We're all in it together

What a crazy couple weeks it’s been. Golf ball and pea size hail, fireworks, changes on the horizon for Hot Springs State Park, and losing phone and internet services. It’s enough to make you want to pull your hair out and second guess where you decided to live.

But, in the chaos — the good and the bad — it’s good to see the response Thermopolis gives. There’s been plenty of praise for our fire department, not only for the show they put on but for their continued efforts to promote fire safety and education.

When the hail finally abated, sure there were plenty of dents and smashed windows to worry over, but nobody really did that alone. Friends, family and even an unfamiliar face or two pitched in to make sure we were all safe, and did what we could in terms of repairs.

The internet and phone crash this week wasn’t anything that could be foreseen, and though it was an inconvenience it also served, in some small way, as a reminder that we can’t always rely on our technology to communicate with each other and keeping that face-to-face connection is so important.

Another opportunity is approaching this month, for people to speak up and be a voice for the community. The Wyoming Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Committee will be meeting here July 22 and 23, and as part of their agenda will be receiving testimony regarding state park concessions and asset management.

Whether you’re a fan of the park vendors or would like to see some changes, it’s not very often we get a chance to speak with state representatives directly. If you’ve got the time, or if you have to make it, information and testimony at this meeting will surely give us an idea of changes coming to Thermopolis.