Wyoming is embracing, learning about, and focusing on mental health.
Learn more about what the state government and a variety of organizations and individuals are doing to address this important issue on page 14.
WOLTMAN
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This popular adage is often used in conversation or in a story when someone is about to do something foolish or risky. If they heed this advice, it means they did not commit to “one basket,” but instead hedged their bets with multiple options.
This strategy is how I describe Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives’ common-sense approach to the current energy transition. It is hard to ignore that the attitudes of cooperative member-owners across the state and the country are changing when it comes to this energy transition. Which means different things to different people. It could mean adopting more renewable energy into the generation mix, or bringing technology to bear that could allow the continued use of baseload generation (coal, natural gas, nuclear).
One attitude that hasn’t changed since the dawn of electricity is that people expect the lights to come on when they flip the switch. Whether that switch is to your dining room or a large industrial facility, reliability of the electric system is paramount to our state and our nation’s prosperity.
Nationally, there is increasing reliance on renewable energy sources while at the same time, we’re seeing fossil fuel plants taken off-line, often ahead of schedule. Additionally, we’re seeing more pressure on the electric grid due to severe weather events and rising electricity demand.
So how do we reconcile these challenges of grid pressure and a
changing fuel mix? If we, the cooperatives, truly support an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy then we have to, at the very least, accept that renewables will play a role, but they are limited resources because the sun does not always shine, and the wind does not always blow. Your rural electric cooperative’s primary responsibility is to provide electricity 24/7 to you and our community. To do this, we need reliable sources of power that will meet all the peaks and valleys of on-demand energy in our connected world.
That’s why we spread our eggs into multiple baskets. There is great value in maintaining a diverse mix of fuel sources – fossil fuels and renewables – to ensure reliability and resiliency and meet the growing demand for electricity.
Reliability also means repairing and replacing utility equipment to prevent wear-and-tear, ensuring our equipment can withstand severe weather, as well as cyber-attacks or other types of attacks to the grid. Your rural electric cooperative is laser-focused on providing you, the member-owners, with reliable, affordable energy. That’s why fuel diversity – or placing our eggs in multiple baskets – is essential to reliability.
SHAWN TAYLOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
January 2023 and we had been snowed in for days. But we were going on a trip to Southern Utah and finally had to get out. There was no way to drive out so we walked out - on top of the crusted snow.
LYNN KIRKBRIDE CHUGWATER, WYOMING
THE WREN MAGAZINE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS
The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association
The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 69, number 2, March 2023 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $22 per year by Linden Press, Inc., Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices.
WREN Magazine is owned and controlled by rural electric cooperatives in the interest of the economic progress of rural areas specifically and the entire population of Wyoming and the nation generally. WREN Magazine has a total average monthly paid circulation of 41,346 for 11 months ending September 2022.
WREN Magazine is delivered to rural electric member/ consumers and other subscribers throughout the entire state of Wyoming and the nation.
Acceptance of advertising by WREN Magazine does not imply endorsement of the product or services advertised by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives.
WREN STAFF
Publisher: Linden Press, Inc.
— Editorial Team — Maggie York
Alison Quinn
— Design Team — Dixie Lira
David Merkley
Shawna Phillips
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
High West Energy, Pine Bluffs –Michael Lerwick, President Big Horn REC, Basin –John Joyce, Vice President
Wheatland REA, Wheatland –Sandra Hranchak, Secretary/Treasurer
Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker
Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry
Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith
High Plains Power, Riverton – Brett Gardner
Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Scott Anderson
Niobrara Electric, Lusk – J.D. Wasserburger
Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Wyrulec Company, Torrington – Dewey Hageman
Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Julie Kilty
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At Basic Electric, we understand that life doesn’t stop when the going gets tough. No matter the season or storm our members face, reliable and affordable electricity for our members’ homes, schools, and businesses is our mission. We’ll do everything we can to keep fans running, the lights on, and the coffee brewing.
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THE 82ND WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 22 AND 23 WAS CANCELED DUE TO A SNOWSTORM THAT BROUGHT WIDESPREAD SNOW AND FRIGID TEMPERATURES FEBRUARY 20-23.
According to the National Weather Service, most of the snow fell February 21-22, initially in northeastern Wyoming. Several other legislative receptions and meetings were canceled during this week to avoid travel in these conditions.
The WREA quickly moved to holding an abbreviated meeting online via Zoom to hold their business meeting. The board heard reports from Board President Michael Lerwick from High West Energy, Secretary/Treasurer Sandra Hranchak from Wheatland REA and Executive Director Shawn Taylor.
The WREA will plan to host an in-person meeting in the summer or fall for the annual meeting, which will feature the speakers that were set to attend the February annual meeting. Mike Easley from Powder River Energy Corporation will also be recognized for the Craig Thomas Award at this time.
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Gene Gagliano of Buffalo, Wyoming has many titles, including Wyoming Poet Laureate, a position he was appointed to in 2016 by Governor Mead, and one he was asked to continue in by Governor Gordon.
In this role, Gene makes a point to connect with kids about reading and writing; to get them interested in reading and writing and to make it fun for them. He has visited 184 schools – so far. One of Gene’s goals as Wyoming’s Poet Laureate is to visit as many one-room schoolhouses as he can. He used to teach in a one-room schoolhouse himself, in Kearny, and Gene recognizes the great impact teachers have on their kids.
In 7th grade, Gene wrote a two-stanza poem about flowers and one of his teachers had it published in the school newspaper. That was the first time Gene thought to himself, “Whoa, I’m a writer!” In high school, another teacher caught Gene writing instead of paying attention. She told him to see her after class … she wanted to get Gene’s poem published in the National High School Anthology. From there, he published in several National High School Anthologies and did same in college. Now, Gene has an extensive list of children’s books, novels and books of poetry.
“It’s because of my teachers that I continued to do well academically,” Gene
said. And it was two high school English teachers that “kept me going” with poetry. Something Gene makes a point to tell the kids he meets is that, “I’m human, just like you. I have good days and bad days. I laugh and I cry. I work and I play.” He wants kids to know that they can be writers, too – or anything, really – with persistence, practice and patience.
When he gives presentations to adults, as he does at the Wyoming Legislature each year, Gene has three goals for his audience, to “make them think, laugh, and make them appreciate what’s around them.” Gene said it’s not infrequent that his poetry will touch a nerve and bring out some tears. “And that’s ok. You want them to get in tune with their emotions,” he said. “And I always leave them laughing.”
Poetry isn’t always rhyming. Poetry is significant because it’s an expression of the human condition. Through poetry, people can learn about others and about themselves, so it’s important for Gene to write in a way that people can relate to. His poetry is storytelling, a presentation of emotions and small snippets of life that, upon reading, help make people aware of what’s around them.
“I love what I do,” Gene said. “I just feel blessed that I’m able to get out there and share my writing.”
“I love what I do. I just feel blessed that I’m able to get out there and share my writing.”
Gene thinks the “most important” books he’s written as Wyoming’s Poet Laureate have been “A Wyoming State of Mind” and “More than Four Seasons.” “A Wyoming State of Mind” is full of beautiful photographs that accompany his verse –many that Gene captured himself; the collection is dedicated to Governor Gordon. Powder River Publishing, publishers of “More than Four Seasons,” call this collection, which also includes photographs, “a journey of the heart … prepare to see the everyday in a new light.”
His new children’s book, which Gene illustrated in collage, is going to press this month. Called “My Veggie Friends,” it is also being produced by Powder River Publishing.
And about that pickle costume: One of Gene’s children’s books, “What Did You Say?” helps explain idioms in the English language with fun illustrations and, in the case of being “in a pickle,” with costumes.
And the dancing on the desk? Well, sometimes on a Wyoming winter day you just need to liven up the room a little bit. Right, Mr. G?
Look
For decades, stigma surrounded mental and behavioral health issues. Although such attitudes still exist, last year’s Mental Health Summit hosted by Governor Mark Gordon increased awareness about the need to focus on the topic and to provide solutions and resources.
Mental health has been a priority for the governor,” said Jen Davis, Governor Gordon’s senior policy advisor for Health & Human Services. “Since the last summit we put up a website … [which] has a variety of different resources. We’ve been hosting an educational webinar series every Monday at lunch [on] a variety of different topics. We also have recordings of any that have been done so far.”
There are several reasons this topic is important to the governor, Davis said, including the fact that, according to 2020 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control Wyoming ranked highest in the nation for suicides per capita, with 30.5 per 100,000 people. In 2021, the Wyoming Department of Health noted suicide was the seventh leading cause of death in the state and the second leading cause of death for Wyomingites ages 10 to 44.
“It’s really important to the governor that we figure out ways to better support our communities and better support individuals who are struggling with mental health issues, identifying it earlier to ensure that we are really helping people,” Davis said.
“We recognize mental health as part of our whole being, that our well-being is not just our physical health but it’s also our mental health, and so it’s really important that we get that message out to the public; for them to understand and break that stigma that mental health is something we shouldn’t talk about when, in fact, it really is just part of our overall health and well-being.”
The state legislature considered measures relating to mental health during this year’s session, including funding the new 988 suicide prevention hotline, ensuring insurance providers cover the cost of telehealth, and developing an interstate compact for licensed professional counselors to improve public access to such services.
“We have a difficult time with enough providers, both physical health and mental health, so telehealth has become a really important lever for us to use in Wyoming,” Davis said.
Students across the country have stepped forward to help their friends and classmates. They are called Hope Squads, and they make direct, supportive connections with their peers. In many Campbell County schools, they make huge impacts by providing a listening ear and leaving encouraging notes.
“It’s a huge benefit because kids don’t want to talk to an adult about their feelings – they don’t think adults don’t understand what they’re going through,” said Ashley McRea, Campbell County Prevention Specialist who works with the schools’ Hope Squad program. “It’s peer-selected, so the kids feel like it’s a safe person to talk to.”
Those conversations can be about substance abuse, mental health and thoughts of suicide, or anything that’s “a huge thing” for kids, from broken relationships to vaping.
“Having another peer to go to who understands and gets where they’re at and who has training to connect them to resources and help is huge,” McRea said. “We haven’t had a school aged youth suicide since 2018. Our referrals are still high – the mental health problem isn’t going away – they’re just getting to those other resources before it becomes a suicide issue or an overdose issue.”
McRea also works with law enforcement in Campbell County through Crisis Intervention Team (CIT). Training includes de-escalation, de-escalation specifically for people with Asperger’s Syndrome and other mental health conditions, and trainings within the community on programs such as providing medication lock boxes and hosting an annual prevention summit. The Powder River Energy Corporation Foundation donated funds to the summit last year, and the 2023 summit is scheduled for September. Governor Gordon has been invited to speak, McRea said.
hope squads make direct, supportive connections with their peers
After several suicides in northeastern Wyoming, including a friend of her daughter’s, Zeta Anderson decided she needed to help tackle suicide prevention.
“This was something I knew almost nothing about and I wanted to learn. The QPR training for suicide prevention is something I highly recommend everyone take. It debunks so many myths about suicide. Knowing the questions to ask is something every single person can learn to do, it isn’t just for professionals.”
Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) consists of three life-saving skills and training is available in every county in Wyoming. It is an invaluable resource of information to make this subject less taboo by teaching warning signs, learning what resources are available, and showing how asking a
question can save a life. Research shows that once a person has been asked if they are thinking of suicide they feel relief, not distress.
As secretary-treasurer for PRECorp Foundation and a suicide prevention trainer, Anderson supports the Foundation’s funding of projects related to mental health, including last year’s Northeast Wyoming Suicide Prevention Summit. The Foundation focuses on youth, veterans and seniors.
“Those groups tend to be highest for suicide,” she said. “I think our board understands we are there to give hope in lots of different areas, and that message of hope is the bedrock of what we want to do on the Foundation. That’s also the bedrock of suicide awareness – the message of hope.”
Dr. Art Merrell, a semi-retired psychiatrist in Cheyenne, agreed that hope is very important.
“Someone who is at high suicide risk has generally lost hope; if they can develop a connection to another person or a therapist, that will provide an important relationship that decreases their suicide risk,” he said.
Substance abuse and mental health often go in tandem, and both of those problems still carry considerable stigma, Dr. Merrell said.
“People just don’t want to talk about mental illness or substance use, but it’s a sign of strength to get help for those problems,” Dr. Merrell said.
“It’s not weak to seek counseling.”
He and his wife, Carol, served as honorary chairs for Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s annual Denim & Diamonds gala last year, which raised money for behavioral and mental health resources.
“This is a statewide issue that we need to bring more focus upon, especially for our youth,” said Carol, who serves on the CRMC Foundation Board.
“It’s extremely important to have our governor’s support, as well as the Legislature’s as they are responsible for appropriating the funds that will help develop these programs.”
“I think the governor’s attention to this problem is extremely important because it helps to reduce the stigma and gives support for people getting the help they need,” Dr. Merrell added.
Other state organizations offer programs for those who interact with children and youth, including childcare workers, college faculty and staff, and families.
Wyoming Kids First developed training sessions to help parents and early childhood educators, said executive director Stephanie Rino. Many of these are offered through the University of Wyoming ECHO program, which uses video teleconferencing so people in rural areas can learn from experts about subjects that can help them on the job or at home. Other workshops assist healthcare providers and early childhood educators on topics such as Trauma Informed Care, Suicide Prevention, Parental Resilience, and The Protective Factors Framework.
Research shows that once a person has been asked if they are thinking of suicide they feel relief, not distress
Funds for programs for early childhood educators regarding trauma-informed practices and resiliency came from a federal preschool development grant, Rino said. The trainings are based on studies from two distinguished researchers, Julie Kurtz and Julie Nicholson, who are involved in the trainings.
“We really want to build trauma-informed and resilient communities and safe places for children,” Rino said.
Another organization with a mission to help children and families also seeks to help in the area of mental health. Becca Steinhoff, executive director and chief operating officer with the Ellbogen Foundation, participated in the governor’s summit last year.
“Our vision is to empower the people of Wyoming to lead healthy lives and to create thriving communities,” she said. “One of the things the board is really proud of is their ability to understand what’s happening across the state and how they can be a part of solutions to that set of needs. We think about both physical and mental health as part of that multifaceted approach to well-being, so we really want to give consideration to what’s happening in that health space, both for youth and adults.”
That includes working with organizations and individuals “who are spending time caring for and educating children and youth,” and those “who are helping create conditions where we want our children and our youth to thrive,” Steinhoff said.
Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne has implemented a program known as REACH, developed through a partnership with Ohio State University, across campus, said Aurie Garcia Munter, MA, LPC, Coordinator, Counseling & Campus Wellness. Through REACH, faculty and staff become certified suicide prevention trainers. The 18 who took part in the initial training can now train others.
“The whole program is really designed around suicide prevention as a shared campus responsibility –everybody is responsible for suicide prevention no matter where you work on campus or if you’re a student,” she said.
Future session priorities include custodians, dining service workers, residence hall advisors and athletic coaches and trainers.
“We’re excited to help people help students get help,” she said. “And in that, create a campus culture of care where everybody feels comfortable asking for help and reducing that stigma of mental health.”
Our vision is to empower the people of Wyoming to lead healthy lives and to create thriving communities
Erin Taylor, a mindfulness coach based in Cheyenne, created a group on Facebook called WY Mindful Mindset. The goal is to share mindfulness practices and learn how to integrate them into our everyday lives.
“A lot of people are isolated, whether it was pandemic-driven or not,” Taylor said. “I try and share mindfulness practices and resources. We’ve even done book clubs.”
Having others with whom to engage helps people feel less alone, she added.
“My goal is to make the conversation of mindfulness become an everyday conversation. It’s just how are you showing up, how are you being present, and what kind of tools can you utilize to help you show up in a better space?”
Between governing bodies, nonprofits, colleges and
other public entities, private foundations, companies and individuals, bringing mental health issues to the forefront of daily living reduces the stigma and stimulates hope.
“I think if parents or community members can really drive home that, even though a problem seems small to us as adults, it’s huge and it’s everything to our youth,” McRea said. “Even if they don’t have the tools or the resources to help that person, they can promote the 988 number. It’s confidential, and it will get them the resources they need. 988 is an excellent tool, even for substance use. The people on the other end live in Wyoming, and they can help direct you to resources.”
“I think we are starting to change the culture,” Taylor said. “This issue is on all of us to do something about, and I’m glad to see there’s some momentum behind it.” W
My goal is to make the conversation of mindfulness become an everyday conversation
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Tri-State is a not-for-profit power supplier to cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, when paired with proper insulation, an electric heat pump can save over 30 percent on your heating and cooling bills compared to conventional HVAC systems. Here are some advantages of a heat pump:
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Springtime is near, and with spring each year come bundles of mini creatures – like baby birds! With so many different types of birds in the world, of course they won’t all look the same. But there’s a certain characteristic that obviously sets hatchlings (newborn baby birds) apart: whether they are fluffy and feathered or nearly naked. And it turns out, this distinction means more about a baby bird’s development than just how they look.
When birds hatch from eggs, some exit their eggshells covered in feathers and capable of walking on their own. When other birds hatch, they leave their eggshells without many feathers and unable to see, fly or walk. Scientists apply terms that help other scientists understand both conditions at hatching. When a baby bird is feathered, can move and is prepared to leave the nest almost immediately, it is called precocial. When a baby bird lacks most feathers, cannot move well and is mostly defenseless, it is called altricial.
There are some exceptions to the PREpared or ALL-needing rule: some birds of prey and owls are born with a coat of down (a layer of fine feathers), but they are still completely dependent on their parents for food and warmth.
In this image, we see a PREpared Common Merganser ready to adventure out into the world. We also see a Black-capped Chickadee that needs ALL protections and food provided by adult birds.
Now, let’s think about ourselves and other humans! We were born PREpared or ALL-needing? Are we precocial or altricial?
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Istarted thinking about summiting peaks and building base camps to adjust to the new altitude, and as I explored that term, literally and metaphorically, I found curious parallels to life in our vertically blessed Wyoming. The changes inside and out are undeniable.
Baking, botany and biology are just a few of the things affected by high altitude. The air’s chemistry at higher altitudes is different and impacts both animate and inanimate objects; water even boils at a lower temperature. Whenever I buy products in a squeeze bottle and have it shipped, the liquids are always bursting to get out of the pressurized container and into the wide-open Wyoming air. An angel food cake in Laramie? Now that is ambitious. The University of Wyoming Extension
office has a dynamite reference, free of charge, for all your baking needs. Their advice is specific, technical, and highlights the chemical reactions:
In general, to reinforce cell walls, decrease sugar and fat (the tenderizers) and increase eggs and flour (the strengtheners). Reducing leavening agents (baking powder, baking soda, etc.) can relieve pressure within the cells.
But it is not just living yeast that requires adaptation. Animals of all kinds are a little different in Wyoming. Fish at high altitudes have a lower metabolic rate and trend toward smaller body sizes and lower varieties of species. And while the birds that soar through the wind at high altitudes might not notice the elevation difference, ask any rancher about brisket disease
and they will tell you that their cattle certainly do mind.
Plants are attuned to the altitude, too. I cannot help but feel a little jealous when my friends in the Midwest plant saplings in their yard and by the next time I visit, usually just a couple of years later, big maple trees shade the house from the street. Those trees would take a decade in my yard. It is not the sun— in fact, Wyoming gets more sunny days than most places in the United States. And those sunny days feel even warmer and more intense at over 8,000 feet, when I go skiing in the mountains. But temperature decreases with elevation gain. This affects the growing season, because photosynthesis, the process where plants create their own energy by turning carbon dioxide and water into glucose for the plant to
My word of the year is acclimatization: a metaphor for a new boss, a new baby and a new normal for me and my family as we figure it all out.
grow, cannot happen below a certain temperature. Hence, shorter growing seasons. And one hay cutting per year for ranchers at higher elevations.
Plants outside of yards, fields and gardens grow differently in Wyoming, too. The impact of snowpack in the mountains both helps and hinders growth: the blanket of snow provides insulation from cold temps and dry, freezing winds, and slow melting provides water and irrigation to vegetation, but the frozen ground makes it difficult for plants to absorb the water via its root system. The wind blows harder at higher altitudes because it does not have drag from the friction of lower ground surface. High country plants get hit with wind and grit, which not only break off branches but also increase evaporation, adding a lack of water to high-altitude plant stressors. The one-sided trees at high alpine elevations are the result of these pummeling effects.
But it is not all unwelcome news for us. For all we lack in our growing seasons and comfortable hospitality
up here in Wyoming, we make up for in hardiness: high-altitude vegetation can manufacture the magical photosynthesis process at colder temperatures than their low-altitude counterparts. And plants are not the only thing that are hardier at high elevations, though it might not seem that way at first.
output from the kidneys. The effects of these changes can last up to 120 days, the life cycle of a red blood cell. Some research suggests our bodies even remember the physiological adaptations and our bodies adapt more quickly the next time we return to higher altitudes.
I went to undergraduate school in New Orleans and when I came home to visit, I would sleep for the first day or so, at least. You all know the symptoms from when visitors come—altitude sickness. There are physiological changes that take place almost immediately: breathing, heart rates and urination increase, and impaired digestion. Some effects take longer to be established in our system, including increased concentration of hemoglobin in blood, greater muscle to blood exchange, and more bicarbonate
While plants and animals have been evolving for centuries, acclimatization takes about four days for our bodies to make the short-term adjustments and 11.4 days for every kilometer in elevation for increased red blood cell production to reach a plateau. The highest point in Wyoming, Gannett Peak (13,000 feet), would require 45.6 days for full “hematological adaptation.” But how do we measure the metaphorical ascent in our lives? I have no doubt that I am hardier given the new heights of the past few years—the pandemic, the addition of new arrivals, moves, weddings and so much more—but here is what I know about the effects of the new elevation on me: my heart is 10 times bigger. W
Originally from Laramie, Gina Lutterman Sigel draws inspiration from five generations of agriculture to tell the stories of rural living.
For all we lack in our growing seasons and comfortable hospitality up here in Wyoming, we make up for in hardiness.
“I wanted to be a cowboy from the day I was born,” Richard “Dick” Hamilton said, explaining his passion for ranching. “I had an old rocking horse, just a wooden one. That horse got broke 2 million times and gathered 20 million longhorns.”
On his 10th birthday, Dick was bucked off a real horse. Despite breaking his arm, the first of many breaks, he became a summer range rider that same year in southwest Wyoming. He rode in the Uinta Mountains with his grandpa and dad, trailing the cattle. They were his heroes and as he rode with them, he was where he belonged.
In the fall, he was “forced” to return home to the hay fields, driving a horse-drawn sulky rake in the tradition of his ancestors. After receiving a degree from the University of Wyoming and serving in the National Guard during Vietnam, Dick has spent the rest of his life on the family ranch in the Bridger Valley.
“It’s a hard, hard life,” his little sister Christene “Chris” Hamilton-Aimone said. “It can be 22 below zero and livestock must still be fed.”
The Hamilton family faced a lot of hardships but as Dick said, “We continued to hang in there.” It is this can-do attitude that inspired Chris to nominate Dick and their dad, John, to Wyoming’s Cowboy Hall of Fame. Both were inducted in 2022.
“They simply fit all the criteria,” she said. “They started small, built up and improved the land.” The siblings grew up on the ranch surrounded by their history.
“My family first came through the Bridger Valley on the way to the California goldfields, looking for business opportunities in 1850,” Dick said.
BY JACKIE DOROTHY PHOTOS COURTESY OF WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME Painting of Richard Hamilton WYOMING COWBOY HALL OF FAME CO-OP SPOTLIGHTIn 1857, their great-grandfather Richard Henry Hamilton returned to the area with his sister and brother-in-law. Richard’s sister immediately got a milk cow from immigrants passing through and that was the start of their livestock business.
To fulfill their army contract, the men brought in Longhorns and Durham cattle from Texas and Oregon. They were also among the first to introduce white-faced Herefords to Wyoming.
“Our family were well acquainted with Chief Washakie,” Chris said. “When he heard that our cattle needed more feed, he recommended coming to the Stinking Water area of the Big Horn Basin. The bison were few and the grass rich. Our great-grandfather sent the first herd of cattle into the area and for about eight years, they thrived.”
Then the Wyoming blizzards decimated nearly all their herds. The greater part of the Big Horn Basin herd of 4,000 were lost to the storms of 1887-1888. The survivors were sold to a Montana buyer in 1889.
The following winter of 1888-1889 wiped out most of the free-range cattle in Bridger Valley. At 11 years old, Granddad Charles remembered that bad winter well.
“He said that when he was a kid they could jump from carcass to carcass from one animal to another from Fort Bridger to Bridger Butte without ever touching the ground. That was how numerous the dead cattle were,” Dick described the carnage.
The family also lost cattle in an attempt to save them. “They brought hay in on the train, but the cattle weren’t used to eating that much forage and most of them choked to death. They were living on snow and did not get enough moisture. Our family did all they could to save them, but the majority of the cattle died.”
Despite the setbacks, Dick’s greatgrandfather gathered his remaining cattle and “hung in there.” After Richard died,
his son Charles inherited 30 head of cattle and claimed his own homestead around 1898. This was the beginning of the current Hamilton ranch.
Dick chuckled, “My grandfather said that he got his directions off a little bit and he was looking up through a meadow and didn’t realize north and south were a little different way. He got part of the meadows all right, but he also got a bare side hill with rock.”
Soon after, Charles married Roda Johnson, a local schoolteacher. That fall, their calves all died.
“They went ahead and skinned them,” Dick said. “And just tossed the hides on the fence. As fortune would have it, the hide buyer came out and they just made about as much on the hides as what the calves would have been worth. So he was able to hang on and not go broke.”
The years marched on and in 1970, Dick returned home to the ranch with his wife, Carol. “The year we bought in, the calves were a dollar a pound. That fall, we got 29 cents and 31 cents a pound. It wasn’t a real good start for us. We hung in there and over time we were able to
add more land and just kept hanging on and added cattle and here we are today.”
Over the years, modern mechanization slowly made it on to the Hamilton ranch, although they still practice many of the traditional ways. After the Bridger Valley Rural Electric Association was founded in 1938, electricity was introduced to the area but still slow to reach the family ranch, as were other “modern” conveniences.
The adventures of ranch life in southwest Wyoming continue for the Hamiltons. The couple are experimenting with new breeds of cattle and, after 50 years together and three children, they still brave the weather to care for their herds. With his top hand Carol by his side, Dick Hamilton will keep on hanging on. W
Jackie Dorothy is a freelance writer, historian, and owns a marketing agency in Thermopolis.The Wyoming blizzards decimated nearly all their herds. The greater part of the Big Horn Basin herd of 4,000 were lost to the storms of 1887-1888.
1 TBS YEAST SOFTENED, IN 1/4 CUP WARM (120°) WATER
1/4 CUP SUGAR
1 TSP SALT
1/4 TSP SODA
Beat eggs until light. Add oil, zucchini, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Mix well and add remaining ingredients. Bake at 325° for one hour in two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° if using glass pans.
ANNE METZLER RIVERTONMash bananas with fork. Add honey, milk, egg and oil. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in another bowl then combine with liquid ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
LINDA WOOLHETHER HILLSDALESCALD 1 CUP MILK AND LET COOL COMPLETELY.
1 CUP WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
1 1/4 CUP WHITE FLOUR
Add honey, oil and eggs to yeast mixture. Pour cooled milk into mixture and beat well for 3 minutes.
Put in loaf pan to rise in warm area uncovered for 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. This makes a tasty wheat bread and doesn’t take long to make.
MARILYN LUND KINNEAR
1 1/2 TSP SALT
1 PKG YEAST, PREPARED ACCORDING TO DIRECTIONS + 1 TSP SUGAR (THIS SHOULD DOUBLE IN SIZE)
2 TBS HONEY
2 TBS OIL
2 EGGS
1 EGG
1 CUP SOUR CREAM, WARMED IN MICROWAVE
2 1/2 CUP FLOUR
Mix yeast mixture, sugar, salt, soda, egg and sour cream together. Add flour, stir well. Dough should be soft and sticky so you may not need to add all of it. Knead in mixer until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cheese. Sometimes it melts a bit and blends in. It’s all good. Place into greased baking dishes (large muffin tins, empty soup cans, loaf pans etc.). Batter should come up to within about 2/3 of the top. Oil the tops (spray with oil). Let rise for about 2 hours. Bake at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. One batch makes about three 3” x 6” loaves.
BAMBIE ARGYLE MOUNTAIN VIEW
JUST PICTURE IT
THIS MONTH: MAY (DUE APR 15):
wren@wyomingrea.org
214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
Please include your name, hometown and a title.
Please submit high-quality digital files* or an original we can scan, as well as details about the artwork, the artist’s name, and the co-op. *Use the highest quality setting on your camera, or save digital artwork as a .jpg or .tif file with at least 300 dpi resolution.
If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
ONGOING
Nici Self Historical Museum: Museum grounds and exhibits open Thu-Mon 12-4p. Free. Info niciselfmuseum.com.
APRIL 7
2023 Karaoke Contest: Stampede Saloon & Eatery offers a chance at “Fame & Fortune” the first Friday of each month. Contestants will compete for a $20 gift certificate. Finalists will compete on May 5. Winners of the first three contests February-April will compete for a grand prize of $500. Info 307-422-3200, thestampedesaloon. com, facebook.com/stampedesaloon.
THURSDAYS
Acoustic Jam Session: Stampede Saloon & Eatery music venue open for Thursday night jam session. Info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.
ONGOING
Grand Encampment Museum: Main Gallery and GEM store open Tue-Sat 10a-4p. Info 307-327-5308.
MEDICINE BOW
LANDER APRIL 22
“Planting native flowers for kids” is part of the Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series at the Lander Museum. There will be a booth at the Lander Garden Expo at the High School gym with a kids activity where they can plant a native flower seed and take it home.
Time: 9:00a.m. – 3:00p.m.
Location: Pioneer Museum
Cost: Free
For more information call 307-332-3339.
ONGOING
Museum and Gift Shop: Open daily 8:30a-4:30p. 405 Lincoln Highway. Info 307-379-2383.
BUFFALO
THURSDAYS
Bluegrass Jam Session: 6:30p. Occidental Saloon. Free. Info 307-684-0451.
ONGOING (THROUGH MAY)
Museum Winter Hours: 10a3p Thursdays and Fridays or by appointment. Clearmont Historical Center. Free and open to the public. Info Sandy 307-758-4685, 307-752-9214.
ONGOING
New Exhibit on Display at the Rockpile Museum: “My Corner Office: Views and Reflections from the Powder River Basin” exhibit featuring the photographs of Powder River Basin photographer Alan Nash. Info 307-682-5723, rockpilemuseum.com.
Ava Community Art Center: Info 307-682-9133, avacenter.org
ONGOING
Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a-4p Mon-Fri. Free. Info 307-467-5292.
ONGOING
West Texas Trail Museum: Now open year-round 9a-5p Mon-Fri. Info 307-756-9300.
FRIDAYS
Bingo: 7:30p. VFW Hall. Free
SECOND & FOURTH WEDNESDAYS
Gigi’s Closet: 9a-1:30p. First United Methodist Church. Gently loved clothing available for babies to adults. Info 307-746-4119.
SUNDANCE
APRIL 17
Adult Craft Night: 6p. Crook County Library. Info Shannon 307-283-1008.
WEDNESDAYS
Storytime: 10:30a. Crook County Public Library. Info Tonia 307-283-1008.
FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAYS
Bingo at Senior Center: 6:30p, $10 for 10 cards. Info 307-468-9262.
ONGOING
Senior Center Activities: 1113 2nd St. Lunch is served at noon Mon-Fri for $4. Call for reservation before 9a at 307-468-2422 or 712-400-9056. Coffee and treats at 9a on Tues. Exercise program at 9a every Tue and Fri. Card elimination and potluck every third Mon at 5:30p. Ask about medical equipment loans. Info 307-468-9262.
Cody Country Art League Gallery: 9a-5p Mon-Sat. 836 Sheridan Ave. Info 307-587-3597.
APRIL 21
Kids Corner - “Scat, Tracks and Skulls”: 10-11a. Dubois Museum. Part of Bailey Tire & Pit Stop Travel Center Children’s Exploration Series program. Learn about scat, tracks and skulls of mammals using some of our teaching collection items. This is your time to learn about why mammals evolved how they did AND this is your chance to TOUCH some of our collection. $3 per person. Advanced registration required. Info 307-455-2284.
THIRD WEDNESDAYS
Wyoming Health Fairs Monthly
Wellness Screen/Blood Draw: 7-10a. Dubois Medical Clinic. Appointments encouraged. Info 307-455-2516, whf.as.me/dubois.
FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAYS
Farmer’s Market: 2:30-4:30p. Headwaters Arts & Conference Center. Featuring local produce, baked goods and bread, dairy products, jams and jellies, herbs and salves. Info 307-455-2027.
FRIDAYS
Story Time: 11:30a. Dubois Branch Library, 202 N First St. Free. Stretches, story, songs, crafts, and fun! Ages birth-5 years. Info 307-455-2992.
GREYBULL
SECOND SATURDAYS
Greybull Ladies Coffee: Greybull Library. Info 307-765-2100.
HYATTVILLE ONGOING
Ice Skating: Medicine Lodge Hyattville. The ice is ready! For times check facebook.com/ FriendsofMedicineLodge.
LANDER
APRIL 29
Sheep Shearing Day: 1-3p. Part of the Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series at the Lander
Museum. Sheep Shearing Day is all about Sheep Sheep Sheep! Explore the history of the Sheep industry in Wind River Country. Witness actual Sheep Shearing, pet sheep, make crafts from sheep’s wool, buy products made from sheep’s wool, and lots more. Free and open to the public. Info 307-332-3339.
SATURDAYS
Acoustic Music Jam: 11a-1p. Lander Bake Shop. Info 307-332-3237.
RIVERTON
WEDNESDAYS
Acoustic Music Jam: 6:30-8:30p. Holiday Inn Convention Center. Free. Join in or listen as musicians and dancers perform. Info 307-856-8100.
PreK Tales & Tunes: 10:30a. Riverton Branch Library. Ages 3-5. Free. Info 307-856-3556.
Starlight Storytime: 5:30p. Riverton Branch Library. Ages birth-5. Free. Info 307-856-3556.
THURSDAYS
Toddler Move & Groove: 10:30a. Riverton Branch Library. Ages birth-2. Free. Info 307-856-3556.
SATURDAYS
Farmer’s Market: 9-11a. Little Wind Center at the Fremont County Fairgrounds. Info 307-851-7562.
MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS
Meeteetse Recreation District: Yoga every Monday & Wednesday at 10:30a. Info 307-899-2698, meetrec.org
MONDAYS
Toddler Storytime: Mondays after school. Meeteetse Library. All kids grades 1+ not in school. Legos, board games, crafts stories, songs, and more. Info 307-868-2248.
APRIL 9
Coffee, Conversation, and Crafts: Noon-4p. Homesteader Museum. Bring your current craft, sit, and strike up a conversation in the craft circle. Not interested in crafts, then take your time and stroll around the museum with friends and family or sit down with a cup of coffee and
join the conversation. Free, donations welcome. Info 307-754-9481.
APRIL 28
Book Club: 9a. Homesteader Museum. Meet to discuss the book “One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd” by: Jim Fergus. Info homesteader@ parkcounty-wy.gov if interested in joining the book club.
MONDAY-FRIDAY
Antelope Butte Ski Area: Open Monday-Friday 9:30-4p. 28 Forest Service Road 244, Shell, WY. Info 307-529-1052.
APRIL 9
Send complete information by APRIL 15!
Please send events occurring in the month of June by April 15, and July by May 15 for inclusion in the WREN. Also, be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event.
Photos are always welcome.
Easter Egg Hunt: 2p, Hot Springs State Park. Sponsored by the Lions Club. Free. Info Trenda Moore 307-921-1902.
APRIL 14 & 15
Book & Bake Sale: 4-7p on 14th; 8a-noon on 15th. Free. Armory, 83 US Highway 20 North. Info 307-864-3192, info@thermopolischamber.org.
Great Until 8!: 4-8p. This event showcases the businesses who are staying open until 8p or later in town. Shop after 5p and enter in for a chance to win $100 gift certificates. The $100 gift certificate will be valid at the business with the winning receipt. Info 917-589-7852, mainstreetthermopolis@gmail.com.
Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.
QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:
wren@ wyomingrea.org
[307] 286-8140
214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/ wren-submissions
THURSDAYS
Storytime: 11a, Lyman Branch Library, all ages are welcome, free. Info 307-787-6556, uintalibrary.org.
MONDAYS
Cub Scout Pack 7798 Meeting: 3:45p, Presbyterian Church on 3rd Street. We are always accepting new boys who are in 1st to 5th grades. Info MarNae at 307-677-2566.
WEDNESDAYS
Storytime: 11a, Uinta County Library. Info 307-782-3161.
Aermotor Windmills and parts, cylinders, pipe, rod, submersible pumps, motors, control boxes, Hastings 12 ga. bottomless stock tanks, Shaver Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnaces and more. In business for more than 77 years. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582.
For Sale! Goulds 3ST1H1A4 Centrifugal Water Irrigation Pump ”1-1/2 X 2” Never used. 3500 RPM. Internet cost: $3K to $3500. Asking $1500. Bought for house but pumps 175 Gal/Minute. Way too big! Have stats and wire diagram. Call John (307) 752-7028, Sheridan, WY.
New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service & advice. Available for most makes. Thanks. 307-754-3757.
Pain Balm, best topical for muscle, joint or chronic pain. Resolve your aches, pain, soreness & Arthritis discomfort. Works within minutes. 100% pure essential oils like juniper berry, rosemary, ginger & more! Free standard shipping anywhere in the United States. Call 702.234.3866
Vintage Western Movie Posters for Sale. Marquee sized. Great condition. Email electricsignlady@yahoo.com.
We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/Gas Interests producing & non-producing. 800-733-8122.
Frontier Auto Museum Looking For Oil Company Gas Pumps, Globes And Signs. Also looking for general antiques for our antique shop. Please go to our website FrontierAutoMuseum.com. Located in Gillette WY, our passion is to preserve Wyoming history and the nostalgia of the past, especially Parco, Sinclair, Frontier, Husky and any car dealership along with all brands. We are also always looking for neon motel or store signs, WY license plates and WY highway signs and State Park signs. Please call Jeff Wandler 307-680-8647 wandlerfrontier@ gmail.com or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 relics@frontierauto.net.
WANTED CJ or Wrangler reasonably priced. Any condition but rusted. 512-797-1664.
Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing “Religious Liberty” enforcing “National Sunday Law.” Be Informed! Free materials. TSBM, PO Box 374, Ellijay, GA 30540, tbsmads@yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.
BY DOROTHY RIEKE
I would not go so far to say that fences made the settlement of the West possible, but I would say that fences played an important role because they solved the problem of the homesteaders versus the cattlemen, eventually serving both cattlemen and sodbusters. However, the appearance of barbed wire did mean the end of the open range and the freedom of the ranchers and cowboys, an event lamented in Cole Porter’s song, “Don’t Fence Me In.”
Wyoming was first settled by Plains Indians, including the Arapaho, Arikara, Bannock, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Crow, Gros Ventre, Kiowa, Nez Perce, Sheep Eater, Sioux, Shoshone and the Ute tribes. However, after the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, the Native Americans were forced to migrate to reservations, and with this action, Wyoming’s vast lands were available for settlement.
During the early years much of the land was devoted to the cattle industry, which had quickly spread from
Texas to the northern part of the Great Plains. At this time, Wyoming became known as the “Cowboy State.” Fort Laramie, visited by those traveling west, witnessed the growth of the open range cattle industry, the coming homesteaders and the building of towns, which marked the final closing of the wild, western frontier in 1890.
Wyoming’s mild winters, nutrient-rich lands and vast open spaces were prefect for herds of cattle to roam the year around.
fence off their larger tracts of land with barbed wire to separate themselves from the farmers’ land. Settlers considered this “closing the open range,” and cut the fences to reclaim land that was in the public domain. These actions amounted to struggles called the “Fence Cutting Wars.”
Barbed wire has been compared to the rifle, the telegraph, the windmill and the train in shaping the history of the Great Plains.
In 1883, a Wyoming court ordered a cattle company to stop fencing public land, and they were to remove the fences built around certain sections. Yet by 1885, barbed wire had spread over the eastern parts of the state. Western settlement continued to grow denser while barbed wire crossed more and more open range. Because of the need for fences, illegal fence building became more common than fence cutting.
Before 1870, fencing material was primarily constructed of rails, rocks or hedge growth. Most of the early settlements were near water sources with a nearby timber growth. With timber, they had wood and rails. Later, settlements had no access to wood, which caused problems for those who wanted to fence their land.
In addition, the cost of fencing was prohibitive for most sodbusters. It cost $4 an acre, making fencing one of their greatest expenses.
Through the years, barbed wire has made its place in history. Roosevelt’s Rough Riders used barbed wire fencing to secure their camps. In Africa, five strand barbed wire fences sheltered British troops from Boer Commandos. In World War I, barbed wire was used as a barrier along the front stretching from Switzerland to the English Channel. Today, barbed wire is used at construction sites, for prisoner confinement, for fencing farm fields, and for protection of storage sites around warehouses. And farmers and ranchers are not just fencing in cattle, they are using barbed wire fences for goats, llamas, alpacas, bison, elk or even deer.
Scientists estimate that more than 600,000 miles of fences have crisscrossed the American West. In one Wyoming county, researchers mapped about 4,500 miles of fencing, some of which is remnants of fences constructed years ago. In some areas, these old barbed wire fences are coming down because of wildlife movements.
Animals such as mule deer and others can get stuck or scraped on barbed wires, leading to death or to cuts and scars that are prone to infection. The entities removing the fences have a growing knowledge of the damage the fences are doing to wildlife.
Soon, cattle ranchers, were practicing “open range ranching,” which kept cattle moving so they would not overgraze an area. But this type of cattle raising changed when those who wanted to farm the land moved into Wyoming, clashing with the cattlemen and their views on how public land should be used.
When newcomers arrived in Wyoming to farm, established cattlemen began to
Barbed wire was the ideal tool. Simply twisted wires with clusters of short, sharp spikes set at intervals, it took up no space, shaded no vegetation, and it stood against high winds. And, unlike smooth wire, those sharp barbs taught cattle to keep their distance. A number of men are credited for inventing it, but the man who has been given the most credit for the invention was J. F. Glidden, a farmer living near De Kalb, Illinois. He began making barbed wire in 1873 – perhaps to discourage the dogs from getting at his wife’s flowers, according to one story –and began selling it a year later.
By 1885, barbed wire had basically overrun the eastern parts of the Wyoming Territory.
Barbed wire has been compared to the rifle, the telegraph, the windmill and the train in shaping the history of the Great Plains. It established finite boundaries for adjacent farmlands and made ranchers’ and farmers’ work easier. It presented a cheaper and effective method of controlling livestock, prevented others from encroaching upon neighboring lands, and increased economic production as well as settlement numbers. Before its use, farming and ranching practices were limited. Barbed wire changed undefined prairie land to a land of widespread settlement. W
Dorothy Rieke was an English teacher for 44 years. She now writes from her home in Julian, Nebraska.RECYCLED CRAYONS
Make something new from something used!
All you need are broken crayons and a muffin tin or silicone mold.
Save your kids’ broken crayons from heading to the trash by melting them down and making new, multicolored art supplies. Your kids will practice their fine motor skills, learn STEAM concepts, and have fresh, homemade crayons to create with.
Have your kids peel off any paper that’s still on the crayons. They can break down any crayons that are still pretty big into smaller pieces.
1 3 5
2
Show your kids how to place crayon pieces of various colors into the muffin tin.
Bake the crayons in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the crayons have melted.
• Fine motor skills are required for peeling, breaking, and placing crayons into the muffin tin.
• Early math and science concepts: crayons have a low melting point – around 120 degrees – so the heat of the oven, which is higher than the crayons’ melting point, causes them to melt.
• Sustainable habits are easy! What other things around the house can your kids reuse or turn into something new?
4 Find “DIY SPRING SEED BALLS” Check out This month's activity:
Pop out the crayons and let your kids get creative!