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At the May 7 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Bub Barkhurst was sworn in by Mayor Chuck Davis to fill the vacancy left by the passing of Jacob Fluty earlier this year. Barkhurst was one of two applicants to the vacancy. The other was Chia Valdez, who currently serves on the Saratoga Planning Commission. Both applicants read their letters of interest in public and were interviewed by members of the council in open meeting. See more in the May 9 edition of the Saratoga Sun...
Living in rural areas such as Saratoga, interactions with wild animals are a given. In many cases, it’s that interaction which attracts people to the area. These interactions go beyond the “town deer” which live in town limits or the occasional moose making its way through. Such is the case with the mountain lion recently captured and relocated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD). According to Teal Cufaude, Saratoga Wildlife Biologist for the WGFD, this is possibly the second mount...
On Monday morning, those driving up and down 1st Street in Saratoga likely saw an uncommon sight as a local resident held a protest outside Saratoga Town Hall. Wearing a bright yellow coat and carrying a pink sign, Jimmy Dempsey called for Mayor Chuck Davis to remove Town Clerk Jennifer Anderson for “neglecting her duty.” On his sign, Dempsey cited section 02.08.020 of Saratoga Municipal Code. This section of the code reads that all town employees may be dismissed by the mayor and council, wit...
As the Saratoga Planning Commission continues to discuss affordable housing and short term rentals, they may be able to look to a recent report for some guidance. In February, the Wyoming Community Development Authority released its 2024 Housing Needs Assessment. More than 300 pages long, the report breaks down the state into various regions with Carbon County included in the Central Region with Natrona and Converse counties. Chairperson McCall Burau led the planning commission through the...
Taking a short break from discussing short term rentals, the Saratoga Planning Commission held a brief discussion over a proposed chicken ordinance during their April 9 meeting. Under current municipal code, it is mostly illegal to own chickens or other domestic fowl on residential lots within town limits. One of the only exceptions, per section 18.42.150© of the municipal code, are undeveloped areas in residential zones which are greater than five acres. This section of the code allows livestoc...
In the lowlands of the Platte Valley, it may seem like winter has been gentle on us in regards to the amount of snow received this winter. As April speeds by, it may even seem like we could be looking at a dry summer. Data from the Wyoming State Climate Office at the University of Wyoming, however, shows otherwise. According to Director Tony Bergantino, snowpack at National Resources Conservation Services (NCRS) sites in the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre ranges varies from over 80% to 110% of...
The resubdividing of existing lots and how that could impact the future of zoning was a subject of the Saratoga Planning Commission during their March 12 meeting. At the heart of the discussion was property owned by Paul Newman located at 208 W. Saratoga Avenue. Rather than either the property being a single lot or two lots, it is a lot-and-a-half. “I’d like to put two brand new trailers on that lot-and-a-half but per zoning, I’m only allowed to do one per lot,” said Newman. “I’m asking to divide my lot-and-a-half into two three-quart...
“Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring to your own life.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last week, the Town of Saratoga began advertising for the vacancy on the Saratoga Town Council. The seat, previously held by Jacob Fluty, will be on the ballot as a two-year unexpired term this year. Whoever is appointed to the vacancy will onl...
It seemed the Easter Bunny not only made a stop in the Encampment and Riverside area, but lost most of his basket in the process. On March 30, the Encampment/Riverside Volunteer Fire Department held their annual easter egg hunt for children aged preschool through 6th grade. The event, held at Rick Martin Memorial Park in Riverside, seems to draw participants from near and far every year and with good reason. Approximately 30 dozen eggs and pounds upon pounds of candy were littered throughout...
Short term rentals and their regulation—or lack thereof—in municipal code was yet again a topic of discussion for the Saratoga Planning Commission during their March 12 meeting. While a proposed short term rental permit was created by the planning commission last year, it was ultimately tabled in November 2023 on the recommendation of Kylie Waldrip, legal counsel for the Town of Saratoga. In February, James “Jimmy” Campbell asked the planning commission to continue to pursue some form of perm...
When Ed Glode’s great-grandfather, E.J. Shively, bought Tilton & Son Hardware Store in December 1925 it came with a list of vendors. “The top vendor was International Harvester,” said Glode, who is the fourth-generation to own and run the business. “When they settled the West from Chicago to San Francisco, next to every other rail hub was an International Harvester dealer. We were the product of one of those. Most of those are closed in the western United States. We’re one of the few that’s st...
Tack shops were once a common sight across the country, but especially the West. As the tools used in ranching have evolved from riding a horse to riding an all-terrain vehicle, these iconically western businesses seem to have all but disappeared. Not in Saratoga, though, where Hatch Tack has set up shop on Bridge Avenue. Cordell Hatch and his wife, Siara, have operated Hatch Tack for nearly two decades and opened up their storefront in Saratoga over a year ago. Since then, said the couple,...
Danny Burau, owner of The Malt in Saratoga, knows the concept of farm-to-table isn’t new or revolutionary in the food industry. It’s been around long enough it was once parodied by the sketch comedy series “Portlandia” when two characters—played by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein—are so invested in the chicken on the menu they visit where it was raised. Being a comedy series, hijinks ensue. While it may seem almost hyperbolic in its critique of the locally sourced movement, there is perhaps...
In the past week, I’ve talked with a few people—many of them longtime Valley or Carbon County locals—about the issues of bullying. It was even a major topic during the recent community forum with the candidates for Encampment K-12 School principal. I won’t reveal the names of the people I’ve talked to nor the exact nature of what they spoke with me about. These were personal conversations and the only reason I’m bringing them up is due to a similar comment through most of the conversatio...
Cody Ellenson, the primary suspect in the December 16 robbery of the Whistle Pig Saloon south of Saratoga, has been arrested by authorities in Florida. On March 15, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old Ellenson in a press release. According to the press release, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) was contacted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) about a person in Wakulla County who might be a wanted fug...
Next week, the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC) will be hosting its annual chamber dinner and awards. While each year the dinner is a way to celebrate local businesses and chamber members, the S/PVCC will also be observing its 50th Anniversary. CEO Amanda Knotwell gave the Saratoga Sun a preview of what to expect for this year’s dinner and awards, which will include everything from live music to a history lesson. This year will feature two guest speakers: Chuck “C.J.” Box a...
When reading up on types of earthquake-resistant structures, one will be greeted with a variety of options when it comes to construction. Flexible foundations, seismic dampers, ductile materials which can either deflect, absorb, transfer or distribute vibrations from seismic activity. Professional architects and contractors have a variety of materials at their disposal to attempt this. The 8th grade science class at Saratoga Middle High School just had marshmallows and pasta noodles. Yet, quite...
Three months after tabling a draft short term rental permit application, the Saratoga Planning Commission once again discussed the impact of short term rentals in Saratoga at its February 13 meeting. The discussion was brought up by James “Jimmy” Campbell, a resident and business owner in Saratoga. Citing the goals the planning commission has set for 2024, Campbell said he was disappointed to see there was nothing regarding short term rentals. Chairwoman McCall Burau reminded Campbell the pla...
We’re told to think of the children. That’s the refrain used in state legislatures across the country when it comes to the slew of anti-LGBTQ laws which are proposed or passed. Laws like the one in Oklahoma, which requires people to use the bathroom of the gender on their birth certificate. Yet, due to laws like this, it is likely that a child in Oklahoma has died. Nex Benedict was a non-binary 16 year old student at Owasso High School. On February 7, they were allegedly assaulted by three fem...
As municipalities throughout the county struggle with law enforcement, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office appears to be expanding to meet those needs and is also being creative in how to meet those needs. During the February 20 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Sheriff Alex Bakken provided the commissioners with updates on his department. These included the explanation of an extraterritorial deputy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Town of Riverside and t...
It’s before noon on a Monday. The sound of oil on cast iron cuts through the air, just like the smell of hot cast iron. Mixed in is the odor of seared meat and the aroma of cooked vegetables and potatoes. On one skillet is Skyler Wood, making a batch of bacon home fries while, on the other skillet, Kayden Erick puts a sear on a cut of bison tenderloin. Douglass Campbell occasionally steps in between the two, offering some quick advice and bringing them supplies. This could be a scene from an e...
It can be hard to find just one word which would best describe Loren “Teense” Willford. A fifth-generation resident of the Platte Valley, Teense has been and is many things. A husband, a father, a friend, a Mason, a musician and a statesman. On February 3, though he was being honored by the Saratoga Masonic Lodge, it was difficult for those in attendance not to talk about Teense’s other contributions. “He’s always giving to something else, always supporting somebody else,” said Howard Hill...
Tragedy struck the Saratoga community early on the afternoon of February 9 when an avalanche claimed the life of 34-year-old Jacob Fluty. According to a press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, a SPOT device emergency SOS activation was received in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. The location of the SOS was southwest of Bridger Peak in an area known as “Avalanche Alley.” Responding deputies were able to contact the individual who had activated the SPOT device, who reported he an...
Living in a small community like the Platte Valley, every loss seems to be felt far more acutely than in more urban areas. Running a newspaper in a small community, one of the hardest parts of the job is receiving the obituaries. It's even hard when it's someone who is not only close to your age, but who you knew. I didn't know Jacob Fluty as well as his friends and family, but you can't grow up in a small town with someone and not have some knowledge of who they are. When I first heard about...
Child care, like many other things in the Valley, has been limited or scarce. That changed in December 2020 when Valley Village Childcare first opened its doors. It didn’t take long, however, for the facility on West Bridge Avenue to quickly fill to capacity. The Valley Village Childcare Board of Directors tasked themselves with finding a new location, then construction began on the North Platte Valley Medical Center. With the medical center housing both the clinic and the skilled nursing f...