THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 108TH YEAR/ISSUE 92 Bighorn Canyon veterans make Debate over Beartooth Ranch rekindled national news BY CJ BAKER AND MARK DAVIS fray as well and the issue could commissioners may decide reationists. 1990s — have managed the Tribune Staff come to a head next week. Tuesday whether they want to The debate over the property in recent decades. BY MARK DAVIS “We damn sure stirred up a ask Wyoming’s Congressional Beartooth Ranch was initi- He’s expressed concerns about Tribune Staff Writer ocal residents and Park hornet’s nest, and now it looks delegation to open the 657-acre ated last year by Lloyd Thiel, the Beartooth Ranch no longer County commissioners like it got stirred up again,” property up to more uses. a Clark rancher and now a being used for agricultural taffers at the Bighorn Lhave been debating the said Park County Commis- Angler and conservation county commissioner-elect. purposes, falling into disrepair Canyon National Recre- future of the infamous “drug sioner Lee Livingston. groups, meanwhile, say there’s Thiel is frustrated with the and turning into a drain on tax Sation Area — including a ranch” in Clark for the better Spurred in part by a letter no need to ease the current way that government officials dollars instead of a source of pair of Powell residents — were part of a year. Now, state law- drafted by the state Legisla- restrictions on the property, — who seized the property tax revenue. featured on NBC News in a makers are jumping into the ture’s agriculture committee, which provides access to rec- from a drug smuggler in the Part of the issue is that when Monday report about military the federal government turned veterans working in the Na- the seized property over to the tional Park Service. state in 1999, it put serious Inspiration for the mini-doc- restrictions on the property via umentary came when NBC cor- a memorandum of understand- respondent Clara Ritger saw a ing (MOU). Powell Tribune article about The terms of the MOU Bighorn Canyon Park Ranger require that the ranch be Todd Johnson, a 22-year vet- used “solely as a public area eran of the U.S. Army. After reserved for recreational or reading the July story, Ritger historic purposes or for the decided it was something she preservation of natural condi- wanted to follow-up on. tions.” And if the state gener- Her finished video featured ates revenue with the property, both Johnson and fellow veteran all proceeds must be used for Scott Hall, a former Wyoming ranch maintenance. Failure Highway Patrolman who now could result in the federal gov- works as a maintenance me- ernment reclaiming the scenic chanic at the canyon. They’re section on the banks of the among nearly a dozen veterans Clarks Fork River. who work at Bighorn Canyon. Moving in a different direc- According to Ritger’s piece, tion would require an act of former military members Congress — and that’s what make up 26 percent of National Thiel asked commissioners to Park Service employees de- pursue when he first brought spite representing less than 6 the Beartooth Ranch to their percent of the national work- attention. force. The report explored how Commissioners agreed and veterans make the transition drafted a letter to Gov. Matt from military service to the Mead, asking that he work park service. with Congress to remove the “This is the best office in the restrictions and then turn the world,” said Johnson, who lives land over to Park County. in Powell. That sparked an outcry, in Bighorn Canyon Chief of In- part because commission- terpretation Christy Fleming, ers mentioned the possibil- another Powell resident, also Beartooth Ranch advisory committee leaders Len Fortunato (foreground) and Ken Lichtendahl (center) give a presentation to Park County ity of selling off the valuable commissioners on Nov. 7 while commissioner-elect and advisory committee member Lloyd Thiel (at left) watches from the front row of the See Canyon, Page 3 gallery. Tribune photo by Mark Davis See Ranch, Page 8 ‘I did see a few green faces, but nothing out of the ordinary.’ Stan Hedges, biology teacher NWC leaders may decide on Cody Hall’s future in February BY MIKE BUHLER “Last month, we heard that Tribune Community Editor because of the decline in en- rollment, that the Cody Hall ow to proceed on the ren- renovation and remediation ovation of and repairs and so forth has been put on Hto Cody Hall was at the suspension status,” said NWC forefront of discussion at Mon- Trustee John Housel. “... It day’s meeting of the seems to me that Northwest College there should be an- Board of Trustees. other report and Earlier this year, recommendation to trustees gave the the board what to green light to a $3 do at this point and million renovation time.” of Cody Hall, which NWC President has been closed Stefani Hicswa told since the summer of Housel the college 2017 after extensive is waiting to finalize water damage was its housing master discovered. How- STEFANI plan before making ever, that project HICSWA a decision on how to has been put on proceed with Cody hold because of a decline in Hall. enrollment at NWC and a cor- “We are close to getting that responding decline in the num- and as soon as we have it in ber of students living in NWC’s a format that we can present residence halls. it to the facilities committee, The topic of Cody Hall was we will do that,” Hicswa said. brought up after Lisa Wat- “We’ll get a recommendation son, NWC’s vice-president of from the facilities committee administrative service and of how to proceed, whether it’s finance, opened the floor to the same as what we decided questions after she delivered Addison Thorington picks up a heart to dissect at Powell Middle School. Roger’s Meat Processing donated pig and sheep hearts for the hands- the capital projects update. See NWC, Page 3 on science class project. Tribune photos by Mark Davis SEVENTH-GRADERS DISSECT SHEEP AND PIG HEARTS Powell man recovering after near-fatal fall in canal Lessons from the heart BY CJ BAKER nize that his rescuer was his BY TESSA BAKER “For some, it just increases their Tribune Editor son, Robert Heaney. Tribune Features Editor interest and fascination with the “I was quite a mess,” Lanny human body.” or more than six hours, Heaney said, but “boy, did I owell Middle School stu- The focus of the dissection les- Lanny Heaney laid at the ever feel good when my son dents recently took science son is for students to understand Fbottom of the Garland found me.” Plessons to heart. cell specialization — and just Canal, bleeding and half- Help was soon rushing to After studying the heart and how specialized the heart is, he submerged in water. As the the scene, just west of Powell its intricacies in textbooks, said. 80-year-old man’s calls for along U.S. Highway 14-A, seventh-graders got a firsthand “There are at least seven dif- help went unanswered, day roughly across from the Red look at the vital organ as they ferent types of tissue in the heart turned to night, the tempera- Barn Veterinary Clinic. dissected pig and sheep hearts and being able to look and touch ture started dropping and rain Dispatchers sent a Park last month. them all is essential for [stu- began to fall. County Sheriff’s Office deputy “There definitely is a gross dents’] comprehension,” Hedges “I was just about ready to — who had already been help- out factor for some students, and said. give up,” Heaney said. ing look for Heaney — an no matter how much you prep This is the fifth year Hedges But then, shortly before 8:30 ambulance from Powell Val- them, they still can’t get over has led heart dissections in his p.m. on Oct. 28, Heaney saw ley Hospital and the Powell cutting open an organ from a liv- science classes. a light and heard someone Volunteer Fire Department to ing animal,” said Stan Hedges, “I did see a few green faces, calling down to him. Delirious the scene. who teaches seventh grade biol- Ethan Melton holds an antelope heart from a recent hunting trip that from the long ordeal, it took ogy at Powell Middle School. See Hearts, Page 8 he brought into class. him several minutes to recog- See Canal, Page 2 INSIDE ♦ VETERANS DAY TRIBUTE: PAGE 7 ♦ BUZZER-BEATER WIN: PAGE 9 PAGE 2 • POWELL TRIBUNE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 Canal: Suffered injuries across his body in fall Continued from Page 1 Denim & Diamonds “I think they had every piece of equipment in Park County,” Gala and Auction Heaney mused — and he’s ap- preciative of them all. November 17, 7pm He and his son were par- ticularly impressed with Pow- The Commons, Powell ell Valley Healthcare EMT Hors d’oeuvres & Cash Bar KaitLynn Norman, who, upon arriving at the scene, hustled With Live Music by the down the embankment and im- mediately jumped into the water Craig Olson Orchestra to begin assisting Heaney Tickets can be purchased at the Heritage Health Center “I’ve never seen anything like Business Office or the Powell Chamber that,” said Robert. “No fear.” Rescuing Heaney was a team $25/person or $40/couple effort, as it took more than a Tickets are limited, please purchase in advance! dozen Powell firefighters and EMTs to carry him up out of the canal on a backboard.