4 I The Lovell Chronicle I May 27, 2010
www. LovellChronicle.com
Some interesting races
brewing as filing
deadline approaches
What an interesting political year it is shaping up to
be. Citizens interested in running for political office have
through tomorrow (Friday) to file for office at the local,
county or state level, but there are already some fascinating
races brewing, especially in some of our smallest communi-
ties.
It's a veritable stampede to the mayor's chair in Frannie,
where four hopefuls have riled to run for mayor, perhaps
spurred by a belief that Mayor Gerry Dart will not run for re-
election. As of Wednesday, Dart had not riled, but four chal-
lengers have filed for mayor, along with four for town coun-
cil. Frannie leads the area in political enthusiasm.
There are also interesting races in Byron and Deaver.
Deaver Mayor Rod Wambeke is not expected to seek re-
election, so councilmen Fred Yates and Don Wenstrom Jr.
are running. Town Clerk Vana Camp said there's almost nev-
er a contested mayoral election in Deaver, but there is now,
with both candidates being experienced, previously-elected
councilmen. Intrigue in Dearer.
In Byron, Mayor Milton Meier has been coy about his re-
election plans, not filing as of Wednesday, but that hasn't
prevented others from throwing their hats in the ring. Bret
George and Gary Gruell are running for mayor.
This all points to a healthy level of fnterest in local poli-
tics and the operation of our government at the grass roots
level.
There is less interest in town government in Cowley, ap-
parently. As of Tuesday, only two candidates had riled for
three seats in Cowley, and only one of them is an incumbent
- councilwoman Carolyn Barnes running for mayor. Does
that mean Mayor Roland Simmons is not running? We'll rind
out later this week.
Lovell has the barest of races going. Jim Szlemko is
challenging Bruce Morrison for mayor, but there were only
two candidates for two council seats as of Wednesday: in-
cumbent Bruce Wolsey and Rick Banks. Considering all of
the difficult issues the council has been dealing with, from
open burning to utility rates - and the accompanying com-
plaining - you'd think there would be more interest from
folks in having a say in Lovell municipal government.
But there's still time. Here's hoping some more candi-
dates will emerge by the end of the week.
Letters to the editor
Thanks to RMHS students
Dear Editor:
We would like to thank Rocky
Mountain High School in Byron
for their outstanding generosity
and kindness by raising $700 to
benefit the Make-A-Wish Foun-
dation® of Wyoming. These
amazing students worked with
compassion and unselfishness
during their "Kids for Wish Kids"
week to support Wyoming Wish
children. We are so proud and
thankful for these wonderful stu-
dents who opened their hearts to
other kids.
The Make-A-Wish Founda-
tion® of Wyoming grants wish-
es to children between the ages
of 2½ and 18 with life-threaten-
ing medical conditions to enrich
the human experience with hope,
strength, and joy.
The Make-A-Wish Founda-
tion® of Wyoming celebrates 25
years of granting wishes - our or-
ganization began in 1985. If you
know of a child with a life-threat-
ening medical condition, please
contact the state office located
in Casper at 888.WYO.WISH, or
our web site at www.wyoming.
wish.org.
Gayle Irwin
Special Events/Volunteer
Coordinator
Casper
Proud to be of the 'Stone Age'
Editor,
Re: New Arizona law is rac-
ist, Lovell Chronicle, May 13
I am so sick and tired of the
gratuitous use of the race card
and our total slavery to that po-
litical correctness!
Diane Badger's letter was
well thought out and dealt with
a law that has not been adhered
to. If our Marxist mentored Chief
Executive had been doing his job,
the governor of Arizona would
not have been forced to take that
action.
The individual who submit-
ted that article seems to have no
concept of the value of our Con-
stitution, Bill of Rights, particu-
larly the 10th Amendment, which
deals with States Rights. Our
Chief Executive raised his arm to
the square and swore to protect
these things from enemies, for-
eign and domestic, as do so many
of our elected officials. Their be-
havior shows utter contempt for
that which they have sworn to
defend.
You say she belongs in the
Stone Age? Then so do the found-
ing fathers who purchased this
Republic, our freedom and lib-
erty. It cost them dearly in every
way imaginable; their lives, their
fortunes and their sacred honor.
Would you please read about the
terrible winter they faced at Val-
ley Forge? Would you please con-
sider the immense suffering of
the soldiers in the Continental
Army? Do you even know about
it?
While you are identifying
people of the 'Stone Age', consid-
er me one also, proud to be one!
Robert Yorgason
Cowley, WY
Going out with a final note
Folks, I've come to the end of the trail.
This will be my last Ag Chat with you. It's
been a wonderful adventure through time,
I'll tell ya! The column has been made pos-
sible by the very special people associated
with the paper you are reading. My thanks
to the publishers, editors, special assign-
ment personnel, printers and all who
make this paper happen each day and or
week. Most importantly, a special thanks
to you who have been faithful readers of
my column over the years.
I think agriculture in the Big Horn
Basin is stacking up to have a very special
year. Why, these million dollar rains por-
tend to it. Those calves and lambs should
come off of summer pastures fatter than "Porky the
PiE' this fall. These sugar beet farmers will be going
to their fields in limousines next year with all the
money they'll put in the bank from this year's crop.
Now all of this hinges, of course, on not having
vistiular stomatitis, curly top, or other obnoxious
Jim E;ill
Ag Chat
spring, nor hail pounding the beets into
smithereens as well. I could go on and on,
but you get the picture.
If I have had any success in my life
and career, it is only because I had the
most wonderful wife taking care of busi-
ness at home. Connie has endured a lot
with my shenanigans and I'm a lucky
man that she put up with it. My son,
Chris, is still flying regional jets out of
Sky Harbor in Phoenix. My daughter,
Carey, is back home and recently started
a job with the Wyoming Work Force Ser-
vices Office.
One of the guys I will really miss in
the outfit is Ron Cunningham. Ron is the
Extension educator in Fremont County. Many of you
know Ron and the special dedication he brings to the
job and the people he works with. Ron will be helping
to take up the slack in this area after I leave. We do
area work now and cover the Northwest Area, which
includes Park, Big Horn, Washakie, Hot Springs
The county level is a mixed bag. The incumbents serv- diseases showing up. My assumptions include grass-
ing as assessor, coroner, attorney, clerk of district court and hopp er infestati°ns not happening due to the cool
treasurer are unopposed, and that's disappointing. Good
county races almost always lead to a discussion of issues
that need to be dealt with and/or better ways of doing busi-
ness.
There are races for sheriff, county clerk and county com-
rdissioner, with three candidates, including incumbents Keith
Grant and Scotty Hinman, seeking two seats on the com-
mission.
On the state level, the races for the top five elected of-
rices are getting crowded, but most of the activity is on
the Republican side of the aisle - not surprising for our
GOP-leaning state, but still frustrating in terms of politi-
cal discourse. A totally one-sided election is not healthy,
nor interesting. Host of the Democrats running are political
unknowns, except for Sen. Hike Massie of Laramie, who is
running for State Supt. of Public Instruction.
On the other hand, there is a great race for governor on
the Republican side, with four highly-qualified individuals
running, along with two relative unknowns. Matt Head, Rita
Meyer, Ron Micheli and Colin Simpson all have the experi-
ence and qualifications to be governor, and this race is too
close to call. It will boil down to whoever can run the best
campaign.
If you've been thinking about serving your communi-
ty by running for office, it's not too late. Many have found
serving to be a rewarding experience. Locally, see your town
clerk, and on the county level, visit the county clerk's office
in Basin.
It looks like we will have a lively summer in Big Horn
County and throughout Wyoming.
--David Peck
2016 ltIEIMBEl{
2009 AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
The Lovell Chronicle, USPS 321-060
234 E. Main, Lovell, Wyoming 82431
(307) 548-2217
Published every Thursday
Periodical postage paid at Lovell,
Wyoming
Editor and Publisher: David Peck
News Editor: Brad Devereaux
Staff: Gladys McNeil, Pat Parmer, Dorothy Nelson,
Erin Henson, Marwyn Layne,
Kymbre Moorehead, Teressa Ennis, Jason Zeller.
and Fremont counties.
Happy Trails one and all ....
00no00ner erosion of personal freedom
In an era of supposed transparency,
Congress has sneaked another one past
us. A recent bill, S. 3217, called the Re-
storing American Financial Stability Act
of 2010, contains a little known provi-
sion which gives the federal government
the authority to examine our financial re-
cords, and to make that information pub-
lic.
The newly created Consumer Finan-
cial Protection Bureau can follow any-
one's banking and credit card purchases
without permission! Everything from how
much we spend at the grocery store to an
ATM withdrawal can be tracked by the
very government that is supposed to pro-
tect our individual rights.
Senator Mike Enzi proposed an
amendment which would have required written per-
mission from an individual before the bureau could
look over that person's banking activities and credit
card purchases. Majority leadership refused to even
allow a vote on the Enzi amendment and passed the
bill by a vote of 59-39.
This is an absolute outrage! It was passed un-
der the pretense of "protecting the consumer". I'm
a consumer, and I sure don't feel protected, do you?
In fact, I feel more violated by the actions of this bill
than I ever did by a bad purchase or banking regu-
lation. Why in the heck do they need to have this in
the deceptively named Restoring American Finan-
cial Stability Act of 2010?
Don't be fooled into thinking that it has any-
thing to do with protecting the consumer. The truth
is the more they know about our finances the better
they can restructure their actions to take advantage
of another opportunity to control and tax. They can't
achieve redistribution of wealth if they don't know
who they can take it from and who they want to give
it to.
If they truly wanted to restore American finan-
cial stability, they have to start with getting their
own spending under control. They should utilize the
money that still hasn't been touched from the stim-
ulus package in a way that benefits the Americans
who paid for it, creating an atmosphere conducive to
job creation. They need to rethink the bailouts and
handouts that they are so benevolently granting.
And for crying out loud, they should pass a budget
this year.
I know that in Washington a budget is actually a
farce, but that doesn't give them the right to skip it
this year. We, as individual American citizens, can't
do that. We are required to file our taxes by April 15
Diane
Badget
View from the
soapbox
of every year and face tough penalties for
not doing so. Most Americans understand
our financial responsibilities and follow
the rules. One of the rules set forth for
Congress is to have a budget every year.
The only reason I can think of for not do-
ing so this year is because they'd have to
face their unsustainable spending, and
they might need to finally face the real-
ity of what they have done with the mon-
ey that the taxpayers have entrusted to
them.
Why, in an age when it's especially
important for America to present a strong
image to the rest of the world, are Con-
gress and the Administration pounding
so hard on American citizens and eroding
the freedom those citizens are supposed
to enjoy? This intrusion into our personal lives ex-
ceeds the scope of their governmental powers. They
are abusing the people they are sworn to serve, and
instead are serving the interests of foreign govern-
ments. I am sick and tired of being told that global is
more important than American. I'm disgusted when
I turn on the news only to hear another American
official apologizing for the existence of America. It's
frightening to me that every time America takes the
blame for the sorry state of the world; our enemies
see it, hear it and feed on it. By the grace of God I
am an American citizen, and I refuse to be ashamed
of it.
That doesn't mean that I can't be ashamed of
those who are supposed to be leading us. I fully un-
derstand that we are all part of a global landscape.
I get that. But what message does it send to every
single country on the planet when American leaders
place the blame for the world's ills squarely on the
shoulders of people they have sworn to serve? Part
of that message is clear to them - those in charge
in Washington don't respect or trust their own peo-
ple. If the President of the United States says that
Americans are greedy, ruthless, bigoted and wrong,
how can any other nation feel any differently to-
wards us?
This act, which allows federal intrusion into the
personal financial dealings of Americans, tells the
entire world that our own government has no faith
in us to be honest, honorable people. Well, I have
faith in us. This act is dangerous and needs to be
stopped. We are a nation of laws. Those laws are
supposed to be proposed, written, and passed with
the consent of the people, in order to protect our pos-
terity and our freedoms. This law fails miserably all
the way around.
Letters to the editor
The Lovell Chronicle welcomes letters from its readers and will make every effort to print them. Letters
longer than 400 words may not be printed. Letters must be signed and include the address and telephone
number of the writer. Unsigned letters will be discarded. Writers are limited to two letters in any 30 day period.
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Chronicle, Box 787, Lovell, WY 82431, or delivered to our office at 234 E. Main St., Lovell. A strict 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday deadline will be enforced.
