Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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The Platte Valley and Carbon County have been uniquely blessed with its fair share of do-ers, people who roll up their sleeves and make something happen rather than waiting for something to happen. This weekend gave a prime example of what do-ers can do. Each year, Ryta Sondergard tirelessly works with community members throughout the county to put on a one-of-a-kind Christmas experience. This year was no different as Sondergard and a number of volunteers brought Willy Wonka to the Carbon County Fairgrounds on Saturday. The event, which was...
With a combined population of 2,265, the Platte Valley is less than a quarter in size of some of the more metropolitan areas in Wyoming like Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne. Despite the small size of our combined community, we have some wonderful amenities. The secret is out about our Valley, seeing as we are busy year-round anymore whether it’s Saratoga Days or Skijoring, Woodchopper’s Jamboree or the 307 GoFast On Ice. Saratoga, and the Platte Valley, continue to grow year-after-year. Residents have their choice in banking, in real estate, in...
In the search for the balance of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, this past week saw tributes and thanks for those in our community who have served not only in the military but in the polling centers during our election process. We heartily thank our veterans for serving not only their communities but their country in their military commitments as the staff of The Saratoga Sun now includes members of the United States Army, Air Force and soon the Navy with our new reporter starting later this month. The military investments made by...
It’s not often there’s a win for transparency in our line of work but, last week, Wyoming’s Fourth Estate got one. After first voting to recommend a policy change which would restrict the access of photojournalists and broadcast journalists, the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities, Technology and Process reversed course on October 24. The policy change first passed on a 4-2 vote, with Senator Cale Case (R- Lander) and Representative Mike Yin (D - Jackson) voting against the measure on September 18. With the recommendation for approval, i...
Though a few months away, the next session of the Wyoming Legislature will likely showcase the recent powershift towards the Wyoming Freedom Caucus if the general election goes the way of the primary election. Meanwhile, next month, the Management Council may be considering a policy which would limit access to the People’s House. Last month, the Select Committee on Legislative Facilities, Technology and process voted to effectively ban photojournalist and broadcast journalists from entering the halls which run next to the House and Senate f...
Last week, people walking in downtown Saratoga would have likely seen a rainbow trout leaping in main street right outside the Saratoga Sun office. The trout, constructed by local artist Jerry Wood, was part of the Sun’s entry into this year’s Hay Bale Sculpture contest. Over the past few years, Saratoga—and the Platte Valley—has brought in more and more public art for the betterment of our communities. Murals are visible behind Platte Valley Martial Arts, on the side of Sweet Marie’s Mercantile and the side of The Sage Motel. A sculpture...
When it comes to the ins-and-outs of town governance, we will admit we can understand how easy it can be for people to zone out so to speak. Despite that, we cannot overstate the importance of paying attention at local meetings. A prime example would be found during the September 17 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Among the number of things which were tabled by the governing body in the absence of the mayor, one of those was the recommendation of a zone change in the neighborhood of 8th Street and Bridge Avenue. David Rousu, who...
Parents send their children to school each morning with the expectation that they will safely return home each afternoon. We entrust their safety to the teachers and staff of their respective schools with the understanding that they care for our children as much as we do. Over the past several years, we have seen school shooting after school shooting where teachers literally laid down their lives to protect their students. In the past five years, the Wyoming Legislature has attempted to repeal all gun-free zones in the state which would allow... Full story
Whether you’ve been in the Valley for generations or have recently moved here, most everyone is familiar with the booming voice of Loren “Teense” Willford. Early Tuesday morning, that voice fell silent as Teense passed away. When we think of Teense, we see a larger than life man with an incredible sense of humor, the well-known resounding voice during parades and events, an entertainer, a veteran and a former legislator. How do you describe a man who had so many talents and touched so many lives? We will start with how the staff at the Sarat... Full story
There’s an old adage which says “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We believe this applies to the unofficial slogan for Saratoga, “Where the trout leap in main street,” which has been in use for nearly a century. Borrowed from a 1927 article of the same name by Outdoor Living Magazine writer Billy O’Neil, it’s been a fitting slogan for our town, which is bisected by the North Platte River. For nearly a century, this slogan has been a source of community pride for Saratoga and for good reason. The North Platte River is a blue ribbon fishery an... Full story
Now that an actual conversation has started regarding short term rentals in Saratoga at the August 13 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission, we believe this conversation should continue. First, we commend the planning commission for holding a public hearing on the issue and getting feedback from the public. We also commend those residents who showed up to the meeting to make their voices heard, regardless of their viewpoints on potential short term rental regulations. Following the public hearing, there are some things we believe need to... Full story
Next Tuesday, Wyoming voters will take to the polls for the primary election which means that, starting next Wednesday everyone’s mailbox will be far less clogged with election mailers. Carbon County, it seems, has been mostly spared the divisive, politically charged mailers which have plagued other parts of the state. Perhaps that’s because, in House District 47, incumbent Bob Davis is running unopposed in the primary while House District 15 is seeing three new candidates without the incumbent—Don Burkhart, Jr.—running. Our county was not comp...
Next Tuesday, the Saratoga Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on short term rentals in municipal limits. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, we believe it is important for Saratoga residents to attend and make their voices heard. For more than a year, the topic of short term rentals—or STRs—have been held in meetings of both the Saratoga Planning Commission and the Saratoga Town Council. A question often asked, at least in the planning commission meetings, is what the goal would be in instituting a short term ren...
The news coming out of Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday felt like a scene out of a movie or what one would find in history books. A former president—and current presidential candidate—the target of an attempted assassination just days ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It didn’t take long for a photo of former president Donald Trump to circulate across the news and through social media. Surrounded by Secret Service agents, blood on his face and fist raised in the air before being whisked away. While the former presi...
Saratoga’s downtown can be a beautiful location as locals and visitors alike shop and eat among historic buildings under the backdrop of gorgeous mountain vistas. We say “can be” as there are times when littering detracts from that beauty. A prime example is the morning of June 21. We at the Saratoga Sun noticed a few beer cans thrown into the sewer drain and a lovely floral arrangement in front of Bridge Street Bargains destroyed. That morning, we grabbed a trash bag, dust pan and push broom and not only cleaned up this mess but walked along...
Something amazing happened at the June 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, something that gives us at the Saratoga Sun hope for the upcoming generations. Jaxon Owen, age 12, and Archer Burau, age 10, stood before the governing body to not only identify a problem, but provide a solution. While it came with some help from their parents, the fact that these young residents stood in front of the town council is impressive. In this day and age, there are adults who would rather make complaints on social media or at local coffee groups rather...
Who best represents what Saratoga is? This is the question we at the Saratoga Sun find ourselves asking following the May 21 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council in which they refused to fill a vacancy on the Carbon County Visitors’ Council Board of Directors. With a month to fill the vacancy, weeks of advertising and a deadline of May 31 a motion to appoint the sole applicant—McCall Burau—failed due to lack of a second. When Councilmember Kathy Beck, who made the motion, asked why there wasn’t a second, Councilmember Jerry Fluty explain...
The Saratoga Planning Commission has its hands tied, for all intents and purposes and we at the Saratoga Sun believe it is a disservice to the planning commission itself and the residents of Saratoga. While it is an advisory board, the role of the planning commission is to not only interpret existing zoning code but improve upon it as well. Such is the case regarding short term rentals in residential zones, which culminated in an 18 month process of drafting a proposed short term rental permit. At the recommendation of Kylie Waldrip, legal... Full story
In the past three years, the amount of short term rentals in the Saratoga area have grown from less than 25 to more than 70. In fact, they are now nearly 8% of the total housing in Saratoga. For the past year, the Saratoga Planning Commission has discussed short term rentals, whether they should be regulated and how they should be regulated. That discussion culminated in a special use permit for short term rentals, which was ultimately tabled last month. The tabling of the permit came following input from the Town of Saratoga’s legal counsel, K... Full story
While change is seldom welcomed, it is often necessary. It may appear from the outside looking in we are playing musical chairs here at the Saratoga Sun, but things are beginning to settling down into a routine here. As your new editor/publisher I—Virginia Parker—hope you, our readers and advertisers, will be patient with us. Joshua Wood, the operations director, is training and cross-training the entire three person team which currently makes up the Saratoga Sun crew. He can't stay with us forever, so we are working hard to learn all we can...
When overcoming an addiction, the first step is admitting there’s a struggle. The same is also true for a community to overcome a problem with drugs. The Platte Valley has a dilemma with drugs.. The increased number of drug arrests during the time the Saratoga Police Department had a K9 unit was evidence of this. It became obvious when two young people lost their lives. Though the cause of death is still unconfirmed, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office suspects a fentanyl overdose. The Valley has many wonderful things about it. From the nat... Full story
Saratoga is growing. This is a fact. Whether you look at the updated signs at Saratoga Town Limits, try to find a home to buy or place to rent the evidence is there. With growth also comes change. Ten years ago, an agreement was reached between the Town of Saratoga and The Yard—a music venue owned by Cindy Bloomquist and Chris Shannon—in the form of Chapter 5.30 of the Saratoga Municipal Code. This chapter of the town’s code came as a result of a number of public meetings and discussions involving the community over a two year period. The f... Full story
Do you have what it takes to be a public servant? Next week—May 12—marks the start of the filing period for the 2022 Primary Election. In recent elections, the Saratoga Sun has encouraged our readers to head to the polls in both primary and general elections to cast their votes. What should be equally stressed is the need for people to run for those offices in the first place, especially at the local level. After all, there could be a great turnout of voters but it means little if there is nobody to vote for. Just two years ago, during the 202... Full story
If you received your newspaper on a Thursday, there’s no need to worry. The mail wasn’t late this week. Instead, this week marks the Saratoga Sun’s return to Thursday publication. We have switched to a new printer, one in eastern Wyoming, in our continued efforts to provide you with the best product we can each week. When we use the term return in regards to Thursday publication, it may be confusing to some of our readers. It may seem to some that the Sun has published on Wednesday forever. Long-time Saratoga locals, however, can tell you d... Full story
Growing, growing, gone? That seems to be the direction for House District 47 as the Wyoming Legislature, particularly the Joint Corporations Committee, continues their most recent redistricting efforts. What is currently the largest district in the state of Wyoming—12,188 square miles—appears to be on the chopping block as legislators attempt to go through their once-in-a-decade process of redistricting. We would like to first preface our concerns by stating we can appreciate the difficult task the legislators of the Joint Corporations Com... Full story