Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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“There will come a time when it isn’t ‘They’re spying on me through my phone’ anymore. Eventually, it will be ‘My phone is spying on me’.” ~ Philip K. Dick Growing up, I often thought about how I wanted to live in a world inspired by science fiction. I suppose I should have been a little more specific on what science fiction future I was hoping for. The ideal was to be in a future similar to that presented in “Star Trek”, Gene Roddenberry’s brainchild which has spawned numerous televisions...
(Part 1 of 2 parts) In Yellowstone, the voice of authority is a young gal with a bullhorn telling people to move along. We ran into them on three occasions during our 11-hour drive through the park Friday, Sept. 17. The first two times, the gals had gotten the traffic moving by the time we got to the offending place. The third time, we stopped and rolled down our window, and asked: “What’s going on?” “There’s nothing here. Get out of here!” said the seemingly pleasant looking but serious traffic mover. Okay, okay. And away we went. We have been...
Attending a Polka Dance may not be what one thinks of as an exciting time. The Platte Valley Arts Council truly made it an event Saturday night. Though it wouldn’t be considered a high turnout the band and the crowd really had some chemistry. A drinking game certainly isn’t what I expected out of the night, neither was being welcomed with open arms by everyone I encountered. The folks in our little Valley really have a way of making everyone feel so welcome no matter who you are or where you...
A housing crunch in Carbon County is hard to believe for me. I live in Hanna where housing always seemed available but it is here along with almost every town in the county. How long is anyone’s guess, but people coming to this area are discovering what I did over 20 years ago. Carbon County is fantastic. I bought my first Carbon County house in Saratoga. It was a two bedroom townhouse on Elm Street and I loved it. The only problem? It was too small for all the stuff I had. I didn’t even realize...
It is often easy to forget how insulated our communities are in the Platte Valley until something happens which seems to shatter that peacefulness to which we’ve been so accustomed. I am reminded of the 1998 film “Pleasantville” in which two modern-era teenagers are transported into a 1950s sitcom. Everything in the world seems perfect, bathed in the neutralizing tones of black and white, but reality quickly invades the world of Pleasantville. Soon, that perfect but mundane world is chang...
Editor, It is frustrating to read your article concerning the Saratoga Town Council’s concern for finding housing for the recruits for the police department. As the Sun pointed out in a June article, the master plan of 2016 listed affordable housing to be an issue that needs to be addressed. At the June planning commission meeting the need for the town to address the housing issue was raised, and the body language of the Mayor told of his disgust at the fact the issue was raised. Only now has the town council even addressed the need of a...
I had the wonderful privilege of attending the Riverside Party this Saturday. Though many events were happening over the weekend, a lot turned for the small population of 52. While many may see the tiny number along with the lack of a grocery store and other amenities an inconvenience, the people in and around the Riverside area understand the many joys that come with small town living. Similarly, many of the towns which make up Carbon County are considered very small to most places even in our...
It’s hard to imagine that any Wyoming politician has ever been in the national media spotlight as much as our current U. S. Rep. Liz Cheney – except for when her father was vice president, of course. Folks from national media have been driving all over Wyoming this past week preparing big stories on Liz and her challengers in the August 2022 Republican primary for the Cowboy State’s lone seat in the U.S. House. Both 60 Minutes from the CBS network and Gannett’s USA Today were doing major pieces on the outspoken Liz. The main reason for all the...
My father may not be on this earth any longer, but I’m pretty sure he is looking down from above, very happy I eventually moved to Carbon County. Do I think that is because of the beautiful landscape which is varied and abundant with all sorts of wildlife? I guess he would appreciate the nature but honestly, having lived in Hawaii, Queensland Australia, and directly on the Severn River in Maryland (very close to the historical city of Annapolis) there could be a case made I have lived in more s...
Yes, it is time to get out of our 20-year never-ending war in Afghanistan. But first, let me tell a bit about editorial writing, including how the name of this far-off country relates to it. Three decades ago, when I was a hell-on-wheels editorial writer for a local newspaper, it always seemed important to me to write forceful editorials about local issues. I was rewarded for those efforts by measured changes in my communities, the wrath of various portions of the population, and awards from journalism organizations. But I stayed away, at all...
Is it just me or did this summer fly by at the speed of light? I’m struggling to process the fact school begins in less than two weeks—August 23—let alone the fact July 4 was a month ago and we’ve just survived Carbon County Fair week. How Mike Armstrong and I were able to make it through this past week with our sanity, mostly, I have no idea. We’re just covering the event, I can’t even begin to think of the sheer amount of work it takes to organize the Carbon County Fair. Honestly, my hats off...
Friday’s funeral service for former U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi left no doubt about the amazingly high regard in which he was held in by his fellow U. S. senators. He was loved and respected by his Senate colleagues as he was loved and respected by the people he represented here in the Cowboy State. Some 20 U.S. senators traveled to the isolated county seat of Campbell Country in northeast Wyoming to celebrate the life of their friend. Enzi died July 26 from complications of a bicycle accident. He had retired in January after representing Wyoming in t...
Recently I was listening to a person I respect on many fronts, about how there are those in power trying to push revisionism of history. To me, southern boy and Virginian born guy that I am, I don’t think there is a revisionism movement, just an effort to put the truth about how our country developed in perspective. No person who fought on the South’s side in the Civil War should be considered a hero. It wasn’t always this way for me. 4th grade had me going to school in Arlington, Virgi...
Dear Editor, This letter is to inform the town of Riverside that, as of July 30, 2021, I will no longer serve on the town council as a council member. My resignation is due to several things that have been done that I did not agree with and, unfortunately, I anticipate procedures concerning legal obligations will not change. As a write-in, I agreed to serve the people of Riverside. The following statements highlight some of the things that steered my resignation. I feel that the way some of the town council members read and/or interpret the...
Well, here it is. The final issue of Volume No. 134, which marks 133 years the Saratoga Sun has been serving the Platte Valley. I’m not sure if other newspaper editors pay this close attention to the final issue of a volume but, for me, it’s kind of hard not to. As we end one volume and begin another, I am aware of a number of anniversaries. The first, and the hardest to think about, is the loss of Keith McLendon. This second anniversary of his passing is a little bit more acute in that our fin...
I love music, but I can’t play a thing on any instrument, not counting chopsticks on a piano. Even then, my version is pretty shaky. I took drum lessons when I was 14, but I quickly learned I didn’t have what it took to become a drummer. I think my folks were actually relieved. My voice is okay, especially in shower mode, but my days of singing in public are done. In the past I have done a decent enough job on “Danny Boy” that people would walk up to me surprised I could do the song. As a kid,...