DAVID MIRHADI Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Sunday, November 4, 2007 12:00 am
Life is good, especially on the sunny side of the street.
Which makes one wonder - what if you lived on a street called Poor Farm Road?
That's the debate riling up some residents in Lander, who want to change the name of the street that dates back to the early 20th century, the Lander Journal reported in its Oct. 31 edition.
Truth is, there are people who would like the name to go away and be renamed St. John's Way, in honor of a church on the street. There are just as many, the paper reported, that would like to see the old name - and its historical significance - remain.
"The city would benefit from the more optimistic name," Lander resident Peggy Field wrote in a name change proposal. It "would be proper and fitting since a church by that name sits prominently on that street."
Others like the name just as it is.
Poor Farm resident Sara Gilman wrote that she opposes the name change because she wants to preserve the history of the road.
The paper noted that the name of the street resulted after the Lander Cheese Factory facility "was sold (in) about 1917 to accommodate the poor and needy in the county."
Those who don't agree with the proposal to keep the name say it makes the street undesirable to live on.
"…changing the name of Poor Farm would be almost changing the history behind it," those opposed to the change wrote.
Before it became known as Poor Farm, the street was known as Market. Anybody know how to get the cheese from the poor farm to the market on St. John's Way?
Joy springs from the flames
The Powell motel fire last weekend was a tragic event for all involved. One person died in the fire and scores of people, many who make their living traveling from job to job in this energy-rich state, were left without a place to stay.
But a glimmer of hope emerged from the fire.
Brandon Sullivan and Kayla Jackson were married that Saturday, Oct. 27, just hours after the 2:27 a.m. fire occurred. Sullivan's family, in town for the wedding, fled the motel and miraculously made it to the church on time for the nuptials, the Powell Tribune reported in its Oct. 30 edition.
Ten members of both families were staying at the motel at the time of the fire, the paper reported. All made it out safely.
Many of them had to leave without their belongings, including two flower-girl dresses.
"Fortunately, the tuxes were at the church and didn't get in the fire," Donna Sullivan, mother of the groom, told the paper.
They stopped at the Powell Mercantile for replacements and counted their blessings.
"We just absolutely give all the credit to the Lord for sparing (family members)," Donna Sullivan told the paper. "When you look at the magnitude of what it could have been. …Some of us were tested by fire and smelled like smoke, but none of us were singed," she said. "We were just a little frazzled around the edges."
You, too, can win an MRI machine!
Not really, but the Platte County Memorial Hospital in Wheatland is trying a new tack to fund an important piece of equipment - an online contest.
The Platte County Record-Times reported in its Oct. 31 edition of the hospital's intent to secure a critical piece of hospital equipment - an MRI machine. It's worth about $1 million, the paper reported. The hospital has even made a two-minute video on the Web site, www.winanmri.com. They have until Jan. 1, 2008 to secure enough votes to win the contest.
Hospital CEO Gavin Carmichael said "it would be a great thing for Platte County … if we had an MRI, it would be fantastic," he told the paper.
Presently, the hospital has the use of a portable machine once a week.
The contest is sponsored by Siemens, which makes a lot of those things.
Caveat emptor in Star Valley
They prowl through supermarkets and department stores, seemingly like you and me. Except they're usually taking mental notes of the prices and items they see, and aren't really buying much.
In Star Valley, however, those who opened their mailbox seeking riches were sorely disappointed - even more so if they weren't paying attention.
Four different cases of fraud - where the unsuspecting individuals are asked to cash a $1,999 check - occurred in the past month, the (Afton) Star Valley Independent reported in its Oct. 25 edition.
Problem is, the checks are fake, and the funds people use for this ruse turn out to be their own money.
"All of the wired money is going somewhere," Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson told the paper. "But it is difficult to track. The chance of money being recovered is slim to none. …If you receive a big check in the mail for no reason, question it."
Police pull powderpuff pastime
Campbell County High School students, still reeling from the loss of homecoming activities earlier in October after a rash of vandalism at the school, took another blow this past week.
The traditional powder puff football game featured at the school was one of the casualties of the students' actions, the Gillette News-Record reported in its Oct. 29 edition.
Seems students accustomed to the game had other plans, as the game took place around 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at the city's Dalbey Memorial Park, parent Jon Schelling told the paper.
The game amounted to an end-around school policies, which had forbidden such a game.
The decision to break up the game wasn't taken lightly by some parents
"It's very disappointing when we try to show our kids that there's a way to do things and to follow the system, and they do what they're supposed to do and they get punished," parent Glenda Harvey said.
Harvey said she was told by CCHS principal Larry Steiger that the game could take place as long as there was adult supervision and referees, which there were.
The problem was, the school accepted no liability in the event of the game since it wasn't sanctioned, police told the paper.
Got an item or tip for this column? Contact David Mirhadi at (307) 266-0616 or david.mirhadi@casperstartribune.net