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December 18, 2014 I The Lovell Chronicle I 15
Byron News
First
annual
light
parade
small
but
bright
BY PAMELA C077ENS
HOPKINSON
307-548-2471
pamhopkinson@gmail.com
What's a jingle jaunt?
It is Byron's first annu-
al Christmas 5K and one-
mile event. In case you
missed the recent Tur-
key Trot, this is a chance
to get in on some run fun.
The Jingle Jaunt registra-
tion begins at 8:30 a. m. on
Saturday, Dec. 20., at the
Byron Recreation Center.
The first 30 participants to
register will get a T-shirt.
For early registration, call
Victoria Dickson at 254-
9743. Is there such a thing
as snow boots for running?
It's just a thought that
makes you go hmmmm.
Many more folks have
jumped on the lighting
bandwagon and I think
that you can see lights
on every street in town.
Elaine Abraham's beauti-
ful display on the road out-
side of town is a must-see.
Her boys (men now) do a
wonderful job of helping
their mom put on a beau-
tiful display for all of us
to enjoy. The Lions Club
will be awarding prizes of
$100, $75 and $50 for the
best lighting displays.
Our first light parade
in history was small but
bright. The little lit up po-
nies stole the show. I am
sure there will be more en-
tries next year and it will
grow to be an anticipat-
ed event. Santa arrived
via sled/wagon and had
the honors of lighting the
big Christmas tree. Ex-
cept for the gazillion lights
that overloaded the circuit
it was a brief and beauti-
ful moment. More power
will solve that problem. A
free showing of the movie
"A Christmas Carol" fol-
lowed pictures with San-
ta, cookies and hot choc-
olate. Thank you to the
Recreation Dept. and to all
of the elves and sponsors
who helped and donated to
the party.
We have a new busi-
ness on our Main Street.
Big Horn Co-op purchased
the corner where the old
gas pumps used to be.
They installed new pumps
and we now have a self-
serve gas station again. If
you become a member of
Big Horn Co-op you can
save on your per gallon
charge. The application is
available online and any-
one can fill up using a ma-
jor credit card. As a mem-
ber of the co-op, you not
only receive the savings
at the pump, but also can
receive a yearly dividend
based on the gas you pur-
chased. Check it out. We
welcome the investment in
our town.
Santa is bringing a
new home to the Tippetts
family. What a fun and
exciting venture for Je-
rod and Christa. The prog-
ress has been interesting
to watch as they have pre-
pared a permanent foun-
dation for their new mod-
ular home that is now
in place on North Heart
Mountain. They are hop-
ing to be nestled in their
new space by Christmas.
Best of wishes to all, as
you prepare for the Christ-
mas holiday.
CHRISTY VAUGHN MILLER
Members of the Rocky Mountain FFA Club hamming it up at the airport, during
their recent trip to the National FFA Convention held in Louisville are (back
row) Lily Myers, Colton Wardell and TaiLyn Miller and (front row) Bonnie
Bates, Sunshyne Tryon and FFA Advisor Christin Shorma.
Rocky FFA team
travels to nationals
BY LILY MYERS, FFA REPORTER
While others were at home handing
out candy, or dressed up and trick-or-treat-
ing, the Rocky Mountain FFA officers were
at National FFA Convention in Louisville,
Ky. Thanks to our District No. 1 school
board, Miller's Fabrication, and everyone
who took part in our fundraisers, we were
able to have a fantastic experience.
While in Kentucky, we had the opportu-
nity to tour the Louisville Slugger Museum
and the Churchill Downs Museum of the
Kentucky Derby. We also got to listen to
some very inspirational speeches from some
wonderful people like Nick Vujicic, Jane
Herlong and the National FFA Advisor Dr.
Steve Brown. There was also a career expo
and an agri-science fair at convention.
We learned so much about leadership,
scholarships, hard work and more. We
will be teaching these things to our chap-
ter over the course of the year. Before we
left, we learned that there were more than
64,000 people attending the convention.
We hope to go back to national convention
next year and have new, unique experi-
ences. Again a massive "thank you" to our
supporters.
Governor announces app to combat drunk driving
The Governors Council on Impaired
Driving has announced the launch of the
Drive Sober Wyoming smart phone app. This
app gives those who have had too much to
drink another way to find a ride home.
The "Drive Sober Wyo-
ming' app helps users phone or text a
friend for a ride. The text message sends
a map link with the approximate user lo-
cation. The app user designates friends to
contact with one tap of the icon. Taxi ser-
vices are listed by town and can be contact-
ed from a drop-down menu.
The laws, penalties and cost of a
DUI icon quickly lets the app user know
the risk of driving drunk including steep
monetary costs, the loss of driving privileg-
es and jail. The app also allows anyone to
report an impaired driver on the road to
the Highway Patrol.
"I applaud the Wyoming Governor's
Council on Impaired Driving. This is a
smart way to prevent drunk driving and to
improve safety. We want people to make
good choices and this makes that easier,"
Governor Matt Mead said.
Drive Sober Wyoming can be down-
loaded from your smart phone or by scan-
ning the QR code. The QR code can be
found on www.drivesoberwy.com and on
posters and drink coasters coming soon to
all Wyoming locations with a state liquor
license. Posters are available to the public
and can be requested through the Gover-
nor's Council on Impaired Driving website
at www.wygcid.org.
State Vietnam War reunion set for June
The Wyoming Veterans Commission
and key partner organizations will host a
statewide Wyoming Vietnam Veterans Wel-
come Home Reunion June 4-7, in Casper.
This event will commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the start of the Vietnam
War and is part of the national effort to
recognize the veterans that served during
that conflict.
"Many Vietnam veterans have never
been properly thanked for their service.
This is a great opportunity for our state to
pull together and welcome home those who
served during this controversial war," said
Wyoming Sen. James Lee Anderson, one of
the event's chairmen.
The Welcome Home Reunion will fea-
ture a welcome home ceremony, icebreak-
er reception, benefits and services fair,
parade, motorcycle rally, BBQ, memorial
service and many other activities. Digni-
taries and distinguished Vietnam War vet-
erans from Wyoming will be invited to at-
tend and speak at the reunion.
Sponsors and volunteers are needed to
support the reunion's activities and events.
Interested volunteers or sponsors can send
in their name and contact information to
wyvet@wyo.gov or call the Wyoming Vet-
erans Commission at (307) 777-8152, and
be added to the reunion mailing list.
For more information about the re-
union, visit the official website at wvvr.
wyo.gov or the Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/WVVReunion, or call the
Wyoming Veterans Commission.
From Our Files
Fire breaks out in school, in '39
100 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 19, 1914
The Cowley Weekly Progress
The Progress this week received a $25
consignment of large wood type, and is now
prepared to print large posters, sale bills,
theater and basket ball posters and in fact
anything requiring large black-faced type.
75 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 2/, 1939
The Lovell Chronicle
The long expected fire in the Lovell
schools arrived on Tuesday of this week
when a Christmas tree in the 7 th B room
caught on fire from an unknown cause.
Approximately $100 in damage was suf-
fered, including the burning of the Christ-
mas tree, presents already placed around
it, window shades, windows and damage to
walls and floor.
50 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 17, 1964
The Lovell Chronicle
Headline: No Injuries in Main Street
Mishap. A car driven by Mr. and Mrs. John
Owen was damaged to the extent of over
$300 Sunday in a collision on Main Street
with a car driven by Rue Liggett. There
were no serious injuries, but Mrs. Owen
received two black eyes.
25 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 2/, 1989
The Love, Chronicle
Having celebrated their 70 wedding
anniversary in July, Lena and John Doerr
of Lovell have the memory of many fond
Christmas seasons to look back on, as well
as a lot of other memories besides. John,
93, and Lena, 91, came from Kind, Russia,
to the United States in 1913.
Cowley News
NFL player with
Cowley ties injured
BY DRUE TEBBS-MEEK great-great-grandparents
307-548-6901 are Russell and Margaret
Smith. Brett is also a cous-
Note: We have a guest in of our current postmas-
writer this week, Dean ter Jan Mollenbrink.
Miller. When reading the Brett's great-great-
Sunday Billings Gazette grandfather, Russell, was
two weeks ago, Dean ran a cowboy at heart, often
across the headlines in the working and gathering cat-
sports section and saw the tle in the fall and taking
headline, "Injury likely will them to summer pasture
end Wyoming native's NFL in the spring. Their home
career." Under that, "Steel- was where Mike Gams now
ers" Keisel who starred for lives.
Greybull Buffs hurts left Minnie Gams, who is
tricep in loss." The article John Gams' mother and
was written by Ron Cook, of grandmother to Mike, re-
the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. calls jumping into Russell's
BY DEAN MILLER pickup and pretending to
Brett Keisel injured his drive as Russell towed the
left tricep and is out for the pickup behind his road
season, and likely his long grader. Minnie remembers
NFL career. He played 12 the bucking horse Rus-
years for the Pittsburgh sell rode in to town to get
Steelers and played college the mail. Russell trained
football at BYU. He became his horse to stretch out by
a fan favorite and grew a tapping on its leg. This al-
beard and was known as lowed Russell to get in the
"Da Beard." The article saddle and then the horse
stated that Keisel might be would rise to its riding po-
a mountain man from Wyo- sition, which made it easier
ming, but he found a home to mount the horse.
for life in Pittsburgh. Not Russell was very active
one player has been more in the Cowley Riding Club,
active in community ser- and worked on the develop-
vice or charity work in the ment of the rodeo grounds.
area. The article added, Many might recall him car-
"He's a Pittsburgh Steeler." rying the flag in the Cow-
Some of you will recall ley Days parade, along
Brett and his brother Chad the side of Earl and Jan
played for Greybull Buffs Shidier. Jan was Russell's
in the 1995 state basketball sister. Russell also worked
tournament against Coach for Big Horn County Road
Tim Winland's basketball and Bridge for many years.
team, who won the tour- Most of us remember Rus-
nament for Rocky Moun- sell and his family and the
tain. Some of Rocky's play- memories of his pioneer
ers were Austin Marchant, families are dear to our
Cory Lange, Kevin Hatch, hearts.
Brandon May, Tobee Chris- Dean was told that
tiansen, Matt. Miller and Russell and his wife raised
Travis Peterson. nine kids in a small three:
Keisel played foot- room cabin. It's hard to be-
ball for Greybull in 1996 lieve that with all the nice
when his uncle Ben Smith new homes being built in
coached Rocky Mountain Cowley, and more coming,
and his team won the state that a couple could raise
championship that year. that many children in such
Brett Keisel's a small home.
WYDOT surveys state residents
The Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at the Uni-
versity of Wyoming has begun making telephone calls to
Wyoming residents to complete a customer satisfaction
survey for WYDOT
The calls are being made on weekday evenings, Sat-
urday afternoons and Sunday evenings. The survey in-
cludes up to 30 questions and takes less than 10 minutes
to complete.
The goal is to get responses from a sample of approx-
imately 900 Wyoming residents, and the calls will con-
tinue until that number is reached or until the end of
December.
WYDOT contracts with UW to conduct the survey ev-
ery two years to measure residents' satisfaction with the
department's performance, and identify areas where im-
provement is needed.
WYDOT apologizes for any inconvenience the calls
may cause, and thanks residents who choose to partic-
ipate for providing the department with their valuable
feedback.
Senior Chatter
Remember to support
the food bank
BY PHYLLIS BRONKEMA
Before you know it, we will be leaving 2014 behind
and welcoming 2015. It's a time of the year when every-
one begins to take stock of all the things they are grateful
for during the past year, not the least of which is all our
readers and faithful supporters of the North Big Horn Se-
nior Center.
The most recent event the Center had the pleasure of
being a part of was last Friday's Parade of Homes host-
ed by the Lovell Woman's Club. As was mentioned last
week, the Center was one of the stops on this year's tour,
inviting people to view all recently completed Christmas
quilts. Verna Hawkins and her crew of helpers remained
at the Center all the way into the evening welcoming peo-
ple and explaining what had gone into the making of the
quilts. Denise Andersen wishes to thank the ladies for do-
nating so much of their personal time to the cause.
Incidentally, Caroline Boltz, who had two Christmas
quilts displayed, won the door prize of the day, a fun but
different type of Christmas quilt, which was pretty fitting.
If you are anything like the writer of this column, you
may keep forgetting to bring non-perishable items to the
Center to share with our local food bank. If so, here is
a suggestion: go to your pantry right now, select several
items and put them right into your car to be donated the
next time you are out and about. I just did that myself. It
should work!
May all of you have a very merry Christmas and a
blessed and profitable new year.