Across Wyoming, people help each other get through coronavirus crisis
Compiled by the Wyoming News Exchange
From musical performances and bear hunts to auctions designed to help struggling restaurants, Wyoming residents continue to step up to provide assistance to each other during the coronavirus epidemic.
Here are just a few stories from around the state:
Jewelry store puts up auction to help local restaurants
GILLETTE — EK Jewelers is stepping up help Gillette restaurants that have had to close dining rooms, cut staff hours and/or layoff employees as a result of COVID-19 response orders.
The jewelry store has started an online auction to raise money for local restaurants to help its employees on its Facebook page, facebook.com/ekjewelers/.
On March 22, the jewelry store started a series of auctions, with 30% of the proceeds pledged to a chosen restaurant of the day.
“I try to pick nice pieces of value and start at a low amount, giving people a good place to start,” EK Jewelers owner Erica Kissack said.
The winning bid may not be large, but maybe it can help a business pay for an employee's groceries or electric and heating bills, she said.
“My aim is to help restaurants locally,” Kissack said. “If it gets worse for a longer period of time, hopefully it could extend out to others affected. We’ll see how it goes. It’s still new.”
The restaurants will receive the money the day of an auction or just after. — Gillette News Record
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Music on the lawn brings joy to isolated retirement home residents
JACKSON — Rafter J residents out for an early afternoon stroll Sunday morning gravitated toward the amplified sound of Peter Keenan’s voice and nylon-string guitar as it bounced off the glass and wood of Legacy Lodge at Jackson Hole and echoed into the valley.
A crowd of impromptu onlookers gathered, with their bikes and strollers, in the parking lot to watch the young father and Lower Valley Energy engineer play through classic folk, jam, country and rock tunes.
Though much of the sound was deflected off the lodge and into the Rafter J neighborhood, the formidable speakers that Keenan brought with him from the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole were pointed directly through two open windows at the lodge. Behind the windows a crowd of residents whistled, hooted and clapped at the finish of each tune.
The concert was a surprise for residents.
It came to Nikki Escalada, the lodge’s life enrichment director, last week when she began the task of canceling all of the scheduled performers due to a lockdown policy preventing non-essential visitors from entering the facility. Having worked at her current role for four years, she knew what a positive effect music could have on the mental outlook of the lodge’s residents.
“I think music is incredibly important for people of all ages,” she said.
Escalada made a Facebook post that put out the call to local musicians. The message was quickly picked up by the new “Teton County CAREmongering” group, where it “caught on fire,” Escalada said.
“Everyone started sharing it and I got a million messages.” — Jackson Hole News&Guide
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Cheyenne groups team up to support small businesses
CHEYENNE – As local businesses feel the impact of the coronavirus, economic development groups have shifted their focus. Instead of looking to spur development, these entities are working to ensure that local businesses have the resources to withstand the coming weeks.
Using contests, social media and the power of information, groups like the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority, Visit Cheyenne and the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce are collaborating to better serve Laramie County’s businesses.
DDA staff announced Friday that they’re offering Small Business Emergency Assistance Grants of up to $2,500 to help downtown businesses stay afloat.
The DDA also is currently hashing out the details for a micro-loan program for small businesses in need.
While financial support is a vital need for businesses during this time, support from the community is equally important. The DDA has teamed up with Visit Cheyenne to encourage residents to continue shopping local.
Although Visit Cheyenne is focused on tourism, CEO Domenic Bravo said, “Our community is what makes us a destination in the first place.”
They’ve released a bingo game with squares for things like leaving a review online, ordering carryout and sharing posts on social media. Those who finish their entire bingo card will be entered for a chance to win one of eight $50 gift cards to a downtown business. — Wyoming Tribune Eagle
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Rawlins illuminates holiday star as symbol of hope and faith
RAWLINS – Without breaking the boundaries of “social distancing,” many communities across the world seem to be coming closer and closer together.
Although the coronavirus pandemic continues to decimate their population, Italians sing folk songs from open windows. In Spain, musicians play instruments from their balconies. Meanwhile, a synchronized cacophony of banging pots and pans ricochet off Paris rooftops.
Rawlins, Wyoming is no different.
Earlier this week, city officials decided to illuminate its iconic holiday star, a 30-foot structure that stands on a small peak overlooking Rawlins from its west side. The star, which has ushered in the holiday season since the 1950s, can be seen from just about every city street corner in December.
The decision to again turn on the lights, however, isn’t a festive one. Instead, it’s an effort to symbolize “continued hope and faith,” according to a press release. — Rawlins Times
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Natrona County Library donates books to students, seniors
CASPER — The spread of the novel coronavirus has closed a litany of facilities in the last couple weeks, the Natrona County Library among them. But the closure of the physical building doesn’t mean the library isn’t working to help make sure children and seniors have reading materials amid social distancing measures.
The library has donated 5,000 picture books, easy readers, early chapter books and young adult fiction books and distributed them via the school district’s takeaway meal program.
That program allows Natrona County School District families to pick up meals for their children at certain points throughout the county.
With the Natrona County School District closed to students until at least April 3, “The Natrona County Library recognized the importance of continuing to get books into the hands of our community’s young readers,” according to a press release sent Wednesday.
The library donated roughly 400 large-print books to Natrona County Meals on Wheels as well, to be given to seniors isolated by the coronavirus.
The library board will also be stocking “little free libraries” around town with books donated to the Friends of the Library program. — Casper Star-Tribune
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Sheridan athletes read books to help brighten children’s day
SHERIDAN — Sheridan High School junior Xander Coon grew up around Sheridan High School athletics, attending events in his youth.
Attend any high school event and you will find the future generations of Broncs and Lady Broncs in attendance, watching and dreaming of their time to don the Blue and Gold.
“They really look up to those high school athletes,” Stephanie Vela, SHS cheer coach said.
Junior Justin Vela waited for high-fives from players and thought the SHS athletes were the coolest people in the world. Now in the position of influence, Justin Vela, Coon and other SHS athletes answered the call to help spread smiles to the children looking up to them during a time of uncertainty.
Stephanie Vela first saw the idea to post videos of athletes reading a book from the Wheatland cheer coach, who asked for submissions from around the state. She shared the idea with Don Julian, SHS athletic director, who asked her to create and run a Facebook page dedicated to Sheridan. The coach had an email sent out to every SHS coach and posted the first video, featuring Justin Vela, to the Facebook page “Story Time With the Broncs and Lady Broncs” on March 20.
One video will be posted every day during the suspension of school and Stephanie Vela received 12 videos by the afternoon of March 23.
“It means everything, it makes me smile,” Stephanie Vela said about receiving the videos from athletes. — The Sheridan Press
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Donor buys ventilators for Cody hospital
POWELL — With healthcare organizations fearing a potential shortage of ventilators, a donor recently stepped up to purchase four of the machines for the Cody hospital.
The ventilators purchased by Nick Piazza — a 1996 Cody High School graduate who now leads a business consulting firm in Ukraine — are valued at roughly $14,000 apiece, for a total donation of nearly $50,000.
Cody Regional Health now has 12 ventilators on hand. The machines pump air in and out of the lungs of people who are unable to effectively breathe on their own. They’re in short supply across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as the respiratory disease can, in severe cases, make it difficult to breathe.
While Park County currently has no hospitalizations related to the new coronavirus, Piazza reached out to Cody Regional Health early last week “in an effort to help our hospital and our community in this time of uncertainty,” the organization said in a news release.
“These kind gestures are impacting all of us,” said Annalea Avery, CRH Foundation director. “Our community is one of the most giving and supporting communities that I have ever lived in.” — Powell Tribune
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Lovell schools print masks for hospitals
LOVELL —The response to COVID-19 is seeing many entities perform a makeover. Wyoming distillers are to begin making hand sanitizer. Factories nationwide are re-gearing to construct respirators.
And Lovell schools have started printing medical masks with 3D printers.
The project started March 23 with a stroke of inspiration from North Big Horn Hospital Facility Coordinator Nick Lewis.
Lewis heard of the project out of Billings, with local businesses and hospitals creating designs for sought-after medical masks to be literally printed. Better yet, those designs were available publicly. He reached out to both Lovell and Rocky schools at 4:30 a.m. Monday morning through email.
Soon enough, before 9 a.m. that day, the shop teachers from both Rocky Mountain High School and Lovell High School were involved.
So, at 9:03 a.m., the order was placed.
“I’ll send you the information from Billings Clinic. We would like four or five printed so our leadership staff could look at them and feel them before we have 200 made,” Lewis said.
The masks take three to four hours to print each. It’s not a quick process. But, while standard masks can only be used once, with a new filter and a healthy amount of sterilization, each of these plastic masks can be used multiple times.
That might make them invaluable if the hospital supply chain runs low.
Lovell High School has joined the fray as well. Teacher Bret George said he removed the 3D printers from the school and located them just outside of Big Horn County Public Health Response Coordinator Chad Lindsay’s office. — Lovell Chronicle
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Gillette launches ‘bear hunt’
GILLETTE — With schools closed because of the coronavirus, parents are working overtime to keep their children from ransacking the house. Luckily, the outdoors aren’t off limits. Biking and walking through neighborhoods is safe and a nice way to change the scenery.
Just watch out for bears.
To help children stave off boredom during their coronavirus quarantines, people all over the world are placing stuffed animals in their windows so that kids can go on “bear hunts” in their neighborhoods, including Gillette.
The “hunts” are inspired by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s 1989 children’s book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.” In the story, a group of brave children overcome numerous obstacles in a journey to “catch a big one” on a beautiful day.
Traci Barkey, owner of City Brew Coffee in Gillette, has put a teddy bear in her window at the store as well as her home in the Western Skies neighborhood.
“It gives us something else to talk about other than coronavirus,” she said. “I think we all need a little sunshine.” — Gillette News Record
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Cab company offers free rides for seniors
CASPER — Linda Wicklund is the general manager of Casper Cabs. She started out as a dispatcher, then added some of the book work, now does the book work, coordinates and hires drivers, and makes the schedules.
Casper Cabs is offering free rides to seniors to grocery stores from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.
We talked with Wicklund about the effort.
How did this start?
Our owner, Tom Elliott, originally started Tipsy Taxi here in the community, which is now Safe Ride, which gives rides home from bars to people who have been drinking to try to curb our DUI problem.
He is very community minded.
He likes to say the community has been really good to him over the years so he says we’re a local company trying to help local people.
Does the cab wait for the shopper?
No, because then we’d have to charge wait time, but if we pick them up, we know there’s going to be a return, so they just need to call us and the driver will be there when the drop-off he’s on is complete.
We also will pick up prescriptions for them without them being there. They will have to pay for the prescription of course but we will go and get it for them and deliver it back to them.
How long are you willing to do this for free?
Probably for several weeks until things get back to normal. — Casper Star-Tribune
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City, chamber team up to start a relief fund for residents
CHEYENNE – Across the country, people from all walks of life have taken financial hits due to business closures, layoffs and hours reductions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the uncertainty of when things will return to normal, the city of Cheyenne teamed up with Forward Greater Cheyenne, the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and United Way to create the Greater Cheyenne COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, which will provide financial assistance to residents facing hardships.
About two weeks in the making, the fund’s goal is to “help Cheyenne-area residents avoid evictions and financial hardships,” according to Mayor Marian Orr.
“This really is what Cheyenne does,” Orr said. “When we have something and we have a need, we have businesses and individuals that have offered to step up and contribute to this fund.”
The assistance fund will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase will involve fundraising from businesses and residents. When the ball gets rolling on donations, the second phase will begin, and applications for residents who need assistance will open up April 13.
The money distributed from the fund will act like a grant, so those who receive assistance don’t have to worry about repaying a loan once they get back on their feet.
“It’s hit each of us. If not personally, we know of someone who has been impacted,” Orr said. “There will be better days ahead, but until then, I am so grateful to everyone who worked to establish this fund.” — Wyoming Tribune Eagle
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Sheridan seamstress contributes masks
SHERIDAN — Along with books, puzzles, newscasts, Met opera screenings and phone calls to friends and family, costume-maker and Sheridanite Pam Moore keeps herself busy at home by sewing masks for health care workers.
While health care workers transition out of their specialties and into the most urgently needed positions, many are concerned about exposure to viruses, especially amid a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment. A relative of Moore’s expressed concern for her own safety transitioning into a certified nursing assistant position in Wisconsin, Moore said.
With years of leftover costume scraps in her closet, Moore got to work sewing cotton fabric masks based on a pattern supplied by the Deaconess health care system.
A quilt-making friend jumped in to help with extra elastic, leftover from her own fabric mask-making operation for her family business, Moore said. She mailed 13 masks to the family member Tuesday.
“We are not Rosie the Riveters but we are making things that are needed,” Moore said in an email. — The Sheridan Press
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Being ‘TP’d’ has new meaning
From a note sent to the Powell Tribune by Greg Wise of Powell: “We have been TP’d! It was an act of love by an Angel! The doorbell rang and before we could get to it, a small blue car sped off leaving this (a package of 12 rolls of toilet paper) at our front door. We’ve been posting a couple of memes about running out of toilet paper, but we did say that we had enough for almost a couple of weeks if we were careful. Someone decided they did not want us to worry and showered us with paper! We should be in good shape now for a long time. Let the word go out but if somebody needs a little bit of help we are now in a position to help. Thank you to whoever did this. This is why we love living in a small town in Wyoming! Someone has our back and our backside!” — Powell Tribune
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Science teacher prints masks for health care workers
Hot Springs County High School science teacher, London Jenks, has taken matters into his own hands during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is currently creating the N95 substitute masks needed by healthcare workers using 3D printing.
“There’s been lots of people posting the substitute masks online,” Jenks said. “I’m printing the particular model associated with the Billings Clinic. I’ve only printed a few copies using the Robotics Team’s 3D Printer.”
Jenks said at this point he can print 2-4 per day as he only has one printer.
In addition to Jenks’ plastic masks, others in town have been sewing away on fabric masks for the hospital, too, including Kathy Peterson and Kristen Norris.
These ladies have been using donated materials such as cotton fabric and elastic to create the masks as quickly as possible.
The idea of the public helping is amazing, but the efficacy of fabric masks is still under scrutiny. — Thermopolis Independent Record