Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Where has the time gone? In many ways, it feels like just yesterday my son, Jareth, was born. Tomorrow (Thursday) he’ll be 8 years old and I find myself both amazed at what a wonderful young person he is and afraid of how quickly the years will continue to slip by. What’ll be even harder, this year, is that I won’t be around for his actual birthday. Instead, I’ll be in Casper at the Wyoming Press Association Winter Convention. Living in Wyoming, I’ve often joked with people that I remember...
In another life, much younger, I was a kindergarten English teacher in Taichung, Taiwan. It was an early job when I first arrived fresh from Hawaii. It laid the ground for me teaching English at hospitals and becoming a private teacher. It was an amazingly fun era for me; as I look back. Especially teaching kids. After living in Hawaii for two years, I came to island with only an English degree from the University of Maryland. Good luck was with me and within three months I found myself working...
“How’s the most beautiful woman in all the Valley?” That was how I would greet Elva Evans whenever I saw her around town. Whenever I’d say that, she’d get a big grin on her face and laugh which, in turn, would bring a smile to my face. I wasn’t always that way. When I first met Elva, I was in high school. I was at the grocery store with my mom and we were behind Elva at the cash register. Mom, even then already knowing so many people, introduced us. When I spoke, I thought Elva was going to me...
I find it funny how I have to go to kids’ concerts to remind myself how important the arts are to school programs, and to me. I was a lucky kid growing up around Washington D.C. because both sets of my folks liked to take me to plays and concerts even though, sometimes, I wasn’t really into going. Still, I saw Broadway shows which came to town and I even went to New York a few times. Culture was being ingrained into me whether I wanted it or not. My mother was always playing classical music in...
What does the next year look like for you? Are you hoping to do the same old same thing or to walk into 2022 with a breath of fresh air? No matter what your goals are for the new year I hope you enjoy the little things in life as well as the big. One way to spark joy for some could be to focus on the really important stuff. Or perhaps to stop engaging in bad habits or negative situations. For some even stopping to smell the flowers or eat lunch can spark joy in their day. Discard the things in...
It started out as a bona fide stupid and crazy idea. We drove from Lander to Cheyenne on Christmas Day. It is a 348-mile trip. But the young man working the Christmas Day shift at the Fast Lane at the corner in Shoshoni made my day by saying “God Bless You and Merry Christmas,” as we bought some coffees. Then there was the young gal named Marissa who helped me air up my tires at a convenience store in Wheatland. I could not think of a worse thing to happen on this day than to have a flat tire along that vast empty stretch on Interstate 25 fro...
Growing, growing, gone? That seems to be the direction for House District 47 as the Wyoming Legislature, particularly the Joint Corporations Committee, continues their most recent redistricting efforts. What is currently the largest district in the state of Wyoming—12,188 square miles—appears to be on the chopping block as legislators attempt to go through their once-in-a-decade process of redistricting. We would like to first preface our concerns by stating we can appreciate the difficult task the legislators of the Joint Corporations Com...
I was told the other day Christmas seems to get more commercial every year. Maybe it is true, but I am not sure I am the guy to hear that. Christmas means something in America in a way not all places embrace other than the gift giving. I come from a background where my father was really strong in making me understand it is the celebration of the birth of Christ, thus Christianity. It is probably one of the reasons I love having Nativity scenes set up throughout my home. My father let us enjoy...
Why do we give gifts? Every Christmas, birthday, anniversary and special occasion we carefully choose and offer gifts to our loved ones. It’s something we do naturally and most of us don’t think about its deeper implications. The giving of gifts may be one of the oldest of human activities that predates civilization and may go back to the origin of our species. Even in primitive cavemen culture, the giving of gifts was fairly common as it was used to show love and affection towards one ano...
Nearly two years since the global pandemic began, the newest variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been detected in the United States. We are still learning about omicron, the most recent variant first discovered in South Africa. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have classified it as a Variant of Concern. Due to its early detection, it is still unclear if this variant is more severe than the original coronavirus or if it’s more transmissible. According to both organizations, while there is c...
When I get the time, I like to listen to podcasts. In years prior, when I had a longer commute to work, it was something I did on a regular basis in my car. Now, I try to do it when I’m driving to pick up my son from my mother-in-law’s house after school or when I’m driving somewhere for the newspaper. The podcasts range from daily news updates to Wyoming missing person and murders cases (“Dead and Gone in Wyoming”, seriously check it out) to sleep podcasts I listen to at night. One of the po...
The experts said shop early this year for Christmas, so in that spirit we offer our annual list of Wyoming-themed gifts. But we do not have to worry about supply chains or products being stranded off some California port – these gifts are available here in our own back yard. Plus buying local helps the Wyoming economy in the best way possible. I love doing this because it also gives a boost to our Wyoming artists, craftsmen, and retailers. We are really recycling our own money in the best way possible. Pete Illoway of Cheyenne suggests folks ch...
Last weekend I went to see my step-dad, who is in assisted living. They had just lifted the ban on visitors at the rehabilitation nursing center he lives at in Fort Collins. Earlier in the week my sister was informed his health was declining. Stuart is now in a wheelchair and has been getting a bit frail recently according to the staff. COVID-19 precautions have really limited my ability to visit. I am fortunate, when the message came in about his health, my co-workers, Josh and Dana,...
With many holidays quickly upon us, it seems time to gather those closest to us and begin preparations for celebrations. Celebrations can mean a variety of things; gathering at a relative’s home, hosting friends or enjoying the time off with plenty of goodies. It can be a time of so much fun and joy for many. Spreading joy is a huge part of these seasons, from gift giving to gathering with friends and family. It can also be a time of stress and sadness even for the happiest of folks. D...