Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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"I want to see continued growth in the Valley which, obviously, will lead to enhancement of quality of life for businesses, locals and visitors. If you bring in more business and you help that business that's here, it's only going to help the locals and then it's going to bring in visitors and then they're going to have a blast." With the departure of Stacy Crimmins as CEO of the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce (S/PVCC), the Chamber is welcoming Valley newcomer Leanna Jones to the...
When Stacy Crimmins first came to work for the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce 17 years ago, she came in as a part-time administrative assistant to the director. The hours worked well for her since she had a family. She had been in her position a very short time when the director was let go. Crimmins said she was offered the director job then, but she didn't want it. She wanted to stay part-time to be able to spend time with her kids, who were starting school. Crimmins found herself...
Access to mental health is just one of many issues that rural areas such as Wyoming are forced to deal with. With mental health providers often located in more populous towns, it leaves a lengthy drive time for rural residents in need of those services. This is if they have a vehicle and are able to take the time off work for the trip. In fact, according to a study from Mental Health America, Wyoming has an overall ranking of 47. This means that the Cowboy State has a higher prevalence of...
It has often been said that the only constant in life is change. Even in the Platte Valley, where life seems to move a little slower, it is inevitable. For Dr. Robert Wimpenny, owner of Platte Valley Dental, change has come after more than 31 years in business. While his decision was not an easy one, and is emotional, he is leaving it in the hands of someone he feels will provide the same level of service he has for the past three decades. When it comes to Dr. David Scott, it is almost as if he...
The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber is seeking nominations from its membership for positions on the nine-member Board of Directors. Directors are elected by ballot at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on February 6 with a three year term beginning in February. According to Stacy Crimmins, CEO of the Chamber, the terms due to expire are currently held by Laurie Box, Susan Marich and Bob Herring. All three directors have expressed interest in serving another three year term and will be added to the ballot. In addition, there is one open seat that e...
The Spirit Vault in the Cheyenne Club at Brush Creek's Farm has few counterparts anywhere in the world. Coming into the lounge area where there is a bar for pouring drinks, the most overwhelming sight is all the bottles that are kept in their individual lockers. Matt Sandoval, who describes himself as a memory maker, said each vault gives out information on each bottle every time it is removed. The spirit vault is literally that. Each bottle is electronically tagged and, when it leaves its...
It might have appeared to some that a small forest had grown overnight in the lawn across from RNB State Bank in Saratoga the day after Thanksgiving. In the place of snow covered grass, a number of evergreen trees now draw the eye as one drives down 1st Street. For the second year in a row, Scott and Michelle McIlvaine are selling Christmas trees to raise money for American Legion Post 54. Last year, the McIlvaine's were set up in the park next to Lollypop's. Due to the removal of the boardwalk...
Annual Award nominations are being taken now until Dec. 15. This is your chance to nominate a fellow business, organization, person, or even yourself, for one of the five awards: • Business Of The Year • New Business Of The Year • Emerging Business Of The Year • Organization Of The Year • Volunteer Of The Year You can nominate using a paper ballot or an online ballot, and the links are found at the bottom of this newsletter. If you are wondering about the award criteria, that information is also found there. A list of the past several y...
Marcy Cooley was surprised when she was named Wyoming Realtor of the Year in 2018 (see Cooley named Wyo. Realtor of the year on page 1, Sept. 26, 2018 Saratoga Sun). That year she thanked many people who had helped her gain the honor. Cooley has been working in real estate since 1994. She got her start with Saulcy Real Estate and later moved to Town and Country. She has been with Town and Country for the majority of her real estate career and is happy. Cooley said the office and staff are like m...
The building at 110 W. Bridge Ave. in Saratoga has been home to various businesses over the years. Built in 1903, it served as a theater at one time. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it found new life as various art galleries. For several years, the doors remained closed with very little activity taking place at the location. In May of this year, however, the building came under new ownership. The new owners are no strangers to the Valley or to Carbon County, nor are they strangers to historic...
People in need of a haircut, but who aren't fans of scheduling an appointment, have another option that has just opened up on Bridge Avenue in Saratoga. Bringing the total of hair salons on East Bridge Avenue to four, LJ's Cuts has opened at 112 E. Bridge Avenue in Suite G of the mini-mall between Bridge Street Bargains and Duke's Bar and Grill. Owner Lacey Hanson is no stranger to hair care. She attended beauty school in Montana, where she graduated in 2008. "Then I moved to Laramie and worked...
The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce has begun selling tickets for the annual Reverse Drawing. Tickets are $10 each and only 300 are sold. Unlike the usual raffle procedure, the very last ticket drawn is the grand prize winner in this drawing. “The winner receives $1,000 in chamber gift certificates which can be redeemed at chamber member businesses only,” said director, Stacy Crimmins. “You could go out to dinner, buy toys for the kids, and have your car serviced,” she added. The first, 50th, 100th, 150th, 200th and 250th tickets dra...
The Platte Valley Arts Council will be hosting a Chamber After Hours Social on Friday Nov. 1 from 4-7 p.m. at the Platte Valley Community Center. The evening will include a celebration of all forms of the arts as well as fellowship amongst other chamber members and art patrons. The general public is also welcome to attend and enjoy the great food and drink. The Platte Valley Arts Council is an organization which exists to foster awareness of and participation in any form of the arts, with the aim of developing vibrant and cohesive communities....
Cindy Wallace has been the Carbon County Economic Corporation Director for over a decade. Although she is sad to be leaving Carbon County, she is moving to Kanas to be closer to her family. “I was raised near the town of Larned in south central Kansas on a farm,” Wallace said. “I was in 4-H and showed horses and raised beef like any good farm girl.” Wallace finished high school and went to Ft. Hayes State University at first, but switched to Kansas State University where she graduated with a B.S...
Continuing changes and improvements are the theme for Memorial Hospital of Carbon County. Following the recent Grand Opening of the GE 3D Pristina Mammography Unit, a second Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting event was held October 9th to celebrate the MHCC Family Practice Clinic. In conjunction with the Rawlins Chamber of Commerce and Rawlins DDA, MHCC employees, Board of Trustees, community members and patients joined together for the official introduction of the clinic. Attendees had the...
Memorial Hospital of Carbon County celebrated a new addition to the Radiology Department on September 25th, 2019 with a Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the GE 3D Pristina Mammography machine. The Radiology Department was joined by a large crowd comprised of GE Specialists, Board of Trustees, hospital employees, community businesses and citizens for the introduction of this specialized unit found only at MHCC. Attendees were given the opportunity to tour the Mammography Suite and he...
The first indication that the Cheyenne Club on the site of The Farm owned by Brush Creek, is a little different from other venues is parking. Locals coming to dine at the newest restaurant in the Valley are instructed to park their vehicles in a lot that is landmarked by an antique looking covered wagon. Because reservations are needed to dine at the restaurant, a shuttle is waiting to take diners to their culinary destination. There are three buildings at The Farm; an events center, a...
Dr. Robert Field, Interim Director of Center for Global Studies at the University of WYoming was recently announced as the guest speaker for the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce Leaders Luncheon in October. Field will be sharing information about the air quality in the Valley before and after fire season in comparison to other Wyoming locations. The interim director will also present possible solutions to improve air quality. “Good outdoor and indoor air quality are fundamental to our well-being,” the press release stated. “Gl...
Following the announcement of Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s (MHCC) intent to establish a clinic in the Valley, the county hospital issued a press release about hospitalists and clinical care settings. In the release, Dr. Stephanie Chiu, a hospitalist and outpatient clinic physician at MHCC, explained her role at the hospital. “A hospitalist is a physician who evaluates and treats patients in the hospital setting. For instance, if you are diagnosed with pneumonia in the emergency department/emergency room and require hospitalization, I w...
I often marvel at the number of people I know who are willing to volunteer at so many events all over Carbon County. These are busy people with full-time jobs, families and social lives! You can see them taking tickets at a rodeo, handing out mugs at Steinley Cup, setting up tents at music in the park and giving directions at a fun run. As an event planner, I rely heavily on volunteers for our chamber sponsored events. It takes about 30 volunteers each for the fishing derby and the Beerfest. That is in addition to staff and board of directors!...
Sunshine Solaas is settling into her job as the new director for the Hanna Basin Museum (HBM). The position had not been filled for several months and Solaas acknowledges there is work to be done. Solaas is originally for Grand Island, Neb. She did live in Florida for a year after graduating before returning to the state she was raised, but lived in a much smaller town. "Broken Bow is about 4,000 people, bigger than Hanna, but still a small town," Solaas said. She lived there for 10 years...
Hanna has a new place to get lunch and dinner. It has been open for less than two weeks and proprietors Rial and Tina Baxter have been pleasantly surprised at their brisk business. Especially since the location of the mobile "Sammich Shop" is not easy to find. But once discovered, customers repeatedly come back. "It has really surprised me," Tina said. "We are both from this town and, having been raised here, we know Hanna is a small community, so we just hoped to break even. But our lunches...
If you have driven on the Snowy Range Highway in the recent month, or just passed by Brush Creek Ranch (Brush Creek) on the way to Ryan Park, you may have noticed some large buildings that sprung up. 'The Farm', owned by Brush Creek, has recently finished its construction and has already hosted a wedding. The facility is set atop a hill and the surrounding landscape is spectacular Carbon County scenery at its best. Very close to 'The Farm', large greenhouses can be seen from the road. These...
This phrase is a favorite of a local businessperson. He believes that if an individual business does well (raises the tide), then all of our businesses will do well. This concept has been the mission of economic and community development professionals across the nation. But there is only so much we can do. A strong local economy is also the responsibility of fellow business owners. I hear it all the time. Local business owners do not get the support they need from other local business owners. In fact, this is one reason businesses drop their...
When Seth "Turtle" Johnson first returned to Saratoga and started his business, Slow and Steady Law Office, he knew that he wanted to bring change to his hometown. From the very beginning, he had his eyes set on 402 1st Street, the home of Mom's Kitchen. On June 19, Johnson officially closed on the property. "This something I've been looking at since I came back to town; trying to figure out a way to make a deal to purchase the property, then to get the deal made and to get the funding...