Top Stories in 2021 from Ucross and Clearmont

Ron Kirkac and Susan Miller, Ucross Foundation Vice-President of Board of Trustees,with the Baldwin Grand, and Phil Little with his Purple Heart

Music in the Park: August 22, Bluegrass music, and a warm, sunny day drew a large crowd to the Music in the Park at Ucross, a part of the Sheridan County’s Celebrate the Arts festival. Musicians Darol Anger and Laurie Lewis, who had spent time as residents at the Ucross Foundation, and musician Sharon Gilchrist, performed as well as Sheridan’s own Sarah Sample. The festival also included an art giveaway and tours of the Ucross Art Gallery exhibition American Memory: Inside Out in the Big Red Barn.

The Ninth Annual All Women Pronghorn Hunt: held Oct. 7-10 at The Ranch At Ucross. Mostly sunny, warm weather welcomed the 45 women hunters from across 13 states. The Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt was founded in 2013 by the Wyoming Woman’s Foundation, (WYWF) as an opportunity for mentoring and developing camaraderie between women.

Local Artist Awarded Residency: In October, Sheridan artist David Brock was awarded a residency at Ucross. Brock was born and raised on the Front Range of Colorado, He graduated from University of Northern Colorado with a BA in Painting and Drawing and he received an MFA in 2D Studies from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. He is currently the instructor of painting and drawing at Sheridan College.

Baldwin Grand Piano for Ucross Foundation: Musicians who come to the Ucross Foundation to compose their music will be able to do so on a Baldwin Concert Grand, recently delivered to the Raymond Plank Center, on October 18. The piano is one of several that Ron Krikac of Sheridan has purchased and loaned long term to various individuals and churches throughout Wyoming and one even as far away as Vermont.

Sondheim Tribune: On December 2, several residents at the Ucross Foundation held a tribute to Stephen Sondheim and his music. Stephen Joshua Sondheim, passed away on Nov. 26 at the age of 91, was an American composer and lyricist. He was praised by some for having “reinvented the American musical.”

Lutvak Peforms at WYO On December 4, Ucross invited the public out for an evening of Broadway with award-winning composer and performer Steven Lutvak at the WYO Performing Arts & Education Center on Dec. 4. Lutvak composed the music for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2014.

Ucross Cookbook: “The Ucross Cookbook: Cooking for Artists on a Wyoming Ranch,” featuring the most popular recipes by Cindy Brooks, the artist residency program’s longtime chef. The book was released in December. Brooks worked with acclaimed novelist and cookbook author Cree LeFavour, a New York City-based Ucross alumna, to transcribe her recipes and stories from more than a decade of cooking for artists.

CLEARMONT

Water Line and Tank Work Clearmont’s iron water transmission pipes are a half-century old, and on June 3 the main line between the pump house and the water storage tank suffered a blowout. The line was then replaced, re-pressured, only to blow out again. In an emergency meeting, State Lands and Investments Board (SLIB) moved to approve an emergency fund grant of $450,000, $50,000 less than the town had originally asked for, to repair the water mains. Clearmont was under water restrictions for most of the summer. The Department of homeland security had Coca-Cola deliver three pallets of bottled drinking water to Clearmont.

On Aug. 16 The water tank was drained and the inside of the tank was repainted. On Nov. 15, Mayor Greg Rohrer reported that the project was complete. He said the water is still ‘milky’ but it is safe to use and the water will clear up in time.

Community Center Fundraiser: After the 2020 Covid restricts last year, Clearmont residents seemed glad to come out to enjoy a good rib dinner and an enjoyable auction September 26. This is the 46th year that the Community Center has held the auction as their main fundraiser, Larry Brannian and Dan Gay of Buffalo shared the auction duties and added a lot of comedy and clowning to the event. The auction and dinner raised just under $5500.

Sunnybrook Cementary Walk: Historic Clearmont characters took the stage Oct. 22 at the Clearmont Historical Center prior to the Sunnybrook Cemetery walk hosted by the Clearmont Historical Group. After the historical background, the group went to the cemetery, where, with the aid of flashlights and a full moon, they walked among the crosses and graves. The walk concluded back at the Historical Center, where there was a display of photos and more information about the cemetery.

Philip Little Shares Story of Purple Heart The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Inc., founded in 1997, is building the Roll of Honor, a repository of Purple Heart recipients and their stories. Philip Little, Leiter, Wyoming rancher, was the recipient of a Purple Heart during the Korean conflict. Little is working on his story to submit it to the Purple Heart Roll of Honor list. “I had been in Korea for about two hours,” Little said. “They told me they needed two replacements in the 26th Infantry Scout Dog Platoon. I was a country boy, so I was used to dogs. I really wanted to get into this outfit. It appealed to me.” Little was injured while on patrol and was awarded the Purple Heart.

Explore History: Women Who Influenced Southeastern Sheridan County was presented by Sheridan County Land Trust and the Clearmont Historical Group at The Hub on Smith on Dec. 14. Carrie Edinger, SCLT, opened the program with a little historic background on the Wyoming Suffrage Act of 1869, which was passed on Dec. 10. The territory retained the law even when it jeopardized the Territory’s application for statehood in 1890. Once Wyoming became a state, it was the first one to allow women citizens to vote, to own land, and to hold public office. The women featured were homesteaders and business owners. They were true pioneers. Many lived in sod shanties or tar paper covered homesteads, raised gardens and livestock, and carved homes and businesses out of the barren Wyoming plains.