A salute to the Swine flu cases Owl Creek water Woman sentenced Bobcat fall in schools proposal to to state prison season teams 8 now in decline 11 get new funds?12 on drug charge 15 Thermopolis Hot Springs Independent Record SPECIAL INTERNET PREVIEW VOLUME 110, No. 43, October 22, 2009 THERMOPOLIS, WY 82443 USPS 627-300 75¢ Pools,by Cindy Glasson stateHe said the discussionsmeet did not venture into Representatives from the Wyoming Depart- the possible penalties alluded to in the state’s ment of State Parks and Historical Sites met with draft proposal. Hot Springs State Park vendors Oct. 14 in an at- “They’re negotiating and really working with tempt to create new 20-year leases for the TePee us,” Star Plunge owner Roland Luehne said. “That’s Pool and Star Plunge. very good for us and for the community.” In order to increase monies in the state’s enter- Bill Moriarity, one of the TePee Pool owners, said prise fund, state officials want to increase what both concessionaires had received sample leases each of the pools contributes from their annual from the state a few days prior to the meeting. revenue. That boost would be 3%-5%, compared “There were some things in there that we just to the current 1%. didn’t agree with,” he said. “When you’re dealing According to Gary Schoene, public information with your landlord you really want some kind of officer for the State Parks and Historical Sites, agreement. the 1% contribution from the Star Plunge in 2008 “There’s a tremendous amount more at stake was approximately $3,900. That amount would here than just the leases. Without the hot springs triple under the new proposal to $11,700. the pools wouldn’t be here and without the pools The contribution from the TePee Pool in 2008 the park would be completely different.” was approximately $4,500 at the 1% rate. At 3%, Other things at stake in the equation would be that amount would jump to $13,500. revenue for the town, the county, the state, business In addition to tripling the concessionaire’s owners and the like if the pools were to close. outlay, the state officials would like to impose “We received a counter offer from the TePee penalties to assure more accountability from the Pool,” Simpson said. “We’ll go back to Cheyenne, venues. look things over and come back with our own According to Milward Simpson, director of counter offer.” State Parks and Cultural Resources, the meet- Simpson could not say when or where the next ing between the state and the pool owners was meeting would be. productive and healthy. “We’ve always had a good working relation- “We were encouraged,” Simpson said. “We ship with the state,” Moriarity said. “You never made some progress, but there is a lot to negoti- know until you have a finished product how it re- ate about.” ally went.” Kirby's population soars for Wyoming Whiskey opening by Pat Schmidt Mead said without the Nallys ming governor and U. S. sena- Hundreds of people flocked Wyoming Whiskey would be just tor Cliff Hansen had kidded him to Kirby Saturday for the grand a large metal sculpture or barn about creating Wyoming Whis- opening of Wyoming Whiskey. sitting on the east edge of Kir- key so Mead would have a per- Vehicles from Wyoming and by. He also paid tribute to sup- sonal supply. several states filled the park- pliers such as the nearby Lofink Freudenthal questioned his ing spaces for several blocks Farms, which provide the grains own wisdom in appointing Mead throughout the afternoon. for the bourbon, and the water to the University of Wyoming Those attending were treat- from limestone beds at the base Board, noting he had found an ed to tours of Wyoming’s first of the Big Horn Mountains east oak barrel on which Mead had bourbon distillery, auxiliary of Worland. misspelled Whisky. Then Freu- buildings such as the rickhouse Double praise denthal also recalled Mead had partially filled with around 200 Speaking at both the open first set the grand opening for the white oak 52-gallon barrels of house in Kirby and later that same Saturday as homecoming aging bourbon, live music on a evening at the Wyoming Dino- at the University of Wyoming, a Framed by a bony giant, Dining With the Dinosaurs Gala attendees, l-r, Lorraine Quarberg, dance floor outside and fine food saur Center Gala, Gov. Dave must event for UW trustees. Brad Basse, DeLoyd Quarberg, Sonja Stump and John King discuss items for sale at the and drink inside a giant tent Freudenthal praised Wyoming Earlier Mead took credit for Big Horn Basin Foundation fund-raiser. --Pat Schmidt photo dubbed the “Kirby Astrodome” Whiskey and the people behind arranging the perfect fall weath- by some. it, predicting the business will er for the grand opening. Co-owner Brad Mead told how flourish when the first bourbon Music was provided by a Jack- he, his wife Kate and David De- is ready in a few years, thanks son Hole band, Mandatory Air. Fazie turned their dream of a to a quality product and the Jets fly over Dino Gala packs center Wyoming distillery into reality pride Wyoming people will take The biggest surprise was a fly- A capacity crowd packed the Kinder Morgan, Trujillo and her year ago. and thanked a long list of help- in a bourbon produced in their over by a Russian MiG 17 and Wyoming Dinosaur Center Sat- crew worked quickly to excavate Other speakers included Gov. ers, especially the people of Kirby home state. two L-39 Albatros jets. The air- urday night for the second an- portions of four dinosaurs within Dave Freudenthal, UW Presi- and Hot Springs County. More than one person noted craft were from Teton Aviation nual Dining With the Dinosaurs ten feet of the pipeline, the ac- dent Tom Buchanan and U.S. “It’s a pretty good place to be this is the first legal distillery in in Driggs, Idaho, just across the Gala. tual right-of-way. Sen. John Barrasso. Freuden- making whiskey,” he said. Hot Springs County and prob- mountains from Jackson. Dr. Kelli Trujillo, the fea- They hope to return later thal, Buchanan’s wife Jacque The Meads acquired their ably Wyoming. Another producer of spirits, tured speaker, said oil and gas and excavate the other parts of and Barrasso’s wife Bobbie are farm and home northeast of The governor, a county native, Snake River Brewing Co. of Jack- exploration and development the dinosaurs in the surround- all from Thermopolis. Kirby from Terry and Jim Wil- noted in jest the county history son, served its products. Other are actually beneficial for pale- ing area. Wyoming’s other U.S. Sen. son several years ago, and the of people here dating back to the beverages available from booths ontologists. She works from the Emcees for the night were Mike Enzi, who attended grade distillery sits on the south edge old days seldom drinking but inside the giant tent were from Laramie office of Uinta Paleo, a Greg Willson of the Wyoming school in Thermopolis, had to of that property. said with a legal distillery right Pepsi and wineries. firm that helps monitor pipeline Dinosaur Center and his father, cancel because of obligations in Master distiller Steve Nally here they might be tempted to The menu included a barbecue and other digging projects for ar- Dr. Howard Willson, president of Washington, D.C. and his wife, Wyoming Whis- take a taste or two. He also de- dinner and specially-decorated chaeological discoveries. the Big Horn Basin Foundation. The evening closed with a key public relations director nied ever imbibing, especially Wyoming Whiskey cakes. Nobody expected to find dino- Dr. Burkhard Pohl, founder and benefit auction conducted by Donna Nally, were introduced, at gatherings in the state park Other guests included offii- saurs in the flatlands three miles director of the WDC, attended auctioneer Gary Nash to raise and Mead called Donna to the buffalo pasture when he was a cials from UW including Pres- south of Laramie, but that’s but remained in the background funds for the foundation. stage to present her a birthday young man. ident Tom Buchanan and rep- what happened while the Rock- playing the role of host. For information about joining cake decorated with her favor- In that same spirit, Mead said resentatives of the Wyoming ies Express/REX pipeline was Dr. Willson, who is also on the the foundation, call the WDC at ite, sunflowers. his grandfather, former Wyo- Liquor Division. being dug. In cooperation with University of Wyoming board, 864-2997. told of the progress in the rela- Memberships range from a tionship between the WDC and $30 Kids Club through sever- the university since a working al levels of adult and business agreement was announced one categories. A&W liquor license headedby Cindy Glasson to barMaverik into a small meeting room,” A&W Bowling Lanes is in the he said. process of relinquishing a full re- Carol Stewart with Maverik tail liquor license. Stores said it will take almost Maverik is in the process of a year to go through the pur- purchasing the full retail li- chase process as well as getting cense. the building ready to sell pack- “We’ve never done a lot of age liquor. package liquor,” A&W owner Stewart said a small addition Glenn Witt said. “So I think we’re will be made to the building, better off selling the full license probably to the south.