GUERNSEY—With just 12 days left in 2017, we begin our review of this year’s stories and events, covering those that made our pages each week from January through June.  We will cover our second six months next week along with our choices for our Top Ten stories of the Year.

JANUARY

Snow and extremely cold temperatures ushered in the new year of 2017.  Single digit thermometer readings made long trips short and short trips seem long if you were outside. 

The top 10 stories for 2016 were announced in the first edition of the Gazette and the year’s top story was the selection of Camp Guernsey for two major honors from the U. S. military at a national level.  They included being named to one of just five Army installations recognized at the inaugural Army Community Partnership Recognition and their selection for second place in the 2016 Army Communities of Excellence Award. 

After decades of emergency medical services performed by volunteers in the community, the Guernsey Ambulance service was acquired by the Platte County Memorial Hospital and Banner Health.  The move was made necessary due to the the few number of people available over each 24 hours to respond as so many are working full time jobs.  Banner Health will lease two ambulances from the Town of Guernsey and some of the Guernsey volunteers have joined the workforce for the company.

We said final goodbyes to Dennis Dinnel.    

FEBRUARY

The Friends of Hartville released their 2017 Valentine Postal cancellation available for all mail sent through the Hartville Post Office.  Hartville is one of 22 communities nationwide that offers an officially approved postal cancellation for Valentine mail. 

Platte County School District #2 has opted to postpone the hiring of a Community Ed Director until they can determine the impact and scope of recent budget cuts that help fund the position. 

Although it is still seven months away, communities that fall within an area deemed the “path of totality” for the upcoming total solar eclipse are beginning preparations for the hundreds of visitors expected to come for the August 21st event.  A number of Platte and Goshen County communities fall within that path, including Glendo, Guernsey, Fort Laramie,   

We said a final farewell to Ardith Brown and Marie Montgomery.   

MARCH

Bids for the restoration project at the old Culver Hotel on North Wyoming Ave. will open March 21st.  Thanks to a grant from the Wyoming Business Council’s Downtown Development program, the project will provide a bed and breakfast business once completed.  A lease for the property has already been negotiated and revenue from the lease will be split with the Wyoming Business Council to help fund further projects.

Madison Evans, a junior at Guernsey-Sunrise High School, was selected to represent Guernsey at the summer’s Legion Auxiliary’s Girls’ State event held each summer.  She was sponsored by American Legion Auxiliary of J. J. Webb Unit #95.

Girls’ State is a practical experience in self-government, based in Wyoming’s state government and is a nationwide program. 

The Town of Guernsey collected $1,668 in court fees assessed by the municipal court for the month of March.   

We said goodbye forever to Edith Rush and Ruth Mittan. 

APRIL

A birthday party was held in Hartville to celebrate the 94^th birthdays of two friends who were born just four days apart in 1923.  Toni Rodriguez and Dolores Ibarra were all smiles as family and friends gathered to mark their special day. 

Braden Stenson didn’t have a driver’s license but this Cub Scout’s car proved to be the fastest and overall winner in Pack 49’s Pinewood Derby.  He also picked up the award for Judge’s Favorite Car.  Philyp  Morales placed second and James Jenkins finished third in the annual race that features cars built by the scouts and an adult in their lives. 

The Town of Guernsey announced they would make a dollar-for-dollar match for funds raised to put a concrete dance floor in Gordon Davis Park.  Over $500 has been raised to this point and the project has a total price tag of approximately $2,400.

We bid final goodbyes to Darlene Morgan.    

MAY

Cadets from the Wyoming Cowboy ChalleNGe program helped with some landscaping work at Gordon Davis Park as part of their community service component in their five-month residential program at Camp Guernsey.  

Industrial technology instructor Troy Reichert has been notified that he has been named a top-five finisher in the national VFW educational award program.  Reichert was the local, district and state winner.  The award brings an all-expense-paid trip to Valley Forge, PA where he will attend a Medal of Honor Class at the Freedoms Foundation.  Reichert’s students built a guard shack for the Camp Guernsey Training Center.    

The Class of 2017 picked up $173,904 in scholarships for their post-high school education. 

We lost forever Pat Moore, Linda Carlson and Pearl Offe. 

JUNE

The museums of Platte County received funding provided through the county’s lodging tax.  Guernsey received $2,500 in the disbursement.

The first summer concert was held in early June as the duo of Davis and Maverick came to play a variety of rock, folk and country in Gordon Davis Park. 

Local couple and VFW Post 4471 members Bill and Pam Cain were installed as the Wyoming VFW Commander and Auxiliary President respectively.  The Cains live in Fort Laramie.  Bill retired from the Wyoming Army National Guard in 2016 as a Sergeant First Clast after more than 37 years of service.  Pam joined the VFW in 2006, eligible due to Bill’s service.  Both have served in several positions in the local post and auxiliary.  Bill is the Senior Vice Commander at Post 4471 and Pam is the current Post 4471 Auxiliary President.