WYOMING
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RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS
ERIC WILHELM
Passion for Hunting
Weatherby Comes to Wyoming ‘We can't all take the month of October off!’
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THE WREN MAGAZINE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 66, number 3, April 2020 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER – Send address changes to: The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, c/o Linden Press, Inc., 223 S. Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521, [970] 221-3232. Include 3-digit co-op code. WREN Magazine is owned and controlled by rural electric cooperatives in the interest of the economic progress of rural areas specifically and the entire population of Wyoming and the nation generally. WREN Magazine has a total average monthly paid circulation of 40,985 for 11 months ending September 2019. WREN Magazine is delivered to rural electric member/ consumers and other subscribers throughout the entire state of Wyoming and the nation. Acceptance of advertising by WREN Magazine does not imply endorsement of the product or services advertised by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives.
WREN STAFF Publisher: Linden Press, Inc. Editor: Maggie York
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Dick Clifton, President Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith, Vice President Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix, Secretary/Treasurer Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker Big Horn REC, Basin – John Joyce Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry High Plains Power, Riverton – Hearley Dockham High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Michael Lerwick Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Wheatland REA, Wheatland – Sandra Hranchak
ON THE COVER
FROM OUR READERS
Passion for Hunting
COOKS 29 COUNTRY EGGS
21 CO-OP SPOTLIGHT
STORY AND PHOTOS BY RACHEL GIRT
Cover photo: Hunting guide and outdoorsman Eric Wilhelm holds a German shorthaired puppy at the Ranch at Ucross.
Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman
SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 772-1968 wren@wyomingrea.org
SUBSCRIPTION RATES $12 per year, Single copies $1.50 each
ADVERTISING To purchase, contact Dhara Rose: [307] 996-6552 • dhara@golinden.com
OFFICE OF WREN OWNER 2312 Carey Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001
OFFICE OF WREN PUBLISHER Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001
PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK
FEATURES YOUTH 06 CO-OP CARBON'S LO G A N W E L L S
16 CENTERPIECE W E AT H E R B Y CO M E S TO W YO M I N G
BY RACHEL GIRT
STATE NEWS & EVENTS 07 GRASSROOTS NETWORK 13 COWBOY STATE BUZZ 33 WHAT'S HAPPENING
ESSAYS & ANECDOTES NOTES 04 WREA DO OR DO NOT BY SHAWN TAYLOR
26 THE FIRST ONE
HOME ON THE RANGE BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY
36 THE BIG TRAIN
ENLIGHTEN US BY ROBERT L. FOSTER
PICTURE IT 30 JUST MACHINES TO PAPER 32 PEN CO V I D -19,
B LO W O N PA S T
JUST FOR FUN CORNER 20 KIDS' W H AT D O MACHINISTS DO?
24 PUZZLE CHICK IT OUT
BY TIFFANY WHITSITT
REVIEW 25 BOOK THEODORE
R O O S E V E LT A N D B I S O N R E S TO R AT I O N
BY KEITH AUNE AND GLENN PLUMB
WREA NOTES
‘Do. Or do not. There is no try.’ SH AW N TAY LO R
E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R
These wise words are from Jedi Master Yoda to Jedi-in-training Luke Skywalker in “The Empire Strikes Back” when Luke says he’ll try to unlearn what he has learned. These are also wise words in these uncertain times. I struggled with what to write about this month because I said in my last column that I would update you all on what went on during the legislative session. That seems like a lifetime ago given what we’ve all been dealing with since then. Suffice it to say that nothing was passed that will hurt the cooperatives, and a few bills passed that will help us when dealing with natural disasters and outages. Instead I want to focus on the words of Yoda with regard to the new coronavirus, or COVID-19. With the guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for preventive measures (washing hands, social distancing, etc.), we need to heed Yoda’s words and do; don’t try. This is much easier said than done, and I’m the first to admit that I’m a social guy and it’s hard to not get out and about and hang out with friends. But we have to do it in order to help everybody stay safe. I saw a meme the other day that said “introverts please check on your friends who are extroverts – we’re having a tough time.” It made me laugh because I have a mixed house. I’m an extrovert, my wife is more of an introvert and our three kids
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are a mixed bag (in a lot of different ways!). But under the current normal it is very important for all of us to check in on each other. I know there are random, and sometimes not so random, acts of kindness happening all over Wyoming these days, and we all need to be vigilant about continuing these acts, checking on friends and family and even complete strangers, while at the same time practicing appropriate social distancing and protecting ourselves and our families. I can tell you that for my family and I, some of the good that will come out this craziness is how we’ve gotten closer to one another. When you remove, like it or not, the chaos that comes with hockey practices, soccer practices, piano, homework, actual work for the parents, and everything that comes with modern-day family life, in the end what you have left is family. But for me this includes my co-op family, and while I can’t be quarantined with all of you, know that you and your families are in the Taylor family’s thoughts and prayers. Please stay healthy and happy and remember the words of Yoda when it comes to taking the necessary health precautions during this time. We’ll see you all on the other side of COVID-19.
As a cooperative we are changing together. We are committed to delivering responsibly generated electricity while working to ensure your power remains reliable and affordable. Because whatever the future holds, we’ll power it.
To learn more about our Responsible Energy Plan, visit www.tristate.coop
PHOTO BY MELANIE WELLS
CO-OP YOUTH
WREN: Tell us about your studies and interests. LW: I always wanted to become a marine biologist in the field of shock study but this last summer I decided that I wanted to go into the military in the Air Force. I want to be in a civil engineering squadron in the Air Force for six years then use the GI Bill to attend college.
CO-OP YOUTH Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are proud to support our youth, giving college scholarships and lineman scholarships. In addition, our co-ops sponsor high school students on the
WREN: How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you?
NRECA Youth Tour in June and Youth Leadership Camp in July.
THIS MONTH: Carbon Power and Light nominated Logan Wells, who attended the 2019 Youth Leadership Camp in Clark, Colorado.
LOGAN WELLS HOMETOWN: Saratoga HIGH SCHOOL: Saratoga Middle/High School
Interested in applying for a scholarship, D.C. Youth Tour and/ or Leadership Camp? Contact your local rural electric cooperative! See the insert in the center of the magazine for contact information.
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YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2020 FUTURE PLANS: Military/Air Force
LW: My family has really influenced a lot of the things that I decide to do. They always have my back with any decision or choice that I wanted to make. I’m just glad to know that my family has my back with my decision to join the military. I know that it’s hard for them especially but I know it’s going to be good for me in the end.
WREN: What are your plans for the future? LW: After leaving the military I’m going to go to college for shark studies in marine biology and if that doesn’t work out the way that I plan, I hope to become a civil engineer. I want to live in Texas or Fort Collins.
GRASSROOTS NETWORK
A Partner & Trusted Source Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are part of a much larger network of cooperatives that strive to provide the safest, most reliable electricity possible to their members. The cooperative difference is that you, the members, own your electricity provider, and your needs drive the cooperative.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recently commissioned a national telephone survey to find whether cooperative members are satisfied, and engaged, with their cooperative. This month, we’ll look at survey results regarding members’ opinions of their co-op. We’ll finish the series in May with results from a price satisfaction survey.
New Report
MEMBERS HAVE A HIGH OPINION OF THEIR CO-OP CO-OP PERFORMANCE ON SPECIFIC TRAITS
Consumer-members give co-ops high marks across the board for performance but registered their highest satisfaction ever with co-ops being a “partner” in controlling energy use.
Total positive
Change from 2018
Providing RELIABLE electric service.
68%
27%
95% +1
Quickly RESTORING electric service after an outage.
65%
27%
92% +2
COMMUNICATING and keeping members INFORMED about actions the co-op is taking.
47%
37%
84% +5
Being a TRUSTED SOURCE for information about energy use and consumer choices.
39%
44%
83% +5
Being a PARTNER in helping members control household energy use and save money.
39%
44%
83% +10
Very positive
Somewhat positive
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THE CURRENT
TENNESSEE LINEMEN MAKE HARROWING RESCUE FROM THE NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION
Lineworkers in Wyoming do a fantastic job at keeping us safe. They are part of a nationwide network of heroes, as shown in this photo captured in February in Tennessee. In honor of Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 13 (April 18 for some associations), co-ops across Wyoming, and the nation, are honoring our own local line crews.
A Tennessee woman who was trapped inside her pickup truck by rushing floodwaters is hailing electric cooperative line crews as her heroes after they rescued her from her nearly submerged vehicle. Mountain Electric Cooperative lineworkers Rick Courtner and Cody Bryant swung the bucket of a co-op truck to free Cathy Souder of northeast Tennessee after a mudslide and a tree pushed her pickup off the road and into swirling floodwaters in February.
Tennessee linemen Rick Courtner and Cody Bryant rescue Cathy Souder after a tree and mudslide swept her pickup into a flooded creek. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT BLEVINS
“I am just fortunate to be here today. They saved my life,” Souder told local reporters. Courtner, Bryant and Mollie Ingle, a Mountain Electric meterperson, headed to Nashville later that week, where they were honored by state legislators. Officials said Souder’s truck washed 300 yards downstream before becoming lodged in the middle of Laurel Creek, which was swollen by several days of rain so heavy that the Tennessee Valley Authority was forced to use its 49-dam network to move water down the Tennessee River to minimize flooding.
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“I was on a service call at a house where the accident initially happened and just saw a [downed] tree at first,” said Ingle. “I called 911 but at that point I didn’t know there was actually a vehicle in the river until a neighbor came out and told me.” Ingle directed traffic with help from a bystander and contacted co-op crews for assistance when she realized that first responders’ communications equipment wasn’t getting a signal. Courtner and Bryant rushed to the scene with lineworkers Dakota Tester and Charlie Grindstaff in a large bucket truck – a wise decision that paid off.
Annual Meeting
Assisted Living IN DUBOIS, WYOMING
ROUNDUP
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PHOTOS BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
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Garland Light and Power board president Jerry Thompson and Manager Molly Lynn draw names for door prizes during the annual meeting.
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Barbara Smith, right, signals that she won a door prize while Jessi Timmons and her daughter, Tristan, 5, look on during the Garland Light and Power annual meeting.
Every March, five of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association’s 11 cooperatives host their own annual meeting. The meeting is a time to share a meal, make collective decisions and greet other members. The threat of the quickly-spreading novel coronavirus (COVID-19) created problems for almost all of the five March meetings.
LIVELY MEETING IN POWELL On Thursday March 12, more than 100 people attended Garland Light and Power’s annual meeting in Powell. During the meeting, members participated in a lively question and answer session on Garland’s rate structure changes. Manager Molly Lynn and board member Ike Eastman explained that the co-op made the changes with information from a study that was done at no cost by the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. Also during the meeting, members voted to retain Jerry Thompson and Peggy Ruble in their current positions on the board.
STATE OF EMERGENCY On Friday March 13, Gov. Mark Gordon declared a state of emergency in Wyoming as the state was confirming its second case of COVID-19. The governor cited concerns for vulnerable and elderly populations.
Wills, Trusts & Probate
During the week following the governor’s action, High Plains Power, Big Horn Rural Electric Company, Wheatland Rural Electric Association and Wyrulec Company postponed their March annual meetings. “To err on the side of caution the board of directors has decided to postpone the 2020 Annual Meeting. It is recommended that social distancing will help slow the spread of COVID-19. As part of the cooperative principles – Concern for Community – we feel this is the responsible thing to do,” High Plains Power Manager Marlene Morss wrote on March 13.
Land Use GAY WOODHOUSE TARA NETHERCOTT HOLLI WELCH JEFF VAN FLEET
DEBORAH RODEN JOANNE SWEENEY KATYE BROWN CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN
1912 Capitol Avenue Suite 500 Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 432-9399 WRNLawFirm.com
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THE CURRENT
WREA Annual Meeting
The Wyoming Rural Electric Association’s (WREA) annual meeting took place in Cheyenne Feb. 26-27. The board of directors, along with coop managers and associates, gathered to learn from guest speakers, share insights and conduct cooperative business. The meeting concluded with a legislative reception and quilt presentation for Gov. Mark Gordon. STORY AND PHOTOS BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
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QUILT COLLECTOR The WREA presented Gov. Mark Gordon with a quilt made by Ruth Rees, board member from Bridger Valley. Pictured from left are: Niobrara’s Andy Greer, Big Horn’s William Bridges, Garland’s Scott Smith, Gordon, Rees, Wheatland’s Sandra Hranchak, Executive Director Shawn Taylor, former board member and Craig Thomas Cooperative Service Award winner Linda Schmidt, High West’s Michael Lerwick, PRECorp’s Mike Lohse and Wyrulec’s Dewey Hageman.
SCHMIDT, LARSEN HONORED The Craig Thomas Cooperative Spirit Award was given to two recipients this year. Linda Schmidt was honored for a lifetime of commitment to her cooperative. Schmidt was hired by Lower Valley Energy in 1967, working first as an office clerk and then as a staking engineer. After retiring, Schmidt returned to Lower Valley as an elected member of the board of directors from 2002 to 2017, serving as a member of the WREA board of directors from 2007-2017, including time as WREA board president. “She led the board through what has been described as a tumultuous time for WREA with the same qualities she has always exhibited: determination, efficiency, and careful consideration of what is right versus wrong,” Lower Valley President/CEO Jim Webb wrote on her nomination.
Chuck Larsen, former Carbon Power and Light manager and current WREN writer, also received the award. Larsen, a former lineman, spent 36 years as an employee at Carbon, 23 of those years as general manager. After retiring he moved to Hulett, where he continues to write and perform cowboy poetry. “Chuck’s ability to provide levity and concise wording to any situation is one of the hallmarks he has provided us with. WREA’s position statements and resolutions reflect this,” current Carbon General Manager Russell Waldner wrote on Larsen’s nomination. Larsen wrote this position statement for Carbon in 2001; it’s still in use today, “Continually Communicate our Commitment to Community, Plan Productively, Perfect our Potential, and be Passionate about our MemberOwners’ Perspective. Learn, Lead and Light the way to a better quality of Life for our Member-Owners.”
CAPITOL TOUR WREA members and associates visited the Capitol during the annual meeting. More than 30 WREA members came to the legislature to see the newly renovated Capitol and to greet their local representatives. The annual meeting concluded with an evening reception for state legislators.
THE CURRENT
One year ago, Wyoming Rural Electric Association (WREA) representatives were discussing an idea to stand up a university-level class on the cooperative business model. In February, Milt Geiger gave a presentation about his experience instructing the inaugural course at the University of Wyoming in fall 2019. “I didn’t have to fail anybody. They showed up and they did the work. They engaged,” Geiger said of his 23 students. He noted that there were only four absences the entire duration of the course. The class took place on campus on Tuesday evenings, often with a guest speaker. Wyrulec General Manager Ryan Schilreff and Tri-State Generation
Dick Clifton, of Carbon Power and Light, was recognized for his service as WREA board president. The next board president will be Scott Smith of Garland Light and Power.
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and Transmission CEO Duane Highley both took time to speak with the class. Between classes, students were to read assigned text, write 400-word essays and write questions for the upcoming speaker. At the end of the semester, students created business models for their idea of a brand-new cooperative. The most important lesson for students might have been that a co-op has to maintain economic viability. “No margin, no mission.” Geiger said. The class will be offered again in fall 2020. Moving forward, Geiger had a very specific request of the WREA: “If someone’s looking for a summer activity in the evenings, please write a textbook.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF JODI STIEHL
THE COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL
Jodi Stiehl and her father, Don Vincent, on her wedding day.
CHAMPION FOR CO-OPS Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative board member Jodi Stiehl came from Idaho to attend the WREA annual meeting. Her co-op is an associate member of the WREA, but her heart is with all rural electric cooperatives after her father lost his cooperative years ago in Alberta, Canada. “An [investor-owned utility], ATCO Power, put pressure on members to sell the [rural electric association] and to Dad’s dismay members voted to sell. Power bills instantly doubled,” Stiehl wrote in an email. After that, Stiehl’s father, Don Vincent, spoke with other co-ops around the province and convinced them not to sell. The coops he visited remain in place today, she said.
COWBOY STATE BUZZ
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2020 CENSUS
The census data provides monetary funds for Wyoming. Wyoming towns and counties each received about $600/person from state tax distribution based on census data in the 2019 fiscal year.
CENSUS INFORMATION IS USED IN WYOMING FOR PLANNING AND FUNDING
NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUC TION
MEDICARE DISTRIBUTION
ROADS AND BRIDGES
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATIONS
LIBR ARIES AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS
THE CENSUS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
THE CENSUS IS SAFE
The census will not be mailed to P.O. Box addresses. Instead, a
The U.S. Census Bureau is bound by law to keep your
census worker will bring a postcard or questionnaire to your home.
answers strictly confidential. Data cannot be used for law enforcement purposes or to determine personal
How to identify a census field representative:
eligibility for government benefits.
The representative must present
The representative
an I.D. badge with:
The census will NEVER ask for:
will have a letter from the director of the
THEIR PHOTOGR APH
SOCIAL SECURIT Y NUMBER S
U.S. Census Bureau and can provide the
A DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WATERMARK
BANK OR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
number for the regional office for verification. Wyoming residents can
AN E XPIR ATION DATE
MONE Y
also call 211 for census information.
ANY THING REL ATED TO POLITICAL PARTIES
CENSUS TIMELINE 2010
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JULY 31
The last census took place 10 years ago.
You will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 census. Some households will receive a postcard, others will receive a questionnaire.
If you haven’t responded yet, you will receive a reminder letter and paper questionnaire.
Census workers begin visiting homes that haven’t responded.
Census closed.
MAKE SURE YOU COUNT!
2030 The next census will take place 10 years later.
Home visits may be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives encourage you to participate in the 2020 Census.
For more information call 211, log onto 2020census.gov or visit your local library.
Sources: Wyoming Department of Administration & Information Economic Analysis Division, Wyoming State Library.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF UW INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
COWBOY STATE BUZZ
HERBARIUM MOUNTS 1 MILLIONTH SPECIMEN
FROM UW INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
The specimen chosen to be 1 The University of Wyoming’s Rocky Mountain Herbarium mounted its millionth was Castilleja linariifolia, 1 millionth specimen in January. which is Wyoming’s state flower Members of the UW Board of and is commonly known as Indian Trustees were on hand paintbrush. This species in the Aven Nelson can be found in many Above: Rocky Mountain Building to witness the Herbarium volunteer Madison locations across the state. Dale glues and mounts the 1 historic event. millionth plant specimen, a Established in the Wyoming Indian paintbrush. “The addition of a fall semester of 1899, millionth specimen to the Rocky Mountain a herbarium is a major Herbarium is the largest facility of its accomplishment,” Director Greg Brown kind between St. Louis and the West said. “The Rocky Mountain Herbarium Coast. It is the fifth largest herbarium is the most significant natural history collection in Wyoming and the dominant, most important herbarium in the entire Rocky Mountain region. It was important to have the board of trustees in attendance not only because of these facts, but to recognize the fact that this is an area of modern science where UW is a recognized leader and truly on the cutting edge of science.”
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at a public U.S. university.
The herbarium is rich in specimens throughout the United States, Canada and northern Europe, but it specifically boasts the largest collection of Wyoming and Rocky Mountain plants in the world to reflect the region’s biological diversity and evolutionary history.
SNOWPLOW COLLISIONS RISE FROM THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Wyoming has experienced a higher-than-normal number of snowplow collisions for the 2019-2020 winter season and is asking motorists to be extra vigilant when traveling. Twenty-two vehicles collided with WYDOT snowplows between October 2019 and March 10, 2020.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WYDOT
“Our mission is to ensure the safety of the entire traveling public, including the men and women of WYDOT who are out maintaining the roads during wintry weather,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “We want everyone to get to their destinations safely and we urge everyone to slow down for conditions and be aware of their surroundings.” The data WYDOT uses for snowplow crashes is during the winter season, which typically runs from October through April. For the other winter seasons, there were eight crashes for 2018-2019, eight for 20172018, three for 2016-2017, seven for 2015-2016 and 13 for 2014-2015.
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APR 2020
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CENTERPIECE
‘We can’t all take the month of October off!’
WEATHERBY COMES TO WYOMING
WORKING IN THE FIREARMS INDUSTRY IN SHERIDAN HAS BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE FOR JOHN THOM, AN ASSEMBLER FOR WEATHERBY’S HIGH-END MARK V RIFLE LINE.
“The people who work here are the best part of this job,” Thom said. “We’re a community, a family-like environment, with shared interests. You can turn to the person next to you and share shooting and hunting stories from the weekend.” Thom, a firearms enthusiast who grew up in Buffalo, couldn’t imagine living anywhere else than at the base of the Bighorn Mountains. He was working at a salvage yard in Buffalo when he applied to Weatherby in 2018. “Working here comes with a sense of pride,” added Thom, who was one of Weatherby’s first hires from the Sheridan/Buffalo area. “It’s a dream come true for me.”
BY RACHEL GIRT
STRATEGIC RESET
“Every generation of a family business has a little bit of a different culture depending upon the leader,” she explained. “Adam and I knew that this was a very strategic time for us to rebuild our culture knowing that we were going to replace many of our employees if they didn’t want to come with us.”
PHOTOS BY RACHEL GIRT
Founded in 1945 in California, Weatherby announced its decision to relocate its entire operation to the more gun-friendly Wyoming in January 2018. The move gave Weatherby the opportunity to undergo a strategic reset of its culture and grow its brand, said Brenda Weatherby who, as the director of people and culture, handles human resources and facilities. Before the move, Ed Weatherby had hired most of the employees. In January 2017, Ed handed over the company’s leadership to his son Adam, Brenda’s husband.
Brenda Weatherby holding the Limited Edition Mark V Wyoming Commemorative Rifle. There are two versions, the Gold and Silver models.
With only 18 of the 70 employees willing to move, Brenda began the daunting task of hiring 50 employees from more than 3,500 submitted applications. She spent longer on the recruiting and interview process, searching for individuals with the right skills who understood the brand and even lived that lifestyle. About 75 percent of Weatherby’s workforce in Sheridan, expected to soon rise to 90 employees, shares a passion for hunting, Brenda said. “That’s hugely different than our California workforce, which up to 20 percent were actively engaged in hunting as a hobby.” John Thom works as Mark V Assembler 2.
Of course, that makes hunting season, one of the busier times for Weatherby, interesting. “We can’t all take the month of October off,” Brenda said, laughing. She explained
that the company works with employees to stagger shifts and, “We encourage a lot of weekend hunting trips. With the Bighorns so close, that’s where most go hunting anyway.” Customer service representative Colter Kinner, who is from Sheridan, added that Weatherby is a special place to work. “Employees here are passionate about what they do and care about Weatherby’s future.”
Steve Otter preps stocks at Weatherby.
Kinner also runs the showroom and visitor’s center, which gets up to 40 visitors a day during the hunting season. Some long-time Weatherby customers have even gotten teary-eyed while visiting the showroom. “They say that they always wanted to visit Weatherby,” Kinner said.
MOVING A FACTORY
PHOTOS BY RACHEL GIRT
Starting in 2018, the company first moved its offices into a temporary location in Sheridan while its new headquarters and production facility was being built on nine acres on the outskirts of town.
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The Wyoming Business Council worked with the Sheridan Economic and Education Development Authority (SEEDA) joint powers board to develop an attractive grant package. The joint powers board used the money to build an 75,000 square-foot building in the Sheridan High-Tech Business Park. SEEDA owns the facility, and Weatherby has a leasepurchase agreement for the building, in addition to making their own investments in the facility.
On March 1, 2019, five semi-trailers filled with machines, equipment and supplies showed up at the new facility. “The next couple months were complete chaos, trying to get new employees trained, machines and employees productive and trying to find things amongst the masses of boxes,” Brenda said. With the move costing about $2 million, Weatherby needed to get production up and running, Brenda said. Wyoming Workforce Development training funds significantly helped Weatherby train new employees and have them contributing at a high level more quickly, she added.
MACHINISTS AND ENGINEERS This year Weatherby added a new machining area to bring more processes in-house. “Six months ago, we only had one machinist, and now we're up to five machinists doing CNC [computer numerically controlled] programming and operations,” Brenda said. Bringing its engineering team in-house has aided the grand synthesis of multiple departments working together, Brenda said. “There is something about having an engineering team in house living and breathing Weatherby.” Prior to its move, Weatherby had difficulty convincing gun engineers to move to California and ended up contracting out to different engineering groups in the country, she explained. The attraction of living near the Bighorn Mountains and all the outdoor amenities surrounding Sheridan has changed that. Justin Eckland, originally from Dubois, was living in Sterling, Colorado with his wife and two sons when he heard about Weatherby’s move to Sheridan and immediately applied. “I was so excited to get the call as hunting was one of my hobbies,” he said.
Justin Eckland, manufacturing engineer
A key goal of the move was to allow Weatherby to become more vertically integrated, and move more functions in-house like video content producers, engineering and all sorts of manufacturing labor, Brenda said. “That is why we built about twice the square footage than we had in California. Our plan was to expand our firearm production capability, increase our flexibility and have less reliance on suppliers.” The headquarters houses customer service, sales, marketing, human resources, finances, engineering and gunsmithing, as well as the assembly and manufacturing side. The majority of the stock finishing is done in-house, so the facility includes stock dipping and painting. For testing, the facility has its two underground proof ranges: a 100-yard range and a 300yard range.
As a manufacturing engineer, Eckland focuses on the assembly process, trying to make production faster while adhering to Weatherby’s high-quality standards. The engineering department also has a role in testing new products. “We try to break things, looking for points of failure in order to fix problems before our products reach our customers,” Eckland explained. The firearms industry is very competitive, especially in Weatherby’s market niche, which is focused on being lighter and faster, Brenda added. “Ballistic superiority put Weatherby on the map, and that’s what Adam’s grandfather built the company on and what we continue to innovate for.” W Rachel Girt is a freelance writer and owner of Girt Communications based in Cheyenne.
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KIDS CORNER
Machinists in Wyoming What do Machinists do?
01
Wyoming Workforce Services counted 650 machinists in Wyoming in March 2019 and reported their average wage at $26 per hour.
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Machinists use their knowledge of metal properties, mechanics, mathematics and tools to make or repair precision parts and instruments. They may create or modify items such as industrial machines or machine tools by hand or with a computer.
How to Become a Machinist Most machinists have a high school diploma and receive long-term on-thejob training. Many community colleges in Wyoming offer machine tool technology courses for machinists.
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UP
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Are you interested in becoming a machinist? You've come to the right place!
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Tools of the Trade What does a machinist need to work every day?
Circle the correct items. 05
Machinist Quiz Robert L. Foster wrote about the Big Boy locomotive in this month’s Enlighten Us. How many years did it take to repair the engine? A. One
A. 5.2 million pounds B. 1.2 million pounds C. 500,000 pounds
B. Two
D. 25,000 pounds
C. Five D. Ten
You can read Robert L. Foster's story about Big Boy on page 36.
APR 2020
Answers: C, B
Source: Wyoming Department of Workforce Services
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How much does the Big Boy locomotive weigh?
CO-OP SPOTLIGHT
ERIC WILHELM
Outfitter Shares Passion for Hunting PHOTO BY RACHEL GIRT
BY RACHEL GIRT
Eric Wilhelm scouts for mule deer near Ucross.
PHOTO BY STEVEN GIRT
CO-OP SPOTLIGHT
“There is a difference between being able to get yourself into a position to harvest an animal and getting someone else in that position.”
After spotting a few bucks, he encouraged his client to belly crawl through sagebrush to the crest of a nearby hill and wait. A shot rang out, and the animal dropped. Every day is a “good day” as an outfitter, but some are just better than others, Wilhelm said. “When I can watch the beautiful sun rise and the same sun set with my clients, surrounded by the beauty and the animals that God has blessed us with, when everyone is back to camp safe, sitting around reliving the day’s stories and enjoying the camaraderie and bond that hunters have, that is a good day,” Wilhelm explained.
Shifting his cowboy hat, outfitter Eric Wilhelm peered through binoculars, looking for a mule deer moving among the golden brown hues of the hills surrounding Ucross.
Eric Wilhelm hunts birds with his dogs in the Ucross area.
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APR 2020
Wilhelm, along with his wife Vickie, run Ucross Outfitters 1, which provides hunting related services to a diverse clientele hailing from around the nation.
The couple also manages the Ranch at Ucross, a guest ranch located 20 miles northeast of Buffalo in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in Powder River Energy Corporation’s service area. The Ranch at Ucross is home to the Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt, which Wilhelm serves as the outfitter on record, coordinating the guides and all the hunts.
A Lifetime Spent Outdoors PHOTO BY STEVEN GIRT
Katie, Vicki and Eric Wilhelm pose with their dogs, Amy and Loki.
Ever since boyhood, fishing and hunting naturally flowed in Wilhelm’s veins, as well as a serious passion for German shorthaired pointers, gregarious hunting dogs which he raises. Growing up above Central City, Colorado, Wilhelm developed an ingrained love of everything outdoors. He and his sister ran wild through the mountains surrounding the family’s small Colorado ranch, exploring every nook and cranny. “Every opportunity I had, I was outdoors,” he said. “I read every outdoor magazine and book I could get my hands on, watched ‘Jeremiah Johnson’ a thousand times and waited anxiously for the fall and hunting season to arrive when we would hunt deer, antelope and elk,” Wilhelm said.
“We personalize every hunt as much as we can,” Wilhelm said, describing the outfitting business. “I put a lot of thought into the area our client will hunt, who his or her guide should be, and what is their physical ability, hunting knowledge and how they can be most successful.” Clients stay in deluxe accommodations at the guest ranch or sometimes in a wall tent, depending upon the type and location of the hunt. Options include hunting elk, deer, antelope, turkeys, prairie dogs and black bear on horseback, on ATVs or hiking. Although Wyoming has an abundance of wildlife and a large amount of public lands, not all of that land is easily accessible, Wilhelm said. “Outfitters live here every day, see the changes that may affect the hunting that fall, and know the land, the weather and the habits of the animals they wish to pursue,” Wilhelm said, explaining the benefits of hiring an outfitter. Most people from other states don’t have the time to come out and research the hunt areas in Wyoming so they turn to an outfitter to help, Wilhelm explained. He also assists clients with navigating the state’s license and preference point system. With most public lands tending to be overcrowded, outfitters like Wilhelm can gain access to private property. Wilhelm praised landowners’ willingness to work with them during hunting season. “We have built relationships founded on respect with landowners,” Wilhelm explained. “We help the landowners who we partner with achieve their wildlife management goals like trimming down their whitetail herd while maintaining the integrity of their property.”
Wilhelm’s love of the outdoors continued to grow with his family’s move to eastern Colorado. When his grandfather visited, they would chase rabbits or doves, trap ground squirrels or go fishing at the pond. He spent every Thanksgiving break with his friends on the Kansas border hunting birds. “My one buddy got an early Christmas present of a German shorthaired pointer, and from that day on, I was hooked on both birds and shorthairs,” Wilhelm said. “When I was 22, I followed a job to Wyoming and knew I had found my heaven on earth,” Wilhelm said. Wilhelm wound up managing a ranch in northwestern Wyoming for a private family who he took hunting. “It was during this time that I realized I had a talent not only to be a successful hunter myself but also to be able to help others become successful.” Not every hunter can be a good guide, Wilhelm explained. “There is a difference between being able to get yourself into a position to harvest an animal and getting someone else in that position.” In the early 2000s, Wilhelm and his wife Vickie moved to Ucross, located a few miles east of Buffalo, to manage the Ranch at Ucross. In 2010, the couple started the outfitting business, which partners with the guest ranch on hunting and accommodations. Over the years, many of the Wilhelms’ clients have become good friends and return to the ranch, he said. “I have watched several young men and women grow up that have harvested their first animal with us; that is special and is one of my favorite parts of this job,” Wilhelm added. W Rachel Girt is a freelance writer and owner of Girt Communications based in Cheyenne. APR 2020
23
PUZZLE
BY TIFFANY WHITSITT
Chick it out!
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Yolking aside, see if you can name the bird that would lay each of the following eggs. Find the answers on page 35.
1 2
3
9
4
8
5
7
6
BIRD BANK:
Did you know?
Australorp chicken Leghorn chicken
Thrush
Ostrich
Goose
Duck
Guinea Fowl
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APR 2020
Quail
Turkey
Egg color is influenced by the local climate. Eggs are more likely to be darker shades of brown in colder climates. These darker colors trap heat and allow parents to leave the nest for longer periods of time.
BOOK REVIEW
Theodore Roosevelt &
Bison Restoration on the
Great Plains BY KEITH AUNE & GLENN PLUMB Rapidly disappearing bison in the late 1800s prompted progressive thinkers to call for the preservation of wild lands and wildlife in North America. Following a legendary hunt for the last wild bison in central Montana, Dr. William Hornady sought to immortalize the West's most iconic species. Activists like Theodore Roosevelt rose to the call, initiating a restoration plan that seemed almost incomprehensible in that era. Follow the journey from the first animals bred at the Bronx Zoo to today's National Bison Range. Glenn Plumb, retired National Park Service chief wildlife biologist, and Keith Aune, retired Wildlife Conservation Society director of bison programs, detail Roosevelt's conservation legacy and the landmark efforts of many others.
WIN A
DESCRIPTION BY ARCADIA PUBLISHING
ORDERING INFORMATION:
2019 | 144p. $21.99 paperback ISBN: 9781467135696
FREE
COPY
Name:
FEBRUARY'S BOOK WINNER:
Phone:
CAROL LAHER
Address:
Publisher: ARCADIA PUBLISHING AND THE HISTORY PRESS Available at booksellers across the state
OF LAGRANGE ENTRIES DUE BY MAY 10 One entry per household, please.
ROOSEVELT
c/o WREN Magazine 214 W. Lincolnway, Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
HOME ON THE RANGE
The First One BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY
It was a weekend of firsts. This was my first job as a practicing veterinarian. As the culmination of my first full month as a veterinarian in Lander I was on call on the weekend by myself for the first time. My boss had decided to go to a two-day team roping in Rock Springs.
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APR 2020
I did not sleep a lot on Friday night. The thought of running the clinic without backup from my boss, and only a single technician to help me was terrifying. I unlocked the door at 9 a.m. The snow sparkled under a brilliant but ineffective February sun. Maybe that 10 degree below zero temperature would keep people home, I thought hopefully. The squeak of cold tires in the snow dispelled that notion. A lady emerged from a red Jeep Wagoneer with a big black lab in tow and entered through the glass door. “I need to board Jasper until Tuesday,” she announced. Dawn, the veterinary technician, took Jasper to the kennels. The lady left and I breathed a sigh of relief. The first client through the door was easy. I relaxed a little after that as people came in for simple things. A poodle needed a rabies shot. A beautiful black cat with yellow eyes was due for his feline distemper vaccination. While I was working on a golden retriever with an ear infection, the phone rang. Dawn poked her head through the exam room door. “This is Ray on the phone,” she announced. “He has a cow with pneumonia that he wants to bring in.”
“We can do that,” I replied confidently while cleaning the golden’s left ear. “When is he coming?” “He said about an hour,” Dawn replied. I finished cleaning the ear and gave the client some ointment. We talked about using the ointment twice a day and trying to keep the dog from scratching at the ear.
There was a little break in the client flow and I took the chance to research bovine pneumonia in my internal medicine textbook. Armed with information about antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, I felt confident that I could treat my first case of pneumonia in a cow. An old Dodge truck with a tall red stock rack rattled down the driveway and backed expertly up to the loading chute. A man with a gray beard and the tall rubber boots of a dairy farmer emerged from the truck.
He opened the back gate of the truck and a big black and white Holstein cow ambled down the chute.
“You can tape an old sock on that back foot to protect the ear from his claws.” I suggested, helpful as ever with my one month of veterinary experience.
“My name is Ray,” he announced. “I brought the cow in with pneumonia.” As a young veterinarian I thought I was supposed to make the diagnosis, but this man seemed to know what he was doing so I simply said, “let’s get her unloaded and into the clinic.”
He opened the back gate of the truck and a big black and white Holstein cow ambled down the chute and into the clinic. She looked bad. She was thin and had a dull look in her eye. Mucus was coming from her nose and mouth as she worked to breathe. She stood quietly as I took her temperature. It was high. I reached for my stethoscope to listen to her lungs when she coughed and suddenly began bleeding profusely from her mouth.
APR 2020
27
HOME ON THE RANGE
“An abscess in her lungs has eroded into an artery!” I said in my best professional panicked-young-veterinarian voice. “We have to get her out of here before she bleeds to death.” Blood is slippery. Ray and I struggled on the suddenly red-coated concrete floor to back the bleeding cow 20 feet out of the building and up the loading chute. She went down and died just before reaching the truck.
the rest of Saturday or Sunday morning so I did not have to explain to clients why there was a dead cow in my loading chute. My luck ran out Sunday evening when Lonnie called.
A life had ended but for the first time I had helped complete the cycle of life by delivering a new life into the world.
“It’s okay,” Ray said matter-of-factly to the devastated young veterinarian standing beside him. “The first one I take to a new vet always dies.” He climbed into his old Dodge truck and drove away leaving me staring down at my first dead patient. We closed the clinic at noon on Saturday with a dead cow in the loading chute. The little Toyota vet truck could not pull her out. I was going to have to wait for my boss to come home with his big four-wheel drive pickup before we could dispose of the body. There were no emergency calls
“I have a cow that needs a cesarean,” Lonnie said. “I can bring her into the clinic in about an hour.”
My first cesarean by myself! Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I raced out to the clinic to get everything ready. When I drove down the driveway toward the door my headlights shown on the loading chute. “I hope he brings that cow in a trailer so we do not have to use the chute,” I said to no one in particular. Thirty minutes later the tray of instruments and drugs was ready for the surgery. Lights flashed in the window and a green 3/4-ton Chevy pickup with a stock rack and a cow in the back came down the driveway and stopped in front of the loading chute. “I see that one didn’t make it,” was Lonnie’s greeting to me.
“She bled to death,” I explained to the man I was meeting for the first time. “And I cannot move her with the little vet truck.” Lonnie did not show the misgivings he must have felt about this new veterinarian standing in front of him. “I have a chain in the truck. I think I can pull her out of the way so we can unload my cow,” he said simply. And he did just that. We brought his cow into the clinic and delivered a healthy black Angus calf through a cesarean section. After the surgery we loaded his cow back into his pickup and put the still damp new calf onto the floorboards on the passenger side of the cab for the cold ride home. “Thank you,” he said as we shook hands. He climbed in the Chevy and drove toward Fort Washakie. I stood in the frigid air watching the taillights disappear down the highway. It had been my first weekend on call by myself. I had lost my first patient. And I had my first client who trusted me to do my best, even when things looked bad. A life had ended but for the first time I had helped complete the cycle of life by delivering a new life into the world. W Dr. Bruce Connally practices equine medicine in central Wyoming and northern Colorado from his home in Berthoud, Colorado.
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APR 2020
COUNTRY COOKS
EGGS CUPCAKE OMELET 10 LARGE EGGS 3/4 CUP CHOPPED VEGETABLES OF CHOICE (ONION, CELERY, BELL PEPPER ETC.) 1/3 CUP CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS
1 - 1/2 CUP GRATED CHEESE 6 TO 8 OZ DELI MEAT OF CHOICE, CHOPPED OR DICED DASH OF SALT BLACK PEPPER AS DESIRED
Whisk all the ingredients together and divide into a greased muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
RUTH ZELLER
LOVELL
EGG & DATE SANDWICHES FOR TWO
Place toasted wheat bread on a flat sheet pan covered with aluminum foil, spread 1 TBS mayo each slice of toast, top each with one sliced egg, and sprinkle each with 2-3 chopped dates, top each toast with a slice of cheese.
1/2 LB PORK SAUSAGE
2 CUPS SHREDDED SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE, DIVIDED
1 CUP ONION, CHOPPED 2 CLOVES GARLIC, CHOPPED 2 CANS (4 OZ. EACH) WHOLE GREEN CHILIES, DRAINED, SPLIT AND SEEDED
4 EGGS 1/4 CUP FLOUR 1 - 1/2 CUP MILK SALT TO TASTE HOT SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
Cook ground beef and sausage together, crumbled, until browned. Add onion and garlic, cook till limp.
Beat eggs and flour until smooth: add milk, salt, hot sauce. Blend well. Pour egg mixture over casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until egg is set. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
SWEET POTATO BAKED EGGS 1 TSP OLIVE OIL 1/2 CUP CUBED SWEET POTATOES 3 ASPARAGUS SPEARS, CHOPPED 1/2 TSP CHOPPED FRESH ROSEMARY 1 TSP CHOPPED FRESH THYME PINCH CRUSHED RED PEPPER 1 CUP CHOPPED FRESH SPINACH OLIVE OIL SPRAY 3 LARGE EGGS, BEATEN OR 5 EGG WHITES, BEATEN Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, coat with the olive oil. Add the sweet potatoes and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the asparagus, rosemary, thyme and crushed red pepper. Sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from the heat.
POWELL
Lightly coat a ramekin or small baking dish with olive oil spray. Pour in the potato and vegetable mixture and add the eggs. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked.
SUBMIT A RECIPE
You could scramble the eggs and potato/veggie mix and it would taste just as yummy, but baking it in a ramekin is an elegant presentation and a small gift to yourself at the beginning of the day.
Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted, just bubbling and lightly browning, remove from heat, plate, cut in half or quarters and enjoy!
RITA COSSITT MUELLER
WESTON
Send complete recipe by May March 10!10!
Please include your name, address and phone number.
JUNE:
PORK
1/2 LB GROUND BEEF
Line a 9x9 inch baking dish with half the chilies. Top with 1 - 1/2 cups cheese. Add meat mixture and top with remaining chilies; set aside.
2 HARDBOILED EGGS (ROOM TEMPERATURE & SLICED) 2+ TBS MAYONNAISE 2 PIECES HEARTY MULTIGRAIN OR WHEAT BREAD (TOASTED) 2 SLICES PEPPERJACK CHEESE 4-6 CHOPPED DATES
BETSY JENSEN
CHILI RELLENO BAKE
wren@wyomingrea.org | [307] 772-1968 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
SUE PETRIE
CHEYENNE
APR 2020
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02 01
01 02 03
Grandpa’s gangster car, Vicki Olson, Powell
04 05 06
Grandchildren Jace and Ava cruising in their Jeep, Denette Price, Newcastle
Dozers at Komatsu demo days, Gary Nix, Mountain View The original dishwashing machine, Kara Badura, Riverton
Quent’s line truck, Gregg Moretti, Lyman 1930 manure spreader, Marilyn Repshire, Hillsdale
03
04 05 06
JUST PICTURE IT
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THIS MONTH:
JUN (DUE MAY 10):
JUL (DUE JUN 10):
MACHINES
FIRE
FISHING
APR 2020
07 08
09
07 08 09 10
Waiting for work at 75, David Kruger, Laramie Engine, Carole Martinez, Kaycee Off duty beet piler, Vicki Olson, Powell Irrigation meets machinery, Jerry Thompson, Powell
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SUBMIT A PHOTO
wren@wyomingrea.org 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
Please submit high-quality digital files* or an original we can scan, as well as details about the artwork, the artist’s name, and the co-op. *Use the highest quality setting on your camera, or save digital artwork as a .jpg or .tif file with at least 300 dpi resolution. Don’t use Kodak Easy Share®.
Please include your name, hometown and a title.
If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. APR 2020
31
PEN TO PAPER
COVID-19 Blow on Past! PAT LYNCH
ENCAMPMENT
The folks here in Wyoming are hunkered down low hoping this virus gets slowed by the snow.
Painted the bedroom and also the hall. If this lasts too much longer, I’ll be painting it all.
The virus can’t transfer by horse or by cow. If it could, in Wyoming, we’d all have it by now.
With this “self quarantine” I’ve tried not to get bored. If I did it to extreme I’d end up in some ward.
Cleaned all the house windows. (There’s about 24.) Greased all the rollers on the sliding barn door.
Toilet paper shortage should be no big scare. Those lesser used tissues we surely can share.
Shelter in place, that is OK with me. There’re jobs I can do which beat watching TV.
I’m following the rules as Mike Pence has said. Washed my hands so darn much that my fingers have bled.
My wife thinks she won’t catch this. And she’s right, I’ve no doubt. Stays submerged in the bathtub just her nose sticking out.
I’ve cleaned out the pickup. Ain’t done that before. It’s amazing the things that I found on the floor!
It sometimes is hard being six feet away. That’s a bit far for me to hear what people say.
I think I’m safe, too, but there’s no way to know it. After all, up in Heaven, God may need one more poet.
Spruced up the wife’s Jeep. Chipped off mud that had dried. I pulled out a big dent on the passenger side.
My whiskers are long since I can’t touch my face. And my hands are stark white from Cloroxing the place.
And, finally, there’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask ya’. “Won’t our Wyoming winds blow this past - to Nebraska?”
Washed our old dog five times this past week. I notice he walks now with an audible squeak.
I really don’t mind keeping everything clean. And with this food shortage I’m now handsomely lean. That “small groups of ten” rule is easy to do. With few folks in this county, a big group size is two.
We share a selection of WREN readers’ creative writing (poems, limericks, haiku, short verse, and prose) every issue as space and content allow. To be considered for publication, please include the author’s consent to be submitted, his or her mailing address, and confirmation that the work has not been published elsewhere. If you would like us to return your work, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
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APR 2020
Put Your Pen to Paper!
Please include your name, address, and phone number. SUBMIT A PIECE
wren@wyomingrea.org | [307] 772-1968 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
WHAT'S HAPPENING
WHAT'S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP
02
03 04
01
APR 20 – MAY 20
01 | SOUTHEAST
Library, 1p third Mon of the month at Sheridan Library, info 307-758-4430.
GILLETTE
LARAMIE
APRIL 24-25
APRIL 24, 26
WyoPoets Workshop: Poetry readings and workshops at this annual event. Ramada Plaza, info wyopoets.org.
Laramie – Colors of the Past: Unexpected Company Senior Theatre presents historical play. 7p Fri, 3p Sun, Alice Hardie Stevens Center, $20. Info 307-7424323.
SATURDAYS
Black & Yellow Theatre: Experience designed to allow guests the opportunity to interact with subject matter, events and people that have shaped the Powder River Basin from pre-history to modern day. 11a-2p, Campbell County Rockpile Museum, free, info 307-682-5723, szacharias@ ccgov.net, rockpilemuseum. com.
MEDICINE BOW FOURTH TUESDAYS
PHOTO BY JENNIE HUTCHINSON
Bingo: 7p, Community Hall, info 307-710-4045.
FEATURED EVENT
S A R AT O G A APRIL 23
Plein Air Painting: Lori Kostur will teach beginning oils in outdoor setting at Saratoga Museum workshop. $20, advance registration required 307-326-5511.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, events may be postponed or canceled. Please call ahead before attending events.
APRIL 24
Canning from your garden: Saratoga Museum, advance registration required 307-7103226.
CARISSA GOLD MINE MILL TOURS MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY THU-SUN 2-4P SOUTH PASS
$5, $3 WY residents, under 18 free. No kids under 8. Reservations recommended. 307-332-3684 | info@southpasscity.com southpasscity.com/tours
THROUGH DECEMBER
Campbell County Women in World War II: Nearly 350,000 American women served in uniform during the war and the women of northeast Wyoming were no exception. 9a-5p Mon-Sat, Campbell County Rockpile Museum, free, info 307-682-5723, abeenken@ ccgov.net.
HULETT
APRIL 25
ONGOING
Fly tying for beginners: Saratoga Museum, advance registration required 307-710-3226.
Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a-4p Mon-Fri, free, info 307-467-5292.
TORRINGTON
ONGOING
SECOND WEDNESDAYS
Rex Young Rock Club: 7-8p, Senior Friendship Center, info 308-632-5574.
MOORCROFT Library events: Story hour 10a Wed; Book clubs 1p third Thu and 6p fourth Tue. Info 307-756-3232, moorlibrary@ rtconnect.net. ONGOING
02 | NORTHEAST CLEARMONT ONGOING
Historical Center: Center open Thu 2-4p, 1250 Front St, free. Historical Group meets 2p first Mon of the month at Clearmont
Senior Center Events: Third Thu Birthday and Anniversary Dinner, meat provided, bring a side dish. 5p social hour, 6p dinner; fourth Thu toenail clinic 9a, info 307-756-9550.
NEWCASTLE FRIDAYS
Bingo: 7:30p, VFW Hall, free.
NORTHWEST APR 2020
33
WHAT'S HAPPENING
SHERIDAN APRIL 21
Banff Mountain Film Festival: 6:30p, WYO Performing Arts & Education Center, $20, $10 students, info 307-672-9084, wyotheater.com. MAY 8
Spotlight on Sheridan: The Two Tracks with opener JT & Elizabeth Craft will play. 7:30p, WYO Performing Arts & Education Center, $18, $11 students, info 307672-9084, wyotheater.com. APRIL 16-19, 23-26
The Underpants: Times vary, WYO Performing Arts & Education Center, $15, $12 students, senior and military, info 307-672-9084, wyotheater.com.
SUNDANCE ONGOING
Library Events: Storytime for toddlers and preschoolers 10:30a Wed; Lunch Bunch book discussion group 11a fourth Thu; UFOs (Unfinished Objects) 6-8p last Mon. Crook County Library, info 307-283-1006 or crookcountylib@ rangeweb.net.
WEDNESDAYS
All You Can Eat Buffet: Drinks and desserts included, 5-8p, Upton Golf Course, $10, $7 seniors, info 307468-2847. MONDAYS & THURSDAYS
Zumba: 4p, Senior Center, $5, info 307-391-0223. TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Indoor Archery: 12-8:30p, 2741 N. Hwy 116, $5, info 307-468-2506.
03 | NORTHWEST DUBOIS APRIL 21
Petroglyphs of Dinwoody and Torrey Valleys: These sacred images were pecked into stone
34
by past peoples. 9a-4p, Dubois Museum, $10, advanced registration required. 307-4552284, fremontcountymuseums. com.
APR 2020
ONGOING
First Friday: New artist and local musician each month. Art show reception 5p, music 6p. Middle Fork Restaurant. Info 307-335-5035, facebook.com/ MiddleForkCafe.
MAY 7
Sasquatch in the Dubois Area: Wildlife biologist for the North American Ape Project John Mionczynski has investigated the subject for five decades. 7p, Dennison Lodge, free, info 307455-2284.
POWELL MAY 9
ONGOING
Library Activities: Family Movie Night 6p Apr 24, Storytime for birth-5 years 10:30a Fri; Lego Duplo Club for toddlers and preschoolers 11a Fri; book fair 2nd Saturdays; Lego Club for grades K-5, 3:30p April 21, May 5, 19. Dubois Public Library, info 307-455-2992.
LANDER APRIL 23
Esther Hobart Morris: Author Kathryn Swim Cummings will discuss women’s suffrage and life at South Pass City. 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3373, fremontcountymuseums.com. APRIL 25
UPTON
APR 20 – MAY 20
Garden Expo: Workshops, vendors, advice, kids’ activities, petting zoo, horse-drawn wagon rides at Popo Agie Conservation District event. Concessions available. 9a-3p, Lander Valley High School, free, info popoagie. org. MAY 7
Images that Shaped America: Journalist Clint Saunders discusses famous and infamous Vietnam era images. 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3339. SATURDAYS TO MAY 25
Winter Farmers’ Market: Local seasonal produce, dairy, baked goods, locally raised meat, coffee, art and crafts. 1-3p. Lander VFW, info landervalleyfarmersmarket@ gmail.com.
SUBMIT AN EVENT
Tea & Table Settings: Catered luncheon with decorated table settings and button artwork, gift shop at Homesteader Museum fundraiser. 11a, The Commons, $30, info 307-754-9481, homesteader@bresnan.net.
RIVERTON APRIL 23
Send complete information for the June issue’s events by
MAY 10!
Please remember that events from the 20th of June to the 20th of July are included in the June issue. Be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event. Photos are always welcome.
Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.
Antiquarian Book Sale: Fremont County Library, info 307-856-3556. MAY 9
Oatmeal Box Cameras: Students fifth grade and above will build working cameras and develop photographs. 2-4p, Riverton Museum, $10, info 307-856-2665. MAY 23-34
Wyoming Weapons Collectors: 9a, Fremont County Fairgrounds, $6, kids under 12 free with an adult, info 307-742-4630. ONGOING TO APRIL 30
Library Events: PreK Tales & Tunes Tue 10:30a; Starlight Storytime Wed 5:30p; Toddler Move and Groove Thu 10:30a; LEGO Club Thu 3-4:45p. Fremont County Library, free, info 307-856-3556.
SHOSHONI QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:
wren@
wyomingrea.org
[307] 772-1968 214 W. Lincolnway
Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/
wren-submissions
APRIL 25
Cowboy Poetry Gathering: 2-4p, Fire Hall’s Community Room, free, info 307-876- 2777, shoshoniwychamber.com.
TEN SLEEP ONGOING
Live Music Winter Hours: Open Mic Night second Sun 3-5p, Jam Night third Thu 7p. All ages welcome, Ten Sleep Brewing Co., info tensleepbrewingco.com.
PUZZLE ANSWERS
WHAT'S HAPPENING
04 | SOUTHWEST
CHICK IT OUT
FORT BRIDGER MAY 25
Memorial Day Flag Raising Ceremony: Remember those who lost their lives serving our country through a flag raising ceremony conducted at the flag pole by volunteers from the American Legion and VFW. 8a, Fort Bridger State Historic Site, free, info 307-782-3842.
1. Australorp chicken 2. Guinea Fowl 3. Duck 4. Leghorn chicken 5. Quail
TUESDAYS
6. Turkey
Bingo: 6p, American Legion Hall, info 307-780-5489.
7. Goose
JACKSON
8. Ostrich
APRIL 25
9. Thrush
Service Academy Information Day: 1p, Jackson Hole High School, info 307261-6413.
LY M A N SECOND FRIDAYS
PUZZLE ON PAGE 24
Storytime: 11a, Lyman Branch Library, all ages are welcome, free, info 307-7876556, uintalibrary.org.
M O U N TA I N V I E W WEDNESDAYS
Storytime: 11a, Uinta County Library, info 307-782-3161. It’s been at the core of our company values since
SECOND WEDNESDAYS
Chamber of Commerce Community Luncheon: For business owners and individuals alike. $15/plate, noon, Mountain View Town Hall, RSVP bvchamber@bvea.net, 307-787-6378. ONGOING
Community Classes: Fitness, computer, workforce and kids’ classes are available. Valley Learning Center, times and prices vary. Info valleylearningcenter.coursestorm.com or 307-782-6401.
ROCK SPRINGS
we were founded in 1948. You can count on us to be honest with you about your insurance needs and coverages.
HOME | FARM & RANCH | AUTO | BUSINESS Property-casualty insurance products offered through Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company/Laramie, Wyoming.
www.mwfbi.com
WYDOT’s Travel Information System is the one and ONLY source for up-to-the-minute road and travel information.
MAY 2
Take road condition information with you. Get the WYOMING 511 app.
Service Academy Information Day: 1p, Rock Springs High School, info 307261-6413.
www.wyoroad.info
Know before you go. Visit wyoroad.info.
Know traffic hazards & road
conditions before you go View highway webcams "Where am I?" function Hands-free, eyes-free function Easy to use
Available for free download at the Apple App Store.
Available for free download at the Google Play Store.
APR 2020
35
ENLIGHTEN US
The big train BY ROBERT L. FOSTER
The Big Boy era has faded into history, having ceased operation in 1960. Back in the early 1940s, 25 Big Boys were built for UP to haul freight over
Union Pacific (UP) Engine 4014 earned the nickname “Big Boy” for its sheer size. The monster locomotive stretches a record breaking 132 feet and weighs 1.2 million pounds. To generate enough steam to move its giant pistons requires a 56,000-pound coal capacity and a 24,000-gallon water supply, both of which provide Big Boy with 7000 horsepower. 36
APR 2020
the Wasatch Range between Ogden, Utah, and Green River, Wyoming. Seven of those Big Boys survive today, most on nonfunctional display at parks and museums around the country. After slumbering in museums for over 50 years this unique steam engine, a relic of a bygone era, roared to life in Cheyenne in May 2019, and rumbled west, destined for Ogden, Utah, to participate in the 150th anniversary celebration of the driving of the golden spike on May 10, 1869. Hammering in that special spike completed the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, joining America’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Many train enthusiasts, including me, had no idea that the old engine would ever roll along the tracks again. However, due to five years
CELEBRATING THE RAILROAD
John Wayne is gone now, as are the days of railroad building and the men who faced the almost impossible challenge of moving the rails forward.
of tireless efforts of Union Pacific (UP) designers, machinists, engineers and others who had the technical expertise with steam, the tired old engine was restored to its former glory and brought back to life. It now seemed almost eager to pull out of Cheyenne and rumble down the tracks to Utah, though it did stop along the way for a few minutes in Wyoming and Utah so curious onlookers could get a closer look at this huge piece of railroad machinery. I watched Big Boy steaming toward us along UP’s tracks along with hundreds of other spectators lining the I-80 freeway near Ogden. To say I was totally mesmerized by the sight of that gigantic machine would be an understatement. It reminded me of the first time I saw and boarded a Navy ship. Gaping up in open-mouthed wonder at its massive superstructure I doubted that anything so huge, made of solid steel, could float! But it could and it did. As huge as Big Boy is, it clacked along as effortlessly as a marathon runner. Though I’ve seen dozens of steam engines in my time, I’ve never seen one that even comes close to matching the Big Boy engine. Living near railroad tracks when I was a youngster I often waved at engineers as their trains rolled by, and those good men waved back. I wondered if the Big Boy engineer would return a wave and a smile? He did, to the delight of all of us spellbound spectators cheering Big Boy on. It’s not every day you get to see or wave at a Big Boy engineer.
Thousands of spectators greeted Big Boy as it slowly pulled into Ogden’s Union Station on May 9, 2019, to be the centerpiece of the Ogden Heritage Festival and other festivities surrounding the 150th anniversary celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion. Celebrations of the joining of the rails at Promontory Summit, Utah, have always been well attended. For example, at the Golden Spike Centennial Celebration on May 10, 1969 it is estimated at over 12,000 attended this “wedding of the rails.” I happened to be one of those fascinated spectators, along with my wife and youngsters. We enjoyed all the festivities the celebration had to offer. Probably my most poignant memory of that event was an up close look at the movie actor John Wayne, who was in Salt Lake City for the premier of his newest movie “True Grit.” Utah’s governor and others invited Wayne to attend the railroad centennial, which he graciously accepted. While at Promontory he cordially strolled through the crowd and shook a few hands. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and got a firm handshake from him. John Wayne is gone now, as are the days of railroad building and the men who faced the almost impossible challenge of moving the rails forward. When the Transcontinental Railroad was completed two steam locomotives, Union Pacific’s #119 from the east and Central Pacific’s Jupiter from the west, nosed together at Promontory Summit. Engineers met and shook hands and popped champagne, surrounded by a cheering crowd of railroad workers. Sadly, historic photos of that particular event do not show even one of the thousands of valiant Chinese workers of the Central Pacific Railroad who met the challenge of building a railroad east from Sacramento over and through California’s mighty Sierra Range. Perhaps the author Stephen E. Ambrose described construction and financing of the railroad best in the title of his fascinating, page-turning, best-selling book, “Nothing Like it in the World.” Maybe next time you are speeding along I-80, gazing over at a mile-long UP container train on tracks paralleling the freeway, you’ll reminisce for a moment about all those hardy men of long ago whose grit and back breaking labor made the Transcontinental Railroad possible. W Robert L. Foster is a writer based in Utah. APR 2020
37
CLASSIFIEDS WREN CLASSIFIED ADS ARE $0.75 PER SIX CHARACTERS | CONTACT: SHAWNA@GOLINDEN.COM
970-221-3232 EXT 22
CATEGORIES 01.
EQUIPMENT
02. FOR SALE 03. HORSES 04. LIVESTOCK 05. POULTRY 06. REAL ESTATE 07. WANTED 08. CRAFTS 09. OPPORTUNITIES 10.
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38
APR 2020
02 | FOR SALE
03 | HORSES
Brokenbackranchqh.com 2019 AQHA, APHA and quality grade quarter horse colts/fillies. Roans, Bay, Sorrels, Tobiano, Gray. 307-272-5509. Ten Sleep, 82442.
Dubois author Tory Taylor announces his latest book "Elk, Women, Horses, Yellowstone." The book is Taylor's collection of his articles, essays, letters, poetry, and stories. Available @ Amazon.com.
New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service & advice. Available for most makes. Thanks. 307-754-3757. Pre-inoculated Alfalfa seeds for sale. Ranger, Vernema, Perry, Surpass, Wrangler and TV Blend. $3.25/lb. Call Richard at 307-856-5748 or 307-851-9830. Shaver Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnace. Aermotor Windmills and parts, cylinders, pipe, rod, submersible pumps, motors, control boxes, Hastings 12 ga. bottomless stock tanks and more. In business for more than 74 years. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582. Surplus Equipment New and Used: Generators, air heaters, engine driven pumps, (all sizes), solar pumps, 3" and 4" polypipe, etc. A variety of types and sizes available. Call for pricing and details: Premier PowerPlants & Pumps, Farson, WY 307-273- 9591.
07 | WANTED Antique Collector Looking For Oil Company Gas Pumps, Globes And Signs. Will pay fair market value! Also looking for general antiques for our antique shop. Please go to our website FrontierAutoMuseum.com. Located in Gillette WY, our passion is to preserve Wyoming history and the nostalgia of the past, especially Parco, Sinclair, Frontier, Husky and any car dealership along with all brands. We are also always looking for WY license plates and WY highway signs and State Park signs. Please call Jeff Wandler 307-680-8647 wandlerfrontier@gmail.com or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 bbrewer@frontierauto.net. Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201.
09 | OPPORTUNITIES Apply for CNA positions full or part time, Warm Valley Lodge Assisted Living, Dubois WY, download application www.warmvalleylodgewy. com. Email warmvalleylodge@wyoming.com or call 307-455-2645.
20|FREE Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing “Religious Liberty” enforcing “National Sunday Law.” Be Informed! Needing Mailing address. TSBM Box 99, Lenoir City, TN 37771, thebiblesaystruth@ yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.
Tough training. Safe & reliable power. Linemen play a critical role in our mission to provide reliable, affordable electricity. Tough training and a focus on safety is behind everything they do. Simulated field operations and emergency-response training are ways Basin Electric invests in their safety and in providing reliable power to you.
Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com
NUTRITION FOR
Strong & Healthy Bodies It’s important that your kids eat a rainbow of fruits, proteins, vegetables, and fats, and that they stay hydrated, too! Here are some easy, balanced snack ideas to support their healthy bodies and healthy minds.
Fruit
Protein
· · · · ·
· · · · ·
Banana Apple Blueberry Grape Raspberry
Yogurt Egg Tofu Beans Whole Nuts
Fat
veggie
· · · ·
· Purple Cabbage · Red Pepper · Carrot · Yellow Squash · Broccoli
Hummus Avocado Cheese Rice/Quinoa/ Couscous · Peanut Butter
For activities that support your kids’ strong and healthy bodies, visit wyqualitycounts.org/wren
This month’s activity
WY Quality Counts, housed in the Department of Workforce Services, helps Wyoming parents and child care providers identify and create quality learning experiences for children, thanks to the funding of the Wyoming Legislature.
Germ Games!
All WY Quality Counts activities are supported by the Wyoming Early Learning Foundations and Guidelines, as well as the Domains of Development, which include: COMMUNICATION
SENSE OF SELF & RELATIONSHIPS
CURIOUS MINDS
STRONG & HEALTHY BODIES