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Top 10 stories of 2008
By Enterprise Staff
This document was published online on Monday, December 29, 2008
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| Firefighters battling the Gunbarrel Fire last July used drip torches to set a backfire that prevented the 68,149-acre blaze from jumping to the south side of the North Fork Highway. (Photo by Ken Blackbird) |
A fire that threatened the North Fork for several months, completion of the new library and the electing of the city’s first woman mayor were among the Enterprise’s top 10 stories of 2008.
The stories were selected and ranked “ based on impact, coverage and readership “ by the newsroom staff.
1 “ Gunbarrel Fire
A July 26 lightning strike in the Shoshone Forest’s Absaroka Wilderness on the North Fork of the Shoshone River near Gunbarrel Creek started a blaze that tested the Forest Service’s resolve to generally let wildfires burn unless they threatened property or human life.
Before nature extinguished it with snowfall sometime in November, the Gunbarrel Fire charred 68,149 acres and moved from the upper North Fork to a spot near Mooncrest Ranch north of Buffalo Bill Reservoir.
It cost $11.2 million to battle the blaze. The fire moved close enough to Rattlesnake Mountain that firefighters were making tentative plans for protection on Rattlesnake and beyond just before rain and snow fell.
As the blaze ran its course, it brought together 600 firefighters and supervisors on local teams, two regional teams and one national team, according to Shoshone fire staff officer Mark Giacoletto.
Helicopters, wildland engines, pumps, hoses and other equipment from a variety of sources were brought in to battle the fire, which in its first few hours grew to about 100 acres.
In a few days the Gunbarrel had been fanned by high winds and hot temperatures as it swept down the north side of the North Fork corridor, pushing smoke billows to Heart Mountain, Powell and beyond.
The fire claimed the Forest Service-owned Sweetwater Lodge, which had been closed for some time but was fully furnished and equipped.
One doghouse adjoining a summer cabin was lost, but fire crews struggled to save numerous summer homes and lodges.
Giacoletto said the USFS estimates the Gunbarrel Fire still was cheaper to fight than prescribed burns, since the wildfire was estimated at $164 per acre to battle, compared to about $200 per acre for a prescribed burn.
Several prescribed burns performed earlier did reduce the damage the Gunbarrel might have done by protecting cabins on Moss, Aspen and Mormon creeks.
Emergency removal of brush, wrapping homes and related work also protected structures on Big Creek, primarily the Star Hill Ranch, as well as homes on Jim Creek.
Forest Service officials from Denver came to observe the fire, which represented the “first time for both protection objectives “ saving homes and lodges “ and resource benefits including removing beetle-killed trees,” Giacoletto said.
The Gunbarrel Fire also made history in another way.
“This was the largest fire in the Rocky Mountain region,” he added.
2 “ First woman mayor
While Barack Obama was busy making U.S. history as the first African-American elected president, Nancy Tia Brown was making Cody history.
She became the first female elected mayor since Cody was founded more than 105 years ago.
“I’m honored to be in the situation of serving as Cody’s first female mayor,” Brown said. “While that was not the basis of my candidacy, it’s an honor.
“The great thing about Wyoming is that we have set the tone and been a leader with our independent spirit, and have been a model for the country,” the mayor-elect added.
The longtime art gallery owner handily defeated outgoing councilman Paul Rankin, 60-38 percent.
“I’m excited and honored by the results,” she said after the election. “It’s been a long journey and we’ve worked hard to get to this point. I will continue to work hard and make our city proud”
She will replace current Mayor Roger Sedam, who did not seek reelection.
Brown spent more than $28,000 on her campaign “ more than any other local candidate. The bulk of those funds came from supporters who contributed about $25,000.
Brown will be sworn in as mayor Jan. 6 at the start of the city council’s regular meeting.
3 “ Pharmacy break-in
A March break-in at Medical Center Pharmacy resulted in the later conviction of two Cody teens.
Logan Bessey, 19, and Tyler Stonehouse, 18, have pleaded guilty to two separate break-ins and the theft of more than 3,000 pills from the store, then located in the Coe Medical Center.
Bessey was arrested March 21 on five felony counts of possession of prescription drugs. He was charged two weeks later with the March 13 break-in.
Stonehouse surrendered to police a week after Bessey was charged.
The subsequent investigation revealed a break-in in January. Both were charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of larceny.
The teens reached plea agreements with the Park County Attorney and entered guilty pleas Nov. 14.
Bessey pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and one count of felony drug possession. He faces a possible 3-5 years in prison.
Stonehouse pleaded guilty to one count of burglary and faces a possible 2-4 years in prison with the possibility of being sent to boot camp in Newcastle.
Both are awaiting sentencing before District Judge Robert Skar, who is not required to follow the sentencing guidelines.
The teens also face restitution to the pharmacy.
During the investigation it was discovered the teens were also illegally using a South Fork home while the owners were away.
The pair entered the home with an access code and key Bessey had stolen from his godmother, who cleaned the home.
They were each charged with one count of criminal entry after entering the home at least five times.
On Nov. 21 they pleaded guilty to the charge and were sentenced to 30 days in jail, which was suspended, six months probation and fined $150 plus court costs.
Bessey was required to pay $3,600 in restitution and Stonehouse was required to pay $300.
4 “ Leming grizzly attack
An almost miraculous Sept. 12 shot from the compound bow of Ron G. Leming saved the life of his son Ron Leming, owner of Leming’s Fencing on the South Fork.
On that day the two men were bow hunting about 15 miles from the trailhead on Castle Creek above the South Fork of the Shoshone River.
They had a bull elk in their sights when it spooked and ran at about the same time the younger Ron heard a noise behind him.
He turned to see a male grizzly bear barrelling toward him, possible attracted by the elk call the hunters had been using.
Ron was attacked and mauled by the grizzly.
His father managed to kill the charging animal with an incredible single arrow that struck a major artery and then found the charging animal’s heart.
The younger Ron was left bloodied, dazed and injured, but he healed well.
He and his father returned to their favorite hunting spot “ but that time armed with hunting rifles “ and managed to take one elk before the season ended.
Ron recalled the night before his grizzly attack, his father had said a quiet prayer as they sat around the campfire: “May God guide my arrow tomorrow.”
While the senior Leming was thinking in terms of shooting an elk, the two men felt the prayer was answered when the charging bear dropped over a log and died, likely sparing the younger Leming’s life.
5 “ Construction
The grand opening of the new Park County Public Library was Oct. 4, accompanied by speeches, music and the auction of 23 painted fiberglass grizzly bears.
Most work on the facility at 1500 Heart Mountain St., adjacent to the rec center, was completed prior to the opening ceremony, though some finishing touches, including final sheathing for steel beams at the front door, were added later.
The library is accessed through the northwest corner of the Park County Complex, which has been converted into a glass-fronted opening with a portico resembling a face-down, open book.
The new facility was made possible by the county’s purchase of the former Marathon Oil headquarters on Stampede Avenue, passage of a voter-approved additional one-cent capital facility tax, and a state grant.
The temporary tax will generate $13.2 million for three major projects across the county, including $2.2 million toward the $5.8 million cost of remodeling for the library, $2 million to renovate and remodel the existing Meeteetse Pool and start an endowment fund for maintenance, and $9 million for a new Powell aquatic center and operations endowment.
A conspicuous component of library fundraising was the painted grizzly bears, which were displayed around the county all summer.
The auction of the bears took place in the large new public meeting room of the library. Total proceeds of the grizzly project exceeded $215,000. Funds raised are for the youth/teen areas in the county libraries in Cody, Powell and Meeteetse.
County Library System Director Frances Clymer says since the new library opened, the number of books checked out and number of people using the facility has increased dramatically, something she attributes to having more room for patrons to plan a comfortable, prolonged stay.
The new library features teen and children’s areas, more access to computers, the public meeting room and several small ones, and the Biblio Bistro cafe.
County commissioners have announced their intention to sell the former library building at Sheridan and 11th.
Meanwhile, two large construction projects are poised to change the look of downtown.
The new Walgreens at Sheridan and 16th is under construction and aiming for a June 1 opening date.
The former Enterprise, Bear Co. and Downtowner buildings were cleared to make way for the drug store.
“We wanted to get a feel of the warmth and color of Cody,” developer Martin O’Laughlin of Western Commercial Development Corp. told the Planning and Zoning Board earlier this year. “We want to fit into the city and have colors that blend in.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Pinnacle Bank CEO Doug Weedin, whose bank purchased the Rainbow Park Motel at Sheridan and 17th for the site of its new location.
The lot has been cleared and the estimated completion date for the 25,000-square-foot bank is the first quarter of 2010 with construction starting in spring 2009.
The new building will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified.
“We have experienced great growth in recent years,” Weedin said. “And we don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
In addition to Sheridan Avenue, the West Cody Strip also saw two large construction projects in 2008.
The Cody, a three-story upscale hotel across from the rodeo grounds, opened May 1.
It’s the first of three buildings that will be constructed on that property. Developer MOA Hospitality is also planning to build a motel and restaurant in the future.
Construction started in May on West Park Hospital’s Cathcart Health Center. The 60,000-square foot facility will replace the Coe Medical Center and house the Urgent Care Clinic and other hospital and physician offices.
It will be 60 percent occupied when it opens in April and was intentionally over-built to allow for future expansion.
6 “ YNP winter use
Preparing for the 2008-09 Yellowstone and Grand Teton winter season opening was a confusing time for both the Park Service and public.
Two different federal judges issued seemingly conflicting orders about the season, with the result that a Washington, D.C. judge’s action could have halted winter travel in the two parks.
That’s because Judge Emmet Sullivan of Washington, D.C., “put into place the 2004 regulations, but use of coaches and snowmobiles had expired” said John Sacklin, management assistant in Yellowstone Park.
Judge Clarence Brimmer of Cheyenne, a Wyoming judge of equal rank, later reinstated the 2004 rule for this season but discarded the expiration date. The Park Service complied with his one-year decision.
Therefore, up to 720 commercially-guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles and up to 78 snowcoaches will be allowed per day in Yellowstone under Brimmer’s action.
The parks are now open to snowmobile and snowcoaches at the same levels that existed in 2004.
Of strong local interest was the matter of keeping Sylvan Pass open in winter months, which the NPS at one point said would not be allowed because of the cost and the potential avalanche danger to park personnel and the public.
But a grass roots movement started in Cody by the citizens group “Shut Out of Yellowstone” sparked a struggle that led to formation of the Sylvan Pass Working Group.
That committee was comprised of local and state legislators, who met with Yellowstone Superintendent Suzanne Lewis and others to come up with a viable solution that would allow safe passage over Sylvan via the park’s East Entrance.
Meanwhile, the NPS is working out a new proposal for continued winter use in the two parks and the parkway that links them.
“Litigation is ongoing, but nobody is asking for immediate removal of Judge Brimmer’s decision,” Sacklin said. “Yellowstone is open this winter.”
7 “ BBHC staff cuts
Citing a budget crisis created by lower visitation in 2008, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center made unprecedented layoffs in August.
After visitation fell seven percent in the summer, Executive Director Bruce Eldredge announced the layoffs Aug. 13, calling it the single largest job elimination in the museum’s history.
The layoffs involved seven full-time and three part-time positions. The cuts were aided by some retirements.
Despite saving $127,000 with the layoffs, the BBHC was still forced to cut an additional $50,000 from travel and program expenses. The museum had cut $125,000 from its budget earlier in the year.
The budget crisis also forced the BBHC to cancel the 2009 Cowboy Songs and Range Ballads event in April.
8 “ Wolf delisting
The attempt to delist the grey wolf in the Northern Rockies was halted after challenges by environmental groups.
In March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the delisting in the Federal Register, turning over management of the predator to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
But in July, in response to a lawsuit by more than a dozen environmental groups, Missoula Federal Court Judge Donald Molloy issued an injunction preventing the delisting.
Molloy cited lack of genetic dispersal, the number of packs Wyoming would manage for and Wyoming’s dual status as reasons for the injunction.
In September, the USFWS asked Molloy to vacate the rule, and the wolf returned to the Endangered Species List.
In response to the ruling, Wyoming changed parts of its management plan to have 15 breeding pairs in the state. Seven of those would be in Yellowstone Park and eight in the trophy game area.
The change allows the Game and Fish Department to manage for more breeding pairs in the trophy game area should something happen to drop the park’s numbers.
But the state maintained the dual status, which can only be changed by the Legislature.
The USFWS is trying to publish a new rule to delist the wolf before president-elect Barack Obama takes office Jan. 20.
9 “ Three state titles on same weekend
Three Cody sports teams made history in May when the boys and girls track and boys soccer teams won state titles.
It was the first time more than one title has been won by the Broncs and Fillies in the same weekend.
The track teams competed at the state meet in Casper on May 15-17, while the soccer team was in Laramie.
“Wow, what a relief,” track coach Scott Shaffer said after the wins. “They’re a good team, and they’ve tried so hard. We’re happy the soccer team got it too because they’re our buddies.”
On returning to Cody the teams took got to ride into town on fire trucks and were followed by a large group of family and friends.
“To see all the people when we drove in was an unbelievable thing,” soccer coach Rob Hill said after returning home. “Credit the people of Cody because that’s a memory that will stay with them (the athletes) forever.”
The Bronc track team dominated its competition all season and did not disappoint at state. Cody had so many points that they had already claimed the title by Friday, one day before competition ended.
The Broncs had placers in every event they entered, with six individual state titles. They also had 17 All-State finishers.
The girls race to the title was more of a battle until the final day, when the Fillies extended a 20-point lead to more than 30 by day’s end.
The Fillies had four individual state titles during the weekend and eight All-State placers.
The Bronc soccer team won a thrilling game over Buffalo 2-1 to take the crown. The game went into overtime and was finally decided in a shootout.
In the earlier rounds, Cody defeated Worland 4-1, and Newcastle 10-0.
The Broncs had five first-team All-State members and three second-team All-State.
10 “ Heart donated
When Darren Collins, 15, died suddenly from meningitis, he gave life to many others when his parents honored his decision to be an organ donor.
Collins died March 1, and his heart was donated to 8-year-old Garrett Ross, who only had months to live.
Collins was rushed to Denver Children’s Hospital with a severe case of meningitis. That same day, Ross’ family found out his heart was shutting down as he suffered from irreversible coronary artery disease. He had a stint put in, but that would only buy him about three months.
Ross was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which the left side of the heart is undeveloped and not functioning. At 7 1/2 months, he received his new heart.
In early January, he went for a checkup and it showed his heart was in great shape. But he began complaining of pain in his chest and coronary artery disease was diagnosed.
Just hours after being put on the transplant list, a heart was found in the same hospital, something the Donor Alliance said is highly unusual.
While in the waiting room, extended family members of both families discovered Ross would receive Collins’ heart and asked if the parents of both boys could meet.
So just a short time after saying goodbye to their son, Jim Collins and Rebecca Jansen met with the Rosses. They cried and prayed together, and shared memories of their sons.
Jim got to meet Ross for the first time March 12 and felt his son’s heart beating strong in the young boy’s chest.
Jim showed Ross and his family a slide show of Collins’ life and various activities he enjoyed, including snowboarding, hunting, fishing, riding motorbikes and drawing. Collins also was learning to play the guitar and hoped to someday become a lawyer.
Besides his heart, Collins donated six organs. His kidneys were donated to two young Colorado girls, and his lungs and liver went to other Colorado residents.
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rhonda cheney wrote on Dec 29, 2008 5:54 PM: