Issuu

WYOMING

OCT 2020

RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS

Training Wind Techs PG. 13

Tell Us What You Think of WREN!

Instructor shares a difficult, dirty, but rewarding job

JACK DARNELL

Jeffrey City Cowboy

‘‘

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

OCT

2020

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 9, October 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 40,437 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 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

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 Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix High Plains Power, Riverton – Hearley Dockham 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

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO

ON THE COVER 16

CENTERPIECE

Training Wind Techs STORY BY BY ILENE OLSON

Cover photo: Laramie County Community College student Danial Aspen checks the exterior of a wind turbine on F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne. PHOTO COURTESY OF LARAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 286-8140 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 PRECORP’S

D A LT O N B U T L E R

23 J E F F R E Y C I T Y

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT COW B OY

BY ILENE OLSON

FROM OUR READERS

STATE NEWS & EVENTS

COOKS 30 COUNTRY BEANS

07 15 COWBOY STATE BUZZ 32 WHAT'S HAPPENING

PICTURE IT 34 JUST WIND

THE CURRENT

ESSAYS & ANECDOTES NOTES 04 WREA LOSS OF A LEGEND BY SHAWN TAYLOR

ON THE RANGE 28 HOME T U R N R I G H T AT THE NEXT LIGHT

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

US 36 ENLIGHTEN ELECTRIC SKIES BY WALT GASSON

TO PAPER 31 PEN THE LIGHT

JUST FOR FUN CORNER 21 KIDS' WIND TECHNICIAN REVIEW 26 BOOK J E R RY ’ S S T O RY

BY ROBERT W. SCHRADER

27 PUZZLE T U R N R I G H T ...

O R WA S I T L E F T ?

BY KENDRA SPANJER

WREA NOTES

Loss of a Legend SH AW N TAY LO R

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I had started writing this month’s column on my family’s annual RV trip to national parks. However, after hearing the sad news of the passing of friend and longtime Wyoming Rural Electric Association (WREA) attorney Dave Uchner, I wanted to use this space to pay tribute to him. I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I don’t know how long Dave was counsel for WREA, but I know it has been Thomas was at the helm of the association. I do know, for the 16 years that I’ve been here, Dave was not just our attorney, but our historian, our advocate and most importantly a dear, dear friend to countless cooperative directors, employees, legislators and other elected

Dave Uchner meets his dog Bailey for the first time at the WREA office in March.

officials, and to pretty much anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. For me personally, yes, he was a friend and our lawyer, but he was so much more. He was my biggest advocate and

during the craziness. We didn’t tell him about it but rather I had him come down to the office and “meet a dog.” I

personal sounding board and was always there to support

knew, or at least was fairly confident, that he would be up

me through various trials and tribulations—not just for

for the companionship. And he didn’t disappoint. I could

work but in my personal life as well.

tell he and the dog loved each other from the get-go, and

He was notorious for the unannounced “pop-in” at the

the picture tells the story.

office but he seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing

When I first met Dave it was obvious that he was “old

when I needed a break and a visit. We would sit in the

school.” With his flip phone and computerless office I

office and talk politics, our families (including our dogs

remember thinking, “How is this going to work?” But

who often joined us for our visits), our community,

it didn’t take long to know that we would be just fine.

Cheyenne Frontier Days and especially University of

Whenever I would ask him to help out on a piece of

Wyoming football. He loved his Cowboys. I’ll miss those

legislation or a project, he would usually deliver it the next

visits a great deal.

day with a note that said “The watchdog never sleeps.”

Dave was hit with a 1 - 2 punch a few years ago. First Jane

Well Watchdog, I hope you can rest in peace and know

passed away and he lost the love of his life, and shortly

that you will be missed.

after, his dog Houston passed away as well. I can’t imagine the void he felt after those losses, and when “the Rona” and the associated quarantine followed, my wife and I

decided to surprise Dave with a dog to keep him company

OCT 2020

PHOTO BY SHAWN TAYLOR

decades, dating back to before former U.S. Sen. Craig

We’re a different sort of power provider Our members have asked for cleaner, more affordable and more flexible electricity – and we’re delivering. Built by and for our members, we power what matters to you. That’s the value of our cooperative family. To learn how we’re delivering on our mission, visit www.tristate.coop.

Tri-State is the not-for profit power supplier to cooperatives in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.

CO-OP YOUTH

PHOTO BY BOBBI BUTLER

CO-OP YOUTH

WREN: Tell us about your studies and interests. DB: I played football, wrestled and ran track in high school, was president of the Devils Tower FFA and class president. I enjoy woodworking, welding and taxidermy, and have won awards in all of them. I like to hunt and raised commercial crossbred sheep with my brothers. I recently exhibited the grand champion market lamb, grand champion market hog and reserve champion market goat at the Crook County Fair.

Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are proud to support our youth, giving college scholarships and lineman scholarships. In

WREN: How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you?

addition, our co-ops sponsor high school students on the NRECA Youth Tour in June and Youth Leadership Camp in July.

THIS MONTH: Dalton Butler was awarded a $1,000 college scholarship from PRECorp.

DALTON BUTLER HOMETOWN: Hulett HIGH SCHOOL: Hulett High School YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2020

While Youth Tour and youth camps were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your co-op may be taking applications for next year. See the insert in the center of the magazine for information from your local rural electric cooperative.

OCT 2020

COLLEGE: Casper College MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: Range Management and Aviation

DB: Living in a small town has its challenges, but the benefits far outweigh those. My family and hometown community support me in nearly everything I do, from playing in the six-man Nebraska vs. Wyoming football game, to purchasing my fair animals at the county fair, to helping me learn new techniques in the wood shop or welding shop, you can't beat the support of a small town.

WREN: What are your plans for the future? DB: I'm attending Casper College to study range management and aviation. I have been interested in aviation for as long as I can remember. I plan to fly airplanes and helicopters. I hope to find an occupation in the aviation field that keeps me close to my hometown and Wyoming. I plan to do what I love by flying as well as being able to live a rural way of life.

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 $146,540.00 since 2015.

2015

2016

14.9K 27.5K

CANDIDATES

2017

45K

35K

2018

2019



FUNDING

APPRECIATION We appreciate your support!

To be considered, applicants must submit

The scholarship's main source of funding has been

their education and work experience, three

a golf tournament, which

letters of recommendation and a transcript

was canceled 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

During the last few months, WREA members and friends have contributed to the scholarship fund. A heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has reached out!

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:

30K



the application form, a resumé describing

the transcript is not necessary.

 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 OCT 2020

THE CURRENT

NEXT MONTH: COOKING SAFELY

Co-op Trivia The electricity that powers your home can seem as simple as the flip of a switch. Stay safe by understanding the electrical systems inside your home.

ELECTRICAL OUTLETS Electrical outlets have been redesigned and upgraded through the decades to protect both the safety of the user and the electrical system in your home. GFIs, or ground fault circuit interrupters, have been installed in homes since the 1970s. These plugs are designed for safety. They protect people from electric shock both from water hazards and

OCT 2020

from improperly grounded wires. You’ll find GFIs in kitchens, bathrooms and other areas where water is available. AFCIs, or arc fault circuit interrupters, are a relatively new invention that protects an entire circuit. While the circuit breaker in your breaker box protects against overload, the AFCI outlet will protect against arcing faults that can cause electrical fires.

PHOTO BY DENNIS TESTER

THE CURRENT

Mountainside Maintenance

A contractor uses a spider excavator to help Lower Valley Energy crews replace a power pole above the Snake River, just south of Jackson Hole, in August. Lower Valley Energy Communications Manager Brian Tanabe said the pole replacement was part of the co-op’s regular maintenance schedule. He explained that the contractor replaced seven poles in three days; without the special equipment the project would have taken three weeks.

WEARING A MASK REDUCES RISK OF TRANSMISSION. Protect yourself and others. Transmission Probability

VERY HIGH

HIGH

MEDIUM

LOW

VERY LOW

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carrier

Uninfected Person

cheyenneregional.org/covid OCT 2020

THE CURRENT

Annual Meeting Roundup

At this time of year in any other year, almost all of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association’s 11 utility cooperatives would be finished with their annual meetings. Members would have had the chance to elect board members, share a meal, and possibly bring home a door prize. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and statewide ban on gatherings of large groups of people, cooperative leadership had to decide how to proceed. Each of the cooperatives made a decision based on their particular membership’s needs.

PRECORP CELEBRATES 75 YEARS It’s a wonderful thing when a cooperative can last 75 years, a milestone celebrated during Powder River Energy Corporation (PRECorp)’s 75th annual meeting August 22 in Sundance. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the masked attendees and the livestream video, there was a feeling of light-heartedness as the group looked back at the work that is finished and forward to new challenges.

The meeting began with an introduction from board President Walt Christensen and General Counsel Mark Hughes. They explained that the PRECorp board had made sure the meeting could take place this year, even if the number of members present was too small to meet a quorum. “Welcome everybody to our 75th annual nonmeeting. By that what I mean is that we don’t have 100 members here presently,” Christensen said. “The board passed a bylaw here last month to have an election. We’ll have a nonmeeting and it’s going to be just like our annual meeting and hopefully we don’t bore anybody.” Hughes then stood up to explain that the board had voted that the quorum would be bypassed due to exigent circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished with a few jokes. Gov. Mark Gordon was the next speaker at the event, attending the meeting remotely via Zoom. He began by apologizing. “Sorry I’m not there to hear more jokes in person,” he said. “As a loyal PRECorp member I’m happy to tell you that I’m still using the Crock-Pot I won 15 years ago. That’s the only thing I’ve ever won from PRECorp but I really appreciate it,” he said.

PRECorp member service representatives, clockwise from top left, Linda Tokarczyk, Suzanne Schaneman, Jennifer Barnes, CJ Griffith, Darla Mouat and Missy Biegler wear masks during the annual meeting.

Gordon spoke in detail and at length of upcoming budget cuts due to an economic PHOTO BY MISSY BIEGLER/PRECORP

OCT 2020

THE CURRENT

downturn in the state. He ended with a positive outlook, noting how the resiliency of agriculture and corporations like PRECorp have “shown the character of Wyoming.”

PRECorp board President Walt Christensen, center, receives a farewell award of appreciation from board member Paul Baker, left, and CEO Mike Easley.

Sens. John Barrasso and Mike Enzi also had remote appearances during the meeting. After the PRECorp board president’s and treasurer’s reports, CEO Mike Easley gave an unusual and personal speech to members. Easley admitted that he attended his first PRECorp annual meeting 20 years ago, when he “had a lot more hair and was a lot more scared.” But he noted that the co-op had been around for much longer than that, and that its focus remained the same—helping each other.

“The neighbor helping neighbor, the vision to look forward and dream about what PRECorp could be—who knew 75 years ago when they started this journey that PRECorp would be the second-largest utility in the state of Wyoming, the largest electric cooperative in the state of Wyoming, that we would be sort of the barometer for what’s happening in the state of Wyoming as it relates to the energy industry and booms and busts,” Easley said. Easley talked about challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Things that have happened this past year have taken me to my knees ... nowhere to look but up,” he said. Easley spoke of his faith, and how he believes that, because of the members, PRECorp will last another 75 years. “It’s going to withstand the decline of coal, it’s going to withstand whatever happens politically because the magic that we have is each other,” Easley said. “Look around, look at your neighbor, look at yourself, look at your family. “It’s people that are going to get us through it, that’s how God works.”

CHRISTENSEN RETIRES The meeting ended with a special recognition of Walt Christensen, who retired after 30 years on the PRECorp board and nearly a decade as board president. Paul Baker and Reuben Ritthaler, who are both members of the PRECorp and Wyoming Rural Electric Association boards, joined Easley to recognize Christensen. Ritthaler presented Christensen with the 2020 Earl Christensen Award, named for Walt’s father.

PHOTO BY TIM VELDER/PRECORP

“Walt [Christensen]’s dad, Earl, and a bunch of other folks got together and decided to make life easier for those in northeastern Wyoming,” Easley said. At that time it was $5 to sign up for membership, “if they didn’t have the $5, guess what; Earl did.”

“Walt, you have been involved in the co-op for your whole life. I think you learned the importance of the co-op from your dad. In 2003 we honored Earl Christensen for his lifetime achievement ... advancing the co-op way of life. Since then we’ve had a select few people we’ve given the award to in his memory,” Ritthaler said. “This is very humbling and my dad would be particularly humbled,” Christensen said. “Dad, if you’re up there listening, thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”

FINAL NUMBERS While short of 100, 90 members registered at the meeting and approximately 200 people attended. Members cast a total of 452 ballots in person and by mail, the second highest in 10 years for the cooperative. Members who attended the meeting were given a 75-year anniversary book, which was compiled by Shelly Ritthaler, who is a local author and wife of board member Reuben Ritthaler. Four seats were up for election on the PRECorp board this year. Incumbent Alison Gee won reelection against challenger Barry Hayden. Weston County’s Clay Branscom was elected over Lucas Keeler, and incumbents Philip Habeck and Mike Helvey were each reelected in uncontested races. OCT 2020

THE CURRENT

First-Place Float at Wyoming State Fair

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHEATLAND RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

Wyoming Rural Electric Association (WREA) cooperatives won a “blue ribbon” at the Wyoming State Fair in August. WREA cooperatives won first place in the Service/ Non-Profit division for their entry in the Wyoming State Fair Parade. The co-ops’ entry was a banner identifying what powers electric vehicles: Wyoming Coal, Natural Gas and Wind; followed closely by a Tesla electric car. WREA cooperatives take part in the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas every year, participating in parades, putting up an educational booth and giving electrical safety demonstrations.

Niobrara Electric Association employees participate in the Wyoming State Fair Parade. Carrying the banner are Warehouse Coordinator Shawn Leimser, left, and Apprentice Lineman Chance Wilder.

Wyoming State Fair General Manager Courtney Conkle tries climbing an electric pole at the WREA booth at the Wyoming State Fair.

Wills, Trusts & Probate

Stay Home

and take our Factory and Model Home Tours online. See for yourself - a better way to build with our offsite construction system.

Land Use GAY WOODHOUSE TARA NETHERCOTT HOLLI WELCH JEFF VAN FLEET



 

Wayne, NE | 1-800-759-2782 Watch our Tour Online | hhofne.com Find us on Facebook @heritagehomesofne 12

OCT 2020

DEBORAH RODEN JOANNE SWEENEY KATYE BROWN CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN

1912 Capitol Avenue Suite 500 Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 432-9399 WRNLawFirm.com

READER SURVEY

Tell us what

think of WREN!

As we prepare for upcoming issues of WREN, we want to hear from you, our readers. What do you like about WREN? How can we improve? We take our readers’ feedback seriously at WREN, so we would greatly appreciate your input on this survey! TELL US ABOUT YOU 1. How old are you? 12–18 19–25 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65 or over 2. What is your gender? Male Female WHICH SECTIONS OF WREN ARE YOUR FAVORITES? 3. Rate the sections from 1 to 10, with 1 being “least favorite” and 10 being “most favorite.” __ Shawn Taylor’s column (pg. 4) __ News briefs about energy and co-ops (pgs. 7-8) __ News briefs about Wyoming (pgs. 9-13) __ Feature news stories (pgs. 14–19) __ Personality profiles and interviews (pgs. 22-23) __ Creative essays like Home on the Range and Enlighten Us (pgs. 26-27, 36-37) __ Puzzles and activities (pgs. 20, 25) __ Book reviews (pg. 24) __ Reader-submitted recipes, poems and pictures (pgs. 28, 29, 32-34) __ Other _______________

4. Why is the section you rated “10” above your favorite? ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 5. Why is the section you rated “1” above your least favorite? ______________________

9. I want WREN to cover more news about co-ops and energy. Yes

10. I know more about Wyoming because of WREN. Yes

11. Do you subscribe to any other printed magazines? Yes

WHAT IDEAS DO YOU HAVE? 15. What story ideas do you have to share with us? ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ 16. Any other suggestions for how we can improve WREN? ______________________ ______________________

______________________

If you answered yes, which printed magazines do you receive?

______________________

___________________________

______________________

6. What types of stories are you most interested in reading? Pick your top two choices. Farming and ranching Energy and cooperatives Business Environment and wildlife Education Personality profiles 7. The stories in WREN are… Too short

___________________________ 12. Do you have access to the Wyoming Rural Electric Association website at wyomingrea.org? Yes

13. Have you read the WREN online in the past? No

If so, how often? ___________________________ 14. Would reading WREN be the same experience if it was digital instead of printed?

Just right Too long PLEASE ANSWER YES OR NO 8. I know more about my cooperative because of WREN. Yes

___________________________

Yes

Tourism

______________________

Yes

If you’d like to explain your answer, please do! ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

When you’re finished with the survey, cut it out and send it to: WREN Magazine 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001 –OR–

Take a picture of it and email to: wren@wyomingrea.org –OR–

Take this survey online! wyomingrea.org/ wren-magazine/ wren-reader-survey

OCT 2020

WREN MAGAZINE

Call for Photos We live far apart in Wyoming. Some people say it’s a small town with long roads. Electric co-op lineworkers might say it’s a small town with miles of power lines. Why do we live here? What draws us to the remote places in this spread-out state? For the 2021 editorial year, Wyoming Rural Electric News (WREN) magazine will feature stories about our lives in big spaces. We’ll follow some of our friends and tell the stories that brought them to this place. We need your help! Will you share the call that brought you to Wyoming? We are collecting photos centered around the theme “Life Out West” for our February 2021 issue. This will be a photography issue, with photos from you, the reader. Please send photos by December 10. Photos must include information about the photograph: who took the photo, where they took the photo, and what the photo represents. Share the story of your photo—what does it mean to you to live here?

SUBMIT A P H OTO

 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. If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

COWBOY STATE BUZZ

1776

Women in the United States have been able to vote for 100 years, but generations of women fought for more than 100 years to win that right. Celebrations honoring the women’s vote have been taking place across the country and especially in Wyoming where Louisa Swain of Laramie cast the first-ever vote by a woman 150 years ago. It would be 50 years later, in 1920, that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution would grant voting rights to every woman in America.

SUFFRAGISTS

Swain’s historic vote was celebrated in Cheyenne and Laramie in September as an American Trucking Associations convoy, driven by four outstanding female truck drivers, arrived in town. The convoy included a tractor-trailer with Swain’s larger-than-life image on the side.

Women Voter members Mary Guthrie and

There to greet the convoy were a group

1850

The first (of many) National Women’s Rights conventions takes place

1869

Wyoming Territory grants women the right to vote

1870

Louisa Swain successfully votes in Laramie

1872

Susan B. Anthony arrested for voting in Rochester, New York

1878

A woman suffrage amendment is proposed in U.S. Congress. It is introduced and voted on many times again before it is finally passed in 1920

of women in white outfits and hats, with gold and purple sashes that read “Votes for Women.” The women belong to a Cheyenne League of Women Voters acting troupe who perform the play “Wonderful Wyoming Women Voters” at various events around the state. The 20-minute play, written by Cheyenne League of

1893

Rosalind Routt Schliske, tells the story of the women’s vote in Wyoming. The play “Wonderful Wyoming Women Voters” is available for groups to perform. For more information, find your local chapter of Wyoming League of Women Voters by visiting wyominglwv.org.

Abigail Adams asks her husband, John, to grant women more rights under the new American government

1920

Colorado and New Zealand grant women voting rights. By 1913, women have the right to vote in eight countries and 10 U.S. states

THE WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT

Votes for Women

PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee wears a “Votes for Women” mask during a commemorative ceremony for women’s suffrage in Cheyenne on September 4. Among her responsibilities as clerk, Lee oversees elections for the county.

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified in Congress, giving women the right to vote For more information, visit the National Women's History Museum at womenshistory.org. OCT 2020

CENTERPIECE

Training Wind Technicians

INSTRUCTOR SHARES A DIFFICULT, DIRTY, BUT REWARDING JOB

LCCC student Logan Prenger signals during a hoist of equipment at the base of a wind turbine on F.E. Warren Air Force Base near Cheyenne in December 2019. Students were taking part in the maintenance of the turbine.

Imagine

LCCC students from left, Logan Prenger, Danial Aspen, Jay Lee and Sean Zofcin listen to instructor Steve Hrkach, center.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

working in a job where you must maintain and repair electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems. Not just one of those systems. All of them.

A quick-thinking mind is vital if you want to be a successful wind tech. In addition to being mechanically inclined, a wind tech must be able to think when they encounter an electrical fault, HrKach said during a telephone interview. You must be physically strong, and strongwilled as well. You need to be a quick thinker and a good problem-solver, and you should work well with a team. Staying warm in the winter can be difficult, but in the summer, the temperature in the work environment can swell past 100 degrees. Workplace safety is a primary concern. Now, mentally move that job up a 300-foot ladder, and you begin to understand what it takes to be a wind turbine technician; wind tech for short.

“Being a wind tech, you have to be a jackof-all-trades, and you have to be an expert in all of them,” said Steve HrKach, wind technology instructor at Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne. “It’s dirty, it’s hard, and it takes strength and brains.”

“You need to be able to do math, and you have to have good writing skills,” he said. “The notes you take have to be pretty concise. You need to convey the most information in the least amount of words. The next person needs to know what you did, and what you didn’t do.”

In fact, Mike Rowe did a “Dirty Jobs” television episode about being a wind technician a few years ago.

The reward: pride in a job well done and a starting pay scale of $19-23 per hour, with full benefits and a good chance you’ll get hired.

“Your dog might not recognize you at the end of the day,” HrKach said. “I’ve come home with globs of grease in my hair.”

“There’s a huge manpower shortage now,” HrKach said. OCT 2020

mechanical or hydraulic experience, and help them become qualified, capable wind technicians in two years, HrKach said. He added that many of the skills taught in the wind tech program apply to other electrical or mechanical careers as well.

career

HrKach spent 25 years in the Air Force, maintaining Minuteman missiles in silos that extend 50 feet into the ground. Then he switched to working 300 feet above ground to maintain and repair wind turbines. After training as a wind tech, then working on wind turbines for four years, HrKach began his current position with the Wind Energy Program at LCCC, teaching the wind techs of the future. LCCC’s program is designed to take a person who has no electrical,

LCCC students Logan Prenger, Danial Aspen, Jay Lee and Sean Zofcin prepare to enter the base of a wind turbine.

OCT 2020

Each semester’s classes build upon the knowledge and skills taught during previous semesters, so students must take classes in the order they’re offered. Because of the program’s sequential structure, “these students are with each other from the beginning to the end. ... We become pretty tight as a group,” HrKach said. LCCC Wind Energy Program students vary from traditional high school graduates, to people who are returning to school after a few years, to older, nontraditional students who want to change to a different career. Approximately two or three (10-20 percent) of his students every year are female, and they generally do very well, HrKach said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE

STARTING A

“I almost think we should change this to an industrial maintenance program with an emphasis on wind,” he said. “These skills are needed everywhere in industry.”

safety

PLANNING FOR

Wind techs must be wellversed on all aspects of safety precautions. Students learn safety standards set by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), and ANSI (American National Standards Institute).

They must understand the dangers involved in other processes as well.

“It could be a bolt 50 mm [1.5 inches] thick that they torque to 3,000 foot-pounds [the energy required to raise 3,000 pounds by 1 foot],” HrKach said. “If you put your hand between the wrench and what it’s reacting on, the pressure will crush your hand.”

“You don’t want to have to say, ‘Yeah, I saw that, but I didn’t say anything,’” he said. Safety violations can result in immediate firing, HrKach said.

Logan Prenger has some good answers to that question.

Prenger said he visited Wyoming as a high school senior to do some rock climbing, and he fell in love with the state.

Prenger, who completed Laramie County Community College’s Wind Energy program in May, said working as a wind tech keeps him in shape for the rock-climbing sport he loves. His wind tech career took half the time to train for than anything requiring a four-year college degree. It pays very well, and it’s a growing field.

Prenger attended a semester at a university in Missouri before changing to the two-year wind tech program at LCCC. He said the program taught him to maintain and repair electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems, and how to use programmable logic controllers.

For example, wind techs use hydraulic torque wrenches to check power poles.

That’s often handled by a simple conversation, HrKach said, such as: ‘Look, you need to fix this, or I’m going to call the supervisor. If it’s not fixed, you’re going to get hurt, or I’m going to get hurt.’

“LCCC is frequently cited as one of the top 10 wind tech programs in the country, and it’s in a place I love to be,” he said.

“I was attracted to wind energy specifically,” Prenger said in a telephone interview. “I was looking for a faster avenue to joining the workforce and supporting myself. I’m not a big fan of programs that take a four-year degree.”

They learn to tie off with a safety cable while climbing a 300-foot ladder, or when they’re on the outside of a wind turbine.

It’s also important for wind techs to be willing to speak up when they see something that’s not done correctly.

Wind technicians have to train and work hard, often under difficult and unpleasant conditions. What would motivate anyone to do that?

WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

LCCC students Logan Prenger and Jay Lee perform maintenance inside a wind turbine.

“I always had plans to come out West, but wind gave me an opportunity to come out here a lot sooner,” he said. Prenger lives in Cheyenne and works at the Happy Jack Wind Farm for Duke Energy. A site manager hired him and a friend “on the spot” just two days after they graduated, based on their training, he said. “People tend to know about the LCCC program and that it turns out good technicians,” he said. Being a wind tech keeps Prenger in shape for rock climbing, and rock climbing keeps him physically fit for his work on wind turbines. Both involve working with ropes, being safety conscious, and other challenges and rewards. “It’s extremely fulfilling,” Prenger said of his work. “It doesn’t feel like a dead-end job. It doesn’t feel like a 9-5 job or something you’re just doing every day. It feels like a lot more than that.”

300 Feet

WORKING AT

LCCC student Danial Aspen checks the exterior of a wind turbine.

Successful wind techs learn to reason and figure things out for themselves, such as reading schematics and diagrams. Complex by nature, the fact that different companies use different symbols in their schematics and diagrams, and put them in different places, makes understanding them even more challenging. The ability to think critically is one of the most important skills required to be a good wind tech, HrKach said. “I think that’s something that’s missing these days,” he said. “People are used to being able to Google the answer.” Planning ahead for a job and anything that might come up during the maintenance or repair of a wind turbine is important as well. If, for instance, a wind tech needs to replace a yaw drive (the drive that turns the turbine to face the wind), they have to make sure they have the right slings, shackles and tools to do the job, and rags to clean up afterward. They must be able to perform the correct safety checks, torque the bolts and verify the correct torque pressure, HrKach said.

The time to prepare and gather tools, supplies and equipment is before starting a job, not after they’ve climbed 300 feet. If they forget or drop something, or bring the wrong wrench size, they must climb back down, get the missing item(s) and climb back up, often resulting in a delay of an hour or more, he said. “Get the manual and go over it the night before, read up about the procedure, but understand it may not tell you everything you need to know,” he said. About 10-14 students graduate from the wind tech program every year, HrKach said. The demand for wind techs is so high right now that about a third of them are offered jobs before they graduate. Some even enter the workforce ahead of graduation. When that happens, HrKach helps them catch up on the weekends if they wish to complete the program. “I want my students to be successful,” he said. W Ilene Olson is a freelance photographer, writer and editor in Powell.

KIDS' CORNER

Wind Turbine Techs in Wyoming

02 01

Wyoming Workforce Services counted 160 wind turbine technicians working in Wyoming in March 2019 and reported their average wage at $22.49 per hour.

What do Wind Turbine Service Technicians do?

These high-climbers perform maintenance and repair work on wind turbines, sometimes 300 feet above the ground!

UP GROW

WHEN

t to I wan

be a

rbine u T d n Wi

Tech

How to Become a Wind Turbine Tech After graduating high school, you’ll need to attend a vocational school and earn a wind tech certification or a certification in a similar technical field.

Tools of the Trade What does a wind tech need to work every day?

Circle the correct items. 05

Wind Tech Quiz There are so many wind technicians working in Wyoming! What else do you know about wind power in the state?

a. 100

c. 2,500

b. 1,000

d. 10,000

2) In Wyoming, 85% of electricity produced comes from coal-fired power plants. How much comes from wind turbines??

Sources: Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Indeed.com, U.S. Energy Information and Administration Department.

a. 0

c. 9%

b. 5%

d. 15%

Answers: 1) b 2) c

1) How many wind turbines are in service in Wyoming?

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CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

JACK DARNELL 

Jeffrey City Cowboy BY ILENE OLSON

Former rural electric board member inducted into Cowboy Hall of Fame

For three-quarters of a century, Jack Darnell of Jeffrey City spent most of his time riding a horse and caring for cattle. He’s done it for so long, and so well, that Darnell, now 94, was inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame in September. But that isn’t his first recognition for volunteerism or valor.

Darnell is a former Hot Springs Rural Electric Association board member. His time on the board ended in 1997, when that co-op merged with Riverton Valley Electric Association to create High Plains Power (HPP) rural electric cooperative. Current HPP board member Matt Brown, who also served on the Hot Springs board at that time, said there were 12 seats on the new HPP board, and almost twice that many board members between Hot Springs and Riverton Valley. Darnell, who remembered a time without electricity, was very invested in the board. Even so, he chose to give up his seat at that time. "He did it gracefully," Brown said. Brown said he thinks of Darnell as honest and straightforward, "pretty quiet, but when he did talk, you wanted to listen."

OCT 2020

Born in Riverton and raised outside of Lander, Darnell began his ranching career in 1946 when he returned home from three years of service with the Marines during World War II. He was just shy of his 20th birthday. He returned as a Purple Heart recipient after he was struck by a sniper’s bullet during the five-week-long battle of Iwo Jima.* Darnell got a job as a cowboy on the Pitchfork Ranch near Meeteetse, beginning the career that would occupy most of his life. His marriage to his wife, Geraldine, in 1949 resulted in a brief interruption in his cowboying career. “Ranch workers only got paid about $150 a month,” Darnell said. He figured he’d need to earn more to support a wife and a family, so he went to work on an oil rig. It didn’t take long for him to realize that, although he was earning more money, it also cost more to live while following a drilling rig from place to place, and he was separated from his young family much of the time. So, he gladly said goodbye to the oil rig and the extra money and went back to the work he loved, this time on the Flagg Ranch in the Jeffrey City area. Money was still tight, but he enjoyed working with horses and cattle and being with his family. “Working on ranches didn’t pay a whole lot, but … it kept the kids fed and the wolf away from the door,” he said. Ranch work is seasonal in nature: calving in March and April; herding and branding cattle in late spring and early summer; growing and stacking or baling hay in the summer; weaning the calves and rounding up the herd in the fall; and feeding cattle to get them through the winter. Each came with rewards and challenges. 24

OCT 2020

“Trying to save them little buggers when the snow is blowing is a challenge, all right,” Darnell said. “You’d have to pack them in.” But making his way through the snowpacked willows by the Sweetwater River to find the calves was no easy thing. And getting a tiny, chilled calf away from its protective mother could be harder still.

Jack Darnell rides the range.

“I tried to explain to them I was trying to help their calves, but the old cows didn’t listen. She just knocks the starch out of you. I got knocked flat a time or two, but nothing got broke.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKIE DARNELL

RANCH LIFE

During late-winter and early-spring storms, Darnell had to go looking for newborn calves.

Another big challenge was making sure you had enough hay to last the winter, Darnell said. “You hoped you had enough to last until spring,” he said. “Years ago, the trucking system wasn’t like it is now. There just wasn’t hay available. A lot of cattle starved and froze.” Darnell said cold weather was a challenge for him as well, but he knew where to go to weather a storm. “I can’t think of any time when I couldn’t find any shelter in a storm. But I can think of a lot of times when I got too hot,” he said. His daughter, Polly Burch, recalled ranch life when Darnell and his partner, Floyd Kreb, ran up to 1,200 cattle on four ranches.

“Every fall, they rounded up all the yearlings off the Red Desert, and a lot of people came along to help. “Once you left Jeffrey City, you didn’t really have another fence until Rock Springs,” Burch said. A lot of times, those yearlings would go clear to Rock Springs.” Darnell and Geraldine moved into Jeffrey City from the Flagg Ranch in 1988 or ‘89, Burch said. “Then we just had the Clayter place and the Hoffmaster place running.”

SOMETHING TO DO Geraldine died in 1996, and Krebs died in the late 1990s. Darnell gave up the ranch leases in about 2000, Burch said. But that didn’t end his love of ranching. “He still goes out and helps the neighbors all the time,” Burch said. “His idea of fun is fixing fence or going out and getting firewood.” Burch said her father still helps feed his cows on the nearby JJ Ranch in the wintertime, or whenever his help is needed. “This is the first year he hasn’t done it on a horse,” she added. Darnell said he likes to stay busy outdoors. Jack Darnell, left, receives the Thomas Jefferson Award from Ralph Estell of the National Weather Service Riverton office.

“I ride in my pick-‘em-up and try to find something to do every day or so,” he said. “I can watch water wells and keep gates shut. For an old codger in his 90s, I’m pretty healthy.”

THOMAS JEFFERSON AWARD Darnell’s life of service includes keeping faithful records of the daily temperature and precipitation in Jeffrey City— something he’s done for the National Weather Service for 32 years. “It’s not very complicated, I guarantee you,” he said. “I record it on a form here by my chair and call it into the weather bureau in Riverton at 8 o’clock.” The National Weather Service honored Darnell with the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award earlier this year. The award is presented to only five weather observers nationwide each year.

Ilene Olson is a freelance photographer, writer and editor in Powell.

Jack Darnell as a young Marine.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKIE DARNELL

“I tried to explain to them I was trying to help their calves, but the old cows didn’t listen. She just knocks the starch out of you. I got knocked flat a time or two, but nothing got broke.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RIVERTON OFFICE

*For more information about Jack Darnell and Iwo Jima, read the article “Pfc. Jack Darnell, Jeffery City,” published by the Casper Star Tribune on Apr 24, 2011. OCT 2020

BOOK REVIEW

Jerry’s Story BY ROBERT W. SCHRADER DESCRIPTION BY THE AUTHOR

Jerry Burkley is a Deputy Sheriff in a fictional town and county in Wyoming. Jerry and others tell about his military experiences in Vietnam as a warrant officer helicopter pilot. Jerry meets, among other interesting people, an Army officer who becomes president of the United States. “Jerry’s Story” intertwines with a modern day western, chasing bank robbers through the mountains by airplane and on horses, Jerry’s progress as a deputy to becoming the sheriff of Banner County, Wyoming, with a little bit of romance thrown in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob Schrader has engaged in many occupations (his wife says he can't keep a job). Those occupations included licensed embalmer, horse wrangler, Army officer, commercial pilot, attorney, justice of the peace, judge and school teacher, and that's not a complete list! Bob was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He served a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam as a combat medic (physician's assistant). He also served in the Wyoming Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

ORDERING INFORMATION:

Name:

2019 | 297p. | $20 paperback | $30 hardcover ISBN: 978-1977207340 Publisher: Outskirts Press

Phone:

Available online at robertwschraderauthor.com, by email at burkleybooks@gmail.com, or by sending a check to 3615 Campstool Road, Cheyenne, WY 82007. The author is offering WREN readers a $5 discount on paperback copies.

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 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PUZZLE

Turn Right ... or was it Left? Help WREN’s rural vet navigate the confusing downtown district from: 1

the convention center to

the parking lot to

the hotel

Be sure to avoid road closures, pedestrian malls, and driving the wrong way down one-way streets. Despite how it seems, there may be several routes. In need of a navigator? Pick your way to page 38 for directions.

Dr. Bruce Connally’s story, “Turn Right at the Next Light,” inspired October’s puzzle. Enjoy it on the next page.

OCT 2020

HOME ON THE RANGE

without addresses, to treat my patients—but big city driving makes me nervous. The map that came with the conference registration showed streets around the convention center running at a diagonal to the rest of Denver streets. That concerned me a little, but the convention center was not very far east of I-25. I decided that if I got an early start on Sunday I would have plenty of time to find my hotel, check in, find some lunch, and make it to the convention center comfortably before any of the seminars began.

Turn Right at the Next Light to attend continuing veterinary education classes. It is fun to see old friends and learn new, exciting treatments and techniques. It is also required to maintain my license to practice veterinary medicine.

OCT 2020

Daylight is short on December afternoons. By the time I came out of the front door of the convention center it was completely dark. My phone mapped out the route back to the hotel. This time I was in the correct lane and stopped right in front of the hotel lobby. The hotel valet walked close to my one ton, four-door, long bed, fourwheel drive RAM truck, reached as high as he could with one arm and announced, “Your truck is too tall for our garage.”

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

Every year I go somewhere

Sunday morning found me driving into Denver. I was in the wrong lane to turn when I got there so just drove on by the hotel and down to the convention center. I parked the truck in a lot on a one-way street, paid the fee, and headed inside to find lunch. It would be just as easy to check into the hotel after the first day of seminars.

I flew to San Antonio last year and stayed in a hotel next door to the Alamo. This year it was in Denver, so I reserved a room in a hotel two blocks from the convention center. I planned to park the pickup at the hotel and walk back and forth to the conference. For more than 40 years I have been finding homes with rural addresses, or sometimes pastures

“What are my options?” “Park in the lot across the street. Go up to the next intersection, turn right, then turn right again, then turn right again, and you are there.” He turned his body with each right turn, pointing a finger into the darkness as if to show me the way. “Do you want me to take your luggage so you won’t have to carry it

back?” He took my suitcase and, with misgivings, I merged onto the one-way street in front of the hotel.

There were no valets outside to ask but I found my suitcase wedged in a corner behind one of the entrance pillars.

The next morning I was up at 5:30 a.m. A quick one-block jog found the truck right where The first intersection was the 16th I had left it. I purchased a new parking ticket and placed it on the dash beside the expired Street Mall. No right turn there. ticket. Things were working the way they were supposed to this morning but I was hungry. I drove past a young Back at the hotel, signs announcing breakfast led me down the hall to man with a skateboard I learned a new an escalator that deposited me on the first basement level. Around a by his side sitting on a treatment for sarcoid corner I found another escalator that led to the second basement level concrete planter. He was and breakfast. But I was missing my ticket. enthusiastically smoking tumors. I learned

something. At the next “You should have received tickets for breakfast when you checked in,” some physical stoplight I turned right, therapy techniques to said the young lady at the entrance to the dining hall. I turned around drove a block and turned and went back up the first and second escalators, then down the hall right at that stoplight. One rehabilitate injured to the front desk. more right turn put me on horses. And I learned a street that dead-ended “I need tickets for breakfast.” I stated to the clerk on duty. in front of the hotel. The that a four-door, “You should have gotten those when you checked in last night sir.” parking lot was one block one-ton, four-wheel ahead of me on a one-way “I should have, but I didn’t.” He searched under the counter and found street that came toward drive, long box Ram an envelope with my name on it. me. I had no choice but to pickup does not fit pass in front of the hotel “Here you go sir. Have a nice day!” in a hotel parking again. The skateboarder Driving home on Wednesday after the convention I was able to reflect on the Mall seemed a lot garage. on things I had learned. I learned a new treatment for sarcoid tumors. more mellow than I felt. I learned some physical therapy techniques to rehabilitate injured This round took me beside horses. And I learned that a four-door, one-ton, four-wheel drive, long box Ram pickup does the parking lot but the only entrance not fit in a hotel parking garage. was the wrong way down a one-way street. When I crossed the 16th Street Next year the convention is in Las Vegas. I can fly there in about the same time it took me to Mall for the third time the skateboard drive to Denver this year. Maybe I can find another veterinarian to split the taxi fare to the dude waved. Now I was on the right hotel with me. But if not, it’s okay. I will happily pay the whole fee if I do not have to drive. street but I could not get across traffic, W so back to the hotel. I was going around like the spin cycle on a washing machine. Dr. Bruce Connally practices equine medicine in central Wyoming and northern Colorado from his home The fourth try was a success. I pulled into the parking lot at 7 p.m., tired, hungry and cranky. The automated kiosk took my credit card and spit out a parking ticket that expired at midnight! I put the ticket on the dash hoping the truck would still be there in the morning and walked back to the hotel. “Do you know where the valet put my luggage?” I asked the clerk. “No sir. The valet went off duty.” Fatigue was replaced by frustration. I searched the lobby unsuccessfully.

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OCT 2020

COUNTRY COOKS

BEANS GREEN CHILI BEAN CASSEROLE 1 LB HAMBURGER 1 CAN STOKES GREEN CHILI SAUCE 1 CAN BLACK BEANS 1 SMALL CHOPPED ONION 1 CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP 3 POTATOES (PEELED, CHOPPED AND BOILED) 1 (8 OZ.) PACKAGE COLBY JACK SHREDDED CHEESE Steam hamburger and onion in pot on stovetop. Once that is cooked, add all other ingredients in the pot except for the shredded cheese. Mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

JENNIFER ROBERTS

FARSON

1 CAN SHOEPEG CORN 1 CAN BLACK-EYED PEAS 1 CAN BLACK BEANS 1 CAN NAVY BEANS 1/2 CUP CHOPPED CELERY 1 GREEN PEPPER 1 RED PEPPER 1/2 CUP RED ONION 1 CAN GREEN CHILIES OR JALAPENOS

Bring to boil:

ONE CAN (1 LB) KIDNEY, CHILI OR PINTO BEANS, UNDRAINED

When cool pour over vegetables and refrigerate. Best if made the night before serving.

ONE SMALL ONION, CHOPPED (ABOUT 1/2 CUP)

ONE CAN (1 LB) BUTTER BEANS, UNDRAINED 1 LB GROUND BEEF 1/4 -1/2 LB BACON, CUT INTO PIECES 1/2 CUP KETCHUP 2 TBS WHITE VINEGAR 1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR

Drain beans, corn and chilies; then stir together.

MARILYN NORMAN

CHEESE OCT 2020

ONE CAN (1 LB) PORK AND BEANS, UNDRAINED

1 CUP SUGAR 1/2 CUP OIL 1/2 TSP PEPPER 3/4 CUP VINEGAR

1 TBS DRY MUSTARD SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

CHEYENNE

Over medium heat brown bacon, ground beef and onion; drain fat. Combine beans with ketchup, vinegar, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Mix beef mixture with bean mixture and pour into a 9x11 greased casserole or large pot and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Can use a slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

BONNIE CARMIN

MOORCROFT

Send complete recipe by November March 10! 10! Please include your name, address and phone number.

DECEMBER:

CALICO BEANS CASSEROLE

WYOMING CAVIAR

SUBMIT A RECIPE

772-1968  wren@wyomingrea.org |  [307] 286-8140  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PEN TO PAPER

LOUISE DAVIS

MOUNTAIN VIEW

A group of men loved to go

The cowboy was lost and he didn’t know

Chase wild horses a long time ago

Where he was, so he said a little prayer

Catching and breaking them to ride

He knew God was with him and

There would be more next time to follow

He knew he would always care

One weekend when they were intent

But all of a sudden he saw

On going out and catching some more

What he thought was a light

One cowboy’s horse pulled up lame

He had located his crew

And he knew the score

Out there in the dark night

The rest moved on to catch

One of the cowboys had struck

More horses while it was light

A match to light his smoke

But darkness rolled in and the cowboys

And it led the lost cowboy

Were soon; out of sight

To the rest of the folks The moral to this story Never give up faith and hope

The

Someone is looking out for you

Light

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.

He will always help you to cope

Put Your Pen to Paper!

Please include your name, address, and phone number. SUBMIT A PIECE

 wren@wyomingrea.org |  [307] 286-8140  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

OCT 2020

WHAT'S HAPPENING

WHAT'S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP

03 04

OCT 20 – NOV 20

VIRTUAL

02 | NORTHEAST

NOVEMBER 5-6

GILLETTE

Innovations in Learning Conference: Opportunity for educators to share and explore innovative teaching and learning practices. $25, info Wyoming Department of Education, 307-777-7675.

01 | SOUTHEAST C H U G WAT E R

 Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, events may be postponed or canceled. Please call ahead before attending events.

FEATURED EVENT

ONGOING

Bingo: 7p, Community Hall, info 307-710-4045.

YODER WOMAN’S CLUB PHEASANT HUNT DINNER

YODER COMMUNITY CENTER INFO 307-689-2746

SOUTHEAST 32

OCT 2020

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. Learn about the unique work of these women, the sacrifices they made, and the impact their service had on the war effort. 9a-5p Mon-Sat, Campbell County Rockpile Museum, free, info 307-682-5723, abeenken@ccgov.net.

HULETT

YODER

Saturday from 11a-1p serving hamburger, chili, salad and pie. Sunday from 11a-1p serving chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, roll, salad and pie. Coffee and pie from 8:30a each day.

Levis and Lace: Square dance club will give modern square dance lessons, 7:30p, Rockpile Community Center, free trial lessons, info 307-660-7207.

ONGOING

FOURTH TUESDAYS

Annual Woman’s Club dinner raises funds for charities and scholarships. Dine in or take out available.

TUESDAYS

ENCAMPMENT

MEDICINE BOW

NOVEMBER 7-8

Powder River Antique and Craft Bonanza: Antiques will be on display and various vendors will be selling their homemade items, Energy Hall at CAM-PLEX, free to enter, info lcfresearch42@gmail.com.

Live Music: Buffet closed, music venue open. Stampede Saloon & Eatery, info 307-422-3200, stampedefun@aol.com.

Grand Encampment Museum: Main Gallery and GEM store open Tue-Sat 10a-4p, info 307-327-5308.



OCTOBER 24-25

ONGOING

TORRINGTON THURSDAYS TO OCTOBER 22

Torrington Farmers’ Market: 4-6p, Main Street, info 307-532-3879.

Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a-4p Mon-Fri, free, info 307-467-5292.

NEWCASTLE FRIDAYS

Bingo: 7:30p, VFW Hall, free.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

OCT 20 – NOV 20

04 | SOUTHWEST

SECOND & FOURTH WEDNESDAYS

GiGi’s Closet: Providing free gentlyused clothing for the family. 9a-1p, First United Methodist Church, info 307-746-4119.

UPTON ONGOING

Upton Gun Club Events: 5-Stand Shotgun Course, 5p $5; Trap Shooting, $5, 5p. 2579 State Hwy 116N, info 307-281-9980, rrrothleutner@yahoo.com. WEDNESDAYS

All You Can Eat Buffet: Drinks and desserts included, 5-8p, Upton Golf Course, $10, $7 seniors, info 307-468-2847. MONDAYS & THURSDAYS

LANDER OCTOBER 23-24

Halloween Night at the Museum: Decorations, spooky stories, crafts, hayrides, hot cocoa, treats and a campfire. Costumes encouraged for kids of all ages. 6-9p, Pioneer Museum, $4, info 307-332-3339, fremontcountymuseums.com.

Zumba: 4p, Senior Center, $5, info 307-391-0223. TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS

OCTOBER 24

Guns, Boots and Brands: Kiwanis gala at 6p with dinner, silent and live auctions of guns and artwork. Live music starts at 9p and is open to the public under separate admission. Lander Community & Convention Center, info 307-3323892, info@landerchamber.org. SATURDAYS

DUBOIS OCTOBER 24

Halloween at the Museum: Treats, crafts and fun. Halloween costumes encouraged. 6p, Dubois Museum, $3, info 307-455-2284, fremontcountymuseums.com. THIRD WEDNESDAYS

Wyoming Health Fairs Monthly Wellness Screen/Blood Draw: 7-10a, Dubois Medical Clinic, appointments encouraged, info 307-455-2516, whf.as.me/dubois.

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Send complete information for the December issue’s events by

NOVEMBER 10!

Indoor Archery: 12-8:30p, 2741 N. Hwy 116, $5, info 307-468-2506.

03 | NORTHWEST

F O RT B R I D G E R

Farmers’ Market: Fresh produce, meats, dairy, baked goods, homemade crafts and live music. 9-11:30a, Lander City Park, info facebook.com/ landervalleyfarmersmarket.

R I V E RTO N SATURDAYS

Fremont County Master Gardeners Saturday Market: From 9-11a throughout the winter, Fremont County Fairgrounds Lunchroom, info 307-851-7562.

Please remember that events from the 20th of December to the 28th of February are included in the December issue.WREN does not print a January issue.

OCTOBER 24

Halloween Trick-or-Treat: Walk a solar lighted path, get spooked by volunteers, receive candy at historic buildings, and end with hot beverages and a hayride back to your vehicle. 6:30-9p, Fort Bridger State Historic Site, $5, 5 and under free, info 307-782-3842. TUESDAYS

Bingo: 6p, American Legion Hall, info 307-780-5489.

Be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event. Photos are always welcome.

M O U N TA I N V I E W Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.

SECOND WEDNESDAYS

 wren@

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.

 [307] 286-8140

ONGOING

QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:

wyomingrea.org

 214 W. Lincolnway

Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

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.

OCT 2020

01 02

Wind propelled, Kara Badura, Riverton

Deer in spring blizzard, Carrie Miller, Laramie

Moose the farm dog, Nicole McClure, Gillette

Reserved for Mary Poppins, Sylvia McKee, Kinnear

JUST PICTURE IT

THIS MONTH:

WIND 34

OCT 2020

DEC (DUE NOV 10):

FEB (DUE DEC 10):

MUSIC

LIFE OUT WEST

06 05

Red, white and blue, Dianalee Prime, Wheatland

Never let the breeze up, Marilyn Norman, Cheyenne

Snowblower to the rescue, Rebecca Stoddard, Sundance

Wyoming wind sock, Dale Link, Cheyenne

Blowing in the breeze, Lauree Scott, Gillette

Repairing stock wells, Paul Oedekoven, Gillette

08 09 10

 wren@wyomingrea.org SUBMIT A P H OTO

 214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions Please include your name, hometown and a title.

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®. If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. OCT 2020

ENLIGHTEN US

Mark Twain once said, “Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.”

Electric Skies BY WALT GASSON

OCT 2020

You get an appreciation for lightning

as ranchers and farmers. And as you

when you live out here in the sagebrush

might expect, the summer months

sea, especially in the summer. Every

of June, July and August are the peak

afternoon, the big thunderheads start

months for both outdoor activities and

building up over the mountains to the

lightning strikes. Weekends account

west. They roll on over us—all too often

for far more lightning-related fatalities

without blessing us with a single drop

than other days of the week. How do

A lightning bolt can

deliver up to a billion

volts of electricity, and

about 100 of them strike

the earth’s surface every second somewhere.

of rain—and in the late

I know all these fascinating facts?

afternoon or early evening

Why, because the National Lightning

they wreak all kinds of havoc

Safety Council published a paper on

east of us. Frog-drowning

this topic, concluding that “Continued

rain and hail as big as

efforts are needed to convince people

volleyballs is always just part of the summertime drill over

to move inside to a safe place before the lightning threat becomes significant.

there in Laramie County.

For many outdoor activities, situational

But like old Sam Clemens

essential to safety.” *

said, lightning is the real mover and shaker out here on the range. My dad was straight up head-shy about it. I remember coming up to an allotment fence with him one day on horseback. Being only about 10 at the time, I wasn’t cowboy enough to get through the gate without dismounting. So I got off and went to open the gate. He was looking off in the distance, thinking about something. Just as I touched the wire loop, there was a peal of thunder that startled both the old man and the horses. He looked at me and immediately went into emergency mode, delivering a stirring (and stern) sermon on the

awareness and proper planning are

Little did I know that my father was a lightning safety expert. But a lifetime spent in the outdoors in Wyoming has convinced me that it is not sufficient to live my life based on the old man’s accomplishments. It’s up to me to do something with that knowledge. And I have a plan. From now on when people call me for fishing advice, I know just what to tell them. “Come on up any summer weekend,” I say. “Bring your brother and your brother-in-law. Be sure to fish in the afternoon, because that’s when they’re really biting. And hold that fly rod up good and high ... !"

perils of connecting yourself to a wire

After all, Mark Twain also said, “The

fence when there was lightning

trouble ain’t that there is too many

bouncing around.

fools, but that the lightning ain’t

It was a legitimate concern. A lightning

distributed right.” W

bolt can deliver up to a billion volts of electricity, and about 100 of them strike the earth’s surface every second somewhere. During the period from

Walt Gasson is a fourth-generation Wyoming native and the director of endorsed businesses for Trout Unlimited.

2006-2019, 418 people were struck and killed by lightning in the U.S. Males accounted for 79 percent of those fatalities—no big surprise there, as anyone who’s ever spent time in the company of men can tell you. Fishermen were the biggest targets—twice as high

*A Detailed Analysis of Lightning Deaths in the United States from 2006 through 2019, John S. Jensenius, Jr., Lightning Safety Specialist, National Lightning Safety Council, February 2020.

OCT 2020

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Need Help? Looking for information? Don't know where to turn? WYOMING 2-1-1 CAN HELP!

Wyoming 2-1-1 is a free and confidential service that provides information and referrals to local community services that can help you with your most critical and urgent needs.

PUZZLE ON PAGE 27

DOWNTOWN MAZE

Turn Right ... or was it Left? This is just one solution, how many can you find? 3

Dial 2-1-1 or 888-425-7138 Visit www.wyoming211.org Text your zip code to 898211

MOVE OVER W YO M I N G !

WYDOT’s Travel Information System is the one and ONLY source for up-to-the-minute road and travel information. Take road condition information with you. Get the WYOMING 511 app.

I T ’ S T H E L AW ! Drivers in Wyoming are required to move over or slow down for stopped emergency and utility crews.

OCT 2020

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.

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.

MISCELLANEOUS

11.

BUSINESS CONSULTING

12.

FOR RENT

13.

HELP WANTED

14.

DOGS

15.

EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT

16.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

17.

TRAVEL & RECREATION

18.

HEALTH

19.

PERSONAL

20. FREE

02 | FOR SALE

07 | WANTED

Gun Store – Very fine retail gun operation currently located in Colorado for sale. Supports and promotes local gun enthusiasts with ammunition, targets, protective gear, classes, indoor small arms training simulator, plus new and used pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Store currently operated by employees who are experienced hunters, shooters and instructors. Public range nearby. All offers will be considered. Out-of-state owner. Store is exceptionally successful right now. Contact christina.li1967@gmail.com.

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.

New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service & advice. Available for most makes. Thanks. 307-754-3757. Pullets, Hens and Roosters. Many varieties. Buffalo, WY. 307-684-7067. 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.

Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests. Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201. We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/Gas Interests producing & non-producing. 800-733-8122.

10| MISCELLANEOUS $Cash for old cars$ 1900-1970, 2 doors, convertibles, regardless of condition any 1930’s cars, early power wagons, Jeeps, Broncos, Volkswagen buses. Randy Erwin, rerwin@wyoming.com, 307-212-1341, Sheridan.

20 | FREE 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.

OCT 2020

EXPERIENCEWWIIPOW

CAMP DOUGLAS DOUG LAS

uring World War II, Douglas was home to the primary prisoner of war camp for Wyoming. There were 17 satellite camps throughout Wyoming.

Construction of the camp began early in 1942; the first prisoners to arrive at the camp were 412 Italians on Aug. 28, 1943. The camp was over a square mile in size and comprised of 180 buildings, which housed up to 2,000 Italian and 3,000 German POWs and 500 army personnel from the spring of 1943 to the winter of 1946. During the camp’s use it was larger than the town of Douglas. One prisoner at the camp was quoted saying, “We never had it so good.” For many of the prisoners, it was the first time since being drafted that they had clean clothes, a warm bed, good food and health care. Prisoners at the camp ranged from 14 to 80 years old.

 ARtIfACtS ON DISPLAy  VIDEO PRESENtAtION OffICERS CLUb  POW MURALS

FIND WESTERN ADVENTURE IN Wyoming Pioneer Museum

115 S. RIVERBEND DOUGLAS, WYOMING 307-358-9288

DOUGLAS Wyo. Douglas Railroad Museum & Visitor Center

Ayres Natural Bridge Park Historic Fort Fetterman

MORE AT CONVERSECOUNTYTOURISM.COM