Week of  May 13 TV Guide Listings

Pin-pointing history

DAILY NEWS photos by Bob Vines
The Worland Middle School eighth-grade class mixed science and history last Friday when they held their annual geocache event at the site of the Spring Creek Raid. The historic site is seven miles south of Ten Sleep. The students used GPS to locate coffee cans throughout the site. Each coffee can included the next coordinates and a piece of history on the Spring Creek Raid where several men stormed a sheep camp and killed three men on April 3, 1909. Above, Levi Sinn types in the next coordinates while teammate Chance Martello gets a drink. Below, front to back, Jalynn McClure, Ann Stephens, Araceli Meraz Deniz and Aubrey Goodrick follow their GPS unit through sagebrush.

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Council: No thanks to theater

By Bob Vines
Editor

WORLAND –– The Worland City Council will not be taking on the responsibility of the old Washakie Theater on Big Horn Avenue.
Theater owner, David Hamilton, had offered to transfer ownership of the building that has been empty for several years over to the city.
During city commission meetings last week, city leaders talked about the option of tearing the building down in order to build additional parking for downtown visitors.
But after Tuesday’s regular meeting, the future of the theater is still up in the air. But it doesn’t appear that the city will be involved going forward.
After lengthy discussion about the city taking over the property to either tear it down, make it available to an interested entrepreneur or even to restore it themselves, the council voted to tell Hamilton that they wouldn’t be interested in it.
Councilman Sonny Shearer argued that the city should look into possibilities for the property before turning it down and councilman Jim Gill agreed that there may be some historic value.
Mayor Kreg Lombard reminded the council that the property would become the liability of the city. Other council members shared concerns of the cost to investigate options that would include hiring a structural engineer.
Councilwoman Michele Rideout made the motion to not take on responsibility and the council approved with councilmen Sonny Shearer and Jim Gill the only “nay” votes. Councilman Bob Nelsen declined to vote due to a conflict of interest –– he is employed by Hamilton.
In other business the council addressed a complaint about headstones at Worland Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
The concern centered on a pair of headstones that exceed the allowable height addressed in the code.
During a March city council meeting, members passed a motion to begin a permit process that would solve the issue after local funeral home owner David Veile approached the council.
City attorney Kent Richins told the council Tuesday night that he had been in contact with a lawyer representing Veile who suggested that the city force the family to remove the headstones.
“There’s non-conforming headstones, there’s all sorts of non-conformances out there that date back 100 years,” said Richins. “The question we had previously is where do we draw the line on conformance.”
Richins went on to remind the council of their recent policy that required the permits.
“I think that from that day forward, we should ensure that there’s not non-conformances and if you want to grant variances we should put an ordinance together that says we have the right to grant (variances),” he continued.
“I believe that we do (have the right), Mr. Veile’s attorney believes we don’t.”
Richins said that the latest letter he received from Veile’s lawyer stated that they should remove two memorials. Richins declined to name the memorials because he has yet to contact the families.
He asked the council if the city should require the funeral home that placed the memorials to remove them or if they should go forward with their recent permit policy, saying that the letter suggested possible misdemeanor charges.
Worland Police Chief Greg Bankert told the council that he wouldn’t enforce the charges.
“My department nor any man in my department will be put in that situation,” Bankert said. “I wouldn’t care if you guys terminated me for it.”
He went on to say that the issue stems from a dispute and shows a lack of respect for the deceased and their families.
“It needs to stop. Now. Even to have this conversation is ridiculous.”
Lombard asked if Bankert’s officers have discretion.
“They do by state statute. But, I’m telling you, I wouldn’t give that order. You could order me to, but I would quit.”
Richins said that, now, a process is in place and they can go forward in making sure that the policies are met.
“My position, as the city attorney, is that I have no intention of going to the families and telling them to take their gravestones down. And I have no intentions of asking our Chief of Police to issue citations,” Richins said.
The council made the decision to go forward with the current policy of issuing permits, but would not request the families to remove the headstones.
The council also approved a proposed budget that allows a $1.25 raise to each city employee. With the approval, each change would require an amendment.
After some discussion about equipment costs, the council unanimously approved the proposed budget.
Immediately after the vote, councilwoman Kathy Newman made a motion to amend the budget to allow for $1,000 for the Washakie Development Association.
The motion was seconded but failed in the vote.

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