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Your source for news in Hot Springs County
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Several times a month someone asks me what economic development is, or does. While economic development is unique to each community, there are basic building blocks intended to create a continual cycle of development. The Wyoming Economic Development Association has produced a series of “building blocks” to guide communities in Wyoming. Each level provides a foundation for the next. Most economic developers work on developing all tiers simultaneously. The first level of the building blocks is Leadership/Civic Development & the role of pub...
I know the kids are going to hate hearing this, but its just four more weeks til school starts! Most summer vacations have been taken and now its just the slow, hot move toward that first day of school. As a kid, I really looked forward to that first day of school. I grew up in a neighborhood with no other kids for blocks, so most of my summer was spent at the library, reading books or practicing my cursive writing. My grandmother would pick an article out of the paper every day to have me...
This is one of my most favorite weekends in Thermopolis -- All Class Reunion! Every year, Bobcats from across the country gather in this little place we called home to reminisce, see old friends and relive the good old days. (Not that we’re old. Really.) This is also a chance for alumni to visit their old stomping grounds, drag a few “mains” or maybe go down to Green Eye (realizing that water is a lot faster than we remember). Snider Point and the buffalo pasture are a must, and perhaps, if yo...
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...
This past weekend afforded me an interesting opportunity, as well as a reminder, to witness duality when dealing with nature, especially when it comes to water. The Wind River and Bighorn River have generated quite a bit of discussion and speculation over the past few weeks, what with the runoff and occasional rainstorm impacting just how fast they each are moving. Saturday, I watched as a couple groups navigated the river in the canyon, waves soaking and spinning them, even helping their rafts...
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...
This past Saturday I was honored to be able to shoot photos of a very heartwarming event, the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation flights provided to some of the veterans at the Wyoming Pioneer Home. I watched these gentlemen getting off the Pioneer Home bus, some walking on their own, some with walkers or canes and even some with oxygen – looked over at the open cockpit bi-plane, and wondered how this was going to work. What happened was amazing. The pilot, Mike Winterboer and his wife, D...
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...
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director We are only 53 days away from the 2017 Solar Eclipse. It is hard to believe that we have been planning for this event for almost 2 years. I have been surprised how many organizations have been involved in preparing for this “Once in a Lifetime” Event. Among the participants in these at these monthly planning meetings have been BLM, HSC Public Health, HSC Emergency Management, Mortimore Ambulance Service, HSC Search & Rescue, HSC Weed & Pest, HSCMH, Hot Springs State Park, HSC Planner, Town of The...
Mark your calendar for the Annual Gift of the Water Parade that is Saturday, August 5 at 10 a.m. The theme to this year’s parade is “Pages from the Ages — Celebrating over 100 years.” Many of our downtown buildings are celebrating their 100th birthday this year. It is amazing that we can look at some of the buildings and know that they have been there for at least a 100 years. The parade route is as follows: Line up starts at 9:30 a.m. on Arapahoe and Senior Avenue — make sure to check in and get your entry number. At 10 a.m. the parade wi...
We’ve talked a lot about spring and flowers and everything getting so green and beautiful right now, which got me to thinking about my grandmother and her little brother. In the old days, kids had to not only make their own fun, there was no such thing as an allowance, so in order to get treats, they had to use their ingenuity. My grandmother, Margaret, and her little brother, John, lived in Kirby as they were growing up. Their father, my great-grandfather, was the sheriff at the time. My g...
This past week I saw my oldest son graduate from his pre-school program, and dealt with a barrage of “why” as I tried to break down why he couldn’t go straight to kindergarten the next day. He has yet to grasp this concept of summer vacation, and I only hope his love for school holds out longer than it did his father’s — I lost it around third grade. For those students who recognize what we’re on the cusp of, it can mean a switch from learning to lounging or, in some cases, working through the...
I hope that the title of this column got your attention! It is an ill-kept secret that Thermopolis has a lot going on, and there are several different versions as to what the facts are. In an effort to communicate with the public, and put out the true facts of what is happening around the community, this column will be a weekly opportunity for nonprofits and clubs to toot their horns and inform. The basic rules will be simple: keep your column between 200-400 words, and keep it clean. This is NOT Thermopolis Confessions! To kick things off, I i...
We’re officially within two weeks before graduation — 10 days to be exact — and there’s a flurry of activity at the schools, not just in these last few days but the entire month of May as spring sports wrap up their seasons, school programs take to the stage and students go on field trips near and far. Though the last few days feel like a time to be a bit more lax in the classroom, with summer vacation within sight, I’d encourage students to keep their academic, athletic and extracurr...
This weekend, I had the fortunate chance to be part of history in Thermopolis as I attended the groundbreaking for the Wyoming Dinosaur Center’s new location on Saturday. Having a love of dinosaurs that goes back as far as I can remember, and having two boys, I find just about any reason to make a trip over to the center. Every time I’m there I think about the center’s future, and I can’t wait to see the actual construction start south of town and, of course, to walk through those new doors f...
Easter weekend is here once again, and the holiday means different things to different people. Having been raised Catholic, for me — as I’m sure it does for plenty others — the day itself and the weeks leading up to it go beyond the chocolate bunnies and marshmallow birds and into the spiritual. One thing I think is common among everyone, though, is the sense of newness, of rebirth or life taking a new direction. I hope that has more to do with the springtime being when baby animals are born,...
Along with flowers and green grass, spring brings with it new babies of all shapes and sizes. There’s nothing like driving past a field and seeing all the new little lambs or tiny black calves with their shiny coats. And then there are the new foals, kicking up their heels as they chase each other around the paddock. It is definitely a time when farmers and ranchers are putting in long, exhausting hours putting in crops and making sure those little ones come safely into the world. This spring I’ve been a little obsessed with another kind of...
Aaaah spring! The beautiful season that brings new leaves, new grass and best of all, new babies. I hear friends talking about calving time and lambing season and giraffes. Yes, giraffes. Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world are glued to their computers waiting for the birth of a new giraffe at a zoo in Harpursville, New York. The zoo is running a live feed on the Internet in anticipation of the blessed event. The gestation period for giraffes lasts 15 months. I have to give...
We all have childhood memories we cherish and sometimes a certain smell, a particular song or even a “comfort food” will bring those memories rushing forward. For me, it seems to always be that comfort food. That also might explain the three different sizes of jeans in my closet, too. I didn’t grow up in a financially prosperous household, but I grew up in one with a lot of love and three generations, so dinners together in the kitchen are some of my most vivid memories. When my grand...
I’ve been going to all the solar eclipse meetings, you know, the one coming Aug. 21 that might very well double the number of people in Hot Springs County for several days. Some people might call me crazy, but I am really excited about the opportunity to not only see my community packed with happy people waiting for a celestial event, but the memories I’m sure to have during that week. When I was young, my grandfather made sure that I was witness to everything possible happening in the sky. Fro...
Sometimes I sit at my desk here at the Independent Record and try to come up with something to put into this page. Some days ideas come to me very quickly – other days, not so much. With all the snow coming down Tuesday I sat at my desk and stared out the window, waiting once again for inspiration to strike, kind of like lightning, but a lot less painful. I finally gave up and hopped in my car to go take some winter wonderland photos and while driving around that inspiration came to me. I was p...
Some of you may have seen an article making its way across the Internet recently, listing the 50 least educated places in every state. Guess what? The “writer” of the piece has placed Hot Springs County, Wyoming at number 49, inferring there is only one place in the country dumber than us. I put the word writer in quotes, because this kind of journalism is nothing more than someone sitting behind their computer, gathering bits of information from around the web, tossing it all together in a sup...
Well, the big ’17 is here. Try as I might to stay up and watch the ball drop, I only made it to 11:15 p.m. this year. I guess that’s still more than an hour beyond the official drop in New York. I’m not much for resolutions, as I either set unrealistic goals or, when it’s something a bit more grounded, I either give up too easily on it or forget about it entirely by March. But, since statistics show that less than 10 percent of people make or stick to their resolutions, I’m content knowing I...
“December 7th, a day which will live in infamy.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt It was a beautiful Hawaiian morning in 1941. I’m sure the skies were blue and the scent of exotic native flowers filled the air. Until 7:48 a.m. when the naval base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by 353 fighter planes, bombers and torpedo planes from the Imperial Japanese Navy. Eight of our country’s battleships were damaged. Four were sunk. Three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship and a minel...
Do you have that one person on your Christmas list that is impossible to buy for? You know, the one who already has everything or is so picky about what they have that you finally give up and just give them a gift card? Yeah, we’ve all got one. Me, I’m pretty easy to buy for. No matter what my kids have bought me for Christmas, I’ve always loved it, even if it was just a drawing they did or the requisite colored macaroni necklace. The snub-nosed .38 and mop I got for Mother’s Day from my ex w...
