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Editor’s Note: Just before going to press, Wyoming added four confirmed deaths to the state’s official count. Please visit www.saratogasun.com for more information. Just two days after Wyoming confirmed it’s first death related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the state confirmed its second death. On Monday, April 13, the Wyoming Department of Health had announced that an older Johnson County man who had serious health conditions had died. On Wednesday, April 15, the Wyoming Depar...
With a little more than two months until the end of the current fiscal year, the Saratoga Town Council held their first budget workshop for Fiscal Year 2020/2021. The workshop was in stark contrast to the workshops from years past in which the governing body and department heads all gathered around the table and discussed the budget line item by line item. Due to the ongoing concerns over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the council members sat strategically in the council chambers to ensure...
Louise Hope 'Buckendorf' Brooks was born on August 2, 1924 in Buckeye, Colorado to George and Billie (Griffen) Buckendorf. Louise passed March 2, 2020 at her home in Elk Mountain, Wyoming. Hope attended school in Fort Collins, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming. She participated in the girls league baseball in Fort Collins in 1941. She also did gymnastics and volleyball in Laramie. Hope belonged to the Rebekha Lodge No.11 in Elk Mountain for over 55 years. She held all offices, was Vice President, a...
At the Saratoga Town Council’s first budget workshop for the 2020/2021 fiscal year, Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson prefaced the budget discussion by asking for the governing body to consider reducing the cost of liquor licenses for Angus England American Legion Post 54. According to Wilcoxson, who is a member of the American Legion, other such places in the state pay approximately $500 for their liquor license while, in Saratoga, a fee of $1,500 is paid. Wilcoxson added that, if the liquor l...
Carbon County School District 2 graduating seniors may now apply for the $500 Youth Citizenship Award offered by the Valley Service Organization (VSO). Applications may be obtained by emailing: [email protected]. If the student does not have access to email, he or she should call Carol Beach, VSO award chairman, at 307-326-8012. Completed applications should be returned to Beach by email or according to arrangements made when the application was requested. Deadline to apply is May 15, Beach said. Beach emphasized that the award is not a...
As businesses throughout the country are struggling in the wake of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), funding opportunities have appeared on local, state and national levels. In Carbon County, the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation announced a micro-grant to aid businesses impacted by the pandemic (see “Moving forward in Carbon County” on page 3 of the April 8 Saratoga Sun). On a national level, the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation is getting involved in supporting sma...
The nurses of Carbon County School District No 2 (CCSD2) may not be seeing students on a day to day basis, but the kids are not forgotten. “We want all the kids to know that we miss them terribly,” Melissa Copeland, Assistant District Nurse said. “We are still working here as nurses during this time period making some plans to have safety measures in place when reentry back to school becomes possible.” Copeland, retiring District School Nurse Karen Patton, new District School Nurse Nikki T...
Have you been making constructive use of your time at home? Did you learn a new language, teach yourself how to make the perfect omelette or figure out how to play the 12-string guitar? Did you know that William Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” during quarantine? What are you doing with your quarantine time? *sigh* If you haven’t learned Spanish, German or one of Tolkien’s Elvish languages; if you haven’t turned into Gordon Ramsay or Bobby Flay; if you haven’t become the next Steve Vai or Tom More...
Dear Editor, Now, when we are stuck at home, is the time—the perfect time—to reflect and think about your and your family’s history. There are valuable stories and pictures just waiting for you. You think there is not anything interesting to tell? You’re wrong. We find that our grandchildren are fascinated with our stories when we visit together but we should all write, record and preserve these stories. Fancy writing is not necessary. Just honesty and feeling. Childhood, parents, youth, memorable moments. Play, education, activities, jovial...
Dear Editor, One of my favorite books in the Saratoga Museum is “Saratoga and Encampment Wyoming: An album of Family History.” Residents, tourists and researchers use this reference to the Platte Valley to explore and learn about their families. I would like to ask those with history in the Valley to reach out again to their families. Maybe there was not enough time with the last edition or maybe they always wanted to but thought they didn’t know enough details. We can turn staying at home into a positive with teaching children how to gathe...
Do you want to make history? You already are! The Wyoming State Archives and State Museum, the University of Wyoming American Heritage Center (AHC), and Wyoming State Historical Society are working together to encourage you to consider how you would tell future historians about your experiences and memories of this unusual time. Do you keep a journal or a blog? Have you created your own mask for making essential trips outdoors? Are you creating artworks or craft projects to commemorate or pass the time? Are you talking on Facebook or Instagram...
This week, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) joined with 22 other state cattle associations across America in sending a letter to U. S. Attorney General William Barr expressing “the need for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work with more intent and with sharper timelines with the USDA Packers and Stockyards Division regarding an investigation of beef pricing margins.” WSGA requested that “the evidence of any fraudulent business practices within the meatpacking industry be identified quickly and rectified immediately.” Two recent...
The US Government has started issuing Economic Impact Payments to help people with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 will automatically receive an economic impact payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples and up to $500 for each qualifying child. For those who normally do not have to file taxes, the IRS has launched a new online tool to help people receive their payment. The tool is availabl...
The Carbon County Visitors Council (CCVC) met by teleconference at 10 a.m. on April 15 for their monthly meeting. The meeting had been scheduled to be held in Hanna but, due to social distancing, the meeting was held by phone and online. The agenda, minutes and financials were approved in a timely manner. It was noted that the downturn in lodging tax had not been felt in all municipalities in March’s figures. Carbon County and Medicine Bow were ahead of last year’s numbers collected. Raw...
The closure of schools in the different communities has not been easy for parents, students and staff of schools. But during these tough times, there are those who see good come out of this difficult situation. “Above all else through this closure, I miss being able to interact and work with the students in our district,” Drew Leach Carbon County School District No 2 (CCSD2) psychologist said. “A large portion of my role as the District School Psychologist is to interact with the kids and help...
Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) has completed two weeks of working with its Adapted Learning Plan following the extension of a public health order issued by Governor Mark Gordon that closed public schools through the state along with other public gathering places. In that time, teachers have had to learn how to conduct class through digital means while parents have had to learn how to turn their homes into an extension of the classroom. At the April 20 meeting of the CCSD2 Board of...
During their regularly scheduled April 8 meeting, the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) discussed financials and agreements as it related to ongoing developments with the financial state of the Town of Saratoga. Within that discussion were questions from Councilmember Jon Nelson about whether board members considered water and sewer funds restricted and if the joint powers board would be willing to review and update the joint powers board agreement. Restricted Funds As...
During the first budget workshop for the Town of Saratoga on April 17, the Saratoga Town Council discussed needs for both the Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) and the Saratoga Police Department. Both departments expressed a need for updated vehicles, but only one department currently has the funds available for such a purchase. Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department SVFD Treasurer Creed James represented the fire department as he appeared before the council to explain the proposed budget....
Companies bringing in workers to build the different projects in Carbon County are aware of the concern residents might have with the influx of people coming from all over the United States. "Rocky Mountain Power's top priority is protecting the health of our employees and the community while we provide reliable power," Spencer Hall of Pacificorp said. "As an essential service provider, our employees and contractors continue to meet their obligations to work safely and follow company policies...
by Joshua Wood The Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) Board of Trustees is facing a dilemma of land ownership after receiving information that the current lessee of property in Medicine Bow is not interested in renewing their lease for another year. Currently, property owned by the district surrounding the old Medicine Bow High School is leased to MedBow Lodging, LLC. There are approximately 10 contractors staying on the property at the moment. As was previously reported, (see...
Staff Report Each year in April, the Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins (SER) Conservation District promotes two conservation events, Earth Day, which is April 22, and Arbor Day, which is April 24. Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues so this year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary. By raising public awareness of pollution, reducing the use of our natural resources, reusing materials and recycling many products through the years, we all contribute to the conservation of our natural resources. Arbor Day...
*UPDATE* Governor Mark Gordon has provided a statement on the death of four Fremont County residents who were members of the Northern Arapaho tribe. "I want to extend my condolences to the Northern Arapaho Tribe and to the families of the four people that passed away last night due to COVID-19. These deaths highlight the insidious nature of the illness, as both the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes took advanced protective measures early on, including through an aggressive testing strategy. I want to commend each of the sovereign...