Time to Come Home
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
DEC 2020 WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS Time To Come Home Family operates music venue in Chugwater CHANCEY WILLIAMS A Career in Music WREN WYOMING FULL PAGE, EXPORT WITH NO PRINTERS MARKS THE POWER OF COMMUNITY Here at your local Touchstone Energy cooperative, we’re proud to be a part of it, bringing people together by providing energy for all the things you love. WREN WYOMING FULL PAGE, EXPORT WITH NO PRINTERS MARKS DEC 2020 OF MAGAZINE THE WREN MAGAZINE THE POWER COMMUNITY WYOMING RURAL ELECTRIC NEWS The official publication of the Wyoming Rural Electric Association The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, volume 66, number 11, December 2020 (ISSN 1098-2876) is published monthly except for January for $12 per year by Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001. Periodicals postage paid at Cheyenne, WY (original entry office) and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER – Send address changes to: The WREN Magazine, Wyoming Rural Electric News, c/o Linden Press, Inc., 223 S. Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521, [970] 221-3232. Include 3-digit co-op code. WREN Magazine is owned and controlled by rural electric cooperatives in the interest of the economic progress of rural areas specifically and the entire population of Wyoming and the nation generally. WREN Magazine has a total average monthly paid circulation of 40,437 for 11 months ending September 2020. WREN Magazine is delivered to rural electric member/ consumers and other subscribers throughout the entire state of Wyoming and the nation. Acceptance of advertising by WREN Magazine does not imply endorsement of the product or services advertised ON THE COVER by the publisher or Wyoming electric cooperatives. FROM OUR WREN STAFF CO-OP SPOTLIGHT Publisher: Linden Press, Inc. 22 READERS Editor: Maggie York STATE NEWS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chancey COUNTRY COOKS Garland Light & Power, Powell – & EVENTS 30 CHEESE Scott Smith, President High West Energy, Pine Bluffs – Williams: Michael Lerwick, Vice President GRASSROOTS Wheatland REA, Wheatland – 08 PEN TO PAPER Sandra Hranchak, Secretary/Treasurer A Career NETWORK 31 SUNNY'S LETTER Basin Electric, Bismarck, ND – Paul Baker TO SANTA Big Horn REC, Basin – John Joyce Bridger Valley Electric, Mountain View – Ruth Rees In Music THE CURRENT THE EXQUISITE Carbon Power, Saratoga – Kenny Curry 10 QUINCE Deseret Power, South Jordan, UT – Gary Nix STORY BY RACHEL GIRT High Plains Power, Riverton – Hearley Dockham COWBOY STATE BUZZ Lower Valley Energy, Afton – Fred Brog PHOTO BY STEVEN GIRT 13 JUST PICTURE IT Niobrara, Lusk – Andy Greer 34 MUSIC Powder River Energy, Sundance – Mike Lohse Cover photo: Chancey WHAT'S HAPPENING Tri-State G&T, Westminster, CO – Julie Kilty 32 Wyrulec, Torrington – Dewey Hageman Williams and the Younger Brothers Band play during SEND ADDRESS CHANGES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO the Wyoming Capitol Square WREN Magazine • 214 West Lincolnway, Suite 21C opening ceremonies in ESSAYS & JUST FOR FUN Cheyenne, WY 82001, [307] 286-8140 Cheyenne in 2019. [email protected] ANECDOTES KIDS' CORNER 20 PHOTOGRAPHER SUBSCRIPTION RATES $12 per year, Single copies $1.50 each WREA NOTES 04 GOOD BOOK REVIEW ADVERTISING RIDDANCE 2020 26 THE DIVIDED TWIN To purchase, contact Dhara Rose: FEATURES [307] 996-6552 • [email protected] BY SHAWN TAYLOR BY M. BILLITER WITH KYLE THOMAS Here at your local Touchstone Energy OFFICE OF WREN OWNER CO-OP YOUTH 2312 Carey Ave., Cheyenne, WY 82001 06 WYRULEC'S HOME ON THE RANGE cooperative, we’re proud to be a part of CORA FREDERICK 28 SINGING COWBOYS PUZZLE OFFICE OF WREN PUBLISHER BY GINA SIGEL 27 CHRISTMAS it, bringing people together by providing Linden Press, Inc., 214 West Lincolnway, TRADITIONS Suite 21C, Cheyenne, WY 82001 energy for all the things you love. CENTERPIECE AROUND THE 16 TIME TO ENLIGHTEN US WORLD COME HOME MUSIC FOR WINTER 36 BY TIFFANY WHITSITT STORY BY RACHEL GIRT BY WALT GASSON PRINTED WITH VEGETABLE INK WREA NOTES Good Riddance 2020 SHAWN TAYLOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR “Remember, a Jedi’s strength flows from the Force. During that time I experienced all of the Dark Side But beware: anger, fear, aggression— feelings, and that was only for two days! I can’t the Dark Side they are.” imagine how all those folks around the country are coping with being “locked down,” unable to be Jedi Master Yoda could easily be talking about the with their families during the holidays. last year as being the Dark Side. During the year of “the Rona” our country witnessed plenty of anger, So let’s finish the year out strong like the Jedi. fear and aggression. Fear of getting sick or worse, Let’s help one another get to the other side of this, anger over schools and businesses closing, and whatever that means and whenever that happens, aggression over politics and elections. and go into 2021 full of hope, gratitude and optimism. Stay healthy, stay happy, stay sane I’m not naïve enough to think just because we flip and Merry Christmas to you and the entire the calendar over to a new year that these feelings cooperative family. are automatically going to disappear, or that the country as a whole is going to hold hands and sing “Kumbaya.” However for me, I am going to close this crazy year out with a sense of gratitude, optimism and hope—hope for a vaccine, hope that schools and businesses will stay open and hope that our economy will flourish once again. I will show gratitude towards others even if I disagree with their politics or beliefs. And I will embrace optimism that things will get better; they have to. I know that might sound very Pollyannaish, but right before Thanksgiving I wasn’t feeling well and showed some symptoms of COVID-19, so I got tested. As I awaited the results (thankfully negative), and in order keep my family safe, I sequestered myself in our basement. Now it was only for two days but I only talked to my family on our cell phones and only saw them either via FaceTime or by standing in my backyard with them up on the deck. 4 DEC 2020 This is one of the best areas ‘‘ in the nation to raise bees. − Dusty Backer, Backer Bees Environment isn’t just a buzz word at Basin Electric. ’’ Backer Bees has bees at Glenharold Mine, a reclaimed coal mine that used to supply coal to our first power plant. The reclaimed pasture has a variety of flowers−alfalfa, clover, sunflowers, wildflowers−making it one of the best areas in the nation to raise bees. Environmental stewardship has always been a guiding principle for us. That’s why we’re committed to reclaiming and restoring land back to its natural state, like Glenharold Mine. Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com BEPC Environmental bee ad WREN 7-20.indd 1 7/17/2020 2:15:04 PM CO-OP YOUTH WREN: Tell us about your studies and interests. CF: I am thoroughly enjoying my studies at Baylor this semester so far. Currently, I am undecided as to pursue a degree in communication sciences and disorders, or change majors and continue to pursue the pre- PHOTO BY CASSIE MADDEN PHOTOGRAPHY CASSIE BY PHOTO med track. I am taking one class in each in order to see which sparks my interests and passions more. I feel that I am truly being challenged as CO-OP an individual and a scholar here at Baylor, both in and out of the classroom. Even though some “classrooms” look a bit different this semester, YOUTH I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be here on campus and pursue my studies in person. I am interested in both the speech Wyoming’s rural electric pathology and medical fields due to my desire cooperatives are proud to to work with children and passion for science. support our youth, giving I know that through my continuing studies college scholarships and I will be able to find the right major and lineman scholarships. In career path for me. addition, our co-ops sponsor high school students on the NRECA Youth Tour in June and WREN: How have your hometown, Youth Leadership Camp in July. CORA family and/or friends influenced you? CF: My hometown, family, and friends have FREDERICK influenced me in numerous ways. I have THIS MONTH: strong roots in a hometown that is always supportive of my adventures, meaningful Wyrulec's Cora Frederick family relationships, and friendships that I was awarded $1,000 by value. My hometown provided me with a place Basin Electric Power HOMETOWN: to learn and grow for the first 13 years of my Cooperative to attend the Fort Laramie educational career, which I am grateful for every college of her choice. day. My family provided me with a strong moral compass and developed my love for Jesus that I HIGH SCHOOL: am able to share in my everyday life. My friends Lingle-Fort Laramie High School of all ages were there for me and always pushed me to be the best that I could be. I am grateful for these relationships and many more that YEAR OF GRADUATION: have benefitted my past and will continue 2020 to have an impact on my future. While Youth Tour and youth camps WREN: What are your plans for the future? COLLEGE: were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your co-op Baylor University CF: Upon graduation with my bachelor's degree may be taking applications for (regardless of degree choice) I plan to complete next year. See the insert in graduate school to earn either a master’s or the center of the magazine for MAJOR STUDY INTEREST: doctoral degree.