Audio: PHS alum calls old ball game

What's a story about a radio broadcaster without audio? Well, hopefully it's still enjoyable, because, as a printed newspaper, we couldn't include audio in last week's feature on Powell High alumni Anthony Masterson, who spent the summer helping call baseball games for the high-A minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Fortunately, our paper has this blog, and we can embed audio here.

Anthony was kind enough to email the Trib a sample taken from a game he called in Winston-Salem, N.C. The following clip covers the bottom of the fourth inning during an Aug. 19 game between the Potomac Nationals and the hosting Winston-Salem Dash.

Anthony Masterson calls the bottom of the 4th - time: 5:58
If the audio player doesn't work in the space above, you can download the recording here.

As an epilogue, the only downside to the above clip is that it doesn't include any of the audio commercials Masterson produced this summer. They were, in baseball terms, full of “high cheese.”

One spot promoting a dog-permitted night at the ballpark featured Masterson singing to a pooch, while another, pitching Ladies Night at the stadium, pitched the woman-wooing power of P-Nats baseball.

“The guidelines I got were pretty much, ‘Be as campy as possible,’” said Masterson.

With the number of times the ads were repeated, “No matter what I do with the commercials, people are going to hate them,” he said. “My job is to make them not hate them the first couple times.”

Local resident recaps 9/12 rally in D.C.

Earlier this month, folks fed up with big government marched on Washington, D.C. to voice their disapproval with a slew of government policies.

Among them was Emblem attorney Robert DiLorenzo, who made the trip out east for the conservative Sept. 12 rally.

DiLorenzo helped organize the Tax Day Tea Party protest in Cody, where hundreds of people showed up — in the snow and cold — to voice complaints with big government and spending.

As much of a success as that April 15 event was, DiLorenzo said he realized, “I’m making a speech and I’m preaching to the choir.”

So when the opportunity arose to head to D.C. for a similarly-themed protest this month, he jumped at the chance.

He wasn’t the only one.

“Every state in the union was (represented) there,” said DiLorenzo. “It was quite remarkable.”

Photo of 9/12 D.C. rally courtesy of Dale Lanham.

Quite the controversy erupted in the blogosphere over how many people showed up, with estimates ranging from 70,000 to 2,000,000.

DiLorenzo said from his vantage point, the true number likely fell somewhere in between those tallies, guessing that there were at least several hundred thousand folks on hand.

At the height on the 9/12 march, he could see people packed in from the steps of the capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial Washington Monument.

“That was not 70,000,” said DiLorenzo. “That’s 70,000 times many times.”

He added that part of the difficulty in getting a firm number is that there were different events from different groups all over the city.

“You just can’t get that many people in front of the capitol building,” DiLorenzo said.

Back in Wyoming, the state 9/12 Coalition held a parallel event in Casper which was “a total success,” according to organizer David Kellett of Powell.

“At the high point we had more than 200 people there at the same time. We eventually got rained out around 2:30 p.m., but that was okay,” he said. “We communicated with our people in DC, we had lots of good speakers, a very good open mic, and lots of coverage from the TV stations in Casper as well as the Casper Star Tribune.”

Photo of 9-12 Casper rally courtesy of David Kellett.

In D.C., DiLorenzo was able to get the ears of Senators John Barrasso and Mike Enzi (both R's-Wyo), meeting privately with both -- including over 90 minutes with Barrasso.

“They were fabulous,” DiLorenzo said of the senators. “Our representatives are just remarkable people and they really listened.”

DiLorenzo jokingly contrasted the 9/12 protest with that of the Vietnam War protests, which he said were youthful with a party vibe, and “a good place to meet a girl.”

“This march wasn’t like that,” said DiLorenzo, who attended the rally with his wife. “I would say the median age was 40. And they were upset.”

Generally, he said the crowds were full of folks who oppose “bailouts of anything,” and the growth of government. New federal involvement in healthcare was a common topic of complaint.

DiLorenzo said he saw “an enormous amount of fear and some anger (about) where the country is going.”

“There were saying enough is enough,” he said, adding, “When I’m seeing 70- to 80-year-old ladies marching down Massachusetts Avenue, I’m going, ‘Good grief — these people are really upset!’”

DiLorenzo predicted that 9/12 will not be the last that America will hear from Tea Party-ers.

“It’s only going to get bigger,” he said.

Mandatory swine flu vaccinations? Not in Wyoming.

Don't worry -- government agents are not going to storm your home, strap you down, and inject you with swine flu vaccine.

An email making the rounds from a liberty group claims that state legislators are thinking about forcing Wyoming residents to receive the swine flu (the H1N1 virus) vaccine.

It reads in part:

The Wyoming state Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee is considering making swine flu shots mandatory for Wyoming residents. As you probably have guessed, the swine flu is no more dangerous than regular flu but the government is excitedly trying to panic everyone.

However, a member of that committee, Dave Bonner (R-Powell), says that's not true.

"There is no consideration of mandating swine flu vaccinations," Bonner said this morning.

He said the question was raised by a representative from Kemmerer at a Sept. 9 committee meeting in Sheridan. The issue has been hotly debated elsewhere as health personnel in New York state are being required to receive flu vaccinations.

Bonner said Kathy Davison (R-Kemmerer) had heard concerns from her constituents about forced shots.

"I'm glad it did come up, because it was answered directly," said Bonner.

Officials from the Wyoming Department of Health stated that when it comes to H1N1 vaccination here, "There is nothing mandatory about it," Bonner said. He added that the program is wholly different from school vaccination programs.

In general, the US Centers for Disease Control is recommending that pregnant women, people with or caring for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between 6 months and 24 years old, and those with chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems get vaccinations. The vaccine is not yet available.

The circulating email asks folks to email their legislators and ask them to make the vaccine available -- but only to those who seek it out. That is exactly the current plan, said Bonner.

"There is no place for legislation at this time in cases like this," he said, adding, "We are hoping the flu vaccine is available soon for at-risk populations."

As of Sept. 18, there were 199 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Wyoming.

As a final aside, in this writer's opinion, if the state of Wyoming tried to make residents bare their arms for shots, it seems more likely they'd bear their arms. Just a thought.

Tomorrow's Tribune: 9-24

A peek at tomorrow's paper using quotes that didn't make the cut...

“I’ll ask myself the inevitable question here: why 318?” Yellowstone Deputy Park Superintendent Colin Campbell, speaking to a Cody Club luncheon about the park's proposed plan to cut snowmobile levels to a maximum of 318 per day. The reasoning and an update on the latest legal developments on page one.

“I don’t think anyone would want to vote against Family Day,” Mayor Scott Mangold, commenting after the Powell City Council’s unanimous approval of a proclamation that declares Monday “Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children.” For the story, see page 3.

“He’s a big blue thing. I don’t know how to explain it except he’s big and blue,” Powell native Anthony Masterson, trying to describe Uncle Slam, the mascot of the Pomotac Nationals. Masterson served as a broadcaster for the minor league club this summer, and he recapped his experience for the Tribune. Read about it on the Sports page (9).

Video: Sleeping Giant heli-lift

Please be patient as the video player and video may take some time to load...

Last month, a helicopter crew zipped new ski lift equipment up the mountain and into place at the Sleeping Giant Ski Area up the North Fork. We wrote a story about the operation, and it was a few weeks back now, but nonetheless, in case anyone's interested, we've provided some video of the helicopter-lifting in action.

Tomorrow's Tribune: 9-8

A peek at tomorrow's paper using quotes (and a photo) that didn't make the cut...

“They’re whacking off 30 to 40 horses in the national forest simply because they’re calling them trespassers,” Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation, voicing frustration that roughly 39 wild horses grazing in the Custer National Forest will be driven out of the area and rounded up because they are outside the boundaries of their horse management area. It's a part of a current helicopter-driven Bureau of Land Management wild horse roundup (photographed by Gib Mathers above). The BLM's goal is reduce the Pryor Mountain mustang herd by capturing the horses and adopting out around 70 animals - a plan Kathrens opposes. A story about the process and controversy leads Tuesday's paper.

“This isn’t going to get done any time soon... which is probably good, because it’s pretty complex,” Rod Barton, chief executive officer of Powell Valley Healthcare talking about the expected time-line on congressional health reform. The third-part of a series on health care on page one.

“Tennis isn’t something you’re born to play. ... It’s not like sprinting or track where you come out of the womb ready to go,” Ray Bieber, Powell High School's head tennis coach talking about how the sport requires experience and developed skills. The Panthers had a tough set of matches against Cody on Thursday, but the young team will look to continue improving throughout the season. Some results on page 9.

Origins of large lizard remain unknown

There may in fact be two lizards roaming the Powell High School football stadium.

On Aug. 24, Powell Police Investigator Dave Brown and Officer Chad Miner responded to a report of a large lizard at the stadium (earlier coverage). They reportedly found a three-foot monitor lizard sunning itself on the bleachers. It eluded capture.

On Thursday, however, a Powell resident speculated that the reptile may have actually been her son's smaller, long-tailed grass lizard which escaped this summer.

"We lived directly behind the football bleachers up until 2 weeks ago," wrote Stacey Cannon in a comment on the Tribune's Web site. "About 2 months ago, my son took his long-tailed grass lizard out in the backyard to get some sun and run around in the grass, and the lizard slipped under the fence and we were unable to locate him."

"Long-tailed lizards can reach up to 12 to 13 inches in length in captivity," Cannon said, adding, "I'm not sure how long they can get when out in the wide open world with a buffet of bugs to eat."

But when reached for follow-up comment, Investigator Brown stuck with his original story, rejecting the possibility that the creature he chased was a long-tailed grass lizard.

"It was a monitor lizard," said Brown, adding that as a former monitor lizard owner, he was "100 percent" positive.

"It was close to three feet - not six inches," he said. "This thing would have taken two hands to hold."

For reference, here's a couple photos of the lizard types (taken elsewhere) via the Wikimedia Commons. The top two shots, courtesy W.A. Djatmiko, are of a long-tailed grass lizard. The bottom photo (by Wikimedia user pinay06) depicts a monitor lizard.
Certainly, the two types of lizards do not appear to be easily confusable.

But wanting to be sure the tall tail was no tall tale (and with time to kill on a slow news day), the Tribune contacted another eyewitness -- City Communications & Information Analyst Zach Thorington, who was also on the scene.

"It was something else," he said of the lizard, similarly pegging the length at about three feet. "It was no foot (in length)."

Thorington had been at the Police Station to fix Brown's computer, but was interrupted when a man reported the over-sized reptile.

"We both thought it was total bogus," said Thorington, who expected to find one of the desert lizards common to the area. But the skepticism came to an abrupt end when they set eyes on the multiple feet of monitor lizard.

"I was like, 'Oh my God!'" said Thorington. "You don't see something like that."

He said the creature never allowed police to get closer than 12 feet or so (Thorington said personally, he was uninterested in getting any nearer). Making matters more challenging, the department's cage was in another patrol car and the animal control officer on vacation. After attempts to chase it into some overturned dumpsters failed, the lizard ultimately scuttled underneath a metal ramp leading up to the bleachers.

The police officers tried banging on the top of the metal ramp with batons in hopes of scaring it out.

"If you and I were in there, it would have been unbearable," said Thorington of the baton-driven din.

Unfortunately, lizards don't hear quite as well as people, and this specimen was apparently unfazed -- or at least not fazed enough to scurry from the shelter.

Brown speculated that the monitor was most likely an exotic pet who grew too big for its owner and was set free (which, incidentally, is against the law).

Thorington noted that it's not that unusual for other types animals (even mountain lions) to sneak into town.

"But a lizard?" asked Thorington. "Come on."

'Dog Days of Summer' photos and our next theme: 'Harvest'

The Dog Days of Summer — a phrase referring to the hottest days between July and September — may not have arrived in full-force this year, but Powell welcomed a recent wave of warm temperatures. To commemorate the delayed arrival of hot temperatures, readers submitted summer photographs — most featuring their canine pals.

Our next photo theme is "Harvest." Please submit photos by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

If you're photographer — of any age or skill level — we'd love to see what you've got for our themes. Just email your submissions to web@powelltribune.com in jpeg, png, tiff or PSD format. Please include the photographer's first and last name, and tell us a little bit about your photo. For more information, see our blog entry.

A few pictures were printed in the Tribune on Thursday, Sept. 3. Here are some of the other Dog Days of Summer photographs:

Gus, a Siberian Husky pup who resides at the home of photographer Rob Koelling, has a refreshing drink of water after his morning walk.



"Our mini-schnauzer, Maggie, trying to catch a breeze on the swing my husband just put together. She claimed it first and spends time there every day. What a life!" commented Pamela Krensky of Powell, who took this photo.



As he looked for Dog Days photos around town, Chad Shafer saw this opportunity that he thought best illustrated a hot summer day. Devin Lynn, the lifeguard for the kid's pool at Homesteader Park, stays cool under the shade tree, reading his book.



This dog enjoyed cooling down in the water at Bighorn National Recreation Area. Donna Wageman of Cody, who captured this image, was also enjoying the warm summer day.



Dogs weren't the only ones hanging out at Bighorn National Recreation Area. Donna also took photos of folks picnicking and splashing in the water.




Too hot? Tucker cooled off in a horse trough. Wendi Chrissley Peterson took this photo with her cell phone.





Clive Dillon sent this shot, "Walking on Water," that he took at the Deaver lake. The photo was shot while Clive and his wife, Shirley, took their dogs for a swim.





"Tasha Rose, my neighbor in Ralston, (is) takin' it easy on her deck in the mid-afternoon sun," commented Willie Marcus, who submitted this photograph.




As she looked for summer shots around town, Tribune News Editor Ilene Olson found this Hershey's Kiss-shaped rock reflected in a Powell pond.

Tomorrow's Tribune: 9-3

A peek at tomorrow's paper using quotes that didn't make the cut..

“A lot of people are so eager to give up their rights,” Garland resident Dan Lincoln, outlining concerns he has with the direction of the United States' government. He's walking from Powell to Cody this weekend to raise awareness for the Wyoming 9/12 Coalition. What he's up to in detail on page 5.

“Everything you do in life, every moment counts. Each one can lead to another moment, so don't take any of them for granted,” 2009 UW Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Jesseca Cross on what advice she'd give to younger athletes. Read about her hall induction on the front of the Sports page (9).

“I can assure you that Cody is right at the top of their list. ... It is not a done deal with Washakie County,” Doug Weedin, Forward Cody vice chairman, telling Park County Commissioners that despite competing offers, Eleutian Technologies is still seriously considering relocating their headquarters to Cody. Commissioners offered some county property to Eleutian on Tuesday -- but not in the way Forward Cody wanted. A rundown on page 1.