Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1322 - 1346 of 1488
I don’t know about you, but I am completely blown away by the fact that it is already 2014. We are already officially 14 years into the 21st Century, and 14 years past the highly-anticipated, millennium-changing year of 2000. Being a 90s kid, I still constantly look back on my childhood and say things like, “Did that really happened 15 or 20 years ago? It seemed like only yesterday!” In addition to being surprised at how quickly time as flown by and how many years have passe...
Editor’s note: When the Saratoga Sun ran what we thought were the last of the student guest column’s on Dec. 4, 2013, we were notified that three of them had not been published. They had been lost somewhere in cyberspace. Encampment english teacher Leslie McLinsky emailed them to us again, so that we might run them in the earliest issue possible. Sometimes it can feel like living in a small town like Encampment has nothing but drawbacks. Many people love living here because of the benefits our community has to offer. The dow...
Editor’s note: When the Saratoga Sun ran what we thought were the last of the student guest column’s on Dec. 4, 2013, we were notified that three of them had not been published. They had been lost somewhere in cyberspace. Encampment english teacher Leslie McLinsky emailed them to us again, so that we might run them in the earliest issue possible. People join the military to fight for our country. We should not put our military at risk by sending them to fight someone else’s war. Many soldiers in the military have a stron...
In the Dec. 4, 2013 issue of the Saratoga Sun, Encampment School student and guest columnist Jennifer Morgan described her perception of an incident involving the Little Snake River Valley junior varsity volleyball team. What she did not include in her column was that this incident happened four years ago.... Full story
This past month I’ve had to do a lot of learning. I’ve had to figure out bank accounts, car insurance, how to register as an official Wyoming resident (which is much harder than it seems). In addition to all of the “adult stuff” I’ve had to learn how to do, I have had to learn my profession and all the things that are going on in this area. Basically, there is a lot more to being an adult than I originally thought. But as I was looking through Facebook on Jan. 13, many of my c... Full story
A fellow employee came into the office last week bearing a package – the sad body of a recently deceased eagle. Not the type of “gift” one might want to receive during the holidays (or ever). The eagle had been struck and killed by a vehicle while feeding on the carcass of another victim of a collision with traffic. While the first fatality might not have been reasonably prevented (suicidal deer or bunnies running into the road, for instance), that of the eagle probably could have been. By most accounts, eagles are grace... Full story
Editor, The Mayor’s letter to the editor on Dec. 24th in the Saratoga Sun gave the impression that the people willing to attend meetings and offer a different opinion were all rebels, instead of being people who believe strongly in the voice of the public. People that believe open government should be just that: open. They do not expect the governing body to alway agree with them, they want the governing bod to hear different opinions in hopes that they too will have a good open discussion before voting on issues that a... Full story
I have written about how everyone waves at each other around here and I have detailed some of the curmudgeons scampering about the Valley. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this is a friendly place. I had it illustrated to me again the other day, but in an entirely new way this time. I was sitting in the back room of the Sun eating some lunch and flipping through some past articles when I caught the tail end of an interview our new reporter, Mike, was on. Mike wrapped up the...
At the Dec. 17 Saratoga Town Council meeting, Mayor John Zeiger introduced a new ordinance for first reading. Ordinance No. 822 covers the dismissal of employees and removal of board members. One sentence is particularly disturbing to the Saratoga Sun. “All board members serve at the pleasure of the mayor and may be removed by the mayor for incompetence or neglect of duty.” Since when do boards appointed by the governing body serve “at the pleasure of the mayor”? Boards,... Full story
Editor I would like to explain the reasoning behind Ordinance 822, as I said in the council meeting one of the main reasons for introducing the ordinance is the concerns I have over Conflict of Interest with board members discussing or voting on items that could be perceived as benefitting them. ( 9-13-106. Official decisions and votes. ) Other reasons for the introduction to the ordinance were the fact in the last year we have had to have police officers attend the planning meeting on occasion because of concerns for the... Full story
Editor, The Mayor’s letter to the editor on Dec. 24th in the Saratoga Sun gave the impression that the people willing to attend meetings and offer a different opinion were all rebels, instead of being people who believe strongly in the voice of the public. People that believe open government should be just that: open. They do not expect the governing body to always agree with them, they want the governing body to hear different opinions in hopes that they too will have a good open discussion before voting on issues that a... Full story
Editor, Writing a letter to the editor is a lot like posting on Facebook, once you hit the submit button it’s there for everybody to see. I have no plans to stop doing both of these. At the December 17th meeting it was questioned why comments made by the public under public comment were not being added to the minutes. Wyoming Statue 15-1-110 states: The governing body is required to designate a “legal newspaper” and to publish once, the minutes of all regular meetings, special meetings, workshops where council action is ta... Full story
Editor, I have a big thank you to give to one of our finest in the valley. Since she is retiring I wanted do something a little different. Instead of recognizing someone after they passed away and that are not here to know they were recognized for the very special job they did. I would like to take this opportunity and tell Sue Bartlett and job well done. Thank you for keeping our valley well and giving the children their immunizations. For keeping up-to-date with new information. Thank you for researching answers to... Full story
Does it feel weird to you that Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year? When holidays fall in the middle of the week for a weekly newspaper, it is always a quandary. Do we print a day early, or a day late? The Saratoga Sun is printed by the Rawlins Daily Times and we have been working on the question since September. The Saratoga Sun has staff who need to travel out-of-town to see family, or spend Christmas alone. It takes planning and communication to plan to print the... Full story
If you want your voice heard, this is the week for it. Several crucial meetings are taking place which allow for public comment. The first two meetings were last night . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife hosted an open house at the Platte Valley Community Center to discuss and listen to your concerns about the potential environmental impacts that an eagle take permit will have. Scoping comments for the permit will be taken until Feb. 3. 2014. Before the town council meeting, the town had a public meeting and took comments about... Full story
Four-and-a-half years ago, I set foot in southeast Wyoming for the first time. As a young, arrogant, long-haired 18-year-old kid walking into the University of Wyoming, I had no idea at that time that this area would change my outlook on life as much as it has. I originally hail from the small town of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., about 30 miles northwest of Spokane. I lived there for about 12 years until I decided to go to UW without even setting foot on the campus first. I didn't... Full story
Editor, Mr. Lee’s letter last week, spoke to the concerns that many of us have about the quality of public education. As a disgruntled former employer, 40 plus years in the construction industry, I have experienced first hand the lack of math skills, difficulties in conceptualizing or solving problems, and the inability to communicate solutions. I find it frightening that we continue to look to a federal gov’t for direction in education (common core), when this same gov’t has shown an inability to come to grips with their... Full story
Editor, I love the North Platte River; most likely as much as you do but our river is under attack and always will be. The pressure to use fresh water resources is always in demand and we must be diligent to fight against corporations and politicians to control our precious resources, water quality and way of life. Three separate issues pertaining to the North Platte are on the table that will have impacts on “our” river for many decades. 1) The BLM RAMP plan. 2) The 1 1/2 mile restoration plan through Saratoga. 3) The tow... Full story
Driving in Wyoming is a mystical and beautiful experience … … most of the time. Wyoming scenery is beautiful in summer, explosively colorful in fall, serene in winter and refreshing in spring. These visual attributes can make a long drive seem much shorter. There are, however, other factors that can come into play that can make even short trips a long and living hell. WIND: The first, and most nearly omnipresent, of these miseries is the wind. While wind-farmers can alw... Full story
Who let the dogs out, and I don’t mean that sarcastically. The town of Saratoga is plagued by troublesome pooches and snappy police officers that are taking this town to the dog park. This problem is dog owners everywhere because they’re not taking very good care of their dogs, and are constantly having to shell out hundreds of dollars to please the general public. These dogs have a feeling that they have to bark and cause trouble to get attention and its affecting other people more than just the owners. Those people nee... Full story
We stare at them with sympathy and mockery; always treating them differently. All disabled people need is to be treated fairly. We watched as they pounded the ball in her face on purpose, then turned and high-fived and laughed. The Little Snake River Valley junior varsity volleyball team was targeting my teammate. The girl on my team stood there trying her best to pass the ball up; she was one of our weakest players yet she also had a disability. The way LSRV was hitting at her was entirely unsportsman-like; they’d pound i... Full story
Two weeks ago the town was decorated with festive lights in preparation for the holidays. Two groups are responsible for making our town festive — The Saratoga Lions Club and the Valley Service Organization. This weekend the season will officially kick off with Festival of Trees, the Light Parade and Winter Wonderland. Without volunteers, these events would not happen. The Chamber sponsors the Festival of Trees, and for 11 years, the community has come through by donating decorated trees, wreaths and baskets. For those s... Full story
Editor, I have been attending school board meetings for a number of years. While I am convinced that each board member is a sincere dedicated individual, I have less and less hope for the future of public education. As one board member said at a meeting, they spend very little time discussing anything that really matters. The latest example of this is the emphasis they are placing on the hiring of a new superintendent. Even to the point of spending tax dollars to hire someone to tell them how to do it. The reality is that,... Full story
After spending Thanksgiving with family members in the big city, I realized just how much I have changed as a person. Of course, I’m referring to the fact that now I prefer simple, small-town life over happening, more exciting big-city life. I’m sure the question on everyone’s mind is “Why?” Most of you know by now that I grew up in heavily populated California, and had only lived in or near big cities before moving to Saratoga nearly a year ago. So, one would naturally... Full story
I have enjoyed writing for the Saratoga Sun, and reporting on the town and meeting some awesome people. But, my time in Saratoga is coming to a close. By the time you read this, I will be preparing to leave Saratoga to begin my new job as publisher for the Pine Bluffs Post in Pine Bluffs, Wyo. I want to thank the Saratoga Sun for giving me a chance to write, and I want to thank Stevenson Newspapers for giving me an opportunity to move on in the industry. The first story I...