WYOMING
JUNE 2021
RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS
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MOUNTAIN MEADOW WOOL p u t s
l o ca l
wo o l
o n
t h e
m a p
CO-OP SPOTLIGHT
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Infectious Enthusiasm: Darick Eisenbraun
‘‘
This is one of the best areas in the nation to raise bees.
’’
− Dusty Backer, Backer Bees
Environment isn’t just a buzz word at Basin Electric. Backer Bees has bees at Glenharold Mine, a reclaimed coal mine that used to supply coal to our first power plant. The reclaimed pasture has a variety of flowers−alfalfa, clover, sunflowers, wildflowers−making it one of the best areas in the nation to raise bees. Environmental stewardship has always been a guiding principle for us. That’s why we’re committed to reclaiming and restoring land back to its natural state, like Glenharold Mine.
Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com
2021
J U N E
ON THE COVER
16 CENTERPIECE
Mountain Meadow Wool puts local wool on the map BY ELIZABETH SAMPSON
PHOTOS BY LANNA WING
Cover Photo: Mountain Meadow Wool buys local products, including fleece from these Rambouillet sheep on the Camino and Son Ranch in Buffalo.
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JUST FOR FUN CORNER 21 KIDS’ D R AG O N F L I E S GIVEAWAY 24 BOOK B U T C H C A S S I D Y: T H E W YO M I N G YEARS
BY BILL BETENSON
25 A R O U N D PUZZLE
T H E S TAT E
BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS AND DAVID MERKLEY
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FEATURES YOUTH 08 CO-OP HIGH PLAINS P OW E R’S TESS HUST
05 H O M E TO W N H I T S SPOTLIGHT 26 CO-OP INFECTIOUS ENTHUSIASM: DA R I C K EISENBRAUN
BY GAYLE M. IRWIN
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FROM OUR READERS
ESSAYS & ANECDOTES
STATE NEWS & EVENTS
COOKS 28 COUNTRY BASIL
NOTES 04 WREA L I F E A N D D E AT H
TO PAPER 27 PEN M Y FAV O R I T E
BY SHAWN TAYLOR
09 THE CURRENT 13 COWBOY STATE BUZZ 32 WHAT'S HAPPENING
P L AC E S
30 S H E E P
JUST PICTURE IT
IN THE WEST
ON THE RANGE 22 HOME A MIGHTY BIG DOG BY DR. MEGAN BEAVERS
US 35 ENLIGHTEN I WO N D E R W H AT H E’S T H I N K I N G
BY CHUCK LARSEN
WREA NOTES
Life and Death in the West So I got a hard time (all in good fun) about my poem last month from one of my son’s teachers who gets the WREN, so I thought I would stick with the WREN theme this year of Life out West and write about a few road trips I’ve taken lately where I’ve witnessed life and death in the West. Because of COVID last year, there were no co-op annual meetings to attend or in person legislative meetings held around the state, so my travel was severely restricted. This wasn’t all that bad because it gave me more time at home with my family, but on the other hand I really missed the road and traveling around our beautiful state and visiting the extended cooperative family. The past few weeks, between co-op meetings, traveling to my kids’ sporting events and, sadly, a funeral, I have put on a lot of miles. I have seen some beautiful country from the back roads, witnessed the grass turn green seemingly overnight and seen more “baby cows and baby sheep”—as my daughter likes to call them— than in years past. On one trip I was happy to be able to spend some time with the good folks from Garland Light & Power at their annual meeting and then had to make my way down to Jackson, so I decided to go through Yellowstone. However, I didn’t know that the Cooke City-Beartooth Pass was still closed, so I had the pleasure of driving the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway twice, and it truly was a pleasure. While I wasn’t one of the first cars into the park from the east entrance (because of my detour), life in Yellowstone on the opening day of the east entrance was amazing. Very few people, wildlife everywhere and the park still covered in a blanket of snow. The following week I was back up in the Bighorn Basin for a meeting in Meeteetse with folks from the Big Horn Rural Electric Company. Again it was a great drive and wonderful to visit with the folks from the area and see the beauty of our state. Unfortunately on that trip I got word that long-time WREA and High Plains Power director Hearley Dockham had passed away.
SH AW N TAY LO R
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Hearley was a sheep farmer from the small town of Pavillion about 25 miles northwest of Riverton, in the heart of the Wind River Indian Reservation. While it was a somber reason to make the trek up there I laughed to myself thinking about Hearley sitting up in heaven with my dad, complaining about me taking the back roads, and my dad telling him to chill out. It might seem odd to call a funeral cool but Hearley’s service, or celebration of life, was one of the neatest services I’ve been to. It was held in the Pavilion rodeo arena (which I learned Hearley was instrumental in helping build), the weather was beautiful and his casket was brought in on a horse-drawn wagon and parked in the center of the arena. A couple of friends told some funny stories about Hearley and then the pastor gave one of the most moving tributes I’ve heard. The service was wrapped up by the pastor singing an original song that brought the place to tears, both out of sadness for the loss of Hearley and because it was just a fitting tribute to a great man. I was sitting there wishing that every politician back in D.C. should be there to see how we celebrate people’s lives out here in the West, despite maybe having differing opinions.
H EA R L EY D O CK HAM
HIGH PLAINS POWER DIRECTOR
HOMETOWN HITS
THIS MONTH:
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY VEHICLES
ABOUT THE SITE: The museum’s mission statement is, “To honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and their families. To educate next generations on the history of American freedom. To preserve and share historic military vehicles.”
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MILITARY VEHICLES 287
189 191
TYPE OF SPOT: This brand-new museum, which opened in 2020, boasts that it holds the world’s largest private collection of military vehicles. I-25
WHERE YOU’LL FIND IT: I-25
Eight miles southeast of Dubois
HIGH PLAINS POWER MEMBER
I-80
I-80 287
PHOTOS BY JIM LEE
WHY IT’S SPECIAL: Local rancher Dan Starks built the museum to display his collection of military vehicles, which had previously been in storage or rumbling down the street in recent July Fourth parades in Dubois. The museum also has a firearms collection, meeting rooms and a theater. JUNE 2021
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UPGRADE TO ELECTRICITY AND SAVE IN YOUR HOME At Tri-State, we’re doing our part so that electricity benefits you. Together with our members, we provide over $3 million of electrification and efficiency rebates annually. Switching to electricity can save you money with these home electrification ideas.
LEARN MORE AT WWW.TRISTATE.COOP/BE Tri-State is a not-for-profit power supplier to cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.
+ BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION
SAVING MONEY THROUGH EFFICIENCY
YOUR HOME, ELECTRIFIED HEATING & COOLING WITH HEAT PUMPS According to the U.S. Department of Energy, when paired with proper insulation, an electric heat pump can save over 30 percent on your heating and cooling bills compared to conventional HVAC systems. Here are some advantages of a heat pump: • One system to heat your home (even in sub-zero temperatures) and cool during warmer months • Eliminate potential carbon monoxide exposure from combustion byproducts • Costs substantially less to heat your home than propane or electric baseboard heat
POWER UP YOUR GARDENING TOOLS Electric garden tools can last longer and are emissions-free, meaning you’ll smell the scents of summer, not the smell of exhaust. Plus, with modern technology, they are just as effective as gas-powered alternatives. Just charge the battery and go! • Low maintenance – no oil changes or need to treat fuel, change spark plugs or filters. • No need to purchase and store gasoline • Electric models are lightweight and easy to handle
SAVE WITH AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) Sales of light-duty electric vehicles rose by 43% in 2020. On average, EVs have a lower cost of operation over their lifespan, and buyers are taking notice. • Less maintenance • Increased savings compared to gasoline • Fun to drive because of torque
REBATES FOR YOUR HOME Contact your local electric co-op or public power district to find out more on available rebates and incentives
CO-OP YOUTH PHOTO BY TESS HUST
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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,
TESS HUST
volume 67, number 5, June 2021 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices. 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 40,437 for 11 months ending September 2020. 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
HOMETOWN: Dubois
imply endorsement of the product or services advertised by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives.
WREN STAFF Publisher: Linden Press, Inc.
HIGH SCHOOL: Dubois High School
— Editorial Team — Maggie York Kelly Etzel Douglas Alison Quinn — Design Team — Dixie Lira David Merkley Shawna Phillips
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith, President High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Michael Lerwick, Vice President Wheatland REA, Wheatland – Sandra Hranchak, Secretary/Treasurer Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker Big Horn REC, Basin – John Joyce
YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2020 COLLEGE: Colorado Mesa University MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: Music
Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix High Plains Power, Riverton – Matthew Frericks Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Julie Kilty Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman
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
SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO PUBLISHER AT WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 286-8140
Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are proud to support our youth, giving college scholarships and lineman scholarships. In addition, our coops sponsor high school students on the NRECA Youth Tour in June and Youth Leadership Camp in July.
THIS MONTH: High Plains Power nominated Tess Hust, who attended Youth Camp in 2019.
wren@wyomingrea.org
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.
PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK
Youth Tour and youth camps were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your rural electric cooperative may be taking applications for next year. See the insert in the center of the magazine for contact information.
WREN: Tell us about your studies and interests. TH: Currently, I am studying music with a focus on vocal performance and music composition. I love to sing and play the ukulele. I am in three different choirs and I enjoy each one of them as they have helped me grow substantially! Additionally, I love animals and insects and I hope to do something with those interests soon! WREN: How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you? TH: My hometown has influenced me significantly because we are all so tightknit. There is a strong sense of community and I’ve had so many wonderful people help me get to where I am. My family will always be my main motivation. I want to make them proud and I hope that one day I can provide for them the same way they provided for me. Lastly, my friends have also been the main influence on my decisions. They have supported me while also helping me in difficult decisions. I miss all of them so dearly being away at college, but knowing I’ll get to see them soon, and see them proud of me, keeps me going! WREN: What are your plans for the future? TH: I hope that, soon, in the future, I’ll be producing my own music and letting the world hear what I have to say. I’d love to be able to get to a better place financially where I can help my parents!
THE CURRENT
LINEMAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND A GOOD PROBLEM IS STILL A PROBLEM, BUT WITH YOUR HELP, OURS CAN BE FIXED. Due to its popularity and the generosity of our board, and increased interest in the trade, WREA’s Lineman Scholarship Fund is in danger of running out of funding.
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
WHAT IT IS The WREA Lineman Scholarship Fund offers grants to one or more individuals, including recent high school graduates who are interested in a career as a lineworker and plan to attend an approved regional lineworker training program.
Over the past several years the board has awarded many scholarships, donating a total of $146,564.00 since 2015.
$
$
27.5K
$
30K
2016
45K
2017
2018
$
35K 2019
$
24K 2020
CANDIDATES
FUNDING
APPRECIATION We appreciate your support!
To be considered, applicants must submit
The scholarship's main
the application form, a resumé describing
source of funding has
their education and work experience, three
been a golf tournament,
letters of recommendation and a transcript
which will return this year.
of grades. If the candidate has not attended
Vendors, cooperatives and
an educational institution in the three years
others who do business
prior to submitting the application,
with cooperatives have been
the transcript is not necessary.
WREA members and friends have contributed to the scholarship fund. Thank you for your help!
solicited for donations to
Candidates must submit their scholarship application to the Wyoming Rural Electric Association; they are then passed on to
the fund. It has been very successful, raising as much as $20,000 in some years.
the WREA board for consideration.
DONATIONS CAN BE MADE BY:
During the last few months,
Calling WREA Office
Manager Robin Feezer: (307) 634-0727
But we aren’t done yet. If you haven’t already, please consider donating to the WREA Lineman Scholarship Fund.
Mailing a check to the WREA Office: 2312 Carey Ave. Cheyenne, WY 82001 Make check out to WREA Lineman Scholarship JUNE 2021
9
THE CURRENT
Annual Meetings Resume for Two Cooperatives
The atmosphere was joyful and celebratory as two rural electric cooperatives gathered for their 2021 annual meetings recently. Bridger Valley Electric Association and Garland Light & Power each held their yearly meeting of the membership, gathering to visit and to vote on important co-op business.
ADAPTING AND LEARNING Bridger Valley Electric Association met at Lyman High School on April 24. The meeting did not include its usual health fair and vendors, however a handful of agencies, including a local radio station and conservation district set up booths. Board President Kim Charles was unable to preside over the meeting so board Vice President Gary Nix took his place. Nix is also a member of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association board of directors, representing Deseret Power. “It looks like we are going to survive COVID-19 and I’m grateful for that,” Nix told members as he opened the meeting. Bridger Valley was able to help the community, providing almost $74,000 in aid to members over the year from unclaimed capital credits, CoBank’s Sharing Success program and from other funds, Nix said. CoBank is a cooperative lending institution that works with rural electric co-ops.
you … for your “Thank willingness to serve.”
“2020 was a challenging year. We learned and adapted,” Redden said, noting that they plan to keep some changes but not others. He explained that, for example, the co-op assigned line crews to work on specific teams to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “It’s hard to work with the same three guys for six months,” Redden said. Redden also recognized Bridger Valley GIS Tech/ROW Specialist Randy Mair, who has worked at the co-op for 40 years. “The benefit of having employees such a long time, and well-trained, is that when a problem crops up they’ve seen it before,” Redden said. Two seats were expiring on the board of directors and opened for elections. District 3 incumbent Ruth Rees, who also represents Bridger Valley on the WREA board of directors, ran unopposed and was re-elected. District 2 incumbent Jason Haycock defeated challenger Kitty Vercimak. “Congratulations Jason, and thank you Kitty, for your willingness to serve,” Nix said as he announced the results.
PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
Bridger Valley REA director Gary Nix, left, announces door prize winners with the help of Micah Petersen during the co-op’s annual meeting.
Manager Jud Redden also talked about the pandemic.
MEMBER PARTICIPATION Garland Light & Power’s annual meeting of the membership was a few months later than usual. In most years the co-op meets in March, instead the meeting in Powell took place on May 6 . “I know this is odd putting this off two months, but we wanted to wait a little bit so we could see your faces,” said General Manager Molly Lynn, who noted the easing of state health restrictions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Lynn talked about the co-op’s financial health. “Last spring we saw a decrease in residential. We thought everybody would be staying at home and burning lightbulbs and cranking the electricity. It was something we didn’t expect,” Lynn said. In Garland’s service area, irrigators kicked up and electricity use went back up, Lynn said. Lynn took member questions during the meeting.
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JUNE 2021
One member asked how Operation Round Up works. Garland just started an Operation Round Up program, which allows members to round up their bill payment to the nearest dollar. The cooperative collects the extra pennies to aid the community. Lynn, along with visiting speaker WREA Executive Director Shawn Taylor, explained that Operation Round Up isn’t for help with utility bills. Another program, Energy Share, helps with that. Garland’s Operation Round Up money will be given to local individuals who suffer catastrophic events and to nonprofit organizations. Members also asked if the co-op could change the bylaws to lower the number of member votes and proxy votes required for a quorum, which was 170. Garland attorney Scott Kolpitcke explained that the number required for a quorum is dictated by state laws. Co-ops must have a quorum so that members can conduct co-op business during the annual meeting. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Executive Director Duane Highley also spoke at the annual meeting. Highley’s speech was short; he explained that Tri-State would not raise its rates this year. Garland Light & Power had two board of director seats up for election in 2021. The co-op takes nominations from the floor during the meeting, and member Ryan Gorsuch was nominated. “I would like to serve on the board and help the members of the co-op as much as I can,” Gorsuch said. He introduced himself as a local business owner and firefighter. Gorsuch did not prevail against incumbents Spencer George and Scott Smith, who were re-elected during the meeting. Smith is also president of the WREA board of directors.
Riverside – Saratoga – Carbon County
WYOMING
FRI.–SAT.–SUN., JULY 16, 17 & 18, 2021
DEANNA DICKINSON
WE’RE BACK…& FREE WEEKEND SCHEDULE FRI 7/16
Open Mic & Campfire Jam Session
JEFF GORE
7 pm All Star Cowboy Poetry & Music Show
SAT 7/17
9:30 pm Dance to follow at the Grand Encampment Opera House Featuring Poudre Valley Playboys With Jason Swedlund
SUN 7/18
Cowboy Ranch Breakfast Cowboy Church For Full Schedule go to grandencampmentgathering.org
MANY STRINGS & CO.
DARON LITTLE AND... POUDRE VALLEY PLAYBOYS JASON SWEDLUND
Produced in cooperation with the Carbon County Visitors Council, and supported in part by a grant from the Wyoming Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming Legislature.
wanted to wait a little bit “We so we could see your faces.” - Molly Lynn
PHOTOS BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
Garland Light & Power members gather for the annual meeting in Powell.
Garland Light & Power General Manager Molly Lynn gives her report during the annual meeting.
JUNE 2021
11
THE CURRENT
Lineworker Appreciation Day PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
Fourteen lineworkers from WREA’s co-ops took a photo with Gov. Mark Gordon at the Capitol on April 22. The governor signed a proclamation recognizing lineworkers during the event.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed a proclamation thanking Wyoming’s lineworkers for their service during the annual Lineworker Appreciation Day celebration at the Capitol on April 22. Fourteen co-op lineworkers gathered along with 14 private sector lineworkers for the event. “Thank you for all you do, from the bottom of my heart,” Gordon said.
“
The governor’s proclamation read:
Whereas, linemen leave their families and put their lives on the line every day to keep the power on; and Whereas, linemen work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep the power on—often under dangerous conditions or in severe weather; and
Wills, Trusts & Probate Land Use GAY WOODHOUSE TARA NETHERCOTT HOLLI WELCH JEFF VAN FLEET
12
DEBORAH RODEN JOANNE SWEENEY KATYE BROWN CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN
1912 Capitol Avenue Suite 500 Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 432-9399 WRNLawFirm.com
JUNE 2021
Whereas, linemen are the first responders of the electric utility family, getting power back on and making things safe for all after storms and accidents; and Whereas, Lineman Appreciation Day is an opportunity to thank linemen for their work to keep the power on and the public safe. Now, therefore, I, Mark Gordon, Governor of the Sate of Wyoming, do hereby proclaim April 12, 2021 as Lineman Appreciation Day in Wyoming.
COWBOY STATE BUZZ PHOTO COURTESY OF WYOMING STATE PARKS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
STATE PARKS TO UPGRADE, BUILD NEW FACILITIES
Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site
FROM WYOMING STATE PARKS AND CULTURAL RESOURCES In the midst of the state’s ongoing fiscal and economic challenges, Wyoming State Parks has received some exciting news in the form of private grants for major facility upgrades. The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust recently awarded Wyoming State Parks and Historic Sites more than $1.7 million for construction projects at Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site. The Helmsley Charitable Trust granted $1.1 million to Fort Phil Kearny in Story for the Shining Mountains Interpretive Center, providing a spacious addition to the small existing visitor center that will include new museum exhibits and reconstruction of the 120-foot-high flagpole that once stood inside the walls of the historic fort. Wyoming State Parks will also be adding an adjacent outdoor amphitheater for programs and special events. The Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site near Hyattville, which sits across the Bighorn Mountains from Fort Phil Kearny, will benefit from a $600,000 Helmsley grant establishing a new cultural and outdoor education center. The facility will feature all new exhibits and complement the existing historic barn on the property. The project is in the design phase and scheduled for completion in the fall of 2021. The grant funding could not have come at a better time, with Wyoming State Parks seeing a 1.3 million visitor increase in 2020 compared to 2019, boosting total visitation to more than 5 million. “Even with budget reductions, our agency is looking to expand and improve capacity to manage the dramatic increase in visitation that we saw this year,” said Darin Westby, director of Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources. “Partnering with the Helmsley Charitable Trust allows us to be more impactful with our project dollars. We are thankful for Helmsley’s generous support, which will provide a boost for local economies by attracting more visitors to the state and keeping them here a little longer, so that they can spend their tourist dollars and head on to their next adventure satisfied with what they experienced in Wyoming.” In recent years, the Helmsley Charitable Trust has made significant investments in improving visitor experiences and educational opportunities at state and national parks in the upper Midwest. “The Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site and Medicine Lodge State Archaeological Site both hold significant cultural and historical value,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee for the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
1.3 MILLION VISITOR INCREASE IN 2020
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JUNE 2021
13
COWBOY STATE BUZZ PHOTOS BY LEAH YETTER
ITC TO HOST LARGE-SCALE CARBON CAPTURE TEST PROJECT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
Wyoming’s Integrated Test Center will host one of two projects selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for Phase III funding of a large-scale pilot carbon capture project. DOE announced in April that it has awarded $99 million to two projects for Phase III of their demonstration of large-scale pilot carbon capture technologies funding opportunity. Membrane Technology and Research was awarded $51,699,939 from DOE, and with additional non-federal funding, this project will bring over $64 million in research dollars into Wyoming. “I am delighted that Membrane Technology and Research has been selected to move forward in this process, and that Wyoming has been chosen to host this important
10MWE OF FLUE GAS
Gillette’s Dry Fork Station hosts multiple research projects.
demonstration of cutting-edge carbon capture technology,” Gov. Mark Gordon said. “This is exactly the type of research that was envisioned when the ITC was developed and Wyoming will continue to support these efforts.” “Membrane technology is a most promising version of carbon capture, and now it can move forward to the pilot project phase,” the governor added. “This is also an example of technology that, if commercially successful, can be exported for carbon capture projects at home or abroad. The more carbon capture technologies that are available, the more likely it is that Wyoming coal will be an important part of our future electricity supply.”
The Integrated Test Center and MTR have been working together since 2018, when MTR selected the ITC as its testing location as part of the Phase II tasks related to this funding opportunity. “We could not be more thrilled for MTR and we are excited to welcome them on-site as they start working on this next phase of testing,” said Jason Begger, managing director of the ITC. “At this scale, we will be able to demonstrate carbon capture technology at a sufficient level to demonstrate to utilities the next step can be a commercial version.” MTR will be operating in the large test bay at the ITC and utilizing approximately 10MWe of flue gas from Dry Fork Station.
The Dry Fork Station came online in 2011. It is Wyoming’s newest coal-fired power plant.
$
WILL BRING
64 MILLION
RESEARCH DOLLARS INTO WYOMING 14
JUNE 2021
Researchers at the ITC use steel ducts to connect their equipment directly to flue gas emitted from the power plant.
COWBOY STATE BUZZ
CARBON XPRIZE ANNOUNCES WINNER CarbonBuilt has won the Wyomingbased competition for the NRG Cosia Carbon XPrize. The team, which is affiliated with UCLA, created concrete blocks with a new cement formulation. Winners were announced in April. The Carbon XPrize is a competition for researchers to invent new ways to use industrial carbon dioxide emissions. Five teams were originally slated to compete in Wyoming for the $7.5 million prize to continue their research. Due to COVID-19 only two teams were able to come, CarbonBuilt and Dimensional Energy. The other three teams: Breathe, of India; C4X, of China; and Carbon Capture Machine of Scotland were allowed to complete from their home countries. The Carbon XPrize also sponsored a group of five teams to
compete at a natural gas-fuel plant in Canada; Carbon Cure Technologies won a $7.5 million prize there. Both winners were focused on concrete. “Concrete is one of the world’s most abundant materials, and a crucial frontier in the fight against climate change. The production of Portland cement, the key ingredient that binds concrete and gives it its strength, accounts for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions,” Marcius Extavour, vice president of climate and energy at XPRIZE, said in a statement released by the XPrize. CarbonBuilt, which was originally called CO2Concrete, created a formulation that replaces Portland cement. They use fly ash in the formulation and also use waste CO2 emissions in the curing process. CarbonBuilt arrived at the Integrated Test Center in Gillette in June 2020 and completed their 90-day demonstration there
in September. The team has now produced 10,000 concrete blocks. Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, the XPrize Foundation and other partners helped build the ITC at the coal-fired Dry Fork Station in Gillette. Researchers at the ITC use steel ducts to connect their equipment directly to flue gas emitted from the power plant. The ITC and Dry Fork Station will continue as a hub for research, as more tenants have leased the space for experiments.
Marcius Extavour, vice president of climate and energy at XPRIZE, speaks at the dedication ceremony for the Integrated Test Center in Gillette in 2018. PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS
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*APR=Annual Percentage Rate. Credit qualification, age 18 or older, and membership required. Land Loans are for personal loans, no business entities. For undeveloped land, zoned non-commercial. For more requirements, please stop by a branch or call. Loan rates shown subject to change.
800.726.5644 | MyMeridianTrust.com JUNE 2021
15
C E N T E RCENTERPIECE PIECE
MOUNTAIN MEADOW WOOL
p u t s
l o ca l
wo o l
o n
t h e
m a p
BY ELIZABETH SAMPSON
Supporting an entire way of life may sound like a lofty goal—but that’s just what Karen Hostetler set her sights on when she opened Mountain Meadow Wool in Buffalo.
Kirby Camino is the fourth generation in his family to live on the Camino and Son Ranch near Buffalo. The ranch is one of three local wool suppliers for Mountain Meadow Wool.
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JUNE 2021
PHOTOS BY LANNA WING
T
hat way of life is Wyoming sheep ranching, and Hostetler decided to try to use yarn to
stop a leak in the industry’s bucket. The Camino and Son Ranch raises Rambouillet lambs in the mountains near Buffalo.
“We saw the sheep industry faltering,” Hostetler said. “Numbers were falling.” Originally, Hostetler and a business
Mountain Meadow Wool continues to
“When the prices drop we are still
hobby store that included Wyoming
do custom processing, but they also sell
going to pay them a minimum amount
wool products. That quickly evolved
seven different yarn weights, with names
because our yarn prices don’t drop,”
into operating a start-to-finish
like Laramie, Cody and LaBarge. They
she said. “It gives them an income
wool mill right in Buffalo where
have an in-house knitting operation
they began making a name for
that makes wool apparel and home goods.
steady way to make those payments.”
Wyoming-grown wool.
Recently they began partnering with the
Since their beginnings, sustainability
University of Wyoming to create custom
has been important to Hostetler. That
partner planned to simply open a
The mill originally only offered a custom processing service, spinning wool into yarn for small farms who wanted to be able to market their own yarn. Very soon they evolved into marketing the yarn themselves by attending large fiber trade shows. There they connected with yarn shop owners around the country who placed orders for Wyoming grown yarn. “It’s never been hard to get wool,” Hostetler said. “We have wonderful ranchers who have worked with us through the years and were very supportive in the beginning when we really didn’t know much. And they continue to be supportive.” Hostetler said her original partner is no longer with the company, but her adult children are now part of the enterprise and help the business continue to grow and evolve.
throughout the year, and it gives us a
blankets from the wool produced by
starts with partnering with ranches that
the university’s sheep.
practice sustainable agriculture.
About 85-95 percent of their wool comes
“We want to be able to tell our
from Wyoming, but they also work with
consumers we’ve been out there,
ranches through the Mountain West.
we’ve seen where they pasture,
Hostetler said they use a significant
we know what they do, we know how
amount of black wool to create their
they treat their animals and how they
grey yarn, and that wool can’t be solely
are a sustainable ranch,” she said.
sourced from Wyoming. Each rancher the mill works with commits to bringing in a set amount of quality wool, and they receive a monthly payment from the mill as the wool is used. The mill commits to paying the ranchers a set price for their product, even if the price of wool drops.
PHOTOS BY LANNA WING
Marjorie Mantle prepares wool for dyeing at Mountain Meadow Wool in Buffalo.
“It’s coming from here; it’s coming from western states; it’s coming from this ranch,” Hostetler said. “You can touch it—you’re touching the prairie. You’re touching the Mountain West by actually getting your hands on this yarn.”
Once the wool arrives in the mill,
are too short to spin get turned into
sustainable practices continue. She
felted wool dryer balls. Anything
Camino and Son Ranch carries on tradition Each skein of yarn that leaves Mountain
said washing the wool that is still dirty
that comes out of the knitting
and greasy when it comes in can take
machine that isn’t quite perfect
Meadow Wool has a label that tells which
large amounts of water. When they first
gets repurposed into other items
ranch the wool came from. Hostetler said
started, it took eight gallons of water
like purses or coffee cup covers.
originally they labeled the yarn that way
to wash a pound of wool. Knowing that water is a precious commodity in the West, they redesigned their system and now use just two gallons per pound.
With the tactile tagline, “Touch the West,” Mountain Meadow Wool continues its work to help the region’s sheep ranchers make a profit
to keep track of how much each ranch had earned, but they quickly realized consumers enjoy knowing exactly where the wool was grown.
They also look for ways to use every bit
by creating a brand identity for wool
“It became consumer-driven,” she said. “That
of the wool they receive. Any fibers that
from Wyoming and the Mountain West.
helps us give a story to everything we sell.”
Greg Warax operates the knitting machine at Mountain Meadow Wool in Buffalo.
Knitted garments are steamed prior to packaging.
One ranch name that might pop up on the yarn label is Camino and Son Ranch, a sheep ranch near Buffalo. Kirby Camino is the fourth generation of the Camino family to live on the ranch, where they focus on trying to run sheep in as old-fashioned a way as possible. “We try to handle our livestock the same way they did back then— easy and quiet,” Camino said. “We use a lot of the same techniques for handling them.” Camino said his great-grandfather immigrated around 1906 to Wyoming from the Basque Country—an area that straddles the borders of France and Spain and is home to the Basque people. This great-grandfather worked as a sheep herder before starting his own sheep ranching operation, which his son eventually took over. Camino and Son is now owned by Camino’s father and uncle, and he hopes his own children will follow in his footsteps and one day consider making their living there as well. “The most expensive words in ranching are, ‘That’s the way Grandpa did it,’” Camino joked. “But after four generations we obviously got something right.”
Mountain Meadow Wool’s products are labeled with the name of the ranch where the wool originated.
Their sheep graze on mountain pasture during the summer, and then they bring them back down to sort the lambs. They send the wether lambs to a feedlot in Colorado and circle the ewe lambs back into the flock for the next generation. They send about half of their wool clip to Mountain Meadow Wool and sell the other half on the national markets.
Room for more sheep-based industry
“It’s a small step, but it’s a step in
Mountain Meadow Wool strives
like to see people take on
to keep growing to continue to
businesses ranging from weaving
help the sheep ranching industry
to sock making to wool insulation
as much as possible. However,
manufacturing. She would also love
Hostetler said there is still room
to see a dye house in the region.
for others to join in to have a
“There’s just a lot of spinoff
the right direction,” she said. Hostelter would love to see Wyoming become known as a textile hub. She said she would
The Camino’s sheep are Rambouillet,
bigger impact. The Buffalo mill
a breed he described as having a fine
processes 20,000 to 25,000
visibility of Wyoming and this
pounds of wool per year, but
area as a textile hub rather than
Wyoming ranchers produce about
all of it always being shipped to
2.5 million pounds, she said.
the East Coast,” she said.
wool quality and the ability to handle Wyoming’s rugged range and difficult winters. He said the breed is also known for their flockability—which means
industries that could increase
they will stick together for safety while out on the range. Camino said every decision they make is made with their ewes in mind. “We are open and keep striving to figure
BENEFITS OF WEARING WOOL: Information shared by Karen Hostetler
out a better and easier way to do it, but what we keep in mind is the sustainability of those ewes,” he said. “If we don’t have them we don’t have a business.” He noted that like most businesses, the sheep industry was affected by the
Moisture wicking:
pandemic. He said a lot of wool from the United States makes its way to China,
Wool pulls moisture away from your skin.
and last year the wool market took a hit.
Fire resistant:
He explained many producers ended up
Wool won’t melt to your skin like some synthetic fabrics will. Wool textiles have been used in fire resistant PPE for people who might be exposed to fire or explosions in their work.
storing their wool last year rather than trying to sell it, but fortunately those who work with Mountain Meadow Wool were able to move their product. Camino also said more people became
Sheep produce a new fleece every year.
store shelves were suddenly stripped of meat by panicked consumers, the beef, left lamb, and people who had never tried it
Breathable:
before bought it and realized they liked it.
Wool clothes keep people warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
“That’s one good thing that came out of COVID-19,” he said. W Elizabeth Sampson lives in Cheyenne with her husband and young daughters. 20
JUNE 2021
Wool fibers will not retain odor which means a sweater can be worn multiple times before it needs to be washed.
Renewable:
aware of lamb meat last year. When grocery
chicken and pork disappeared first. That
Odor resistant:
Biodegradable: Wool will naturally decompose in the soil.
Not as itchy as you might think: Finer wools, like Rambouillet, have a smaller diameter than other courser wool. Finer wool has flatter barbs (which are what stick out from the wool and cause people to itch), so it is less itchy.
KIDS’ CORNER
LITTLE WYOMING
Meet the
DRAGONFLIES 01
Order of Odonata Dragonflies are members of the insect order Odonata (which means ‘toothed-ones’), suborder Anisoptera (dragonflies). Most dragonflies are 2-3 inches long, many are brightly colored, and they all rest with their wings extended outward. Also in the Odonata are damselflies (suborder Zygoptera); they are more slender than dragonflies and fold their wings when at rest.
Bursting out 02
Like mayflies, dragonflies spend much of their life in fresh water. Eggs hatch in water, and the dragonfly will spend one to seven years (depending on species) as an aquatic nymph. Then, one day, it crawls up an emergent stick or leaf, bursts out of its exoskeleton, and pumps blood into its wings until they are fully extended. Most dragonflies live only a few weeks or months as adults, dying when winter approaches, if they make it that long. However, there are a few species that migrate long distances to avoid cold. Even then, adults don’t live long, and it takes multiple generations to make the round trip.
In Wyoming, you may see as many as 30 species of dragonflies, depending on where you live. All dragonflies live close to water, and fishless ponds are especially good places to view them. Bring a pair of binoculars for a close-up look.
03
Designed for hunting Adult dragonflies are designed for hunting. Their bodies are long and narrow, and their wings long and wide. Unlike most insects, they can maneuver each wing separately, enabling them to rapidly change speed and direction. And they’re fast: they can reach speeds of 75 miles per hour! Plus, they have huge eyes, each made up of close to 25,000 lenses, providing excellent vision in every direction. Dragonflies will eat anything they can catch—and they are very good at catching. A single adult dragonfly will eat hundreds of mosquitoes in a day, along with flies, butterflies, moths and other insects that it snatches from the air.
04
Fierce predators
As predators, dragonfly nymphs are even more fierce! Though they lack wings, their eyesight is fantastic, and they move rapidly through water by jet-propulsion. But what really makes them fierce is their jaw—it can extend up to one third of the nymph’s body length in 20 milliseconds to grab prey! Though their usual food is insects, often mosquito larvae, they will also capture and eat small fish.
HOME ON THE RANGE
PHOTO BY MARNI CHRISTENSEN PET PHOTOGRAPHY
Aggie the German shepherd.
A Mighty Big D g BY DR. MEGAN BEAVERS
I
’m forever amazed at the power our pets have to heal and comfort us, all in the face of their own sickness or disease. It seems like they love us so much that they can tolerate a level of pain we humans couldn’t even imagine, and they do it without fail or question day after day. There are many patients that hold a piece of my heart and my affection. But sometimes a few stand out.
22
JUNE 2021
I met Aggie as a fuzzy and sassy baby German shepherd who came in for her first wellness visit and vaccines. She had made a long trek across the state to her new home. Her family was so excited about this new dog. They love the breed, and when their last one passed away, it was only natural to get another to fill the void. I noticed she was a petite puppy but found nothing alarming right away. The exam was all going well until I listened to her heart: she had a significant and loud heart murmur. With her breed, age and the intensity of the murmur, it was likely a malformation in the heart, one that would not go away with time and would most likely require surgery to save her life. I discussed what to do for Aggie with her new owner. It was decided to let the little puppy enjoy her best life on Earth until her condition declined too much. The money involved in open-heart surgery was just out of the owner’s abilities. Without surgery the prognosis was quite poor. We would finish out her vaccines, but would opt out of spaying her due to the risk of anesthesia and short life expectancy.
Aggie returned for her other visits and was happy and thriving but wasn’t growing quite as fast as a normal puppy. The murmur remained and there was no change in intensity. A diseased heart burns a lot of calories so it was not surprising that she was not keeping up with her growth curve. After a few months, I received an update from her owner. Aggie was well over 6 months old now and should have been easily 60 pounds. But there was Aggie, barely 20 pounds with a new remarkable change. She had begun to lose her hair, with no indication of regrowth. After seeing Aggie again I concluded that she was also a dwarf—likely from a disease of the pituitary gland. But her family didn’t care. Their tiny hairless German shepherd had stormed into their hearts and wasn’t letting go. Aggie really bonded with one particular family member. When her boy was in, so was she. When he was doing chores, so was she. If he was napping on the couch, so was she. He pampered her with a crate over a heater vent— any hairless dog’s envy. She easily passed what I had anticipated as her life expectancy and then powered past the next date too. At that point I decided that she didn’t know she was sick and it would be useless to predict an expiration date.
of what risks we would encounter with her heart, she was still intact. A very common disease in older intact females is an infection in the uterus known as a pyometra. It is a life-threatening illness; these animals can become septic quickly as the organ fills up with the infection. The only real successful treatment is an emergency spay. We had no choice now except for surgery. As I watched her boy hug her tightly before handing her over to me for the procedure, my gut twisted. This wasn’t about the dog. This became about that boy, the boy who loved this ugly little dog beyond all measure. I needed to save this dog for him. The gravity of what I was taking on hit me like a ton of bricks. My nurse and I worked efficiently and quickly and Aggie’s procedure went perfectly! Her heart did great and she woke up amazingly. I couldn’t wait to update her family who was anxiously waiting. When Aggie went home, seeing the happiness on her boy’s face was priceless. That made the challenge and the risk worth it. It reminded me why this job is amazing. Recovery for Aggie was nothing. She healed beautifully and rapidly and was back to her best life soon. She is continuing to surpass all expectations and has no intention of slowing down anytime soon, her boy is
As I watched her boy
hug her tightly before handing her over to
me for the procedure, my gut twisted.
This wasn’t about
the dog. This became about that boy,
the boy who loved
this ugly little dog
beyond all measure. I needed to save
this dog for him. too important for that. She is there for him without fail or question day after day. Even though she is undersized and hairless, she is a mighty big dog! W Dr. Megan Beavers is a veterinarian in Farson.
Eventually time did begin to affect her health. But it wasn’t her heart that caused the problem. Because we opted out of spaying Aggie for fear
JUNE 2021
23
B OB O KO K G IR VE EV AI WE WA Y
BUTCH CASSIDY: The Wyoming Years BILL BETENSON DESCRIPTION BY HIGH PLAINS PRESS
Author Bill Betenson grew up on Butch Cassidy stories and has been adding to his storehouse of knowledge since he was old enough to sell T-shirts at the family’s tiny Butch Cassidy museum. He’s tracked down obscure letters in dusty attics, gone to Argentina in search of records and artifacts about Butch, and listened to accounts of old-timers who knew the outlaw. He’s appeared as the spokesman for Butch’s family in TV documentaries, most recently “Beyond Oak Island.” His first book, “Butch Cassidy: My Uncle,” was met with enthusiasm, especially in Wyoming, but that was nearly 10 years ago and new material has been unearthed. The book reproduces a seldom seen possible photograph of Butch on a ranch outside of Dubois. It contains copies of the guest registers from the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo where Butch signed in on multiple occasions. See information about Bill Betenson’s upcoming author talk in Dubois on page 34.
ORDERING INFORMATION: 2020 | 192p. | $19.95 paperback ISBN: 978-1-937147-22-8 Publisher: High Plains Press
WIN A
FREE
COPY APRIL BOOK WINNER:
Name: Phone:
RUTHELE NEWBY
Address:
Available at bookstores and from the publisher: www.highplainspress.com, by writing to PO Box 123, Glendo, WY, 82213 or calling 1-800-552-7819.
MOORCROFT
ENTRIES DUE BY JULY 15 One entry per household, please. 24
JUNE 2021
CASSIDY
c/o WREN Magazine 214 W. Lincolnway, Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
PUZZLE
Around the State BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS AND DAVID MERKLEY
In this month’s Pen to Paper on page 29, avid reader Scott Hammond writes about fictional Wyoming towns. These real towns and places are marked on Wyoming’s state map. See if you can find which pin marks the location of each of the 24 Wyoming stops.
TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO PAGE 37 TO FIND THE ANSWERS.
1. Aminto
13. Manderson
2. Bedford
14. New Haven
3. Clearmont
15. Orpha
4. Dubois
16. Pavillion
5. Encampment
17. Quealy
6. Farson
18. Recluse
7. Greybull
19. Sussex
8. Hanna
20. Ten Sleep
9. Iron Mountain
21. Upton
10. Jeffrey City
22. Van Tassell
11. Kemmerer
23. Wapiti
12. Lucerne
24. Yoder JUNE 2021
25
PHOTO BY IZZY ROBLEY
CO-OP SPOTLIGHT Darick Eisenbraun came to Riverton with his wife, Caryn, their 1-year-old daughter Collins and their red-nosed pit bull Lola.
He applied for the CEO position in Riverton and ultimately accepted the job for several important reasons. “I was looking for a new challenge and opportunity, and I kind of knew the area from playing football in college with guys from central Wyoming,” Eisenbraun said. “The leadership role drew me to the job. I did some research on the company, and when I came here for my interview, I just really liked the company. The Midwest values are important to me and my family, and it’s been fantastic.” BY GAYLE M. IRWIN
Searching for CEO candidates
Infectious Enthusiasm
When the High Plains Power board of directors opened the job upon the retirement of Marlene Morss, the co-op’s previous CEO, they looked regionally for a new leader, according to board President Mark Park.
Eisenbraun Sees Bright Future at High Plains Power
When South Dakota native Darick Eisenbraun learned about the opening for a CEO at High Plains Power last year, he decided to apply for the position. He began filling that role in January of this year. A graduate of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, with a degree in business management, Eisenbraun began his career with electric cooperatives in his home state after graduating college. He said he “stumbled upon” working for electric cooperatives, coming to Riverton from Butte Electric Cooperative in South Dakota. 26
JUNE 2021
“We had time to prepare, because we knew Marlene would be While there, he participated in leaving–she said she would member services and conducted give us five years, energy audits and she did,” and later moved he said. “But we “It’s really easy into the chief also procrastinated financial officer to get up and go because we didn’t position, gaining want her to leave. to work every day experience She stuck to with finances when you know her guns.”
and strategic planning.
what you’re trying to do is look out for your neighbor.”
“I fell in love with the nonprofit business model,” Eisenbraun said. “It’s really easy to get up and go to work every day when you know what you’re trying to do is look out for your neighbor and member at the end of the line.”
Park and other members of the search committee sought candidates during the unprecedented year of 2020 within the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions. That endeavor included Iowa and Nevada.
“Utah bleeds into Nevada, and South Dakota bleeds into Iowa,” he said. “I was graced with a great selection committee, and I used every expertise I could put my hands on.” He and the committee members considered hiring a firm to search for a candidate but decided not to go that route. “I thought we could do our own search much more economically,” Park said. “I wouldn’t do it differently; I think we did well.”
Leading High Plains Power With almost 50 employees and a coverage area of 12,500 square miles in eight different counties, Eisenbraun administers a large electric co-op operation. “I represent the board of directors, and I manage and oversee the operation of the company. Our goal is to serve our members at the lowest, most reliable cost we can,” Eisenbraun stated. “We make impactful decisions every day, and I get to work with a lot of great people. It’s very rewarding,” he added.
They narrowed their search to four finalists, all of whom impressed him and the other “We liked his committee members. charisma, his
Park believes Eisenbraun’s relocation to Wyoming and his youthfulness are positive qualities.
“When it came grasp of current down to those final situations, and the four, that was the toughest [part] fact he had done a “I think there’s of all of it,” Park going to be a lot of research on said. “I think any bright future with one of them could High Plains Power.” Darick as CEO. have stepped to the He’s looking at it helm … and done a fantastic job. with a fresh, outside look,” Park said. However, we made our selection, “Plus he has plenty of people to help and we’re very pleased so far with him with knowledge and history. His our selection.” enthusiasm and youthfulness and his great desire to always be learning … Eisenbraun stood out for several are going to serve him well reasons, but especially for going forward.” one primary reason, Park said. “We liked his charisma, his grasp of current situations, and the fact he had done a lot of research on High Plains Power,” he said. “The No. 1 above everything was his enthusiasm. It’s not waned one iota—if anything, it’s grown. He’s a go-getter, and he infects those around him with that same enthusiasm. He has infected the staff with his enthusiasm, and even the board.”
Moving forward Earlier this year, Eisenbraun and the board held a strategic planning meeting, and he has taken time to meet with different employees and some co-op member-owners. More opportunities will come this summer. High Plains Power’s annual meeting is scheduled for July 17, providing an occasion for more members to meet the new CEO. Due to COVID, the event may be held outdoors for safety purposes … and summer enjoyment. As he settles more comfortably in his new role, Eisenbraun said he and his family look forward to exploring and learning more about their new home area. His family consists of wife, Caryn, 1-year-old daughter Collins and a red-nosed pit bull named Lola. They enjoy the outdoors, including boating, hiking and golf, which are found in the area. “We’re incredibly excited to be here!” he said. “We love the outdoors, and there’s so much so close.” Eisenbraun also has a personal goal for his first year as High Plains Power CEO. “I want to empower the employees to love coming to work every day and build them up,” he said. “I want to create that culture of wanting to be here. We want to be the employer of choice and the power of choice.” W Gayle M. Irwin is a freelance writer based in Casper.
NOW
STREAMING LIVE TV PBS VIDEO APP
WyomingPBS.org/app JUNE 2021
27
COUNTRY COOKS
BASIL
INTERNATIONAL IRISH CHOWDER 5 LBS POTATOES 1 LARGE YELLOW ONION 1 LB COCKTAIL SMOKIES, DICED 8 CUPS COLD WATER
3/4 LB VELVEETA CHEESE 1 TSP GARLIC SALT 2 TSP BASIL 1/2 STICK BUTTER MILK
Peel and dice potatoes and onion. Put in large kettle; add smokies. Add garlic, basil and water. Cover, boil rapidly for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Broth will be thick. Add cheese and butter. Let simmer to melt cheese. Let cool, add 1-2 cups milk to get desired consistency. ANNE METZLER
RIVERTON
TOMATO BASIL PASTA SALAD
TOMATO CHICKEN PHYLLO TART LEMON BASIL
1 TBS OLIVE OIL 1 MED ONION, FINELY CHOPPED 4 CLOVES GARLIC, MINCED 1-1/2 LBS BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS, CUT INTO 3/4 INCH PIECES 2 TBS SOY SAUCE 1/4 TSP GROUND BLACK PEPPER
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 additional seconds. Add the chicken, increase the heat to medium high, and let cook for 3 minutes, browning all sides. Stir in the soy sauce and black pepper. Let cook until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
14 OZ PACKAGE FARFALLE PASTA 3-4 ROMA TOMATOES, DICED LARGE HANDFUL OF BASIL LEAVES, CHOPPED 1/2-3/4 CUP PARMESAN OR MOZZARELLA CHEESE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE TO TASTE Cook pasta according to package instructions. Chop tomatoes and basil. Drain pasta and cool by running it under cold water in a colander. Add tomatoes, basil, cheese and vinaigrette to pasta. Serve and enjoy! JULIE SCHLAUTMANN
5 CUPS (5 OZ) LOOSELY PACKED BABY SPINACH 1 TBS LEMON ZEST 2 TBS FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE 2 CUPS FRESH BASIL LEAVES SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE PREPARED BROWN OR WHITE RICE FOR SERVING
Stir in the spinach a few handfuls at a time, letting the heat of the pan wilt it as you go. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and basil. Cook and stir just until the basil is wilted, about 1 additional minute. Taste and season with additional salt or pepper as desired. Serve warm with rice. NANCY DENK
GILLETTE
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JUNE 2021
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 11x16 baking sheet with parchment. Lay large sheet of phyllo on prepared pan, evenly, with extra overhanging. Spray lightly with oil, continue stacking and spraying all sheets. Form a rim by folding in edges to fit baking sheet. Spread pesto over surface of tart. Sprinkle with half of the crumbled feta. Arrange tomato slices over pesto and feta. Season with salt and pepper then add remaining feta. Bake until crust is brown and crispy, 30-35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Lift parchment onto cutting board. Scatter basil leaves over top. Cut into 24 appetizer pieces. Serve warm. REE REICH
BELLE FOURCHE, SOUTH DAKOTA
RIVERTON
Send Send complete complete recipe recipe by JULY by 15! March 10!
AUGUST:
SUMMER SQUASH
12, 14x18-INCH SHEETS PHYLLO DOUGH (OR 24, 9x14-INCH SHEETS) NONSTICK COOKING SPRAY (VEGETABLE OR OLIVE) 2 TBS BASIL PESTO 3/4 CUPS FETA CHEESE, CRUMBLED 2 LARGE TOMATOES, CUT IN 1/4-INCH SLICES 1/2 TSP KOSHER SALT GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE 12-18 SMALL BASIL LEAVES
Please Please include include your your name, name, address address and and phone phone number. number. S SU UB BM M II T T A AR RE EC C II P PE E
[307]286-8140 772-1968 wren@wyomingrea.org | [307] 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions
PEN TO PAPER
My Favorite (Imaginary)
If you’d like to visit Scott Hammond’s favorite places in Wyoming, pick up a copy of a Joe Pickett novel by C.J. Box, look for Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire character in books or on TV, or catch the 2009 movie “Did you Hear About the Morgans?”
PLACES IN WYOMING SCOTT C. HAMMOND
PROVO, UTAH
I
’m not lucky enough to live in Wyoming, but I visit regularly. My favorite three places in Wyoming are Saddle String, Durant and Ray.
Saddle String is in Twelve Sleep County, Wyoming and was made famous by the C.J. Box mystery series featuring Joe Pickett. To get there, you travel east from Salt Lake City, or west from Denver along I-80 till you hit about the middle of the state. Then turn north and follow the signs. When you get to Winchester, turn north. Somewhere near the Bighorn Mountains you will find the small, typical Wyoming town with half of the main street businesses boarded up. The Twelve Sleep river flows through town, and the world orbits around fishing, hunting and cattle. When I visit Saddle String, I bypass the golf resorts and dude ranches, and I enjoy one of several watering holes in the three block, downtown area. It’s fun to sit there and listen to the locals talk about the inept sheriff, the corrupt mayor and the down-to-earth game warden named
Joe Pickett who seems to solve all the real crime. One caution: in my calculation Twelve Sleep County has a murder rate 80 times the national average, and twice that of the worst neighborhood in Chicago. After a stay in Saddle String, then it’s time to head on over to Absaroka County and the beautiful little town of Durant. Strangely, that part of Wyoming looks a lot like New Mexico, and the center of town bears a striking resemblance to the town square in Santa Fe. It’s best to approach Durant on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation side so you can stop at Henry’s Red Pony and partake of one of the best hamburgers this side of the Mississippi. Don’t bother with Jason Whitehorse’s Casino. It’s kinda run down now, but it also has the only paved parking lot in the county. Durant also has a high crime area, but don’t let that worry you. If you are not associated with Sheriff Walt Longmire, then you are unlikely to be victimized. It seems like his friends
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.
and acquaintances are the ones who are always taking a bullet or a shovel to the head. Longmire has been sheriff of Absaroka County ever since Craig Johnson wrote him into existence in 2004. His old Ford Bronco can often be seen parked outside the store front on the town square that serves as a jail. Finally, take the north fork going out of Durant, head northeast for a couple of hours, and you will come to the wonderful little town of Ray, Wyoming, made famous by the 2009 movie “Did You Hear About the Morgans.” Ray looks an awful lot like southern Canada, but that said, people in Wyoming are friendly, even towards strangers from New York City, and Utah. Ray is the home of the perpetual rodeo, and rumor has it that the last person to be run out of town donated 10 dollars to PETA. I personally like Ray because it is a place where you can really get lost. We have a cabin in a northeast corner of Utah called Christmas Meadows. Bridger Valley Electric Association gives us power, so I’m sure not all of great places in Wyoming are imaginary.
Put Your Pen to Paper!
Please include your name, address, and phone number. SUBMIT A PIECE
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JUNE 2021
29
01 02 03
06
04
01
Bighorn bachelors, Heather McLaughlin, Upton
02
Bighorn ram, Curt Theobald, Pine Bluffs
03
Guardian friend, Elizabeth Childress, Newcastle
04
Growing up, Angie Erickson, Meeteetse
05
Home on the range for the shepherd, Carolina Noya, Carlile
06
Whatcha doing in my world? Nancy Darnell, Newcastle
07
Love at first kiss, Nancy Darnell, Newcastle
05
07
JUST PICTURE IT
THIS MONTH:
AUGUST (DUE JULY 15):
SHEEP
FOREST
08 09 11
10
08
Little lambs, Lacy Boyles, Lyman
09
Love of a lamb, Jennifer Roberts, Farson
10
Hide and seek, Nickalina Groenewold, Newcastle
11
Newborn, Rhonda Schmeltzer, Worland
12
At the conservation camp, Lisa Marie Henery, Dubois
13
Dinner bell, Krissy Borcher, Moorcroft
14
Bighorn sheep, Rob McIntosh, Torrington
13
SUBMIT A P H OTO
wren@wyomingrea.org 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions Please include your name, hometown and a title.
12 14
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. If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. JUNE 2021
31
WHAT’S HAPPENING
WHAT’S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP
02
03
JULY
01 | SOUTHEAST CENTENNIAL JULY 2-4
Library Book Sale: 11a-4p, $2 per bag Sun. Info 307-745-8983. JULY 3-4
04
01
Centennial Valley Art Show and Sale: Works by 30 local and regional artists. 9a-6p Sat, 9a-4p Sun. Nici Self Museum, free, info 307-745-9322, frogpt@yahoo.com.
C H U G WAT E R
FEATURED EVENT
JULY 16-17
Chugwater Music Fest: Live entertainment, vendors. 10a-5p each day. Songwriting contest for $500 prize takes place 4p Sat. Chugwater Municipal Park, $20 day, $10 children, info 307-331-9298.
ENCAMPMENT JULY 16-18
MYSTERY SHEEP TRAP TREK JULY 13 9A-3P Although the exact location is never known until a couple weeks from the date, organizers from the National Bighorn Sheep Center and Dubois Museum promise that the scenery will be beautiful, there will be difficult hiking up and down steep hills and high clearance 4x4 vehicles and carpooling will be necessary. $10, advance registration required. Call 307-455-2284 for registration and information.
NORTHWEST
Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering: Western entertainment, cowboy poetry and music, cowboy church, food, dance and more. Grand View Park, free, info 307-327-5465.
LARAMIE JULY 10
Laramie Brewfest: Local and regional brews, live music. 1p, Depot Park, $45, $40 in advance. Info 307-760-3355, laramiemainstreet.org. JULY 17
Albany County CattleWomen Ranch Tour: View historic area ranches. Meet at Wyoming Territorial Prison Historic Site 8a, departure at 9a. Advance registration required, info 307-760-5590, 307-745-5116.
Festival of the Arts: Platte Valley Community Center, info 307-327-8187.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, events may be postponed or canceled. Please call ahead before attending events.
32
JUNE 2021
JULY 9-10
Blue Mountain Car Show: Restored cars and lots of entertainment throughout historic downtown Wheatland. Info 307-322-9838.
02 | NORTHEAST CLEARMONT JULY 17-18
SageRidge Ranch Workshop: Fiber, meditation, food, camping, info 307-217-2594, sageridge.net.
MOORCROFT JULY 9-10
Jubilee Days: Chuckwagon breakfast, parade, barbecue, street dance, kids’ events. Ranch rodeo 8p Fri. Various locations around town. Info 307-756-9300, 307-761-2700. ONGOING
West Texas Trail Museum: Now open year-round 9a-5p, Mon-Fri. Open Sat June to August. Info 307-756-9300.
NEWCASTLE JULY 23
Weston County Fair: Rodeos, bbq, carnival and more. Free admission. JULY 27
Mini Roughstock Rodeo: For kids 4-18. 6p, info 307-746-9256.
P I N E H AV E N JULY 3
Fireworks over Keyhole Reservoir: Town of Pine Haven and the Pine Haven Volunteer Fire Department host event. 9p, Donations accepted, info 307-756-9807.
S H E R I DA N S A R AT O G A JULY 3-4
W H E AT L A N D
JULY 24
Sleuthing with Joe Pickett: Saratoga Museum event for C.J. Box fans with dinner, raffles, trivia and auction. First prize pays $450. Bottle Bar Art Studio, 110 Bridge Street. $30, info 307-710-3226.
JULY 13-18
Sheridan WYO Rodeo: PRCA rodeo, parade, high-speed bed races, carnival, street dances and more. Info 307-675-9963, sheridanwyorodeo.com.
UPTON JULY 16-18
Upton Fun Days: Golf tournament, kids rodeo, games in the park, buffalo burgers at Old Town, parade, fly-in at the airport and more, info 307-391-0346.
03| NORTHWEST CASPER
JULY 9-17
Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo: Pancake breakfast, kid’s activities, carnival, demolition derby, PRCA rodeo starts July 13. Info 307-235-5775.
CODY JULY 1-4
Cody Stampede Rodeo: PRCA rodeo, Stampede Park, info 307-587-5155. JULY 2
50th Anniversary Wild Horse and Burro Act: 1-3p, at the FOAL KIosk on Hwy 14-16-20, 27 miles east of Cody. Free, info friendsofalegacy.org.
DUBOIS JULY 4
July 4 Celebration: Kiwanis children’s games & prizes, 10:30a, Dubois Town Park. Parade, rodeo, ice cream social and fireworks at various locations. Info 455-2556. duboiswyomingchamber.org, Kiwanis event info 307-455-2243.
214 East 23rd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82001 • (307) 634-2273 • cheyenneregional.org JUNE 2021
33
WHAT’S HAPPENING JULY 8
Rising and Falling Mountains: Speaker from Kansas State University explains geologic processes in the greater Yellowstone region. 7p, Dubois Museum, free, info 307-4552284, fremontcountymuseums.com. JULY 17
CO
EMONT C OUN
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US MS
PH
TO
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Dubois Museum Day: Games, vendors and reenactors, museum tours at annual fundraiser for the Dubois Museum, 11a-2p. Highlights include flint knapping at Dennison Lodge from 11a2p, raptor demonstration at 2p, and Yellowstone Army soldier talk at 2p. Info 307-455-2284, fremontcountymuseums.com.
LANDER
R I V E RTO N
JULY 4
JULY 10
JULY 8
JULY 16-18
Butch Cassidy: Author Bill Betenson will speak about Butch’s time in Wyoming. 7p, Dubois Museum, info 307-455-2284, fremontcountymuseums.com. JULY 23
History Happy Hour: A 20th century ice-craze and quest for chilled beverages changed the American cocktail. Tastings for 21 and older. 6p, Dubois Museum, $20, info 307-455-2284, fremontcountymuseums.com. JULY 25
Cowboy Church: Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy. Coffee, biscuits and gravy 8a, music and message 9a. Clarence Allison Rodeo Arena, info 307-851-2712, 307-851-2565. JULY 31
Fly-In and Community Aviation Day: Hot air balloon tethered rides, Kiwanis pancake breakfast 6:3010a, concessions, local and county vendors, aviation-oriented trainings, seminars and more. 6a–1p, info 303-250-5155. Pancake breakfast info 307-455-2243.
34
JUNE 2021
Riverton Happy Days: Vendors, crafters and artisans, food trucks, games and activities for all, local talent and more. 8a-3p, info GoRiverton.com.
Pioneer Days: Rodeo July 3-4, July 4 events include parade, fireworks, kid’s events, food, half-marathon and more. Info 307-349-8070, landerchamber.org.
Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally: Balloon glow, tethered balloon rides, car cruise, fireworks, food and more. Info rivertonrendezvous.com.
Esther Hobart Morris, The Unblemished Story of the Nation’s First Female Judge: Author Kathryn Swim Cummings to speak, 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3339, fremontcountymuseums.com. JULY 15
Lester Hunt: The Wyoming Governor from Lander: Author Charlotte Dehnert will speak about the Democratic Governor, his story and his legacy. 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3339. JULY 15-18
JULY 22
JULY
International Climber’s Festival: Brewery tour, trade fair, trail run, film festival, yoga, live music, art crawl, writer’s clinic and worldclass rock climbing. Info 307-3323892, climbersfestival.org. JULY 24
Family Name Plates: Children create customized family plaques in the shape of Wyoming symbols. 1-3p, Pioneer Museum, $4, registration required 307-332-3339. JULY 24
Riverfest Art & Music Festival in the Park: Artist booths and demos, live music, kid’s activities, food and spirits. $5, 12 and under free. Info 307-332-5772, landerartcenter.com.
MEETEETSE
JULY 17 SUBMIT AN EVENT
STEM/STEAM DAY: Learn about science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. 2-4p, Riverton Museum, $5, reservations required, 307-856-2665. ONGOING
Send complete information by
JULY 15!
We are updating the event dates for the What’s Happening section. Please send events occurring in September. Also, be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event. Photos are always welcome.
Farmers’ Markets: Wednesday Farmers’ Market 5-7p at Riverton City Park, info 307-851-8712. Saturday Fremont County Master Gardeners’ Market 9-11a, Riverton City Hall parking lot, info 307-851-7562.
S O U T H PA S S C I T Y JULY 10-11
Gold Rush Days: Gold panning, reenactments, live music, bake sale, anvil blasting, tours of the Carissa Mine & Mill and more. Fireworks 10p Sat. Info 307-332-3684. JULY 31
Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.
Paint the Town Red: Historical cocktails in a historic saloon with live music. 6:30-8:30p. Reservation required, $50. Info 307-332-3684, southpasscity.com.
JULY 9
Prairie Wildfire Concert: Bluegrass band from Buffalo, Wyoming to perform on Meeteetse Museums’ lawn. 6p, free, info programs@ meeteetsemuseums.org. JULY 31
Double Dee Tour: Meeteetse Museums’ annual tour of historic ranch. Meet at the museums in town. High clearance vehicles encouraged. 8:30a, info programs@meeteetsemuseums. org or 307-868-2423.
QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:
wren@
wyomingrea.org
[307] 286-8140 214 W. Lincolnway
Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001
wyomingrea.org/
wren-submissions
04 | SOUTHWEST ROCK SPRINGS JULY 30-31
Red Desert Roundup Rodeo: Parade, PRCA rodeo, muttonbusting, cash scrambles, live music. Sweetwater Events Complex, info 307-362-3771, rdrrodeo.com.
ENLIGHTEN US
I wonder what he’s thinking BY CHUCK LARSEN
Chuck Larsen rides his horse, Reb.
I
saw him standing behind the barn, out of the coolness of the early morning breeze, soaking up the sun’s first promises of a warmer spring day. His eyes were half closed, his lower lip sagged just a little as he stood as horses do, hip-shot and relaxed in the early morning sun. His registration papers say that this will be his 24th year, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at him just standing there all haired up and fat. Now, I’m usually in a hurry to do my few morning chores so I can move on to the first project on my to-do list for the day, but as I stood there taking in the scene I had a sense of owing him this moment. I leaned back against the barn, felt the sun’s warmth on my own being and shared with him this small space in time. As I studied him, I found myself wondering “what’s he thinking?”
Is the morning sun triggering memories of warm summer days long ago, when he was running carefree and pestering his mother, as the miracles of life unfolded for a newborn colt in the pastures of Utah, from whence he came? Perhaps he’s remembering the first touch of mankind, the continued patient guidance of that touch and the feeling of his life changing as he transitioned from being that carefree colt and into the useful working cow horse that his breeding and training destined him to be. Maybe he’s thinking back on the day that I’d bought him and loaded him into the trailer, driving off to start his new life and the lasting partnership we eventually formed. He might be thinking with pride of the hundreds of cattle we’ve gathered and trailed, the many brandings we’ve worked together where his willingness to settle into the task of dragging calves to the branding fire in his steady and easygoing way set him apart from so many others. Knowing him like I do, I figure he’s probably laughing to himself as he thinks about all the times he leaned heavily on me as I huffed, puffed and sweated under his weight while struggling to tack on a new set of shoes. I’d bet he knows that I know … he did that on purpose. Or perhaps he’s reminiscing the pleasure he seemed to relish out of timing a loud snort in the branding pen and scattering the calves, just as I was about to throw a for certain “perfect” loop. Possibly, he’s just be letting his mind wander back to the solitude and wildness of the mountain trails we’ve ridden, the panoramic vistas we shared on high mountain passes, the ring of his horseshoes on rock, and the rhythmic sounds of the pack string as they trailed along behind us. Is he recalling the
PHOTO BY LLOYD PRUET
bugles of elk on the ridgetops as he grazed in the meadows far below? Is he hearing the lonesome brays of the pack mules back in camp, when we rode out to hunt as the eastern sky was showing just a smidgen of pink? Is he thinking he’s about had enough of this winter’s hay, and that maybe the sun’s promise of warmer days ahead has him contemplating the taste of the green grass that he knows is on its way? Does he think about how there’s a stiffness in his joints on cold mornings and that he now travels at a gait befitting of his age? Is he thinking he’s OK with getting old, and except for a few rides that the grandkids might steal off him, he’s alright with the knowledge that he’s pensioned and is no longer called upon to saddle up for a long work day? Or is he sad, thinking how much he misses it? Is he aware that he was one of the good ones and that he’s part of the heartfelt sorrow that centuries of horsemen have suffered when they see that another of the good ones has gotten old? Does he have any inkling of how much I’ll miss him when he’s gone? It began to dawn on me, that so much of what I wondered about the thoughts he may be having actually trail along those that pertain to me. The stiff joints on cold mornings, my slower pace, how it’s getting harder to reach the stirrup on tall horses and my more frequent recollections of memories and thoughts of the past. Like him all the signs are there, I’m just plain getting … old. I’m not sure how long I stood there, but as if on cue, he turned to me with a look of understanding that made me realize that maybe … just maybe, in that silent and brief period of time shared there in the sun beside the barn, our thoughts had crossed paths and that he too was wondering, “I wonder what he’s thinking?” W
Chuck Larsen managed Saratoga-based Carbon Power and Light for 23 years. He now lives in Hulett with his wife, Linda.
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
07 | WANTED
New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service & advice. Available for most makes. Thanks. 307-754-3757.
Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201.
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Ltd. Ed. Wood Stove with all piping, $500. Email for pics cpm@wyoming.com or (307) 755-4289.
10.
MISCELLANEOUS
11.
BUSINESS CONSULTING
12.
FOR RENT
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 75 years. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582.
13.
HELP WANTED
Wyoming Big Horn Saddle, 15” Excellent
14.
DOGS
15.
EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT
16.
BUILDING SUPPLIES
17.
TRAVEL & RECREATION
18.
HEALTH
19.
PERSONAL
08. CRAFTS 09. OPPORTUNITIES
20. FREE
36
02 | FOR SALE
JUNE 2021
condition $275. Call/email for pics. cpm@wyoming.com, 307-755-4289.
We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/Gas Interests producing & non-producing. 800-733-8122. WANTED CJ or Wrangler reasonably priced. Any condition but rusted. 512-797-1664. 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.
10| MISCELLANEOUS Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing “Religious Liberty” enforcing “National Sunday Law.” Be Informed! Needing Mailing address. TSBM, PO Box 374, Ellijay, GA 30540, thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Doctor urges seniors to carry medical alert device Seniors snap up new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills People don’t always do what their doctor says, but when seasoned veteran emergency room physician, Dr. Philip B. Howren says every senior should have a medical alert device, you better listen up. “Seniors are just one fall away from being put in a nursing home,” Dr. Howren said. “With a medical alert device, seniors are never alone. So it keeps them living independently in their own home. That’s why seniors and their family members are snapping up a sleek new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills ever,” he said. Many seniors refuse to wear old style help buttons because they make them look old. But even
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■ NO MONTHLY BILLS: “My wife had an old style help button that came with hefty bills every month and she was embarrassed to wear it because it made her look old,” said Frank McDonald, Canton, Ohio. “Now, we both have FastHelp™, the sleek new medical alert device that our grandkids say makes us look ‘cool’ not old,” he said. With FastHelp, seniors never have to worry about being alone and the best part is there are no monthly bills ever.
Seniors born before 1956 get new medical alert device with no monthly bills ever It’s just what seniors have been waiting for; a sleek new medical alert device with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help with just the push of a button for a one-time $149 price tag that’s a real steal after today’s instant rebate The phone lines are ringing off the hook. That’s because for seniors born before 1956, it’s a deal too good to pass up. Starting at precisely 8:30am this morning the Pre-Store Release begins for the sleek new medical alert device that comes with the exclusive FastHelp™ One-Touch E 911 Button that instantly connects you to unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever. “It’s not like old style monitored help buttons that make you talk to a call center and only work when you’re at home and come with hefty bills every month. FastHelp comes with state-of-the-art cellular embedded technology. That means it works ■ FLYING OUT THE DOOR: Trucks are being loaded with the new medical alert devices called FastHelp. They are at home or anywhere, any- now being delivered to lucky seniors who call the National Rebate Center Hotline at 1-866-964-2952 Ext. HELP2764 (Continued on next page)
today. Everyone is calling to get FastHelp, the sleek new medical alert device because it instantly connects you to unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever.
SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE (Continued from previous page)
the top rated contenders to the mat with the unveiling of FastHelp. It’s the sleek new cellular embedded medical alert device that cuts out the middleman by instantly connecting you directly to highly trained 911 operators all across the U.S. There’s absolutely nothing to hook-up or install. You don’t need a land line and you don’t need a cell phone. Everything is done for you. “FastHelp is a state of
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get immediate help are much more likely to avoid getting sent to a nursing home and get to STAY living in their own home independently. Yet millions of seniors are still risking their safety by not having a medical alert device. That’s because seniors just can’t afford to pay the monthly bills that come with old style medical alert devices. That’s why seniors born
before 1956 are rushing to cash in the whopping $150 instant rebate before the 7 day deadline ends. So there’s no need to wait for FastHelp to hit store shelves later this year because seniors born before 1956 can get it now just by using the $150 instant rebate coupon printed in today’s newspaper before the 7-day deadline ends. If lines are busy keep trying, all calls will be answered. ■
HOW TO GET IT: IF BORN BEFORE 1956: Use the rebate coupon below and call this Toll-Free Hotline: 1-866-964-2952 EXT. HELP2764 IF BORN AFTER 1956: You cannot use the rebate coupon below and must pay $299 Call: 1-866-964-2955 EXT. HELP2764 THE BOTTOM LINE: You don’t need to shop around. We’ve done all the leg work, this deal is too good to pass up. FastHelp with the instant rebate is a real steal at just $149 and shipping and there are no monthly bills ever. PROS: It’s the sleek new medical alert device that comes with the exclusive FastHelp One-Touch E 911 Button that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts or deposits. It connects you to the vast available network of cellular towers for free and saves seniors a ton of money because there are no monthly bills ever making this deal irresistible. Plus it’s the only medical alert device that makes seniors look important, not old. CONS: Consumers can’t get FastHelp in stores until later this year. That’s why it’s so important for seniors born before 1956 to call the National Rebate Center Hotline within the next 7 days. For those who miss that deadline, the sleek little medical alert device will set you back over $300 bucks. P7201A OF22175R-1
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FastHelp, the new medical alert device that instantly connects you to free unlimited nationwide help everywhere cell service is available with no contracts, no deposits and no monthly bills ever. USE THIS COUPON: To get $150 off FastHelp you must be born before 1956 and call the National Rebate Center Hotline at 1-866-964-2952 EXT. HELP2764 before the 7-day rebate deadline ends. FASTHELP IS COVERED BY A 30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE LESS SHIPPING AND A 1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY. FASTHELP IS A 3G GSM CELLULAR DEVICE. FASTHELP WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE 911 CALLS WHEN CELLULAR SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE SUCH AS IN REMOTE AREAS. FASTHELP USES GPS TRIANGULATIONS TO APPROXIMATE YOUR LOCATION WHEN YOUR DEVICE IS TURNED ON. DR. HOWREN IS A COMPENSATED MEDICAL ADVISOR AND FRANK MCDONALD IS AN ACTUAL USER AND COMPENSATED FOR HIS PARTICIPATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. UNIVERSAL PHYSICIANS 7747 SUPREME AVE, NORTH CANTON, OH 44720.
Join millions of older Americans who are rediscovering the joy of walking
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For years, I found myself walking less and FREE less. As I got older, aches and pains in my Utility Bag, Cane back and legs caused me to stay in my chair, and Beverage watching TV... and watching life go by. My Holders doctor told me to be more active, and I tried. I tried canes, walkers and rollaters... and I hated them. Shuffling along, hunched over, looking at the ground two feet in front of me– that didn’t seem like a fun way to get around. Then, one day, a friend introduced me to the Perfect Walker. Nothings going to stop me now! The Perfect Walker is a revolutionary new mobility device that can change your life by changing the way you walk. It enables you to stand upright when you walk– with your spine straight and your eyes looking straight ahead. Your weight is supported by your upper arms and shoulders, some of the strongest parts of your body. Traditional walkers and rollaters force you to put the pressure of your body weight on your hands and wrists. You push them in front of you, looking at the ground instead of where you are going. The Perfect Walker moves with you, with your body perfectly aligned and your feet free to walk in a normal fashion. It’s easy adjust height system allows it to be the perfect fit/height for anyone from 4’9” to 6’2” and supports up to 300 pounds. The Stand-assist handles new Stand Assist Handles™ enable you to distribute Folds easily your weight across your arms and shoulders, not your hands and wrists to help reduce back, neck, wrist pain Optimized Center of Gravity
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