Competition isn’t always

about agony and athletes aren’t always acutely

intense. The annual 2019 Wyoming Senior

Winter Games makes sure its competitors –

from 50 years old on up – completely enjoy

themselves and their good health.

More than 100 participants started checking

in Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday,

Feb. 8 and Feb. 9, at the Pinedale Aquatic

Center for challenges that range from speed

skating to giant slalom to pickleball, a swim

meet – and an inner tube race?

These Wyoming Winter Games athletes

are competitive and intense – but they also

enjoy the camaraderie around these contests

hosted at White Pine Ski Resort, the PAC and

Sublette County Ice Arena.

As the grand finale, the 2019 Wyoming

Senior Winter Games Banquet starts Saturday

night at with a BYOB happy hour from 5:30

p.m. at Rendezvous Pointe and entertainment.

Dinner is at 6 p.m. with a guest speaker and a

slide show of highlights. Athletes and guests

Doorn introduced as new interim administrative director

MARBLETON  – The Sublette County

Rural Health Care District Board of Trustees

introduced Dave Doorn as the district’s new interim

administrative director at a special meeting

conducted in Marbleton on Feb. 6.

Trustees Wendy Boman, Bill Johnson,

Marti Seipp, Tonia Hoffman and Mike Pompy

were all present at the meeting. Several district

EMTs, practitioners and staff members were

also in attendance.

Doorn briefly spoke to the audience and

thanked the board for the “opportunity.” Doorn

stated that he lived in Pinedale for nine years

and “ran the Sublette Center” during that time.

He then returned to the center as a consultant.

Doorn told the assembly that district staff

and practitioners were “very welcoming” and

added, “Right now I’m listening and learning.”

He urged people with concerns or questions

to contact him, and provided his work email:

ddoorn@sublettehealthcare.com.

“I really want to talk to people, and hear

what people think,” he said.

With Executive Director of Finance Lorraine

Gatzke leaving her position on Feb. 8,

Pompy asked Doorn and the board whether

anyone was overseeing the district’s finances

in the interim period. Doorn stated that he was

working with Gatzke and other staff members

to ensure a “smooth transition.”

The board also approved a new six-month

lease with Sublette County. Boman announced

that the county approached the health care district

with “a very generous and gracious” offer

to provide a rent-free lease for the next six

months. This will save the health care district

approximately $72,000, she added.

The board unanimously passed a motion to

approve the rent-free six-month lease agreement

with Sublette County.

The board discussed interviewing applicants

for the new finance manager position. Boman

told the board that three people had submitted

applications. The board agreed to schedule

interviews to coincide with the regular board

meeting scheduled on Feb. 20.

The board then passed a motion to go into

a closed executive session to discuss personnel

and legal issues. Doorn and attorney Clay Kainer

remained in the executive session.

When the board reconvened for regular session,

Boman announced that attorney Doug

Mason was leaving as the district’s legal counsel

on Feb. 10.

The board unanimously passed a motion to

extend a contract with Clay Kainer to serve as

the district’s legal counsel. Boman said that the

board will sign the contract with Kainer at the

Feb. 20 regular meeting. In the period between

Mason’s last day on Feb. 10 and the signing of

the contract on Feb. 20, Kainer will serve as

“interim” legal counsel, Boman said.

The board passed a motion to enter into a

second closed executive session to discuss

further legal and personnel issues. Following

the second executive session, Boman stated

that the board would not take any action at that

time on issues discussed in the second executive

session.

By Robert Galbreath

rgalbreath@pinedaleroundup.com

Other actions taken by the commission include:

• Woods Environmental was selected and

approved as the grant writer to assist Hoback

Ranches Homeowners Association apply for

Federal Emergency Management Agency

grants. Emergency Management Coordinator

Jim Mitchell said he had four requests for

proposals submitted but the people working for

Woods Environmental had helped the county

develop a hazards mitigation plan two years

ago. Once the grants are received, a contract

will be needed for a grant manager.

• The board passed a motion to rezone property

in the Knori Minor Subdivision near Bondurant

Ranch into a “minor subdivision” where

residential development will be permitted. Ten

acres are now designated as rural residential 10,

where a 10-acre minimum parcel is required,

with 30 acres designated as rural residential 20,

where the minimum is 20 acres. The proposal

was presented by Dennis Fornstrom from the

planning and zoning department on behalf of

property owner Michael Knori.

• Fornstrom presented a proposal to create a

new layer on the county's geographic information

systems (GIS) map with information on

snow loads. Fornstrom said that this will act as

a general reference to help builders design safe

roofs based on a projection of how much snow

and ice might accumulate. Fornstrom proposed

working with Jorgensen Associates of Pinedale

to collect the needed data. He told the commissioners

that the proposal fee will “not exceed

$6,300.” The board did not take any formal action

on the proposal, but expressed interest in

moving forward with the project.

• The board passed a motion to act on a mineral

royalties grant with the Wyoming State

Loan and Investment Board in the amount of

$360,000 to cover part of the cost of a new

vehicle for Sublette County Unified Fire. The

board also passed a motion to authorize Fire

Chief Shad Cooper to proceed and solicit

quotes for the vehicle.

• The board approved a notice of award with

Premier Site Development for $290,000 worth

of exterior upgrades at the Pinedale Fire Station.

• The board passed a motion to approve

an agreement between Sublette County and

Flow Right Plumbing to provide materials for

interior work on the fire Station not to exceed

$31,000.

By Joy Ufford

jufford@pinedaleroundup.com

are invited; extra tickets are available at registration.

Friday, Feb. 8

• Pinedale Aquatic Center: 8 a.m. – Onemile

walk starts at the PAC through Saturday

with timers, 535 N. Tyler.

• White Pine: 9 a.m. – snowshoe sprints,

Nordic classic and freestyle, slalom and giant

slalom, 10 miles from Pinedale at 74 White

Pine Rd.

• PAC: 2:30 p.m. – Swim meet and relays,

535 N. Tyler.

Saturday, Feb. 9

• Sublette County Ice Arena: 7:30 a.m. –

speed skating, hockey shoot, 1219 W. Washington

St., Pinedale.

• White Pine: 9:30 a.m. – citizens’ Nordic

ski race, snowshoe and giant slalom.

• PAC: 2 p.m., Mixed doubles pickleball,

535 N. Tyler.

• Rendezvous Pointe: 5:30 p.m. – BYOB

cocktail hour for athletes and guests, 6 p.m.

dinner and guest speaker, 425 E. Magnolia St.,

Pinedale.

For a complete schedule, visit the Pinedale

Aquatic Center or www.pinedaleaquatic.com.