Green River Approves Dog Park Rodeo
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Community leader remembered B y D AV I D M ART I N Sweetwater County Recreation the Gaensslen family, the Egg Publisher B oard. family and Tom Whitmore, the “I grew up down the street namesake for the city’s American When people talk about Carl from Carl and he was friends Legion post. Morck, one of the first things with my dad,” B rie B lasi, direc- “I think this was a big part of mentioned is how much he tor of the Sweetwater County who he was because he really worked to improve Green River. Historical Museum said. “When loved Green River and he felt Morck died at Memorial Hospi- I first moved back here, Carl was a deep connection here,” B lasi tal of Sweetwater County May 30 one of the first people who came said. “He was a truly kind and at the age of 81. He was a former by the museum to say ‘hi’ and caring man who was always will- member of the Green River City reminisce about the neighbor- ing to help, volunteer, and j ust Council and served on numerous hood when I was a kid.” be involved in the community.” board and committees, includ- B lasi said he was a good friend John Freeman, a founder of the ing the Greenbelt Task Force, to the museum and was a de- Greenbelt Task Force, also noted Sweetwater County Museum scendant of some of the earli- Morck’s willingness to volunteer. Foundation, Green River Histor- est and historically-important ic Preservation Commission and settlers in Sweetwater County, Continued on A2 W ed n es d ay , J u n e 10 , 2 0 2 0 12 3 rd Y ear, 3 rd I s s u e G reen Ri v er, W Y 8 2 9 3 5 Ad d res s Serv i c e Req u es ted $ 1. 5 0 Attempt at 2020 rodeo made High School rodeo will not be in Wyo. B y D AV I D M ART I N Publisher Weeks after announcing it would limit the Sweetwater County Fair to 4-H and FFA events and the cancellation of the Red Desert Roundup Rodeo, the Sweetwater County Events Complex announced it was seeking the 2020 National High School Finals Rodeo. Ultimately, the rodeo committee de- cided to host the event in Guthrie, Okla. ““We are thankful that the National High School Finals Rodeo has found a home for 2020. We appreciate the posi- tive feedback from the community and wis we d better fi nnil news rr Lloyd, executive director of the events complex, said in a release Friday. Lena Warren, the marketing and event coordinator for the complex, said more than 40 were cancelled due to the corona- virus pandemic, costing the complex ap- proximately $1.1 million in revenue. This decline has caused the complex to struggle fi nnill orin lod to see lon from the Sweetwater County commission- ers to elp ot te ornition until its next tax distribution. The rodeo was originally planned to take place in Lincoln, Neb., July 19-25, Wyoming roadblock but was cancelled due to the state’s health restrictions. A pair of wild horses stand at the center of 14-Mile Road, near the Rock Springs entrance to the Wild Horse Loop Tour. The According to the Gillette News-Record, loop is named because of the highly-visible horses found along the route. Star photo by David Martin representatives of the rodeo association contacted the Cam-Plex in Gillette to host the rodeo. Shortly after the News-Record published its article about the request, the Sweetwater County Events Complex announced it was also trying to secure the Green River approves dog park rodeo. B y D AV I D M ART I N other regulations would likely be set by representatives three years ago. After Warren said the complex would have Publisher a volunteer committee, similar to how several meetings and fundraisers, a worked with local and state health depart- the city’s horse corrals are managed. public hearing last year and a planning ments to ensure the rodeo would adhere Green River’s dogs will have a place and zoning meeting, she said they were to health guidelines. According to the to play after the Green River City finally able ask the Council to consider News-Record, the NHSFR Association Council approved a request to build a “It’s a big deal for building the park. was circulating a plan it intended to follow dog park last week. Roryanne Ratliff, president of NHS regarding hosting its event and ensuring The park was originally proposed travelers to have a dog during the 2020 school year, said the the safety of its participants. by Green River High School’s National group wanted to create a lasting gift to “The Sweetwater Events Complex is a Honors Society and will be placed at park that you can ... the community. driving force that stimulates our economy 80 East Teton B lvd., next to the city’s They decided to name the park after year-round. Each event plays a key role in animal control facility. stop and let your dog Mike B rown, who Ratliff said stepped fostering tourism and economic develop- “I’m really excited to see a dog up and helped the group move the park ment and the National High School Finals park go in because I’ve been to the get some exercise.” proj ect forward. Rodeo is a perfect example of this,” Lloyd dog park in Rock Springs and it j ust ~ Pete Rust “I’m j ust really excited about this,” said in the initial announcement. looks like a load of fun for the dogs,” Mayor of Green River Mayor Pete Rust said. “It’s a big deal While the complex has lost revenue Councilwoman Lisa Maes said. for travelers to have a dog park that you from the cancelled summer events, those B rad Raney, director of the city’s can ... stop and let your dog get some losses also impact local municipalities parks and recreation department, Victoria Hemphill, the NHS exercise.” due to the loss of sales tax associated with said the maintenance would go to his advisor at GRHS, said the group The park was approved by a those cancellations. The events complex department, but said the rules and originally suggested the park to city unanimous vote. hosted the rodeo in 2018 and 2019. Annual cleanup starts Monday B y D AV I D M ART I N Shredding bins will also be available Publisher at the visitor’s center starting Monday. The bins are available on a first-come, Residents are encouraged to help first-served basis in case the bins fill beautify the city during the annual City- up. Wide Cleanup Week starting Monday. Gregg Vanderpool, a spokesperson Residents can register and pick up for the Green River Chamber of supplies and choose an area to clean Commerce, said the format is differing during this week at the Green River this year to accommodate for social Visitor’s Center. Volunteers can also distancing guidelines. register through the Green River Originally, the event would take Chamber of Commerce’s website. The place on a Saturday with volunteers main areas volunteers will focus on spread throughout the city. Now, they are the city’s business corridors, as can sign up and clean up their area well as the areas around parks and at the time most convenient to them schools within Green River. Throughout throughout the week. next week, dumpsters will be placed Vanderpool also said the sign-up throughout the city to collect the trash period has had a great response, with volunteers pick up. six people registering Monday. A2 www.greenriverstar.com Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Woman pleads guilty to using dispatch funds for own use ROCK SPRINGS (Wyoming News combined unauthorized purchases. Women’s Center, three years of super- Exchange) — Laura Etienne pleaded The couple currently lives in Utah. vised probation, and restitution in the guilty Thursday morning to using Laura Etienne originally pleaded not amount of $2,955.16 plus court fees. funds from the Sweetwater County guilty to the felony theft charge at her Once restitution is fully paid, proba- Combined Communications Dispatch arraignment in Sweetwater County tion would be modifi ed to unsuper- Center to buy nearly $3,000 worth District Court early in March. Her vised. The restitution amount is Laura of personal items between 2016 and change of plea Thursday morning in Etienne‘s portion of the unauthorized 2018. District Court was part of an agree- charges. She and her husband Robin Eti- ment with the state of Wyoming. Acknowledging that she had no enne, former director of the Combined Judge Richard Lavery accepted Lau- authority to use the credit card, Laura Communications Dispatch Center, ra Etienne‘s guilty plea at Thursday’s Etienne told the court she had no rea- were both arrested in January 2020 video hearing. She will be sentenced sonable explanation for having done and charged with felony and misde- following completion of a pre-sentence so. She said the credit card was saved meanor counts related to misusing an investigation. The plea agreement on the family’s Amazon account, and Amazon Prime account set up for the recommendation is a two- to four-year she would select it at times when mak- center and making nearly $7,000 in suspended sentence at the Wyoming ing personal purchases. Morck ‘showed up and helped’ Subscribe to the Star today! From A1 Greenbelt) was a benefit Green River Recreation cifically speaking about Only $42 for 52 issues Call 875-3103 “He always showed up to Green River’s future,” Center.