Rockpile Museum
Exhibits Fortitude of FDR’s Coal Army County 17 17 things this Holiday Season to do in
Are Wyoming politics suffering from the same problems as the U.S.?
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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82717 Features
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Are Wyoming politics suffering from the same problems as the U.S.? In this month’s column, Mark discusses the recent defeat of the proposed .25% economic development sales tax, the rise of the alt-right in Wyoming, and the loss of civility in politics. Mark also puts forward a hard-hitting analysis of our local economy. Will we be leaders, or will we let a few people decide that a Wyoming with no future, but the absolute lowest taxes, is better than a Wyoming where our kids can be employed and prosperous? That’s Mark’s question for this month’s readers.
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Coal & Campbell County Our community is surrounded by coal mines. But, what do you really know about the mining industry? New contributor Charity Stewart digs deep to scratch the surface of Coal Country’s namesake. Learn what you should know about the industry that’s powering a nation.
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10 Years in the Making: The Home of the Perfect Shirt
The Flu Shot: One Mom’s Dilemma
Meet John and Sage Bear, local entrepreneurs and owners of Bear’s Naturally Clean Dry Cleaning. This unstoppable husband and wife duo has spent 10 years perfecting their craft. And, the end result of all their hard work is your gain. Or, perhaps, more specifically, your shirts’!
An annual flu jab is the best way to reduce your risk of getting sick with seasonal influenza and spreading it to others. Or, is it? Stephanie Scarcliff questions mainstream media’s take on the flu shot debate to find inspiration in struggle with the help of state department health experts…
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Holiday 2017 Features
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Rockpile Museum Exhibits Fortitude of FDR’s Coal Army More than 300,000 young men enrolled in America’s federal Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), performing a variety of conservation and public works projects across a nation in crisis. Museum Director Robert Henning talks with 82717 about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Tree Army and its unique role in Campbell.
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Everything Festive! There are so many things to do in the 82717 to celebrate the holidays this season, from the Turkey Trot 5K to Gillette’s annual Festival of Trees festivities and the everluminous Festival of Lights! Get your winter mittens on and get into the holiday spirit with this fabulous list of all our favorite local shopping excursions and ticketed events.
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Prepping the Perfect Artisanal Thanksgiving Dinner
17 Things To Do in County 17 This Holiday Season
Trek through tasty traditions with Bailey Knopp as she explores her families’ most beloved Thanksgiving meals and finds appreciation for just how much love and effort goes into creating such Perfect Artisanal Thanksgiving Dinners!
A comprehensive guide to this Holiday Season’s most cherished traditions and celebrations in the 82717. Discover the best in local shopping offerings, entertainment, and festivities that are sure to ensure you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving and a very Merry Little Christmas!
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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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This Month > The Hladky Brothers’ Vision (a piece from our sister-site, County 17) > Gillette Festival of Trees > Festival of Lights at CAM-PLEX Park
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Free, locally relevant news each day from our sister-site county17.com
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Editorial CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Erika C. Christensen MARKETING DIRECTOR Stephanie L. Scarcliff OFFICE MANAGER Jennel R. Johnson MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE Amber M. Hill newyo@mcllc.net EDITOR Bailey I. Knopp JOURNALIST Kevin M. Knapp Charity D. Stewart ART DIRECTOR Richard W. Massman DESIGNER Candice E. Schlautmann PHOTOGRAPHER Jeffery L. Miller
Inquires & Customer Service Outliers Creative, LLC P.O. Box 3825 • Gillette, WY 307.686.5121 • 82717@mcllc.net
ON THE COVER - One of our own Bailey Knopp serves as an executive assistant, writer, video editor, social media manager, and marketing intern for The MC Family of Companies, LLC. She is an alumni of Gillette College’s Energy City Voices, local music artist, and mother of two fur-babies.
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82717 is a publication of Outliers Creative, LLC © 2017, 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.
Welcome to 82717 A Local Publication by Locals
R
eaders of Campbell County and northeast Wyoming, welcome to 82717! You have undoubtedly noticed that just like a piece of coal can be ignited to create a burst of steam, our old Homes & More brand has been lit up and transformed in 82717. County 17 is Campbell County’s place for fast, free, and locallyrelevant news, and 82717 is our desire to deliver a quality lifestyle magazine to the people of Gillette, Wright, Rozet, Savageton, and Recluse. Each month 82717 will deliver pieces with a unique focus on our readers and help to tell stories you may not know. We want to focus on unique people, unique families, and unique things happening in Campbell County. We recognize our place in this community and want to make sure our writing focuses on the positives going on and the people that make Campbell County a great place to live. As we all know, there are many communities and many counties that have been blessed by natural resources, but Campbell County is something special because its people and its leaders have decided to turn this small community in northeast Wyoming into something more. You may ask why this publication is titled 82717, as opposed to 82716, which was Gillette’s original zip code. As you likely know, 82717 is the zip code for post office boxes and therefore that zip code is available to everyone in Campbell County, regardless of which town or which side of the Interstate you live. Additionally, since Campbell County is also known as County 17, and we own and operate the County 17 news stream, it’s shameless promotion to tie the two together! If you’re wondering how this amazing imagery came together and the thoughts behind it, let me explain. For years, I have envied the Christmas cards of an engineer we regularly use, who's photos and themes were incredble. 2017 was the year that our company was going to stepup our Christmas card to make sure it’s the top card in everybody’s pile. As we were considering themes for this year’s shoot, we happened to be rethinking the direction of our Homes & More publication. We had settled on a hyper-focused community magazine, but we needed that magazine to have a theme and some “cool factor”.
I was flipping through my Facebook feed and noticed some steampunk themed posts. That was it! It was the perfect look for 82717 because it was whimsical, but also harkened back to our community’s rail and coal roots, but did it in a way that was cool. Our staff jumped on board and about one month later we shot the photos for this publication and our 2017 Christmas card. Credit for the photography goes to our staff photographer, Jeffery Miller, who took my vision and combined it with my wife, Erika’s, talent for costume, to create something incredible. Thank you to our awesome staff, all 11 people who participated (which is everybody but our construction/development department and out of town reporters), for making this remarkable. If you’re impressed by these images, reach out to us. Our staff is incredible with branding, identity, and media. This came together in weeks…we can do amazing things for you and your business. And for those wondering, yes, there will be a new Christmas card shoot next year. I’m not sure if we’ll be fighting a super-villain or you’ll see us harkening back to the ‘80s, flying at Mach 1 and dripping sweat in a volleyball game…but you’ll have to wait and see… On a more serious note, this month’s edition of 82717 includes an incredible examination of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and FDR’s Coal Army. This article coincides with an exhibit at the Campbell County Rockpile Museum that you may want to take in and we appreciate the great photos that the museum provided to give this piece its character. We also highlight 17 Things To Do in County 17; discuss more than just the economics, but instead the science behind Campbell County Coal and how we all ended up being so fortunate it was deposited here; the local VIP Flu Shot Program and information on why you should get your child a flu shot; and lastly, an artisanal Thanksgiving or Christmas, full of locally sourced and inspired foods. If you have ideas for great stories or great events that we should cover, please reach out to our staff. You can call our office at 307.686.5121 or reach out at facebook. com/82717life. Please enjoy 82717.
We searched, different staff brought forward ideas, but nothing seemed quite right. As luck would have it,
Mark A. Christensen
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
industrial Build to suit
My thoughts
with
Mark Christensen
My monthly take on Our Community, Our State, Local Events & Politics The bad actors on the “no” side will tell you that there was bullying and Let me begin this month’s column by first saying, thank you for reading misbehavior on both sides. That’s a lie. Having spent a lot of time looking My Thoughts. I continue to be surprised by the number of people who reach out over the cesspool that is our local social media gathering, I can say that I saw to tell me they have read my writing. You have likely noticed that My Thoughts well over 500+ attacks by those voting against the proposed .25% economic is now appearing in a new publication and that our publication has different development tax and only one from a supporter that I questioned. Even the print dates. Our new Campbell County specific community publication is outburst from the supporter wasn’t what I would call bullying, it just seemed titled 82717, and we are also highlighting Sheridan County through a new the individual had had enough of arguing with people who aren’t interested in publication titled 82801. I’m currently seeking people with similar ideas having a discussion, so much as being a bully. Also, it seemed to be about the to those I share within this column to become a columnist for our 82801 same dozen people each time. publication. If you’re interested, please call our office. It’s hard to have a logical discussion with someone who isn’t logical (i.e. This month I want to draw attention to the decline of civility in politics, doesn’t bring logic or facts, but instead relies upon a loud mouth and a sharp the hateful rhetoric and lies I see online, the rise of the ultra-negative alt-right, tongue), but in the age of social media, many people are influenced by a few and why we should all be concerned about these views and this behavior. very loud, very motivated, and very low integrity Additionally, I want to talk about the now failed individuals. .25% economic development tax initiative that was Just as the Democratic party has been infiltrated defeated by voters in Campbell County and now by free loaders and radicals (think many of the Bernie that the initiative has failed, why something still Sanders supporters), the Republican party has been needs to be done. I will add some general thoughts overtaken by alt-right extremists. These people on how Wyoming is starting to look like the U.S. as a aren’t Republicans…they’re probably most closely whole with regard to politics and how extremists are aligned with Libertarians, but Libertarians aren’t now driving not only the debate, but also the policy. a legitimate party (they have no numbers, clout, or Before you think that I could not possibly future). In reality, Libertarian candidates often just understand the lack of civility in politics and how siphon votes off of Republicans (Ross Perot running far those in Wyoming have fallen, let me tell you that as an independent vs. George H.W. Bush and Bill with the vote on the .25% economic development Clinton). tax now behind us, I have never seen or been involved If you’re a Libertarian then, you have to choose in a more divisive, disruptive, lie-driven, hateful, and if you want to accomplish something by signing up dishonest discussion in my life (and I’m in politics as a Republican or Democrat. That’s pretty easy… and a real estate developer). Republican beliefs in limited government are more The Campbell County and Wyoming I grew closely aligned with Libertarian views, and therefore, up in is gone. The place I am now raising my own they sign up as Republicans. In reality, many of children is dominated by some very loud and very these could be described as “RINOs” (Republican divisive bullies who will stop at nothing to get what In Name Only), though most of these people often they want. They do not observe common decency ascribe the name to those they do not believe to be nor do they adhere to societal expectations for extreme enough within the Republican party. behavior. We’re not all like them, but the problem is My concern, however, is that Republicans are they’re really loud. Social media has made it easy for not only being infiltrated by those who would more these antagonists to reach large numbers of people, Photo: Jenny Lee Lorenz/Jenny Lee’s Photography accurately be described as Libertarians, it’s that and just like Russians influencing Americans through we’re now being infiltrated by anarchists. What do fake news and bots, these anarchists influence I mean? Many of the new “Republicans” believe in no government and no Wyomingites through fake news and lies on social media; bullying those of us taxation at all. They don’t want to fix government’s problems so much as burn who do believe that while there is a right to free speech, there is a responsibility the government down. to use that speech appropriately and respectfully. After the defeat of the .25% economic development tax proposal in I’m not going to take the easy out and blame Trump for America’s ails and Campbell County, the vice-chairman of the Campbell County Republic Party the issues we have on social media with regard to bullying, lies, and fake news. told the Gillette News Record, “As a platform Republican, I am not for any I voted for Trump because I knew he was better for Wyoming than Hillary taxes.” Huh? Though voluntary donations for society’s needs may make sense Clinton. But I also recognize that Trump is a manifestation of the people in a model utopia, it is unlikely that in real life people will simply donate for and their behavior. Liars, bullies, and idiots aren’t exclusive to the Republican law enforcement, K-12 education, streets, roads, or any of the other services party…there are just as many in the Democratic party (the difference is, the traditionally provided by government. Even when Americans declared their “deplorables” in that party are often entitled and lazy as well, and looking for independence from the British, the new government still imposed taxes – they the wealthy to foot the bill for their existence). were just significantly lower than those of the British and initially were only at Trump says whatever comes to mind, regardless of whether it should be the state and local level. said or not, because a lot of America behaves the same way. Presidents embody The irony, however, is that many of those same people who were against the people they represent. And in many ways, the people of America aren’t the the .25% economic development tax are also those who commented most people they used to be and they’re people it’s hard to be proud of. They’re lazy. loudly about a proposal to eliminate free dumping at the landfill. They’re also They’re entitled. Those that aren’t lazy are often bullies. Many don’t contribute, the ones who are the first to complain when their county roads aren’t perfect… but they feel they are entitled to an opinion on everything and they believe they roads that are primarily paid for by the energy industry. It seems the idea of, should scream it at the top of their lungs, regardless of accuracy, decency, or “everyone needs to carry their own weight,” doesn’t apply to everything…just consequences. There are good people in each party, but we seem to spend a lot the things they want. It’s human nature to take as much as you can and shift as of time dealing with bad actors in each. much of the burden on to somebody else as possible – I’m guilty of it too. The In our own community, one of the most ardent and outspoken individuals problem isn’t necessarily human nature, so much as the hypocrisy displayed in against the .25% economic development tax owns no property in Campbell politics about it. County. They’re complaining about taxes and a system they pay little into. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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In a world where nobody pays taxes, everyone is a free-loader, and nothing gets done. Except in reality, it doesn’t work that way, there is somebody who ends up paying taxes…it’s usually the wealthy, or in Wyoming, the energy industry. Like it or not, every one of us living in Wyoming is a free-loader riding on the backs of the energy industry. It has been this way for a long time and the energy industry has provided Wyoming’s citizens with an incredible quality of life. However, in a time of declining mineral revenues, we need to not only examine who pays what, but also acknowledge that most of us do not pay our own way. I like to think of myself as an old-school Republican (and remember, for me the ‘80s is old). Ronald Reagan believed in limited government and one of my favorite Reagan quotes is, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” Reagan was right. We have a problem in the U.S. now, too. The problem isn’t at the State of Wyoming, Campbell County, or Gillette level, however. It’s at the federal level (and in many other, less conservative states). Instead of fighting each other and logical proposals at the local level, why don’t we work to address the fact that the ability for people to deduct state and local taxes from their federal income taxes means that every Wyomingite living in our low-tax state is in fact subsidizing somebody living in high-tax New York? One thing Reagan did know was that government had a place. He worked hard to build up our national defense and to restore America’s prominence in the world. He kept government in check, but he never questioned whether it needed to exist. He believed that taxes should be as low as possible and that government should be conservative with the people’s money, allowing them to keep as much of it as they could. I have never found a quote where he said there should be no taxes at all. In fact, one of Reagan’s greatest accomplishments was the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which created the modern tax structure used by the U.S. and significantly reduced rates from their earlier ‘80s levels. I like to think I believe in many of the same things. I also believe that when things are pushed out from the federal level, it is often something the federal government shouldn’t be involved in. Education, economic development, day-to-day services, roads, highways, and many other things should be the exclusive jurisdiction of state and local government. I believe whole-heartedly that the people at the state and local levels should be able to decide how they want to run their local communities. In Campbell County, the people said they do not value economic development or the community college. Based upon the numbers, that was quite clear. The only other interpretation of the vote is that they were misinformed or did not understand the proposal in front of them. For some, that may actually be the case. It was hard to wade through the lies and misinformation on social media and especially on Gillette Rants & Raves (I’m not a group member – I believe that anybody who is should really evaluate whether or not spending time reading that garbage is good for your soul or your health). There have been many recent letters to the editor and people on social media saying, “though I didn’t support the tax, don’t think I don’t support the college”. That is illogical. Something you don’t fund isn’t something you support. I will, of course, apologize to anybody who can tell me they voted no and show me a donation check written to the college – but I doubt I’m going to owe many apologies. Before you get in a big argument with me about your tax dollars paying for the college already…let’s talk about that, too. I don’t think most people know how little they pay in taxes and how little goes to Gillette College. It has been widely reported that Gillette College gets the majority of its money from the BOCHES (Board of Cooperative Higher Education Services) half mill (.5). That half mill is then applied to a total Campbell County assessed valuation of $4,182,623,053 (for the calculation of 20172018 taxes). The total tax assessed for BOCHES is therefore $2,091,311 for the current tax year. Mind you, not all of this money goes to Gillette College. Some is used by the school district for other purposes related to career and
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technical education. However, for simplicity, let’s give the “I already pay for the college” people the benefit of the doubt, because there are also some state monies that make their way to Gillette College too. Of that $2,091,311, let’s split it up based upon the percentages within the total assessed valuation.
Commodity Value Coal $2,458,928,638.00 Oil $643,389,954.00 Gas $131,128,801.00 Uranium $6,282,180.00 Misc. Minerals $4,635,151.00 Public Utilities $68,943,276.00 Telephone $1,695,394.00 Pipelines $25,332,731.00 REA’s $81,633,955.00 Railroads $57,242,117.00 Cable Sat Co. $544,400.00 Local $702,866,456.00 $4,182,623,053.00
Percent 58.79% A company, not you. 15.38% A company, not you. 3.14% A company, not you. 0.15% A company, not you. 0.11% A company, not you. 1.65% A company, not you. 0.04% A company, not you. 0.61% A company, not you. 1.95% A company, not you. 1.37% A company, not you. 0.01% A company, not you. 16.80% You! Wait, only partly. 100.00%
Under a best-case scenario, we citizens can take credit for 16.80% of the total $2,091,311. The majority of it was paid by the energy companies and related industries. If we’re being completely honest, even the “Local” category includes a huge amount of industrial property owned by mineral producing
companies…so it is really more like 60% of 16.80%, or 10.08% in total. That’s right, as citizens we only provided Gillette College with $210,804 of our own money out of that huge BOCHES pot. Divided by the approximately 42,000 people who live in Campbell County, each one of us paid $5.02 to support Gillette College. If we add up the money that the City of Gillette and Campbell County give towards operations, we may get up to $15. The proposed .25% economic development tax would have been roughly $27 per family, and even though a large part of it would have been paid by industry, for roughly the last year, retail spending has generated more sales tax in Campbell County than mining, so the people would have been paying for education and economic development, as opposed to just the energy industry. The real discussion should be, how do we have a college at all when we don’t support it? Every other community that has a college has chosen to tax themselves at least 4 mills, many have 5 mills. In Campbell County we’re not
supporting the college…not at all like every other community in Wyoming. If we were paying 4 mills, or about $40 per person, that would be a different thing, but we’re not… Many have said the 4 mill option should have been pursued because that would be more stable. In many places that may be the case, but we live in an energy-dependent community. The assessed valuation (which the mills are based upon) has declined nearly 40% in two years’ time. If we were in fact allocating 4 mills to Gillette College, the argument of “live within your budget”, would make sense. I would expect them to adjust as needed in order to fit their budget within the money generated by those 4 mills. But given that our community has never provided Gillette College with 4 mills like every other community college, the better question would be, “how did you pull this off for us with so little money?” My own belief on the reasons that many people “advocated” for the 4 mills, as opposed to the .25% economic development tax, is because they knew that would never go anywhere, because it would generate nearly four times as much tax revenue as the .25% economic development tax that was proposed. Another “no” vote concern I heard was the survival of the optional 1% sales tax. Though there were likely some who were in fact concerned with the possibility of losing the optional 1% sales tax if voters approved the .25% economic development tax, for those screaming most loudly it doesn’t ring true. Why? Because most of us remember those that used that argument the past couple of months having signs to eliminate the optional 1% sales tax three years ago. Given that those same people are now very concerned with the optional 1% sales tax’s survival, I hope that the PAC advocating for that tax will reach out to them next year to put up signs. Many are probably saying, why is Mark dwelling on the past? He is usually a pretty optimistic forward-looking guy. It is because I am very concerned that twenty years from now, people will look back at 2017 and say, “I really wish we would have done something”. As anybody who follows history knows, reinvigorating a local economy and putting in place the programs and infrastructure to do that takes at least twenty years (that’s how long it took both Rapid City and Cheyenne to see returns from very depressing local economies). That’s also why the education component was matched with an equally important component focused on economic development. So, to the “no” voters, yes, you may have won this time. But I hope you have plans for what we’re going to do with our economy – more of the same isn’t going to cut it. Let’s talk about some current economic data. First, if you live in Wyoming, you are not overtaxed (unless of course, you are the mineral industry – and I would of course argue you are paying what you should, but there are a few too many other freeloaders). Let’s talk about the three big state and local taxes. According to research by the Tax Foundation’s Scott Drenkard, Wyoming’s 4.0% state level sales tax, combined with average local sales tax of 1.34%, equates to a combined rate of 5.34%, good enough to be the 42nd highest rate in the U.S. (it should be noted that because of ties, the lowest state was 47th). How do we fare on income tax? Wyoming is one of eight states with no individual income tax. Wyoming and South Dakota are also the only states with no corporate income tax or gross receipts taxes. How about property taxes? When talking property taxes, I want to make sure you know I am talking strictly about property taxes, not ad-valorem taxes on minerals. As I have discussed previously in this column, the difference in assessment rates for industrial property (11.5% of market value x the assessed mills), residential and commercial property (9.5% of market value x the assessed mills), and minerals (100% of market value x the assessed mills), means that unless you separate things correctly, the minerals can skew the overall property tax numbers. However, the people at Investopedia have done research to show when taking the taxed percentage of market value and the total number of mills assessed into account, Wyoming’s effective property tax rate is .61%, which ranks us 44th in the country for our property taxes (New Jersey, the highest, has an effective rate of 2.38%). NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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bachelor’s degrees and not enough getting career and technical degrees and For those who argue we are too high for business? Wyoming is ranked certifications. However, in a changing world where knowledge and proven number 1 in the U.S. for total overall 2017 State Business Tax Climate. This skills are the drivers of workforce and economic growth, we need to address the data, also compiled by the Tax Foundation’s Jared Walczak, Scott Drenkard, elephant in the room…our traditional high-wage jobs are going to change and and Joseph Bishop-Henchman, has us tied with a number of states for no we are not training the next generation of Wyomingites to fill the jobs that are state corporate or individual income tax, sixth for sales tax friendliness (think being created. What happens if we don’t? Wyoming will get overlooked and inverse of the 43rd highest discussed above), and 31st for unemployment tax. that growth and those jobs will In Wyoming, which go somewhere else – and though Campbell County dominates taxes are part of what drives that with regard to mining, 20% of our decision, educated workforce is state GDP comes from mining always number one. (remember, that includes oil and Number of jobs needed to compensate for For years, we have talked gas too). The U.S. as a whole gets one coal job in Campbell County about needing to diversify 1.4% of total GDP from mining. Lower numbers are better Wyoming’s economy and to Interestingly, however, it is only find a way for Wyoming to do 6.7% of Wyoming employment something of with jobs our minerals, by industry (Source: U.S. Bureau Number needed to instead of just shipping them of Economic Analysis for the year compensate for one coal out, so we could drive economic 2016). Also, that same mining growth and innovation in our industry generates nearly 75% of in Campbell County. state. Similar to how many thirdstate revenues. world countries used to allow Also, for the period of Focus high tovalue sectors theiron resources be pillaged by that ca Q1-2015 through Q1-2017, colonists who would then send Campbell County’s wage and regional strengths: Lo their raw resources to their home salary employment has fallen country for manufacturing and 15.9%. Wyoming as a whole is ar 0.89 utilities enhancement, Wyoming needs to down 6.0% (Source: U.S. Bureau 1.06develop Internet & information services a real economy. of Economic Analysis). For 1.12 Management of companies In Campbell County, the Wyoming mineral severance said, we taxes, our all-time high in 2008 1.13voters Railoverwhelmingly transportation want to transportation change and we’re was nearly $1.1 billion. 2017 1.19don’t Pipeline not willing to pay anything to is estimated to be just under 1.24doPetroleum/coal products manu it. Unfortunately, if we don’t $600 million by the Wyoming 1.28change, Chemical we maymanufacturing find ourselves Consensus Revenue Estimating ghost town home to a few Group. Total locally and state 1.48a Motor vehicle/parts manuf. families, a few altassessed valuation (think of it 1.51long-time Machinery manufacturing right extremists looking to avoid as the assessed valuation for the 1.53paying Wholesale trade any taxes, and a few guys entire state) was at an all-time 1.55 Food & beverage who do the programmingmanufacturi to high of just over $29 billion in autonomous&systems 2008 and has fallen to just under 1.63manage Prof,the scientific technical srvs that now run our mines. What $19 billion for 2016 (Source: happens in Wyoming with regard Wyoming Department of to economic development and Revenue). Focus on high value sectors that can link to regional strengths. career education in the next two The bigger problem, Source: Campbell County Higher Education Needs Assessment. Gilbert, et al. to three years is going to drive however, is with jobs. If you what happens in our economy for look ahead one to two decades, the next twenty years. Will we be leaders, or will we let a few people decide there is an extremely high likelihood that an ever-increasing number of jobs that a Wyoming with no future, but the absolute lowest taxes, is better than a will be replaced with automation and machines. Why is this so concerning Wyoming where our kids can be employed and prosperous? for Campbell County? Because truck drivers are some of the major jobs that are being eliminated and Campbell County’s economy is built on having a couple thousand coal miners earning over $60,000+ per year driving a haul truck. Though we all hear about the advancements of autonomous trucks on the highway, mines around the world have already replaced workers with Mr. Christensen is a Gillette real estate developer, autonomous trucks using mesh networks and GPS technology. We should owner of a holding company which owns this all consider ourselves lucky that we haven’t had that happen in Campbell publication, and member of the Campbell County County…yet. When it happens, what will we do? Board of Commissioners. Mr. Christensen is Just replacing those jobs is hard, if you want to know how difficult it is, married with two children and lives in Gillette. look at the information gathered from the Higher Education Needs Analysis being conducted jointly by the Campbell County Commissioners, Gillette He has a B.S. in Finance from the University College, Campbell County School District, and University of Wyoming. This of Wyoming and a M.S. in Real Estate and is talking about replacing good jobs with good jobs. Trying to replace those Construction Management from the Daniels jobs with lower pay and jobs with smaller multipliers looks even worse. College of Business at the University of Denver. When you replace those jobs, however, the one thing you need to know is that they will likely need to be replaced by jobs with higher educational attainments or certifications. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Wyoming ranks third for citizens with a high school degree. We rank 40th, however, for both attainment of bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees. I Mr. Christensen’s opinions do not reflect the opinions of this publication, the boards have said before that as a whole I believe the U.S. has too many people getting
The Challenge of Replacing Coal Jobs
The Challenge of Replacing Coal Jobs
upon which he sits, or any organizations or agencies referenced within his comments.
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Gillette, Wyoming
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APPLY NOW! Spring Classes Begin January 16th. (307) 681-6070 www.gillettecollege.org NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Coal & Campbell County G
illette is known as “The Energy Capital of the Nation”, but how much do you really know about the industry that powers our community?
There are a dozen coal mines scattered throughout Northeast Wyoming. As it turns out, they’re actually not scattered at all. They run along the same path as a vast fresh water swamp system that occupied the same area approximately 50 million years ago. Coal deposits begin to form when vegetative material falls into the swamp, building up at the bottom and decaying into a substance called peat. Gradually, over a period of thousands of years, the water in this thick layer of peat is squeezed out and forms lignite coal. Lignite is a brownish-black coal which has the lowest heat value and the highest moisture content. The process could stop there, however if the peat continues to accumulate and the compression process continues that lignite coal may become sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, and eventually anthracite coal, which is usually associated with mountainous types of pressure. The type of coal all depends on the environmental conditions of the unique area. According to the Wyoming Mining Association, most of Wyoming’s coal is sub-bituminous. Sub-bituminous coal is coal that is formed from lignite coal gel has been heated to at least 150 degrees. Sub-bituminous coal is harder, blacker, and has a higher heat content than lignite coal. Wyoming’s coal is valuable not only because of its higher BTUs (British Thermal Units), but also because of the low sulfur content which can be attributed to the fact that Wyoming’s coal formed in fresh water swamps. Unlike coal seams found along the east coast of the United States, which were formed in salt-water swamps, producing coal with a higher sulfur content.
Cleaner, better coal In addition to being a cleaner burning fuel, Wyoming coal is easily accessible through the open surface mining process. The first step in the process is removing the topsoil and dirt, referred to as overburden, to gain access to the coal. There’s usually around 140 feet of overburden that is moved strategically so that it can be utilized during the multistage reclamation process. Just like a Boy Scout, the surface mining process aims to leave the site better than it was found. In addition to backfilling the void left by the coal, reclamation includes contouring the surface and replanting a precise mixture of plants indigenous to the location. The reclamation process also includes the reestablishment of water features and rock out-croppings which simulate Wyoming’s natural ecosystems. Wyoming’s coal seams are unique from other coal producing areas. Powder River Basin coal seams range from five to over 200 feet in thickness, allowing coal to be harvested at a rapid pace. The Wyoming Mining Association estimates that in 2015, coal was mined at a rate of 12 tons per second! Even more impressive, is the fact that trains do not stop to be loaded. They move through the loading chute at around 2 mph, taking less that one minute to load each train car and approximately an hour and a half to load the entire train -- around 150 cars. In 2015 alone, 342 million tons of coal were moved by train to energy markets in 28 states across the country. An additional 25 million tons were consumed by Wyoming power plants. It’s estimated that each person in the U.S. uses 20 pounds of coal a day between the products and chemicals we use, to the electricity that powers our lives.
So, how does a lump of coal charge your cell phone? It’s simple science really. The coal is delivered to a power plant and burned to heat water into steam, which turns a turbine to create electricity. The Wyodak NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Plant, operated by Pacificorp, is a perfect example. When commissioned in 1978, it was considered the world’s largest air-cooled steam power plant. Wyodak burns 2 million tons of sub-bituminous coal per year. This is how Pacificorp.com describes the process: “…coal is burned by a boiler 20 stories tall to produce steam that is 1,800 pounds of pressure per square inch at 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Pipes carry that steam to the turbine to turn its blades to engage the generator to produce electricity. The spent steam is sent to the aircooled condenser, which works on the same principle as a car radiator. Its 69 fans – each more than 24 feet in diameter – cool the steam to transform it back into water, which is returned to the boiler to again be heated into steam to repeat the cycle.” The entire process can be seen in action roughly 7.5 miles east of Gillette, just south of Interstate-90. And, yes, the white stuff billowing from the stacks is steam, not smoke.
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Coal industry powers community The coal industry powers our community in the form of revenue. The mining industry is the second largest source of revenue for local and state governments in the form of taxes, royalties, and fees. The State of Wyoming just released its Revenue Forecast for Fiscal Years 20182022, and it’s projected that for the calendar year of 2017, Wyoming will produce 320 million tons of coal. Most of Wyoming’s coal is purchased using long-term contracts from outside of the Cowboy State. Wyoming’s Economic Analysis Division reports that mining, including oil and gas extraction, comprises almost 8 percent of the state’s workforce. It’s also important to note that Wyoming coal mines are some of the safest mining operations in the nation. The average Wyoming coal miner works their entire career without a lost-time accident -- a non-fatal workplace illness or
injury resulting in at least one day away from work to recover. Additionally, all new mining employees are required to attend a minimum of 40 hours in safety training before entering a job site. Lastly, all shifts start with a safety briefing to ensure consistent safety practices. Wyoming broke new ground in the coal mining industry in 2014 with the proposed Integrated Test Center. Design, construction, and operation of the Integrated Test Center was funded by: $15 million from the Wyoming State Legislature, $5 million from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, and $1 million from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Associations. Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station is the host site of the project where construction is in its final stages. Upon completion at the end of this year, it will be the second facility of its kind in the U.S. to study the capture, sequestration, and management of carbon emissions from a coal-fired power plant. The research goal is to use the carbon
Above, representatives from the X Prize and ITC partners with Governor Matt Mead at the ITC groundbreaking.
dioxide coming from of the power plant as something other than a waste product. Carbon XPRIZE is a group of researchers that have been working on carbon emission solutions for years and will be the first tenants at the Integrated Test Center. XPRIZE raised the bar for research projects by offering a $24 million prize for the winning teams to conduct their innovative research at the ITC. Jason Begger, ITC Executive Director, says the XPRIZE winners will be announced this spring. A ribbon cutting to showcase the new facility will be planned after the winning teams have had the chance to move in. Wyoming Governor Matt Mead supports and encourages the advancement of this project.
Coal mining has come a long way in Wyoming The Wyoming mining association reports yearly coal production in Wyoming dating back to 1912. In 1917, one hundred years ago, Wyoming produced 8.7
million tons of coal. Production recently peaked in 2008 with over 466 million tons mined in Wyoming. That number has since declined to around 375 million tons in 2015. Even with the decline Wyoming has led the nation in coal production since 1986, and the Powder River Basin alone sits atop an estimated 162 billion tons of coal. Coal and coal fired power plants have faced a hostile regulatory environment in recent years, but the fact remains that Wyoming coal is a reliable and efficient energy source that will be used for the foreseeable future. The trade winds seem to again be shifting in the direction of Wyoming’s beloved resource. The Environmental Protection Agency recently took the first steps to rescind the Clean Power Plan that was issued in 2014. Governor Matt Mead agrees the plan was flawed and the EPA over stepped it authority in taking regulatory authority away from the states. Under the CPP, as originally approved, Wyoming would have had to lower carbon dioxide emissions by 44 percent. The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay and stopped that rule from taking effect. New innovation, like the proposed research at the ITC, will contribute solutions to the carbon emissions issues.
Another alarming issue on the horizon is the end of Lease Bonus Bid payments. When the Bureau of Land Management leases public land to coal mines, a bid bonus is paid for each ton of coal reserves in the lease. This is an additional payment on top of the royalties paid to the federal government and is paid out over five years. The last coal lease in Wyoming was approved in 2012 which means the last payment will be paid this year. Wyoming has received over $2 billion dollars from these bonus payments since 2003, which has been used to fund new schools, highways, and community colleges.
Coal and Campbell County go hand in hand The industry itself is a lot like our citizens. With diligent hard work, innovation, and a little help from our friends, our community will continue to grow, diversify, and thrive. By: Charity D. Stewart for 82717 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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County Museum Exhibits Roosevelt’s Coal Army T
he Civilian Conservation Corps, or the CCC, was a public works relief effort that operated in the U.S. from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal, unemployed and unmarried men between the ages of 18 to 25 (and later 17 to 28), were provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments throughout America. The program, a key facet of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal reform, served to relieve American families struggling to find work and make ends meat during the Great Depression. A popular nickname for the CCC was “Roosevelt’s Tree Army”, as its activities were often regarded as being primarily concerned with the planting of trees. Although reforestation was always an important aspect of the work accomplished by the CCC over the course of the program’s nine years in operation, it was but one of a host of tasks performed by FDR’s Tree Army.
CCC PROJECTS In fact, the CCC performed 300 different types of work projects within ten approved classifications, including: structural improvements, transportation, erosion control, flood control, forest culture, forest protection, landscape and recreation, range, wildlife,
and miscellaneous (i.e., emergency work, surveying, mosquito control, etc.). Such worthy projects lead to the establishment of a number of CCC camps in Wyoming. Despite the Forest Service’s incomplete inventory of CCC camps in the state, which prevent us from knowing the exact location of up to seven Cowboy State camps, the number of camps in Wyoming likely peaked at 32 in 1935, according to documents from the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. An exhibit, currently on display at the Campbell County Rockpile Museum through the end of the calendar year, tells the story of the men who worked the CCC camps in Campbell County and examines the dynamic of their unique role in the CCC. “It’s a story that’s largely untold,” says the exhibit’s curator, Museum Registrar Angela Beenken.
“We encourage everyone with an interest in the history of our community to come experience it.” ~ Beenken Gillette camps accomplished duties and projects no other camp in Wyoming – or the nation – were asked or able to do. Perhaps it was their unique role as the Campbell County sanction of Roosevelt’s Tree Army to fight a different battle: extinguishing coal fires. In part, their distinguishment was due to the geography
of the region which prevented the success of their initial reforestation efforts. But, the focus on fighting coal fires ultimately lent to the camps’ influence in helping to shape the foundation of the community in which we live today. In order to truly appreciate the exhibit’s historical significance and the hours of research, development, and coordination behind it, let us consider the state of the nation prior to FDR’s implementation of New Deal programs like the CCC.
THE CRASH In 1932, during one of the most dismal years of the Great Depression, the country was plummeting headfirst into a downward spiral. That spiral came right on the coattails of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, or “Black Tuesday”. Within months, stockholders had lost over $40 billion and the U.S. economy had contracted considerably. In years immediately following the crash, companies across the U.S. went bankrupt, and in rapid succession; firing workers in droves. Unemployment rates rose from 3 to 25 percent leaving 13 million people -- one-quarter of the American workforce-unemployed. Wages for those who still had jobs fell by up to 42 percent and gross domestic product was cut in half, from $103 billion to $55 billion.
Photo courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum 1983.019.0002 – 1935 - The men of Company 874, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp GL-1-W, Gillette, Wyoming. 1st Lt. Milligan Bethel, Commanding. Photo taken by Stimson of Cheyenne, WY. Photo shows four rows of men standing in front of camp buildings including offices marked Adjutant, Camp Commander, Camp Surgeon, and Edu Advisor. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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The collapse of New York’s stock exchange prompted massive bank failures. Simultaneously, the Mississippi Valley began experiencing such crippling drought conditions as would bring years of overcultivation to a head in the American Midwest. When combined, these two very separate hurdles would result in wide-ranging reductions in both foreign trade and U.S. purchasing power. In a panic, government leaders would hastily pass the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in what would become known as a failed attempt to protect domestic industries and jobs. Adversely, that same legislation would ultimately reduce world trade by approximately 65 percent, as measured in U.S. dollars. The American people were suffering and the impoverished began to die of starvation.
PRESIDENT SNOOZER At the time, Republican President Herbert Hoover was perceived as providing little-to-no relief to the American public. Initially, he had simply (but wildly) miscalculated the scope and scale of the crisis, calling it, “a passing incident in our national lives”. But in 1930, he had inadvertently misspoken again in saying, “the worst is behind us”, when in fact, it was not. A steadfast believer in the ethos of what he called “rugged American individualism”, then President Hoover answered mounting calls for increased federal intervention and spending by asking that Americans buckle down, buck up, and work harder. As Hoover was preaching patience and selfreliance, frustrations and anger mounted. He was cautious in giving too much government support and his laissez-faire economic policies were perceived as uncaring -- even amidst his urging employers and unions to work together in getting the country back to work. For this and other reasons, President Hoovers efforts to stabilize the nation’s econo0my -- which focused primarily on indirect relief from individual states and the private sector -were largely dismissed. Much of his administration’s greatest successes were also overlooked, including: The Federal Home Loan Bank Act – which lowered mortgage rates and allowed farmers to refinance their farms to avoid foreclosure; the Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) – that gave $2 billion to banks, railroads, and economy-stimulating business; and the construction of the Hoover Dam – benefiting much of the Southwest.
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"I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt Photo courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum 1983.014.0004 - July 1938 - Aerial view Gillette, WY - The old Amidst public scrutiny over his hands-0ff response to the devastating effects of the Great Depression, the president made yet another poor judgement call (the metaphorical nail in the coffin of his presidency) that would ultimately set the stage for dramatic political change.
MR. PRESIDENT, MAYBE DON’T TEAR GAS THE WAR VETERANS In July of 1932, a group of some 43,000 U.S. World War I veterans, their families, and affiliated groups, marched on Washington D.C. in support of a
they drove out the remaining marchers, the marchers’ children, and their wives. Enter the Depression’s overwhelming hero: New York Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
FDR By 1932, the market was regaining its momentum and about to reach a secondary closing peak, or “dead cat bounce”, in the Dow Jones index. The President had just run thousands of American veterans off the steps of Congress at gunpoint and frustrations with Hoover’s policies and lack of national aid were coming to a head. At the same time, Governor Roosevelt was nominated as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party and, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Governor would give a speech to end all speeches as he publically accepted his nomination. Governor Roosevelt’s speech would infamously include the phrase, the “New Deal”. It would become the platform from which Roosevelt would launch both his winning presidential campaign and the future of federal reform. The “New Deal” line, used by the Governor in his nomination acceptance speech, was penned by a speechwriter. And, neither he nor Roosevelt had found it particularly memorable. Lackluster and inconsequential as it may have seemed to both men at the time, the saying -- previously used by Mark Twain and Henry James long before Roosevelt etched it into America’s history -- became exceptional in its shaping of legislation that would assist the country in getting itself up out of the Great Depression. Newly-appointed President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) quickly set to work implementing a series of federal programs, public work projects, and financial reforms and regulations which would be enacted in the U.S. during the 1930s in response to the Great Depression. He coined the efforts of all related legislation after the “New Deal” phrase that had propelled his candidacy. fairgrounds are center left, the rockpile is on the right, Burlington ditch, and Camp Miller on the upper right are all visible. bill that would have paid an immediate bonus to WWI vets. The bill did not pass. And, following its downvote, the vets were asked to leave. Most did. However, approximately 2,000 did not. On July 28, U.S. Attorney General William D. Mitchell ordered the remaining vets removed. Washington police were met with resistance resulting
in shots fired that would wound and kill two vets near the steps of Congress at nation’s capital. President Hoover ordered the remaining vets forcibly removed by the Army. Army Chief of Staff General Douglas McArthur commanded the infantry and cavalry of over 1,000 men supported by six tanks. The President’s military force was armed with tear gas and bayonets as
CCC: ROOSEVELT’S TREE ARMY In March of 1933, as part of his New Deal offering, FDR would establish the CCC to provide jobs to young American men who were unemployed but ablebodied. Throughout the program’s existence, until 1942, it would employ up to 300,000 men at any given time, providing them with unskilled manual labor jobs NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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County, Wyoming -- extinguishing coal fires. live and work alongside Gillette’s first ranchers and related to the conservation and development of natural miners. They would build structures still in existence resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and today. They’d strengthen local business, stabilize the local governments; putting America back to work. ROOSEVELT’S COAL ARMY local economy, and build Campbell County’s first Men would work six-month terms for a maximum fairgrounds. of two years’ time salaried at $30 a month. In exchange The only CCC program of its kind, and one of for their hard work, the CCC would shelter, clothe, the most challenging projects in the state of Wyoming, feed, educate, and pay three million young men over the Gillette crew was tasked with fighting fires burning WANT TO KNOW MORE? the course of nine years. One of the only stipulations in exposed coal seams and the area’s abandoned mines. being a compulsory allotment of up to $25 a month President Roosevelt firmly believed that these coal fires The board and staff of the Campbell County sent to a family dependent, with the aim to improve were costing the nation millions in coal alone -- some of Rockpile Museum will continue to display the exhibit the nation’s rural lands whilst alleviating economic hardship throughout a nation in distress. The men of the CCC lived and worked highly regimented schedules, similar to that of an army recruits’, and set out to work reforesting the nation’s federal and state lands, and advancing the U.S. Forest Service’s nation-wide conservation efforts, including planting nearly three billion trees in an effort to help reforest America. Again, this effort gained the CCC its nickname, “Roosevelt’s Tree Army”. Public response to the program was enthusiastic and its favorable public opinion lead to the program’s expansion between 1935 and ’36. American had made the CCC the most popular of all the New Deal programs, with sources written at the time claiming an individual’s Photo courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum 1983.014.0048 - 1935 - Two CCC members stand in a pit watching while a General Excavator loads dirt into a dump truck. enrollment led to improved physical condition, heightened moral, and increased employability. Bringing an army of which would run for up to 1,000 feet in length and all Roosevelt’s Coal Army: Civilian Conservation Corps in unemployed into healthful surroundings, according to of which were thought to have been burning more or Campbell County 1933 – 1942, curated by Beenken, Roosevelt, would help to eliminate impending threats to less consistently for decades. through December 31, 2017. the social stability of the nation created by the enforced CCC enrollees at the Gillette camps would often Explore the story behind more than a dozen idleness of the Great Depression. dig out burning material and then cover the remaining Gillette camps established to fight coal fires as part of At a time when jobs and money were scarce; FDR exposed coal with sand. Others would extinguish FDR’s New Deal CCC. For more information, call offered much-needed relief to the American people. But, fires by sealing them in or depriving them of oxygen. 307.682.5723 or email the museum at rockpile@vcn.com. while the CCC worked to reforest lands throughout the By all accounts, though, their efforts were impressive. nation, it played a more unique role here in Campbell These men, most of which hailed from Texas, would By: Charity D. Stewart for 82717
" A chicken in every pot, and a car in every garage." ~ Herbert Hoover
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Irrational fear of washing the laundry
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Let Someone Else Do Your Laundry John and Sage Bear, owners of Bear’s Naturally Clean Dry, hear you loud and clear when you say how difficult it is to keep up with the weekly (maybe even daily if you have small children or work for the mines!) washing, and not ruin new clothes. Well, good news, the laundrophiliacs at Bear’s Naturally Dry Cleaning want to do the work for you! Come one, come all. Come stained, come new. They boast 10 years of expert service in Gillette’s dry cleaning industry.
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The HOME of the Perfect Shirt When Bear’s Naturally Clean Dry first opened up in November of 2007, there were 3 other competing dry cleaning establishments in business. Since then, Bear’s has become Gillette’s leader in professional dry cleaning. And now, in the month of their ten year anniversary, Bear’s has an announcement for the community. They would like to re-introduce themselves as ‘The Home of the Perfect Shirt’. Now, just what does that mean? Bear’s has spent 10 years creating a system that delivers high-quality cleaning, ironing, and adjustments to any collared button-up for perfect wearability and professional visage. By: Bailey I. Knop for 82717
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According to OSHA, perchloroethylene or ”perc” is the most commonly used cleaning solvent within the dry cleaning industry. Historically, its use dates back to the 1930s. However, studies over time have shown that exposure to the chemical (usually via vaporized form) can cause dizziness, drowsiness, and inhibit coordination, with dermal reactions such as redness and blistering of the skin. Long-term exposure can manifest a loss in memory, decrease visual perception, and cause delayed reaction times. In California it’s listed as a known carcinogen and is believed to be a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue. Further research is being conducted on the matter in other parts of the U.S. NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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outlier
noun 1. something that lies outside the main body or group that it is a part of, as a cow far from the rest of the herd, or a distant island belonging to a cluster of islands.1 2. someone who stands apart from others of his or her group, as by differing behavior, beliefs, or religious practices. 1 3. Statistics. a. an observation that is well outside of the expected range of values in a study or experiment, and which is often discarded from the data set. 1 b. a person whose abilities, achievements, etc., lie outside the range of statistical probability. 1 4. Geology. a part of a formation left detached through the removal of surrounding parts by erosion. 1 5. Thought. thoughts so outside the normal range that they provide superior results and exceptional return on investment. 6. Success. providing results which speak for themselves. 7. Creative. a firm so awesome its competitors are left with their mouths open in shock, basically badass.
____________ 1. outlier. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 20, 2017 from Dictionary.com website http://www.dictionary.com/browse/outlier
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The Flu Shot: One Mom’s Dilemma
W
hen a kid is too sick for school, as a parent, what do you do? Do you miss work to stay home and care for your child? Lean on a spouse or relative for help? Or, is bringing your kid (that’s recently fallen ill) into the workplace -with you- a feasible option? After all, the show must go on. Am I right? This is on my mind because my friend and coworker (a single mother of four) was recently confronted with this very predicament. Interestingly, as I watched her cautious attempts to navigate each of her limited options, it’s what I encountered personally that sparked a fire of curiosity inside me -- a flame I quickly learned I alone was not yet equipped to extinguish. It was this faint flicker which lead me headfirst into the heated flu shot debate... A hot topic I’d somehow managed to evade my entire adult life. Until now.
THAT’S RIGHT,
I’ve never had a flu shot It’s not that I haven’t entertained the thought of getting one. I have. In fact, each year when public health initiatives billboard and national drug stores campaign for the benefits of flu shots for the masses, I find myself thinking, “Hey, maybe I should”. After all, I have been working for a county commissioner (and self-proclaimed germophobe) long enough to know that he’d appreciate my taking one for the team (i.e., a shot in the arm) once a year before flu season. [If interested, you can even watch the man (County Commissioner Mark Christensen) receive his annual flu shot in a vid clip that can be viewed on the Campbell County Local Government Facebook page.] About Mark: He’s a husband and father who
largely advocates in favor of immunizations. About Me: I value his opinion. While I admire his commitment to progressive community causes, such as wellness and flu prevention, among others, I can be stubborn and oftentimes shy away from change. For these and other reasons, including the stigma surrounding influenza immunizations, I’ve simply chosen to forego flu shots altogether, taking our fearless leader’s annual encouragements to vaccinate at face value as optional. In previous years though, I can remember thinking, “Why would anyone spend their valuable time and money (even a measly $25) for a shot that’s so controversial? Especially if it’s not required!” I brought these and other questions to a handful of healthcare professionals at the Wyoming Health Department (WHD), Campbell County Health (CCH), and Campbell County Public Health (CCPH), including the local public health office’s Executive Director Jane Glaser, RN, and WDH Public Information Officer (PIO) Kim Deti, among others. And, now I’m beginning to wonder... Has the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”-mentality somehow failed me? Or perhaps, more regrettably, am I failing those whom I care most for? What I’d like to share with you are my findings and observations resulting from hours of research following some lengthy and heated conversation with health care professionals at local and state levels. But, before heading too
far down the rabbit hole, let me be clear in saying that my aim is not to advocate either for or against vaccination for you and your family. Instead, I’ll be presenting information I found value in learning and knowing. I recognize this issue is not simply black and white. I also respect and understand that the important decisions you make regarding your health and the health of your family are yours alone. With that in mind, I humbly offer my thoughts on the supporting arguments from both sides of the influenza immunization fence. But, first things first.
The face of influenza Let’s take a big sidestep away from the matter at hand (what’s a single mum to do when one of her flock falls ill and is unable to attend school), to better understand the scope and scale of what I believe to be the real problem. And, yes. It’s a problem. In fact, it’s my firm belief that this problem actually stems from a much greater -although entirely different -- problem. Stick with me, folks. We’ll circle back. Influenza (or, the flu) is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a viral infection that attacks the nose, throat, and lungs. Each year, the flu infiltrates the community like a wildfire, spreading via little, often invisible, droplets of virus-infected fluids (think bitsy blops of yucky mucus and phlegm) that are
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made when someone infected with the flu coughs, talks, or sneezes. The virus then spreads when the next person comes into contact with the infected bits of fluid. Not to be confused with the common cold, flu symptoms tend to develop more rapidly and are usually noticeably more severe than the typical coughing, sneezing, and congestion commonly associated with a regular cold. Flu symptoms can include sudden or excessive fatigue, body aches and chills, cough, sore throat, fever, and gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, or vomiting. Flu symptoms specific to children can also include not wanting to drink fluids, tearless crying, lack of appetite, fever accompanied by rash, difficulty urinating, and not waking up or interacting with others. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unlike the common cold, flu can cause mild to severe illness and, at times, can lead to death.
that when I first read that flu results in up to 56,000 deaths a year, I took to my smartphone to Google where I could find the nearest and most affordable flu shot, and fast. But, then I realized, I don’t actually know anyone who’s died from flu. Do you?
Digging deeper Let’s take a closer look at the specific language CDC uses to depict its interpretations of the flu’s annual impact. What’s with the range variance? Because, there’s a big difference between 12,000 and 56,000 dead. While they say the impact of flu can vary, CDC also calculates what they call an “annual range of influenza and influenzarelated death estimates”. Meaning, at CDC,
“The flu results in approximately 12,000 to 56,000 deaths each year in the U.S.” ~ CDC We, the public, can conclude from CDC numbers that between 5 to 20 percent of the population contracts the flu each year. But, is it just me? Or, are things being made to sound as though an awful lot of Americans are infected and dying from flu? Is almost a quarter of the U.S. population actually at risk of contracting this potentially deadly virus each year? These are scary statistics. Sadly, I believe that’s the point. I’ll admit
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In summation, it appears to me as though each year CDC estimates a blanket approximation of deaths in the U.S. caused by flu. They use two sources to do this; let’s call those “Source A” and “Source B”. CDC says they use these sources to guess approximately how many deaths may have been caused by the flu during any given year. Except, Source A can’t account for deaths that aren’t accounted for (even if it does include countless other deaths caused by an entirely different illness altogether). For this reason, CDC says they only use calculations from Source B for their marketing materials and efforts (what we, the public, see and read). Again, Source B includes reports of respiratory and circulatory deaths “attributable to influenza”; not influenza deaths. Lung cancer, a leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., is an example of a respiratory death. No quantifications for what constitutes a death as “attributable to influenza”, are listed (for R&C deaths or any other type of death) on the website.
It’s not that serious Or, is it? Let’s rewind. According to CDC, unlike the common cold, flu can cause mild to severe illness and at times can lead TO DEATH. CDC estimates that in each year since 2010, the flu has resulted in over 9.2 million reported illnesses, up to 710,000 possible hospitalizations from flu-related complications, and somewhere between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths in the U.S. Again, these numbers are representative of annual CDC findings from CDC.
complications. Calculations based on R&C deaths are used in CDC influenzarelated communications materials because these calculations provide a more complete estimate of the actual burden of influenza.”
they keep a tally of how many die from flu each year. And, according to its website cdc. gov, CDC determines its range of flu death estimates by using reports of pneumonia and influenza (P&I) deaths and reports of respiratory and circulatory (R&C) deaths attributable to influenza. Stay with me, now. On the website, it states that P&I deaths are available in real-time, while R&C deaths are only available following a threeyear delay (although no reason for the R&C delay or its three-year holding period are listed). The site does state that, “While both estimates (P&I and R&C deaths) are useful, P&I deaths represent only a fraction of the total number of deaths from influenza because they do not capture the deaths that occurred among people not tested for influenza or deaths that result from respiratory and cardiovascular
Que the skeptics Here’s what (we think) we know. We are told that the flu vaccine is essential for protecting our children against influenza. In 2009, CDC expanded its annual flu shot advice to include mostly everyone over six months old. And presently, CDC recommends that everyone six months and older receive an annual vaccination, unless otherwise instructed by a healthcare professional. Most health officials agree, too —urging the vast majority of us to get annual flu shots, excluding only newborns and those who have experienced a lifethreatening allergic reaction to an influenza vaccine or vaccine component. The idea is that when more people in a single community receive the flu vaccine, less flu
viruses can spread there, and those viruses that do spread have decidedly shorter lifespans with reduced and shorter-lived symptoms (resulting in less absences from school and work). And, according to CDC, for decades tests have supported this notion suggesting that the flu vaccine not only worked, but worked extremely well. Yet, with so many viruses and strains circulating, as reported in the state department’s 2016-17 Wyoming Influenza Report, “It’s a yearly challenge for scientists to predict which three or four vaccines will adequately provide the best protection against the season’s most prevalent and potent flu viruses.”
Poor scores Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Thomas Price, a panelist at this year’s National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NIFD) press conference, which occurred in Washington, D.C, this September, admits flu vaccines aren’t perfect. And, according to a Forbes Pharma & Healthcare article by Rita Rubin who wrote on Price’s appearance at the junket, Price also said that flu vaccines are only 40 to 60 percent effective; fact supported by the CDC website. If the effectiveness of flu shots were rated on a rank-based grading scale (for example, a letter scale from A to F), it’d fail across the board. Yet, states continue to push flu shots. Why is that? The fact that flu vaccines aren’t 100 percent effective does discourage some people from bothering to get them, says Rubin in her article. However, even if you still contract the flu after getting immunized, according to Rubin, research suggests that it is likely to be a milder strain than if you hadn’t been immunized. No research was sourced in her article. Despite flu shot ineffectiveness, CDC and public health officials continue to endorse flu shots for all with a national vaccine plan that’s grown to include almost everyone from cradle to grave.
Big pharmaceutical’s role So, do the arguments that flu shots are merely a well-oiled money-making machine, have merit?
Perhaps. Flu vaccine is produced independently by private manufacturers who innately determine market supply and demand. Those manufacturing and profiting from the production and sales of flu shots internationally, include: Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, AstraZeneca unit MedImmune, and CSL. Of those, French multi-national pharmaceutical powerhouse Sanofi is the world’s fifth-largest by prescription sales with over 4.8 billion euro in 2016 profits. Additionally, Sanofi is the world’s largest producer of vaccines through its subsidiary Sanofi Pasteur, which makes Fluzone® Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine, among others.
Non-manufacturing groups who’ve seen increased profits resulting from the highlylucrative annual flu immunization business are U.S. drugstore chains like Walgreen and CVS/Caremark Corp., who have each experienced multi-million dollar sales gains in every year since Fall 2009, when several states began allowing pharmacists to administer seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines. Despite an aggressive awareness campaign, trending in recent years to increase the number of people getting flu shots, CDC say still far too many people are not getting vaccinated. However, charts tracking distribution quantities between 1980 and present day display off-thecharts increases in dose distribution, from 12.4 million in 1980 to 130 million each
year since 2010. You can view them here: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/ vaccination/vaccinesupply.htm.
What’s the big deal? Last year, WDH reported 15 flu-related deaths during the 2016-17 flu season, from Oct. 2, 2016 to May 20, 2017, although mostly among older residents. Last year, CDC reported 209 deaths attributed to influenza and pneumonia in the State of Wyoming during the 2016-17 flu season, also mostly among older residents. Although the difference in reported deaths between agencies are likely attributable
to the inclusion of pneumonia deaths in CDC totals, both agencies also state that neither entity tests for flu in the case of every death, resulting in numbers that cannot be exact. An October press release from the WDH states that the flu had already been reported in certain pockets of the state as early as October this year. During the week of Oct. 8 - 14, for example, CDC classified Wyoming as having sporadic flu cases. And, during the week ending on Oct. 21, at least 25 confirmed cases had been reported statewide. As a result, unlike years past, our local and state health officials are encouraging almost everyone in Wyoming to get a flu shot this year, and as early as possible. When 82717 asked WHD PIO Kim Deti NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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if she vaccinates for flu, she said, “Yes, I do. And, so do my children. I want the protection flu shots offer.” In an email, Deti said, “I believe people take flu for granted because it’s familiar, but it can be a serious disease. Most people who become ill are miserable for a few days and miss work or school, but are able to bounce back. But other people are more vulnerable. Every year we see deaths and hospitalizations due to influenza.” When asked for details regarding the Fluzone® Quadrivalent influenza vaccine administered to schoolkids in Campbell County through the local VIP (Vaccines for Influenza Prevention) Program this year, and if those specifics were made readily available to parents and the public on the WDH website, or the website of any Wyoming Public Vaccine Program Provider located here in Gillette, Deti said, “There are several vaccines offered each season. The one you are asking about is manufactured by the Sanofi Pasteur company and includes protection for four different strains of flu considered most likely to be circulating in North America this season.”
The change up Here’s where things get interesting. Because, much like the inaugural issue of this publication that you’re holding right now, this story, like every truly good story, has a flip side. And, if you’re anything like me, it’s about to blow your mind. And, away we go! As of June, a total of 101 flu-associated deaths in children occurring during the 2016-17 season had been reported to CDC. While influenza-associated pediatric deaths became nationally reportable back in 2004, since then the number of deaths reported to CDC has ranged from 37 (2011-12 season) to 171 (2012-13 season). Last year, however, was the first time since 201415 that the number of reported pediatric deaths exceeded 100. “Parents, if there was ever a year to make cold and flu prevention your number-one priority, this is it.” ~ Parents Magazine
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In recent years, Campbell County School District (CCSD) has reported over 400 students as being absent from Campbell County Schools each year due to influenza and influenza-related illness during any given year’s respective flu season.
of children receiving flu shots in Campbell County could significantly improve overall community health — results in fewer absences from school, and fewer parents, guardians, and family members getting sick or staying home with sick children.
How can you help protect your child and the community from flu?
During the 2015-16 school year, Campbell County donors gave over $60,000 for the project to purchase injectable vaccine for 2,000 children attending Campbell County schools, including the YES House and John Paul II Catholic School. Program investors include: CCH, Cloud Peak Energy, Prevention Management Organization of Wyoming, Coalition Board (of Peabody Energy, Cloud Peak Energy, and Alpha Coal), Sports Screening Committee, Gillette Energy Rotary, Gillette Rotary, First Interstate Bank, Campbell County, and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Thanks to a community health outreach program, funded in part by Campbell County, protecting your children from flu is as easy as one-two-three. One: Check for your child’s immunization release form to be sent home from their school. Two: Sign it. Three: Return it to the school.
VIP (Vaccines for Influenza Prevention) Program As the result of markedly-coordinated efforts provided for by the VIP Project Committee of the Campbell County Healthcare Foundation (CCHCF), and in partnership with Campbell County Health (CCH), the CCSD, Campbell County Health Department (CCHD), and Campbell County Public Health (CCPH) through community donations and corporate sponsorships, the VIP Project — which came into fruition following a community needs assessment in 2013 which proposed that increasing the number
That year, the project traveled to every school in the district (21 in total) with CCPH nurses administering vaccine to approximately 2,200 students, using the Kid Clinic’s mobile unit. Last year, 2,450 vaccines were given through the project, representing a 10 percent increase from the previous year, according to Public Health Exec. Dir. Glaser. This year, 2,650 children signed up for the program. Now, that’s a lot of free shots! Shots administered during school hours; saving Campbell County working parents an average of over $160,000 a year in potentially missed wages. Few communities are so lucky as Campbell
County, and on such a widespread level, to receive such awesome opportunities for and access to free vaccinations such as this.
Our county cares The most recent Wyoming Influenza Summary Report states that influenza activity was moderately severe as determined by the number of influenza-associated deaths, the number of laboratory-diagnosed influenza cases, and the percentage of visits to outpatient clinics or hospitals for influenza-like illness during the 2016-17 flu season. And, systematically immunizing school kids can help. Studies show giving flu vaccines to as many school-age children as possible, by delivering it at school, for example, can help protect an entire community from flu. Researchers lead by Dr. W. Paul Glezen at Baylor College of Medicine created a study in which the flu vaccine was offered to elementary schoolkids in eastern Bell County, Texas. Almost 48 percent of the children were vaccinated to reduce flu outbreak and reduce absences from school and work, thus increasing, or at least maintaining, regular levels of health and productivity county-wide. Glezen’s study found that systematically immunizing school kids helped everyone in the community except people in the 12 to 17-year-old age group.
Herd immunity mentality Needle phobia (or a fear of shots) and trypanophobia (a fear of injections) are very real conditions. In fact, up to 20 percent of people in the U.S. self-identify with either one or both terms. These same individuals admit to avoiding doctor’s offices and preventative healthcare measures as a result of their fears. But, studies show that when a certain percentage of the population can be vaccinated against a virus, such as the flu, a “herd” immunity is created that keeps the virus from circulating widely. Meaning, the weaker of our flock are theoretically hurting our chances of reduced illness by foregoing vaccination.
"The theory is that, for diseases passed from person to person, it is more difficult to maintain the infection when large numbers are immune." ~ Dr. Lewin In essence, the more who are immune, the lower the chance that a susceptible person will come into contact with an infectious one. In a commentary on his study, Lewin describes school children as “centrifugal spreaders” of the flu. Which makes sense, because kiddos have the highest attack rates, the worst hygiene habits, and can excrete the vaccine longer before becoming and after being sick. According to Lewin, targeting school-aged children is a logic-based approach. But, I’d be willing to go one further. Initiating commonplace annual immunizations for children could also potentially mitigate both needle phobia and trypanophobia for future generations, resulting in increased voluntary immunization amongst various groups, or “herds”.
Don’t be a cow-herd As a parent, according to Lewin’s findings, if you choose not to vaccinate, you not only miss the opportunity to protect your child but you’re also putting others at risk, including: your family, friends, coworkers, employers, etc. [Not to mention, everyone else that both you and your child routinely come into contact with during flu season (because, even if you don’t experience symptoms, you could be infected and serve as a courier of the virus to others, albeit unknowingly)]. For example, think about your child’s teachers and classmates, your server at your family’s favorite restaurant, a grocery store cashier, or the barista at Starbucks, and so on. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and pass it on to others. More vaccines can mean more protection, especially for those who are most vulnerable to complications resulting from flu, like those who are very old, very young, or have compromised immune system. For your reference, Lewin’s study and commentary appear in the December issue of the Journal of Infectious Disease.
Other primary influencers More healthcare workers are getting vaccinated as more states pass laws making flu shots mandatory. From 2000 to 2005, only two states in the U.S. had flu vaccine requirement laws for health care workers. Those states were Maine and New Hampshire. During that time, according to a study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Public Health Law Research program at the University of Pittsburgh, approximately 22.5 percent of health care workers received the flu shot nationwide. From 2006 to 2011, when another 19 states passed similar legislation, the average vaccination rate for health care workers in the U.S. rose to over 50 percent. In the Journal of the National Medical Association, Richard Zimmerman, a professor of family medicine at Pitt, says, “By getting immunized against the flu, the health care worker is, in essence, building a fence to protect patients, who perhaps can’t get immunized or whose immune systems are so compromised that the vaccine isn’t as effective.” Since its publication, the advisory committees of numerous organizations, including the CDC’s Committee on Immunization Practices, have recommended that everyone over 6-monthold, who is able, including all health care workers, receive annual flu vaccine to reduce the spread of flu and decrease absenteeism in schools and the workplace. Campbell County Health Infection Prevention Department Community Relations Specialist Dane Joslyn tells 82717, “CCH requires and provides free annual influenza vaccines for all employees, adult volunteers, and physicians.” We (CCH) consistently vaccinate 95 percent or more of our employees every season, Joslyn says.
Fluzone® Quadrivalent Fluzone® Quadrivalent is the flu shot made available to students of the Campbell County School District (CCSD) through the Campbell County Healthcare Foundation’s VIP (Vaccinations for NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Influenza Prevention) Project this year. The project has been vaccinating students in the CCSD, with parental consent, since the program’s inception in October 2015. Here are some highlights from a multitude of information I found on Fluzone®, which helped me in making my decision about whether or not to vaccinate myself and/or our children. Fluzone® is typically administered in a single dose by intramuscular injection, and comes in three versions that are thimerosal-free. It is designed to help protect people 6 months of age and older against 4 different flu strains: 2 influenza A viruses and 2 influenza B viruses, according to the manufacturer’s website. Fluzone Quadrivalent, Fluzone Intradermal Quadrivalent, and Fluzone High-Dose vaccines should not be administered to anyone with a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any vaccine component, including eggs, egg products, or thimerosal (the multi-dose vial is the only presentation containing thimerosal), or to a previous dose of any influenza vaccine. It takes time for the Fluzone® vaccine to work properly,
making it ideal to get you and your nuggets to get your flu shots as soon as possible. According to Sanofi, receiving your flu shot before the virus circulates helps you to be protected at the peak of the season. Fluzone® is a split-virus vaccine that is produced by chemical disruption of the influenza virus. Therefore, it is incapable of causing influenza. The 2017-18 vaccine includes two A strains -- H1N1 (Michigan), H3N2 (Hong Kong) and also two B strains -- Brisbane and Phuket. The information statements regarding this year's vaccine was sent home with the permission slips from the project through the school district. In January 2011, the FDA recognized that 36 children from 6–24 months old had fevers and seizures within a day of the Fluzone® vaccine. Nasal mist vaccines are no longer recommended, nor available. And lastly, no U.S. federal vaccination laws exist, but all 50 states in the continental U.S. have laws requiring children to be vaccinated against tetanus, polio, measles and rubella (but, not influenza).
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Herein lies the problem Now, let’s circle back to the beginning, where this all got started. What’s a single, working mom to do when one of her kids is too sick to attend school? Must she lean on someone else for help, miss work to tend to her cherub at home, or is bringing a sick kid into the office an option? Obviously, the industry in which the mom works will play a role in how this question’s answered. I also believe that it’s a workplace culture thing. How cool is your boss? How valuable are your daily contributions to the functionality of the team and your place of business? Is another trained to maintain your position in your absence? Do you have someone else who can help you out? Should you rely on someone else to care for your kid? The answers to these questions will probably rely heavily upon your ethics and belief systems, and will vary from person to person. But, if we all ask these questions of ourselves, I believe
we will more easily find compassion and understanding for others when a co-worker is faced with making this decision.
The bigger problem Of the countless decisions today’s parents face, few that I’ve encountered in my 32 years, are as controversial as whether or not to vaccinate. We’re a community divided. Which lends to what I believe to be the real, greater problem surrounding flu shots. We’re not all unaware. We’re just fed so many different strains of conflicting information that the decision to vaccinate can become more emotionally charged than reason and fact-based. We understand that where we source our facts from matters. But, who’s telling us the truth? Suzie said she got sick from getting a flu shot last year. We love and believe Suzie. But, at the same time, CDC says shots are safe and pharmaceutical manufacturers make claims that it’s impossible to contract flu from the inactive viruses used in their products. Who, then, can we believe when we’re being fed different truths? And, how do you keep yourself and your family from contracting influenza this flu season in a community that’s divided, where some do and
others don’t vaccinate?
It’s your health. Your family. Your choice. For those parents, still on the fence, I implore you to educate yourselves further. Find alternative resources, read counterarguments, and ask the hard questions before deciding for yourself. Because, while it’s undeniably true that we haven’t seen a recent outbreak of polio or smallpox in America, we have seen an increase in childhood allergies, behavioral and learning disorders, chronic illnesses, Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and SIDS, among several other highly-concerning conditions and illnesses. Now, that’s not to say the above are either loosely nor directly correlated to influenza vaccine or any other vaccinations. Parents can help prevent and slow the spread of flu in Campbell County by promoting hand washing, covering one’s mouth when coughing, and continuously disinfecting shared surfaces. When children are healthy, they can go to child care or school, and parents can go to work. But, when you or your child are ill, staying home from work or keeping them home from school and work can help prevent flu from spreading. Staying hydrated, and practicing a healthy lifestyle are also great ways to prevent the onset of flu. The flu vaccine is available at the Public Health office in Campbell County, located at 2301 South 4J Road. The cost of the vaccine at the department is $25, and the service is covered by most health insurance policies. Uninsured persons may inquire with CCPH for Vaccines for Uninsured Adults (VUA) eligibility. The following are local vaccine providers that can be found on the WDH website.
82717 heaven How blessed are we to live here in the 82717 where we can not only choose what’s best for ourselves and our families in regard
to immunizations, but also where our governing entities, federally-funded, statefunded, and county-funded healthcare groups, organizations, and initiatives, all work hand in hand to offer free vaccination options, opportunities, and programs, for those of us who are interested in doing so. As a community, I truly feel we are all so very lucky and truly blessed! By: Stephanie L. Scarcliff for 82717
82717 Wyoming Public Vaccine Program Providers Campbell County Public Health ccgov.net 307.682.7275 Campbell County Memorial Hospital cchwyo.org 307.688.3272 Coalition Family Health Center 307.685.6500 Frontier Family Medicine, LLC ffmwyoming.com 307.682.3333 Big Horn Pediatrics 307.687.1300
Content Sources: United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu Immunization: Reported Statistics, 2008-2012. By John Doe and Jane Smith. Atlanta, GA: CDC, 2013. Influenza Activity, United States and Worldwide, September 5, 2015. MMWR September 18, 2015 / 64(36);1011-1016. Flu vaccination in school kids helps protect everyone, By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times, November 05, 2010. Fluzone Quadrivalent vaccine [Prescribing Information]. Swiftwater, PA: Sanofi Pasteur Inc. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Community Calendar
For Gillette, Wright & Northeast Wyoming NOVEMBER CCH Monthly Chamber Mixer
FESTIVAL OF TREES Senior Day Nov. 17 • 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Kick-Off Nov. 17 • 6 - 8 p.m.
General Viewing Nov. 18 • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Ticketed VIP Reception Nov. 18 • 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Auction Night Nov. 18 • 7 - 8 p.m.
Nov. 16 • 5 - 7 p.m. Campbell County Memorial Hospital CC Chamber: 307.682.3673
Festival of Trees
Nov. 17 - 19 CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Committee: 307.688.8733
Up in Arms Gun Show & Flea Market
Nov. 17 • 3 - 7 p.m. Nov. 18 • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 19 • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. CAM-PLEX Central Pavilion Lisa Webster: 208.420.2295
Josh Dorr Concert & Album Release Party
Family Day & Canned Food Drive
Nov. 17 • 6 - 8 p.m.
Nov. 19 • 12 - 4 p.m.
Gillette College Technical Education Center Administration: 307.686.0254
Festival of Trees Pictures with Santa Nov. 19 • 1 - 3 p.m.
The Whitney Center Jazz Orchestra
Nov. 18 • 7 - 9 p.m. Sheridan College Whitney Center for the Arts Box Office: 307.674.6446, ext. 3025
Battle of the Bands Nov. 19 • 7 - 9 p.m.
CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
CC Chamber Luncheon Series: How to Compete w/ Amazon
Nov. 21 • 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Boys & Girls Club of Campbell County Boys & Girls Club: 307.685.1050
NOVEMBER CC Public Library Book Discussion: The Cruelest Miles by Gay & Laney Salisbury
Nov. 21 • 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. CC Public Library Librarian: 307.682.3223
Festival of Lights
Nov. 23 - Jan. 1st CAM-PLEX Park CC Parks & Rec: 307.686.5187
Turkey Trot 5K
Nov. 23 • 9 - 10 a.m. CAM-PLEX Park www.ccgov.net/521/Races
Annual Sheridan Christmas Stroll
Nov. 24 • 4 - 8 p.m. Historic Downtown Sheridan Association: 307.672.8881
Annual Invitational Wreath Exhibit Nov. 27 - Dec. 21 CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Gallery Main Office: 307.682.0552
The Nutcracker: San Diego Ballet & SCSO
Nov. 29 • 7 - 8 p.m. Whitney Center for the Arts Box Office: 307-674-6446, ext. 3025
DECEMBER Candyland Christmas Pageant Gillette
Dec. 2 • 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. CC Public Library Director: 307.680.6586
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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New Patients Welcome!
CHOOSE FAMILY Your family deserves the best. When selecting a primary care practitioner to care for all of their healthcare needs, you have a choice.
For over a quarter century Family Health has provided the best in quality
healthcare and the latest in medical technology to the people of Campbell County.
Gillette’s first choice in full-service family medicine practices.
Experienced doctors and staff specialize in primary care, acute &
chronic illnesses, occupational medicine, children’s health and women’s health. We are among the most comprehensive and advanced Gillette
•• General & Cosmetic Dentistry •• Comprehensive Dental Care •• Single Appointment Crowns •• Laser Cavity Detection •• Digital X-Rays •• Single Appointment Root Canals •• Nitrous Oxide Available
Delta Dental Provider
healthcare providers. Choose Family. Choose Health.
Family Health 407 S. Medical Arts Ct., Ste. D | Gillette, WY 82716 307.686.0308 | familyhealthgillette.com
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OVER
20 YEARS EXPERIENCE
417 West Flying Circle Drive, Gillette, WY 82716
Call (307) 682-3353
www.GilletteDental.com
Community Calendar
For Gillette, Wright & Northeast Wyoming DECEMBER Parade of Lights
Dec. 2 • 5 - 6 p.m. Downtown Gillette Gillette Main Street: 307.689.8369
BlackHawk in Concert
Dec. 5 • 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. CAM-PLEX Wyoming Center Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
Artist Reception at Rapport
Dec. 8 • 6 - 8 p.m. Rapport Gallery: 307.299.2117
Street Beat Performance
Dec. 8 • 7 - 9 p.m. CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
Saturday Night Fights (Boxing)
Dec. 9 • 7:15 - 10:30 p.m. CAM-PLEX Equality Hall Lee Harden: 307.797.5705
Powder River Symphony Deck the Halls
Dec. 10 • 3 - 5 p.m. CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
2017 Pat Weede Memorial Wrestling Tournament
DECEMBER A Christmas Carol the Musical
Dec. 15 • 7 - 9 p.m. Dec. 16 • 1 - 3 p.m., 7 - 9 p.m. CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
Charlie Brown Christmas
Dec. 21 • 7 - 9 p.m. CAM-PLEX Heritage Center Theater Ticket Office: 307.682.8802
In the Nick of Time Shopping Spree
Dec. 22 • 4 - 9 p.m. CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Coordinator: 307.682.0552
15th Annual CINCH Rough Stock Rodeo
Dec. 30 • 1 - 6 p.m. CAM-PLEX Wyoming Center Coordinator: 605.545.7865
Calcutta Dinner & Auction
Dec. 30 • 7 – 8 p.m. CAM-PLEX Energy Hall Coordinator: 605.545.7865
Kissack Water & Oil New Year’s Eve Buck & Ball
Dec. 31 • 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. CAM-PLEX Wyoming Center Coordinator: 605.545.7865
Dec. 15 • 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dec. 16 • 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Thunder Basin High School School: 307.687.7733
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Amber M. Hill OC Marketing Representative Contact : 307-686-5121
Advertisers Resource A Prairie Dawn
Highmark Credit Union
Bear’s Naturally Clean Dry Cleaners
Infinity Builders, LLC
Campbell County Health
Medical Arts Laboratory
CAMPCO Federal Credit Union
Outliers Creative, LLC
College Park Townhomes
The MC Family of Companies, LLC
Contractor’s Supply Inc.
Paintbrush Services
Crazy Daisy Floral
Papa John’s Pizza
aprairiedawn.com 307.687.3133
bearsdrycleaners.wixsite.com 307.685.4455 cchwyo.org 307.682.8811
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Eastside Motors & RV’s Inc. eastsidervs.com 307.686.1435
Exit 129 Storage 307.670.1130
EZ Too Auto Wash 307.682.8142
EZ Towing & Recovery e-ztowing.com 307.679.8595
Family Health
familyhealthgillette.com 307.686.0308
For Sale by Owner Tractor
highmarkfcu.com 307.696.6032 infwyo.com 307.685.1295
familyhealthgillette.com 307.682.1234 outlierscreative.com 307.686.5121 mcllc.net 307.685.1295
paintbrushservices.com 307.682.3913 papajohns.com 307.687.7272
Remington Village Apartments remington-village.com 307.687.8000
Soundworks Audio Video Installation soundworkswyoming.com 307.685.8222
State Farm, Alecia Kozisek aleciakozisek.com 307.684.2587
Stretch a Dollar Consignment stretchadollarconsignment.com 307.696.8004
Summit Realty Group, Inc.
307.686.8642
summitrealtygroupwy.com 307.673.0641
Fremont Toyota Sheridan
Synergy Dental Center
Gillette Dental PC
Tin Wagon Boutique
Gold Standard Finish Carpentry
Women’s Healthcare
fremonttoyotasheridan.com 307.763.5619 gillettedental.com 307.682.3353 307.751.7198
Heaven to Earth, LLC
mysynergydental.com 307.414.1781 tinwagon.com 307.257.2534 whcwyo.com 307.682.2233
307.687.0001
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Gillette
Festival of Trees
26 Year! th
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17 Things To Do
In County 17 This Holiday Season Local for the Holidays Downtown November 16th, 17th, 18th Want to get a head start on Christmas shopping for your loved ones? Downtown Gillette is hosting 3 full days of sales and new merchandise. Take a stroll down S. Gillette Avenue and stop by your favorite stores, such as Crazy Woman Mercantile, Pat’s Hallmark, Wyoming Art & Frame, and more!
Josh Dorr New Album Release Party November 17 Gillette’s own country music star, Josh Dorr, is having a new album release party at the Gillette College Technical Education Center on Friday, November 7th, from 6 - 8 p.m. Dorr will perform songs from his new “Sundancer” album, including the Wyominginspired track, “I Need a Highway”. Tickets are $10 at the door. Refreshments include a cash bar and catering by Pokey’s BBQ & Steakhouse, with an after party at the Montgomery Bar!
Festival of Trees November 17th, 18th, 19th It’s that time of the year for one of Gillette’s best holiday events: the Gillette Festival of Trees! This year marks the 26th anniversary of the phenomenon and we are looking forward to some incredibly unique trees hand-created and decorated by locals for auction. But, it’s not just about the trees. In 1992, the Festival of Trees was pioneered by a small group of volunteers who wanted to raise funds for the Lifeline Emergency Response System. They’ve since expanded to provide funds for Campbell County Healthcare Foundation Hospice House as well.
Battle of the Bands November 18th
Festival of Lights November 23 - Jan 1st
Did you know there’s a music scene in Gillette? Well, this year Cam-Plex will be hosting Gillette’s first Battle of the Bands! Cheer on your favorite band as they battle it out on the Heritage Center Stage. Five bands have been selected to play in Round 2, each with a 20-minute set. The winners will be chosen by an audience ballot, and a panel of judges. First place will win a cash prize! Bring all of your friends from 7 9 p.m. on November the 18th and vote for your faves! Tickets are only $7 for this awesome showdown!
One million Christmas lights. Over 70 lighting displays. All spanning 120 acres. This is the mark of Gillette’s timeless tradition, the Festival of Lights. And this year marks the 11th anniversary of the festival and you won’t want to miss it! Bring your friends and family, tune your radio to the holiday station and experience the wonderful, free displays of the Festival of Lights.
LaserZeppelin November 18th From 7 - 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 18th, at the Campbell County School District Planetarium, enjoy a free laser show to the tunes of innovative heavy metal/hard rock band, Led Zeppelin. Classic tunes such as “Black Dog”, “Kashmir”, and “Stairway to Heaven” will be featured with custom laser imagery for an unforgettable visual experience. The planetarium houses 68 seats, so make your reservation today by emailing planet@ccsd.k12.wy.us, or by calling (307) 682-4307.
CCPL Book Discussion November 21st This month’s discussion will cover the book The Cruelest Miles by Gay and Laney Salisbury. The Cruelest Miles is dubbed, “the heroic story between dogs and men in a race against an epidemic”. The monthly book club group will meet from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 21st. Stop by the Campbell County Public Library and pick up a copy today!
The Nutcracker: San Diego Ballet and Sheridan College Symphony Orchestra November 29th, 30th While this event isn’t necessarily in County 17, the all-time favorite Christmas-season ballet is a classic! And, it’s the perfect way to gear up for the holiday season. The show, performed by the San Diego Ballet, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the days of Wednesday, November 29th, and Thursday, November 30th at the Whitney Center for the Arts in Sheridan. Tickets are $42 for adults, $35 for seniors, $30 for students, and are available at the WYO Theater Box office.
26th Annual Christmas Dinners December 1st, 2nd, 9th Let the Gillette Chamber Singers Serenade you this Christmas Season at The Prime Rib Restaurant. On the evenings of December 1st, 2nd, and 9th, the group will be entertaining dinner guests. Seating begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 each night. Available tickets purchased after November 14th cost $105 per person.
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Parade of Lights December 2nd Gillette Main Street hosts their annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 2nd. The parade, stretching from the 7th to the 1st block of S. Gillette Avenue, will be themed “Wild, Wild, West Christmas” this year! Bring the family and enjoy the illuminating show.
BlackHawk Concert December 5th BlackHawk, the group with one of country music’s most recognizable sounds of the ’90s, will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 5th in the Wyoming Center at Cam-Plex. According to Guitarist Henry Paul, “BlackHawk has a 20-year history of a certain kind of song craft as well as a quality of performance.” Motivated by the music, the fans, and the memory of former bandmate Van Stephenson, BlackHawk’s 2017 tour stop in the Nation’s Energy Capital promises an emotionally and musically engaging performance you won’t want to miss!
Artist Reception at Rapport December 8th November and December will see the art of local artists Blanche Guernsey, Laura Chapman, Herb Kalenberg, and Misty Maynard featured at the Rapport. On December 8th, join the talented artists for a free artist reception at the gallery. Music and mingling will be hosted from 6 - 8 p.m.
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Powder River Symphony Deck the Halls December 10th The Powder River Symphony is an ensemble who believes great Christmas music should be available to everyone. On Sunday, December 10th, the Symphony will be performing their seasonal selection of holiday favorites, from 3 - 5 p.m. at the Cam-Plex Heritage Center Theater. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $15 for seniors and military members.
A Christmas Carol: Powder River Playhouse December 15th, 16th The Powder River Playhouse brings you the timeless tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. December 15th from 7 - 9 p.m. with $15-$20 tickets, December 16th from 1 - 3 p.m. with $13-$18 tickets, and 7 - 9 p.m with $15-$20 tickets. Tickets may be purchased at the Cam-Plex Heritage Center Ticket Office, or online at cam-plex.com
A Charlie Brown Christmas December 21st A Charlie Brown Christmas, America’s favorite Christmas cartoon first aired over 50 years ago, in 1956. But from 7 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 21st, the beloved story will be brought to life, live on the Cam-Plex Heritage Center Theater stage! Tickets may be purchased at the Cam-Plex Heritage Center Ticket Office, or online at https://camplex. secure.force.com/ticket.
Holiday Laser Show December 21st Redefining “holiday lights”, the CCSD Planetarium is excited to present their Holiday Laser Show, featuring Christmas music from timeless classics to today’s inspiring melodies. The show is rated a two out of five for intensity, making it appropriate for family members of all ages! The planetarium houses only 68 seats, so make your reservation today by emailing planet@ccsd.k12.wy.us, or by calling (307) 682-4307. Running Time - 38 min:54 sec.
16th Annual Kissack Water & Oil Buck & Ball December 31 This year’s Buck & Ball, presented by return sponsor Kissack Water & Oil along with CINCH, is not one to miss! This invitation-only rough stock rodeo portion brings you non-stop entertainment from great bucking horses and bulls testing the top 50 cowboys athletic ability in the world! This year, the festivities start at 4 p.m., introducing the all news Happy Hour Saloon with Live Music. So bring your date to a Pokey's BBQ dinner. The rodeo starts at 7 p.m. And Campbell County’s Chancey Williams & The Younger Brother's Band play at 9 p.m. in Central Pavilion! For more information, contact Event Coordinator: Tif Robertson at robertson1116@ gmail.com or (605) 545-7865. By: Bailey I. Knop for 82717
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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Artisanal Thanksgiving Dinner Prep Perfectly with Bailey
I
remember the Thanksgivings of my childhood very fondly. Terrific turkey, groovy gravy, awesome aunts and uncles, fantastic fudge, cranberries and cousins. Mom and Dad said I could only have two pieces of fudge. Little did they know, I ate the whole tinful! Now that I’m older, I’ve started wondering about how much work went into the gigantic feasts my families would put on each November -- for so many years. This holiday meal’s newfound allure compelled me to take it back a couple decades and search through my great-grandmother’s church cookbooks. I also asked my family for their recipes that I loved so much. And then, I even created a couple, inspired next-gen, classics of my own. These recipes are a part of me that I’m honored to be sharing with you, my friends, extended family, and neighbors. And, for my love of fresh, all-natural, farm-totable ingredients and locally grown (and made) products from Northeastern Wyoming food producers and artisans … here’s a mini-Thanksgiving cookbook just for you!
combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. Combine eggs, milk, and oil in a separate bowl, then pour wet mixture into the well made in the dry ingredients. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened (do not overmix). Spoon into greased muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 1 dozen. ~ Mrs. Jane Jensen
Side Dishes Perfect Mashed Potatoes
6 medium potatoes * Salt and pepper * 3 tbsp butter ½ cup hot milk *
Breads Quick & Easy Rolls 2 pkgs dry yeast 1 ¼ cup warm water ¼ cup sugar * 1 ¼ tsp salt *
2 eggs * 3 cup sifted flour * 2 tbsp melted shortening
At the end you’ll find a list of vendors, complete with contact information and product lists, to guide you in creating your very own Perfect Artisanal Thanksgiving Dinner!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt and sugar and beaten eggs. Add flour gradually (1 cup at a time). Beat again. Spoon dough into greased muffin tin, filling ⅓ to ½ full. Let rise in a warm place until dough is level with the top of the tin. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 18 rolls. ~Mrs. Sandra Meissner
Enough talk… let’s eat!
Beer Bread
I’ve marked each ingredient that can be found and bought locally with an asterisk.
Cut potatoes into quarters. Turn the burner on high and bring water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium low or low. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the potatoes in gently boiling water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Mash until smooth. Add butter and season with salt and pepper. Gradually stir in hot milk and whip until fluffy. Serves 6. ~ Mrs. Charity Knopp
3 cup self-rising flour * ½ cup sugar * 12 oz. Bud beer Mix together. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Makes 1 loaf. ~ Mrs. Charity Knopp
Mom’s Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour * 2 eggs, beaten * 2 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar * ¾ cup milk * 4 tsp baking powder * ¼ cup vegetable oil * 1 tsp salt * Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl,
Farmers Market Butternut Squash Soup
2 - 2 ½ lb butternut squash * 1 tsp cayenne pepper * 1 medium yellow onion * 1 tbsp salt * 1 stalk chopped celery 1 med chopped carrot * 3 cloves of smashed garlic * 6 cups water, additional if necessary NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Water should just cover the top of all ingredients. Low Boil 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash or use handheld mixer. Season to taste. Depending on natural sweetness of the veggies, sugar can be added to give it a robust palate. Preparing the squash Cut a slice off of both ends of the squash so the ends are flat. Cut gourd in half right where the thick end meets the thinner top end. Set gourd on its largest flat size and peel the sides off. Squash is completely peeled when there are no green lines and only the orange pulp remains. Cut halves down the center, top to bottom. Scoop seeds and stringy pulp (save seeds for roasting later!) Whole squash can be microwaved to ease the peeling process. 2 lb squash = 6 servings ~ Miss. Bailey Knopp
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter in saucepan. Cook onion and celery until tender. Remove from heat. Mix into bread cubes. Sprinkle sage over bread mixture. Slowly pour chicken broth into the bowl while gently stirring bread mixture. Too much stirring and/or too much liquid creates bread paste instead of stuffing! Pour stuffing mixture into greased baking pan and bake for 30-45 minutes. Optional: cook at a higher temperature for a crispy finish! ~ Ms. Brenda Willoughby
Sauces Garlic Butter
¾ cup softened butter
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced
Combine softened butter and garlic. Melt and stir. Lightly spread onto rolls for delectable topping. Save ½ cup for turkey basting. ~ Miss. Bailey Knopp
Main Dishes Prime Rib Rub
Baked Curried Fruit
1 can peach halves 1 can pear halves 5 maraschino cherries with stems 1 can sliced pineapple ⅓ cup butter ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed) * 4 tsp curry powder *
¼ cup instant coffee (rolled) * ½ cup steak seasoning * 1 tsp sea salt * 1 tsp pepper * - or 1 tsp garlic powder * sea salt, paprika * 1 tbs brown sugar * garlic, savory spices
Grandma B’s Really Good Stuffing
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Easy Casserole (a.k.a. Tater Tot Casserole)
1 lb ground beef * Salt to taste * 1 box frozen tater tots Chopped onion to taste * 1 small can drained peas (8 ½ oz) * 1 undiluted can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press 1 pound of ground beef, that has been browned and grease poured off, into an 8” square pan. Salt and sprinkle with chopped onion to taste. Pour 1 can of cream soup of flavor choice over beef and seasonings. Sprinkle 1 drained peas over soup. Carrots, green beans or any other vegetable are a good substitute. Top with 1 box of frozen tater tots. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes in the 8” square pan. . Cut into squares and serve. Makes 9 servings. ~ Mrs. Lydia Winter
Roasted Turkey *
Preheat oven to 325. Meanwhile, drain fruits; dry well on paper towel. Arrange in 1 ½-quart casserole. Melt butter; add brown sugar and curry powder. Spoon over fruit. Bake 1 hour, uncovered. Serve warm with ham or any meat. This may be prepared the day before and refrigerated, but warm it up before serving. ~ Mrs. Milo Loveland ½ - 1 tsp ground sage * 3 tbsp butter 1 - 1 ½ cups diced celery 1 - 1 ½ cups diced onion 1 ½ loaves of bread, dried in cool oven overnight and broken into cubes * 2 - 4 cup chicken broth (enough to thoroughly moisten, but not soak the bread) *
minutes, and then 350 for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove meat from oven when the internal temperature reaches 120-125 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes. ~ Mr. Justin Knopp
Preheat oven to 450. Place the meat on tin foil for easy clean up. Cut ½” slits in both sides of prime rib cut. Cover with olive oil and rub in seasoning mixture (“rub”). 9 lb cuts should be cooked at degrees 450 for 20 minutes, and then 325 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes. 20 lb cuts should be cooked at 450 for 15
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pull the neck, giblets, and liver out of the cavity. Dry the turkey with paper towels, then season inside and out with rosemary, salt and pepper. Fill the turkey with 2 - 3 servings of the stuffing (recipe under side dishes), then place breast-side up in a roasting pan and brush with ¼ cup melted garlic butter. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 2 ½ hours (for an 8 - 12 pound turkey; add an extra 15 minutes per pound for larger birds). Remove the foil, baste with more melted butter and crank the oven to 420 degrees. Roast for another hour or until the meat at the thigh registers 165 degrees internally. ~ Miss. Bailey Knopp
Desserts Never Fail Pie Crust 1 ¾ cup flour * ½ cup cooking oil *
minutes. Serve warm with light cream. Makes 9 servings. ~ Mrs. Pete Hellmuth ½ tsp salt * ¼ cup milk *
Mix ingredients together. This crust must be rolled out between waxed paper sheets. It seems a bit rich but is delicious after it’s baked. Enough for one pie. ~ Mrs. Bertha Fritzler
Pumpkin Pie
1 cup brown sugar * ½ tsp ginger * ½ tsp cloves * ½ tsp salt * ½ tsp nutmeg * 2 eggs * 1 ½ tsp cinnamon * ½ tsp allspice * 1 large can evaporated milk (12 oz) 1 can pumpkin (16 oz) -or- 2 cups mashed pulp and extra tbsp sugar * Blend sugar and spices. Beat the eggs mixed with evaporated milk in a separate bowl, then combine with sugar, spices, and pumpkin until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce to 350 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the pie comes out clean. ~ In Loving Memory of Shirley Harvey
Dark Devil’s Food Cake 2 cup flour * 1 ¾ cup sugar * ½ tsp baking powder * 1 ¾ tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt *
1 cup water 1 ⅔ cup shortening 1 tsp vanilla * 3 eggs * ⅔ cup cocoa *
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a round or square cake pan. Put dry ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly. Add shortening and water. Beat for 2 minutes with a medium speed mixer, or 300 strokes by hand. Add vanilla and eggs, repeat beating process. Pour into floured cake pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean after piercing the middle, the cake is done. ~ Mrs. Betty Willoughby
Gramma Erbes’ Cookies 1 cup peanut butter * 1 cup sugar *
1 egg *
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients well. Drop cookies. Press top of dough drops with fork. Bake 10-12 minutes. That’s all folks! ~ Mrs. Lydia Erbes
Peach or Apple Crisp
Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg * 14 cup flour * ½ tsp salt * ½ cup brown sugar * 1 cup uncooked, rolled oats * 1 can peach slices (drained) * Or - 2 med/4 small thinly sliced apples * Mix all dry ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in ⅓ cup melted butter and blend until crumbly. A dash of lemon juice complements the apple crisp very well. Spread peach slices in 8” square pan. Sprinkle crumble over the peaches. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30
Local Places for Ingredients Walt & Kathleen Campbell (307) 682-7396 40 O’Neal Circle, Rozet, WY 82727 Farm fresh eggs. Can be brought to Gillette for purchase with a day’s notice. $3/dozen eggs
Gillette Downtown Farmer’s Market (307) 670-1094
118 S. Gillette Ave., Gillette, WY 82716 Year-round Farmers Market. Open Monday through Saturday. Services and products vary on season and vendor availability. Pickled Carrots $3/jar Raw Milk ½ Gal $5.00, 1 Qt $3.00 Banana/Pumpkin Breads $3/loaf Large Pan Peach Crisp $10.00 Butternut Squash $1.80/lb Locally Pastured Chickens $4.25/lb Garlic $2/bulb Ham $8.00/lb Yellow Onion $1.25 Egg Noodles $5.00/pkg Red Onion $2.75 Spices and Seasonings $2 - $8 Sweet Onion $1.50/lb Large Bag Potatoes $5 Organic Apples $1.25/lb Green Peas $2.25 Jam & Jelly $6/jar Sauces & Syrups $8/jar ….And so much more!
Healthstyles Market (307) 682-8447 371 Sinclair St., Gillette, WY 82718 DIY Bulk Ingredients: (GF = Gluten Free) GF Baking Flour $3.49/lb GF All Purpose Baking Flour $2.87/lb GF Rolled Oats $3.89/lb Spices and Seasonings Teas and Medicinal Herbs Organic: Organic Pumpkin Organic Green Beans Ancient Fine Sea Salt Bone Broth - Chicken Vegetable Broth Healthstyles Market will have fresh, non-frozen, antibiotic free all natural turkeys in various sizes coming in for Thanksgiving! Along with turkeys they are bringing in nitrite/nitrate free, uncured hams available as bone in, or half bone-out. You must call and reserve your turkey or ham! Healthstyles also has available many allergen-free ingredients or recipe ideas on their website blog. Visit healthstylesmarket.blogspot.com. By: Bailey I. Knop for 82717 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017
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