CHRONICLE
4 I The Lovell Chronicle I June 28, 2012
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The warnings are coming ominously early.
From the Bureau of Land Management in an announce-
ment Monday: "The BLM Wind River/Big Horn Basin District is
warning the public that the fire danger rating throughout the
(district) is extreme and urges caution for those recreating on
public lands."
From the Wyoming State Forestry Division: "Fuel condi-
tions heavy with lingering dead and standing fuels and be-
low normal snowpack has created a heavy and continuous
fuel bed."
From the Bighorn National Forest: The fire danger this
week is ' /ery High" and campers are urged to be cautious
with fire, although there are no fire restrictions -yet.
From Big Horn County Fire Warden Brent Godfrey: "At this
time we are not issuing a fire ban but asking residents to be
extremely careful." Godfrey noted that extremely dry condi-
tions exist in the. Big Horn Basin.
From the National Weather Service in Riverton: This week
brings "critical fire weather conditions." And only June.
That was the point made Tuesday by Lovell Fire Chief Jim
Minchow and Captain Bob Mangus during a conversation at
the Lovell Fire Hall. The two said the Lovell Volunteer Fire De-
partment is bracing for an early and active fire season in the
Big Horn Mountains and lands in the Big Horn Basin thanks
to recent 100-degree temperatures, windy conditions and a
lack of rain.
It could be a long two or three months ahead. Already,
New Mexico and Colorado have experienced massive fires,
and Wyoming is experiencing smoke-filled skies from large
fires burning in the Medicine Bow and the Bridger-Teton Na-
tional Forests and other smaller fires burning in the state,
including a small fire in the Meadowlark Lake area near Ten
Sleep.
Another reason officials are nervous is that it is Fourth of
July week. Some folks get kind of crazy with fireworks, and
while fireworks are not allowed on public land, they are al-
lowed on private land and on the only, within the
Lovell town limits.
Just Monday night, firemen were called to a brush fire ig-
nited by fireworks near town, but luckily the fire was extin-
guished quickly, even before firemen arrived.
We urge people to be extremely cautious with fireworks
this year over the next few days and exceedingly careful
while camping this summer. Watch campfires closely, never
leave a fire unattended and thoroughly douse the fire with
water before leaving the site.
Wyoming clear, blue skies and star-filled nights are won-
derful, but weeks of clear skies bereft of rain is rapidly creat-
ing a tinderbox Let all be careful while enjoying Big Wyo-
ming this summer.
-David Peck
Letter to the editor
Dear Editor, fore they enclosed it and protect-
I want to thank Mr. Gary ed it. I have been to the top of the
Noth for dubbing me a grumpy Empire State Building, climbed
old man, a title I accept with hon- every step to the top of the Wash-
or. I have been dubbed with many ington Monument, the top of the
names in my lifetime, most of St. Louis Arch and have even
which are not fit to print in this been to the top of the world.
newspaper. No, I did not climb Mount
In the Marine Corps boot Everest, I am referring to the
camp in the 1950s, prior to all bar and lounge on the top floor
this politically correct garbage, it of the Anchorage Westward Ho-
was part of training to be subject- tel called The Top of The World. I
ed to the most vile, vulgar and de- have mined for gold in the Yukon,
grading language to prepare you helped dig up a wooly mammoth
should you be captured, and I had tusk and dug up a three-foot-long
a drill instructor who was a mas- dinosaur leg bone. I have hunted
ter at this skill, and shot moose, caribou, bear,
Each day I wake up and real- deer, mountain sheep and have
ize I have survived almost twen- also shot the bull.
ty-eight thousand days and can I married a wonderful wom-
write more letters to the editor. I an, Alana Tillett, daughter of
have survived a major east coast Lloyd Tillett, helped raise two
hurricane, the Good Friday earth- wonderful children, a son named
quake in Alaska and a forest fire Will, named after brother-in-law
in Canada, before they started Will Tillett, and a daughter, Jai-
calling them wildfires, mee. My son graduated from Col-
I have seen the Rockettes live, orado State with a doctorate de-
Gypsy Rose Lee live, shook hands gree and my daughter graduated
with Sir Edmund Hillary on his from Oklahoma State.
visit to Alaska and had tea with These are just a few things I
a member of parliament in New have done on my way to becom-
Zealand. I flew with Don Sheldon, ing a grumpy old man. I just want
the glacier pilot that flew moun- everyone to know that I am a fat,
tain climbers to base camps on happy, grumpy old man.
Mount McKinley's glaciers at the Lastly, I want to wish great
15,000-foot elevation. I have been success to Mr. Gary Noth in his
in 40 of the 50 states, including endeavor of writing western
Hawaii, and several foreign coun- books. I am sure his books will be
tries, as entertaining reading as his ar-
I have been to many Civil ticles in the Lovell Chronicle. Pos-
War and Revolutionary War bat- sibly an autographed copy might
tlefields, a bullfight in Mexico, In- be forthcoming for this praise,
dependence Hall and rubbed the just kidding.
Liberty Bell many years ago be- Jim Szlemko
Animals don't
Some years ago, a prominent Wyoming politi-
cian who believed the single-party "Republican" sys-
tem in our state needed improvement approached
me.
This person felt there was room for another po-
litical party. He said that it ,seemed that Wyoming's
dominant Republican Party was just too tightly
aligned with mineral and old-time Ag interests and
there are thousands of people out there who
are registered Republicans but who feel
left out of the process.
This person felt Wyoming could be bet-
ter served by having two Republican par-
ties.
He proposed that a new party be
formed called The Wyoming Indepen-
dent Republican Party. Thi:s group: :could
represent the majority of the 50,000 gov-
ernment employees in Wyoming who are
Republican. It would also be a means to
reach out to those independents and even Bill
some Democrats who didn't want to be
dominated by mineral interests.
I mention this because lately in Wyo-
ming, something that is just about the opposite has
been happening.
CROW, which stands for "Conservative Repub-
licans Of Wyoming," were recently formed to purify
the current Republican Party. Another prominent
acronym RINO, which stands for "Republican In
Name Only," in these folks' minds, have too big an
influence over the Grand Old Party (GOP). Oops,
sorry, another acronym.
CROW's chairman Harlan Edmonds pro-
claimed in a newspaper column last Sunday: "Of
course, CROW seeks to collapse the Wyoming Re-
publicans' big tent. Just like liberal newspaper edi-
tors and their liberal Republican In Name Only cli-
ents seek to protect and expand it."
But back to that conversation some years ago.
My source also felt that The Wyoming Independent
Republican Party could be quite popular in the
wake of a 2006 general election when the Wyoming
electorate, once again, proved that conventional Re-
publicans couldn't elect a mineral person as gover-
nor. Instead, a Democrat, Dave Freudenthal, again
won.
At the time, I wasn't ready to join.
But I definitely said that The Wyoming Indepen-
dent Republican Party definitely wouldn't work as a
name. The acronym TWIRP just didn't work at all.
With my marketing background, he tried out a
few other names on me, such as:
The Republican Independent Party for Every-
one? No, the acronym TRIPE probably wouldn't
work too well, either.
Well, how about simply The Republican Inde-
pendent Party (TRIP)? Well, might appeal to some
youngsters or some motor home-traveling older
folks, but definitely not for the mainstream.
At least it's better than Republican Independent
Party (RIP).
Then, this person suggested the Wyoming In-
dependent Major Party. That acronym is WIMP.
Enough said.
At this point, our discussion ended and my friend
walked away with head down and a heavy heart.
Strange things can happen with third
parties.
Ross Perot's efforts with a third par-
ty propelled Bill Clinton into the presi-
dency back in 1994. Sarah Palin was
elected governor of Alaska because of a
third party candidate.
Years ago, Teddy ] 5t seve!t helped
launch the third party Bull Moose Party.
Say, wouldn t that be good name for a
new Wyoming party?
A few decades ago, former Casper
Sniffin legislator Russ Donley's pro-constitution,
arch conservative group had some mem-
bers wanting a new party.
The Republicans in Wyoming, because
of their potentially divisive membership, used to ad-
here to what they called "the big tent" system, which
invites lot of people in, even if they all don't agree
with each other. But it also invites in the RINOs.
Wyoming actually does have a real third party-
the Libertarians.
They are a hoot to watch and were fun, most of
the time, when I was on the 2002 campaign trail.
At one Casper candidate forum, there were four Re-
publicans, four Democrats and one Libertarian. The
Libertarian spoke last and said: "Well, of course, we
disagree with everything that's been said so far!"
In Great Britain, they have lots more political
parties than in the USA. One of their favorites is
the Monster Raving Loony Party. I am not making
this up. Their motto is: "Vote for insanity. You know
it makes sense."
On election night, the BBC literally takes the
viewer to each part of the country. All the candidates
are lined up on stage, just like a beauty pageant, and
then the results are read, and the winner celebrates.
Right up there on the stage is the candidate for
the Monster Raving Loony Party. They rarely win,
but I must admit - it's great TV.
Although some times it may look like it, I do not
think it is time that Wyoming and the USA joined
their crazy British cousins by descending totally into
lunacy, though.
Check out Bill Sniffin's columns and blogs at
www.billsniffin.com. He is a longtime Wyoming
journalist from Lander who has three books that are
available at fine bookstores. He has a Facebook page
for Wyoming Books, Columns by Bill Sniffin and his
Twitter address is Billwyoming.
2812 E SER
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Editor and Publisher: David Peck
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