Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Sorted by date Results 1397 - 1421 of 1488
Editor: There is a fine line in an editorial that is written to be informative and fair to one that is written to keep the pot stirred. The editorial in the July 24th edition was nothing more than an attempt to keep the pot stirred. Since we are not privy to who actually wrote the editorial, we can only assume that it is the one that covers the meetings and the only one that has ever bothered to come in and ask questions. Any other staff member that may have written the Editorial has never come in and asked any questions. I...
If you have just moved to a small-town rural area, someone will eventually invite you to “take a ride in the country”. This can also be phrased as “wanna see my ranch?”, “let’s head up the mountain” or any number of cleverly concealed requests. At first blush, you will think these folks are doing you a favor by showing you more of the country you liked enough to move to. This is not so. There are ulterior motives involved. Folks around here are going to be mad at me for spo...
One of the first things I learned when going to school for journalism is that you cannot obtain information via spying. It is illegal to insert video or audio feeds in people’s homes. So why is it that the National Security Agency is allowed to conduct domestic spy programs when it is illegal? Before Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the NSA, they made it a point to keep their domestic spying under wraps. Now that everything is out in the open, it seems we mistook who our e...
Saratoga Town Council members unanimously voted to continue using an inaccurate system to bill for water. The Saratoga Town Council approved this motion at the recommendation of the Water and Sewer Joint Powers Board, and against several objections from Saratoga residents. At both meetings, residents voiced their concerns about going that route. Many suggested the town bill a flat rate until the billing software was deemed accurate. That suggestion was shot down by a majority of the Water and Sewer Joint Powers Board and the...
After last weekend’s rodeo, I have a new respect for bullfighters and rodeo clowns. The first time I went to a rodeo was in 1996 at Cheyenne Frontier Days. I was told that once I had seen that rodeo, I would be bored by all the others. Nothing could be further from the truth. I didn’t go to rodeos very often when I moved to Saratoga and if I did, it was to volunteer in the sorority, or with the cub scouts and I didn’t actually see the rodeos. Since working at the Sarat...
Editor: In response to questions about the water bills that you received this past week, I know that there were a lot of mad and frustrated customers after receiving their bills. We are frustrated as well and are working hard to get the problems corrected. Part of the issues are contractor-related as we found that many of the pits were not set up properly to transmit readings to the town hall. Some of you have also commented that you checked the meter reading yourself on the meter that is connected to your house. Any meters... Full story
Editor: On June 18 I was invited to attend the first semi-public performance of the Elk Mountain Community Youth Choir. This was the group’s second performance. The first was attended by the parents. Dawn Kenneda, director, explained that this was her way to expose the youth to public performance in steps so as not to overwhelm them. Dawn has lived in Elk Mountain for three years, with her husband Ryan and two daughters Ellen and Morgan. Dawn has a bachelor’s degree in music, music education K-12, general, band and cho... Full story
After spending my first summer in Saratoga, I must say I’m pretty blown away by how many events are here in the Platte Valley. As you may recall from a previous column, one of my concerns about moving to a small town with no big cities nearby was the lack of entertainment, or so I thought at the time. After being here for half of a summer, I’m convinced that our Valley has just as many fun summer events going on as any major city across America. The biggest surprise to me is h...
Since time immemorial (or at least a very long time) people have asked the question: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”. The question itself usually is used to say “no one really knows” much in the way that “Does the Pope wear a funny hat?” is used in place of “yes”. I have given it some extensive thought though (apparently I have way too much time on my hands), and I believe that I have actually come up with the correct answer. The best part of the chicken/egg ans...
Starting off a conversation with “I like snakes” usually gets suspicious looks. I like snakes for two reasons: their form of locomotion amazes me (who would design a snake?) and they tend to eat things for which I harbor less enthusiasm, mostly the insects, grubs, worms and other things that make a meal of my garden before I do. Wandering Garter The most common snake in the Saratoga area is the wandering garter (Thamnophis elegans). They are a dull green to brown color, with pale yellow or orange stripes along the back and...
I am sorry the decision had to be made to cut Medicine Bow Fire Department from the County Fire payroll. It is not the only entity or municipal fire department that will experience the effects of a state assessment that is down over $100 million dollars resulting in $8 million that had to be cut from Carbon County’s upcoming budget. The County departments were asked to resubmit their budgets to 2010 levels which eliminated some excess and from there we went through line by line reducing expense even more Some of this r...
I was 7 years old when I brought home my first video game. I was visiting my family in Ohio when my cousin, who is considerably older than I, handed me a box. “Here take this Zac,” he said. “I just got a Nintendo 64 and I don’t need this anymore.” I opened the box and saw a gray and black box, some game cartridges and rectangles with red and black buttons. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but I was about to experience one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I remembe...
Editor: The article “Big Dreams for County Museums” does not take into effect the increase in traffic to and from the Encampment Museum at Sixth Street and Barnett Avenue. Signs on Highway 70 funnel visitors down Sixth Street past my home to the museum. We also have a refurbished playground and picnic area, which attracts children to walk the streets made of loose gravel and gravel dust during spring and summer. We have no sidewalks on Sixth or Barnett. The town of Encampment makes an unprofessional attempt to maintain the...
The Saratoga Sun was once again awarded the county public notices as voted by your county commissioners. While on the surface this may seem like no big deal, in these times, it is a big deal. Not that the Sun won the right to publish the legal notices, but rather that the public notices continue to be published. Wyoming newspapers have been publishing public notices since 1887, archaic sounding, but effective in reality. Some have suggested moving public notices to a website for viewing may be more cost effective in...
I love to travel, whether it is across the country, around the state or just in the Platte Valley. The nomad gene comes from my father’s side of the family. His family was known for packing up the tent in their younger days and traveling clear across the country to camp out in a forest. When I was growing up, my dad would take us to various places around Iowa. My mom worked on Saturdays and dad would load up the four of us and take us on a fun-filled, educational trip. D...
Editor: I like to go on You Tube on occasion and watch Domino Tricks. It is fascinating how a group of people can spend hours designing and assembling the dominoes into shapes that are just amazing. Then with just the push of one domino it starts what is known as the “Domino Effect” which has a very positive end result. With the encouragement of Tom, Mary Jo, and Brian Rodeno we had our very own domino effect in Saratoga. We started out this past winter with planning meetings and what we hoped to accomplish, and after several...
After attending Saratoga High School’s graduation and other recent year-end school events, I can’t help but ask myself “What would I have been like if I went to high school in a small town?” After getting to chat with and interview our local youth, I have been surprised at how most of the kids in the Platte Valley seem ambitious when it comes to academic performance, and actively participate in school-related activities like sports, band, choir, speech or other things their s...
Friday, town of Saratoga employees were cleaning up Veterans Island. They closed the office and raked, cleaned, brought in wood chips for the playground and painted the barbecue hut. It’s not the only clean up that is happening in Saratoga. Thanks to the council taking the lead on “Beautify Saratoga”, several businesses around town are painting and upgrading their buildings. It’s a community effort to enhance the looks of a town that depends on tourism. While “Beautify Saratoga” is a new concept, businesses in town have b...
Dear Editor, I hope that I don’t offend anyone with this letter, but I am worried for our students. Like most parents, I’m disappointed to see staff cuts, although I know declining budgets force hard decisions that please nobody. I have attended as many meetings as possible to show my concern. At these meetings, I have remained mostly silent, preferring to leave the speeches to those more eloquent. But when it comes to librarians I’m obliged to speak up. If it is true that the Saratoga Elementary and Middle/Senior libra... Full story
Platte Valley residents undergoing periods of grief or depression can find comfort in a new grief support group set to begin in Saratoga. The group, which is facilitated by Rev. Susan Dyer, begins meeting for a period of eight to 10 weeks, depending on the number of people who attend, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at 106 W.Main in Saratoga (across from the post office). The group meets every Tuesday, and is free and open to people of all religious denominations who are going through any type of grieving period. “The work of grieving c... Full story
I came to Wyoming to scout out my then-future home 20 years ago. The plan was for me and my employer at the time to fly into Denver and rent a car to drive to Saratoga. Eventually I asked how long the drive would take. When I heard, I thought four hours a long drive after a flight. I was then assured that “people from Saratoga drive to Denver all the time” and that it was “no big deal”. I took it with a grain of salt then but have come to learn there is a good deal of truth i... Full story
Wyoming will most likely be the last state standing in the face of an apocalyptic situation, assuming Yellowstone doesn’t erupt. According to Willow Haven Outdoor, an organization that aims to promote and share survival skills, preparing for an international disaster is a good reason to know how to survive in the wilderness. “Let’s face it — we live in an increasingly unstable world economy. Countries are going bankrupt, terrorism is at an all-time high and you can cut the... Full story
Mother’s Day weekend I traveled to Nashville to visit my son Garry, his fiancé Mirthe (Meur-tah) and meet her parents. Nashville is a music lover’s paradise. On Broadway there is live music in every bar almost any time of the day. On the sidewalks, musicians are busking. Visitors are surrounded by talent. I stayed at the hostel Garry is working for. For those of you who have not stayed in a hostel, it is a unique experience. You meet a lot of people. Your neighbors beco...
Open meeting laws are in place for one reason — to protect the public and public officials. Open meeting laws are not designed to prohibit members of councils, boards or commissions from visiting with one another socially or attending other meetings. In a Planning Commission meeting, Saratoga resident Dave Worthington voiced his concern that only one town official attended a Voices of the Valley Meeting May 8. This meeting was designed to gather public input and educate the public about the impact rapid energy development c...
Editor: The administrators of the Saratoga schools have decided that the elementary school and the middle high school need only a half-time librarian each. With this type of “reduction in force” district policy clearly states that the position should be filled by the most qualified and most senior staff member. While it is true that administrators may reassign staff as they see fit, it seems they should also take into consideration district policy in this matter. The needs of the students should be considered first and for...