"Wind" photos and next theme: "Small"

Most of us hate windy days (which seem to be a frequent occurrence this spring), but the unwelcome element makes for some great photographs! We published several wind photos last week, and here are a few more of the submissions we received. Thank you to all of the photographers who shared your wind shots with us!

The next photo theme is "Small."

We invite photographers of any age and skill level to submit entries for our photo themes.Please send submissions to web@powelltribune.com. Photos may be submitted as jpegs, tiffs or PSDs. Please include the first and last name of the photographer with entries. For more information about our photo themes, see our blog entry. We'll publish one or two shots in the print edition and post the others on our blog. Please submit shots that were taken recently.

"The wind blowing and swirling in Ralston on May 12 made this flag look like a wind sock," said Marla Barngrover, who submitted this photo.

Clive and Shirley Dillon of Powell took this photograph of wind bending pampas grass.

Willie Marcus captured this shot of trees experiencing whiplash.



Fred Burris of Powell took this photograph of blue skies, wind and changing weather.

Donna Wageman of Cody took this shot and said, "Just a little bit of wind here on the ranch — tails and manes look so pretty and wild."

Donna also submitted this picture of "Running in the Wind on Ice Covered Ground."

Donna titled this shot "The wind in my mane gives me an elegant 'hairstyle.'"

Technical difficulties and a state title

My apologies to anyone who may have been checking in hoping to see updates. I guess the moral of this story is to make sure you have a fully functional wireless card and to be extremely clear when asking your hotel about its internet capabilities.

In any event, for those of you who missed the midnight parade, the Powell Panthers are back in town and they brought one heck of a souvenir home from Casper. Make a little extra room in that trophy case to celebrate your 2009 boys 3A state track champions!

And if you're looking for details on how it all went down these last few days, be sure to check out Thursday's Powell Tribune.

I promise...the word processor at my desk still works fine :)

Previously: Hello faithful readers!

The Sports Guy is on his way to the state track and field championships. Three days, 54 entries and probably a few funnel cakes thrown in for good measure. If you aren't able to make the trek to Casper or Sheridan to follow the Panthers live this post-season, fret not. Simply visit this space every now and then. I'll do the best I can -- within the limits of things like wireless internet access, cell phone service and laptop batteries -- to keep you updated on what's happening at both venues.

Sit back. Enjoy the show. Keep your eyes peeled for pronghorn, and away we go!

Minute details of the Park County Commission

So, what exactly happened at the last meeting of the Park County Commission? It's occasionally a matter of discussion.

Here's how official meeting minutes make their way into the public record:

During every commission meeting, the Park County Clerk tracks the proceedings, and types up a synopsis. Then, a draft goes to the commission for review and approval. Changes, if any, are typically insignificant - reflecting the minor copy editing that comes from extra sets of eyes.

At times, however, commissioners feel that the meeting summary needs to be clarified or re-worded to capture a particular nuance.

Here's a section from the May 12 meeting minutes that was edited more heavily than usual. Additions to the draft copy are in red, and deletions are stricken through.

Park County Leasing of Commercial Space
Ken Stockwell met with the Board of County Commissioners regarding Park County’s leasing of commercial office space, primarily expressing concern that Park County’s lease of non-library space at the Park County Complex is driving the commercial lease market in Cody because of the square footage being leased by Park County. Stockwell stated he believes the County’s lease efforts are keeping market lease rates lower than they would otherwise be and the Complex campus should result in higher lease rates than other properties that aren't as the property offered at the Complex. Stockwell expressed concern that he is competing with his own tax dollars and asked the Board what their intentions are for long-term use of the building. He also asked for clarification on how the County taxes itself on the rental property and if all space is taxed similar to private property owners. Stockwell stated he is seeking information on profit and loss for the property, taxing allocations and long-term intentions for commercial leasing and suggested the County consider offering individual spaces within the building for sale under a condominium type concept. Commissioners stated they consider the building a long-term investment for the County, which will one day likely be could be occupied entirely by education and government-type entities, including Park County offices. The building was purchased in anticipation of long-term community growth. Further, Commissioners reminded Mr. Stockwell that although the campus is beautiful, the building itself is old and in dire need of being refreshed (flooring, drapery, etc.). Park County has been moving leases closer to market-competitive rates and is now charging makret-competitive rates for new leases in the building in response to concerns expressed by the public. Park County Commissioners each year review leases and recently increased lease rates to current market rates. No action was taken.

Finalized minutes are made available on the county Web site and published in the Tribune's legal section.

Editor's note: length can be a factor in minute-writing, too. Not only is brevity the soul of wit, it's also cheaper - since minutes must be published in the newspaper, the fewer the words, the less the expense to the county and taxpayers.

A lesson in civics

Last Thursday, we ran a photo highly similar to the one at left -- depicting the bazillion or so plastic bags spilled along Highway 14A earlier this month.

In the cutline, we mentioned that the bags had since been removed. By who (or what gust of wind), we weren't sure.

But after we went to press, I got confirmation that intrepid volunteers from the Powell Education Association were behind the clean up. It seems only right to give them a hat tip for their nice work (and great clean-up timing) after not getting it in the paper.

Of course, while that area's cleansing may be most noticeable, the Education Association is just one of hundreds of groups across Wyoming doing their spring litter pick up.

They're all volunteers under the Wyoming Department of Transportation's Adopt-a-Highway program. Park County has a solid number of volunteers; the entire 70-mile stretch from Powell to Yellowstone is adopted, said WyDOT public involvement specialist Cody Beers.

But even with the help of unpaid picker-uppers, WyDOT says the state still spends $1.6 million disposing of litter each year.

In other words, we need people to stop throwing -- and losing -- junk from their vehicles.

"We all need to work together to keep our roads clean,” said Beers. “It really is an exercise in personal responsibility.”

Tomorrow's Tribune: 5-14

“Park County is not trying to make a profit on the landfill by any means. We're just trying to build it right and protect groundwater,” County Commissioner Dave Burke, explaining why Park County sought (and received) $1.72 million in federal stimulus money for a landfill liner. Read more about the county's and the city of Powell's awarded money on page 1.

“The PHS Commons will be chock-full of student art projects. It will be jam-packed with things to look at,” Jo Mitchell, a Powell elementary school music teacher. Mitchell is helping organize the Fine Arts Spring Extravaganza to raise funds for the Plaza Diane — Community Arts Center endowment. More about the event can also be found on the front page.

“There's a lot of people that, to save a few bucks, will dump it,” Park County Sheriff Scott Steward, outlining concern that with landfill rates on the rise, the county may see an increase in illegal garbage dumping. Learn a little about litter on the county page (page 5).

"Sunlight" photos and next theme: "Wind"

Despite days of cloudiness recently, the "Sunlight" photo theme drew many sunny shots. We published four shots in the Thursday, May 7 Tribune and here are some more of our favorite submissions. Thank you to all of the photographers who shared your sunlight shots with us!

The next photo theme is "Wind" — an element you can usually count on in Wyoming.

We invite photographers of any age and skill level to submit entries for our photo themes.Please send submissions to web@powelltribune.com. Photos may be submitted as jpegs, tiffs or PSDs. Please include the first and last name of the photographer with entries. For more information about our photo themes, see our blog entry. We'll publish one or two shots in the print edition and post the others on our blog. Please submit shots that were taken recently.

Sunlight cast on the Deaver reservoir inspired this shot by Laurie Vredenburg of Powell.



Lynn Richardson of Powell captured this photo of a gorgeous Wyoming sunset.

A dried sunflower silhouetted in the morning sun caught the eye of Willie Marcus.



Willie also submitted this shot of her cat, Rocky, in all his glory, soakin' up the afternoon rays.

Jim Slater shot this photo titled "Sundown at Emblem."

During his winter travels away from Wyoming's bitter cold, Bob Hammond took this photo in Anza Borrega State Park, Calif.

Bob also captured this shot in Sonoran Desert, Ariz.



Donna Wageman's picture shows image shows the sunlight shining on the front pasture after a rain shower on April 17.

Sunlight shining on a green field inspired this photo by Levi Asay.

This yellow fish added a ray of sunshine in a Las Vegas aquarium. Tribune photographer Carla Wensky captured this shot on a recent vacation.

Early birds do, at times, get the worm. Or in this scenario, a fetching 6:30 a.m. spring morning. Just a teeny-tiny flow of water and a stray slant of sunshine beaming through a conifer with birds chirping can place a positive spin on the day. The picture may not be dazzling, but it does demonstrate that even minute moments in nature are a true blessing. Tribune writer/photographer Gib Mathers took this shot in early May.

From the Archives: "Like Damn"

As you may already know (we sure do), the Powell Tribune is publishing a special Centennial Edition on June 25. It will feature a lot of history on the major happenings of the past 100 years in Powell, Wyo.

In hopes of drumming up excitement for that edition (or perhaps just for the heck of it), we thought we'd start putting up some old, quirky Tribune articles on the blog here. In particular, showcasing stories that show how much we (readers and newspaper folk) have changed over the years.

For starters, here's a snippet from the July 2, 1942 Tribune, found under the West Willwood community news:Obviously, our children were much more foul-mouthed sixty years ago than they are today.