Occupy Cheyenne 10/15/11 photo album

Leah Zegan (left) and friend, carrying signs across Lincolnway in Cheyenne.

Mike Shay and Ken McCauley at Occupy Cheyenne. FYI -- Ken's sign reads "The middle class is too big to fail."  

Forrest King invokes Proverbs at Occupy Cheyenne

Kids on boot at Depot Plaza -- and Linda Coatney reminds us to occupy the polls on the next election day 

Dominic Syracuse rallies the crowd at Occupy Cheyenne

One of the 89 Occupy Cheyenne participants bring up the inconvenient truth about oilfield fracking

"People over profit"

From left to right (oldest to youngest?): WY public worker; David Dibble wearing his Wisconsin Solidarity T-shirt (and carrying the flag); Sioux who works three jobs and still can't support herself -- covering Occupy Cheyenne for Firedoglake; and a very good sign maker.

Cool signage at Depot Plaza

Rev. Rodger McDaniel

Occupy Casper: "Honk if You Share Your Toys!

From Meg Lanker's tumblr site: At Occupy Casper, Kaylee reminds us to share.

It's important to "Step Up for Kids" in October in Wyoming

With Wyoming Tea Party Republican legislators refusing to step up for our children on so many issues – early childhood education, health care, mental health issues, daycare standards, juvenile justice, poverty rates -- it's more important than ever to "Step Up for Kids."

That's what a lot of us will be doing across Wyoming in October. Sponsored by Wyoming Children's Action Alliance.

Here's the rundown:

The fourth annual Step Up for Kids Week is taking place throughout the communities and

counties of Wyoming the week of October 8-15. The purpose of these events is to

bring hundreds of people together to raise awareness of all children’s issues and the need

for investment in children in our local communities, our state and our nation.

These are dates and activities across the state.

October 9-13 - GILLETTE

A series of advertisements/articles will run in the Gillette paper. Articles will focus on children’s issues and parenting tips.

October 11^th  CASPER:  “Kids:  A Long Term Investment”

First Interstate Plaza – Corner of First and Center Streets

10:30 a.m. Two booths, one on health care, staffed by Barb Rea; one with materials about the value of quality child care, developed and staffed by Dianna Webb and Deb Nelson.

11:30 – Refreshments available.

Noon – Program begins. Program Emcee Heidi Dickerson welcomes crowd, notes theme, and introduces mayor or other city representative.

·     Proclamation read by Mayor/City Council Members

·     Students from Woods Elementary introduce former State Representative Ann Robinson. Ann speaks about opportunity for Wyoming Legislature to invest in children

·     Students from Woods Elementary introduce Parent Pam McMichael. Pam speaks about value of investing in Head Start

·     Student from Woods Elementary introduces Jackie Brown or Chelsea DiPaolo. Chelsea speaks about Gear Up

·    Woods student introduces B&G Youth of the Year - Youth of Year introduces B&G Club staffer who was a critical mentor - B&G Club staffer (yet to be identified) talks about working w/YOY and long-term commitment to kids

·    Woods student introduces Bethany Cutts - Cutts talks about the importance of early childhood development and the importance of high quality care to all children, whether in public or private programs or care centers; calls for state investment in quality care.

October 11^th - RAWLINS

Carbon County Higher Education Main Campus, 705 Rodeo – Classroom #1

5:30 – 7:00 pm Family information booths

7:00-8:30  p.m.  Linda Burt-Director of Wyoming ACLU

                                Juvenile Justice in Wyoming

October 14^th – EVANSTON AND MOUNTAIN VIEW

Evanston Child Development Center:
March For Kids

Our Children will walk/parade to our local government buildings/courthouse. There we will have a guest speaker (tent. Mayor Joy Bell). This event will be advertised in our Center Newsletters and Local Newspaper. Children will then parade back to the Center for a bbq. During the month of October we plan to have flyers and information available for parents on child growth and development, etc.

October 14^th - The Children's Learning Foundation:
March For Kids

Same idea as ECDC

Saturday, October 15^th - CHEYENNE

Lions Park Community House

10 am - 12 noon

Fun Activities For Kids & Community Resource

Information For Parents!

WY Association of Churches presents "Civility Matters!" Oct. 8 in Casper

http://www/uwyo.edu/humanities

I was just at a Civility Matters! forum at Summit E.S. in Casper this past weekend featuring Palestinian-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye (see my previous post). Here's another one, courtesy of the Casper Star-Tribune:

The Wyoming Association of Churches will host a town-hall style "Civility Matters" forum from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the First United Methodist Church of Casper, 332 E. Second St.

The forum will focus on three issues: judicial responses for youth offenders in Wyoming, featuring Michael Blonigen and Beth Evans; the definition of marriage and civil unions as they relate to couples' sexual orientation, featuring Rodger McDaniel and Bob Norris; and providing health care for wyoming's poor, featuring Kellie Clausen and Sarah Gorin. Former TV broadcaster and Wyoming state legislator Nimi McConigley will moderate the session.

Each speaker will be allotted 20 minutes, followed by 40 minutes allotted for questions and discussion by the public.

Lunch will be provided at a cost of $10, and advance registration is encouraged. To register in advance, contact Steven Mitchell at stevmitch2002@yahoo.com, write him at 1275 Adams Ave., Rock Springs, Wyoming, 82901, or visit http://www.wyomingassociationofchurches.org.

Read more: http://trib.com/news/local/casper/article_d00c9422-630f-51f8-99c8-7af16e041e4b.html#ixzz1Z1jIzKPs

Cheyenne artist takes many pieces and creates a work of peace

Cheyenne artist Forrest King took these items from Sept. 11 ceremony...

...and constructed this work of art seen in background at International
Day of Peace ceremony in Herschler Building.

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead penned a proclamation marking Sept. 21 at the International Day of Peace. At today's lunchtime ceremony at the Herschler Building honoring this day of peace, the Rev. Rodger McDaniel read the proclamation because the Gov was busy with the "lying in state" events for the late U.S. Sen Malcolm Wallop.

Gov. Mead's proclamation mentioned the United Nations many times. The International Day of Peace originated in the U.N. in 1981 and was first celebrated on Sept. 21 in 2002. I couldn't help but wonder how nuts the proclamation would make Gov. Mead's U.N.-hating Tea Party followers. They'll never read it, of course. But if they did, heads would be exploding all over Wyoming.

Sen. Wallop was no fan of the U.N. or of peacenik ways. He was a Cold Warrior, one of Ronald Reagan's staunchest supporters.  I doubt if the International Day of Peace ever deserved a ceremony, much less a mention, at Sen. Wallop's digs in Sheridan County.

My thoughts were not in keeping with the peace and justice ways of today's ceremony. But that's how it goes when you've spent two decades as an outlier in the reddest of red states.

Cheyenne's International Day of Peace featured fine words by Christian, Jewish, Muslim and UU leaders. Music too. And a work of art by local artist Forrest King.

At the Sept. 11 commemoration at the State Capitol, Forrest collected mementos from different faith communities. These items represented the brokenness of 9/11. Forrest was charged with bringing a sense of hope to these materials via his art.

And he did. Forrest is sending more photos. For now, the above images show the items from the Sept. 11 ceremony and the sculpture fashioned by Forrest. I'll do a more complete description of the work in future posts.

I leave you with the words that Rev. McDaniel left us with: "All in Peace. Go in Peace. Create in Peace. Live in Peace."

Shalom

Grant Family Farms looking for band to play live music Sept. 24 at bus repainting party

This comes from Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colo.:

BAND WANTED!

I'm hoping you all have heard about our bus repainting party this Saturday (Sept. 24). Well, to make this a fun day we would love to have some live music there! If you are willing to donate your time for a few hours ~9-12 please let us know. Would love to have you at the farm!

Go to http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110917/NEWS01/109170393/Vandals-hit-Grant-Family-Farms-chicken-buses-Wellington?odyssey=tab

Make all Americans pay their fair share

Lest we forget about Big O's victories (and ours)

Celebrate the end of Don't Ask Don't Tell and hard-fought battles for LGTB equality in The Equality State

From Jeran Artery, Director of Social Change, Wyoming Equality:

Dear Wyoming Equality Members and Allies,

In case you hadn’t heard September 20th marks the official end of the Military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. This is a huge milestone in our fight for LGTB equality across this country. We think that calls for a celebration!

What’s more, over the last year we’ve seen marriage equality arrive in New York State. President Obama’s Administration has decided to stop defending DOMA, and right here in Wyoming we defeated two very ugly anti-LGTB bills. We’ve accomplished many great things over this last year and we want to throw a party to say thank you for helping us fight the good fight.

So, drum roll please… On Tuesday, September 20, from 6-10 p.m. at the Historic Plains Hotel in Cheyenne we will be hosting this celebration. The cost of admission is free. Wyoming Equality will provide some tasty snacks, and a cash bar will be available for you to enjoy a cocktail or two.

We will be having a silent auction on a handful of nifty items to help offset the cost of the event, but mostly we just want you to come and celebrate with us! Save the date and I hope to see all of you Sept. 20.

Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities plans "public meeting by phone" Friday

My two children were both served by Individualized Education Plans (I.E.P.) during their time in Laramie County School System No. 1. My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 5 and my daughter struggled with mental health issues and learning disabilities.

I bring this up because the Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities, the group that advises the Wyoming Department of Education on services for youth with disabilities, is conducting a "public meeting by phone" Friday. One of the hard lessons learned by parents of special needs' students is that eternal vigilance is the price of a public school education. There are a whole set of federal regulations that assist students with disabilities. School administrators aren't always up to date on those rules and regs. Sometimes they know the rules but choose to ignore them. This would be a great time to point out that there are superb administrators and counselors in our school system -- I'm looking at you, Cheyenne Central High School. But many of our schools can do better.

My kids have left the K-12 system and are on their own (and doing very well, thank you). If you have a child whose needs are not getting met, get on the phone Friday and see what's happening:

The Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities will hold a public meeting by phone Friday to discuss proposed rules for student seclusion and restraint, among other issues.

The panel, which advises the Wyoming Department of Education about ways to promote services for children and youth with disabilities, will also talk about an upcoming federal report that examines the unmet needs of such students, said Barb Yates, the panel's administrative assistant.

As required under a new state law, the panel is asking for public comment on proposed rules for when and how students can be secluded or restrained while in school.

Yates said the panel may decide to offer its recommendations on the policy as well.

The meeting will be held from 8 a.m. until noon at the Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities' Riverton office. Members of the public may offer their opinions to the panel from 11:30 a.m. until noon by calling 877-278-8686; the passcode is 095102.

Read more: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_f12ec331-1f66-5eea-9777-9b3df0c04996.html#ixzz1XvjqWUg7

Celebrate "Read Any Damn Thing You Want To Read" Week Sept. 24-Oct. 1

Don't let the Know Nothings take away your reading choices.

Read any book you want all year 'round. But be especially forceful on your reading choices Sept. 24-Oct. 1.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association;American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores.  It is endorsed by theCenter for the Book in the Library of Congress. In 2011, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; National Coalition Against Censorship; National Council of Teachers of English; and PEN American Center also signed on as sponsors.

For more information on getting involved with Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, please see Calendar of Events, Ideas and Resources, and the new Banned Books Week site. You can also contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4220, or bbw@ala.org.

Put your kids first, Wyoming

UPLIFT Executive Director Peggy Nickell was interviewed for the latest edition of Wyoming Kids First. We're all hoping that the State of Wyoming will put its very considerable fiscal resources into its most precious natural resource -- its children. The overall political atmosphere does not look favorable for this, as selfishness and stupidity are on the rise in state and national politics.

Still, Peggy Nickell provides a voice of reason in a difficult time. In the name of full disclosure, I must claim my role of UPLIFT board member since 1998. Here are some kind and wise words from Ms. Nickell:

Question from Wyoming Kids First: In your opinion, what is the most important thing Wyoming can do for its children?

Peggy Nickell: Wyoming is fortunate to have the resources to ensure that all children have a good start to life. The first five years are so critical in the development of children. It all starts with prenatal care and education and then home visiting nursing services for first time moms. It is hard to list one thing because every component of early childhood care, education, and services are so important but it does have to start before these precious children take their first breath of Wyoming’s clean mountain air!

September 2011 a time to celebrate the creators over the destructors

The arts can bring us together and, sometimes drive us apart.

After 9/11, the arts were a strong healing force in America. Ten years after, I still remember that beautiful "America" A Tribute to Heroes" telethon that featured performances Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Wycleaf Jean, The Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion and so many others. Music was this Sept. 21 show's centerpiece. Unlike most televised music events -- MTV Awards, Grammies, etc. -- the egos were left at the door and they just played.

On that night, when you and your Republican neighbors were watching the same show and thinking some of the same thoughts, who would have thought that we would be such a miserable and contentious and downtrodden nation as we are now? Who would have thought we would still be waging war in Afghanistan and one in Iraq? Who would have predicted how mean-spirited our politics would become? It disgusts me and I hope it disgusts you.

Me -- I'm part of the problem. I regularly attack the other side for what I see as knuckleheaded politics. They, in turn, attack me. That's O.K. a healthy give-and-take of ideas is a good thing. That makes our country stronger. It shows us that the terrorists really didn't win on that sunny day ten Septembers ago. But when we spend all of our time in name-calling mode, I'm not so sure. When politics becomes another excuse to tear our neighbor down, I'm not so sure. After 9/11, we were talking. Our leaders were operating on the same page. Healing and recovery became our goal.

That didn't last long.

Does that mean that I'm going to leave my Cassandra ways behind and become all Pollyanna?

No. I will keep fighting the Know Nothings. But, during September, I'm going to write about constructive things that may make our lives just a bit better. The arts, just to name one topic. The arts are a constructive force. To create is to see toward the future.

And I leave you now with a healing song from from the 2002 CD by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, "The Rising." Great CD. The title song could have been in that long-ago healing concert. It's a performance of "The Rising" at a 2003 concert in Barcelona. Barcelona residents know a bit about rising from the ashes. It was a city in ruins after the Spanish Civil War which divided Spain for generations (and Spaniards are still dealing with it). Is there another civil war in America's future? Let's hope not. Here's the concert link: http://youtu.be/eNnB4dkVRJI. Some of the lyrics:

Can't see nothin' in front of me
Can't see nothin' coming up behind
I make my way through this darkness
I can't feel nothing but this chain that binds me
Lost track of how far I've gone
How far I've gone, how high I've climbed
On my back's a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder a half mile line

Come on up for the rising
Com on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Left the house this morning
Bells ringing filled the air
Wearin' the cross of my calling
On wheels of fire I come rollin' down here

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

Holy Double Cheeseburger! "Bibles and Burgers" begins Sept. 19 in Cheyenne

Invitation (via Facebook) from Rev. Rodger McDaniel:

BIBLES AND BURGERS

In addition to “Bibles and Beer” happy hour at Uncle Charlie's (in Cheyenne), we will start a lunch time Bible Study on Monday, September 19, at 2 Doors Down downtown. To get ahead of their crowd, we will start at 11:30 a.m. Put it on your calendar. Bring friends!

Read the Rev. McD's blog at http://blowinginthewyomingwind.blogspot.com

Dammit, Janet, Jackson Hole isn't a planet but a real place with real people (and the Cheneys)

Planet

Jackson Hole (Ansel Adams photo)

Lander's Bill Sniffin knows Wyoming almost better than anyone in the state. He knows newspapers from the inside as a publisher, editor and columnist. He once ran for governor. These days, he spends much of his time traveling and writing about it.

That's why it was disappointing to read in today's syndicated column that Jackson is the perfect name for Jackson is Planet Jackson Hole, the title of the local alternative online newspaper. This distant planet is famous for only two things: the most expensive real estate in the U.S. and the residence of Dick and Lynne Cheney. You might think that the Cheneys own the richest real estate in the U.S., what with the riches the former Veep reaped from Halliburton, both before, during and after his stint in public office. But the richest spread is owned by Richard Fields of the Coastal casino company. His house and 1,750 acres is worth $175 million and it's for sale.

I went to Planet Jackson Hole to get more info. While Fields and his agent tout the hunting and fishing and scenic properties of the spread, its real value is this: it can be divided up into as many as 35 ranchettes. Now we're talking valuable valley real estate.

Planet Jackson Hole

Mr. Sniffin spends quite a bit of ink praising Lynne Cheney for her service to humanity. She recently received the Louisa Swain Foundation annual award. As far as I can tell, the foundation exists to honor Wyoming women, a worthy goal. In 2010, former First Lady and Democrat Jane Sullivan was presented the award at a ceremony in Casper. This year the award went to Mrs. Cheney.

Lynne Cheney is a strong women -- no doubt about that. But her efforts to support other women is up for debate. She's a powerful Republican who spends more of her time and effort supporting her party's reactionary agenda targeting women's rights, workers' rights, voting rights, immigrant rights, etc. She's a Rightie working hard to abrogate the rights of everyone else. That's one way to be a powerful woman.

Lynne Cheney has worked for years to kill the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She was director of the NEH from 1986-1993. Here's how the Swain award wording puts it:

"As chairman of the NEH from 1986 to 1993, she wrote and spoke about the importance of teaching children about the leaders, events and ideas that have shaped our world."

Her P.O.V. has always been colored by her conservative politics. It's telling that she wrote her many books as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. I would say that her history is the polar opposite to Howard Zinn's, but that would be giving her too much credit. Zinn actually did research. Mrs. Cheney read AEI policy papers. In her view, our founding fathers could do no wrong and American foreign policy was always noble.

Here's a sample from a Conservative Book Club review for her children's book, America: A Patriotic Primer:

America: A Patriotic Primer will help you impress upon your children what makes our country great. C, for example, is for "the Constitution that binds us together." Mrs. Cheney doesn't let multiculturalist revisionism stop her from pointing out that "the Constitution of the United States has inspired constitution-writers around the world." Likewise, under "F is for Freedom and the Flag that we fly" she includes instructions on how to fold a flag with the proper respect, and how to say the Pledge of Allegiance! H is for Heroes, I for Ideals, P for Patriotism, and V is for Valor! Those are by no means the only elements in this colorful book that will make liberals blanch. G, proclaims Mrs. Cheney, "is for God in whom we trust. Freedom to worship God as they chose brought people to America. Freedom to worship God as we choose sustains our country today." She also includes capsule profiles of America's heroes: J is for Jefferson, L is for Lincoln, M is for Madison, and W is for Washington!

The book passes the conservative litmus test. America good, rest of world bad. Conservatives good, Liberals bad. White culture good, multiculturalism bad. God-fearing Americans good, non-God-fearing Americans bad. And so on.

Tea Party people like Lynne Cheney's books. Her bugaboos are also theirs: multiculturalism, immigration, peaceniks, populists, eggheads, etc. Excerpts from her books would be (and probably are) welcome in any Texas Board of Education textbook. 

Mrs. Cheney could be a poster person for the conservatives of 2011. Except for one thing -- she publicly opposes the Defense of Marriage Act constitutional amendment. The Cheneys have a lesbian daughter and their personal knowledge of the LGBT world has caused them to rethink this aspect of the conservative agenda.

Perhaps their views also would change if they came out of their mountain redoubt and mingled with some of the Hispanic service workers at Jackson's many hotels and resorts. Jackson has been a trailblazer in bilingual services for its Spanish-speaking newcomers. The Teton County Public Library offers bilingual services and books and programming. The city and county has worked hard to find affordable housing for service workers. 

Maybe if Dick and Lynne came down from the mountain to talk to some of the 4 million tourists that come to the area each year. Might open their eyes to the hardships faced by ordinary Americans, hardships that will only get worse as the Tea Party Congress continues their assault on wages and unions and the social safety net. Dick and Lynne might learn a lot about ordinary Americans if they spent a summer as a campground host in one of the National Park Service's many fine campgrounds. Well, they're fine now but won't be once Republicans finish their dismantling of government services.

Planet Jackson Hole is a place where real people live. The Cheneys might want to take some time out to meet some of them and hear their stories. It might change their world view. Dick may be too far gone. But Lynne? She was an English major just like me. There must be some liberal arts flexibility remaining in that doctrinaire mind.

Matt Damon defends teachers

Do Leftie bloggers really hate Christians or their un-Christian attitudes?

Seems that I will always have material for weekend blogging as long as the local Radical Christian Right is on the job.

Harlan Edmonds wrote an op-ed in today's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. Mr. Edmonds has hit those pages before -- and hit them hard -- with screeds against abortion, Liberals, immigrants, RINOs -- you name it.

I don't mind screeds as I sometimes engage in those same tactics. But shouldn't they make sense or present some solid evidence for the Average Joe (or Mike) to latch onto.

His target is "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" day held Thursday at Cheyenne Frontier Days. On that day, burly dudes in pink wrestle steers and ride bucking broncos. In Thursday's parade, Gov. Matt Mead wore pink, as did Secretary of State Max Maxfield. Members of the CFD committee wore pink. This was a statement advocating increased funding for breast cancer research for all those women in our lives faced with the disease. The CFD's charity of choice on this issue is the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundations. Christian Right activists contend that some of the money donated to Komen MAY end up being donated to Planned Parenthood which MIGHT use it to counsel poor women to have abortions.

In the name of Christian purity, Mr. Edmonds and Mr. Wall contend that not a penny of our money should go to a wonderful charity which saves lives and will some day help to find a cure for women afflicted with breast cancer. They may be our wives or daughters or co-workers or someone we don't even know.

How very un-Christian of you Christian gentlemen.

But that's not the point, is it? Mr.. Edmonds will believe what he believes and logic will not shake him. He spends most of his column with ad hominem attacks local Christian minister and fellow Leftie blogger Rodger McDaniel. Mr. Edmonds says that the Rev. McDaniel "managed to squeeze more anti-Christian bigotry into a single WTE piece recently than Mullah Omar could fit in a four-hour fatwa."

I always like it when Christian fundamentalists try to equate Lefties with Muslim fundamentalists. As we all know, Fundies of all stripes believe in the same basic philosophy -- literalism. This is one of the reasons that some of my fellow Leftie bloggers label the American Christian Right "the American Taliban."

And I just did the same thing. Oops!

Lefties have learned a few things during the past 40 yars or so. Literalism is a dead end, whether it applies to the Bible or to The Communist Manifesto, the Koran or Mao's Little Red Book, the Book of Mormon or The Port Huron Statement. Living your life by the tenets of one little book penned by humans (and possibly inspired by God) eventually backs you into a corner.

It's also un-democratic (small "d"). The humanist principles upon which America was founded call upon citizens to continue to continually think and grow. Fundies, by nature, reach a dead end in their personal growth. All they are left with is a striving toward the End Times and eternal salvation. The hell with society. The hell with my fellow man and human. The hell with cancer cures and global arming solutions and universal health care.

In the end, they are anti-life.

In its efforts to aid humankind, CFD advocates life over death. I have a feeling that there are a few Christians within the CFD leadership ranks. And you can't swing a cat at a rodeo without knocking down a Christian cowboy or cowgirl. I know because I tried that last year and burly security guards wearing pink threw me out of the rodeo grounds.

SECURITY GUARD: "We don't cotton to your kind around here."
ME: "Leftie bloggers?"
SECURITY GUARD: "No, guys who swing cats."

I left, chastened.

Another thing I've noticed about fundamentalists, whether they be Mullah Omar or Harlan Edmonds -- they have no sense of humor.

I strive for humor and sometimes succeed. Maybe that's why I was inspired to wear pink fairy wings during my turn as emcee Thursday evening at the Atlas Theatre's old-fashioned melodrama. The pink wings looked great with my cowboy duds. "Tough enough to wear pink fairy wings!"

Take that, you close-minded fundies.

UPLIFT hosts big yard/parking lot sale Aug. 6 in Cheyenne

On Saturday, Aug. 6, 8 a.m.-noon., UPLIFT of Wyoming is holding its Cheyenne Yard Sale in the parking lot of the Oregon Trail Bank on the corner of College Drive and Lincolnway. Lots of goods for sale. Prizes, and a car wash too. This is UPLIFT"s big fund-raiser for 2011. I've been a board member of this very active non-profit organization since 1998. UPLIFT's mission: "Encouraging success and stability for children and youth with or at risk of emotional, behavioral, learning, developmental, or physical disorders at home, school and in the community." A tall order, considering the huge needs in this very rural state of 97,000 square miles. UPLIFT has offices statewide and, in the past six months, its small staff has assisted 576 youth in 21 counties. Those are kids that would fall through the cracks if it wasn't for UPLIFT services funded by state and federal government agencies and donations from good people like you. A true public-private partnership. Come to this yard/parking lot sale or donate online at http://www.upliftwy.org.

Christian, Jewish and Muslim views of Noah and the flood Monday at "Bibles and Beer"

Noah's Ark, oil on canvas painting by Edward Hicks, 1846, Philadelphia Museum of Art (Wikimedia Commons)

From Rodger McDaniel, Cheyenne's indefatigable minister and activist:

"Bibles and Beer" on Monday, July 11, 5:30 p.m. at Uncle Charlie’s Grill & Tavern in Cheyenne. Happy hour Bible study... inviting all open-minded over 21 persons interested in learning what the Bible says! We are talking about Noah and the Flood...the Christian view as well as the Jewish and Muslim. Join us!

Look up Rodger on Facebook and RSVP.

Do some good this summer at Habitat house build and UPLIFT's mega-gigantic parking lot sale

Habitat volunteers

Some good local causes to support this summer:

Turned on Channel 5's morning show today to see Misty Heil and Kyle Aiton promoting the Habitat for Humanity house build. This new duplex is going up at 3823 Messenger Court. Habitat encourages volunteers to wear work-appropriate clothing and closed-toed shoes. Food and beverages will be provided for volunteers on Saturdays. Beverages are provided on Sundays.

Come out and pound some nails or tote some wallboard or sweep up the joint. The Laramie County Democrats will be swarming the site on July 17.  Get more info at http://www.cheyennehabitat.org or contact Elizabeth Williams at 307-637-8067.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, 8 a.m.-noon., UPLIFT of Wyoming is holding its Cheyenne Yard Sale in the parking lot of the Oregon Trail Bank on the corner of College Drive and Lincolnway. Lots of goods for sale. Prizes, and a car wash too. This is UPLIFT"s big fund-raiser for 2011. I've been a board member of this very active non-profit organization since 1998. UPLIFT's mission: "Encouraging success and stability for children and youth with or at risk of emotional, behavioral, learning, developmental, or physical disorders at home, school and in the community." A tall order, considering the huge needs in this very rural state of 97,000 square miles. UPLIFT has offices statewide and, in the past six months, its small staff has assisted 576 youth in 21 counties. Those are kids that would fall through the cracks if it wasn't for UPLIFT services funded by state and federal government agencies and donations from good people like you. A true public-private partnership. Come to this yard/parking lot sale or donate online at http://www.upliftwy.org.

Remember that state and federal funds are drying up in this very strange political climate. The State of Wyoming is raking in the dough ($50 million surplus at last count) but administrators are under the gun to cut spending so that the Tea Party won't get mad and field its own slate of selfish, mean-spirited ultra-right-wingers in 2012. Not sure how the state legislature could get any more extreme, but it's possible.

Strange times, indeed.