82717 August/September 2019 by Outliers Creative

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

THE

Family Way

BUCK, BUCK, MOOSE! PLAN YOUR HUNT

ASK GAME + FISH

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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Contents 16 DRUNK ON HORMONES Jen’s not your typical outdoorsy woman, and here’s the proof.

18 TAKING AIM

Candice tags in to help Jen share what you should be reading.

20 THE FAMILY WAY

Meet the Townsends: This family knows their firearms.

22 POP QUIZ

How much do you know about hunting in Wyoming?

25 ASK GAME & FISH

What should a hunter do to prepare for the season? Bart and Matt tell all.

33 GOODBYE, JAKE’S: A TRIBUTE After 25 years, Jake’s Tavern closes its doors — but not before a good, long goodbye from some close and famous friends.

Page Turner 6

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Editorial CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Erika C. Christensen MARKETING DIRECTOR Stephanie L. Scarcliff CHIEF OF STAFF Lisa A. Shrefler SALES Jessica L. Pierce Jason N. Kasperik Robert D. Pederson CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer C. Kocher ART DIRECTOR Richard W. Massman DESIGNER Candice E. Schlautmann

@82717Life

PHOTOGRAPHER Taylor A. Helton

Inquiries & Customer Service Outliers Creative, LLC P.O. Box 3825 • Gillette, WY 307.686.5121 • 82717@mcllc.net 82717 Life is a publication of Outliers Creative, LLC © 2019, all rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission is prohibited. This magazine accepts freelance contributions. 82717 Life is not responsible for loss, damage or any other injury to unsolicited manuscript, unsolicited artwork including but not limited to drawings, photographs or transparencies and any other unsolicited materials. Outliers Creative, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MC Aegis, LLC.

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THE HUNT

Choosing a Girl’s First Big Game Rifle For youth growing up in the 82717, 12 is the magic number — it’s the year that a child becomes eligible to take any big game or trophy game animal in the state of Wyoming.

or adult transplants like myself, there’s no time like the present. So, as we began planning for this issue, I set out to find the perfect hunting rifle. After visiting the local hot spots — T&T Guns & Ammo, Inc. (LOVE!), Sportsman’s Warehouse (also love), and even Rocky Mountain Discount Sports (who quit carrying our magazine for some reason, but we still love you guys), I began to realize this hunt would be like any other and would require some heavy-duty planning, knowledge, patience and money. Although I’ve yet to pull the trigger, I want to share what I’ve been learning along my path to first-time hunting bliss because I’m guessing I’m not the only gun-toting gal in town who can benefit from these insights. Join me, as I take a (albeit pink-trimmed) digital camouflaged step toward venturing outside my comfort zone (getting outdoors every weekend to camp, kayak and shoot in the Black Hills or the Bighorns) and into the wild for a hunting experience in Allen Blaze Orange. First, I searched Google: What’s the best hunting gun? (Oh, rifle!) Too many lists and recommendations flooded my screen. I realized I’d need to target my search. Here’s what I

found: long viewed as the Birkin bag of western big-game rifles, the Weatherby Mark V rifle is the patriarch of the Weatherby family. Designed in the mid 1950s, although it handles the high pressures synonymous with many of Weatherby’s cartridges like a boss, it weighs over 8.25 to 8.5 pounds (eek!) and packs a mean punch. However, I’m learning its female counterpart, the equally impressive Weatherby Camilla is perhaps the ideal rifle for a female biggame huntress. Named after Roy Weatherby’s wife, the original Vanguard Camilla was specially constructed with an ergonomic fit for females and weighs considerably less at just 5.25 pounds without sacrificing design or accuracy. The newer Mark V Camilla was introduced last year at 6.5 pounds with Mark V standard 6-lug action, blued metalwork, “AA” fancy stock and hand-lapped, chrome-moly barrel. Sure, there are other brands to consider for a starter rifle, and some are also making models specifically for women, but since starting my search, I’ve had the opportunity to visit and tour the new Weatherby, Inc. facility in Sheridan (flip to read “Exclusive: Behind the Scenes at Weatherby” on the 82801 Life side), but I think it’d be mighty hard to deny

the appeal of purchasing a firearm produced by a manufacturer, who not only comes from my home state of California, but also relocated to Wyoming (like me) and proceeded to build its corporate headquarters in the nearby city of Sheridan, bringing 70 to 90 jobs and roughly $5 million in payroll over the next five years and also boasts a product line made just for women, Women of Weatherby. I just may be sold. But, am I wrong? Are you an upper echelon big game or trophy game hunter? We want to hear from you! Connect online and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @82717Life. Tell me your thoughts and experiences hunting with a Weatherby or another rifle. We want to know where you hunt, what’s your stance on 2A rights and guns in Campbell County schools? Share your stories and take our quick 8-question hunting survey!

Stephanie L. Scarcliff , Production Editor

@OCmaven | @82717Life | @ocllcwy

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

che o K . C n By: Je

dmittedly, I go out on a limb to impress the men I’m trying to date. Often this means feigning an interest or ability in some activity, or sometimes, outright lying. In other words, it’s not beneath me to pretend I can snowboard only to break an ankle while falling off a chair lift, while my would-be suitor looks on in horror. Therefore, when I told a girlfriend Willow that I was going on a two-day turkey hunting trip in eastern Wyoming, she rolled her eyes and said, “Who’s the guy?” I told her about my then- prospective new boyfriend Matt, who lives on elk and deer meat and has a bear pelt tacked above his bed. “I thought you were morally opposed to hunting,” she said, shaking her head. I shrugged. It’s just a turkey. Not even really an animal, and who knows, maybe killing animals will turn out to be my thing. Has she seen how hot those guys look in camo? Willow rolled her eyes. Since neither of us had done any camping, she wondered if I’d have to sleep in a tree and drink my own urine. I shrugged. More pressing at the moment was the problem of wardrobe, because as Willow pointed out, velvet pants, whether dark green or not, would probably look pretty stupid, even if coupled with hiking

boots. I gave up. When Matt picked me up, he gave me a quick once-over then handed me an enormous puffy coat, and we headed off on the 8-hour journey to get to his “spot.” Once there, he tumbled out of the truck and began assembling things and piling on layers while I stood off to the side like a lost child. Did I think to bring an orange cap, he wondered, as he shoved a neon stocking cap on his head. Sometimes people get shot, and orange helps hunters to identify other hunters, he explained. I tried to make a joke. Surely, people didn’t die chasing turkeys. He shrugged, strapping a refrigerator-sized backpack on my back. I should be fine as long as I kept up with him, as he trotted off on his 6’ 4’’ extralong legs. Within 50 feet, I began hyperventilating as sweat poured down my back under the insulated layers of his coat. As if that was not bad enough, the black cloud over our heads turned into a downpour, as I stared longingly down the trail behind me with the fleeting hope that like baseball, hunting came with rain outs. Prior to this moment, I had loved Matt’s height and muscly physique and was looking forward to several hours of prime viewing from behind, until he veered off the flat path and headed into the hills and I began to hate him as blisters formed on my heels. Finally, what felt like hours later, he stopped

in his tracks and turned back to shush me before I even opened my mouth. “Hear that?” he asked, with a euphoric grin, gazing off into the trees. I stood still and concentrated hard with the hope of harnessing the last remaining trace of any primordial instinct that would elevate me in Matt’s eyes and convince myself that I was actually enjoying this experience. Nothing, but then there it was. A far-away, deepthroated cry that was at once desperate and beautiful and made the hair on my neck vibrate. It was a Tom crying out for a hen, he explained, desperate and raw, like an adolescent boy on his first spring break trip to Florida. Matt reached into his backpack and pulled out a wooden box with “the Heartbreaker” painted in red across the top. He scraped the lid back and forth, emitting a deepthroated moan in response that sounded something like, “I’m here, over here.” After a few cranks on the Heartbreaker, the woods echoed with far away gobbles, and off we went. Suddenly, like the Tom, I was full of endorphins. Within a few miles, I had forgotten about the rain and my cold, tired feet and instead found myself hurtling up hills behind Matt in hot pursuit. The hormones were clearly contagious. Finally, Matt leapt to his belly on the cusp of a hill

and signaled for me to follow. He slowly reached for his rifle and propped it on his forearm as a poofed up Tom with tail feathers blazing slowly emerged out of the cloudy mist like a rock star, and slowly walked across the field as if drunk on hormones and driven by love. Pow. The shot echoed in my ears as the Tom dropped dead on his side in a poof of gray feathers that hung briefly in the sky like a cloud, before fluttering down on the ground. Matt yelped and ran toward the bird. “We got one, babe,” he screamed, swinging the turkey in the air by its neck, which suddenly seemed very rubbery. Despite the encouraging promise of ‘babe,’ my heart was torn between the blood trickling out of the turkey’s purply, blue head, and the deflated pinking waddle now hanging limply to the side. Not even Matt’s supreme hotness could combat the vision of the dead bird convulsing as its chest inflated with air like a balloon, which Matt promptly deflated by stepping on its chest, as all the misguided lust and longing dissipated in the air. “He was looking for love in all the wrong places,” Matt said with a smile, and sadly, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Hear that?” he asked, with a euphoric grin, gazing off into the trees.

By: Jen C. Kocher AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

What We're Reading 2

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

CANDICE & JEN’S HOT PICKS FOR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS & READING AFICIONADOS

TAKING AIM | Eva Shockey

Daring to Be Different, Happier, and Healthier in the Great Outdoors Shockey’s story is less about pulling the trigger and more about listening to your heart and pursuing your passion despite stereotypes and expectation. She takes us on her journey from the little girl expected to be a professional dancer, like her mother, to the hunter and conservationist she is today – a captivating memoir for the adventurer in all of us.

2. Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine | Steven Rinella

This remains one of my all-time most favorite books about hunting and not just because I’m in it either. I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Rinella, now the host of the show and podcast “Meat Eater,” in Missoula, and it was through him that I went hunting for the first time and ate my first elk steak. This book is fun, interesting and takes you all over the country in his quest to procure weird wild game ingredients for a three-day 19th century feast.

3. Bad Dirt – Wyoming Stories 2 | Annie Proulx

With her extensive knowledge and interest of the West and Wyoming itself, Proulx paints a portrait of the grit and gumption embodied by the people living in the “emptiest” state. Filled with dark humor, this captivating collection of short stories — call it “Wyoming Gothic” if you will — tells the sad tales of poverty, alcoholism, loss, and divorce by finding humor in the dire situations in which her colorful characters find themselves.

4. Buck, Buck, Moose | Hank Shaw

Recipes and Techniques for Cooking Deer, Elk, Moose, Antelope and Other Antlered Things A complete guide from hunt to table with instruction on the processing and care of the meat and recipes ranging from adventurous fine cuisine to comfort food favorites, encouraging you to step outside of your zone.

5. Girl Hunter | Georgia Pellegrini

Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time A former Wall Street exec and now classically trained chef embarks on a journey to track down the ingredients for her next meal. Literally. From hog hunting in the deep south to elk hunting in the wilds of Wyoming, Pellegrini discovers that the only way to truly know where your meat comes from is to hunt it yourself. Girl Hunter offers delicious recipes and thoughtful reflection on the omnivore’s dilemma. By: Candice E. Schlautmann

& Jennifer C. Kocher AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

THE

FAM I L Y WAY

ME ET THE

T OW N S E N D S

The Townsend family know firearms and all things hunting. After 67 years in business, it’s safe to say it’s literally in their blood. Grandpa LeRoy opened the business in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and 45 years ago, LeRoy and his son Allen moved to Rozet, where the family has been ever since. Starting with a small shop, they later built on additions over the years, and in recent years, Allen has passed down the reins to daughter Tammy and son Kelly, who now run the show with family friend Dan the Gunsmith. With the exception of one of their brothers, who lives north of Rozet, the Townsend family all live in houses on family land where they drive their ATVs to work or walk across the yard.

L I V I NG T H E D R E A M The wooden walls of their cozy shop are filled with several decades’ worth of photographs of people of all ages and genders, smiling in orange vests and caps with their arms around the necks of their trophy. Some are from family hunts, but most are customers who over the years have come to be like family. Their dad won’t let them take any of them down, Tammy explained, so over the years the walls have morphed into a collage of all things wildlife. Tufts of turkey tail feathers hang between elk, moose, deer and other heads and mounts. Along with a NRA-approved firing range in the back of the shop where customers can sight rifles and shoot into a pile of sand-filled tires 100

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

yards out from one of the four seated bunkers, they can also get their firearm repaired by Dan the Gunsmith or just come in to check out new rifles and pistols and ask some questions. T&T also sells reloading supplies like powders and primers, scopes, ammo and hundreds of racks full of pistols and rifles and can rattle off stats and features like well-honed pros who have been doing this all their lives. Kelly credits their long years in business to a couple key things. First, they really love what they are doing and go out of their way to make customers feel welcome and answer all their questions. And if they don’t have a gun or product a customer is looking for, then they call other area gun shops and send them their way. “We are all one big community out here,” Kelly said, “and supporting one another just makes us stronger.”

S H A KY L E G S When you hunt as much as Kelly does, they start to run together. Not that it diminishes any of

the memories, mind you, it’s just that he hunts a lot. Mostly with his family, including Tammy, whose first elk kill a couple years ago is one of the hunts he remembers most. They’d been out with their dad and niece and nephew when they spotted a herd of elk way off in the distance. Tammy and Kelly left the others and made a beeline across a draw to close in on them. With her sights trained on a big bull, she took a shot and it dropped. “My legs are shaking,” Tammy had said, to which Kelly laughed and told her they were supposed to. Then, after he looked closer, he watched the injured elk start to stand up and said, “Uh oh.”

D O N 'T P O K E T H E R I FL E

What? his sister wondered. Kelly pointed and Tammy looked stunned. He told her to shoot it right under the nose, and like a good brother, took out his phone and starting filming her. She got it. Whooping, she ran up to it and poked it with her rifle as Kelly laughed.

“You’re not supposed to do that!” he said, jokingly. “They only do that in the movies.” After that hunt, Kelly started to think about his sister’s excitement and worried he’d been doing it so long, he no longer shakes. Later, however, when he shot a really nice white-tail, when he got back on the four-wheeler, he realized his legs were shaking. “I’ve still got it,” he said with a laugh.

S O NGS

OF T H E

W IL D

Along with his vast knowledge of firearms and love of working with customers, Allen can also be lured out to demo a couple critter calls if customers are interested. His specialty is predators, which he honed during the off-season. Growing up in Nebraska, he spent a lot of time outdoors. Along with helping in the shop, Allen also did some freelancing for local ranchers to help take care of their various predators, which gave him a lot of time outside to study and listen.

He put a small piece of plastic about the size of a kazoo between his lips and screeched out an ear-drum busting squeal that apparently is what you’d hear from a dying jackrabbit. He can do just about anything, from, coyote pups, rabbits, coyotes among lots of others. He’s also great with bird calls, too, especially meadowlarks, flickers, and blue jays along with a long list of others. His face went red as what began as the faint cries of a baby quickly crescendoed into a glassshaking wail of what sounded a lot like a baby being dropped into a vat of scalding water. Allen grinned. That was a hurt coyote pup calling for its mother. A second high-intensity escalating wail is the bleat of a fawn. Then there’s the old jack rabbit, young cottontail and about a half-dozen others, all of which echo varying sounds of pain.

FROM

THE

H EA R T

Except the birds. Changing tones, he created the sing-song greeting of a meadow lark, then smiled as

if transported into a wild-flower filled meadow serenaded by song birds. He does this often, Tammy explained, including last week when the family went camping, making it hard to tell Allen’s calls from real ones. The trick, Allen explained, is to flutter the tongue and put some emotion into it. “Monotone isn’t going to cut it,” he said. “It’s just like someone reading in a flat voice with no emotion. It’s boring.” Like humans, animals are triggered by emotions, and the trick is to fluctuate the intensity and make it sound real. Just like a baby crying. While his handmade gadget cost nothing, they sell a couple different brands and sizes of critter calls for between about $11 and $15. “It doesn’t take much,” he said, “and you don’t have to spend a lot of money. You just have to give it some heart.” By: Jen C. Kocher

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

How Much Do You Know About Hunting in Wyoming? T&T Guns and Ammo put your knowledge to the test

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

How old do you have to be to draw a big game hunting license in Wyoming? What two things do you have to carry with your hunting license in Wyoming? If you have lived in Wyoming for 50 consecutive years and are 70 or older what license do you qualify for? How many animals in Wyoming are considered big game and what are they? How many animals are considered trophy game in Wyoming and what are they? What are considered predators in Wyoming?

Check your answers on page 39

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

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Ask Game & Fish Bart & Matt, what should a hunter do to prepare for the 2019 season?

hether you are just spending an afternoon hunting pheasant close to home or embarking on a weeklong elk hunt in the backcountry, there are some common preparation tips every hunter should keep in mind.

Always tell someone where you are going and for how long.

Be prepared for the worst. No matter what you are hunting, having basic survival items with you could mean the difference between life and death.

3. Watch the weather forecast. There is no point in getting caught off guard and putting yourself and others in danger. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help you get your license and get outdoors!

Have yourself and your hunting/camping equipment in good working order. This means getting yourself in good physical shape and having all your hunting equipment, including your vehicle, ready to work and perform.

Read and know the hunting regulations and laws. These regulations and laws can change from year to year, so being knowledgeable of these and other hunting requirements may save you from getting in trouble. If have questions, contact Game and Fish prior to going afield.

Have your firearm or bow sighted in and be proficient at making good clean shots.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

“If you are a first time Wyoming hunter or planning to hunt in a new area, we suggest you do some homework before you go,” said Game and Fish Wildlife Biologist Bart Kroger. Game and Fish has an awesome online Hunt Planner tool with information for all the hunt areas in the state, including interactive maps, walkin areas, hunter management areas, current season dates and local game warden and biologist contacts.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

BLM and Forest Service maps, Google Earth, and onX Maps are all good sources of information for learning the terrain and habitats, where the private and public lands are located and figuring out the road and trail systems. Worland Game Warden Matt Lentsch added, “If you plan to hunt on private land, seek landowner permission as early as you can, before you purchase a license.”

Game and Fish encourages all hunters heading out this season to use some good common sense. Make a list of everything you will need to do and bring from start to finish, write it all down and keep it active. Be safe out there and enjoy your 2019 Wyoming hunting experiences.

Do you have questions for Game and Fish? The place to look for answers is wgfd.wyo.gov.

Photos: Courtesy of Game and Fish

Game and Fish manages and conserves more than 800 species of wildlife throughout the state and is the state agency charged with stewardship of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish, game and wildlife resources.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Gillette College

Celebrates 50 Years of Success J

anell Oberlander can still remember taking her first class at Gillette College as a senior in high school. Back then, her psychology course was held on Thursday nights in the former college building housed in the old hospital off of Stocktrail Avenue. That decades later she would return to her hometown to become vice president of the college couldn’t make her prouder.

Over the years, she enjoyed seeing the college develop and grow during her visits home, beginning with the establishment of a new campus under the expansion of Northern Wyoming Community College in the late ‘70s, followed by the addition of a nursing program in 1983, the Career Development Center in the early ‘90s, and Old Main in 2003. Many developments soon followed that decade,

including the grand opening of the Tech Center, Tanner Village student housing, a new Activities Center and Nursing Simulation Center, the Pronghorn Center and the rodeo/ag complex, Area 59 makerspace, and most recently, the new soccer field, that Oberlander calls state-of-theart and probably the biggest and nicest field in the state that will no doubt garner action for local and regional teams beyond the college.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

2019 MARKS 50 YEARS OF LEARNING AT GILLETTE COLLEGE! 7

1969

Gillette Campus established when NWCCD began offering night classes.

1977

1978

Northern Wyoming Community College moved extension to Gillette.

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Advisory Committee was established.

“The community leaders really had a vision,” she said. “They saw the value of having a thriving community college in Gillette and worked hard to develop community partnerships to grow both the college and its programs.” She ticks off a long list of names of former and current faculty, advisory board members, city council members, former college presidents, government officials and individuals and families who were instrumental in the formation and success of Gillette College. Names like Bob Palmer, Rusty Bell, Nick and Norine Kasperik, Leta Tanner, Tracy and Jeff Wasserburger, the Carter-King family, Will LaDuke, and a long

1985

Cliff Kirk with community committee chairman Joel Ohlman start petition drive for independent college.

1987

Associate of Nursing program starts with 15 students.

list of others that she recalled as she flipped through a stack of old photos. Really, it was many people and community groups and organizations working together to form productive relationships and to leverage partnerships, Oberlander noted. “It was vision,” she said. “People wanted to provide good services and facilities for our community.” Today, the college educates around 8,000 part- and full-time students every year from Campbell County and elsewhere with an estimated overall impact of over $64 million for the county since 2013. Many of these students are local and remain in the

1992

Career Development Center officially becomes part of Gillette Campus.

2003

Ribbon cutting on new 65,000 sq.-ft. Gillette Campus building "Old Main."

PLEASE JOIN US SEPTEMBER 5-7, 2019 TO CELEBRATE! 14

2006

NWCCD Trustees change name of Gillette Campus to Gillette College

2008

Grand opening of Herb and Dorothy Carter Health Science Building.

2009

Grand opening of the Tech Center and Tanner Village.

2017

Rodeo / Ag complex opens.

2017

Grand opening of Pronghorn Center and Inspiration Hall.

community after graduation. Currently, the college offers two-year degree programs as well as certifications in 26 areas of study, including business, education, nursing, arts and sciences, among others. Gillette College is also in the process of establishing an applied baccalaureate in a subject still to be decided as it moves through the accreditation process. Oberlander hopes to see this established by fall of 2020. In September, the College celebrates its 50-year anniversary. The public is invited to take part in a host of activities over the Sept 5-7 weekend, including a Foamy 5-K Walk/ Run, soccer field dedication and games, an

2018

Area 59 has its grand opening.

2019

Ground breaking for soccer field.

Eight Second Ride concert, and dinner and reception on Saturday, Sept. 7 with Gov. Mark Gordon as the keynote speaker. On behalf of the faculty and staff, Oberlander invites the community to take part in recognizing and celebrating the many leaders and visionaries who helped create Gillette College, and the goal of continuing to provide quality and affordable education and training to local students and residents. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come a long way, Oberlander pointed out, and success like this deserves to be celebrated. By: Jen C. Kocher AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

, o HellBaby!

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WHCW Y O. COM womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare obstetrics & gynecology

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DAVID BECK, MD

Saying

Goodbye to

a Community Icon AFTER 25 YEARS, JAKE’S

rom behind a desk in the airy office off the liquor store inside Jake’s Tavern, Jane Patton fielded questions from a contractor and a beer vendor guy. Tomorrow is the 17th Annual Steel Stallion Ball and the place will be swarming with hundreds of Wyoming Biker Association bikers. There’s still lots to do to get the sprawling tavern ready for its last hurrah, and Patton had returned from Rock Springs in mid-June to help with its final events and closing. Officially, Jake’s closed a week ago on July 14, but they are opening their doors for this annual fundraiser. One of many community events that owners Jimmy and Barbie Hays had hosted at the bar over the past 25 years. Patton sighed with a smile as she picked up the phone in between questions. This call was from a long-time customer, who like many in the past week, had called to check in with her and share their memories about her parents and the bar. Her parents were beloved, she said. “There’s really not a bad story about them,” Patton said. “They were both kind and considerate. People loved them.” Eric May and Band with Barbie and Jimmy Hays at one of their many gigs at Jake’s Tavern. Photo: Courtesy Eric May

TAVERN CLOSES ITS DOORS

Patton laughed about how long it could take to make a simple trip to the grocery store with all the people stopping to talk to them. Prior to Jimmy taking over the bar, their parents had always held huge Thanksgiving dinners at their house to which they invited anyone without a place to spend the holiday, a tradition that continued after they bought the tavern.

For many, both customers and staff, Jake’s Tavern was a home away from home. A place they could come to throw some darts, play a video game, shoot pool with friends, or just sit at the bar with a cup of coffee in the morning and talk about the news. Others spoke about the “wall of fame” with the rows and rows of musician and band photos, from well-known names to up-and-coming acts,

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

who all took the time to sign a photo for the wall, including Bellamy Brothers, Darryl Worley and Chris Young, to name a few. For others, it was the place to meet friends, take a date or dance to rock and roll music. Almost everyone living in Gillette for the past couple decades – as well as many who were just passing through – have a Jake’s story of some kind, Patton said. She recounts all the fundraisers hosted there and all the money raised for individuals in need or community groups. That room was always available for free for anyone who needed it, she noted, and that’s a part of the legacy that will be missed. “That’s the hard part,” she said. “Our events hall facility was a wonderful community asset.”

with stage and rolling garage doors that opened up into outdoor seating with a parking lot on the roughly two-and-a-half acre spread. Music was Jimmy’s passion and part of the legacy of Jake’s is the music he brought to Gillette and the careers he helped launch.

ICONIC VENUE

Jake’s Tavern was one of the best places to play, according to Judd Hoos band member Shane Funk. Funk and his band stopped in a few times a year at

always coming up to say hi to everyone and went out of his way to treat us real well. He was just a good guy with a lot of integrity.” If Jim booked a band, he added, then you knew it was a done deal. Period. He never tried to bump anyone, even if a bigger name act wanted to play. He joked that he didn’t care if it was the Rolling Stones, Funk added with laugh. “If Jim booked you, then that was that.” In later years when Jimmy was living with pancreatic cancer, he still stayed active in the

END OF AN ERA

Jake’s has a long history in the community. Prior to it becoming Jake’s Tavern in 1994, Jim was onethird owner of the building with his brother Joe and dad Robert, who leased it out to other bar owners, including JB Blues and the Rustic Inn. It was at the Rustic Inn that Jimmy met Barbie, who worked there part-time as a bartender. Back then, she was a single mother of two school-aged children, who worked full-time at a bank. When the couple bought out Jim’s dad and brother, they renamed the establishment Jake’s Tavern. Many people over the years have asked where the name came from. According to Patton, her parents told people the names stemmed from the expression, “everything is jake,” or satisfactory. Other people speculated that the name was a conglomeration of the first two letters of their middle names, Jane and Kearns, but according to Patton, that’s only half the story. It’s also the first two letters of their kids’ names, Jane, Kevin, and Talayna, which was fitting Patton said for the pair who were always very much about the family. When Jake’s opened it consisted of one building that now is referred to as the “old bar.” Back then, it was pretty much standing room only as customers jockeyed for a spot at the handful of tables or the bar. Slowly, over the next two decades, the original 5,513-square foot liquor store and bar would continue to grow, beginning with the beer gardens in the back, followed by game rooms for pool, darts and video games, and finally, the 8,036-foot events hall, complete

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

Jake’s over the past 12 years, and remember it as one of the best venues they ever played. This is saying something, Funk noted, considering that the band tours in more than 10 state, with many gigs in big cities and concert halls. “Jim knew what he was doing when he set that room up,” Funk said, describing the big stage, high ceilings and careful placement of plugs for easy setup and tear down. “It was a true concert venue for bands big and small.” Jake’s holds many memories for he and his band, Funk said. Along with being a regular stop on their schedule, they also wrote and recorded some songs there and even filmed a portion of a video. Apart from the venue and great crowds, Jim was also a one-of-a-kind, according to Funk, who remembers him fondly as a straight shooter and gentleman. “When you play the place over and over again, you get to know the people,” Funk said. “Jim stood out as being an authentic, genuine person who was

business and never let any detail slip, Funk noted. “He was still hands-on and very positive,” Funk said, “even when he was sick.”

LAUNCHING STARS

Eric Mays, too, has fond memories of both Jake’s and its owners, where he also played for nearly 12 years. Mays had moved to Gillette and was playing in a country band mainly at Boot Hill. He’d always wanted to play at Jake’s and approached Jim many times over the years to ask for a shot. “He always told me no, because we were a country band,” Mays said, “and they only played rock and roll.” Mays asked Jim if he’d ever heard them, because they were pretty rocked up country, Mays laughed. Finally, on a snowy weekend when the roads closed and the band from Casper was snowbound, Jim called Mays to see if they were free. Ironically, in town, Mays and his band also

got stuck and had to have a tractor pull them out of a ditch on the way to the show. That one night was all it took. They had a big crowd, Jim and Barbie loved them, and from there they became a tavern regular. “Jim and Barbie were salt of the earth people, and they became really good friends,” he said. “It was a big step in my career to let us play there, and I’ll always appreciate them giving us that chance.” For Mays, it was a big deal to open for bands like Fire House and Chris LeDoux and son Ned’s

band Western Underground. Later, after Jim died, Mays returned to Jake’s with the Thomas Gabriel Band featuring Johnny Cash’s oldest grandson. That was a bitter sweet gig, Mays recalled, because they knew the bar was closing. “It was a place with a great vibe,” Mays said, “and I’m sad to see it close.” It wasn’t just the stellar stage or big crowds, he noted. It was the owners and their big hearts for people and the community. He can’t even count the number of fundraisers he’d attended there over the years. “Jim and Barbie were always the first to help in our community, whether it was someone who had cancer or was in an accident, they would step in and throw a fundraiser,” he said. “It was a place with great spirit, and I’ve never seen anything else like it.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Together, Jimmy and Barbie were a power couple, Patton said, putting in countless hours to keep business thriving. It was more than just a place to hear a band or have a drink, Patton said. They were interested in making everyone feel comfortable and treating customers like family, from the doctors and lawyers to the coal miners and oil field workers.

“Everyone was welcome,” Patton said. “No matter who you were. It’s just a building, of course. But it’s really the people and all the patrons that made Jake’s so special.” Currently, the building is up for sale as it has been for the past decade, even prior to Jimmy and Barbie’s deaths in 2016 and last April, respectively. They’d planned on selling the place and enjoying retirement, but the right buyer hadn’t come along, so they kept it going. After Barbie died last spring, Talayna stepped in to help her sister. For her, it’s been an emotional week because Jake’s is tied up in so many family memories. “I’ve had dozens of mixed emotions,” Talayna said choking back tears. “It was a place where everyone knew everybody and was home to a lot of people for a long time.” And though Patton feels sad to see the place change hands out of their family, neither she nor her sister or brother Kevin have an interest in taking over the family business. “It was their dream,” Patton said, “and they encouraged us to follow our own.” By: Jen C. Kocher

AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

August / September

Events & Adventures Aug. 17 Free Kids’ Cannon Shoot

Annual Free Kids’ Cannon Shoot, hosted by Wyoming Mountaineers at 86 Coyote Trail Rd. in Gillette, is a free, familyfriendly event for kids ages 4 to 18 to learn how to load, aim and fire a real cannon or mortar. Learn science and math skills and win prizes. Come shoot real cannons in a safe and controlled environment. For more information, call (307) 299-2084.

Aug. 19 Mobile Food Pantry

Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies' mobile pantry will be visiting Gillette to support those affected by the recent mine closures. Fresh produce and food items will be distributed in the parking lot of Family Life Church from 1 to 6 p.m. For more information or a list of food resource partners assisting families in need, call (307) 265-2172.

Aug. 20 Supervise & Lead a Team

The How to Supervise & Lead a Team leadership seminar, with special guest and bestselling author of six books Glenn Shepard, will take place at the Gillette College Presentation Hall from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The general public is welcome to attend. Tickets range from $129 to $149, with Chamber members and groups of three or more receiving a discounted price. For more information, visit gillettechamber.com.

Aug. 31 Horse Nations Indian Relay

Two of the most extreme days of racing in Gillette featuring new teams, new horses, and seasoned veterans you’ve come to love at Cam-Plex Morningside Park Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. daily. Watch as six states and Canada race to earn spots in the year-end Championship of Champions in Walla Walla, Washington. Tickets are available online at cam-plex. com. Reserve $30 each; General Admission $20-22.

Sept. 4 CrossFit Seminar This is an Olympic weightlifting, high-performance, and recordbreaking seminar with Olympian and two-time Olympic Head Coach Michael Cohen. The CrossFit Brown N Gold Olympic Weightlifting Seminar will enhance your current training

experience with tips from the most decorated coach in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Michael’s seminars are designed for all levels of athlete, from beginner to advanced. Cost to attend is $100. For more information, contact CrossFit Brown N Gold at (307) 680-0080 or crossfitbrownngold.com. Sept. 5 Foamy 5K Walk/Run Gillette College is kicking off their 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend with a Foamy 5K Walk/Run beginning at 6 p.m. at the Gillette College Tech Center. The $20 ticket price includes the walk/run and a t-shirt. Join Gillette College for a giant, foamy water slide after the race. Food will also be available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased online at gillettecollegefoundation.eventbrite.com.

Aug. 30 18th Annual East/West Clash

Gillette Thunder Speedway’s 18th Annual East/West Clash includes three exciting nights of intense racing, beginning Aug. 30. Event classes include WISSOTA Late Mod, IMCA Modified, WISSOTA Midwest Mod, IMCA Hobby Stock, WISSOTA Street Stock, ISSOTA Mod 4, and Mini Bombers. Races start at 4 p.m. each night. For more information, call Gillette Thunder Speedway at (307) 257-9589, or visit gillettespeedway.com. AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

More events

www.82717Life.com

Sept. 14 Bearded Jack Festival Join Big Lost Meadery, Creative Beverages, Gillette Brewing Co., Rapscallions, and Cam-Plex for the ultimate test of manliness from 2 to 8 p.m. at Cam-Plex Morningside Park. There will be beard contests, a rock toss, axe toss, log chop, and more ($20), and you can bet on your friends to win (or lose)! For the kids, there’s a chicken chase, sibling carry, and more ($10)! Plus, food, beer, mead, and vendors, with live music by the Pillage People starting at 6 p.m. This event is free to spectators. Prizes will be awarded to all winners, with all proceeds going to benefit Gillette’s Blessings in a Backpack. Register online at cam-plex.com.

Sept. 7 Memorial Disc Golf Tourney The annual Matthew Sorenson Memorial Disc Golf Tournament is a full-day, family-friendly event hosted at Dalbey Park. Registration starts at 8 a.m., with a players’ meeting to follow, and full day of disc gold with dinner and awards after. Proceeds from this year’s tournament benefit the Shanie Patterson family. For more information, contact Kevin Couch at (307) 680-5688, or visit gillettechamber.com. Sept. 10 Prevention Summit The 2nd Annual Northeastern Wyoming Prevention Summit, hosted by the Campbell County Prevention Council, is a regional suicide prevention education and networking

event at the Gillette College Pronghorn Center from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10. Hear from suicide prevention speaker Craig Miller, social media risk speaker Michael Scott, and Call-to-Action speakers Wendy Gaunter and Clark Fairbanks, to name a few, discussing topics from social media to vaping and e-cigarettes. Lunch provided by Pizza Carrello. Register online at eventbrite.com.

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12 Conservation Stamp, Hunterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Safety Card Pioneer Heritage Pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, bison, deer (whitetail or mule), elk, moose, and mountain goat 5. Black bear, mountain lion, grey wolf 6. Coyote, jackrabbit, porcupine, raccoon, skunk, red fox, and grey wolf (except in northwest Wyoming) AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019