A political speech the west needs to hear

"One of our most urgent projects is to develop a national energy policy. The United States is the only major industrial country without a comprehensive, long-range energy policy. Our program will emphasize conservation ... solar energy and other renewable energy sources. ... We must face the fact that the energy shortage is permanent. There is no way we can solve it quickly. But if we all cooperate and make modest sacrifices ... we can find ways to adjust."

Imagine those words spoken by the next president shortly after taking office on Jan. 20, 2009, continuing a theme originally established on the campaign trail. The words seem to be aimed directly at Westerners: "If we wait, and do not act, then ... we will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. We will have a crash program to build more nuclear plants, strip-mine and burn more coal, and drill more (oil and gas) wells. ... Intense competition will build up among ... the different regions within our own country."

The president concludes: "If you will join me so that we can work together with patriotism and courage, we will again prove that our great nation can lead the world into an age of peace, independence and freedom.

"This difficult effort will be the moral equivalent of war - except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy."

Inspiring and timely, indeed. But doesn’t it sound kind of familiar? It should. The president who made those speeches did so 30 years ago. His name was... [click here to read full article]

Trapped

Patty was watching PBS earlier tonight. On it, there was a winter advisory notice.

I heard her say, "Janice, come here," as I was working out an overdraft on my Wachovia account. I went in, and I found Patty sitting there with her jaw dropped open in wonder.

"I've never seen this before!" she exclaimed.

Maybe it's because she was on PBS, maybe it's just a crazy storm out there, but either way, it means that I'm trapped here in Rawlins for the night. Not that I need to go anywhere, so it's completely fine, but if I sit back and think about it, I realize just how ridiculous it is to live here.

The other night, I was at a lecture at the local community college. Senator Bill Vasey was speaking on the history of local politics, and he said that a prior Governor Campbell said something along the lines of, "this state is so rich in minerals, it's like a gold mine. But no one is crazy enough to settle in such a harsh climate!"

Well, here you have it. Here I am!

First time...

And, it's the first time none of my by-lines appeared in the paper. Granted, my production was low, and I did have two "staff reports," but it strikes me that I did something wrong...

Senior pinners to be honored SaturdayTimes staff report

Times staff report

Due to road closures, the Outlaw wrestlers missed last weekend’s tournament at Riverton High School.

Now, they are looking ahead to a busy week with a Thursday dual against Torrington and a senior day event at home against Wheatland on Saturday.

The team has finished its conference meets, assistant coach Wes Banta said, and now awaits the state competition on Feb. 22 and 23 in Casper. In the meantime, they are preparing for this week’s upcoming meets.

On Thursday, the Outlaws face Torrington with have a nearly-full lineup.
On Saturday, Outlaw wrestlers Dennis McCaslin and Aaron Steele should be honored at the senior day dual against Wheatland.

Wheatland, one of the better teams in the state, according to Banta, should put on a good show, but shouldn’t overshadow the time set aside to honor this year’s Outlaw seniors who have shown leadership throughout the season.

Three swimmers advance to state

Times staff report

The chaos of road closures shook things up in last weekend’s swimming events in Lyman and Gillette.

Arriving in Lyman for the 3A Lyman Invitational, the Outlaw swimmers found themselves up against three 4A teams — Evanston, Green River and Rock Springs — that meant to be in Gillette. Cheyenne Central was scheduled to be at the Lyman meet but instead found themselves at the 4A invitational in Gillette.

Sublette County, Kemmerer, Lyman and Rawlins high schools welcomed the 4A teams into the meet so everyone could get another chance to shave some time as they sought to qualify for the upcoming regional and state meets.

The Outlaws came off the weekend with three more boys qualified to compete in the 3A state meet. Daniel DeMillard joins James Laux in the ranks of the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:33.92. Jacob DiFore also qualified to swim the event last weekend, earning a time of 2:34.45. David Trujillo, with a time of 1:10.29, added himself to the 100-yard backstroke list alongside Laux, Daniel DeMillard and Erick DeMillard.

With more than two weeks remaining before the state meet in Gillette on Feb. 21-23, Outlaw swimmers and divers have qualified in every event except for the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke.

The Outlaws compete this weekend in Buffalo at the 3A east conference tournament, where Rawlins is shooting to win its seventh championship.

Twin towers' role slows

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Following the girls’ trend of doing the splits during the weekend, the Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow boys basketball team lost to Farson-Eden 48-46 and prevailed against Cokeville, 63-51.

The Farson-Eden game was neck and neck at halftime with the Miners leading by one. HEM managed to pull ahead of Farson-Eden, 41-31, with four minutes left. Thinking the game was won, the Miners lost control in those last four minutes. “They just watched it slip away,” coach Clif Jones said.

Farson-Eden sunk a 3-pointer with six seconds left to tie the game. Each team went to the line for free throws in those final seconds, and Farson-Eden simply came out on top, Jones said.
“Mentally, we weren’t ready to play. It has happened before,” Jones said. He did not blame the road delays. Instead, he said it would be something the team would continue to work on as the regional tournament approaches.

Still, Jones had a good show from a few of his players. Justin Palm went up for 14 points and 11 rebounds. “It was a quiet double-double,” Jones said. “We didn’t really realize he was there at times.”

Charlie George, still making a few freshman mistakes, braved the basket and sunk 12 points for the team. It was his second game in double figures. Mitch Long put up six points while Kalter Blauvelt had four.

The weekend generally saw more balanced shooting from the team. Jones said the Palm-Matt Larson duo has become less of a crutch for the team. They previously put up 50 percent of the baskets and now, their scoring is reduced to 30 percent.

Against Cokeville, the Miners were leading by 13 in the fourth quarter when their opponents stepped it up to close the gap to five. Jones called a time-out, reminding his team that the game wasn’t over. “(HEM) jumped back in there to get back to a 10-point lead,” Jones said.

Palm again led the pack with 24 points and 11 rebounds. The guards and wings successfully got the ball to him so he could work his magic. Larson, with 10 points and 10 boards, and Blauvelt, 11 points and eight rebounds, were close behind Palm. George put up eight points and had six assists.

Ryan Puckett, the 12th man on the bench, stepped onto the court for a few minutes in the first half to help keep the lead players out of foul trouble. He nailed a 3-pointer and left the court with a steal.

“This is the first year we’ve swept Cokeville (since the 1970s),” Jones said. The teams have split for the last three years. Jones hopes the wins reveal a positive trend for the HEM basketball program.

Miners 'pick' up win Friday night

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

After a long morning of confinement on school property due to closed roads, the Lady Miners finally breathed open air as they traveled across the state to face Farson-Eden on Friday and Cokeville on Saturday.

In a satisfying 42-24 conference victory against Farson-Eden on Friday night, the Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow girls woke up at halftime. They were sluggish getting off the bus and into the game, coach Jackie Jones said. Going into the half, they were six points ahead. In the last two quarters, they picked up their game to finish 18 points up.

“It was a game where we could move the ball and choose the shots we wanted,” Jones said. It was the team’s first time above 50 percent in free-throw shooting this season. They also had buckets, rebounds and steals from not just one member of the team.

Penny Blauvelt went up for 13 points, five steals and three assists while her teammate Jennifer Korkow sunk 10 points, had five boards and four assists. Amanda Booth bucketed six and pulled down four rebounds and five assists. Kayla Brown led the rebounding pack with six as well as contributing seven points and two steals.

After Friday’s excitement, the girls put on a bad show Saturday against Cokeville, losing 59-27. “They beat us like borrowed mules,” Jones said. “It was our worst game of the year. And I can’t blame it on bus lag.”

Cokeville was clicking on all cylinders with its fast-paced game, Jones said. And her team’s transition defense was sub-par at best. “(The team’s) lack of effort contributed to the loss,” Jones said.

Counteracting the horrific performance as a team were a few individual spotlights. Among the high scoring of Booth, Korkow and Blauvelt was Chelsy Broderick, a sophomore who moved back to the area recently. “She really worked hard defensively,” Jones said. “She’s a firecracker and we needed that on Saturday.”

Not everyone likes four-day weeks

Another front-pager... this one caused a bunch of controversy and some phone calls... guess I'm doing my job...!

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

With the deadline for the Carbon County District 2 schedule surveys nearing, the battle over four- and five-day weeks rages on in the Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow schools.

Hanna Elementary School educators Kim Besel, a first-grade teacher, and Nancy Allen, a second-grade teacher, both dislike the four-day school week. They stand with virtually all of their colleagues — kindergarten, first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade teachers — who all oppose the four-day week, Besel said.

Zack Scott, the physical education and computers teacher at Hanna Elementary School who also acts as assistant coach to the high school basketball team, admitted that he stands alone in his personal enjoyment of the shorter week. “In the classrooms, I’m guessing it would be better to have the five day. That’s what my colleagues tell me anyway,” he said.

Besel said that both of the Elk Mountain Elementary School teachers are against the four-day schedule. Her colleagues at Medicine Bow Elementary School “are flexible,” she said.

The major concerns of those opposing the four-day week include the time crunch in delivering curriculum, the idea of sports taking precedence over academics and schedules that are not cohesive between elementary and secondary schools. The teachers added to the list the fact that, despite promises to the contrary, some scheduled events still take students out of class on days other than Fridays. Besel also said she worries “about kids who do not have parents around to spend time with them.”

When the rest of the country is increasing instructional time, according to Besel, she finds it strange that District 2 schools are reducing it. She said the four-and-a-half-day week the elementary schools currently functions under is acceptable, but curriculum modifications still must be made. The elementary math teachers have adopted a new curriculum that is adapted to a five-day week and find it difficult to squeeze it into the four and a half days they are provided.

What about teachers who are accountable to the state to reach certain proficiency levels? Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow High School boys basketball coach Clif Jones, also a social studies teacher at HEM, said he is still on target. “I have been able to adapt,” he said.

When asked about the remedial help and enrichment time offered on Fridays in place of class time, Besel said there is none at the elementary level. “And my understanding is that few do take advantage of that Friday help in the high school,” she said.

HEM girls basketball coach and special education instructor Jackie Jones said the high school’s “Lights On” remedial help and enrichment program is well attended.

As a coach, Jones encourages her team to attend Friday programs when they are not traveling. “I’ve had 100-percent turnout each time I’ve asked them to show up,” she said. “It has helped some of the girls stay eligible.” Some students take part in peer tutoring, some work with teachers and others use it as homework time or for study groups, she said.

On the other hand, Douglas Allen, an HEM math teacher who is also accountable to the state, feels he needs the class time. According to him, the Friday remediation has largely turned into field trips such as ice fishing, bowling and skiing among other activities. Admittedly a minority amongst his colleagues at the high school, he stands firm in his dislike of the four-day week.

“Something’s got to give,” Allen said. “I do the best with the time I’ve got.” Admitting the negative impact on students who miss class time due to activities, Allen believes the school board should have picked high-impact Fridays as the days off. Under this plan, school could continue on the Fridays when most students are available.

Jackie Jones spoke of the benefit to her special education students who tire easily both mentally and physically. “Having one more day for them to recuperate is truly beneficial,” she said.

Yet on the elementary level, Brandi Silas, president of the Hanna Elementary School parent-teacher association, spoke of the difficulty of getting young children back on track after three days off. “It’s already hard enough to get them back after two,” she said.

The consensus among the elementary school teachers is that the younger children shouldn’t be taken away from academics because high school sports are being made a priority. “I’m not against sports,” Silas said, “but I am against losing out on education for sports.”

Clif Jones believes the four-day schedule is best for students right now, especially those active in sports and activities.

He mentioned one of his players, Justin Palm, who participates in three sports as well as various activities. “I could not guess how many days he missed last year,” Clif Jones said. “But this year he has not missed any for athletics.” Jones said he would have missed six days already this year, but with the new schedule, Palm has missed none.

Scott likes the idea of the four-day week so he does not have to miss as much class time to join Clif Jones on basketball road trips. “I have been gone from the classroom,” he said. With the travel, he has been forced to modify his curriculum. His counselor regularly teaches health class on Fridays when Scott is not in attendance. “We have not lost contact hours; we have just squeezed it all together,” Scott said.

Regardless of their opinions of what school week should be adopted, most of those interviewed agreed that the school schedule should be the same in each town, if not across the district.

More diversity boosts economy

A front pager...

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

As the newest addition to Western Wyoming Community College’s vocational training courses, SolidWorks raises eyebrows about whether it caters to an existing labor need or is trying to create a market.

David Urasky, vocational instructor at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, has been teaching SolidWorks for two years, but this spring semester is the first it’s being taught as a credit-earning course under the umbrella of Western Wyoming Community College. Urasky is the course’s sole teacher, holding his classes at the Rawlins outreach center.

SolidWorks is a software program that enables three dimensional drawing and analysis of parts, generally meant for use in engineering. With its many features, Urasky believes it steps beyond AutoCAD, a program that primarily works in two-dimensions. Unlike AutoCAD, however, a machinist, welder or manufacturer can use and modify the drawings “with a click of a button,” Urasky said.

Urasky has two students from Hyland Enterprises in his class of seven. Hyland does fabrication work mostly in cooperation with the energy industry. The Hyland welders have previously hand-drawn the majority of their work.

“It sounded like a good way for us to both take our client’s ideas and turn them into an actual drawing,” Hyland Enterprise President David Nightingale said. “So they can see what they want (virtually), and also for our welders and fabricators to use as a plan to build off of.” He saw it as a way to improve the company’s time from conception to fabrication.

Many believe a course like SolidWorks could provide a personnel framework that might diversify the economy to include manufacturing, in much the same way Hyland has adopted the program. But the question remains whether the market is ripe.

SolidWorks is part of a vocational training program that caters to industry needs. Both CCHEC Director Dave Throgmorton and Western Wyoming Community College Dean of Academic Affairs Ken Fitschen aim to hear what industry leaders need and direct their programs accordingly.

Throgmorton held an open house Thursday to push forward on that initiative. “We want to keep the folks who live here, here,” he said.

With Hyland as the only business in Rawlins willing to adopt SolidWorks to either improve its products or develop new markets, students who complete Urasky’s SolidWorks program must either go to Casper or to other manufacturing areas, he said, because Rawlins lacks that industry.

Fitschen is unsure how much room there is to develop a program that caters to a nonexistent manufacturing labor force. He said the energy boom still has a monopoly on the vocational resources of Wyoming’s higher education facilities.

“We’re strengthening our instrumentation program,” Fitschen said. “We have a new oil and gas program, we have a new natural gas compression program, we’re getting into corrosion protection, which is related to the pipelines, and we’re offering safety certificates. We’re constantly meeting with industry lately to try and meet their technical needs.”

Western Wyoming Community College currently has some pieces of the puzzle necessary to put together a complete program that caters to manufacturing, Fitschen said. However, he feels it’s unwise to completely commit to a program at this stage.

“Would we be interested in diversifying the economy to include manufacturing?” Fitschen asked. “Yes. But it’s like the chicken and the egg thing in terms of this type of program. If we have the program and nobody is in it, then we’ve got a problem. Conversely, if we don’t have the program, will the new manufacturing companies be attracted to Rawlins or Rock Springs?”

When asked if manufacturing is in the foreseeable future for Rawlins, Mark Ducker, director of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation, said “I would like to think it’s in the future for Rawlins. We still have a couple hurdles in that (manufacturing) needs personnel — a workforce — and with that comes a need for housing.”

Urasky seems to be targeting the first hurdle, personnel.

So can Rawlins adopt manufacturing as a stabilizing force in the economy? Urasky thinks so. With the railroad and the highway and space to grow, he said, Rawlins already has the framework. All it needs is the personnel, he said. However, Fitschen reiterated that “it’s a longer term conversation.”


Owner buys in

Chris and Tim Lawrence, a father and son in the welding shop of Hyland Enterprises, knocked on the door of the Carbon County Higher Education Center to sign up for the AutoCAD class, which they hoped would make drafting their products easier. However, David Urasky had another idea.

Urasky, CCHEC vocational instructor, showed up at Hyland to demonstrate the capabilities of the SolidWorks program to the Lawrence family, hoping the program would better suit their needs. “We saw it would save us a lot of time,” Chris Lawrence said. So they went to Hyland Enterprise President David Nightingale to proclaim the good news. Nightingale signed on immediately, Urasky said.


Course not widespread

The Carbon County Higher Education Center is one of the only institutions offering the SolidWorks course in the state, CCHEC vocational instructor David Urasky said.

He listed Casper College as the other. Rock Springs High School teaches the program as well, said Ken Fitschen, dean of academic affairs at Western Wyoming Community College. The University of Wyoming uses it in the engineering program, but expects the students to already be familiar with it, Urasky said.

Urasky’s SolidWorks classes may be available via the Internet at the 11 other outreach centers in Wyoming if there is a market, Fitschen said. The course would include a test issued by SolidWorks. An individual answering at least 70 percent correct would become certified as a SolidWorks associate to do three dimensional drafting work on an entry level basis, Urasky said.

HEM looks to flatten Cokeville

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Anything can happen this weekend as the Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow Miners face off against the boys basketball teams at Farson-Eden on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Cokeville at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

While HEM coach Clif Jones believes his team is fully capable of winning both games, he worries about being on the road after the toughest two weekends of their season against Encampment, Guernsey-Sunrise, Saratoga and Little Snake River Valley. “How does it get easier?” asked Jones. “We load up and go on a big conference weekend.”

Jones also worries about his team playing only to the level of their competition and not beyond. He hopes it will not go to their heads that they are playing two teams the Miners can beat on paper, and have beaten before.

“Farson gets a great crowd. We beat them by 30 points on a neutral court and beat them by 30 at home, and they beat us at Farson,” Jones said.

The Miners plan to boost their defensive game and try to find other offensive options beyond Justin Palm and Matt Larson. “Baggs did a good job of packing it in and daring us to beat them from the outside (last weekend),” Jones said.

His team struggles with perimeter shooting, and will need to do a good job of finding the open man. In the game against Little Snake River Valley, HEM did manage to find another shooter in Charlie George. Raking in 15 points in that game, it was the first time anyone on the team had scored more than Palm and Larson, Jones said.

As for Cokeville, Jones hopes Encampment runs them to death before the Miners see them on Saturday. “Cokeville is one of the hardest places to play,” Jones said. “The kids there expect to win. It’s the most intimidating gym you’ll ever walk into, with over 50 state championships over the last 40 years. They have a whole wall. Even though you may on paper be a much stronger team, it’s still a difficult contest.”

HEM hopes to boost their transition game against Cokeville and locate the kids who want to score. This year has not provided them with the luxury of fast breaks and a high shooting percentage.

It is a make or break weekend for the Miners. Their goal at the beginning of the season was not to make the pigtail game at the end, forcing them to muscle their way into the regional tournament. If they come out of this weekend with two wins, they avoid the game. If they lose both, they are almost guaranteed to play the pigtail game. “If we split, it will come down to the last weekend. We would like to get it done this weekend,” Jones said.

Despite his worry, Jones is still hopeful about the weekend. “We’re a team of streaks. We lost three, we won seven. Now we’ve lost four and it’s time to turn it around again,” he said.

Pigtails not the fashion at HEM

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Going into this weekend 3-1 in conference games, the Lady Miners hope to meet their season-long goal of staying out of the pigtail game, a game that forces them to play their way into the regional tournament.

Going up against Farson-Eden and Cokeville will be no easy task, though. Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow won by a mere nine points the last time they saw Farson, and Cokeville came out 23 points ahead.

HEM coach Jackie Jones said the team’s tactic in the Farson game at 4 p.m. on Friday is to hone in on the McAllister sisters, both of whom are guards. “Lillian is the team leader,” she said. “(The sisters) really are the strength of the team.” She said the Miners were able to hold Lillian to just a few points after allowing her to lay 20 onto the scoreboard early in the season.

This time around, the HEM ladies have Crystal Hohn back in the post position. The team will see what it can do from the inside with the Hohn and Sarah McAttee duo, Jones said. Their outside shooting has been effective, “but if we can put more points up from the paint, we’re going to be that much more effective and better off come regionals,” she said.

Against Cokeville, HEM aims to play a good transition defense. Though they have not been the only victim of Cokeville’s speed, the Miners were beat in the running game last time they met. It is currently the HEM ladies’ only conference loss.

“If we come back with one win, we should be able to keep out of the pigtail game,” Jones said. She holds out a faint hope that Farson might hit Encampment, third place in the conference, with a loss while HEM picks up a win against Farson. “That would put us a game ahead of Encampment.”

With a snow day and with several girls out at various times due to the flue and high fevers, Jones hoped she would have the whole team back for Thursday’s practice. “We’ll just have to see what happens,” she said.

It's official, town saves aging gym

Damn! The streak broke! It's okay, I get it back tomorrow...

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

The Elk Mountain community managed to save their school’s gymnasium.

When the School Facilities Commission recommended funding for a new elementary school in the town, the initial plan was to level the old building and erect a new on it its place.

That plan would have destroyed the school’s gym, the largest single-room structure in town. It has watched over the community for a half century.

“It’s a neat old gym,” said Carbon County School District 2 Superintendent Bob Gates. “It’s the heart and soul of the community.”

Not a huge gym, it still outsizes the small church in Elk Mountain, said Elk Mountain Elementary principal Dale Kari. With a small seating area and a tile floor, it has an aged look. However, it is well-built. The small stage area allows it to serve as a multipurpose room for both the school and the community. Children at the school frequent it for physical education, indoor recess and to eat lunch.

Community members gathered when they heard the long-standing gym was to disappear from town. “(The SFC) said there was too much space at the school and (the School Board) needed to do something different,” said Town Clerk Judy Christopherson. “The town all went in and fought a battle and that’s where it came up that (the SFC) would give us a window to come up with a different plan.”

The window allowed the town two years to come up with a solution, Gates said. They are now at the tail end of that window and are almost ready to go. The solution is to replace most of the building but leave the gym standing. Kari said that the final school design review will be done in early March.

Until the fire department got its own fire hall, it held its annual chili cookoff and caroling party in the gym, Christopherson said. It also housed weddings and funerals, school programs, Boy Scouts award ceremonies, and, of course, basketball games.

Jim Jones, 75, graduated from the older brick part of the Elk Mountain school in a class of two. He was there before the gym was built, but he watched his children and grandchildren perform in school plays there. “There’s a lot of things I remember. I’ve seen a lot of things go by there,” he said.

The new school should be 12,000 square feet, reducing the current space by 5,000 square feet. It is meant to hold 18 to 21 students, Gates said. Officials hope that construction will begin in early summer this year and finish in time for the students’ arrival in August.

The SFC recommended a pre-engineered building for the new elementary school. Williams Scotsman, Inc., a company headquartered in Baltimore, Md., should fabricate the six pieces prior to shipping them to Elk Mountain, said Gates.

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Four-day school week liked by many

Three days running...

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Seemingly loved and accepted by those who have adopted it, the four-day school schedule is coming under school board scrutiny with surveys due from across Carbon County School District 2.

Currently, school schedules vary across the district, and so far, parents seem happy. All of Encampment still operates on a five-day week, while all of Saratoga has adopted the four-day schedule. Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow is split between a four-and-a-half day elementary school week and a four-day high school week.

A year ago, the school district turned the schedule over to the community at local and district meetings to recommend changes. Saratoga and HEM chose the four-day schedule due to secondary level students missing class time by participating in activities such as sports, vocational agriculture, speech and arts, said Saratoga’s principal Larry Uhling.

Now, as is standard with many school board decisions, it is coming under review after a year of implementation.

When asked how parents of elementary students in Saratoga handle caring for their children for the Friday off, principal Larry Uhling said, “It’s no different than if we have a holiday on a Monday or a late start on a Wednesday or an early out on a Friday. We had all those things in our last schedule because there’s a certain amount of time that teachers need to prepare and for staff development and those types of things.”

The new schedule generally standardizes time off and enables the development of additional programs for the students, he said. Uhling spoke of the activities that have been set up for the children through the community and through the school’s staff, including enrichment programs and remedial help for students who need it.

Cindy Loose, a Saratoga parent of a third-grader and a woman who runs her own company, VIP Marketing, from home, spoke highly of the four-day week. “I think it works well for our family. I like the enrichment on Fridays and I’m spending time with Katie, which is another benefit.”

She said her daughter does every enrichment program, including art, storytelling and rocketeering. “She is expanding her literary skills and taking part in science that she wouldn’t normally have on her agenda,” she said. Loose believes that the students are not losing valuable class time, but instead are gaining an element to their learning.

The new schedule relieves stress from students and teachers alike, particularly at the secondary level. High school students are able to travel and be involved with important extracurricular activities without the stress of missing school and making up work, Uhling said.

Teachers who are coaches or are involved in activity leadership are able to spend more time with their classes. “We have a coach for the high school who has only missed two days this year of actual instructional time compared to the year before where he missed 30-some days of instruction,” Uhling said.

Principal Brad Barlow spoke of another benefit to teachers, which is having time for staff development. On Friday, his staff at HEM met in Saratoga to listen to a motivational speaker. The entire staff was invited, from teachers and principals to custodians and cooks.

“The main message was that we’re all teachers,” Barlow said. He said the motivational speech was about being positive with the kids and with coworkers, because everyone at the school is a role model. “It was important stuff,” he said.

Uhling said child care was a major concern when the schedule was implemented across the board in Saratoga, but he thinks most parents have found a way to work with it. Jane Hill, the mother of 11-year-old Marshall and 15-year-old Wyatt, said she enjoys the schedule, but realizes the issue of caring for children for the extra day. “I don’t have to have day care for my kids, so that makes a big difference. For someone who does need day care, it might be different,” she said.

As the surveys are received on Feb. 8, the date extended by Superintendent Bob Gates, both Uhling and Barlow are unsure of what to expect. Both say they have not heard any negative feedback about the schedule. However, both are interested to see what does come back.


Schedule's a juggling act

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Some love it and some wish it could change.

With the Carbon County School District 2 school schedule surveys circulating until the end of next week, parents have the opportunity to voice their opinion about the continued use of the five-day schedule in Encampment.

As the only community in District 2 to maintain the traditional five-day week, Encampment is at the mercy of parents who have observed the benefits and detriments of the four-day week implemented in the rest of the school district.

“It was very evident from the community meetings in Encampment (last year) that no one was interested in changing the schedules (to four days),” Encampment principal Mike Ericson said. He has not had anyone come to him yet saying the five-day schedule should be changed.

However, there is a contingent who quietly hopes Encampment might adopt the four-day schedule. Joelle Vacher, mother of Darion Vacher in Encampment, voiced her opinion. “I would like to go to a four-day schedule if it were conceivable,” she said. “I’d like to have my son at home an extra day.”

She enjoys the thought of an extra family day amidst all the homework and class time. Still, she did recognize the need for kids to be in school while their parents are working. “A lot of the parents wouldn’t want (their children) to be home because they can’t be home,” she said.

On the other end of the spectrum is Michele Fisher, an Encampment parent who juggles a preschooler, a kindergartner, a fourth-grader and a full-time job in Rawlins. “I’m against the four-day week because I need day care,” she said. “I don’t have anybody to watch them all day on Friday.”

She mentioned the fear that losing a day of instruction would be detrimental to her fourth-grade son. “He needs a bit more attention, so if he loses the extra day, it’s not going to hurt anybody but him,” she said. She hopes the schedule stays the same, particularly since she has managed to find care for her children within their current time at school.

Speaking about what he expects from the surveys, Ericson said he has been asked by various parents if Encampment will be forced to go to a four-day schedule. “I don’t think it’s going to happen. It would be up to the board of course, but my impression is that it’s not going to,” he said.

Ericson said his staff and the community believes the five-day schedule works better. “If the community’s not in favor of it, it’s not something that would be smart to do,” he said.

Panther wits leads to Panther wins

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

In boys basketball, the Panthers outsmarted the Chiefs in Saturday’s game and hope to sneak in a few more wins on their home court this weekend against Little Snake River Valley School on Friday and against the Southeast Cyclones on Saturday.

In its first weekend home after a long stretch of traveling, Saratoga High School nailed a win against Wyoming Indian by simply keeping the energy up. Neck and neck until the second half of the game, the Panthers took off by eight points in the third quarter to finish 11 points ahead at the end of fourth, 83-72.

“I thought we had a little more energy due to the crowd than they did at the end of the game,” Saratoga coach Rex Hohnholt said. “We just looked a little fresher than they did out there.”
He speculated that the elevation may have had something to do with Wyoming Indian’s ability to keep up. While the Chiefs train at 4,000 feet above sea level, the Panthers are accustomed to the lack of oxygen 3,000 feet higher.

Hohnholt said the boys had no special tactics against the Chiefs. They played their game and surprised Wyoming Indian, showing them Saratoga could push the ball and put on the pressure too, he said.

With double-digit scoring from Hayden Hohnholt, Josh Rice, Jake Johnston and David Capozzoli, and scoring contributions from Jonathan Jones, Gus Redmond, Ryan Larscheid and Sam Streeter, the coach said there is always someone new who steps up to help the team.
“Every week they surprise me with what they can do and do well,” Hohnholt said.

This weekend is one of the biggest weekends Saratoga plays all year, according to the coach.
On Friday night, the Panthers tip off against the Rattlers at 7 p.m. to fight the ongoing battle between the two Carbon County schools.

“(Little Snake River Valley) has a very good ball team and we are not overlooking them,” Hohnholt said. “We talked this week that our biggest game this week is Snake River. They could beat anyone in the state on any given night and we know that and we know we have to have our best game out on the basketball court if we want to beat them.”

The Southeast game is the second of two conference games all season and is important for seeding in the regional tournament. The game starts at 4 p.m.

“We were fortunate to beat them on their turf by six points,” the Panther coach said. “They do everything right and play within their abilities.”

If his boys can control the tempo of the game and step up their defense, Hohnholt thinks Saratoga can secure a victory. “We feed off a steal here or a good defensive stand there,” he said. “We get easy baskets by playing hard and scrappy and we didn’t do that in (the last) game.”

The team is excited about the home court advantage against both teams and plans to start and
finish the weekend with intensity supported by the crowd.

On the road again...

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

After a devastating loss to Cokeville and a narrow win against Farson-Eden three weeks ago, Encampment’s Lady Tigers hope to take home their prey as they face off once more against the two western Wyoming teams this weekend, this time on the road.

Cokeville’s speed and depth should still be daunting in the Friday conference game, which starts at 4 p.m. Encampment coach Jami Krein spoke of Cokeville’s strength with outside shooting and strong posts. “They’re good all around,” she said.

Can they close the 23-point gap? “If we play to our potential, we can,” Krein said. However, it will be tough after their five-hour road trip starting at 8 a.m. Friday.

Krein said that if Encampment goes all out against Cokeville on Friday, she hopes her girls have something left for the Farson-Eden conference game on Saturday, which also tips off at 4 p.m.
“(Cokeville) is going to be a physically draining game,” she said. “So to have something left will be difficult, but I think we can do it.”

In terms of goals, the team is still aiming for better ball management and a higher shooting percentage. Krein said Encampment’s ball handling has been slowly getting better and was visibly improved in the team’s recent game against Little Snake River Valley School. However, the Lady Tiger’s shooting percentage still lingers at 32.

It was a wild, wild weekend

And the first post shall be a personal recap of the third weekend in Wyoming.

After working late on Friday night to help my sports writer coworker - Kirk Hanna - cover sports, I packed for the weekend and crashed in preparation to leave early for Steamboat skiing on Saturday.

Blink. Awake.

It's way past 6:30 a.m. Oops. Still needed to shower and get out the door. Patty began stirring... that means conversation. I got out the door at 7:30. As usual, I-80 was terrible. Driving slowly and leading a pack of Wyoming drivers, I finally got to the turnoff to head to Colorado, and the roads were thankfully better. Cruised along to music, watching the sun continue to wake up as I thought about how lucky I was to be witnessing such beautiful county.


Arrived at Steamboat at around 10:30 a.m. The fella at pay parking let me park for free, then I "bought" ski poles at Christy's Sports under the pretense of renting them. The day was awesome! Deep snow, sweet slopes, cool people, fantastic weather! Just wish I'd had someone to share it with, or even just a camera to take pictures! Definitely got a great workout on the first run down Easy Face over there on the outskirts of the resort. Decided to try to go through the gully in the deep snow instead of down the long runout... and ended up hiking out. Was knee deep in heavy powder with skis on- can't imagine trying to walk out! I'd have been up to my chest in snow!

At the end of the day, I hopped off the slopes and hit the road to get back to Craig, CO to meet up with the coworkers, Kirk and Clancy. Clancy has the city beat and also enjoys writing about Wamsutter, WY. It's a dinky little town that for some reason has him fascinated.

Perfect timing in Craig, though the guys will say I was unclear about where I'd be. They just didn't listen. Typical guys. Stocked up on some goods for the road and started road trippin' to Aspen.

Darkness fell, Clancy and I got to work as passengers. Nah, no need for navigator, shot gun, whatever you call it. Just annoying drinking buddies. Good thing Kirk didn't mind because I was really craving that beer after a day of skiing. Bonding ensued. And laughter. Much laughter. Those boys are crazy. In fact, I think I can say that it was this leg of the trip that Kirk rapped in chicken lingo to a song. That's right, "bak bak baaaak bak-bak-bak..." You had to be there.

Next stop: Glenwood Springs. Just long enough to check in, change, and hit the road again for Aspen. XGames were finished for the night, but Kirk had a stellar showing with Helly Hansen gear. And I quote:

One of the guys: Man, Argentinians are good looking people.
Me: Yeah, that guy was hot!
Kirk: They have cool names too - one of their name's was Helly, it was written on her butt, Helly Hansen.
[Clancy and I look at each other]
Clancy: Uh, Kirk? Helly Hansen is ski gear. I don't even ski and I know that.

Good stuff. He didn't live that down, nor will he. And apparently I won't live down my confession of charging interest to classmates as a child, because Clancy handed me a check today saying, "I added two dollars interest."

At the bar Bentley at the Wheeler, yes, I did flirt with the guys at the bar to get drinks for my coworkers. The problem is when I do that, as a reporter, I tend to find something interesting about them, and wind up talking to them much longer than planned. This time it was because one works for Luftansa in Denver and the other for U.S. Customs in Denver. For anyone who knows me, can you figure out why this matters?

Back to Glenwood Springs for drinks, meeting up with Chris Riley & Co. and Karl, Kristin and Jimbo. Hit up Hippy Dippity Springs, the springs situated next to the ice-cold river. Would be a beautiful location if it wasn't under the highway and serviced by a massive drainpipe that looks like it is spilling out sewage. Good ol' hot springs. Always sketchy whenever they are free.

Blink. Awake.

It's 8:00 and Clancy's damn cell phone alarm has been chiming "Oh When the Saints Go Marching In" for the past half hour. I couldn't sleep any longer, so I decided everyone else had to get up too. They were great, pulling themselves together to get to the slopes for skiing.


Clancy's a quick learner! He was tearing down the slopes to the hazard of those around him, but overall, a good showing from the athletic young chap wearing women's clothes (he had borrowed my warm ups, ski hat and gloves). And Kirk thinks he was slowing us down on the chutes, but what he doesn't understand is we don't give a crap if we're skiing or talking while waiting... the point about it all is we're together and on the slopes. So just for the rest of you, if you come out, don't feel like you're holding us up!!

Sunlight's a good resort, but I'll still choose Winter Park over it all so far. Nothing beats the trees and mogul playgrounds there!

Next up: Aspen XGames. Coffee. Food. Found myself inside the ESPN and athlete headquarters simply by not paying a damn bit of attention to what was going on around me. Apparently neither did the security guard. Clancy somehow knew what had happened when he grabbed my arm and told me Kirk didn't make it in. He'd made eye contact with the guard. Guess his Michigan garb gave him away as not an XGames athlete.

Anyway, some great pizza, a visit to the ESPN broadcasting center and a walk down the executive hallways later, we exited back onto the icy base of Aspen to check out the Snowmobile Freestyle and the Superpipe Finals. Snowmobiiles were SWEET because these massive machines were being launched off jumps right in front of us with their drivers hanging on with one or no hands performing craziness right before our eyes! Definitely worth the trip.

I can say my Uggs are not great in ice, but they do pretty well in snow, and damn are they warm. Which satisfies me as long as I have a coworker to hang onto, the purpose Kirk served by having great hiking boots that may as well have been cramp-ons.

The drive home was definitely an hour and half longer than intended, due to white out conditions for part of it, elk herds for some of it, and just terribly icy/snowy roads for the rest. Good thing Kirk was leading, he kept us sane and driving slowly for most of the trip. But when we got back on I-80 and it was 3:00 a.m. and he was still going 30 mph with 30 miles left, I said, "Sorry mate, but I can't do this for another hour," and picked it up to a speedy 45 mph. Found myself "home" at 3:30 a.m. Unfortunately, I'll probably do it again.

Blink. Awake.

It's Monday, and I need to get up and start getting my brain in work mode.

Check out Hanna's Helping for Kirk's take on the weekend (and the photos he wont' share with me).

Actual news to come, I promise! But beware, it will come all in one shot, probably tomorrow morning.

CCHEC students increase

• Higher education enrollment increase stems from more aggressive marketing.

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Year-end enrollment reports throughout the county show that numbers are up in higher education, but have dropped for Carbon County school districts 1 and 2.

In a constant roller coaster of incoming and outgoing families, Carbon County School District 2 is on the downward trend. At the start of the school year, there were 683 children enrolled, while January’s numbers showed 663. Between December and January alone, the district lost five students.

“Those are significant numbers,” District 2 Superintendent Bob Gates said. “We’re in a down phase right now. Last year, we were in an up phase. We’re hoping real soon here we’ll go back up again. It’s hard when the numbers go up and down.” He expressed the value of having a stable student population for budgeting, staffing and other school planning.

Gates acknowledged that the falling student population in his district this winter could be affected by the flow of energy workers from companies like Sinclair Oil for the winter.

The enrollment report for Carbon County School District 1 also showed a student population decrease from 1,875 in August to 1,798 in December. Between November and December of last year, the district lost nine students. The January figures have not yet been gathered. District 1 officials were unable to accurately pinpoint any reason for the decrease.

Meanwhile, Patty Pedersen, academic advisor for the Carbon County Higher Education Center, reported that the total number of full-time and part-time students at the school has increased by five from the spring 2007 semester. In January of last year, the education center had 139 students, while this semester there are 144 enrolled.

Carbon County Higher Education Center Director Dave Throgmorton attributed the higher number to the aggressive marketing done by his staff.

“Patty, in particular, has been very effective about talking to students who have been here in the past,” he said. “People are responsive. They know they had a goal. And then they get a phone call that says, ‘hey, get in here.’”

Kids Campus family should grow

Two in a row! (Another front-pager with photo)!

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

The Kids’ Campus, an extension of the Carbon County Higher Education Center, plans to expand in size as well as numbers as it seeks to contract with Memorial Hospital of Carbon County to care for the hospital staff’s children.

Working in symbiosis with the community, the Kids’ Campus previously adopted children of penitentiary workers into its initial community of youngsters from the higher education center. It now plans to add to its family 28 new slots set aside for the hospital in an agreement awaiting approval by representatives from each party.

Kids’ Campus officials planned to expand their facilities when the taekwondo center vacated the property connected to the child care center’s playground, Kids’ Campus Director Nicole Wright said. “The landlord offered it to us and we took it, because the current space does not provide much room for the kids.”

The new lease creates a courtyard complex with two buildings on either side of the playground. The infants and “wobblers,” up to age 2, should receive care in the new building while the toddlers, the “pre-pre-schoolers,” and the preschoolers, from ages 3 to 5, should remain in the older building, Wright said.

Some renovation is required for the new building to be fully functional for the Kids’ Campus, Carbon County Higher Education Center Director Dave Throgmorton said. Throgmorton hopes work begins in the next few weeks so the complex can be open by the end of March.

The hospital saw the opportunity to negotiate with Kids’ Campus officials when it signed the new lease, said Nurse Manager Dawn Dingman. Wright said the expansion had been arranged when the hospital began expressing interest in adding children to the Kids’ Campus.

“It would give our staff a place to take kids without having to take classes,” Dingman said. Currently, it is hard to find infant day care, a specialty of the Kids’ Campus, in Rawlins, Dingman said.

Once the contract is finalized and signed, the hospital can add another tool to its belt in recruiting future employees. “It was one of (the nursing community’s) suggestions to get childcare as a recruiting tool,” Dingman said.

The 28 slots should be open to all members of the hospital staff, she said. The number is based on surveys issued by the hospital board where employees had the opportunity to express their needs. The numbers have been adjusted to accommodate the children of new employees.

The Kids’ Campus currently receives two-thirds of its funding from the higher education center, while the penitentiary contributes one-third of the funding, Wright said. She expects the contract to contain the hospital’s contribution for the expansion. “(The hospital’s subsidy) is important so we can continue to have our employees,” she said.

Wright spoke of retaining folks of the caliber of Tera Voss, the preschool teacher at the Kids’ Campus. From Encampment, Voss received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wyoming. “We’re glad to have her,” Wright said. “She has so much knowledge.”

The contract between the hospital and Kids’ Campus officials should be ironed out by the next hospital board meeting on Feb. 28 at 5:15 p.m. The hospital has made a verbal agreement, but the official contract has yet to be written, Wright said.


The future is bright

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Building and occupancy expansions are the immediate focuses for Kids’ Campus officials, but Carbon County Higher Education Center Director Dave Throgmorton said he sees other advances in the future of the Kids’ Campus.

“We are exploring the possibility of a brand new Carbon County higher education facility,” he said. The school contracted with Pedersen Planning Consulting, based in Encampment, to evaluate its needs — staffing, space and curriculum. Funded by a grant from the Wyoming Business Council, the evaluation should be finished by early February.

“Before we get carried away with this space that we’re leasing,” Throgmorton said, “we want to see what their report says about a permanent home for the higher education center.”

Also in the works at the Kids’ Campus is the possibility of developing the child care center into what Throgmorton called a laboratory school. “I would like to see it as a place to teach nutrition and parenting skills to parents, and maybe neonatal skills to future parents,” he said.

Such skills are currently being taught at various places around Rawlins, but Throgmorton hopes the Kids’ Campus might become the primary place to hold such classes. “I’m not anxious to step on toes,” he said.

The laboratory school would be both a place to bring parents into their child’s learning and a place for the Carbon County Higher Education Center to expand its curriculum. Higher learning in elementary education, curriculum development and other courses could be fostered there.