Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Wow, what on earth would you say to a graduate this year about his or her future? Here in the age of COVID-19, there is more uncertainty now than any time during my lifetime. With 33,000,000 Americans out of work, these are bigger joblessness numbers than the Great Depression 90 years ago. I have often given commencement addresses and always write a special “message to grads” column this time of year. For over 50 years, I have been writing columns called messages for graduates. Almost every one of the other columns was concerned about jobs and...
With energy and ag experiencing tough times, this was the year that tourism was going to help the Wyoming economy soar. And then came the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in our lifetimes, the whole world shut down. Wyoming is a destination reached mainly by auto and camper. With national gasoline prices hitting historic lows, it could have been assumed that we would get far more than our usual 9 million visitors per year and maybe even set new tourism records. Tourism is a powerful force. People today feel their vacation trips are an...
I have no illusions that life is going to go back to normal any time soon. Wyoming, the United States and the world, can start opening businesses that have been closed, but it doesn’t take away that there is probably going to be an element of caution as we start venturing out. I saw this happen when SARS hit Taiwan. Life did go back to normal for the most part but it was a process. The same is happening in Carbon County for me. I have done a few in person interviews in the past couple weeks, ver... Full story
Dear Editor, Time to get involved folks! This is a call to the voices of all Carbon County residents to provide input based on your personal expertise, knowledge, experience and desire to develop the Natural Resources Management Plan for Carbon County. This plan will be the product of a non-partisan committee. Why is this important? Because without a plan for our county, the Federal Government can step in and dictate to use how to use our resources! We chose to live here, in good part, due to these unique, limited and irreplaceable resources....
The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses. ~ Malcolm X If meetings of the Saratoga Town Council were being conducted normally, one would have seen this quote from Malcolm X, a civil rights leader and spokesperson for the Nation of Islam, posted as they headed towards council chambers. While we certainly could try and take the time to delve into the context of this quote, we at the Saratoga Sun feel... Full story
As a journalist, covering the pandemic has been possibly the biggest story of my life. That is the main thing I will remember about this crazy period. I reached out to some other interesting folks and asked them what they will remember: World traveler and bestselling author Mark Jenkins of Laramie says: “The world is suffering horribly, so much so that I feel guilty living in Wyoming. Due to our wide-open spaces and small population, we can still get outside without seeing a soul. I have cross country skied or rock climbed or mountain biked o...
Dear Governor Gordon, May I ask who cuts your hair? I assume someone in Cheyenne - or someplace close to there. When I see you on the TV your hair looks mighty good. If I just knew who dun’ that I think mine also could. Indeed, it is a long ol’ drive from Encampment all that way. But, with an early start I’d be back in just a day. As you know, shops here are closed and all over the State, I guess. If you do not let them open We’ll become a hairy mess. You see, I’ve always kept well trimmed since I was just a lad. Now after weeks without o...
Dear Editor, Well, here I go again, or should I say here we go again. I stood in front of the last administration in August 2017 and told the town council then they had a terrible track record of failed or incomplete projects at considerable financial loss to the Town of Saratoga. At that time, I read Suzie Cox’s internal memo (town being financially broke) for the record during the meeting. Now it’s 2020 and a new administration, except it’s really an older administration repurposed for a third term in office. Business as usual. And what this...
Freedom is a word that Americans take to heart. I was brought up to believe it was an essential right to being a U.S. citizen by my father and worth fighting for. I remember him telling me that freedom sometimes came with a price. In times of war, it could mean putting yourself in danger. In times of political crisis, it can mean saying something not safe, even though it is true. Going to jail could be a reality in some countries for speaking your opinion. The United States isn’t like that, b... Full story
Dear Editor, With the advent of the COVID-19 virus, those unfamiliar with the workings of the beef industry were shocked to learn that Beef Packers were charging large increases for boxed beef and that, at the same time, had dropped the prices they were paying for the live cattle ready for slaughter thereby making huge profits at a time when the producers of cattle and consumers were under stress dealing with the virus and weather related losses. How did this happen they ask? Directors and members of ICOW, other independent cattlemen...
Have you been making constructive use of your time at home? Did you learn a new language, teach yourself how to make the perfect omelette or figure out how to play the 12-string guitar? Did you know that William Shakespeare wrote “King Lear” during quarantine? What are you doing with your quarantine time? *sigh* If you haven’t learned Spanish, German or one of Tolkien’s Elvish languages; if you haven’t turned into Gordon Ramsay or Bobby Flay; if you haven’t become the next Steve Vai or Tom More... Full story
Dear Editor, Now, when we are stuck at home, is the time—the perfect time—to reflect and think about your and your family’s history. There are valuable stories and pictures just waiting for you. You think there is not anything interesting to tell? You’re wrong. We find that our grandchildren are fascinated with our stories when we visit together but we should all write, record and preserve these stories. Fancy writing is not necessary. Just honesty and feeling. Childhood, parents, youth, memorable moments. Play, education, activities, jovial...
Dear Editor, One of my favorite books in the Saratoga Museum is “Saratoga and Encampment Wyoming: An album of Family History.” Residents, tourists and researchers use this reference to the Platte Valley to explore and learn about their families. I would like to ask those with history in the Valley to reach out again to their families. Maybe there was not enough time with the last edition or maybe they always wanted to but thought they didn’t know enough details. We can turn staying at home into a positive with teaching children how to gathe...
My last column was about me being sick and waiting for my advised quarantine to be over. It was still early in how hard COVID-19 was hitting the country and there were some folks who were suggesting to ride it out for the economy’s sake. I wrote about being opposed to this idea. Two weeks after my column went out, I think America has learned not paying attention to the seriousness of this virus in the beginning has caused nothing but hardship. As I write this, over 20,000 people have died. The m... Full story
Face it, we are living in unusual times. Probably the craziest times of our lives. The COVID-19 coronavirus has turned our personal lives, our towns, our state, our country and our world upside down. Folks that we all took for granted just three weeks ago are now recognized as heroes. I am talking about grocery store workers, janitors, truck drivers, local food delivery servicers, utility workers and many, many others. Notice that I did not mention doctors, nurses, EMTs, hospital workers and other medical personnel. Obviously, they are already...
It can be all too easy, in times like this, to focus on the negative. I’ve been guilty of it myself, especially as I watch the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state tick up nearly every hour. It hit me over the weekend, also, that I would have normally spent the weekend covering the 13th Annual Wyoming Open and that this week’s paper would have a list of all the various Easter events in eastern Carbon County. When thinking about what has changed, and what is cha... Full story
Several days ago, while watching the endless news about coronavirus I heard a newscaster say something that has stuck with me, "You can't quarantine tears". As I thought about this, even when trying to go to sleep and find some semblance of rest during these challenging times, the words kept playing over and over again in my head, "You can't quarantine tears". He was absolutely right, you can't. We can't quarantine suffering either. Never have and probably never will. We can't quarantine fear....
Dear Editor, Over the last several decades the world has witnessed a spate of new health threats in the format of SARS, HIV, Ebola, Bird flu, Swine flu. All of these in the form of highly communicable diseases which at one time have threatened the health of the planet. Now we are experiencing another such virulent disease in COVID-19 which is currently attacking countries around the world. In addition to the public health implications, it also reveals the diminished response capability of our government at all levels of society and highlights...
Dear Editor, Our world is dealing with an unprecedented time that has not been seen in generations, if ever. We are being asked to do things we would never consider as normal–social distancing being the most prominent. There is no one immune from this. It is a global issue. We all see the news showing how the numbers of those infected and having died from this virus continues to grow exponentially on a daily, or even hourly, basis. That said, those of us in Wyoming, and Carbon County in particular, have opportunities to deal with this better t...