$ 00 GLENROCK SINCE 1922 1 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2016 NDEPENDENT Volume 95 Number 50 IGLENROCK’S OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB Town votes ‘yes’ to new Lincoln roof By SANDRA MUDD [email protected] A resolution to make repairs to the Lincoln Building’s roof passed with a unanimous vote on Monday at the town council meeting. The winning bid was awarded to Colling Commercial Roofing in the amount of $28,946. The lower roof will be replaced and restructured with new rain gutters and the upper roof will receive new boots around the pipes. “We’re just trying to fix things up, get it operable and get the roof to quit leaking,” Public Works Director Randy Rumpler said. The building, founded in November 1994, currently houses Glenrock’s Paleontological Museum, which is home Photo courtesy of Lisa Shadrick Please see ROOF, page A-2 The Glenrock High School Speech and Debate team members show off their various individual honors from the Green River tournament last weekend, along with the 1A/2A Sweepstakes Award. Young GHS debate squad Cuts to schools could hit hard snares sweepstakes trophy By Sandra Mudd [email protected] young Glenrock Speech Speech and Debate Tournament at Green following individual achievements at the and Debate team showed River High School. tournament: Gov. Matt Mead’s 2017-18 supplemental budget details the rest of the state just This year’s team is made up of 14 nov- • R.J. Pfander- semi finals in poetry education funding as the most critical item needing imme- what a powerhouse it can ice and five varsity members. Coach Lisa and drama; diate attention for the legislative session that will begin in be by nabbing the coveted Shadrick said, “I am so excited for this • Raina Cederburg- semi finals in pro- January. 1A/2A Sweepstakes Award year and the incredible talent that these 19 gram oral interpretation; In recent statements, Mead pointed out that the shortfall at the Green River Speech and Debate students have.” in the School Foundation Program Account over the next six Tournament last weekend. Besides the sweepstakes award, the Please see years is estimated to be $1.5 billion, so he made it clear he AThe team traveled to its first tourna- Glenrock team came home with many goals wants to work with educators early and urged legislators to ment for the school year on Dec. 9-10 to achieved and trophies in hand, she said. DEBATE WINNERS, compete at the Green River Rendezvous The following team members received the page A-5 Please see SCHOOL CUTS LOOM, page A-2 Growing up with a dream Real-life Santa restores the magic of Christmas for Glenrock children By Trish Popovitch “I always wanted to be Santa; even in Casper, but I know I want to do this Special to the Independent growing up when we were so poor we for Glenrock, so that’s why I stay here.” didn’t have stuff, and then later, when I The store is just the structure that e tell our children they went to live with my dad and my step- supports the ideas that resonate from can be anything. Well, mom. She tried the best she could to Taylor. The goal is not to make a profit. some of us do. Some give us a good Christmas and for that Indeed, prices are unbelievably low and children have to keep day, you are just like the other kids. It’s she hasn’t taken a pay check since the on dreaming when the just magic. I would say a lot of it has to day she opened. Parents are hard pressed circumstances of their life would make do with my step-mom that she tried no to get Taylor to not give their child a free Wthem think that dreams of any size were matter what. We didn’t have money, but candy or gift at checkout. the realm of other people. Growing up she made sure that Christmas Day was It goes so much deeper than the poor is no fun; it’s even worse at the special.” surface façade of running a business. holidays. Many of us can remember Kay Taylor runs Grandma’s House It’s about the chance to make all those that feeling of isolation when, dressed toy shop on the corner of Birch, across other kids growing up in single parent in our thrift store clothes and our hand- from the Classic Café. The store that households, wearing those second-hand me-down two sizes too small shoes, began life as a Christmas shop at the clothes in those pinching shoes, feel we listened to our two-parent family Rec Center is quickly becoming a for one day a year, they can be just like classmates in their designer clothes reel Glenrock staple. It is the one stop shop everyone else. For one day, when the off the many expensive items on their for birthday party gifts, a place for little snow is falling, the colored lights are Christmas wish list. Herders to find an affordable treat, and twinkling and the Christmas songs are All those in hearing distance knew of course, an uber-local location to shop playing, that every child in Glenrock can full well that list would be under their for Christmas. Taylor decided she would view December 25th as a special day. happy family tree Christmas morning. give the store idea five years to see if it According to the 2014 census statis- Kay Taylor remembers that feeling would take off. This will be the store’s tics, 13.3 percent of children in Converse all too well. It’s probably why, when she fourth Christmas. was a little girl growing up in a single- “It’s not the greatest store in the world Please see parent household with 10 brothers and but it’s a plus for Glenrock,” says Tay- sisters in Arkansas, she dreamed of being lor. “I know I can probably make better BEING SANTA, Santa Claus. money in Douglas, make better money page A-2 Kay Taylor personally wraps Christmas gifts purchased at her store. Off Every Buy the perfect Christmas Gift, and NEW Gift Subscription a few ! to the Glenrock SAVE BUCKS Independent! $ 5 PAGE A-2 I GLENROCK INDEPENDENT I THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2016 Roof From the Front Page FIRST to numerous dinosaur bones found in Wyoming from the Jurassic and CHRISTMAS Cretaceous Eras such as Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops, and also the Dr. Robert T. Bakker Education Center, as well as several offices. The pre-bidding process was held Dec. 1 and open bids were Little Myles Crouch-Hawkin held Dec. 8. The other two companies to bid on the project were spends his first Christmas Weathercraft Company at $36,667 and Gen City Roofing at $44,883. enjoying the traditional photo on Santa’s lap at the Old Fashion Christmas on Dec. 3. Phone and Internet Discounts Myles wont be able to whis- Available to CenturyLink Customers per his Christmas wishes into Santa’s ear until he is a The Wyoming Public Service Commission designated CenturyLink as an little older, but it looks like Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential he is enjoying his first Christ- voice lines are $23.10-$25.12 per month and business services are mas tradition. $23.10-$25.12 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request. CenturyLink participates in a government benefit program (Lifeline) to make residential telephone or broadband service more affordable to eligible low-income individuals and families. Eligible customers are those that meet eligibility standards as defined by the FCC and state commissions. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or broadband service per household, and can be on either wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be 10 Mbps Phillip Harnden photo download and 1 Mbps upload or faster to qualify. Lifeline discounts include a transfer restriction (port freeze). This means that you are unable to obtain the Lifeline discount on service with another provider for a period of time. The length of time depends on the services you purchase – 60 days for voice telephone service, 12 months for qualifying broadband service. Certain exceptions to the transfer restrictions may apply. See http://www.lifelinesupport.org/ls/change- my-company.aspx for more information. Being Santa From the Front Page A household is defined for the purposes of the Lifeline program as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Lifeline service is not transferable, County live below the poverty her own family very tight, includ- that wasn’t bad. It was scary. I’d wound,” says Taylor. “Instead of and only eligible consumers may enroll in the program. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain a Lifeline discount can rate. That translates to 426 kids ing helping a family on Christmas feared cancer my whole life. I just putting a Band-Aid on those be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from the program. out of a county total of 3,427. Eve rather than being with her saw through cancer there can be families, they were served well The 2017 count will include any own grandkids. Generously they blessings too.