This issue of the Basin Republican Rustler focuses on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. In the regular issue we have several features and stories. We have two features quoting several south Big Horn County residents on where they were during the attacks and their thoughts 10 years later. It was interesting compiling the quotes and reading what people were doing, but more interesting was their thoughts about where our country is now.

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Before moving forward with interviews for a new fair manager, the Big Horn County Fair Board needs to take a step back and decide exactly what duties it wants the manager to fulfill and what duties the fair board wants to undertake.

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One person, one vote. That’s what the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled is required for legislative districts. That’s the principle the Wyoming Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee has to follow while it redraws boundaries for the state’s House and Senate districts.

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Crimes mar successful county fair

By CHRIS KAMPBELL

Basin Chief of Police

Congratulations to all the participants of the 2011 Big Horn County Fair! It was truly enjoyable watching all of the schools, volunteers, parents and children who were part of this year’s fair come together in one place and display their hard work and dedication. Our county fair and other similar events are only as successful as the people who choose to participate and donate their time and energy.

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For those of you who have already partaken of the Big Horn County Fair festivities and food you know it’s been a fun and eventful celebration already.

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For the first time that we are aware of the Basin Republican Rustler and its sister newspapers in Big Horn County — the Greybull Standard and Lovell Chronicle — have combined to publish a pre-fair edition, which is inserted in this week’s issue.

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Whew. After this week most of the budgets for our government agencies will be approved with the new fiscal years actually already under way. Well except for the federal government that runs on a different schedule and to the beat of their own drummer.

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This week’s issue focuses a lot on the Hyattville residents and the impact of the first wave of the flooding from the runoff. As we are going to press more flooding is imminent with much of the record snowpack still to come down and Shell Creek, Medicine Lodge and Paintrock creeks already at the top of the banks.

For those attending an American Legion Flag Day experience for the first time it can be a unique experience.

Where are you going? Basin, Wyo. It’s not an answer you hear much from tourists. Rather it’s we passed through Basin. Seems like the only visitors we get are during high school football, volleyball, basketball and track seasons. We get visitors from around the county as we are the county seat but if we didn’t have the courthouse would we get visitors?

Are you ready to help plan Basin’s future? For you naysayers, yes, there is a future for Basin. With increased interest in oil and gas development around us the future could look bright if we prepare properly for it.

Let’s build an A-R-K
I attended both the Riverside and Burlington graduations this past week and heard the graduates get a lot of sound advice from classmates, teachers and a former governor.

Ramblings on retirement, census and legislation

While he has mentioned it over the past year, reality hit Monday night when Basin Police Chief Dennis Peters tendered his resignation after 31 years of service to the town.

Abortion requirements should stay out of HB251

Kudos to the work the Agriculture Committee did on House Bill 251 Abortion – Ultrasound Information. But first one wonders why the Senate leadership assigned the bill to the Ag Committee, much as it did HB74 Validity of Marriage. Perhaps it was because the Ag Committee had gone through the ag-related bills already and other committees were swamped.

Senate should have debated open primary

The Wyoming Senate defeated two election bills, one we support and one we don’t.

Dear Santa, what were you thinking?

Dear Santa,
I didn’t think I asked for much last year. I truly thought I had been good. I asked for a playoff berth for the Broncos last year. It didn’t happen and this year ... well, it’s like you gave me a lump of coal. I mean 3-11, really?

Thursday is Veterans Day and many organizations around south Big Horn County are holding numerous activities to honor our area veterans.

Saying goodbye

In this edition we say goodbye to an eight-year employee of the Basin Republican Rustler and our sister paper the Greybull Standard. Our reporter and legal advertising extraordinaire Brenda TenBoer and her family are moving to Idaho Falls later this week. Today, in fact, if the weather cooperates.

County office closure no cause for removal

By Karla Pomeroy

Over the past 20 years I have covered a number of different court hearings and proceedings. Last Wednesday was my first petition for removal hearing and it was an interesting procedure.

Senior board and new district board need to educate themselves

Confusion seems to be the key word surrounding the establishment of the South Big Horn County Senior Service District.

It’s time for an open primary in Wyoming

One look at a ballot for an “unaffiliated” registered voter in Big Horn County tells us that it’s time Wyoming allow open primary voting as 18 other states do (in some form) across the country.

Kudos to Ranch Rodeo and commissioners

Thumbs up to the Basin Ranch Rodeo Committee for working to bring back the Ranch Rodeo to Basin for a consecutive year.

Storm shows good in people, things to learn

Town crews and neighbors responded quickly to assist residents who received damage to homes, vehicles, fences and businesses during last Wednesday’s storm.

Supreme Court upholds fundamental freedom

The Fourth of July — a celebration of independence and freedom. Our forefathers celebrated freedom from England and freedom from a state religion.

Congratulations Class of 2010 and other musings

Congratulations to the Class of 2010. On Sunday and Monday at Riverside and Burlington high schools there will be 52 young people marching to get their diplomas.

Judge gets it right on First Amendment

U.S. District Judge William Downes got it right Monday. The Casper City Council got it right last week. We assume the Supreme Court will get it right as well.

Up all night with the kid

I promised myself I wouldn’t use this space to talk about my children. I’m breaking my rule this week.

Spring filled with ‘oohs’ ‘ahs’ and groans

Spring is in the air. Sure we all know the first day of spring was last month but April seems to be beaming with spring.

Thumbs up to Census, recycling, ag producers

It’s time to give a few thumbs up to organizations and happenings in the area.

Good and not so good comes out of Legislature

The 2010 Wyoming Legislative Session will wrap up today or tomorrow with some good things accomplished, some things left undone and some things that should stay undone.

Legislation not the answer for
distracted driving

I sit in the commissioners’ room and realize I need to get a message to someone at the office. I discreetly send a quick text; message delivered.
I’m sitting at a banquet listening to some not-so-entertaining speaker while the NFL playoffs are on. My husband sweetly sends me texts so I stay updated on the scores.

Public input important in developing safe route plan

Want to make the routes for our children safer in Basin? Want to have a say in how those routes will be made safer, including where sidewalks should go, where more lighting is needed or not needed, whether more bus stops are needed or if fewer bus stops are needed? Then come to Monday’s meeting with the Basin Town Council and the Safe Routes to School Committee. The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. at the Basin City Arts Center.

Belts will be tightened even further this year

The town of Basin, and many other municipalities around the state have a daunting task ahead of them, trying to work with decreased funding from the state.

Cowboy poet, comedian or concert?

By Brenda TenBoer

The Big Horn County Fair comes and goes in just over a week each summer, but planning for the event is a year round project.

What’s next with safety measures?

Several years ago, post Sept. 11, a friend of mine traveled to Rome and back and for whatever reason was pulled aside at every airport for additional security checks. This friend is not of Arab descent, does not look threatening so why she was picked — it was the luck of the draw on the random checks, I suppose. She said on the final stop she said if they pulled her aside she was going to strip naked. Fortunately it didn’t come to that, but one wonders if that’s where we are headed after the attempted Christmas terror attack.

Looking back and ahead

Another year and another decade draw to a close today. It’s a time to look back but more of a time to look forward at what’s ahead in the coming days, weeks, months and years.

Building relationships right approach to
teen problems

Riverside High School’s is battling bullying and drug and alcohol abuse by building relationships. It’s the perfect solution.

Communication key to resolving departmental conflict
Someone recently told me that communication would solve a lot of problems around his office. Communication is key to any business, office, government or agency.

Ramblings of music, movies and football

I outgrew watching awards show a number of years ago. When I was a teen and even in my early 20s I watched the Oscars and the Emmys and all the country music awards shows. I don’t watch any now. It doesn’t hold the fascination it did then.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wandered around the grocery store thinking what to have for Thanksgiving and I’m drawn to the freezer where the birds are — you know the ones, the turkeys.

Thumbs down to council: Notice of work session should have been given

It’s that time again where we need to give a thumbs up to a few people but, unfortunately, also, a thumbs down.

Celebrating veterans, education; wanting health care reform, fresh air

On Wednesday our area veterans were honored with a variety of programs and dinners, and rightfully so.

The bonus question

The Big Horn County commissioners mulled a decision for the past two weeks on whether to give bonuses to county employees. Rightly, the commissioners opted to forego the bonuses this year.

Halloween: A fun holiday

By Karla Pomeroy

Fall is a wonderful time of year with cooler temperatures, football season, hunting season and one of the most fun holidays of the year — Halloween.
I know some people have certain beliefs that it is an evil holiday and they choose not to participate in it.

Banned Books Week brings awareness in another fight for freedom

The American Library Association and its Office for Intellectual Freedom point out through its annual Banned Books Week that attempts at censorship are alive and well in the 21st century and our technological world.

Zoning part of planning for the future

To zone or not to zone appears to be the question of the day.

It was exciting to learn that so many people attended Tuesday night’s Land Planning public hearing on the Land Plan for the county. It’s unfortunate, however, that many of those people waited until near the end of the process to become involved, and many are apparently still uninformed.

Celebrating wedding and career anniversaries

Anniversaries mark special or memorable occasions. On Sept. 4, I celebrated two anniversaries.

Remember Sept. 11: Finding a balance of staying safe and keeping our freedoms

Eight years ago lives of Americans were changed forever — for the better or for the worst will likely be debated for years.

Karla’s Kolumn
Battling flying ants and salt cedar

Last week I took a break from my newspaper profession and worked at my “other job,” co-owner of Headwater Weed Control Services.

Safety needs to come first when boating

It’s been a devastating summer on the water in the Big Horn Basin. Since Memorial Day there have been three drownings, with another reported in Boysen Reservoir Tuesday.

Thumbs up for fair, thumbs down for NFL
A thumbs up for the Big Horn County Fair, which is off to a roaring start with the dog show last Friday, crowning of the royalty Sunday and the horse show Monday and Tuesday.

Fair, food and fun

It’s Big Horn County Fair time with 10 days of activities starting today with the 4-H PACT judging and style review tonight and ending with the demolition derby on Sunday, Aug. 2.

Regulations, fees need to be discussed at the start

Greyco Industries is trying to fill a need in the Basin and Greybull communities, attempting to work within the regulations of the town of Basin but it has proven difficult.

Can you trust survey and study results?

Studies and surveys, what do they really mean and how much weight should we really give them? Not much in my opinion.

Celebrating the flag and 100 years

For more than 200 years, June 14 has been observed as Flag Day. Congress designated June 14 as Flag Day, commemorating the day that the flag was adopted, June 14, 1777.

Celebrations make small towns special

My first summer in Basin meant my first Lilac Day celebration last Saturday.
Whether it was the nice weather (for most of the day at least), working in the yard or perhaps other events in the area, the crowd was small but enthusiastic.

A glimpse into parenthood

I wonder how my mother did it, or how any mother with more than one child does it. My mother, at one time, had three children, all under the age of 3.

Busy May only gets busier this weekend

While May might be a merry month in the words of poet Richard Barnfield, it is also a busy month, for students, teachers, parents and small weekly newspapers.

Graduation advice not always logical

By Karla Pomeroy

It’s graduation time in Big Horn County with Riverside and Greybull ceremonies on Sunday and Burlington on Monday. This year’s slate of graduates have witnessed some historic moments during their final year in high school with the election of America’s first African-American president, and a recession that nearly equals the Great Depression in some experts’ opinions.

All arrests will be published

Per a new policy adopted by the Basin Republican Rustler, names of persons 18 or older who are arrested will now appear in the sheriff’s report and police report. This newspaper feels it is important to strive for fairness, consistency and accuracy, which is why we feel it is prudent to publish all arrests, regardless of the person’s age or the charge. We will report any dismissals.
We feel it’s important for our citizens to know what our law enforcement is doing, as well what the citizenry is doing.

Cautions for use of executive ‘perks’ and for prom

Congratulations to State Auditor Rita Meyer for using common sense and watching taxpayer dollars.

Getting global on the World Wide Web

In September the Basin Republican Rustler started its Web site, www.basinrepublican-rustler.com, keeping it fairly quiet while we worked on content and design. Now seven months later we have begun advertising in the print edition of the newspaper that we now have a presence on the World Wide Web.

Show support for our soldiers

On Monday more than 900 soldiers in the Wyoming National Guard will be heading to Fort Hood, Texas, to begin training for their deployment to Kuwait for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Happy Easter and Resurrection Sunday

Easter, the one holiday no one seems to know from year to year when it will be. I like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Christmas is the best because it’s always Dec. 25, no matter what the day of the week. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November so you may not know the date but you always know the day.

Welcome to Basin

We would like to welcome some new faces to our quiet little community of Basin, the Lilac City of Wyoming.

Karla’s Kolumn
What’s next Facebook Anonymous?

A recent posting on the social network Facebook said, “Welcome to the new addiction.” Never has a truer saying been posted.

Thumbs up to Champion Lady Huskies; thumbs down to DST

A big thumbs yp to the Burlington Lady Huskies who capped off a fine season with a state title Saturday in Casper, after winning the conference and regional titles.

Budget time a great time for setting long-term goals

It’s budget time and it appears the town of Basin is going to be faced with some tough decisions this year.
Mayor Phil Juillard announced Monday that the town will be facing an increase of $13,000 at the landfill. At February’s meeting, town accountant Don Russell said he expected revenues from the sales and fuel tax to drop due to the economy. He said the purified water budget has more expenditures than revenues so the town may have to look at increasing revenues in this areas.

Struggling teams still work hard, enjoy the game

The winter sports season is winding down with 2A West Wrestling Regional Tournament this weekend, State Wrestling and the 1A and 2A West Basketball Championships next weekend.

Karla’s Kolumn
The strangest month

By Karla Pomeroy
February is the strangest of months. It begins with Americans turning to rodents — Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania or Lander Lil in Wyoming to find out if we will have six more weeks of winter or not, as part of the Groundhog Day observance Feb. 2. The rodents, no matter where they hail from, have been as accurate, or inaccurate, as the weather forecasters and meteorologists. Just as Phil and Lil cannot predict the weather for the rest of the country, forecasters in Cheyenne can’t seem to predict weather in Basin. If they could accurately predict our weather temperatures would not have dipped to 35 degrees below 0 two weeks ago.

Voters already said “no” to gambling; lottery bill should be defeated

Several years ago Wyoming voters told state lawmakers “No” to allowing gambling in the state. Every year since then one legislator or another has tried to circumvent that vote by bringing a lottery bill before the Legislature and this year is no exception.

Cell phones while driving: What’s the real issue?

By Karla Pomeroy
Cell phones and driving will be coming up for debate this week or next on the Senate floor after the Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee approving two bills that would prohibit cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle on Monday.

Karla’s Kolumn
Ready for hoops season

By Karla Pomeroy
Tis the season to begin dribbling and shooting with the Big Horn Basin Shootout kicking off the season for all the local high school hoops teams in Burlington and Greybull.

Karla’s Kolumn
Top 10 blessings


By Karla Pomeroy
As you gather around the dinner table filling your plate with turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, green beans and pumpkin pie, I wonder how many of us will think about how the holiday began and why we get the fourth Thursday of November off from work.

Auto bailout a bad idea

We agree with Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. that the bailout plan for the “Big 3” automakers, General Motors Corporation, Ford and Chrysler, is a bad idea.

Veterans deserve a special day

Happy Veterans Day, albeit two days late, to all our area veterans. Coming from a family of veterans, the day has become special to me.

Residents participate in government processes

Basin residents have participated in a number of governmental processes this week. On Monday, eight residents from North Eighth Street appeared before the Basin Town Council to speak about the new north side electrical substation the town will be building soon. The nearly hour-long discussion was civil with several sides presented and several concerns expressed.

Each week newspapers perform a balancing act

Occasionally newspapers receive calls from readers demanding that we only cover certain subjects and demanding that we stop covering others. That is not what the role of the newspaper is. By its very name, a newspaper covers the news, we are not publicity agents for certain organizations or certain areas.

Karla’s Kolumn
Hunting interrupted by World Series

By Karla Pomeroy

This week the Basin Republican Rustler, Greybull Standard and Lovell Chronicle have joined efforts to offer Big Horn County residents the annual Hunting Edition. The special edition is included in this week’s publication and includes some local features on meat processing and local turkey hunting as well as a look at some general hunting tips.

Action, tough decision required of Congress

At least Rep. Barbara Cubin got it right. Now I can’t say that I have read the more than 100-page Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, but I do know if Congress does not do something soon we could be headed back to a Depression.

Karla’s Kolumn
The perfect weekend

By Karla Pomeroy

The first day of fall came on Monday, signifying one of my favorite seasons. Well, fall is sort of my favorite season, only because it usually signifies the start of football season. I have been a football fan from as far back as I can remember, the Broncos Super Bowl loss to the Dallas Cowboys, to be specific. I rooted on Craig Morton and thought he was one of the best, until John Elway, of course.
I watch other sports during the spring and summer until football returns, rooting on the Rockies and watching NASCAR drivers go around in circles, but my attention to those sports fades dramatically come September.

Judges ceremony humorous but dignified

By Karla Pomeroy

Tuesday morning I traveled to Worland to the Washakie County Courthouse to attend the swearing-in ceremony and robing ceremony for Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Robert Skar. It was my first such ceremony and I found it to be enjoyable and not at all stuffy like I had feared and expected for a government-run ceremony. Mike Messenger, speaking for the Judicial Nominating Commission, was the first guest speaker and spoke about the selection process. Things then turned a bit humorous with Scott McColloch, representing the State Bar, doing his interpretation of Johnny Carson’s Carmac the Magnificent, telling funny stories about Judge Skar and his clerks from Circuit Court.

Karla’s Kolumn
Enjoying smoke-free dining

By Karla Pomeroy

Wyoming Department of Health officials released a report last week describing how public policy, such as smoke-free laws, can effectively reduce smoking rates and secondhand smoke exposure. The Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center prepared the report and while I don’t know what information they used to prepare it I can say I have enjoyed living in a community with a smoke-free law.

Karla’s Kolumn
Ready to get to know South Big Horn County

By Karla Pomeroy

It is good to be back in Big Horn County. I am excited to be the managing editor for your community newspaper.
I began my newspaper career in community journalism starting as a senior at Hot Springs County High School writing for the Thermopolis Independent Record. I continued working in community journalism for 16 years as news editor for the Lovell Chronicle. Two years working for a daily newspaper in Laramie made me longing for small-town community journalism again, where 70th wedding anniversaries and 100-year birthdays are big news and deserve more than four inches of copy.