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Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles on the Green Mountain ski area. On July 12, representatives from Brush Creek Ranch will appear before the Carbon County Planning Commission in regards to a zone amendment for the Green Mountain ski area from Residential to Planned United Development (PUD). The public hearing comes almost 20 years to the day after the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) approved a previous zone amendment for all of Section 36 of Township 14 N...
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series on the Green Mountain ski area. When Brush Creek Ranch purchased the Green Mountain Ski Area in June 2019, many residents in Encampment and Riverside assumed, or perhaps feared, the luxury resort would develop the 620-acre property. A public notice in the June 16 Saratoga Sun seemed to confirm those assumptions with the announcement of a public hearing on July 12 for a zone change from residential to a planned unit development (PUD). Along with the z...
Last summer, things may have appeared normal in the Valley as locals and visitors were treated to Saratoga Days and the annual Independence Day parade. While many traditional Valley events took place last year, one which didn’t will return in 2021. This weekend, local business and gallery owner Laura Morrow will bring back the Festival of the Arts. Originally organized by the Platte Valley Arts Council, Morrow took over the event some years ago after buying Blackhawk Gallery and opening Laura M...
This weekend, many of us will be celebrating the 245th birthday of the United States of America. Traditionally, this national holiday is filled with barbecues, fireworks, parades and concerts and this year will be no different. A full slate of events are on schedule for Valley this weekend including the return of the Festival of the Arts, the 3rd Annual Saratoga Days, the 3rd Annual Firewater Fifth, the inaugural Old Fashioned Family Carnival and so much more. Of course, we’ll also have the para...
Following discussion between Octagon Construction and the Saratoga Town Council during their June 15 meeting, the question remained as to who should pay water and sewer connection fees; the developer of a subdivision or the individual lot owner. A two-and-a-half hour workshop between the governing body and the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) on June 23 and a special council meeting on June 25 appeared to have answered that question … for now. As was reported p...
Summers in Wyoming can be heralded by several sights. For some, it's the flurry of cotton from nearby cotton trees which agitate their allergies. When it comes to others, the seasonal opening of mountain byways is the sign. An almost universally accepted sign summer has arrived in the Cowboy State is the sights of bicyclists peddling either through town or in between towns. Some try to maintain a certain pace and an average mileage as they ride the TransAmerican Trail from Astoria, Oregon to...
On June 17, President Joe Biden signed legislation creating the first national holiday in over 30 years. Juneteenth National Independence Day, or Juneteenth, will be observed on June 19 as a legal public holiday. The last time legislation was passed and signed into law to create a legal public holiday was in 1983 when Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was recognized to observe the birthday of the Civil Rights leader. MLK Day is observed on the 3rd Monday of January each year. While there were 14...
As Saratoga sees substantial development for the first time in many years, the Town of Saratoga and the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) appear to be in disagreement on the subject of tap fees in relation to subdivision development. During the June 15 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Kristen Stocks, co-owner of Octagon Construction, appeared before the governing body to provide updates on Octagon Estates, a subdivision being developed south of Shively Airfield....
While summer technically began on June 21, the above average temperatures this month may be seen as a portent of things to come. At the June 15 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, Mayor Creed James and the rest of the governing body discussed the potential of issuing water restrictions later in the summer. The discussion came under the council comments portion of the meeting and was initiated by James. “I was contacted by Jon Winter from public works about a concern over our water usage,” sai...
During their June 15 meeting, the Saratoga Town Council held the third and final reading on two ordinances. Ordinance No. 859 set the budget for the Town of Saratoga’s 2021/2022 Fiscal Year while Ordinance No. 858 amended Chapter 5.08 of the Saratoga Municipal Code. Ordinance No. 859 After multiple budget workshops and three readings, the Town of Saratoga has approved a general fund budget of nearly $3.2 million and an enterprise fund budget of $5.6 million. In the general fund, the governing b...
Saratoga residents have yet another option to choose from when it comes to hair care. In May, Copper Creek Hair Company opened at 116 West Bridge Avenue. The owner of the new hair salon, Madeline Bonitatibus, may have recently moved to Saratoga from Cheyenne, but is no stranger to the area. Bonitatibus and her family have visited the Platte Valley for many years. Her grandfather, in fact, bought one of the former United States Forest Service houses in Encampment. After a number of years...
Justin Brown had every intention of becoming a pastor. He even obtained both a bachelors and masters degree in theology. According to Brown, however, he's "too rough around the edges" to lead a flock. Instead of leading, he's protecting. Brown is the newest officer to join the Saratoga Police Department, replacing former officer Robert Bifano. Having moved here from Trinidad, Colorado, he isn't hard to spot. At well over six feet tall, the new officer is also broad shouldered and makes an imposi...
County level fire restrictions will be coming sooner rather than later according to interim Fire Warden John Rutherford. During the June 15 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Rutherford informed the commissioners of fire restrictions he had been made aware of that morning including from the United States Forest Service (USFS) and from Moffat County and Routt County in Colorado. Indeed, on the afternoon of June 15, Stage 1 fire restrictions were announced for the Medicin...
The headache of Senate File 60 and ad valorem taxes is continuing for county treasurers and will likely turn into one for county assessors as well. At the June 1 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Treasurer Patty Bentsen gave an update on the progress, or lack thereof, the Wyoming County Treasurers Association (WCTA) had made in speaking with the Wyoming Department of Revenue. According to Bentsen, the WCTA had met with both the Wyoming County Commissioners Association...
It is really quite interesting how one’s perspective affects their experiences. While I was not absent from the pages of the Saratoga Sun last week, I was absent from the office itself. I had finally scheduled some vacation time right before things typically get bustling here in the Platte Valley. Beginning with the Tale of Two Cities Golf Tournament this past weekend, it seems we are filled with events nearly every weekend until August. I was quite excited to take my vacation, too. I had p... Full story
With Independence Day just around the corner, the desire to light off fireworks is likely increasing for individuals and commercial entities alike. Each year, businesses such as Brush Creek Ranch, Old Baldy Club and the Seminoe Boat Club put on shows for guests. Though fireworks are technically banned in Carbon County, a process is established in which residents can enjoy a light show by submitting an application to the county fire warden. While the application stipulates a $100 fee to go along...
Each year, the Valley Service Organization (VSO) presents two awards in May. The first is the Woman of Distinction, which goes to a woman or group of women who have had a positive impact on the North Platte Valley. The second is the Youth Citizenship Award. This award, in the form of a $500 scholarship, is presented to a graduating senior within Carbon County School District No. 2. Each year, the VSO receives multiple applications from students in Saratoga, Encampment and Hanna. This year,...
As the Saratoga Town Council continues their quest to obtain information and data from the Saratoga Police Department, the governing body received a visit from Sally Patton, Carbon County Prevention Specialist, during their June 1 meeting. Recent meetings have seen the council—especially Councilmember Jon Nelson—questioning Police Chief Ken Lehr on discrepancies between information provided to the council outside of public meetings and what has been included in published police reports. Dur...
One of the most recent battles in the ongoing “Culture Wars” in the United States appears to have reached Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2). During board member comments at the May 17 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of Trustees, the subject of Critical Race Theory was raised by Boardmember Joe Gaspari as a potential topic for an upcoming board work session. “As we are all aware, there’s great turmoil in society right now but also in the education field,” said Gaspari. “I think we need to...
It appears nuclear energy will be coming to Wyoming in the near future. In a press release from the Office of Governor Mark Gordon, it was announced TerraPower and PacificCorp would be undergoing efforts to advance a Natrium reactor demonstration project at a retiring coal plant in Wyoming. No site was announced by the companies but it was stated they were evaluating several potential locations. “I am thrilled to see Wyoming selected for this demonstration pilot project as our great state is t...
While the regular football and basketball seasons may be over, Encampment's Dalton Peterson has a busy off-season as he transitions from high school to college. The salutatorian of Encampment's Class of 2021 has already donned pads one last time as he competed in the Six-Man All-Star game this past weekend. He'll get his hands on a basketball this weekend as well as he competed in the Wyoming All-Star Basketball game. Peterson was named to the Six-Man roster in February to the All-Star Roster...
As construction appears to be ramping up in the area, the Town of Saratoga is once again operating without a planning and zoning officer. The Saratoga Town Council discussed the potential of making the position full-time during their June 1 meeting. The discussion comes following the resignation of Alex Dorothy, who had contracted with the Town in October 2020 to perform building inspections and review building permits. The Town of Saratoga, in fact, has been without a permanent planning and...
The days of the Nigerian prince needing help getting his money out of the country or the long-lost wealthy uncle leaving a sizable inheritance are long gone. As technology has advanced, so have the ways in which scammers and con-artists have tried to take advantage of people. On May 12, Saratoga resident Janice Kerpan fell victim to one of the more recent scams and not only lost $600 but became the victim of identity theft. All of it started with a seemingly misaddressed email about an Amazon...
Newly passed legislation appears to be causing headaches for county treasurers throughout Wyoming before it has even taken effect. Senate File 60, which was introduced and passed during the 2021 General Session, is supposed to provide a process for monthly ad valorem taxation of mineral production instead of biannual payments. During the May 18 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), County Treasurer Patty Bentsen requested a letter of support from the commissioners to...
It can be all too easy to focus on the things going wrong in our lives that we overlook the things going right. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple thing to wake us up to that fact. At the same time, that simple act can hit us like a ton of bricks. For me, it was a fire pit. The past few summers haven’t exactly been great for getting out of town with my family. Last year, especially, was difficult as I was wrapped up in covering how the pandemic was impacting life in Carbon County and the h...