Your source for news in Hot Springs County
Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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A friend of mine writing for the state paper concluded a litany of experiences growing up in the early days of the 20th century including the outhouse, lack of running water, coal burning stoves etc. He concluded with a comment that idealistic progressives would certainly eventually do us in as a civilization. Because that probably describes me, I got to thinking about whether those idealistic progressives have really had that much to do with the current condition of our beloved country, and I concluded that he was absolutely correct. Some...
People who study cultures have often written and maintained the “territoriality” of groups they study. That seems to me to be a very elitist way of saying there’s no place like home. That was brought “home” to me by a recent visit by my sister-in-law and my niece. They were very pleased with themselves for having driven nearly the width of the country from their home in Georgia to California to Oregon to here from whence they would continue their travels on the way to Minnesota and home again. While I admired the energy of my eighty-ye...
If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it repeatedly; words count. As a retired English and writing teacher, I’ve lost track of the times I’ve used that phrase or one that was similar in meaning. I emphasized making the words convey as accurately as possible content when you wanted the hearer or reader to understand your meaning or feeling. In a public setting, there were ways of conveying your emotions that were not acceptable, and those that were. People were scandalized by the recorded words of a former president copied from tapes made that wer...
Recently I had the pleasure of renewing my bridge partnership with a close personal friend from Worland. We competed (not too well unfortunately) in a regional tournament in Casper over last weekend. After a break of some years from tournament action, it was an eye-opener to experience the competition again and to renew acquaintance with old friends and opponents. Amazingly, playing with teammates from the club in Worland, we won five matches and lost one on the last day of the tourney. The best part of the weekend was seeing the excitement...
Last week I made the annual trip to PBS to watch their presentation of “A Washington Fourth.” I was particularly pleased that the “Beachboys” were prominently featured on the program since they succeeded in reviving some happy days when the problems we faced were, or at least seemed, much smaller. What I didn’t see was as entertaining as the group. I didn’t see a single scowl among the large crowd gathered in the mall area. No signs of protest slogans, no policemen in riot gear, no megaphone announcements, and no one being pushed or pummeled...
Sixty plus years ago, Dad and I would arise at 4 a.m. in Torrington and have our lines in the water by first light at Glendo. We caught a ton (slight exaggeration) of fish there. As the years passed, as well as Dad, I began to realize that my mind wasn’t reliving the thrill of reeling in a good sized Rainbow, it was reveling in the warmth of a father/son relationship that transcended who could land the largest trout of the day though that competition was delightful. Worries, frets, regrets, and anxieties were left back in Torrington for Mom t...
Most teachers find after they have completed their Bachelors and spent a year in the classroom that it’s in their interest financially and professionally to seek a Masters in something...practically anything will be helpful to their career. Unfortunately, many interested in the three reasons to enter teaching (June, July, and August) soon find that they have been misled about the nature of the vocation they have undertaken. It seems there was an applicant for a high steel job in a city working on a high-rise project. Though he indicated he h...
The wounding of a Congressman should have absolutely shocked and disgusted the American people, but we have degenerated to the point that political points are being raised and argued from all directions, and little is being noted about what we’ve become in the age of terrorism. ISIS with its ultimate cruelty and disregard for humanity and human life has encouraged those with mental aberrations to believe that there is some kind of divine right that allows them to indiscriminately take actions which have no relevance to problem solving. H...
by Rex Clothier In 2003 when when my bride and I decided that this piece of Wyoming would be a good place to retire, and we found a cute little place that seemed to be calling our names, and somehow, as fate would have it, circumstances worked amazingly well to allow us to enter into home ownership a couple of years before the magic date of leaving our jobs (teaching) for the idyllic life of retirement. We met the friendly older gentleman whose home bordered ours, and looked forward to becoming neighbors when we actually moved onto the property...
Six Bobcat wrestlers finished the season with more than half of their matches ending in victory. Leading the team were Cullen Becher (40-15),Koy Myers (36-17), Austen Ireland (18-11), Jonathan Harvey (16-11), Blake Williams (14-10), and Riley Shaffer (12-11). One might expect Becher to be the Take Down Master based simply on his record and success at the state tourney. He led the team with 47 of the two point moves. More than half of the two point moves were team criteria and the prevue of a coming victory seeming to inspire the Bobcat to a max... Full story
At the Wyoming State High School Championships Friday and Saturday, Star Valley claimed the 3A title by outdistancing Powell by more than 90 points with their 266.5 points for their encore state title. The final event of the wrestling season was not the hoped for outcome for the Bobcats as they finished 14th of the 16 class 3A teams with 39 points. While all the state qualifiers save two managed at least one victory, only one, Cullen Becher (160 lbs.), managed to bring home a state medal for 5th place. Two other Bobcats, Koy Myers (145 lbs.)...
Fourteen Bobcat wrestlers journeyed to Wheatland last Friday with state tournament qualifying on their mind, and nine of them got the task done. “These guys were awesome,” praised Coach Scholl. “Getting nine qualifiers on a primarily sophomore and freshman team, especially at the 3A level with teams like Powell, Douglas, and Worland is an indication that our kids put forth a maximum effort. Two of our guys (Austin Ireland and Riley Shaffer) achieved results totally unexpected. Koy (Myers) overcame the pain of an injured elbow to record three...
With duals against both Lovell and highly rated Glenrock Thursday and Friday, the Bobcats faced a sizable challenge; especially with the effect of the local flu-bug and injury. It was not unexpected that the Bobcats would not be at their best but there were bright spots in both duals though the 'Cats were on the short end of 39-30 and 59-21 scores. Against Lovell, Michael Harvey (170 lbs.) started the Bobcats off with a narrow one point victory, 8-7, while giving up three takedowns. Harvey...
President-Elect Donald Trump told his fans that if he won, he wouldn’t question the outcome of the election, but if he didn’t, it would be only because the election was rigged. Heads I win; tails I win. He won, and he lost. He won because forever more he’ll be the outsider who overcame the odds to win the filthiest campaign in most people’s memory, and despite errors and incidents that would have doomed and did ordinary candidates of the past, he was re-markedly untouched and seemingly untroubled to any extent by the seriousness of charges...
My freshman civics teacher, Mr. Cormack, assigned many writing projects throughout the year requiring him to repeat his favorite admonition to be “brief, concise, and to the point.” When he assigned a paper extolling the right to vote, I took him seriously and wrote, “If people don’t vote, our country will die. But what if they vote wrong?” Mr. Cormack responded, “Mr. Clothier, it is possible to be TOO brief, concise, etc.” Given the state of our election campaigns, I’ve been thinking of historians’ controversies 1000 years in the future (sh...
Every few years, almost on cue, religion seems to enthusiastically enter politics as though this country should somehow become a theocracy with democratic overtones instead of a democracy separated from religion by its Constitution. As a Christian, I gladly accept and proclaim Jesus’ role in my life and salvation, and wish for others the fulfilling life possible when filled with His Spirit. As a citizen of the United States of America, I declare and defend my right to form my own political philosophy, and make my own political decisions. M...
Harvey Seidel has made the enforcement of laws through our legal system a First Amendment issue. His point is that the individuals moral sensibility should absolve him/her from the responsibility of carrying out the intent of the law, but what he really wants to say is that same-sex marriage is morally wrong and should not be allowed on that basis. What he wants to argue is the individual’s right to resist doing his/her duty on the basis ones personal belief of the law’s immorality, but such an argument is like trying to hit a baseball wit...
There was a time in my life when the three necessities were a roof over my head, food on the table and a beat-up, well-used baseball mitt on my hand . . . and I wasn’t sure about the roof. Summer was viewed by youngsters then pretty much as it is now — a time of “hanging out" with friends doing whatever the moment presented as long as it had something to do with a bat and ball. Dad was home from the war, we were in the first home that was ours and not somebody else’s, and “Ike” was President. The Russians were a million miles away, and our des...
A poem I once read and taught from spoke to the heart about a trip by the poet to the home of his youth. In it, he spoke of how much smaller than his memories were the realities of the mountains, now barely hills, the river, now barely a creek, and the schools which seemed so large as he started his education, and now seemed so small as he returned from the city in which his life now unfolded. In celebration of last Memorial Day, my spouse and I drove to Torrington to visit Mom and Dad’s grave. I think of my parents often, and their r...
Once, long ago, when managing a Junior Babe Ruth team (13-15 years old), I drafted a young man of limited talent and one arm. There were a couple of competing managers who gave me that “you’re a good, brave man, but boy are you stupid!” look. For the next two years, I struggled to get him the playing time the league demanded, and yes there were times that he was unable to make plays because of his handicap, but only twice in two years (32 games) was his handicap instrumental in losses. Before the season after his fifteenth birthday, he conta...
It once was thought that a medical bill adding up to a million dollars was a catastrophic economic blow to a family from which it would likely never recover financially, but that was before organ transplants and other medical technologies now able to save life where previously no chance existed, but can cost much more than a million dollars now. In the early 70s, a friend’s daughter was born nearly three months premature. The bill reached over a half million dollars by the time the couple could take their child home. I lost contact with the f...
Trying to talk in a reasonable manner about gun legislation in Wyoming is like throwing rocks at a hornets’ nest from three feet and expecting the emerging residents to be thankful for the opportunity to meet you. So . . . let there be some common ground before the discussion starts. The 300 million or so firearms in the U.S. (100 million or so handguns) are not inherently evil, but they are dangerous if handled carelessly, improperly or criminally. Even the most ardent pro-gun advocates are appalled by the statistics of firearm deaths in t...
Donald Trump is boiling over more than usual from the frustration of watching past victories being eroded by curious math formulas that seem to deny the validity of voter preference. Bernie Sanders draws huge, enthusiastic crowds but would have to achieve nearly 65 percent in electoral victories to even close the gap on Hillary Clinton's lead. Our own Independent Record headlines "Democratic caucus evenly split" (Apr 14) when even a quick scan of the article reveals that Bernie Sanders won a double digit victory over Hillary Clinton state-wide...
Once a year, the best 16 qualifiers in each weight and class meet in Casper to determine the best program and high school wrestlers in each category. This year, 12 Thermopolis Bobcats made the trip to compete in the WHSAA State Championship Wrestling Tournament Friday and Saturday. Eight Cats scored points for a 71 total in 2A earning them 11th place in the 21 team competition, narrowly missing their top ten goal. As expected, Moorcroft repeated their championship (221.5) over challengers Rocky...
Tears, inside or out, of joy or grief, are the price one pays for the courage to compete and bond as teammates. This last weekend, as well as Monday, saw both the highs and lows of sports. Friday, the boys Bobcat basketball team visited Shoshoni for an all-important conference game which would determine who would end up playing a "pigtail game". The loss of a team leader, Keegan Robbins to injury, was entirely obvious at the start of the contest as the Bobcats scored a paltry three points in...
