The only real streets emergency in the Capital City is the mayor’s failure to fulfill her 2016 promises

We don't need it do we?

It's fake. That's what it be to 'ya, dig me?

Don't believe the hype.

-- Public Enemy 

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

What happened to all that bluster about road repair in 2016? Catering to the masses with and "needs beat the wants" campaigning? (In 2019, it appears, Madame Mayor, that you are realtor of the year instead of that county commissioner.) 

What happened to this plan?

“With the fifth-penny sales tax no longer able to keep up with the cost of road maintenance," the mayor suggested "drawing

This pothole sits in front of City Hall.

on the city’s share of the state’s gas tax and mineral royalties to make up the deficit.”  

Was this before you decided to go toe-to-toe with the governor? 

Three years have passed, and nothing has changed. Same ole rhetoric with a different face.

Maybe I should’ve supported a city administrator.

Back in 2016, the public works crew stated:

“Potholes only appear when a road is already past a sort of ‘point of no return,’ where routine maintenance can no longer preserve its structure.”

What happened to the pavement condition index, which measures the overall quality of Cheyenne’s streets on a scale from 1 to 100? Do these numbers look familiar? They were published in 2016:

“Fifteen percent of our roads are already backlogged, meaning they’re (past that point and) at the full reconstruct stage, and if I were to fix them all, it would cost $80 million to $90 million.”  

After all, the honeymoon con to add roads to the sixth penny sales tax ballot seems to have generated … what? I’m waiting. That’s right, nothing. 

Who needs a turf facility or gymnastic complex for people to enjoy? A children’s museum vs. a pothole. No wonder Cheyenne is called “The Tragic City of the Plains.”

Now we just have a memo stating emergency funds are to be used to fix Cheyenne's streets:

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

2101 0'NEIL AVENUE, SUITE 310

CHEYENNE WY 82001

MEMORANDUM

TO: Purchasing Division

DATE: August 9, 2019

REFERENCE: Emergency Procurement

In accordance with the Purchasing Policy and Procedures Manual Part 11.8, Emergency Procurement, I have deemed it essential to procure services for the City of Cheyenne for street patching. This emergency exists due to an unusually wet spring season resulting in a significantly higher number of potholes throughout the City. 

The Street & Alley Division is short-handed after several employees resigned/retired, and they have been unable to hire qualified replacements due to the extremely low unemployment rate. In order to prevent an even worse follow-on winter and spring pothole season, the Engineering Department recommends the City acquire street patching services from a private contractor to be completed not later than November 1, 2019. 

The bid process does not provide a normal acquisition process that will meet this timeline. The only avenue for procuring these services is under the Emergency Procurement procedures. 

This unexpected situation could not have been foreseen as unusual weather and a shortage of personnel created the need for street patching to be completed in this calendar year. The Engineering Department will ensure adequate competition for this project by soliciting quotes from at least three qualified contractors. 

The budget for this project is $250,000 and will come from 2015-2018 1% Sales Tax Funds.

Marian J. Orr

Mayor

City of Cheyenne

I haven’t seen this kind of money play since that 10-year-old tried to convince me that Mediterranean Avenue had the same value as Boardwalk. 

It’s funny that the mayor can quote the purchasing policy for emergency endeavors but can't reference policy when accepting gifts of Dodge trucks. It’s a good thing the commissioners control the National Emergency purse strings. We’ve already seen what happens when a tornado siren goes off or a tree branch falls in the road. Who has ever heard of an emergency pothole? 

Hell, even Day Weather Meteorology warned it was going to be a rough winter in December 2018. You know, the time when all departments get together to discuss budgets. Why are we waiting until September to address this? 

The pothole in front of City hall is a constant reminder things aren’t being addressed. It’s eating its second cone. Does someone need to paint a penis around it to get it fixed? 

It’s no wonder local bands are asking me to pull permits to have pothole recognition parties. Some of Cheyenne's potholes should be placed on the historic preservation registry since they've been around for three mayoral runs now.

Oh yeah, and when it comes to staffing, there are more than street holes to fill due to management inadequacies. Five openings that pay $15.50 per hour? I can make that at Chick-fil-A and don’t have to be splattered with hot mix on black top.  

It’s awesome how the mayor calls out council members for inefficiency like they are Zip Recruiter. It’s called the mayor’s budget, and the mayor can manage that budget as she sees fit. Perhaps if recruiting workers is a problem, we could invest in better materials or actually engage a preventive road maintenance plan?

What do the people have to say about road repair? Maybe their opinion matters more to you. After all, isn’t that what social media is about?

n "Swiss cheese has less holes than Cheyenne roads."

n "The roads are simply awful ... the dirt road I live on is better than Pershing and 20^th."

Here is what circulating through the rumor mill these days:

1 – Orr gets booed and yelled at during every CFD parade about roads and how much people hate her. Calls staff meeting informs them that we are

using $250,000 of “emergency money” to fix roads and potholes. (Without council’s approval).

2 – Orr's appointed chief engineer is quitting. She says she is taking all her sick leave and when it is up, she is not coming back. Says her mom is ill, but staff believes she’s quitting before she is made the scapegoat.

3 – The Public Works director never implemented a schedule to repair streets and when a staff engineer submitted one, Orr rejected it and gave a list of streets she wanted done (it was assumed the list was streets in front of friends’ houses).

4 – Orr puts a new staff member in charge of the $10 million dollar Christiansen Street project. He had never run a small project let alone one as big as the Christiansen job. Now the dirt work company has walked off the job, and only a few guys are today scraping concrete forms. Two cranes and all the equipment are just sitting there, doing nothing.

5 – Orr plans on suing the engineer of record for the cost at the Commons Park project and is considering also going after other parties for their involvement. 

At least I don’t get emails like this anymore:

Councilmen: 

            This morning’s public call-out on KGAB by (Council President Rocky) Case regarding the street work I have authorized within my scope as mayor is now yet another example of what appears to be a lack of understanding of the form of government our city operates.  

If council wants to change that form of government to administrator/manager, I would support your efforts to place it on the ballot once again for the voters to decide.  

I act within state statute and city code. If there are those who don’t like it, change it, but attack the system we operate under, not the elected official carrying out the duties elected by the city to perform. 

I informed council of my decision to authorize the request by both public works and engineering during the now bi-monthly meeting with council and staff, and reported on by Jennifer to the entirety of council. 

Respectfully, 

Marian Orr, Mayor

City of Cheyenne

2101 O’Neil Ave Rm 310

Cheyenne, WY 82001

What it comes down to is: Don’t make a lot of promises you can’t keep. 

The mayor scored a win in 2016 with punch lines of the lowest common denominator and people fell for it. Guess she ran on Cheyenne roads and rolled her ankle. 

I can’t even make this stuff up. 

The Street and Alley department has urine tests for their jobs. Maybe the mayor should have to take a urine test too?

Richard Johnson is a former member of the Cheyenne City Council from Ward 3 on the east side.

Presidential hopeful Bill Weld is closer to Wyoming's true values than Trump ever could hope to be

BY ROD MILLER

When they faced off in the presidential election in Wyoming a couple years ago, Donald Trump whupped Hillary Clinton like Crazy Horse whupped Custer.

He did it with late-stage Tea Party populist rhetoric, a perception that he was a successful capitalist and political sleight of hand that made him look like an “outsider.” Mostly he won by being someone other than Hillary Clinton.

All of this appealed to deeply held myths that Wyomingites hold dear, and consequently Trump won

Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld at a 2016 event.

a greater percentage of votes here than he did in any other state. The MAGA cap didn’t replace the Stetson on the streets of Gillette or Ten Sleep, but what was going on underneath the headgear had changed. Wyoming suddenly identified itself as “Trump Country,” and we thought we had finally met a man to match our mountains.  

We stuck with him when he was recorded as saying, “grab ’em by their pu----s” because, after all, he promised to drain the swamp. We (and here and throughout I use the editorial “we”) shrugged when Trump said he could shoot people on 5th Avenue with impunity and encouraged supporters at his rallies to rough up protesters, saying, “I’ll pay the legal fees.” We even held back our chuckles when he positioned himself as a man of faith who really loves God but can’t quote from the Bible.  

Wyoming will never be a bellwether state, simply because there are so few of us.  But we can give a presidential candidate a victory so overwhelming that it seems we have made him one of us. And we did that.  

Now its re-election time. Let’s take a look at what’s going on.

We are a couple of debate cycles into the Democrat Party’s search for a challenger to Trump, and several months away from an eventual nomination. We are seeing the expected political food fight among the 20 or so potential nominees as the process descends into identity and gesture politics raised to an art form.

Most of these candidates would better serve their party by running for the Senate in their home states, relegating Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to minority stature – if he could survive a challenge to his seat.  

But, Oh No!!! They have sugarplum visions of redecorating the Oval Office, and they’ll eat their own to get there. They seem to have forgotten the legacy of Sam Ervin, that “ol’ country lawyer” who reminded the Executive Branch about the true meaning of separation of powers. So they persist in trying to hoist one rainbow banner or another over the White House.  

Somehow, I doubt The Donald loses much sleep over any of them.

Here’s what Trump really should  worry about: His base is eroding. After two years of seeing him in action, and comparing that performance to what he said he would do, Trump stalwarts – even in Wyoming, his base of bases – are second-guessing themselves.  

Trump’s mismanagement of our economy, affecting mostly rural agriculturalists; his gonad-induced trade wars; his lack of concern about our sovereign debt; his tacit “go get ’em boys” to extreme nationalists; his sudden embracing of constitutionally questionable red flag laws to address gun violence, added to his expressed misogyny, his grifter, deadbeat attitude to his personal debts and his overall posturing as “Jerk in Chief” really rub the folks of Wyoming the wrong way.

And that’s just a partial list.

We, in Wyoming, are accustomed to much better in our elected representatives.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. You’ll still hear plenty of “But, Hillary,” and “Give him time to drain the swamp and get rid of pedophiles, and then he’ll get to work” from folks who drank deeply of the snake oil a couple of years ago. 

Wyomingites are a proud people, and it’s hard to admit we made a mistake. But we are also a realistic bunch, and we well-developed bullshit detectors. So Trump will have his work cut out for him next election in the Cowboy State.

But not because of any Democrat.

Trump has a very credible primary challenge from someone who should keep him up at night. Bill Weld of Massachusetts is the only announced Republican candidate with the courage to challenge Trump. So far at least. (South Carolina’s former governor, Mark Sanford, is considering a run as well.)

I know. I know. Bill Weld, Massachusetts, commie sympathizer central, home of the Kennedy School of Government. But hear me out. 

As a colony, it shed the first blood in our Revolution at the Boston Massacre, and the “Shot Heard Round the World” was fired on a Lexington meadow. Weld brings that to the table. Andas a former Libertarian, I think our natural rights are safe with him.

It’s still early in the process, but I kinda like this guy. He reminds me of a Bob Taft or a Barry Goldwater of the 21st century. He seems to espouse a sort of conservatism that I’m really comfortable with – small government, tight with a buck, environmental ethic, big on individual liberty. 

I’ve been disappointed before by politicians who say one thing and do another (see above description of the incumbent).  But I haven’t lost my faith in our republic, so I’m always willing to listen … and watch. Case in point: A few years to, after speechifying to a crowd about a river in Massachusetts that had been cleaned up, Weld jumped into it fully clothed. Take that, Trump! 

Like I say, it’s early. Lots can still happen. But I really don’t see the president putting any effective Band-Aids on the wounds he has caused to his base. They may not like Weld just because he has the temerity to step into the ring with the title-holder.  

But I really respond to that kind of political courage. And, to my knowledge, Bill Weld has never partied with the late Jeffrey Epstein. To me, that is just cowboy as hell and reinforces to me why I’m a Republican.

Rod Miller is a citizen, father and grandfather and a proud former Rawlins Outlaw living in Cheyenne.

Why not give local businesses a look FIRST before heading out of town? They deserve a chance

NOTE: The following post is an opinion piece written by Snowy Elk Coffee Co., inspired by the Truth to Power blog article by D. Reed Eckhardt, “Shopping local first is the wrong approach if you want Cheyenne’s downtown to grow and innovate.” (https://bulldogwithteeth.blogspot.com/2019/08/shopping-local-first-is-wrong-approach.html)

BY THE OWNERS OF SNOWY ELK COFFEE 

As Cheyenne’s local coffee roastery, we would like to share our opinion regarding Cheyenne’s Shop Local initiative and the associated Truth to Power article recently published on the subject. 

Several great points are made in that article. However, there are gaps that we believe are important to highlight.

We must begin by saying Cheyenne’s innovative and economic growth is a conversation that should continue from a variety of angles as its development is crucial for businesses, residents

and visitors. We believe it’s a collective desire of our community for Cheyenne to be the best city it can be.

Despite what the Truth to Power article suggests, we believe that “Shop Local First” is a brilliant initiative that encourages our community to support and aid in the growth of Cheyenne. 

Why? Because of one word, “First.” If you want downtown (and Cheyenne in general) to improve, we should give local businesses the FIRST chance. See if their product is better than a non-local or national brand FIRST. Is it what you want? Is it what you expect? Does their product or service need to improve? 

You have to give these local businesses a chance BEFORE taking your business to Fort Collins, Denver or somewhere else. 

The Truth to Power article suggests that Cheyenne's "Shop Local First" initiative is more of a pressured obligation to the community, and rather the local community should help encourage downtown business competition by directing footsteps and money to Colorado. 

We believe that competition is crucial, yes, but that local businesses and shops here in Cheyenne should be given the first chance by locals.

As a local business ourselves, here in Cheyenne for almost two years now, we believe it's important for local businesses to keep from becoming complacent. The excitement of new shops wears off quickly without constant business development and marketing. 

This same principle also applies for ​long-standing local businesses that have had solid customer bases for years. Competition breeds better business, better products and better services. If local businesses are not watching their competition and not trying to better their service, then their businesses will eventually decline and most likely fail.

The Truth to Power article is onto something, but it is missing a key component of what towns and cities need to thrive on: LOCAL QUALITY. 

Cheyenne has some incredible local businesses that provide high-quality products and services. We believe we speak for many other businesses in town when we say: It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. 

It takes effort and diligence to keep supporting those local businesses. It is local quality that will encourage more and more businesses, old and new, to survive and thrive in Cheyenne. 

Shop local FIRST, but if you are not finding the quality you want, give feedback to the owners then take your wallet elsewhere. Speak up and TALK to local businesses. Tell them why you are going to Colorado. 

For those who love shopping local, speak up to those business owners as well. Tell them why you return time after time.

Want to buy locally roasted coffee, locally brewed beer, local food, local gifts??

We think you should Shop Local FIRST.

This article first appeared on the Snowy Elk Coffee Company blog at https://www.snowyelk.com/blog. You can reach them at: P.O. Box​​ 2961, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003; email: sales@snowyelk.com; and (307) 200-9744. 

Cheyenne residents should stop resisting change. It will help us live up to our role as a capital city

BY ASHLEY CHRISTIANSEN

Cheyenne is on the cusp of something great. We are living in a time when we can literally watch change happen, partake in it even. 

But what we shouldn’t do is be afraid of it. Cheyenne has so much to offer its people, and we’ve barely tapped the potential. You can feel the change, the shift in energy from our small businesses, politicians and community. 

We have people so passionate about making Cheyenne the very best that it can be, yet we are faced on a day-today basis with the “If you don’t like it, leave!” mentality. 

No one is saying we should forget our roots. Cheyenne Frontier Days is a huge success, and the amount

of time and personnel hours put into it is staggering. But should that be the only thing we have to offer? 

The objections that get me the most is: “We’re not Fort Collins or Colorado!” No, were not. We are the people of the capital of Wyoming.

When you look around our city, with the holes in downtown, vacant businesses, an obvious divide between people, do we look like a capital city? 

Why wish failure upon people who want our city to be more than it is? They are starting a movement that many people want to be a part of but lack of the resources. Social slander and negative energy surrounding the idea of making a greater city is making it harder and harder for people to push through and get to the finish line. 

It’s not like that finish line won’t be something good for everyone! 

Who wouldn’t benefit from better resources to our community? A music venue that can bring huge acts, and with that money, for the community. Resources to our small business community so it can be more successful and actually have a fighting chance at surviving here.

A community center for our families to have something in town to do during our long winter months. Little free libraries in every part of the community so everyone can have access to books, no matter their walk of life. Working on building a better shelter and resources for our homeless population. 

Why would any of this be bad for our community? Why would any of this make us “Colorado”? 

We are a community that was founded on the search for a better life, hard work and community. Why are some people so against us continuing those efforts? 

What can we do or say to get your support? 

There is a list of people, businesses, etc. that are pushing change, and you can feel the energy in the air.

The one thing that is constant in this world is change, so it’s coming whether you like it or not. But let’s work together to make that change something that everyone wants. 

There will always be haters, and that’s fine. But Cheyenne is a capital city, and its people deserve more.  

I can’t wait to live through this future and continue to pave the way for future generations, including my own children. I want them to love Cheyenne like I do, to see the potential for more even after we’ve made changes. To keep pushing, growing and showing that our town is worthy of its capital status. 

Let’s stop fighting the chance for something great and push ourselves forward for a greater Cheyenne.

Ashley Christiansen is a mother, small business owner and self-described supporter of all things awesome. 

Just like Wyoming's jackalope, the Hilton Garden Inn for downtown Cheyenne is a mythical creature

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

What do the downtown Cheyenne Hilton Garden Inn and the jackalope have in common?

They are both creatures of myth.  

In 2014, the city was hoping a new downtown hotel would be the perfect silver bullet to kill whatever werewolf was roaming the streets, scaring people away from downtown after dark.  

The idea was that the hotel would be an anchor to connect downtown to the exciting, new West Edge Project.

The mythical Hilton Garden Inn and walkway for downtown Cheyenne.

Some130 rooms of hospitality and comfort and a captive downtown audience. 

With the finishing touches placed on the Dinneen Auto complex transformation at the corner of West Lincolnway and Pioneer making a way for a restaurant and bougie offices, a hotel with conference rooms would be the cherry on top of a small, melting Cheyenne downtown development sundae. 

So what happened? Did the werewolves of Capitol Avenue win the night? Did Medusa court the interested hotel developers and turn them to stone before they could sign commitments?

Let's take a moment to study the mythical, magical number that is the holy grail of all Cheyenne business success stories: $750,000. Under the Wyoming Constitution, the government has certain parameters it must meet in order to dole out funds to private enterprise. Projects that can be funded with state grants must involve the building or rehabilitation of infrastructure for public use, government use or for lower-income residents. 

In the case of the Cheyenne Hilton, the prospective sky bridge to the Spiker garage would just barely fall under the umbrella of public infrastructure for public use. We had the tunnels from the brothels to the Capitol so why not update those tunnels to a fancy sky bridge? 

The State Loan and Investment board, known as SLIB, did approve funding for construction of an "elevated walkway.” The grant was for $562,248 to build the walkway and a loan was for $187,500. 

As the story goes, it appeared that something similar to shope papillomavirus(which causes growth of large horn-like tumors on rabbits) started to happen. Hotel corporate planners started changing the building, and modifications to the approved "elevated walkway" project took on a life of their own, similar to antlers sprouting from the heads of rabbits. 

It all started with the addition of a ground-level pool to that hotel’s blueprints, which opened a proverbial Pandora's Box to added attractive hotel features while still maintaining the usual cookie cutter standards of any boring corporate chain. 

In the words of the Joker, “It's all part of the plan!” You don’t just drop a $14 million to $18 million, eight-story investment into a struggling downtown without knowing the corporate mission is fulfilled with all i's dotted and t's crossed. You can’t have any profits hopping across the Wyoming prairie down to Colorado.

Quicker than Mercury carries the latest Echo Chamber gossip to Jupiter, things started to unravel for the downtown Cheyenne Hilton Garden Inn project. 

The ideas were there, but the financing wasn't. In 2015, Wyoming got another courtesy wake-up call from its famous “boom-bust cycle." To quote Ice Cube, "With a right left, right left, you toothless; and then you say: 'Goddamn, they ruthless!' ” Both coal and natural gas tanked simultaneously. The purse strings were yanked tighter than a dance hall girl's corset. 

The Wyoming Business Council stated, “If the developer does not meet the November deadline

This jackalope is the current symbol of Douglas.

for financing, the funds will be de-obligated and returned to the Business Ready Communities grant program.” 

The application for the Frankenstein hotel/conference center/anchor/sky bridge/elevated walkway was withdrawn and effectively died.

In 2017, the mayor stated, “The city continues to remain in strong support of this project. ... We also understand that the Wyoming Business Council needs to put these inactive dollars to work and is unable to wait for the developers to obtain final bank financing.” 

It’s now 2019, and the only mention anyone hears of the Hilton Garden Inn is likely from my friend Rodney and me as we slosh our beer and mentally tour the graveyard of downtown Cheyenne projects resting in peace. Does anyone have some garlands of garlic and sharpened wooden stakes Rodney and I can borrow?  

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about the hotel debacle in years. If you ask around, people are saying it’s still happening. Maybe the idea needs a lightning strike from Zeus so the jackalope can procreate new ideas. 

Or maybe, like many other good ideas for downtown, it's just another casualty of greed and piss-poor planning that will remain a glorious myth instead of a tangible reality.

Let’s make a bet. Will the Cheyenne Hilton Garden Inn be built before an 80-foot fiberglass jackalope statue in Douglas? The clock starts now.

NOTES: 1 – SLIB consists of the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and secretary of public instruction; 2 – Shopes or Sylvilagus floridanusPapillomavirus (SfPV) causes growth of large horn-like tumors on rabbits. SfPV was described in cottontail rabbits.

            Richard Johnson is a former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne’s east side.

Shopping "local first" is the wrong approach if you want Cheyenne's downtown to grow and innovate

BY D. REED ECKHARDT

You can’t walk downtown in the Capital City without getting slapped in the face.

The signs on the lampposts read: SHOP LOCAL FIRST. DOWNTOWN CHEYENNE.

It’s a patriotic call to duty. “Your local businesses deserve your support. They are local. Their owners live here. You should keep your money here.”

NO, NO, and NO! 

This is exactly the wrong approach if you want downtown to bloom and Cheyenne to become the thriving community you hope it will become.

“But it’s our duty to help those who are trying to survive downtown.” That is certainly your first response.

That is just the problem, however. If you don’t make the downtown business ecosystem earn your support, rather than simply lying back and arguing that you have to buy whatever sub-par items it offers, exciting things will not happen here.

Consider this. Where was Cheyenne’s entertainment scene even five years ago? And where

One of the "shop local" signs on Capitol Avenue.

is it now? Why do you think the Civic Center is rocking, that Fridays on the Plaza are rolling and performers like Sir Mix a Lot are roaring here? It’s because city leaders decided they had enough of young people rolling out to Fort Collins, Denver and elsewhere along the Front Range on Fridays and Saturdays.

Would there be a Cheyenne Comic Con? Or a tattoo festival? No way. It’s only because you went southward that things are beginning to break loose in the Capital City.

It’s about competition. That is what sharpens an eco-environment and builds a community from a dull bore to a loud roar.

Why should you simply accept what downtown is offering – as weak and incompetent as some of its offerings can be – simply because it is “local”? Rather, if money continues to flow southward, downtown will have to up its game. If you commit to spending your money only in Cheyenne because it’s the “right” thing to do, this city’s eco-economic system will not innovate and grow bolder and more exciting.

You want another example? Try the craft beer industry. Just south of Cheyenne lies one of craft beer epicenters of American. From Fort Collins to Denver lie some of the best breweries in the world. The flow of money south to beer heaven has spurred the growth and the quality of three breweries in the Capital City, and more of that is coming with the addition of Black Tooth from Sheridan just over the horizon. 

Again, competition from the south has upped this city’s beer scene. And it will continue do so as the competition sharpens among city competitors – whose current offerings are often weak and lazy – as well as with those who make world-class brew to the south.

Cheyenne residents must not accept the meager offerings of downtown simply because they are downtown. It is only when you vote with your feet – and with your money – that you will help make downtown so much smarter and better that you won’t wantto go to Fort Collins, or Denver, or wherever else on a weekend.

Consider one final business opportunity: restaurants. Mexican, Chinese, pizza and beef make up the major offerings downtown – and some of those aren’t very good. Not a vegetarian eatery in sight. In fact, you have to work hard to even find vegan or vegetarian options.

Indian food? Cajun? Noodles? Other food trends? You won’t find them here. Nor will you find reasonably priced food items. The Metropolitan has opened downtown. Big deal. It is priced for the locals with money, not the young people who struggle to make ends meet. 

I know, I know. It is blasphemy to even imply that Cheyenne is not the epicenter of the universe. And to say that, yes, there are things south of the border that actually are better than what the Capital City has to offer.

But if you accept the “Shop Local First” pitch and let the eco-economic system guilt you into settling for less than the best, you will continue to fertilize the laziness, incompetence and unwillingness to compete that have reigned here far too long.

 Hell, downtown businesses can’t even find the gumption to stay open on Friday and Saturday nights to serve the crowds that roll in and out of the Plaza. They can do better, and they will learn to do so only as they are required to compete for your dollars on your terms.

D. Reed Eckhardt is the former executive editor of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Johnson: One of my proudest moments was when Cheyenne became a "Purple Heart City"

BY RICHARD JOHNSON

“Now therefore be it resolved by the Governing Body of the City of Cheyenne, Wyoming, that the City of Cheyenne hereby declares and proclaims Aug. 7th as a 'Purple Heart Day' and the City of Cheyenne to be a 'Purple Heart City.' "

Two years ago I drafted this resolution. The story behind it showed love to friends, family and country. 

In 2017, my friend Brian asked me if I would attend an event at the Veterans Administration center in Cheyenne for a truck

that drives across the country. It celebrates the valor of those who have received the Purple Heart. I didn’t speak at the event, but I went to support my lifelong friend. 

After the ceremony,  Brian’s mom told me she thought it would be nice if the city recognized its combat-wounded veterans. She asked if it could be a secret from Brian to surprise him. 

You see, Brian was wounded in Afghanistan, and I know his mom wasn’t happy when she got that call. It was the least I could do. The secret lasted about four hours since I needed data on the Military Order of the Purple Heart and Brian was president. 

According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart website, the mission The Purple Heart is to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among combat-wounded veterans, promote patriotism, support necessary legislative initiatives, and most importantly, provide service to all veterans and their families.

“Our members are combat-wounded veterans who are dedicated to our country and our veterans community. We endeavor to do better for each other and by each other always.

Chartered by Congress for combat wounded veterans. The Purple Heart is composed of military men and women who received the Purple Heart Medal for wounds suffered in combat or by an act of international terrorism. Although our membership is restricted to the combat wounded, we support all veterans and their families with a myriad of nationwide programs by chapters and national service officers.”

As you can see, the part of legislative initiatives fell to me as a member of Cheyenne’s governing body. I drafted the resolution and sent it to legal. Legal actually called me and said this is one of the best documents I’ve seen brought forth before the City Council.

The council approved the resolution unanimously, and a standing ovation was given to the Purple Heart recipients. It was my proudest moment of my four years in office, and I know it meant a lot to those in attendance.  Cheyenne was the first “Purple Heart City" in Wyoming.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart took the reins, and in January 2018, Senate File 37 was introduced to the Legislature, proclaiming Wyoming as a Purple Heart State. The file made it through the legislature and on July 1, 2018, and Wyoming became a Purple Heart State.

No matter your politics, it always feels good so show respect to those who have been presented this medal. It’s not a medal you want to get. 

Just remember that when you see that space reserved for a Purple Heart recipient or a license plate with that George Washington profile, it isn’t just Baby Boomers or “The Greatest Generation.” It’s people our age and younger. 

Purple Heart recipients, thank you all for what you have done. And I’m glad Aug. 7 is now, and will forever be, “Purple Heart Day" in Cheyenne.

Richard Johnson is a former City Council member from Ward 3 on Cheyenne east side.