82717 October/November 2018

Healthy Pets A Portrait of Health An Eye on the Future

Health Issue

Not your Kids’ Coloring Book

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Family: Healthy Pets A profile in pet health. How a partnership with Red Hills Veterinary Hospital can help to ensure every member of your family lives a full and healthy life. Because, let’s be honest... our pets are family!

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Mental Health: Not Your Kids’ Coloring Book

Kevin’s Thoughts: Marijuana Prohibition is Costly

Dusty Trails: Hiding in Plain Sight

Don’t judge me, I’m coloring a brighter tomorrow!

Charity talks about the therapeutic benefits of art therapy, adult coloring and the color-by-number craze you should try for stress-free, anxiety relief.

Let’s talk about that. The pro-pot movement saw swift support from Dems when voters began passing recreational marijuana measures in 2012. Now, some Republican lawmakers, once critical of the sticky icky, think more highly of it. Here’s why.

A fictional tale about Hank and his trusty stead, Jack, where they encounter a young Indian girl named Little White Flower. Shunned by her tribe, Hank and Jack help the girl to safety. But, will their western duo soon grow by one? Find out.

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Life: An Eye on the Future A touching true story about Steph’s sweet fourth grader, Kimberlyn, and how she’s seen improved reading abilities and confidence with vision therapy at Gillette Optometric Clinic.

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Family: What You Need to Know

Health: Vaccine Exemptions

Community: A Portrait of Health

It’s hunting season and, for many Wyomingites, that means time spent outdoors. Lyme disease support person, Megan Huber of Huber Farms, shares what to look for when checking for ticks and tick bites, and why it’s so important.

Inside a brief history of vaccine exemptions, where Ryan delves into the science vs. the pseudoscience behind the great whether or not to vaccinate debate.

To uncover the biggest health concerns facing the communities of Northeastern Wyoming, we let leaders from two of the most experienced groups in the biz do the talking. Here’s what we uncovered.

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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.

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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 Felicity A. Sjostrom CONTRIBUTORS Charity D. Stewart Kevin D. Killough Kevin M. Knapp Megan K. Huber Ryan R. Lewallen T. J. Parks ART DIRECTOR Richard W. Massman DESIGNER Candice E. Schlautmann PHOTOGRAPHER Adam D. Ritterbush Adriana J. McCauslin

Inquiries & Customer Service Outliers Creative, LLC P.O. Box 3825 • Gillette, WY 307.686.5121 • 82717@mcllc.net

ON THE COVER County 17’s Charity Stewart shares the fruits of her therapeutic coloring endeavors. Lately, her love of coloring has evolved into a passion for paint-by-numbers, which she says have an undeniable relaxing effect. The multi-colored lion pictured is her most recently-completed project. And, we love it! Visit 82717Life. com to download a fun, free coloring page.

Photos by Adam D. Ritterbush

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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.

Healthy Living 101 T

his month’s Health Issue is an important one. For me, it hits close to home. (You’ll learn more about this later.) But, as the magazine’s production editor and a five-year Gillette resident, I care deeply about the health of the publication, the people and community it serves. You, my darlings, are our neighbors, family and friends.

I know that, without you—our awesome readers and advertisers—this little monthly would cease to exist.

And, in a time where all print must non-stop prove itself still worthy, I want to thank each and every last one of you for taking the time to pick us up and read this. So, on behalf of our entire editorial, design, administrative team and sales staff here at 82717 Life, from the bottom of our hearts...

Thank You. As a working mother(figure) of two, Colter, 5, and Kimberlyn, 10, I need access to reliable healthcare. I need to know about the best opportunities and tools at my disposal, cuttingedge technologies and philosophies to keep my “littles” and our family healthy and prevent the spread of sickness each flu season. As such, I’m always on the lookout for 5-star physicians and proven resources to add to the gobs of nifty health-related tidbits in my arsenal of “mom” bag tricks, especially this time of year.

If you’re anything like me, an on-the-go parent, working over 40-hours a week, trying to make time for school, work, schoolwork, more work and play, with fingers-crossed nobody in the home or at the office so much as sneezes anywhere near the vicinity of me or my

kids ... well ... then, this issue is a must-read. Trust me.

Inside, the team’s rounded up incredible insights to benefit you and your family’s healthcare needs locally, including how to dodge the common cold, a personal exposé into the healing power of vision therapy at Gillette Optometric Clinic, a pet-friendly profile on animal heath with Dr. Garry Gotfredson of Red Hills Veterinary Hospital, and everything but the recipe for your mom’s memorable homemade chicken soup.

We share our own art, stories and opinions. And, we’ve sure got something to say! We also talk about pot legislation and new changes on the horizon for Wyoming. We take a closer look at the overall health of the community of Campbell County (and beyond) as a whole, the harsh realities of living with (and preventing) Lyme disease, and share about how the paintby-number art therapy craze lends a fresh, much-needed perspective to the mental health pros of adult coloring.

We hope it’s as meaningful for you to read as it (always) is for us to create. Stay warm, stay well.

We love you, Sickos.

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Stephanie L. Scarcliff,

Production Editor 82717Life.com

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Gillette, Wyoming

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To uncover the biggest health concerns facing the communities of Northeastern Wyoming, we let leaders from two of the most experienced groups in the biz do the talking. Here’s what we uncovered.

Portrait of Health: A Closer Look at Campbell County’s Health Needs hen asked what impacts local health most, what Campbell County Health and Campbell County Public Health reveal may shock you.

But, first, a bit about how we look at overall health in and around the 82717, and who’s responsible for compiling and disseminating this information for us.

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ASSESSING HEALTH Every three years, a Community Health Needs Assessment, or CHNA, is conducted locally to identify health priorities and concerns for Campbell County. The CHNA’s secondary service areas include Crook, Weston, Johnson and Sheridan counties. The CHNA and subsequent implementation strategies are relatively newly-required of all tax-exempt hospitals

as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare. But, do they serve their intended purpose?

Campbell County Health Community Relations Director Karen Clarke thinks so.

“It’s always good when you have people in the community come together to talk about the problems our community faces,” she said.

Campbell County Public Health Executive Director Jane Glaser agrees. In theory, assessments and strategies such as these create an important opportunity to improve the health of entire communities by ensuring hospitals and other stakeholders, including healthcare professionals and other nonprofits, have the information needed to provide optimum care and community benefits.

These items can come in the form of assorted

programs and offerings, all intended to meet the needs of their respective communities.

“It’s a community-wide health initiative,” said Karen. “It’s not a governmental body or a separate entity. It’s a report that’s issued as the result of some people coming together to say, ‘wow, wouldn’t it be great if we could help’ and make a positive impact.”

FOR STARTERS Campbell County first looked to implement a CHNA back in 2012. With approval from the Campbell County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and the Campbell County Board of Commissioners, the project moved forward in 2013, when two organizations stepped up to conduct the assessment. Those two groups were OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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Campbell County Health (CCH) and Campbell County Public Health (CCPH).

Together, in 2016, they embarked on the second and most recent CHNA project. The Wyoming Institute of Population Health, a division of Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, in partnership with the Wyoming Hospital Association, as well as the State Health Department, helped to gather data on the county and state levels to be used in the assessments.

The project, which identifies and defines health priorities and key actions to improve the status of health within its service area, consists mostly of gathered input and insights from the handful of relevant sectors and community resources, the majority of which were previously mentioned.

The process also included members of the general public, people from local schools and job sites, along with interested health institutions and nonprofit organizations. Additional statistics and data can also come from local health clinics, healthcare and other professionals, and patients. Even guest services

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representatives, voluntary participants at the hospital, and administrative services such as human resources and financial services become involved.

GUIDING ADVANCEMENTS According to the Campbell County Health website, CHNA results can play a key role in guiding the development and implementation strategies of both Campbell County Health and Campbell County Public Health’s community benefit programs.

But, the impacts of CHNA results reach far beyond the two entities that perform the project’s research and development—making the assessment an immeasurable community asset with its ability to provide information and data to a magnitude of local organizations, which can then use that information to strengthen the impact and effectiveness of their own respective, individual service offerings.

The end result: A community of professionals working toward improving overall health throughout the community.

The 2016 CHNA report, the Campbell County Health and Campbell County Public Health Community Needs Assessment—A process for Improvement—Action Plan 2016 – 2019, was released over two years ago. But, it paints a vivid picture of Gillette and Campbell County that is still relevant today.

It tells the story of the unique challenges we face, which range from incidents of infection for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea to suicide, domestic violence, alcohol impaired driving and deaths, as well as chronic disease and child abuse, infant health, food safety, and more. The data represented paints a rather bleak and tragic picture of the physical and mental health of the people of 82717—our friends, family and neighbors.

You should read it. To do so, visit cchwyo.org/ About_Us/Community_Needs_Assessment.aspx.

It’s an important tool and resource for industry leaders, as well, to use in prioritizing health concerns. Members of

a 2016 CHNA group outlined their top health concerns as suicide, access to care for the uninsured and/or underinsured, abuse (adult and child), as well as cancer prevention and early detection efforts.

Now, while the hospital is uniquely driven to provide feedback through the needs assessments (it’s required that they lead or be meaningfully involved in the project as a part of Obamacare), the results of this work are undeniably far-reaching. Further, the resulting changes, that occur to support healthy living in our community are vast.

Still, past CHNAs have not gone without public scrutiny. In fact, the goals and practicalities of CHNAs, in general, however meaningful, have long been criticized. In the past, specifically following the first assessment in 2013, weaknesses were identified to include a surplus of goals and a need for improved communication. Such results could be interpreted, by some, to mean the project itself was lackluster and ineffective.

That said, in review of the 2013 CHNA Action Plan, which is included in the CHNA report to outline the strengths and weaknesses of the project as a whole, data shows the Campbell County School District’s flu shot program, the V.I.P. Project, is keeping kids healthier here by cutting flu rates in half and sick days by two-thirds in the 2016 school year. This, in turn, keeps parents at work (and not home with their sick children), benefiting the community at large.

MORE COMPREHENSIVE By definition, a comprehensive community needs assessment must cover, completely or broadly, the health needs and considerations of the entire community. Although branded as a comprehensive CHNA, arguably, the current form of assessment for Campbell County lends little to the conversation about the health of local youths.

This may, or may not, ultimately negate its

intended purpose—to help our community to be healthier.

Consider this: If healthy choices for the body and mind begin in early childhood, might a youth health needs assessment specific to Campbell County kids and teens be in order?

For more information on the plan and data for a healthier community, or to ask about an invitation to participate in the upcoming Spring 2019 CHNA, contact Campbell County Health Community Relations Director Karen Clarke at (307) 688-1581, or by email to karen.clarke@cchwyo.org.

“Any community assessment is only as good as the people who participate in it and then work to implement its recommendations,” said Karen. “I would encourage any interested parties to participate in the next CHNA. We will be pushing out information on how to do that in early 2019.”

By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717

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What You Need to Know About Ticks & Lyme our years ago, a family member told me they had just been diagnosed with MS. It was a shock. This person was young, strong, and capable and didn’t fit the profile. We were both scared about what the future held for our family.

Nothing prepares you for this kind of news. It was the kind of thing that made the hairs on the back of my neck to a stand up and terrified me to the very core of my being. The world somehow stopped just after that news—as if I were inside of a snow globe with the little hard plastic fake snow swirling around me. The

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questions began to plague me both night and day. How did this happen? Is it genetic? How do we find help?

The rest of the world went on about its business outside of the bubble it felt like we were in. Oblivious to the shock, grief, and seemingly unending doctor appointments that were to follow.

A HISTORY OF LYME Lyme borreliosis in humans is an inflammatory disease affecting multiple organ systems, including the nervous system, cardiovascular system, joints, and muscles. It is

caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to the host by a tick bite.

The full syndrome, now known as Lyme disease, was not recognized until a cluster of cases originally thought to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis were identified in three towns in southeastern Connecticut in 1975, including the towns of Lyme and Old Lyme, which gave the disease its more common name. In fact, 39 children living relatively close to one another in Lyme, Connecticut, that year were recognized as sharing common symptoms consistent with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

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do remember ticks crawling all over the sagebrush and all over the dogs that belonged to the owners of the ranch where they had been working.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS Precautions should be taken, especially during spring and fall. With hunting season, fencing, and firewood gathering just around the corner, tick checks should be done repeatedly while working and following working outdoors.

The prevention of tick bites is our strongest weapon against Lyme disease. Catching it early is also key. Watching for symptoms after a tick bite and going to get help makes all the difference in the world between being able to treat it and not allowing it to reach the chronic stage.

The 2010 autopsy of Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy, revealed the presence of the DNA sequence of Borrelia burgdorferi making him the earliest known human with Lyme disease.

WHY SHOULD WE TAKE NOTE IN OUR AREA? Lyme disease and ticks carrying the bacteria are well known throughout the eastern part of the US. Currently, ticks have migrated and can be found in western regions, as well. Lyme disease has been diagnosed in every U.S. state and on every continent except Antarctica.

“Approximately 25–50 percent of people infected with Lyme disease do not develop a rash, and only 3-26 percent of people see the tick that bites them.” ~ Dr. Christine Green

More locally speaking, I am personally aware of at least two cases which were caused by bites from an infected tick in the Broadus, Montana, area. One being my close family member and the other, a friend and neighbor.

Unfortunately, the infection was not caught in time with antibiotics and this person had no recollection of being bit or of seeing a rash. They

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR Ticks are active year-round, other than during subfreezing winter weather, but spring is the most dangerous season. That's when the baby ticks, or nits—so tiny as to be almost invisible— are born and plentiful.

EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE OUTDOORS

It is important to educate and look for other signs and symptoms that can occur after an infected tick bite. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), other symptoms to look for three to thirty days after a tick bite include:

Choose light-colored clothing as ticks are more visibly seen. Long pants tucked in to long socks and long sleeve shirts are a good idea to wear.

Ticks crawl up the body, generally speaking. Deet is commonly recommended and there are also all-natural alternatives and sprays that contain a blend of essential oils.

Doing a tick check after being outdoors is another great preventative measure. Ticks prefer moist, warm areas of the body such as the head, armpits, groin area, etc. If you do find one, this is the recommended procedure to remove a tick.

• Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes • Erythema migrans (EM) rash: o Occurs in approximately 70-80 percent of infected persons o Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days (average is about 7 days) o Expands gradually over a period of days reaching up to 12 inches or more (30 cm) across o May feel warm to the touch, but is rarely itchy or painful o Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or “bull’s-eye” appearance o May appear on any area of the body

LATER SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS According to the CDC, later signs and symptoms which can occur thirty days to several months after a tick bite include: • Severe headaches and neck stiffness • Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body • Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints • Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face) • Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones • Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat (Lyme carditis) • Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath • Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord • Nerve pain • Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling in the hands or feet • Problems with short-term memory

HOW TO REMOVE A TICK tweezers to grasp the tick as 1st Useclosefine-tipped to the skin’s surface as possible. with steady, even pressure.

2nd PullDon’tupward twist or jerk the tick; this can cause

the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal. rd After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, or soap and water. th Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

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CHRONIC LYME HARDER TO TREAT? Physicians are now becoming more open to the fact that more and more patients are coming in with these symptoms, but they are unsure of how to treat chronic Lyme. These doctors are hard to find, not advertising themselves as Lyme-literate doctors, due to the backlash they receive from others in their field.

We ended up traveling across three states in order to find the help we needed. The closest office with the ability to send out the blood test for Lyme disease was in Boulder, Colorado. They had to send the blood sample all the way to California to the

Igenex lab. The fact that Montana and Wyoming are rural areas is an additional challenge as we may need to drive three hours and across state lines to find a specialist.

But, because Lyme-literate doctors are more common in the Eastern United States or on the West Coast, it creates a financial difficulty in the treatment of Lyme disease, which is most commonly not covered by insurance.

Since the CDC continuously denies the existence of chronic Lyme, insurance companies are not required to cover costs related to the disease. Even if the blood test is ordered, the standard CDC-approved ELISA test picks up only 50-65 percent of Lyme-positive patients.

Locating a health clinic that offers both an MD and ND, as well as possibly chiropractic and acupuncture services, will streamline the time and money spent on travel. We were fortunate to find one of these clinics in Colorado. They also offered phone consultations and email opportunities to work with out-of-state clients for reduced travel costs and expenditures. That saved us a lot on travel and associated expenses in the long run. We especially appreciated this convenience during the winter months when long-distance travel can be extremely difficult.

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THE GREAT IMITATOR Lyme disease and MS are almost identical if you look at the symptoms side by side. In both cases, the brain scans show lesions. The facial paralysis (Bell ’s palsy), the numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, the inflammation, and joint pain are similar.

The brain fog and eyesight issues are also symptoms across both diseases. But, the one thing that kept racking my brain and recurring to me in my sleep were the night sweats. This inconsistency led me to research. I read every book in the local library about both MS and Lyme. I researched online day and night, scouring blogs and Lyme groups—searching for an answer, searching for hope.

In the end, it was the night sweats caused by a co-infection that led us across three states and through numerous naturopathic doctors, finally connecting with a Lyme-literate ND who was able to do the blood test that would eventually result in a Lyme-positive result. Called the “great imitator,” Lyme disease can present a variety of symptoms that also mimic a wide range of illnesses

Clearly, there needs to be a better test and more accurate way of diagnosing Lyme disease.

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including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, insomnia, along with autoimmune disorders such as RA and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM Support from family and friends is critical for those faced with Lyme. Chronic Lyme resurfaces or “flares up,” so there are good days and bad days. Support from loved ones is crucial during the flares.

Even just a phone call or spending a couple hours together can have a huge impact. In fact, the depression and suicide rate for Lyme disease is quite high. Physical or mental health problems limit Lyme patient functioning on 19 days each month compared to only two days per month for the general population. While living in an isolated and rural area, online support groups can offer support and connect Lyme patients and family members together with others going through the same experiences.

As a support person, my job is to listen and let them know that they are not alone. Believe me, this disease affects more than just the person with the illness. It can take a toll on everyone inside the family unit. It even branches out to the extended family. During the time I was going to all those doctor appointments, I had to leave my children and husband alone to fend for themselves. They did survive and became more independent, but it was hard on all of us to be apart. I will say though, that I was able to spend some quality time with my loved one in need and create some memories that I cherish. The journey has also led me to go into natural health myself and has birthed a new-found hunger to help spread the word about the disease and try to give hope to other people going through it, too.

“NORMAL” It is so very important to have some fun and go do things out of the ordinary. A chronic illness has such a serious nature and without some good laughs

Ironically, Lyme vaccines are available for dogs, but not humans.

is impossible to muddle through. Because being “normal” when a person doesn’t feel normal is tough, so why try? We especially enjoyed visiting several mineral hot springs, which offered not only some fun, but health benefits for our bodies including a positive effect on this person’s symptoms!

Why is Chronic Lyme Disease the least funded and most unknown of all the diseases? Why aren’t doctors screening their patients for Lyme to rule it out? Why did we have to travel to another state and almost 1,000 miles away from home to even have the blood test ordered and sent all the way to the only lab in the US to test for Lyme disease?

I strongly encourage a second opinion, no matter the illness. I suggest that we all take responsibility for our own health and, as such, do the research it takes to find a physician who truly cares for the patient’s health over financial motives. A care provider who takes time to listen to all the symptoms and who rules out and orders testing for all the options it could be, before suggesting a diagnosis or expensive treatment plan.

In the end, my family member chose a clinic in Colorado that provided both an MD and a Naturopath who was Lyme-literate. They were treated with both natural and traditional medicine and, at this time, are in remission from this nasty disease. They were lucky to have found out they had Lyme within a four-year time period.

Some chronic Lyme patients struggle with symptoms and are plagued by the illness for 10, sometimes even 20 years, before they find a physician who is knowledgeable in this area. They

are told they are making up symptoms in their heads, not taken seriously and go from doctor to doctor, and are eventually lost within the system.

No test to date exists that can prove if the Lyme organism is eradicated or that the patient is cured.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS Chronic Lyme disease effects people of all ages from all areas of the U.S. The stress and grief spreads through families leaving a wake in its path.

It affects the relationships, jobs, and financial security of the people who struggle with it. Clearly, there needs to be a better test and more accurate way of diagnosing this disease. It is something that we can all hope for from medicine in the future.

In 2017, the FDA approved a Fast Track designation for a new Lyme disease vaccine. Initial trials were completed in early 2018. The next phase is projected to be complete by the end of the year.

A new test for Lyme disease is on the horizon that will be “more exact and are not as susceptible to the same false-positive or false-negative results associated with the current tests,” said Steven Schutzer, a physician-scientist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, to Science Daily.

I have been hearing from other people of more and more clinics in the Western Region that are offering both medical and natural doctors who are knowledgeable and have training about the disease itself. Things seem to be progressing in the right direction, but it still all seems to go along so very slowly when it is a race against time and it’s you or your family member’s health at stake.

Consider this: West Nile Virus has a fraction of new cases per year compared to Lyme disease, yet it has more than double the research funding.

Sadly, CDC data shows that funding for Lyme disease research has not increased since 2013.

Still, hope prevails. I am excitedly anticipating what this next year will bring for those families who, like mine, are affected.

By: Megan K. Huber of Huber Farms for 82717

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Not Your Kids’ Coloring Book Don’t judge me, I’m coloring a brighter tomorrow.

Everywhere you go today, you’ll find hints of the latest craze in mindfulness, adult coloring books. From mandalas to cuss word coloring books, there’s something for everyone.

Like many adults, my fondness for coloring started when I was a child. At that time, my aunts and an uncle would join me on the floor, coloring whatever farm animal or clown I picked out for them.

As I grew older, my love of coloring never left me. When I babysat as a teenager, it was a great excuse to entertain kids and do something I loved, as well. Just like Barbara Mandrell, I’m

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fond of saying, “I was coloring, when coloring wasn’t cool.” First, with traditional kids’ crayons, then graduating to the more grown up tool, colored pencils.

Imagine my delight when, all of a sudden, adult coloring books started flooding grocery store magazine racks and word of its mental health benefits came to light.

Psychologist Carl Jung was way before his time, prescribing coloring to his patients in the early 1900s. Psychoanalysis has revealed the act of coloring engages both hemispheres of the brain and relaxes the amygdala, which is responsible for the flight or fight response.

In today’s high-stress, fast-paced world, coloring allows adults to slow down and

concentrate on a soothing activity that doesn’t have life altering consequences. Coloring induces effects similar to meditation, which for highanxiety individuals is not always an easy task.

Other benefits of coloring include focusing on the present, unplugging from technology, and it’s a relaxing hobby that is easily transportable.

ART THERAPY IS REALLY A THING Although talking is still the most common mode of therapy or counselling, expressive therapies, like coloring, considers the different ways that people express themselves.

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case on what she referred to as “dynamically oriented art therapy.”

In the practice of art therapy, the process of creating a piece of art is often more valuable that the product. Once I’ve finished coloring a page, I place it in the bottom of the drawer where I keep my coloring supplies.

It’s important to note that coloring itself is no substitute for a trained therapist or counsellor, but it can certainly a great place to start for many folks.

Charity Stewart sits with the fruits of her coloring endeavors. Lately her love of coloring has evolved into paint-by-number, the multi-colored lion is her latest completed project.

in this text as the use of art, music, dance/ movement, drama, poetry/creative writing, play, and sand-tray within the context of psychotherapy, counseling, rehabilitation, or health care.” – Expressive Therapies, as defined

by Psychology Today.

Examples of the healing powers of art can be found clear back to ancient Egypt,

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when people suffering from mental illness were encouraged to engage in artistic activities. With advances in psychiatry, expressive therapies also gained traction.

The term “art therapy” was formally coined in 1942 by British artist Adrian Hill. At roughly the same time, American psychologist Margaret Naumberg began publishing a clinical

COLOR-BY-NUMBER

Traditional adult coloring books allow the average person with no artistic training or skill to express their creativity and unwind in the process. However, for some people, choosing a color can cause additional anxiety all on its own.

That’s when the color-by-number option could be the answer.

Color-by-number books, like its cousin paint-by-number, are usually sold as kits, and assigns each number a color. Just pick up a numbered color, find the number on your page, and fill in the space. It really is a nobrainer. All you have to do is stay in the lines and the end result is perfectly artistic–no decisions necessary.

Recently, I’ve dipped my toe into the paintby-number pool to see if my love of coloring would transfer. I was initially skeptical, because, although I consider myself a crafty person, paint is not in my crafty wheelhouse.

Now that I’ve tried it, I can say with certainty that paint-by-number is just as relaxing for me as coloring. And, with the wide variety of designs to choose from, your finished canvas will be a piece of artwork you created, worthy of hanging in your home.

Closet adult colorers, rejoice! There’s no need to hide your childhood love any longer.

Pick up a book of mandalas, vining flowers, or geometric shapes from the grocery aisle or craft store and color proudly.

By: Charity D. Stewart for 82717

An Eye on the Future: A TRUE STORY ike many fourth graders, ten-yearold Kimberlyn sometimes struggles with her homework. Unlike most kids her age, the challenges she faces are oftentimes specific to her unique health conditions. Only sometimes, though; not always.

You see, Kimberlyn was born at just 32 weeks’ gestation. A regular, full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks. A birth is considered preterm, or premature, at around 37 weeks. To help put these numbers into perspective, it’s said that having a baby before your due date (at a full 40 weeks) puts the baby

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at a higher risk for health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Not to mention, increased incidences of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a smaller and less developed brain, along with increased readmittance and hospitalization. Babies born just one week early, at 39 weeks, are prone to gestation problems.

And, because a baby’s brain is the last major organ to develop during pregnancy, more than doubling in size between weeks 35 and 40, having babies too early typically results in further, often ongoing, and sometimes life-long complications.

When Kimberlyn was born so soon, expectations for her survival were extremely low. As a baby, she was diagnosed with tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal atresia, an abnormal connection between the esophagus and the trachea and an abnormal development of the swallowing tube, or the esophagus, that connects the mouth to the stomach; bilateral microtia, a congenital deformity where the external ears are underdeveloped; and choanal atresia, a congenital disorder where the back of the nasal cavity is blocked and causes difficulty breathing, among a host of other associated health problems and concerns.

Photo: Kimberlyn and friends prepare for a game of laser tag at her 10th birthday party in April.

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She spent the first five months of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital in Denver. When she was finally well enough to return home to Gillette, the months that followed would consist of weekly trips to Denver, where the doctors and specialists there would enlarge, or stretch, her esophagus. They did this so that, one day, Kimberlyn could hope to be able to swallow food on her own. These regular, weekly dilations went on for several months. All before Kimberlyn reached her first birthday.

I didn’t know her back then but, knowing her (and her story) now, I can understand why friends

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and family say she was a strong, resilient baby despite the circumstances. She’s a miracle child. I know this to be true.

Before turning five, she’d already had over 35 major surgeries. (Can you imagine?) Today, that number is even higher.

Luckily, she has an incredible support system in place—at home and at school—smart, caring people who know and love her unconditionally. Together, we operate under the shared understanding that life can sometimes, in some ways, be different (and more difficult) for Kimberlyn than it is for other kids her age. Her father, Anthony, is my boyfriend, and it’s important to us both that Kimberlyn be able to

experience as many of life’s joys (and its pains, too) as possible—like any regular kid. Part of that means going to school with her peers.

The amount of hard work, coordination, and support that this requires, not only from Kimberlyn, but also from the Campbell County School District, including: her teachers, the school administration, hearing impaired and support staff, and the exceedingly intelligent, compassionate individuals of her personalized Independent Education Plan (IEP)—a panel of stunning, accomplished women equally dedicated to ensuring her successes. They help us to set and strive toward physical, cognitive, social and academic goals specific to Kimberlyn’s needs and abilities. Truly, these people and their efforts amaze me.

For Kimberlyn, the symptoms and byproducts of her health conditions can present themselves differently, every day. She may not have the same balance or endurance of other kids. She cannot run as fast or as far, and she cannot bear the weight of her own body on her upper extremities. That means cartwheels, handstands, and other fun, kiddy activities like the bear crawl or the wheel barrel are simply not an option for Kimberlyn. She has to work to remember and pronounce her words correctly.

Names and innuendo are especially challenging. At times, she cannot hear well, even with the assistance of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, her Cochlear Baha bone conduction implant, which uses a small abutment that offers a direct connection between the implant and an exterior sound processor and connect system, and a digital hearing amplifier, or traditional hearing aid.

She can miss things that might be obvious to others. And, like most kids, she has to remember to think about the feelings and intended meanings of others. What’s different is that she must also understand and acknowledge that her interpretation of certain things and situations may not be the same as theirs. Homework that should take the average fourth grade student 20 minutes to complete might demand an hour or more from Kimberlyn. Basic daily tasks can sometimes, unexpectedly, become catastrophic for her, as well. A small change in schedule or alteration of plans can catapult her anxiety, gaining traction swiftly, much like an avalanche. The means and modes of recovery from which can vary drastically. She also requires oxygen to sleep—even at sleepovers (which, admittedly, are

a rare and highly-celebrated occurrence for us). The host family must know and understand her needs and we must trust them to accommodate those on our behalf in our absence and, as I’m sure you can imagine, that can be a lot, for everyone.

I’ve found that, with much gratitude, Kimberlyn generally takes on life’s obstacles in stride.

Perhaps, in part, because she doesn’t know anything different. When classmates say an assignment was hard, Kimberlyn agrees. When they say something was easy, she typically agrees then, too. When asked how long her homework takes, she’s okay saying it took her a long time, if it did. She cares more to do things well and correctly, than quickly. She gets this from her father. From her mother, who lives in Texas, Kimberlyn gets her sense of wonder. She sees happiness in the world and celebrates the small

CCSD Hearing Impaired Educator, Mrs. Traci Larson, with Kimberlyn, May 2018.

Colter, age 5, and “Sister” Kimberlyn, age 10, attend the Shrine Circus 2018.

things—another child in the same winter coat, the purr of a kitten.

Because a large chunk of Kimberlyn’s life has been spent in hospitals and operating rooms, she has a different pool of experience than most kids do. For example, she knows and recognizes the Guardian Flight, Guardian EMS, and Med Star Ambulance pilots, technicians, and responders when they are both in and out of uniform. If we spot one at WalMart or Jimmy Johns, Kimberlyn now likes to wave and say, “Hi”, which is new for us. (She used to be so shy.) Still, it’s super cute!

Kimberlyn doesn’t seem to care that the only planes she’s ever been on are emergency response and air medical transportation. She’s brave like that.

She’s indomitable.

That said, because she looks different from most kids at school, in the community and elsewhere, our family deals with staring, curiosity, and (sometimes) hurt feelings.

As part of the process, we live and teach the “don’t stare, say hello” philosophy. We ask that both Kimberlyn and her 5-year-old brother, Colter, apply it in instances when they are curious about others’ differences. We wish that others did this more. I can’t tell you how many times young children have told Kimberlyn that her ears are weird or ugly. It happened once, at her own birthday party. It was hurtful. But, for the most part, she’s tough as a boot and, seemingly, relatively unaffected. Kimberlyn finds the light in every situation, including her OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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parents’ separation and the subsequent fight for custody that ensued some years later.

As a family, we deal with a lot of the same problems other parents and kids can face. We cope by simply moving forward and always looking for more and more opportunities to build and strengthen our kids’ characters—Kimberlyn’s, in particular. Colter helps us with this, too, by telling Kimberlyn she’s beautiful whenever the opportunity presents itself, and by defending her whenever things are said to (or about) her that he disagrees with. We love and endorse this. Wholeheartedly.

We first noticed Kimberlyn was having an especially tough time reading when she was in the second grade. Her teacher had begun to task nightly, independent reading assignments.

Kimberlyn was into the idea at first, but then not into it at all. She had begun boring quickly when reading, was grappling with unfamiliar fonts and had begun to avoid reading out load altogether, whenever possible. But, was she dyslexic? As these are all common traits or behaviors associated with the disorder, we had thought that this might be the case. We grew more and more concerned.

I recall that we had discussed an online test to screen her abilities ourselves but, ultimately, we knew to consult her doctors. Their rather immediate recommendation was for us to have Kimberlyn give vision therapy a try. Collectively, we thought, “oh, great” and started to envision countless return trips to Denver on the near horizon. It was a welcome surprise that we were wrong. The help Kimberlyn needed to improve her reading and, perhaps, more importantly, her confidence, was available right here—in Gillette.

In previous years, she was up to four reading levels below her classmates. In more recent years, with much practice and dedicated effort, at home and at school, we began to see some slight, singlelevel improvements. But, it was not until Kimberlyn began vision therapy with certified para-optometric assistant Jennifer Bonar at Gillette Optometric Clinic (GOC) that we began to see substantial and quantifiable gains.

For the first time (ever), Kimberlyn is reading within the same level and spectrum as most of her fourth-grade classmates. With strengthened eye Left Photo: With Barb “Grams” Nold-Percifield.

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muscles to control her reading and the tools to streamline her vision, we began to see improvements in other areas of Kimberlyn’s life, including her academics. Things that were once not even remotely feasible for Kimberlyn suddenly became commonplace. She could read and comprehend.

Now, she’s scoring higher on tests because she can take in the questions without her eyes jumping around, uncontrolled, across the page, forcing her to lose her place and her concentration.

She’s fallen in love with reading and has begun to read chapter books, where she can explore topics of interest, independently. She’s taking greater pride in her schoolwork and we’re seeing progress in math, science and creative writing, too. Today, she’s working with her CCSD speech therapist, the lovely Mrs. Drub, to build complete and more complex sentences with conjunctions. By the year’s end, with practice, Mrs. Drub anticipates that Kimberlyn will be able to do this, all by herself.

At school, during extended learning opportunity, or ELO, which is provided for through the school district (thank you Campbell County) and offers invaluable, one-on-one assistance with our favorite hearing-impaired and ELO educator, Mrs. Traci Larson, Kimberlyn can do her eye muscle-strengthening exercises. They are games she plays on a computer in Mrs. Larson’s classroom, which makes it fun. She loves it! And, benefits from it immensely. As I’ve already mentioned, more than just her academic achievements, which are critical, we’ve seen tremendous advancements in her confidence over the past two years, as well, which has been inexplicably monumental for our family.

So... is it the vision therapy at Gillette Optometric Clinic that’s been the game-changer for us? Is it the efforts of her therapists and her teachers that’s helped Kimberlyn so much thus far?

It is because she now has a more structured and routine lifestyle with a schedule that’s steady and dependable... that she’s making such tremendous and encouraging strides?

... Who really cares about the who or the why?

Our lives are changed.

By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717

Right Photo: Jennifer Bonar, CPOA Gillette Optometric Clinic Photo by Adam D. Ritterbush

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#InGoodTaste: We’ve scoured the town to bring you the best

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Everything You Need to Know

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Do you think eating healthy while stuck at work is impossible? Byrd’s Food Angels is here to help.

Call (307) 680-3663, and they will place your order at any restaurant in town, then pick it up and bring it to you. Whether it’s a salad, wrap or smoothie... it’s that easy with Byrd’s! (Starting at $4.50 delivery fee, grocery membership fees and regular monthly delivery rates also available). byrdsfoodangels.com

Bliss Nutrition gives people a healthy meal or snack option on-the-go. Smoothies are 200-250 calories, 24-33 grams of protein, and 6-10 grams of sugar. Try one with an energizing green tea and a shot of mango aloe. Also available in kid sizes.

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Partner with Your Vet, Keep Your Furry Family Healthy hese days, our pets are part of the family. So, it only makes sense to take the necessary steps to keep them healthy and happy, just like we do our human family.

Dr. Garry Gotfredson, co-owner of Red Hills Veterinary Hospital, said it’s important to build a trusting relationship with your vet, just as you would your family doctor. Tell the vet your expectations for your pet, whether it’s simply a long and healthy life, working cows on the ranch, or hunting pheasants every fall, your vet can provide guidance to help achieve those goals.

“It’s working together so that your pet has the best outcome,” explained Gotfredson.

The veterinarians at Red Hills Veterinary Hospital have a combined 20 years experience with a wide variety of large and small animal breeds and agree that a solid foundation will go a long way for any pet. Dogs account for about 80 percent of pets treated at Red Hills.

New born puppies and kittens should receive their first vaccinations around six weeks and additional booster vaccines every three to four weeks until they hit 20 weeks. Younger than six weeks, the little ones are still benefitting from their mother’s immune system. After six weeks, the animal starts to build up its own immunities.

Remember, do not take your dog to dog parks until it’s fully vaccinated.

“You might be a phenomenal pet owner, and you’re going to do all your work. But, when you go

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to the park, you’re going to run into that person that’s never done a single thing for their dog,” said Gotfredson. “That’s the uncontrollable part.”

Every animal that comes in to Red Hills gets a physical exam. Dr. Gotfredson said that gives the vet a chance to get to know your animal when it’s healthy, making it easier to tell when they’re not feeling well.

“You came to me for my opinion, and I’m not going to give you anything less than my best,” offers Dr. Gotfredson.

Size and breed both matter when it comes to veterinary medicine. However, between age one and seven, Gotfredson said it’s ideal to see pets twice a year for vaccinations, physical, and dental exams.

Typically, pets seven years and older are into their senior years and after 10 are considered geriatric.

“The number one thing you can do as they get older is keep them at a healthy weight,” said Gotfredson.

Approximately 80 percent of dogs and cats are overweight and that’s also the number one reason pet owners seek veterinary treatment. Weight related issues such as diabetes, joint problems, and cataracts.

Red Hills offers a wellness plan that breaks down your pets’ preventative healthcare needs into affordable monthly payments that includes vaccines, unlimited exams, yearly blood work and x-rays, and dental cleanings.

Gotfredson said that for people who are looking for more, they also offer pet health insurance.

By: Charity D. Stewart for 82717

Not Our Disease y son has mental health issues.

When you see him at the store having a meltdown, I see your stares.

I see your head shaking. I hear your whispers. Yes, he's 13 and sometimes he cries over, what we may see as, very minor, trivial things. Other times he gets angry and violent, and in the next moment can be the sweetest kid in the world. That is life with mental illness. There are many types of mental illness, some have names and others don’t.

For my son, we are going to psychiatrist appointments, have him on meds, fish oil, CBD, the works. We’re trying to ensure he doesn’t go down the path that so many before him have - a road filled with self-medication, homelessness, destructive relationships, and even suicide.

So, why do I feel like we are doing something wrong?

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See, there’s a man I know, whose son was just diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His son has just finished chemo and is now undergoing radiation treatment. Although he is doing leaps and bounds better, he’s still not out of the woods, yet.

When his son has appointments or he has to be picked up from school because he doesn't feel well no one questions it. The simple answer of, he has cancer, is accepted. But, me? My kid is having a meltdown at school and someone quips, "Sounds like he needs an ass whooping." Excuse me? Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Do you even know us? Of course not. You don’t want to either, because you see his poor behavior as a direct reflection of my parenting, or a lack of.

You, sir, don’t realize we are fighting a battle similar to that of the father whose son has cancer, the diseases just have different names, different

medications and different support systems. The support system for cancer patients is huge with fundraisers, benefit dinners, auctions, and raffles.

People cut their hair off for cancer patients, donate their vacation days, take the family dinners.

Can you imagine if I did a fundraiser for my kid because you feel he’s a pain in the backside sometimes? My son’s meds cost over $900 a month without insurance, not to mention the $250 per visit to the psychiatrist, which there are many, and additional expenses for other supplements, not to mention the mental toll this takes.

We don’t get free Disney cruises, or free hotel stays when we have to travel for his mental health evaluations. We don’t get people’s donations of frequent flyer miles, hotel points, or gas points. We are on our own. Because our kid has a disease that is often misunderstood and looked down upon.

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I know some of you are going to say, "His kid has cancer and could die! How dare you compare the two? You're so selfish. Their plight is so much greater and harder than yours." To you I say, my kid could die too, but more likely from drugs or by his own hand. But, no one thinks of that. Do they?

Let me break it down. We, the two parents, are more alike with our kids and their health issues that one might think. When people hear about the challenges of our plight, mental health, they chock it up to I should have done something different with my parenting, with my environment, with something. It always comes down to what we, the parents, could have done differently. For the dad whose son has cancer, other people know there’s nothing he could have done, he just got the short end of the stick, a bad roll of the dice. Let’s help him, let’s raise awareness, money, and love.

We both want our kids to be happy and healthy. We want our kids to have friends, feel important, and be successful. The health issues our families face both require doctors’ visits, medications, an ability to handle failures and successes, and also much-needed family and community support.

Community support... that’s what we don’t have. I'm not talking the counselors at school, or the teachers, or the doctors, ours have helped in so many ways. I'm talking about the people at the grocery store, at Walmart, the parents in the park, or at the football game, and track practice.

Stop staring at us with contempt. Stop shaking your head and whispering that "that kid needs some discipline." Stop telling me, "I couldn't stand that kind of attitude.” My husband and I are doing the best we can. Sometimes, we feel like failures, we want to pull our hair out, but we need understanding, not judgement. We are not our diseases. And by our, I mean our community. We are in this together.

Today, my son was admitted to the hospital.

Hospital staff tells us the average admittance is five to seven days, depending on the outcomes of the evaluations. Mental illness evaluations. Because, our son is sick. It may be the meds he's already on, it may not. But, we need a team, we need professional help, and that's hard to admit.

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When I walked into the ER, my son jumped up, crying, and hugged me like his life depended on it. I bet he actually thought his life really did depend on it. I think he bruised a rib, he squeezed me so hard, for so long.

Today, I feel sick. I don’t want to eat. I just want to curl up in the fetal position and cry. But, it’s not about me. It’s also not about my husband—who spent all day with our son, through countless intakes, evaluations, and questionnaires, all while I’m at work. It’s not even about my son. It’s about all of us.

How do we work through the “gift” of mental illness with all its trials and tribulations?

Gift? Yeah, I said gift.

My son’s mental illness has given me a gift, and I hope someday he can see it, too. What gift, you may ask? Humility, for one. I am humbled by the amazing kindness and caring my son bestows upon the people who he deems are also "different"- The kid with Down syndrome, the obnoxious kid, the kid in a wheel chair. He greets and loves them all with a unique kind of compassion, beyond his years, that amazes everyone. He tells me that he knows how it feels to be different, to be left out, and he doesn't want other people to feel that way. Those are his good days.

On his bad days, he gives me an understanding, an ability not to judge others when their child is freaking out in the parking lot or talking back to them while out in public. He gives me the ability to show other parents that

they aren't alone. They really aren't. I can't count the times I have given a reassuring smile or said, jokingly, "I've got duct tape in the car if you need it." Usually, I get a snicker, a smile, or a full-on laugh at that one. Sometimes, that's all we need as parents to different or difficult little humans, reassurance that we aren't alone. Sometimes, we

When I walked into the ER, my son jumped up, crying, and hugged me like his life depended on it.

simply need to be rocked out of our world of frustration with our kid by understanding in the form of a knowing, snarky comment.

My son’s brain works differently than yours or mine does. He can code and build web pages.

I worry if I attached a picture to a text message correctly and get excited when I figure that out myself. He can take the most phenomenal photos.

The angles, the attention to detail amazes me. He comes up with the most amazing stories, although he has a hard time putting them on paper. But, once he invents a printer that he can hook up to his brain, he is going to be the most famous movie writer of all time.

He's different, and while we try to help him

understand that, although his differences can be bothersome, it’s a good idea to figure out how to live your best life with them. There are people with no arms who paint, people with no feet who drive race cars, people who can't hear, yet make the most beautiful music.

The world focuses on differences as bad things. Different may be hard, different may be

tumultuous, different may be excitable, angry, quiet, or boisterous. We don’t all fit in the same box.

Where would we be without people like Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, or Charles Darwin? Some of the most amazing minds of our history, also most likely suffering from mental illness. Mental illness is a gift, we just have to learn how to open the gift, wrapped with the 48 layers of paper, 342 ribbons, 4 rolls of tape, and 7 bottles of glue, without destroying the box.

How do you dress to go visit your middle school child in the psychiatric ward of the hospital? I know that seems silly. But, really. Do I wear what makes me happy? Tie dye, skinny jeans, and my funky apple shoes or does that show that obviously mental illness is hereditary?

Look somber, because obviously this is hard.

Look basic and generic?

I think that’s the look.

Run of the mill jeans and a cardigan. Must remember a bra! Don’t want to look like the mom who didn’t shower, with a messy bun and no bra on. Even though, that’s exactly- exactly who I am.

I admit, I've done it. I've Googled.

I don't know what to do. I don't know how to act. I don't know who to turn to. Thankfully, the counselor at my son’s school has given me a treasure trove of information and resources.

But, what he hasn’t given me is first hand, personal knowledge of being a mother of a son with mental illness. So, Google to the rescue!

Or, not. I found site after site about medications, warnings about suicide risk, more medications, and list, after list, after list. What I haven't found is any good success stories. Ones that say, "I am successful with mental illness and this is how I do it." stories. At least not initially, I didn't find these first-hand, oh, so important stories. Third page in—I don’t give up easily—I found it.

An entire community of parents with difficult children, with specific needs and illnesses, those with illnesses unnamed, with psychiatric issues beyond the current understanding of people, and science, and with lives void of mental illness.

So, the rest of the tribe now knows.

We saw my son tonight on the fifth floor of the hospital. People know what the fifth floor is for. We went up the elevator and walked into a room of newbies, just like us.

People who have never visited their child in the psychiatric unit before. We all looked pretty lost, distraught, nervous, and trying to hide it.

But, seeing other people there, - I don’t know, made it seem more real, more okay. Other people had to make the same decisions today that we had to make. We aren’t alone in this, no matter how isolated we may feel.

No purses, no cell phones, no hoodies with ties, no belts.

My boy was sad, but okay. He talked to us about the other kids there, one who went to his school. Another who goes to school with one of his siblings. He is starting to realize that he isn’t the only one.

It’s not okay for a child to feel like suicide is an option, but it is okay to get help when they are feeling that way. We are trying to put things into perspective for him, for ourselves. I tried to make a sports analogy about how we are a team and we have to try to get the best players together to beat this. I compared us to his Broncos, but of course the Broncos are the best team in the universe and mom got American football and soccer mixed up. So, at that point, my husband took over, tight end, defensive this, half back that—no, wait... isn’t that ribs? I digress—my husband and son were talking football and it made sense to them and, in that moment, that’s what mattered.

By: Felicity A. Sjostrom for 82717 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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Vaccine Exemptions, a Brief History Science vs. Pseudoscience f there were four people in a room that firmly believed vaccines were necessary and risk-free, it would be a safe bet to assume there would also be eight others, in the same room, who would call them crazy. Yet, in another room, there could be 16 other people that would call the eight naysayers misinformed, uneducated, or would simply label them fanatics.

But whether or not there is any truth to be found in a common belief that vaccines are linked to serious, and at times debilitating, health issues take a

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back seat to a larger, more pressing issue.

People seem to have an innate distrust of the scientific method, trained medical professionals, and seemingly all forms of government. If it was just here in Wyoming, it would be one thing; people of the Cowboy State are notorious for their firm, unshakeable beliefs in small government.

A phenomenon, however, appears to have staked a claim in countries all over the modern world; the thinking that vaccines are not safe, especially for children. Campbell County is no exception.

In September 2018, County Public Health

Officer Dr. Kirtikumar Patel said the sheer number of child vaccine exemptions that have come across his desk is staggering. At the time, he claimed to have signed around 50 to 80 vaccination exemptions within six weeks; the highest number of vaccinations that he has ever seen.

Last year, according to the Wyoming Department of Health, there were a total 744 vaccination exemptions signed in the entire state, with 83 of those specifically for Campbell County.

Now, there are only two reasons in accordance with Wyoming law that a parent may exempt OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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their child from receiving otherwise required vaccinations: medical issues (such as a history of experiencing adverse reactions) or religious objection.

For a religious objection, a parent is not allowed to simply say, “I don’t want to have my child vaccinated” and viola, their children are exempt.

No, the parent needs to have an affiliation with a religion in order to successfully submit the waiver of exemption to the state. Interestingly enough, the state is not permitted to say whether or not a particular religion truly objects to vaccinations, and is required to take people at their word, according to Kim Deti, WDH public information officer.

Because of the way the law is written, and the state government’s inability to assess the authenticity of religious objections, “most people just claim religion,” Patel explained. But, why is there such a strong movement against vaccines? Perhaps it’s best to start with a little history.

A LITTLE HISTORY Those who object to vaccinations, also known as antivaxxers, are nothing new. Reports of the antivaccination movement have been around since the 1820’s, barely three decades after the first vaccination in human history was carried out by Edward Jenner in 1796.1 Jenner’s story began in Berkeley, England, when he heard milkmaids, infected with cowpox, were somehow immune to the debilitating effects of smallpox.

Utilizing the scientific method, Jenner carried out a series of tests, the first of which was to infect a six-year-old boy with cowpox followed by smallpox.

Jenner reportedly saw, first-hand, that the boy remained unaffected by smallpox, and repeated the experiment twelve times on twelve different subjects. He published his findings titled “Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccine.”

In a nutshell, he established that cowpox prevented smallpox from infecting the human body.

Following Jenner’s revolutionary discovery and subsequent implementation of his findings, the number of smallpox cases significantly decreased.

Regardless, the anti-vaccination movement emerged, some of whom cited woes that compulsory vaccination laws in England, first passed in 1821, were an intrusion on their privacy.

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In more recent years, the anti-vaccination movement cites another, more controversial source that purposely misled the public into believing vaccines are linked to autism; the authors of which reportedly faced severe consequences for what would become one of the greatest falsehoods of all time.

THE GREATEST FALSEHOOD EVER, OF ALL TIME When researching vaccines, it’s nearly impossible to avoid running across the name of Dr. Andrew Wakefield who shook the world with a groundbreaking series of studies that linked vaccines to autism. Antivaxxers across the globe read the information and used the controversial studies, along with Wakefield’s potentially more controversial documentary “Vaxxed,” as grounds to rebel against vaccines.

Wakefield’s series of studies, “Ileal-lymphoidnodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children”, were published in 1998 in the Lancet, a medical journal, and suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine causes autism in children.2 The studies gained global attention, and MMR vaccination rates dropped significantly, reportedly due to parent’s concerns over the risks of autism after vaccination.

As is often the way in the scientific community, the study inspired other epidemiological studies.

But there was a slight problem. The separate studies refuted the possibility that the MMR vaccine and autism were linked at all.

Following the discovery, 10 of the 12 coauthors issued retractions on their interpretation of the data compiled in the original studies. In the retractions, statements were made that a causal link between autism and the MMR vaccine

was never established.

In February 2010, Wakefield’s studies were completely retracted by the Lancet following admissions that certain focuses in the paper and statements were not correct.

Investigations revealed that Wakefield and his associates had failed to obtain the necessary ethical clearances for a series of reportedly invasive investigations on the children involved.

Ultimately investigative journalist Brian Deer exposed the entire study for what it was, a fraud.

It was found out that Wakefield and his associates had allegedly falsified facts for financial gain and had purposefully chosen data that suited their case, while claiming the data contained within the study was completely randomized.3 Wakefield and co-author John Walker-Smith were discredited. To date, Wakefield alleges in his documentary that he was made an example of by the pharmaceutical industry and continues to stand by his work and his “findings.” Which brings us to the final pieces in the vaccination history puzzle: the facts vs. the conspiracy.

FACT OR CONSPIRACY? Wakefield’s studies were completely retracted and proven to be false time and time again; yet there is still a movement against vaccines that firmly believe the government covered up his findings and believe that vaccines are, in fact, related to autism. Why? Perhaps social media is to blame; a single post with terrifying vaccination statistics, often unproven and false, can go viral and spread across the internet like wildfire. Local public health officials remain astounded at the number of statements made on social media that are taken as truth. There is some truth to be had in the statistics that are pushed upon others by antivaxxers, but it is blown far out of proportion.

For example, the adenovirus vaccine does carry the potential for serious, severe side effects; however, many other medications carry the same, if not an even greater, risk. Tylenol, one of the more commonly used medications, is widely viewed as one of the most dangerous drugs ever made.4 National databases reportedly show that acetaminophen overdoses are responsible for around 50,000 emergency room visits and is responsible for nearly 450 deaths every year. Acetaminophen is the leading

cause of acute liver failure in the United States.

On the contrary, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that the risk of a vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is minute.

Antivaxxers have also made another, more extreme, claim based on pseudoscience that the HPV vaccine, particularly Gardasil, is killing teenage girls. Reportedly, there are hundreds of documented deaths attributed to the HPV vaccine; however, the link between the two has never been fully proven and is anecdotal at best.5 One could make the same kind of connection between a man eating a cheeseburger and subsequently dying of a heart-attack two or three weeks later.

LOOK TO SCIENCE, NOT PSEUDOSCIENCE In the cheeseburger case, medical experts would most likely attribute the man’s death to high cholesterol, poor diet, and not exercising. If the same pseudoscience-based logic utilized by antivaxxers in vaccine cases were to be applied to the cheeseburger case, then a different conclusion would come to light.

Pseudoscience would draw a correlation between the cheeseburger and the man’s death; the cheeseburger killed the man.

The CDC does state that some deaths among people who received an HPV vaccine have been reported; yet, the CDC has only been able to determine that the deaths occurred after the person received the vaccine.

But, consider this: from the millions upon millions of HPV vaccine doses that have been administered in recent years, approximately 124

deaths have been reported to the CDC. Of those reported deaths, only 53 deaths were able to be verified and none of the cases have been positively connected to the HPV vaccine.

The rest of the cases and reported deaths are considered hearsay by the CDC.

SEEK THE TRUTH Just as antivaxxers implore others to “research the truth,” so do I. Everything you could ever wish to know about vaccines is publicly available in medical journals, scientific studies, and within the CDC. There are thousands of articles and sources out there that claim to have utilized the scientific method to prove vaccines are inherently dangerous, but consider the provided information (and the information in this article) critically.

Also, remember the following definition: Pseudoscience is defined as a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.

Just because everybody you know believes in something, doesn’t necessarily make it true.

By: Ryan R. Lewallen for 82717 SOURCES 1. Stern, Alexendra M., Markel, Howard. The History of Vaccines and Immunization: Familiar Patterns, New Challenges. Health Affairs. 2005.

2. Rao, T.S., Andrade, Chittaranjan. The MMR vaccine and autism: Sensation, refutation, retraction, and fraud. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 2011.

3. Godlee, Fiona. “The fraud behind the MMR scare”.

British Medical Journal. 2011 4. Bloom, Josh. “Is Tylenol ‘By Far the Most Dangerous Drug Ever Made?’”. American Council on Science and Health. 2017 5. Gorski, David. “Death by Gardasil? Not so fast there…”.

Science-Based Medicine. 2018.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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Marijuana Prohibition Is Costly.

Let’s Talk About That. alifornia recently decided straws were kind of like crack cocaine for the oceans. Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a statewide restriction on restaurants offering straws to customers who don’t specifically request them. Santa Barbara’s straw ban slaps violators with up to $1,000 in fines and six months in jail.

As the crusade against straws began to make policy waves, the Internet was flooded with memes mocking the legislation. (My personal favorite is the straw dealer pushing his forbidden plastics in an alleyway.)

Many people, especially the good citizens of Wyoming, could see the absurdity of the anti-straw crusade. California enacted criminal sanctions to

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prevent what amounts to about 0.025 percent of the total volume of all ocean trash, and California’s contribution is much smaller than that.

These prohibitions have their share of critics, including small-government conservatives. These critics examined the straw ban not solely in terms of its intentions, which is how proponents view the law, but also in terms of the costs. Are you really going to throw people into jail just to avoid a miniscule amount of trash in the ocean?

For the same reason, Donald Trump supporters defended the president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. For trillions of dollars, it would eliminate a very small amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, estimated to slow global warming by less than 0.086 degrees

Fahrenheit by 2100, if every single country who signed the agreement kept its unenforceable promises. The agreement costs too much to achieve very small benefits.

Strangely, when it comes to marijuana consumption, many (not all) conservatives abandon this rational approach to gauging government action. Instead, they view marijuana prohibition in terms of its intentions and not its actual outcomes and costs.

Just recently, I wrote an article on the future of marijuana laws in Wyoming, for the County 17 Community News Stream, which is also published

by Outliers Creative, LLC. The article compared Wyoming’s political climate on the issue with other states, as a North Dakota voter referendum heads to

Marijuana use has potential health consequences, especially when consumed excessively on a regular basis.

the ballot box this November with polls showing it may well pass. For the article, I interviewed Byron Oedekoven, former Campbell County Sheriff and executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police (WASCOP).

Oedekoven was a dedicated public servant. He has a quick acumen, and he gave a great interview.

He is also a staunch prohibitionist who defends criminal penalties for marijuana use by pointing to peer-reviewed studies demonstrating marijuana’s potential for harm, as well as the problems that have arisen as a result of Colorado’s legal sales since 2014. On the other extreme, you have legalization advocates who argue marijuana is harmless, cures cancer, and should be a regular part of everyone’s breakfast. Oedekoven’s position is a lot more fact-based than that. There is a mountain of scientific literature showing marijuana use has potential health consequences, especially when consumed excessively on a regular basis.

Yet, this is also true of alcohol and fast food, all of which adults consume legally. If we examined

a prohibition on those activities solely in terms of benefits from avoided health consequences, it would clearly seem a legitimate role for government to try to stop people from drinking and eating unhealthy food, with criminal sanctions.

Yet, what happens if we consider the costs of enforcement, which is necessary, especially when you’re trying to stop people from individual behaviors they personally enjoy? All government action is based on coercive force. Sooner or later, you have to beat someone into compliance, and there is always a cost for that.

Would society benefit from criminal sanctions against an adult who drank a beer in the privacy of his or her own house? America did ban alcohol sales and production during a period called Prohibition, and it created a lucrative and violent black market in alcohol sales, as well as widespread police corruption.

Some people gave up alcohol, but most people just kept on drinking with a growing resentment toward law enforcement. Sound familiar? The law created more problems than it solved. In other words, it had

few benefits for the cost of enforcement, despite the noblest of intentions.

There certainly are some people who could benefit from criminal sanctions on marijuana use.

Anecdotal testimonies from addicts tell of people who began their road to recovery after it was courtordered.

What is missing from these anecdotes are the many otherwise law-abiding citizens who use marijuana responsibly and safely but end up with a criminal record, impacting their job prospects, student loan eligibility, and ability to care for their families—sometimes for life. Those all translate into costs to society, which eclipse the costs of the activity the law is meant to stop, and there’s no clear evidence the law stops anyone who really wants to get high.

Not everyone who consumes marijuana is a crazed addict, any more than everyone who drinks beer, wine or hard liquor is a dangerous alcoholic.

Even though prisons are not filling up with people charged with marijuana possession, arrests come OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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with a wide variety of very harmful consequences to the arrestee. The law makes no distinction between the responsible and irresponsible marijuana user, like we do with alcohol, where the guy having a cold one at the bar is left alone while the drunk driver is arrested.

In 2017, according to FBI data, 1.6 million people were arrested for “drug abuse violations,” which is only a little less than the number of people arrested for violent and property crimes. Of those drug arrests, 36.7 were for marijuana, and 85 percent of marijuana arrests were for simple possession.

Each one of those arrests represents a use of limited law-enforcement resources. When cops are booking someone for having a joint in his pocket, they’re not out on the road looking for drunk drivers. They’re not able to respond to a call about a robbery. Instead, they’re spending their time punishing an adult for doing a drug he really wants to do.

But what about the problems that come with legal marijuana use? Last year, a Fox News story told of Durango, Colorado, being overrun with homeless people who were supposedly rushing to the state to enjoy a haven for marijuana

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use, as if they weren’t doing the drug prior to that. Implied in the article was the notion it is better to arrest thousands of adults for marijuana possession because otherwise your town might experience a rise in transients. Someone might be bothered by a panhandler. Gasp!

Even though Wyoming’s political climate isn’t open to what Colorado has done, there is a recognition that we need to “have a discussion” on this issue. President of the Wyoming Senate Eli Bebout (R-Riverton) said unequivocally he was opposed to legal recreational use. But he said he’d be open to a discussion as to whether or not the current penalties, which are some of the toughest in the nation, could be reduced.

Rep. Eric Barlow (R-Gillette) likewise said he’d be open to a discussion on reforming the laws, especially with regard to industrial hemp and medical marijuana.

These discussions should give an honest consideration to what can be gained from reduced penalties or even legal sales. There’s plenty to be said about the tax revenue generated, but even if we ignore that, legislators should be asking if this is a good use of law enforcement

resources. They don’t come cheap, and punishing consensual behaviors creates a slew of unintended consequences and costs.

Oedekoven and WASCOP have long been providing information to legislators from a law enforcement perspective on these issues, and the group should definitely have a place at the table.

But so should those who rightfully question if it’s a proper and fiscally sound role for police to run around telling adults what they can and can’t put in their mouths.

What good actually comes from this approach? Is anyone who really wants to smoke pot prevented from doing so, and do those criminal sanctions really produce any benefits to anyone? What does it cost to apply that law and what benefits would come if we spent that money on treatment options? If anyone was seriously proposing restrictions on coal or straws, it’s precisely the rational conversation we’d have on such policies. Why not have the same discussion on marijuana prohibition?

By: Kevin D. Killough for 82717

Kids These Days besity. Sleep deprivation. Cyberbullying.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Drug and alcohol use. Abuse. Sexting. Promiscuity. Divorce.

Depression. Self-harm. Suicide. Advances in technology, a steady drop in Christianity, and an increase in two-parent working households mean today’s kids and teens are facing issues unlike those of any generation before them.

Common Sense Media, the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families in the 21st century, reports that, on average, children under eighteen spend nearly nine hours a day, every day, consuming media.

That’s a lot.

Today, we’re less and less worried about our kids’ exposure to on-screen violence. Those concerns are all but a thing of the past, altogether replaced by a desire to moderate screen time (How much is too much?) and access (At what age is a social media presence really appropriate?).

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Can we monitor what our kids are being exposed to? Should we? And, how? Who teaches our kids what’s classy versus what’s trashy? For example, what is age-appropriate for their profile pics and posts? If not us—the parent(s)—then, who? After all, the internet is a fickle thing. Once something’s out there, it’s out there.

What about those trending apps like IG and Snapchat? Is Facebook dated? Who is your kid taking and sharing selfies with? Are geo-location services creepy and controlling or cautious and caring?

If you’re raising a kids in 2018, you’ve likely asked questions like this of yourself. Truth be told, I know that these are just a few of the questions— and problems—we’ve asked of ourselves and encountered in our home. I imagine other 82717 parents and youth also face similar issues and have like-minded concerns.

Which lead me to wonder: Are our kids, Campbell County school-aged kids and teens, struggling to maintain healthy lifestyles? If so, is it as a result of their social media habits? And, what

problems—or solutions—are most important?

Can more access to impactful resources change the scope of the problems our kids are fighting these days? I’m relatively new to the parenting game, but I want to win. After all, it’s our kids’ futures, and the future of our community, we’re talking about here.

When something so important is at stake, who can we trust for reliable answers? Google? Wiki? Your best friend Rachel? If you’re anything like me, and your Rachel has problems too... we’ve got your back.

In the next issues of 82717 Life, look for a multi-part adventure into parenting in Campbell County. We’ll explore the challenges local parents face, discuss do’s and don’ts for ‘rents, and cover topics from co-parenting to raising kids in two parent-working households.

We’ll get political, talk religion, and examine the role of non-parent “parents.” Join us. 82717 Parents. Inside 82717 Life starting November / December 2018.

By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

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Dusty Trails

Tales from the Old West:

Hiding in Plain Sight—A Hank Wells Story

he sun was just barely starting to peak over the eastern horizon as Hank Wells readied himself for the day. He’d been waking up before the sun his entire life without any trouble. That’s the way it was when you lived and worked on a cattle ranch. There were always chores to be done and the earlier he started, the more he could accomplish. The only difference in the day was where, on his family’s sprawling ranch, those chores took him.

The Wells Ranch was shaped like a rectangle and was taller than it was wide. Roughly two-thirds of the acreage was devoted to grazing pastures for their 300 head of cattle. The herd had been considerably larger until the area’s worst winter a few years back. That winter had brought hardship for the Wells family in many ways, but Hank rarely allowed

T

himself to think about it. They still had the land and that was the family legacy.

The ranch land was surrounded by the Cabrillo Buttes on the north, as well as ranches to the east and south. The western edge of the Wells Ranch bumped up against an Indian reservation. Although they hadn’t ever had a problem with any members of the tribe that lived there, Hank and his family were keen to keep it that way, so rarely ventured to that side of the ranch. In fact, the Wells’ used the forested area as a sort of barrier. The forest ran north and south roughly two miles in from the reservation-meetsranch border. It was a beautiful area, complete with a wide, low-running river.

Hank couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to that part of the ranch, yet today, that was exactly where his chores would take him. The fence

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line beyond the forest, the fence line that helped keep folks off his family’s property, and the cattle on it, hadn’t been tended to since that really bad winter so it was bound to need repair. Just because he and his family didn’t venture beyond the forest much, didn’t mean the cattle didn’t.

Hank strode out to the barn where he was greeted by a friendly neigh from Jack, his faithful American Paint Horse. Hank raised Jack from a foal and the two were thick as thieves. Jack was always ready for whatever Hank had in store for them. The more time on the prairie, the better as far as Jack was concerned. He stood stock still as Hank put the saddle blanket and then saddle on him, then bit and reigns. As they headed west toward the far side of the ranch, neither realized just how interesting their adventure might become. By the time they reached the forest’s edge, it was past dark. Hank found a dry, flat area where they could rest for the night.

First, he built a fire to keep the chilly night air at bay. After unsaddling Jack and tethering him to a nearby tree, he laid out his bed roll using the saddle as his pillow, falling asleep as easily as he would have in his own bed. A little while later, Jack started getting restless. Something was causing him to whinny restlessly where he was tethered. Hank woke with a start and sat up to listen. He shushed Jack so he could listen more closely. Hank thought he heard something in the distance. He listened more intently.

It was a still, quiet night so any sounds were likely to travel a long way, but he couldn’t be sure if what he heard was close or far. There it was again... the beating of a drum/.

Hank vaguely recalled his father saying that the closest encampment on the Indian reservation was about five miles from the edge of their ranch. The drum he heard was considerably closer. In fact, it sounded like it was no more than a mile away. Hank thought for a minute. He’d never met an Indian in person, although his father and grandfather had told him many stories about their own encounters over the years. Hank turned back and looked at Jack as if to say, “What do you think we should do?” Jack nodded his head and pawed the ground a couple of times. He was ready to see what lay ahead.

Hank saddled Jack up, doused the campfire and, as quietly as they could, the pair made their way to the sound of the drums. The sun was just starting to rise behind them and, in doing so, Hank’s confidence also rose. He much preferred facing

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unknown situations in the daylight. It took about 15 minutes to quietly and carefully make their way through the densest part of the forest near where they had camped. The sound of the drum had stopped and started several times, repeating the same pattern each time. As the pair got closer, Hank thought he heard a voice singing, too. It sounded like a young girl’s voice and had a very haunting tone. About 50 yards ahead, Hank could start to make out a figure in the clearing.

He and Jack continued to amble toward it and soon Hank was able to see who had been drumming and singing the plaintive song. There, kneeling in the clearing, was a beautiful Indian girl. She couldn’t be more than 12 or 14 years old. She was staring off into the distance as though she was looking for someone or something.

As Hank climbed down off Jack’s back, the young woman stopped her drumming and looked slowly toward him. She had jet-black hair that hung across the right side of her face, but Hank could see her eyes were swollen from the tears that ran down her dust-covered cheeks. She wore what appeared to be a tanned animal hide dress with fringe around the edges of the sleeves and beautiful beadwork around the neck. She barely nodded at Hank and turned her attention back to whatever held her attention to the west. Hank and Jack moved a few steps closer, then stopped. He dropped Jack’s reigns and moved forward to kneel next to the girl. He had no idea if she would understand what he was going to say, but he tried anyway. “You’re a long way from home. Why did you come here?” he asked.

The young girl stopped her singing and drumming and looked at Hank. She spoke so softly that Hank almost didn’t hear her. She moved back the hair that was covering the right side of her face. “The elders told me to marry one of the old men in our tribe because his wife couldn’t have babies. I said no and tried to run away. They caught me and did this,” she said quietly, needlessly pointing to a long cut on her face. “I snuck away in the night and came here.”

Stunned that she spoke English, it took Hank a second to gather his thoughts again. “Did you know you aren’t on the reservation?” Jack asked.

“It is peaceful here,” she replied. “That is why I came.”

Hank asked her how long she’d been there.

He didn’t see any food or blankets around and no evidence of a campfire. He knew how cold the nights got this time of year. “A few days,” the Indian girl

answered simply. “We need to get you to a doctor. He can sew that up so it doesn’t get infected. Jack and I will take you, okay?” Hank looked over his shoulder and Jack immediately walked forward. Soon she was seated on Jack’s back. Hank climbed up behind her and the trio set off toward town. As they rode, Hank introduced himself and learned her name was Little White Flower. She had three brothers and one sister.

She told Hank that her sister had been married off when she was young and had been unhappy ever since.

As they rode, Hank couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to her after the doctor took care of her wounds. It took about an hour of hard riding to get to the town of Hankins that was nestled between the Wells Ranch and the ranch to the south.

It boasted nothing more than a saloon, a hotel, a doctor and a general store, but all Hank cared about was finding Doc Winters.

The doctor heard Hank yelling his name from the street and stepped out onto the boardwalk. As they rode up, he ran forward and helped the young girl down. Hank explained what had happened as Doc rushed her inside. After a few minutes, Doc turned to Hank and said he could stitch up her wounds and she’d be fine. He wasn’t so sure about her mental state, though. Hank stepped outside while Doc Winters took care of his newest patient. Soon, they both came out to join him. Doc outlined instructions for making sure Little White Flower’s wound healed properly, then took Hank aside. “You know, she can’t go back to the reservation, and she’s too young to live on her own,” Doc solemnly explained. “What if you took her home with you? I bet your mom would be grateful for another pair of hands around the place.”

“Oh, Doc, I don’t know,” Hank said, full of doubt.

“Well, why not, Hank?” Doc asked, “She’s just a young girl that needs a family. People that will genuinely care for her no matter what. You know your mother always wanted a girl.” Doc winked slyly at Hank. Hank turned to Little White Flower.

“Well, what do you think? Since you can’t go back to your family, wanna come live with mine? I guess I wouldn’t mind having a little sister.” Little White Flower and Hank grinned at each other. Standing just a few feet away, Jack could sense that he’d have more weight on his back going home. Still, he knew it wouldn’t be a heavy load at all.

By: Lisa A. Shrefler for 82717

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Farmers Market & Pumpkin Painting

Women’s Resource Center Banquet

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Charity Chili Cook-Off

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Oct. 15 • 5 – 8:15 p.m.

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OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

Community Calendar

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Snowmobile & Powersports Swapmeet

Festival of Trees Ticketed VIP Reception

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CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733

Nov. 17 • 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733

Nov. 17 • 5:30 – 7 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733 Nov. 17 • 7:15 – 10 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733 Nov. 18 • 12 – 4 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733 Nov. 18 • 1 – 3 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.688.8733

Nov. 20 • 9 – 10 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Contact: 307.682.8802 Nov. 21 • 7 – 8 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Contact: 307.682.8802 Nov. 23 • 1 – 6 p.m.

CAM-PLEX East Pavilion Contact: 520.251.1495 Nov. 30 • 5 – 9 p.m.

CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Contact: 307.682.5642

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Advertisers Resource Alla Lala Cupcakes and Sweet Things

Magpie Designs

American Iron Fitness

North Platte Physical Therapy

alla-lala.com 480.205.9879 307.257.0026

AVA Community Art Center avacenter.org 307.682.9133

Bear’s Naturally Clean Dry Cleaners bearsdrycleaners.wixsite.com 307.685.4455

Bliss Nutrition 307.689.9863

Byrd’s Food Angels byrdsfoodangels.com 307.680.3663

CAMPCO Federal Credit Union campcofcu.com 307.682.6105

City of Gillette gillettewy.gov 307.686.5200

County 3

county3.news 307.461.4319

County 17

county17.com 307.686.5121

Gillette Dental PC gillettedental.com 307.682.3353

Hando’s Service Center handosservicecenter.com 307.675.2287

Infinity Builders, LLC

magpiedesigns.vendecommerce.com 307.682.2124 northplattept.com 307.686.2569

Outliers Creative, LLC outlierscreative.com 307.686.5121

Paintbrush Services

paintbrushservices.com 307.682.3913

Papa John’s Pizza papajohns.com 307.687.7272

Red Hills Veterinary Hospital redhillsvet.com 307.696.2525

Remington Village Apartments remington-village.com 307.687.8000

Sheridan College sheridan.edu 307.675.0505

The MC Family of Companies, LLC mcllc.net 307.685.1295

The Railyard

railyardgillette.com 307.682.6805

White’s Energy Motors whitesenergymotors.net 307.687.0499

Women’s Healthcare whcwyo.com 307.682.2233

infwyo.com 307.685.1295

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