Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Mayor of Saratoga, John Zeiger, said farewell to the mayoral office during a brief nine-minute town council meeting on Dec.16. “I’ve enjoyed doing it,” Zeiger said addressing members of the council and the audience.“We’ve all rubbed elbows a couple times, but I enjoyed doing it.T hank you everyone.” Zeiger was first elected mayor of Saratoga in 2004. It was also the last meeting for councilman Steve Wilcoxson and councilman Mike McWain — both of who have served a combined eight years on the... Full story
Writing the “Dunn in the Sun” column every month is often a well-needed change of pace. With columns there is no digging through notes, no listening to interviews, no research involved. It’s just me and my thoughts – talking about everything from life events to political issues. I’ve written more than one dozen columns in my year-long stint at the Saratoga Sun, but this will be my last. I have recently accepted a position as a staff writer with the Sheridan Press in Sheridan, Wyo. While it...
Responses to a Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) survey drew mixed results from community members. The results from the Nov. 2014 survey were posted on the CCSD#2 website and are now available for public viewing. The survey asked for the public’s opinion on implementing a common district calendar and randomized drug testing for high school students participating in activities. No decision has been made yet concerning either one of these items. The anonymous comments regarding the dist...
Superintendent of CCSD#2 Jim Copeland just completed the long journey in becoming "Dr. Copeland". Recently, Copeland defended his dissertation and received his Ed.D in Educational studies from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley. Copeland began the process in 2012, as UNC started a doctorate program in Educational studies. It was a hybrid program, with most of the classes taking place online. For Copeland, who was living two hours away from campus in Fleming, Colo., the program...
The Lady Tigers of Encampment went into the winter break splitting their four basketball games last week. Encampment started their week against North Park (Walden, Colo.) in a tight 27-35 loss. No stats were available for the game. The team then went to Lingle, Wyo. to take on a handful of 1A opponents. The Lady Tigers beat the Lady Oilers of Midwest 31-21. Courtney James (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Konnar Knotwell (10 points, 12 rebounds) put up their first double-doubles of the season. The...
Many Platte Valley churches will be holding special services for Christmas. The Saratoga Alliance Church will hold a special service at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve called “Good News, Peace on Earth.” Deacons from the Encampment Presbyterian Church will be preparing food for the needy at 2 p.m. on Dec. 20 and there will be children’s caroling and hayride at 4 p.m. on Dec. 22. Candlelight Christmas Eve services will be held at 5 p.m. with music and scripture reading following the service. The Sarat...
The Saratoga Planning Commission agreed to let residents decide height of front-yard fencing. The commission elected to confirm with town attorney Tom Thompson if front-yard fence heights that exceed the current fencing ordinance could be covered under a variance. Commission members said that way residents would be able to sign off on any dramatic changes to fencing. “Instead of having a blanket ordinance cover the whole town, let’s let the town decide,” planning commission member Greg Cooks...
Some games were prettier than others - but any way you put it, the Encampment boys basketball team came out on top in all three of their games this weekend at the Carbon County Classic. The opening game of the season was hardly a contest for the Encampment Tigers. Despite being undersized, Encampment's full-court man defense dismantled the Longhorn offense - keeping Rock River off the score board for nearly seven minutes in the first and second quarter. The Longhorns had no answer for the Tiger'... Full story
The 2014-15 season is already off to a hot start for the Saratoga wrestling team after the Panthers posted strong individual performances at the Soroco Duel/Invite this weekend. All Saratoga wrestlers placed in the tournament and Panthers took second in team points. "It went well," Saratoga wrestling head coach JaredMason said about the Soroco invite. "It was a smaller tournament than expected with eight teams total." The Panthers posted first-place performances from Jaxon King (113), Bradley...
The Encampment Lady Tigers begin their 2014/15 season with a sparkling 3-0 record after sweeping non-conference opponents at the Carbon County Classic. Head coach Amy Clay said she was particularly impressed with her team's performance in the beginning of the year. "I'm pleased with the teamwork we've exhibited to start the season, everyone played hard and contributed to our success," Clay said. The Encampment Lady Tigers powered through the Rock River Lady Longhorns 53-28 season-opener victory....
Funding received from the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security (WOHS) may not be worth the hassle, Saratoga Chief of Police Tom Knickerbocker said at the Dec. 2 Saratoga town council meeting. “(The Saratoga Police Department) gets a fraction of a percent of the funding, but 100 percent of the rules and regulations,” Knickerbocker said. The Saratoga Police Department receives an annual grant from WOHS. Last year, the Saratoga Police Department (SPD) received $4,600 and is expected to receive $5,...
Stantec Inc. and Wildland Hydrology’s presentation of the results of their preliminary findings for the Upper North Platte River Restoration Project Friday drew mixed reactions from the public. The project is intended to alter the North Platte River through Saratoga in order to create a self-sustaining, natural and stable river. Hydrologist for Wildland Hydrology Dave Rosgen, suggests enhancing the river’s natural flow and building structures which mimic natural elements of the river, to cre...
Members of the Saratoga Town Council and the Saratoga/Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (water and sewer) took the first steps to establish a resolution for the new sewer ordinance. Ordinance 828, which is intended to increase the base water fee in order to pay for the Outfall Pump Station and Transmission Line Project, was passed on the third reading at the Nov. 19 town council meeting with the understanding a resolution would be passed in order to resolve billing disputes. In an effort...
The Saratoga wrestling squad is tough, experienced and skilled. You can't ask for any more than that. After a seventh-place finish and six individual medalists at the state tournament, head coach Jared Mason expects another fantastic performance from his wrestlers this year. "It should be exciting, I am looking forward to it," he said. The opening days of the season are focused on conditioning. With the late Dec. 1 start to the season, Mason said it is important for his wrestlers to be on par...
Last year ended in disappointment for Encampment's basketball team. Despite a 17-9 record, their first trip to the state tournament in four years was cut short after a shooting a lowly 20 percent from the field. "We got the deer-in-the-headlights look [at the state tournament]," head coach Clint Bromley said. But this is a new season; and with new seasons come new opportunities. With a year's experience of state tournament-level play under their belt, they are ready to prove they belong with...
Encampment girl's basketball team may have ended their season with a 27-33 loss to Cokeville last year, but head coach Amy Clay sees that game as motivation for this season. "We lost to them by about 20 in the past two games we played them," Clay said. "And that game we were with them right up until the end." Clay said she is very excited for this coming year. In the opening days of practice, Clay has her team undergoing up-tempo practices to get in shape. They have been working with ball...
Tonight, the Saratoga town council and the Carbon County/Saratoga Impact Joint Powers (water and sewer) board is convening to finally put the controversial sewer ordinance to rest. The two parties will meet for a workshop in order to develop a resolution which will address all issues surrounding Ordinance 828. The ordinance itself was passed on the third reading at the Nov. 18 town council meeting and increases sewer fees to pay for wastewater lagoon outfall project. At the core of the...
Successfully preparing your child for school is like taking on any other project: it requires the right tools. A newly-acquired grant may soon provide local parents with those tools. The Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) received a $37,270 grant from the Wyoming Department of Homeland Services. The grant, called the Early Childhood Community Partnership Grant, will establish workshops for parents to ensure their preschool students and...
Ordinance 828 passed on its third and final reading Nov. 18, but there is still a rough road ahead for the controversial sewage ordinance. With Mayor John Zeiger and Councilman Mike McWain absent from the meeting, the ordinance passed 2 to 1. The ordinance, which will increase sewer fee fees in order to pay for the lagoon wastewater outfall project, will charge each single-family residential unit a rate of $22.73 a month. That rate may increase a maximum of three percent every year. The base... Full story
A survey posted on the Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD#2) may indicate future changes in policy for the school districts. The survey, which expired Friday, asked community members for their thoughts on drug policies and district-wide calendars. Superintendent Jim Copeland said he received more than 270 responses while the survey was up. All communities were represented in the comments, including faculty, community members, students and parents. The surveys will be examined further by...
Thanksgiving is upon us, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s one of the greatest American holidays out there — anytime you combine sitting around all day watching football and enjoying fantastic meals with family, it’s nearly an impossible combination to beat. This Thanksgiving, like every Thanksgiving, it’s important to remember what you are thankful for. As for me, I have so many things to be thankful for, listing them off before I dive into a delicious turkey and mashed potatoes would not do it... Full story
The Carbon County, Saratoga Impact Joint Powers Board (water and sewer board) wants to work with the Saratoga Town Council in order to put the sewage ordinance to rest. At their Nov. 12 meeting, the water and sewer board voted to meet with the Saratoga town council to discuss Ordinance 828. The ordinance, which has been postponed in the third reading since Sept. 16 town council meeting, will raise sewer fees for Saratoga residents in order to pay back a State Land Investment Board (SLIB) loan fo...
The Saratoga Planning Commission is going to take more time to examine the fencing ordinance. At their Nov. 13 meeting, planning commission members decided they would wait until a full board is present to make a decision. There were only four members of the seven-person board present at the meeting. The planning commission has discussed revising the ordinance since April 2014. The commission also deliberated establishing a sub-committee to finish an ordinance, though no action was taken on the...
Schools in the Platte Valley honored Veterans Day yesterday with assemblies to recognize veterans who have served in the military. At Saratoga Middle/High School the day began with an assembly in the gym where the pledge of allegiance was recited, followed by a speech on Veterans Day by Class President Hunter Mason. After Mason was done the student body watched "Taking Chance," a 2009 film starring Kevin Bacon about bringing a Marine Chance Phelps, who was killed in Afghanistan, back to his...
The sewer ordinance continues its uphill battle at Saratoga Town Hall. Ordinance 828, which would raise sewer rates to pay for the Saratoga Wastewater Outfall Project, was tabled once again after heeding advice from town of Saratoga Engineer Chuck Bartlett and Saratoga town attorney Tom Thompson. Both Bartlett and Thompson were absent at the Oct. 21 town council meeting. The initial ordinance proposed by the town of Saratoga states the sewer rates for residential dwellings may increase up to a...