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This weekend the 55th annual Woodchoppers Jamboree will be held on Saturday and Sunday. This year will be full of the traditional events and will also have some new features. According to Bob Merrill, president of the Encampment/Riverside Lions Club, and Jerry Kraft, rodeo organizer, this year should be just as good for the Woodchoppers events—and there will be a new addition this year. Women will have another opportunity to compete in chainsaw events. “There were some women really int...
The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce received a grant from the Carbon County Visitors' Council as well as other sources to join one of Wyoming's newer marketing campaigns as well as some original advertisement ideas. This campaign involves a variety of stickers-some include generic lines such as "bike Wyoming" or "road trip Wyoming". There are others that include original designs featuring towns in the state, with personalized designs that are only sold in the region. This is...
Recently, a Legislative Act was passed in the Wyoming State Legislature that has been featured in the national press — relating to a tougher stance for citizens trespassing while collecting data — whether knowingly or unknowingly. The legislation set stauncher punishment for the public that “enters onto open land for the purpose of collecting resource data.” “Open land”, according to the legislation, “means land outside the exterior boundaries of any incorporated city, town, subdivision.” The de...
Saratoga Elementary School won a grant in October for a hydroponic system, and recently, the school reaped the ultimate reward — eating what they grew. A hydroponic system, according to Adelaide Myers, library aide at Saratoga Elementary, is a medium to grow plants that doesn’t use soil. The vegetation can be angled at almost any position; all that matters is that it is receiving light and water. “And basically it’s just some heavy-duty mesh we planted the seeds from little plugs. And we planted...
The Clean Water Act has recently been expanded with the new Clean Water rule, and a range of stakeholders in Wyoming are concerned about this decision. Under the new Clean Water rule, the federal government has expanded the definition of “navigable” waters to “extended tributaries across the country”. This expansion has major consequences for the country, as 60 percent of water in the United States is not considered “navigable”. Many are concerned that this expansion is too vague and there n...
In August, there will be turbidity increase along the East Fork Encampment River and Coon Creek for the removal of two weirs. An advertisement ran in the Saratoga Sun last week for the notice of the turbidity increase as an Application for Temporary Turbidity Increase has to be issued for the project to proceed. According to Bill Bear, Biologist for the U.S. Forest Service, the project is a segment of an extended progress of weir removals in the area. One weir was removed in 2011. “The permit i...
Encampments K-12 School was recently ranked in the Best Schools Ranking of “50 Inspiring Schools Meeting the Challenge”. From the description of Encampment School on the ranking website, “Encampment School has plenty about which to be happy. Their 2014 school report from the state shows that they are Exceeding Expectations — the highest of four designations the state can render after school data is gathered.” Mike Erickson, Principal at Encampment K-12 School, was very proud of the ranking an...
I like to think of myself as a forever skeptic. I avoid letting someone make a political stance for me and I really do my research before I vouch for something. Yes, an intense start to this column, but I find that some conservation practices such as composting and recycling are practices that many disregard because it is only what ‘tree huggers’ do. That negative connotation baffles me. It is astonishing to me that people do not do it. Do you really enjoy taking out the garbage every-other day?...
The Saratoga Elementary School Carnival May 21 boasted four bouncy houses and loads of fun events....
This weeks flag 101 etiquette reminder is how to properly display a United States Flag indoors. According to USflag.org, there are some ways that the flag should not be displayed. “The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top. The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It s...
A Dialogue on Poverty meeting was held on May 18 with the Carbon County Community Action Committee for the 2015 Carbon County Needs Assessment. The goal of this assessment is to find out the extent of poverty in Carbon County, factors that support the creation of poverty, services and resources currently available to offset creation or impact of poverty, priorities for meeting needs and barrier to services. Sheela Schermetzler, Grant Manager for Albany County, presented the final report at the m...
Interim Assistant Principal of Rawlins High School, Linda Butler, is taking on the role as Principal of Saratoga Middle High School starting in the 2015-2016 academic year, and she is beyond excited for the opportunity. “We are thrilled, I am just so excited and I can’t even express how fortunate we are to go back to Saratoga and to have this new opportunity.” Both Butler and her husband Dan Butler, are very familiar with the region — Dan was a graduate of Saratoga and Linda graduated from Ra...
According to Marty Mayfield, Maintenance Area Supervisor for Rawlins’ Department of Transportation (DOT), a sinkhole was found on Wyoming Highway 70 while clearing off the roads. Originally, according to Mayfield, it was thought to only be a pothole—but upon further investigation, there was a 4-6 foot cavern beneath the pavement and it was discovered that water started washing underneath the road. A beaver dam blocking one of the culverts on the highway allegedly caused the damage. Last wee...
Did you know that before June 14, 1924, there were no rules set in place for flag etiquette? According to USFlag.org, "It was on this date that the National Flag Code was adopted by the National Flag Conference which was attended by representatives of the Army and Navy which had evolved their own procedures, and some 66 other national groups." There are set rules on the American Flag should be presented, maintained and destroyed. In honor of Flag Day on June 14, tips will be provided regarding...
The clouds lifted and the sun was shining for the Saratoga Lake Day held last Thursday. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders from Saratoga, Encampment, Hanna and Medicine Bow were at Saratoga Lake to get outside and learn from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Saratoga Encampment Rawlins Conservation District (SERCD), Saratoga Museum, Carbon County Weed and Pest, Wyoming Game and Fish, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Saratoga Bird Club. Ten stations were set up to teach students varying lessons regardin...
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality's Nonpoint Source Task Force as well as other agencies were in Saratoga last week to learn about river restoration with a lecture and tour given on the Encampment River. On May 13 the River Restoration 101 lecture took place during the DEQ Task Force meeting, then Thursday the Task Force and other agencies traveled to Encampment to tour river restoration projects completed on the Encampment River. According to the DEQ website, "the Wyoming...
The Saratoga Encampment Rawlins Conservation District (SERCD) employees as well as Jay Schug, project manager for Anderson Consulting Engineers, held an open house for the Upper Platte River Watershed Study (UPRWS) from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on May 12 at the USDA Service Center. This event was intended for ranchers who own land within the Watershed Study area. Schug is responsible for creating the UPRWS. “What my study is doing is basically developing a Watershed Management plan for the area, i...
At the Water and Sewer meeting on May 13, the board decided the northern route up from the sewer lagoon that turns west would be the route they will pursue for the intended treated wastewater sewer line. The board made a motion to choose the north route line; all voted in favor of the motion except Russell Waldner, treasurer of the Water and Sewer board. Waldner stated that he was not against the north route line, but felt the size of the proposed line was too big. A memo was released to the...
With high school graduations starting up, I find myself contemplating the day I graduated high school. Although it was only four years ago, my perception of college and the importance of it has significantly changed. From my experience, even if you work your hardest during the semester and get stellar grades, it is not enough in this day-in-age. In college you have to always be thinking ahead to your college graduation and how ready you will be for the professional working world. So here I pass...
Rebecca Burton, student at University of Wyoming and 2011 graduate of Saratoga High School, was given the opportunity to go to Ecuador on a 10-day study abroad trip during her spring break this year. The trip was a part of the course named Problems: Tropical Behavioral Ecology. According to Burton, "This field course immersed me in the tropical rainforest on the west slope of the Andes studying biodiversity, bird identification, and animal behavior. I learned to identify roughly 150 species of...
On May 15, Charles (Chuck) Larsen, General Manager of Carbon County Power & Light (CP&L), will officially retire from his position and Russell Waldner, Director of Engineering of CP&L, will fill the role. Both Larsen and Walder have taken the time to reflect on their careers thus far and are looking forward to the future. Larsen, General Manager of Carbon County Power & Light, began his career with the company 36 years ago—working as a lineman—climbing and installing telephone poles. “I reall...
In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rawlins Field Office held a free Bird Song Identification Class last Thursday and a bird walk at Saratoga Lake on Saturday. During the course, Sandra Taylor, Biological Science Technician, presented an overview of 17 common birds that are found in range lands throughout the region. At that time, Taylor gave on overview of the distinctive markings that distinguishes each bird, an interesting fact about the...
