DAVID MIRHADI Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Sunday, December 2, 2007 12:00 am
Ah, sweet relief.
That's the collective sigh from hikers and outdoors-folk who will one day be traipsing through the Bridger-Teton National Forest and find, whoops, Mother Nature is calling. And while they might have some toilet paper in their packs, those that find themselves at the historic Snyder Basin Guard Station are forced to, well, improvise.
But soon, they'll be able to take care of business in the relative lap of luxury, courtesy of a $6,000 donation the U.S. Forest Service trumpeted, albeit a bit sheepishly, in a release recently.
The Big Piney Ranger District reported in a release Nov. 29 of a gift from the Exxon Mobil corporation that will allow them to purchase - we're not making this up - a Sweet Smelling Toilet.
"There is nothing less glamorous, and yet nothing more needed when it comes to providing facilities to the visitors of the Bridger-Teton National Forest than toilets," Big Piney District Ranger Greg Clark noted in the release. "Such a fundamental staple carries a hefty price tag and is not something those wishing to donate funds tend to automatically think of putting their name on when they are looking for avenues to assist the forest," he said.
Mr. Day Hiker, meet your new friend, John.
These toilets, the release states, are "waterless vault toilets that are engineered to exchange the foul air usually associated with portable toilets with fresh air from the outdoors, keeping the inside of the facility rather odor-free."
And, the Forest service notes, these toilets are graffiti resistant and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Down on the (poor) farm revisited
Residents of a Lander street that was considered for a name change won't have to replace their stationery after all.
The (Riverton) Ranger reported in its Nov. 27 edition of the City Council's effort not to act on a petition by resident Peggy O'Bryan Field to change the name to St. John's Way, to reflect the name of a church on the street.
The name of the street was derived after the Lander Cheese Factory was sold "to accommodate the poor and needy in the county," the Lander Journal previously reported.
Lander Mayor Mick Wolfe said the people who lived on the street wanted the name to remain the same.
"The three people who live down there didn't want it changed," Wolfe told the Ranger. "All of the people that signed the petition to change, not one of them live there."
Wyoming State Pen to Christmas: Humbug!
Rawlins resident Marty Sallade and her friends and neighbors have a 20-year tradition of sending Christmas cards to Wyoming State Penitentiary residents.
The Rawlins Daily Times reported in its Nov. 29 edition of the prison's decision to end bulk-mail operations to the prison, seriously jeopardizing the spread of some Christmas cheer to the inmates.
Warden Mike Murphy told the paper that once someone tries to send bulk mail - even in the spirit of the season - countless others will do so, the paper reported.
The ban was created by a variety of factors, including those that sent inflammatory letters to inmates.
"It's an unfortunate thing because so much good could come from (some bulk mailing)," the warden told the paper.
Inmates can receive mail, but it must be individually addressed to each inmate, include a full name and return address and sent through the U.S. Postal Service, Murphy told the paper.
The explanation rankled Sallade, who told the paper "I don't know what I'm going to do. I really don't. …I'm annoyed, really annoyed, and probably, underneath, angry. This is taking me by surprise."
Grinch strikes early
In what we hope isn't repeated across the Equality State this holiday season, the Gillette Police Department told the Gillette News-Record for its Nov. 25 editions that someone had stolen a Salvation Army basket the previous Friday from the town's Wal-Mart. The basket is worth $85, police told the paper, but it's not known how much the perp got away with.
Got an item or tip for this column? Contact David Mirhadi at (307) 266-0616 or david.mirhadi@trib.com