Destination Sheridan Fall 2015

2015

Feature stories: 52

10 Nonprofits of Sheridan County

52 Mentorship through coaching

18 Sheridan College’s gear rental program

56 Ways to give

44 From sponsorship to partnership 48 Culture of volunteerism

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88 Local residents give globally 92 Find somewhere to volunteer

50 Sheridan Angels

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 22 Sagebrush Community Art Center

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23 Sheridan County Public Library System 24 Craft bazaars

A publication of

94 Starting a nonprofit 96 Youth spend time on community 100 Legacies of generosity 102 Where does your money go?

104 Managing a season of giving 108 Does crowdfunding work?

29 Christmas stroll

36 Town of Clearmont

30 Area battlefields

38 Town of Dayton

32 Winter day trips

39 Town of Ranchester

34 Sheridan County Museum

39 Town of Big Horn

26 Theater opportunities

40 The Brinton Museum 35 Trail End Museum

28 Community holiday dinner

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42 Art in downtown Sheridan

THE GREAT OUTDOORS 64 Black Mountain Nordic Club

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36 Town of Story

78 Snowmobiling

84 Snowkiting

66 Bighorn Mountains

78 Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing

86 Fat bikes

68 Winter survival

80 Ice fishing

71 Going hunting?

Avoid these mistakes

80 Sledding 82 Sheridan Ice

72 Luck of the draw 74 Hunting outlook

83 Antelope Butte Ski Area

110 Destination Sheridan website 112 Advertising directory 113 Directory of Services 114 Sheridan County census information

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114 Wyoming Information Center

SHERIDAN DESTINATION

Sheridan is still a piece of the old west. This truly is a great place to visit — and live — with heart-stopping rodeo, traditional cattle ranching and an idyllic Main Street.

But Sheridan is also a leader in the “New West� — with light industry and tech businesses operating just minutes away from outstanding hiking, camping, hunting and fishing. We also offer community amenities such as the YMCA, the Senior Center, an award-winning community college, 11 beautiful city parks and a network of pathways that make larger cities envious. Our historic downtown features unique retail stores and restaurants and is host to wonderful community events throughout the year.

Thank you for choosing Sheridan — enjoy all it has to offer!

See you soon,

John Heath, Mayor

WWW.SHERIDANWY.NET

VOLUME 4 NUMBER 3 Published October 2015 Destination Sheridan is a lifestyle and tourism magazine dedicated to serving the greater Sheridan area.

Its circulation reach is into visitor centers, places of hospitality, motels, local businesses and other establishments in the greater northern Wyoming area, South Dakota, Montana and Colorado, and home delivery customers of The Sheridan Press.

It is also available online at thesheridanpress.com and DestinationSheridan.com.

Jonathan Cates Art director Stephen Woody Publisher

The Sheridan County Board of County ComWWW.SHERIDANCOUNTY.COM missioners welcomes you to Sheridan County, which was established in 1888.

We are justifiably proud of our Western heritage and culture embodied in the fine people who choose to live, work and raise their families in Sheridan County. They make the area the special place that it is. Area residents are known for their hospitality, community spirit, volunteerism and generosity. They are the county’s greatest resource.

The main role of Sheridan County government is to ensure that Sheridan County continues to be a wonderful place to live and that conditions and services maintain pace with public need. Foremost among these efforts is comprehensive land use planning that strives to maintain the existing quality of life for current and future generations balanced by a healthy respect for individual property rights. This planning process depends on public input and participation. Sheridan County is fortunate to have so many stakeholders willing to participate in the planning process.

Sheridan County as a destination, whether for recreation, vacation or relocation of your home or business, has much to offer — its people, its landscape, its diversity, its quality of life. We are protective of what we have, but we are willing to share it with others and welcome new people, new businesses, new ideas and a shared interest in our wonderful heritage.

Come and see us. You’ll be more than welcome.

Sheridan County commissioners

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Kristen Czaban Managing editor

CONTRIBUTORS Janea LaMeres, Sales Lisa Marosok, Sales Maureen Legerski, Sales Chad Riegler, Operations Justin Sheely, Photojournalist Mike Pruden, Journalist Travis Pearson, Journalist Mike Dunn, Journalist Zachary White, Journalist Alisa Brantz, Journalist All photos in Destination Sheridan are by Justin Sheely or are file photos from The Sheridan Press archives unless otherwise noted. Copyright Sheridan Newspapers, Inc. All uncredited stories are from Sheridan Press staff reports.

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Phil Ashley Marketing director

PICTURED: (from left) Commissioners Tom Ringley, Steve Maier, Terry Cram, Mike Nickel and Bob Rolston.

Fall/Winter 2015

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TA L E N T E D CONTRIBUTORS KRISTEN czaban

STEPHEN woody

Kristen Czaban has been with The Sheridan Press since June 2008 and has covered the entire gamut of beats including government, crime, business and the outdoors. Before heading west, she graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor’s in journalism.

Stephen Woody first began visiting Sheridan and the Bighorns in 1976. Over time, with children along for the ride and now with grandchildren, he’s visited mountain lakes and streams, city parks and most often, golf courses.

MIKE pruden Mike Pruden moved to Sheridan by way of Indiana to begin working as sports editor at the Sheridan Press in June 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from Ball State University and an unhealthy obsession for sports.

TRAVIS pearson Travis Pearson joined The Sheridan Press in 2015 after stops in Pinedale and Torrington.

He covers government and the outdoors, but has reported on a little bit of everything in his four years in Wyoming. Born and raised in Pennsylvania and a graduate of West Chester University, he enjoys the mountains, hospitality and slower pace you find in the West.

ALISA brantz Education and features reporter Alisa Brantz worked with The Sheridan Press from the fall of 2013 to the fall of 2015. She and her Sheridan-native husband, Jake, moved to town to be closer to family and raise their daughter, Braelynn Grace, in the wide-open West. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in education from Montana State University and now teaches at Normative Services, Inc.

ZACHARY white Zachary White is a business and government reporter at The Sheridan Press. He graduated in May 2014 with a master’s degree from the University of Illinois – Springfield, where he studied public affairs reporting.

MIKE dunn Mike Dunn has been with The Sheridan Press since January 2015 and covers general news and sports. A native of eastern Washington, he moved to the Equality State to attend the University of Wyoming, where he graduated in December 2013. When he is not watching Wyoming Cowboy football or Seattle Mariners baseball, he enjoys taking walks with his dogs on the many paths throughout Sheridan.

Jonathan Cates A R T

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JUSTIN sheely Justin Sheely came to Sheridan from his hometown of Billings, Montana, in 2008 and later joined The Sheridan Press in 2012 as a full-time photojournalist. He is involved with his local church and supports a photography club in Sheridan.

NONPROFITS

Sheridan County is home to more than 300 registered nonprofit organizations ranging from the UW Critters, Crafts and Cooking organization (which had zero assets as of 2014) to the Whitney Benefits Corporation, the largest nonprofit in Sheridan County in terms of assets.

While it may be easy to see who it is each organization directly benefits — as one works to end homelessness and another brings fitness to families — the direct recipients of the nonprofits’ goodwill are by no means the only ones benefitting from the endeavors.

Sheridan is lucky enough to be a hub of nonprofit activity, and the revenue, careers and opportunities their presence creates for the county are immense.

If the nonprofits left Sheridan tomorrow, what would that do to our local economy?

Well, the 325 that exist countywide held approximately $517,957,897 in total assets in 2014. Those assets would call somewhere else home.

Additionally, jobs would be lost. According to recent data on Guidestar.org — one of the world’s largest sources of information on nonprofit organizations — the top 10 nonprofits in Sheridan County alone employ more than 575 people.

But those lost wages certainly don’t solely affect 575 people, as lost employment means decreased spending, which effects local business and can lead to additional layoffs in other industries.

And these numbers continue to grow every year, which equates to future losses.

In 2009, The Sheridan Press reported that nearly 500 people in Sheridan County were employed by all 233 registered nonprofits. Today, the Volunteers of America Northern Rockies alone employs more than half of that at 283 paid staff throughout its operations in Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota.

In 2009, The Press also reported nonprofit assets totaling $407 million in Sheridan, and only 150 of those reported annual gross receipts greater than $25,000. Today, 136 local nonprofits report annual gross receipts more than $25,000.

As nonprofits grow and thrive, so does the community. As assets rise and employment pools broaden, opportunity is created and held close to home. Supporting a nonprofit goes beyond supporting the cause to supporting the vitality and longevity of Sheridan County.

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by Alisa Brantz and Zachary White

THE TOP 10 In terms of total assets based on information in the organizations’ most recent tax filings on Guidestar.org. and the National Center for Charitable Statistics.

Founded — 1917 Total assets — $114,092,463 Edward Augustus Whitney was born in 1843 in Massachusetts. He served in the Civil War before heading west, where he found success in banking.

Whitney soon shifted his finances to the cattle industry and moved to the Sheridan area, eventually beginning the National Bank of Sheridan.

Through his banking and cattle deals, Whitney acquired various parcels of land, including the current location of Sheridan College.

Whitney Benefits began in 1917 with a focus on education. The foundation provides interest-free loans, finances community centers and has been paramount to the growth of the college, donating more than $47 million to the institution over the years.

Founded — 1964 Total assets — $33,738,758 Sheridan College Foundation was established in 1964 to act as the fundraising arm of Sheridan College.

Through fundraising efforts, stewardship activities and investment strategies, the foundation receives donated funds from individuals, foundations, corporations, alumni and faculty and staff in support of Sheridan College projects and programs.

The foundation raises funds to support projects and programs that fall beyond Sheridan College’s operating budget.

Founded — 1981 Total assets — $32,629,180 The Ucross Foundation’s mission is to foster fresh and innovative thinking in the visual arts, literature and music.

Providing residencies, workspace and uninterrupted time to individual artists, writers and composers accomplishes this.

The foundation supports artists whose work reflects a depth of creative exploration and the potential for future accomplishments.

Ucross actively aims to support an appreciation for human creativity and to paint a picture for the future from the images of the lives people lead today.

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Founded — 1901 Total assets — $25,446,318 The YMCA originated in 1844 in London, England. Today, there are more than 2,600 YMCAs in the United States. The YMCA in Sheridan started in 1901 when J.D. Loucks spurred the development of a YMCA including a reading room and a gymnasium. The organization faltered in Sheridan following World War I, but was revitalized in 1959 when Homer Scott became the first local president.

Founded — 1988 Total assets — $22,684,950 The Scott Foundation began in 1988. Homer and Mildred Scott were intimately involved in the community.

Under Homer Scott’s leadership as president, First Interstate Bank flourished in Sheridan, and the ranch family participated in numerous other organizations.

Last year, the Scott Foundation gave $1.3 million to a broad spectrum of organizations and causes including seniors, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA and educational endeavors.

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Founded — 1983 Total assets — $21,480,288 The Kuehne family homesteaded in Rozet, Wyoming, in the early 1900s. Marna Keuhne’s husband was injured in World War I and later received medical assistance from the Veterans’ Hospital in Sheridan.

The Marna M. Kuehne Foundation pays it forward into the present day by supporting veterans of northeast Wyoming, especially those injured during their service.

Founded — 1985 Total assets — $19,237,554 Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Their holistic and integrated programs allow them to help individuals, families and communities move toward stability. Their outcomes continually demonstrate that by working with the potential in everyone, anyone can accomplish more than they thought possible.

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Founded — 2000 Total assets — $18,944,114 The Joe and Arlene Watt Foundation was founded by Joe Watt following the death of his wife Arlene in the late 1990s.

A six-person board of directors manages the foundation.

Their goal is to continue the Watts’ legacy by gifting funds to organizations they deem worthy. When they review many of the requests they receive annually, they ask the question “What would Joe and Arlene do?�

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Founded — 2012 Total assets — $16,173,871 The Brinton Museum is a place of art, from books to paintings all collected to tell the story of the American West.

The collection at the museum is made up of art, historical texts, books and furniture dating back to the beginning of the west’s settlement.

The museum uses careful preservation and discriminating acquisition of new pieces to honor the art and craftsmanship of the region.

Founded — 1960s Total assets — $15,154,781 Vernon and Rowena Griffith grew a more than 41,000acre sheep ranch out of an early 1900s homestead. During that time the couple kept active in the community, Vernon was Bank of Commerce president for 12 years and Rowena served as part of the hospital board for 20 years and was named 1950 Business Woman of the Year.

The Griffith Foundation started in the 1960s and supports education, the hospital and various other endeavors.

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Sheridan College is a community college. The emphasis, at least for Julie Davidson, the school’s director of recreation and outdoor education, is on the community part.

When Sheridan College purchased Spear-O-Wigwam in 2011, it kick started what both Davidson and the school hoped would be a wide array of outdoor opportunities.

Spear-O was the catalyst.

The 17-acre piece of land sits nestled in the Bighorn Mountains, about 30 miles outside of Sheridan. For four months out of the year — June through September — students, faculty, athletes, tourists and Sheridanites take the bumpy, windy drive up Red Grade Road to the scenic plot of land along Park Reservoir.

The vision of Spear-O-Wigwam, or the mountain campus as it is often referred, is to provide unique and diverse learning opportunities, enriched by outdoor experiences.

In layman’s terms, it’s a foundation for people to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings Sheridan County and the Bighorns have to offer.

While Spear-O is a focal point, a tangible, functioning piece of property that is home to these numerous oppor tunities, the Northern Wyoming Community College District had a bigger plan in place when they purchased it four-and-a-half years ago.

“We knew that would be the highest profile thing, the thing that most people would notice right away,” Davidson said of the mountain campus. “But at the same time, here at Sheridan College, we’ve been making really big efforts to increase outdoor opportunities for students as well as for community members.”

Davidson came on as the director right when Spear-O was purchased, so she’s been involved in the school’s efforts every step of the way.

For the first couple years, the emphasis was on utilizing the new facility to catapult those outdoor opportunities and establish a program. Classes were formed, retreats were set up, and Sheridan College slowly developed interest in formerly unavailable areas of education.

With an established outdoor education program in place, Davidson and her peers have been working on the next step: opening their resources to the Sheridan community.

But it didn’t happen at the drop of a hat.

“The gear rental program, I would say we started it two years ago, but the first year was really just conceptualizing everything,” she said. “I don’t think we rented more than a couple pieces of equipment, because it was really building it from the ground up.”

School officials were OK with that. They knew it would take time; they knew it was part of their original plan. The opportunities were there, and the buzz was forming.

“Last year, we started pushing it, and students really grabbed on,” Davidson said of the eventual success of the program. “And then, enough of our community members take some of our outdoor recreation courses that people were like, ‘Can the community rent that stuff?’”

While Davidson and her staff would have loved to respond with a resounding “yes,” they aren’t quite ready for that just yet. They’re still in the meticulous process of reaching that point, and they’re taking it one step at a time.

So this fall, the college is opening the gear rental program to any-

Recreation Destination College provides access to outdoors through classes, gear rental

by Mike Pruden

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one who signs up and takes one of its out- “It’s great that the Bighorns, in a lot of ways, are kind of untapped. door education courses. Those courses — But a lot of people grew up here, and they don’t even know what’s some of which can be completed in one right outside of town. If we can at least connect our local folks with their place in a lot more intentional way, I think that we weekend — are open to anyone and would be accomplishing a pretty big thing.” cover numerous topics like fly fishFor now, Davidson said to be on the lookout for ing and avalanche safety. new course opportunities this winter and to utiThe exciting part, Davidson said, lize those programs to not only learn, but to is that anyone who takes one of these Last year, we borrow gear from the school and get out and courses can rent gear anytime during the explore. There’s no timetable on a fully-opsemester, even if the course isn’t a semesterstarted pushing it, erating public gear rental facility yet, but it’s long course. and students really hard for Davidson to contain her excitement “We would have to kind of see where that and optimism. takes us,” Davidson said of this fall’s trial pegrabbed on.

“I don’t expect this community piece to be riod. “We would definitely have to expand to as full as it has the potential to be right off the make sure we have stuff available for students – Julie Davidson bat,” she said. “But I would love to see everyand the community. But I think there’s some thing we put together fill up, so I can say, ‘We awesome opportunities for folks to take workneed to do more.’” shops and classes, so it shouldn’t be like, ‘Ugh, I have to take one of those classes in order to use the gear rental program.’”

Sheridan is full of opportunity. From the mountains and trails to the rivers and lakes, Sheridan College officials feel they’d be doing a disservice to the community by not taking full advantage of those BELOW: Edgar Hernandez grabs a backpack off the wall opportunities. from the outdoor gear rental space at Sheridan College. The college allows students and faculty to check out outdoor gear, “We like that we are a little quieter,” Davidson said, comparing such as sleeping bags, tents, camping and climbing gear.

Sheridan County to the likes of Bozeman, Montana, and Jackson.

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ENTERTAINMENT

COMMUNITY ART CENTER Van Gogh, Poe and Greco get it: being an artist can be lonely, depressing and hard on the pocket book.

Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Allan Poe and El Greco are famed for their creations now, but they lived awkward lives with little recognition and even scorn for being too “out there” when they were working as artists.

Perhaps life would have been better if they’d joined an artist guild and gotten a little artist love. Perhaps they should have lived in Sheridan where artists of all types seek each other out to share the joy of creating.

The largest arts group in the area is the Sheridan Artists’ Guild, Et al, with more than 250 members.

SAGE is housed in the Sagebrush Community Art Center in the old train depot on East Fifth Street. The art center bustles day and night with workshops for children and adults and visits to the member’s gallery and the front gallery that features local and national artists in monthly rotations.

In one year, Sagebrush Community Art Center had more than 7,000 visitors from 49 states and 20 countries. More than 60 artists displayed work in the sales gallery and 1,000 students took art classes, including a popular workshop called “Uncorked” that allows beginning painters to produce a finalized work in one night while enjoying fellowship and a beverage of choice.

The Sagebrush Community Art Center also offers a variety of art classes and camps for children and youth, utilizing partnerships within the community.

SAGE began 40 years ago as a loose-knit club and steadily added painters, photographers, potters and a variety of textile artists to its ranks. In 2006, it became an official nonprofit organization and began the search for a permanent space in which to meet and create and promote the arts.

Although methods and programs have changed over the years, SAGE seeks to “become the vehicle for a strong creative economy in the community” by offering training in art technique and marketing and opportunities to make, display and sell art.

MORE INFORMATION Location: 201 E. Fifth St. in Sheridan Phone: 307-674-1970 Website: www.artinsheridan.com Hours: Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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PUBLIC

The Sheridan County Public Library System offers offers a cozy place for learning and activities throughout the year.

In addition to the main branch located in Sheridan on Alger Street, the library system has three branch locations — Story, Clearmont and Tongue River.

While it is easy to think of the library as solely a place to check out a new book to curl up with, the local library system offers so much more.

The libraries display works of art throughout the year on the mezzanine at the Sheridan location and at branch facilities.

In addition, the library offers story times for children, teen activities and presentations on a variety of topics of interest to community members.

One of the most well-known offerings of the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library is The Wyoming Room.

The archive includes information on Western history, high school yearbooks, old photograph collections, obituary and birth record files, maps, Western magazines and so much more. The Wyoming Room is the go-to research facility for those interested in local history.

MORE INFORMATION Location: 335 W. Alger St. Phone: 307-674-8585 Website: www.sheridanwyolibrary.org Hours: Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Sunday

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Fall and winter is the season for craft bazaars in Sheridan County. Each year just a few weeks before Thanksgiving the creative gatherings begin to spring up just like holiday lights and decorations.

Local organizers have said the events were started by people who made handmade ornaments, wreaths and such.

Some of the bazaars still focus on those items, but some have expanded, too. For example, several of the bazaars now include home-based businesses like tupperware, Mary Kay items and Scentsy.

In Sheridan County, bazaars have become a sort of pre-holiday tradition, but they do take a lot of work.

Local organizers say the bazaars take months of preparation

RIGHT: Delece Faurot of Sheridan shops for homemade ornaments made by Sally Tibbs at a Big Horn Woman’s Club Christmas Bazaar in Big Horn.

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that lead up to the selling season.

And while some bazaars are held to benefit organizations, others can benefit the local economy as shoppers visit the craft sales to purchase gifts and home decorations. The events also allow local artists to network and expand their businesses.

Keep an eye on the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce website this fall for a full list of times and locations for area bazaars. Events will also be listed at WWW.DESTINATIONSHERIDAN.COM

SHERIDAN

“

They [donors] help direct it, finance it or help in other ways. It is just an important thing in this community.

– DannyLee Hodnett

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Outdoor activities abound in the Sheridan area. However, if you are more inclined to seek your entertainment inside, then Sheridan can offer that as well.

Though it may be more well-known for things such as rodeos, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling, Sheridan is also home to a surprising number of theater groups that entertain Sheridan audiences all year.

There are several theater groups operating in Sheridan, including the Civic Theater Guild, Tandem Productions as well as the WYO Theater, Sheridan College and local high schools.

Each group has a different focus and performs a variety of productions.

But how can a relatively small town like Sheridan build and maintain such a strong theater presence? Sheridan College instructor DannyLee Hodnett said there are at least two reasons he has considered, and they have been in the making for many years.

“One, Tandem Productions has been going for at least 20 years,” he said. “It was started by Dick and Tami Davis and they do children’s theater. Having done it that long, kids have been raised doing theater. It has become an important thing for a lot of people growing up and they continue doing it in their adult life and support it. I think that is an important reason why this is an unexpected theater town.”

“The Civic Theater Guild is also important,” he continued. “I think they are in their 58th year, so we have over half a century in this town of building an audience. Add to that the WYO which has been bringing in acts since the 1980s and we have a pretty firmly established theater culture here.”

Another vital component of the theater scene, noted Hodnett, is the strong financial support of generous patrons.

“They want theater and entertainment and culture,” Hodnett said, adding that donors work hand-in-hand with a strong base of performers wanting to offer plays to the public. “You have people who want to do theater, but also have the patrons who demand it as well and it is important to them that it gets done. They help direct it, finance it or help in other ways. It is just an important thing in this community.”

LEFT: AJ Longhurst as “Sparky” sings a solo during the rehearsal of “Forever Plaid” at the WYO Theater.

MORE INFORMATION www.wyotheater.com | www.sheridan.edu www.sheridanstage.com

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The Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner has become a heavily attended holiday tradition in the area and organizers have said volunteers are what make the event.

And they do.

In past years, more than 150 people have volunteered, helping before, during and after the actual feast.

The Sheridan County 4-H Club has helped pack food bags that were distributed during the event.

Another organization that helps out before the big day is the Wyoming Girls’ School. For several years, students at the school have helped pull the meat from the turkeys prepared for the meal.

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce ambassadors have also volunteered at the event since its inception in 1991. “When we started the dinner, we really didn’t have a signature event that the ambassadors did every year and that they could consistently fundraise for,� one dinner organizer, Debi Isakson, said. “So they took this on as what they felt was a community event where they could get out and be visible while working for the community. “They know what they are doing, and they do it year after year,� Isakson said, adding that the ambassadors dish out the food each year.

Other groups that make the event possible are local Girl Scout troups that help families carry their plates to tables, local church organizations that help set up and tear down all of the tables and chairs used at the dinner and businesses that come out to help any way they can. “And this wouldn’t be possible without the Holiday Inn,� Isakson said, noting that the event has been held at the local hotel every year. “They are the only venue that could handle this kind of event with all of the food preparation. They order it, prepare it and use their employees to help oversee the volunteers.� “It has been wonderful to work with them and they don’t charge us a penny,� Isakson added.

On average, more than 50 turkeys, 70 pounds of green beans, 20 gallons of gravy, 60 pounds of cranberries and 1,200 cups of ice cream are made

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ready for hungry Sheridanites. But it is not just organizations who help out at the event. “We have a lot of individuals who want to volunteer as well,� Isakson said.

One year, Isakson said, a family arrived with their children to volunteer because they wanted their kids to see what the event was all about. “So we’ve had volunteers as young as 9, 8, 7 years old, and as old as 70,� Isakson said.

Adding to the tradition of community and holiday spirit, the Holiday Brass Band and The Craft Brothers have performed at every Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus are always on hand to greet attendees.

While the Sheridan County Community Holiday Dinner is free, organizers ask that attendees get tickets in advance.

Check the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce website for locations where tickets will be available. The dinner includes turkey and all the trimmings and will be held from 4-7 p.m. at the Sheridan Holiday Inn Dec. 6.

One of Sheridan's most beloved winter events is set for Nov. 27, as always, the day after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas Stroll was developed many years ago in an effort to bring Black Friday shoppers to downtown Sheridan. It is a community event to kick off the holiday shopping season.

Friends, family and neighbors gather downtown to take photographs with Santa and Mrs. Claus, enjoy free rides on the trolley, a hay wagon and miniature train.

Hot drinks and food are also available on Grinnell Plaza, the centerpiece of Sheridan's downtown.

Live music also typically highlights the annual event.

In conjunction with the Christmas Stroll, the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce organizes a “stroll button” design competition.

The contest opens in April and ends in May. Children in first through sixth grades submit their button design to the Chamber and are asked to base their design on the year's theme.

This year's Christmas Stroll theme is “Rock ‘n’ Stroll.”

The design is used on buttons distributed and sold throughout the holiday shopping season. If your number matches the number hanging in participating businesses you win a prize worth at least $50.

Registration slips will also be available in businesses to enter your button number into weekly drawings for $100 in Chamber Bucks. All of the button numbers gathered from registration slips are then entered in a grand prize drawing for $1,000 Chamber Bucks.

This year's Christmas Stroll button design winner will be announced toward the end of October.

ABOVE: Abbey Popken of Sheridan sings along as the Holy Name Church Children's Choir sings Christmas carols during the Christmas Stroll in downtown Sheridan.

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HISTORIC

Courtesy photos

LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT George Armstrong Custer, who had a reputation for doing as he pleased, received information that Indians were camped on the Little Bighorn in 1876.On June 25, 1876, without authorization from his superior officer, Custer led his men into an ambush that killed more 250 men and Custer himself. It was a crucial engagement, as it was the last major Indian victory in North America. This site has a museum and interpretations of the battle.

Throughout the 1800s, as settlers began traveling through and staking claim to land in the West, forts sprang up along the path to give weary travelers and railroad workers food and other supplies. ROSEBUD STATE PARK The remnants of many of those forts are in Sheridan County today.

Located approximately 30 miles northeast of Sheridan off Highway 334, this site is of the 1876 campaign of General George CONNOR BATTLEFIELD STATE HISTORIC SITE Crook. On June 16, 1876, Crook and his men moved toward the Located in Ranchester off of Interstate 90, this was the site of Rosebud. The next morning while they were camped at the head the Battle of Tongue River between the Army and the Arapahoe of Rosebud Creek, shots rang out and his men turned to meet the tribe. It was the single most important engagement of the Powder Indians on the ridges above them. The battle raged for three hours.

River Expedition of 1865 and caused the Arapahoe to ally with the Nine men were killed and 30 were seriously wounded. They reSioux and Cheyenne at the Fetterman Fight a year later. The park mained and camped for the night. The next morning, after burying has picnic areas, a playground, overnight camping facilities, fishing their dead, the troops withdrew to the camp on the Goose Creeks. access as well as historic interpretations.

Crazy Horse stopped the expedition, protected his villages and his warriors returned victorious.

FORT PHIL KEARNY STATE HISTORIC SITE Fort Phil Kearny was one of three military posts established along WAGON BOX FIGHT STATE the Bozeman Trail, and is located 25 miles south of Sheridan. This HISTORICAL SITE fort was built in 1866 as a cutoff from the Oregon Trail. ImmiThis fight site is located about five miles west of Fort Phil Kearny grants used this trail en route from Fort Laramie to the Montana near the town of Story. On Aug. 2, 1867, a detachment of 32 men gold fields. It was abandoned by the Army in 1868 under the terms and officers under the command of Capt. James Powell expected of the Treaty of Fort Laramie in an effort to establish peace with to be massacred by hundred’s of Red Cloud’s braves. However, the the Indians, who under Red Cloud constantly harassed the garrison men had one advantage — they had cover behind a corral of 14 during its existence. The military portion of the fort was 600-by- wagon boxes and new rifles that could fire rapidly and repeatedly.

700 feet, surrounded by an 8-foot stockade of heavy pine logs. As Over the eight hours of battle, they were able to repulse the many the Army abandoned this fort, the Indians burned it to the ground. attacks of Red Cloud’s warriors.

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WINTER

Do you only have one one day to explore the Sheridan area this fall or winter? Here are some suggestions to keep you busy!

lovers

explorers Wintertime in Sheridan inspires a number of activities to keep you entertained and, in some cases, out of the snow. Here are some activities to get a taste of Sheridan in one day.

• Breakfast at one of our local coffee shops.

Come for the espresso, stay for the cozy, café atmospheres. Fresh bakery items and warm drinks will keep you out of the cold.

• Sledding on Linden Hill is next, so head over to the area near 345 S. Linden Ave. Make sure the kids are well padded and know how to bail! This hill is a local favorite for wintertime fun.

• After the sledding fun, head back downtown to one of the city’s eateries and for some shopping on Main Street. The shops and boutiques have a lot to offer visitors and residents alike.

For evening entertainment: — Check WWW.WYOTHEATER.COM for shows and musical performances.

— Check WWW.CIVICTHEATERGUILD.ORG for shows at the historic Carriage House, a part of the Kendrick homestead, where many have enjoyed hot apple cider and cookies at intermission.

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Don’t mind the cold? Here are some ways to enjoy the outdoor paradise offered in the Sheridan area.

• Stop by one of the downtown outdoor shops (Back Country Bikes and Mountain Works, Sheridan Bicycle Company or The Sports Stop) to check out their rentals for snowshoes, skis, fat bikes and other winter sports gear. There are several groomed trails in the area you can check out with the gear they can provide. See page 78 for options.

• Or, head to Meadowlark Ski Lodge off U.S. Highway 16, 45 miles west of Buffalo, 267-2609. This lodge is cradled in the Bighorns and allows for a perfect day on the slopes. Visit WWW.LODGESOFTHEBIGHORNS.COM for more information on lift tickets and lessons.

Or… • Try your hand at ice fishing. If the weather is right, there are several opportunities for ice fishing around the Sheridan area, including: — Sam Mavrakis Pond, located just off Eighth Street in Sheridan, with easy access to Sheridan’s pathway system.

— Kleenburn Recreation Area, located just east of the Acme exit of Interstate 90 north of Sheridan and buzzing with rainbow trout, largemouth bass and several other species.

— Sibley Lake, located on Forest Service Road 188 from U.S. Highway 14. This mountain lake provides the perfect scenery for a day of fishing.

— Lake DeSmet is likely one of the most popular spots for ice fishing. The large lake located between Sheridan and Buffalo off of Interstate 90 at exits 44, 47 and 51 provides a lot of space and opportunities for a successful day with rod and reel. Dress warm!

The area around the lake can get pretty windy!

enthusiasts For those visitors or residents who want to spend the day taking in artistic culture, the Sheridan area has enough to keep you busy for several days. Here are some highlights you can visit in just one day.

• Start the day by heading to Big Horn to visit The Brinton Museum. A new building was added this year and it looks great. Spend the morning exploring the galleries and grounds along with a peek into the Brinton Bistro.

• For lunch, either stay at The Brinton and try the bistro or check out one of Big Horn’s eateries (The Big Horn Smokehouse is a popular spot). You could also head back to Sheridan for a bite.

• After lunch, stop into the Sagebrush Community Art Center at 201 E. Fifth St. The art center is located in the old train depot and has rotating shows on display in its main gallery. Check the organization’s website, WWW.ARTINSHERIDAN.COM, for details.

• Following lunch, pick a direction and head out of town.

If you head east, stop into the Ucross Foundation art gallery.

The foundation hosts artists in residency and boasts a gallery that features rotating exhibits. Check the organization’s website, WWW.UCROSSFOUNDATION.ORG, for details.

If you head northwest on Interstate 90, get off at Exit 9 toward Ranchester and Dayton. If you make your way to Dayton, at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, you’ll find Gallery on Main. The gallery features everything from the impressionistic paintings of the majestic area scenery to photographs of wildlife and Native American art. The gallery is run by the artists themselves and operates as a co-op of sorts.

Following your art adventure, take in some of the culinary treats the area has to offer. Dayton, Ranchester and the lodges in the Bighorns offer several tasty options for dinner.

After dinner, head back to Sheridan and explore the nightlife downtown. Many of the local bars and breweries host live music throughout the year.

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The Sheridan County Museum gives visitors the chance to explore the history of the American West through the eyes of the men and women who settled Sheridan County.

It features a variety of permanent and featured exhibits that include topics ranging from the mines that contributed to the rise and fall of several small towns in the county to the railroad and the role of sports and recreation in the development of the social culture in the area.

Starting in 1991, the Sheridan County Historical Society maintained an exhibit in the basement of the Historic Sheridan Inn. In 2002, the society began a project Location: 850 Sibley Circle in Sheridan to improve the care of its artifact collections, moving into a small building on Alger Avenue in 2004.

Phone: 307-675-1150 In 2005, the society received an offer to purchase the Website: www.sheridanmuseum.org former Bubba’s Restaurant on East Fifth Street near the Hours: January-April, gift shop only, 1-5 p.m.

Interstate 90 interchange. After a year-long campaign, the Monday-Friday; May, 1-5 p.m. daily; June-Labor Day, society had raised more than $1.5 million to purchase and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily remodel the building into the current Sheridan County Admission: Adults $4, seniors 60 and older $3, Museum.

The new museum opened in July 2006 and remains a students $2, children 12 and under, veterans and crucial part of preserving Sheridan County’s past as it active military free moves into the future.

MORE INFORMATION

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Built in the Flemish Revival style, the 13,748square-foot Kendrick mansion that is the site of the Trail End Museum provides a realistic glimpse into life in Sheridan in the early 1900s.

Exhibits and displays feature original artifacts from the time and provide information on daily life, entertainment, interior decorations, cleaning habits, changing technology and 20th century ranching on the Northern Plains.

The permanent exhibit pieces — furniture, clothing, the house itself — don’t change from year to year but the themes do. One year featured how kids might have lived in the mansion. Other years focused on entertainment and how advertising influenced what was bought for the home.

Construction began on the Kendrick mansion in 1908. After it was finished in 1913, the Kendrick family only had a short time to enjoy it, as John Kendrick was elected governor of Wyoming in 1914 and the family moved to Cheyenne. Two years later,

MORE INFORMATION Location: 400 Clarendon Ave. in Sheridan Phone: 307-674-4589 Website: www.trailend.com Hours of operation, entrance fees and information on events and exhibits can be found on the website.

Kendrick was elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. Until his death in 1933, the home was used as a summer home for the family.

John Kendrick’s widow, Eula Kendrick, lived in the home from 1934-1961. It was purchased by the Sheridan County Historical Society in 1968 and transferred to state ownership in 1982.

RIGHT: Sharie Mooney has been the curator and assistant superintendent of the Trail End State Historic Site in Sheridan for several years.

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STORY

Tucked below the Bighorn Mountains in thick pines, Story is shady and cool in the summer and fairy-tale white and snowy in the winter, offering a quick getaway from Sheridan or a weekend adventure for anyone looking for a quiet escape.

The unincorporated community lies approximately 20 miles south of Sheridan on State Highway 87. It rests on the banks of Piney Creek and was first platted by horse trader Marshal Wolf, who was going to name the town after himself until he found out — with dismay — that Wolf, Wyoming, already existed.

The town was instead named after Charles B. Story, a rancher who was instrumental in getting a post office established — the first building in what had until then been a town made up of only tent structures.

Today, Story acts as a gateway to several trails used for hiking, snowshoeing, ATV riding and as access to rock-climbing adventures. South Piney Creek Trail and Penrose Trail are community favorites.

The town also features the Story STORY COMMUNITY Fish Hatchery. With $2.6 million in • 828 total residents funding from the Wyoming Legisla• Male: 423 ture, the hatchery celebrated a grand • Female: 405 reopening in September 2011 after • Under 18: 118 being renovated. • Largest age group: The remodeling included im50-64: 280 provements in water delivery sys-

CLEARMONT

Nestled in the rolling hills approximately 40 miles southeast of Sheridan, the tiny town of Clearmont should not be overlooked.

In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau marked the population at 142 people, many who work in agriculture or education.

While it is not a booming population or bustling shopping center that inspires visitors to take the quintessential Sunday drive to Clearmont, the drive is still worth it. Clearmont is ripe with history and small-town charm.

Clearmont was founded in 1892 as a railroad town servicing the Burlington-Missouri Railroad (currently known as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad). When railroad officials arrived, the town site was moved 1.5 miles and renamed to Clearmont in honor of Clear Creek flowing through town and the view of the Bighorn Mountains to the west.

In the early 1900s, Clearmont was a major shipping point for cattle and became a terminal point in 1914.

The old jail in the town park was built in 1922 for $827 and is open for visitors. The jail is currently listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Just off Main Street sits Arvada-Clearmont High School. Next to it is the Old Rock School, which is a one-room schoolhouse that 36

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tems, fish rearing areas and egg incubation facilities. Many features were designed specifically to house the additional brood stocks and for spawning activities and egg incubation.

The hatchery is open daily year-round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Story also features an art center, a coffee shop that does its own roasting, a library and several artisan gift stores.

Each year, the community celebrates the end of summer with Story Days, a townwide celebration that features food — including pies from the Story Woman’s Club — vendors, a parade and other fun and cultural activities for all ages.

Another fun event is the Thanksgiving meal served by the Story Woman’s Club each year. It has turkey and all the fixings and those sought-after Story Woman’s Club pies. It’s a must-do event — but get there early because the line often stretches out the door and down the block.

WWW.STORYWYOMING.ORG

offers a glimpse at days past. Although not in use anymore, locals have continued work to refurbish it in recent years.

Visitors to Clearmont can enjoy a picnic in the town's park, which is also located on Main Street.

World War II enthusiasts will be interested to know that Clearmont once housed a German prisoner of war camp. Prisoners were allowed to work in the fields growing and harvesting beets.

Today, Clearmont boasts several small businesses that provide the basics and a few surprises.

The Best Kept Secret on New York Avenue offers an expansive selection of fabric and does a booming online business. Nearby in Ucross is the Ucross Foundation is a renowned artist residency program and art gallery.

TOWN OF CLEARMONT

TOWN OF ARVADA

• 142 total residents • Male: 64 • Female: 78 • Under 18: 43 • Largest age group: 50-64: 40

• 43 total residents • Male: 26 • Female: 17 • Under 18: 5 • Largest age group: 35-46: 18

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DAYTON

Nestled at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains, Dayton is home to the first rodeo in Wyoming, the first female mayor and the famous artist Hans Kleiber.

Dayton was founded in 1882. Its name is derived from one of the founding members, Joe Dayton Thorne. The first mayor of the town was Cornelius “Nea” H. Ketchum. His successor, Susan Wissler, has the distinction of being the first female mayor in Wyoming — possibly in the United States.

Dayton was incorporated in 1906 and saw some growth as mining and agriculture took its hold. Its current population is more than 750.

German born artist Hans Kleiber came to the Dayton area when he worked as a ranger for the U.S. Forest Service. He soon gave up his career to capture the beauty of nature in art, becoming known as the Etcher Laureate of the Bighorns for his depictions of wildlife, Dayton, historical figures and life on the prairie.

Kleiber's cabin studio is open for tourists and sits just a few hundred feet from its original location. It's a must see for anyone passing through Dayton.

After checking out the Kleiber studio, travelers can stretch their legs at Scott Bicentennial Park. The park features volleyball pits, picnic areas, trails for biking, walking and running and access to the Tongue River, a popular fishing area.

Dayton is also a great starting point for recreationists heading into the Tongue River Canyon, which offers hiking, backpacking, rock climbing and kayaking, or up the Bighorn Mountains for any number of adventures.

In June, Dayton plays host to the Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run, a popular race for ultrarunners with its 30K, 50K, 50-mile and 100-mile options.

The downtown area straddles U.S. Highway 14 and is easy to pass by, but it offers plenty to stop for including an ice cream shop, several unique small-town boutiques, the Art Badgett Pool for summer fun and more.

Each year in July, the town holds Dayton Days, a celebration complete with the “Cow Pie Classic” golf tournament played in a cow pasture, a nighttime movie in the park, a pancake breakfast and parade and a larger-than-life water fight that involves a large barrel suspended in the air on a wire that is “pushed” back and forth by teams wielding fire hoses.

WWW.DAYTONWYOMING.ORG TOWN OF DAYTON

• 757 total residents • Male: 376 • Female: 381

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• Under 18: 192 • Largest age group: 50-64: 197

RANCHESTER

History and prehistory come alive in the town of Ranchester, the first stop off Interstate 90 on U.S. Highway 14.

While many people pass through the towns of Ranchester and Dayton on their way to Yellowstone National Park, they are worth a stop of their own. They invite people to slow down and enjoy a little small-town charm.

Ranchester is home to the Connor Battlefield State Historic Site, Tyrannosaurus Rex Museum, Rotary Park and beautiful mountain views.

Connor Battlefield State Historic Site was where the U.S. Army and the Arapahoe tribe met in the Battle of Tongue River, which ended in Connor's troops being forced out of the area.

The battle is considered the most important engagement of the Powder River Expedition of 1865. It caused the Arapahoe to ally with the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes at the Fetterman Fight just a year later.

Town residents held a variety of events to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle in 2015. Local diorama artist Tom Warnke completed a diorama to capture the battle and placed it in the Ranchester Information Center for all to see.

The town park at the Connor Battlefield site also provides playground equipment for children and a monument in honor of the site.

For visitors and locals who want to go back a little further in time, the T-Rex Natural History Museum on U.S. Highway 14 offers a life-size cast skull of the female Tyrannosaurus Rex known as Sue and also a cast of a Triceratops skull known as “Mikey” in honor of the museum’s owner, Mike Dawson.

The museum also features a collection of minerals and crystals, a model of an F-86 fighter jet next door to a scale dinosaur skeleton and a gift shop.

Rotary Park in Ranchester offers visitors a place to relax and enjoy paved walking trails, fishing and picnic facilities.

The town holds a festive Fourth of July celebration each year and also offers a small library, a modern diner called Eat Street and the soon-to-be built Ranchester Mercantile that will feature three businesses and an open-air farmers market.

BIG HORN

Located on the eastern slopes of the Bighorn Mountains alongside Little Goose Creek, Big Horn has more than doubled in size since 2000.

The population of Big Horn in 2000 was 190 people. By the 2010 census, the small town had grown to 490 residents.

While this represents phenomenal growth in just 10 years, it is by no means the largest the town has ever been. At one time, Big Horn had as many as 1,000 residents and sported a college, a brick factory, saloons, churches, a hotel, a livery barn and a mercantile.

The town shrank when it lost the bid to be the county seat to neighboring Sheridan. More people left when it was discovered that three railroads were surveying Sheridan. When the railroads arrived in 1893, Big Horn quickly became a satellite community of Sheridan.

Wealthy cattle and sheep ranchers founded Big Horn in 1882.

Big Horn boasts two polo clubs — Big Horn Polo and Flying H Polo Club — that offer a more laid back atmosphere compared to their eastern and European counterparts.

The town also offers breathtaking views of the Bighorn Mountains; easy access to fishing and backcountry camping up Red Grade Road; is home to The Brinton Museum, a renowned site for the preservation of history and promotion of the arts; and hosts several events with small-town charm like the Big Horn Heritage Days chuckwagon cook-off over Labor Day weekend.

BIG HORN COMMUNITY

• 490 total residents • Under 18: 144 • Male: 244 • Female: 246 • Largest age group: 50-64: 117

For more information on Ranchester, visit WWW.RANCHESTERWYOMING.COM TOWN OF RANCHESTER

• 855 total residents • Male: 432 • Female: 423

• Under 18: 278 • Largest age group: 50-64: 160

For more information on Sheridan County, visit WWW.SHERIDANCOUNTY.COM.

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THE

The Brinton Museum offers “exquisite art in an ideal setting” that became even more ideal this summer.

The Forrest E. Mars Jr. Building opened, and it is likely to make The Brinton a destination museum much like the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Director and Chief Curator Ken Schuster said.

The 24,000-square-foot addition features gallery and education space, a gift shop and a bistro with views of the Bighorn Mountains.

The expanded gallery space exhibits pieces of the Bradford collection that haven’t been displayed in the Brinton Ranch House. It also has three new galleries dedicated to artists integral to the development of Sheridan County as a haven for the arts: Hans Kleiber, Bill Gollings and Ed Borein.

The new building at The Brinton Museum includes three floors. The first and second floor are buried underground to prevent light degradation. The 6,000 square feet of gallery space — triple what The Brinton had — are climate controlled, and preservation of artwork is front and center, Associate Curator Barbara Schuster said.

The building also features educational space for groups like Sheridan College, Science Kids and local school districts.

The museum was built into the hillside in order to preserve the landscape in the area, which was important to its namesake Bradford Brinton and to the Schusters, who have run the museum for more than 25 years. It features a rammed earth wall that is 2 feet thick, 51 feet high — the tallest in North America — and 209 feet long. The wall’s purpose is three-fold —

to strengthen the structure, ensure its longevity and symbolically define the space by bringing together the geographical and spiritual nature of its Western and American Indian art collections.

Plans are now in the works to renovate the former museum to house classroom space, a printmaking studio, a leatherworking shop and more.

Lest all the attention be put on the new addition, though, The Brinton Museum already offered visitors plenty to enjoy.

Opened to the public in 1961, the museum, formerly the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum, features a historic ranch house and cabin built in the late 1800s, abundant flower gardens that replicate the original gardens kept by Helen Brinton, a vast expanse of artwork in the ranch house and exhibits from local and national artists in the main gallery.

Ken Schuster has said he hopes The Brinton Museum will not only preserve historical arts but also preserve the work of contemporary artists and inspire local art collectors.

“On the one hand, we can say art is the least important thing we need to be alive,” Ken Schuster said. “On the other hand, art transforms us from just existence into the next level of being. It makes us human beings and not just one step above animals.”

Climate controlled galleries display works from Frederic Remington to Charles Russell and Edward Borein to Winold Reiss, along with the largest Hans Kleiber collection in the world and the returning Gallatin Collection: more than 100 historic treasures of American Indian art and artifacts. Recently gifted to The Brinton Museum, the Gallatin Collection has been on loan to the Art Institute of Chicago for the last 40 years. More frequent and extensive contemporary exhibits also now have a home on the third floor of the new building, near the bistro.

MORE INFORMATION Location: 239 Brinton Road in Big Horn Phone: 307-672-3173 Website: www.thebrintonmuseum.org Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

Admission: Adults $10, seniors 62 and older $8, students (13 and older with valid ID) $8, bus tours $5/person (minimum of 20 in group), children 12 and younger free.

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ART IN

Downtown Sheridan has proved a mecca for the arts for 13 years, playing host to numerous sculptures that bring about Western culture. Since the first placement in 2002, artists from all around the nation have lent their art in the service of “rekindling pride and belief in community.”

In 1999, then Mayor Jim Wilson assembled the Sheridan Public Arts Committee and aimed to place and promote art at Grinnell Plaza and other areas of Sheridan. This mission succeeded, as there are currently 59 sculptures in place downtown and up to 24 are rotated in or added each spring.

The first sculpture, placed at the corner of Main and Grinnell streets, is a work entitled “Bozeman Scout” by Barry Eisenach. The piece depicts a man looking out over the Bozeman Trail and is one of the few permanent fixtures in the cycle of sculptures. Standing at 8 feet tall, the bronze masterpiece marked the beginning of the cultural journey.

Retired Chairwoman of the Sheridan Public Arts Committee Fachon Wilson spoke of how the sculptures have been donated to the community by the artists. The difference, she said, between the permanent sculptures and temporary ones is that permanent works will be displayed with a metal plaque, while others have plastic.

Of the 59, 17 sculptures are currently listed for sale.

Now found all over the downtown area, the sculptures can be located with the digital map on sheridanpublicarts.com.

For more information, contact the Sheridan Public Arts Committee at spac@downtownsheridan.org or visit WWW.SHERIDANPUBLICARTS.COM.

RIGHT: “Bozeman Scout” by Barry Eisenach is one of the many permanent statues that adorn downtown Sheridan.

This one is located at Grinnell Plaza.

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A spectacle even in the colder months

ABOVE: “Mountain Majesty” by Robert Deurloo stands tall along Grinnell Street. It is another of downtown Sheridan’s permanent art sculptures.

BELOW: “The Boss” is looking a little grumpy after collecting several inches of snow. The sculpture sits on the corner of Brundage and Main streets. The Sheridan Public Arts Committee donated the sculpture made by Dellores B. Shelledy.

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SPONSORSHIP

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PARTNERSHIP

by Zachary White For Ken Thorpe it was all too easy.

He showed up at work one day and told his employees that for every dollar they donated to The Food Group, he’d match.

The Food Group provides a small bag of groceries each Friday, enough for one child, to local school students who are in need.

While his original goal was to help a few students have something to eat during their weekend away from school, that small sponsorship has grown.

Thorpe’s group went from paying for students’ meals, to bagging the meals for students to take home.

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At first the employees at Powder River Heating and Air Conditioning were just filling bags for a few students. Now they’re working on a whole school.

“We were asked to start bagging for Coffeen (Elementary) School,” Thorpe said.

Now, helping The Food Group has become a part of his team’s job.

Powder River Heating and Air Conditioning employees are not required to help, but the work they do for The Food Group is paid for just like any other work they do for their employer.

They go out and pick up the food from Albertsons, which The Food Group has purchased or received as a donation.

Then they haul it back to work and bag the food for individual students at Coffeen Elementary School who need it.

“Every one of our guys here has been back there bagging for them,” Thorpe said.

And the partnership has continued to grow.

Thorpe said they’ve been getting help from the Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center in order to fill the approximately 115 bags they put together every month.

But Thorpe’s isn’t the only group finding success in partnership.

Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation Executive Director Jenny Craft said, for foundations, it comes down to working toward their mission statement.

The Scott Foundation works to support a broad spectrum of organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA and educational endeavors.

But some of the organizations they provide funding to keep coming back because there is a need for the foundation’s help.

“Sometimes a donor does connect to a specific organization and they want to see a program through in perpetuity,” Craft said. “Though it’s not a guarantee that the Scott Foundation would fund those programs every year, we have because

“

We need them [charitable organizations] in our partnership.

– Jenny Craft

”

ABOVE: Julian Skinner, left, and Kristin Healy, right, hold Alivia Healy as they skate at Sheridan Ice. Skinner was matched with the Healy family though Wyoming Big Brothers Big Sisters.

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they are vital for our community.”

Some organizations are funded when they aren’t inherent moneymakers; local foundations and donors fund programs that can’t fully fund themselves.

“We’re not the boots on the streets right there, like actually working with people, but we feel like we’ve been able to partner, and be there with them even if it’s initially just financial,” Craft said.

She added that another aspect for foundations is a legal requirement to donate to nonprofit organizations. Without the existence of nonprofits, foundations would have a difficult time existing.

Foundations are required by law to give at least 5 percent of their monetary assets to charitable organizations every year.

“We need them in our partnerships,” Craft said.

Homer Scott, for whom the foundation was partly named, was president of First Interstate Bank for a period of time. The bank recently expanded its philanthropic reach by partnering with local businesses.

The bank is currently paying interested employees to spend one extra hour a week volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Sandy Thiel, the director of community engagement for BBBS, and former FIB President Mark Kinner negotiated the partnership.

This partnership is a winning relationship for BBBS and the bank.

For a number of years, BBBS had to stop accepting new children because of a lack of funding.

The funding for BBBS comes from grant money and is free for participants.

“As the money ebbs and flows,” Thiel said in an interview with The Sheridan Press, “the level of participation ebbs and flows.”

Over the summer, BBBS was serving approximately 40 kids, however they expected that number to substantially grow with the start of the school year.

Thiel said she hopes the partnership with First Interstate Bank creates a domino effect within the community.

“We’re working hard [to] create long-term support,” she said.

TOP: Naomi Ollie helps Olive Knodel with a food art exercise during a Healthy and Safe Kids event at the YMCA.The Wellness Council of Sheridan County partnered with the YMCA to provide a fun event to promote healthy habits and activity.

ABOVE: Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center volunteer Michael Ryan places sacks of food into boxes for The Food Group as volunteers fill bags at Powder River Heating and Air Conditioning.

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Volun Look around Sheridan County and you’ll see countless charitable organizations and nonprofits trying to help build a stronger community. These groups, however, could not accomplish their goals without people willing to donate time and effort.

Luckily, Sheridan boasts a strong culture of volunteerism, allowing these many programs to flourish.

Haley Roberts serves as the director of volunteers at the Sheridan Senior Center. The third-generation Sheridan County native coordinates the volunteering efforts of more than 600 unpaid helpers who work in some capacity for the Senior Center.

That’s a lot of volunteers for just one of the many organizations that need assistance in Sheridan, but Roberts hasn’t dealt with a shortage so far.

“Sheridan is a very giving community,” she said. “There are tons of people who are willing to volunteer. I volunteer myself, and I’ve always found it easy. If you want to volunteer, there are so many opportunities to volunteer in the area and people willing to help. It’s a very giving culture.”

Roberts took over her current post this summer, but she has volunteered at the Senior Center the last two years. She also helped out at the YMCA and Downtown Sheridan Association.

Volunteering is more than just helping others. Sure, that’s a huge part of it, and the primary motivation, but helping others is a way to strengthen the community and build selfesteem.

“We have people that have started volunteering and now they have all this self

worth,” Roberts said. “They dress differently, they act differently, and you see their confidence is completely different because they can tell that what they’re doing makes a difference.

“That’s how I feel about my job,” she added. “It impacts so many lives, and that’s why I wanted to do it.

It’s very rewarding.”

The Salvation Army also needs a strong cadre of volunteers to keep its operation going, according to Capt.

Donald Warriner.

“The volunteers are the rubber on the ground,” he said. “Without them, we probably wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

About 20 volunteers regularly contribute at different Salvation Army locations, with numerous others helping out semi-regularly. This allows the few paid staffers to finish paperwork and ensure the overall missions are fulfilled.

One of the volunteers at the head of the class for both the Senior Center and Salvation Army is Billie Johnson.

The Sheridan resident won a Jefferson Award this year, one of only four volunteers in Wyoming to earn that recognition in 2015.

The 84-year-old has volunteered for more than 60 years in Guam, Alaska, Florida and now Wyoming.

She’s lived in Sheridan County for 31 years and, after moving here, began helping out wherever she saw a need.

“I know people get hungry,” she said while taking a quick break from her work at a local food bank. “So it’s a joy to be able to help them.”

TOP: First Interstate Bank employees, from left, Jenny Epperson, Jerry Pilch as Mr. Incredible, Anna Doerr as the Queen of Hearts and Shannen Marcure as a deer walk down Main Street to deliver ‘Valentine Heart-a-Grams’ in downtown Sheridan. The valentines are a fundraising effort of the FIB Relay for Life Team to support Relay for Life.

BOTTOM: Billie Johnson was recognized as a 2015 Jefferson Award volunteer for her community service spanning decades. Johnson has volunteered in communities including Guam, Florida and Sheridan.

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“

nteerism

There are tons of people who are willing to volunteer. I volunteer myself, and I’ve always found it easy. If you want to volunteer, there are so many opportunities to volunteer in the area and people willing to help. It’s a very giving culture.

– Haley Roberts

”

A community. A culture.

by Travis Pearson

Johnson volunteers at The Salvation Army, People Assistance Food Bank, Joy Junction Children’s Church, the Sheridan Senior Center’s dining room and thrift store, the Second Chance Cat Rescue and the YMCA’s Vacation Bible School.

Johnson keeps volunteering because she loves to meet people and sees a need in the community. For example, she noticed kids in Sunday school who had not had a meal since school on Friday, so she started a meal program. That led to volunteering at The Salvation Army, and so forth.

Vanessa Thiele can relate. The recent transplant from Texas began volunteering at the Senior Center in the spring and has no plans of stopping. She started with a couple programs here and there, then she worked as an AmeriCorps summer associate, and now she is employed by the Senior Center but keeps volunteering when she’s not on the clock.

At one time or another, Thiele has delivered meals, worked as a registrar, served lunch at Heritage Towers and ran the children’s department of the all-volunteer Green Boomerang Thrift Store.

“I enjoy the balance that I get with helping with office work and also just the interaction with all the members there,” she said. “It’s such a welcoming facility, and there is so much good they’re doing for the community. Once I started, I got sucked in and I just don’t want to leave.”

Thiele previously lived in San Antonio, Texas, a large metropolitan area of roughly 1.4 million. While plenty of people surely volunteer there, Sheridan has a close-knit vibe between all of the volunteer organizations that Thiele said she didn’t notice in Texas. This feeling creates a strong culture of volunteerism in the community.

“I’ve come to really appreciate that about Sheridan,” she concluded.

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Angels

SHERIDAN

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Of all of the nonprofits in the Sheridan area, the Sheridan Angels operate most closely under the theme of this edition of Destination Sheridan: paying it forward.

The group started in 2013 after Kelley Olson found herself in Sheridan after escaping an abusive marriage.

With four children to provide for and a fifth on the way, it was the first time in her life Olson said she truly needed help.

She arrived in town on a Friday evening, which meant that most services wouldn’t be open until Monday. For days, she couldn’t feed her children.

“That kind of stuff can happen to anyone,” Olson said.

So having been in an emergency situation, Olson started to find ways to help other people in the community in similar situations. She wanted to pay it forward.

“I didn’t want to duplicate the services that were already available, but fill in the gaps,” she said.

The Sheridan Angels provide help in crisis, but not longterm services, to anyone who asks. The process to apply is simple, but Olson tracks all of the information of who was helped and why.

This way it’s “open, honest and immediate,” she said.

Working with a small board, the nonprofit has provided shelter, food and necessities to hundreds of people within the county as well as school supplies and food for Sheridan children.

Although the main focus is helping those in crisis, Olson has said she has a soft spot for helping a little extra around the holidays. One Christmas, a new Sheridan family found themselves living in a hotel after a job fell through. The Sheridan Angels were on the scene as soon as Olson caught word. Presents, lights and holiday cheer were delivered.

For those children, Olson helped keep the magic alive during those festive days.

Now, that family is paying it forward by helping Olson and the Sheridan Angels.

By building connections with neighbors, families and other organizations like Toys for Tots and The Salvation Army, Olson said she believes the group can continue furthering its impact.

Having started as a Facebook group of 30, she has seen that number climb to more than 3,000 members.

In addition to an increase in its membership, the nonprofit has also seen a high supply and demand for donations. With so many donations rolling in, the organization first had to move from Olson’s laundry room to a permanent location in town. Recently, the nonprofit moved to 151 W. Brundage St. Although busy, Olson said she keeps looking for ways to improve and expand the Sheridan Angels. Eventually that might lead to chapters in different cities and states.

Through it all, though, Olson said “paying it forward” will remain crucial to the nonprofit’s success and mission. “(Paying it forward) is a very important, key role to the success of making a positive impact in this town and neighboring communities,” Olson said.

The nonprofit even encourages those individuals who receive help to pay it forward when they can.

LEFT: Sheridan Angels president and founder Kelley Olson, right, stands with her mother Jerrine DeFratis, also an Angel, inside the Sheridan Angels nonprofit location at 151 W. Brundage St. The Angels are a pay-it-forward organization that helps families get back on their feet.

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ABOVE: Huskers coach Bino Gaona instructs a player as his team plays defense during a Sheridan Recreation District Little Guy Football game.

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Fred Huckfeldt loves football. From September to February, he’s locked in, focused on just about everything that involves the old pigskin.

During the week, you might spot Huckfeldt sporting a ball cap and sunglasses as he marches up and down the sideline at Madia Field. Huckfeldt coaches the Illini, one of the 10 thirdand fourth-grade teams that play in the Sheridan Recreation District’s Little Guy Football league.

MENTORSHIP through

COACHING

by Mike Pruden

Huckfeldt is just one of the numerous volunteers — 200, by SRD Executive Director Richard Wright’s estimate — who takes a few hours out of his week to coach in one of Sheridan’s youth sports leagues.

To Huckfeldt, he’s just another football-loving dad who wants to share some time on the field with his son.

But for Wright and the Recreation District, he’s an integral part of the program.

“I was going to see about coaching anyways,” Huckfeldt said, speaking on signing up to help with Little Guy Football. “But they said if we didn’t go coach, the kids wouldn’t be able to play.”

The Recreation District relies on these coaches — volunteers — to keep the leagues afloat. While the SRD provides schedules, facilities, uniforms and equipment, the coaches are the ones that teach the skills. Wright said it’s a serious task that most people don’t comprehend right away.

“We just couldn’t do it without them,” Wright said. “The thing with a lot of these coaches is, they have to be really, really careful with what they’re doing. The stuff they’re teaching and the proper way to teach the skills, we spend a lot of time talking about that.”

Along with skills and techniques, the SRD looks at its volunteers as mentors.

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It’s a way to bring all people from all segments of the community together and put them in a similar situation.

“Sports are just a good thing for kids,” Huckfeldt said, attesting to why he enjoys coaching at the youth level. “It helps them understand competition. They’re growing and learning.

“It’s amazing to see some of these kids,” he added. “I was kind of shy at that age. These kids, they immediately step forward to help out. Everyone talks about paying it forward, and these kids are doing that.”

Wright said that it isn’t just the coaches that volunteer their time and effort to help with recreation in Sheridan. Most of these coaches work normal, full-time jobs here in town. It’s their employers that allow them to take the time off when needed to help coach.

“If someone wants to take off an hour early to go coach football for six weeks, the employers in Sheridan really work with them,” Wright said.

“That doesn’t happen all the time. But in Sheridan, it happens a lot more than it doesn’t happen.

It’s a community thing. It’s hard to get away from your job, but Sheridan still has that small community atmosphere that supports community recreation.”

Huckfeldt just hopes to instill some of his passion for the game into the gang of kids he coaches for a few hours each week.

“It builds character,” he said. “But it’s nice to see them out of the house instead of at home playing Playstation all day long.”

Little Guy Football, along with the other programs the district offers, brings together the multiple parts of an already close-knit community.

Huckfeldt has coached his son’s team for three years now, and hopes to continue even after his son is beyond his SRD-playing years.

“If they asked me to help, I’d absolutely step in and help,” Huckfeldt said. “I wouldn’t let these kids go without playing.”

It’s about giving everyone a chance to play and find something they enjoy.

“We may not cover it all and we may not win every game,” Huckfeldt said, “but we’re going to have a blast doing it.”

“

If they asked me to help, I’d absolutely step in and help. I wouldn’t let these kids go without playing.

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”

How can

RIGHT: Fallyn Ragsdale mounts her horse with volunteer Sherry Buck holding the reins during a CHAPS Fall Western Classic horsemanship competition. CHAPS is a non-profit organization that offers equine therapy to people with developmental disabilities and special needs.

by Alisa Brantz On any given weekend in Sheridan County, residents can attend fundraising functions for this cause or that.

Oftentimes they have a choice between more than one activity with the packed schedule of community events. It seems as if the list of local nonprofits in need of funds is never ending.

But there are ways for Sheridanites who may not be wealthy benefactors to pay it forward while still being able to pay their own bills. No matter your skillset, preferences, personal time commitments or family situation, there is a way to give back that will fit into your lifestyle.

Amy Albrecht, executive director at the Sheridan College Center for a Vital Community, is a busy woman. Running a nonprofit and raising a family is enough to fill any day. But she still finds ways to give back and reminds the community of the importance of doing so.

“I'm a firm believer that when you give of your time and talents for the good of someone else, it's so worth it,” Albrecht said. “I don't have lots of free time but I wish I spent more of it in service to others. It sounds so cheesy, but the best high is seeing someone happily surprised because you've done something for them that's unexpected and appreciated. It's addictive.”

Albrecht added that there is much more to giving than just donating.

“Applying your time and talents for the good of someone else will always pay dividends far beyond your expectations,” Albrecht said.

Here are a few examples of ways Sheridan area residents can get involved that don’t involve your wallet.

RIGHT: Galen Chase, left, visits with Bruce Akerman during the grand opening of the Volunteers of America Penrose Place on East Sixth Street. The Penrose Place is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and includes 15 single-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors and veterans.

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RIGHT: Shaylen Anderson stands with an open sack as others work to fill the bags with food for The Food Group at the K-Life house. K-life volunteers fill approximately 48 sacks of food each week to be distributed by The Food Group to various schools throughout Sheridan County.

Use your SKILLS The majority of nonprofits are run, at least in part, by a board of unpaid volunteers. That often means jobs requiring specific training or skillsets are hard to fill.

Maybe you’re good with numbers: Offer your accounting services to a small organization in need. The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is always looking for counselors to provide free income tax assistance and preparation.

Perhaps you have a knack for design: Someone has to make all those event fliers you see around town. If landscape art is your specialty, the Big Horn Equestrian Center is often looking for grounds keepers.

Are you a teacher during the day? Share your knowledge at night by tutoring area students or use breaks to visit early learning centers and teach your future students as a special guest lecturer.

Whatever you get paid to do, there is surely someone out there that needs that service if you are willing to donate your time and skills.

Use your PASSION Maybe you didn’t make it your living, but we all have things in life we’re passionate about. There is inevitably a nonprofit out there with a similar passion itching to have you join them.

Do you have it in your heart to help those in need but don’t know how? Try being a 24/7 Crisis Line volunteer for the Advocacy and Resource Center, responding to calls from victims of violent crimes such as domestic abuse.

Organizations including the American Cancer Society, Child Advocacy Services of the Big Horns and Big Brothers Big Sisters allow you to translate parts of your personal history into a better future for others.

If you prefer to serve friends of a four legged-nature, the Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter is always seeking dog walkers, cat socializers and general support.

Use your RESOURCES No matter what the cause, nonprofits take manpower to make them work. Helping to stuff backpacks for The Food Group or serving lunch at the Lunch Together soup kitchen doesn’t take much training, but it takes time and helping hands.

Even if all you have time to do is clean out your closet, there are numerous donation centers including The Salvation Army that put your household items and clothing to good use.

With a plethora of opportunities available and myriad organizations in town, there is truly something for everyone.

Don’t know where to start? Check out the 2015 Volunteer Guide sponsored in part by The Sheridan Press and available online at WWW.SERVEWYOMING.ORG.

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WHAT DOES

MEAN?

Paying it forward has become a slogan of sorts nationwide.

We’ve all seen the news articles: • In August 2014, nearly 400 people paid it forward by buying coffee for the next person in line at a Florida Starbucks. • In Utah in September 2015, a waitress received a $3,000 tip from an anonymous member of “Tips for Jesus,â€? a group that has been giving out huge gratuities all over the country. • In September 2015 in Sturgis, South Dakota, more than 150 people paid it forward at a local coffee shop there. • In Sheridan, Andi’s Coffee House has a board that allows patrons to put a certain amount of money to another to pay it forward. The coffee kudos go out to everyone from spouses to “the next redhead.â€?

All around the world, in ways that include more than the morning cup of joe, people are paying it forward.

Neighbors help neighbors. We raise money for each other when we incur overwhelming medical bills. We donate used clothing to places like The Red Door and Green Boomerang thrift stores. We drop some change or bills into the red kettles during the holiday season through The Salvation Army.

All around our community, people are paying it forward.

And while the definition of that phrase seems straightforward, we asked Sheridan area residents to tell us what they think it means to “pay it forward.�

Some defined it as giving back, others had more creative and diverse answers.

by Zachary White

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“Giving things to people who don’t have as much.�

“Giving back would mean not only do you run a business to earn a living, but you use it to help the community as well.�

“Paying for somebody that isn’t there yet to buy something.�

“Helping someone else so they can help you back.�

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“When you do a good deed, someone else will do a good deed. It’s like a domino effect.�

“To me it’s a random act of kindness. I try to do them as often as I can.�

“It means doing something really kind, and hopefully because you did something someone else will do something nice for someone else.�

“If they give you money to give to your friend, you shouldn’t keep it.�

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“It means I have to go to school.�

“Giving someone a gift that you received, something good.�

“It’s giving somebody else younger a chance.�

“When you’re paying for something, pay for it in person instead of online.�

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(shrugs)

“It’s like you’re going to keep going. Like if I want to get an A in math, then I would keep studying really hard.�

“If you have a gift or something, you want to take that knowledge and teach it to someone else.�

“Giving something away to help other children.�

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“If you owe someone something, it’s kind of like paying it back.�

“It means paying for it earlier than you get it.

Money up front.�

“It’s, like, giving back to your community.�

“I guess that’s when you pay for something in advance.�

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THE

OUTDOORS

BLAZING TRAILS During the snowstorms that come through the area all winter, most residents hunker down in their warm and dry homes. However, several Sheridan residents head into the snow and the mountains to prepare local ski trails for users.

For more than a decade, members of the Black Mountain Nordic Club have sponsored maintenance of the cross-country ski trails in the Bighorn National Forest around Sibley Lake and Cutler Hill. The trails are open to both cross-country skiers and snowshoers.

The club was formally organized and achieved nonprofit status in 2001, but the founders and other volunteers had actually been grooming trails since the late 1970s.

“Jim Goodwin and myself and a couple other people started plodding around Sibley and thought there was some potential for ski trails there and it kind of got started from there,” Curt Schwamb said. “We formed the club and it has sort of grown from that point. We’ve accumulated equipment little by little.”

The group now has a handful of snowmobiles and implements used for grooming trails.

“We try to groom once a week, depending on snow conditions,” Schwamb explained. “If you get a lot of snow, it is a lot of work. For an average weekend, if you got 6 inches of snow that week you are probably looking at 10 man-hours to get everything in good condition. It is a second job.”

The trails at Sibley Lake and Cutler Hill are nine and four miles respectively, but each trail needs repeated passes to properly pack the snow. Therefore, it often takes 70 miles of travel over the trails to get them in usable condition.

Dues from club members are funneled back into maintenance activities.

The group operates under a volunteer agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain the trails. The group volunteers member time and equipment, while the USFS pays for fuel expenses for the equipment. The USFS also pays for and installs the trailhead signs.

Cheri Jones, a USFS recreation staff member, said the service the club provides is hugely beneficial to the USFS and the skiing public.

“I am amazed at what they do for us,” Jones said. “It is incredible to have that energy level and involvement and commitment. The forest I came from before this, we paid big bucks to have just eight miles of trails groomed.”

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ting new members and the more members they get the more they can spread that work out,” she added. “They are always coming up with ideas to make things better and new projects.”

The volunteer nature of the club ensures that access to the trails is free to the public. Schwamb noted that many other ski areas are often operated by government entities or businesses that charge a daily or season fee to cover maintenance costs.

Members of the Black Mountain Nordic Club receive weekly email notifications of trail conditions and weather reports. Schwamb encourages anyone interested in joining or supporting the group to contact them through the website WWW.BLACKMOUNTAINNORDIC.COM. “They are an amazing source of expertise and assistance and support,” Jones said. “I don’t know if the public appreciates it enough. There is a lot of work that goes into that.

“It is hard to even quantify the value that they provide to us. We appreciate it tremendously, more than words can express.”

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The opportunities in the Bighorn Mountains for enjoyable treks are endless – whether adventurers choose to follow established trails or blaze their own. The following is a list of some well-loved points of interest in the area. A complete list of trails and a map of the Bighorn National Forest are available from the U.S. Forest Service Office located at 2013 Eastside Second St. in Sheridan.

TONGUE RIVER CANYON To reach this trailhead, head west on U.S. Highway 14 to County Road 92 just before Dayton. The trailhead begins at the end of County Road 92 and continues 11.2 miles to Forest Service Road 196. It is not necessary to hike the entire distance, however. Many locals make Tongue River Canyon a short day-trip to put their feet in the cool rapids of the Tongue River and enjoy the beauty of high canyon walls towering above.

Those willing to trek up the canyon are rewarded with an open meadow filled with wildflowers in the spring.

SIBLEY LAKE This oft-traveled trail boasts two picnic areas, a campground and the lake with fishing and boating access. The trail system in the area provides hiking options in the summer and Nordic ski and snowshoe trails in the winter. The trail includes several miles for exploration around the manmade lake built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and also winds into mountain meadows and back to a warming hut west of the lake. To reach Sibley Lake, travel west on U.S. Highway 14 past Steamboat Point and Black Mountain Road, following signs to Sibley Lake.

BLACK MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT This trail will take you to the historic Black Mountain Fire Lookout built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The elevation of the lookout is 9,500 feet, and it provides spectacular views south toward Black Tooth Mountain and east toward Steamboat Point. Black Mountain Lookout is a rewarding but relatively short and easy day hike, clocking in at approximately 2 miles from the camping area off of Black Mountain Road. There is a two-seater outhouse at the top before the last rocky jaunt to the lookout. To reach the trailhead, travel west on Highway 14, turn onto Forest Road 16 (Black Mountain Road) and then head east on Forest Service Road 222.

MEDICINE WHEEL NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK While the drive from Sheridan to this historic landmark takes time, the impact of the site on visitors is significant. Constructed approximately 700 years ago, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is believed to have been built by a member of the Crow Tribe before the tribes that now occupy the area arrived. The landmark is made of rocks gathered in the area and arranged into a “wheel” with 28 spokes about 8 feet long that radiate from a center pile of stones. The piles of rocks at the end of each spoke line up with stars to mark important dates in Crow culture. The walk to the landmark from the parking area is approximately 2 miles. To find this important piece of Wyoming history, follow Highway 14 west and turn onto Highway 14A. Turn onto Forest Service Road 12 and travel 2 miles to find the parking area, which also offers restroom facilities.

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STEAMBOAT POINT A breathtaking landmark in the Bighorn Mountains, Steamboat Point is visible from U.S. Highway 14 and resembles the bow of a steamboat, especially during a fog-filled morning. Hikers can make the trek to the top of Steamboat Point for 360-degree views of the Bighorns and surrounding valleys. The hike is just under 1 mile but is a steep climb. Parking is available at the base of Steamboat Point, approximately 19 miles up Highway 14 from the town of Dayton.

BUCKING MULE FALLS Trekkers have two options on this trail. An easy, fairly flat 3-mile trail to an overlook of the falls provides a short jaunt primarily in the shade of towering evergreens. This hike to the overlook takes just a few hours roundtrip. The second option is a more strenuous 11mile trail that drops down into and out of Devil Canyon. The U.S. Forest Service also recommends this trail for backpacking and horse trips. The trailhead for this trek has facilities for horses and camping is allowed. To get to the trailhead, take U.S. Highway 14 west and get on Highway 14A at Burgess Junction. Head west then turn north on Forest Service Road 14, following signage to the trailhead.

ACCOMMODATIONS Recreationists have long known the attraction of the Bighorn Mountains and lodges in the mountains as well as the local economy are reaping the benefits.

Bear Lodge, Elk View Lodge and Arrowhead Lodge are located on the north end of the Bighorn National Forest and operate yearround.

In the wintertime, snowmobilers not only find a place to stay and buy food, they also purchase decals, which are required to ride on BEAR LODGE ELK VIEW LODGE trails in Wyoming. They can also buy fuel at Bear Lodge Resort.

While wintertime is the busiest time for these three lodges, summer and fall can also bring in its share of business. Hunters tracking big game often stay at the lodges. Summer brings bus tours, weddings, family reunions and of course motorcyclists who are heading to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Other lodges in the Bighorns include the Paradise Guest Ranch, located 16 miles from Buffalo.

H E AT I N G & A I R C O N D I T I O N I N G I N C .

Owners have said the facility hosts about 60 guests per week and runs at capacity during the summer months.

The guest ranch offers horseback riding, hiking, fishing and kids activities.

Wyoming High Country Lodge — located 30 miles west of Lovell — is another active lodge in the Bighorns.

Owners have estimated that between Dec. 1 and March 13 the lodge sees 670 guests with another 1,000 stopping through for 529 North Main Street, Sheridan food or gas.

Many of the visitors come from Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.

The year-round lodge offers horseback riding, hunting, fishing, ATV riding, biking and pack trips during the spring, summer and fall Locally owned & operated for over months. In the winter, the lodge is a starting point 40 YEARS!! for many snowmobilers, Independent Dealer cross-country skiers and snowkiters.

The area lodges, whether year-round or summer focused, have one primary goal — to welcome people to It’s Hard To Stop A Trane! the Bighorns.

ARROWHEAD LODGE

KOSMA Furnaces Fireplaces Air Conditioning

Heat Pumps Stoves & More

674-9070

40 YEARS!!

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When some people think of survival, they think of a tanned and toned woman in a bikini eating bugs on “Survivor.” Others may think of Chris McCandless burning his money and throwing off the world’s restraints to live in a bus in Alaska from the story, “Into the Wild.”

Not many people think of huddling beneath a snowy pine tree, sopping wet and shivering so hard you can barely breathe while looking at a starless sky and wondering if you’ll see the morning.

Not many think of the mixed feeling of stupidity and panic when you find yourself lost in an unexpected snowstorm without snacks and water because you thought you’d only be out an hour.

“People have this romantic notion of survival,” Sheridan College winter survival instructor Dave Malutich said. “They have this idea of

WINTER SURVIVAL heading into the mountains, something happening and relying on their intuition to get out alive. That kind of thinking leaves out a piece that’s very important to survival: what they should have done before they left.”

In short, survival is less about playing the hero and more about thinking like a Boy Scout. Prepping before trekking — anywhere for any reason — is key.

As long-time Sheridan Search and Rescue member and avid outdoorsmen Ron Condos would say: “The best survival tool anyone has is their brain.”

MAKE A PLAN …and stick to it.

Before any trip, even an afternoon of cross-country skiing, make a plan.

Malutich said the five Ws work well. Ask yourself who you are going with, what you are doing, where you are going and when you will depart and return. The “why” is obvious: because it’s fun!

Use maps, books, the Internet and friends to gather information on the area you will visit.

If you’re not sure what the terrain is like where you’re heading, ask someone who knows. If you don’t know how to properly read a map, learn. Knowing distances, terrains and predicted weather conditions will help you create a realistic plan.

Also, know the skill level of those going with you on the trip, Malutich said. Be honest with each other about what is doable with the time and skill levels in the group.

If possible, avoid being a lone ranger, and always stick to your plan.

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PREP LIKE A BOY SCOUT

IF YOU DO GET STUCK…

Always be prepared to spend a night outdoors when heading out on a winter excursion, Malutich said. If a trek does end up in a tight spot, the outcome will be better if trekkers are prepared.

Use your plan created with the five Ws to guide your preparations. Are you snowmobiling or snowshoeing? How long will you be out? What will the weather be like where you’re heading? Knowing what your trip will entail will help you prepare.

Malutich said every person on every trip — don’t rely on someone else — should always take the 10 essentials for survival in some form or another.

The longer the trip, the more supplies should be packed, but even an afternoon trek can turn into an overnighter if a snowstorm rolls in or a snowmobile breaks down. While a pack of supplies may seem cumbersome for a short trip, it won’t be if it’s needed.

One of the most important preparations? Tell your plan to someone you trust. Tell them where you are going, what you are doing and when you will return. Also give them an indication of when you would like them to call for help based on your comfort level with spending a night outdoors. Be realistic and give yourself some wiggle room.

Even the most prepared can wind up in a sticky situation. If you do get lost or stuck, stay calm. Panic leads to poor decisions.

Do something small like eating a snack or looking at a map.

Focus on what you can do in that moment and not on what you should have done or can’t do. Examine the situation and decide on a rational course of action.

If you are 100 percent sure of the way out and have enough light to make it, start the trip out. If darkness is setting in or you aren’t sure, build a shelter, put out markers to catch rescuers’ attention, ration calories so you have enough to last the night, build a fire and hunker down for the night.

“It’s better to stay put. If you’re prepared and someone knows where you are, you’ll make it,” Malutich said.

Also, don’t underestimate the importance of staying warm.

It’s better to go a night without sleep and keep moving to stay warm, Malutich said.

Condos noted that common sense can go a long way, too.

He was once on a rescue where a woman had been told to stay with her snow machine if it got stuck, so she did. However, she was so panicked about being stuck and about not leaving her machine that she didn’t realize she was only 30 feet from the road even though she could hear other snow machines passing nearby.

In that situation, it would have been better to keep the machine in sight but trek toward the sound of potential help, Condos said.

Remember: your brain is your best survival tool, so don’t forget to use it.

AVOID OVEREXTENSION In his 30 years on Search and Rescue, Condos said the most common situation that gets people in trouble is overextension.

They go further than they should, disregarding skill level or time constraints, forget how early the sun sets in the winter or get miles into the backcountry and their snowmobile runs out of gas, gets stuck or breaks down.

“It’s the snow machine that strands the person, not the person that strands the snow machine,” Condos said.

Overextension can occur when people push their limits, often as the result of peer pressure or fear of looking weak, Malutich said. Be honest about your abilities and combat cold the instant you feel it. Protect yourself from wind, cold and moisture with proper clothing and by generating your own heat through movement and calorie consumption.

“You must fuel your own internal combustion engine,” Malutich said.

FACTORS THAT LEAD TO RISKY SITUATIONS There are several facets of human character that can often lead to risky situations that end up as survival situations.

F – Familiarity: When someone feels like they know a place and don’t notice changing conditions.

A – Acceptance: When people seek acceptance from their peers and don’t speak up when they are uncomfortable.

C – Commitment: When people cave in to a “We’ve come this far already,” or “We’re so close” mentality.

E – Expert halo: When people trust a leader’s judgment like he or she is wearing a halo of expertise.

T – Tracks: When people seek fresh tracks and a fresh thrill and ignore dangerous warning signs or get too far out.

S – Social proof: When people want bragging rights and push too far.

ESSENTIALS FOR SURVIVAL

1. Navigation (map and compass) 2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen) 3. Insulation (extra clothing) 4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight) 5. First-aid supplies

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6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles) 7. Repair kit and tools 8. Nutrition (extra food) 9. Hydration (extra water) 10. Emergency shelter

KNOW Planning to go hunting this year?

Avoid these common violations...

Most hunters follow hunting laws and regulations. Occasionally, however, some folks inadvertently or intentionally run afoul of the law. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department reminds hunters to carefully read hunting laws and regulations. They are designed to promote safety and conservation of wildlife. The following is a listing of five common violations that crop up every hunting season: • Failure to tag. Every big game, trophy game and wild turkey license has a carcass coupon attached. Each license has the tagging instructions printed on the coupon. There are four steps to properly tag big game, trophy game or wild turkey.

Detach the carcass coupon from the license.

Date the carcass coupon by cutting out the entire date and month of the kill.

Sign the carcass coupon (but not before harvest).

Attach the coupon to the carcass before leaving the site of the kill. The coupon may be removed during transportation to prevent its loss, but it must be in possession of the person accompanying the carcass.

• Shooting from a vehicle. It is illegal to take any game species from a motorized vehicle. This includes all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. Hunters possessing a handicapped hunter permit issued by Wyoming are exempt from this requirement.

• Shooting from a public road. It is illegal to shoot a firearm or bow from, across or along a public road. A public road is any road that is open to vehicular traffic to the public. The road surface, the area between fences on a fenced public road or highway and the area 30 feet perpendicular to the road surface on unfenced roads is considered the public road. Two-track trails on public land are not considered public roads for this purpose.

• Failure to retain evidence of sex. Many Wyoming hunting licenses require the taking of a specific sex of animal. There are also season dates in some hunt areas when only a specific sex of animal can be taken. To satisfy the proof of sex requirement the regulation states, “in areas where the taking of any big game animal is restricted to a specific sex of animal, either the visible external sex organs, head or antlers shall accompany the animal as a whole or edible portion thereof.”

• Trespass. It is illegal to enter private land to hunt, fish or trap without permission from the landowner or person in charge of the property. The hunting license should be signed by the landowner/agent or the hunter should have other legitimate proof of permission. It is the hunter’s responsibility to know where they are.

the rules!

Hunting regulations can be obtained from WGFD offices or licenseselling agents. Hunters can see the Game and Fish website at HTTP://WGFD.WYO.GOV to view all hunting and fishing regulations.

Bruce Scigliano is the Sheridan game warden for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

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OF THE

LUCK DRAW Talk to almost any hunter and they will tell you that the keys to being successful in a hunt are good marksmanship — gained through months of practice — a familiarity with your quarry and its habits and habitat, and certainly a dose of luck sometimes… being in the right place at the right time.

However, the opportunity to even be in the field with an elk or deer tag in hand is also largely a game of chance, as getting a license in many areas of the state is contingent on your application being picked in the statewide license draw conducted each year by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

The state is divided into a series of numbered hunt areas for various species such as deer, elk and antelope. The game and fish commission, based on recommendations and input from state biologists, landowners, hunters and other members of the public, sets the number of available licenses for each species in each hunt area in the state each year.

Because the number of hunters can sometimes exceed the number of available licenses or tags, the WGFD operates a computerized, random drawing for licenses in sought after, or limited quota, areas. Each spring, residents and nonresidents submit applications to the draw, with draws for different species being operated differently.

As an example, Jean Cole, WGFD fiscal division chief, described how the nonresident elk draw takes place, beginning by stating that only 16 percent of the elk tag quota is reserved for nonresidents.

“What happens in the drawing is, nonresident landowners are allocated licenses before anyone else,” she explained, noting that landowners must meet certain criteria set forth in WGFD commission regulations in order to be eligible for the draw. “Then, whatever is left, that quota is split. Forty percent is for the special draw, 60 percent for the regular draw. Special means the applicant has paid a higher price for that license ($1,057 compared to $577 in the case of elk). They are paying a higher fee because they figure fewer people are willing to pay that higher amount and the odds might be better.”

For the special draw, the 40 percent is then divided 75 percent and 25 percent. The 75 percent of licenses are put into another drawing for preference point holders. Hunters who have been unsuccessful in previous years’ draws receive one preference point per year, or they can purchase one preference point per year for $50. As those points accumulate over the years, their odds of drawing a license in the future increase.

The applicants are then ranked according to how many preference points they have, and in the case of a party application where up to six people apply together, the total preference points for everyone in the group is averaged.

“We sort applicants by the highest number of points they have,” explained Cole, noting that each one is also assigned a random number. “Those with the lowest random number and highest preference point value, they have the first shot at the hunt area

they are looking for.”

The remaining 25 percent are entered into a separate random draw that is not based on preference points.

When the special draw is complete, an entirely new process is started for the regular draw.

“As you can see, there are lots of drawings being held within a single allocation of elk licenses,” Cole said. “It is very complicated!”

Wyoming residents have a much better chance of getting a license for a limited quota area, since 84 percent of the available licenses are reserved for them. The process is similar to how nonresident elk licenses are drawn, however, it is simplified. After the landowner licenses are taken off the top, the remainder of the quota is then put through the draw, with no preference point allocations. Residents also have the option of purchasing a general license over-the-counter in many hunt areas that have a general season, versus a limited quota.

Of course, certain areas of the state are more sought after and therefore, harder to draw. In general, areas with large tracts of public land are harder to draw for, because more people apply for those areas due to easy access. Areas that are easier to draw tend to have lots of private land where access can be restricted and fees are sometimes required. Also, some areas of the state are known for producing large bull elk or buck deer and antelope and have large numbers of hunters seeking to hunt there, decreasing the draw odds for those areas.

Aside from having an accumulation of preference points and putting in for a hunt area with good drawing odds, there is little a hunter can do to increase his or her chance of getting a limited quota license. However, the WGFD website does note that hunters should submit their applications well in advance of the deadline, in case any mistakes or omissions are found on the application and it needs to be returned for corrections.

Despite the sometimes complicated effort to get a license, once in hand, many hunters are successful. For more information, visit the WGFD website at HTTP://WGFD.WYO.GOV. 72

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HUNTING OUTLOOK

from The Associated Press

For the first time in a handful of years, biologists have good news about many Wyoming antelope populations.

Back-to-back years with few fawn born followed a harsh 2010 and 2011 winter. Hunting license numbers shrank as wildlife managers struggled to keep pace with the dwindling herds.

But that story line may be changing, said Justin Binfet, Casper wildlife management coordinator for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “Last year was excellent in terms of overwinter survival and fawn production,� he said. “This year, we're on the track for good fawn production again.�

Antelope numbers in the Lander region are in the same position. Hunters can thank recent mild winters and wet springs and summers. Less snowpack and slightly warmer winter temperatures helped more animals survive, and rainy spring and early summer translated into better groceries and healthier mothers and young, said Daryl Lutz, the Lander region's wildlife management coordinator.

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Licenses haven't changed notably in either area — wildlife managers are waiting to see the longterm impacts of the fawn number bump — but the prospects are good. And those hunters with a buck license can expect to see healthier animals with bigger horns. “My anticipation is we are seeing the beginning of a healthy antelope recovery pretty much region wide,� Lutz told the Casper Star-Tribune.

Mule deer populations look similar. Despite declines across the West, numbers in the central part of the state appear to be rebounding slightly. “I don't want to paint an overly rosy picture for mule deer or antelope, but there is a little good news,� Binfet said. “And we've had five years of bad news.�

Some archery antelope and elk seasons have already begun.

Below are species highlights from the WGFD regarding this year's hunting outlook. For more detailed information on seasons, maps and quotas, go to WGFD.WYO.GOV.

ELK

PRONGHORN Northeast Wyoming has abundant herds of antelope. Fawn production in 2014 was the highest in many years and over-winter survival was good. Antelope populations should grow as weather and forage production in 2015 has been favorable for another above average year of fawn production. The favorable conditions have also been good for horn growth. Hunting seasons have been designed to give hunters plenty of opportunity.

The outlook for antelope hunting in most of the Sheridan Region is very good. However, in those hunt areas north of Gillette and Moorcroft, especially Hunt Area 18, antelope populations are still lower than a few years ago, so license numbers have been set accordingly. In the Sheridan Region antelope hunt areas, hunters are allowed to purchase a second any antelope license and up to four doe/fawn licenses.

However, potential hunters need to be aware that most antelope hunting is found on private land and they should make arrangements for a place to hunt prior to buying licenses. Hunters willing to wait until after the opening day and first weekend of the season may find it easier to get access to private lands.

It is possible to find some antelope on the parcels of public lands scattered around northeast Wyoming, but hunters can expect to find other hunters also using those lands. Because of crop damage issues, Hunt Areas 22 and 102 near Buffalo will once again have early rifle doe/ fawn seasons beginning Sept. 1 in portions of the hunt areas.

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The Sheridan Region contains some of Wyoming’s well-known elk hunt areas. Those hunters who were successful in drawing one of the highly sought after limited quota any elk licenses for a hunt area in the Bighorn Mountains, the Rochelle Hills or the Fortification will have the opportunity for a great hunt with the possibility of bringing home a real trophy.

The limited quota “any elk” hunting season in Hunt Area 123 will be open this fall after not being opened since 2013. Because potential hunters know there are some large bulls in this hunt area it was one of the hardest licenses to draw in the state.

For those hunters that did not draw a license there are still some leftover antlerless elk licenses available and residents can purchase a general license to hunt in Areas 36 and 37. Success for general license hunters and limited quota antlerless elk license hunters tends to be much lower than those who have a limited quota any elk license, but they can still enjoy time together hunting with family and friends.

In a portion of 11 Hunt Area 37, cow/calf hunting was scheduled to open Sept. 1 and close Sept. 30. This season was designed to allow rifle hunters the opportunity to harvest an elk before they leave a small portion of public land or harvest elk off the national forest. Antlerless elk (Type 4 license) hunting in Hunt Area 38 will again begin on Oct. 1 which should significantly increase hunter success.

A third year of enhanced brucellosis surveillance will be conducted in the Bighorn Mountain elk hunt areas. Elk hunters are encouraged to collect blood samples from harvested elk in the blood tubes provided as part of the brucellosis surveillance project. WGFD personnel in the field will have spare blood tubes available and will accept samples from successful hunters.

MOOSE Moose inhabit many areas of the Bighorn Mountains but are most often observed in riparian habitats along major streams. Limited quota moose licenses for any moose in Hunt Areas 1, 34, 15 and 42 are some of the most highly sought after licenses in Wyoming. It is expected that there will be some large mature bulls harvested again this fall as some “trophies” have been observed during the summer of 2015. Although bull moose can be observed during the summer along roads and highways soon after the hunting season begins, many bulls head for deep cover making for a challenging hunt.

DEER Deer hunting in the Sheridan Region is forecasted to be about average in much of the region. Due to high fawn production in 2014, hunters will likely see more yearling bucks than they have observed in recent years. Most hunt areas in the Sheridan Region have relatively high buck to doe ratios with many mature bucks. Antler growth and body condition of deer appears to be good in those areas where deer have had access to better forage during this summer. There will likely be trophy bucks harvested this fall in the Sheridan Region.

One significant change for 2015 is that Deer Hunt Area 10 near Wright is now a limited quota hunt area so hunters with general deer licenses will not be able to hunt there. White-tailed deer hunters in the Sheridan, Buffalo and Kaycee areas may still notice the negative impacts of the 2013 EHD outbreak with lower numbers of white-tailed deer in some places.

Overall, hunters with access to private lands are expected to continue to have high success, while hunters on public lands can expect large numbers of hunters and comparatively lower success. Hunters are advised that if they have access to private land they should consider buying reduced price doe/fawn deer licenses as several thousand doe/fawn licenses are available throughout the region with many of them restricted to private lands.

Several deer hunt areas from Sheridan to Kaycee open to doe/fawn rifle hunting beginning on Sept. 1 to address crop damage issues. In Hunt Areas 24, 27, 29, 30 or 33 a person can again purchase an unlimited number of doe/fawn deer licenses until the six quota is exhausted. In Hunt Area 24, no quota (unlimited) was set for the Type 8 white-tailed deer doe/fawn licenses.

GAME BIRDS SAGE GROUSE | TURKEYS | PHEASANTS | BLUE GROUSE

Game bird hunters in the Sheridan Region during 2015 may have better results than in 2014. There was good residual cover for nesting habitat in the spring of 2015. Field personnel report observing some hens with good-sized broods. Spring “lek� (breeding ground) surveys of sage-grouse showed that sage-grouse numbers were the highest since 2008. Wild turkey numbers vary throughout the region. In the Buffalo and Sheridan areas, there were already large numbers of turkeys so it is expected there will be plenty of birds. Pheasants from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department bird farm will again be released on several Sheridan Region WalkIn Areas. Hunters are reminded that most game bird hunting occurs on private land except for blue grouse hunting in the Bighorn Mountains and pheasant hunting on the WGFD Walk-In Areas.

MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS

Habitat conditions for breeding waterfowl have continued to improve with increased precipitation throughout the state. The later spring and cooler temperatures in April and early May possibly affected production of early nesting species such as mallard; however a good renesting effort was expected. In general, Wyoming hunters should see better than average populations of locally-raised ducks.

It is important to bear in mind that variation in weather and migration patterns will ultimately influence the availability of birds throughout the hunting season.

Effort put into pre-season scouting and locating prime hunting spots will pay dividends in the overall success hunters experience.

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AND

For the winter sports enthusiast wishing to avoid the drone of a snowmobile motor, the Bighorn Mountains offer six cross-country ski and snowshoeing areas. “These trails have yet to be discovered by most Nordic skiers and offer plenty of solitude,� according to the Bighorn National Forest.

Trails can be accessed from U.S. Highway 14 coming from Sheridan and from U.S. Highway 16 coming from Buffalo. Willow Park and Pole Creek, in particular, offer great cross-country skiing opportunities. Trails are open December through May. NEAR BUFFALO • Pole Creek #557: Seven different loops to satisfy any ski level. Nearly 11 miles of groomed trails. Light use. Trail begins and ends at the parking area on Forest Service Road 457. • Pole Creek: The area provides opportunities for cross-country skiers and snowshoers to explore loops, hills, ridges and forested areas throughout the winter. From Buffalo take Highway 16 west about 17 miles. Turn right on to Forest Service Road 456. • Willow Park #556: Offers 13 miles of groomed trails and a variety of skill levels.

Skiers can experience loops, hills, ridges and wonderful scenery.

NEAR SHERIDAN • Cutler Hill #552: Cross-country ski or snowshoe with your dog on gentle slopes, spur trails and a meadow loop. From Dayton, take Highway 14 west 19 miles. Parking lot is on the north side of the road. This is a popular trail for Sheridan residents. • Sibley Lake #558: Some loops provide for skate/ski opportunities, snowshoers are also welcome. These trails are track set for classic skiing therefore dogs are not allowed.

Trail begins and ends at Sibley Lake parking. • Antelope Butte #559: The trail is divided into four loops — providing for a variety of skill levels. The trail winds through lodgepole pine forests and breaks into large open parks offering the skier excellent scenic views.

Located about 40 miles east of Greybull on Highway 14, the trail system begins and ends at the ski area parking lot, off of Forest Service Road 244.

ABOVE: Tongue River Elementary School student Miles Homola pauses on a ski trail near Cutler Hill in the Bighorn Mountains.

BELOW: Lee Hart, left, and Jerrick Lien fuel up their sleds in preparation for a poker ride at Bear lodge.

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“We have 193 miles of well-marked and groomed trails, an additional 22 miles of ungroomed trails and thousands of acres of unbroken powder meadows,� The Bear Lodge website boasts.

The Wyoming Department of State Parks, the Bighorn National Forest and local snowmobiling clubs work cooperatively to maintain the area’s trail system.

Riding seasons span November to April with elevations varying from 7,500 feet to 10,000 feet. Wyoming law requires that snowmobiles have a resident or nonresident user fee decal on the machine, according to the Bighorn National Forest. For those unfamiliar with the area, a tour guide is recommended.

A list of the many trails can be found under the recreation/winter sports section of the Bighorn National Forest website. Also, a full list of rules and safety tips can be found in the Northern Wyoming Snowmobiles Trail Map or by visiting the Bear Lodge website at WWW.BEARLODGERESORT.COM.

ABOVE: Water gushes out of a hole as Mike Kassuba lifts his powered auger from the ice at Mavrakis Pond.

When it comes to ice fishing, staying warm might test your patience, but the activity is definitely worth a try for those willing to brave it.

Sibley Lake and Lake DeSmet provide easy access from Sheridan for ice fishers. With a wide array of well-kept secrets and some longer drives, there are plenty of opportunities to try the popular winter activity in the area.

When it comes to treading on ice, safety is always important.

“Ice conditions often fluctuate throughout the winter months as water levels in lakes and reservoirs change, and freezing and thawing weather patterns come and go and can contribute to unstable ice conditions,” according

to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Four inches of clear ice is usually safe for fishing, according to the WGFD, and they recommend that ice be checked every 100 to 150 feet.

Ice on rivers, in particular, can prove dangerous as moving water underneath can change conditions quickly. For this reason, the state recommends that anglers stay off rivers.

Other recommendations from the WGFD include not driving ATVs or vehicles on the ice and always fishing with a buddy. Always bring a floatation device and an ice pick in case you fall in.

Be sure to get your fishing license and stamp before heading out on any fishing adventure.

W W W . D E S T I N A T I O N S H E R I D A N . C O M

For young and old alike, sledding remains a favorite pastime in the Sheridan area.

While there are numerous hills that lend themselves to the downward slide on snow, three in particular have gained popularity amongst Sheridan area residents.

One, the “Arrowhead Bowl,” is located in the Bighorn Mountains just past Arrowhead Lodge on U.S. Highway 14. On any given winter day, especially on weekends, enthusiasts can be found parked on the side of the highway unloading their sleds for the day. Often, parents and friends on snowmobiles haul the sledders back to the top of the hill to prolong the day of fun without running out of energy.

Two other popular hills are located in Sheridan city limits.

The first is located in West Thorne-Rider Park across from the Goose Creek pedestrian bridge. Parking is available off of 11th Street on the north end of Madia Field. The sledding hill is steep with a berm at the bottom to slow recreationists down before they enter the creek.

Linden Hill has also been a popular sledding spot in town for years.

In recent years, the fence at the bottom of the hill was moved and city staff repaired boards on the stairs that make their way to the top.

Linden Hill is located behind the Child Development Center, but sled at your own risk. The hill can get pretty icy.

RIGHT: Gabe Frederick launches off a snowpacked ramp at the bowl between Dayton and Bear Lodge off Highway 14.

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ICE

The Sheridan on Skates website wants people to know that ice skating is for everybody. Which is a good thing, because the ice rink is a popular attraction during long Sheridan winters and is likely to only grow with its recent enclosure.

Warm summer days quickly turn into cold winter days, passing over brisk fall days as quickly as the winter winds blow.

It’s easy for someone to throw a few logs in the fireplace, grab a favorite novel and cuddle up under a blanket during these bleak months.

One destination, the Whitney Rink at the M&M’s Center, has been waiting in anticipation for winter to arrive. It means it’s time for skaters and hockey players to sharpen their skates.

Sheridan Ice leaders couldn’t be more excited than they are for this upcoming skating season. After a number of years under the ownership of Whitney Benefits, the ice rink was gifted to Sheridan College last year and immediately re-gifted to Sheridan on Skates, a local nonprofit focused on building life skills, promoting positive self-esteem and teaching sportsmanship, all while encouraging friendly competition through skating.

Since then, work has progressed to convert the current ice rink into a new, indoor skating facility, complete with locker rooms, meeting rooms and an exercise room.

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The new facility will open up plenty of new opportunities for the skating community, including hosting tournaments and events, which would in turn generate tourism and business for the entire community. Most importantly, though, it will allow the facility to remain open at least twice as long as it has in the past, typically three months a year.

The group held a groundbreaking in the spring with the hopes of it being ready to go for winter 2015.

Sheridan on Skates board members say they are hopeful the new indoor ice rink will be completed

by Christmas.

So, before you climb under that blanket to escape the cold, consider a trip to Sheridan Ice when the new facility opens this winter.

BUTTE The Antelope Butte Foundation made its first payment in September on the shuttered facilities at the former Antelope Butte Ski Area in the Bighorn Mountains.

ABF officials delivered the payment of $55,000, under conditions set forth in a purchase and sale agreement signed with the U.S. Forest Service in June 2015. The payment is the first major financial achievement for ABF and will allow the nonprofit access to the facilities, and to make basic repairs on the lodge to protect it over the winter.

“We have spent more than three years preparing this project, the business plans and working with the Forest Service to save Antelope Butte,” said Mark Weitz, president of the ABF board. “We’re excited to make this first payment ahead of schedule because it demonstrates the enthusiastic support of our communities.”

The ABF must make two more payments in 2016, totaling $220,000, to gain full ownership of the ski area facilities.

The foundation is a volunteer effort to reopen the Antelope Butte Ski and Recreation Area located in the Bighorn Mountains 60 miles west of Sheridan.

The area defaulted to government ownership after closing in 2003, and with quite a bit of neglect (and expense) piling up on the mountain, the long-time treasured recreational facility was facing the

possibility of demolition.

In February 2011, Weitz sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service asking them not to tear down the ski area, but rather give them six months to figure out a plan.

“So it really came out of either the wrecking ball or some model, and the model we chose was the nonprofit because none of us have the funds to open it and as we say, no white knight was coming in to rescue it,” ABF board member Josh Law said.

Weitz said that benefits of functioning as a nonprofit include reduced executive expenses thanks to the volunteer efforts of the board, not paying taxes and also being able to receive donations.

The principal mission of the ABF is to provide affordable, accessible skiing, mountain recreation and related training and education for all, especially youth and beginners.

But for now, the board is seeking funding from the community.

The ABF launched the capital campaign “Open Antelope Butte” in the summer of 2015 to raise an estimated $2.9-3.7 million to purchase and restore the ski area.

“Our first hurdle is to raise the cash to complete the purchase of Antelope Butte from the Forest Service, then we will work to raise the remaining funds and resources to get the area fully operational,” Weitz said. “We are beginning to collaborate with foundations and philanthropists who appreciate the benefits that outdoor, mountain recreation offers to our youth, families and communities, and the diverse economic benefits that a yearround recreation facility will bring.”

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Remember leaping off the porch as a kid with a towel tied around your neck? Or that time you thought it’d be a good idea to stand up on the toboggan with your arms spread wide as it careened down the snowy hill?

Even weeks later with your leg in a cast, you could remember those few seconds when it felt like you were flying.

The allure of flight tugs at most every kid’s heart, and if we adults are honest, that tug never really goes away, does it?

There is a reason some of us parachute out of airplanes or leap from

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cliffs strapped onto a hang glider. It is the same reason a handful of Sheridan residents circle October on their calendars.

Each year in October the Bighorn Mountains become one of the first — and also one of the premier — destinations for a different kind of flight called snowkiting.

A cousin to kite surfing, snowkiting is essentially what it sounds like: using a kite to pull a skier or snowboarder over the snow — often at speeds pushing 30 mph and often resulting in some precious moments of air time.

Although the Bighorn Mountains feature Cloud Peak, the third tallest peak in Wyoming at 13,167 feet, they are not known for downhill ski-

THE MECHANICS OF SNOWKITING

ing like the Teton Range in western Wyoming.

Still, come October, skiers from famous skiing towns like Jackson, Wyoming, and Bozeman, Montana, clamber to the Bighorns.

Bald Mountain, a somewhat nondescript, treeless dome seen from U.S. Highway 14A west of Burgess Junction, becomes a skiing hot spot for snowkiters.

The allure?

Wind.

Even though the city of Sheridan is often shielded from Wyoming’s infamous winds, they visit

the Bighorn Mountains in a steady flow ideal for filling a kite and setting a skier soaring.

Add the area’s wide open spaces and the fairly predictable snowfall that usually hits the Bighorns by early October, and hills like Bald Mountain become a snowkiting paradise coveted by kiters around the world.

Some skiers do backcountry skiing and snowkiting each season. Other skiers mix backcountry skiing and snowkiting on the same day, using their kite to climb hills but skiing down without it in a traditional backcountry style.

What’s the allure?

Quite simply: flight, sweet flight — with skis for wings and a kite for a cape.

Snowkiting is much more than strapping on skis and tossing a kite into the air. (Remember that broken leg from that oh-so-smart idea to stand on the toboggan? You don’t want to repeat that.)

It is a good idea to start small and progress from there.

Mastering the kite is often the hardest part of snowkiting.

Beginners should start with a trainer kite that is only 2-4 meters in width and working up to 6-, 8- and 12-meter kites. It is also wise to practice with the kite without being strapped to skis to learn how it flies and reacts in various wind conditions.

There are two kinds of kites: foil and inflatable. Picking one or the other is a simple matter of preference. It may be a good idea to try out a friend’s kite before buying one of your own. Many kiters have a “quiver” of kites of different sizes and varieties to match wind and snow conditions of the day.

The kite attaches to a bar much like a bike handle that is attached to the skier via a harness similar to a climbing harness. Two inner lines attach to the center of the kite and the center of the bar to provide “pull.” Two outer lines attach to the ends of the bar and the outer edges of the kite to allow the kiter to steer.

Skiers most prepared to try the kite have a decent knowledge of downhill and backcountry skiing before attempting to add a kite to the mix. So, strap in and get ready to fly.

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FAT

The shorter and cooler days of fall have arrived, which for cyclists in our area, signals that it is time to swap two-wheeled transportation for four-wheeled, and that cycling season is over for another year. Or is it?

In recent years, a new type of bicycle has emerged that allows cyclists to continue with their biking adventures through the winter. The bikes are designed specifically to ride in snow or sand, both of which provide little traction for regular bike tires. To combat this, bike companies developed the fat bike.

Fat bikes get their name from the extra-large tires with which they are outfitted. As a comparison, most mountain bike tires are approximately two inches wide, while fat bikes have four-inch tires.

“They originated in Alaska and were designed as a mode of transportation in the wintertime,” explained Jeff Stine, co-owner of Backcountry Bike and Mountain Works. “They were designed in a way to accommodate fat tires in the winter and thinner tires in the summer. So, one bike and two sets of wheels got you a year-round commuter in Alaska with just a wheel change.”

Stine said that a couple of bike engineers in Alaska initially came up with the concept, but that other bike companies soon copied the idea and began their own lines of fat bikes.

“They’ve been out for quite a while, but other companies are starting to figure out it isn’t just a fad, it is part of cycling now, so more companies are starting to produce them now,” said Jordan LeDuc of Sheridan Bicycle Company.

Outfitting yourself with a new fat bike will empty your bank account of $1,500, and often more. However, LeDuc said that prices are being reduced as the bikes become more common.

“What makes them a little more spendy is that, obviously, they have a specially designed frame to accommodate the larger wheels,” he explained. “You have to have different jigs to build the frame, different molds to get the tires that big, so there is a lot that goes into building the bike that drives that price up. But with more companies producing them, that is driving

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the price down for the consumers.”

LeDuc and Stine said although fat bikes have been around for several years, they are rather new to Sheridan customers and consequently, only about a dozen or so folks have them in town.

Fat bikes can be used for commuting during the winter, with a small decrease in tire pressure providing good traction on concrete. However, there are plenty of places in the Bighorns to ride recreationally through the winter.

Fat bikes should stick to groomed trails such as cross-country skiing or snowmobiling trails. However, cyclists should also stay to the sides of the trail on cross-country trails to maintain integrity of the trail. Cyclists should respect the efforts of trail groomers and help avoid conflict between cyclists, skiers and snowmobilers.

LEFT: Store owner Jeff Stine holds a fat tire from a FatBoy bike in the shop at Back Country Bike and Mountain Works store on Main Street. The wide tires make it easier to travel in the snow.

“

...it isn’t just a fad it is part of cycling now...

– Jordan LeDuc

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Giving on a global scale by Alisa Brantz

Sheridan County is a mecca for giving, with no shortage of nonprofits, volunteers and major foundations supporting a better way of life. But some in the area have focused their giving spirits on a more global community, lending their time and resources to people and places they may never even see.

Some have used their talents to form organizations with a broad worldly goal, others have carved out a niche in a far away land and some may not have the resources to start a nonprofit, but have the passion to give their time to foreigners in need.

These four people from the Sheridan area are examples of locals who have served the global community.

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Growing up in Arizona, Emily Betzler studied abroad on more than one occasion and knew from a young age she had a heart for the world. This worldly love led her to her true love when she met her now husband, Colin Betzler, while studying in Costa Rica.

“We both envisioned ourselves working in international development, but a job opportunity brought us to Wyoming,” Emily Betzler said. “We fell in love with the Sheridan community and wanted to be here, but still wanted to find ways to engage in the international community. We started prayerfully seeking how we could live in Sheridan while serving the world and we found that our purchase power was a way to do that.”

Betzler knew that the way they spent their money had a real impact on the world and started being very strategic about what she purchased. While learning more about purchasing power and the providers of her family’s purchases, Betzler realized there are organizations out there that are careful with the way their products impact the world and do business in an ethical way. But, it is hard for most casual shoppers to find these businesses.

“First we started by making a list of all these organizations and how people could find them, but we didn’t feel that met the need,” Betzler said. “We decided we needed a venue for people to purchase directly from them.”

The Bought Beautifully website was born, modeled a little after craft retailer Etsy and a bit like eBay or other direct-from-seller-to-purchaser websites. Betzler wanted the control of the sale to remain in the vendors’ hands; they set the prices and Bought Beautifully rarely touches a product. But the participants are carefully screened so shoppers can be sure they are making a positive impact with each purchase.

“When I choose to buy a purse that was handmade by a woman who was rescued from human trafficking, there is a huge positive implication to that,” Betzler said.

While the nonprofit is young and has yet to attempt much fundraising, Betzler has found many in Sheridan are more apt to support a local cause than a global one, and that is a hurdle Bought Beautifully will need to overcome. But she wants people to see that it doesn’t have to be a choice between supporting one or the other.

“We love Sheridan. It is a good place to be and we agree we want to spend our time to make this place a great place to live; but when you do look outside of the country you see there are different realities and huge needs and such a small amount of our effort can make such a huge impact,” Betzler said. “Comparing two purchases and choosing the one that helps a widow in Africa is an easy choice. Sometimes I think it doesn’t have to be ‘support this, or that,’ it can be both, because the smallest action can have the largest impact.”

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Project Schoolhouse Thomas “Tab” Barker may no longer live in Sheridan, but the son of longstanding Sheridan area business owners, he uses his hometown clout as a catalyst to make improvements for the less fortunate youth of Nicaragua.

The Austin, Texas, resident formed Project Schoolhouse in Wyoming and returns to Sheridan County frequently for fundraising and support.

Project Schoolhouse — a nonprofit focused on building schoolhouses and clean water systems for impoverished communities in Nicaragua — was born when Barker returned to a school he used to teach at in Costa Rica with an offer to build them a basketball hoop.

“I offered to build a basketball hoop and he said he didn’t need that, they needed classes, so I started out there,” Barker said. “I figured I could swing the basketball hoop financially, but when he said he needed a classroom, I started fundraising. I had never fundraised before, so I started writing letters to people I knew. Sheridan is a very generous place.”

Sheridan locals Vicki Johnson and “Scotty” Scott were the first to contribute to his cause, then Barker returned to Sheridan to host a fundraising concert — the first concert he ever organized.

The tradition of hosting concerts in Sheridan for the cause continues today with the Sod Farm Festival, which raised $12,000 in August and will return in 2016 on Aug. 20 at the Green Carpet Sod Farm.

Though $12,000 may not seem like enough to build a schoolhouse, the low cost of construction overseas is actually what attracted Barker to the cause.

“Part of what appeals to me is that for $35,000 I can build an elementary school and water system for a community of 300 people with 50 kids and it revolutionizes their existence. So for less than one one-hundredth of the cost they spent to build Big Horn High School we brought clean water and education into a community,” Barker said. “Bang for the buck is high and I feel like I can get a lot done, where it takes huge amounts of money to have an impact in the states. We have a lot of poverty in the country but I feel like they require bigger organizations and bigger amounts of money to fix, and I am doing what I can to help where it doesn’t take much to move people forward.”

To date, the organization has finished eight schools and five water systems all in the Rio Blanco area of Nicaragua.

The latest undertaking by Project Schoolhouse is on a much larger scale. The water system to the village requires the construction of a bridge, bringing the total project cost to almost $80,000. Bigger projects mean Barker is moving toward larger donors and partnerships after spending 10 years working hard to raise money on the ground; but he says it is worth it.

“The students hike between 10 and 60 minutes to get to class, some across giant rivers, which complicates their journey,” Barker said. “But they were doing that hike to get to a tiny hut before, so when it’s a real school with some water in it, it tends to increase attendance. They are way excited to be there and be learning.”

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Student Service

Not everyone can start a nonprofit to serve those in need, and not everyone with a worldly outlook is a working adult. Local students often find a variety of ways to support the global community including college student Kassidy Reichert and high schooler Trinity Preston.

Preston can often be found volunteering in Sheridan and she serves as a peer mentor and friend to struggling students at Sheridan High School.

But it was her faith that brought her overseas, first with a mission trip to volunteer teaching English in Italy and most recently building homes in Mexico.

Through the program Casas for Cristo, Preston found herself learning construction skills and making foreign friends in Juarez this summer.

“It was a very small home, about half the size of a high school classroom; and we had instructors there that taught us how to lay the foundation and build the house,” Preston said. “When we went down there, we were just expecting to build a house and didn’t think we’d get to talk to the family who was going to live there. But when we got there, they came and saw us and talked to us. It was really cool because their kids were out there playing jump rope with us using telephone wires and stuff, so we didn’t just build a house we built relationships.”

The relationships with others is why Preston says she wants to serve outside of Sheridan.

“I think the people you meet make it entirely worth it,” she said. “You see cultures here in America and then you go to this other country and you realize their culture is entirely different, but as people they’re basically the same.”

Reichert’s relationships have been a bit different. Her trip to serve overseas included her making friends with creatures a bit larger than school children: elephants.

Signing up for the Loop Abroad program, the biology student at Utah Valley University, Sheridan College graduate and Dayton native was hoping to get experience before beginning her anticipated career in zoos.

However, being stationed at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand changed her course (and perspective) in life forever.

“I used to want to work in a zoo, but especially after going to the nature park, I would rather help and protect animals in a much more natural and spacey environment,” Reichert said. “I would rather have them out in the open but where we can still take care of them.”

The sanctuary was home to nearly 50 elephants while Reichert was there, all bought from circuses, zoos, government officials or other owners who were not treating and caring for the elephants properly.

“I happen to be outside when they brought Nona, a new elephant, in.

We went over and watched them get her out of the truck,” Reichert said.

“She was 70-years-old and she was super skinny. You could see all of her bones. She wouldn’t eat because her previous owner had stopped feeding her for about a week and it hurt to eat.”

Reichert said she and the others brought the new intake to a temporary enclosure where she was slowly introduced to some of her new elephant friends and encouraged to eat.

“The elephants that would come over to meet and sniff her would reach their trunks through and eat her food, but we got her more and she ended up eating the next day,” Reichert said. “They are all doing much better now and she has brought in even more since I was there.”

Though the program cost out of pocket to participate, and the flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand was pricey, Reichert said the trip made her appreciate life a lot more.

“It’s important to create an open mind and realize we do have all the things we need and more here, where some countries have so much less and they’re happy and making it work,” Reichert said. “People need to be more grateful for everything they have before they lose it. … It was very humbling.”

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HELP

How do I...?

Where do I..?

by Mike Dunn

“

I don’t think there is ever a situation where an organization is turning down volunteers.

– Jessica Stanbury

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Everyone could use a helping hand, and many of Sheridan’s nonprofits and foundations are looking for people to extend that hand.

So, how do you find a place to volunteer?

One of the first places to look would be at ServeWyoming. The statewide organization based out of Casper is a state-commissioned program that helps residents find volunteer opportunities throughout Wyoming, Jessica Stanbury, program coordinator for ServeWyoming said.

“Organizations always need (volunteers),” Stanbury said. “I don’t think there is ever a situation where an organization is turning down volunteers.”

But if you are going to donate your time and resources, it’s always best to look for a cause in which you are interested. Every year, ServeWyoming, alongside the Cooperation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps and The Sheridan Press, publishes a Volunteer Guide in an issue of The Sheridan Press. After contacting organizations throughout Sheridan, Stanbury and others at ServeWyoming compile a comprehensive list detailing volunteer opportunities for Sheridan residents.

“I think the benefit of this guide is that it is free for (organizations) to promote their volunteer needs,” Stanbury said.

But as you find your way through the 24-pages of the volunteer guide, it may be hard to pick just a handful of opportunities.

Volunteering comes in many shapes and sizes. During the summer, volunteer rates tend to be much higher due to a few factors.

With the warmer temperatures, people tend to want to take advantage of working outside with organizations like Habitat for Humanity or other outdoor projects. Also, the younger volunteers who have summers off tend to create an influx of personnel willing to help out local organizations.

Stanbury said one of the most important considerations is to ensure you are volunteering in an area where you want to make a difference. Luckily for Sheridan residents, there are a multitude of volunteer organizations looking for help.

If you wish to work with children, there are numerous opportunities available. One of the most prominent organizations out there is the Greater Wyoming Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Focused on helping children with strong and enduring one-on-one relationships with positive role models, the organization is always looking for

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“Bigs,” or mentors, who spend time every week with a child as a mentor.

Specifically, Big Brothers, Big Sisters is looking for male “Bigs” to help mentor young children.

Maybe you want to work with Sheridan’s rich history? Try volunteering at the Sheridan County Museum. The museum is always looking for people to be collection aides, help with the merchandise and assist with grounds keeping.

You also might be one of many who enjoy working with animals. If so, take a look at the Dog and Cat Shelter, Inc. in Sheridan. They need volunteers to do things as simple as walking dogs or socializing with cats, which can make all the difference in the world for a dog or cat waiting for a new home.

For more information on volunteering opportunities in Sheridan, contact ServeWyoming or pick up a copy of the Volunteer Guide.

LEFT: Luke Singer plays with a cat at the Dog and Cat Shelter. The Sheridan Dog and Cat Shelter is always looking for volunteers to socialize with cats and take dogs for walks.

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NONPROFITS

by Zachary White Starting a nonprofit organization isn’t as hard as it seems, or at least that’s what Emily Betzler said about her and her husband’s company Bought Beautifully.

“It’s pretty straight forward; there’s just a lot of paperwork,” Betzler said.

There are quite a few steps a person has to go through to get from start to finish.

Betzler and her husband, Colin, had some help along the way to make sure they did it right the first time.

The first step is to determine what the nonprofit will do. In this case it was helping small Christian businesses that sell ethically made products.

For the Betzlers, that meant products that were made by people who were paid a fair wage for their work.

If the organization already exists it may be easier to work under that organization’s umbrella. If not, the next step is to make sure the name isn’t already taken.

Searching the planned name on the Wyoming Secretary of State’s database will uncover if the name is taken or not.

Next, a nonprofit needs to have a board of directors.

“You have to have three board members: a president, secretary and a treas-

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urer,” Betzler said.

The board can have more members but that is the minimum required by the state.

The nonprofit also needs to appoint a registered agent who is a legal appointee who is responsible for sending and receiving information from the state.

Next, the organization has to file Wyoming Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation.

There is a file that can be picked up from the Secretary of State, and there is a $25 fee to go along with this.

Currently this form needs to be mailed in.

A corporation should then create bylaws and start other organizational record keeping methods.

This may also be a good time to create a conflict of interest policy, which will need to be submitted when the nonprofit applies for a 501(c) tax status exemption.

The first meeting of the board of directors should follow this up, so that the proposed bylaws can be approved. At this point the nonprofit can also approve the opening of a bank account or elect other officials.

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ticles of incorporation to give their registered agent the following information: Names and addresses of all directors or corporate officers and the name and address of anyone who is allowed to receive communications from the registered agent.

After this, a nonprofit has to apply for a Federal Employer Identification Number with the Internal Revenue Service and a Wyoming State Tax Identification Number.

After this a company needs to apply for a 501(c) status with the IRS. This is where the Betzlers reached out for help, as people often hear how the IRS doesn’t always give approval the first time a company applies to be a nonprofit.

“I know a lot of nonprofits have trouble with it, so we got (help),” Betzler said.

They hired Harker Mellinger to fill out the paperwork, which the IRS website says can take applicants more than 100 hours to put together.

Depending on the type of nonprofit organization being created, the application costs $400 or $850 and will take between one and six months to be approved.

“For us it wasn’t terribly long,” Betzler said.

“I’d say two to three months.”

After the IRS approves the nonprofit status, an application for a Wyoming Tax Exemption needs to be filled out. Sending a copy of the

IRS Determination Letter to the Wyoming Department of Revenue will cover this.

At this point the job is done. Companies need to have the locally required licenses and permits to do their work, but they are registered nonprofit organizations.

Whether a person does it themselves, or gets professional help, it’s a long road to the finish.

“We had heard so many stories about how hard it is, so we figured it was the right thing to ask for professional help,” Betzler said.

“

It’s pretty straight forward; there’s just a lot of paperwork.

– Emily Betzler

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volun far beyond sport

by Mike Pruden Downtown Sheridan is a bustling place during the warm summer months. Local businesses welcome in locals and tourists alike, cars putter up and down the Bighorn Mountains and nearly every week brings a new event to Main Street.

Whether you’re collecting fresh produce at the Sheridan Farmers Market or sipping on a Bomber Mountain Amber at the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Suds N’ Spurs Brew Fest, there’s no shortage of community gatherings that are both unique and full of tradition.

While the casual person takes in these events, smile across his or her face, there’s typically a group of people — one that goes mostly unnoticed — that makes these events function. Sometimes it’s the Downtown Sheridan Association, sometimes it’s the Chamber of Commerce.

Oftentimes, it’s local high school athletes.

Sheridan is a football town. Head over to Scott Field during any Broncs home game on a Friday night, and you’ll notice it right away. The stands are packed with blue and gold. Even as the leaves change and the air cools, the buzz around the Broncs doesn’t change much during the fall months.

“It’s a big part of Sheridan,” Sheridan High School head football coach Don Julian said of the sport. “This is a football community in many ways. The fact that people come and support us and do great things for us, I think we have a responsibility to return that to them and make them proud of how we present ourselves.”

So if you swing by Taste of Sheridan to grab your favorite dish from Frackelton’s, the Broncs were there hours before you, setting up tables, chairs and tents. They do it because they want to and because they need to.

Many of the wonderful events in Sheridan require a lot of setup, but don’t necessarily have the manpower to make it happen.

There are 69 players on the Broncs varsity roster, so they’ve got plenty of hands to help with the heavy lifting.

“Quite frankly, they depend on us to help set that up,” Julian said of the Taste of Sheridan. “It’s a good thing for our kids to

ABOVE: Sheridan High School volleyball player Olivia Conrad helps plant a tree at a Habitat for Humanity build in Sheridan.

BELOW: Robbi Ryan rakes the dirt around a Habitat for Humanity property in Sheridan. The Lady Bronc volleyball, basketball and soccer teams volunteered with Habitat as part of a teambuilding experience.

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“

It’s a good thing for our kids to see a neat community event that behind the scenes they’re helping set up. Then they can go enjoy it later and say, ‘We as

a team helped do this.’

– Don Julian

”

RIGHT: Sheridan High School students Kelsey Fleming, left, and Georgia Oels paint purple on the windows at the Sheridan County Chamber office on Main Street. The SHS cheerleaders painted 17 business windows for “Paint Sheridan Purple” for cancer awareness month in June and the Relay for Life event.

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see a neat community event that behind the scenes they’re helping set up. Then they can go enjoy it later and say, ‘We as a team helped do this.’”

It’s more than just taking advantage of a bunch of bodies, though. Julian, along with the rest of the coaches and teachers at Sheridan High School, are trying to instill lifelong values in these young athletes.

Most of these athletes won’t go on to play sports once they graduate high school, and even fewer, if any, will do it for a living. So while learning the skills of sport are important right now, it’s the other skills they learn in the process — life skills — that are the most important to the coaches.

“I think too many people grow up not knowing that it’s a good thing to give,” Julian said. “It’s not necessarily for recognition. It’s more to teach young people how to be great adults.”

Giving back to the community is always a goal for coaches and athletes at SHS, but the teams gain a lot from it, as well.

As the Lady Broncs volleyball, basketball and soccer teams helped with a Habitat for Humanity build in August, they had to work together to get the job done well and on time.

It’s a team-building opportunity, a way for the athletes to work with their teammates away from their usual setting on the court or the field.

“Sometimes team sports are a little bit different,” SHS head girls basketball coach Jessica Pickett said. “You have to put your teammates before yourself, and that’s not always a natural thing. As the year progresses, they get really tired and tired of each other and tired of us harping at them, so sometimes something like (the Habitat build) is so fun. Everyone’s together, having a little fun, and nobody’s stressed out.”

The life lessons are important, the team building is crucial, but in the end, it’s simply about giving back.

“It’s really nice because the community really supports us,” Sheridan athlete Kaycen Townsend said. “They come to our games, buying our T-shirts, so it’s really nice to come and give back to them.”

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Building legacies

generosity

by Mike Dunn

The truest form of charity is giving even when you don’t see the results.

Often, people leave their money or belongings to their families post-mortum in hopes of bettering the lives of those who loved them the most. But through a charitable act, a person can leave behind a gift that can touch the lives of many, many more.

The Wyoming Room at the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library

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This is called an estate gift, which is essentially a donation given erage wealth to give back to their community. Estate giving, even from an individual’s estate to any philanthropic organization or on the smallest scale, can make waves within a community.

“Most of the foundations in Sheridan were formed by individuals foundation for the sake of improving lives.

Estate giving has a long and vibrant history in Sheridan. In many of higher level of net worth,” McGinnis said. “… The idea around ways, the community was built by those who left their estate to the the Sheridan/Johnson County Give is to encourage people of smaller net worth to give — it doesn’t town they grew to call home. For exmatter what you give to.” ample, philanthropist Edward A. WhitSoon, local residents will be able to ney left his estate for the sake of donate part of their estate into a fund building education in Sheridan.

The idea around the Sheridan/ that will go toward supporting proHis influence still reaches Sheridan Johnson County Give is to encourgrams around the area. residents today through no-interest stuage people of smaller net worth “It hopefully will encourage people dent loans, growth at Sheridan College to give to the arts, give to the Sheridan and other projects in the community. to give — it doesn’t matter what Dog and Cat Shelter, give to the Senior Estate gifts have had their impact on you give to.

Center or give to the YMCA,” McGinthe health of Sheridan residents as well. nis said. “Or if you want to think about Former Story resident Lorraine S. Husgiving in a generic way, that Give Sheriman, along with her brother and sister, – Jay McGinnis dan/Johnson County fund has been posthumously left a considerable gift to established.”

Sheridan Memorial Hospital. The $5 Small giving has already had an immillion gift was enough for the hospital pact on the community in huge ways. Longtime resident Scott Redto build a new cardiac care facility and dialysis program.

Through gifts like those from Husman and Whitney, thousands dington left a small donation to the Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library after he passed away. Funds from his donation were used have benefited.

However, not everyone has hundreds of thousands or millions of to establish a large historical archive called The Wyoming Room.

Likewise, Dorothy Duncan’s estate gift went toward establishing dollars to give. That doesn’t mean those of more modest incomes the popular concerts in the park at Kendrick Park. can’t make a difference with an estate gift, though.

Neither resident had an exorbitant amount of money to give, That’s why Sheridan YMCA Executive Director Jay McGinnis and others in Sheridan and Johnson counties have established “Give but their gifts made substantial impacts on the community in a lastSheridan/Johnson County” to encourage those with modest or av- ing way.

“

”

BELOW: Ron Coulter plays the drums with the Wyoming Jazz Educators Jazz Band during Concerts in the Park over the summer at Kendrick Park.

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Where does my go?

$

There are several ways to research nonprofits: GUIDESTAR.ORG This free, online database allows individuals to research nearly any nonprofit. The mission statement of the service is to “revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions and encourages charitable giving.” You can find most nonprofits’ tax forms on this website.

The forms outline how much money the nonprofit raises, how it spends that money, whether or not board members are paid and how many people the organization employs.

ORGANIZATION WEBSITES Many of the larger organizations such as the American Heart Association or others, have a section on their websites that actually answer the question “How is my donation spent?” They will often break down how much money is spent on the mission versus administrative costs.

by Mike Dunn

Pretty soon, the season of giving will be upon us. Those familiar Salvation Army bells will be ringing downtown and in front of stores throughout town.

Coat drives and food drives will get underway. Area residents will consider making holiday donations to local nonprofits. There are countless ways to help better the community through giving.

There are hundreds of charities in Sheridan County and thousands nationwide that gladly accept donations. But, if you need a little piece of mind, or are giving to a nonprofit out of the Sheridan area, you may want to do a little research on the organization that will receive your gift. You may want to check that your money is going where you want it to help the most. You want to ensure that you and the nonprofit you’re supporting are getting big bang for every buck.

As the season of giving approaches and we all consider ways to pay it forward, we all can do a little bit to help others this year. Invest wisely and do a little research on the organization to which you give. That way, we’ll all get a little more bang for our bucks.

PHONE CALLS Few nonprofits, especially locally, would hesitate to put your mind at ease with a simple conversation. If you want to know more about the nonprofit you’re considering making a gift to, just pick up the phone.

Ask questions of the people who run the organizations. They may not be able to tell you everything, but they will likely know how much of their budget is spent on programs, provide details on the organization’s mission and give concrete examples of how the organization has benefitted the community.

CHARITYNAVIGATOR.ORG This website takes a lot of the information available in raw form on Guidestar.org and condenses it into manageable data.

For example, if you’re thinking of giving to the Wounded Warrior Project this year, you could go to this website to find out their level of accountability and transparency. You could also learn that 57.9 percent of the charity’s budget is spent on the programs and services it delivers while 5.6 percent is spent on administrative expenses.

For periodic stories on local charitable organizations, visit www.thesheridanpress.com.

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How does Sheridan

GIVE?

by Travis Pearson

For a lot of people, the holidays mean food, family and fun times together. But not everyone is so fortunate; many residents are down on their luck and struggling with tough times.

Because some individuals cannot afford a big meal or gifts for the little ones, local charities step in each year to make sure Sheridan residents have the best season of giving possible. Two organizations at the forefront of holiday help are The Salvation Army and People Assistance Food Bank.

It’s hard to miss The Salvation Army bell-ringers found all over town leading up to Christmas. The money bell-ringers collect directly benefits local residents.

Each year, The Salvation Army provides roughly 125 Thanksgiving meals, and another 125-150 families receive a large Christmas meal. The organization also holds a toy drive to make sure 300 kids get presents, according to Capt. Donald Warriner.

Sounds simple, right? Not necessarily. Warriner pointed out The Salvation Army doesn’t stop its everyday business just because it’s Christmas. And “everyday business” includes a lot: The Salvation Army runs a food bank, thrift store and numerous programs, including sending kids camping and a back-to-school shopping spree.

The Salvation Army food bank gives out approximately 27,000 pounds of food per month, an amount that grows around the holidays. The organization also provides financial assistance to needy individuals to the tune of more than $59,000 from Oct. 1, 2014 through September.

So the holidays mean donors and volunteers — already the backbone of The Salvation Army — become even more important. As an example, a basic Thanksgiving dinner costs $40. That’s $4,000 for just 100 families, and the organization usually goes above and beyond that.

“For those who can’t give money, they have time,” Warriner said. “It takes everybody to make a wonderful living community like Sheridan.

It’s not just one organization or just a few volunteers. It’s everybody that makes this a vital community.”

Overall, The Salvation Army helps fill in the gaps in people’s lives — providing food and other necessities so residents can afford things like gas to get to work or electrical bills. Important work, no doubt, but Warriner realizes the mission takes on extra meaning during the holidays.

“My whole goal and The Salvation Army’s whole goal is to give people hope when they don’t have hope,” he said, adding he wants individuals

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to be greeted with a caring attitude and a smile. “We’re here to help you pick up the pieces and put it back together to carry on and realize people really do care about you.”

The People Assistance Food Bank in Sheridan goes to similar lengths. Executive Director Dan Lick said the all-volunteer organization’s four main holiday programs cost about $40,000 annually.

And like The Salvation Army, that amount is in addition to the approximately 7,000 to 10,000 pounds of food the food bank gives out each week.

“If you come in for help, we don’t ask questions,” Lick said. “We want to help you.”

Lick estimated demand for food goes up roughly four to five times during the holiday season. The People Assistance Food Bank is in a state of flux this year, as the group is in the process of purchasing property to construct a new building.

But that doesn’t mean it will end its holiday programs. The food bank will continue the holiday gift basket program, where people come in and get all the fixings to make a great holiday dinner. This endeavor averages 80 pounds of food for 400 individuals at both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The food bank also asks local businesses to sell Christmas trees, the proceeds of which go to those in the community with special needs, the elderly and homebound or toward Christmas gifts for children.

BELOW: Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center volunteers fill bags with food at Powder River Heating and Air Conditioning.

ABOVE: Barb Arbogast picks out a pie during her visit to the People Assistance Food Bank. Founder Dan Lick said the food bank moves six to 10 tons of food each week.

RIGHT: Volunteer Beverly Martin places bread on the shelf in preparation for distribution at The Salvation Army food pantry.

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Lick is particularly proud of Shop with a Cop, a 10year-old initiative that pairs up local kids with law enforcement officers who help the children buy gifts for their families. The idea came from Lick’s days driving bus.

“I’m at the stoplight between Brundage and Coffeen,” he recalls. “I see Sheriff (Dave) Hofmeier drive by and I wave to him. Well, this little 4-year-old boy says, ‘What are you waving to cops for? They’re no good. All they do is arrest my parents.’

“I called Dave Hofmeier the next day and said, ‘What are we going to do? We’ve got to build this relationship.’”

The program costs $7,000 each year but is more than worth it, Lick added.

Make no mistake, The Salvation Army and People Assistance Food Bank don’t do it alone. Aside from individual donors and volunteers, numerous local churches and other nonprofits and foundations donate time and money to make the programs possible.

Because of the entire community coming together, the worthy causes continue year after year, providing meaning to the “season of giving” and ensuring Sheridan residents enjoy a happy holiday season.

“

It takes everybody to make a wonderful living community like Sheridan. It’s not just one organization or just a few volunteers. It’s everybody that makes this a vital community.”

– Donald Warriner

ABOVE: Volunteer Nellie Bechtell takes stock of the emergency food supplies at the People Assistance Food Bank. The emergency stock is only used when the weekly supplies run low.

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Funded:

by Travis Pearson

Sheridan resident Daelene Hyde and her fiancée, Bill Truax, were out for a routine, Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride in late March when their worlds were turned upside down.

Hyde was following Truax around a corner when he wrecked his motorcycle going between 60 and 65 mph. He suffered multiple injuries to his ribs, left clavicle, right scapula, fractures in his vertebrae and sternum and a puncture in his lung.

He was life-flighted to Billings, Montana, and placed in intensive care.

The story has a happy ending: Truax would eventually recover and has since returned to work.

But while he recuperated in a hospital, life continued for his family.

Bills mounted. Gas for driving back and forth wasn’t cheap. Expenses kept coming.

In the family’s time of need, Hyde turned to crowdfunding, a seminew but rapidly growing way to raise money.

Crowdfunding is basically a way to take donations from individuals via a webpage. Popular sites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter have raised billions of dollars for countless causes benefitting people all over the world.

Many Sheridan residents have turned to crowdfunding with limited success. While every little bit of money helps, those who use the sites say donations mainly come from friends and family and have a limited reach.

Like Hyde, Hannah Ostheimer had never really heard of crowdfunding other than seeing the occasional Facebook post.

The Ranchester resident created a GoFundMe account in June for an experimental surgery that insurance won’t cover. Ostheimer’s issues began last year, when the then-16-year-old ended up with a compression fracture of a vertebra from riding horses.

While she should have healed by now, the pain persists. On Oct. 19, Ostheimer will head to Colorado for a stem cell treatment doctors hope

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a communit of helping hands her family might otherwise not have had access to. will promote new growth and heal the issue.

“I’m not a person to ask for help,” she said. “I’m usually Ostheimer’s GoFundMe has generated eight donations totaling $1,500 in two months. She said she knows every- a person giving help, so it was very hard for me to turn to one who made donations, but the support has nonetheless people to ask for help.”

Steele has started making homemade jewelry to sell at been really encouraging.

“A good part of the money has come from my friends Third Thursday and farmers markets, all in an effort to help her child get through a terrible fight. who are about the same age as me, She and other Facebook friends can they’re 18, 19 and still in college,” only share her GoFundMe page so she said. “That’s really special to me The community is so sweet. many times, adding to the difficulties because they don’t have much It’s just trying to get the word of fundraising large amounts of money. money of their own. The rest is “For him to have a smile on his face mostly family. out there. It’s really hard. It is what gets me through this,” she said “It’s just kind of amazing the way seems easy with the Internet of Robert. “The community is so people are,” she added. “When they sweet. It’s just trying to get the word hear this is going on, they’re so willand GoFundMe, but you can out there. It’s really hard. It seems easy ing to help.” only share with certain peowith the Internet and GoFundMe, but Sheridan resident Margaret Steele ple. It doesn’t go viral. you can only share with certain people. made her GoFundMe in March to It doesn’t go viral.” support her child, Robert. Her sister For Hyde, although the money came came up with the idea to start online – Margaret Steele from friends and family, the nearly fundraising to support the baby, $3,600 in donations proved invaluwho suffers from numerous medical issues, including laryngomalacia (a breathing defect), failure able. And GoFundMe allowed her to reach people she othto thrive and either Opitz syndrome or Noonan syndrome erwise would’ve had no idea how to contact — not just for monetary support, but also to provide updates on Truax’s — doctors are still completing testing.

Forty donors have raised nearly $4,800 as of mid-Sep- condition.

“I know he knows people that I don’t know, so it was tember. This amount certainly helps, Steele said, but when medical bills are coming to the hundreds of thousands, the very helpful,” she said. “Neither one of us are ones to ask for help, so we were very, very appreciative of everyone’s dent is a small one.

Still, the crowdfunding opened up an avenue Steele and help and support.”

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DestinationSheridan The Sheridan Press’ recreation and tourism website, DestinationSheridan.com, continues to offer a guide to local recreation and activities.

The website pairs with the media organization’s three annual Destination Sheridan magazines, which highlight area attractions, people and businesses for locals and visitors alike.

As part of the website, The Sheridan Press partnered with the Sheridan Community Land Trust to present a recreation map.

The map allows visitors to the website to pick a category — such as hiking, cycling or fishing — to find area destinations for those activities. The map also provides a brief description and directions to the location highlighted on the map.

The possibilities for a map like this are endless, and plans to expand the map’s options are in the works. “It’s really exciting to be able to offer something like this to the public,� Press Managing Editor Kristen Czaban said. “The Sheridan Community Land Trust and A Better Map really impressed us with the work they put into this. It offers website visitors a chance to explore what Sheridan County has to offer from one place before they hit the open roads to take in the local recreation options.�

In addition to the recreation map, the Destination Sheridan

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website brings The Sheridan Press’ magazines to life.

While free PDFs are still available to download, readers can now browse the stories published in the magazine one at a time. Visitors can also stay up-to-date on local happenings with the website’s event calendar and check out photographs from local events in the photo gallery.

The website will also be updated regularly with new stories from The Sheridan Press that will interest local and visiting recreationists and tourists.

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Little Goose Liquors

Affordable Autos

99

Andi’s Coffee House

22

Mac’s Moving and Storage

Balanced Living

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65

Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce

13

97

Martinizing Dry Cleaning

Sheridan County Implement

69

88

Sheridan Floor to Ceiling

23

Best Western Sheridan Center

26

McDonald’s

97

Sheridan Orthopaedic

99

Bighorn Design Studio

103

MDU

93

Sheridan Stationery

23

Big Horn Properties

39

Mint Bar

27

Sheridan Travel & Tourism

116

Northeast Wyoming Pediatric Associates

51

SSR Construction

47

30

State Farm Insurance – Jon Oman

25

Big Horn Smokehouse/ Big Horn Mercantile

17

Billings Airport

103

Champion Funeral Home

97

OK Corral

City of Sheridan

97

Open Range

103

Strahan and Associates

77

Cloud Peak Energy

95

On the Rocks Jewelry

51

Tegeler and Associates

103

Country Kitchen

65

Pack & Mail

19

The Brinton Museum

5

Cowboy State Bank

41

Pioneer Realty Group

15

Cow Tran, Inc.

38

The Sheridan Press (and FAB Conference)

Crazy Woman Saloon

38

Plaza Gallery & Frame

27

47, 55, 78, 108 & 113

D&J Coins

46

Plus 50 Community College 79 Powder River Energy Corporation

34

Eatons’ Ranch

73

ERA Carroll Realty

3

Excalibur Construction

74

Prevention Management

31

Farmer’s COOP

75

Ptolemy Data Systems

19

Farmers Insurance – McCoy Agency

26

Rocky Mountain Discount Sports

65

First Federal Savings Bank

H&R Block

Rocky Mountain 2 & 11 Exteriors 81 Saddle Ridge Therapy 38 Center at Westview 46 Health Care

Heartland Kubota

99

Heritage Woodworks

First Interstate Bank Gina’s Beauty Bar

57

37

7

Sagebrush Community Art Center

22

Holiday Inn

7

Security State Bank

99

Kate Johnson

57

Kosma Heating & AC

67

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Sheridan Community College

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21

Thompson–Master Masons, Inc.

74

Turned Antiques

35

VA Medical Center

87

Visit Billings

54

Wagon Box

73

Wash Yer Wooleys

30

Westview Health Care Center

37

Winchester Steakhouse

34

Wind River Hotel and Casino

9

Wyoming Wildlife Outfitters

115

Wyoming Audiology and Hearing

77

WYO Theater

27

WyoVision Associates

49

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CENSUS DATA According to 2014 U.S. Census Bureau data, Sheridan County is home to 30,032 residents. The city of Sheridan has 17,916 residents. More recent estimates from 2015 indicate Sheridan County has surpassed 30,000 residents.

• 30,032 total residents • Median household income 2009-2013: $52,008 • Percent of people 18 years and older with a high school diploma: 92.7 percent

CITY OF SHERIDAN • 17,916 total residents • Female: 50.4 percent

• Under 18: 22 percent • Persons 65 and older: 15.8 percent

• Percent of people 25 years or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 23.1 percent • Persons below poverty level: 8.8 percent • Mean travel time to work: 17.7 minutes

WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE:

Looking for information on local hotels, restaurants and entertainment?

Visit the Wyoming Information Center located on the east side of the Interstate 90 Fifth Street exit.

The center offers friendly specialists to aide with any travel needs, 24-hour public restrooms inside the building, a kiosk where you can check out the area’s different points of interest, a children’s playground, a mini-museum and a picnic area with panoramic views of Sheridan and the Bighorn Mountains.

The information center and museum are owned by the state.

The information center is equipped with a flatscreen television, computers with Internet service and wireless access.

Parking at the facility is ample and able to accommodate vehicles of all sizes. There is also an RV waste disposal site for the convenience of travelers.

Summer hours (mid-May to mid-October) for the information center are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays the rest of the year.

Sheridan Travel and Tourism can be contacted by calling 307-673-7120 or online at WWW.SHERIDANWYOMING.ORG.

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• 24-hour public restrooms • One-on-one assistance from travel specialists • Information kiosk • Brochures on area’s points of interest • Dog-walking area • Picnic area • RV waste disposal site • Parking • Panoramic view of the Bighorn Mountains • Wyoming Game and Fish regional offices nearby