82717 January/February 2018

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GREAT SAVINGS 4

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82717 Features

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#InGoodTaste: We’re in Love Bailey and Steph perfect Date Night Done Right… And, just in time for Valentine’s! When your love offers to take you anywhere you wish, let this adorable Tin Wagon ensemble dictate the flavor of the evening. From sweet cupcake treats to bento boxes sin sushi, fresh florals, and other sexy lil things, our ‘it girls’ hook you up with what to love right now in the 82717.

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Mark’s Thoughts: 2018 Wyo. Legislature Budget Session

Culture: The Ambition of Nellie Tayloe Ross

Money: Wyoming Excels Towards Improved Education

In this month’s editorial, Mark looks forward to the upcoming Budget Session of the Wyoming Legislature.

He addresses a few of the bills that have already been submitted and touches briefly on the growing issue of uncollected ad-valorem taxes due counties.

Before Sarah Palin and Ann Richards, there was Nellie Tayloe Ross. Roughly 95 years ago, in 1924, Ross was elected governor of Wyoming, and became the first woman to hold the office of governor in the United States.

She went on to become the first female to direct the U.S. mint, shattering the glass ceiling for women once again in the state that lead the way for woman’s suffrage.

Wyoming K-12 continues to underperform amidst accusations that administrative operations are top-heavy.

As state lawmakers and education officials fight to improve education output with reduced funding in time for the ‘18 budgeting session, Steph talks with Amber Ash of Wyoming Excels, a new statewide initiative poised at supporting an educated workforce. Can one program shape education legislation and reform to strengthen Wyoming’s economic vitality? You decide.

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Life: 17 Things to Love About Campbell County When we pen our monthly 17 Things feature, the idea behind it is to create a treasure trove of fantastic people, places, and things – unique to Campbell County – that showcase our awesomely vibrant community. We mainly choose to promo the city’s latest and greatest, and next big things, or else we’d be printing the same old list time and time again (snooze). Here, Stephanie pings 17 Things we relish about living 82717: ideas, attitudes, and defining characteristics that just don’t exist anywhere else.

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Letter from the Editor: Love Boldly; For Austen’s Sake

Technology: Innovation in Automation

Health: Every Grandma Needs Healthy Shoulders

Our epic (and utterly adorable) barely twenty Editor Bailey Knopp talks love and honesty in this month’s ravishingly endearing LOVE Issue’s Letter from the Editor. Join our favorite, budding young talent for a joyous self-exploration into the literary inspirations which helped cultivate the pronounced voice and precocious, spunky spirit that now hallmark her editorial tradecraft.

The trucks in the Solomon Hub mine drive themselves.

They don’t take breaks. They don’t get injured. They don’t call in sick. They don’t need medical insurance.

And, they work 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Such talk raises a lot of concern in Wyoming, where over 6.6K residents work at coal mines. Kevin Killough digs into the fears surrounding automation, and the implications its impending implementation may hold for the PRB.

Sue Edwards’ shoulder pain was affecting her ability to do the things she loves, like travel. And, with a new grandson on the way, she knew it was time to visit with Dr. Monica Morman at Campbell County Medical Group Orthopaedic Specialists for surgery options.

CCH’s Karen Clarke shares Sue’s satisfaction with her experience and newfound ability to hold her grandbaby without experiencing pain.

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82717Life.com

More 82717 online at 82717Life.com Though 82717 Magazine may only be published once a month, don’t forget to go online to 82717Life.com to keep up with our local community. You can re-read our print stories, find a full calendar of local events, additional features from our team of reporters and community mavens, and video discussions about the stories you see here in print.

facebook.com/82717Life

This Month > Gillette College Announces Excellence Award Winners > Hope Squad Aims At Changing The Culture At School > City Eyes Future Annexation Prospects

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#InGoodTaste We’ve got the best selections of stylish local living just for you! From what you wear or where you eat, to how you decorate and personalize your home, we’ll be your go-to guide for living #InGoodTaste.

@82717Life

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Free, locally relevant news each day from our sister-site county17.com

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Editorial CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Erika C. Christensen MARKETING DIRECTOR Stephanie L. Scarcliff OFFICE MANAGER Jennel R. Johnson MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE Brian. W. Perry newyo@mcllc.net EDITOR Bailey I. Knopp JOURNALIST Kevin M. Knapp Kevin D. Killough ART DIRECTOR Richard W. Massman DESIGNER Candice E. Schlautmann PHOTOGRAPHER Jeffery L. Miller

Inquiries & Customer Service Outliers Creative, LLC P.O. Box 3825 • Gillette, WY 307.686.5121 • 82717@mcllc.net 82717 is a publication of Outliers Creative, LLC © 2018, all rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission is prohibited.

This magazine accepts freelance contributions. 82717 is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury to unsolicited manuscript, unsolicited artwork (including but not limited to drawings, photographs, or transparencies) or any other unsolicited materials.

Outliers Creative, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The MC Family of Companies, LLC.

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A Letter from the Editors I

have many fond memories of my mother and I watching many a movie depicting adaptations of Jane Austen’s whimsical novels.

Movies such as: Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. We watched them over and over, and sometimes in succession on weekends.

Even when I was young, however, I was always far more drawn to the story of Pride and Prejudice, of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, than that of Emma Woodhouse, or the Dashwood sisters. And, no, not just for Matthew MacFayden’s piercing blue eyes, or the fact that Keira Knightley was (and still is) one of my favorite actresses: In fact, the other day I found myself unable to place a finger on why I preferred Elizabeth Bennet’s story over the other two. Of course, I had to rewatch them!

Each female character Austen creates has her own uniqueness about her: There are no character repeats amongst her novels. Let’s be honest though, Sense and Sensibility’s Marianne Dashwood is a little over-dramatic. Not to say it isn’t rightly so, as any heartbroken 17-year-old girl would be.

Her older sister Elinor, the one most followed throughout the novel and film, is sweet on a Mr. Edward Ferrars (a shy, and also secretly engaged man). But Elinor always puts her own wishes aside: She takes it upon herself to be the steady one for her distraught, widowed mother, and her two sisters, Marianne and Margaret. In the end, Mr. Ferrars is released from his secret engagement and (timidly and awkwardly) declares his love for Elinor.

In Emma, I see Miss Emma Woodhouse as a little controlling: thinking herself to be somewhat of a matchmaker, she believes she knows just who her friend should marry (despite her friend already having eyes for a perfectly kind and doting farmer, Robert Martin). And when it comes to her own romantic happiness, she believes her crush, Mr. Knightley, to be in love with her friend and is therefore upset. When he contrastingly says that he loves Emma, Harriet, whose emotions have been strewn about three different ways by now, is left to be comforted by a second proposal from Mr. Martin. With so much “who likes who” in Emma’s

story, it felt like I was back in high school!

Now, none of this is to bash Jane Austen. I largely admire her writing. She bravely tackled the delicate and confusing subjects of love, marriage, and womanhood for her time in a way that few others could.

However, I cannot be convinced otherwise: Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are, what I believe to be, the boldest characters to ever come from Jane Austen’s novels. They are both outspokenly opinionated, charismatically stubborn, and hasty to judge. But for all their faults, they act only from the true passion of their convictions. Their story weaves the most incredible character developments of two people who, from the first moment Mr. Darcy laid eyes on Elizabeth, struggle to fight some (refreshingly) obvious sparks between them.

At first, Mr. Darcy judges Elizabeth’s family to be imprudent and inappropriate, stopping his friend from proposing to her older sister Jane. However, as Mr. Darcy finds himself becoming increasingly attracted to Elizabeth’s charm and intelligence, he has the audacity to propose to her. When Elizabeth refuses, citing his pride and her sister’s heartbreak at fault, Mr. Darcy recognizes Elizabeth’s fierce loyalty to her family, and the fact that he will never win her with his current behavior. He sets about making things right: saving her family’s reputation by salvaging a runaway daughter, setting right a bad rumor circulated regarding his supposed maltreatment of an old family friend of his, and working to show Elizabeth his gentle, loving, and tender side. Elizabeth accepts his series of amendments and, later, a tender re-proposal.

They both had to learn the error in hasty judgement; her, in prejudice, and him in pride.

They misjudge each other, and challenge each other off, but, ultimately find that they have a few common faults: fierce loyalty, and passion: bold, unremorseful passion.

On the couch with my mom, somewhere

between the poetic way Elizabeth first tells Mr. Darcy exactly where to stick it, and when he tenderly says, “My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever”...I found inspiration for my voice as a writer.

So, my parting thoughts to you this Valentines are to love honestly, love openly, and for Austen’s sake: love boldly.

Bailey I. Knopp, Editor

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My thoughts

with

Mark Christensen

My monthly take on Our Community, Our State, Local Events & Politics

This month, I challenge you to look ahead to the Wyoming

HB0008 Stalking revisions. This bill was introduced Legislature’s 2018 Budget Session. I also want to touch briefly by the Judiciary Committee and adds language to the crime on uncollected ad-valorem taxes due to counties (I’ve covered of stalking to add fear for the stalked person’s safety or another this in detail before). person’s safety, and fear for the destruction of property. It also One thing I have always appreciated about Wyoming is bumps up the maximum imprisonment time from six months that we have a citizen legislature that doesn’t meet all year – our to one year, and provides that if the court were to put the legislators are expected to have regular jobs and careers just like person on probation that probation could extend for up to the rest of us. Contrast this with Washington, D.C., where each three years. There is additional language to determine where day brings a new legislative crisis, or the many states that meet for the crime was committed and what entity has jurisdiction, months, and it makes you appreciate the as well as some changes to language for state we all call home. orders of protection. This is a good bill.

The Wyoming Legislature meets Since Wyoming has limited laws related each year, with odd-number years being to bullying and/or intimidation, with the General Sessions (think general bills/law stalking provisions being the only laws that consideration) and even-number years can sometimes be applied, the revisions to being a Budget Session. As a rule, General this statute could help.

Sessions are 40 days and Budget Sessions HB0012 Speeding fines amendments. are 20. In actuality, it is stipulated that the This bill was also introduced by the Judiciary Legislature can meet for “not more than 60 Committee and its primary purpose is to days every two years”, but the 40/20 rule is simplify the code used to calculate how pretty well understood. This year’s Budget much a speeding fine costs. According to Session begins at 10 a.m. on February 12, research by the Casper Star Tribune, “The 2018 with the Governor’s State of the State current bond schedule consists of nine Address. Those interested in listening to the different speeding categories, depending Legislature deliberate, or to any of the many on where the driver is clocked. Those committee meetings, can find information categories range from unpaved roadways to for streaming audio on the Legislature’s urban districts to school zones and a single website at legisweb.state.wy.us. There, you category can consist of up to 40 different can also find a listing of your Senators and bond amounts.”

Representatives and submitted bills, with a The proposed language would replace Photo: Jenny Lee Lorenz/Jenny Lee’s Photography history of the activities of each. Given that the existing schedule with a new one this is a Budget Session, non-budget bills of just three categories and adjust the require a two-thirds (2/3) vote to be introduced. amount paid based upon the speed over the limit that was being As I write this piece, there are only 122 bills listed, with traveled. It has a general category, construction and school zone the majority of those bills being sponsored by committees. categories, and an additional section related strictly to repeat However, given that we are still a month shy of the Budget offenses in school zones.

Session beginning, you can expect that there will be a lot of Though I believe in simplifying a ridiculously complex additional bills dropped in at the last minute. system, I’m not sure I personally like the end result. The new For this month’s publication, I want to briefly discuss setup is based upon the miles per hour over the limit you are some of the bills available now and offer My Thoughts on each. going, without an adjustment for whether that is in town or on With that said, as citizens of Wyoming, we each have a civic the highway. If you’re driving 10 miles per hour over the limit in a responsibility to be involved in our government. Here, I only town with a 30 mile per hour speed limit, I believe it has a bigger touch on a few bills… take the time to see what else is out there. effect than driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on an This month’s “Markism”, not to be confused with interstate with an 80 mile per hour speed limit. Independent “Marxism”, is about citizen involvement in government. “If analysis has shown that, in most situations, the fines for speeding you don’t participate, you don’t show up, you don’t comment, will go down. As someone who has sped in the past – and been and you don’t talk to your representatives, then you don’t get to ticketed – I can appreciate paying less money. However, I also complain.” I have substituted ‘complain’ for a word that doesn’t believe that part of the incentive not to speed is not to have to pay belong in this publication. The following bills are ones in which a high fine. For some categories, fines will remain pretty close to I have some personal interest, or find to be unique. It’s up to you the same, though fines where people are speeding in lower speed to research any others. areas, like cities and towns, will go down.

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Mark’s Recommendation: add something to account for differences between highways and town streets. Then, move forward with simplification.

HB0013 Municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction – repeal. This bill was introduced by the Corporations Committee, but I should also note that the extraterritorial jurisdiction for cities has been limited substantially within the last five years. This particular bill eliminates the extraterritorial jurisdiction entirely. For this bill, we also need some history… and I feel I should let you know that I’m a little biased as issues of extraterritorial jurisdiction are often one of the bigger disputes between cities and counties.

Now, imagine that you live in Wyoming during our territorial days, back before statehood, and you’re the mayor of a town.

Extraterritorial jurisdiction provided you the flexibility to say, “Hey, your wagon train has Spanish Flu and you are prohibited from entering within five miles of town.”

The jurisdiction was originally necessary to protect towns from other people bringing in disease, and for other oversight reasons. Moving forward to the 2000s, we have seen pretty significant advancements in health care and medicine.

We also no longer have wagon trains… Unfortunately, these old rules within the Wyoming Statutes regarding extraterritorial jurisdiction are still on the books.

Enter a very creative Wyoming city. Given that broad language exists concerning an area of five miles around the city limits, let’s pass an ordinance that says those landowners have to handle their garbage in a particular way – a particular way that is very beneficial to us. Of course, there was a lot of feedback on this proposal. However, the laws in the books allowed for it to happen.

Because of this, in 2013, the Wyoming Legislature eliminated the broad five-mile health and safety extraterritorial jurisdiction. Rules which required joint subdivision approval within one mile of an incorporated city remained on the books, as well as an option that allowed property within one-half (1/2) mile of the city limits to be subject to city ordinances on all but taxation, so long as those ordinances and their application to non-city residents were not overruled by the county commissioners. This still didn’t sit well with some because people who are subject to the ordinances with one-half (1/2) mile aren’t allowed to vote for the people who are creating the ordinances that govern them. It is also similar with regards to subdivisions, because the cities can effectively veto a subdivision within one mile of the city limits, and the owner isn’t allowed to vote for the people running that organization.

I believe there are benefits to joint planning with regard to allotting space for major roadways, options for common infrastructure, infrastructure efficiencies, and subdivision review.

Though, I will say that in the past some of our city cousins have pushed too far. Unfortunately, the momentum is now against them. This bill would eliminate all city extraterritorial

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jurisdiction, and I’m guessing it has a pretty good chance of passing. Personally, I would prefer a bill that eliminated the extraterritorial jurisdiction, but requires consultation between cities and counties for property within the one-mile radius of the city. Consultation is good – veto powers over an area where the people affected are unable to vote for their representatives is not.

HB0014 Municipal jurisdiction. Another bill, introduced by the Corporations Committee leaves in place law that allows for city extraterritorial jurisdiction in all matters except taxation, so long as they have approval for the ordinance from the county. It also says that cities no longer need to approve development plans within one mile so long as the county has an officially-adopted, comprehensive plan. Though a different way of getting there, this bill has the same end result as HB0013 – it eliminates extraterritorial jurisdiction. To this point, many counties have been attempting to negotiate a compromise for months, perhaps something like I have proposed above, but these talks have been stalled. It is my belief the cities want to try and prevent the proposed bills from becoming law so nothing changes. Of course, I would recommend they look for a compromise instead. I think there is a very good chance one of the two proposed bills will become law, and under both scenarios, cities are in a much worse position than that which could likely be negotiated if they were sitting at the table.

HB0019 Wyoming Money Transmitter Act -- virtual currency exemption. Sponsored by Representatives Miller, Biteman, Brown, Clem, and Lindholm, and Senator Bebout, this bill provides exemptions from Wyoming’s Money Transmitter Act for virtual currency. I’ve not yet personally jumped on the virtual currency train, ultimately wanting to see how it ends up being regulated and which of the hundreds of different currencies currently traded end up king. That said, I do think we need an exemption to allow people to buy, sell, and hold it in Wyoming. The Cowboy State is one of very few states whose laws currently make it impossible for people to do so, and because of that, some of the more reputable virtual currency firms and exchanges will not operate or engage in transactions with people from Wyoming. Therefore, exempting virtual currency makes sense and should be done. In something as quickly changing and unregulated as virtual currency, we want to make sure our citizens can do business with the most reputable firms.

HB0045 Mountain daylight time. This bill, sponsored

by Representatives Laursen, Allen, Clem, Lindholm, and Miller, and Senators Case, Driskill, and Von Flatern, would have Wyoming apply to the federal government to move from Mountain Standard Time to Central Standard Time, and then no longer observe Daylight Savings Time. Basically, Wyoming would be in Daylight Savings Time all of the time, but it would be accomplished by switching time zones. I think it could be

weird for people for a small period of time, and that we will likely get a lot of national news, but this is something I would love to see done. Personally, I hate moving from Daylight Savings Time back to standard time. Previous attempts to accomplish this didn’t go anywhere. Hopefully, this bill has better luck.

HB0048 Cruelty to animals -- penalties. Upfront, I must say that this is a good bill. Sponsored by Representatives Gierau, Barlow, Blake, Bovee, Brown, and Connolly, and Senators Anselmi-Dalton and Baldwin; the bill would raise the maximum fine for cruelty to animals from $750 up to $2,500, with the existing potential imprisonment of not more than six months, and change the fine for any subsequent offense from not more than $5,000 to $10,000, with the same existing potential imprisonment of not more than one year. Aggravated cruelty to animals is a felony, and for that the potential fine would be raised from $5,000 to $10,000, with the existing potential imprisonment of not more than two years being left unchanged.

SF0029 Education-computer science and computational thinking. Sponsored by the Education Committee, this bill would add Computer Science to the common core of knowledge for Wyoming students. Computational thinking and computer applications would replace keyboarding and computer applications within the common core skillset. The addition of Computer Science to Wyoming’s curriculum is a positive. My hope is that the school districts do it right.

Computer Science should be taught as concepts and skills: how to think and how to write code, and how code should be architected. My fear is that school districts will interpret this as teaching HTML – which isn’t coding, and also not what our students need. They need skills that translate into gainful employment opportunities.

Though I have no problem with the bill’s proposal to allow for a year of Computer Science to count towards one year’s science requirement, I disagree with allowing it to count towards one year’s math requirement. Studies show that skipping a year of math before college slows a student down, and puts them behind for college-level math. Also, sound training in this field recognizes the importance of teaching mathematics. Mark’s recommendation: take out the ability to offset a year of math with computer science and move it forward.

SF0037 Purple Heart Day and State. Submitted by the Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Interim Committee, this bill would recognize August 7 as Purple Heart Day. A nice tribute to Purple Heart recipients, I believe that this bill should be moved forward. In addition, it would designate Wyoming as a Purple Heart State.

Often, bills are introduced which leave me going, ‘hmmm’.

Given that we are in the midst of an economic decline and have had to make major adjustments to state budgets, I was surprised to see a bill declaring pornography within the State of Wyoming as a public health crisis and a similar bill to designate the Model 83, .454 Casull, as the State Revolver of Wyoming, under consideration – especially during a Budget Session. I realize these bills are largely symbolic, but… A bill that is missing, which I have repeatedly advocated for in the past, would help to fill the gaps so counties could better collect ad-valorem taxes due from mineral producers.

Ad-Valorem Taxes Due Counties. As my regular readers know, I have repeatedly addressed within this editorial the need for revisions to mineral statutes for ad-valorem taxes. To this end, a few weeks ago the Powder River Basin Resource Council put together a report showing over $42 million in unpaid advalorem taxes due counties in Wyoming. This was contrasted with the State of Wyoming being owed less than $3 million.

Much of the reason for this difference in amounts collected has to do with timing of payments and differences between when payments are due to the state for severance taxes and when payments are due to counties for ad-valorem taxes.

One attempt was made last year to improve the position of counties, after having been brought for consideration previous years as well. This bill would have put counties at the same level for mineral tax liens as they are for other property. Right now, the property taxes on your real property (e.g. your home) are superior to every other lien, with the exception of liens from the federal government and the State of Wyoming. Ad-valorem taxes on minerals (the property tax on minerals), however, are subordinate to interests of a bona fide creditor (i.e. financier).

The Powder River Basin Resource Council actually makes a number of solid recommendations – some of which counties and others have suggested previously. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the source of the information may hurt the effort of the data’s research, and its recommendations. Everybody knows that the Powder River Basin Resource Council is not friendly to minerals, so very few in state government look seriously at their recommendations on mineral taxes. I hope that other groups will take an interest in this information – recognizing the importance of these funds to local government and schools. But, for the time being, the current report and recommendations from the Powder River Basin Resource Council makes for potentially strange bedfellows.

With another Legislative Session on the 2019 horizon, I remain optimistic that the legislature will find and move forward good bills addressing this issue at that time. Until then, we can only hope for our mineral companies to pay their advalorem taxes in a timely manner.

I hope that you enjoy reading this editorial. This issue of 82717 is all about “love” and I want people to know, that while we may disagree on topics and points of view from time-totime, I do truly love this community and want it to succeed. I believe you all feel the same way.

Mr. Christensen is a Gillette real estate developer, owner of a holding company which owns this publication, and member of the Campbell County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Christensen is married with two children and lives in Gillette.

He has a B.S. in Finance from the University of Wyoming and M.S. in Real Estate and Construction Management from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.

Mr. Christensen’s opinions do not reflect the opinions of this publication, the boards upon which he sits, or any organizations or agencies referenced within his comments.

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Date Night Style

First date? We can’t promise love-at-first-sight, but this look from Tin Wagon Boutique is so lovely… it’ll make ‘em look twice! Gents, try this on for size: The Valentine’s Day Date women really want—no chichés or bullshit. 45/50 beautiful women said they’d die for these 3 things this Valentine’s: 1. A clean house (c’mon guys, time to get dirty!), 2. Alone time (the kids at your parents’ or your roomies at theirs), 3. Date Night Done Right (Their Mr. Right—you—makes the plans and brings wine and flowers). Wanna blow #3 out of the park?! Why not surprise her with a new date night outfit from TWB? Trust us, she’ll want and love this Paige Sequin Tank ($29), GIGI Coat ($36), STS Leather Wristlet ($55), Cello Black Skinnies ($38). Top it off with a pop of color: Red Tassel Earrings ($12), and Irene Suede Booties ($54)!

Men of 82717, you’re welcome.

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Bento Box Bliss

Black Tie Bliss

Bring just the right amount of sweet to your Valentine’s celebration! Melt even the biggest heart with this 8-Piece Candy Bento Box by sugarfina ($60) from Crazy Daisy Floral! It’s entirely

Heaven to Earth, LLC, is heaven on earth for the wine-lover in you! Because who doesn’t love getting the most out of fine wine? Wine Advocate’s Robert M. Parker Jr. says of RIEDEL The Wine Glass Company, “The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purpose are those made by RIEDEL. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make.” We like different. You will, too.

RIEDEL Black Tie Bliss Decanter: Handmade. Fine Crystal. Height: 365 mm, 143/8”. Capacity: 1210 ccm, 423/8”. RIEDEL Black Tie Bliss Sommelier “Goblet” Bordeaux Grand Cru: Handmade. Fine Crystal. Height: 282 mm, 11”. Capacity: 860 ccm, 30-3/8 oz.

Widest Diameter: 106 mm, 4-1/8”. Add a little charm (literally) with hanging crystal wine charms by Tipsy Tags (Prices available upon request to Heaven to Earth, LLC).

customizable with sweet mix ‘n’ match combinations to choose from.

Fun flavors like Single Malt Scotch Cordials from Germany and Parisian Pineapples from France. 3 or 4-Piece Bentos fit every budget, and all available local for less than ordering online (3-Piece, approx. $25; 4-Piece, approx. $30). Bailey’s Pick: You Had Me at Tequila. Steph’s Fav: Rosé All Day. Pro Tip: Pair your Bento with a top-notch floral arrangement from Crazy Daisy Floral that’s sure to knock her socks off! Wrap it up with a gift certificate for your sweetie to enjoy Crazy Daisy’s monthly Sip & Design Class ($50)!

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Foxxy Lil Lingerie

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You didn’t think we’d forget to include a ravishing underg arment on our journey to Cupid’s bliss this year, did you? And, whoever you plan to celebrate with, neither should you! This sultry little number—a stretch lace spaghetti strap teddy / bodysuit in fiery, temptress red—features a super sexy push-up bra and scalloped lace trim hemline ($40). Foxxy Lingerie, manufactured

by Dreamgirl, can be found at Clever Fa shion, and is available in plus sizes. This baby will definitely heat things up a notch!

Embrace your wild side in something sexy from Clever Fashion - Fashionable Undergarments and More.

For gourmet cupcakes to die for… we always go directly (and often) to Alla La La Cupcakes & Sweet Things, the 82717’s first—and only--cupcake boutique. Pictured: Gluten Free White Chocolate Coconut: Almond Flour Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting ($2.45); and Coal Seam Overload: Dark Chocolate Cake with Fudgey Chocolate Frosting and Chocolate Cookie Crumbles ($2.45), both part of Alla owner La La Laura Chapman’s Valentine’s Day Menu, along with Raspberry Red Velvet, Cherry Cheesecake, Tiramisu, GF Double Chocolate Brownie, and more (all $2.45 each or 1 dozen for $24).

Fall for this Antique Brass & Gold Necklace from Love Couture Clothing & Gifts ($50). Shimmer and shine in all the right ways in this chic piece featuring Australian crystal on gold-plated and antiqued brass chains with lobster clasp closure.

It’s perfect to adorn yourself or your loved one! Length: approximately 16 inches, with 2 ½ inch extender. Love is in the air! Get a neck up on couture accessories just in time for Va l e n t i n e ’s Day and shop more from this collection at Love Couture.

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By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717 Production: Bailey I. Knopp Photos: Jeffery L. Miller

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Innovation in Automation is NOT Killing the Nation; Rather Enabling Creation T

he terrain in Northwest Australia looks a lot like mars. Rich with iron, the landscape takes on a dark red color.

Fortescue Metals Group is operating an open-cut iron mine in an area of the country called the Pilbara. It’s a vast, arid region where the summer daytime average high is around 106.

The nearest, significant population center is Perth, which is a 17-hour drive to the south. Tom Price is the nearest town. It’s about 45 miles to the south of the mine and has a population of about 6,000 people.

To refer to the Solomon Hub mine, as it’s called, as remote doesn’t really capture the isolation with which the mines operate.

Mines need skilled operators to run the equipment, and in Western Australia, the population is sparser than that of Wyoming. But the mining companies are developing technologies that prove mining can be done with fewer and fewer employees.

And it’s a lot cheaper.

Will this technology be applied to Wyoming mines?

DRIVERLESS

In July 2012, Fortescue signed a contract with equipment giant Caterpillar to supply the mine with 45 trucks capable of carrying 250-ton loads.

Trucks the size of two-story houses hauling crushing amounts of material is everyday life in the Powder River Basin, but these trucks are a bit different than what you see in the coal mines around Gillette.

The trucks in the Solomon Hub mine drive themselves.

They aren’t even being remotely controlled. They are complete automated, meaning they use GPS and sophisticated computer software and sensors to carry out the operations. They interact with other equipment and employees. They dump loads in the right spot. And they even park in maintenance bays on exact schedules.

They don’t take breaks. They don’t get injured. They don’t call in sick. They don’t need medical insurance. And they work 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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Automating a mine, especially with the equipment in the earliest phases of development, is not cheap. Currently, the economics don’t make a lot of sense unless you’re mining hundreds of miles from anywhere. But as with any new technology, costs are expected to decrease rapidly.

Will Wyoming miners be replaced by robots?

It’s possible but unlikely to happen soon.

“The Powder River Basin has some of the lowest production costs of our peers,” said Rick Curtsinger, director of public affairs for Cloud Peak.

As with any company, Cloud Peak Energy wants to cut costs. But, investing in automation equipment is not currently how they’re doing it. Curtsinger said the company is cutting costs by doing more equipment maintenance in-house, whereas they once contracted the service out.

“We continue to look at ways to lower our costs.

In terms of large-scale automation, that’s not something I’ve come across,” he said.

Trucks are 15 percent cheaper to operate without human operators

NOTHING NEW

Caterpillar is not the only company experimenting with this technology, and it’s not just haulers. Trains, drilling equipment, diggers, and bulldozers are all machinery with the potential to operate without the need of an operator. Rio Tinto, another mining company operating in Western Australia, is utilizing driverless trucks from Japan’s Komatsu company. Rob Atkinson with Rio Tinto told the MIT Technology Review the trucks are 15 percent

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cheaper to operate than trucks with human operators.

“We’re not just taking the driver out of the truck. We’re orchestrating the whole vehicle workflow,” said John Grober, technical manager for Caterpillar, in a promotional video on the company’s line of automation equipment.

Such talk raises a lot of concern in Wyoming, where over 6,600 people are currently employed in coal mines alone.

The fear of automation has a long history.

Past resistance to the simplest technology makes the concerns seem absurd by today’s standards. Queen Elizabeth I flatly refused to grant a patent to William Lee for his stocking frame knitting machine. This jobdestroying device greatly sped up the production of wool hosiery.

“Thou aimest high, Master Lee,” the queen told the inventor. “Consider what the invention could do to my poor subjects. It would assuredly bring to them ruin by depriving them of employment, thus making them beggars.”

Fortunately, the United States didn’t have a queen to hold back technological progress, or the development of refrigeration might have been greatly delayed. Back in the 19th century, there was a whole industry called the frozen water trade. It involved largescale ice harvesting from ponds and streams. After being cut in large blocks, the ice was packed in straw or sawdust. From there, it was shipped to ice houses, where it could be stored for weeks without melting.

In addition to the jobs cutting the ice, there were jobs for delivery men, who would drive around in ice wagons, dropping off orders of ice to businesses and residences. In the U.S. alone, 90,000 people were employed in the industry, at a time when the population was one-fourth what it is today.

Then, someone invented the refrigeration, and by the 1930s, the entire frozen water trade was gone.

All the jobs in ice houses, ice wagon delivery, and ice harvesting ceased to exist. Despite this complete decimation of a significant industry, we don’t have scores of homeless people today who are descendants of those who worked in the ice industry.

Instead, a wealth of jobs was created in refrigeration manufacturing, repair, maintenance, marketing, and sales. The Maytag repair man’s grandfather was an ice harvester.

Mandel. More than 220,000 jobs now depend on the game software industry. With farm implement technology today, a single farmer can produce on the amount of land that required four farmers just 50 years ago. While that means a lot less people are becoming farmers, bioscience companies now employ 1.66 million people.

If and when Wyoming mines automate

operations, there will be jobs. Doing what for whom is anyone’s guess. It’s a good time to be looking at economic diversification, with programs such as Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming (ENDOW) laying the groundwork that will hopefully facilitate the kinds of entrepreneurial development that breeds new jobs and new industries for Wyoming’s economic future.

By: Kevin D. Killough for 82717

UNCERTAIN, BUT BRIGHT FUTURE Technological revolution regularly displaces jobs. While the immediate impacts are difficult to those who depend on those jobs, the impacts are far from permanent. Even if every mine in Wyoming automated its operations, it would not be the end of the state’s economy.

Consider the impact of ATMs. These machines essentially replace human tellers. Since 1990, the number of ATMs rose from 100,000 to 425,000.

Meanwhile, the number of tellers actually increased from around 400,000 to 500,000 today. Why didn’t the teller job go the way of the ice harvester?

Boston University economist James Bessen analyzed computer and employment trends since the 1980. His 2016 study found that ATMs reduced the cost of bank branch offices. So, the banks opened more branches, which created more jobs.

Today, document search and analysis tasks once handled by paralegals are now completely computerized. Since 1990, the number of paralegals has increased from 85,000 to 280,000 today.

It seems counterintuitive that automation would actually increase the number of jobs, but when companies automate, the cost of production goes down. These savings are usually passed down to consumers, which creates more demand for those products. As demand grows, so does the need for workers. This demand for labor only increases with the introduction of new products and services, and that’s why the prospect of mine automation inspires more fear than hope. We can’t imagine what miners would be doing without jobs in the coal mines. No one knows what products and services will exist in the future.

Just 10 years ago there were no smartphones, but today’s “app economy” supports 1.66 million jobs in the United States, according to economist Michael JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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Every Grandma Needs Healthy Shoulders W

ashing your hair, putting on deodorant—it’s easy to take these everyday tasks for granted. Sue Edwards had pain in her shoulder all the time, and it was impacting her ability to travel, one of her favorite activities. She also had a new grandson on the way and wanted to be able to hold him. As a registered nurse, she was very reluctant to have shoulder replacement surgery because she knew the complexity of the surgery and the lengthy rehab needed afterward.

Sue went to see Dr. Monica Morman at Campbell County Medical Group Orthopaedic Specialists, who told her that she needed surgery, but it would be scheduled only when she was ready.

“Dr. Morman understood that I had a right to be scared,” said Sue. “You hear about the experiences of others and read stories online. It’s a big decision and she made me feel like I was in control.”

“Having just been on the other side of the knife myself as a surgical patient myself, I can certainly relate to the anxiety of facing surgery,” said Dr. Morman.

Sue knew she wanted Dr. Morman to perform the surgery at Campbell County Memorial Hospital, and afterward spent only two nights in the hospital.

Afterwards, she praised the nursing staff for the quality of their care, and for explaining to her what was going to happen every step of the way.

As a single person, and with no caregiver to assist her at home, it was especially important for Sue to prepare for both her surgery and recovery in advance of her procedure, by making sure she had tools to help herself upon returning home. With help from the friendly medical staff, Sue knew to consider things like clothing that would be easy to put on and take off independently.

“You can’t believe how hard it is to pull on your pants with only one hand,” Sue said.

Sue wore a sling for six weeks after surgery.

Five months after the surgery, she was still attending weekly physical therapy appointments with therapist Kristi Wilde at Campbell County Health Rehabilitation Services. With regular therapy, her range of motion has improved considerably, and Sue now has very little pain.

Sue has lived in Gillette since 1980. During that time, she has worked as a school nurse and at Campbell County Public Health. Twice weekly, she works with participants in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program at CCPH. “It wasn’t an easy decision to have the surgery,” said Sue. “Dr. Morman is so caring, and approachable, and I loved having people I knew taking care of me in my hometown. When I’m ready, Dr. Morman will repair my other shoulder, too.”

“It’s so important to involve patients in the evaluation and decision-making process,” said Dr. Morman. Together, we can find the best treatment option for each patient and their unique situation.

By: Karen I. Clarke for CCH

Republished by 82717 with permission from CCH. Monica Morman, MD, FAAOS, CAQSH, is a board certified orthopedic surgeon, specializing in hand, arm, and shoulder surgeries at CCMG Orthopaedic Specialists. She treats several conditions of the upper extremities, including: carpal tunnel, shoulder and elbow replacements, arm fractures, and adhesive capsulitis, amongst others. Candace “Candy” Winters, PA-C, is the physician assistant in her practice. Learn more at www.cchwyo.org/ortho.

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THE AMBITION OF NELLIE TAYLOE ROSS O

n Oct. 4, 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross watched as her husband’s coffin was lowered into the ground. William B. Ross had been governor of Wyoming for only a year and 10 months. Twelve days earlier he had suffered severe abdominal pains after a day making speeches in Laramie. It was appendicitis. He died Oct. 2.

Nellie was devastated. She managed not to show it in public when her husband’s body lay in state under the Capitol rotunda in Cheyenne, during the funeral at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and finally at the graveside.

But when she was alone with her brother, she broke down.

George Tayloe had come quickly from Tennessee to be with her after William’s death. Nellie couldn’t stop talking about old times, George wrote home to his wife. “When she gets on the past it is terrible for her and I assure you hard on the listeners,” George added.

That afternoon, back at the governor’s mansion, the chairman of the state Democratic Committee knocked on the door and asked a delicate question: Would Mrs. Ross consider running for governor herself? The election was a month away.

Over the next few days, as she and George went around and around on the question of whether she should run, he came to know his sister better. Not only was she shocked and sorrowful over her husband’s sudden death, she was also ambitious. And if she did run, they both understood, ambition was a quality she’d have to disguise.

It just wasn’t seemly for a woman to look ambitious.

the Civil War. Their mansion was burned during the conflict, and the family never really recovered. When Nellie’s father, James Tayloe, married her mother, Lizzie Green, shortly after the war, he was soon supporting his wife, her younger sisters and her widowed mother.

He built a smaller house, farmed as much of the land as he could, but made ends meet by slowly selling off pieces of it. Nellie, one of six Tayloe children to live to adulthood, was born in 1876. Finally, James Tayloe sold the place, paid off the mortgage and back taxes, and in 1884 moved the family to Kansas. He opened a grocery store in Miltonvale.

At first, the nearby farms did well and the town prospered. James Tayloe built a large house for his family.

But by the end of the 1880s, drought and grasshopper plagues had brought hard times. In 1889, when Nellie was 13, her mother died. Other Green relatives by then had

moved to Omaha, Neb, but the Tayloes stayed in Kansas, watching their town and business decline. Nellie finished high school in 1892. Her father eventually lost the store and the house, and the Tayloes moved to Omaha. James Tayloe went to work for his brother-in-law as a bank clerk.

Nellie began teaching piano students and gradually put together two years’ more schooling for herself— enough for a job teaching kindergarten. She taught first in an Italian neighborhood and later in a Polish one, learning not just how to teach, but how big organizations work—in this case, the Omaha public schools.

Later, when she became famous, Nellie let the world believe she’d had a cultivated, upper-class upbringing in Missouri. The truth was more interesting. On the farm and in the store, she learned about hard work. Teaching and running the Tayloe household, she learned to help other people work hard, too.

EARLY LIFE

Nellie Tayloe Ross was a southern woman, and like many southern women she was gracious, funny and strongly loyal to her family and friends. She was also very smart. She came from Missouri, the border South, a complicated place for people like her who were born not long after the Civil War. Nellie came out of that place and time a complicated woman.

Nellie’s mother’s family, the Greens, owned a large plantation and 100 slaves in northwest Missouri before

Gov. Nellie T. Ross about the time of her inauguration, with three former Wyoming governors, l. to r.: U.S. Sen. F.E. Warren, former Gov. Robert Carey, and Sen. John B. Kendrick standing on the steps of the Capitol building. American Heritage Center.

Sub. Neg. 12577, Bio File – Ross, Nellie Tayloe., Wyoming State Archives, Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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She also acquired a taste for fine things, mixed with a skepticism about wealth. Money, she knew, might melt away any time. All her life she worried about it. And somehow, it seems fair to say, her father’s business failures, her mother’s death and the family moves all led to an uncertainty in her life that fed her ambition.

WILLIAM ROSS AND POLITICS

About 1900, Nellie met William Bradford Ross, a handsome young lawyer, while visiting Tayloe relatives in Paris, Tenn. Both families, Rosses and Tayloes, had strong religious backgrounds, came to Tennessee from North Carolina early in the 1800s, and were ruined financially by the Civil War. Nellie returned to Omaha, she and William began corresponding and their friendship deepened. Partly for his health, and partly out of the need to strike out on his own, William Ross moved to Cheyenne in 1901. He arrived the day before President McKinley died from an assassin’s bullet, and Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, became the first Progressive president of the United States.

William B. Ross was a Democrat with political ambitions. In the 1890s, the Populist Party emerged from the more radical, agricultural wing of the Democrats.

Populists felt they badly needed lower interest rates on the money they borrowed to keep their farms going each year and lower railroad rates on the crops they shipped to market. In the minds of the Populists and the Democrats, the Republicans were the men that lived in the great cities of the northeast, who owned the banks and the railroads and charged too much for everything.

Populism failed, but its resentments survived and merged with the sensibilities of Americans who felt that poor and middle-class people needed protection from the power of big corporations. Out of these feelings came the Progressive movement, which sought to break up monopolies, protect the poor and weak, make government more effective, provide good drinking water and good sanitation in cities and pure food and safe drugs for everyone. Three presidents considered themselves Progressives: Republicans Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft and Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

William Ross considered himself a Progressive Democrat.

In 1902, William and Nellie were married. Twins George and Ambrose were born the following spring.

Alfred was born in 1905, but died when he was 10 months old. A fourth brother, William Bradford Ross II, called Brad, was born in 1912. William, meanwhile, built up his law practice and started a political career. In

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1904, he ran for local prosecutor, and won, but lost when he ran again in 1906. In 1908, he lost a race for the state Senate by six votes. In 1910, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and lost again. After that, he and Nellie agreed: no more politics.

Nellie, meanwhile, was already leading a full-tilt social life when her boys were small and her husband’s income as a lawyer was not yet secure. They entertained more lavishly than they could afford. William borrowed money. Sometimes he was short‑tempered and jealous of men who paid attention to Nellie at parties. Nellie also socialized as a member of the Cheyenne Woman’s Club, where women met to give and hear talks on cultural and political subjects. In later years, Nellie often said she learned her public poise and public-speaking skills there.

In 1918, with thousands of young Wyoming men fighting in France in World War I, William’s again tried politics, despite his earlier agreement with his life. He lost a close race for the Democratic nomination for governor.

In 1919, the nation passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting alcohol, and in 1920, the nation passed another amendment giving women the right to vote.

Wyoming was changing, too. After the war, drought and depression gripped the state. Farms failed, ranches failed and banks failed. The oil business kept booming, briefly. But producers of Wyoming oil bribed top members of Republican President Warren G. Harding’s cabinet in order to drill for government-reserved oil that was supposed to stay in the ground. This Teapot Dome Scandal damaged Republicans everywhere, and 1922 looked as though it might be a good year for Democrats.

GOVERNOR WILLIAM ROSS Again, despite Nellie’s objections, William Ross yielded to pressure from supporters who thought he had a good chance, and ran again for governor. It was very close, but he won. The Rosses moved into the governor’s mansion.

Almost immediately, Governor Ross began putting his Progressive ideas into action. He got the Legislature to offer low-interest loans to farmers. Because of the depression, state funds had decreased. Ross found ways to spend less, but he also argued that since big corporations, which owned such a high percentage of Wyoming’s wealth, were still untaxed, more taxes fell unfairly on everyone else. He persuaded the Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment to tax coal, oil and minerals. Voters failed to approve the measure later, however. And Ross managed to increase substantially the royalties the state collected each year from production in the Standard Oil Company’s Salt

Creek fields north of Casper.

Nellie gave her husband steady support, and he consulted her daily on political questions. Now first lady of Wyoming, she loved the social and political life, yet continued to find it frighteningly expensive. The twins attended boarding schools in the South. Bradford, 10, was still at home.

The governor’s salary of $6,000 per year never seemed to stretch far enough, and William’s debts never went away.

DECIDING TO RUN In the days after William’s funeral in October 1924, Nellie’s brother George and other friends advised her not to run for governor. Wyoming was a Republican place and probably always would be, they argued, and the governorship in people’s minds was a man’s job.

George feared what a defeat at the polls would do to her emotionally—and she did, too.

Yet she needed the money, or at least some kind of job to support herself and her boys. When William’s debts were paid off, she would own the Cheyenne house they’d kept, but not much else.

Nellie began receiving other offers—some of charity and one of a job as state librarian-- but she was too proud to accept them. George pointed out that if she ran and lost, such job offers would disappear. Triumphant Republicans would offer her no job, nor any pension at all.

More days passed. Still, Nellie still didn’t make up her mind. If she ran, she could say truthfully that she was running out of an unselfish wish to finish the work her husband had been elected for, but it wasn’t quite proper in 1924 for a woman to admit the other truth. She simply wanted the job. She knew politics and wanted to see what she could do. “No one ever wanted it more,” George wrote to his wife. On Monday morning, Oct. 13, still not knowing what Nellie would decide, George boarded a train for home.

The next day, Republicans nominated Eugene J. Sullivan, a Casper lawyer. The Democrats nominated Nellie. Afterward, some delegates came to the governor’s mansion with the news. Finally, 45 minutes before the deadline, Nellie accepted. Sullivan campaigned hard.

Nellie, still deep in her grief, did not, but her backers spoke widely and took out ads on her behalf. U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick, a Democrat, noted “how fitting it was that the Equality State be the first to elect a woman governor.”

In 1869, Wyoming Territory had been the first government in the world to grant women permanently the right to vote. In 1894, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Estelle Reel was the first woman ever

The women, Nellie remembered later, seemed pleased to find she was not too mannish and that she had kept her femininity while exercising real power. “I … do not represent the over-powering, masculine, militant type of ‘politician’ that violates their sense of what the Lord intended a woman should be,” she noted in a handwritten narrative of the festivities that she wrote out for herself at the time.

She traveled to Chicago in April 1925 to give a speech at the Woman’s World Fair, and in the summer, she spoke at the National Governors’ Conference THE FIRST WOMAN in Maine. In August, she presided at a GOVERNOR meeting of western governors on water issues. Newspaper coverage was positive

She was inaugurated Jan. 5, 1925— and abundant. the first woman governor in the nation. It Yet at the same time, many press accounts was a tough time to take office. Drought, gave an impression of surprise that Nellie farm and ranch failures and especially bank was doing as well as she was. Newsmen failures were spreading hardship across the and politicians alike were still puzzled by a state. Many people lost their property and few women’s success in politics. Their outer their life savings. The oil boom was leveling politeness often hid confusion, which came off. Deadly mine explosions in western out later as meanness—the men would Wyoming at Kemmerer in 1923 killed 100 belittle the women, or ridicule them. miners, and reminded the state that coal

mining remained as dangerous as ever.

A campaign card, from Gov. Ross's

Gov. Nellie Ross, second from right, 1926 re-election campaign. American in Washington, D.C., 1925. Her friend Heritage Center.

Eula B. Kendrick is on the left, and Grace In earlier political movements—against Coolige, wife of President Calvin Coolidge, Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. alcohol and for women’s right to vote, for is in the center. Wyoming State Archives. example—American women had learned to work together cooperatively. Now, they were caught off five of her 11 proposals. With more experience, she might

NELLIE WENT RIGHT guard by the more ruthless politics among men. have focused on just three or four, and with more time, TO WORK

In the summer of 1925, Nellie fired two men from she might have made sure the people and their lawmakers state government who’d been appointed by her husband. understood her ideas before the session began. Equally

The Legislature came to Cheyenne a few weeks later She charged that Frank Smith, game commissioner, with important for future governors, she managed to beat back for its once-every-other-year session. Nellie outlined three drunkenness, and doing a poor job of handling the fishingseveral legislative attempts at reducing her powers. Then it of William’s policies she wanted to continue—spending license program. M.S. Wachtel, the state’s law enforcement was over; the session ended Feb. 22, and with it ended all cuts, state loans for farmers and ranchers and strong commissioner, had failed to enforce Prohibition, had Nellie’s chances of getting new laws passed. enforcement of prohibition. taken protection money from bootleggers and had been Yet, she was now nationally famous. Women had only had She went on, however, to press for eight additional drunk on the job, she charged. Afterward, she wrote her the vote nationwide for a little over four years when Nellie proposals: requiring cities, counties, and school districts brother George that instead of being “high strung and became governor. Eula Kendrick—Mrs. Senator John B. to have budgets; stronger state laws regulating banks; nervous,” as she had often been in the past, she now found Kendrick—invited Nellie to give a speech in Washington, exploration of better ways to sell Wyoming’s heavy she could act coolly throughout the conflict. “Something D.C., to the Woman’s National Democratic Club. This crude oil; earmarking some state mineral royalties for entirely new seems to have been given me,” she added. allowed her also to be in Washington for the inaugural school districts; obtaining more funds for the university; festivities in March for President Calvin Coolidge. improving safety for coal miners; protecting women in

Dressed in black, still in mourning, Nellie rode industrial jobs; and supporting a proposed amendment to A SECOND CAMPAIGN in the inaugural parade and later spoke to the woman’s the U.S. Constitution that would cut back on child labor. club, where her audience was large and enthusiastic.

These ideas all came from solid, Progressive thinking. But

Nellie ran again in 1926. By now, she had a national elected to statewide office. In 1920, women won the vote nationwide. Now, just four years later, Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected the first woman governor in the nation. She won easily, as it turned out, by 8,000 votes out of 79,000 cast—a much bigger victory than her husband’s two years earlier.

Sullivan had oil business connections, which probably hurt him with Teapot Dome still in the news. Clearly, though, voters’ sympathy for Nellie’s loss had a lot to do with her victory.

Nellie was the first governor to back them in Wyoming.

She was still a Democrat swimming in a sea of Republicans, however. In the end, the legislators supported

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

31

lost, the whole country would say that the first woman Washington D.C., leaving Wyoming more or less for reputation and the Wyoming press was ready to treat governor was a failure. “I appeal to you,” she said, “not to good. In her new position, she directed the campaign for her like a regular politician—and a Democrat. Nearly place me in a false light before the nation.” And with just the women’s vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt. all the newspapers in Wyoming were Republican. The days to go, she said, “I do not think you will repudiate the

After Roosevelt took office as president in 1933, Republicans nominated Frank Emerson for governor. first woman governor.” he named Nellie director of the Bureau of the Mint, The Democrats nominated Nellie. She declared she owed

She lost. The Republicans took all five of the top the government agency responsible for making new nothing to corporations, opposed special interests and elected state offices. Nellie’s race was by far the closest of bills, new coins and melting down old ones. It was a big sympathized with working people. She challenged anyone these. She lost by only 1,365 out of about 70,000 votes cast. job, and Nellie was the first woman to hold it. Over the to prove her performance as governor had been any less years, and thanks in part to her political experience first than it might have been simply because she was female. in Wyoming and then in national Democratic politics,

The press attacked her, saying she hadn’t lowered THE NATIONAL STAGE Nellie became an excellent manager—humane and taxes much and her accomplishments were minor. One effective. Managing the U. S. Mint was her true political Republican newspaper publisher’s wife charged in print

Even so, this was just the start of Nellie Tayloe Ross’s career. Roosevelt appointed her to three five-year stints in that Nellie failed to appoint a single woman to any office long career in politics. The following year, she traveled widely the job, and President Harry Truman, also a Democrat, previously held by men. For most of the campaign, Nellie and made good money giving speeches throughout the West appointed her to a fourth. refused to ask people to vote for her just on the Nellie retired in 1953. She stayed in basis of her gender. Her supporters were happy Washington. She made many smart real estate to do so, though, and prominent Republican investments over the years and was finally rich, as women counterattacked in the press. she had always wanted to be. She had time for travel Nellie fell back on what she did best. now and time for her children and grandchildren.

She made speeches. She toured the state in a big Packard car driven by her friend Wilson Kimball, who was running for secretary of state.

THE LEGACY OF NELLIE When the weather was good, they made six or TAYLOE ROSS seven speeches a day, and when it rained and the roads got muddy, they didn’t. Republicans Yet despite Nellie’s election as the first woman and Democrats alike were curious to see the lady governor in the nation, at least one Wyoming governor. Her schedule was jam-packed, and she woman of her time criticized Ross for not going drew big crowds wherever she went. far enough. Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard of the Cecilia Hendricks, a homesteader from University of Wyoming faculty noted in a letter to Garland, Wyo., near Powell in Park County and national women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman active in the Democratic Party, wrote home that Catt that the “outstanding reason” Nellie was fall to her family in Indiana: defeated “was due to the advisors that Governor You know . . . in this campaign the Ross selected, all men.”

Republicans have constantly argued that no Similarly, more recent historians have matter how well Governor Ross had done, the criticized the women's suffrage movement as having Gov’s office is no place for a woman, but is a man’s not gone far enough—as having settled for the vote job. Our [Democratic] speakers have been telling alone instead of stepping further, and obtaining real this [story], and then after telling of the schedule political power. It would be two more generations, she has been filling—more strenuous than any many historians believe, before women began man candidate ever had, because the people organizing for real power beyond the ballot. everywhere took matters in their own hands and Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. But woman’s suffrage was not Nellie Ross’s arranged for two or three extra meetings each main concern. She cared about her family, but day—they say they are sure it is not a man’s job, for no she also cared deeply about getting things done in the and Midwest. In 1928, New York Governor Al Smith won man could stand up under such a strain, and no one but public sphere—that is, about politics. She was born the Democratic nomination for president. Nellie, now one a woman could meet all the requirements placed on her during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant and died in of the most famous Democrats and one of the most famous everywhere.

1977, at the age of 101, during the presidency of Jimmy women in the nation, campaigned extensively for him Nellie Ross on her 100th birthday. American Carter. She followed her ambition, saw her opportunities, although she disagreed with him on prohibition.

Heritage Center. took up the power available to her, and used it.

When Smith lost to Herbert Hoover, Nellie was offered Finally, Nellie did play the gender card. The the salaried job of director of the Women’s Division of month before the election she said in a speech that if she the National Democratic Committee. She moved to By: Tom Rea for wyohistory.org. Republished w/permission.

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Areas of Study Administrative Assistant Biology Business* Computer Information Systems Computer Networking Administration Computer Web Design Criminal Justice* Cyber Security Diesel Technology* Education, Elementary* Education, Secondary* Electrical Apprenticeship Engineering English

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“I chose Gillette College because of the smaller class sizes and how easy it is to meet with professors for help and support. Deciding to come to Gillette College is one of the best choices I have made.�

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(307) 681-6070 www.gillettecollege.org JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

WYOMING EXCELS

Towards Improved Education T

hree-quarters of the American public cannot identify the three branches of our own federal government. * Public opinion polls reveal emboldened levels of antidemocratic and illiberal thinking. And, today’s youth demonstrate a striking new tolerance for authoritarianism, the advocacy of obedience to authority at the expense of freedom. On a national level, we’ve altogether ditched the nuclear family construct, with a dad who goes to work and a mom who stays home, only to adopt public apathy in its place as the new norm. Along with it, an unprecedented breed of coddled narcissists amasses, the likes of which propagate participation trophies and gender-inclusive language and bathrooms.

Yes, gone are the days of work ethic, respect, and gumption being instilled into American kids. There’s cause for concern here, people. Someone had to say it.

Meanwhile, in Wyoming… Ongoing cuts to education and state agencies have run amuck since as early as late 2004, when the state experienced a downturn in the mineral markets responsible for a bulk of its revenues. Not to mention that, by all national comparisons, Wyoming consistently ranks amongst the undistinguished academic mediocre at best, a strong indication the state’s educational standards are falling short.

Recent standardized test results tell a similar story. In Wyoming, less than 38 percent of students in grade 11 earned proficient or advanced scores in any category of the ACT. Last year, less than 54 percent of eighth-graders tested proficient or advanced in reading on PAWS (Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming

Students), our state’s test for our kids and schools. The percentages were just 48.6 in math and 45.3 in science.

Such numbers indicate we’re failing our children.

DISTRACTORS

Of course, we know not all students are good at taking tests. And, there are plenty of students in Wyoming with high GPAs and low standardized test scores. Still, schools are fundamentally intended to develop the skills and capabilities necessary for students to compete in a competitive job market, while building a student’s intelligence and character.

Like it or not, cookie-cutter bubble tests like the ACT and PAWS are among the few existing objective measures of student learning – and, by extension, educator and school performance – that serve to demonstrate how well our schools are preparing our students for life post-high school.

In 1995, the courts ruled in favor of a more equitable and better-quality K-12 system.

Unfortunately, despite several attempts by numerous legislators to diversify the stream of money funding Wyoming’s K-12 education, the Legislature chose to rely heavily upon revenues from energy development.

When these industries encountered the next bust, education funding became an issue. Like its boomand-bust economy, Wyoming is no stranger to cutbacks and trimming the fat; the Cowboy State has had its fair share of ups and downs in fulfilling its educational duties. In fact, it’s history is plagued by disparities in wealth, wages, instruction, and facilities among

*The three branches of our federal government are: Executive, Legislative, Judicial.

school districts. Problems which resulted in the state’s legislature questioning what would become known as its “educational basket of goods and services”, and directing the Wyoming State Board of Education to reevaluate its offerings.

Today, following more than $9 billion in education cutbacks, including after-school programs serving mostly underprivileged children, already stagnant school spending is at a standstill. While state education officials are one step closer to revamping the delivery of education statewide following the recent release of the 2017-2021 Digital Learning Plan from the Wyoming Department of Education, lawmakers are still looking to trim education spending out of what’s called the school funding model.

In December, the Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Revenue Interim Committee gathered at the State Capitol Building in Cheyenne to discuss a number of proposals aimed at addressing substantial budget deficits prior to the 2018 budgeting session, which convenes February 12th, 2018. The committee, which works to offset deficits in both state government operations and K-12 education funding (to the tune of approximately $300 million a year), looks to have its work cut out for them.

To review: Wyoming’s looking to improve education output while sizably reducing its alreadyreduced education spending.

The good news: Wyoming’s up to the task, already demonstrating aggressive ingenuity through the implementation of new, statewide programs and initiatives aimed at educational progress.

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One such program is Wyoming Excels.

WYOMING EXCELS Sponsored in part by the Wyoming Business Alliance (WBA) and the Wyoming Heritage Foundation (WHF) non-profit, with grant funding provided for through the Daniels Fund, Wyoming Excels is working to improve our education-toworkforce pipeline by ensuring all students graduate with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to succeed in a competitive global economy.

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In November, the foundation announced having hired Amber Ash as the program’s first executive director, effective December 1st, 2017. The announcement, which came in the form of a press release from the WBA, said WBA and WHF President Cindy DeLancey supported the appointment of Ash to the position.

“Amber’s background working in education and afterschool programs and her visionary thinking make her the right person to lead the program,” she said.

Formalities aside, I sat down for a phone interview with Executive Director Ash – to chat about Wyoming Excels – and was markedly pleasantly surprised. A levelheaded and articulate Ash described Wyoming Excels as a non-partisan coalition of business leaders who have joined forces to advance educational outcomes.

Admittedly, my first thought upon hearing this was, “Yay, another grant-funded program with big dreams”.

But, before I could even get a word in edgewise… this is what she said: “We’re student-focused, committed to transparency in education and return on investment, or effectively investing limited resources to achieve desired student outcomes,” Ash said. “We’re targeting the skills gap to better align workforce and education investments with employer skill needs by bringing educators, business leaders, and lawmakers to the same table. We’re facilitating interdistrict connectivity and shared best practices amongst educators from across Wyoming.

We’re advocating for the advancement of applied computer sciences at the state level, and bringing public awareness to the need to ‘Read-By-Three’, among so many other high-value policy priorities.”

I don’t know about you, but I like the sound of that. I’m not too proud to admit that the American public-school system is broken.

Frankly, the problems likely started long

peers, but also how well teachers and administrators are performing their jobs.

While states are still required to submit their respective goals and standards to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) for approval and feedback, the lessened role of government in education was wellreceived by most American parents who overwhelmingly felt that the increase of standardized testing – that came during the presidencies of Bush and Obama – were largely a flawed one-size-fits-all model, prone to a “test, blame, and punish” mindset.

Now, that’s all operating on the premise that the success of these decisions will depend heavily upon their implementation, and at its core the quality and quantity of feedback from teachers, district leaders, and other important influencers within Wyoming’s educational EDUCATION REFORM: realm. I digress.

A HISTORY LESSON During today’s controversial period of school reform, claims that Wyoming’s K-12 is too top-heavy Passed into law in December 2015, ESSA with non-teaching staff highlight poor staff utilization represents a complete overhaul of its predecessor, the in certain districts. While opportunities to eliminate No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 — that wasteful spending are important, additional cutbacks supported standards-based education reform which may still remain to be made atop plans to trim special required that states develop quantitative assessments education, instructional facilitators, and transportation in basic skills, or standardized tests, in order to receive DECIDING WHO DECIDES offerings, as well as increase class sizes statewide as a means federal school funding. of mitigating the growing education funding crisis which

Like NCLB, the ESSA passed both chambers of Again, it’s my belief that the problems which is projected to accumulate up to a $400 million annual Congress with bipartisan support. But, while the current plague the American education system began some time shortfall in the next budget cycle, Wyoming’s elected legislation retains its predecessor’s hallmark annual before the federal government started requiring states officials and education authorities standardized testing requirements, it sets more are being asked to answer a broad realistic and attainable goals with less harsh and challenging question: just how penalties, and grants considerably more control much actually needs to be spent on to the states and districts in determining the education in the state? standards its students are held to by… Essentially, Fundamentally, Wyoming reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Excels echoes similar sentiments Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to ensure that voiced last year by Wyoming every child—including students from lowerGovernor Matt Mead — let’s come income families—achieves, by providing federal together to abstract away from the funds to school districts serving poor students. negative and reframe the problems Generally speaking, those poorer at hand to find innovative solutions. districts receive less state and local funding Consider this: state lawmakers than those serving more affluent children have identified the problems we’re because local property taxes are a primary facing in Wyoming in regards to funding source for schools, and property education and economy and are values are lower in poorer communities.

ESSA is the single, largest source of federal Wyoming Excels Executive Dir. Amber Ash stands with Gov. Matt Mead, Heritage Foundation President looking to work towards feasible Cindy DeLancey, and others, at the Dec. 5, 2017 proclamation signing for Computer Science Education. solutions with contributions from funding for elementary and secondary education. both recognized experts in each respective field, and the For this reason, states and districts are required to show regularly test students as a condition of receiving ESSA average concerned citizen. How cool is that? that they’re effectively working towards providing a money, before teachers began “teaching to the test”, and quality education to all of their students in order to receive so on. Unsurprisingly, the Cowboy State has a lot to ESSA money. So, giving states money for schools, if consider when making important decisions regarding THE KICKER they meet ESSA requirements, holds them accountable. what’s best for our kids, and a key component in the Or, at least that’s the idea. But, why is ESSA and federal decision-making process should, without question, be the

Helping to advance education matters (a quick education accountability needed in the first place? voices of Wyoming’s teachers and parents. bit for those non-parents — we love you, too).

Before the federal government started requiring

Ash asserts, however, that these voices—the voices

What can state governments do to boost the states to regularly test students as a condition of of Wyoming’s citizens—when combined with the voices economic weal of their people? receiving ESSA money, there was little statistical data of influential leaders in business and education, as well

The answer is simple in that states can build a strong available to support how well specific groups were as our state’s elected officials (shared stakeholders in foundation for economic success by investing in education. performing. Results obtained through the process of the successful education of our youths) can influence But, the simplicity of the matter likely ends there. routine annual testing not only provide for a closer look education reform on a grand scale, and with tremendous

Studies demonstrate a direct correlation between at how students from different schools, districts, states, implications including social and economic (more on a state’s educational offerings and the productivity of its and groups, are performing in comparison to their this in a moment). workforce. When combined with before Obama’s implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, which governs the nation’s K-12 public education policy.

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resources, opportunity, and other things including student-focused legislation, expanded access to education innately lends to strengthened economic vitality. Students who graduate and have access to quality education throughout primary and secondary school are more likely to find and maintain gainful employment, and work more hours for higher pay.

Those states which further expanded access to a highquality education innately increase the number of welleducated workers within their respective workforces, the byproduct of which is an enhanced ability to grow and attract new, high-wage employers… Further supporting the importance of an educated workforce.

EDUCATION: SMART ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY

The benefits of education extend beyond economic returns… Ultimately, yielding improved health, decreased mortality, and reduced crime rates (Grossman and Kaestner). Investing in education is also good for state budgets long-term, since workers with higher incomes contribute more via taxes throughout the course of their lifetimes. Meaning, investing in education is likely to do

Abstractly, the key to economic success in Wyoming, then, lies in our state’s ability to rise up from under decades of lofty legislative mandates and crippling union hoopla to work at solving one of the nation’s most entrenched problems — the bureaucracy of the American school system, as it’s applied in Wyoming.

haven’t we already covered this? How many times must it be repeated before it resonates?

“The best way for states to foster a productive economy is to invest in a well-educated workforce.” - EARN

BUREAUCRACY CAN’T TEACH

Do you agree? Is the best way to yield a welleducated workforce – capable of strengthening Wyoming’s economy – to team with influential partners active in the development and implementation of the state’s education policy and process? You decide.

In the meantime, here are the biggest takeaways from our talk with Wyoming Excels’ new Executive Director Amber Ash:

▶ Wyoming Excels is bringing together perspectives from a diverse group of Wyoming’s leaders offering a unique platform to advocate for viable solutions to improve education and support an educated workforce.

▶ Wyoming Excels will take action to accomplish necessary research, listen to those who propose improvements, and advocate for those programs and ideas that will improve education by communicating with Wyoming’s citizens, elected officials, business leaders, education leaders, and the news media. ▶ Students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. Two out of three students who don’t read proficiently by fourth grade are likely to end up in jail or on welfare. ▶ Only 41 percent of Wyoming fourthgraders tested proficient or above on the NAEP 2015 assessment. Wyoming has 7,513 fourth-graders enrolled this year. If 59 percent, or 4,432, students aren’t proficient and if the current trend continues, 2,925 of students are on a path toward not being positive contributors to society.

“I’m excited to give businesses a voice in the educational process.” – Ash

The organizational flow of our public schools is entirely too organized. That’s not to say we shouldn’t hold our teachers accountable. Rather, we ought to steer clear from the mono-minded compulsion to satisfy standardized test scores. Granted, America’s schools face many external challenges, as well. For example, the breakdown of the traditional family construct, which limits extended learning opportunities.

When it comes to matters of policy, the public tends to look to the federal government for guidance, while state governments actually structure educational policy. So, we must approach education reform on a state level. But, which strategies for coming up with funding for education are best for a state’s economy? And, which motivators supersede benefiting our children, and why?

ENDGAME

Only 41 percent of Wyoming fourth-graders tested proficient or above on the NAEP 2015 assessment more to strengthen a state’s economy than anything else within a state government’s power. Not to mention, it’s proven far more cost-effective.

In contrast, consider the financial burden the public bears from crime, and its related costs to society. Tangible and intangible costs to victims and their families aside, court costs in prosecution, incarceration overhead, and corrections operations alone surmount to upwards of an approximate $450 billion a year. This is according to a cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost analysis to quantify measurement and analysis of crime and justice conducted by Mark Cohen, professor of management and law at Vanderbilt University.

The lack of quality education or incomplete education is a major contributing factor in unemployment, crime, and incarceration… All of which support the argument that the benefits of quality K-12 education reach far beyond each child’s individual social and academic gains, yielding states real, tangible economic benefits.

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Recognizing that state and local policymakers, when faced with a current-year budget deficit, often encounter highly challenging decisions over what to cut, it’s undeniable that the cumulative impact of these educational benefits helps recipients to make better life decisions. For example, employment is linked to better health because most people gain access to health insurance through their employer(s). It follows that education is similarly linked to improved health because those who are better-educated tend to have better employment. Therefore, a great way for states to foster a healthy, productive economy is to invest in cultivating a well-educated workforce. In fact, according to a new paper published by EPI for the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), a network of 61 state and local economic think tanks and 25 national partners founded by the Economic Policy Institute and several other state and national groups, it’s the best way. But,

By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717 SOURCES: Cohen, M., Measuring the Costs and Benefits of Crime and Justice.

2000, Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice. 4: p. 263 – 215.

French, Lily, and Peter S. Fisher. 2009. Education Pays in Iowa: The State’s Return on Investment in Workforce Education. The Iowa Policy Project.

Grossman, Michael, and Robert Kaestner. 1997. “Effects of Education on Health” in The Social Benefits of Education, eds. J.R. Behrman and S. Nevzer. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Lochner, Lance, and Enrico Moretti. 2004. “The Effect of Education on Crime: Evidence from Prison Inmates, Arrests, and SelfReports.” The American Economic Review, vol. 94, no. 1, 155–189.

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We invest in Energy Capital Economic Development because we believe our community benefits from new jobs, new companies, and new people, and that it is important to help our existing businesses expand. A bigger and more diverse Campbell County economy is good for employees, businesses, visitors, and all the people of Campbell County.

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17 Things: To Love Ab W

hen we write our monthly 17 Things feature, the idea behind it is to create a treasure trove of fantastic people, places, and things – entirely unique to Campbell County – that demonstrate the vibrancies of the truly awesome community in which we live. We mainly choose to feature the city’s latest and greatest, and its “next big things”, or else we’d just be publishing the same old list time and time again.

Here (in our first-ever LOVE issue), we share 17 Things we relish about living 82717: ideas, attitudes, amenities, and defining characteristics that just don’t exist anywhere else!

ACCESS THE GREAT OUTDOORS Wyoming’s year-round outdoor recreational opportunities are undeniable. The state offers activities like off-roading, skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, rock climbing, biking, horseback riding, and so much more, including: incredible hunting and fishing with an abundance of popular game animals like elk, deer, moose, antelope, black bear, mountain lion, and wild turkey; and roughly 22 species of fish such as trout, crappie, pike, and yellow perch. Not only is Campbell County the centrally-located hub of all things outdoors and outdoor sporting in Wyoming, it boasts unparalleled access with all the state’s show-stopping outdoor destinations less than a day trip away, including: Devil’s Tower, Black Hills, Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the Bighorns, etc.

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WESTERN CULTURE & LIFESTYLE We keep it country ‘round here. Perhaps, without even trying. Campbell County in and of itself innately speaks to and promotes an honorable lifestyle and proud existence, most commonly marked by hard work, steadfast Christian faith, and rural family values. Akin to the cowboy culture of the western U.S., which is considered by many to be the epitome of American-ness, and rooted in the practice of herding animals, traditionally on horseback (from which our county’s namesake is derived), the real cowboys and cowgirls of today’s Campbell County represent multi-cultural influences from the Mexican vaquero to the Native American Indians, and even the Californian buckaroo. Romanticized by the gunslinger, Western movies of the ‘20s, in reality, working ranch hands oftentimes have little time for anything else outside of the constant, hard work involved in maintaining a ranch.

rigger bringing up Louisiana mud bugs to barbeque at a card game, evolved into an annual community event attracting over 4,500 attendees a year. From its humble backyard beginnings, the Society of Petroleum Engineers’ Crawfish Boil has blossomed into a volunteer-run fundraiser posed to help local families cover catastrophic medical expenses – they couldn’t otherwise afford. The event, which raises tens of thousands to benefit local families enduring medical hardship, has raised over $120,000 in a single year. “Wyoming may be small in population, but our families know how to help each other out more than any other state in the nation,” said U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi, who attended the first Crawfish Boil in 1983, in a speech addressed to the President. “Wyomingites do not just rely on government for help - they talk to neighbors, they come up with a good idea, they organize and they follow through. The crawfish feed is an example for the nation on how to pull yourself and your neighbor up by the boot straps and have fun doing it.” Now, what’s not love about that?!

POWERFUL PENNIES

COMMUNITY VIBES The landlocked State of Wyoming may not be anywhere near a bayou, but that’s never stopped the folks of Campbell County from coming together— over crawfish—for a cause. What began with an oil

Wyoming is one of only nine states that do not tax individual wage income. It does collect a sales tax, and counties have the option to add an additional 1% to the state levy. The combined sales tax for Campbell County (Gillette, Recluse, Rozet, Weston, and Wright), is 5%. Wyoming state sales tax rate being 4%, and the Campbell County sales tax rate being 1%. The money generated by the tax is used by the City of Gillette, Campbell County, and the Town of Wright for things like the capital construction of roads (51.5%), water and sewer lines (26.06%),

bout Campbell County and infrastructure like drainage (6.98%), the waste water facility (0.23%), and parks and pathways (5.58%). The Optional 1% Tax also supports local agencies, including: American Red Cross, Boys & Girls Club, CCPL, Climb Wyoming, Council of Community Services, GARF, Gillette Reproductive Health, Juvenile and Family Drug Court, Personal Frontiers, and the YES House, among others, as well as additional programs, emergency and safety equipment, and operations. From 1985 through 2017, the total amount received through 1% is $338,678,000. From 2007 through 2017, the total received was $221,442,000, representing yet another victory for the ongoing maintenance, improvement, and betterment of our community.

And, a substantial and tangible representation of our hard-earned tax dollars at work.

GPA - TV When there’s a need to bring key audiences together with important information, Gillette Public Access Television delivers. Live streaming its three channels – education, government, and public access –through the city website (gillettewy.gov), GPA - TV brings well-produced government and local programming to the people. In doing so, it provides for untethered, direct access to the ideas and issues shaping today’s 82717. Local programming such as this provides access to things you might not notice otherwise, but which may be important to your daily life. For me, being in Campbell County, Wyoming, that means I can tune into Gillette City Council and planning meetings of interest that I’m unable to attend, tune

into local elections for results in real time, and keep up to date with public service announcements as needed.

GILLETTE-CAMPBELL COUNTY AIRPORT In business and in transport, scale is widely acknowledged as an advantage, lending to lower costs, more economic efficiency, and a better overall user experience. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that smaller airports – like 82717’s own GilletteCampbell County Airport (call letters “GCC”) – offer a higher level of service and functionality. The experience flying out of GCC is unlike that of most other, larger airports: you don’t need to be there 2 hours before your flight, parking’s a breeze (and free), staff and crews are kind and familiar, security takes minutes (if that), and there aren’t other planes on the tarmac to hold up your departure. That’s right, despite the occasional gripe from the nosebleeds (most oft pertaining to cost), commercial jet service through our calm, low-fuss regional airport is a privilege. We love it, and acknowledge it as such.

PREMIER PARK SYSTEM Far more than just surface mines and reclaimed lands, Gillette—the Energy Capital of the Nation—

is home to one of the state’s largest municipal park systems, boasting more than 661 acres of developed park land, including two regional parks and approximately 40 neighborhood parks. And, with over 49 miles of park pathways to walk, run, and ride on, the 82717 is actively promoting livability in our community by providing safe, convenient options for non-motorized travel and recreation.

All of Gillette’s city park offerings are free admission and regularly open to the public from 7 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily. What’s not to love about a hometown whose commitment to park offering and citywide beautification efforts is ongoing and awesome?!

Park it at a city park to see why our parks make the list of things to love about living Campbell County.

For a list of Gillette’s ADA-compliant park and playground offerings, visit gillettewy.gov.

GILLETTE COLLEGE “The bridge to your future” is an apt catchphrase Gillette College uses for student recruitment.

The bridge, after all, is a community staple and is as emblematic of the school as its pronghorn mascot. Of the many reasons to attend, are the vast areas of study: Business, Diesel Technology, Welding, Machine Tool Technology, Elementary and Secondary Education, Nursing, and more. The college notes its ‘Top 3’ are: cost, connections, and community. That said, their on-campus living and grill, sporting programs and all-new Pronghorn Center, various clubs and organizations, and a multitude of student resources are nothing to scoff at. The average student receives approx. $3,000 in scholarships (roughly $500 shy of in-state tuition JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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and fees according to the college’s yearly attendance cost estimates). Meaning, everyone can afford a higher education in Campbell County. Providing for higher education in our region is also proven to contribute to an educated workforce and strengthened economy.

CITY STATS Statistically speaking, Campbell County’s where it’s at! According to the Population and Housing Narrative profile from Energy Capital ED, the Energy Capital of the Nation is a pretty nice place to call home. Their website cites information from the most recent census, as follows: Campbell County has a population of approximately 46,000 people, and is a young, family-oriented, and hardworking community. There are approximately as many males as females, over 93% of which are white.

The median household income is $80,000. Primary industries, include: energy (oil and gas, coal), medical, and school district. The median monthly housing cost to renters is $762, and less than 0.5% of relocating residents moved to Campbell County from abroad. The unemployment rate is 4.7% with only 16% of households receiving social security (of which, the average annual income was under $14,500). Located between the Black Hills and the Big Horn Mountains, Campbell County averages 275 days of sunshine each year.

BIG ENERGY Campbell County, Wyoming, has enjoyed a long history at the top of the national coal market. Since 1986, it’s been the number one coal-producing

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county in the number one coal-producing state in the U.S., primarily thanks to reserves found in the Powder River Basin (PRB). PRB mines produce more coal than the next six largest coal-mining states combined, and the PRB coal seam is one of the largest, most economical energy reserves on the planet, and the single largest source of coal in the U.S. It’s not new news that the low-sulfur, sub-bituminous coal mined here is cleaner-burning and found closer to the surface, making it cheaper and easier to mine responsibly. And, despite the downturn in the energy economy, increased efficiency means lower production costs, which results in reduced electricity rates for the average consumer – something everyone can love.

relocating or preparing for your child to enter into a structured learning environment). Additional benefits, include: access to Kid Clinics with free flu shots, programs like GATE, ELO, DARE, suicide awareness, prevention, and counseling, Special Programs for Section 504-eligible students, and so much more. Learning in Campbell County is easy thanks to our ScoolMatch “What Parents Want” and Ruby Award-winning District #1 – making it an important thing to love about living here.

CAM-PLEX MULTI-EVENT FACILITIES #1 DISTRICT In Campbell County, Wyoming, our K-12 public education offerings are truly exceptional! The 82717’s Campbell County School District #1 serves all of Campbell County, covering a geographic area of about 5,000 square miles, including the City of Gillette, Town of Wright, Antelope ValleyCrestview, Sleepy Hollow, Recluse, Rozet, and Weston. Over 9,000 students are currently enrolled across 24 schools, each committed to the overall academic achievement, health, and physical and emotional well-being of each individual student.

And because healthy schools produce healthy students, the district implements healthy eating and exercise habits and policies, consistent with state and national guidelines. Students here benefit from an 18 to 1 average district-wide student/ teacher ratio, as well as access to top-notch facilities (Aquatic Center, Adventurarium, Planetarium, etc.) and tech (leading education technology platforms like PowerSchool and TouchBase, as well as online applications like Here Comes the Bus, which helps parents to send children to the bus stop at the right time). Perhaps most importantly, District #1 employs quality teachers and administrative staff (the kind you look for when

Located on the rolling plains of Northeast Wyoming, Gillette is home to the show-stopping CAM-PLEX Multi-Event Facilities, the state's premier multi-use facility with over 1,000 acres of land, a fine arts theatre, convention and exhibit hall, two multi-purpose pavilions, racetrack, rodeo grounds, 1,730 RV sites (with 30 and 50 amp hookups), and a 21-acre park and picnic area. Ideally suited to host events like conferences and conventions, concerts, theatre and dance performances, trade shows, livestock shows and rodeos, and more, CAM-PLEX is one of the most versatile, functional, and attractive facilities of its kind west of the Mississippi. Truly a year-round venue, it offers tremendous size and unmatched versatility for both regional and national events.

With support from local government funding and oversight from the Campbell County Public Land Board, CAM-PLEX brings big city fun to coal country, featuring national events like National High School Finals Rodeo and Trade Show, and premier shows like the Pyrotechnics Guild International, Lee Brice, and Blackhawk.

THE REC The Campbell County Recreation Center, “The Rec” or “Rec Center”, opened in 2010 to rave reviews. Even now, almost eight years later, there’s so much to love about this immaculate facility!

Extremely well-maintained -- and featuring amenities including a 42-foot climbing wall designed to resemble aspects of the nearby Devil’s Tower National Monument, an 81,000-squarefoot field house with six-lane, 200-meter track, and (count them) five indoor tennis courts -- this unique, 190,000-square-foot rec center is simply unheard of, in Wyoming or elsewhere with a similar population. It combines a full-service rec center with a multi-use competitive sports and training facility, and bares an elevated walking track, locker rooms, party rooms, kids zone, six lane lap pool with three-meter dicing platform, hot tub, sauna, tanning beds, zero depth pool area, lazy river, lily pads, water toys, and water slides, as well as a weight room and cardio area, and multiple basketball, volleyball, and racquetball courts.

CCPLS Over the last decade, changes to the community and library profession have both fueled and guided the Campbell County Public Library System’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that the community’s needs are being met. Most notably, these changes include: population growth, a shift in demographics, as well as continued advancements in the field of technology, which have spurred the library’s evolving goals and achievements, as well as their undying support of literacy for youth in

Campbell County. But, the CCPLS continues to do so much more for the 82717 – making their efforts worthy of our list. From providing state-of-the-art facilities that safeguard the library’s position as an asset, and by maximizing and modernizing space to provide for a working environment that enables staff to deliver efficient, high-quality library services at each branch, to providing engaging recreational activities for all age levels, optimizing public access to easy-to-use information with topnotch technology, and developing targeted mobile collections for patrons of all ages... there’s lots to love at the Campbell County Public Library in Gillette and the Wright Branch Library in Wright!

Every year at Christmastime, Campbell County lights it up with its much-anticipated Festival of Lights. Boasting over 1 million Christmas lights spanning 120 acres, with over 70 displays, the stunning Festival of Lights drive-through experience, with its choreographed holiday music, brings holiday cheer to Gillette each year, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. It’s the largest holiday light display in Wyoming, and the over 50-foot high displays are even visible by plane from above.

Enjoy viewing displays, including: The Twelve Days of Christmas, Santa’s Workshop, Penguins on Ice, Surfing Reindeer, Trumpeting Angels, Harley Santa, Snow Ball Toss, Christmas Puppy, the Infinity Tunnel, kid-favorite Gummy Bears, and more. Also, it's free. Need more iridescent holiday spirit? The City also adorns gobs of trees and streetlights throughout Gillette each holiday season! Talk about Christmas spirit!

ARTS & HISTORY Gillette is one of the few Wyoming cities with exciting art displays and offerings, as well as theater and symphony performances all season long. There’s galleries like Rapport (which display works by local and regional artists), the Heritage Center Theater Gallery at CAM-PLEX, and the AVA Community Art Center – whose mission is to build a better community by enriching lives through art in the 82717. The Campbell County Rockpile Museum is another place we love for the various permanent and temporary exhibits on display, as well as the inspired collections and family-friendly activities which help to tell the stories of Campbell County’s past – oftentimes free of charge. For art and history, there’s much to love right here in Campbell County!

PATRIOTISM LIVES Here in Campbell County, Wyoming, we’re a lot like country music legend Craig Morgan, and his song “More Trucks Than Cars” in that, “...When Old Glory flies, we still hold our hands over our hearts”. In a world where patriotism is fleeting, the quality of being patriotic is not lost amongst the citizens of the great 82717. Case in point, attend any rodeo, derby, or sporting event at which “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played or sung. Collectively, when we hear the U.S. national anthem in our community we stand, remove our caps and cowboy hats, and place our hands over our hearts. We don’t kneel. We don’t protest. That’s just not how we do things here. And, we absolutely love that.

By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717

THE LIGHTS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018

Community Calendar

For Gillette, Wright & Northeast Wyoming JANUARY If Not You, Then Who? Luncheon

JANUARY Seniors at the Library

Jan. 16 • 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Prime Rib Restaurant and Wine Cellar Coordinator: 307.682.3673

Jan. 22 • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Campbell County Public Library Librarian: 307.682.3223

The Name of the Wind Book Discussion

Eastside RV Outdoor Fun Show

Jan. 16 • 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Campbell County Public Library Librarian: 307.682.3223

Jan. 26 • 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Central Pavilion Coordinator: 307.686.1435

Chamber Mixer

Heritage Christian School Benefit

Jan. 18 • 4 – 6 p.m.

Century 21 Real Estate Assoc.

Coordinator: 307.682.3673

Jan. 26 • 4:30 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Equality Hall Coordinator: 307.682.6455

FAFSA Night

AVA Art Reception

Jan. 18 • 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Campbell County Public Library Librarian: 307.682.3223

Jan. 26 • 5 – 7 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Gallery Office: 307.682.8802

Master Classic 3D Archery Shoot

Bar J Wranglers

Jan. 20 • 9 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Barn 3 Coordinator: 307.257.7509

Jan. 26 • 7 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802

Rancher’s Round Up Banquet

4-H Progressive Ride Time

Jan. 20 • 6 – 8 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Coordinator: 307.299.3907

Jan. 28 • 12 – 6 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Coordinator: 307.682.7281

Pro Jackpots Rodeo

Twin Spruce JH

Jan. 21 • 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

CAM-PLEX East Pavilion Coordinator: 307.687.0566

Jan. 29 • 7 – 8:30 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Coordinator: 307.682.3144

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

Community Calendar

For Gillette, Wright & Northeast Wyoming JANUARY Eggs & Issues

Jan. 30 • 6 – 8:30 a.m.

Senior Citizen’s Association Coordinator: 307.682.3673

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY 4-H Shooting Sports

Feb. 17 • 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Barn 3 Extension Office: 307.682.7281

Book a Birthday Party

WY Stock Dog Assoc. Winter Series Finals

Feb. 17 • 1 – 3 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Central Pavilion CAM-PLEX Office: 307.682.0552

Wild West Wrestling Tournament

Feb. 17 • 4:30 – 7:30 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Equality Hall Contact: 307.689.1111

Feb. 3 • 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

CAM-PLEX East Pavilion Coordinator: 307.682.7281

Feb. 3 • 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Wyoming Center Coordinator: 303.635.1549

4-H Progressive Ride Time

Feb. 4 • 12 – 6 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Barn 3 Extension Office: 307.682.7281

Dance Arts Fundraising Performance

Feb. 10 • 4 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802

Laura Chapman Artist Reception

Feb. 16 • 5 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Gallery Ticket Office: 307.682.8802

Ducks Unlimited Banquet

Powder River Symphony

Feb. 18 • 3 – 5 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802

Up in Arms Gun Show & Flea Market

Feb. 23 • 3 – 7 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Central Pavilion Contact: 208.420.2295

Dad & Daughter Ball

Feb. 24 • 6 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Equality Hall Contact: 307.660.1798

The Magic of Bill Blagg Live

Feb. 16 • 7 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2018

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