“We are losing our wonderful land to noxious weeds here in Lincoln County,” said Osmond. “I believe the main reason is lack of weed education.  If people understood the damage that these weeds can do to our environment once they become established, they would do everything they could to prevent establishment.”

According to Osmond, western wild lands are “being lost at a rate of 4,600 acres per day to invasive plants.” He referred to noxious weeds as “the single greatest threat to natural ecosystems in the west.”

“Some of the seeds that are produced by these noxious weeds are viable for 60 years,” he said. “If the residents of Lincoln County would do nothing but pull these weeds, we could at least prevent the seeds from entering our soils.”

According to Osmond, the  biggest problem plants for Lincoln County include Spotted Knapweed, Leafy Spurge, Houndstongue, Black Henbane and Dyer’s Woad.

“Spotted Knapweed has become a huge problem in the Alpine area,” said Osmond. “We are now seeing these weeds moving south through the county. Alpine is a high priority area because of its vicinity to the Greys River Drainage, the Salt River Valley and the Snake River. We are seeing these seeds spread into these pristine areas by ATV’s, horses, vehicle tires and foot traffic.  Residents are allowing their pets to run freely through these infested areas in the valley and then take their pets up Greys River spreading weed seeds in the pet’s coat.”

According to Osmond, landowners working in partnership with the Lincoln County Weed and Pest, can make a huge difference when it comes to noxious weeds.

“Leafy Spurge, Houndstongue and Black Henbane have become an epidemic here in Lincoln County,” he said. “New infestations are popping up each year. We need the public’s help to control these weeds.  Lincoln County Weed and Pest does its best to keep these noxious weeds off our public roads and lands but needs help on the private land. We don’t spray private ground but can provide a list of applicators and in some circumstances can provide the spray free of charge.”

In addition to chemicals, the Weed and Pest also has information on insects with a taste for noxious weeds. Preventing the spread of weeds can also help control the problem, Osmond said.

“Infestations can be prevented by cleaning any machinery, ATVs, and vehicles being transported onto your property,” he said. “Using weed free forage to feed animals and using certified weed free seed when planting is also a good idea. The best thing a property owner can do is to control a patch of weeds while it is small before it becomes too large to handle.”

Property owners should also be aware that the state has laws against allowing “any declared noxious weed to grow on your property,” Osmond said.
Each fall Lincoln County Weed and Pest hosts a growers meeting. The meeting is designed to help area landowners keep up to date on land management best practices.

“We held our first annual Lincoln County Weed and Pest Grower Meeting this past November,” said Osmond. “We will be holding one each fall.  They are catered toward landowners of Lincoln County that grow crops.”

Every June the Lincoln County Weed and Pest hosts the Bag of Woad Program. This year the program will kick off on Monday, June 17. Bags will be available for pick up at the Lincoln County Weed and Pest starting at 9 a.m. on June 17.

“The youth in Lincoln County can pull Dyers Woad during our ‘Bag of Woad’ Program, bring it into our office and get paid fifty cents a pound,” said Osmond. “Last year, the Lincoln County Weed and Pest paid out $38,000. That’s 76,000 pounds (38 tons) of Dyers Woad.”

According to Osmond, the Bag of Woad Program is a good example of how people working together can create a huge difference in the War on Weeds.

Wyoming Declared Noxious Weeds (25)
1.    Field bindweed
2.    Canada thistle
3.    Leafy spurge
4.    Perennial sowthistle
5.    Quackgrass
6.    Hoary cress
7.    Perennial pepperweed
8.    Ox-eye Daisy
9.    Skeletonleaf bursage
10.    Russian Knapweed
11.    Common Tansy
12.    Yellow Toadflax
13.    Dalmatian Toadflax
14.    Scotch thistle
15.    Common Burdock
16.    Plumeless thistle
17.    Dyers Woad
18.    Houndstongue
19.    Spotted Knapweed
20.    Purple Loosestrife
21.    Saltcedar
22.    Common St. Johnswort
23.    Russian Olive
24.    Musk Thistle
25.    Diffuse Knapweed

Lincoln County Weed & Pest Provides
• 50-100% Cost Share on Pesticides used to treat Noxious Weeds
• Sprayer Calibration Help
• Sound, Researched advice on Pesticides
• Personal Property Visits
• Youth Education
• Hay Certification Program
• Species Identification
• Bio Control
• Grower Meetings
• Gravel Pit Inspections & Treatments
• Sprays All County & State Roadsides
• Weekly Newspaper Forum
• Treatment of Noxious Weeds threatening our Wild Lands
• Provides Live Traps
• Provides Sprayers to Residents
• Employs 18 Seasonal Employees

“This is something that we have been working on with the Forest Service for seven years,” said Commissioner Kent Connelly. “It is now out there on the street and we need people to comment on it. We are trying to clean-up and remove the bark beetle kill trees.”

The Kemmerer Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest released the Environmental Assessment  for the Hams Fork Vegetation Project earlier this month. The project area is located north of Kemmerer.

“The project is a response to forest health concerns including the impacts from the mountain pine beetle epidemic, fuel loads, and safety concerns,” said Mary Cernicek, public information specialist for the Bridger-Teton. “The project would reduce hazardous fuels; reduce safety hazards from standing dead trees; and enhance aspen, whitebark pine and lodgepole pine communities on 8,662 acres. The project includes both mechanical treatments and prescribed burns.”

Written comments must be sent to the BTNF Forest Supervisor, 340 N. Cache, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, WY 83001 or emailed to comments-intermtn-bridger-teton@fs.fed.us.

“We want people to comment as individuals,” said Connelly. “We really want the Forest Service to hear from the public on this.”

According to Connelly, the county hopes the Hams Fork Vegetation Project is a step forward in the discussion about logging beetle kill trees throughout Lincoln County.
More information about the proposal is available on the Lincoln County website at www.lcwy.org.

Williams was booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center on “multiple charges including burglary and unlawful use of a credit card,” Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson said.

“The charges stemmed from an investigation into several vehicle burglaries that occurred between June 3 and June 13 involving several local and out of state victims,” said Johnson. “The burglaries occurred in the areas from the Intermittent Springs parking lot to the Lunch Counter parking lot in the Snake River Canyon.”

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation “included a citizen’s tip, a search warrant and help from several Lincoln County Deputies, Detective Gardner and the Afton Police Department.”

Sunday, June 16, Kristen Cooper, 28, of Afton was also arrested and charged relating to the same incidents, Johnson said.

“Several items were recovered including purses, electronic items, credit cards and numerous items that were purchased fraudulently with stolen credit cards,” Johnson said.

Now the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is looking for additional information relating to the case.
“If you have any additional information or were a victim of a vehicle burglary in these areas or times, please contact the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office,” he said.

(Independent File Photo)

In that time some of the news from the valley has changed dramatically. Some of it is still the same as it was 100 years ago.

Take a look back 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago during this calendar week of the year and see what made the pages of the newspaper.

This calendar week seems to be all about promotion. 100 years ago this week, the Star Valley Boosters Club was formed to promote the area.  And 50 years ago this week, an iconic sign was placed in Afton describing the Elkhorn Arch.

This week’s inset picture features one of the Mountain Star Dancers performing at Alpine’s Mountain Days.  The main picture below is the Wyoming State Fireman’s convention which took place outside of Afton.  Both of which took place this week five years ago in 2008.  (Independent Staff photos)

25-years ago:

(photo) Concentration! It wasn’t easy, and it took teamwork to saw the end off the log.  Log sawing was just one of the many games held during the second annual Frontier Festival held last Saturday in Afton.

(photo) Five girls from the Cokeville High School volleyball team left Monday for a two-week trip to California where they will compete in two volleyball tournaments.  They  will first play in a “warm-up” tournament in Santa Cruz.

For Sale:  Computer discs, double density/double sided, 50c each.

50-years ago:

(photo) Visitors to Afton will now be informed that the elkhorn arch across Main Street is the world’s largest elkhorn arch, since the Chamber of Commerce this week added a sign to this effect.   Ivan Anglesey helps with the installation.

Ad:  At K & B Cold Storage, fryers, large A grade, each, $1.00; fresh lean ground beef, 3 lbs. for $1.00; pure pork sausage, lean, 3 lbs. for $1.00; Swift’s margarine, 5 lbs. for $1.00; pure white home rendered lard, 8 lbs. for $1.00.

75-years ago:

More Fish Planted—Superintendent A. W. Stock of Cokeville, was in Thursday with a load of 10,000 fish about 3 to 4 inches long  which were planted in Swift Creek. They were planted under the direction of the Forest Service, who furnished them.

Free Cooking School will be Given—You are invited to attend a Free cooking school on July 1st and July 2nd at 2:00 p.m. at the Ford Motor Company building.  The school is conducted by Mary Burgon, the famous L & H Electric Home Economist.  Don’t miss this unusual opportunity.  The very latest on Streamline Electric Cookery will be demonstrated.  Free Prizes.

It will probably be a surprise to many of our readers to hear that our esteemed ex-mayor, L.C. Jensen was married to Mrs. May Hale last Friday, June 17.  The wedding took place in Paris, Idaho.  Mr. Jensen states that he has been very lonesome since he lost his companion a few months ago, so when he learned that Mrs. Hale was probably as lonesome as himself, he just propositioned her, and they decided to get married.

100-years ago:

Notice of Incorporation:  The Star Valley Boosters’ Club was incorporated in the office of Secretary of State, Cheyenne, Wyoming at 10:30 a.m., June 11, 1911.  The object of this Club is to promote the development of Star Valley, with headquarters in the Town of Afton, Wyoming.  It has no capital stock and no shares of stock.  Its term of existence is 50 years.

Local Gatherings:  A five cent bag of marbles free.  See Billings’ adv’t., elsewhere.  A little girl arrived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bedford last week.  The beset Duck for irrigation dams, at the lowest price.  Golden Rule Store.  Harry Applebaum returned from a business trip to Montpelier on Sunday evening.

For more historical obituaries, please visit the Star Valley Historical Society’s web page by clicking here.

John Daulton died Feb. 28 in Green Valley, Ariz., following a brief illness. He was born Nov. 8, 1943. He was raised in Cheyenne and graduated from high school there.    Due to his father’s Air Force career, the family left for three years of duty in Tripoli, Libya when John was 10 years old and he loved the experience.    John’s family camped, fished and hunted all over the state and never missed opening day fishing at Yellowstone Lake.   John joined his family at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska in 1962-63 for a year of college and commercial fishing.  John married Kathy Smith from Torrington in 1966 and received his BA from the University of Wyoming the following year.  He taught history and coached for five years at the Little Snake River High School in Baggs. In 1973, his varsity team was undefeated and won the Class C State Championship in Laramie.   John loved books, film and early technologies. He completed an Masters Education Degree in library science from UW and began a career as a Library/Media Center Director at the Jackson Middle School in 1975.     Life overseas always beckoned and in 1980 John accepted a K-8 principal position and moved with his wife and two young daughters to American Samoa.  He returned to directing library media centers in 1984 at the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and went on to Bangkok, Taipei and Warsaw, Poland until he retired to Star Valley Ranch in 1999.  John loved sports.  Besides coaching both boys’ and girls’ basketball throughout his career, he was a runner and played tennis.  In Star Valley he returned to skiing, fly-fishing and became an avid golfer.  He was intrigued with local government and served as a director on the Star Valley Ranch Association board from 2004-2007.   John is survived by his wife, Kathy; his brother, Duke; his daughters, Angela Daulton from Vail, CO and Jennifer Munnerlyn and son-in-law Tim Munnerlyn from Star Valley Ranch and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  His granddaughter Sydney lives with her parents and attends the American International School in Abu Dhabi.   John was deeply loved and will be missed.  A celebration of his life will be held at Star Valley Ranch on Tuesday, July 23.
In lieu of a memorial, John wished for his friends and family to give to their local hospice.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office were called to the scene on the Greys River Road two miles from Alpine, near the first bridge. Richins said “there were no signs foul play, trauma or other injuries” associated with the death.

“Each year the Independent gives photographers of Star Valley the opportunity to capture life in the valley at any time during a 24-hour period,” said Dan Dockstader, publisher and owner of the Star Valley Independent. “We invite photographers to submit photos that depict a day in the life of Star Valley.”

Day in the Life photo submissions are evaluated by newspaper staff, based on the criteria of how well the images depict life in Star Valley.  

The Day in the Life Photo Shoot is not intended to be a scenic image contest. While beautiful scenery is a part of life in Star Valley, the people of the valley and what they do should play a more dominate role in the photos.

Selected photos will be included in the June 26, 2013 edition of the Star Valley Independent. A slide show of the photos will also be published on starvalleyindependent.com.

For more information regarding the Day in the Life photo shoot, contact the Star Valley Independent at 885-5727 or Alan’s Photo at 885-2008.

(The inset photo was submitted during last year’s Day in the Life competition by Clint Frome)

A proposed hospital bond to raise $3.5 million for the project failed at the ballot box on Tuesday, May 7.  Initial plans were to begin the $9 million project in June 2013 and complete the project over the next 18 months.

The new proposal calls for lengthening the project over three years. The longer construction period will also increase the cost of the project by an estimated 20 percent, according to the new proposal.
The new timeline for the hospital expansion project calls for continuing to work with the architect, moving toward state approval of the project, getting firm numbers of the cost of the project, evaluating existing space within the medical center to see if all space is being utilized effectively and working to refine the scope of the project. That work would take place in June 2013.

Emergency Department construction would begin in June 2014. The Emergency Department would be completed in June 2015 and work would begin on the Surgery Department. That portion of the project would be completed in June 2016.

Throughout the three year project, the medical center would work to set aside an additional $1 million each year in operational funds toward the project. The hospital foundation would work to raise $500,000.

The project financing would be made up of that $3.5 million as well as a $2.5 million loan and $3 million from hospital reserves.

The hospital board approved the June 2013 portion of the timeline and plans to further discuss the expansion project at the next board meeting.