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Love., Wyoming 82431
Price 75¢
Planning workshops
'Your Town'
meetings
Nov. 11 and 18
BY DAVID PECK
Last fall Lovell citi-
zens gathered at the in-
vitation of Lovell Inc.
economic development to
brainstorm ideas for new
projects and events.
The workshops pro-
duced two events: the
Hyart Film Festival and
the Big Horn Canyon Tri-
athlon. A signage project
was also discussed but
never implemented.
With those successes
behind Lovell Inc., Direc-
tor Sue Taylor has an-
nounced two more "Your
Town" workshops.
The first session will
be held Thursday night,
Nov. 11, the second on
Thursday, Nov. 18. Both
will be held at the Lovell
Fire Hall from 7 to 9 p.m.
"During the work-
shops we will focus on our
community's strengths
and how we can enhance
those strengths through
a physical project and a
new special event," Taylor
said. "We will not be plan-
ning to plan a plan. We
will be making something
happen in the next six to
12 months.
"Each session will in-
clude a summary of the
progress made in the past
12 months, a brief presen-
tation to plant seeds for
ideas and a participant
work session to set goals
for the following year.
Each session will begin
promptly at 7 p.m. and
will last no more than two
hours."
The Week 1 goal is to
choose a physical improve-
ment to complete within
12 months. The Week 2
goal is to choose a special
event to hold in the next
12 months.
Nov. 20
Holiday Mingle
to kick off
Christmas
season
BY DAVID PECK
Big Horn County holi-
day revelers should mark
their calendars now for the
upcoming Holiday Mingle,
sponsored by the Lovell
Area Chamber of Com-
merce.
For the second year in
a row, the Mingle will be
held the Saturday prior to
Thanksgiving - Nov. 20 --
after being held for years
on the Saturday following
Thanksgiving.
Returning events in-
clude photos with Santa
Claus, a chamber bucks
giveaway, the lighting of
the downtown Christmas
tree with hot chocolate
served, a matinee mov-
ie at the Hyart Theatre,
children's games and ac-
tivities, coupons from mer-
chants and cinnamon rolls
provided by the Lovell
Lunchroom Ladies.
New this year will be
living windows through-
out the downtown shop-
ping district.
The schedule of events
includes:
1 p.m. - Matinee mov-
ie at the Hyart
2:30 - Santa Claus
and activities at the Lovell
Fire Hall
5 p.m. - Santa lights
the Christmas tree
5-7 p.m. -- Living win-
dows downtown
7 p.m. - Evening mov-
ie at the Hyart
All day - Merchant
specials and downtown
shopping.
DAVID FLICK
Members of the Lovell High School Dance Team kick up their heels during
a halftime performance at the Lovell-Thermopolis football playoff game
Saturday afternoon. Pictured are (l-r) Tiana Orremba, Jessie Harrison and
Sara Calvert.
We've
got
spirit!
The Lovell High
School Band drum
line performed
at halftime
of the Lovell-
Thermopolis
playoff football
game Saturday
afternoon.
Pictured here
getting her
whacks in on
the bass drum is
Emily Baird.
Commissioners in findings of facts
show no 'palpable omission of duty'
BY KARLA POMEROY
The Big Horn County Commissioners
approved the findings of facts and conclu-
sions of law for the denial of the petition
to remove Georgia Antley Hunt as the Big
Horn County attorney.
The commissioners, who deliberated
last month, asked their attorney and hear-
ing officer Tom Jubin to write up the find-
ings of facts. The commissioners approved
them at their regular meeting Tuesday.
According to the findings of facts, the
parties agreed that the petitioner, Letitia
"Tish" Abromats of Greybull, "has the bur-
den of proving every element of any claim
asserted by her as grounds for removal un-
der Wyoming statute 18-3-907 by clear and
convincing evidence. 'Clear and Convinc-
ing Evidence' is such that the mind readily
reaches a satisfactory conclusion as to the
existence or nonexistence of the fact in dis-
pute and is that kind of proof that would
persuade a trier of fact that the truth of the
contention is highly probable."
The findings of facts went through each
of the five allegations finding that Abro-
mats had not met the burden of proof and
found that the issues did not "constitute a
palpable omission of duty within the mean-
ing of the removal statute.
Under the NCIC report disclosure issue
Antley Hunt ran an NCIC check on Abro-
mats to provide to an attorney who was
considering representing Don and Brenda
See 'HUNT FACTS,' page 7
Appeal of removal petRion undecided
BY KARLA POMEROY
The Greybull couple who filed the peti-
tion to remove Big Horn County Attorney
Georgia Antley Hunt from office has not de-
cided at this time whether to appeal the Big
Horn County Commission decision that de-
nied the petition last month.
Phil Abromats, who represents his wife
Letitia "Tish" as the petitioner, said, "We
are investigating whether or not to appeal
the ruling to District Court and will reach a
decision on that shortly. It is not clear, how-
ever, that the court could hear the appeal
before Hunt leaves office, and if it cannot, it
might simply dismiss any appeal as moot."
Regarding the commissioners' decision,
Abromats said in an e-mailed statement,
"The commissioners' decision accomplished
much of what we hoped for." He said he be-
lieves the deicision"represents a unanimous
finding that, while perhaps not worthy of
removal by clear and convincing evidence,
See 'PETITION,' page 7
Budget constraints put a halt to volunteer
program for involuntary holds
BY KARLA POMEROY
A funding SNAFU has put a halt to the
Volunteer Observation Specialists (VOS)
program that has been in place for involun-
tary holds.
Lovell Chief of Police Nick Lewis came
to the Big Horn County commissioners
seeking help to ensure the program doesn't
stop, but no funding action was taken by
the commissioners last week.
Lewis said when someone threatens
suicide the person is taken to the emergen-
cy room, examined by a physician and eval-
uated by a mental health physician. If the
person is determined to need further obser-
vation they are placed on an involuntary
hold for up to 72 hours.
He said in the past, law officers and
EMTs were handling the 24-hour supervi-
sion for these "holds" so that the individuals
did not have to go to the Big Horn County
Jail for the observation.
A task force came up with the VOS pro-
gram and Lewis said he brought up the $15/
hour pay for the volunteers. The volunteers,
along with hospital expenses, would be cov-
ered by the Big Horn County Attorney's Of-
rice, Big Horn County Sheriffs Office and
the Lovell Police.
"Lovell Police agreed to pay for a third of
See 'FUNDING WOES,' page 7
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Volume 105, Number 22
Byron residents voice
ideas for unused
Byron school
BY BRAD DEVEREAUX would happen if a business
Is it best to keep an tried to set up inside the
old building around to try former school and failed.
to make it useful again or Todd Wilder said the
is it better to bulldoze it to School Facilities Commis-
the ground and start over sion is currently willing to
with a brand new project? pay for the total cost of full
Considering this question or partial demolition of the
takes an examination of building, but if the town de-
countless factors including cides to take ownership of
age and condition of the the former school and later
building, possible uses for decides to tear it down, the
the building or land and the cost of demolition would
surrounding area's ability fall on the town's shoul-
to support a business that ders.
moves to the facility. Bret George said a com-
Stakeholders of the for- mercial engineer toured the
mer Rocky Mountain High Byron school about a year
School in Byron are being ago and said the bones of
faced with a tough choice the building are still struc-
when considering differ- turally sound. George not-
ent future options for the ed maintenance costs could
building that was vacated be expensive.
by Big Horn County School "If the town takes own-
District No. 1 this sum- ership of the building, we
mer. are 100 percent liable for
A group of interested whatever goes on there,"
parties met at the Byron George said. "The SFC is
Complex Thursday to dis- ready to cover the cost of
cuss the future of the school demolishing some or none
and brainstorm ideas of of it, but once the town ac-
what to do with the emp- cepts the building, we ac-
ty building. Sue Taylor of cept it 100 percent includ-
Lovell Inc. helped the By- ing those costs."
ron School Committee by Some residents were
facilitating the meeting, in favor of total demolition
The group of about 40 of the building. The SFC is
people brainstormed for willing to cover the cost of
more than an hour about demolition (full or partial)
the future of the Byron and return the land to fin-
school, the oldest part of ished grass in the near fu-
which was built about 74 ture. If the town decides
years ago. to try to use the building,
An idea that kept corn- the SFC will not cover cost
ing up at Thursday's meet- of demolition years later.
ing was the possibility of Estimated cost of demoli-
attracting businesses to set tion is $1 million to $1.5
up shop in the former By- million. However, follow-
ron school. Many agreed it ing demolition the school
would be nice to have a few district would still own the
businesses in the space, land and the town would
but others pointed out the have to negotiate a pur-
challenges for businesses chase agreement to pur-
moving into the facility, chase it.
such as maintenance of the Taylor asked the group
building, splitting utility to think about what the
bills and actually finding
viable businesses to move See 'BYRON SCHOOL,'
in. Others asked what e8
MICHAEL MCKNIGHT
A volunteer work crew works on the steeple of the
new Bible Church Main Street facility recently,
including Pastor Kurt McNabb (top right). Helpers
include (from bottom left) Andrew Newman, Cole
Killinger and Noah Geerligs. See a story on the
new church building on page 6.
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