Embroidery business is far-reaching

Rawlins Daily Times, Janice Kurbjun

Jennifer Bowen, owner of Custom Creations in Elk Mountain, punched commands into one of her embroidery machines. Her business is run from home, creating custom apparel designs for companies as far away as Washington state.


By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

In the shadow of Elk Mountain, behind the bikes strewn across the gravel, the Volkswagen parked by the street and the well-used basketball net, a small embroidery shop sits adjacent to Jennifer Bowen’s home.

Serving companies from Elk Mountain to Washington state, Custom Creations is run at Bowen’s leisure.

“I hardly pound the pavement,” she said about finding customers. “It’s all word of mouth.”
She and her husband decided to buy the business almost two decades ago while still living in Rawlins. It and her two commercial embroidery machines moved with the family to Elk Mountain in 1996 and has continued to flourish.

“‘Tis the season for hats,” Bowen said, pointing toward stacks of hats of various colors sitting amongst odds and ends on the worktable. She’s currently doing projects for the Carbon County Road and Bridge Department, weed and pest and the Old Baldy Club.

Among Bowen’s more unusual projects was a wedding dress embroidered with green and brown elk tracks, designed for a Rawlins woman.

“It sounds wacky, but it looked really cool,” she said.

Bowen said she has never turned a customer away. With thousands of designs to choose from, including the copyrighted University of Wyoming cowboy, she can create a satisfying design for almost anyone.

The business is Bowen’s way to pay her share of the bills. It allows her the flexibility to go to her children’s’ events, which are many. She is also involved in the parent-teacher association and town council.

“My kids are number one,” she said. “And the business is fun and never the same. It’s never boring.”

Successful valley readers celebrate

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

The party stretched into the night for elementary school students in Saratoga who were celebrating their third quarter reading success.

Out of 140 kids, 107 first- through sixth-grade students were eligible to partake in the festivities, which turned the elementary school into fairgrounds two weeks ago.

Giant, inflatable slides brushed the ceiling of the gym, according to Saratoga Elementary School Librarian Ceile Fisher. A life-sized table soccer game stretched across a third of the gym floor, allowing kids to strap in and compete.

They bounced on an inflatable trampoline and tried to dunk a basketball against the pull of an elastic harness. They played table tennis in classrooms, danced in the cafeteria and challenged each other to shuffleboard and bowling. Two groups visited the town’s hot pool.

All this happened after a hearty sloppy Joe dinner.

That night, the kids settled in to watch “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” but Fisher said it ended at about 11 p.m., an hour short of closing time.

“It was like six in the evening again,” she said of the kids who got their second wind.

The school uses a reading program known as Accelerated Reader, which asks students to set and meet reading goals throughout the year. Each book in the program — about 100,000 total — has an assigned point value based on length and reading difficulty. Each also has a test that assesses the students’ reading comprehension. The test scores determine how many points a student earns toward their goal.

An average picture book for first- through third-grade students is worth about a half of a point. A chapter book like those in the “Harry Potter” series are worth about 25 points, Fisher said.
Goals are set based on the child’s grade level, reading ability and allotted time for reading at school and at home.

“It’s really fun. The kids love it,” Fisher said.

The reading program has been used for about 10 years, but only recently have the celebrations become so elaborate, Fisher said. Previous events have included a sleep over, a beach day with beach games and stories, and outings such as bowling, sledding and cross-country skiing.

If students meet half of their fourth-quarter goal by mid-May, they have the chance to throw a whipped cream pie in Principal Dave Rangitsch’s face. They get more pies — up to five — for every five points above the halfway mark.

For students who fully meet their year-end goal, they should be rewarded in late May with a lunch at Saratoga’s Hotel Wolf and a root beer float party with dancing.

School board irked by RHS students

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

In last week’s meeting, Carbon County District 1 School Board members complained about the attitudes and behaviors of Rawlins High School students.

Dave Dingman mentioned qualms about post-lunch tardiness as well as cell phone distractions. Juli Miller questioned the level of respect students have for fellow community members.

“It’s a frustrating event for our staff,” Dingman said of the students’ fifth-period lateness.
Dingman and other board members questioned whether students should continue to be permitted to leave campus each day.

Addressing cell phones, Dingman noted that students sometimes threaten each other and use what he called “vile language” in text messages.

“If you look up the word ‘weapon’ in a dictionary,” he said, “you can almost bridge the gap there.”

Despite the school’s “out of sight, out of sound” policy on the phones, board members acknowledged that students are often so quick and quiet, it is hard to catch them in the act. Dingman said that, aside from the threats, text messaging is a general distraction. Board members again questioned the existing district policy.

According to Miller, last week some students came into McDonald’s not long before the school’s lunch period ended. They jumped ahead of the long line to place their order. After repeated requests from Miller, the students waited their turn.

“I’m just amazed at the sense of entitlement and absolute lack of respect of these kids,” Miller said. “They need to be representing themselves and the community well. And I don’t know what to say because it often starts at home and we can’t fix that in school.”

Also at the meeting, board members:

• Appointed a selection and interview committee for the proposed elementary school’s construction manager.

• Awarded the Little Snake River Valley gym resurfacing project to Wyoming Wood Floors for $12,950.

• Approved a $251,310 contract with Hutch’s Hi-Country Plumbing and Heating for the Rawlins High School small gym boiler.

• Heard a recommendation from board member Kristi to re-evaluate the school’s activity budget prior to the upcoming budget session. According to Groshart, there is a bigger budget but fewer participating kids. The evaluation may lead to a cut in funding for less popular activities.

Are PAWS tests too long?

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

With Wyoming’s PAWS testing finished, the consensus among Carbon County teachers is that the tests were too long.

The Wyoming Department of Education initially issued estimated times to guide teachers, which were supposed to be shorter this year. The test is supposed to gauge each school’s proficiency in reading, writing, math and science.

After one week of testing, though, the state department had to nearly double the time estimates. According to Linda Duncan, counselor at Little Snake River Valley School, the reissued time was 625 minutes.

“That amounts to 10 and a half hours,” Duncan said. “The length concerned staff and administration both.”

Compared to the ACT test’s four-hour time limit, the PAWS test time shocked many teachers.
In the math portion, Denise Ashline’s eighth-grade class at Rawlins Middle School took between 140 and 210 minutes to take tests that were estimated by the state to run a maximum of 80 minutes.

“That’s a long time when middle-schoolers should be doing things in 15-minute increments,” Ashline said.

Melissa Irvin at the department of education said that, based on continued negative feedback from across the state, the test times will be adjusted next year.

Other post-test complaints arose as well. Jim Catlin, counselor at Hanna Elk Mountain Medicine Bow Junior Senior High School, said, “There are high stakes for the schools, but not the students. The problem is that schools are held accountable for tests that students don’t take as seriously.”

Teachers district-wide acknowledge this, and some have reacted. For instance, Ashline’s eighth-grade students will get awarded for their effort with a DVD, video game and snow cone party on Friday. Ashline measured effort by evaluating each student’s preparation work.

“They really tried hard, even though the tests were grueling,” she said.

Teachers did find some improvements this year. As the Wyoming Department of Education pushes toward computer testing, efforts to streamline the system seem to be working.
“Our kids seemed to function well with the online testing,” Duncan said of the 11th-grade students who took most of the test online this year.

“The software was easier to navigate this year,” said Shelley Cooper, a Medicine Bow Elementary School math teacher.

Saratoga, Rawlins and HEM also saw significant improvements in the computer portion of the test. Fewer students were booted off the system this year and the teachers could more easily monitor how quickly students were moving through the tests. Some tests had nearly immediate scores.

Music teacher gets her final hurrah

Rawlins Daily Times, Janice Kurbjun

Medicine Bow Elementary School students Caroline Heward, Brandon Lea, Logan Heward and Baylie Farthing created a domino effect as they followed music teacher Jill McCann’s choreography to “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” The song is the finale in Wednesday’s 7 p.m. concert in the school’s gym.


• One Medicine Bow student noted, ‘Mis Macan is the best teacher I have nown.’

By Janice Kurbjun Times staff writer

Facing her final concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Medicine Bow Elementary School gym, Jill McCann is starting to realize how meaningful her last four years have been as music teacher for the Carbon County District 2 elementary schools.

“They’re just like family,” McCann said of her students and their parents. “Plus, they’re talented, and everyone works together as a team.”

McCann is leaving at the end of the school year to head back to Idaho, where she grew up. But not without leaving a lasting impression on her students.

At the very bottom of his worksheet defining what music is, buried under sketches of treble clefs, scales and a bold outline of the word “music,” Timothy Heward wrote in tiny letters, “Mis Macan is the best teacher I have nown.”

Timothy’s sister Caroline agreed, writing that she likes McCann’s songs and the way she sings them. As part of the concert’s theme, she and her classmates will read their definitions of music. The rest of Caroline’s lists include things associated with the discipline: dancing, songs, melody and rhythm.

For the concert, which is free and open to the public, the girls will be dressed in 1950s poodle skirts and the boys will mimic John Travolta’s jeans and white T-shirt costume in “Grease.” The program includes upbeat songs from the musicals “Hairspray” and “Rigoletto” — along with sign language to fulfill state requirements — to a rendition of Barry Manilow’s “One Voice,” to be sung in a dark auditorium.

Rawlins Daily Times, Janice Kurbjun

Marji Patz and Dr. Harold Hubbard talked outside the new Medicine Bow Post Office on Monday afternoon. The building, located across the street from the previous facility, needs final painting, a walkway and ground work and is scheduled for completion next month.

RHS kids place high

Times staff report

Eleven Rawlins High School students won 15 medals in Casper earlier this month in the Wyoming State Skills USA conference, second only to Douglas High School for the number of medals won by 3A schools.

It was the technology and pre-engineering students’ second appearance at the state event, which had about 335 participants this year.

“I’m very proud of my students,” Jon Larson said in a release. “This is a very challenging competition and they showcased the skills they have learned very well.” Larson is the technology and pre-engineering instructor at the Carbon County Higher Education Center.

Larson’s team included seniors Donald Lehmkuhl, Devon Schmidt and Timothy Tschacher; juniors Jake Frost, Matt Hettchen, Jason Koehler, Adam Penland and Chris Sheets; sophomore Alex Dahl and freshmen Tony DeMillard and Matt Welch.

A Hettchen-Dahl duo won first place in mechatronics, the combination of mechanical, electrical and software engineering to study how the disciplines can work together to control equipment and mechanical processes.

The students gleaned other recognition from the conference including Koehler being chosen as one of seven Skills USA state officers.

Three students go on to compete in the national Skills USA conference in June. Hettchen and Dahl should compete in the national mechatronics competition.

Community conference planned later this week

Times staff report

On Thursday and Friday, the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga hosts Project Prevention’s fourth annual community conference.

A highlight this year is a planned panel discussion involving area high school students.
Panelists will be selected from people who submitted an answer to a recent essay contest in Carbon County School District 1 for students hoping to go to the 2009 Anti-Drug Coalitions of America conference in Washington, D.C. Carbon County School District 2 should also have some representatives.

The event includes presentations from Shanda Wright of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Diane Hipp of Wyoming Community Norms. Ben Atherton-Zeman will have a talk called Voices of Men on Thursday while on Sunday, Capt. Richard Fowler of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office plans to speak about gangs. For parents worried about Internet safety, Jim Anderson is set to address the issue Friday.

The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. It resumes at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and finishes at 3:30 p.m. Project Prevention has arranged specially-priced hotel accommodations in the area.

For more information, call Theresa Pacheco at 328-3969 or 321-0686.

District 1 staff to get raises

Front page...

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Carbon County School District 1 employees should see their salaries increase by 6 percent next year.

That means more than $2,000 should find its way into the pockets of entry-level employees making the base salary, according to Denise Ashline of the District 1 teacher’s association. Employees saw an increase of $300 to their base salary last year, she said.

“I’m not going to say we’re ecstatic, but we feel we’ve done the best we can with the money that’s coming in,” Ashline said.

The raise applies to all district employees.

In addition to the percentage pay raises, employees get what’s called “step” raises each year. For each additional year of service, an employee can earn up to $650. Enhancing their education can also earn a pay increase.

The compensation plan’s other change is that employees now have to pay for most of their dental insurance, Ashline said. Last year, the district covered all of the expenses, but now they offer $24.75 each month toward payments for individuals and families.

Money that comes from the state gets budgeted by the district to cover all school expenses. Because the cost to run the schools has gone up, the state Legislature allocated funds differently.

The School District 1 Board allocated some of the new money to staff to help cover an increased cost of living, as well as to help maintain the step raises

School to enhance programs

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Saratoga Elementary School is hoping to expand an educational enrichment program next year through grants.

Called “Lights On,” the Friday program takes advantage of the school’s four-day school week.
“We will continue (the program),” said Principal Dave Rangitsch, “the question is to what extent.”

Next week, he should hear whether the school received a requested $14,000 grant from the Wyoming Department of Education’s Student Enrichment Pilot Project.

“My pie in the sky vision is to take kids on what you might call cultural field trips,” Rangitsch said.

Because students are in class Monday through Thursday, field trips only take place on Fridays. If the money is granted, outings could include visiting the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins, the Nicolaysen Art Museum and Discovery Center, or the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, both of which are in Casper.

The money would be paired with $1,500 already in the bank from the Wyoming Arts Council’s Open Door Art Enrichment Program and Carbon County School District 2. This money should continue to fund a seven-week art enrichment series with artists in the Platte Valley.

The grant might also open up the possibility of giving stipends to community aids, which could help win teachers some free time for staff development on Fridays.

Robotics, rocket making and wilderness science programs should continue or be enhanced with the potential grant. Each program is aimed at helping children succeed in meeting national education standards.

“I have to relate back to the state that each of these programs address requirements for the students,” Rangitsch said. “They’re not just fun.”

Job fair set for next week

Times staff report

The Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga is hosting the Carbon County Job Fair on Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m.

In its second year, the job fair is open to the public and free of charge. Employers looking for part-time, full-time and seasonal help should be present.

Some of the employers who are currently registered for the event include Hyland Enterprises, Century 21 Realty, Shively Hardware, South Central Wyoming Healthcare and Rehabilitation, the University of Wyoming, the Kathouse Bar and Grill, Travel Centers of America and the Wyoming State Penitentiary.

“We’re excited that such a wide range of employers have signed up to participate,” Tera Mueske, marketing communications manager for the Carbon County Higher Education Center, stated in a release. “Many of the employers are from right here in Carbon County, but there are people coming from all over the state.”

Job seekers can also practice their interviewing skills at the fair in mock interviews with CCHEC faculty.

For more information, call Mueske at 328-9274.

Medicine Bow spring concert planned

Times staff report

Wednesday’s Medicine Bow Elementary School spring concert should include a bit of break dancing.

Kenny Wohl can do the worm, a dance move where the performer ripples across the stage floor.

Wohl’s work has been particularly impressive to Jill McCann, the school’s music teacher. He is in the special-needs program because the right side of his brain doesn’t communicate with the left side, which means his logic does not communicate well with arts and emotion.

On stage along with 20-or-so peers, Wohl will also be part of the band.

The concert will be held in the school’s gym at 7 p.m.

Elk Mountain spring concert on tap

Times staff report

At Tuesday’s Elk Mountain Elementary School spring concert, visitors will have the chance to hear the accordion.

Garrett Irene has natural talent, coming from a musical family, but his work ethic surprises music teacher Jill McCann.

The youngster found his grandfather’s accordion when the family was cleaning house, and he decided he wanted to play. Making the transition from last year’s instrument of choice — the harmonica — to the air-controlled piano instrument, Irene had to work hard to learn from books and tapes purchased on the Internet.

The handful of Irene’s peers at the school will perform alongside Irene in their annual band and choir concert at 7 p.m. in the Elk Mountain Elementary gym. Students should also read their definitions of what music means to them.

Scholarship for women offered

Times staff report

Scholarships are available for women pursuing degrees, licenses or certifications through higher education.

The Philanthropic Education Organization, based in Des Moines, Iowa, has funds available for women needing financial assistance to pursue a degree.

To qualify, applicants must be accepted to a school of higher education and be pursuing a degree on a part-time or full-time basis for the semester of application. She must also have and maintain a 2.5 grade point average.

Applications for the two $500 scholarships, to be awarded in $250 sums throughout two semesters, are due May 15.

Patty Pedersen, student services coordinator at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, estimated that the scholarships could fund a class or a few books.

Paperwork and information is available from Pedersen at CCHEC’s main campus or by calling 328-9204.

Artwork 'bear'ly misses first place

Photo courtesy of Pam Kraft

This bear designed by Encampment High School students recently took third place in a state art competition.


By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Bradley Russell was getting frustrated with his bear’s design, so as a joke, he just started to draw it into a pile of rocks.

The other advanced art students from Encampment High School quickly latched onto his design, enhanced it and turned it into the project that took third place out of 35 entries at last weekend’s state art competition.

The contest asked students across Wyoming to decorate a three-dimensional, Fiberglas bear with any design theme, much like the pronghorns scattered throughout Rawlins. The competition celebrated the 20th anniversary of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson.

“We wanted to use a bear because it’s a Wyoming animal, it has a smooth figure and it’s a blank canvas,” said Jane Lavino, Sugden family curator of education at the museum.

The students in Encampment thought their rendering of Vedauwoo, the rock formation near Laramie, would take first place. Brandon Russell, Bradley’s older brother, formed and painted the rocks while his peers personalized the project with molded figures.

“It was like having a Play-Doh hour to build each figure,” Brandon Russell said. The bear was built from epoxy, a sticky substance that can be sculpted before it has a chance to harden.

Art teacher Pam Kraft said her favorite figures are the raccoons that are stealing chips and Pepsi from the landscape artist’s tent. The inhabitants of “Bear Rock,” are visible upon closer examination, she said. Rabbits peer from the rocks on which an eagle, ram, deer and mountain lion are perched.

Though the students won a $2,000 cash prize for the furtherance of the school’s art program, they are disappointed with not getting the blue ribbon. The $7,000 for first place would have bought them a trip to an art center in Sante Fe, N.M., or New York City, not to mention a lot of glory.

However, Kraft said people outside the program who have seen the statue are excited about it. She is unsure of what she’ll do with the bear when it returns from it’s tour of the state.

“There are a lot of creative ways to use these once they’re done,” said Lavino. According to her, some schools have talked about auctioning the piece, some plan to display it and some will donate theirs to the community.

Tree cities plan to celebrate Arbor Day

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Friday is Arbor Day, the day when America celebrates its trees.

To observe the day, the three Carbon County communities that are members of Tree City USA — a national program dedicated to enhancing community forestry programs — will hold celebrations in the coming weeks.

Rawlins has been a member for more than 12 years, Saratoga can claim about five years and Medicine Bow is stepping out of its infancy and into its third year.

To become a Tree City, communities must designate a tree board or a city department responsible for public trees and designate $2 per resident from the annual budget for tree maintenance and planting. They must also plan an Arbor Day celebration.

Rawlins City Planner Dan Mika estimates that the city spends about $6,000 each year on new trees. Sometimes, unexpected maintenance costs prevent planting new trees, such as the case of last fall’s snowstorm that toppled numerous branches and trees around Rawlins.

“A lot of money was spent toward safety instead of improvement,” Mika said.

Medicine Bow has a large budget — $10,000 this year — for the size of the town, which numbers 274.

“The town has been very supportive,” said Jim Colman, chairman of Medicine Bow’s tree board.
While Rawlins is scheduled to hold its planting festivities on Saturday, Medicine Bow and Saratoga plan to delay theirs until the weather is more suitable for the young trees.

Saratoga has not yet set a date, but the event should be an educational one where elementary students and staff learn about trees and planting, a town official said.

Medicine Bow has set its event for May 17, but plans have not been finalized. In its first two years, the community planted trees in the park and around its baseball diamond. The community also created plaques identifying the trees and three welcome signs for the town entrances.

Local teen wins art contest

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

Since the fifth grade, Brandon Russell has painted ducks and sent them to Jackson in April.

The nine-by-11 paintings are judged as part of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-sponsored art competition for kindergartners to 12th-graders. Most years, Russell placed first in his age group, but never best overall. Until this year.

“It was my last chance to enter and I finally got what I was looking for,” the Encampment High School senior said.

His oil painting of a Cinnamon Teal, a reddish-colored bird local to the Platte Valley, earned the blue ribbon in Wyoming and will appear as one of about 50 paintings to travel through the country this summer. Each state and U.S. territory should be represented in the show.

The painting made its way to San Diego for the national competition on April 17, but did not win. Instead, a rendering of Hawaiian Geese by Seokkyun Hong, a student in Dallas, will appear on the stamp, which sells for $5 to support conservation education. Hong also receives a $5,000 prize along with a trip to Washington, D.C.

In the past, Russell has painted trumpeter swans, Canadian geese, a green-winged teal, a pintail and even a prior attempt at a cinnamon teal.

“I wish I’d had my own photos” to work from, he said. He used several reference photos to create his artwork. “(The birds) are real pretty,” he said.

When Russell first entered the contest at 11, he was already a duck hunter. Since it’s necessary to purchase a $5 duck stamp to hunt migratory water birds, the idea of his art appearing on the stamp was appealing.

Now, seven years later, he’s not sure if he’ll try his luck in the adult competition. “It’s real tough,” he said. “Some of those guys spend two years on their entries.” In comparison, Russell spent an hour a day for a month on this year’s entry.

Russell is going to the University of Wyoming next year to major in art. The $1,500 winnings can be used any way he wants, but is recommended for furthering his art education.
“I might buy a dirt bike,” he admitted after outlining plans to save the funds for college.

Clear the path!

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

When the big snowstorms hit Saratoga, the coaches head to the new track, shovels in hand, to clear a path for the kids to run.

It’s been a snowy winter, but that won’t stop Saratoga’s track team from holding the school’s first invitational on Saturday. Scott Stevens, who hatched the project too build an all-weather track a decade ago, should be at the track’s inauguration.

Five to seven junior varsity and varsity teams should show up at the track, which is located west of Saratoga High School, at 9 a.m. for the field events. Running events should begin around 11:45 a.m. and should last about three hours.

As far as the track’s condition, coach Rex Hohnholt said despite the weather, it’s ready to go.
There’s still a 100-yard long snowdrift at the south end that’ll force the team to delay installing the bleachers. Instead, teams and spectators can join each other on the already sodded, well-drained football field.

Likewise, snow and mud have prevented connecting the plumbing in the restrooms. Alternatives include the nearby locker rooms and several portable restrooms rented for the event.

“We won’t have any problems,” Hohnholt said, but “it’s impossible to fight Mother Nature. There is a lot of snow and a lot of mud still, but you’ve just got to roll with the punches.”

Having the track finished this season is important, since the old track is in poor shape, according to Hohnholt. “If we’d not gotten this facility this year, we’d have been in a world of hurt. The kids are tickled pink.”

Social services to be featured on site

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

As part of an overarching effort to unify the community, a Web site featuring information on social help organizations is being developed.

Among other issues, community violence and the need to help parents care for children between 3 and 5 p.m. have led members of the Carbon County community to seek a centralized social help network.

The network could provide answers to seemingly increasing problems, said Stephanie Moles, director of The Woman’s Heart, an organization in Casper that provides physical and emotional aid to women and children struggling with abuse.

To address the need, Safe Homes, Safe Schools, Safe Communities, a committee formed to respond to bullying in schools, is working with The Woman’s Heart to create an online database of assistance organizations. Moles described it as a “home-grown Google with community flavor.”

According to Moles, the site is a tool to bring the community together.

“How do we get out of the problem and into the solution?” Moles asked. “It’s knowledge. And the Web site would provide that.”

Carbon County is among six counties to appear on the Web site, and it should be the first with its own home page. Moles made the decision because she saw a desire for community unity during her visits to the area.

Theresa Pacheco of Project Prevention provided the information for the site. Each year, she publishes contact information and lists of services for area organizations. Alcoholics Anonymous, Carbon County Public Health, the Rawlins Police Department, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Project Reach Early Intervention Center and Preschool, and Carbon County Child Development have appeared in the book’s pages.

Marilyn Vercimak, curriculum director for Carbon County School District 1, wants the information widely accessible.

“The site should have links on the county, city and school Web sites... any site where people go to get information,” she said.

Vercimak is overseeing the site’s progress, which is pegged for mid-May completion.
The Woman’s Heart plans to provide training on how to use the site and implement it, but funding should come from participating organizations.

“We want it to be viable, self-sustaining and hugely informative,” Moles said. Anyone who does not maintain their information will be removed from the database.

Hospital wants to clean up butts

Times staff report

It wasn’t on the agenda, but on Tuesday, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County’s board members raised a concern: smoking around the hospital building.

“It’s nasty how many cigarette butts there are,” said Art Canaday, the board’s treasurer. “There are at least 100 on the ground by the main entrance.”

The hospital has three designated smoking areas, according to Chief Executive Officer Patsy Carter. But Canaday said the areas are not being used. If they are, no ashtrays are available.

The board members and hospital administrative staff were unsure whether it was employees or visitors contributing to the problem. However, Canaday said the area near the emergency room littered with cigarette butts was likely due to employees because it is largely inaccessible to visitors.

All agreed that action should be taken. Carter should address it with maintenance workers in their upcoming meeting.

“That’s a visitor’s first impression,” said Rex Baldwin, vice chairman of the board. “It’s not our ideal to see folks smoking outside the ER.”

Also at the meeting, board members:

• Were notified that research results for the Wyoming Healthcare Commission’s study on rural health policies will be delayed until December 2008. The hospital was originally supposed to see them in the summer.

• Agreed to increase the amount an employee pays for health insurance each month. To help cover a cost increase of more than $80,000, employees should see about 1 percent of their total pay period earnings allocated to cover the premium. Spouses and dependents should be unaffected.

• Heard the hospital staff is still working with the University of Wyoming to secure a summer externship to encourage new nurse recruits. Two soon-to-be nursing graduates from elsewhere in the state have shown interest in coming to the hospital.

• Were notified that the hospital is under new liability and malpractice insurance for the amount of $465,000. The cost is up from last year’s $338,000.

• Were told of a decrease in the amount of contracted labor. Chief Financial Officer Florence Kostic said it was due to the staff workers taking on extra shifts.