Candidates running for other HSC Districts

Senior Citizen Service District, terms are to be determined by the organization for five newly available seats. Candidates are Kimberly Joy Black, Ted Brown, Curtis Cheney, Gary J. Holbert, Marvin Nielsen, Raymond E. Shaffer, Kathy Sorensen, Maxine Kay Toepke-Reese. Brown, Cheney and Toepke-Reese were not in attendance at the Chamber hosted candidate forum but short bios are incuded.

Kimberly Black:

Hi, I’m Kimberly Black. I wanted to be a part of our senior citizens board because I think it’s important to our community. I want people to understand what goes on and what we do there. It’s a lot more than just going down for a lunch. I do enjoy it because I go every day. I don’t think people realize the rest of the things that the senior citizens center does, and how we have outgrown our building. A lot of people come down for lunch and go, well, there’s nobody here. It’s not full. There’s a lot of us there, but there are other activities that go on. When we have a blood drive there is not enough room. We are imposing on lunchtime and imposing on the card players. We are taking up their spaces to have a blood drive. And I think that’s a very important function for our community. I have been here for 25 years. Recently retired from law enforcement as an administrator. And, I love this town. I love what we do here. I would never go back to a big city after living here for 25 years. Thank you very much.

Marvin Nielsen:

Good evening folks. I’ve been here a long time. I was born and raised in Hot Springs County and some of you here know that. Some of you are a little older than me but not a lot. Anyways, I graduated from high school here, and I went to work on a ranch. I went to Denver, to a school of business for a while and came back and we moved back to Thermopolis, my wife and I in 1969. In 1973 I bought a business. I’ve done business for 50 years as of last year. And the one time that involved four different profit centers. I say that because I have experience working for men and running a business. And by the way, when you own your own business, you’ve got to have a checkbook that doesn’t run out and that means a lot. And I think that these public [entities], when they get money, whether it’s funded with grants or loans, you’ve got to handle it right and you’ve got to have a plan and a program. You need a target. And I am disciplined. I have 50 years of business to prove that I can wait when I need to wait. If it’s two or three years for divine improvements. And I can do that. And this board is new, so I feel that I can help them and go forward. Thank you. 

Gary Holbert:

Gary Holbert. Retired here in 2011. Graduated in Rock Springs. Spent 50 years in industrial sales. Currently chairman of the board of the senior center. Mayor of East Thermopolis. We have a great center. We need it in a bigger building. Funding is getting less and less from state and federal. And that’s why the legislature authorized this special district. It’s quite important. I truly, truly believe in the senior center. Thank you.

Ray Shaffer:

Born and raised in Hot Springs County and educated.  Went to Casper College. Graduated there. Started a family. Came back to Hot Springs County. I worked in uranium mines for about ten, 12 years. Oil patch a little bit. And that was good to get off the farm, learn other ways to do things and meet other people. Good experience. I’m glad I did that. I lived in Hot Springs County since I came back in 1982. Lived on the place my granddad had a hundred years ago and been there for 40 years. My wife and I made a successful business there on North 40 Ranch. We love this county. And as you get older, you serve where you can. I served on a number of boards and I’ve seen the county change a lot through the years. I worked for 30 years with the county at the Road & Bridge. Retired from it in 2013. When I had an opportunity to come on to the board of the senior center, I didn’t know what that was all about. And I have since learned that we are an essential service to this community. You’re all going to have a need for that senior center sooner or later, no matter what your age is. It’s a wonderful opportunity in our community. We’ve outgrown it. I spoke at the primary election, my time is up. Please elect me.

Kathy Sorensen:

Hello, I’m Kathy Sorensen. I have lived in Hot Springs County since December of 2005. I had my own dog grooming business here. I served on the board at the senior apartments. I believe that our seniors need to keep our services. 41% of our community is over the age of 55, that’s a bunch of people, and they need our support. However, we need to be able to provide the services within a budget, and we need to have a plan like a couple of these other people said, and it needs to be financially responsible. I would appreciate your vote for the Senior Services District. Thank you so much.

Maxine Kay Toepke-Reese:

I am interested in serving on the new HSC Senior Center Special District board and would appreciate your vote, November 5th. Before his passing, my husband and I taught in this community for many years. Since that time I have attended many Senior Center activities and lunches. Having the trust of the community to improve the Center to serve current participants and the future is my goal. My conservative outlook means that I will try too stretch every dollar and idea to develop for us the best Center in the state

Curtis Cheney:

I am an attorney living in Thermopolis, currently serving on the Senior Center board and hope to further serve on the Special District board as it becomes established in 2025. The services the Senior Center provide our community are an invaluable resource for the citizens of Hot Springs County, both young and old, and I am excited to see what the future brings with the newly established Special Service District.

Richard “Ted’ Brown:

I have been asked why I wanted to run for the HSC Senior Special District board. My reply is simple. As a senior in this community, a district board member needs to be a part of the key that ensures what happens at the Senior Center is based on the needs of those Seniors in Hot Springs County. “I, Richard Brown will, with the help of the other district board members, aid in the continued vision and mission of the HSC Senior Citizens Center, which is to promote a community in which we ALL age well. 

What did you want to see accomplished if you are elected to serve on the board?

Kathy Sorensen:

I would like to see us have a place to provide our services, to support our seniors who support our community. That’s my goal, is to make sure that everybody is able to use the facilities.

Ray Shaffer:

This past week, there was a meeting to entertain the idea of a new community center. When we had the opportunity to buy the building out at the old ShopKo building, one of our ideas was that there is way more area than we need. We’re only using half of that building. And I would like to see the community look at that building as an opportunity. It’s already existing in a space where it can be utilized for that. I’d like to have a part in shepherding that through. I think it’s a viable project. We are going out there with a lot of opportunities.

Gary Holbert:

My idea is to continue what we’re doing. Somebody said we outgrown where we’re at. Two years ago, we were doing 2000 meals a month. We are now doing 4000 meals a month. The State says when we go into this new building for our meals, we’ll have highway frontage. Our services will go up 25%. There’s no way we can do where we’re at now. That’s why a new building has come into existence, to continue and get better at what we do. Thank you.

Marvin Nielsen

Well, that’s about the same way I am. I want to see this new board get up and going and be successful. And, I know that it can be done. I am involved in businesses here in Thermopolis. I help guide them. I think I can guide these guys a little bit. And I do listen to other people. I’m easy to work with, but I think this board can go a long way, and I think it’s needed in the community. Thank you.

Kimberly Black:

Well, I want to see this new center have consistent funding. We will no longer have to rely on just donations. So with these tax dollars, we will have the consistent funding that we need to be able to make plans to improve our services above what already have. 

Hospital District Director, four year term, two seats available. John Anderson and John Fenton were appointed to the board and are now running for election in the general. Both attended the candidate forum.

John Anderson:

I’m John Anderson, and when I look out at you I think of my civic’s teacher at Thermopolis high school. Yeah, I used to be a kid. Yes. Karl Allen. And he would be so proud to see so many of you here doing your civic duty. I mentioned Karl because he taught us to do our civic duty. And then you had him as a teacher. And that’s one reason I want to serve on the hospital board. Another reason is that my family has a long connection to the board. Both my father and my uncle, both were administrators in the hospital. And on top of that, I’ve had children born there. I myself was born up on the hill. I’ve had family die there. I’ve had other family born there. It’s a really important part of our community, and I like to do what I can to support that. In general, I only have a few goals. One is to keep it alive. It’s a vital part of our community. It’s one of the largest employers in the county. It really has about a quarter million dollar revenue flow every month. Now, that’s why everyone can boast of it in the county. And if you do a little economics, the multiplier effect on that is 1.3. That has over a $5 million impact from the economy in this county. Which is big. We need to keep it for more reasons than that though. We lived in Sublette County for ten years before retiring back here, and they didn’t have a hospital. People would have to drive to Jackson to sit beside their parents when they’re ill. And sometimes little things would happen. I had a good friend, Bonner Skinner, who had special insurance so that he didn’t have to pay for an ambulance, because if you don’t have a hospital, you have to pay the ambulance costs, which was $10,000. Thank you.

John Fenton:

My name is John Fenton, and I am running for hospital board. My reasons for running are to make sure our hospital continues to provide a high quality of patient care, to work with the board and CEO, to guide long term goals of the hospital, and to carry out the fiduciary responsibility to the board. I have served on both statewide and national boards, and I have worked in Wyoming farming, ranching, and welding industries. My wife, Kim and I are small business owners and volunteer with both local and statewide groups. As many of you may know, rural health care is struggling in the United States at present. From 2010 to 2021, 136 rural hospitals closed across the country. Rawlins, Riverton, and Kemmerer no longer have any labor or delivery services. And as you also know, Thermopolis has modern updated facilities that provide critical access care, preventative care, surgeries and family care, not only to Thermopolis, but a large part of our state. Hot Springs Health is a major source of employment as well as a large economic driver for our community. The hospital was one of the deciding factors in our moving to Thermopolis. I’ve had two surgeries at the hospital and my grandson was born there. I will work hard to help continue the success of Hot Springs Health. Once again, thank you for your time and I would greatly appreciate your vote on the fifth of November.

For the Cemetery District, a four year term, three seats are available. Cindy DeVries, Margaret Stansill and Barbara Tomes Vietti are running in the general election. Stansill was present at the Chamber hosted candidate forum.

Margaret Stansill:

Hi, I’m Margaret Stansill. Cindy and Barb send their regards. I love Hot Springs County. I’ve lived here since 1980. I was born in Wyoming. My mother was a coal miner’s daughter from Sweetwater County, and I stayed, was educated, and then left the state for a number of years to see oceans and beaches and tall buildings and bright lights. In 1980, I ended up in Thermopolis for the first time. And I’m still here. I have served on other boards. The hospital board, as we were preparing to build a new hospital, and that certainly had fans and non-fans. But, today we have a beautiful facility that is renowned and is part of the state. I’m also on the Hot Springs County Endowment Foundation board. We give money away to young people, old people, to the community who have ideas about improving our community, improving our citizens, going to college, trade school, new careers. It’s been very satisfying. We just received a half million dollar donation from a beloved farmer who grew up in Thermopolis and lived in this part of the state. So, I developed an interest in cemeteries a few years ago when I started walking and I would use the cemeteries as my track and learn to love the peace and quiet beauty of our last resting places. And I would like to make sure that at the end of life we have respectful treatment and I’ll do my part to make that happen. Thank you.

The Conservation District Rural Supervisor. Incumbent Chip Axtell is running and attended the candidate forum.

Chip Axtell:

My name is Chip Axtell. I’m running for reelection for the NRCS. I think this is my second term. We do a lot of rural funding for water projects, and we don’t have a district in Thermopolis. Some day maybe we’ll get one. There’s a need for that. Taxation is a hard thing. What we do right now with the funding that we do get from the federal, from the state, is going through those projects and spread around the funding that we do have. There’s some good things for wildlife and livestock. So it’s a good board. I’ve really learned a lot there. And I appreciate your vote for that once again, thank you.

Fire Protection District Director, a four year term. Clint Huckfeldt is running for the one available seat. He was not in attendance at the candidate forum.