A Couple Of June Events

BUFFALO ROAM
Friday, June 1st: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm The public is invited to watch as “Frances,” the 26th ‘naked’ buffalo is “made-up” into a painted collage by the project’s participating artists. Location: Union Pacific Dining Hall (just west of the WY Historical Museum)
Saturday, June 2nd: 8:00 am - Noon Painting continues on “Frances,” the 26th ‘naked’ buffalo by the project’s participating artists. The public is invited to watch. Location: Union Pacific Dining Hall (just west of the WY Historical Museum)9:00 am - 5:00 pm Free tours from the Yellowstone Historic Center from one of the original "Yellow Buses" from Yellowstone Park. Discounts on other local attractions.
For more information go to http://www.seeyellowstone.com/WYEDBuffaloRoam.htm.

JANET CLARKSON MEMORIAL TRIATHLON
The Sixth Annual Janet Clarkson Memorial Triathlon will be held: Saturday, June 16th, 2007.
This year's event starts promptly at 10:00 AM. In-person registration will be cut off at 9:00 AM. Please register on-line in advance of the race to save us valuable time and insure that the proper information is provided to the timer computer. You also will save money if you use the on-line registration.
There are some changes this year. Please go to http://www.janetstriathlon.com/ for full details.

WEST ENTRANCE OPENS

VISIT YELLOWSTONE

--- FRIDAY APRIL 20th is the day that the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park opens for the summer season. The roads are in good shape, and except for Sylvan Pass there are no major road construction projects currently underway. There are only incidental delays as crews continue to "tidy up."
--- Animals are still concentrated in the river valleys and bear sightings are up. Exercise extreme caution during this early part of the season. There has been bear activity in the area. Earlier this week a pair of juvenile grizzly bears wandered through the Old Faithful area. There have also been bear sightings just west of town.
--- The construction around the proposed visitor center at Old Faithful is still a bottleneck, and there is some burning of construction debris. This should be completed by the Friday opening.
--- The "Community Forum" is up and running. You can post messages, directions, announcements, and discuss issues. Just click on the image in the upper left sidebar.
--- The calendar, (scroll to the bottom of the page,) is already filling up with dates and events. If you need to see a more "organized" view just click on the 'Agenda' tab. To add your event just click on the "Google Calendar" button in the left sidebar - or contact Jack, (link at bottom of the page.)
--- In the "olden days" the opening of the west entrance was an event to be celebrated. Below is a picture taken on June 18, 1925. The park opened later in those days because it was cold and visitors' cars were not up to the conditions - Global Warming, or better cars?

. Opening of West Entrance to Park, June 18, 1925; L to R, Idaho Governor Charles C. Moore, Montana Governor John E. Erickson, Utah Governor George H. Dern, Wyoming Governor Nellie T. Ross, Park Superintendent Horace M. Albright

--- For more historic pictures you can visit Wyoming Tales & Trails, the picture above is from their Historic Yellowstone Photos page.

Regarding the proposal to provide Drug Testing in our High School. As an addictions professional I am in favor of drug testing. The Department of Transportation subjects those with a Commercial Driver’s License to random drug screens, as does the NFL, AFC , Olympics Committee, and many large Corporations who wish to insure that there is a drug free environment in the work place. We as a nation and as community, have focused our attention our children. Providing programs to educate them about the dangers of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. This may be a worthwhile effort, but widely misses the mark of where the real problem lies. Our children are not the primary consumers of alcohol and drugs. By and large they do not produce alcohol and drugs, they do not import drugs and they do not make distribution of drugs. To the distributor they are a market, but not the large market that keeps them in business. That market is adults. Adults import, manufacture, distribute and use the bulk of drugs in this country and in this town. If the adults did not provide the environment for drug use, there would be none. We have made attempts to assuage our National Conscience by pouring millions of dollars into preventative measures focused on our children. Meanwhile we continue to turn a blind eye to the real problem “adults who use and abuse”. Children recognize this hypocrisy as practiced by adults in their family and community. Drug testing of our children would no doubt inhibit their drug consumption. The chance of getting caught is heightened by testing. This approach has worked in other school districts, and is a proven deterrent.

We would be better served to drug test our adult population. Many of you know those in this community who continue to enjoy“bowl” of cannabis. There are people in West Yellowstone who would argue that majijuana is harmless. Theere are national organizations that promote the legalization of cannabis. The THC’s in cannabis provide permanent changes to the brain.

Bongs, pipes and other paraphernalia are frequently turned up by police in performance of their duties. Most are aware of the adults who drink daily and neglect their families. Meth madness continues to affect some of our adults. They are recognizable by their black teeth and patches of baldness. Where is the communities concern about these adults who provide the background for drug use by our children? We are too tolerant of those who, in some cases, distort the lives of children through their use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Some years ago the Town Council looked at drug testing of Town Employees, to include the Council members themselves. The measure was not supported and faded away.

West Yellowstone is a long, long way from being a drug free community. Changing this will have to start with the adults, not the children.

Jack Clarkson,

Licensed Addiction Counselor