images sweetwater county, wy: 2009

Here’s the DrillGas, coal, oil, uranium remain in abundance

LOVE ME TENDERRestaurants offer unusual

burgers and juicy steaks

MILD MEETS WILDComforts, adventure and open

space await newcomers

SPONSORED BY THE ROCK SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | 2009

IMAGESSWEETWATERCOUNTY.COM THE DEFINITIVE RELOCATION RESOURCE

PHOTOSSee more community images from our prize-winning photographers.

FACTS & STATSFind schools, an interactive map, and important facts and fi gures.

VIDEOTake a peek into Expedition Island Park in our online video.

SWEETWATER COUNTY, WYOMING

TMTMTM

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FREE Admission

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

201 B St.Rock Springs, WY 82901

(307) 362-3138

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thu.12-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Mon.-Sat.

3 E. Flaming Gorge WayGreen River, WY 82935

Over 500 20th century works of art!

Sweetwater County Historical Museum

Community Fine Arts Center

Rock Springs Historical Museum

ON THE COVER Photo by PhotographerCover description goes here

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2009 EDITION | VOLUME 1


CONTENTS

14 MILD MEETS WILDIn Sweetwater County, newcomers fi nd a lifestyle with balance, natural beauty and affordable living.

18 LOVE ME TENDERLocal restaurants serve up savory steaks and unusual burgers.

22 THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOMEBuilding boom produces a variety of housing options.

14

26 ON THE ROAD AGAINRestored fi re truck brings a piece of Rock Springs’ history back to life.

30 A RANCHER’S PARADISEOnce home to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Currant Creek Ranch offers visitors a unique ranch experience.

59 NO PLACE FOR COUCH POTATOES The region’s state-of-the-art recreational facilities offer something for everyone.

ON THE COVER J. Kyle KeenerThe Natural History Museum

FEATURES

SWEETWATER COUNT Y IMAGESSWEETWATERCOUNT Y.COM 3

SWEETWATER COUNTY BUSINESS 34 Here’s the Drill

Gas, coal, oil, uranium and wind position region as major national energy player.

38 The Accidental EntrepreneurRock Springs welder invents cleaner method for oil and gas production.

40 Biz Briefs

43 Economic Profi le

This magazine is printed entirely or in part on recycled paper containing 10% post-consumer waste.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE


DEPARTMENTS

10 Almanac: a colorful sampling of Sweetwater County’s culture

28 Portfolio: people, places and events that defi ne Sweetwater County

45 Image Gallery

49 Education

55 Health & Wellness

57 Arts & Culture

61 Community Profi le: facts, stats and important numbers to know

65 Photo Finish

30

57

TM


Sweetwater CountySchool District Number One

today's students tomorrow’s world

Contact us at (307) 352-3400www.sweetwater1.org

What’s Online Onnnlnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

PHOTOS

FACTS & STATS

RELOCATION

We’ve added even more prize-winning photography to our online gallery. To see these spectacular photos, click on Photo Gallery.

ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

LOCAL FLAVOR

Considering a move to this community? We can help. Use our Relocation Tools to discover tips, including how to make your move green, advice about moving pets and help with booking movers.

“Find the good – and praise it.” – Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

Go online to learn even more about:

Schools•

Health care•

Utilities•

Parks•

Taxes•

EXPEDITION ISLAND PARK

imagessweetwatercounty.comTHE DEFINITIVE RELOCATION RESOURCE

Images gives readers a taste of what makes Sweetwater County tick – from business and education to sports, health care and the arts.

Meat lovers rejoice. Classic burgers and juicy steaks are a staple of Rock Springs’ restaurants. Get a taste of local fl avor in our food section.

Expedition Island Park offers whitewater rapids and more. Watch this and other quick videos in the Interactive section.


LIVE LINKSHot links allow users to quickly link to other sites

for additional information, and an ad index allows you to easily locate local advertisers in the magazine.

SEARCH AND YOU SHALL FINDAn easy-to-use search function allows you to fi nd specifi c articles or browse content by subject.

A VIRTUAL TOOLBELTTools allow you to customize the look and function of the magazine on your desktop as well as print individual pages or save the magazine for off-line reading.

MORE OF THE SAMEAnd that’s a good thing. Inside, you’ll fi nd the same award-winning photography and compelling content as in the printed magazine.

SHARE WITH A FRIENDE-mail individual stories using the pop-up text window.

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Fruits of Their Labor

Out of watercress and water spinach?

The Rock Springs Farmer’s Market

features fresh produce that arrives to

consumers directly from farmers, and

many of the items for sale are organic.

The market is open Thursdays from

mid-July through August, at the

Bank Court on Broadway Street

in Rock Springs.

Besides fruits and vegetables, vendors

sell fresh baked goods, flowers and

homemade crafts. The open-air market

is affiliated with the Wyoming

Farmers’ Marketing

Association.

Tubing Along the GreenLike to tube? Head to the Green River.

The river is a popular destination for tubing fans, who can

access the water from a number of easy locations. Besides the

excellent waterway, tubers can enjoy incredible scenery that

includes beautiful rock formations.

Many people begin their tubing adventures in Jamestown

just west of the city of Green River, and end at Expedition

Island. The ride is relaxing but can get a little bumpy at

some points.

Really, Really OldIt has a big name and some big artifacts.

The Western Wyoming Community College

Natural History Museum & Archeological

Services in Rock Springs displays dinosaur

bones that have been discovered in the area.

The museum offers five large skeletons that

range in age from 67 to 180 million years old.

Also on exhibit are fossilized fish, huge leaves and

prehistoric pottery, and don’t forget to see the baby

alligator fossil. Admission is free, and exhibits rotate often.

10 IMAGESSWEETWATERCOUNT Y.COM SWEETWATER COUNT Y

Fast Facts Incorporated cities

and towns in Sweetwater County are Bairoil, Granger, Green River, Rock Springs, Superior and Wamsutter.

Unincorporated communities in the county are Arrowhead Springs, Blairtown, Clearview, Eden, Farson, James Town, Little America, McKinnon, North Rock Springs,

Point of Rocks, Purple Sage,

Reliance, Sweeney Ranch, Table Rock and Washam.

The average annual wage in Sweetwater County is nearly $50,000.

Sweetwater County has more miles of still-visible pioneer trails than any other area in the United States.

The county is home to nine public libraries and branches. Note Worthy

Give your ears a treat by attending a Rock Springs Concert in the Park.

Performances in the series take place on various days from mid-June through mid-August, and proceeds go to the International Avenue of Flags. The concerts are sponsored by the Rock Springs Parks & Recreation Department.

Admission is free. The 2008 concert lineup included Jeff Troxel, B Sharps, Boces Summer Band, Wyoming Wind, Boomslang and Mad Jack.

Home of 56 Nationalities

Festival fans: Mark your

calendars for July 11, 2009.

That is when the next

International Day will arrive in

Rock Springs, celebrating the

diverse heritage of the city. Rock

Springs is known as the “Home

of 56 Nationalities,” and the

different cultures are celebrated

all day through food, exhibits,

costumes and live entertainment.

International Day takes place at

Bunning Park, and admission is free.

Past musical acts have included the

Alpine Horns, International Dancers,

The Salt Lake City Scots, the Zivio Ethnic

Arts Ensemble and the Salzburg Echo.

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Almanac

World’s Largest Trona Mine & Soda Ash Processing Plants

SafetyCustomer Service

Productivity

Environmental Awareness

Personal Development

Flaming Gorge Res.

80

189

191 28

372

287

414

430

530

789

SWEETWATER

Green RiverRock Springs

Wamsutter

Granger

Superior

Bairoil

North Rock Springs

McKinnon

Bitter CreekTable Rock

Creston

Little America

Point of Rocks

FontenelleEden

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77777

Sweetwater County | At A GlancePOPULATION (2007 ESTIMATE)Sweetwater County: 52,000

Rock Springs: 31,000

Green River: 14,500

LOCATIONSweetwater County is in southwest Wyoming,

just north of the Wyoming, Utah and Colorado state lines.

BEGINNINGSSweetwater County was organized in 1867.

Its county seat is Green River.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONRock Springs Chamber of Commerce

1897 Dewar Drive

P.O. Box 398

Rock Springs, WY 82902-0398

Phone: (307) 362-3771

Fax: (307) 362-3838

www.rockspringswyoming.net

WATCH MORE ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of Sweetwater County at imagessweetwatercounty.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

Sweetwater County

Plenty in StoreQuick statistic: White Mountain Mall

is one of only three enclosed malls in

the entire state of Wyoming.

The Rock Springs shopping

destination opened in 1978 and has

35 stores, including three anchors:

Herberger’s, JC Penney and Flaming

Gorge Harley-Davidson. White Mountain

is the only mall in the United States

to house a motorcycle dealership.

Other attractions include an

Applebee’s restaurant and a Star

Stadium 10 Theater. The mall is

conveniently located near Interstate 80.

Pleasing to the EyeThe Local Color Art and Gift Gallery

Co-op has the largest collection of

Wyoming photography on display,

along with a large assortment of other

artistic works. That’s a big collection.

The gallery opened in 1997 in the

historic Slovenski Dom on Bridger

Avenue in Rock Springs.

The co-op features Wyoming

artists and craftspeople who have

joined forces, and it is an ideal place

to find one-of-a-kind, art-related items.

Artists at Local Color share ownership,

responsibilities and operation duties

of the gallery.

The co op features Wyoming

artists and craftspeople who have

joined forces, and it is an ideal place

to find one-of-a-kind, art-related items.

Artists at Local Color share ownership,

responsibilities and operation duties

of the gallery.

Almanac


ADVENTURES, AMENITIES AND WIDE-OPEN SPACES ATTRACT NEWCOMERS

HowSweet It Is


ADVENTURES, AMENITIES AND WIDE-OPEN SPACESATTRACT NEWCOMERS

STORY BY ELLEN MARGULIES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY J. KYLE KEENER

D r. Melinda Poyer and her family didn’t just move up in the world when they left West Palm Beach for Rock Springs. They soared – from 13 feet above sea level to about 6,500 feet.

True, Poyer, her husband, James, and their six children, ranging in age from toddler to teenager, left behind sunny skies, plenty of shopping and sandy beaches.

But they traded all that in for … sunny skies, plenty of shopping and a high-desert landscape like no other. Two time zones and a thousand miles away, life here is different than it was in crowded south Florida. And that’s just what the Poyers were hoping for.

“We have a much better quality of life here,” says Poyer, whose husband manages her medical practice. Instead of fighting urban sprawl and maddening rush hour traffic, “everything is much closer,” she says. “I’m home every day by 5:30. And we have the ability to have our kids in multiple activities,” like down-hill skiing, snowboarding, football, soccer and swimming.

They weren’t exactly strangers to the place they now call home. Melinda Poyer, a self-described “Army brat” who grew

up all over the world, and her Florida-native husband had been visiting Wyoming every year for at least 20 years. They’ve long-owned a ski condo at Grand Targhee Resort in Driggs, Idaho near Jackson Hole, just a few hours north of Sweetwater County, and their oldest son “started skiing when he could walk.” They had planned to retire here anyway when they decided, “why not move here while their kids could enjoy it, too.”

Almost every weekend finds the family out on one outdoor adventure or another. Maybe it’s hiking, visiting the Grand Tetons, boating on Flaming Gorge or rafting down Green River. Adjustment, it turns out, has been a snap for everyone in the Poyer family. With a welcoming community of 31,000 or so who live in Rock Springs – the county’s largest municipality – it’s hard not to become attached really quickly. And the thousands of people f locking here as the gas and oil industry expand find amenities plentiful.

There’s dining, shopping and museums should newcomers ever tire of the 10,500 square miles of public land in the county.

“It’s like anyplace else – you sprout where you’re planted,” says Dave Hanks, CEO of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce, who hails from Wisconsin originally. “I grew up

Family practice physician Melinda Poyer and her daughter, Erin, 6, paddle the Green River. Above left: If you’re lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of wild horses on the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour. Above right: Anglers wile away the afternoon on the Green River, which winds through the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.


in the land of trees and water. This is the land of high desert and mountains.” And it’s a place he’s chosen to call home for nearly three decades now, long enough to feel like a native.

Some dining attractions not to be missed include the city’s many authentic Mexican eateries as well as its steakhouses, which range from brew pub to country club. Shoppers can browse and buy to their heart’s content at a growing collection of smaller shops and boutiques, as well as more traditional fare at Plaza Mall and the White Mountain Mall. “We have all the standards like Wal-Mart, The Home Depot – which is good because you can travel 150 miles without seeing another major retailer,” Hanks says.

The county is conveniently located between Salt Lake City, Utah – about a three-hour trip – and 6 hours from Denver. That makes it ideal for tourists to drop in, and it gives residents the wide-open spaces they crave while being only an afternoon’s drive away from a big-city fix.

The Poyers are not unlike the growing numbers of young

families moving here. Four years ago, the average age of a resident in this coal, oil and gas town was 47. That’s down to about 34 now as more young people move in, a trend that’s expected to continue.

While Rock Springs is growing by leaps and bounds, there’s still plenty of room to spread out.

Wyoming isn’t for everyone, Hanks says, though in a way that may be part of its appeal. Newcomers need to have a bit of the old pioneering spirit in them to carve out a life in what can sometimes be a harsh land. True, the air is clean, the crime rate is low, the unemployment rate in Rock Springs is almost non-existent. And the sun shines, typically, more than 300 days out of the year. But it will get cold in the winter. And that sometimes gets in the way of recruitment, Hanks says.

“There is a reason Wyoming is the least populated state in nation,” he says. “You have to be pretty self-reliant. If the electricity goes out when it’s 30 below, you better know how to stay warm.”

Below: Dawn over the Green River, which flows through Firehole Canyon, southwest of Rock Springs Far left: The Rock Springs Historical Museum is housed in the town’s original 1892-era City Hall building. Left: A typical weekend for the Poyer family involves cool dives off a favorite boulder in the Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area.


Where’s the BEEF?S ometimes, all it takes is just one

delicious, juicy burger to satisfy your appetite.

Take the Shamrock Burger at Grub’s Drive In in Rock Springs, for example. Made with two homemade patties topped with

Velveeta cheese, it is cooked to order on a f lattop grill and served up with mustard, pickle and onions. Most regulars order it with a side of fries smothered in gravy.

“We keep it simple,” says Marcy Skorup, who runs Grub’s

with her husband, Dave.“These are old-fashioned, greasy burgers,” she says. “We

even have T-shirts that say ‘Nutritionally Incorrect Diner.’”Nutritionally incorrect or not, this legendary Rock Springs

greasy spoon – which has been family owned and operated since 1946 – slices potatoes fresh every day for its fries and is also known for its extra thick, homemade shakes. While the drive-in is long gone, on any given day the relaxed dining room is packed with regulars.

“We are still doing things the way they did 62 years ago,”

LOCAL RESTAURANTS SERVE UP SAVORY STEAKS AND JUICY BURGERS

Filet mignon is a favorite at the Coyote Creak Steakhouse and Saloon, which serves it up with rosemary potatoes and sweet, green asparagus accompanied by a variety of selected wines and homemade desserts.

STORY BY HOLLIE DEESEPHOTOGRAPHY BY J. KYLE KEENER


Now’s a great time to buy a home!

Better prices. More choice. Low interest rates. This is the best time to buy a home in years.

If you’ve been putting off the dream of home ownership, why wait any longer?

Visit RE/MAX® today and talk to one of our experienced agents.

RE/MAX agents know the local market, and they care enough to get to know you too. Together you’ll find the place that’s right for you.

Call RE/MAX today.

Nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX.

RE/MAX Property Center

©2008 RE/MAX International, Inc. All rights reserved. Each office independently owned and operated. 080258

[email protected] www.debbiegibbs.com

Office: (307) 362-5888 (877) 362-5888

Serving Seniors, Disabled and Children

Rock Springs Young At Heart Recreational FacilityOn the corner of Reagan Ave.

and Sweetwater Dr.Rock Springs, WY 82901

352-6737www.youngatheartseniorcenter.com

Programs:Congregate Meals and Activity ProgramsHome Delivered MealsCommunity-based In-home Services – Homemaking and Personal CareYoung At Heart Home Health AgencyCaregiver/Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ProgramsChild Day Care/Early Learning CenterCare and Share Volunteer ProgramLending Closet

This ad in part was paid for with funding from Older

American Acts funds

Rock Springs Young At Heart

Recreational Facility

Come eat or socialize with us

Free seed giveaway at open house

“Plant your seed at the new senior center and come

help/watch us grow”


Skorup adds. “Different people, different times, but the burgers are the same.”

If your taste runs more toward buffalo than beef, check out the Rodeo Grill.

“It’s a new experience,” says Manager Lavern Lavine. “We have four or five different kinds of meats every evening, like sausage, mahi mahi and herbal buffalo.”

All of which can make for a varied dining experience among groups who can’t decide among all of the rotisserie-style options.

“If someone doesn’t like tenderloin, then they can have chicken,” Lavine says, referring to the varied menu offerings. “And someone who wants to eat buffalo can sit at the same table with people who wouldn’t think of it.”

People can also sidle up to the all-wood original bar and sip cocktails or join friends for karaoke on Friday nights.

“It is just a great experience,” Lavine adds.If a juicy steak with all the fixin’s is what you are craving,

you can’t do better than the cuts served at Coyote Creek Steakhouse and Saloon, which opened in June 2007.

The hand-cut, in-house steaks are the main attraction. Many people opt to have them topped with jumbo lump crabmeat or the popular “au poivre”, encrusted with black peppercorns and topped with a brandy-cream sauce.

“We use only the finest ingredients, and we try to pay

attention to detail,” says owner Dory Doud. “We believe that people can spend their hard-earned dollars anywhere. When they choose Coyote Creek, we want it to be money well spent.”

With fresh seafood, a number of choice wines and homemade dessert to top off the meal, it’s no wonder regulars have already found a spot here.

Local Flavor

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

200Pounds of potatoes used every day at Grub’s Drive-In

$5.99Price of the daily lunch special at Coyote Creek

1934Year the log floors were hand-built and installed at the Rodeo Grill

3Number of times a month the menu changes at Coyote Creek

6 a.m.Time Grub’s opens for breakfast every day

The specialty of Grub’s Drive-In in Rock Springs is the Shamrock Burger. Top: The Rodeo Grill serves a variety of meats grilled over mesquite wood.


There’s

HomePlace LikeNo

HOUSING BOOM OFFERS VARIETY OF RESIDENTIAL OPTIONS


I t’s better than a gold mine, this wealth of resources beneath the ground in southwestern Wyoming.

For a while, the energy industry drawn to the untapped caches of coal, crude oil and natural gas was growing so quickly the county couldn’t keep pace with demand for that most basic of needs: housing.

But more than four years into its growth spurt, the county and its largest city, Rock Springs, are offering much more than just the basics. The housing options available here are a real estate agent’s – and a homebuyer’s – dream.

It’s a situation that Jim Anselmi, who deals mostly with commercial and industrial clients for Brokerage Southwest, has been waiting for.

“Everyone feels that Sweetwater is the place to be because of what’s happening in the oil and gas fields,” Anselmi says. “Over the past three or four years, growth has so rapidly taken

STORY BY ELLEN MARGULIES

Rapid growth has led to a building boom in Sweetwater County. T

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place, it has taken us a good two to three years to get things going in the housing end.”

Unemployment here is virtually nonexistent. For a while, big companies would come in, set up and hire several hundred workers – even though workers couldn’t bring in their families because there just weren’t enough places to live. There were waiting lists to buy homes; people grabbed what they could – even hotel rooms and trailers.

Now, there are lots of choices. “We’ve had 68 subdivisions in

the last five years that have been under construction or in some phase of construction,” says Dave Hanks, CEO of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce. The average price of a home here soared, but by fall 2008 seemed to be leveling off around $214,000, Hanks says. He thinks the prices will remain steady for now.

“What we saw initially was a lot of interest in single-family dwellings,” Hanks says. “What we’re seeing now is the second phase of that – we are starting to see more interest in apartment complexes.”

Some of the newer developments

in Sweetwater County include Scenic Development Apartments, which has 264 units in an 11-building complex in Rock Springs.

Morningside at Rock Springs is a community of luxury townhomes and single-family homes, all priced under $200,000. Amenities include awesome views, walking trails, and a clubhouse with a hot tub and exercise facility.

Then there is Hunter’s Run Town-homes, with affordable two-, three- and four-bedroom townhomes in the Green River valley. The spaces have customizable interiors with such options as granite countertops and hardwood f loors, two-car garages, and plans for RV parking, a community rec room and a dog park.

Hanks is glad to see apartments

and townhomes amongst the houses, which were the subject of bidding wars not too long ago. As Rock Springs and the surrounding area continue to grow, a broader range of affordable housing will be in order.

“That will provide a lot of options for people who can’t afford houses – young couples, individuals, people who aren’t interested in the long haul or they don’t know yet,” he says. “It really is a niche that we need.

“The complexion of the housing situation has changed here. You still get the argument, ‘what’s affordable housing.’ The change is ref lective of what’s going on nationally, too. We’re kind of in the same boat as everybody. But we’ve weathered the storm better than most.”

New homes are under construction across Sweetwater County to accommodate a steady influx of newcomers.

“Everyone feels that Sweetwater is the

place to be because of what’s happening

in the oil and gas fi elds.”

STA

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The Green River flows through Firehole Canyon, forming the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.

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On the

RESTORED FIRE TRUCK BRINGS ROCK SPRINGS’ HISTORY BACK TO LIFE

Road


W hen the city of Rock Springs purchased a Maxim fire truck in 1948, officials probably did not expect the truck to still be running 60 years later.

And it wouldn’t be, if it weren’t for the hard work of Randy McJunkin and his crew at the City Maintenance Shop.

“The mayor asked if we could get it running, and that’s how it started,” says McJunkin, an equipment

maintenance supervisor. “Over the years, we have worked on older cars

but nothing of that size,” he says. “I think that was first for all of us.”

Usually, the guys in the city-owned shop work on the fleet of cars for the city’s maintenance department, so a

vehicle so old and large was unusual. But the workers – Lester Mavich, George Gaviotis, Collin

Laney, Mike Burke and Juli Michel – took on the challenge. With the assistance of the maintenance workers at the city-owned golf course, for two years, from 2006 to 2008, they transformed the beat-up and seemingly unrepairable machine into a gleaming piece of living history.

The truck was in service for more than 30 years, providing

emergency and life-saving fire and rescue services, until it was retired to a city storage facility.

It remained there for 25 years, where it was vandalized several times until Rock Springs Mayor Timothy Kaumo enlisted McJunkin and his crew to restore it.

“It’s not quite original because the engine it had was un-repairable,” McJunkin says. “If we could have found the parts we would have fixed it, but they quit making that engine more than 40 years ago.”

Instead, they replaced the original engine with a 365 horsepower Cummins diesel engine and installed an Allison automatic transmission, replaced the brake system and completely rewired the truck.

“It took a lot of labor and we had to retro fit a lot of parts,” McJunkin says. “The body work and paint took close to four months since it was pretty beat up from years of service.”

The next step is finding a permanent home for the truck. Too large to fit into the Rock Springs Historical Museum, it is still housed at the garage where it found new life. For now, it will be displayed during parades and other events.

“It runs like a Cadillac,” McJunkin says.

STORY BY HOLLIE DEESE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY J. KYLE KEENER

The city of Rock Springs restored the same 1948 Maxim fire truck that was in service through the late 1970s.



Portfolio

Driving along I-80 brings more than just a way to get from Point A to Point B. Along the way,

travelers are greeted with some stunning, naturally occurring rock formations.

Each formation has its own name and story to go along with it, like Castle Rock and Tollgate Rock, which was once a barricade with only a small narrow pathway for wagon trains to go through. Some enterprising pioneers set up shop and charged a toll.

“The great thing about this area is there are stories about everything that comes through here,” says Janet Hartford with the Green River Chamber of Commerce. “This is a place that was an Indian gathering site, and they did come and do ceremonies here. With all of the flavor of the west there are great stories, though verifying them is sometimes more difficult.”

Formed from the sediments of the ancient lakes that once covered the area’s landscape, the rock formations have been inspiration to a number of artists, including Thomas Moran, a few of whose landscapes are on display at the Smithsonian.

“He came through here in the early 1800s and did paintings of Yosemite and Yellowstone, as well as several rend erings of the formations,” Hartford says of the artist.

The natural beauty inspires more than just professional artists.

“It is a very subtle beauty, but there are so many beautiful things about it at different times of day,” says Hartford, a lifelong resident. “You can see deer and tons of other wildlife. To be able to go and walk from my house and in five minutes be completely by myself ... that is a unique experience I don’t think I would trade for anything.”

A Beautiful LandscapeROCK FORMATIONS TELL THEIR OWN TALES OF HISTORY AND GEOLOGY

The Palisades rock formations west of Green River J. K

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Experience Life on the RanchLocated on 3,100 acres in the expanse

of the high desert, Currant Creek Ranch has a storied history.

Once home to Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, the ranch attracts tourist and vacationers from across the world who are fascinated by Western living. Owner and rancher George Stephen’s arrival, however, was driven more by fate than curiosity,

In 2002, Stephen was driving mules from Canada to Mexico when he was thrown from his horse, fracturing his neck and spine. “That’s how I got here,” he says. Stephen now runs the

fully operating ranch that was first established in 1861.

Visitors can enjoy hunting, fishing, checking on herds of cattle, mending fences or anything else that goes into the daily life of a rancher.

“You name it, we do it,” Stephen says of the working ranch.

Of course, if you work up an appetite after all that physical activity, you’re in luck. At the Buffalo Bar and Beaver House Restaurant, each night means a different menu.

“Thursday is Dutch oven night, Friday is seafood and Saturday is steak,”

Stephen says. “On seafood night, you might get scallops or you might get giant prawns, whatever is fresh.” A bonus with each meal is the hearty homemade bread and soup, giant salad and dessert, all for a set price.

“If you are sitting with someone you haven’t met before, by the end of the night I guarantee you will know them,” Stephen says.

Visitors can choose from a variety of packages, from three days up to a full week. And if it rains, don’t expect to stay home. Rain or shine, this working ranch keeps running.

Ranch hand Jerry Couch of Alabama enjoys the front porch outside the Beaver House Restaurant at the Currant Creek Cattle Co. Couch has been a regular visitor to the ranch the past couple of summers.


Portfolio

The Rock Springs - Sweetwater County Airport offers daily direct

flights to Salt Lake City and Denver.

Ready For Takeoff

Sweetwater County may be hours away from big urban centers, but

when it comes time to get out of town, there’s no need to fill up your gas tank and travel to a large commercial airport.

The Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport has daily direct f lights to Salt Lake City and Denver.

Great Lakes Airlines, Sky West and United Airlines all offer commercial f lights in and out of the airport. Also, Franklin Aviation, located in the general aviation area, provides air-craft rental, charter f light service and f light instruction.

“The community has a choice of three different airlines going to two different cities,” says Airport Manager Gary Valentine. “There is reliable air transportation in and out of this community, and that’s huge for a community this size.”

Since 1927, the airport has been providing air service to the region. In July 2008, the airport added daily f lights to Salt Lake City.

“The airport has been serving the community since the earliest days of aviation history,” Valentine says.

Before the airport was moved to the current location, it was located near the site of the present fairgrounds.

In June 1931, Amelia Earhart used the airport as a stop on a publicity tour. Her stop at the airport is prominently displayed in a photo at the airport.

There are multiple commercial flights that operate out of the airport daily, in addition to nearly 40 medical, military and corporate f lights. There are cur-rently two runways.

“It means a lot to the region as well as the community to have this airport,” Valentine says. “It has a major economic impact, and we are showing steady growth in airline industry as well as corporate traffic.”

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Jump Start for Job Seekers

Finding a new job can be tough. Thanks to the Rock Springs

Workforce Center, part of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, job seekers have a wealth of resources and support at their fingertips.

“We are a federally funded State resource that provides employment and business services. People can contact us before they relocate to the area to start their job search long distance,” says Pat Brown, Rock Springs Workforce Center Supervisor. The first step is to visit the agency’s Web site at www.wyomingatwork.com. Here, individuals can browse job openings, post a resume or link to other resources.

“Once folks arrive in the area, they can visit our local office to build on their electronic job search activities with individual assistance from friendly, professional staff. Support services include job applications, resumé-writing assistance and use of our computer area for online applications,” Brown says.

The office has information on edu-cation and training of value in the local job market, vocational rehabilitation, veterans’ employment, career explo-ration and aptitude testing. “We are available to provide assistance to primary wage earners, as well as those seeking part-time or after-school employment, summer work or opportunities to supplement a retirement income,” Brown adds.

Businesses can also find resources at the center. “We’re here to meet your employment needs,” Brown says.

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Home and car insurance with

No extra charge.At State Farm® you get a competitive rate and an agent dedicated to helping you get the coverage that’s right for you and the discounts you deserve. Nobody takes care of you like State Farm. Contact me. I’ll prove it.

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A typical weekend at the Sweetwater Events Complex features motocross racing on dirt bikes. PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER

Event-Ful Entertainment

For more than 30 years, the Sweetwater Events Complex has

hosted everything from rodeos and weddings to gun shows and auctions.

“We have multiple venues on over 320 acres,” says Chad Banks, marketing director. “Over a single weekend, it would not be unusual to have four to five different events. The real inter-esting thing is there is such diversity of activities and people involved in one group, like BMX, may not understand all there is out there. There is everything from equestrian, motocross, business events, trade shows and weddings, so any kind of event you can imagine, we can accommodate.”

Open 365 days per year, the complex features a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall that can accommodate large events and an outdoor grandstand and arena with a seating capacity of about 3,000 for spectator events such as rodeos, demolition derbies and concerts. The complex also has five stocked fishing ponds, an indoor arena for equestrian and livestock events, more than 300 stalls and stock pens, as well as horse-shoe and bocci ball sites.

Headliners include Wyoming’s Big Show® and the yearly Society of Petroleum Engineers’ shrimp boil and crawfish feed.

“We fly in over 1,000 pounds of fresh seafood from Louisiana, and it is all-you-can-eat,” Banks says. “It is a great event with great food, and it is not very often we have the opportunity for fresh seafood.”

Included in the complex is the Sweetwater Speedway, which sits 6,250 feet above sea level. Host to the Wyoming State Motocross Cham-pionships, visitors can also catch stock car and BMX races.

Businesses can rent out part of the complex, including the in-house staff, to help any event succeed.

“We are absolutely the premier event venue,” Banks adds.

– Stories by Hollie Deese


Portfolio

Shot of EnergyA

Business


Business

GAS, COAL, OIL, URANIUM AND EVEN WIND POSITION REGION AS MAJOR PLAYER

STORY BY PAMELA COYLEPHOTOGRAPHY BY J. KYLE KEENER

S weetwater County has been an energy player since the railroad transformed Rock Springs into a hub for coal mining after

the Civil War. But what’s going on now makes those heady, early days look like nickel slots.

Natural gas production is surging; old oil fields are getting another look; coal production is going strong; and the region has enough raw material to keep the world supplied with soda ash (Trona) for a few thousand years. Sweetwater County even has uranium, and Wyoming is the nation’s largest source of it.

“Basically Wyoming is becoming the energy capital of the country,” says Dave Hanks, chief executive officer of the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce. “The natural gas Play has been the engine pushing the train.”

Two key factors have combined to fuel growth in the energy sector.

Demand for energy that is not depend-ent on foreign oil surged just as new technologies made getting at the raw materials worth the investment.

“The economy really starting pick-ing up about four years ago,” says Pat Robbins, regional director of the Wyoming Business Council. “The reserves have always been there, but the costs have been prohibitive.”

Natural gas is a good example. The two hottest “plays,” as they say in the

Trillions of cubic feet of natural gas are located in Sweetwater County.


GAS, COAL, OIL, URANIUM AND EVEN WIND POSITIONREGION AS MAJOR PLAYER


Business

business, are the Jonah Field and the Pinedale Anticline, both just to the north in Sublette County. Together, they contain trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, ranking fifth and second, respectively, among North American reserves. The depth of wells in these fields exceeds 12,000 feet, thousands deeper than those in other natural gas deposits in the state.

“Everything came together at the right time to develop those fields,” Robbins says.

Directional drilling, new fracking tech-niques – which allow companies to get natural gas embedded in hard sand formation – and higher prices for the finished commodities make for a winning combination.

“That is a very, very big thing going on right now, and it will continue for decades,” says Russell Kirlin, Wyoming regional manager for Questar Gas Co.

This isn’t a quick boom with its inevitable bust. Getting energy resources out of the ground is one huge step. Getting them where customers want them is another. New, big pipelines are boosting Wyoming’s national and international profile as a dependable source.

A 42-inch pipe, 2,300 miles long, will transport natural gas from the Jonah and Pinedale Anticline fields to Minneapolis, Chicago and points even further east.

“This move clear over into the Ohio area is unprecedented in Wyoming and Rockies as the whole,” Kirlin says.

Gas resources in Louisiana and the Midwest are depleting, and though Canada remains a player, demand is outpacing supply, he says.

Hanks ticks off the stats: Unem-ployment at 1.7 percent, the nation’s largest coal producer, the second or third natural gas producer (for now), the seventh largest oil producer and first in uranium.

“Our economy is great out here,” Hanks says.

And future energy plans? Rocky Mountain Power is developing a huge wind field, located partly in Sweetwater County, with 1,000 turbines.

Sweetwater County is a hub of mining and energy production.



Business

STORY BY JON BROOKS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY J. KYLE KEENER

ROCK SPRINGS WELDER INVENTS CLEANER METHOD FOR OIL & GAS PRODUCTION

H ollywood scriptwriters in search of a remarkable rags-to-riches saga should look no further than the MESSCO company.

The plot: A hard-working entrepreneur with no formal education, the mysterious new technology he invented almost by accident, set against the backdrop of a global envi-ronmental crisis.

“Dave started out in the oil and gas fields in the 1980s with just a single welding truck,” says Abby Moneyhun, MESSCO chief financial officer and wife of CEO Dave Moneyhun. “He expanded to a few more trucks and in 1991 started his own roustabout (oil well worker) company.”

Today Moneyhun owns the patent on a new technology that nearly obliterates toxic releases in the gas refining industry.

But, back in 1998, new environmental mandates were putting oil and gas producers in a bind.

The state wanted to stop the release of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that occur when companies separate the water that is present with extracted gas and oil. VOCs can harm soil and groundwater, pollute the air, and contribute to global warming.

Unfortunately, the companies couldn’t find the necessary equipment for the task, Abby Moneyhun explains. Dave, who by then had graduated from welding to the manufacture of dehydration units, smelled opportunity.

“He’s not an engineer,” she says. “We have high school educations. But we knew it had to burn really hot, and we knew the basic components. Dave put them together and added a burner. But he was afraid the flame was going to go straight out the stack and catch something on fire. So he

added a deflector plate, just for safety.”When the Moneyhuns had their burner tested, results

showed an astonishing 99.9 percent efficiency in eradicating VOCs. “We were absolutely astounded. We didn’t think it would work,” Abby Moneyhun says.

The only problem: No one knew why it worked. A group of engineers analyzed the MESSCO burner – now

called The VOCinerator – and determined the key was the deflector plate Dave had added merely as a safety precaution. “When the flame went up and hit that deflector plate, it would create a vortex,” Abby Moneyhun says. “It would spin and burn and re-burn and then come out clean.” While the Moneyhuns were busy testing their new invention, the state was legislating additional environmental rules. As a result, MESSCO had to tweak the VOCinerator to burn new types of VOCs, including BTEX. Meanwhile, Dave and Abby Moneyhun realized they needed to simplify their manufacturing process. After a lengthy re-development period, the Moneyhuns again sent the burner out for testing. Once again, results showed a 99.9 percent VOC and BTEX destruction.

The product now meets all state mandates, and orders are coming in fast. The company has been gearing up for mass production, constructing a new building, ordering more equipment, and hiring employees as fast as it can find them.

“I honestly have no idea how big this will get,” Moneyhun says. “The other day, Dave and I thought how when we started, the company was just this tiny building, and now it’s grown to 60,000 square feet, with all these employees. And this is just the beginning. The sky’s the limit.”

Accidental Entrepreneur

The

This VOCinerator, produced by Rock Springs-based MESSCO and Moneyhun Inc., burns the excess gases normally released during gas production to dramatically reduce the greenhouse gases released during gas production.


Bitter Creek Brewing, located in historic downtown Rock Springs, serves a full menu but is better known for its handmade microbrew beers and has a selection that changes based on the seasons.

A BREW BY ANY OTHER NAME

Concocting beer names is one perk of owning a brew pub. Bitter Creek Brewing in Rock Springs brews and serves seven main offerings, which include Sweetwater Wheat, Red Desert Ale, Boar’s Tusk and Coal Porter.

As names go, though, A Beer Named Bob is hard to beat. Owner Jane Caller says a family friend inspired the moniker for Bitter Creek’s rich, complex stout. Bob’s handlebar moustache is captured on the bottle label designed by the Callers’ daughter.

Bitter Creek opened in November 1997. The pub seats 130 people and produces its brew in 10-barrel batches. It has a diverse menu of appetizers, soups, salads, pizza, pastas and sand-wiches. A separate menu with nearly 20 specialty burgers includes the Breath Bomb, Mafia Madness, Polynesian Paradise and the Dude Rance.

Bitter Creek doesn’t bottle its beer, selling it only at the restaurant on Broadway Street. Mitch Swedelund, a local firefighter, is the brewmaster. He’s the fourth person to hold the important post; the first, Caller says, was a chemist from one of the mines who helped create the recipes.

Bitter Creek is open Monday-Saturday. Visit www.bittercreekbrewing.com or call (307) 362-4782.

TRONA IS RARE BUT ITS USE IS COMMON

Trona finds its way into scores of products, but few people outside Wyoming have ever heard of it. Its chemical name is sodium sesquircar-bonate. Trona is the raw material for soda ash, which is used to make glass, paper and other products.

Sweetwater County is awash with the stuff. Most companies mine the material and/or process it into soda ash. Church

and Dwight Co. Inc. is different. The company uses the material to make laundry detergent, kitty litter, baking soda, carpet deodorizer and other value-added products under the Arm & Hammer brand name. The plant has expanded over time and is now 500,000 square feet, employing 160 people who work in shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“There is a lifetime of trona here,” says plant manager Paul Parker.

And then some.Geologic forces some 50 million years

ago left behind an estimated 100 billion tons of trona wedged between shale and sandstone layers. That’s enough to meet the world’s needs for another 2,000 years.

HEALTHY CROPS START WITH FERTILIZER

When it comes to fertilizer, it’s not all about nitrogen.

Phosphorus is a key, though slow-acting, soil ingredient that helps plants

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Business | Biz Briefs

Alpine Property Management, LLCTina Linkenauger, Broker642 Pilot Butte Ave.Rock Springs, WY 82901

Looking for a real estate company that stands out above the rest?

Serving Sweetwater County since 1997

send roots into the soil so they can take in other nutrients. “Plants can’t grow without phosphate in some form,” says Eric Schillie, manager of Simplot Phosphates LLC in Rock Springs.

Simplot makes dry and liquid phosphate fertilizers, plus a f luoridation additive for public water systems.

The company is part of J. R. Simplot Co., an agribusiness giant that has annual sales of $3 billion in food, fertilizer, turf, horticulture and cattle feeding. Rock Springs, Schillie says, is ideal because a raw material for the phosphate products is molten sulphur that comes off the waste from natural gas fields. Simplot mines low-cost rock in Utah, processes phosphate and ships it to the Wyoming plant through a 100-mile pipeline in slurry form.

Simplot bought the plant from another, expanded it in 1996 and again in 2001. Employment is just over 200 people, and the place runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“We are looking at possible expansion plans,” Schillie says.

TAKING STOCKOne hundred years ago, sheep ranchers

in western Wyoming banded together to form an association to provide grazing land for their animals during the winter and keep outside ranchers from bringing their herds across the line.

The Rock Springs Grazing Association remains a force today. Over the decades, the association bought up leases of former railroad land and now controls an area roughly 80 miles long by 40 miles wide.

The bylaws specified the sale of no more than 100 shares of stock. Each share allows the owner to graze 3,500 head of sheep each winter, and amend-ments later allowed 500 head of cattle per share instead.

“Back at the turn of the century, we had a number of sheep growers trying to build their businesses, and people went where they wanted when they wanted,” says John Hay, association president. “In the fall, 800,000 to 900,000 head would come across the Green River from Utah and Idaho, and that number was more than this land could handle.”

The association continues to manage grazing and open its lands to public recreation.

“Everybody coexists,” Hay says.

CASING COMPANY RIDES DRILLING SURGE

The oil and gas business is made up of many businesses other than the multinational companies most people are familiar with.

Getting the raw material out of the ground takes layers of contractors with highly specialized skills, and when a major firm took over the casing company where Jerry Depoyster worked, he and three other partners set out to form their own business.

They founded Rocky Mountain Casing Crews in 1994 with about 20 people. Their timing was perfect. Rocky Mountain is riding the most recent boom in this

region of Wyoming – home to one of the biggest deposits of natural gas in the nation.

The company has about 100 workers now and installs hundreds of miles of casings for oil and natural gas drilling each year.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” Depoyster says. “We had a couple of customers out there but a lot of friends.”

He likes that his workers are local, pay their taxes here and spend their money close to home.

“The majority of the drilling is done by the independents and that’s who we want to work for,” Depoyster says. “It is more personal.” – Pamela Coyle


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SWEETWATER COUNTY

BUSINESS CLIMATEThe railroad is still a major presence in Sweetwater County. Mining,

particularly of trona, is the major industry in the area. With the

interstate, railroad, fiber optics and other important infrastructures,

Rock Springs makes an ideal location to serve the west.

TAX RATES

2%County Sales Tax

4%State Sales Tax

6%Total Sales Tax

ECONOMIC RESOURCES

Sweetwater Economic

Development Association

1400 Dewar Drive, Ste. 205A

Rock Springs, WY 82901

(307) 352-6874, (800) 803-6362

www.sweda.net

Rock Springs

Chamber of Commerce

1897 Dewar Drive, P.O. Box 398


(307) 362-3771, (800) 46-DUNES


Wyoming Business Council

214 West 15th St.

Cheyenne, WY 82002

(307) 777-2800

www.wyomingbusiness.org

Green River

Chamber of Commerce

1155 W. Flaming Gorge Way

Green River, WY 82935

(307) 875-5711

www.grchamber.com

Green River

Futures, Inc.

P.O. Box 130


(307) 871-1941

www.greenriverfutures.com

Sweetwater Travel

and Tourism

404 N St., Suite 304


(307) 382-2538

www.tourwyoming.com

TOP EMPLOYERS

Employer Sector Employees

FMC Wyoming Corporation Trona, mining and processing 888

Halliburton Oil field service 720

Sweetwater County School District, #1 Public schools 578

General Chemical Company Trona, mining and processing 520

Bridger Coal Company Surface coal mining 443

OCI Trona, mining and processing 430

PacifiCorp Power generation 378

Solvay Minerals Trona, mining and processing 426

Schlumberger Pumping and Well Service Oil field service 325

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Health care 322

Sweetwater County School District 2 Public schools 319

City of Rock Springs City government 218

Union Pacific Railroad Railroads 200


Business | Economic Profile

TRANSPORTATION

Rock Springs - Sweetwater County AirportP.O. Box 1987


(307) 352-6880

www.rockspringsairport.com

STAR Transit1471 Dewar Drive, Suite 123


(307) 382-7827

www.ridestartransit.com

GOVERNMENT OFFICES

City of Rock Springs212 D St.


(307) 352-1500

www.rswy.net

City of Green Riverwww.cityofgreenriver.org

Sweetwater County Government80 W. Flaming Gorge Way


(307) 872-6400

www.co.sweet.wy.us

LABOR STATISTICS

Labor Force 24,244

Annual Average Wage$49,660

Average Hourly Rate $23.88

Unemployment Rate 2.2% (Sept. 2008)

Average weekly wage first qtr. 2008, $955

TRONA

Sweetwater County is the

most industrialized county in

Wyoming. Over half of the

workforce is employed by

industry, principally mining,

petroleum, power generation

and related services.

Sweetwater County has the

world’s largest trona reserve.

MORE ONLINE


More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

E OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


Business | Economic Profile

The high desert scenery of Rock Springs is punctuated by dramatic rock formations that dot the landscape.


Image Gallery | PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER


Image Gallery

More than 2,500 wild horses roam free on the public lands of southwestern Wyoming.


PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER

A child peers out the window of the Beaver House Restaurant at the Currant Creek Cattle Co. guest ranch.


Image Gallery | PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER

College is a place to prepare for the future. And just like aspiring English teachers need

to learn about composition and grammar, students looking for a future in the industrial sector need classes geared specifically for them as well.

At Western Wyoming Community College, students are provided with a niche focus from a school that is also endorsed by local businesses. And with the joint partnership of the two, WWCC students are getting the most compre-hensive, hands-on training available. A bonus is that when they graduate, they will be ready for the workforce.

“The degrees our students are seeking give them long-term job prospects in the area,” says Joanna Fritz, coordinator of marketing and public information for WWCC. “These are not f ly in and fly out kinds of jobs.”

Because of the area’s proliferation of coal mines and plants, students are flocking to programs in welding tech-

nology, plant operations, oil and gas technology, mining maintenance, indus trial maintenance, compression technology, diesel technology and heavy equipment maintenance, and electrical and instrumentation technology.

“Natural gas compression is in its second year of students, and that was a direct response to industry requests we have something that teaches these students those kinds of skills,” Fritz says.

In fact, local businesses wanted skilled workers coming from the area so badly, they teamed up to fund the new well site training facility. It is a closed loop facility so students don’t actually drill into the ground, even though it is fully functioning.

“It is unique in the world in that it is the only training facility like this at a college,” Fritz says. “It was built, completely funded by $2.3 million, by a group of 17 companies who came together. It was interesting to watch competitors collaborate on something

that is important to all of them.”Student training doesn’t end at the

school, as most of the local companies offer internships.

Once they receive their certificates, it’s not likely they have seen the last of Western Wyoming either.

“In addition to degree programs we also offer continuing education for different industries,” Fritz adds. “A coal mine will use workforce training to do MSHA and OSHA training and offer refreshers on different kinds of things.”

The school and local industry leaders work so closely that new courses are routinely based on growing needs.

“They will say, ‘I need this, this and this,’” Fritz says. “They either train on campus or go out to the mine and hold a class for those students. We work with the industry really closely.”

– Hollie Deese

Training GroundAT WESTERN WYOMING COMMUNITY COLLEGE, INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION TEAM UP

Western Wyoming Community College features outstanding archeology and technical programs that fit the needs of local employers as well as offering students a chance to explore different fields. PHOTOS BY J. KYLE KEENER

www.wwcc.wy.edu2500 College DriveRock Springs, WY 82901(307) 382-1600

Western Wyoming Community College


Education

Growth SpurtSCHOOL DISTRICT EMBARKS ON AMBITIOUS EXPANSION PLAN

We’ve had about 250 to 300 new students for the past two

years,” says Paul Grube, superintendent of Sweetwater County

School District Number One. “And in the last five years, we have seen

1,000 new students. It started slowly but has increased steadily for

two years.”

The District has a solid plan in place to ensure all students’ needs

are met. New buildings are planned, as well as the renovation of

existing structures.

In the coming years, look for a new K-4 school, which broke ground

in July 2008, to accommodate 450 students and two new 5th- and

6th-grade buildings to accommodate 492 students in each building.

White Mountain Junior High will be remodeled, and a new addition

to the school will accommodate the projected 983 students.

Future plans don’t stop there.

“The buildings are full, but we have been able to manage the

enrollment so far,” Grube says. “We have to hope all construction is

on time or ahead of schedule. The District has worked very closely

with the Wyoming School Facilities Commission to meet the future

student growth.” – Hollie Deese

Paul Grube, superintendent of Sweetwater County School District #1, has been gearing up for future growth as the school district expands.

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Education

Moneyhun CompaniesSince beginning as Moneyhun Welding and Fabrication in 1980, the Moneyhun Companies have expanded over the past 28 years to include Moneyhun Field Services, Inc. and Moneyhun Equipment Sales and Service Company, Inc. (MESSCO)

MESSCO designs and manufactures customized products to meet our client’s needs in our ASME coded facility. We specialize in glycol dehydration units and emission eliminators. MESSCO’s VOCinerator™ has been designed to eliminate BTEX as well as VOCs at 99% effi ciency. With its low profi le, small footprint and low temperature burn rates the patented VOCinerator™ is smokeless and meets all DEQ standards making it the most environmentally friendly emissions eliminator on the market.

With our manufacturing, engineering capabilities and highly qualifi ed personnel, MESSCO has the resources and expertise to deliver, install, service, refurbish and maintain oil fi eld equipment. Since its humble beginnings the Moneyhun Companies have become a leading supplier of quality products and innovative environmental solutions for the oil and gas industry nationwide.

“Technology for a Cleaner Environment”

Moneyhun Companies

Our business complex consists of 60,000 sq. ft. of workshop space on a 10-acre industrial site and is one of the largest welding and fabrication facilities in Wyoming. We are currently ranked in the top 30 employers in Sweetwater County. Our employees are trained and certifi ed to meet strict safety standards governed by DOT, OSHA, ANSI and customer specifi c regulations.

Employment OpportunitiesField supervisorsCrew pushersWeldersEquipment operatorsRoustabout laborersField operatorsCDL driversMechanical engineer with PE backgroundProduction supervisorsCode weldersPipe fi ttersDehy instrumentation techsAssemblersCrane operatorsPipeline operation

Benefi tsCompetitive wages, medical and dental insurance, retirement plan with 3% employer match on gross wages and vacation pay

For more information on current employment opportunities, contact human resources at (307) 382-2926 or visit our Web site at www.moneyhun.com.

Locally Manufactured, Engineered and Refurbished Oil Field Production Equipment

ASME Code, National Board, R&U Stamped

Vernon Computerized Pipe Cutting Machine – Diameters 4”-54”

ESAB CNC Plasma Cutting Table

CNC Tubing Bender

Automated Sub Arc Welders

Field Installation, Maintenance and Repair

Dehydrator Cleaning and Maintenance

Tank Battery Installation

Pipeline Laterals

Well Hook-Ups

Field and Plant Operations

30-ton Crane Services

(70 ft. of Boom)

Large Forklift Services

Hot Shot Services

Moneyhun Companies2220 Upland St.

Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 382-2926

www.moneyhun.com

MONEYHUN EQUIPMENT SALES & SERVICE COMPANY

Look ma! No liens!

Wyoming Land Title Company

for your title insurance and real estate closing

Wyoming Land Title CompanyFirst American Title Insurance Company

Coyote Creek Steakhouse & SaloonFine dining in a casual atmosphere! Steaks aged and cut in-house so you know you are getting the best flavor. Made-to-order pasta and truly fresh seafood. Full bar. Made-from-scratch dessert.

Come join us at 404 N. St. Rock Springs, WY 82901 (307) 382-4100


Hager Chiropractic Health Clinic

Enjoy relief and well-being with a healthy spine and nervous system …

Treatments designed for your age, condition and lifestyle.

Gentle and effective for:

Children and Infants:

DR. LANCE HAGERChiropractic Physician

362-3700 Toll-free: (800) 374-2225

(in Postal Square)

4000 Dewar Drive Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 382-3010 Fax (307) 382-6881 www.fdcounseling.com

Family Dynamics Counseling Inc.Today’s solutions for your future

Personal & Confidential

Our approach is to provide solutions and empower persons with tools and resources they can take away with them from therapy.

Quality Services: State Certified Adult & Adolescent Substance Abuse Services:

Jill A. Johnson, MS, LMFTPaul N. Nicksich, MS, LPC, LAT, CCMHC, MAC, SAPMargaret M. Flores, BA, CAPRenee A. Schroeder, MS, LPC, NCCWendy J. Simek, MSW, LCSW


Health & Wellness

Memorial Hospital has been on College Drive since the 1970s, when the county built a new

$13 million facility. A $6.5 million expansion and renovation followed in 1986. Now a $56 million project is over-hauling Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County to better meet the needs of a growing community.

A new, bigger emergency department opened in November 2008. Its 18,000 square feet is now about triple the original space. The obstetrics unit doubled in size, and Memorial added significantly more space for same-day surgery. Those projects are on track to wrap up by the end of 2008.

Memorial is licensed for 99 inpatient beds but in recent years has staffed only 77 of them, says Doug Gilchrist, the hospital’s director of facilities support services. The hospital was built in the

1970s when inpatient treatment was longer and more common, but health care and the region’s needs have changed.

“We found ourselves with a hospital that had unused patient beds and inadequate space to accommodate imag-ing, labs and outpatient surgery,” Gilchrist says. “We had to recapture the space not being used.”

Furthermore, since 2000, the popu-lation in Rock Springs has skyrocketed 40 percent; meanwhile, overall growth in Sweetwater County during the same period is about 15 percent.

In all, the construction is adding 67,000 square feet to the existing 146,000-square-foot hospital. All work is expected to be finished by fall 2009.

The revamp includes larger and more welcoming lobby and waiting areas.

The hospital has deep roots in Rock Springs. Wyoming voters in 1892 picked

the town as the spot for a new hospital; the legislature approved a levy to pay for it, and the Union Pacific Railway donated 15 acres for the site.

With the new expansion, visitors and patients will pass through a memorial “healing garden” dedicated to Dr. William V. Pryich before they reach the front door. Pryich was a family practitioner who served the community for 41 years until he retired in 2006. Pryich passed away in June 2008 at the age of 79.

Anna Kallas, director of the Memorial Hospital Foundation, says the garden will be a way to honor other doctors, nurses and family members too.

The landscaped space will be “a nice and welcoming” way to enter the hospital, which is transforming from its roots as a small-town hospital to a fully equipped 21st-century health-care institution, Kallas says. – Pamela Coyle

Expand the Hospital: Stat!HOSPITAL OVERHAUL KEEPS APACE WITH GROWING HEALTH-CARE NEEDS

The Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County has undergone a major expansion in its emergency room, obstetrics facilities and surgical space, as well as a new, welcoming patient lobby and waiting area.

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Health & Wellness

Friday, August 21, 2009Sculpture Reveal 1:30 p.m.

All events held at the Expedition Island Pavilion

(307) 872-0580 www.artonthegreen.net

artGreen

on the

Schedule at a GlanceSaturday, August 22, 2009

COMMUNITY FINE ARTS CENTER

400 C. St.Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 362-6212www.cfac4art.com

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Friday-Saturday:12 p.m.-5 p.m.Closed Sundays & Major holidays

Rock Springs ArtsWhat began as an extracurricular

high school student project to collect art for classrooms evolved into

the Community Fine Arts Center, a nonprofit multi-arts center in Rock Springs with a most unique history.

In 1939, high school science teacher Elmer Halseth purchased Shack Alley by Henrietta Wood to hang at the school. During the summer, he traveled America buying paintings, drawings and etchings for the students, using money gathered from school carnivals, bake sales and donation jars.

“From this high school art collection, we now have a wonderful collaboration of agencies to provide cultural experiences for the community,” says Debora Soule, Community Fine Arts director.

Now, much of the nearly 600-piece collection is on display at the center with some still gracing the walls of the high school library and admin-istration offices.

“The collection had outgrown the school walls, the public was interested in seeing it, and they wanted it in a safe place,” says Jennifer Messer, assistant to the director.

The collection still grows through donations by visiting artists, students and the public.

“When a class graduated, they donated art-work in the name of the class,” Messer says. “A

couple of years ago, when Lincoln Elementary school closed, the student body had money they could spend. To leave something lasting, they decided to buy art to add to the collection. We helped contact local artists who agreed to let the kids vote on which one to buy.”

Over the years, the collection has garnered works by famous artists including Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses.

“Rockwell’s oil painting Willie Gillis: New Year’s Eve was on the cover of the January 1st, 1944 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Halseth purchased the painting at an estate sale in Denver with funds from the graduating class of 1953. After being in the collection for several years, it was sent for conservation where it was discovered the word “Post” had been covered up, perhaps by Rockwell himself, we don’t really know. But someone placed tinfoil over the canvas and repainted the upper corner so that no one could tell it was there. Now in its original state, it holds a prominent place in the collection.”

The CFAC has also become known for offering a wide variety of performance arts – from symphony and opera to street dancers and puppeteers.

“We are sure glad Mr. Halseth wanted to share his love of the arts with his students. We all are richer for it,” says Soule. – Hollie Deese

School Art GraduatesARTS CENTER HAS EVOLVED FROM SMALL HIGH SCHOOL COLLECTION

The Fine Arts Center in Rock Springs began as a high school art collection but is now home to paintings by Grandma Moses and Norman Rockwell, among others. PHOTO BY J. KYLE KEENER


Arts & Culture

Keeping you

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Brokerage Southwest601 Broadway Rock Springs, WY 82901

(307) 389-4567 (307) 362-1275

[email protected] www.brokeragesouthwest.com

with all your real

estate needs!

Becky Costantino

RC Jones, Artist/Proprietor

I-80 at Exit 89

1170 W. Flaming Gorge WayGreen River, WY 82935

Reservations Call

192 beautifully decorated guest rooms

100% non-smoking

Penny’s Diner open 24 hoursserving breakfast, lunch and dinner

Free local calls

25" TV with cable

Guest laundry facilities

AttractionsNear Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Easy stop over Yellowstone National Park

Jackson Hole Ski Resort


With a population of 30,000, Rock Springs boasts more than its fair share of recre-

ational opportunities. Beyond what the rugged Wyoming

landscape has to offer – horseback riding, all-terrain vehicle expeditions and watersports – this is a community that takes its urban recreational oppor-tunities seriously.

The Rock Springs Family Recreation

Center has more than 129,000 square feet of athletic hustle and bustle in its gleaming facility.

Patrons can choose between a gym, swimming pool, weight room, rac-quetball courts and cardio training. There are also indoor and outdoor playgrounds, running track, driving and putting ranges, and fitness classes

“Even people from outside the town make use of our facilities,” says Dave

At the city-owned White Mountain Golf Course, everyone from newbies to old pros tee off.

No Place for Couch PotatoesSTATE-OF-THE-ART RECREATIONAL FACILITIES OFFER ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES

Lansang, Rock Springs’ director of Parks and Recreation. “One hundred twenty thousand separate admissions came through the door of the family recreation center last year. It’s such a large facility with so much to do. If you want the biggest and best, you come here.”

At the Rock Springs Civic Center, facilities include handball courts and a climbing wall. Fitness classes for all ages are also on offer.

Rock Springs residents also enjoy 20 neighborhood parks, the largest municipal golf course in Wyoming, and the only full-size indoor ice arena within 150 miles. Figure skating clubs and hockey tournaments have developed. The city runs leagues in softball, volleyball, baseball, and Young American Football.

But even with all these activities, expansion is needed. Rock Springs recently completed seeding a third nine-hole golf course at the Paul J. Wataha Recreation Complex. A $7.6 million aquatic aug-mentation is in the works. One outdoor pool and one indoor year-round pool, as well as a zero-depth splash park, will be completed in 2010.

“We like to think we’re doing some-thing 12 months per year in terms of recreational opportunities,” Lansang says. The recently revived soapbox derby is a prime example. Contestants race a quarter-mile down a hill, with only human-propelled vehicles allowed. “We took that from a local event that used to be held 30 or 40 years ago, when people created their own homemade cars. We’re trying to build that up to be something very special.” Lansang says this year’s winner spent the whole month of July working on his entry.

“At times it seems like the whole town’s doing something,” Lansang says. “We spend millions on recreation and quality of life. The community considers it a real value.”

– Jon Brooks

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Sports & Recreation

THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

MEDIA OUTLETS

Rocket-Miner215 D. St.


(307) 362-3736, (888) 443-3736

www.rocketminer.com

Green River Star Uinta Drive, P.O. Box 580


(307) 875-3103

www.greenriverstar.com

CITY LINK

www.rswy.net

www.cityofgreenriver.com


www.grchamber.com

www.tourwyoming.com

CLIMATE

8.02 inchesAvg Annual Precipitation

5 FJanuary Low Temperature

33 FJanuary High Temperature

49 FJuly Low Temperature

86 FJuly High Temperature

Willow Ridge Crafts, Inc.

625 BroadwayRock Springs, WY 82901(307) 362-2556

Notions, kits, books and classes

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tues.-Fri.

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat.

FabricNeedle artsNeedle feltingScrapbookingCandlemakingBeadingLeather craft

YarnDMC threadsKids’ craftsCake decoratingMiscellaneous craftsFloral Paint and brushes

Featured craft supplies include:

SWEETWATER COUNTY

SNAPSHOTGreen River is the county seat of Sweetwater County and is its

second-largest city. Sweetwater County is home to 10,500 square

miles of high desert adventure and offers excellent recreation

opportunities, affordable housing and a variety of cultural

activities to choose from.

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Castle Rock Hospital District1400 Uinta Drive


(307) 872-4500

www.crhd.org

Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County1200 College Drive


(307) 362-3711

www.sweetwatermedical

center.com

Red Desert Clinic2761 Commercial Way


(307) 362-6070

Red Desert Insta-Care761 Commercial Way


(307) 382-3064

MORE ONLINE


More facts, stats and community information, including relocation tools and links to resources.

E OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Community Profile


EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

Sweetwater County School District #13550 Foothill Blvd.


(307) 352-3400

www.sweetwater1.org

Sweetwater County School District #2320 Monroe Ave.


(307) 872-5501

www.sw2.k12.wy.us

Western Wyoming Community College2500 College Drive


(307) 382-1600

www.wwcc.cc.wy.us

Green River Bible Baptist School800 Homestead Drive


(307) 875-4405

Holy Spirit Catholic School210 A St., Rock Springs,

WY 82901, (307) 362-6077

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Sweetwater County Library System300 N. First E.


(307) 872-3200, ext. 5100

www.sweetwaterlibraries.com

Sweetwater County Clerk80 W. Flaming Gorge Way,

P.O. Box 730


(307) 872-3732

www.sweet.wy.us/clerk

Wyoming Department of Transportation - Rock Springs3200 Elk St.


(307) 352-3001

Sweetwater County Public Health Department550 Uinta, Suite E


(307) 872-6320

wdh.state.wy.us

ECONOMIC RESOURCES

Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce1897 Dewar Drive, P.O. Box 398


(307) 362-3771, (800) 46-DUNES


Sweetwater Economic Development Association1400 Dewar Drive, Suite 205A


(307) 352-6874, (800) 803-6362

www.sweda.net

Green River Chamber of Commerce1155 W. Flaming Gorge Way


(307) 875-5711

www.grchamber.com

Wyoming Business Council214 West 15th St.

Cheyenne, WY 82002

(307) 777-2800

www.wyomingbusiness.org

Green River Futures Inc.P.O. Box 130


(307) 871-1941

www.greenriverfutures.com

Sweetwater Travel and Tourism404 N St., Ste. 304


(307) 382-2538

www.tourwyoming.com

Forty years of real estate experience including consulting, selling and listing commercial real estate, appraising, teaching pre-licensing, certified in-home inspection, radon, lead-based paint, asbestos and all kinds of investment analysis.

I am active in the Local Board, State and National Realtors. Rock Springs city planning and zoning, SWEDA (Sweetwater County Economic Development Association).

Born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming and have developed extensive contact within the local community as well as the national commercial real estate community.

I have many commercial and industrial listings and if you want something special, I will see if I can “dig something up” for you.

CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) is a Commercial Real Estate designation by the National Association of Realtors* since 1987.

We are the foundation for all of your real

estate needs!

Jim Anselmi Brokerage Southwest

601 Broadway Rock Springs, WY 82901

Commercial, Industrial

Investment Real Estate Broker

[email protected] www.jimanselmiccim.com

(307) 362-6169 (307) 371-6085 cell

(307) 362-1275 office

Community Profile


"We are the foundation for all of your real estate needs!"

Sweetwater County's largest office with 18 agents

601 Broadway Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 362-1275 www.brokeragesouthwest.com

Brokerage SouthwestMaggie Riley

Broker/Owner

Where to Go • What to Do • Who to See

514 Broadway • Rock Springs, WY 82901 (307) 382-5357 • [email protected]

Tuesday through Friday from Noon-5 p.m.or by appointment

Free Gift-Pak

About Time Travel, Inc.

1215 A Elk St. Rock Springs, WY 82901

(307) 382-TRIP

A professional solution for your travel needs

www.travelsociety.comVirtuoso Member

Over 20 years of experience

Heather A. Hager Financial Advisor2241 Foothill Blvd. Ste. B Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 382-2944 [email protected]

Waddell & Reed, Inc. (09/07) Member SIPC


Moonlight over Sweetwater County illuminates the awe-inspiring rock formations that give rise to its nickname of “Gateway to the West.” By

day, however, the rugged Wyoming landscape serves as a beautiful backdrop to an emerging urban center.

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Photo Finish

Explore its landscapes, cultural offerings, food and fun.

See its downtowns, neighborhoods, parks and attractions.

Experience the history, hot spots and local happenings.

Now Showing in Our Video Gallery

Sit back and enjoy a preview of Sweetwater County.

Sweetwater County is rated L for Livability.


SWEETWATER COUNTY

SENIOR EDITOR ANITA WADHWANI

COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS

ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, JESSY YANCEY

ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER MATT BIGELOW

STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JON BROOKS, PAMELA COYLE,

HOLLIE DEESE, ELLEN MARGULIES

DATA MANAGER RANETTA SMITH

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON

INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER JOE THOMPSON

SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN MCCORD

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, TODD BENNETT,

ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, J. KYLE KEENER

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT ANNE WHITLOW

CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS

WEB DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR BRIAN SMITH

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS

ASST. PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN

PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER

PRODUCTION PROJECT MANAGERS

MELISSA BRACEWELL, KATIE MIDDENDORF, JILL WYATT

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER,

KRIS SEXTON, CANDICE SWEET, VIKKI WILLIAMS

GRAPHIC DESIGN ERICA HINES, ALISON HUNTER,

JESSICA MANNER, JANINE MARYLAND,

AMY NELSON, MARCUS SNYDER

WEB PROJECT MANAGERS ANDY HARTLEY, YAMEL RUIZ

WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ

COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN TWILA ALLEN

AD TRAFFIC MARCIA MILLAR, SARAH MILLER,

PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY

CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN

SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER

SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN

SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER

V.P./SALES HERB HARPER

V.P./SALES TODD POTTER

V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER

V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART

V.P./EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS

MANAGING EDITORS/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS,

BILL McMEEKIN

MANAGING EDITOR/COMMUNITY KIM MADLOM

MANAGING EDITOR/CUSTOM KIM NEWSOM

MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO

CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY

ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, RICHIE FITZPATRICK,

DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA McFARLAND, LISA OWENS

RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP

COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY

DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR YANCEY TURTURICE

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR JAMES SCOLLARD

IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE

CUSTOM SALES SUPPORT RACHAEL GOLDSBERRY

SALES/MARKETING COORDINATOR RACHEL MATHEIS

SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY/SALES SUPPORT KRISTY DUNCAN

OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

RECEPTIONIST LINDA BISHOP

C U S TO M M A G A Z I N E M E D I A

Images Sweetwater County is published annually by Journal Communications Inc.

and is distributed through the Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce and its member businesses.

For advertising information or to direct questionsor comments about the magazine, contact

Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080or by e-mail at [email protected].

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce

1897 Dewar Drive • Rock Springs, WY, 82901Phone: (307) 362-3771 • Fax: (307) 362-3838

E-mail: [email protected] www.rockspringswyoming.net

VISIT IMAGES SWEETWATER COUNTY ONLINE AT IMAGESSWEETWATERCOUNTY.COM

©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc.,725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067,

(615) 771-0080. All rights reserved.No portion of this magazine may be reproduced

in whole or in part without written consent.

Member Magazine Publishers of America

Member Custom Publishing Council

Member Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce

TM


Ad Index 32 1ST BANK NORTHSIDE BRANCH

50 A&E FLOW TESTING LLC

64 ABOUT TIME TRAVEL LLC

41 ALPINE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC

53 ANYTIME FITNESS

58 BROKERAGE SOUTHWEST – BECKY COSTANTINO

63 BROKERAGE SOUTHWEST – JIM ANSELMI

64 BROKERAGE SOUTHWEST – MAGGIE RILEY

56 CITY OF GREEN RIVER – ART COUNCIL

42 COLDWELL BANKER – CARRIER REALTY

52 COYOTE CREEK

33 DICK BOETTCHER INSURANCE AGENCY INC.

53 FAMILY DYNAMICS COUNSELING INC.

64 FLAMING GORGE DAYS

12 FMC

53 HAGER CHIROPRACTIC

9 HUMANA

52 INTEGRATED POWER SERVICES

51 MONEYHUN-MESSCO

Ad Index (cont.) 58 OAK TREE INN

44 PACIFIC STEEL & RECYCLING

4 QUESTAR

20 RE/MAX PROPERTY CENTER

62 RIVER FESTIVAL

68 ROCK SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2 ROCK SPRINGS HISTORICAL MUSEUM

62 ROCK SPRINGS REALTY

1 ROCK SPRINGS- SWEETWATER COUNTY AIRPORT

42 RODEO GRILL

6 SCHOOL DISTRICT #1 SWEETWATER

7 SHARON TURANO – STATE FARM INSURANCE

37 SOLVAY CHEMICALS

8 SWEETWATER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT #2

C2 SWEETWATER EVENTS COMPLEX

64 SWEETWATER WELCOME

62 TABUCHI INSURANCE – STATE FARM

C4 TACO TIME

60 TRONA VALLEY COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

64 WADDELL & REED

58 WEST OF CENTER STUDIO & GIFTS

61 WILLOW RIDGE CRAFTS INC.

31 WYOMING

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

52 WYOMING LAND

TITLE COMPANY

20 YOUNG AT HEART

SENIOR CENTER

and

the

No matter where residents hail from, Rock Springs quickly becomes home; comfortable but challenging, quiet but stimulating. We love it here and think you

would too. Come see us.

A true historic city with 56 nationalities, offering cultural diversity The most populated and fastest growing city in Southwest Wyoming Located on a major transportation corridor including

Interstate 80, major fl yways and Union Pacifi c Railroad Offers an incredible number of amenities and services

all contributing to an exceptional quality of life Access point to unique off-road and water recreation resources Abundant natural resources are the backbone for a strong economy A leader in the nation’s energy production Two-wheel capital of Wyoming Hub of motor sports recreation The premium health care provider in Sweetwater County

Actively involved in: Workforce recruitment Workforce development Retention and expansion of existing Sweetwater County businesses and industries Free grant assistance Helping communities create growth capacity Housing for workforce Cooperative community partnerships

Growing business and creating jobs in Sweetwater County, Wyoming

The Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to enhancing Sweetwater County’s quality of life and economic

vitality through a cooperative Sweetwater County.

Voice of business to government Creating a strong economy Promoting the greater Sweetwater County Area Providing network opportunities Front door to our community

Beautiful park, pathways and Greenbelt trails Outstanding recreation center Public art sculptures adorn the community Established goals and vision to guide the city into the future Origin of the Powell Expedition West entrance of the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Loop Tour

and gateway to the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area

The mission of the City of Green River is to provide the highest quality municipal services and highest quality city infrastructure and facilities in a customer friendly

and fi nancially responsible manner.

Green River ... oasis of the highest desert country offering a great quality of life blended with a friendly western attitude. Unique shopping, surrounded by history and

stunning vistas with wild horses minutes away.

Visitors can enjoy events, bike trails and walking paths along the scenic Green River. The Green River Chamber of Commerce is: Business and community advocate Promoting the community Providing networking opportunities Tourism information center Building a strong economy through partnerships

Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce1897 Dewar Dr.Rock Springs, WY 82901


Green River Chamber of Commerce

www.grchamber.com

The City of Rock Springs212 D St.Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 352-1500www.rswy.net

The City of Green River

(307) 872-6136

Sweetwater Economic Development Association

1400 Dewar Dr.Rock Springs, WY 82901(307) 352-6874

and

images sweetwater county, wy: 2009

Documents

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