June 2021 Newsletter

2021

JUNE

NEWSLETTER

Photo by Kelsey Ball

POINTS TO PONDER

From the Executive Director

E

ach year, it has been the custom of the Lander Chamber of Commerce to recognize noteworthy business owners and individuals through our annual Community Awards.

Despite our disappointment at not gathering together as we typically do, we took the opportunity to investigate a new way to celebrate the winners. Thus was born the Community Awards Video Series!

Perhaps you’ve already seen online the first video in the series that announces the ‘21 winners. If not, look no further than pages 2 and 3 to see who they are! And be sure to keep an eye out for more videos in the coming weeks that will highlight the individual winners. We had great fun filming and producing these videos -- thank you, Brad Christensen!

We’d like once again to thank our sponsors for making the ‘21 Community Awards Video Series possible: Preferred Media Partner County 10 GOLD Level Central Bank & Trust SILVER Level Boyle Electric | Rocky Mountain Power BRONZE Level Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda P.C. | LOR Foundation One Shot Antelope Hunt and Past Shooters Club in support of Water for Wildlife Foundation Get Ready for a Busy Summer - Help Us Help You! Foot traffic into the Visitor Center & Business Complex has exploded in recent weeks! Remember, Chamber members: you can display your print marketing materials here. Help us direct more customers to your business! These are not just tourists looking for fun and interesting things to do on vacation. Since the beginning of COVID, we’ve seen a decided uptick in people looking to relocate to rural America; these visitors aren’t looking only for things to do now, but also for goods and services that might make them think about calling Lander home one day.

Let’s show ‘em what we got!

Owen Sweeney Executive Director Lander Chamber of Commerce

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Jonathan Tonkowich, President Wyoming Catholic College

Eric Andrews, Vice President Fagnant, Lewis & Brinda P.C.

John Ferrelli, Treasurer

SageWest Healthcare

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

PROFESSIONAL STAFF Owen Sweeney Executive Director

Carol King Associate Director

Taurey Carr Brewfest Coordinator

Beautification: Hayden Outdoors Owner/Partner Bill Vacek explains that the inspiration for the beautiful renovation of 206 Main Street was to take the building back to the 1800s (when it was originally built) while adding some modern touches. “We wanted it to have that old hometown feel so when someone came in it was like a flashback to the ‘20s.” The bronze elk sculpture that adorns the facade was sculpted by wildlife artist and sculptor Jody Kroeger and cast by Eagle Bronze Foundry. Bill plans to host an upcoming Business After Hours to showcase the building to the public.

Rookie of the Year: Lander Labs Annie Cook founded Lander Labs to fill a gap in the scientific industry. There weren’t any private specialized DNA laboratories in Wyoming and only a handful of woman owned labs in the U.S. She had hoped to start a forensic DNA lab, but COVID persuaded her to initially focus her DNA knowledge in a clinical rather than forensic setting. Lander Labs has brought specialized science to community members at an affordable price, while also inspiring young people to enjoy science through lab tours and experiments. Annie is grateful to her team for sticking with her through the tough times and the “icky and sticky.”

‘21 COMMUNITY AWARDS

Anchor: Oxbow Family Restaurant Yvonne Patterson has owned and operated the Oxbow Family Restaurant for 27 years, taking it over from the McOmie family who ran it as The Commons. As the Oxbow’s name makes plain, Yvonne stresses the “family” in family restaurant, noting that her staff and customers are very dear to her, considering them to be part of her family. Many of her employees have been with her for the entire 27 years! She is most proud of her employees and this “very special community” for its loyalty and dedication. “I owe it all to my employees and the community for my continued success.”

‘21 COMMUNITY AWARDS

Spirit of Lander: Kendall Hayford Kendall is community involvement personified.

He volunteers for the Lander Economic Development Association, Museum of the American West, Lander Ambassadors, Rotary, Lander United, Lander Presents, Boy Scouts of America, and is Co-Founder of The Great Lander Treasure Hunt. During COVID, Kendall, as Lander Branch President of Wyoming Community Bank, served as the key community leader assisting businesses obtain emergency CARES Act funding and selflessly training other financial institutions to process PPP and Wyoming Business Council emergency financial programs.

Lifetime Contribution: Andy Gramlich Andy came to Lander as the temporary (90 days) CEO of the hospital in the fall of 1990. The people and the lifestyle were just right, and he is still working for Lander 31 years later. Andy has been the chair or a member of LEADER, LEDA, the Lander Community Foundation, the Assisted Living Task Force, member of a local bank advisory board, and currently is a board member of the Wyoming Economic Development Assoc. He is a certified flight instructor, drone instructor, swim official, and soccer referee. You may also know him if you are in the bike club or participate in the Senior Olympics (bike racing and triathlon).

Past Chamber Board President: Michelle Mazur Michelle established Elevate Rehab in 2013 as Fremont County’s first private, therapist-owned specialty practice focusing on dysfunction and disorders specific to the upper extremity. Now treating the entire body including the spine and lower extremities, Elevate’s team is made up of highly trained Occupational Therapists (OT) and Physical Therapists (PT), including the only Certified Hand Therapists (CHT) in Lander Valley and the Dubois area. Michelle has been a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors since 2015 and took over its leadership in the midst of COVID. We’re grateful to Michelle for guiding the Chamber through a difficult time with grace and poise.

EVERY 1ST & 3RD MONDAY Shoshoni Local Foods Market 5-7pm, Fire Hall, 104 E. 2nd St. EVERY TUESDAY Book Nook at Lander Library 3-7 pm EVERY THURSDAY Parkinson’s Support Group, Lander Senior Center 2-3 pm THIRD THURSDAY Foot Care Clinic, 8-noon, Lander Senior Center EVERY FRIDAY Book Nook at Lander Library 10 am-2 pm

5-30 English Tunnel Tours 11, 18, 25 Friday Night South Pass City, Saturdays 11 Rodeos Dubois rodeo arena, am, reservations required 7:30-10 pm 2 Kids Corner #1: Explore Mason Draw Dubois Museum, 9-10 am

12 Fremont Area Road Tour (FART) Cycling Event Lander City Park

2 Yellowstone: Native American Archeology in the Natinal Park Riverton Museum, 6 pm

12 Mini Garden Expo workshops Alpine Science Institute, 9-1

4-5 Holy Rosary Rummage Sale Holy Rosary Catholi Church, Fri. 9-4, Sat. 7-2 4 Live Music in the Park Sinks Canyon State Park Sawmill Campground, 7-9 pm

12 Sinks Canyon Rough & Tumble Trail Run Sinks Canyon State Park, go to website for schedule 12 Children’s Archeology Day Riverton Museum, 2-4 pm

16 Kids Corner #3: 4-5 Lander Art District Street Archaeology Dig Dubois EVERY SATURDAY Fair Main St., 2nd St., Lincoln Museum, 10-11 am Lander Valley Farmers St., Fri. 4-8 pm, Sat. 12-8 pm Market 9-11:30 am, Lander 17-19 Wind River Casino: City Park 5 Mini Garden Expo Trade Northern Arapaho Tour Rodeo Fremont County Show Lander City Park, 9-1 Book Nook at Lander Fairgrounds, 856-3674 for Library starting June 12, 5 Lander Children’s info noon-4pm Museum Grand Reopening 11-2 18 Friday Night Fireside Riverton Local Foods Speaker Series Sinks Market 9-11 am, 1010 5-6 Wyoming Writers Canyon State Park Sawmill Fairgrounds Drive Campground, 7-8 pm Inc. Conference Lander Community Center JUNE 19 Nature Walk South Pass 1-30 Native Americans of 9 Kids Corner #2: Ice Cream City, 10am-1pm Wyoming’s Wind River Dubois Museum, 9-10 am Country art exhibit Pioneer 19 Hudson Daze Festival & Craft Fair Hudson park, 10 Museum, 9-5 10 Prisoner of War Camps am-3 pm Across America Dubois 3-30 Carissa Gold Mine Museum, 7-8 pm Tours South Pass City, 23, 30 Eagle Spirit Dancers & Singers Museum of the Thurs.-Sun. 2 pm American West, 7-8:30 pm

CALENDAR

June Calendar of Events

NEW MEMBERS

June Calendar of Events, continued 23 Kids Corner #4: Flint napping Dubois Museum, 9-10 am

25-27 Eastern Shoshone Indian Days Powwow Fort Washakie, 349-6053 for info

24 Wyoming: A History of the American West Pioneer Museum, 7-8 pm

26 Castle Gardens Adventure Trek meet at Riverton Museum, reservations required, 9am2pm

25 Friday Night Fireside Speaker Series Sinks Canyon State Park Sawmill Campground, 7-8 pm

29 Tie Hack: The First Years Dubois Museum, 9 am-2 pm June 30-July 4 1838 Mountain Man Rendezvous east end of Monroe Ave., Riverton, check website for info

26 Atlantic City Cemetery Trek meet at Pioneer Museum, reservations required, 10 am

Welcome, New Members!

Messenger Girls Tanya Messenger, Tasha Reeves 320 Main St., Lander

Apple Valley School Maureen Fox 1600 Sinks Canyon Road, Lander Farm Bureau Financial Services Justin Hegwer 1630 Main St., Lander

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Adam E. Phillips, Attorney at Law, PC 260 Lincoln St., Lander

Homestead Properties Lori Griffin 288 Cascade St., Lander

All Action Realty Vicki Hughes, Broker/Owner 1000 Main St., Lander

Lander Labs Annie Cook 890 N. 2nd St., Lander

Bloedorn Lumber Company Blake Herbst, manager 116 Washakie St., Lander

Lander Lions Club PO Box 247, Lander

Tegeler & Associates Tim Robeson, agent/branch manager 194 N. 7th St., Lander Tipton, Bob 1436 Hillcrest Dr., Lander

Central Wyoming College Foundation Beth Monteiro, executive director 2660 Peck Ave., Riverton

Twin Pines RV Park & Campground Steve Brown, Verna Worthey Lander Valley Cattlewomen 7345 Hwy 789, Lander PO Box 1431, Lander Wind River Power Sports Lander Valley Farmers Greg Scott, manager, Market 192 Main St., Lander PO Box 184, Lander

Community Health Center of Central Wyoming, Inc. 115 Wyoming, Lander

Mountain West Business Solutions PO Box 702, Evanston

Cornerstone Christian School 351 Sweetwater, Lander

NOLS Terri Watson, president 284 Lincoln St., Lander

Earth Works Landscaping LLC Hallie LeBeau 1030 N 1st St., Lander

Rainmaker Marketing Solutions LLC Amanda Henry & Sally Davenport 118 Valley Circle, Riverton

Fremont Distributing Carl Asbell 425 N. Broadway, Riverton Fremont Movers Dwaine Kimmel PO Box 1417, Riverton Home Source Realty George Piplica, Broker/ Owner 1632 Main St., Lander

Rocky Mountain Power 2840 E. Yellowstone Hwy, Casper Rodney’s Collision & Custom Center Rodney & Leona Rohn 330 Mortimore Lane, Lander Stanbury & Strike Jeff Stanbury & Kate Strike 295 Garfield, Lander

RENEWING MEMBERS

Thank You, Renewing Members!

Convener Investors

________________________________________________________________________________________ Collaborator Investors

Special thanks to Western Printing for printing the monthly newsletter.

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

RENEWING MEMBERS

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NEWSLETTER SPONSORS

Catalyst Investor