PROGRESS
2018
Pinedale is the new home for Enviremedial Services, Inc. It’s newly relocated manufacturing division specializes in the design, engineering and manufactur-
ing of water treatment, water recycling, rain harvest and wash systems for military and civilian aircraft, military and civilian heavy vehicle applications and
potable water treatment systems.
Mark Flinner plays with blocks at the BOCES preschool. The program accepts children from Kendyl Moffat prepares a bed for her stuffed dog at the
infant until they are ready to enter school. BOCES daycare program.
Page 2 • Tuesday, March 20, 2018 • Sublette Examiner • PROGRESS
PROGRESS
Sublette County – Opening for business!
By Joy Ufford, jufford@subletteexaminer.com
PROGRESS
Variety of curriculums offered to start kids strong
By Cody Olivas, colivas@subletteexaminer.com
PINEDALE – For parents who not only offer all children the educational boost ties.
want a safe place to drop off their kids, and social experiences they need to start The different center’s all
but also want a place that will help pre- school with confidence.” offer different options for
pare their kids emotionally and mentally Pinedale Preschool Inc. is another early care. Some places offer half
for elementary school, Sublette County childhood education provider that offers days and full days, some
has several options. NAEYC-accredited learning programs for offer two-day a week op-
With a handful of preschools in both preschool kids. A typical day schedule in- tions and some offer five-day
Pinedale and Big Piney, parents can volves discussions in circle time, self-help child care services.
choose a place that offers a curriculum routines, active play, engaging in hands- Whatever you’re looking
that best fits their needs and wants. on learning and exposing kids to art, lan- for, chances are it can be
The Children’s Learning Center, guages and physical activities. found right here in Sublette
which has locations in both Pinedale and The company is open to kids 2-1/2 County.
Big Piney, uses the closely aligned pro- years of age up to 5 years old.
grams of Creative Curriculum and Reggio Lisa’s Little People is an independent Preschool and child care
Emilia. In Reggio Emilia, the students and childcare center that offers early care and centers in Sublette County:
teachers form a partnership. The children education programs for preschool chil-
create their own curriculum while the dren. Lisa’s Little People can admit 12 Children’s Learning Center,
teachers guide and motivate them. Parents children who are between the ages of zero Pinedale and Big Piney
can also help develop curriculum for their and 7 years old. (307) 367-6306
kids. The Sublette BOCES Early Education
The Learning Center offers opportuni- Program (BEEP) offers programs through- Sublette BEEP, Pinedale
ties for kids with and without disabilities. out the school year to help infants and tod- 307-367-5505
Recognizing that children with dis- dlers develop their social and emotional
abilities are sometimes segregated from skills, cognitive abilities, language and Alphabet Soup, Big Piney
their peers, children with and without de- physically. 307-276-5451
velopmental disabilities receive the same According to BEEP’s website, “The
educational opportunities, together in the role of our teachers is to provide encour- Pinedale Preschool Inc.
same classroom without regard to ability agement and at times guide the children. (397) 367-2666
or income. Each of the inclusive class- We strive to provide an environment
rooms has a lead teacher, a co-teacher, where each child has opportunities to par- Lisa’s Little People
and an inclusion specialist who assists the ticipate in both planned and spontaneous Pinedale HOLLY DABB PHOTO
children with special needs that share the activities.” 307-367-6795 Grace Carpenter cuddles Royce Richardson during
classroom with their peers. The infant program is designed to pro- a quiet time at the BOCES Early Education Pro-
The inclusive half-day preschool serves mote feelings of belonging and the loving Jules Child Care, Pinedale gram. One of the many educational opportunities
children ages 3 to 5. According to the cen- while the toddler program includes more 307-367-2289 for parents, the preschool program is open nine
ter’s website, the “preschool programs developmentally age appropriate activi- months of the year.
PROGRESS
From Pinedale with love
Nationwide military contractor sets up shop in Pinedale
By Holly Dabb, hdabb@subletteexaminer.com
Not only does it reuse the water, the system I was able settle in Bondurant,” Keogh said. 64 Runway Road is the new manufacturing location in Sublette County for
also reduces the amount of contaminants “Our owners, Chris and Pat Keogh, made Enviremedial Services, Inc. The low tax structure and quality of life were cited
that must be discarded. Instead of paying to trips up to explore the possibilities and as reasons for locating the manufacturing facility in Sublette County.
dispose of 8,000 gallon of water that may found the area an excellent location to relo- about Wyoming, and particularly Pinedale, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
contain chemicals such as fuel, the military cate ESI’s manufacturing.” fits perfectly with our plans and goals for Naval Weapons Station, China Lak, Calif.;
is looking at disposing a couple barrels of With the area’s potential workforce and the future.” Marine Corps Air Station 29 Palms, Calif.;
contaminants that have been filtered from extremely friendly business environment, “Since moving the manufacturing divi- and many U.S. Army Reserve and National
the water. 64 Runway Lane at the Pinedale Airport sion, ESI has had nothing but the warmest Guard locations throughout California.
That technology wasn’t far off of what was chosen for the manufacturing opera- welcome and hospitality from everyone Seventeen years ago, ESI developed a pro-
was needed when the hurricane struck in tions. The move began in December 2017 in the community and local government,” cess to dramatically decrease the amount of
Puerto Rico. and is in the final set-up stages. Keogh said. “We could not be more grate- wastewater hauled off military installations
A filtration system was designed that Founded in 1991, ESI is a privately held ful and motivated to help contribute to this during cleanings of the in-ground oil-water
can purify rainwater or connect to a pub- company that provides equipment and ser- wonderful place we now call home.” separators.
lic water system. Because it is completely vices primarily to military bases throughout The five main divisions of the company ESI developed mobile trucks, which
powered by solar panels, it works without the U.S. and Puerto Rico. ESI currently em- are: now will be one of the products produced in
electricity. ploys 54 people nationwide, many of whom • Manufacturing division Pinedale, to recycle usable water that used
Sumrall said he just returned from Puerto are veterans and several are in serving in ESI’s newly relocated manufacturing di- to be hauled away, and returns it to the oil
Rico, where he said they are extremely the Reserves or National Guard. ESI has vision specializes in the design, engineer- water separators. ESI’s process has saved
pleased with the system. proudly already hired two Wyoming resi- ing and manufacturing of water treatment, valuable potable water by the hundreds of
“It’s going to open up an entirely new dents to start building the local team. water recycling, rain harvest and wash sys- millions of gallons since the program was
market for us,” Sumrall said. ESI President Geoff Keogh expressed his tems for military and civilian aircraft, mili- started.
Moving to Pinedale optimism about the move. “We are excited tary and civilian heavy vehicle applications • Enviremedial services construction di-
Enviremedial Services, Inc., relocated its about locating in Wyoming and hope to be- and potable water treatment systems. All vision
manufacturing division to Pinedale in De- come a vital part of the community. As our these systems will be now manufactured in This division supports both the manu-
cember of 2017. The company’s headquar- business develops, the plans call for hiring Pinedale. facturing division and the facilities main-
ters and several other divisions are based local skilled labor. With ESI’s nationwide The manufacturing facility consists of tenance divisions. ESI construction teams
in Oceanside, Calif., where the company presence, employment opportunities will welding operations, a small machine shop, usually deploy to wash-rack or rain-harvest
started operations in 1991. include travel throughout the United States thermal plastic welding and an ETL panel sites first and build infrastructure that might
ESI president Geoff Keogh has owned and Puerto Rico to accomplish a large in- shop. One of ESI’s newest products is wash be required before the systems are installed.
property in Bondurant for four years and flux of work. In recent discussions among rack rain harvest systems and rain harvest- This division also supports the facili-
immediately saw the great potential in Pine- management, it was noted that everything to-potable water systems. ties division with major construction work.
ESI was commissioned by the U.S. Army Notably, this team will be instrumental in
to develop these two systems to assist in repairing 14 U.S. Army Reserve Centers in
PROUDLY SERVING
meeting the mandates of the U.S. military Puerto Rico that were heavily damaged by
in meeting their consumption needs of the hurricane. There is an estimated $10.5
fresh domestic potable water. The latest million in heavy repair work in Puerto Rico
system just finished up the manufacturing just at these 14 sites alone that ESI will be
SUBLETTE COUNTY process in Pinedale and is an off-grid solar/ responsible for completing and work has
battery powered unit that collects rainwa- already begun.
ter and processes and treats it into potable • HVAC, mechanical and building auto-
water. Besides the system in Puerto Rico, mation systems division
KNOW HOW
two other rain-harvest systems are currently This division has been instrumental in
under evaluation in Savanna, Ga., and Fort installing HVAC and photo-voltalic con-
Worth, Texas. trol systems in many military and govern-
• Military facilities maintenance and ment facilities to assist in meeting energy
management reduction mandates. ESI building automa-
PINEDALE AUTO SUPPLY ESI conducts preventative maintenance, tion division is at the forefront of designing
major and minor repairs and manages and installing building systems to remotely
Mon-Fri 8:00 am - 5:30 pm • Sat 8:00 am - 12:30 pm on more than 75 U.S. Army Reserve and monitor and control virtually any system
Pinedale Marbleton Marine Corps facilities nationwide. Most within a building. Most of ESI-built envi-
notably, ESI is contracted to maintain the ronmental equipment has remote monitor-
865 West Pine Street 10692 Hwy 189
Pinedale, WY 82941 Marbleton, WY 83113
350,000-square-foot Marine Forces Reserve ing and control, which has been a huge
headquarters in New Orleans, La. factor in the saving of equipment and repair
307-367-4141 307-276-5266 • Oil water separator maintenance and costs.
management More information on the company can be
www.napaonline.com ES services industrial water systems on found at www.esicleanwater.com.
PROGRESS • Sublette Examiner • March 20, 2018 • Page 5
PROGRESS
PROGRESS
Home
Brew
Pinedale brewer
comes home to
perfect job
By Joy Ufford,
jufford@subletteexaminer.com
ago with past brewmaster and consultant project. Next she worked on a pine beetle versity of Denver, she turned to the sciences everything, which is great because those are
Richie Strom’s guidance, Johnston is brew- project “but didn’t get anywhere with it.” of brewing and took a part-time position the things I’m really comfortable with.”
ing up a storm in its bright silver tanks. Johnston, not to be deterred, spent two at Westfax Brewing Company, where she Recently she used her own recipe to start
“The first day I was here, we brewed – years at Northwest College in Powell on a found great support. a batch for a Pink Boots Society fundraiser,
the day I walked in the door,” she said. On livestock-judging scholarship, taking a lot After Denver, Johnston moved to Mon- hosting a tour and tasting at “her” brewery.
Friday, her and Strom’s first batches of Out of science and management classes. But tana and took jobs at two breweries, work- The foundation, which helps women inter-
of Order Porter and Gayle Force English wanderlust struck and she moved to South ing events at Madison River Brewing and ested in any aspect of the brewing industry,
pale ale will be on tap with mug club mem- Carolina to work in the hospitality industry, as a “cellar person” at Katabatic Brewing is one of Johnston’s favorite causes.
bers awaiting. considering a move into the world of wine, in Livingston. Each year, Pink Boots creates a unique
Her family is thrilled to have her home, another very technical endeavor, but was “The cellar person does anything and ev- blend of hops that brewers are invited to
and new brewpub owners Roy and Kari drawn to the craft beer industry. erything, a lot of cleaning and a lot of grunt use and Johnston’s first recipe for the “Pink
DeWitt are thrilled to have Johnston with “With grapes you showcase what you work. The brewer said there wasn’t a lot of Boots Collaborative Brew” should be ready
them as they start their new business ven- already have,” she explained. “With beer, room to move up there but he would teach soon.
ture with the long-established brewery and you’ve got all these ingredients anyone can me everything he could. I’ve been really “We have high hopes for it,” she added.
restaurant. use and be really creative. There are hun- fortunate to work with brewers willing to “We will have a tasting with the mug club
“I never thought there would be a job for dreds of yeast strains, hops and malts – you help me learn.” members and all the ladies that came to the
me here,” Johnston said. “This was really can build a recipe and see if it tastes good. The last step – from Montana to Pine- event last week.”
unexpected.” It was a big switch from wine to beer, but dale – came about in equal parts because of Johnston noted that different varieties of
A 2010 graduate, Johnston left her fam- anything with yeast is technical.” whom she knows and what she knows. Her hops can lend everything from “piney” to
ily and friends in Boulder and Pinedale to It was during her wine studies semester entire family has supported her, knowing “floral” to “citrusy” notes – and yes, hops
undertake what was likely expected, with in Italy that Johnston decided to go for it. she will do what she wants. do grow at her family’s ranch, but they’re
her science fair projects, 4-H and FFA live- As she’d learned more about making Mother Cassie told the DeWitts about not quite right for modern craft beer.
stock awards and ranch life background. beer and its supportive “craft” culture, Emily’s background, they immediately con- “Anywhere there’s been beer, histori-
“Maggie Hudlow and I went to the inter- she shifted her focus and her address from tacted her. cally, there are hops. Those ‘cluster hops’
national science fair (as juniors) with our South Carolina to Denver where craft brew- “We hired Emily because she has the ex- at the ranch are primitive without a lot of
project on how to clean up different spills eries pop up on almost every corner – even perience, passion and skill set to make great cones. But Mom’s a crazy gardener and she
in the oilfield with bacteria,” she recalled. under Coors Stadium. beer,” said Roy. “She’s been a wonderful is going to grow some hops now.”
“We didn’t change the world but we did “The craft beer industry’s culture is fun, addition to the brewery and we can’t wait Experimenting with flavors and styles for
pretty good.” laid back and outdoorsy,” she commented. to see how she and Richie Strom move our excellent brews is a passion for Johnston,
When Johnston took the project to a na- “I met more like-minded people in the brewing operations to the next level. We even though “right now when we make a
tional FFA convention as a senior, however, brewing industry and I wanted to be there.” would have hired her no matter where she recipe, it’s for 20 barrels of beer,” she joked.
she said judges didn’t believe two high Having designed her own independent was raised. It’s just a bonus that she’s from
school students had created such a complex studies major at the Metropolitan State Uni- Pinedale.”
However, she wasn’t sure she ready to
PROGRESS
Wyoming higher education ranks No. 3 in the nation
No need to leave the state to get an outstanding education
For the Examiner
WYOMING – According to Census Bu- cation in the state of Wyoming compare to school in 2015 who went on to attend an AFM, technology to simulate how different
reau data from 2016, the average worker with other states? in-state college. Data comes from the Inte- decisions (like buying or renting a home) will
a bachelor’s degree earns $51,600 per year. A 2018 study was provided by smartasset, grated Postsecondary Education Data System affect you financially. In some cases compa-
That is roughly $22,000 more than the aver- which ranked Wyoming No. 3 in the Nation and the Western Interstate Commission for nies pay them for a referral fee if a person
age worker with a high school diploma, and for higher education. Neighboring states are Higher Education. clicks on or is approved for a financial prod-
$30,000 more than a worker without a high much lower – Utah at No. 31, Colorado No. • Average net price. This metric consid- uct through their site.
school diploma. 36, Montana No. 47 and Idaho at No. 48. ers the average yearly price for first-time, SmartAsset states this compensation does
It’s hard to overstate the value of an educa- What sets Wyoming schools apart? One rea- full-time undergraduate students. Data comes not influence their recommendations or ad-
tion. son is the low student-to-faculty ratios such as from the Integrated Postsecondary Education vice. They maintain editorial integrity when
John Anderson, Sublette BOCES direc- Western Wyoming Community College’s 15 Data System and is for the 2015-2016 school evaluating products and clearly any partner,
tor said, “One of the best parts of enriching to 1 student-faculty ratio with 16 percent of year. sponsored or advertising content and place-
education for everyone in the community is faculty having doctorates and 63 percent with The Smart Asset mission is to empower ments, and can be trusted as an independent
the work we do with Western to provide free master’s degrees. people to make smart financial decisions. advisor.
college courses for Pinedale High School stu- Additionally, Wyoming is committed to From home buying, learning the new tax plan, For more information regarding the publi-
dents.” providing tools and services to help students planning for retirement or helping parents cation of ranking visit: www.smartasset.com/
Western Wyoming Community Col- graduate, show casing our cumulative state find loans and schools for their children. In student-loans/top-states-for-higher-educa-
lege offers a lot of opportunities, even for graduation rate of 55 percent, while the na- 2016 they won the Benzinga Fintech Award tion-2018-edition, or for more information on
rural communities such as Sublette County, tional average is 28 percent. for “Best Educational Tools and Services”. SmartAsset: www.smartasset.com. For more
through 160 online courses with 11 degree To find the best states for higher education, The Smart Asset’s tools and advice are objec- information on Western Wyoming Commu-
programs and six certificate programs. It smartasset looked at data for the following tive and based on the data. They use patent- nity College, and scholarship opportunities
even provides opportunities at the high school five metrics: pending Automated Financial Modeling, or contact mustangcentral@westernwyoming.
level. • Undergraduate graduation rate. Data
Wyoming is a great place to work and comes from the Integrated Postsecondary
play, and these facts prove it’s an outstand-
ing place to learn as well. One of the greatest
Education Data System. Data is for the 2015-
2016 school year.
Wyoming ranks No. 5 on ‘Best
obstacles or challenges students face in the
United States is the increasing cost of higher
education. Wyoming residents are fortunate
• Student-faculty ratio. This metric also
comes from the IPEDS data center. It’s from
the 2016-2017 school year.
States for Higher Education’ list
to live in communities and in a state that pro- • 20-year return on investment. This is the For the Examiner
vides every student an opportunity to earn difference between 20 years of median pay WYOMING – The low cost of higher years. And, in the area of educational at-
higher education by receiving some financial for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree and 24 education in Wyoming, combined with low tainment – considering the percentage of
aid, local and state scholarships, including the years of median pay for a high school gradu- student debt and a relatively high commu- people 25 years and older who hold asso-
Hathaway State scholarship. ate minus the costs for attending four years at nity college graduation rate, have placed the ciate degrees or higher – Wyoming ranks
Western Wyoming Community College the higher education institution. Data comes state No. 5 on U.S. News & World Report’s 29th.
also provides an additional 50 priority schol- from Payscale. new “Best States for Higher Education” list. Taking into account all of those factors,
arships and grants for a variety of studies on • In-state attendance rate. This is the per- Wyoming trails only Florida, Utah, Wyoming ranks fifth overall in the “Best
top of these. But how does the quality of edu- centage of students who graduated from high Washington and California in the rankings, States for Higher Education” category, just
which are part of the magazine’s annual ahead of North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa,
“Best States” report. Colorado and North Carolina.
In the area of tuition and fees, Wyo- U.S. News & World Report’s overall
ming ranks No. 1 because of its low cost “Best States” rankings are based on both
for University of Wyoming and community higher education and K-12 education,
college students. UW’s tuition and fees for health care, economy, infrastructure, crime,
resident undergraduates are the lowest in fiscal stability and quality of life. Wyoming
the nation among doctoral degree-granting comes in 21st among the 50 states when
institutions, and its nonresident tuition and combining all of those measures.
fees are among the lowest. The high ranking for Wyoming’s higher
UW and Wyoming community college education is just the latest in a series of rat-
students also graduate with relatively little ings that have highlighted the value of a
debt, resulting in a No. 8 ranking in that cat- UW education. Earlier this year, the con-
egory by U.S. News & World Report. In sumer website Growella ranked UW No.
fact, more than half of UW graduates have 3 on its best-value list, based on how long
no student loan debt. it takes UW graduates to pay off student
Wyoming also ranks ninth for the per- loans. Last summer, Student Loan Hero
centage of students who earn associate de- ranked Wyoming No. 1 on its list of “20
grees within three years. States Where College is Worth the Cost,”
Meanwhile, the magazine ranks Wyo- comparing the cost of bachelor’s degrees
ming 27th for the percentage of students to how much holders of four-year degrees
who earn bachelor’s degrees within six earn in each state.
PROGRESS
BOCES focuses on
education of all ages
For the Examiner
PINEDALE – Whether it’s preschool, year, the preschool caters to teachers who
after-school, adult education or classes for need daycare.
those over 60 at Rendezvous Pointe, Sub- Once school is let out, a busload of
lette County Board of Cooperative Edu- students arrives. Older children may pass
cation Services, most often referred to as through BOCES enroute to the Pinedale
BOCES, provides educational opportuni- Aquatic Center.
ties for all ages. Recently, the after school team was
According to Director John Anderson, asked to present a month-long “Pollinator
property owners in Sublette County School Project” during the Wyoming After-School
District No. 1 are assessed a dedicated half Alliance in Cheyenne. Students researched
mil of property taxes that fund the pro- types of bees, visited a working apiary and
grams. then built pollinator boxes that were erected
Residents may have attended a Saturday at the CCC Ponds, as well as the Waterwise
University when educators from the Uni- Garden. The Forest Service and the Sage
versity of Wyoming come to the commu- and Snow Garden Club were community
nity and give presentations. collaborators in this learning opportunity
“It gives people a taste of what it is like for students.
to attend college,” Anderson said. “We try to schedule fun activities on Fri-
Community education classes are of- days when school has an early release or if
fered throughout the year. Anything from there is a teacher inservice day,” Anderson
painting to photography is available and said.
can be registered for online. At any given time, you may see English
The day starts early at the BOCES build- as a Second Language being taught. The fa-
ing as parents drop off younger children cility also will proctor tests for other orga-
from infants to school-aged at the daycare nizations, enabling residents to stay in the
preschool. There is room for up to eight community. COURTESY PHOTO
infants, 10 toddlers and 24 3-year-olds. “You can see, there is a lot of collabora- The BOCES afterschool team, from the left, is Rachel Miller, Kaidi Raney and
While only available during the school tion going on,” Anderson said. Jacque Bly.
THANK YOU!
These Sublette County businesses have recently employed
COURTESY PHOTO
Climb Wyoming graduates and are helping local families
Avery McMillen and Isla Blair make wontons as part of “You Choose Tues-
reach self-sufficiency: day,” an after-school program hosted by BOCES that lets students pick for a
FastTrax Permitting, LLC half-dozen activities including cooking class.
LR Computer Services
Wind River Dental
The following training and community partners have helped
our participants find success:
Central Wyoming College Pinedale Food Basket
St. John’s Hospital Sublette BOCES
Teton County Library Soroptimists of Sublette County
Department of Family Services Sublette County
Department of Workforce Services Chamber of Commerce
The Family Tree Sublette County Public Health
First Interstate Bank Sublette County SAFV Task Force
Jorgensen Associates Vocational Rehabilitation
Contact us today if you are interested in becoming a
Climb Wyoming employer partner!
TETON AREA PROGRAM | 255 East Simpson | PO Box 9494
Jackson, WY 83002 | (307) 733-4088
teton@climbwyoming.org | climbwyoming.org