Lander Chamber July Newsletter

2021

JULY

NEWSLETTER

POINTS TO PONDER

From the Executive Director

A

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

lthough July is always -- especially in Lander -- a month Jonathan Tonkowich, to celebrate, this month’s newsletter takes on a bit of President a sombre tone as we remember the recently passed Wyoming Catholic College Chuck Guschewsky, a true giant of the Lander community.

CEO of the Fremont Motor Companies when he died, Chuck Eric Andrews, Vice President also was the founder of the Lander Chamber of Commerce Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda P.C. Ambassadors and served as youngest president of the One Shot Antelope Club. We are grateful to Mr. Gushchewsky’s John Ferrelli, good friend Bill Sniffin for allowing us to reprint his heartfelt Treasurer remembrance of his friend. May he rest in peace.

SageWest Healthcare

Lander Brewfest presented by Fremont Toyota - August 13-14 Now in its 19th year, Lander Brewfest is among the most popular craft beer festivals in the Rocky Mountain West, drawing 20+ brewers and 2,500+ attendees every year from Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and beyond. (And judging by advance ticket sales, it looks like Brewfest ‘21 is going to be huge.) This year the Chamber will be stepping up our Brewfest game by seating for the first time ever a 100% industry-certified panel of beer judges as well as prioritizing high quality and diverse food vendors from across Fremont County and the state of Wyoming to provide food worthy of fine craft beer. Two Wyoming-based bands -- Laramie’s Ten Cent Stranger and Riverton’s Lost Springs Band -- will be providing live music. Get your tickets at landerbrewfest.com!

Community Awards Videos Continue to Roll Out In June we announced the winners of our annual Community Awards, and we also produced for the first time a series of videos to accompany our announcement. We’re delighted at the great reception they’ve been receiving, as our hope was to provide more exposure for our winners and our sponsors. We thank you for your kind words of encouragement regarding this new project! If you haven’t seen the videos, visit our website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, and County 10 to learn who the winners are! And do patronize our sponsors!

Independence Day Thought “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers.” ~ John Adams, Second President of the United States

Owen Sweeney Executive Director Lander Chamber of Commerce

Michelle Mazur, Past President Elevate Rehab

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ann Espinosa Home Source Realty Inc., Inter Mountain Builders

Dave Fehringer Strike Consulting Group

Rick Bestul NAPA Auto Parts

James Whiting Whiting Law PC

Chris VonHoltum Central Bank & Trust

Alyssa Lozier Edward Jones

Annie Cook Lander Labs

PROFESSIONAL STAFF Owen Sweeney Executive Director

Carol King Associate Director

Taurey Carr Brewfest Coordinator

Carlos Solis Business Develop. Intern

were married on April 14, 1979 in Frankfort, Kentucky.

After graduating from college with a business degree, he returned to Lander and joined his father and uncle in the automobile business, which was founded by his grandfather, Clyde Guschewsky, in 1938.

His uncle retired in the early 1980s and in 1989, Jim appointed his son president of the company. Chuck’s love for the business and the people propelled the single point business to a company with 550 employees, 12 dealerships, a transportation company, a reconditioning company, and a management company.

Story courtesy of Bill Sniffin and Cowboy State Daily Charles Fredrick “Chuck” Guschewsky was born on November 13, 1956 in Lander, Wyoming to James Edward Guschewsky and Alice Marie Accola Guschewsky. He died of cardiac arrest on May 1, 2021.

Fremont Motor Company is in its fourth generation of ownership. Chuck served on manufacturer advertising boards and on automobile dealer councils. He was recognized on the cover of Dealer Magazine, written about in Automotive News and has multiple awards for excellence in the industry.

At the time of his death, Mr. Guschewsky was CEO of the Fremont Motor car dealer network in Wyoming and Nebraska.

Chuck was baptized, confirmed and married an Episcopalian. The Reverends Walt and Janet Seeley officiated the service.

He attended school in Lander and always knew he wanted to be in the automobile business. He would go on wrecker calls with his father and he worked washing cars and in the service department while in school.

In high school, he had several “muscle cars.”

He attended college in South Dakota graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. It was here that he met his wife, Catherine Lee “Cathy” Berrie. They

Chuck was an avid pilot who earned his license when he was 19 in an aerobatic decathlon and has since flown numerous aircraft including a Beechcraft Duke, a King Air F90 and a TBM 900. As his father taught him to fly, Chuck enjoyed teaching his wife and son-in-law to fly. Flying was more than a business tool to travel to the different dealerships – it was his passion.

Chuck was founder of the Lander Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and was the youngest president of the One Shot Antelope Club. He remained involved in the One

IN REMEMBRANCE

Remembering Chuck Guschewsky

IN REMEMBRANCE

Chuck Guschewsky, continued Shot and Water for Wildlife throughout his life.

In March 2012, he was Knighted into the Order of St. Hubertus, a hunting brotherhood that he enjoyed until his death. He was on the board of Wyoming Catholic College at the time of his death.

As much as he loved the people he worked with and the communities he served, his family was always his first priority. Quality time was better than quantity to him.

Traveling, boating, horseback riding, and skiing were activities that he shared with his family. The family kept a boat on Yellowstone Lake and they never missed a summer on the Lake. Launching the boat was the annual highlight for the family. He took his family on multiple pack trips into the Wind River Mountains and enlisted them to set up “elk camp” above Dubois.

He traveled to several countries around the world with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years Cathy; two daughters, Alyssa Marie Childers and Arin Elizabeth Emmert; son-in-law, Brandon Lee Emmert; three grandchildren, Augustus Charles “Gus” Childers, Caroline Lee Childers, and Vera Catherine Emmert; two brothers; Robert Clyde Guschewsky and Paul James Guschewsky (Carrie); mother, Alice Marie Guschewsky. He was preceded in death by his father, James Edward Guschewsky.

Chuck’s funeral was in a big field on their ranch in Sinks Canyon outside of Lander and rain was threatening the entire time.

But Chuck, who loved flying, was given credit for holding off the weather.

Part of his service was a fly-over by local pilots. Very solemn and very impressive.

They flew in what is called the Missing Man formation.

A big tent was set up for refreshments afterward where we toasted our friend when a downpour finally arrived. It was memorable.

Donations to Water for Wildlife, 545 Main Street in Lander or the Wyoming Catholic College, 306 Main Street in Lander would be appreciated.

EVERY TUESDAY Book Nook at Lander Library 1-5 pm EVERY WEDNESDAY Eagle Spirit Dancers & Singers Museum of the American West, 7-8:30 pm EVERY THURSDAY Parkinson’s Support Group, Lander Senior Center 2-3 pm THIRD THURSDAY Foot Care Clinic, 8-noon, Lander Senior Center

17 STEM/STEAM Day 2-17 Amanda Fehring & Riverton Museum, 2-4 pm Noelle Weimann Art Show Lander Art Center, T-Th 10-6; 17 Dubois Museum Day Fr-Sa 10-4 Dubois Museum, 11-2 4th of July!

Pioneer Days Parade Main 19 Hot Notes/Cool Nites Street 10 am concert in Lander City Park, Pancake Breakfast Senior 7-8:15pm Center, 7-9 am Rotary Buffalo BBQ City 22 Butch Cassidy in Park, 11-2 Wyoming Dubois Museum, Pioneer Days Rodeo July 3 & 7-8 pm 4, Lander Old Timers Rodeo, 6:30 pm each night 23 History Happy Hour Fireworks following the Dubois Museum, must be 21, rodeo 6-8 pm

EVERY SATURDAY 5 Hot Notes/Cool Nites Lander Valley Farmers concert in Lander City Park, Market 9-11:30 am, Lander 7-8:15pm City Park 8 Rising and Falling Book Nook at Lander Mountains Dubois Museum, Library noon-4 pm 7 pm 10 Upper Sinks Canyon Adventure Trek meet at Pioneer Museum, 10-noon

JULY 1-31 Native Americans of Wyoming’s Wind River Country art exhibit Pioneer 10-11 Gold Rush Days South Pass City, visit www.

Museum, 9-5 southpasscity.com for schedule 1-31 Carissa Gold Mine Tours South Pass City, 13 Mystery Sheep Trap Trek Thurs.-Sun. 2 pm Dubois Museum, 9-2 1-31 English Tunnel Tours South Pass City, Saturdays 15 Lester Hunt: Wyoming governor from Lander 11 am, reservations Pioneer Museum, 7-8 pm required 15-18 International Climbers Fest visit www. climbersfestival.org for schedule

24 Riverfest Art & Music Festival in the Park Lander City Park, 12-7 pm 24 Family Name Plates Pioneer Museum, 1-3 pm 24-31 Noelle Weimann Art Show Lander Art Center, T-Th 10-6; Fr-Sa 10-4 31 Fly-In & Community Aviation Day Dubois, 6 am-1 pm 31 National Day of the Cowboy Dubois, www. duboiswyoming.org for schedule 31-Aug 7 Fremont County Fair www.fremontcountyfair. org for schedule

CALENDAR

July Calendar of Events

NEW MEMBERS

Messenger Girls is a family-owned, all-female business derived of the daughters and granddaughters of Lee and Betty Messenger of Southwest Kansas.

History and faith are values deeply rooted in the family, and the Girls know that in Wyoming western history and God make up the roots of this state. They want Messenger Girls to reflect these core values because they believe many households here, and all over the country, still live by those ways.

Their goal is to be “Messengers”: - Messengers of God’s Word - Messengers of the Western word - and Messengers to the Community that what our nation’s founders forged this country on, pride in who we are and the Almighty God, still exists and can thrive.

Josh & Sierra Soule started with a plan to spread a love for reading.

As Josh Soule tells it, “The mission of The Lost Chapter (427 Lincoln St.) is to expand the world of literature by providing books, supplies, and services that are affordable and attainable to all. That is why we have competitive pricing, provide services and support to independent authors, and offer classes and events for our community.

We believe that all children should grow up loving to read, and we want to do our part to make that happen.”

Even through COVID, Josh and Sierra were distributing grab-and-go book bags, and making deliveries, because reading is what The Lost Chapter is all about!

Now that things have opened back up, Josh and Sierra are excited to continue selling books while offering fun events and classes, tutoring, and services for authors.

“We are particularly excited to use our newly acquired basement space for events, classes, birthday parties and more,” said Josh. “We offer a variety of non-electronic games and activities. From plays, to holiday-themed sales, we are bringing a love of literature to the community!”

Classic Air Medical Hangar 516, Hunt Field, Lander Clark’s Landscaping Brian Clark PO Box 1204, Lander Cowfish Jim Mitchell & Kyle Vassilopoulos 148 Main St., Lander Edward Jones Lonnie Bull 175 S. 5th St., Lander

Guschewsky, Alice 636 Fremont St., Lander Lander Care & Share Food Bank Audrey Krise, executive director 281 Garfield St., Lander Lander Economic Development Association PO Box 1306, Lander McRae, Tony & Connie 2045 Baldwin Creek Road, Lander

Fairfield Tree & Lawn Andrew Fairfield 808 Welch Blvd, Lander

Mountain Vista Retirement Residence Brenda Wortman, director 180 Chase Dr., Lander New York Life Insurance Beau Wendling 592 Main St., Ste B, Lander Wyoming Windows & Cabinets Chris & Karlene Moore 3011 Hwy 287 N, Lander Wyoming SBDC Network 213 W Main, Suite C, Riverton

Welcome, New Members!

Bunk’s BBQ James Bunker 201 E Washington Ave., Riverton

High Country Hearing Centers Craig Burkey 1460 W. Main St., Lander

The Cabin, LLC Mark & Patricia Keiser 295 Atlantic City, Atlantic City

Paul McCown Advisory Services Paul McCown 220 N 8th St., Lander

Chase Real Estate Management, LLC Paul & Carrie Guschewsky 535 E. Main St., Lander

Book Your Next Meeting at the Chamber!

We’ve installed two video conferencing boards in our ACFCU Conference Room to provide our members with a simplified professional meeting experience. Reserve your calendar slot today!

RENEWING MEMBERS

Thank You, Renewing Members!

Convener Investors

___________________________________ Collaborator Investors

RENEWING MEMBERS

___________________________________

NEWSLETTER SPONSORS

Catalyst Investor

Paul McCown Advisory Services

Special thanks to Western Printing for printing the monthly newsletter.

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage Paid LANDER, WY PERMIT NO. 78