Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1354 - 1378 of 1491
The wind is blowing. Again. Here in Carbon County there is a lot of wind, and as many of you know, it is proposed that a wind farm be put in south of Rawlins. Known as the Chokecherry Wind Farm, it would produce electricity for about a million people and would generate about half a billion dollars in tax revenues over the next 20 years. Wind energy is a great idea; however, the people in the Valley need to take a close look at how much we really benefit from this project. Though the wind farm is projected to provide...
When people ask me where I’m from they are always astounded by my response. I always get the same questions; Why would you move here? Is it different? Do you like it? The truth is I love everything about this town; it’s better than any big city. For the past seven years I have been living in Colorado Springs, Colo. I just recently move to the lovely town of Riverside, which is a huge adjustment compared to Colorado Springs. The population of Colorado Springs is 426,388, which is 8,199 times larger thanthe town I’m living in n...
School lunches across the nation are developing higher FDA standards while simultaneously earning an all time low as far as student standards go. The meals provided to students by the school are too small, not tasteful, and not all that healthy. Every state in the U.S. is struggling with this problem, but the CCSD 2’s lunch program is being threatened more than ever. School lunches are headed in a constant downward spiral, but can be saved. With just a little extra time and money, schools could provide better and healthier m...
Should people have the right to bear arms? Different states across the country have their own opinions on what people should be able to do with firearms. While some restrictions are necessary, it should not be impossible for the average American to purchase a firearm. Wyoming gun rights are some of the most lenient in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 59 percent of Wyoming residents owned at least one gun or more, and Wyoming has the least amount of murders associated with firearms. Those statistics show that...
I’m heading out to the stable and I’m on the lookout for my high horse. In the darkness I fail to see my normally mottled mare because she has decided to paint herself black for halloween. Her hero is Black Beauty, so I see no problem with her costume choice. But I am about to find out my mare has become a nightmare… During Halloween week the internet was inundated with articles about actress Julianne Hough. Apparently Julianne put on a lot of bronzer and went as “Craz...
Editor, Our son played his final game of football as a Saratoga Panther this past Thursday night. The night was an emotional rollercoaster. The emotions went from sadness to anxiety to disbelief, horror, hope and celebration as we watched one of the most exciting events I have seen in a long, long time. Overcoming a 26-0 deficit and winning in the final moments was quite a way to end the season and a storybook finish for the team’s seniors. As a sense of normalcy has returned I am full of thankfulness. Thankfulness is why I...
Wyoming Game and Fish is affecting my life personally. When I was between the ages of 5 and 6 my dad and I would take drives along a county road and admire hundreds of deer that we would see any given evening. To this day I often take the very same drive at the very same time of day and will not see a single deer. I am another person that immediately points my finger at the Game and Fish. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department should be fixing the problem that has resulted in a low deer population. According to a phone survey c...
There is a “disease” out there. It is infecting the young, the adults, and even the elderly. The “disease” is obesity. I should not call obesity a disease; it is a problem, but not a disease. We claim obesity is a disease because we want to say “I am infected with obesity,” when in all honesty we have made the choice to be lazy, to not exercise, and to not eat healthy foods. There are different body types for every individual body. Now, I say individual bodies because every body is very different. Some have a high metabo...
Did you thank a veteran Monday? There were plenty of opportunities with Veterans Day services held all over the Platte Valley. When I was growing up, we didn’t have assemblies for Veterans Day at the schools I attended. Saratoga Elementary School, Saratoga Middle/High School and Encampment School all host Veterans Day assemblies. It is a good reminder for the students that everyday people in their schools and community have served their country. Monday was no exception as V...
I only changed my aspirations three times as a kid. At age 5 I wanted to be a detective because I was a big fan of Batman. Later, I decided I wanted to be an archeologist after my exposure to Indiana Jones and Egyptology. It wasn’t until high school I realized I enjoyed writing, and I could make a living doing it. A creative writing teacher at Rawlins High School showed me the joy in writing, and I followed my newfound interest all the way to college, where I pursued a d...
Editor, Last week a lady wrote in a excellent letter reminding folks to get informed, and to vote. We have to recover our Country. However on one item she was mistaken. The United States of America is not a Democracy. We are a Republic.....at least so far we still are. There are free copies of the Constitution all over the place. Get one and read it. We have held meetings in both Saratoga and Encampment repeatedly over and over this past year, and continue to do so trying to educate folks on what is in the Constitution....
Editor, We live in a democracy, but less than half of us vote. We put men and women in office and take them out. We cannot wholly blame our leaders for corruption and bad decisions if the people who have the freedom don’t vote. Freedom has a responsibility. Good people who do not voice truth and honesty leave the door open for the wrong people to be voted into office. By doing nothing, good people have allowed our freedom to be ruled by greed and corruption. Get out and vote and try to safeguard our freedom. The buck stops w...
With the local fall sports season done as far as home games are concerned, I can’t help but feel a little depressed. It’s the same feeling you have when you graduate from high school and know you have to leave behind fun memories or activities that you won’t be doing again anytime soon. Well, in my case I was actually quite happy to be through with high school when I graduated, but when speaking for the majority of the public, I’m sure you get what I’m saying. I’m kind of sad...
Editor, I would like to respond to Mr. Shannon’s comments made in the October 16, 2013 Saratoga Sun. It os not my job to notify the Council of actions that are not recommended by the Planning Commission. The procedure for that is as follows: The Chairperson, or the designated representative, which has been Chuck Bartlett, informs the Town Clerk of the Commission’s recommendations, it is then put on the agenda for the Council to approve or disapprove after discussion. This has been the procedure that has been followed sin...
Editor, This hunting season, I have witnessed a much greater gory display of harvested animals than I ever have in my time in the valley. Folks who do not hunt may not care one way or the other about hunting, but upon being confronted with the stark and gory display of a harvested animal, the sight may force them into opposing hunting. We don’t want a concerted effort to outlaw hunting to begin out of the discomfort instigated by a few hunters. Not every child has grown up in a home seeing dead deer and elk, and it could b...
America has been through folks “coming out of the closet”, which then led to boisterous displays of gay pride. During this time America was force-fed a message of “tolerance”. Not to say forbearance and understanding is a bad thing in the least, but I personally hate being told how I should feel. Gay pride eventually settled down a bit after the initial “shock value” wore off and then went to work on actually settling down. The homosexual focus today seems to be squarely on...
Phrases like “government shutdown” and “debt ceiling” are becoming household terms these days. Government employees who have been furloughed are frustrated because they want to be at work, but can’t because they have been declared non-essential. Those who are working don’t know they will receive a paycheck. Facebook is filled with threads discussing firing all the legislators or implementing a law if they don’t come up with a balanced budget, they are ineligible for re-electi...
Editor, At a recent talk on communication, presenter Dick Brooks asked us to write down what “Quality of Life” meant to us. Some of the responses that were given were, open spaces, safety for our family, a clean, abundant watershed, and few people. He talked about Strategic Communication and how to set goals and achieve those goals with proper communication. What do we want to happen? Who can make it happen? What do they need to hear, to do what we want? What do they need to hear and who do they need to hear it from? He encou...
Editor, I would like to request a correction be put in the paper. It is a correction to a police report that was submitted to you on 10/7/2013. The correction is a Dog At Large warning from 9/30/13 the person given the warning read Jennifer Glee Johnson Stewart-Hamilton and it should have read Gwendolyn Glee Johnson. I am sorry for this confusion and if there are any questions you can contact the Chief or I for a clarification. Brenda Mistelske Dispatcher Saratoga Police Department...
October is Fire Prevention Month. Saratoga residents are lucky enough to have 32 dedicated volunteer firefighters as first responders in the community. The Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department responds to about 60 or 70 calls a year, and is the first-responding organization for Saratoga and surrounding communities. In past months, the Saratoga Sun staff has shared stories of these individuals bravely fighting fires with quick response times. Regardless of the time of day or night, they volunteer their time to keep us safe. Thes...
Editor, The snow storm last week reminds all of us that we should always be prepared for what might come our way. We should not only be prepared to take care of our families, but let’s not forget about the furry members of our family as well. A to go kit for our pets should include: • Make sure you take their medications • Medical/Vaccination/Shot Records • Special Medical/Behavioral Instructions • Picture of your pet, Picture with you with your pet • All identification numbers • List of Identifying features/mark...
My mother and I have always disagreed on what is considered junk, and that has always been infuriating to me. My definition of junk: If you do not know where it goes, or if it doesn’t have a place within your home, just throw it away. My mother’s definition of junk (as far as I can tell): If it can be fixed, keep it. If it has the slightest amount of sentimental value, keep it. Don’t worry about where it goes. Just throw it into the pile. As a result, the house I grew up in...
Editor, I appreciate District Manager Epperson setting the tone for this meeting by informing all of us via an email letter to the Saratoga Sun and Daily Times that the Postmaster has the full support of the USPS and that he won’t make personnel decisions based on politics or popularity. It appears that, without hearing one person here talk about our problems, he has drawn some interesting conclusions. It does not appear that he comes to this meeting with an open mind—ready to listen. When we met last week I did not hear any...
Week after week I continue to be inspired by these young Platte Valley athletes, whether it be those who participated in football, volleyball, cross-country running or golf. I am always impressed by how they can win so many games, and be so physically active for long periods of time without shutting down from sheer tiredness. Before I moved to Saratoga, I was the complete opposite of these kids. I was kind of lazy and didn’t exercise or eat healthy like I should have. Being th...
I recently got a letter from the state Department of Transportation informing me that my driver’s license was about to expire and did I want to renew it by mail. The letter went on to inform me that renewing by mail is a very simple process and all I had to do was send them the documents from the enclosed list. The list was not short. Apparently federal and state law now requires: 1. Verification of identity. These screwballs sent me the letter informing me of my l...
