Braves Football Offensive Preview.

Look for more podcasts throughout the summer detailing the defense as well as looks at the volleyball, golf and cross-country programs.

Cokeville High School
Cokeville High School will honor 16 seniors with diplomas on Wednesday, May 29. Graduation will be held in the high school auditorium at 6 p.m.

Nathan Teichert is the 2013 valedictorian and Ana Cook is salutatorian.   Former CHS music teacher Jesse Willie will be the featured speaker.   Live video coverage will be offered on the Cokeville High School website.
Star Valley High School
Star Valley High School will honor 137 seniors with diplomas on Thursday, May 30. Graduation will be held in the high school auditorium at 7 p.m.   Red tickets allow attendance in the auditorium, while gold tickets are assigned to the gymnasium where a video display will be available. “Best dress” is requested by SVHS for the graduation ceremony.  The 2013 SVHS Graduation will also be covered live on www.ustream.tv/user/svhs_lcsd2.

Retiring Health and Physical Education teacher Connie Day will be the featured speaker. “This is it” will be the theme for graduation.  Lindsey Christensen is the 2013 valedictorian, Rebecca Ryan is salutatorian. Honor students are Meredith Wells and Jordan Hodgson.
Swift Creek High School
Swift Creek High School will honor 14 graduates at ceremonies on Tuesday, June 4, at 6:30 p.m. The program will be held in the gymnasium/auditorium of the school at 175 East Fourth Ave. in Afton. The public is welcome to attend, tickets are not required.
Brandon Henscheid, a counselor with Lincoln County School District No. 2 will be the featured speaker.

Mrs Day is hanging up her teaching hat and putting on her granny cap. Come help her family celebrate all she has done at an open house Thursday May 30, from 4:30pm-6:00pm at Salt River Senior Center in Afton.

Now a decade later, I still like to have fun but must admit that there has been an ulterior motive the entire time.  I hoped it would build some community spirit.  Add a little enthusiasm to our already great support system.

I’m a Star Valley guy through and through.  Proud graduate from the Class of ‘95.  I’ve always been proud of my home town and my community, which stretches from the Canyon Inn in the south to the mouth of the Snake River Canyon in the north.  I want us to be the best.  I want us to take pride in ourselves.  Perhaps that’s why I gravitated towards high school sports.  Is there any better sense of community pride which is derived from selfless sacrifice, hard work and a lot of fun?

This school year which is coming to a close, needs to be singled out just a bit.  This wasn’t just a great year; everyone always says they have a great year in every town.

This was a phenomenal year. Filled to the brim with success, record breaking performances, blood, tears, heartbreak and exhilaration.  A go-to statement I have in sports conversations is: “I just want to be in the mix”.  This refers to state titles and teams that contend for them.

Winning a state title is hard.  Whether it’s cross-country in the fall or soccer in the spring.  Hard.

It takes a ton of effort every single day from hundreds of people to even be in the hunt.  Then after that, you need a little luck.

You need stars, but just as much, you need team players.  People who are willing to work as hard as they can to have a fraction of the attention.  Championships don’t happen without those people.

I’ve seen some incredibly talented teams roll by in the past decade that fell short of expectations because they don’t have those folks or they didn’t get along.  I’ve also seen teams that weren’t given much of a chance to raise the trophy at the end of the season, knowing that nobody felt like they were the best until the last day of the season.

This year’s group of athletes need to remember how hard they’ve worked to accomplish what they have.  Golf,  football, cross-country, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, track or soccer.  You all made us take notice this year.  Hard work does that.

I’ve had parents tell me sometimes that their child deserves more recognition because of how hard they work.  Almost without exception, these “recognition” kids are being outworked by their peers.  My response is generally, “make us pay attention.”

You know who these competitors are.  Because they are impossible to ignore.  The level of commitment by players, coaches, managers, administration and especially parents are the backbone of any successful school year.  Guys like me just get to have fun talking about it and wondering how I can do my part to make it even more enjoyable.

This year’s athletes have been a treat.  Two state champs in the fall.  Two runner-ups by the smallest of margins.  What a feat to live up to for the winter sports!  But then we saw two more champs and another runner-up, as close as they come.

This past weekend, three more state runner-up type finishes from a gutsy group of kids.  That brings the total to ten.  Ten!  Ten programs that finished first or second.  There weren’t even ten programs at SVHS in 1995. (No X-C, no indoor track and no soccer)

So kids and parents, in a few days when you finish this school year, know that this was a few months meant to be remembered.  It’s a high bar.  One of the highest.  And they don’t come around all the time.  So dont forget to savor it just a little.

And for the kids and parents and coaches and fans coming back, reflect on what it took to get there.  Both paths are worth the effort.  Thank you for yours.

(Basketball photos provided by Aaron Jenkins.  Cross-Country photos provided by Corena Ricks)

Athletes will compete in Power Lifting, Basketball, Swimming, Tennis and Track & Field events over the course of three days.

The Games will begin with Opening Ceremonies Thursday evening at 7:00 pm at Laramie High School.   Competition is scheduled to take place at the University of Wyoming, Laramie Parks & Recreation Facilities and Laramie High School.

“We are taking 13 athletes and four peers,” said Russell Gardner, area organizer for games.  “This year, the athletes have had a great time with their peers; learning skills and strategies for life.  We have a group of peers who really want to help our athletes get better at both basketball and track.”

Learn more about Wyoming Special Olympics by clicking here.

Areas of competition included: drafting, carpentry, community service, culinary arts, early childhood education, public speaking, first aid/CPR, job skills, math, nursing assisting, photography, animation and precision machining technology.

A number of SVHS students placed well at the state level. Brandon Kallgren and Shaylee Asher both placed first and will compete at the national level in June.

Team members included: Alex Bryant, Robert Hamilton, Alanna Deyholos, Katelyn Kinman, Kortney Clark, Lucas Lynch, Brielle Gail, Shaylee Asher, Aaron Zahne, Hannah Erickson, Lindsey Christensen, Rebecca Ryan, Emilee Fluckiger, Brandon Kallgren, Caleb Warren, Kheldon Shaffer, Carson Walker and Dallin Call.

New regulations to prevent these species from entering the state on watercraft have been established.
According to Mark Gocke, public information specialist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the new Wyoming regulations require that “any watercraft transported into Wyoming from March 1 through November 30 must undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching in any water of the state.”

Any watercraft that has been in “a water infested with zebra or quagga mussels within the past 30 days is required to undergo a mandatory inspection by an authorized inspector prior to launching year-round,” he said.

“Aquatic invasive species inspection stations will be operated at ports of entry, border locations, and boat ramps,” said Chris Wight, Game and Fish aquatic invasive species crew leader for the Jackson Region.  “For people wanting to launch watercraft in northwest Wyoming there will be permanent inspection stations at the Port of Entry in Alpine near the junction of US-89 and US-26 and at the rest area in Thayne along US-89. There will also be check stations operating on a rotating basis. These include the Sleeping Indian Turnout on US-89 just north of Jackson in Grand Teton National Park as well as a location on Skyline Drive in Pinedale.  Information on inspection stations, including location, dates and hours of operation, may be found online at wgfd.wyo.gov/AIS.”

Wight said most aquatic invasive species inspection stations will “be staffed seven days a week and will be open most daylight hours.”

If going out of state after boating on a Wyoming water and a return time before a Game and Fish inspection station is open boaters may do the following:

• stop by any aquatic invasive species inspection station on your way off the water to have your boat inspected.  A wire seal will be placed on your boat to connect it to the trailer and you will be provided with a paper receipt to document your inspection. You may launch on any Wyoming water at any time; just remember to remove the seal before you launch and keep the broken seal and receipt in your possession while on the water.

• If you do not get your boat inspected and a seal attached prior to leaving Wyoming, your watercraft must be inspected each time you enter the state. The inspection is not good for the entire season or trip. If you travel with your boat out of state, it must be inspected before you launch each time.

• Private certified inspectors may conduct watercraft inspections on their own watercraft, as well as provide these services to others. It is at the private inspector’s discretion whether to provide these services for free or for a fee. The hours of operation, addresses, and contact information for Wyoming AIS-certified locations will be available at wgfd.wyo.gov/AIS.

According to Gocke, if you are transporting any watercraft (motor boats, rafts, drift boats, kayaks, etc.) you must stop at any open aquatic invasive species inspection station you encounter.

“When inspection stations are open, signs will direct vehicles transporting watercraft to the location,” he said. “Even if you have a seal on your boat, you must stop in at the check station so the inspector can verify that the seal and your receipt match.”

According to Wight, there are many ways invasive mussels could end up in Wyoming waters. Boaters who practice “drain, clean, and dry” will help keep invasive species out of Wyoming, Wight said.
“Invasive mussels can attach to boats as juveniles or adults and larvae can be transported in water in the bilge, livewell, or motor of a boat,” Wight said.  “These larvae can infest new waters if watercraft owners do not drain, clean, and dry their watercraft before launching. We recommend boaters drain all water from your boat including the motor, bilge, live well, and ballast areas. Clean all mud, plants, and debris from your boat. The plants can be invasive and mud and plants can also harbor other AIS. Finally, dry your boat well after every use. We recommend drying it for at least five days in the hot summer, 18 days in the spring or fall, or three days in the winter when temperatures are freezing.”

“Whenever there are new regulations we work very hard to educate people,” Wight added. “Expect to have your watercraft inspected, so make sure you purchase the aquatic invasive species decal and drain, clean, and dry your watercraft ahead of time. Also, use the website and the statewide toll free number to help answer any questions you might have. This program is relatively young and we are all learning together in order to prevent these invasive species from entering Wyoming waters.”

(The inset picture (top) shows a quagga mussel on the bottom of an inspected watercraft which had been in Lake Mead.  The main picture is the inspection station in Alpine.)

Sponsored by the Star Valley Rotary Club, the luncheon and show is designed to raise awareness of the need for women to schedule routine mammograms.

Dr. Martha Hageman will be the guest speaker and clothing for the show will be provided by Swift Creek Trading.

Tickets for the event are now available  at Swift Creek Trading, Star Valley Medical Center Gift Shop, Thayne Senior Center and Star Valley Rotary Club.  Cost is $8 per person. Paperworks Plus has donated printing for the tickets.

Rotary members hope to raise $5,000 to start a fund for Star Valley women who do not have resources for mammograms. Donations will be held in a designated fund within Star Valley Medical Center’s 501c3 fund.

Pledges or grants for the event and fund have been committed by 1st Bank, Bank of Star Valley, Silver Star Communications, Wells Fargo Bank, Dr. Donald Kirk and Dr. Martha Hageman.

The Wyoming Department of Health’s Medication Donation Program supports qualified residents who have low incomes and who are without insurance or are underinsured. Since 2007, the program has helped residents fill more than 66,000 prescriptions worth about $4.3 million.

“Simply put, our program brings together people who find they have unused medications on their hands with others who may need those very same medications,” said Natasha Gallizzi, Medication Donation Program manager and pharmacist with the Wyoming Department of Health.

Residents may call (855)-257-5041 toll free to see if they qualify and if the medication they need is available.

“We can mail medications throughout Wyoming,” Gallizzi said.

Almost any medication may be accepted by the program, as well as certain medical items such as diabetes testing supplies or wound care materials.

Controlled substances, which are generally prescriptions regulated by the government and used for pain, sleep, anxiety or ADHD treatment, can not be accepted.

Donations okay for passing on to help others include:
• medications in sealed packages;
• unexpired medications;
• and medications that do not require refrigeration.
Donations not appropriate for sharing are destroyed.
“Safe disposal helps avoid both potential prescription drug abuse and the water pollution that can result from flushing medications,” Gallizzi said.
To donate unused medications:
• check wyomedicationdonation.org to see if there is a nearby donation site.
• mark out any patient identifying information (name, address, phone number, Rx number), but leave the drug name on the container.
• complete a donor form available online at www.wyomedicationdonation.org.
• Mail donations to: Wyoming Medication Donation Program, Wyoming Department of Health, 2508 E. Fox Farm Road, Suite 2A, Cheyenne, WY  82007.

Eli is the son of Shain and Tara Saberon of Smoot.

“First, Eli had to win the Star Valley Middle School Geography Bee for both seventh and eighth grade students,” said Tara. “Next, he had to take and pass a 70 question written exam from the state.  Passing that test qualified him to participate in the State Geography Bee in Casper on April 5.”

A total of 39 students from across the state competed at the state level.

“[The] students were divided into groups of 12 and competed in a preliminary round of questioning,” said Tara. “Those with the top 10 scores competed in the finals. Eli and Garrett Means, an eighth grader from The Snowy Range Academy in Laramie, advanced to the championship round at the end of which Eli and Garrett were tied.  They then proceeded to a sudden-death tie-breaker where Eli missed a question that Garrett correctly answered.  Garrett will represent Wyoming at the national championship to be held in Washington D.C. at the end of May.”

Questions for the state competition were provided by National Geographic, Tara said.

“They organize and promote geography bees throughout the United States,” she added. “Questions include maps, pictures of city skylines, and current events.  Students had to identify national monuments, mountains, rivers, lakes, languages, political organization of countries, and exported goods from various countries and regions.”

As the second place winner, Eli received a $75 cash award. He will also be eligible to compete next year as an eighth grade student.

“He hopes to participate again next year and have a chance to win,” said Tara. “Eli plans to begin preparing for the event by studying a little every week from this point on.”