Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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Wyoming’s current economic situation reminds me of the famous business book Who Moved My Cheese? After living off severance taxes from the energy industry for half a century, the Cowboy State is enduring a time when the state is trying to maintain services without the money to pay for them. As fossil fuels decline, severance taxes paid by energy companies for coal, oil and natural gas extracted from Wyoming are diminishing rapidly. That famous Cheese book by Spencer Johnson is about how people react to unpleasant change. I...
"Tis funny about th' constitution," said Mr. Dooley, the legendary, philosophical Irish bartender created by Finley Peter Dunne. "It reads plain, but no wan can undherstant it without an interpreter." The Supreme Court is the final interpreter of the Constitution, but since the dawn of the republic, Americans have engaged in spirited, often heated, debates – constitutional conversations – about how it should interpret the Constitution. This is not surprising for a nation who...
Dear Editor A ban on federal oil and gas leasing in Wyoming could indeed push oil and gas companies to lease and develop more state and private land eventually. After 32 years as a habitat and mitigation biologist though, I have to say, concluding that a ban on federal oil and gas leasing will limit Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s ability to mitigate impacts to wildlife is a cop-out. Ideally, oil and gas development should be done in areas where they can avoid and prevent negative impacts to wildlife in the first place. I...
A couple weeks back, I was in the town of Elk Mountain and a snow squall was making my departure back to Hanna seriously questionable. I guess I have to acknowledge, my trusty white Mazda is not exactly the most snow worthy vehicle. Leaving town, I almost got stuck twice but my trooper of a car pulled through. Driving up WY 72, the road surface was white and I had a feeling it was going to be a harrowing drive. I wasn’t wrong. Because I know my car is not suited for travel i...
When the Wyoming Legislature reconvenes in March, the perennial battle to keep public notices in Wyoming newspapers will return as well. On February 4, the Senate Corporation Committee voted 4-1 to advance to the Wyoming Senate legislation that would remove the requirement for counties and municipalities to publish minutes and salary information in newspapers. Senate File 17 was crafted under the guise of saving the counties and municipalities money during much needed budget crunches. During the nearly two hour meeting,...
Using both tight budgets and a Covid pandemic as excuses, the dumb idea of limiting printed public notices in Wyoming newspapers has reared its ugly head again in the Legislature in Cheyenne. Wyoming citizens should be both outraged at this proposal plus the fact that their taxes are paying for the lobbyists who are pushing for it. Crazy. Here is a fact: There are some people in government who like working out of the public’s eye. They do not like reporters or, worse yet, pesky citizens poking their noses into their work. T...
Dear Editor, Platte Valley Kiwanis would like to thank the community and all those who supported our ice skating rink project this winter! The ice rink could not have been possible without generous support from American Legion, Bridge Street Bargains, E.J. Glode, Jim and Martha Gray, Carrie Haderly, Lollypops, Rocky Mountain District of Kiwanis, RP Lumber, Sinclair, Saratoga Fire Department, Saratoga Resort and Spa, Saratoga Sun, Shively North, and The Grumpy Italian. Our goal was to provide an opportunity for children and...
It’s a warm, fall afternoon. Summer doesn’t feel quite over, but school is in session. Students are watching the clock on the wall wishing for it to move faster and end the school day. As the teacher continues on with the lesson, it begins to sound somewhat like a trombone in a classic cartoon. His voice trails off as he wanders towards the windows of the classroom. The students, finally paying attention now that their teacher isn’t talking, look out the windows. The blue,...
"... Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels." ~ Ann Richards It's been more than 150 years since Wyoming gave all women the right to vote and earned it's official moniker as the "Equality State" and it's been nearly 100 years since Wyoming elected its first, and to-date only, woman governor; Nellie Tayloe Ross. This year, Wyoming elected its first woman senator, Cynthia Lummiss, and re-elected Liz Cheney, who is only...
Enough already. Enough about politics. Enough about the deadly virus. Enough about complaining. Today, folks, this column will be totally devoted to GOOD NEWS. And there is plenty of it. First of all, the days are getting longer. Our long winter of discontent is over in many ways. And our dawns and sunsets are spectacular with brilliant reds. Stop and take in these wonderful and colorful marvels. The weather this winter has been relatively mild in most parts of the state. Interstate 80 has not been closed as much as last...
Dear Editor, It has been six years since I attended an ice fishing derby. This year I volunteered to help with registration Saturday morning. With Stacy Crimmins being the director for so many years, you expect to see a few glitches for a first timer. Leanna Jones was a true champion. With all of the events being cancelled in recent months COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on her first year as CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. I have only met Leanna a few times, but I have been impressed with her professionalism. Saturday, she was bus...
The shocking sight of Wyoming’s lone U. S. Representative voting to impeach President Donald Trump was devastating to thousands of Cowboy State residents. Wyoming supported Trump to a larger extent than any other state, with more than 70% of its voters casting ballots for the incumbent president. When Cheney voted against Trump, it truly made national headlines and was the lead story on the nightly news. As the third-ranking Republican in the U. S. House, her vote was seismic. It sent shock waves from one end of the country t...
It was almost a no-brainer what I was going to write for my column this week. 2020 was tough for me as I know it has been for so many people in the county, state, country and world. I lost my mother in March, probably to COVID, and then I got sick two weeks later with probably the same disease and had to be in quarantine for almost a month. It took me almost until June to feel back to normal. I was also hit with a monster financial crisis that crushed me and am still feeling...
It is the day after January 6, 2021 and I could not sleep no matter how hard I tried. The thoughts and experiences of this past year and then yesterday were way too vivid. Even though my family is in good health, the grief and turmoil that so many others have faced and continue to endure can be overwhelming. As a former teacher I worry greatly about all the children in our world and the adult issues they are facing only with the understanding of a young mind. It reminded me...
What does the future of Saratoga look like and who will have a hand in shaping that future? This has been a question that has weighed on my mind in recent years, especially as we see continued growth both here in Saratoga and throughout the Valley. While the agriculture and timber industries were long the leading economic drivers for the area, and still employ a number of people, the tourism industry has become one of the major parts of our economy. Of course, who wouldn’t wan...
I am coming off my vacation which started just before the Christmas holidays. It was my first vacation in almost four years. I did have time off about two years back, but that was moving my folk’s belongings from Maine to Colorado. My sister and I drove a 26 foot truck across the country in four days. Getting out to where they lived in Maine took two days by plane and car, and driving back in the truck to Colorado used up most of my time off. A great road trip with my sis, but...