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“Everyone Poops.” That’s the title of a popular children’s book, but it’s also a good reminder for adults. “Bathroom talk” is often considered taboo for anyone older than age five, but when it comes to colorectal cancer, talking about your bowels may just save your life. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and though colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S., it’s not discussed as openly as other cancers. More than 140,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2018 and 50,630...
I read an article in the February 2018 edition of “Coach & A.D.” titled “What Makes Good Coaches Great?” The author, Kevin Hoffman, listed five attributes of great coaches. After reading the article, I found myself thinking that these traits are not good just for coaches and for me as an educator and administrator, but for me as a parent as well. The author started by mentioning “passion.” He said, that with coaching, a coach can have all the sport knowledge in the world, but if they aren’t sincere about coaching and teaching young people,...
In a few weeks, residents will see a small decrease in the sales tax they pay. The sixth-penny sales tax we pay for improvements approved in 2012 will be discontinued. The tax is responsible for the improvements we’ve seen on Hitching Post Drive and Second South Street, and was previously used to build the Child Developmental Center building in Green River and to replace the bridge connecting Evers Park to Expedition Island. While residents will no doubt welcome the savings they’ll see and we’ll certainly be amongst those enjoying it, there...
I like to play video games. In fact, they are my go-to source of entertainment. While I tend to enjoy arcade games like “Donkey Kong,” “Pac-man” and “Street Fighter II,” my tastes also veer into more mature fare like “Grand Theft Auto.” With news of Donald Trump hosting a meeting with a few executives from the gaming industry, opened by what video game blog Polygon described as a “gaming sizzle reel” featuring violent acts found in popular video games, it’s clear to me where he and others a...
What on earth is on the ceiling? That was the first thought that popped into my head as I looked at the ceiling in my son Matthew’s bedroom. I knew something was amiss because I heard a whole bunch of “thud, thud, thudding” sounds coming from his room. These thudding sounds were followed by loud laughter from both of my sons Matthew, 8, and John, 5. I was in my bathroom at the time getting ready for work when I heard the suspicious sounds. I knew they were up to something and so I walked as qu...
Dear Editor, The big Feb. 14, Florida mass school shooting (and previous several), show that too many good people are helpless against determined deviants and killers. They are unarmed, untrained for any defense and essentially naked and afraid. Helpless. In another small state -- Israel -- these type of things don’t go on for dozens and dozens of victims, especially when perpetrated by one guy. Israelis live in an atmosphere of the constant possibility of serious attacks, not just by crazies or mentals, but well-planned terrorists. Buses, scho...
Dear Editor, As a sportsman, I appreciate the rich opportunities experience the solitude, challenge and sense of tradition that Sweetwater County’s wild public lands and waters provide. The opportunities to cast fly to surfacing cutthroat trout in the gin-clear waters in the Little Mountain Wilderness Study Area, or hunt big game by backpack are what make Sweetwater County such a great place to live. I’m concerned that the Sweetwater County Commission will overlook these long-standing sporting values if it decides to proceed with joining Rep...
Almost exactly 20 years ago, British doctor Andrew Wakefield caused a sensation with a now notorious article in a respectable medical journal. The article claimed a link between childhood autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The article was eventually retracted, Wakefield’s license revoked and the content widely discredited, but the damage was done. Two decades later, many parents still believe that vaccines can put their children at risk of autism. So they avoid getting their children vaccinated, leading to a resurgence in i...
In the wake of the tragic Florida school shooting that resulted in the deaths of 17 people, discussion about gun control and the Second Amendment have again dominated discussions. However, for all the proposed solutions, one comment from President Donald Trump and the response it has received highlights a particular hypocrisy many on the right seem to have. Trump recently said firearms should be taken from dangerous people without due process, claiming working with court systems would take too long to deal with the possible threat. Trump has...
Why is it that in Sweetwater County, we can rarely make a political appointment without a hitch? Yes, when Pat Drinkle was appointed to be Sweetwater County Assessor in 2012, there wasn’t anything strange involved, but that turned out to be the exception, not the rule for political appointments during the past decade. Michele Irwin, one of three nominees to fulfill the remainder of Drinkle’s term, was forced to withdraw herself from contention last week after learning the mobile home she lives in at Hamel Ranch, which she owns, is con...
The old adage, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” is something that still resonates with me. It’s also something I wish other people would remember when they are approaching me for a favor. Like most people, I don’t like people demanding that I do something for them. If you really want me to do a favor for you, would it kill you to ask nicely? I just don’t understand where the simple common courtesies such as “please and thank you” are going. It seems as though those are thr...
President Trump’s State of the Union address set forth a vision and agenda for America in the next year, highlighting key priorities for the Administration and the Congress, including infrastructure. Hopefully, Congress and the President understand that to fix the nation’s infrastructure deficit involves more than roads, bridges, highways, railways and waterways. It must include other essential community infrastructure, particularly public-school buildings and their grounds—where nearly 55 million children and adults are every school day....
Obamacare promised Americans affordable health insurance. The reality fell far short. Now we have a way to let people save money on coverage and get back some of the freedom they lost. We can create an escape hatch for people to get out of Obamacare. Last week, the Trump administration took steps to expand “short-term limited-duration” health plans. We should go even further. These plans existed for people who experienced a break in coverage; they could have the plan for up to 364 days. The plans weren’t bound by all of the burdensome requi...
A funny thing happened at the Green River Animal Shelter last week. A reporter, going to the shelter to photograph an animal for the Pet of the Week advertisement sponsored by John Paras Furniture, was told they didn’t have pets available to adopt. While this means we won’t receive revenue from the weekly ad, this isn’t a bad problem for the community to have. All too often, people abandon their pets for a variety of reasons. Some are understandable, while others are tinged with a hint of callousness or cruelty. Having a pet is a commi...
Dear Editor, We need to have a say in determining the future management for our wilderness study areas (WSAs). Citizens in other counties have been expressing their opinions through collaborative committees and we should be able to do so as well. I ask that our county commissioners not include our WSAs on a bill being proposed by Rep. Liz Cheney — this would preclude our involvement as citizens who recreate in and understand these areas much better than Rep. Cheney does. Here in Sweetwater County, we should develop a ground-up approach to f...
Men have gone through different body image types throughout history. They have gone through the pot belly guy as the desired type in the late 1800s, the thin body frenzy of Hollywood in the ’20s to the muscular, strong guy in the ’80s popularized by celebrities like Schwarzenegger and Stallone. Current trends are that of definition and leanness. With changing perceptions, the population has constantly sought different remedies to keep up with the style. Supplement users can be broadly categorized into two groups. One that uses it to help “pr...
Lately, it seems as though all the Wyoming Legislature wants to do is cut, cut, cut, while sitting on a pile of saved money. It’s one thing to cut because there’s no other choice, but it’s another thing to cut because “education funding deserves its fair share of cutting too.” Some Wyoming Legislators have actually said things close to the quoted statement above. Before I continue, I want to make it clear that when I speak of the Wyoming Legislators, I am mostly talking about the ones who are no...
In the upcoming 2018 legislative session, many states will be considering legislation, termed Tobacco 21. Tobacco 21 will effectively raise the legal sale age for all tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, to 21 – mirroring alcohol restrictions. This bill is aimed at saving the lives of U.S. citizens from the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death. Cigarettes today are engineered to addict. When a person becomes a smoker, they are regularly consuming the only legal product that, when used as intended, will kill h...
We’re at the cusp of another election year and with the usual races for state and local offices, residents will have the opportunity to vote on the county’s lodging tax. We think this tax provides an amazing benefit for the county, giving it a better opportunity to promote itself as a tourist destination. That’s why even though we’re only midway through February, we can say supporting this tax is in Sweetwater County’s best interests. We realize a tax is inherently a tough pill to swallow for many residents and rightfully so, but the lodging t...
It’s every mother’s challenge. Trying to figure out where their kids’ mittens, boots, shoes, hats and even coats are at. What’s worse is then they start attending school and these items don’t come home anymore. I know I’m not the only one who has children with this problem because when I went to my sons’ school to dig through the lost and found bin, there were three bins. In fact, so many items had been lost that they had a system for it. One bin was for all the missing hats, a second was fo...
I love the quote by Lisa M. Hayes, ‘Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.’ Self-talk is so important because what you tell yourself every day will either lift you up or tear you down. Many times we are harder on ourselves than anyone else could ever be. And sometimes, we may be the only one we can depend on in that moment, so we can’t give up on ourselves too. I try to remember that in every situation I find myself in, self-talk will help me get halfway there - one way or the other. Negative self-talk gets me ha...
It takes a village to raise a child, as the saying goes, and nowhere is that more evident than in Green River. Green River’s residents are generous and quick to donate towards a worthy cause. The city’s altruistic nature is perfectly displayed in Green River High School students’ continued work in both the annual Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraising drive and the recent blood-drive challenge. Since last Thursday, students have worked hard to raise money for the foundation. The amounts raised haven’t been small either. Teaming with student...
All this talk of economic diversity in Wyoming—it’s critical. And key to every conversation is education: How do we prepare and retain a workforce to keep our state strong for years to come? There is a bold answer that will lead more Wyoming students to higher education and prosperous career options: computer science. Computer science is not learning how to use a word processor or create a spreadsheet. Computer science is the foundation for every career of the future and includes programming, computational thinking, data science, networking, cy...
Every year since 1997, the World Wetland Day is celebrated on Feb. 2 to raise global awareness about the value of the wetlands for people, wildlife, the environment and the planet. This year, the theme of the celebration is “Wetlands for a Sustainable Urban Future.” Many cities around the world are established in or near wetlands. Unfortunately, many of their inhabitants, especially from big cities, are still unaware of the great beneficial services or functions that urban wetlands provide for their cities. Urban wetlands reduce flooding ris...
With wasteful government spending, one generally thinks about plush, high-dollar office furniture and $700 light fixtures decorating government offices. Examples of wasteful spending can encompass much more however and a recent purchase approved by the Rock Springs Historical Museum’s board illustrates this concept perfectly. The museum board recently decided to purchase a $3,400 penny stamping machine from donations given to the museum. It will, for 50 cents and a penny, smash the penny into an oval-shaped commemorative image. Some people e...
