Sublette counties to its team of local attorneys for a total of 36. “I’m really most impressed with our attorneys and their willingness to do these cases,” Prescott said. “Our attorneys don’t bill for a lot of their hours.” Access to Justice offers free legal seminars, free legal services to income-eligible clients, access to a

Some Jackson attorneys offer pro bono services in other ways, like Dick Stout, who volunteers his legal expertise to Teton County’s Court Supervised Treatment Program, which helps those who have gone through DUI/drug court. “Our role is to make sure the program respects people’s rights and bring the defense perspective to the board,” Stout said. “It is really a joy to do it.” Attorneys are often required to complete a certain amount of pro bono work in their careers. “We should all be volunteering,” Stout said. “I think there’s always a need, and I think it’s growing.” Public defender Elisabeth Trefonas also volunteers as a lawyer for drug court, in addition to handling pro bono cases for her firm, Trefonas Law. “We do an extensive amount of pro bono work,” Trefonas said. “And sometimes we have paying clients that turn into pro bono clients just because we want to ensure the case is finished.” Her office partners with Access to Justice. “For every seven hours we are paid by Access to Justice, we are required to donate three pro bono hours,” Trefonas said. Volunteer work is often just part of the job as an attorney, Trefonas said. “I would venture to guess that we have spent hundreds of hours donating our time to cases, public forums, presenting in classrooms and regularly being asked just one quick question at the office and when we are outside of work and around town,” Trefonas said. Contact Emily Mieure at 732-7066, courts@ jhnewsandguide.com or @JHNGcourts.

Volunteers are the

heart

of our organization!

Thank you to all who have donated their time, talents, and energy to help us preserve and share the history of Jackson Hole to our community and the world! 326022

Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum | 225 N. Cache Street | Jackson, WY 83001 | 307-733-2414 | www.jacksonholehistory.org

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6 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Four-legged friends lend a helping paw Dogs volunteer time with kisses, cuddles and open ears. By Isa Jones

ome would say the best volunteers in Jackson come on four legs. Like Otis, a golden retriever who frequently volunteers with Teton County Pet Partners. He logs hours handing out slobbers and receiving treats while accompanied by his handler, Amanda Soliday. Pet Partners pairs puppers and their human counterparts with organizations that could benefit from some quality time with furry friends. Pet Partners, with 25 to 30 active canine-human pairs, visits places like the Teton County Library, Children’s Learning Center, Legacy Lodge of Jackson Hole, C-Bar-V Ranch and St. John’s Medical Center on a weekly basis, said Pet Partners Administrative Coordinator Kelly Chadwick. “Going to the hospital puts a smile on the patient’s face who might otherwise be in pain,” Chadwick said. “No one likes to be in the hospital. [Pets] are also proven to lower blood pressure.” While on their “rounds” in the hospital, Chadwick said, the pairs also visit the nursing stations to provide a little stress reduction for employees. The program has also been particularly popular at C-Bar-V Ranch, a school and residence for troubled children. Pet Partners visit about three times a week. “There’s a noticeable difference in the kids there with behavioral issues,” Chadwick said. “It’s a treat for them typically. It’s something to look forward to, so it has influenced their behavior.” Finding a dog that works for the program and getting it up to snuff takes more than just showing up with a hound ready to accept pats and belly rubs. “The dog needs to be people-oriented, sociable and friendly, remain calm and like being touched by others,” Chadwick said. “It is two parts to the equation. It’s not just the dog — it’s the handler.” Almost any breed can qualify, and the current canine volunteers include labs, Australian shepherds and a lot of mutts. The floofball must at least 1 year old, and well-

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Roxie, an 11-year-old Pet Partners therapy dog, listens to Sean Baruwa, 9, read in July 2016 at Teton Literacy Center. The program allows kids to practice their reading skills without pressure or inhibitions.

behaved with dogs and people. Handlers take a course prior to their pets being registered with the program. Chadwick said qualified dogs can do up to 20 visits a week. Soliday has been a member of Pet Partners since it started over 20 years ago. In those two decades she has gone through several golden retrievers. All her dogs have worked well in the program, she said. She also trains them for Wyoming K9 Search and Rescue. “You need a solid dog that’s not real afraid, and they need good obedience,” she said. “But it is on lead, so it’s not terribly challenging.” Otis and Soliday visit the library, hospital and C-

Bar-V regularly. Otis loves it, and even knows when he’s going to work for that or for Search and Rescue. “For both Search and Rescue and Pet Partners he wears a vest, but he knows the difference between the vests,” Soliday said. While it can be difficult to get qualified and make sure your pup is trained and ready to go, the program is rewarding, Soliday said. “Otis gets as lot of attention and pets and treats. I find it rewarding, too,” she said. “It’s just a really good program for the community.” Contact Isa Jones at 732-7062, entertainment@ jhnewsandguide.com or @JHNGevents.

Thank You 2016-17 Volunteers! Thank you to everyone who has volunteered at the Museum in the past year. You are the heart of our Museum community, and continue to inspire us with your generosity and talent. We couldn’t do it without you. D = Docent | W = Wyoming Sage Society (>500 Hours Volunteered) Maryann Abrahams Cathy Adkins Don Alsted - W Vickie Atwater Joan Baldwin - WS Paul Barbour Laurie Bay - D Jan Benz - W Sally Berman - D,W Heather Black - D Eileen Blackwell Emily Blasier Ed Brenegar Karen Bressler Greg Brondos - W Susan Brooks - D,W Jim Byrne - D,W Sally Byrne - D,W 2016 Volunteer of the Year Lisa Carlin - W Terrie Castillo Susan Chambers - W Sarah Clancy Stefan Conway Jane Curtis Sarah Davis Patricia Dempsey

Susan Erickson - D Jenny Felsinger Bill Finerty Colleen Fitzgerald Lisa Fleischman - D Juanita Flores Pamela Flores Joyce Frye Walt Gerald Natalie Goss - W Kristie Grigg Sharon Gunberg Marilyn Gschwind Gigi Halloran - D,W Diane Hanson - W Lauren Harris Jan Herbst - W Bill Holmes M.A. Holmes Barb Huhn - W Des Jennings Whitney Jensen Sally Johnson Alison Jones - D,W Ann Keller Diane Key - W Charlotte Kidd

Louise Koegler - W Carla Kussner Harry Lawroski - W Mary Ann Lawroski - W Georgia Ligori Anne Lippold Gail Magid Roseanne Magid Kip MacMillan - D Jane Malashock - D Steve Malashock Bob Martin - D,W Pat Martin - W Frank Masuelli Dan Matzke Julie Matzke - D,W Marilyn May Nancy McCarthy Maggie Moore Molly Moore Erika Muschaweck - W Ann Nelson Claudia Perry Judy Pilgrim - W Cynthia Quast - W Karen Rockey Ben Roth

Pam Sanders Ellen Sanford - D, W Carol Schneebeck - W Regina Schultz Melinda Shirk Claudette Stern Ron Stevens Caroline Taylor - D Cathy Teig Bobbi Thomasma - D,W Kathryn Turner Martha Van Genderen - D,W Marsha Wackerly - W Mary Waid - W Jessie Walsh Donna Watkins Matthew Wegher Mary Willis - W John Wilson - W Elizabeth Wright Suzanne Young

307-733-5771 | Open Daily | Just 2.5 Miles from Town Square | WildlifeArt.org Sculpture: Bart Walter (United States, b. 1958), Wapiti Trail—detail, modeled 2005, cast 2007. Bronze. Lifesize. Purchased with funds generously donated by an anonymous benefactor, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Bart Walter. 324875

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 7

d cat purrsers n a s e s is k te Dog loving volun

e and love m ti r u o y g n for shari e Shelter! th t a ls a THANK YOoU im meless an FT with the h ANDING, LE nimal

to ALL our a

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Marylee White was recently elected chairwoman of the Teton County Democrats, replacing Luther Propst, who just finished his two-year term. Propst said the chair spends a lot of time recruiting candidates to run for local and state offices, and promoting the party’s platform, which primarily focuses on issues that are pertinent to Teton County voters.

Parties keep focus on friendly politics While ideologically different, Dems and GOP find common ground. By Jennifer Dorsey

f you’re interested in getting involved with the Democratic or Republican party organizations but are turned off by the nastiness of national politics, take heart. It’s a bit friendlier at the county level. There’s a Tetons focus to the issues the parties work on, and sometimes Republicans and Democrats are even on the same side. Luther Propst, recent past chairman of the Teton County Democrats, recalled cutting a radio ad with his Republican counterpart, Tote Turner, to tout a specific purpose excise tax measure to fund a fix for the West Broadway landslide. “That was fun and rewarding,” Propst said. “It was nice to work across the aisle.” In fact, he considers Turner a friend even when they’re not on the same side. “I get along with Tote great,” he said. “You don’t have to not like somebody because you don’t agree.” Turner and Propst just finished their terms as chairmen. The two county party organizations have elected new officers according to their usual two-year cycles. The GOP voted in Teton County Commissioner Paul Vogelheim to head the party, while the Democrats ushered in Marylee White, who challenged incumbent

Marti Halverson for the Wyoming House District 22 seat last fall. During their time at the helm Turner and Propst focused on recruiting candidates to run for local government offices and state legislative positions and on promoting their local party platforms. Recruitment is something Turner enjoys, though it’s not always easy. “Getting good people to run for positions is always a challenge,” Turner said. “So many qualified people have jobs that are a conflict of interest, or they just don’t have the time.” And, he said, a seat in the Wyoming House or Senate requires spending several months in Cheyenne, something not everyone can do. Jackson Hole Republicans promote fiscal responsibility, conservation awareness and community awareness, and those things figure into recruitment, he said. “A Teton County Republican may be different from a Natrona or Campbell County Republican,” Turner said. “With the core principles in mind we may look for a candidate with a more conservationist leaning. ... to be able to focus and do a good job, ideally that’s what we want in a candidate.” Propst said the Democrats’ local platform zeroes in on three issues: keeping public lands public, promoting workforce housing and promoting transportation alternatives. The party endorsed a penny sales tax ballot proposition — which failed — because it was about funding transportation and workforce housing, he said. But the focus on a specific

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Join Us! Call 733-2139

TOP ROW ST tie Smith TO RIGHT: Ka nja Schmidt; So (Staff); Brian r; lle e H ra Ki ; ff) Sharkey (Sta nlin; o C os; Mike Annette Osn s; e in St ff in; Je Janelle Conl ; ka us d Po y Trac Alli Noland; in (Intern) Mandy Sherv / W KNEELING O R BOTTOM T: H IG R TO LEFT STANDING, ha nt a m Sa Daisy (dog); briela a G t; id hm Sc r; Katie Metzle k; e w Muscha r; e g Lin ri ka; To Lena Podus Hailey Stines; ); g o (d lly Sa en (Staff); ld Janelle Ho ) g o Honey (d

Teton Adaptive Sports would like to thank

all the the community members who help make outdoor sports possible for people of all abilities. Please like us on Facebook to see all of the fun our volunteers and participants are up to!

Volunteers Rock! christy@tetonadaptivesports.com 326333

SEARCH & RESCUE VOLUNTEERS DONATE AN AVERAGE OF 500 HOURS PER YEAR TO SAR

See political parties on 17

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Now you can volunteer to support them!

ONE OF THE

GREATEST GIFTS

Help Us Cook - We Need To Fuel 40 Hungry Volunteers Provide a meal for our monthly training meetings

YOU CAN GIVE IS YOUR TIME.

We’ll pay for the groceries. Drop off the food at our hangar and stay to enjoy dinner or breakfast with the team if you would like!

VOLUNTEER AT THE SENIOR CENTER. The Senior Center relies on volunteers to assist with administrative and maintenance tasks, special events, Meals on Wheels delivery and other programs.

Event Preparation and Set-Up Mailings and Administrative Help

Contact Hannah for more information on how you can get involved. 733-7300 or info@seniorcenterjh.org

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Amy Golightly at amy@tetoncountysar.org. 326072

www.tetoncountysar.org

8 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS

A KHOL volunteer who goes by simply “Emerson” begins his “Blues with a Feelin’” show at the community radio studio in late March. Emerson, who lives and works in Teton Valley, Idaho, said he’s been driving over Teton Pass to do his show for a little more than two years.

Radio station KHOL runs on community More than 60 volunteers keep the airwaves alive. By Erika Dahlby

eil Albert walked into the basement studio of KHOL, Jackson Hole Community Radio, when it first started in 2008 and offered to run events. Albert, like the nonprofit community radio station, was new to town. He walked in because he was looking for something to do. But when Albert was asked what his radio show was going to be he had to fess up. He had never been on air before. “I had to tell them I had no experience or plan,” he said. Luckily, Albert was a music lover and had an affinity for funk music. “Back then we were just trying to fill airtime,” he said — they didn’t really care what he played. He decided to do a Phish show akin to the Grateful Dead, but due to limited categories and copyright laws they told him that might be difficult. That’s when he took it upon himself to email the band and ask if he could play some of the recorded shows. He wasn’t expecting much when the band’s lawyer emailed him back, say-

Rebecca Heisinger and Dan Nelson chat during their KHOL radio show, “The Placebo Effect,” in late March in the station’s studio at the Center for the Arts. The pair started their show about four years ago. There are about 60 volunteers who make KHOL run.

ing the music couldn’t be played for profit, but since it was a nonprofit radio station, why not? And so for the past nine years Albert’s Phish show has been playing strong on 89.1 FM — from 9 to 11 p.m. Mondays. Albert has seen the station grow as

well as the volunteer base. “It was a really exciting time, and I’m really proud of how far it’s come,” Albert said. There are only two full-time station employees and one part-time worker, station manager Zach Zimmerman said.

But there are about 60 volunteers who make the station run. The station’s model of operation is based on how college radio stations run, with a goal of involving the community as much as possible, Zimmerman said. The volunteer disc jockeys usually show up for a one- to three-hour slots every week and play music of their choice. “There’s everything from jazz to hip-hop to metal to reggae,” Zimmerman said. “We kind of encourage the diversity.” The volunteers at the station are what make the station work, he said. “They are the station,” he said. “They are what make KHOL what it is and what makes KHOL so special.” Volunteering at the station is easy, Zimmerman said. No experience is required. The station provides all the instruction and mentoring you could need — you just need to bring the tunes you’re excited about, Zimmerman said. “I knew absolutely nothing about being on the air,” Albert said. “Now, nine years later, people are seeking me out for advice.” ontact Erika Dahlby at 732-5909 or C features2@jhnewsandguide.com.

H A P P Y N AT I O N A L V O L U N T E E R W E E K !

Join Jackson’s #1 Women’s Service Organization Soroptimist International

“Best for Women” 325827

Join us for our upcoming Recruitment Social,

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 RSVP to Karen Brennan, 307-413-6772

At the Alliance, we are so grateful for our team of passionate and dedicated volunteers who work to protect the wildlife, wild places, and community character of Jackson Hole.

Thank you, volunteers!

The Alliance and the community are lucky to have you.

Thank you to our members for all you do!!

If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, please contact Skye Schell at skye@jhalliance.org or sign up online at JHAlliance.org/volunteer. 325978

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 9

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS

SIMPLE DETAILS PHOTOGRAPHY

THANK YOU FOR A DECADE OF DEDICATION

THE CENTER 2007-2017

307.734.8956 | JHCENTERFORTHEARTS.ORG

TYLER BABCOCK

MARYLOU KLENE

JILL SCHMIDT

EVE BARNETT

POLLY KOGEL

MICHAEL AND CLAUDIA SCHROTZ

REID BAUER

MARLENE LANG

CRAIG AND CAROL SCHWENDER

SUSIE BLASKO

ROBYN LUNSFORD

RONNA SIMON

EMILY BOESPFLUG

JUDITH LYONS

DANA SMITH

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LIZ MACHALEK

MEGAN SMITH

JOHN BUHLER

KATHLEEN MAGUE

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JILL CALLAWAY

LARA MANN

ROBIN STEINMANN

JESSICA CHAMBERS

ELIZABETH MANSFIELD

CAROL STROHBEHN

JANE CHAPMAN

KAREN MARINARO

DEBORAH SUPOWIT

ROBIN CHRISTENSEN

GEORGIA MAYER

LAURIE THAL

CECI CLOVER

MICHELLE MCCORMICK

BETH THEBAUD

DENNIS CONLEY

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SHIRLEY & DAN THOMAS

LESLIE COOK

VICKIE MEMMER

DAN THOMASMA

JULIE COROTIS

THERESE METHERELL

JUNIPER TROXEL

MANDY CRANE

SUE MORGAN

LINORE WALLACE

LAURA DAVENPORT

ANNIE MOSTKOFF

JIM WALTER

CHRIS DICKEY

DOROTHY NECKELS

ASHLEY WATSON

LAUREN DICKEY

GALEN PARKE

ROB WEED

ELLAE ELINWOOD

MICHELE PICKERELL

CASSANNDRA WHELIHAN

CATHIE EVANS

PATRICIA POLETTI

NANCY WILBRECHT

DICK FERGUSON

JARED POWER

JEFF WILCOX

KATY FOX

KAREN PRIEBE

LESLEY WILLIAMS

FOREST FRANSEN

SUSAN PRINCE

JOHN WILSON

LAURIE FUKAWA

THELMA QUASDORF

KATIE WILSON

GWENN GILDAY

FRED REIMERS

CELESTE YOUNG

DAVID GOMEZ

CYNTHIA RIEDEL

JEANNIE YURGALEWICZ

MARGI GRIFFITH

MAEGIE ROONEY

ZACH ZIMMERMAN

SHARON GUNBERG

LISA RUNG-KOLENICH

JACKIE HART

AMY RUSSIAN 325380

10 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

super volunteer

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers are deployed to stabilize an injured paraglider last August on East Gros Ventre Butte. Tim Ciocarlan, who has hardly missed a rescue in his near 25 years of service, has served as a mentor for many on the team, and his teammates say the crew won’t be the same after he hangs up his gear.

Search and Rescue’s backbone

Ciocarlan has rarely passed up the opportunity to help in his tenure with the organization. By Clark Forster

n Tim Ciocarlan’s eyes, he’s just a cog in the 38-person machine that is Teton County Search and Rescue. To his teammates, however, he is much more. “He is the role model,” Search and Rescue Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Thomas said. “But nobody can be Tim. Tim’s given everything. He’s probably given too much.” Ciocarlan’s near 25 years of volunteering for Search and Rescue earned him the title of “Super Volunteer,” a new designation offered to someone the community nominates. The News&Guide received more than 50 nominations, including more than a dozen praising Ciocarlan’s dedication to the team.

Responding to 1,000-plus calls Ciocarlan has been on board since the organization began serving Teton County in 1993, alongside Mike Estes and Mike Moyer. Over that time nobody has given more to the organization than Ciocarlan — but he (and others) admit his service came at a price. “He’s probably not spent the time he needed to with his family and friends,” Thomas said. “I think he’s really good at telling other people to go home and be with their families, and to take a day off and spend time doing something other than search and rescue.” When someone needs to be rescued all of the volunteers receive a phone call. Some are working, on vacation or otherwise unavailable, but 12 to 15 volunteers usually show up ready for action, Ciocarlan said. Ciocarlan is almost always among the group that is ready and able to assist someone in danger. He’s always been that way, he said. “I had this thing that I always had to be here,” Ciocarlan said. “No matter what I was doing, it wasn’t as important as the person that needed to be helped.” A building contractor by trade, Ciocarlan said he’s glad he answered the majority of the 1,000-plus phone calls he received during his time of service. But he doesn’t necessarily want other Search and Rescue volunteers to follow his lead in that regard. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that you have to balance the time you volunteer,” said Ciocarlan, who

ASHLEY COOPER / NEWS&GUIDE

Tim Ciocarlan has volunteered for Teton County Search and Rescue since it began serving the county in 1993, and he has responded to more than 1,000 calls. “He’s always there,” Search and Rescue Medical Advisor A.J. Wheeler said.

has begun to think about that day — so far still not determined — when he will retire. “I volunteered a lot and probably too much. It’s cost me fiscally and on a personal level greatly. As I look back I could have made better choices and probably not volunteered so much. “I try to tell some of the other folks, ‘Don’t let this volunteer life consume you.’ I let it do that to me. I don’t regret that. Helping people is a really wonderful thing.” Ciocarlan has helped so many people in need over the last quarter century that he can’t remember all of the faces he has managed to keep smiling. “One time I was in a restaurant in Idaho, and this guy comes up and hugs me and kisses me on the cheek,” he said. “I thought he was a weirdo. He said, ‘You saved my life.’ I had no idea who he was. But those things you never forget.” No matter how dire the situation Ciocarlan finds great satisfaction in every mission, whether it is saving a life or pulling a frightened dog out of a river. “When we show up to help somebody and they give you a big hug, that’s a great reward,” he said.

Team camaraderie But what he’ll miss the most when it comes time for him to hang up his gear is the team. “It’s the team and the friends you meet on this team,” he said. “They’re pretty incredible people, and you want to be around them. Truly that’s what’s kept me here.”

Though he has a lot of good memories alongside his teammates, the inherently dangerous job comes with a few tough moments, too. One of the hardest for Ciocarlan — and the entire Search and Rescue team — was the loss of Ray Shriver. Shriver, also part of the original 1993 team, was killed in a helicopter crash in February 2012 while flying to the scene of a snowmobile fatality 7 miles south of Togwotee Mountain Lodge. Shriver’s death was the only instance when Search and Rescue lost a volunteer in the line of duty. “That’s a big deal,” Ciocarlan said. “It hurt us very deeply. It’s affected this team for many years, and I don’t think that will change. We think about that all the time.” Shriver’s death represents the danger Search and Rescue volunteers put themselves in on each and every mission. “We sent an aircraft out on a very benign, wonderful winter day,” Ciocarlan said. “We mitigated all the issues that we saw, which weren’t many, and the rescuer didn’t come home. Every time we go out there are a lot of risks.”

Search and Rescue’s veteran mentor Search and Rescue Medical Advisor A.J. Wheeler called Ciocarlan the “backbone” of the organization. Even as a 10-year veteran of the team, Wheeler said he still views Ciocarlan as a mentor. “He’s always there,” Wheeler said. “He’s always the guy that you can depend on to be on the phone call, to show up and make a rescue work. I look up to Tim and take every opportunity that I get to observe and learn from him in his leadership role and how he conducts himself.” Thomas said Ciocarlan “donated probably about $100,000 in services” to help Search and Rescue construct a facility on Batch Plant Drive in 2010 — a building Wheeler said won’t be the same when Cicocarlan’s tenure at Search and Rescue ends. Ciocarlan has said his time with Search and Rescue is near a close. “I don’t think Search and Rescue will ever get over not having Tim there,” Wheeler said. “It will be a different organization when Tim does decide to hang up his hat. I think he’s done a good job of grooming people to step in and take his place. But when you have a special individual like that, you never replace them.” Contact Clark Forster at 732-7065, sports@jhnewsandguide.com or @JHNGsports.

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 11

s u per v ol u nteer nom i nees For this year’s Valley Volunteer section we asked the community to help us name a “Super Volunteer,” a new title we plan to hand out annually to spotlight one of the many amazing volunteers in Jackson Hole. Teton County Search and Rescue team member Tim Ciocarlan received the inaugural title, and while Ciocarlan is well-deserving of the honor, it wasn’t an easy choice. Jackson Hole is filled with a lot of people who give a lot of time, and you — the reader — gave us a lot of names and stories to consider. As such, we wanted to give a shout-out to all the other Super Volunteer nominees as a way of saying thanks. Nominees, we are a better community because of you. — Melissa Cassutt, Special Sections Editor Nicole Ackley: Jackson Elementary School PTO Co-President Gustavo Ajxup: Central Wyoming CollegeJackson Shawn Ankeny: Teton County School District No. 1 Joan Anzelmo: Political activist and environmental defender Bev Boyton: Teton Raptor Center Amy Bryan: Jackson Hole Community School Sue Bybee: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Sally Byrne: National Museum of Wildlife Art Brenna Cannon: Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance William Carlson: Teton Raptor Center Ty Cook: Teton Raptor Center Nelsy Corona: Teton Literacy Center Grace Cosgrove: Teton Literacy Center Liz Cowie: Teton Raptor Center Sue Critzer: St. John’s Medical Center Auxiliary President Don Cushman: Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area Shawn Daus: Jackson Elementary School Amelia Davenport: Center for the Arts Laura Davenport: Center for the Arts Rob Edmondson: Multiple organizations, including RidgeLife Church, Community Safety Network and Good Samaritan Mission Sue Ernisse: Teton Raptor Center Whitney Fessler: Moose Corner Children’s Academy Chair Trudy Funk: 4-H Tracy Haling: Jackson Elementary School Mark Houser: Multiple organizations, in-

cluding Gay Straight Alliance and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, leader of various support groups Greg Johnson: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Sarah Kilmain: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Cliff Kirkpatrick: Boy Scouts of America Sava Malachowski: Great neighbor to Barbara Conitz Bill Maltby: Multiple organizations, including One 22 and National Elk Refuge Rich McDowall: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Rebecca Mitchell: Alta Elementary School PTO President Bella Morris: Teton Literacy Center Heather Noble: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Braden Olson: Young Life Johnny “GG” Patterson: Jackson Hole Children’s Museum Sylvia Raumaker: Multiple organizations, including Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Community Safety Network and American Red Cross Pat Snyder: Teton County Library Leslie Still: Legacy Lodge at Jackson Hole Assisted Living Dancy Tolson: Timber Ridge Academy Kathy Warner: Teton Raptor Center Trevor Watson: Teton Raptor Center David Wilcox: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club Scott Williams: Multiple organizations, including Grand Teton National Park Foundation, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS and Grand Teton National Park

COMMUNITY ENTRY SERVICES would like to thank the Volunteer of the Year,

DAWN HUMMEL Advisory Council Chair for “The Art of Love” 2nd Annual Plate Auction

Dawn with Gary Special Olympic World Games athlete, CES client

To participate or sponsor the Art of Love on Oct.12th 2017 benefiting Jackson CES clients contact: Carolyn Worth at cworth@ces-usa.com or 733-7637

Community Entry Services is dedicated to empower people with disabilities to maximize independence and lead satisfying productive lives in the community 327563

35th Annual

HOME

AT SNOW KING SPORTS & EVENTS CENTER

APRIL 21FRIDAY & 22SATURDAY 12PM - 7PM

10AM - 5PM

ENTER TO WIN $250 CASH TOWARD YOUR HOME-BASED PROJECT!

One $250 cash prize available. To enter, fill-out entry card at reception desk or contest booth in exhibit hall. The winner will be drawn from all of the completed entry cards and will be notified by phone on Monday, April 24, 2017. Winner must present a valid form of identification to redeem their cash prize. Employees of Jackson Hole News&Guide, Home Show exhibitors and Sponsors are not eligible to win. Contest is being offered by the Jackson Hole News&Guide, P.O. Box 7445, Jackson, WY 83002.

326974

VOLUNTEERS!

Thanks to Our Volunteers! With your investments of time and energy, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce is able to stretch our membership dollars. Our community is strong because we work together.

We appreciate all the board members, AmeriCorps members and other volunteers who have donated their time to support the Teton Science Schools’ mission over the past 50 years.

VOLUNTEERS makE ViTaL CONTRibUTiONS to Special Events, board and Committee Leadership, Visitor Services, internships, the Howdy Pardners ambassador Club, and more.

Would you like to get involved?

Inspiring curiosity, engagement and leadership through transformative place-based education.

Call 307.733.3316 or email info@jacksonholechamber.com to learn how you can join the team.

www.tetonscience.org 326978

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12 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Intense training part of firefighters’ lives Preparing for the job takes hours of work. By John Spina

he tradition of volunteer firefighting stretches back to before America was founded. Devised by none other than Benjamin Franklin in 1732 soon after a fire devastated Philadelphia, the idea quickly gained popularity as a type of social and service-oriented club. Volunteer firefighters continue to make up the backbone of this country’s firefighting force 285 years later, but numbers are dwindling. Since 1986 the number of volunteer firefighters per 1,000 population declined by nearly 20 percent, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is 80 percent volunteers. But its numbers have dwindled from as high as 115 volunteers in 2008 to just 70 today. According to Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Battalion Chief Matt Redwine that number has continued to drop as training has become more intense. What keeps the volunteer firefighters going is a deep sense of camaraderie and the knowledge that what they do helps people on what can be one of the worst days of their lives. “It’s a huge fraternity with close to 300 years of American history,” Redwine said. “We’re proud to be stewards of that tradition. It’s the most extreme volunteer job you could ever dream up. Some people are just attracted to the rush of being in harm’s way. It’s satisfying being a part of the solution and knowing that things get better when you show up.” Some have served for close to 20 years, like Teresa de Groh, who started as an ambulance driver in 1998. “I started because I saw what these people were doing and I wanted to be a part of it,” de Groh said of joining the EMS team before its merger with the Teton County Fire Department. She obtained her emergency medical technician certificate in 2003, training that “made me feel like I could do something,” she said. When the county’s fire department and EMS services joined forces in 2004 to become the Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, de Groh stayed on with little desire to fight fires but wanting to become a more well-versed EMT with additional

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Kevin Spence unrolls fire hose as Jackson Hole Fire/EMS firefighters respond to a house fire in Hidden Ranch in February.

firefighting training. “I stayed through the merger because I felt like there was a lot of potential as an EMT in wildland firefighting and wanted to learn how to behave in that kind of a environment,” she said. “I still do it because, yeah, it’s a great community service, but I also love learning new things and being able to apply that knowledge in the field.” Fast forward nine years and de Groh holds certificates as an EMT, wildland firefighter, structural firefighter and special apparatus operator. She still blocks out every Wednesday to continue her training, which can often last all day. “We constantly train to make sure we keep up with the newest practices and equipment,” Redwine said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a structure fire in the middle of the night when it’s negative 20 degrees out or a hazardous materials call, you’ve got to be ready the minute you leave work, get up from the dinner table or get out of bed.”

In addition to learning how to fight fires volunteers are trained in swift water rescue, high-angle ropes rescue, handling of hazardous or infectious materials and auto extraction, the safe removal of people in crashed vehicles. “They call it firefighting, but it’s all hazards,” Redwine said. “You need to have a constant awareness of the evolving world around you. We give recruits a huge bag of tricks. They need to make a situation better no matter what it is.” Finding people to volunteer for such a dangerous and time-intensive job is no easy task, Redwine said. One of the advantages of using volunteer firefighters is the ability to flex service up or down depending on need, Redwine said. But with 4,000 square miles to protect, an average of 1,200 calls a year to stations No. 1 through 6, and another 40 to 50 calls a year to satellite stations, “it’s a manpower-hungry sport,” Redwine said. “We need those numbers, but we won’t send people into bad situations

without training,” he said. Around 30 to 40 firefighters are needed to efficiently put out the average structure fire. So a large pool of volunteers is needed each day to ensure enough response. “Not everyone can respond to every call because of work, or they’re out of town or too far away,” de Groh said. “I feel a larger responsibility to respond now because there are not too many of us left. It worries us, but all we can do is try to figure out ways to make it work.” While dozens of people apply every year, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS carefully vets each one and ensures they understand commitment that is required. “It takes three to five years to really get good,” Redwine said. “The trick is retaining a recruit for more than five years. It’s a big investment on both sides.” Contact John Spina at 732-5911, town@ jhnewsandguide.com or @JHNGtown.

k o o N k o o B r u o Volunteeerrfoprrograms for kids! & summ

You make our library exceptional In 2016, library volunteers donated an average of 25 hours per day! Contact Maria: 307-733-2164 x255 mhayashida@tclib.org

tclib.org

326465

VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 13

Donations insecure in age of unknowns Early on, it is tough to gauge how the new administration will influence fundraising. By Mike Koshmrl

mong Jackson Hole’s most philanthropy- and volunteer-dependent organizations, those of the nonprofit, or 501(c)3, variety are waiting to see how the donor landscape transforms under the Trump administration. Teton County’s more than 260 taxexempt groups come in all shapes and sizes, a diversity that makes it tricky to say whether nonprofit coffers will swell or contract in the years ahead. Teton Science Schools, a nonpartisan education organization with a wide donor base, has lost and gained funding sources since the November presidential election, Vice President of Advancement Patrick Daley said. “We’ve talked to a few donors who said that they would shift their money away from us to meet other, more immediate needs,” Daley said. Other philanthropists, he said, have been drawn onboard, convinced that the investment in a school that strives to develop young leaders is as important a charge as ever.

“How it all will sort out remains to be seen.” — Jody Shields

Amendment, which bans tax-exempt nonprofits from advocating for political candidates or participating in campaigns. “There’s current legislation to basically eliminate this provision, which causes concern that it would move money away from mission work and into politics,” Shields said. “Largely the talk has been around churches, which are 501(c)3, but it would impact all (c)3s.” “How it will all sort out remains to be seen,” she said.

Love

Horses?

helping others?

Grab life by the reins and join the JHTRA family today. We are looking for lesson volunteers to help with our upcoming season April-October. If interested please contact Jenna at

307-733-1374 or jhtra.volunteer@gmail.com

Contact Mike Koshmrl at 732-7067, env@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGenviro.

No experience needed. Training is provided. 325714

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!

Thank you to more than 400 Nature Mapping Jackson Hole Citizen Scientists and Volunteer Project Leaders. Thank you to 320 volunteers who contributed more than 1,600 hours in the field for our Wildlife Friendlier Fence Program!

Wyoming nonprofit network managing director

“We’re not seeing a net gain or a net loss,” Daley said of his donors. Literature that Daley has come across in journals like the Chronicles of Philanthropy suggests that nonprofits most feeling a fundraising headwind are those whose causes are perceived to be under fire. Think Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and other politicized, bigger-brand organizations like the Sierra Club. At the same time nonprofit groups dependent on federal agencies facing steep proposed cuts, like the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, are feeling anxious, Wyoming Nonprofit Network Managing Director Jody Shields said. “It’s the administration’s proposed spending priorities that are probably their biggest area of concern, because a lot of nonprofits receive funding through programs in government,” Shields said. “There are a lot of unknowns right now,” she said, “and it will be hard to tell what the effect will be until Congress passes a budget.” Shields said there are worries that impending comprehensive tax reform could alter the benefits of charitable giving. If deductions were to be eliminated or even capped differently, she said, it could have a big effect by disincentivizing donations to nonprofits. The most hot-button issue advocated for by the Wyoming Nonprofit Network is nonprofits retaining their nonpartisanship, Shields said. President Donald Trump has pledged to “totally destroy” the 1954 Johnson

VOLUNTEERS WANTED

THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER! LEARN MORE AT WWW.JHWILDLIFE.ORG.

www.jhwildlife.org • 307.739.0968 jacksonholewildlife

jhwildlife

jhwildlifefoundation 326772

TETON COUNTY Access to Justice Center LIBRARY HOURS Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

CENTER HOURS Monday – Thursday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm or by appointment

FREE DIVORCE DROP-IN CLINIC Wednesdays 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

THANK YOU

VOLUNTEERS!

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD Audrey Cohen Davis | Lauren Browne | Steve Dwyer | Gail Mayland

SE HABLA ESPAÑOL

185 S. WILLOW, LOWER LEVEL www.tetonjustice.org

LAW LIBRARY Open to the entire community

OUTREACH & EDUCATION

Free legal seminars and clinics

LEGAL SERVICES Free or reduced fee services

307.734.9023 www.facebook.com/tcatj

WANT TO HELP?

We are in dire need of new office furniture!

Eight office/meeting chairs and two meeting tables 326360

14 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

The Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, is a group of volunteers trained to support emergency personnel in disasters, like the Little Horsethief Canyon wildfire in September 2012. About 80 volunteers, half of them regulars, are on the rolls.

Citizens prep to step up in emergencies Volunteers back up first responders. By Mark Huffman

hen the Loma Prieta Earthquake hit northern California in 1989, emergency workers found themselves overwhelmed, and citizens stepped up without being asked

to help in the aftermath. It was a fine example of community spirit. Unfortunately, as it turned out, it was also often an example of foolhardiness: Though people were willing to help they had little idea how to do it. “A record number of people were rescued just by ordinary citizens,” said Rich Ochs, Teton County’s director of emergency management. “They were trying to rescue their neighbors. But

just as many people were killed trying to rescue people as died in the earthquake.” The after-earthquake debriefing concluded that the thing to do was train nonprofessionals before disasters to help the pros, who would be hardpressed when things did go wrong. “There were not enough emergency responders, so the questions was, ‘What can we do before the disaster so people

know how to do it safely?’” Ochs said. The result was CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team. The program, with federal oversight, empowers local agencies to create citizen volunteer teams that train and then turn out to support police and firefighters during emergencies. In Teton County the group, founded in 2004, has about 80 volunteers on the rolls, about See emergencies on 15

THANK YOU! Teton County Emergency Management would like to thank the volunteers of the following agencies for making Jackson Hole a more disaster-resilient community. Without your hard work and dedication we wouldn’t be able to provide the critical services the public truly needs in times of crisis.

THE AGENCIES AND WHAT THEY DO ARE:

American Red Cross of Wyoming, Jackson Team

Teton County Community Emergency Response Team

Sheltering and feeding of people in disasters, disaster mental health services, emergency preparedness training for the public, and disaster damage assessments.

Neighborhood emergency response in large disasters, public fire extinguisher training, emergency responder rehabilitation unit, and surge capacity for local emergency response agencies.

PAWS of JH Disaster Animal Response Team

Teton County Emergency Operations Center Support Staff

Sheltering, feeding and care of animals during disasters.

Volunteer staffing of Teton County’s EOC during emergencies.

Teton County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Collaborative group of critical voluntary agencies that have agreed to assist the Jackson Hole community with unmet needs such as food, clothing, emergency funds, volunteers, crisis counseling, and other services during disasters.

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 15

Thank you! We are grateful for the time, energy, and leadership provided by the members of the St. John’s Hospital Foundation Board.

ALEXANDRA MIHALE / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Rich Ochs is Teton County’s director of emergency management.

emergencies Continued from 14

of home for responders on long and cold callouts. The bus, Meagher said, supports cops, firefighters and searchers because “they have a place to take a break, have some warm food.” The group also has trained for the kind of post-disaster work it hopes never to have to do, but that is typical in many bad situations: House-to-house searches when a disaster is widespread, as in earthquakes and hurricanes. The group is trained to look for injured survivors and the dead, and to handle situations that need quick response, like broken gas lines or fallen power wires. The house-clearing work, Meagher said, “is so someone doesn’t waste their time looking” when there are more demandDebbie Meagher ing tasks to be CERT VOLUNTEER done. CERT members in Teton County were called out to only two incidents in 2016, but put in 727 hours, an amount of time that Ochs said is valued at close to $17,000. But saving cash isn’t the goal for volunteers. They want to help, and given their personal and professional obligations they have found a way that serves the community and satisfies their own desire to stay involved. Carmichael, older than he was in his emergency responder days, said, “I don’t want to try to carry around that 200-pound person any more.” But, he added, “I can still help folks and help the professionals by doing some of the grunt work they need done.”

half of whom are regulars. “I hope I never have to experience a terrible disaster, but it gives you a sense of control if you know there’s something you can do,” said Debbie Meagher, who serves papers for the Teton County Sheriff’s Office. “Being able to do something and feel you’re helping gives you a little control over the situation.” Kyle Carmichael, an optician at Teton Eye Clinic and a former ambulance driver and paramedic, also finds satisfaction in being the backup for first responders, who have lots to do in an emergency. “We support the professionals on noncritical tasks, and they — can do the important stuff,” he said. “Not that what we do isn’t important, but it doesn’t need the same level of training.” CERT turned out for the explosion and fire at AmeriGas in 2015. Volunteers were on hand for the Horsethief Canyon Fire. When an aging hunter disappeared in the Hoback two years ago they were there. They worked a fire at Moose Head Ranch, a search for three sisters lost on a hike, the fire at O’Ryan Cleaners and the Budge Landslide. Volunteers direct traffic, man phones and run the “rehab bus,” a renovated bus outfitted as a shelter for emergency workers and one of local CERT’s main efforts. The bus has been, so far, the group’s Contact Mark Huffman at 732-5907 or most valuable resource, serving as a bit mark@jhnewsandguide.com.

“Being able to do something and feel you’re helping gives you a little control over the situation.”

What’s VOAD? Another rarely seen part of the county’s emergency response is designed not to work during disaster but in dealing with the fallout. VOAD is Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Its work is to help people get through and bounce back from bad situations, especially if they are evacuated or lose their homes. That’s when VOAD would help put food in stomachs and roofs over heads. The group’s backbone is churches in the area: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Redeemer Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole, Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Teton Valley Seventh-Day Adventist Church and Cornerstone Church are members. The churches are backed by a variety of other organizations, like Jackson Elks Lodge No. 1713, the Jackson Cupboard, Rotary Club of Jackson Hole, the Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center and many others. In an emergency, VOAD coordinates its work with that of Teton County Emergency Management and the Bridger-Teton branch of the American Red Cross. Like the Community Emergency Response Team, VOAD is a way that citizens step up to help themselves when demand for aid outruns the normal supply. “The government is not going to fix all of your problems when things go wrong,” said Rich Ochs, the county’s emergency response boss. “It takes local churches, it takes volunteers, it takes people who care about the community and want to help it get back on its feet. “CERT and VOAD are really strong tools after a disaster,” he said. “And they’re not doing it for the publicity, they’re doing it out of concern.”

Linda Aurelio Paul Beaupré, MD Val Beck Bill Best Karen Brennan Sue Critzer Marc Domsky, DO Addie Donnan, Emeritus Chuck Fleischman Bob Grady Ross Hartley Cynthia Hogan Kay Jones

Connie Kemmerer Brett Kroger Ed Liebzeit, Emeritus Katy Niner Leslie Petersen Shirley Piper Bob Pisano Jonathan Scott Ted Staryk Marcia Taylor Mike Tennican Charlie Thomson Marty Trott, MD

The mission of St. John’s Hospital Foundation is to secure philanthropic support to advance the mission and strategic objectives of St. John’s Medical Center, including patient-centered care, clinical excellence, and community wellness. 555 E. Broadway, Ste. 213 | PO Box 428 | Jackson, Wyoming 83001 | 307.739.7512 326240

Thank you for

SAFETY

Thank you for

HOPE

Community Safety Network’s volunteers help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking find safety and hope. Any time of the day or night. Thank you to the many people who help as advocates, colleagues, donors and board members.

24-Hour Help Line: 733-SAFE (7233) Office Line: 733-3711 www.csnjh.org 325979

16 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Election judges unsung heros of polls Volunteers spend hours making it easy for voters to cast their ballots. By Kylie Mohr

n election judge’s day starts at 6 a.m. and keeps going even after the polls close. “Elections and working for Teton County Search and Rescue are the only things that have kept me up for 14 hours at a time,” said Keith Benefiel, long-time Wilson resident and election judge. The duties, which include setting up and breaking down poll sites, greeting, checking in and registering voters and handing out ballots, require dedication and long hours. As such, most are retirees or semiretirees because of the time commitment. “It’s a lot of responsibility to make the numbers match,” said Diane Benefiel, Keith’s wife. “But everybody should be a poll judge because it’s very educational, and it gives you a lot of confidence in the process. It’s like balancing a cash register at the end of the night — there can be no question.” In addition to an hourly rate of $12 and gas reimbursement, volunteers are well fed with casseroles, lasagna and more on Election Day. “We gain five pounds that day,” Keith Benefiel said. Bobbi Thomasma even brings sweets of her own to pass out to voters. “It’s very important to have peanut M&Ms so they can take some after they’ve voted,” Thomasma said. “It’s very important for you to be friendly.” Thomasma, who has lived in Jackson for 40 years, is one of the longestserving election judges in the county.

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Election Judge Gail Magid hands Ed Opler an “I Voted” sticker last August at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse Community Center. The Teton County Clerk hires 50 to 65 election judges every election to assist with Election Day.

“I can’t imagine living here and not contributing to the community,” she said. “Volunteering has really enriched my life — and I don’t like cleaning the house that much.” Sandra Rodeck is a Jackson native who was born in the old St. John’s Medical Center log hospital. She’s part of three generations, including her mother and daughter, who’ve worked as election judges, and said

that played a major role in her becoming an election judge. “I always took my kids with me to vote,” Rodeck said.

Experts on the process Diane Benefiel said that voter fraud, something that’s been discussed at the national level, isn’t something to worry about in Jackson, or anywhere else.

“Working for the polls you understand how hard it would be for anybody to pull a fake ballot, especially in small towns,” she said. For years longtime judges knew all the faces coming in an out of precincts, Benefiel said. “We literally knew 90 percent of the people who walked in the door. We know who is in the cemetery and

See election judges on 17

Making change—on and ooff ff the clock. We’re dedicated to giving back. In 2016 alone, we gave a total of $2,825,098 in volunteer hours and gifts. Giving back —it’s you and together. Find out more at firstinterstate.com fi

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 17

election judges

Thomasma also felt like the process has been “streamlined.”

who is walking around,” she said. “Now it’s a little more difficult to know everyone because there are lots of young faces.” That doesn’t mean there aren’t conspiracy theorists coming to the polls. In years past partitions read “Tote A Vote,” a slogan one voter read as an endorsement of the Tea Party (“Tote A” spaced differently spells “To Tea”). When that came to the surface volunteers and county officials had to cover the words with tape to prevent any further misconceptions. But election judges also have fun at the polls. Volunteers recall notable moments like the “one person who does a cartwheel” after casting a ballot, and one time when a “moose family kept people from voting” because the cow and her two calves decided to take a nap on the handicap ramp.

Why vote?

Continued from 16

Precincts to voting centers Rodeck remembered what it was like to volunteer before voting centers became the norm. She’d recognize everyone in her precinct — “you knew your neighbors.” “It was a little intimidating to go to the regional voting centers at first,” she said. “Because they are far busier and there are lots of people you don’t know. But they train you well, and it’s not a difficult job other than sitting indoors on a nice day for 12 hours. It seemed like it worked better, and it was easier.” Keith Benefiel noticed the process went smoothly in the fall election. “I was afraid that by cutting down the sites from 13 to six it would disenfranchise people, but we had record turnouts,” he said.

political parties Continued from 7

platform limits how nimble local Dems can be when new issues arise. That has elicited some criticism from people who are upset about the new presidential administration. ‘The county party is not taking the lead on resisting the Trump administration,” Propst said. He and Turner both have a bit of politics in their blood. Turner’s dad, of the Triangle X Ranch Turner family, was a Wyoming state senator and served as director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and as a U.S. assistant secretary of state. “I was the one sibling in the family who enjoyed the political side of things,” Tote Turner said. He carried on the family’s GOP heritage, serving as a staffer to U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin, both Wyoming Republicans. He still enjoys the energy of politics, serving with like-minded community, following GOP principles and working for the good of a community he loves. “In Teton County we have core issues

Poll judges agree — Americans should be more involved in the political process. Rodeck called it “an incredible privilege.” “We better use it, or we’ll lose it,” she said. “Be informed and speak up when you can. Citizens in this country need to be a little more serious about their citizenship and pay attention to the privileges we have, why we have them and how we can keep them. If you don’t care for the current choices, do something about it.” “I think it should be a responsibility of citizens to vote,” Diane Benefiel said. The Benefiels said it’s discouraging to see low turnout. But in the past few years they’ve been excited to see younger voters at the polls. “We don’t just want old farts like us voting,” Keith Benefiel said. Thomasma said she hopes young people see voting as “imperative” and that “a man’s vote and a woman’s vote aren’t different — it’s a human vote.” “I can’t imagine not voicing your opinion,” she added. “If these people are very bright and have a lot to say, make sure to say it at the polls.” Keith Benefiel said it gives them hope when people make it to the polls. “You’ll see quadriplegics, people in wheelchairs, people so old they can barely get out of the car,” he said. “What [some] people go through to vote just makes you wonder what’s the matter with everybody else.” Contact Kylie Mohr at 732-7079, schools@jhnewsandguide.com or @ JHNGschools. here locally,” he said. “We want to get people focused and excited on what’s happening here. We don’t focus on Washington, we focus on Teton County.” Propst didn’t follow quite as closely in his father’s footsteps. “I grew up in the rural South,” he said. “My father was city attorney and a state legislator. He was a George Wallace Dixiecrat — we would not agree on things politically.” Being a Democrat in Wyoming has its challenges, he said, from trying to “beat back bad bills that don’t meet Teton County values” to speaking up on particular issues. “With the Democratic party you’re going to make people upset with your positions,” he said. He believes in Democratic values and also believes it’s important to create government that work for those values. The satisfaction is “seeing Teton County work more effectively to protect what people value and grow and to evolve in a way that meets the values of the Democrats in the community,” Propst said.

JULY 21 - JULY 30, 2017

Thank you to the many volunteers that continue to contribute their time and effort to the Teton County Fair. Your hard work is truly appreciated. If you are interested in volunteering at Fair this year, please contact the Fair Office at 733-5289.

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190 CLASSES for 1,618 children 182 CLASSES for 797 adults 228 OUTREACH SESSIONS for 20+ partner organizations 402 ARTISTS exhibiting in art fairs 6 EXHIBITIONS showcasing 134 artists

made possible by

300 VOLUNTEERS Thank you Art Association volunteers for supporting our creative community.

Contact Jennifer Dorsey at 732-5908 or jennifer@jhnewsandguide.com.

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Volunteers are the key to literacy at TLC. We are grateful for your time and dedication.

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Aaron Scher Alex Dawson Ali Dunford Amy Staehr Andie Kelly Andy Carson Ann Carruth Anna Zabrizkie Anne Shea Anne Stalker Antonina Profatilova Armando Leon Montiel Arthur Corontzes

Barb Zelazo Bella Morris Bill Best Bill Hoglund Bill Maloney Blakeney Spong Bob Wemple Bob Zelnio Carol Maloney Caroline Berner Cathie Burkland Chris Perkins

Christine Palka Cindy Daly Cindy Knight Connor Traver Cristine Wehner Dabney West Davis Whitehead Debbie Schlinger Diane Winder Emma Caulkins Erin Minuth Evie Lewis George Moran Grace Cosgrove Haydn Peery

THANK YOU!

J.D. Slattery Julia Kirby Jack Van Holland Juliet Born James Mathieu Kate Lucas Jane Kusek Kate Wienner Jen McKnaughton Kathleen Doffermyre Jerry Kitchen Kathy Cottom Jim Thorburn Katie Mannen Jimena Cuellar Flores Kevin Grange Joan Harris Kris Gridley Joannie Epstein Lisa Carpenter Joe Burke Madison Ewing John Coakley Marguerite Moran John Lummis Marnie Paulus Jon Scott Marva Duke Joyce Butcher Matt Rodosky

Michael Sillman Mike Lutz Mike Wierda Nancy Carson Nathan Watson Nesly Corona Noah Barnhart Patrick Trucco Patti Rocha Paul Hansen Peter French Petria Fossel Rachel Coppola Randy Reedy

For volunteer opportunities, please contact krista@tetonliteracy.org or call 307-733-9242

Rhonda Watson Robin Fields Robin Moyer Robin Reedy Rose Novak Samantha Espinoza Scott Fossel Stephanie Ivie Stephanie Sanchez

Sue Hebberger Tait Bjornsen Teresa Griswold Tony Paulus Trevor Watson Tyler Harlow Wren Buchenroth Yancy Garcia Zoe Curran

18 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Hundreds lend a hand in governance Town, county get help from more than two dozen volunteer boards. By Richard Anderson

t takes a village to run an entire village. You’ve got your chiefs, your honchos, your big cheeses — elected officials, that is, most of whom in Teton County are paid something for their work. But then there comes a host of other boards and bodies that oversee departments and agencies and interests: the Teton County Planning Commission, for example, or the Teton County Library Board, Jackson Hole Airport Board, Weed and Pest, Travel and Tourism, Health, Parks and Rec, Solid Waste and on and on. Some meet only once a quarter, most meet at least once a month, but between those meetings there are documents to review, phone calls to make, subcommittee work to accomplish. Depending on the board and whether one is involved in a big project, these appointed volunteers spend anywhere from 10 hours a month on up to near full-time jobs. “They are absolutely critical to the town and county fulfilling our various missions,” said Bob McLaurin, Jackson town manager. Even he admits to not knowing exactly how many there are — “I’ve honestly never counted them” — but between the town, the county and joint powers boards there are over two dozen. “There’s a wide variety of boards in terms of how much interaction they have with elected officials,” he said. “The airport is largely autonomous — members are appointed by commissioners and council, but they have their own revenues. “Then a group like the Design Review Committee or the Planning Commission have more interactions with electeds,” McLaurin said. “Those guys are the unsung heroes. They put hundreds and hundreds of hours cranking though the [2012 Comprehensive Plan] and getting the document ready for action.” Even though these are volunteer positions, most of them demand — or at least benefit from — professional and technical experience. The Teton District Board of Health, for example, has two doctors, a dentist and a veterinarian among its seven members, along with Ingrid Krasnow, who holds a Master of Public Health. Katherine Wonson, the sitting chairwoman of the

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

The Teton County Fair Board is responsible for organizing and hosting the summer fair, which includes the Miss Teton County Fair and Rodeo Royalty pageant. Volunteers like fair board members log hundreds of hours to help run local government.

Teton County Historic Preservation Board, is a historic preservationist by training and worked a stint in Grand Teton National Park inventorying its historic structures. “We are there to protect and enable preservation,” she said of the board. “We don’t directly get involved in private property, but we empower people. … We’re here to try to give a voice to the historic resources in the county and to protect them for future generations.” Giving a “voice to the historic resources of the county” means showing up at a lot of meetings and speaking with a lot of people. “We have meetings between the meetings,” Wonson said. “And during meetings we develop action items. We usually have five or six tasks. A lot of it is contact-

ing people, to make connections — ‘Let’s talk to the Housing Authority and see if they have interest in moving this historic building to a site.’” Public hearings, meetings with planning commissioners, sit-downs with stakeholders who may be contemplating redevelopment of a property that has some historic significance — it all adds up. Wonson said 10 to 20 hours a month is probably the norm. Carol Peck is in the middle of her second three-year term on the Teton County Library Board. “It’s wonderful to be on a board of an organization that’s so loved,” she said. “I have two daughters — one graduated from Jackson Hole High School and the other is in high school — and when you raise kids here See boards on 19

IN 2016...

“VOLUNTEERS DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE TIME; THEY JUST HAVE THE HEART.”

Total Hours Trained:

7,650

Total Hazard Calls:

1,620

These names represent the men and women who give up time with family and friends to volunteer for their community.

THANK YOU! TOWN OF JACKSON STATION 1 Lt. Greg Choolijan Lt. Nate Levinson Lt. Daniel Long Zach Berlin Andrew Byron Teresa deGroh Lori Ann Donellan Jim Fifle

Nick Furlong Alton George Matt Goewert Tyler Harlow Frank Lane Jenn McGrath Carl Pelletier Kevin Rauch-Lynch

Leo Sanchez Connor Quinn Kevin Spence Pete Wilson Meaghan Wheeler Sam Zuckerman

TOWN OF WILSON STATION 2 Ian Cranston Timothy Harland Dean Jarvie

Heath Kuszak Cody McInnes Chris Mommsen

Steve Poole Hunter Verde

HOBACK JUNCTION STATION 3 Capt. Todd Fitzgerald Capt. Mike Trumbower Lt. Chris Betsinger Lt. Bernhard Sieber

Chance Abel David Cernicek Jacob Henrie Jack Hutcheson

Janet Palermo Lisa Potzernitz Forrest Sandberg Eric Schneider

MORAN STATION 4 Capt. Mack McFarland Lt. Phillip Lamoureux Lt. Camden Pruess Ryan Bock

Andy Johnson Brian McDaniel Jon Moul Giovanni Tabacchi

James Warren Scott Williams

TETON PINES/WILSON STATION 6 Jinmo Kim Remy Levy

Brenda Sherwin Nathan Mintz

Kelly Stirn

ADAMS CANYON STATION 7 BC4 Jim Tucker Capt. Rob Dearing Capt. Mike Mayer Lt. Clay Geittmann Lt. James Little Brad Larson Ben Mateosky

Chris Schweitzer Matthew Somers Maggie Stewart Mike Sullivan Cassandra Whelihan

Personal Sacrifice for the Good of the Whole

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VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - 19

boards

Continued from 18

you realize how wonderful the community is and how generous it is. So it’s a way to give some time back to the community.” The library board, Peck said, has two essential functions: directing the director, Valerie Maginnis, and making sure the institution is financially sound. Which is a big reason the library has a public board in the first place. “It is using taxpayer dollars,” she said, “so gives it that layer of oversight, as set by state statute.” The Historic Preservation and Library boards are county boards. Another kind of board is a joint powers board, which is overseen by both the town and the county. “Joint powers boards are a little unique,” said Phillip Cameron, who sits on the Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Board and also is executive director of Energy Conservation Works. “Some boards function as an advisory board,” he said. “Energy Conservation Works is more than that. We have nine directors who direct staff, such as myself. They help identify the goals and objectives of the organization ... help to develop and implement the budget, serve on committees, support and direct staff, as well as make recommendations to the elected board, both town and county, particularly as it relates to projects.” Energy Conservation Works submits

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

A snow biker cruises along the Tribal Trails pathway last January. The nine-member Pathway Task Force provides advice to town and county officials on pathways, such as how the pathways should be maintained in the winter.

its budget annually to town and the county for approval, he said, “but day to day, month to month … governance is independent of town and county.” Throughout the year the town and county advertise for seats coming up for reappointment or for seats that have been vacated. Just about anyone can apply to join. The process basically involves a letter and an interview. “They just try to get a sense of who you are, why you’re interested,” Peck said. “They follow up on the info in your application. It took maybe 15 minutes.” People often get involved with vol-

unteer boards only to become more and more interested in government. Some go on to serve on the Town Council or Teton County Board of County Commissioners or even higher offices. “There are thousands and tens of thousands of volunteer hours that go into all those boards,” McLaurin said. That’s not even getting into special districts, like fire districts or water districts, microgovernments that are authorized to levy a tax within certain jurisdictions to pay for sewer service, for example. There are about 40 of those in Teton County, each with its own board

of directors. And then there are homeowner associations, neighbors who get together to approve how monthly dues are spent, to make sure snow gets plowed and trash gets picked up, and try to smooth over disputes. They, too, also have volunteer officers. “One indicator of a community’s health is its level of volunteerism,” McLaurin said. “I think that the fact that we have so many volunteers speaks well to the health of our community.” Contact Richard Anderson at 7327078 or rich@jhnewsandguide.com.

Many boards offer many opportunities to serve your neighbors Administrative Museum Board Alta Solid Waste Disposal District Board of Examiners Townn of Jackson Design Review Committee Energy Conservation Works Teton County Fair Board Teton County Historic Preservation Board Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling Advisory Board Jackson Hole Airport Board

Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board Jackson/Teton County Housing Authority Jackson/Teton County Housing Supply Advisory Board Natural Resources Technical Advisory Board Pathways Task Force Public Art Task Force START Bus Board Teton County Building Appeals Board Teton County Community Juvenile Services Board

Teton County Library Board Teton County Planning Commission Teton County/Jackson Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Teton District Board of Health Town Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment Teton County Weed and Pest District Wyoming Public Lands Initiative Advisory Board ...and more

Volunteer Program Program 2015 Volunteer 2015 2015 Volunteer Program

121 121 121 volunteers volunteers volunteers

st. John’s Medical Center thanks our dedicated volunteers! 2015 Volunteer Program

121 volunteers 4/1/16 – 3/31/17

3,200 19,300 3,200 19,300 3,200 19,300 hours served patients served hours served patients served hours served

patients served

3,200 19,300

We are also grateful to all those who generously give their time by serving on the St. John’s Medical Center Board of Trustees and the St. John’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. auxiLiary Nancy Adams Sandra Audyova-Keatley Amrita Banerjee Judy Basye Laurie Bay Donna Beaupré Jaclyn Braddy Doris Budge Barbara Butterfield Sue Bybee Donna Clark Emily Cooper Marcia Craighead Linda Criswell Sue Critzer Lisa Delaney Addie Donnan Petria Fossel Valerie Goettler Sarah Graham Elizabeth Hale Connie Hansen Diane Hanson Stephanie Harper Kimberly Hetrick Margaret Hochheiser Kristen Irvine Shay James Diana Joy

Becky Kimmel Kathy Kjellgren Patty Krause Michelle Kren Jackie Larson Maralyn Larson Mary Ann Lawroski Mary Lohuis Julie Matzke Lee Naylon Joan Palmer Mary Ponce Holly Richert Susan Riesch Linda Rode Vicki Rosenberg Lisa Rullman Sue Salzmann Regina Schultz Amy Wilson Scott Linda Scott Laurie Squillaci Joni Upsher Jean Webber Nancy Wilbrecht Mary Willis Cindy Winslow Janet Wood Betty Zernik

625 E. Broadway, Jackson, WY

hours served patients served Marlise Combe Patty Pappas-Staley Ben Nardi Marge Glick Living Center Kristi Nielson Zoe Curran Sue Perkins Patty Hartnett Janet Anderson Hours served in: Hours served in: Hours served in: Hours served in: Mallory Harrower Stuart Palmer Debbie Phillips Denise Joy Lynn Apel • Oncology • Spiritual Care • Oncology • Spiritual Care • Rein Oncology • Pascal Spiritual Care • Front Desk • Living Center Kusek • Oncology • Spiritual Care Pastor Ben Denise Joy Ellen Jane Tisch Brown • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events • Front Desk • Living Center Kelsea Love Center Sue & Newspaper Service • Hospice • Sanford Front Desk Living Center Ellen Dave Mills • Perkins Front• Desk Michael• Cart Burke • Living • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events Jim• Radda Julie Becky Schell Jilly Warner Doris Bystrom • Pet Partners • Education & Special Events Pet Partners • Matzke Education & Special Events Newspaper Service • Hospice Jueliet Menolascino Katie Robertson Schneebeck Henry Williams • Cart & Carol Bette Caesar • Cart & Newspaper Service Hospice Service • Hospice • Cart •& Newspaper Louisa Sandvig Regan Meyring Rebecca Studer René Woodmencey Carol Connors Sam Miller Ed Schmitt Jane Sullivan Ben Zacks Elizabeth Drapela Jenny Stearns Judith Schmitt Hamish Tear Debbie Geckeler De Schoonover Izzy Trott Rick Walls MeaLs with Sue Hall Madeline Webb Mary Carol Staiger Barbara Zelazo a MissiOn Diane Hanson Cathy Ward Josie Welfl Liz Lockhhart Kimberly Hetrick Chuck Webber spirituaL Care Jen Love Yvonne Henze Other serviCes Deedee Breason Pat Patrini Pam Hill (Joint replacement, pet partners Verena Cushman Sue Riesch Earleen Horn Dinner with a Doc, Lisbeth Beise & Godiva Carolyn Daily Christy Sing Barb Huhn health fair, front Desk, Andrew Byron & Hoback Will Davenport Meggan Stordahl Marilee Jaquith Music, newspaper Carolyn Daily & Sam David Dominik Joni Upsher Lisa Jennings Tessa Enright & Dexter Delivery, administrative) Annette Eastman Polly Weaver Jackie Larson Travis Brant Suzie Kirvinskee & Zeta Elisabeth Evarts Nancy Wilbrecht Maralyn Larson Nina Lenz & George Devin Corey Debbie Geckeler Chelcie Yonke Marlene Lang Robin McGee & Roxy Jackie Crawford Alice Grant Robin MacLeod Karla Pendexter & Rufus Vickie Giles Leslye Hardie hOspiCe Susan McCracken Anika Holmquist Amy Rojo & Tiki/Finn Bill Hill Mickey Babcock Mycah Miller Pam Sather & Ozzie John Huff John Hisey Matthew Bart Sylvia Raumaker Olga Johnson Amanda Soliday & Otis Sarah Kerr Bette Caesar Sally Ruosch Bayless Sword & Hoback Dedre Mills Suzie Kirvinskee Steve Duerr Sean Russer Ellen Wilson & Tracy Dave Mills Jackie Larson Robin Gallivan Carol Schwender Hadyn Peery Maralyn Larson Elizabeth Gerhard Craig Schwender wheeLin’ fOr heaLin’ Jamie Pruess Christie Laughery Christine Goodman Nikki Thompson vOLunteens Mike Sillman Kate Lucas Margaret Harris Ilene Zwerin Dylan Anderson Dillon Smith Elizabeth Masek Denise Joy Brianne Beale Casey Stout Trent Moore Linda Judge OnCOLOgy George Moran Dedre Mills Donna Clark Marguerite Moran Sue Morgan Becky Frisbie

Please let us know about any errors or omissions. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 739 7541. 307 739 7541

tetonhospital.org/volunteers

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20 - VALLEY VOLUNTEERS, Jackson Hole News&Guide, Wednesday, April 12, 2017

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY RUN

VOLUNTEERJH.ORG Without the 1900 hours contributed by volunteers, Old Bill’s could not run.

THANK YOU OLD BILL’S VOLUNTEERS! Post your nonprofit’s volunteer needs and find volunteer opportunities on VolunteerJH.org. Volunteer for Old Bill’s 2017 this summer via VolunteerJH.org or by contacting Annie Riddell ariddell@cfjacksonhole.org

www.cfjacksonhole.org • www.volunteerjh.org • www.oldbills.org 326462