PROGRESS • Sublette Examiner • March 20, 2018 • Page 1

PROGRESS
2018

Pinedale is the new home for Enviremedial Services, Inc. It’s newly relocated manufacturing division specializes in the design, engineering and manufactur-
ing of water treatment, water recycling, rain harvest and wash systems for military and civilian aircraft, military and civilian heavy vehicle applications and
potable water treatment systems.

Mark Flinner plays with blocks at the BOCES preschool. The program accepts children from Kendyl Moffat prepares a bed for her stuffed dog at the
infant until they are ready to enter school. BOCES daycare program.
Page 2 • Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • Sublette Examiner • PROGRESS

PROGRESS
Sublette County – Opening for business!
By Joy Ufford, jufford@subletteexaminer.com

SUBLETTE COUNTY – With county- communities.”

wide broadband in the works, creative and For the second Sublette
skilled workforce and gorgeous mountains
County Chance Meeting on
and open spaces, an enterprising network of
March 13, Murdock and Bixler
hopeful entrepreneurs and investors touts
invited Silicon Couloir execu-
Sublette County as the next place to be for
tive director Jennifer Ford and
business. trustee Alex Muromcew to stop
Pinedale businessman Matt Murdock in and share how their organi-
and economic development consultant Samzation’s structure and programs
Bixler have participated in many brainstorm
benefit potential entrepreneurs
sessions to boost the county’s preparation
as well as investors.
for a new wave of diversified businesses. Part of learning how to best
Inspired in great part by Silicon Couloir,
attract new ideas and ventures
an entrepreneurial entity next door in Jack-
is to understand what attrac-
son, they scheduled Sublette County’s first-
tions are valuable.
ever monthly Chance Meeting in February Muromcew described Sub-
and drew more than 50 people from north,
lette’s connectivity to bustling
south, east and west with ideas, money and
Jackson Hole as being “gate-
talents to network at The Den in Daniel.
ways to each other.”
Jackson Hole has attracted many small Ford agreed: “Pinedale is
or one-person businesses but that popular-
always described as the gate-
ity brings a very high cost of living and de-
way to the Winds, and there’s
creasing private land for growth. Many next
a beautiful symmetry for me
door in Sublette County believe that wave of
coming through here, with the
JOY UFFORD PHOTO
growth will stimulate local businesspeople,
ranchers’ stewardship of the
inventors and likeminded people to boost a
land and watching the Jonah Silicon Couloir director Jennifer Ford (right) and trustee Alex Muromcew (second from
diversified economy in this traditional en-
Field start from almost noth- right) visit with locals interested in learning about entrepreneurship at the March 13
ergy county. ing.” Sublette County Chance Meeting.
“There are a lot of businesses and a lot of
Both explained how Silicon “or just have a shoulder to cry on.” friendly and supportive for entrepreneurs.
entrepreneurs in Sublette County and we’re
Couloir’s chance meetings bring together “Entrepreneurs are people thinking about A new critical access hospital is planned for
newcomers, mentors, investors and busi- tomorrow,” Ford said.
just trying to create an opportunity where construction in Pinedale with two medical
people can talk, share ideas on business,”
nesspeople who might “work alone in an At the March 13 meeting, audience clinics already in place in Marbleton and
Murdock said. “We have space, we have aoffice, work alone in a garage” who need to members shared their backgrounds, indi- Pinedale.
trade ideas, find an accountant or attorney vidual strengths, business ideas – and their
lot of creative people, we have really good Bixler, an economic development con-
hopes for entrepreneurial success in Sublette sultant for Marbleton, sees great opportuni-
County. ties ahead for the south end of the county in
The Sublette County Chamber of “Bank of the West has a lot of banking spite of energy booms and busts, with skilled
history but not really for businesses,” said workers, large facilities and decent Internet
Commerce and Sublette County new director Joan Christie. “What do busi- access.
nesses in Sublette County need from me? The Sublette County Chamber of Com-
Visitor Center embraced an What can I do?” merce is actively involved in ENDOW sub-
Rancher, grass-fed beef rancher and Rep. committees, the Sublette County Board of
exciting 2017-2018 year! Albert Sommers spoke about the recent Commissioners is actively working to build
legislative success for funding Gov. Matt a complete broadband system and people
There have been a few changes within this Mead’s ENDOW Council programs. with ideas, skills and capital are actively
“Some business magazines rate us as 50th working to support each other’s entrepre-
organization and we are preparing for a few more.
in the nation for startup capital,” Sommers neurial spirits, according to Murdock, also
said. “There will be some money available on the Pinedale Town Council.
A few of the most notable to get these entrepreneurial support systems “I’ve never seen this level of community
accomplishments this past year: up and running.” and unity at the same time,” he said.
Wyoming Workforce Services is now For more information, contact Matt Mur-
• The Sublette County Chamber of Commerce and Sublette County
also funded to provide development and dock at 307-749-0615 or mattmurdock@
Visitor Center have become two separate organizations, allow- training grants and programs. townofpinedale.us, Sam Bixler at 307-231-
ing for the Visitor Center to seek outside funding for operations. Locally and statewide, goals are to design 4546 or bixler.consulting@gmail.com, or
• We have hired a new Executive Director and Administrative As- education for a broader picture that makes Sublette Chamber of Commerce at 307-367-
sistant who are energized, enthusiastic, and visionary, complete Wyoming and Sublette County business- 2422.
with a “we can accomplish anything attitude”.
• An active Board of Directors offering expertise in a variety of
areas.
• Partnership with other organizations to create CHANCE meet-
Wyoming nonprofits receive
ings- specific for those interested in entrepreneurial networking
• Involvement to increase broadband services
• Voice on ENDOW subcommittee
over $3 million in grants
• Seasonal membership option
• Additional “perks” for members
$48,644 to organizations in Sublette County
• Business member highlight
• Chamber Mixers- networking opportunity For the Examiner
• Livestreaming of Business Knowledge Series LARAMIE –At its most recent meeting, In Sublette County, the Wyoming Com-
• Redesigned eNewsletter the Wyoming Community Foundation gave munity Foundation’s local board recently
• Member survey back in a big way to the state’s charitable granted $48,644 to the following area or-
causes. The statewide organization reported ganizations:
it distributed over $3 million to various or- • Audubon of the Rockies
2018 Initiatives ganizations across the state. • Children’s Discovery Center
• Leadership Sublette County class (limited to 20 participants) The Wyoming Community Foundation • Friends of Big Piney Recreation
• Economic Development planning counts on donor support for grantmaking. • Greater Wyoming Big Brothers Big
• Tourism Ambassador training (training for those working in The organization holds nearly 400 funds for Sisters
the customer service industry) families, individual donors, businesses, and • Main Street Pinedale
• Improved Membership Services nonprofits. These funds are invested, and • Sublette County Sexual Assault and
the returns are used to support charitable Family Violence
causes. • Town of Marbleton
 PROGRESS • Sublette Examiner • March 20, 2018 • Page 3

PROGRESS
Variety of curriculums offered to start kids strong
By Cody Olivas, colivas@subletteexaminer.com

PINEDALE – For parents who not only
want a safe place to drop off their kids,
but also want a place that will help pre-
pare their kids emotionally and mentally
for elementary school, Sublette County
has several options.
With a handful of preschools in both
Pinedale and Big Piney, parents can
choose a place that offers a curriculum
that best fits their needs and wants.
The Children’s Learning Center,
which has locations in both Pinedale and
Big Piney, uses the closely aligned pro-
grams of Creative Curriculum and Reggio
Emilia. In Reggio Emilia, the students and
teachers form a partnership. The children
create their own curriculum while the
teachers guide and motivate them. Parents
can also help develop curriculum for their
kids.
The Learning Center offers opportuni-
ties for kids with and without disabilities.
Recognizing that children with dis-
abilities are sometimes segregated from
their peers, children with and without de-
velopmental disabilities receive the same
educational opportunities, together in the
same classroom without regard to ability
or income. Each of the inclusive class-
rooms has a lead teacher, a co-teacher,
and an inclusion specialist who assists the
offer all children the educational boost ties.
and social experiences they need to start The different center’s all
school with confidence.” offer different options for
Pinedale Preschool Inc. is another early care. Some places offer half
childhood education provider that offers days and full days, some
NAEYC-accredited learning programs for offer two-day a week op-
preschool kids. A typical day schedule in- tions and some offer five-day
volves discussions in circle time, self-help child care services.
routines, active play, engaging in hands- Whatever you’re looking
on learning and exposing kids to art, lan- for, chances are it can be
guages and physical activities. found right here in Sublette
The company is open to kids 2-1/2 County.
years of age up to 5 years old.
Lisa’s Little People is an independent Preschool and child care
childcare center that offers early care and centers in Sublette County:
education programs for preschool chil-
dren. Lisa’s Little People can admit 12 Children’s Learning Center,
children who are between the ages of zero Pinedale and Big Piney
and 7 years old. (307) 367-6306
The Sublette BOCES Early Education
Program (BEEP) offers programs through- Sublette BEEP, Pinedale
out the school year to help infants and tod- 307-367-5505
dlers develop their social and emotional
skills, cognitive abilities, language and Alphabet Soup, Big Piney
physically. 307-276-5451
According to BEEP’s website, “The
role of our teachers is to provide encour- Pinedale Preschool Inc.
agement and at times guide the children. (397) 367-2666
We strive to provide an environment
where each child has opportunities to par- Lisa’s Little People
ticipate in both planned and spontaneous Pinedale HOLLY DABB PHOTO

children with special needs that share the
classroom with their peers.
The inclusive half-day preschool serves
children ages 3 to 5. According to the cen-
ter’s website, the “preschool programs
activities.”
The infant program is designed to pro-
mote feelings of belonging and the loving
while the toddler program includes more
developmentally age appropriate activi-
307-367-6795 Grace Carpenter cuddles Royce Richardson during
a quiet time at the BOCES Early Education Pro-
Jules Child Care, Pinedale gram. One of the many educational opportunities
307-367-2289 for parents, the preschool program is open nine
months of the year.

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Page 4 • Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • Sublette Examiner • PROGRESS
PROGRESS
From Pinedale with love
Nationwide military contractor sets up shop in Pinedale
PINEDALE – When a hurricane struck
Puerto Rico leaving the small island nation
without simple things such as power and
water, a Sublette County business stepped
up.
Enviremedial Services, Inc., a national
and new-to-Pinedale U.S. military services
contractor, was asked to step to the plate
and build a water filtration system to pro-
vide fresh water for the military base, Fort
Buchanan.
While new to providing drinking water,
and new to Sublette County, the company
isn’t new to developing and maintaining fil-
tration systems.
According to Sam Sumrall, director of
sales and marketing, the company initially
designed self-contained wash bays. The
military has a directive to reduce water
usage and keeping military vehicles clean
takes lots of water. The wash bays enable
large vehicles to be washed; the water is col-
lected in large tanks, “polished” and reused.
Not only does it reuse the water, the system
also reduces the amount of contaminants
that must be discarded. Instead of paying to
dispose of 8,000 gallon of water that may
contain chemicals such as fuel, the military
is looking at disposing a couple barrels of
contaminants that have been filtered from
the water.
That technology wasn’t far off of what
was needed when the hurricane struck in
Puerto Rico.
A filtration system was designed that
can purify rainwater or connect to a pub-
lic water system. Because it is completely
powered by solar panels, it works without
electricity.
Sumrall said he just returned from Puerto
Rico, where he said they are extremely
pleased with the system.
“It’s going to open up an entirely new
market for us,” Sumrall said.
Moving to Pinedale
Enviremedial Services, Inc., relocated its
manufacturing division to Pinedale in De-
cember of 2017. The company’s headquar-
ters and several other divisions are based
in Oceanside, Calif., where the company
started operations in 1991.
ESI president Geoff Keogh has owned
property in Bondurant for four years and
immediately saw the great potential in Pine-
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307-367-4141
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By Holly Dabb, hdabb@subletteexaminer.com
Sam Sumrall, director of sales and
marketing for Enviremedial Services,
Inc., shows how the final panels will
be placed on the enclosed water fil-
tration system before it was shipped
to Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico.
dale for the manufacturing division, also
previously based in Oceanside, Calif.
“I first passed through Pinedale in 1983
and spent time in Wyoming on and off until
I was able settle in Bondurant,” Keogh said.
“Our owners, Chris and Pat Keogh, made
trips up to explore the possibilities and
found the area an excellent location to relo-
cate ESI’s manufacturing.”
With the area’s potential workforce and
extremely friendly business environment,
64 Runway Lane at the Pinedale Airport
was chosen for the manufacturing opera-
tions. The move began in December 2017
and is in the final set-up stages.
Founded in 1991, ESI is a privately held
company that provides equipment and ser-
vices primarily to military bases throughout
the U.S. and Puerto Rico. ESI currently em-
ploys 54 people nationwide, many of whom
are veterans and several are in serving in
the Reserves or National Guard. ESI has
proudly already hired two Wyoming resi-
dents to start building the local team.
ESI President Geoff Keogh expressed his
optimism about the move. “We are excited
about locating in Wyoming and hope to be-
come a vital part of the community. As our
business develops, the plans call for hiring
local skilled labor. With ESI’s nationwide
presence, employment opportunities will
include travel throughout the United States
and Puerto Rico to accomplish a large in-
flux of work. In recent discussions among
management, it was noted that everything
Marbleton
10692 Hwy 189
Marbleton, WY 83113
307-276-5266
HOLLY DABB PHOTOS
64 Runway Road is the new manufacturing location in Sublette County for
Enviremedial Services, Inc. The low tax structure and quality of life were cited
as reasons for locating the manufacturing facility in Sublette County.
about Wyoming, and particularly Pinedale, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
fits perfectly with our plans and goals for Naval Weapons Station, China Lak, Calif.;
the future.” Marine Corps Air Station 29 Palms, Calif.;
“Since moving the manufacturing divi- and many U.S. Army Reserve and National
sion, ESI has had nothing but the warmest Guard locations throughout California.
welcome and hospitality from everyone Seventeen years ago, ESI developed a pro-
in the community and local government,” cess to dramatically decrease the amount of
Keogh said. “We could not be more grate- wastewater hauled off military installations
ful and motivated to help contribute to this during cleanings of the in-ground oil-water
wonderful place we now call home.” separators.
The five main divisions of the company ESI developed mobile trucks, which
are: now will be one of the products produced in
• Manufacturing division Pinedale, to recycle usable water that used
ESI’s newly relocated manufacturing di- to be hauled away, and returns it to the oil
vision specializes in the design, engineer- water separators. ESI’s process has saved
ing and manufacturing of water treatment, valuable potable water by the hundreds of
water recycling, rain harvest and wash sys- millions of gallons since the program was
tems for military and civilian aircraft, mili- started.
tary and civilian heavy vehicle applications • Enviremedial services construction di-
and potable water treatment systems. All vision
these systems will be now manufactured in This division supports both the manu-
Pinedale. facturing division and the facilities main-
The manufacturing facility consists of tenance divisions. ESI construction teams
welding operations, a small machine shop, usually deploy to wash-rack or rain-harvest
thermal plastic welding and an ETL panel sites first and build infrastructure that might
shop. One of ESI’s newest products is wash be required before the systems are installed.
rack rain harvest systems and rain harvest- This division also supports the facili-
to-potable water systems. ties division with major construction work.
ESI was commissioned by the U.S. Army Notably, this team will be instrumental in
to develop these two systems to assist in repairing 14 U.S. Army Reserve Centers in
meeting the mandates of the U.S. military Puerto Rico that were heavily damaged by
in meeting their consumption needs of the hurricane. There is an estimated $10.5
fresh domestic potable water. The latest million in heavy repair work in Puerto Rico
system just finished up the manufacturing just at these 14 sites alone that ESI will be
process in Pinedale and is an off-grid solar/ responsible for completing and work has
battery powered unit that collects rainwa- already begun.
ter and processes and treats it into potable • HVAC, mechanical and building auto-
water. Besides the system in Puerto Rico, mation systems division
two other rain-harvest systems are currently This division has been instrumental in
under evaluation in Savanna, Ga., and Fort installing HVAC and photo-voltalic con-
Worth, Texas. trol systems in many military and govern-
• Military facilities maintenance and ment facilities to assist in meeting energy
management reduction mandates. ESI building automa-
ESI conducts preventative maintenance, tion division is at the forefront of designing
major and minor repairs and manages and installing building systems to remotely
on more than 75 U.S. Army Reserve and monitor and control virtually any system
Marine Corps facilities nationwide. Most within a building. Most of ESI-built envi-
notably, ESI is contracted to maintain the ronmental equipment has remote monitor-
350,000-square-foot Marine Forces Reserve ing and control, which has been a huge
headquarters in New Orleans, La. factor in the saving of equipment and repair
• Oil water separator maintenance and costs.
management More information on the company can be
ES services industrial water systems on found at www.esicleanwater.com.

2018 Sublette County health rankings
Tipline seeks to promote awareness
PINEDALE – In Wyoming, as students
are showing solidarity with the victims of
the Parkland shooting, and focus on school
safety, Safe2Tell Wyoming offers support
for the students seeking to be active members
of their school and community, regardless of
their political positions.
“Safe2Tell Wyoming gives students, par-
ents and teachers a means to anonymously
report safety concerns and that is impor-
tant,” Gov. Matt Mead said. “In the short
time the program has been operating, we’ve
already seen measurable, remarkable results.
As awareness of the program spreads and
Safe2Tell grows, it becomes an ever more
effective tool for keeping our children safe
at school.”
The state of Wyoming passed legislation
in 2016 critical to creating safe schools as a
result of other school tragedies. Since that
time Safe2Tell operators, law enforcement
and school officials have responded to more
than 185 tips regarding suicide threats and
self harm, investigated more than 100 tips on
drug and alcohol use from students, addressed
191 cases of bullying, and 30 tips regarding
school shootings. Two of those incidents led
to an arrest.
“When tragedies like the recent school
shooting in Florida occur, students, parents,
teachers and administrators naturally look
to ways to prevent similar events in their
schools and neighborhoods,” Peter Michael,
Wyoming attorney general said.
PROGRESS • Sublette Examiner • March 20, 2018 • Page 5
PROGRESS
Pinedale Prevention Specialist Ranae Pape ing system. Safe2Tell Wyoming provides By promoting the Safe2Tell Wyoming
agreed the program works. students, parents, teachers and concerned reporting resource, you are informing and
She had a parent relate her daughter’s community members a way to confiden- engaging your fellow community members
friend used her daughter’s phone as a prank tially report safety concerns in order for ap- to be part of the solution. Call: 1-844-996-
and posted on Facebook, unknown to the propriate teams of school officials and law 7233 (844-WYO-SAFE) Submit a tip on-
daughter. The parents were surprised when enforcement to create effective interventions line: http://safe2tellwy.org. Download the
minutes later a sheriff’s deputy was at the in the lives of youth who are struggling. app on iPhone or any Android device.
door checking on her wellbeing.
“It took 12 minutes from the post to the
arrival of law enforcement,” Pape said. She
added even though it was a prank, it was
taken seriously.
Pinedale Energy Partners
In 2017, 743 reports were made state-
wide to the Safe2Tell hotline.
is proud to be operating
“We are fortunate in Wyoming, as a re-
sult of a concerted study and action by the
with integrity in our
governor and our Legislature, to have a sys- Pinedale community.
tem in place called Safe2Tell that is part of
the answer to preventing violence in, and
associated with, our schools. The impres-
sive record of Safe2Tell in the relatively
short period in which it has been imple-
mented, makes its potential clear,” Michael
said.
Wyoming Attorney General’s A partner-
ship with the Wyoming Highway Patrol,
Wyoming Office of Homeland Security,
Wyoming Attorney General’s Office and
the Wyoming Department of Education,
Safe2Tell Wyoming provides trainings,
presentations, resources, promotional and
marketing materials to Wyoming schools to
increase awareness and promote responsible
use of the Safe2Tell confidential report-
Page 6 • Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • Sublette Examiner • PROGRESS
PROGRESS
Home
Brew
Pinedale brewer
comes home to
perfect job
By Joy Ufford,
jufford@subletteexaminer.com
PINEDALE – Throughout life, Emily
Johnston enjoys the scientific challenges
that test her theories and her creativity.
Both attributes continue to work in her
favor as Johnston, Pinedale’s newest beer
brewer, puts her skills and experiences to
work at the Wind River Brewing Company.
After a whirlwind start less than two months
ago with past brewmaster and consultant
Richie Strom’s guidance, Johnston is brew-
ing up a storm in its bright silver tanks.
“The first day I was here, we brewed –
the day I walked in the door,” she said. On
Friday, her and Strom’s first batches of Out
of Order Porter and Gayle Force English
pale ale will be on tap with mug club mem-
bers awaiting.
Her family is thrilled to have her home,
and new brewpub owners Roy and Kari
DeWitt are thrilled to have Johnston with
them as they start their new business ven-
ture with the long-established brewery and
restaurant.
“I never thought there would be a job for
me here,” Johnston said. “This was really
unexpected.”
A 2010 graduate, Johnston left her fam-
ily and friends in Boulder and Pinedale to
undertake what was likely expected, with
her science fair projects, 4-H and FFA live-
stock awards and ranch life background.
“Maggie Hudlow and I went to the inter-
national science fair (as juniors) with our
project on how to clean up different spills
in the oilfield with bacteria,” she recalled.
“We didn’t change the world but we did
pretty good.”
When Johnston took the project to a na-
tional FFA convention as a senior, however,
she said judges didn’t believe two high
school students had created such a complex
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www.jorgeng.com | 307.367.6548 | 58 S. Tyler Ave. | P.O. Box 1519 | Pinedale, WY 82941
Johnston prepares to test a sample of India pale ale.
project. Next she worked on a pine beetle
project “but didn’t get anywhere with it.”
Johnston, not to be deterred, spent two
years at Northwest College in Powell on a
livestock-judging scholarship, taking a lot
of science and management classes. But
wanderlust struck and she moved to South
Carolina to work in the hospitality industry,
considering a move into the world of wine,
another very technical endeavor, but was
drawn to the craft beer industry.
“With grapes you showcase what you
already have,” she explained. “With beer,
you’ve got all these ingredients anyone can
use and be really creative. There are hun-
dreds of yeast strains, hops and malts – you
can build a recipe and see if it tastes good.
It was a big switch from wine to beer, but
anything with yeast is technical.”
It was during her wine studies semester
in Italy that Johnston decided to go for it.
As she’d learned more about making
beer and its supportive “craft” culture,
she shifted her focus and her address from
South Carolina to Denver where craft brew-
eries pop up on almost every corner – even
under Coors Stadium.
“The craft beer industry’s culture is fun,
laid back and outdoorsy,” she commented.
“I met more like-minded people in the
brewing industry and I wanted to be there.”
Having designed her own independent
studies major at the Metropolitan State Uni-
versity of Denver, she turned to the sciences
of brewing and took a part-time position
at Westfax Brewing Company, where she
found great support.
After Denver, Johnston moved to Mon-
tana and took jobs at two breweries, work-
ing events at Madison River Brewing and
as a “cellar person” at Katabatic Brewing
in Livingston.
“The cellar person does anything and ev-
erything, a lot of cleaning and a lot of grunt
work. The brewer said there wasn’t a lot of
room to move up there but he would teach
me everything he could. I’ve been really
fortunate to work with brewers willing to
help me learn.”
The last step – from Montana to Pine-
dale – came about in equal parts because of
whom she knows and what she knows. Her
entire family has supported her, knowing
she will do what she wants.
Mother Cassie told the DeWitts about
Emily’s background, they immediately con-
tacted her.
“We hired Emily because she has the ex-
perience, passion and skill set to make great
beer,” said Roy. “She’s been a wonderful
addition to the brewery and we can’t wait
to see how she and Richie Strom move our
brewing operations to the next level. We
would have hired her no matter where she
was raised. It’s just a bonus that she’s from
Pinedale.”
However, she wasn’t sure she ready to
leave behind the great fishing trips she had
planned.
“I asked the Montana brewmaster for ad-
vice and he said, ‘you can come and visit
and fish; you’re an idiot if you don’t take
this job.’”
The DeWitts bought the brewpub to grow
its reputation for good food, good brews
and good service. Kari is thrilled to have a
hometown brewer aboard – “We love that
Emily came home to a full-time job doing
what she loves in Pinedale.”
Roy added, “We are ramping up our
production and canning output and plan on
distributing statewide in the near future. Ul-
timately our hopes are to bring long-term
stable jobs to our community.”
With incredible support from all sides,
Johnston is very comfortable moving
through the Wind River Brewing gigantic
tanks, checking gauges and hoses, resetting
temperatures and cleaning everything as she
goes.
“When you’re a small brewery, you do
JOY UFFORD
PHOTOS
everything, which is great because those are
the things I’m really comfortable with.”
Recently she used her own recipe to start
a batch for a Pink Boots Society fundraiser,
hosting a tour and tasting at “her” brewery.
The foundation, which helps women inter-
ested in any aspect of the brewing industry,
is one of Johnston’s favorite causes.
Each year, Pink Boots creates a unique
blend of hops that brewers are invited to
use and Johnston’s first recipe for the “Pink
Boots Collaborative Brew” should be ready
soon.
“We have high hopes for it,” she added.
“We will have a tasting with the mug club
members and all the ladies that came to the
event last week.”
Johnston noted that different varieties of
hops can lend everything from “piney” to
“floral” to “citrusy” notes – and yes, hops
do grow at her family’s ranch, but they’re
not quite right for modern craft beer.
“Anywhere there’s been beer, histori-
cally, there are hops. Those ‘cluster hops’
at the ranch are primitive without a lot of
cones. But Mom’s a crazy gardener and she
is going to grow some hops now.”
Experimenting with flavors and styles for
excellent brews is a passion for Johnston,
even though “right now when we make a
recipe, it’s for 20 barrels of beer,” she joked.
Johnston is pleased to find a job in
her hometown where she can be cre-
ative and scientific at the same time.

Wyoming higher education ranks No. 3 in the nation
No need to leave the state to get an outstanding education
WYOMING – According to Census Bu-
reau data from 2016, the average worker with
a bachelor’s degree earns $51,600 per year.
That is roughly $22,000 more than the aver-
age worker with a high school diploma, and
$30,000 more than a worker without a high
school diploma.
It’s hard to overstate the value of an educa-
tion.
John Anderson, Sublette BOCES direc-
tor said, “One of the best parts of enriching
education for everyone in the community is
the work we do with Western to provide free
college courses for Pinedale High School stu-
dents.”
Western Wyoming Community Col-
lege offers a lot of opportunities, even for
rural communities such as Sublette County,
through 160 online courses with 11 degree
programs and six certificate programs. It
even provides opportunities at the high school
level.
Wyoming is a great place to work and
play, and these facts prove it’s an outstand-
ing place to learn as well. One of the greatest
obstacles or challenges students face in the
United States is the increasing cost of higher
education. Wyoming residents are fortunate
to live in communities and in a state that pro-
vides every student an opportunity to earn
higher education by receiving some financial
aid, local and state scholarships, including the
Hathaway State scholarship.
Western Wyoming Community College
also provides an additional 50 priority schol-
arships and grants for a variety of studies on
top of these. But how does the quality of edu-
John Anderson stands in front of the Western Wyoming Community College
campus in Pinedale. Students in high school can get both high school and
college credits with dual enrollment.
For the Examiner
cation in the state of Wyoming compare to
other states?
A 2018 study was provided by smartasset,
which ranked Wyoming No. 3 in the Nation
for higher education. Neighboring states are
much lower – Utah at No. 31, Colorado No.
36, Montana No. 47 and Idaho at No. 48.
What sets Wyoming schools apart? One rea-
son is the low student-to-faculty ratios such as
Western Wyoming Community College’s 15
to 1 student-faculty ratio with 16 percent of
faculty having doctorates and 63 percent with
master’s degrees.
Additionally, Wyoming is committed to
providing tools and services to help students
graduate, show casing our cumulative state
graduation rate of 55 percent, while the na-
tional average is 28 percent.
To find the best states for higher education,
smartasset looked at data for the following
five metrics:
• Undergraduate graduation rate. Data
comes from the Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System. Data is for the 2015-
2016 school year.
• Student-faculty ratio. This metric also
comes from the IPEDS data center. It’s from
the 2016-2017 school year.
• 20-year return on investment. This is the
difference between 20 years of median pay
for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree and 24
years of median pay for a high school gradu-
ate minus the costs for attending four years at
the higher education institution. Data comes
from Payscale.
• In-state attendance rate. This is the per-
centage of students who graduated from high
PROGRESS • Sublette Examiner • March 20, 2018 • Page 7
PROGRESS
school in 2015 who went on to attend an
in-state college. Data comes from the Inte-
grated Postsecondary Education Data System
and the Western Interstate Commission for
Higher Education.
• Average net price. This metric consid-
ers the average yearly price for first-time,
full-time undergraduate students. Data comes
from the Integrated Postsecondary Education
Data System and is for the 2015-2016 school
year.
The Smart Asset mission is to empower
people to make smart financial decisions.
From home buying, learning the new tax plan,
planning for retirement or helping parents
find loans and schools for their children. In
2016 they won the Benzinga Fintech Award
for “Best Educational Tools and Services”.
The Smart Asset’s tools and advice are objec-
tive and based on the data. They use patent-
pending Automated Financial Modeling, or
Wyoming ranks No. 5 on ‘Best
States for Higher Education’ list
For the Examiner
WYOMING – The low cost of higher
education in Wyoming, combined with low
student debt and a relatively high commu-
nity college graduation rate, have placed the
state No. 5 on U.S. News & World Report’s
new “Best States for Higher Education” list.
Wyoming trails only Florida, Utah,
Washington and California in the rankings,
which are part of the magazine’s annual
“Best States” report.
In the area of tuition and fees, Wyo-
ming ranks No. 1 because of its low cost
for University of Wyoming and community
college students. UW’s tuition and fees for
resident undergraduates are the lowest in
the nation among doctoral degree-granting
institutions, and its nonresident tuition and
fees are among the lowest.
UW and Wyoming community college
students also graduate with relatively little
debt, resulting in a No. 8 ranking in that cat-
egory by U.S. News & World Report. In
fact, more than half of UW graduates have
no student loan debt.
Wyoming also ranks ninth for the per-
centage of students who earn associate de-
grees within three years.
Meanwhile, the magazine ranks Wyo-
ming 27th for the percentage of students
who earn bachelor’s degrees within six
AFM, technology to simulate how different
decisions (like buying or renting a home) will
affect you financially. In some cases compa-
nies pay them for a referral fee if a person
clicks on or is approved for a financial prod-
uct through their site.
SmartAsset states this compensation does
not influence their recommendations or ad-
vice. They maintain editorial integrity when
evaluating products and clearly any partner,
sponsored or advertising content and place-
ments, and can be trusted as an independent
advisor.
For more information regarding the publi-
cation of ranking visit: www.smartasset.com/
student-loans/top-states-for-higher-educa-
tion-2018-edition, or for more information on
SmartAsset: www.smartasset.com. For more
information on Western Wyoming Commu-
nity College, and scholarship opportunities
contact mustangcentral@westernwyoming.
years. And, in the area of educational at-
tainment – considering the percentage of
people 25 years and older who hold asso-
ciate degrees or higher – Wyoming ranks
29th.
Taking into account all of those factors,
Wyoming ranks fifth overall in the “Best
States for Higher Education” category, just
ahead of North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa,
Colorado and North Carolina.
U.S. News & World Report’s overall
“Best States” rankings are based on both
higher education and K-12 education,
health care, economy, infrastructure, crime,
fiscal stability and quality of life. Wyoming
comes in 21st among the 50 states when
combining all of those measures.
The high ranking for Wyoming’s higher
education is just the latest in a series of rat-
ings that have highlighted the value of a
UW education. Earlier this year, the con-
sumer website Growella ranked UW No.
3 on its best-value list, based on how long
it takes UW graduates to pay off student
loans. Last summer, Student Loan Hero
ranked Wyoming No. 1 on its list of “20
States Where College is Worth the Cost,”
comparing the cost of bachelor’s degrees
to how much holders of four-year degrees
earn in each state.
Page 8 • Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • Sublette Examiner • PROGRESS

PROGRESS
BOCES focuses on
education of all ages
For the Examiner
PINEDALE – Whether it’s preschool,
after-school, adult education or classes for
those over 60 at Rendezvous Pointe, Sub-
lette County Board of Cooperative Edu-
cation Services, most often referred to as
BOCES, provides educational opportuni-
ties for all ages.
According to Director John Anderson,
property owners in Sublette County School
District No. 1 are assessed a dedicated half
mil of property taxes that fund the pro-
grams.
Residents may have attended a Saturday
University when educators from the Uni-
versity of Wyoming come to the commu-
nity and give presentations.
“It gives people a taste of what it is like
to attend college,” Anderson said.
Community education classes are of-
fered throughout the year. Anything from
painting to photography is available and
can be registered for online.
The day starts early at the BOCES build-
ing as parents drop off younger children
from infants to school-aged at the daycare
preschool. There is room for up to eight
infants, 10 toddlers and 24 3-year-olds.
While only available during the school
year, the preschool caters to teachers who
need daycare.
Once school is let out, a busload of
students arrives. Older children may pass
through BOCES enroute to the Pinedale
Aquatic Center.
Recently, the after school team was
asked to present a month-long “Pollinator
Project” during the Wyoming After-School
Alliance in Cheyenne. Students researched
types of bees, visited a working apiary and
then built pollinator boxes that were erected
at the CCC Ponds, as well as the Waterwise
Garden. The Forest Service and the Sage
and Snow Garden Club were community
collaborators in this learning opportunity
for students.
“We try to schedule fun activities on Fri-
days when school has an early release or if
there is a teacher inservice day,” Anderson
said.
At any given time, you may see English
as a Second Language being taught. The fa-
cility also will proctor tests for other orga-
nizations, enabling residents to stay in the
community. COURTESY PHOTO
“You can see, there is a lot of collabora- The BOCES afterschool team, from the left, is Rachel Miller, Kaidi Raney and
tion going on,” Anderson said. Jacque Bly.

Our Mission: For low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency

through career training and placement.

THANK YOU!
These Sublette County businesses have recently employed
COURTESY PHOTO
Climb Wyoming graduates and are helping local families
Avery McMillen and Isla Blair make wontons as part of “You Choose Tues-
reach self-sufficiency: day,” an after-school program hosted by BOCES that lets students pick for a
FastTrax Permitting, LLC half-dozen activities including cooking class.
LR Computer Services
Wind River Dental
The following training and community partners have helped
our participants find success:
Central Wyoming College Pinedale Food Basket
St. John’s Hospital Sublette BOCES
Teton County Library Soroptimists of Sublette County
Department of Family Services Sublette County
Department of Workforce Services Chamber of Commerce
The Family Tree Sublette County Public Health
First Interstate Bank Sublette County SAFV Task Force
Jorgensen Associates Vocational Rehabilitation
Contact us today if you are interested in becoming a
Climb Wyoming employer partner!
TETON AREA PROGRAM | 255 East Simpson | PO Box 9494
Jackson, WY 83002 | (307) 733-4088
teton@climbwyoming.org | climbwyoming.org