Wyoming Rural Electric News July 2021

JULY 2021

WYOMING

RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS

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LIFE OUT WEST N e w A m e r i ca n s m a k e a h o m e i n W yo m i n g

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

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Miles and Miles: Niobrara’s Lish Murphy

More cost savings than before? Eggxactly.

FROM THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW AND TRUST.

Check for new lower premiums. for additional new tax credits. for new enrollment benefits that are kinda, you know, sunny side up.

• You may get savings now, even if you couldn’t before.

• You may get more tax credits, even if you get them now.

• You may be able to change plans with lower out-of-pocket costs for the same price or less.

• You may get low-cost coverage, even if you’re receiving unemployment compensation.

TOGETHER, WE’LL KEEP WYOMING STRONG. CHECK NOW at BCBSWY.com/save or call 1-800-851-2227.

Eligibility for savings determined by Health Insurance Marketplace.

SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD NOW THROUGH

AUGUST 15, 2021

2021 J U L Y

ON THE COVER

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CENTERPIECE

Life out West New Americans make a home in Wyoming

BY NEVA BODIN

PHOTO BY DAN CEPEDA

Cover photo: Originally from Spain, Casper schoolteacher Guadalupe Merino became a U.S. citizen in 2018.

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JUST FOR FUN 20 24

KIDS’ CORNER

CENTRAL STONEROLLER

BOOK GIVEAWAY

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H O M ETO W N H I T S

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CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

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NIOBRARA ELECTRIC A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S B RY N B R U C H

MILES AND MILES

BY RACHEL GIRT

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STATE NEWS & EVENTS

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COUNTRY COOKS

C O L D T R E AT S F O R H O T D AY S

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PEN TO PAPER

PUZZLE

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JUST PICTURE IT

BY KENDRA SPANJER

CO-OP YOUTH

ESSAYS & ANECDOTES

C A P TA I N B E N J A M I N BONNEVILLE’S W YO M I N G EXPEDITION

ICE SUDOKREAM

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FROM OUR READERS

BY JETT B. CONNER

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FEATURES

W YO M I N G HOMESTEADERS

H E R I TA G E

WREA NOTES

A W E L L - T R AV E L E D GROUP OF KIDS

BY SHAWN TAYLOR

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HOME ON THE RANGE F U L L - S E RV I C E EQUINE CARE

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

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ENLIGHTEN US

IMMIGRANT SONG

BY WALT GASSON

THE CURRENT COWBOY STATE BUZZ WHAT'S HAPPENING

WREA NOTES

A well-traveled group of kids SH AW N TAY LO R

Highlights from the Wyoming Rural Electric Association Youth Tour

DAY 1 - JUNE 14

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

You might or might not have known that every June WREA Office Manager Robin Feezer gathers a dozen

8:00a – Meeting with Gov. Mark Gordon and tour Capitol

high school-aged co-op members from around the state

1:00p – Safety Demonstration by High West Energy

and flies with them to Washington, D.C. for the National

4:30p – Meet with Wheatland Rural Electric Association and Wyrulec Company

6:30p – Dinner in Douglas with Niobrara Electric Association DAY 2 – JUNE 15 10:30a – Tour Dry Fork mine and Integrated Testing Center 1:30p – Lunch in Gillette with Powder River Energy Corporation

4:00p – Devils Tower, hayrides, dinner hosted

by Sen. Ogden Driskill

DAY 3 – JUNE 16 12:00p – Lunch in Basin hosted by Big Horn Rural Electric Company

5:30p – Dinner in Cody with Garland Light & Power 6:30p – Cody Night Rodeo

Rural Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour.

The NRECA Youth Tour was canceled in 2021 for the second year in a row because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the WREA created its own “Wyoming” version.

Last month Robin and this year’s crop of kids set out on a great adventure in the first ever Wyoming Youth Tour.

I had the pleasure of joining 15 high school students on the beginning of the tour for a visit with Gov. Mark Gordon and then for a talk with Milt Geiger, the instructor of the Cooperative Business Model class at UW. By the end of the week, these kids met many representatives from the Wyoming rural electric cooperatives and put countless miles on our roads.

Robin did a fantastic job planning this and I’m sure the kids will remember this for the rest of their lives. I also

DAY 4 – JUNE 17

want to thank Missy Biegler from Powder River Energy

8:00a – Tour Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Association, the WREA co-ops and Tri-State Generation

8:00p – Antler Arches and Town Square in Jackson DAY 5 – JUNE 18 11:30a – Lunch in Afton with Sen. Dan Dockstader and Lower Valley Energy

12:30p – NRECA Class 2:00p – Hydro Tour 6:30p – Dinner in Mountain View hosted by Ruth Rees and Bridger Valley Electric Association

DAY 6 – JUNE 19 12:30p – Lunch in Saratoga with Carbon Power & Light 3:30p – Return to Cheyenne

Corporation, Justin Sweep from Bridger Valley Electric & Transmission for helping Robin with this trip.

‘‘

This is one of the best areas in the nation to raise bees.

’’

− Dusty Backer, Backer Bees

Environment isn’t just a buzz word at Basin Electric.

Backer Bees has bees at Glenharold Mine, a reclaimed coal mine that used to supply coal to our first power plant. The reclaimed pasture has a variety of flowers−alfalfa, clover, sunflowers, wildflowers−making it one of the best areas in the nation to raise bees.

Environmental stewardship has always been a guiding principle for us. That’s why we’re committed to reclaiming and restoring land back to its natural state, like Glenharold Mine.

Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com

CO-OP YOUTH PHOTO BY DYANN DIERCKS

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THE WREN MAGAZINE WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association

BRYN BRUCH

The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 67, number 6, July 2021 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices.

WREN Magazine is owned and controlled by rural electric cooperatives in the interest of the economic progress of rural areas specifically and the entire population of Wyoming and the nation generally. WREN Magazine has a total average monthly paid circulation of 40,437 for 11 months ending September 2020.

WREN Magazine is delivered to rural electric member/ consumers and other subscribers throughout the entire state of Wyoming and the nation.

Acceptance of advertising by WREN Magazine does not imply endorsement of the product or services advertised by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives.

WREN STAFF Publisher: Linden Press, Inc. — Editorial Team — Maggie York Kelly Etzel Douglas Alison Quinn — Design Team — Dixie Lira David Merkley Shawna Phillips

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Garland Light & Power, Powell – Scott Smith, President High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Michael Lerwick, Vice President

HOMETOWN: Lusk HIGH SCHOOL: Niobrara County High School YEAR OF GRADUATION: 2021 COLLEGE: University of Wyoming MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: Pre-medicine

Wheatland REA, Wheatland – Sandra Hranchak, Secretary/Treasurer Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker Big Horn REC, Basin – John Joyce Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix High Plains Power, Riverton – Matthew Frericks Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Julie Kilty Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman

SUBSCRIPTION RATES $12 per year, Single copies $1.50 each

Wyoming’s rural electric cooperatives are proud to support our youth, giving college scholarships and lineman scholarships.

In addition, our co-ops sponsor high school students on the NRECA Youth Tour in June and Youth Leadership Camp in July.

ADVERTISING To purchase, contact Dhara Rose: [307] 996-6552 • dhara@golinden.com

OFFICE OF WREN OWNER 2312 Carey Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO PUBLISHER AT WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C

THIS MONTH: Niobrara Electric Association nominated recent college scholarship winner Bryn Bruch as this month’s co-op youth.

Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 286-8140 wren@wyomingrea.org

POSTMASTER — Send address changes to — The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, c/o Linden Press, Inc., 223 S. Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521, [970] 221-3232. Include 3-digit co-op code.

PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK

NRECA Youth Tour and youth camps were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Your rural electric cooperative may be taking applications for next year. See the insert in the center of the magazine for contact information.

WREN: Tell us about your studies and interests.

BB: My educational goals after graduating from high school include attending the University of Wyoming and obtaining a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a focus in kinesiology and attending medical school. I have a passion for working with children that I discovered through volunteering in FBLA, National Honor Society and other organizations.

WREN: How have your hometown, family and/or friends influenced you?

BB: Living in a small town has given me lots of opportunities that I don’t think I would’ve had if I lived in a bigger town. Lusk is a very supportive community and they do everything they can for the youth, the number of scholarships that are available to students from Niobrara County makes it possible for many students to go to college.

My family has always supported me in everything that I do and are the reason I am able to be involved in so many organizations and activities. I am very grateful for all of my teachers as well, they have always encouraged me to reach my goals.

WREN: What are your plans for the future?

BB: I do not have a specialty cemented in mind for a career, but I am interested in pediatrics and family medicine. Those specialties would allow me to work with children which I really enjoy! After my education is complete I would love to come home to work in Lusk and live on the ranch.

+ BENEFICIAL ELECTRIFICATION

UPGRADE TO ELECTRICITY AND SAVE Make the switch to electricity and keep money in your pocket with more efficient household appliances and systems. From heat pumps to electric vehicles, these proven technologies have the potential to run your home and life more simply, efficiently and cost-effectively.

To learn more about rebates and incentives for electrification programs, contact your local co-op or public power district.

VISIT US AT www.tristate.coop/BE

Tri-State is a not-for-profit power supplier to cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming.

THE CURRENT

Don’t fall victim to utility scams!

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is concerned about two trending scam tactics.

One is the overpayment trick, where a scammer contacts you and claims that you have overpaid your utility bill. The scammer will say they need your personal banking information to deposit the credit back to your checking account.

Another trending scam is smishing (short for SMS phishing). Many consumers know to watch out for suspicious emails, but we tend to trust text messages sent to our smartphones.

Always question suspicious texts, especially from someone claiming to represent a utility.

HERE ARE A FEW REMINDERS ON HOW TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION WHEN YOU’VE BEEN TARGETED BY A SCAMMER: TAKE YOUR TIME

Utility scammers try to create a sense of urgency so that you’ll act fast and hand over personal information, especially over the phone. Take a moment to think about the situation before acting.

BE SUSPICIOUS Scammers typically request immediate payments through prepaid debit cards or third-party apps.

Unusual requests like this should raise red flags.

Remember, if the request seems strange and out of the ordinary, you’re likely being targeted by a scammer.

CONFIRM BEFORE YOU ACT

If you’re contacted by someone claiming to represent your rural electric cooperative or another utility but you’re unsure, just hang up the phone and call your cooperative directly. You can find that phone number in the insert in the center of this magazine.

Surprise nominee elected to NEA board Niobrara Electric Association members filled the Sioux County High School gym in Harrison, Nebraska in May for a boisterous annual meeting. The co-op designated the meeting both the 75th and 76th annual meeting after the 75th annual meeting was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tables set for 200 were filled by members who voted, won door prizes, ate and caught up with old friends.

As the business of the meeting began, co-op attorney Joe Stecher asked and received a motion to accept the two directors who ran unopposed in 2020 and took their seats even though the

PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

THE CURRENT

District 1 candidates Brayden Bruegger, left, Joe Kruse and Chris Jensen chat after giving speeches during the Niobrara Electric Association annual meeting on May 20. Bruegger was elected to the board seat that was vacated by Andy Greer, who moved out of the district.

membership could not meet that year. The two directors who were elected in 2020 will continue to serve the remainder of their three-year terms, Stecher said. Once that unusual business was finished, members voted to re-elect two directors who ran unopposed in 2021, Andy Barnette and Jim Dunn.

Three Niobrara members vied for one open director position in District 1. Joe Kruse and Chris Jensen were nominated through the usual nominating committee channels. Latecomer Brayden Bruegger was allowed to join the race after he gained the signatures of 15 voting members on a petition.

“I find it important for younger generations to be involved,” said Bruegger, who introduced himself as a welder and rancher. Bruegger was elected to the seat.

Bruegger replaces former director Andy Greer, who left his position after moving out of the co-op territory. Greer served on the board for 15 years. He was also Niobrara’s representative to the Wyoming Rural Electric Association. The Niobrara Electric Association board of directors will elect one of their own to sit on the WREA board in the coming months.

JULY 2021

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STAGECOACH MUSEUM

THIS MONTH:

HOMETOWN HITS

TYPE OF SPOT: ABOUT THE SITE:

History museum

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STAGECOACH MUSEUM WHERE YOU’LL FIND IT:

NIOBRARA ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

I-90

Here you’ll find an actual stagecoach from the CheyenneDeadwood line that, according to the museum, “was robbed by road agents and shot at by Indians.”

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The museum presents an imposing figure in the turreted former National Guard armory on Lusk’s Main Street.

I-80

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I-25

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PHOTOS BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

WHY IT’S SPECIAL: The grounds include meticulously kept buildings and displays, with a schoolhouse, Triceratops bones and a restored sheep wagon. “You could be here all day if you wanted to,” said board member and volunteer Gail Graham.

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JULY 2021

COWBOY STATE BUZZ

Wyoming Innovation Center GROUNDBREAKING MARKS ANOTHER STEP IN CARBON RESEARCH State and local officials gathered in June to break ground on a new research facility in Campbell County.

The Wyoming Innovation Center will be a project demonstration facility located on the grounds of the former Fort Union mine north of Gillette. It is a different facility than the Integrated Testing Center, which is a flue gas testing center located on-site with the Dry Fork Station coal-fired power plant, also north of Gillette.

The Wyoming Innovation Center will include outdoor testing pads, as well as an indoor facility where researchers can process materials such as rare earth minerals, coal and fly ash. The University of Wyoming School of Energy Research will also be a tenant.

It would’ve been so easy many “years ago to assume the role of the

victim, to find a persecutor and look for a rescuer. Instead, because of the leadership that we have ... we assumed the role of a creator, and we are making things happen here,”

-PRECorp CEO Mike Easley said at the groundbreaking, as quoted by the Gillette News Record.

JULY 2021

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COWBOY STATE BUZZ

There’s something for everyone IN THE 2021 ROAD TRIP PLAYLIST FROM THE WYOMING ARTS COUNCIL

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PLAY Summer is here and folks are gearing up for many adventures alongside the rising temps and summer breeze.

The musical talent of the Cowboy State provides the perfect soundtrack for any adventure, especially those that require long drives across the high plains or through mountain passes.

Search for, “2021 Wyoming Road Trip Playlist” on Spotify.

These musicians represent some of the best the Wyoming independent music scene has to offer. From the country rock sounds of Bob Lefevre & the Already Gone to Missy Jo’s jazz vocals and the hip hop stylings of Carbine C, there’s something for all tastes.

Songs were selected by Bri Long, assistant talent buyer at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The Wyoming Road Trip Playlist is an annual part of the Arts Council’s Wyoming Independent Music Initiative, working to build a robust music scene in Wyoming and is presented in partnership with the Wyoming Office of Tourism.

2021 • 31 SONGS • 2 HOURS 7MIN

ARTIST SONG TITLE + AGONY BY DEFAULT

For All the Rest of Time

 BENYARO Wyoming + BOB LEFEVRE & THE ALREADY GONE

Raven Lee

+ BUFFALO BILL BOYCOTT

William Tell Yodelture

+ CARBINE C Creepy Crawler + THE DAUPHIN OF MISSISSIPPI

Wyoming Sweet Tooth

 DAVE MUNSICK

Staying with the Land

+ DE GRINGOS Y GREMMIES

Black Condor and Una Bala para un Gremmie

+ DOUG ANDREWS

Absaraka Runoff and Juniper Tree

+ INLAND ISLE

Analise and Biggest Fish

+ JACOB TALLABAS

Caffeine and Cigarettes

+ JARED ROGERSON

Peace, Love and Horses

+ KELLEN SMITH

Cheatgrass & Clover and Pinebox Jim

+ THE LAST COYOTE

With Your Ghost

 LEAVE IT TO S.H.I.V.A

Flow

 MASTERMIND OF MONKEY

Twisted

 MISSY JO Bittersweet and Passport Check + PHILLIP FAUQET

3 County Country

+ SALEVV Food For My Psyche and Siren + THE TWO TRACKS

Beautiful

 WALK THE DOCTOR

Bass Rocks and Medicine Man

+ WHISKEY’S ALIBI

The Storm

 ZÜK Jilly and Wind from the West 12

JULY 2021

COWBOY STATE BUZZ

STATEWIDE PUBLIC HEALTH ORDERS REACH EXPECTED FINAL PHASE FROM THE WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

The Wyoming Department of Health announced the likely final phase for statewide public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the immediate removal of one of the two remaining orders, on May 21.

Statewide public health order #2, which affected indoor events of more than 500 people, is now eliminated.

Mask use and physical distancing requirements in statewide public health order #1 related to K-12 schools remained through May 31, while the same requirements for colleges were immediately eliminated. An extension of statewide public health order #1 past May 31 is not expected.

“We are making these changes now because we are confident in the effectiveness of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

We are seeing excellent results among those who have been vaccinated. The vaccines are doing their job very well,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH.

Wonder what happened in Wyoming last year? Visit the new COVID-19 in Wyoming website to catch a glimpse of the past. This new website shows some of the many donations shared with the Wyoming State Archives, Wyoming State Museum and the University of Wyoming’s American Heritage Center that help tell the history of the pandemic. Visit the website at sites.wyo.gov/covidinwy.

are authorized for adults 18 and over.

No COVID-19 vaccine is yet authorized for children younger than 12.

“Unfortunately, COVID-19 has not disappeared completely. We continue to see confirmed cases across the state.

The vast majority of recent, new cases have involved people who were not yet fully vaccinated,” Harrist said.

“I strongly encourage anyone who is eligible but who hasn’t yet been vaccinated to do so as soon as possible. These vaccines are free, safe and effective. They offer many benefits, such as the ability to avoid quarantine after exposure to COVID-19, and are the best route we have to outsmart the pandemic,” she said.

Harrist expects specific protocols for the safe operation of K-12 schools during the pandemic will be determined at the school district level. “We are, of course, offering guidance and advice and we encourage schools to work closely with their county health representatives. It will be important to monitor local health situations.”

WDH data shows more than 30 percent of WDH continues to recommend but not Wyoming residents are fully vaccinated with require masks in indoor public places for more people choosing the vaccines every day. people who aren’t fully vaccinated when common sense physical distancing cannot “There is no question we would like to be maintained among those who don’t see a much higher coverage percentage,” live in the same household.

Harrist said. “But adults, including college students, across our state have had ample “There are specific places where precautions opportunity to choose vaccination by this such as mask use are still recommended point,” Harrist said. “The change to the for everyone, such as health care settings order affecting schools and colleges will including nursing homes and assisted reflect recently updated guidance from the living facilities, correctional facilities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” and homeless shelters,” Harrist said.

Harrist noted the Pfizer vaccine was recently “Private businesses and organizations may also still choose to require masks and made available for 12- to 15-year-olds in other precautions. We ask individuals to be addition to anyone over 16. Moderna and respectful of requirements in those settings.”

Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccines JULY 2021

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C E N T E RCENTERPIECE PIECE

LIFE OUT WEST N e w A m e r i ca n s m a k e a h o m e i n W yo m i n g

BY NEVA BODIN

“Must be real love; you’re going to Casper, Wyoming!” Guadalupe Merino heard as her green card was stamped at the American Embassy in Madrid, Spain. She is one of many naturalized citizens who have chosen to make Wyoming their home, after hair-raising adventures in South America, taking siestas on hot afternoons in Spain, or living in “the old country” of Germany.

“We were the best kayak club in the country … we were living in a communist country.”

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Escaping to the Americas Jacek Bogucki left Poland on his birthday, July 4, in the 1970s. Part of the Bystrze (rapid) kayak team, he said, “We were the best kayak club in the country … we were living in a communist country.”

They convinced the Polish government to let them represent Poland abroad and headed for Argentina.

Working in Polish television, he was a filmmaker for the team. They were the first people to navigate the Colca river in Peru, producing a book and documentaries about their travels.

JULY 2021

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Jacek Bogucki immigrated to the United States from Poland almost 30 years ago. He believes that Casper is the best place to live.

Jacek Bogucki and his son Thomasz.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACEK BOGUCKI

“I enjoy life in Casper; we have met so many nice people, always helping, always positive.”

“In ‘88, I got my citizenship,” said Bogucki. His wife, Teresa, whom he met in Peru, was naturalized several years later. When she came to the states, he said, “I wasn’t ready to tie the knot, but in ‘84 I surrendered.

In ‘85 we got married.

PHOTO BY DAN CEPEDA

Due to political issues in Argentina, the team Bogucki was part of began navigating mostly unknown rivers by kayak and raft in Mexico, then floated from one adventure to another in various South American countries. Some of their exploits are featured in books and magazines, including National Geographic.

A photograph of Bogucki is in the January 1993 issue of National Geographic, in a story titled “Roaring Through Earth’s Deepest Canyon.” In the picture, he balances on two boulders to get his shot of the rafters maneuvering their way over and around rocks in the Colca River, which he navigated four times: 1981 (once), 1983 (twice), and 1993 (once). Writer Joe Kane quotes Bogucki’s “heartland slang” in the article, spoken with a hearty Polish accent, which he still retains.

In 1981, Bogucki and his friends led protest marches in Peru, collecting monetary support for the Solidarity 16

JULY 2021

Movement in Poland, preventing travel back home at that time.

The Polish communist government interrogated his family in Poland because of his activities. (Bogucki and friends were unable to join an expedition collaborated with Jacques Cousteau due to having just applied for political asylum.)

After traveling throughout North, Central and South America, Bogucki chose Wyoming for his home. He and his friends had stayed with the Marynowski family in Casper.

Jacek, Teresa and Tomasz Bogucki have made a home in Casper.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACEK BOGUCKI

“I enjoy life in Casper; we have met so many nice people, always helping, always positive. Sometimes it’s prejudice against ethnic races, but I never feel anything like this here.

People are always friendly, I think it’s the best place to live. This town is great because we have so many amenities, we have Alcova Lake, Casper Mountain, the event center where big stars perform.”

He has worked for television stations in Casper and owns his own business: Video Works.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALINE CASSIDY

Finding her freedom In 2012, Aline Cassidy was in Potsdam, Germany, about to finish her master’s in education, when she met an American serviceman stationed in Bamberg.

“We started communicating every day, St. Patrick’s Day he proposed to me.

So he says he got lucky.” She married her soldier while on vacation in the states in 2013. Three years later they held a ceremony in Germany so her family could attend. Cassidy became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in May 2019.

Cassidy speaks English, Russian and German. Certified as a foreign language teacher, she teaches Russian in Casper, Wyoming.

Aline Cassidy became a U.S. citizen in 2019.

It took Cassidy awhile to adjust to Wyoming: “I had to get accustomed to the climate, the longlasting winters made me depressed at the beginning.

It was also very difficult to receive my teaching license and find a teaching position,” she said.

Cassidy found many differences between the United States and Germany.

“The first time I thought about Wyoming, I imagined a lot of green land and ranches. It blew my mind that Wyoming on its own is about the size of Germany.”

Cassidy said, “Life in Germany is very regulated. There are lots of rules to follow and freedom is VERY limited. Life has to be planned out, and reshaping your lifestyle is almost impossible.

PHOTO BY DAN CEPEDA

William and Aline Cassidy settled in Casper for the freedom, the outdoors and the “breathtaking” sunsets.

U OS CO PHOT

“I do enjoy the ability to call a piece of land my own. What I have accomplished here in America, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish in Germany for a very long time— my job, my house, my citizenship.”

While waiting for an opening in the school district in Casper, she worked as a barista at Starbucks. “I made coffee for all the officers coming in every morning, orning, that’s what helped me most to learn how to talk to people here. This would not happen in Germany.” she said. “They wouldn’t allow moving from one career to another. Retirement options are better here, and the standard of living is way better. I didn’t have to think much about whether I wanted to become a citizen or not.”

When Cassidy took her citizenship test, she said, “It was so cool because the school knew I had to go to this interview and my principal texted, ‘Did you make it?’ and they announced it on the intercom. When I came back to school, there were all these sticky notes, and I thought they were all ‘sub’ notes, and I thought, ‘What did my sub do?’ They were all nice little notes from my kiddos.

Aline and William C assidy try to visi t Jackson at least twic e a year.

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“I do enjoy the ability to call a piece of land my own. What I have accomplished here in America, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish in Germany for a very long time— my job, my house, my citizenship.”

“I’m part of the Wyoming Foreign Language Teacher’s Association, so every second year we are traveling to other towns, visiting other teachers as well. Jackson is one of my favorite places. We go there probably twice a year. My husband’s family has a ranch there.

“I paint too. I like to be away from people sometimes. You wouldn’t be able to have a property like this in Germany, everything is so tight.

“It’s quite nice to enjoy the cowboy lifestyle. But there’s one thing I’ll always enjoy and point out to others: Wyoming sunsets are breathtaking, and I have spent many hours with my husband watching the sun set!”

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JULY 2021

Guadalupe Merino teaches Spanish at Park Elementary School in Casper.

You could see forever

PHOTO BY DAN CEPEDA

Guadalupe Merino’s family in Spain hosted foreign exchange students from Casper, then Merino visited them in Casper in 1994.

It was a culture shock, she said. They lived on a cattle ranch in the “wide open spaces.” She had pictured coming to Wyoming as a “vacation,” and seeing lots of people! She found a hardworking family on a ranch whose routine was much different than a typical day in Spain.

“I’m in love with this place … all year.”

Merino grew up in Badajoz, Spain, population 250,000. They ate lunch around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. and dinner at 10 or 11 p.m. because of the extreme heat.

“There’s a lot of traffic,” she said, “there’s cars and people; everybody lives in apartment buildings. I grew up in an apartment building on the eighth floor. Suddenly, I was in a home on this piece of land, and you could see forever. I felt lost; I was very relieved when the Spanish teacher called me and said, ‘You want to come to town?’ I really liked it.

Liked that people had houses and yards.”

She fell in love in Wyoming, returned to Spain, finished her teaching degree, and took English as a second language. She came back in 1996 and married a Wyoming man.

Merino became a naturalized citizen in September 2018. Teaching Spanish here, her students helped her study for her citizenship test, a familiar story echoed

by Cassidy. Parents brought students to

her naturalization ceremony, helping her celebrate.

“My parents came over here a couple times and loved it,” Merino said.

“My dad especially. He was a Western movie man so anything here, he was, ‘Oh, John Wayne, John Wayne!’”

Merino and her parents visited the scene west of Casper where the movie “Hellfighters,” starring John Wayne, was filmed. Her parents liked the open spaces and that people had yards.

“It’s funny, when I first was thinking about moving here, my friends made fun of it; nobody knows anything about

Wyoming. The first time my parents were here, we stayed at Jenny Lake. Got there in the dark. In the morning, my dad came out, looked up and said, ‘Whoa!’

“I love hiking. On Casper Mountain, there’s a place you cannot drive, but you can walk in and hike around, and it’s just gorgeous, and nobody knows that it’s there. I feel at peace up there.

“I’m in love with this place … all year.

I love snowshoeing. I love spending time outdoors, hiking, camping and fishing. It’s amazing. Coming from a big city, it took a while. It’s so beautiful here, surrounded by so many things.

I love getting in the kayak.”

PHOTO CO

URTESY OF

GUADALUP

E MERINO

This year Merino plans to rent yurts or cabins in Wyoming state parks.

“I’m super excited because I got me a hardcore sleeping bag!” she said, adding, “I’m getting more comfortable getting lost in places.”

o’s students Guadelupe Merin dy for her stu r he helped and attended citizenship test ion ceremony. her naturalizat

In 1872, Dr. Brewster M. Higley wrote a poem, “Home on the Range,” speaking of wide open spaces where deer and antelope play. These new citizens have chosen Wyoming as their “home on the range” where they work, play and help make the West the best. W

Neva Bodin is a Casper-based freelance writer, registered nurse, painter and poet.

JULY 2021

19

ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREA PEREZ

KIDS’ CORNER

LITTLE WYOMING

Meet the

CENTRAL

STONEROLLER

01

Campostoma anomalum The central stoneroller is a small fish, rarely over 6 inches long, that inhabits small and medium clear streams with pebble beds. Except during the breeding season, both males and females are grayish, with dark blotches on their sides and pale bellies. The central stoneroller’s range in Wyoming is restricted to tributaries of the Platte River in the southeast quarter of the state. Globally, its range extends from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and from Canada to Mexico.

02

Micro -diet 03

Hide & seek

A stoneroller’s diet consists mostly of algae and tiny critters that it scrapes from rocks and logs— something you might guess from the location of its mouth (on the underside of its head) and its thick, tough lower lip. They also feed on swimming or floating microorganisms, as well as detritus (dead stuff).

Until it reaches breeding age in 3 or 4 years, a central stoneroller’s life consists mostly of eating as much as possible and avoiding being eaten. Larger fish, especially small and largemouth bass, and fishing birds like herons and bitterns will gobble them up.

04

Body changes Though their lives may be uneventful by human standards, stonerollers get exciting at breeding season. The males change color; their fins becoming orange with a black stripe through the large dorsal fin and their lips turn white.

Stranger still, small wart-like growths called tubercles appear on their heads and bodies. Then they use their thick lip and tubercles to excavate a large, bowl-shaped nest in the pebbles at the bottom of the stream, which they defend against other male stonerollers—sometimes even chasing them out of the water!

05

Large family The females, meanwhile, swim around the nests, stopping occasionally to lay eggs. One female may lay as many as 4,000 eggs, though not all at once. Each egg is about 3/16ths of an inch across; once fertilized, it turns bright yellow. Though neither parent stays to watch over their offspring, the eggs nonetheless hatch in about three days. The hatchlings form large schools that feed together in warmer backwaters and along stream margins, where they eat, and try to avoid being eaten …

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HOME ON THE RANGE

Full-Service Equine Care

BY DR. BRUCE CONNALLY

T

here is a frustrating problem that has bedeviled horse owners since horses became pets instead of working animals. Many horse owners now have jobs that take them away from their horses during the day.

Veterinarians, farriers, manure haulers, fence builders and the aforementioned horse owners all try to work during the day and come home to their families in the evening. That is the problem.

When the horse needs new shoes

navigate this puzzle

“Okay.” Judy said, acknowledging defeat. “I think I can get a

when she called me

couple hours off Friday morning.

Monday morning.

Can we start early?”

“I think Dandy has a problem Doc. He was lame in his left front leg when I rode him this weekend.

I think it is in his shoulder.”

“Sounds like I need to take a look,” I said. “How is Wednesday afternoon?”

“I can’t take Wednesday off of work,” Judy replied. “Can you look at him without me?”

“It would be better if you were there.

I will need you to hold him if we have to do X-rays or nerve blocks.

Besides, I think I remember he is a little hard to catch. “ “He’s not bad,” Judy said a little defensively. “Just playful.”

“It took about 25 minutes to catch

We settled on 7:30 Friday morning so Judy could get back to a meeting at noon. I was there by 7:25 and Judy had Dandy caught by 7:43.

“He can smell the vet!”

Judy explained.

Dandy’s left front foot turned out to be the source of the problem.

He was sensitive when I used hoof testers on his heels. X-rays showed mild degeneration in the navicular bone. I left pain medication for Dandy and started to talk about the corrective shoeing the horse needed to be more comfortable.

“Can you just talk to Mark about

does the horse owner take time

him when I went out to float his

that?” Judy asked as she slid

off work or does the farrier come

teeth last month,” I grumbled gently.

into her car. “It’s just after 11

“I didn’t have a key to your tack room

and I can still make the lunch

out during her son’s baseball game in the evening?

22

Judy was trying to

JULY 2021

so couldn’t tempt him with grain.”

meeting if I hurry.”

Mark was a good farrier, and like all

“I have to go out that way this

was worried about. There was a 2-by

farriers, a little bit hard to catch up with.

afternoon,” I told Judy. “Would it

8-inch rectangular area where the

Finally about 4:30 Friday afternoon he

be alright if I swing by and check

hair appeared a little rougher. When

answered my call.

on that rash?”

I looked closer, I could see tiny little

“Mark,” I said. “This is Bruce. Are you done for the day?”

“No,” he growled.

“I have one more horse

“That would be great! You don’t need me there do you?”

It was midafternoon before I was able to

punctures all lined up in straight rows.

Mark answered the phone on the second ring.

“Hey Mark, this is Bruce,” I said.

“You did a nice job on Dandy’s feet.”

to shoe so Jim can

see Dandy. He was

go team roping

napping by his shed

Saturday.”

when I drove up.

there to hold the horse. It wasn’t easy

He trotted a lap

to get the shoes on with him moving all

around the little

over. Glad you think it came out okay.”

“Well, this can wait till next week. Judy’s horse, Dandy, is sore on the left front. X-rays show some navicular changes.“ “That horse always has pretty thin soles.

How about if I square his toe back and wedge his heels up?” Mark asked.

“Perfect,” I replied. “His hoof-pastern axis is bent back a little so the wedge is a

pasture when I tried to catch him. Judy was right.

I did not see any lameness either. Apparently the new shoes and the pain medication were working.

He let me catch him after that one lap. Mark’s shoes looked good. When I turned Dandy so the sun was shining on his right side, I could see what Judy

“Thanks,” he said. “Judy couldn’t be

“He is hard when you are by yourself,” I agreed. “But next time when you slap him with the shoeing rasp, use the smooth side, not the side with the pointed teeth.” W Dr. Bruce Connally practices equine medicine in central Wyoming and northern Colorado from his home in Berthoud, Colorado.

good idea. If you get time to stop by the clinic you can see the X-rays.”

I felt good as I hung up the phone.

Farriers and vets often do not work on the horse at the same time so communication is critical. Dandy should be feeling better soon.

The following Friday morning I got a call from Judy.

“Dandy has a rash on his right hip.” She announced. “I don’t know why it is only on one side, but it is. It does not seem painful or itchy.”

“Really?” I answered. “How is his left front foot doing?”

“Oh, he seems to be doing a lot better.

Mark came out and put the shoes on yesterday. I have not had time to ride him but he trotted around the pasture without any sign of lameness this morning.”

JULY 2021

23

B OB O KO K G IR VE EV AI WE WA Y

Captain Benjamin Bonneville’s Wyoming Expedition: THE LOST 1833 REPORT JETT B. CONNER DESCRIPTION BY ARCADIA PUBLISHING:

In 1832, Benjamin Bonneville led the first wagon train across the Continental Divide on the Oregon Trail. Financed by a rival of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Bonneville and more than 100 traders and trappers traveled from Fort Osage on the Missouri River, up to the Platte River and across present-day Wyoming.

Washington Irving first gave the U.S. Army officer a brand by chronicling the three-year explorations in the 1837 book “The Adventures of Captain Bonneville.” Historians have long suspected that the captain, under the guise of commercial fur trading, was preparing for an eventual invasion of Mexico’s California territory. Bonneville’s 1833 report concerning his first year in the Wind River Range and beyond remained lost for almost a century before resurfacing in the 1920s. Author Jett B. Conner examines the intriguing details revealed in that historic document.

ORDERING INFORMATION: 2021 | 160p. | $21.99 paperback ISBN: 978-1-4671-4864-1 Publisher: Arcadia Publishing and The History Press

WIN A

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Address:

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Available online and at local booksellers, and by calling the Wyoming State Museum Gift Shop at 307-777-5320.

ENTRIES DUE BY AUGUST 15 One entry per household, please.

24

JULY 2021

 EXPEDITION

c/o WREN Magazine 214 W. Lincolnway, Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

PUZZLE

1

2

Ice Sudokream

BY KENDRA SPANJER

Decipher the pattern in the grid above, then choose which of the ice cream treats below belong in squares 1 and 2.

BRAIN FREEZE? SAVOR THE ANSWERS ON PAGE 35.

A

B

C

D

E

CO-OP SPOTLIGHT

PHOTO BY KELLY ETZEL DOUGLAS

LUSK HAS A BIG GENEROUS HEART, TAKING CARE OF THOSE WHO LIVE THERE, AND THAT IS WHAT LISH MURPHY LOVES BEST ABOUT THIS SMALL HIGHPLAINS TOWN IN EASTERN WYOMING. Lish Murphy joined Niobrara Electric Association in February.

Miles and Miles: Niobrara Electric Association clerk stops commuting, starts new adventures

BY RACHEL GIRT

M

26

urphy is the newest employee of Niobrara Electric Association, having started in February 2021, but she has lived in Lusk for over 14 years.

“This little community takes care of the

If somebody is struggling, the community rallies together and raises funds for them, Murphy explained. She recalled one fundraiser which raised over $70,000 to help one family with medical bills and expenses. The town raised almost $170,000 to help businesses and people devastated by the 2015 downtown flood.

her father took a job in the uranium

JULY 2021

people that live here, and that’s what I like about rural Wyoming,” Murphy said.

“Most little towns in Wyoming do that.”

When Murphy was a child, her family moved from Arizona to Douglas where mine. She grew up, graduated high school, married her husband Larry and raised their family, all in Douglas.

They moved to Lusk in 2007 when her husband was offered a railroad supervisor position.

Prior to working at the co-op, Murphy worked as a warehouse supervisor at a coal mine. She would drive 50 miles from Lusk to Douglas and then ride a

bus to the mine, which was another 75 miles away. A bus wreck convinced her to look for work that didn’t involve a lengthy commute.

Murphy first worked at the port of entry in Lusk and then as a social worker for the Wyoming Department of Family Services.

She was thrilled when the billing/ metering clerk position came open at the co-op. The social worker job allowed her the opportunity to help others but was very stressful, she explained.

“I always wanted to work at the co-op,” she said. “The people here are wonderful to work with.”

Murphy describes herself as a people person, whether it is working at the coop or in her family’s barbecue catering business, the Angry Irishman BBQ. “I love working and interacting with the public,” she said.

Her husband has always had a passion for barbecue and started out grilling ribs on their old charcoal grill.

The ribs got to be so good that their friends started asking them to cook for small events.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LISH MURPHY

The couple decided to open a catering business in 2014 and typically are booked for weekend events from May through the fall almost a year in advance. They cater for as few as 10 people to as many as 900.

Murphy said, laughing, they both have Irish ancestors, which is where the business name comes from. Her husband focuses on smoking the meat when Murphy does all the favor profiles, cooks the sides, organizes the buffets and handles the billing.

The Angry Irishman BBQ has competed three times in national competitions held in Memphis, Tennessee.

“We finished in the middle of the pack

Their daughter-in-law, who lives in Douglas, has become a big help, especially at summer weddings and the Legend of the Rawhide event in Lusk, Murphy said.

The older grandkids have come and helped out too.

Beyond her work and family, Murphy is also very proud of being selected to decorate the White House in Washington, D.C. for Christmas.

Silent Night came on,

and I just started crying because who gets the chance to do that?

In 2018, she discovered an online article about the volunteer opportunity. Along with her application, she wrote a short essay describing her life as a coal miner living in Niobrara County, the least populated county in the least populated state.

She was thrilled and The Murphys own a business, honored to be selected out pretty good because Angry Irishman BBQ. of about 7,000 applicants. our flavor profile is way Only 250 volunteers from different than Memphis ribs,” around the nation are selected Murphy said. “They’re super sweet, to help decorate the White House. and ours are more a little bit of sweet, a She went twice, in 2018 and again little bit of heat and savory.” with her husband in 2019. In 2020, Murphy fiddles with new recipes, mostly the White House limited the number for side entrees, in her kitchen when not of volunteers due to COVID-19. for our ribs, which is

at her co-op job. Their handmade rubs and sauces were developed years ago. She has perfected recipes for macaroni and cheese and even for smoking jackfruit, a tropical fruit often used as a meat substitute, similar in texture and taste to pulled pork.

While they didn’t meet President Trump and the first lady, she saw them numerous times, including when President Trump pardoned the turkeys. The first lady also spoke to the volunteers, thanking them for their help.

Lish and her husband, Larry, helped decorate the White House for Christmas in 2019.

The entire experience was both overwhelming and unforgettable to Murphy.

“I was sitting on the floor of the East Room in the White House stringing Christmas lights while listening to Christmas carols. Silent Night came on, and I just started crying because who gets the chance to do that?” she explained.

She plans to keep submitting applications with hopes of being given an opportunity to help out again. W Rachel Girt is a freelance writer and owner of Girt Communications based in Cheyenne.

In recent years, the couple has slowed down on the number of catering events they do to avoid wearing themselves out and give them more time with their four grandchildren. Now a snowplow driver, her husband focuses on plowing roads in the winter and working on the catering business in the summer months.

“The whole family is starting to get involved with the business,” she said, adding that they cherish the extra time with their grandbabies.

NOW

STREAMING LIVE TV PBS VIDEO APP

WyomingPBS.org/app JULY 2021

27

COUNTRY COOKS

COLD TREATS FOR HOT DAYS HOMEMADE VANILLA

ICE CREAM

FREEZER MINT

CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM 1 (14 OZ) CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 2 TBS WATER 1/4 TSP PEPPERMINT EXTRACT

4 EGGS 1 CUP SUGAR 2 TBS VANILLA 1/2 PINT WHIPPING CREAM 1/4 TSP SALT 2 CANS SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK 1 - 1/2 QUARTS MILK 2 LARGE BAGS ICE ROCK SALT

Before you begin to mix ingredients, place a mixing bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill it.

In a large bowl, combine milk, water, extract and food coloring. Using the chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream and chocolate chips into the milk mixture.

Pour into the loaf pan, cover and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.

START WITH A CAN JULY 2021

Combine ingredients, shape into bite-size balls and chill. A great camping or kid treat. Makes two dozen.

GERI SWANSON

3/4 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER 1 (14 OZ) CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK, CHILLED 2 CUPS HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM, CHILLED PINCH OF SALT

C

RIVERTON

TORRINGTON

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with aluminum foil. Leave enough foil on the sides to form a cover.

FARSON

SEPTEMBER:

28

1 (8 OZ) PKG CREAM CHEESE 1/2 CUP CHOPPED NUTS 1 PKG OF CHOCOLATE CHIPS 1/2 CUP OF CHOPPED MARASCHINO CHERRIES

MARYANNE SMITH

You must have a hand crank or electric ice cream maker. Combine eggs, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla in bowl and mix well with mixer. Be careful adding salt—too much salt will cause ice cream not to set up. Pour into ice cream can, add sweetened condensed milk and stir well. Add dairy milk and stir. Put lid on can and tighten. Place can into ice cream maker, lock down lid and add layers of ice and rock salt several times around the can to top of ice cream maker. Churn ice cream about an hour while adding ice and rock salt as needed.

Makes 4 quarts. Do not allow rock salt into can of ice cream. Remove lid and enjoy!

JENNIFER ROBERTS

3 DROPS GREEN FOOD COLORING 2 CUPS HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM 1 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS

BOLAS MEXICANOS

Whisk together cocoa powder and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Pour in heavy whipping cream and use a hand mixer to beat the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until stiff peaks form.

Add a pinch of salt and mix with a rubber spatula.

Pour into a loaf pan, spreading evenly and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer and chill for at least 6 to 8 hours.

NANCY DENK

RIVERTON

Send Sendcomplete completerecipe recipeby byMarch AUGUST 10!15!

Please Pleaseinclude includeyour yourname, name,address addressand andphone phonenumber. number.

S SU UB BM M II T T A AR RE EC C II P PE E

wren@wyomingrea.org | |  [307] 772-1968 286-8140   wren@wyomingrea.org  [307]   214 214W. W.Lincolnway LincolnwaySte. Ste.21C 21CCheyenne, Cheyenne,WY WY82001 82001

wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions  

Wyoming Homesteaders

PEN TO PAPER

For two years, four Swedes huddled together in a tarpaper shack Dad dug a hundred feet in hard pan, a well They milked their way to a farm Then sprung up a six-hundred acre ranch Grandpa went to town and talked gibberish with Germans and Irish But they all knew the word whiskey Anguish turned to joy Those Swedes carried the sky Grandpa drove a team of horses forty miles to cut timber to build a house Like in Sweden, they had recently left He had minted his share Dad and Bertha walked two miles to a country school attended by Other Swedes They spoke English, but not until fifth grade They were caryatids of a hard life Grandpa dynamited holes for hard wood apple trees While Grandma’s tomatoes shivered in the wind A violin warmed the house And they loved that awful lutefisk Reynold, Emma, Lawrence, and Bertha had honed themselves slick LARRY J. LARSON

We share a selection of WREN readers’ creative writing (poems, limericks, haiku, short verse, and prose) every issue as space and content allow. To be considered for publication, please include the author’s consent to be submitted, his or her mailing address, and confirmation that the work has not been published elsewhere. If you would like us to return your work, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

GILLETTE

Put Your Pen to Paper!

Please include your name, address, and phone number.

SUBMIT A PIECE

 wren@wyomingrea.org |  [307] 286-8140  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions

JULY 2021

29

01

03 02

04

01 02 03

Taylor Fischer and her friend, Muley, share a bond in two photos 14 years apart, Judy Jundt and Mony Fischer, Gillette

04

Radiant rainbow, Michele Brostowitz, Ten Sleep

05

Mann family cabin built in 1929, Vicki Olson, Powell

06

Piedmont: Grandfather Byrne’s legacy, Lacy Boyles, Lyman

Beautiful Wyoming, Bernie Borland, Gillette

05

06

JUST PICTURE IT

THIS MONTH:

SEPTEMBER (DUE AUGUST 15):

HERITAGE

BIRDS OF PREY

07

08

09

07

Grandpa and Grandma Hapgood, Barbara Hapgood Rasco, Riverton

08

Little cowboy, Heather McLaughlin, Upton

09

My niece panning for gold in the Bighorns, Lauree Scott, Gillette

10

Raise them up right, Angie Caster, Wolf

11

Grandma’s house, Vicki Olson, Powell

12

Exploring the beauty around, Shelby Walker, Wright

13

Weston County 4-H girls, Heather McLaughlin, Upton

10

11 12

SUBMIT A P H OTO

 wren@wyomingrea.org  214 W. Lincolnway Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001  wyomingrea.org/wren-submissions Please include your name, hometown and a title.

13

Please submit high-quality digital files* or an original we can scan, as well as details about the artwork, the artist’s name and the co-op. *Use the highest quality setting on your camera, or save digital artwork as a .jpg or .tif file with at least 300 dpi resolution.

If you would like your work returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

JULY 2021

31

WHAT’S HAPPENING

WHAT’S HAPPENING REGIONAL MAP

02

03

AUGUST

01 | SOUTHEAST MEDICINE BOW

Hulett Museum and Art Gallery: 8a-4p Mon-Fri, free, info 307-467-5292.

FOURTH TUESDAYS

ONGOING

Bingo: 7p, Community Hall, info 307-760-8402.

S A R AT O G A AUGUST 11-15

PHOTO BY JENNIE HUTCHINSON

04

01

FEATURED EVENT

AUGUST 21

ONGOING

Gema Sings the Blues: Band will perform as part of Toga Weekend celebration in Saratoga. 7p, Saratoga Museum, $25, $50 for concert and 5:30p meet and greet. Info 307-326-5511, saratoga-museum.com.

AUGUST 28

Bullfest: 7p, Buck Springs Arena, $10, 12 and under free. Info 307-399-0432.

W H E AT L A N D AUGUST 28



12-4P

Clues will be given through the “voices” of former South Pass City residents.

Learn their history and find scavenger hunt items in town, on the Flood and Hindle Trail and up to the Carissa mill.

SOUTH PASS CITY info 307-332-3684 | southpasscity.com

NORTHWEST 32

JULY 2021

MOORCROFT AUGUST 11

Brewfest: Steinley Cup Microbrew Festival with live music, playground for kids. 1-5p, Veterans Island Park, $30, info 307-326-8855.

AUGUST 14

Senior Center Events: Carry-in dinner 12:30p third Sun. Rolls and coffee 9a Thu. 145 Main Street, info 307-467-5743.

Saratoga Silly Summer Sale: Downtown merchant’s sale, 9a-5:30p, 10a-3p Sun.

AUGUST 21

FAMILY SCAVENGER HUNT

HULETT ONGOING

Green Harvest Festival and Salsa Contest: Tours, music, vendors, and a chance to show off your salsa recipe. 9a-10p, downtown, free, 307-322-6232.

WYCO AUGUST 14

WYCO VFD Chili Contest and Fundraiser: WYCO Volunteer Fire Department (formerly Big Laramie Station 4) fundraiser with food, silent auction, live auction, music, door prize and raffles. 11:30a, 3987 State Highway 230, info 307-703-0169.

02 | NORTHEAST CLEARMONT ONGOING

Clearmont Historical Center: Open 2-4p Thu year-round, 10a-5p Wed and Sat from June 2 to September 1. Free, info 307-758-4524.

RibFest: 11a-5p, Diehls parking lot, info 307-756-9300.

Senior Center Events: Coffee and rolls 9a Wed. Toenail clinic 9a fourth Thu, dinner 6p fourth Thu, info 307-756-9550.

NEWCASTLE FRIDAYS

Bingo: 7:30p, VFW Hall, free.

ONGOING

GiGi’s Closet: Providing free gentlyused clothing for the family. 9a-1p, 2nd and 4th Wed, First United Methodist Church basement entrance, info 307-746-4119, Facebook.

RECLUSE AUGUST 28

James Heald Memorial Ranch Rodeo: Calcutta at 2p, rodeo at 3p, family fun, beer garden. Info 307-670-0171, lrt83@live.com.

UPTON TUESDAYS IN AUGUST

Farmers’ Market: 5-6:30p, Old Town, info 307-468-9323.

AUGUST 28-29

Upton Gun Show: 9a-3p Sat, 9a-5p Sun, Upton Community Center, $5, info 307-281-9980.

03| NORTHWEST CODY AUGUST 16

Lineman Scholarship Golf Tournament: Fundraiser for WREA Lineworker Scholarships. Olive Glenn Golf and Country Club, 4p, $50, info 307-334-3221, codyhotlineschool.com.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

DUBOIS ONGOING

Friday Night Rodeos: Familyfriendly real Western entertainment.

Bulls, broncs, roping, barrel racing, kid’s events, food and drinks. 7:3010p. 5649 Hwy. 287/26. $10, $5 under age 12, under 5 free. Info 307710-7080, duboiswyoming.org.

AUGUST 7

Astronomy of the Summer Sky: Meet at Dubois Museum and drive to location to better view the night sky. 9p, $10, reservations required 307-455-2284.

AUGUST 24

Dubois Museum Mystery Ranch Tour: Location will be a surprise until a few weeks before the event.

9a-2p, $10, advance reservations required 307-455-2284.

THIRD WEDNESDAYS

Wyoming Health Fairs Monthly Wellness Screen/Blood Draw: 7-10a, Dubois Medical Clinic, appointments encouraged, info 307-455-2516, whf.as.me/dubois.

LANDER WEDNESDAYS

Eagle Spirit Dancers and Singers: Watch skilled dancers in colorful regalia at outside venue against the Wind River Mountains.

Benches provided. Lawn chairs, blankets welcome. 7-8:30p Wed, Museum of the American West, free. Info 307-335-8778, museumoftheamericanwest.com.

TO BY KYLE DUB A PHO

AUGUST 14

Brewfest and Golf Tournament: 28+ craft breweries, live music, food, fun, and family activities.

Brewfest at City Park 4-8p Fri, 2-7p Sat, Golf Tournament 9a-12p Sat, Lander Golf & Country Club. Info 307-332-3892, landerbrewfest.com, landergolfcourse.com.

S O U T H PA S S C I T Y

Miners Delight Adventure Trek: Visit the historic gold rush ghost town and learn about the history of the gold district at South Pass.

Participants will meet at the Pioneer Museum for a bus to Miners Delight. 10a, $8, reservations required 307-332-3339.

ONGOING

Carissa Gold Mine Tours: See the pits & shafts where miners labored, then follow the transformation of the ugly grey rock to a gold bar. 2p ThuSun. Reservations recommended. $4 Wyo residents, $8 visitors, under 18 free, info 307-332-3684, southpasscity.com/tours.

AUGUST 26

Fremont County Postal History by Stan Grove: Artifacts carried in the mail may shed an interesting light on the ways and manners of a given time. “Postal history” is the study of where and how the everyday mail has been addressed, conveyed, and delivered. 7p, Pioneer Museum, free, info 307-332-3339.

ONGOING

SUBMIT AN EVENT

AUGUST 7-8

AUGUST 7

Tour of the Historic Town of Kirwin: Annual tour is back with new materials. Meet at the Museums at 8a, follow staff to the mining town. Or download guided tour on the izi.Travel app.

Free, donations encouraged, info 307-868-2423, programs@ meeteetsemuseums.org.

AUGUST 13

Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing: Enjoy an evening outdoors with Casper Astronomy Club. Bring your own chair, water, and a telescope if you have one. 8p, Lower Sunshine Reservoir, free, donations encouraged, info 307-868-2423.

English Tunnel Tours: Mile-long hike and candle tour of a real gold mine. 11a Sat. Reservations required. $4 Wyo residents, $8 visitors, under 18 free. Info 307-332-3684, southpasscity.com/tours.

THERMOPOLIS

MEETEETSE

Send complete information by

AUGUST 15!

We are updating the event dates for the What’s Happening section. Please send events occurring in October.

Also, be sure to include the date, title, description, time, cost, location, address and contact information for each event.

Photos are always welcome.

R I V E RTO N

Wyoming Discovery Days: Celebrate the handiwork & creativity of Wyoming folk artists, demonstrators, craftsmen, musicians, storytellers & delicious food vendors.

Formerly Big Horn Basin Folk Festival.

11a-5p Sat, 10a-4p Sun. Hot Springs State Park, free, info 904-874-2560 info@wyomingdiscoverydays.org.

AUGUST 14

Coming Out of the Vault: Rare photo of Sundance Kid and Etta Pace unveiled 1:30p, presentation by historian 2p, live music, food trucks and root beer. 9a-5p, Hot Springs Museum, free admission, info 307-864-5183, hschistory@rtconnect.net.

AUGUST 14

Ranch Day for Children: Learn about and experience pioneer cooking techniques, roping, branding, rodeo and animals of the area with activities for the whole family. 1-4p, Riverton Museum, free, info 307-856-2665.

AUGUST 28

AUGUST 13-14

AUGUST

J.B. Okie Manor Adventure Trek: Stories from Okie’s life, history of the manor and details about the home’s features. 9a, $20 reservations required by calling 307- 856-2665.

WEDNESDAYS

Acoustic Music Jam: Join in or listen as musicians and dancers perform. 6:30-8:30p, Holiday Inn Convention Center, free, info 307-856-8100.

Look for more events at wyomingrea.org/news.

04 | SOUTHWEST LY M A N

QUESTIONS & SUBMISSIONS:

 wren@

wyomingrea.org

 [307] 286-8140  214 W. Lincolnway

Ste. 21C Cheyenne, WY 82001

 wyomingrea.org/

wren-submissions

THURSDAYS

Storytime: 11a, Lyman Branch Library, all ages are welcome, free, info 307-787-6556, uintalibrary.org.

GREEN RIVER AUGUST 20-21

River Festival and Art on the Green: Art show, Cajun shrimp boil, micro brew garden, live music, Run with the Horses marathon, car show and more. Various locations, info 307-875-5711.

JULY 2021

33

SCHOLARSHIP FUND

LINEMAN SCHOLARSHIP FUND A GOOD PROBLEM IS STILL A PROBLEM, BUT WITH YOUR HELP, OURS CAN BE FIXED. Due to its popularity and the generosity of our board, and increased interest in the trade, WREA’s Lineman Scholarship Fund is in danger of running out of funding.

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

WHAT IT IS The WREA Lineman Scholarship Fund offers grants to one or more individuals, including recent high school graduates who are interested in a career as a lineworker and plan to attend an approved regional lineworker training program.

Over the past several years the board has awarded many scholarships, donating a total of $146,564.00 since 2015.

$

$

27.5K

$

30K

2016

45K

2017

2018



2019

24K 2020



FUNDING

APPRECIATION We appreciate your support!

To be considered, applicants must submit

The scholarship's main

the application form, a resumé describing

source of funding has

their education and work experience, three

been a golf tournament,

letters of recommendation and a transcript

which will return this year.

of grades. If the candidate has not attended

Vendors, cooperatives and

an educational institution in the three years

others who do business

prior to submitting the application,

with cooperatives have been

application to the Wyoming Rural Electric Association; they are then passed on to

the fund. It has been very successful, raising as much as $20,000 in some years.



WREA members and friends have contributed to the scholarship fund.

Thank you for your help!

Calling WREA Office Manager Robin Feezer: (307) 634-0727

But we aren’t done yet.

If you haven’t already, please consider donating to the WREA Lineman Scholarship Fund.

the WREA board for consideration.

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE BY:

During the last few months,

solicited for donations to

Candidates must submit their scholarship

JULY 2021

35K

$

CANDIDATES

the transcript is not necessary.

34

$



Mailing a check to the WREA Office: 2312 Carey Ave. Cheyenne, WY 82001 Make check out to WREA Lineman Scholarship

PUZZLE ANSWERS

A

B

C

D

1

E

ANSWERS: 1 = E ; 2 = B Each row and column contains one of each dish style (a waffle cone, waffle bowl, glass bowl and a glass tall cup), at least one of each ice cream flavor, and a treat with zero, one, two and three scoops. All of the ice cream toppings are just for fun!

PUZZLE ON PAGE 25

2

Wills, Trusts & Probate

Ice Sudokream

Land Use GAY WOODHOUSE TARA NETHERCOTT HOLLI WELCH JEFF VAN FLEET



 

DEBORAH RODEN JOANNE SWEENEY KATYE BROWN CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN

1912 Capitol Avenue Suite 500 Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 432-9399 WRNLawFirm.com

JULY 2021

35

ENLIGHTEN US

Immigrant

BY WALT GASSON

t Song

What divine plan or series of random

events threw these people onto that harsh landscape at that time?

I

inches of rain annually, Fred and his

What divine plan or series of random

revelation apparently came too

sturdy wife Caroline and their three

events threw these people onto that

late to Nate Champion and Nick

young children climbed on the train and

harsh landscape at that time?

Ray, murdered by Frank Wolcott’s

headed out for the territories. In this

What was their motive? Why here?

invading forces in Johnson County

case, the Wyoming Territory and the

Why then? In a word, opportunity.

in 1892. Isom Dart apparently didn’t

small railroad town of Green River.

n 1893, Frederick Jackson Turner declared that the American frontier was no more. This

German immigrant community where

time to time, when I see their faces

the gently undulating land gets 36

and walk the places they walked.

get the memo either. He was shot dead by Tom Horn in 1899. My own family may have missed the eminent historian’s declaration, being preoccupied with their efforts to scratch out a living in the sagebrush sea of southwestern Wyoming.

It’s one thing to publish scholarly treatises, but entirely another thing to live the lives of the people of frontier Wyoming. Turner never spoke about the nature of that frontier with stern little Laban Heward. Laban was an

A huge man, and undaunted by anything the sandstone and sagebrush had to offer, I’m sure he needed every ounce of courage to explain to Caroline that this was indeed the promised land.

On my mother’s side came the FrenchCanadian George Gravelle, a druggist— the pharmacist of his day—fresh from

Wyoming has always been a place for people who were willing to take a chance.

Immigrants all, they came to Wyoming because it was a better place than where they were before. Some spoke the language when they got here, some didn’t. Laban mined coal so his children could be ranchers. Fred ran a sheep outfit so his kids could run bigger sheep outfits.

George gave his only child the best life he could, and promptly died. All told, they invested and exhausted themselves in hard lives that gave their children a chance to live lives a little less hard,

immigrant from Leicestershire who came

the mining boom at South Pass. The

to Wyoming to do what he had done in

boom had bust, and the action was now

England—to mine coal. He came in 1880

in Green River. And action there was,

I don’t think it’s different today. People

with his brothers and brothers-in-law,

when the widow Martha Baker accidently

come to Wyoming from all over the

to work in the most dangerous mines

dropped her child in the river in 1875.

country, all over the world. They come

on the Union Pacific line near Evanston.

His heroic attempt to save the baby

to work in the gas patch so their kids

A year later he sent for his strikingly

failed, but Mrs. Baker must have been

can be teachers. They come to be roofers

beautiful wife Elizabeth Fearn and

impressed. They were married the next

so their kids can be accountants. They

their children, one of whom became

year and my grandfather Gid was born

come to make hotel beds so their kids

my grandmother.

the year after that. George died

can be welders. They’re the families that

within months, at age 31.

make us who we are. They make up our

The great scholar never talked with my great-grandfather Friedrich Gasson,

From different parts of the world, with

either. A perpetual immigrant, Fred

vastly disparate stories, these men and

immigrated with his family from eastern

women came to the frontier that was

Germany to a sheep station in South

southwest Wyoming and created the

Australia, then to a small farm near

foundation for our family. But why did

Ogden, Iowa. Not content to farm in a

they come? I’ve wondered that from

a little less exhausting.

communities and they work hard.

God bless them all. W

Walt Gasson is a fourth-generation Wyoming native and the director of endorsed businesses for Trout Unlimited.

JULY 2021

37

CLASSIFIEDS WREN CLASSIFIED ADS ARE $0.75 PER SIX CHARACTERS | CONTACT:  SHAWNA@GOLINDEN.COM

 970-221-3232 EXT 22

CATEGORIES 01. EQUIPMENT 02. FOR SALE 03. HORSES 04. LIVESTOCK 05. POULTRY 06. REAL ESTATE 07. WANTED 08. CRAFTS 09. OPPORTUNITIES 10. MISCELLANEOUS 11. BUSINESS CONSULTING 12. FOR RENT 13. HELP WANTED 14. DOGS

02 | FOR SALE

07 | WANTED

New & Used Coal Stokers, parts, service & advice. Available for most makes.

Thanks. 307-754-3757.

Want to purchase minerals & other oil/gas interests.

Send details to: PO Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Ltd. Ed. Wood Stove with all piping, $500.

Email for pics cpm@wyoming.com or (307) 755-4289.

Shaver Outdoor Wood Boiler Furnace.

Aermotor Windmills and parts, cylinders, pipe, rod, submersible pumps, motors, control boxes, Hastings 12 ga. bottomless stock tanks and more. In business for more than 75 years. Herren Bros., Box 187, Harrison NE. 1-308-668-2582.

We Pay Cash For Mineral & Oil/Gas Interests producing & non-producing. 800-733-8122.

WANTED CJ or Wrangler reasonably priced.

Any condition but rusted. 512-797-1664.

Antique Collector Looking For Oil Company Gas Pumps, Globes And Signs.

Will pay fair market value! Also looking for general antiques for our antique shop. Please go to our website FrontierAutoMuseum.com. Located in Gillette WY, our passion is to preserve Wyoming history and the nostalgia of the past, especially Parco, Sinclair, Frontier, Husky and any car dealership along with all brands. We are also always looking for WY license plates and WY highway signs and State Park signs. Please call Jeff Wandler 307-680-8647 wandlerfrontier@gmail.com or daughter Briana Brewer 307-660-2402 bbrewer@frontierauto.net.

15. EMPLOYMENT SOUGHT 16. BUILDING SUPPLIES 17. TRAVEL & RECREATION 18. HEALTH 19. PERSONAL 20. FREE

38

JULY 2021

10| MISCELLANEOUS Soon Church/Government uniting, suppressing “Religious Liberty” enforcing “National Sunday Law.” Be Informed!

Needing Mailing address. TSBM, PO Box 374, Ellijay, GA 30540, thebiblesaystruth@yahoo.com, 1-888-211-1715.

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EASING THROUGH

Transitions Your kids experience transitions all the time, every day. There are big transitions – like starting kindergarten or a new sibling coming home – and small transitions – like moving from playtime to bedtime – and every kid handles them differently.

As parents, you can help your kids feel comfortable and confident as they move through change.

For more about the transitions your kids experience, and for some best practices for making transitions become smooth experiences for the whole family, download the Early Childhood Transitions Guide! wyqualitycounts.org/free-resources

1

Everyday Habits

2

During a Transition

MAKE CONNECTIONS – Show your kids the similarities between

new experiences and how things used to be, or between what happens at home and in a new setting.

TALK IT OUT – Encourage your kids to express what they’re feeling by asking leading questions about why they may be mad or sad or frustrated.

COMMUNICATE – Whenever possible, talk with your kids about

MAKE IT A GAME – Create a song and dance

changes that are coming up and what they can expect.

or engage in pretend play about what you’re going to do next: superheroes can fly to the sink to brush their teeth!

GIVE THEM SOME CONTROL – What decisions can you let your kids make during a transition? How can you include them in a new process or activity?

KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE – Do your best to stay positive and encouraging, even when it’s hard!

ESTABLISH ROUTINES – Routine habits can guide daily transitions.

Try using a timer or giving five-minute warnings before a change in activity.



For fun activities to do with your kids, visit wyqualitycounts.org/wren

This month’s activity



Art for transition times!

WY Quality Counts, housed in the Department of Workforce Services, helps Wyoming parents and child care providers identify and create quality learning experiences for children, thanks to the funding of the Wyoming Legislature.

All WY Quality Counts activities are supported by the Wyoming Early Learning Foundations and Guidelines, as well as the Domains of Development, which include: COMMUNICATION

SENSE OF SELF & RELATIONSHIPS

CURIOUS MINDS

STRONG & HEALTHY BODIES