the glenrock bird newspaper issue 03.11.12

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Volume 5 Issue 17 Sunday, March 11, 2012 Community News G-Rock Wrestlers- Page 2 & 4 Oil Rigs Fluctuate in Numbers in County - Page 2 New G- Rock Volleyball Team - Page 2 Glenrock Library News - Page 2 Girl Scouts Turn 100- Page 4 Pyatt’s Pieces - Page 4 - Converse County and Beyond Wyoming Turns to Electronic Health Records - Page 5 Wolf Management in Wyoming - Page 5 and more. News From The Nest - Pg 7 Bird Odd’s and Ends Wesley’s Way - Page 8 Cowboy Poetry - Page 8 Bunkhouse Recipes - Page 8 Straight Talk With Sassy, Savvy Sustainability and so much more in this issue of The Glenrock Bird! Check out Susan Stoltz’ NEW COLUMN!! Bird Business Directory Area Businesses - Page 9 Bird Classifieds - Page 9 Check Out Our Gorgeous Travel Section On Pages 3 Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer Edited by Amanda Smith The Glenrock Bird One of the strongest solar storms in years engulfed Earth early Thursday March 8, but scientists say the planet may have lucked out. Hours after the storm arrived, of- ficials said were minimal reports of problems with power grids, GPS, satellites or other technolo- gies that are often disrupted by solar storms. But that still can change as the storm shakes the planet's mag- netic field in ways that could dis- rupt technology but also spread colorful Northern Lights. Early indications show that it is about 10 times stronger than the nor- mal solar wind that hits Earth. In and around Casper and Glen- rock many residents of the two counties experienced everything from their online banking being disrupted, cell phones losing ser- vice, animals standing one place for long periods of time, to inter- net service and computers going completely on the fritz. The storm started with a mas- sive solar flare Tuesday evening, March 6 and grew as it raced outward from the sun, expanding like a giant soap bubble, scien- tists said. The charged particles hit at approximately 4 million mph. The storm struck about 6 a.m. EST in a direction that causes the least amount of problems, said Joe Kunches, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. "It's not a terribly strong event. It's a very interesting event," he said. Biggest Solar Storm in Years Hits Earth Causes Some Disruption To Converse and Natrona Area Residents CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gov. Matt Mead has signed a bill aimed at ending federal protec- tions for wolves inWyoming. The new law signed Wednesday allows trophy hunting for wolves in a flexible zone around Yellow- stone National Park beginning this fall, while classifying wolves as predators that could be shot on sight in the rest of the state. It's a critical step toward ratify- ing the agreement the governor reached with the federal govern- ment last year over how to end Endangered Species Act protec- tions for the animals. Uncertainty remains over pos- sible legal challenges to Wyo- ming's wolf management plan. Many hunters and ranchers in the state worry that a large wolf population poses an unacceptable threat to other wildlife and live- stock. Mead Signs Bill Aimed At Ending Wolf Protections Wyoming Winds Too Much For This Glenrock AreaTurbine Sometime during last week’s high winds a wind turbine suffered blade damage out near the Glenrock Coal Mine just off 55 Ranch road. Photo Keith Eitel. Matt Volz, Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The wolf population in the Northern Rockies rose in 2011 despite the removal of federal protections and hunts held in Montana and Idaho, federal wildlife officials said Wednesday. The animal's numbers rose by more than 7 percent to 1,774 wolves, as state offi- cials look for more ways to reduce the population un- der pressure from hunters and ranchers who blame the predators for livestock and big-game losses. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vices officials said the popu- lation estimates show that Montana and Idaho have done a good job in their first year of managing the species since Congress re- moved federal protections in May 2011. "The states have done a very responsible Wolf Population Rises Continued page 2 Proud Member of the CASPER, Wyo. (AP) Wyoming is the only state to cap ATM fees but that could change. Wyoming lawmakers passed a bill to scrap the state's $2 fee limit this session, sending the measure to Gov. Matt Mead. Mead spokesman Renny MacKay says the governor hasn't decided whether he'll sign the bill. The Casper Star-Tribune re- ported Friday that the bill passed with overwhelming support. Backers said the fee is unfair to the owners of in- dependent ATMs, many of them in family-owned busi- nesses, because it doesn't cover the costs of operating the ma- chines. Technically, nationally char- tered banks are exempt from the $2 cap because they're reg- ulated by the federal govern- ment. However, the bill's spon- sor, Sen. Bruce Burns, says most banks voluntarily adhere to the $2 limit out of respect for state law. Mead Undecided On Ending $2 Atm Fee Cap This handout image provided by NASA shows a solar flare errupting at 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, and that is heading toward Earth. An impressive solar flare is heading toward Earth and could disrupt power grids, GPS and airplane flights. Forecasters at the Na- tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center said the sun erupted Tuesday evening and the effects should start smacking Earth late Wednesday night, close to midnight EST. They say it is the biggest in five years and growing. (AP Photo/NASA) Continued page 6

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The Glenrock Bird Wyoming News Newspaper serving Glenrock, Douglas, Casper

TRANSCRIPT

Volume 5 Issue 17 Sunday, March 11, 2012

Community NewsG-Rock Wrestlers- Page 2 & 4Oil Rigs Fluctuate in Numbers in County - Page 2New G- Rock Volleyball Team - Page 2Glenrock Library News - Page 2Girl Scouts Turn 100- Page 4Pyatt’s Pieces - Page 4 -

Converse County and BeyondWyoming Turns to Electronic Health Records - Page 5Wolf Management in Wyoming - Page 5and more.

News From The Nest - Pg 7

Bird Odd’s and EndsWesley’s Way - Page 8Cowboy Poetry - Page 8Bunkhouse Recipes - Page 8Straight Talk With Sassy, Savvy Sustainability and so much more in this issue of The Glenrock Bird!Check out Susan Stoltz’ NEW COLUMN!!

Bird Business DirectoryArea Businesses - Page 9Bird Classifieds - Page 9

Check Out Our Gorgeous Travel Section On Pages 3

Seth BorensteinAP Science Writer

Edited by Amanda SmithThe Glenrock Bird

One of the strongest solar storms in years engulfed Earth early Thursday March 8, but scientists say the planet may have lucked out.

Hours after the storm arrived, of-

ficials said were minimal reports of problems with power grids, GPS, satellites or other technolo-gies that are often disrupted by solar storms.

But that still can change as the storm shakes the planet's mag-netic field in ways that could dis-rupt technology but also spread colorful Northern Lights. Early indications show that it is about 10 times stronger than the nor-mal solar wind that hits Earth.

In and around Casper and Glen-rock many residents of the two counties experienced everything from their online banking being disrupted, cell phones losing ser-vice, animals standing one place for long periods of time, to inter-net service and computers going completely on the fritz.

The storm started with a mas-sive solar flare Tuesday evening, March 6 and grew as it raced outward from the sun, expanding like a giant soap bubble, scien-tists said. The charged particles hit at approximately 4 million mph.The storm struck about 6 a.m. EST in a direction that causes the least amount of problems, said Joe Kunches, a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

"It's not a terribly strong event. It's a very interesting event," he said.

Biggest Solar Storm in Years Hits Earth Causes Some Disruption

To Converse and Natrona Area Residents

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gov. Matt Mead has signed a bill aimed at ending federal protec-tions for wolves inWyoming.

The new law signed Wednesday allows trophy hunting for wolves in a flexible zone around Yellow-stone National Park beginning this fall, while classifying wolves as predators that could be shot on sight in the rest of the state.

It's a critical step toward ratify-ing the agreement the governor reached with the federal govern-ment last year over how to end Endangered Species Act protec-tions for the animals.

Uncertainty remains over pos-sible legal challenges to Wyo-ming's wolf management plan. Many hunters and ranchers in the state worry that a large wolf population poses an unacceptable threat to other wildlife and live-stock.

Mead Signs Bill Aimed At Ending Wolf Protections

Wyoming Winds Too Much For This

Glenrock AreaTurbine

Sometime during last week’s high winds a wind turbine suffered blade damage out near the Glenrock Coal Mine just off 55 Ranch road. Photo Keith Eitel.

Matt Volz,Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The wolf population in the Northern Rockies rose in 2011 despite the removal of federal protections and hunts held in Montana and Idaho, federal wildlife officials said Wednesday.

The animal's numbers rose by more than 7 percent to 1,774 wolves, as state offi-cials look for more ways to reduce the population un-der pressure from hunters and ranchers who blame the predators for livestock and big-game losses.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser-vices officials said the popu-lation estimates show that Montana and Idaho have done a good job in their first year of managing the species since Congress re-moved federal protections in May 2011. "The states have done a very responsible

Wolf Population

Rises

Continued page 2

Proud Member of the

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming is the only state to cap ATM fees but that could change.

Wyoming lawmakers passed a bill to scrap the state's $2 fee limit this session, sending the measure to Gov. Matt Mead.

Mead spokesman Renny MacKay says the governor hasn't decided whether he'll sign the bill.

The Casper Star-Tribune re-ported Friday that the bill

passed with overwhelming support. Backers said the fee is unfair to the owners of in-dependent ATMs, many of them in family-owned busi-nesses, because it doesn't cover the costs of operating the ma-chines.Technically, nationally char-tered banks are exempt from the $2 cap because they're reg-ulated by the federal govern-ment. However, the bill's spon-sor, Sen. Bruce Burns, says most banks voluntarily adhere to the $2 limit out of respect for state law.

Mead Undecided On Ending $2 Atm Fee Cap

This handout image provided by NASA shows a solar flare errupting at 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, and that is heading toward Earth. An impressive solar flare is heading toward Earth and could disrupt power grids, GPS and airplane flights. Forecasters at the Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center said the sun erupted Tuesday evening and the effects should start smacking Earth late Wednesday night, close to midnight EST. They say it is the biggest in five years and growing. (AP Photo/NASA)

Continued page 6

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 2

Community Message Board

The Town of Rolling Hills - Where the deer and Antelope really do play! If you haven’t done so already, check out the Town of Rolling Hills great website. Chock full of information so be sure and check it out: www.rollinghillswy.org

Glenrock Library News

Meetings in Glenrock Where: The Senior Center East Door

(thrift store entrance.)When: Monday nights from 7pm - 8pm

Bird Special Announcements!

Request from Vickie Sturlin: The class of 1972 is planning our 40th class re-union, to be held the same weekend of Glenrock days 2012. Anyone who is from the class or knows the location of anyone from the class can contact Terry Henderson, Janet Perino, or Vickie. Vickie's email is [email protected]

Attention Class of 1972!

Wind City Wrestlers really showed their oompf dur-ing the Casper Wrestling Club M e m o r i a l Tournament in Casper the last weekend of February.

Jackson Tay-lor of Windy City Wrestling Club took 1st in the 120-pound Cadet division during the last weekend of February. Joseph Taylor of Windy City Wres-tling Club took second in the Schoolboy 75-pound division. Aftin Matthews took 2nd in the 75-pound Novice division and Dayton Matthews took first place in the 55-pound Bantam division. Dayton Matthews re-mains undefeated in his second-year of USA wrestling. Dayton's first year in wrestling was last year, going the entire year un-defeated. "He is a little bulldog" stated Tammy Taylor of Wind City Wrestlers.

Jackson Taylor, boasting his most successful year yet expe-rienced only one loss during his middle school season this year, and only one loss out of Love-land, Colorado during the USA season beating Jordan Britton from Torrington, a wrestler that Taylor has never been able to win against in the past. Joseph Taylor (Glenrock) and Aftin Matthews (Douglas) placed dur-ing every tournament this year in Wyoming "they've both great-ly improved their skills this year from last year" stated Tammy. Traveling throughout Wyoming and Colorado the wrestling club has faced new challenges, al-lowing them to increase their mat time and experience wres-tling against other competitors throughout the region.

The team traveled to Gillette at the end of the month for the

Wyoming for the Touch of Gold Ironman tournament, a tour-ney that hosts all three styles of wrestling (Folkstyle, Greco and Freestyle.) in this tournament, wrestlers competed at the Tour-ney to win the "Triple Crown". Results are as follows: Dayton Matthews (Douglas Wrestling Club) placed 3rd in folksytle and 2nd in both Greco and Freestyle, Aftin Matthews (Douglas Wres-tling Club) placed 4th in all three styles, Joseph Taylor (Windy City) placed 4th in the folkstyle but did not wrestle the other two styles, Jackson Taylor (Windy City) placed 3rd in folkstyle and 1st in both Greco and freestyle. Wyatt Patzke did not place at the Tournament, but gave it his all with some pretty tough wres-tling.

At press time on March 10th, the younger wrestlers headed to Douglas for another Ironman Tournament that also hosted all three styles of wrestling and the older wrestlers headed to River-ton for a Middle School quali-fier, where the top two places in each weight bracket qualify to travel to Iowa with "Team Wyo-ming" in April.

Congratulations to all the wres-tlers who competed. Good luck at the Folkstyle Tournament at the Event Center on the 24th and 25th!

Wind City Wrestlers Showing Their All On The Mats

Jackson Taylor pins his opponent during the Casper Wrestling Club Memorial Tournament. Photo Tammy Taylor

Salve!! Hello in Latin from the library! Visit our Mango For-eign Language database on line. Find out how to get con-nected. There are over 80 languages to choose from. Learn from the comfort of your own home. This database comes to us courtesy of the state library. We have our new audio books in!! We have, The Bronzed Hawk by Iris Johansen and Private- No. 1 Suspect by James Patterson plus more. Mark your calendars, Thursday, March 15 at 6:00! This is the date set for the library to host Dr. Seth Ward from the University of Wyoming. His topic will be on democracy in the Middle East. Everyone is welcomed!! I want to thank all of our patrons who celebrated with us, Enoch Williams and Mrs. Gaines, the middle school prin-ciple, for making Dr. Seuss Day at the library fun!! I’m sure he will be pleased that so many still remember, even after 108 years!! For Read Me A Story March 10- March 17: The Night Be-fore St. Patrick Day by Natasha Wing. March 17- 24: Wool-bur by Leslie Helakoski. Pick up the phone and dial 436-2353 to listen to a great story!! We’re on the web at http:wyldweb.state.wy.us/glen or at www.conversecountylibrary.org. Our phone number is 436-2573. Fax number is 436-8525. Be sure to “friend” us on Facebook!! Just look up Glenrock Library.

The NEW Platte River Volley-ball Club is seeking your help with sponsorship for the 2012 AAU season. This is a new club this year which has 18 local Glenrock girls participating. There are two teams.

The group consists of a 4th grade team and a combined 5th & 6th grade team.

All 18 girls are in need of uni-forms ($23 each); warm up suits ($66 each) and entry fees (prices vary). It is not a school affiliated pro-gram so any amount you are willing to donate to help this group of future Glenrock Herd-

ers would be greatly appreci-ated. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call Sandy Muller at 797-3796 or Shelly Whalen at 267-8950.

A donation bucket has also been placed at Shear Haven Hair Sa-lon in Glenrock.

end donations to:

Platte River Volleyball ClubPO Box 1555 Glenrock, WY 82637

New G-Rock Volleyball Team Needs Your Help

Weekly Us Oil, Gas Rig Count Down 16 To 1,973

The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. is down by 16 this week to 1,973.

Oklahoma lost six rigs, and Pennsylvania dropped by four. Alaska lost three rigs, and Colorado fell by two. New Mexi-co, West Virginia and Wyoming lost one apiece.

The Houston-based oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. reported Friday that 1,296 rigs were exploring for oil and 670 for natural gas. Seven were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago this week Baker Hughes reported 1,715 active rigs.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas and North Dakota gained three. Louisiana picked up one.

Arkansas and California were unchanged.

The rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.

Currently there are 45 working rigs in Wyoming as of Febru-ary 24th of this year. That number is down from 49 on Febru-ary 3rd of this year. Chesapeake Energy has a total of seven rigs in Wyoming all of which are in Converse County, up two more from five six months ago.

The 2010 monthly average rig count was 40; the 1995 aver-age of 23 was the lowest since WWII. In 1981, the all-time record year for rotary rig activity in Wyoming, there was an average of 192 units working monthly.

HOUSTON (AP) - Edited by Amanda Smith

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 3

Converse County’s Premier Travel Section brought to you by The Glenrock Bird

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 4

March 12, 2012 officially marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. To celebrate this his-toric milestone, Girl Scouts of the USA has declared 2012 the Year of the Girl: a celebration of girls, recognition of their leadership po-tential and a commitment to cre-ating a coalition of like-minded organizations and individuals in support of balanced leadership in the workplace and in communi-ties across the country. “Since 1912, Girl Scouting has built its success on a deep com-mitment to timeless values,” said Sally Leep, Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming CEO.

“The organization has shown remarkable resilience in meet-ing the changing needs of girls while remaining faithful to Low’s vision of a safe and supportive environment in which girls can develop the courage, confidence, and character to become leaders today, as well as tomorrow.” In the 100 years since Juliette Gordon Low began the Girl Scout movement by gathering together a small group of girls in Savannah, Georgia, Girl Scouts has grown into an organization with 3.2 million members and 50 million alumnae. During the Year of the Girl, local Girl Scout

councils across the country will hold celebrations in honor of the organization’s 100 years as the premier leadership experience for girls. On March 30 – 31 Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming is host-ing the biggest birthday party in a two-state area at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana Convention Center. Friday night Girl Scout alumnae, friends and support-ers are invited to take a walk down memory lane at Denim and Pearls! Wear your favorite blue jeans and pearls and enjoy Girl Scout-themed appetizers and des-serts. An actor will bring Juliette

Low to life with an interactive presentation about the founding of Girl Scouts! During the event, girls are invited to their own party—PJs and Pearls, featuring a pampered evening of fun and fashion! Door prizes, raffle items, and more! Saturday the fun con-tinues throughout the day culmi-nating with a birthday cake and Girl Scout carnival! Friends and family are welcome to attend! Visit www.gsmw.org/100 for de-tails or to register to attend! Be there when our first 100 years turns into our next 100 years!

Girl Scouts Is Turning 100!

Above His Pay Grade?

In the 2008 election cycle, Presi-dential candidate Barack Obama, absent his trademark teleprompt-er, halted, in an unartful dodge to Saddle Back Church’s Pastor Rick Warren’s TV friendly ques-tion, “At what point does a baby get human rights in your view?” “I think that, whether you are , uh, looking at it from a theologi-cal or scientific perspective, an-swering that question with speci-ficity , you know, is above my pay grade.” Perhaps, he was try-ing to infer that “it is up to God to decide such slippery queries, not him.“ Unfortunately, God doesn’t make policy. People do. Three years later we now have President Barack Obama still op-erating above his pay grade.

In 2008, Senator Obama believed rising gas prices were a “crisis”. Today, though the ability to do-ing anything about it is “above his pay grade”, President Obama knows it’s not his fault. On Feb-ruary 21, 2012, Press Secretary Jay Carney made it known that there were a myriad of factors pushing the price at the pumps, but there is no “silver bullet”. Translation: it’s above the Presi-dent’s pay grade. However, the media darlings and left-leaning pundits held Bush the Younger accountable for rising gas prices, since it evidently wasn’t above his pay grade, even though prices were around $1.80 a gallon at the end of his term.

Presenting a budget after occu-pying the West Wing for three years, apparently was also above his pay grade. However, nixing the Keystone Pipeline was clear-ly within his pay grade. What a job! Some may call it “pick n’ choose”. His energy Secretary Steven Chu reminded us that lowering the price of gas was not the administration’s policy, but to “enhance American energy inde-pendence.” The former is “above his pay grade”, and the latter is not, evidently. How convenient. However, supporting policies that reduce the pain at the pump is “above his pay grade.”

Even the “serial foot-in-mouth” prone Vice President Joe Biden ventured out into the deep murky waters of a “theological quag-mire” and affirmed his belief as a Catholic, that “life begins at the moment of conception.” So, it’s not out of Joe’s pay grade. Are you confused? Should the VP get

a raise? Or do we cut the Presi-dent’s pay? Conveniently, it was not “above his pay grade” to pre-emptively berate private citizen radio talk show host, Rush Lim-baugh, for his “absurd” remarks about Georgetown Law Student Sandra Flukes contraception demands before a Congressio-nal hearing, but “above his pay grade” to chastise publicly re-munerated Congressional mem-ber Maxine Waters, California Democrat, for her August, 2011, verbal tirade that the “tea party can go straight to hell.” Still con-fused?Perhaps someone should place a lock on the President’s heli-copter and Air Force One’s fuel tank until someone with the “right pay grade” can lower the price of fuel at our pumps. This President should consider buy-ing one of those electric cars that he stridently touted. It would shorten his trips, of course, but it isn’t very far to the Avenel links or Trump National Golf Club in D.C. Battery cables in his caddy’s bag? No one would ever have to know.

General Motors has an “over-stock” of electric cars. Soft sales demand for the Chevy Volt has prompted GM to idle about 1300 workers for about five weeks at their Hamtramck, Michigan, plant where the plug-in is built. Officials now admit that they over estimated consumer de-mand.

Even after a “rebate” off the sticker price of $41,000, the pre-mium price doesn’t make eco-nomic sense for most consumers, evidently. Perhaps a “package deal” could be brokered by En-ergy Secretary Chu (it is surely within his pay grade) whereby the Oval Office could relieve GM of its backlog of “four wheeled batteries on steroids”. After all, it wasn’t “above his pay grade” to prod them to build the electric car, as part of the “auto bail out.” stimulus.

A “green alliance” with Over-stock.com may make sense. Make payments? Any money left from the Solyndra debacle? Sadly, we are unable to “dock” his pay, and he is unlikely to re-sign. Some have suggested we “fire” him.

Good help is hard to find, isn’t it? What do you think?

Remember, that is “not above our pay grade.”

Sunday February 26th the Glen-rock Wrestling Club participated in the Casper Wrestling Club Memorial Invitational at the Casper Events Center. The wres-tlers really showed their individ-ual strengths on the mats during the tournament and the results are as follows:

Peewee 40lb – Jarrett Guerrera placed 2nd.Pewee 50lb Ayden Moulton placed 5th.Bantam 40lb Makalup Barnes placed 4th.Intermediate 70lb Gavin Guer-rera placed 5th.Intermediate 75lb Dustin Sim-mons placed 5th.Intermediate 75lb Jonah Young placed 4thIntermediate 80lb Alex St. Ge-lais placed 6th.Intermediate Heavyweight Ca-den Stoldt placed 2nd.Novice 70lb Dakohta Reynolds placed 6th.Novice 75lb Charles Kidd placed 5th.Novice 80lb Zane Moore placed 2nd.Novice 80lb Weston Knight placed 3rd.Novice 85lb Isak Elisson placed 5th.Novice 120lb Cody Pinkerton placed 3rd.Schoolboy/girl 98lb Trenten Kraft placed 5th.Schoolboy/girl 112lb Christo-pher Raines placed 4th.Schoolboy/girl 120lb Kayla Likes placed 4th.Schoolboy/girl 120lb Logan Pickett placed 6th.Cadet 138lb Shae Simmons placed 2nd.

Wrestling hard but not placing were:Peewee Chad PrestonPeewee Keegan RoumellBantam Jason HowellBantam Kal ThompsonBantam Cedar GuerreraIntermediate Ronald HicksIntermediate Allyssa HicksNovice Tate Stoddard

The Glenrock Wrestling Club also travelled to Gillette, on March 3rd and 4th, taking part in the IronMan wrestling tourny. The results are as follows:

Freestyle results:Casey Sebesta placed 5th in the Intermediate 75lb bracketCody Pinkerton placed 2nd in the Novice 120lb bracket.Derrick Robinson placed 2nd in the Novice 140lb bracket.Kayla Likes wrestled hard but did not place.

Greco Results:Derrick Robinson placed 2ndCody Pinkerton placed 3rd.Casey Sebesta and Kayla Likes wrestled hard but did not place.

Folkstyle Results:Casey Sebesta placed 5thDerrick Robinson placed 2ndCody Pinkerton placed 1st.Wrestling hard but not placing were Dakohta Reynolds, Chris-topher Raines, and Kayla Likes.

Congratulations to all the wres-tlers!

Glenrock Wrestling Club Takes To Mats

At Casper Event Center

Trenten Kraft pins his opponent during the Casper Event Center wrestling tournament. Photo Karie Moulton.

A Casper tourney wrestling ref calls the pin for Christopher Raines at the Casper Event Center wrestling tournament. Photo Karie Moulton

Alyssa Hicks readies for her pin against her opponent at the Casper Event Center wrestling tournament. Photo Karie Moulton

CASPER, Wyo. – Wyoming ag-riculture producers and handlers interested in going organic may apply now for grants to help off-set the costs associated with cer-tification. The Wyoming Business Council Agribusiness Division and the Wyoming Department of Agri-culture are offering the Organic Certification Reimbursement program to help producers and handlers become organically cer-tified. “Organic certification can be a way for producers to add value to their operations in a market where consumers are increasingly inter-ested in how their food is grown,” said Cindy Garretson-Weibel,

director of the Agribusiness Divi-sion. “This reimbursement grant may help those producers who have been hesitant to become organically certified due to the cost.” The grants cover 75 percent of organic certification costs up to $750. The grant reimburses ap-plicants for expenditures, which must be made before receiving an award. “In the environment I have my business it’s really crucial to be evolving,” said Stefan Grainda, owner of Jackson Hole Cof-fee Roasters in Jackson, Wyo. “People in Jackson are concerned about what they put into their bodies, so for my business it

was very important to be USDA certified in order to remain com-petitive as well as attract new cus-tomers. This program was very easy and straight forward.” To qualify for the program a pro-ducer or handler must become certified between Oct. 1, 2011 and Sept. 30, 2012. Certification must be obtained before applying for the grant. The deadline to submit grant ap-plications is Nov. 1, 2012, but applications are being accepted now. For more information about the program or to receive an applica-tion packet, please contact Terri Barr at 307.777.2807

Funding Available To Help Ag Producers, Handlers Go Organic

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 5

O r e g O n T r a i lr u r a l h e a l t h c l i n i c

A n E x t E n s i o n o f C A r E f r o m m E m o r i A l H o s p i t A l o f C o n v E r s E C o u n t y

111 South 5th Street ~ Douglas, Wyoming

307-358-2122

MeMorial Hospitalof Converse County

Advanced Medicine. Hometown Care.

525 E. Birch St. ~ Glenrock, Wyoming

307-436-8838

oregon trailRural Health Clinic

Advanced Medicine. Hometown Care.

Oregon Trail Rural Health Clinic provides quality basic medical care to the communities of Glenrock and Rolling Hills. Unlike other Rural Health Clinics, Oregon Trail is part of Memorial Hospital of Converse County, one of the most trusted healthcare providers in the area. Memorial Hospital operates Oregon Trail RHC as an extension of care. The clinic is connected to the hospital by a dedicated high-speed network, and more importantly, dedicated providers who ensure their patients receive the best possible care.

Our clinic, combined with some of the most respected healthcare providers in the area, creates a unique healthcare experience for Glenrock and its neighbors.

In addition to stuffy noses, sore throats, and wellness exams, the clinic staff also perform EKG’s, minor surgery procedures, women’s health services, blood tests, physicals, and much more.

Carla Bloem, PA-C, and her team provide healthcare services Monday thru Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM; closed over the noon hour.

Glenrock resident Carla Bloem is a Certified Physician’s Assistant trained and licensed to practice medicine in Wyoming under the supervision of Memorial Hospital doctors. Carla has been treating family and friends in Glenrock for more than a decade. Her background in medicine and love for small town living provides Glenrock area residents the perfect mix of Advanced Medicine and Hometown Care. Carla’s experience, combined with the clinic’s diagnostic services, ensures Glenrock area residents have access to basic health services close to home.

In addition to Carla, Dr. Brian Retherford—Memorial Hospital’s Board Certified obstetrician and gynecologist—also sees patients at Oregon Trail Rural Health Clinic. Dr. Retherford is trained in a broad array of women’s reproductive health issues as well as all aspects of pregnancy healthcare. He performs yearly gynecological checks and deals with common women’s disorders such as endometriosis, infertility, urinary

incontinence, and menstrual problems. Dr. Retherford also performs minimally invasive surgeries for

gynecological disorders.

Dr. Brian Retherford

Carla Bloem, PA-C

job of having wolf hunts and managing wolves," said Mike Jimenez, a wolf recovery proj-ect director for the agency. "They're looking at bringing (the population) down responsibly."

Most of the wolves in the Northern Rockies are in Ida-ho, Montana and Wyoming, though the region also in-cludes portions of Washing-ton, Oregon and Utah.

Federal protections remain in place in Wyoming, where that state's wolf policy had been considered a threat to the spe-cies' survival. Gov. Matt Mead signed a bill on Wednesday to change the law as part of Wyoming'sefforts to remove Endangered Species Act pro-tections for wolves there.

The new law will allow tro-

phy hunting for wolves in a flexible zone around Yellow-stone National Park begin-ning this fall, while classifying wolves as predators that could be shot on sight in the rest of the state. A final determina-tion on whether to lift federal protections in Wyoming is ex-pected by the fall, wildlife of-ficials said.

Montana and Idaho held their second wolf hunts since 2009 with the aim of reducing the population in their states. Their management plans set a population minimum at 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs.

Idaho lowered its population by 31 to 746 wolves in 2011, according to the state's Fish and Game department. The de-partment has a goal of reduc-ing the number in the state, but has not set a target population

or limit.

Montana had aimed to cut its wolf popula-tion by 25 percent in

2011, but the numbers actually rose 15 percent to at least 653 animals. State wildlife offi-cials attribute that to the hunt falling short of a quota of 220 animals and to wildlife offi-cials responding to livestock losses killing fewer than half the problem wolves than they had the year before.

That increase has prompted grumbling by county officials who say state Fish, Wildlife and Parks regulators aren't do-ing enough to take on the pred-ator problem. Representatives from more than a dozen coun-ties told FWP commissioners on Wednesday that they want-ed hunting restrictions loos-ened so that more wolves are killed in this year's hunt.

"This is as important as the price of gas right now," said

Beaverhead County Commis-sioner Tom Rice.

FWP wildlife director Ken McDonald said the agency was considering several pro-posals, including getting rid of quotas altogether and reduc-ing the price of non-resident licenses from $350 to $50 to encourage more hunters.

A total of 18,689 licenses were purchased in 2011, including 158 non-residents, and 166 wolves were killed in the hunt that ended in mid-February.

Other suggestions, such as allowing hunters to kill more than one wolf, would require a change in state law. FWP director Joe Maurier said the agency plans to present a package to lawmakers when the MontanaLegislature con-venes in January. Commissioners will hear spe-cific proposals for the 2012 hunt in May and make a final decision in July.

"We're going to be much more aggressive in our proposals next season," Maurier said.

Encouraging the use of electron-ic health records by Wyoming healthcare providers is the goal of the Wyoming Department of Health’s Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The federally funded EHR incen-tive program was authorized un-der the Health Information Tech-nology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, a part of the American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act of 2009. “EHR technology can help Wyo-

ming’s healthcare providers see an increase in productivity for their practice,” said Teri Green, state Medicaid agent with the Wyo-ming Department of Health.According to Rural Assistance Center (http://www.raconline.org/hit/), health information technol-ogy (HIT) has the potential to transform healthcare. Integrating a patient’s health information into an electronic health record (EHR) and health information exchange offers multiple opportunities for benefits such as: improving pa-tient care, improving efficiency and reimbursement and improv-

ing health. Since launching in December 2011, Wyoming has had 69 pro-viders and nine hospitals register for the program through our state-level registry. The Wyoming De-partment of Health has approved federal payments of approxi-mately $4.5 million in incentive funding to nine hospitals and 29 other providers that have attested to adopting, implementing or up-grading an EHR. “We see the potential for some very real benefits in Wyoming

through the adoption of electronic health records,” Green said. “For example, we believe EHR tech-nology will help our providers connect more easily with tele-health options, which provide enhanced access to care for rural Wyoming citizens.” Eligible medical professionals can receive up to $63,750 over the six years they choose to participate in the program. To be eligible for the program providers must have a 30 percent Medicaid patient volume in a 90-day reporting period or 20 percent for pediatricians.

Eligible providers may still par-ticipate in the program and receive incentive payments for the 2011 calendar year until March 30. The last year to register for the pro-gram and receive the full $63,750 payment will be 2016. For more information on Wyo-ming’s EHR incentive program, please visit http://www.wyo-mingincentive.com/ online.

Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Off to Good Start

Wolf continued from front page

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 6

Forecasters can predict the speed a solar storm travels and its strength, but the north-south orientation is the wild card. And this time, Earth got dealt a good card with a northern orientation, which is "pretty benign," Kunch-es said. If it had been southern, that would have caused the most damaging technological disrup-tion and biggest auroras.

"We're not out of the woods," Kunches said Thursday morn-ing. "It was a good start. If I'm a power grid, I'm really happy so far."

But that storm orientation can and is changing, he said.

"It could flip-flop and we could end up with the strength of the storm still to come," Kunches stated from the NOAA forecast center in Boulder, Colo.

A massive cloud of charged par-ticles can disrupt utility grids, airline flights, satellite networks and GPS services, especially in northern areas. But the same blast can also paint colorful au-roras farther from the poles than normal.

Astronomers say the sun has been relatively quiet for some time. And this storm, while strong, may seem fiercer because Earth has been lulled by several years of weak solar activity.

The storm is part of the sun's nor-mal 11-year cycle, which is sup-posed to reach a peak next year. Solar storms don't harm people, but they do disrupt technology, much like the disruptions that Converse and Natrona area resi-

dents experienced. "I got up this morning and my whole world seemed out of whack, my cell was acting erratic and so was my internet" stated Amber Miles, a customer service representative working at Verizon Wireless.

The region of the sun that erupt-ed can still send more blasts our way, Kunches said. Another set of active sunspots is ready to aim at Earth.

"This is a big sun spot group, particularly nasty," NASA solar physicist David Hathaway said. "Things are really twisted up and mixed up. It keeps flaring."

Storms like this start with sun spots, Hathaway said. Then comes an initial solar flare of subatomic particles that resem-ble a filament coming out of the sun. That part from this storm hit Earth only minutes after the initial burst, bringing radio and radiation disturbances.

In 1989, a strong solar storm knocked out the power grid in Quebec, causing 6 million peo-ple to lose power.

Solar storms can bring additional radiation around the north and south poles — a risk that some-times forces airlines to reroute flights.

Satellites can be affected, too. NASA spokesman Rob Navias said the space agency wasn't taking any extra precautions to protect astronauts on the Interna-tional Space Station from added radiation.

Solar Storm Continued From Front Page

CASPER, WYO. – The Wyo-ming Business Council’s Agribusiness Division is now accepting photos for its 5th An-nual Ag Photo Contest. Amateurs, professionals, youth and adults may submit photos to the Agribusiness Division until Sept. 1, 2012. While there are no subject categories, all submissions must be agricul-ture related and taken in Wyo-ming. Photos could include crops; livestock and farm ani-mals; ag recreation and activi-ties; or scenic agriculture. Pho-tos may be in color or black and white. Contestants may submit multiple photos to the contest. All contestants are eligible for the Grand Prize of $300. Adult contestants may win $150 and $75 for 1st and 2nd places re-spectively. Youth contestants may win $50 and $25 for 1st and 2nd places respectively. Winning photos will also be used in the 2013 AgriCulture Calendar issued in fall 2012. “This is the fifth year for the ag photo contest and the response we get grows every year,” said Terri Barr, senior marketing information specialist in the Agribusiness Division. “The first year, there were only 28 photos submitted; last year, it was just shy of 300. Wyoming has some exceptional amateur and professional photogra-phers. We hope to receive a re-cord breaking number of pho-tos again this year from both former and new contestants.” Each submitted photograph should be accompanied by a completed and signed applica-tion form. The photos must be at least 300 dpi in jpeg or tiff format. Each submitted photo

should include the location of the picture, the contestant’s name and a title (optional) on the back of the photograph. Digital photos may be submit-ted on CD or via email. For questions or to receive the application and contest rules, contact Terri Barr at [email protected] or 307.777.2807. Ap-plications, contest rules and tips are also available online at www.wyomingbusiness.org in the Ag and Business Assistance Section. All photos become property of the Agribusiness Division and may be used in marketing materials, publications and the AgriCulture Calendar. For a free copy of the 2011 AgriCulture calendar featuring last year’s winning photos and submissions, contact Barr. The mission of the Business Council is to facilitate the eco-nomic growth of Wyoming. The Business Council, a state government agency, concen-trates its efforts on providing assistance for existing Wyo-ming companies and start-ups, helping communities meet their development and diver-sification needs, and recruiting new firms and industries tar-geted to complement the state’s assets. For more information, please visit www.wyoming-business.org.

Ag Photo Contest Underway, Cash Prizes

Available• Initiative Targets Natural Gas Fueling Infrastructure Develop-ment

• Agreement Designed to De-velop Products and Services for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Transportation and Home Fueling Solutions

• Chesapeake to Deploy More than 250 of GE’s ecomagination™-Qualified “CNG In A Box™” Fuel-ing Systems across the United States through 2015 through its Affiliate, Peake Fuel Solutions

HOUSTON—March 7, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) and Chesa-peake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) today announced a collaboration to develop infra-structure solutions that will help accelerate the adoption of natu-ral gas as a transportation fuel.

This groundbreaking technol-ogy and services project marks a significant milestone toward increasing energy independence in the United States through the increased use of natural gas—an abundant, reliable and cleaner-burning source of energy for both consumers and commercial users. To formalize the agreement, GE and Chesapeake have signed a memorandum of understanding on a product and services devel-opment partnership, represent-ing a multi-year collaboration between the two companies to develop and bring to market compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation and natural gas home-fueling solutions.

By improving access to CNG, which is most commonly used in light- to medium-duty vehicles such as pickups, vans, SUVs, taxicabs, transit buses, refuse and delivery trucks as well as consumer vehicles, along with LNG, which is commonly used for heavy-duty industrial pur-poses, dependence on foreign energy sources can be reduced while simultaneously lowering

fueling costs and vehicle emis-sions. The collaboration is designed to leverage GE’s global Oil & Gas technology portfolio with Chesapeake’s expertise in devel-oping innovative fueling solu-tions to lower the ownership and operational costs of natural gas vehicle (NGV) fueling stations. With the development of shale resources dramatically increas-ing the amount of low-cost natu-ral gas in North America, the GE-Chesapeake collaboration can help incentivize operators to put more NGVs on the nation’s highways. As part of today’s announced collaboration, beginning in the fall of 2012 GE will provide more than 250 modular and standardized CNG compression stations for NGV infrastruc-ture. These units, also known as “CNG In A Box™,” have gone through GE’s rigorous ecomagi-nation-qualification process and will provide the core infrastruc-ture to enable expanded access to CNG at fueling stations and other designated installations. A vehicle using CNG can reduce annual fuel costs up to 40 per-cent, assuming 25,700 miles per year driven, gasoline priced at $3.50/gallon and CNG at $2.09/gasoline gallon equivalent. This represents savings totaling as much as $1,500 per fleet vehicle per year. In total, for each fleet vehicle using fuel provided by CNG In A Box instead of gaso-line, a fleet operator can reduce CO2e emissions from fuel com-bustion by about 24 percent, or 2.2 metric tons per vehicle annu-ally, assuming an average fleet vehicle travels approximately 25,700 miles per year. “Both GE and Chesapeake are known for taking on tough en-ergy challenges and putting the best minds and technologies to work to develop solutions,” said Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesa-peake’s Chief Executive Officer.

“The partnership announced today between GE and Chesa-

peake’s affiliate, Peake Fuel So-lutions, combines Chesapeake’s natural gas expertise with GE’s extensive global manufacturing capabilities and will bring trans-formative products to industries and individual consumers across the U.S. These products and services will allow customers to enjoy the clear advantages of clean, affordable and abundant American natural gas at about half the cost of gasoline.” Said GE Energy President & CEO John Krenicki,

“GE is fundamentally commit-ted to natural gas—our technol-ogies help extract it, move it and turn it into power, whether it’s highly efficient gas turbines de-livering electricity at the utility scale or, in the near future, a ve-hicle at a refueling station. What makes this project particularly exciting is that it paves the way to taking the immense reserves of natural gas being discovered in the U.S. and using them right here in the U.S. That paves the way for faster economic growth, energy security, more jobs and reduced environmental impact.” This CNG technology will be brought to market by Peake Fuel Solutions—a Chesapeake affiliate—which has extensive experience with natural gas ve-hicles, vehicle emission controls and natural gas market dynam-ics. Chesapeake also brings considerable in-house expertise in CNG market development to the GE collaboration, including retail station relationships, fleet outreach and education pro-grams and policy engagement. CNG In A Box takes natural gas from a pipeline and compresses it on-site at an industrial location or at a traditional automotive re-filling station to then turn it into CNG. A CNG vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or small truck, can then refill its tank using a traditional fuel dispenser, much like those used for diesel or gasoline refu-eling. Key features include: • The gas compression, storage,

cooling, drying and controls are easy to ship and maintain due to its compact “In Box” design. • The units come in two con-figurations: an 8 foot x 20 foot container or 8 foot x 40 foot con-tainer, depending on the site’s need. • Its modular and intuitive de-sign makes it “Plug & Play” on-site. • The offering includes GE Wayne branded dispensers with credit card capability and provi-sion for “Point Of Sale” inter-face. • The fuel dispenses at a rate of about 7 gasoline gallon equiva-lent per minute. Other elements of the new col-laboration include: • Aftermarket services for natu-ral gas fueling infrastructure. • GE’s LNG fueling plants, which adapt GE’s proven large-scale LNG liquefaction tech-nologies to smaller-scale opera-tions. Using LNG as a substitute for diesel or fuel oil can reduce combustion emissions up to 25 percent. • Development of home refuel-ing technologies. • Co-marketing of products and services resulting from the part-nership.

GE and Chesapeake Energy Corporation Announce Collaboration to Speed Adoption of Natural Gas

as Transportation Fuel

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 7

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Gov. Matt Mead has signed the $3.2 bil-lion budget bill that calls for keep-ingWyoming's spending flat over the coming two years.

Mead signed the bill Thursday in Cheyenne with only limited line-item vetoes that don't appear likely to prompt protests from lawmak-ers.

Mead credited members of the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee, which meets through-

out the year, for their work setting state budget priorities.

The budget keeps spending for state agencies generally flat at first but requires agencies to present plans to cut their budgets by 4 per-cent next year in response to fall-ing natural gas prices

Republican Rep. Rosie Berger of Big Horn and Laramie Republi-can Sen. Phil Nicholas said they believe the budget serve the state well over the next two years.

Gov. Matt Mead Signs Wyoming Budget Bill

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A proposal aimed at increasing workplace safety in Wyoming through voluntary inspections is on its way to Gov. Matt Mead.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle re-ported that the Senate gave final approval to the bill on Wednesday. The House previously approved the bill, which would pay for five consultants to conduct voluntary inspections.

They wouldn't be able to cite or

fine employers if they found any problems.

It would also provide $500,000 for matching grants that compa-nies can use to get extra training or safety equipment.

The governor worked with Rep. Tom Lubnau of Gillette to craft the bill to help end the state's ranking as one of worst for deadly work-place accidents.

Wyo. House Sends Work-place Safety Bill To Mead

BOB MOEN, Associated Press

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — With not much time to spare, a com-mittee of lawmakers has reached agreement on solving differences between the state House and Sen-ate on an education reform bill.

A conference committee made up of members from each chamber haggled into Wednesday evening on Senate File 57 before coming back Thursday morning on the last day of the session and settling on a compromise version.

The revised still bill must be ap-proved by both chambers before going to Gov. Matt Mead.

The overall proposal advances Wyoming's effort to help make its public school students better pre-pared for college and careers after high school.

Lawmakers say the bill is another step in a multiyear education re-form process that will require more work by the Legislature next year.

Agreement Reached On Wyo. Education Reform Bill

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Matt Mead has signed a bill into law, which will consolidate state government’s common Informa-tion Technology services and staff in one agency. Previously the state had individuals as-signed to each agency to handle things like email. With the con-solidation fewer people will be able to provide better service to the public.

“We are already seeing some savings as services are consoli-

dated,” Governor Mead said. When Wyoming switched to use Google Apps last year, all state employees went on the same email server. Before, Wyoming had more than 13 different serv-ers. Just this week Colorado followed Wyoming’s lead and switched to Google. “This new law and the move to Google have improved the security for our data and Information Tech-nology,” Governor Mead said.

This afternoon Governor Mead

also signed House Bill 89, which enhances the Wyoming OSHA program to support companies in their efforts to improve work-place safety. “This new law and the work already underway in the Department of Workforce Services are great steps toward making Wyoming workplaces safer,” Governor Mead said.

Governor and Legislature Further Streamline State Government

WASHINGTON, D.C. – To-day, U.S. Senator John Bar-rasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement regarding bipartisan amendments to the highway bill about TransCan-ada’s Keystone XL pipeline project and the Environmen-tal Protection Agency’s (EPA) boiler MACT rule:

“The White House just threw up another roadblock against the Keystone pipeline, Ameri-can energy development and new jobs. It’s especially hypocritical that the President lobbied against Keystone on the exact same day he gave a big speech about his support for ‘all of the above’ energy development. As long as he continues to say one thing and do another, Americans will feel the pain at the pump.

“I am also disappointed that Democrats voted to protect red tape that will destroy thousands of jobs and costs billions of dollars. The EPA’s boiler MACT rule will hurt

small businesses, schools, hospitals, municipalities, and other important parts of com-munities across the country. This poorly conceived rule will make it harder and more expensive for the private sec-tor to grow and create new jobs across the country.”

BACKGROUND ON THE AMENDMENTS:

AMENDMENT #1660 – Boiler MACT (Senator Col-lins)

This amendment provides a legislative stay of four EPA rules, known as the Boiler Maximum Achievable Con-trol Technology (MACT) rules, regulating air pollutant emissions from boilers, pro-cess heaters, and solid waste incinerators. It requires the EPA Administrator to put for-ward new Boiler MACT rules and finalize them 15 months after enactment of the legisla-tion.

AMENDMENT #1537 – Keystone XL Pipeline Autho-rization (Senator Hoeven)

This amendment provides Congressional authorization to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and main-tain the Keystone XL Pipeline to import crude oil and other hydrocarbons into the U.S. from Canada. This authori-zation is made in accordance with Section 8, Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations. This ap-proves the pipeline.

Barrasso: Obama Throws Up Another Roadblock to Pipeline Project

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 8

TJ Casey is a singer/songwriter, storyteller,

composer and entertain-er. He was raised up on ranches in Wyoming and Montana and now teach-es the "Code of the West" and poetry to students all

across America. Check him out at: www.tjcasey.net.

Wyoming House Bill 85 Generates Concern Over Depen-dence On A Failing Federal Government - Let's Take It One Small Step At A Time

Wyoming is one of the few states to consider what would hap-pen in the case of a National Government Collapse. State of Wyoming via House Bill 85, creating a state-run government “continuity task force to prepare for the possibility of disrup-tions in energy and food to a total breakdown of the federal government.”

Other states are following suit and some think it's total luna-cy. In my opinion I like the premise of this bill but think that the citizens of Wyoming are innovative enough to start with small steps in their own homes and lifestyles. These articles are focused on becoming free of big box stores, having to buy products that we can produce and grow ourselves, and start gaining some self-sufficiency one small step at a time. And so we begin with one of the smallest steps we can take.

As I began to look for alternatives to products we buy without thinking I noticed my use of paper napkins. This seems like such an innocuous product to have, after all, we get them in our fast food bags (unless you have to eat in the car - that's when they forget to put them in the bag), at restaurants, coffee joints, around ice cream cones, and at our own tables. So my very first step toward solving this problem was to get cloth napkins. I made my own napkins out of bandana fabric, how-ever Amazon.com has bandanas of many different colors and patterns and there are several bandana stores on-line that sell them also. So if you're not up to sewing your own, there are other options available to you.

I wondered if this was going to add to my water consumption now having to wash napkins, but I just throw them in with the towels or the sheets when I do the laundry each week and it adds no more water or detergent than I would use otherwise.

I've been using cloth napkins for about two years. I don't miss the paper napkins anymore and I don't miss having to buy them. Since paper napkins cost the average family between $7.00 and $12.00 per month the savings per year could be as high as $144.00. Although a slight investment up front, cloth napkins save trees, and cuts down on the trash and waste go-ing into our landfills nationwide. Even better, it eliminates our reliance on having to buy a product from a store and increases our independence one small step at a time.

Count Your Blessings

You know, sometimes you have to stop and think. Re-ally, truly think. Count your blessings. A lot of people to-day seem to take others for granted. People have gotten selfish, rude, and just down-right unfriendly. You can blame whatever you want to blame for it too. You can blame cell phones, social networks, what have you for how anti-social people have gotten.

What I think it is – people aren’t appreciative of what they’ve got. They don’t take the time to reflect on them-selves and think about what they contributed to the world today. That’s where the prob-lem lies.

You see, people these days think that everything should be handed to them, and that’s not the way life works. I have a friend that works in a cer-tain government office that tells me all the time about how the people that come

into her office just whine and cry because they aren’t getting things just handed to them. These people purpose-ly won’t seek employment, waste the money they do have on unnecessary things, and think that society owes them something for nothing.

Newsflash… and it’s a big one… society doesn’t owe you anything – and they don’t have to give you anything, ei-ther.

Take some time today. Stop, think, and reflect on yourself and your life. Remember that in the end all you have in this world ultimately is you. You need to make sure that you’re appreciative of the things you have in this world and don’t go a day without appreciating everything in your life.

I talk a lot about how people need to think about them-selves, and now I am sug-gesting you be thankful for the things that make your life possible. It’s called counting your blessings. I think of it as a way to check myself and make sure that I ultimately am being the best person I

can be. I sit down every night before bed and I think about the home that I have, the dog at the end of the couch, my job and the people that make it possible – just everything in my life.

I take into account all the little things and I smile and feel like it’s good to be alive. You should too – it’s quite healthy! You’ll find that you might be less cranky today, or you won’t be so angry while you’re driving to work, or you might clean up the kitchen for your wife so she doesn’t have to for once.

It makes you stop and it makes you think not only about yourself but others as well.

When it comes to counting your blessings, there are al-ways people that are in worse situations than you. Think about those people the next time you find yourself whin-ing and moaning about how horrible your life is. If you truly think that your life is that bad – please think about what you could be doing bet-ter to improve it and then do

something to improve it and make it better. Nobody owes you anything - you owe it to yourself and your family.

Generally, people are there to help and make things better. It’s what makes us different from robots. However, in the end its you that makes the de-cision to make things better. If you don’t – don’t expect anybody else to feel bad for you or give you pity.

Take some time today Glen-rock.

Reflect on your life and the people in it. Stop, think, and give thanks to the things you have and more importantly the people in your life.

If you need suggestions on something fun and special you can do you can feel free to email me.

Just remember that you could have nothing in your life, and yet everybody has at least one little something to be thank-ful for.

Give thanks every day, and God bless.

Gathered steers on the old red river;

loaded cars in Omaha.The northern wind sure made

him shiveron the stage at Tonopah.

He stepped aboard the horse he bought

at the livery down town;then he rode on back to Texas

to buy a piece of ground.

Was the peak of the cattle gatherby the time that he got home.He hired on the (4*6) 6666’s

wagon,from there, began to roam.

Five times, up north he gandered‘fore they made him trail boss;by then, he knew every single

manand the name of every hoss.

He knew every river crossingfrom Texas to ol’ Montan;and every place an outlaw

lingeredall the way up the Rio Grande.

He knew every town and brothel;

every hotel and saloon.Every place to bed the cattle

and when to travel by the light of moon.

He was loyal and honest and trusted

by the men that owned the herd.They shake of his hand and the

look in his eyesaid “he’d” die to keep his

word.”

Now folks? That there’s a cowboy,

it’s the way we are today;and we wouldn’t change our

ethicsfor a double raise in pay.

Its cowboy pride, folks, and integrity

our hearts and souls in this western land.

We’ll always live by the cowboy code,

and ride for the Masters brand.

The Cowboy Code

Sunday March 11, 2012 The Glenrock Bird Page 9

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