Author: horqua

HIGHWAY CLEANUP EVENT – October 11th, 2025

Please set aside Saturday, October 11th, from 8:30 am until 11 am for our First Highway Clean-up day !! 

We will be cleaning up both sides of the road for the first 2 miles of US #120 North, leaving Thermopolis and heading toward the airport and Cody.  

We will meet at mile marker #1 on the right (North) side of the highway heading west. There is a wide spot to pull over and park there. We will gather at 8:30 am, and we’ll plan to end no later than 11 am.

Kim Bartlett and John Fenton will provide drinks and goodies for us at the halfway point, in front of their property!!! 

We hope to have enough participants to break into teams and cover both sides of the highway. No one should need to pick up and clean more than one mile. 

Bring a friend and a friend of a friend. Family and older (>12) children are also welcome. With your support and participation, we can make this a fun event!!! If our plans work out, we will be maintaining this section of highway twice per year in the future.

We hope to see you soon. Please share this email with your family, friends, and friends of friends.

For questions, contact 
Levi Shinkle, (3O7) 921-9817
Jami Anderson (3O7) 231-3959
Dale Horkey (3O3) 562-5331

HOT SPRINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING MINUTES

September 3rd, 2025 

Welcome & Introductions – 6:04 PM – 17 people present
Pledge of Allegiance

Birthdays: September
Bernice Balog 9/13, Margaret Stansil, Rex Wickenhauser 9/22

Approval of August 6th, 2025 Meeting Minutes  
Pass the Hat

Business: Lee Campbell county Republican, spoke to us. Reported that Lusk lost its hospital and nursing home because of the recent tax cuts. There is rural health and care fragility.  Call to Dems to fight the Freedom Caucus.  Handout distributed. Lee also asks for an outreach to Washakie and Big Horn counties to make sure the media is there and stirred up about unfair taxation.

Secretary’s Correspondence Report
Newspaper Ad for October is Kelly Strampe
Need someone for the November Ad  – Jocelyn Arey has signed up.
October Meeting is on the 1st. 

August Minutes approved without objection.

Treasurer’s Report
In the bank $1955.51. Total bank balance $2374.72.

Discussion and reports from committees
Any new business or information resulting from the DNC meeting in Minneapolis. ASDC did a 50-state swap.  No strategic plan, but this is the beginning.

The DNC Meeting was rough.  Still figuring out roles.  No program or job desc as leaders.  Working with a group of people.  Wrapped early because of a school shooting.  The body did not vote on resolutions.  The Western caucus is being limited.

Bad news:  fundraising letter by Laramie County Dems town hall billed as a DNC town hall.  Not transparent.  

Sept 25, 6 pm. The Community Center in Lander will feature Kim Barlett on a panel discussion to be held at the Public Library.

County Commish: Asking for 2 to be removed.  Dale recommends: “It is not in our best interest to weigh in”.  A judge will offer a replacement.

Nov 1st, music festival in Laramie.  Malcom Kenyatta will be there.

 October 17 – 3 county listening session.  Who can help and carpool?  2 Dems plus the Dem party chair.  State Dems will meet and listen to questions. Uphill battle. 7 legislators.  Push back as we can.

 Can we please bring refreshments to the Oct 17th, 6:30 at Worland Community Center?

Old Business Line Items

1- Town Hall Listening Session – October 17 at 6:30 pm at the Worland Community Center Complex, 1200 Culbertson Ave. HSC Dems refreshments, carpooling, sound system, and Questions for panelists
2- Painting T-Hill
Good news, we don’t have to do it.
Bad news, we don’t get credit. Freshman class, issue closed
3- Josh Conrad petitions for expanding the County Commissioners as a ballot issue. Expansion of HSC commish.  Wants 5. More to come from the membership committee. Reg dems only.

4- Georgeanne: Harriets Town Hall
Most talking points are recycled.  Not human voices.  HSC is interested in oil value. Georgeanne practiced politeness!
5- Larry: New web hosting provider, Vimeo, costs. Tabled until Next month.
6- Jami: Strategic Planning Report
Awarded for Contest Every Race grant.  Need a 2025 plan.  Jami shared two of our  core values.
Community service-
Public action-
7- Dale: Find a volunteer to write a letter to former Dems asking them to return to the party. Check with Wash Dems, Mandy – Kim will volunteer to draft a letter, and Dale will get a sample letter to her.

Is it worth considering who would be a good neutral person?  Dave Fredenthal is no longer in politics. Start door-knocking previous Dems.  John: We need a moral hook.

8- Highway Cleanup – need volunteer coordinator with SOW

Levi will reach out and get us the details and mile markers available.

9- Upcoming Events: Christmas Party

Scott and Larry’s house, maybe.  First sat, Christmas parade.

New Business

Suicide prevention Saturday at noon. Everyone gets a t-shirt. 12-2

Georgeanne will help Pride

Dale brought up donations to fire victims.
Help with the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. Is the current fundraising?  
Levi-He wants to move money to less non-dem assoc.
Volunteer for a local impact, Dale H. 

Monthly informal engagement session. – How?  Kim suggests an every-other-month engagement.  Membership committee? Will look into possible dates and locations.

New Business Line Items

1- Suicide Prevention Walk on Saturday, 09/06

2- Should we support the WYOMING STOCK GROWERS WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND with a donation of $100 to help local agriculture affected by the fires?

3- Our Monthly Informal Engagement session

Adjourn 7:30

Next Meeting – October 1, @  6 pm, County Annex 

HOT SPRINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING MINUTES

August 6, 2025

Called to order at 6:06 – 20 Members/visitors Present
Pledge of Allegiance
Welcome & Introductions
Visitors: Josh Conrad with his commissioner vote petition, Brian McCarty, Run for House District 27
Silence Phones Please

Welcome
August Birthdays: Marilyn Braaten (8/1), Jami Anderson (8/18), Michael Herzing (8/20), Dale Horkey (8/27)

Approval of July 2025 Meeting Minutes – Unanimous  
Pass the Hat

Business:
Secretary’s Correspondence Report 
Newspaper Ad this month?  Need filled this month. ($45)  Due to the paper 8/26.  Please contact IR. 
The next two months’ meetings will be held on September 9/3/25 
and October 1st.  Yom Kippur 10/01/25

Treasurer’s Report – Started 1835.73, Donations ActBlue, 2143.01.  In kind 101.05 Ice Cream Social, Outgoing bills 137.50.  Discovery Days Donation 50, 1955.51.  Treasurers report accepted.

Permission for Online Banking.  Kim moves that Georgeanne be allowed for any and all online and phone banking, Jane seconds.  Pinnacle Bank requires approval; motion carried unanimously.  If there is a second signature required, Georgeanne will speak with Dale

Old Business Line Items
Discussion and reports from committees

1. 4th of July Ice Cream Social, Georgeanne will give an update.  In-kind donation receipts, please bring them.
   1. Went well, 200 people, raised $175 in donations and raffle.  Many visitors from all over.  The mission is to raise funds and goodwill.  2-4.
2. National Dem Report (Kim Bartlett). September Meeting-please give discussion topics to cover in September.
   1. A lot is happening.  New committeeman, Ben Rowland of Cheyenne.  New Labor Caucus.  Hiring a new exec director.  22 appl from everywhere. Working to revive committees that have fallen by the wayside.  Planned all state meetings for the next year.  10-24-27 in Douglas.  Feb 6-8, 2026 meeting in Cheyenne, June 5-7, 2026 Location TBD, Sept 11-13, location TBD.
   2. At the DNC level.  Ken Martin new DNC chair.  Investing in red states, 22.5/month starting next month.  Investing in races, $1m in VA.  Kim participated in SWOT. Dems are demoralized as a whole, Wyo Dems are optimistic and looking to help.  Ken is democratizing the DNC.  Many meetings Aug 24-28 Mini, Western Caucus 24-25 in Denver.  Local Govt 101 is spreading to Natrona and Park.  Kim to panel in Lander Sept 25 with Dave Fredenthal and Rod Miller.  Mountain movement strategies working to get rid of the Freedom Caucus; they work with AFL-CIO to run pro-labor candidates to unseat 6 Freedom Caucus members.  Rep. John Winter is “not running again”.  
   3. Can Ken send fewer fundraising emails?  Getting $400 from CER
3. In August, we spoke with Washakie and Big Horn counties to have a joint event in Worland with Rep Mike Yin and Karley Pravenze to discuss local issues we want the legislature to bring up.  Date TBD.
   1. Joint Events announced in Cheyenne and other Counties.  We are asking to have one in October; the date is still being disputed. We are asked to bring refreshments and a sound system to Worland “somewhere”.
4. Painting T-Hill Committee. (John Anderson, John Fenton).  Homecoming as a goal.
   1. Waiting for cooler weather.  5 gallons of paint left.  Need to fix the rock structure for accessibility. Don’t need everyone, but 5-7 people.  (Less is more) A couple of hours of work.  Rope would take too long.  People who can’t climb can work on the ground.  Tabled until next month.  This is the October event for CER.  Homecoming week 6-10.  Paper ad possible for “spirit week”.

New Business Line Items

1. Wants to bring Josh Conrad to the meeting for a petition to increase the county commissioners from 3 to 5.
   1. Petition to get a vote on the ballot next fall.  Went 5-3 for budget reasons.  Divide the salary agreement into 3 to 5. Over $300K spent in legal funds to date that would have saved county jobs.  Use as a membership opportunity to doorknock.  Timing is not an issue at the moment.  Need 250 signatures to get it on the ballot.  Have petitions available at every event.  Signatures due by the end of May. Josh will keep us updated with progress. John A moves that we provide petitions at all events, and Kim seconds. (Josh: Make sure there is a specific person to certify the sheet, Kim volunteers.) Motion carries. 
   2. Kim moves to do this through membership door-to-door organizing in August and September.  John F seconds.  Add to the September agenda to begin organizing.  Passes unanimously.
2. Harriet’s Town Hall (Georgeanne will postpone discussion talk until next month to save time.)
3. Change web provider to GoDaddy.  Approximate costs ($50 3-year domain name, $110)
   
   1. Find more web providers that support video other than Vimeo.  Larry will get pricing structures for next month.
4. Mission and Values Statement, Strategic Planning Report.  (Jami referred to the whiteboard).
5. Upcoming Events: Christmas Party, October Combined Counties Town Hall Meeting with Mike Yin, Letter to the RINOs (Ask Kim to help build the mailing list). Possibility of Highway cleanup sponsorship (2026). The Highway has to be staffed.  The state will provide all needed supplies.  Need a volunteer to contact the state.
   1. Letter to former Dems/moderates.  Need more Dems to increase state funding.  Volunteer needed to write the letter.  Item tabled to next month.
6. Sam will be travelling and has asked for someone else to gather the key to the Annex and return it the next morning.  Francine Hauser has volunteered to be the key organizer.
7. Kim has stickers, and Tom Butler has sent some pins.  Juntos cards for immigration deportations.  ICE in Worland Tues and Thurs.

Motion to adjourn, unanimous.

Next Meeting – Wed., 9/3, 6 pm, County Annex 

HOT SPRINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING MINUTES

July 2nd, 2025 
Call to order at 6:05 pm

Welcome & Introductions – 11 people present
Pledge of Allegiance
Silence Phones Please

Acknowledged July Birthdays -Levi Shinkle 11th, Nels Kelly 24th, Kathy Von Osteen 29th
Motions by Michael Kersing, 2nd Jamie Anderson to approve June 2025 Meeting Minutes. Motion carried.
Pass the Hat

Business:
Secretary’s Correspondence Report – none

Newspaper Ad this month
August 2025 Meeting: 8/6/25 Date in Paper: 7/28/25 Dale & Janice Horkey pay
Please contact the Independant Record

Treasurer’s Report: It was an inactive month.  $1630.73 beginning balance. Received $205.00 in donations. $1,835.73 ending balance.

Discussion and reports from committees

1. Results of Pride: Read by Dale Horkey for Larry Alwin. 175 people, roughly double last year’s numbers.  Many more vendors.  Lara Shook knows the exact number as the treasurer, but Larry guesses between $600 and $800 earned that day through donations and raffle tickets.  Much more was donated prior to paying for advertising, etc.  The Big Horn Basin Pride Organization has roughly $1200 in its account to begin planning for next year’s event.
   Discussion regarding the current administration of the LGBTQ community
   
2. 4th of July Ice Cream Social, Georgeanne gave an update. Still needed: vanilla ice cream. She and Marilyn say they have lots of toppings for sundaes and banana splits. Georgeanne reminds us to “Show up and have Fun!”
   
3. Rally follow-up from June 14th in Worland.  Dale gave an update:  about  85 people participated, some hecklers, overall very positive. Sam suggests that we all wear resistance t-shirts.  A link will be shared to buy shirts. Other “No kings” rallies are happening on July 4 and July 17. Unknown if any are scheduled in Wyoming.
   
4. Kim Bartlett report given by Dale:  I have not been feeling super great the last couple of days, so probably won’t make the meeting tonight (I’m trying to get feeling better before Friday’s event).  Not much to report: DNC elections resulted in Malcolm Kenyatta (PA) being re-elected as Vice Chair (David Hogg chose not to rerun) and Shasti Conrad (WA) being elected in his place.  At the DNC meeting, August 24-27 in Minneapolis, we will elect Caucus and Council leadership.  The DNC Western Caucus will meet in Denver, Oct. 3-5.
   There will be a come-and-go party for Dan and Margaret Stansill on Monday, July 7th, from 6:30-8 at the Lazy Fox, who are moving to Cheyenne.  Need to announce to HS Dems via email.

5. Are we going to participate in the Gift of the Waters Pageant Parade?  Theme, “United We Stand”.  10 am Saturday, August 2nd. Entry fee is free. Registration is due by July 31st. Georgeanne is interested in having a float, but needs help and is asking for volunteers. A comment was made that the event is outdated and prejudicial. Discussion was on how to change perspective, and decided too late for this year. The Gift of the Waters Pageant committee is in charge. A motion to not participate in the pageant parade was made by Jamie Anderson, 2nd by John Anderson. Motion carried with one dissent.

6. Donation for Discovery Days has been requested by  Audra Dominquez. Motion made by John Anderson to donate $50, 2nd by Michael Kersing. Discussion regarding the amount, and if we would have a presence (voter registration). Georgeanne reminds us that we need to save for the upcoming elections to help candidates. Motion carried. Georgeanne says volunteers are always needed for the event.
   
7. We have been approached by Big Horn and Washakie Counties to participate in a Big Horn Basin for a combined Town Hall meeting with Rep. Mike Yin in August. Discussion to partner with Washakie and Big Horn counties was affirmative and could be more powerful in a larger group setting to bring up common issues. Motion by John Anderson to participate and help with expenses and promotion, 2nd by Michael Kersing. Dale will get the details and what would be expected from us. John Anderson will help with a list of local questions to present at the August meeting. Motion carried.
   
8. Georgeanne reminds us to bring in receipts for “in-kind” donations for any event where Dems purchase supplies but choose to pay out of pocket rather than requesting reimbursement.

Meeting adjourns at 7:08 pm
Next Meeting – Wed., 8/6, 6 pm, County Annex 
Meeting Minutes Submitted by Janice Ladd-Horkey, Temporary Secretary

HOT SPRINGS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING MINUTES

June 4, 2025  

Call to order at 6:04
Welcome & Introductions-14 members present
Pledge of Allegiance
Silence Phones Please

Welcome June Birthdays
June Birthdays – None

Approval of May 2025 Meeting Minutes  
Motion: Kim, Second: John A.

Pass the Hat

Business:
Secretary’s Correspondence Report 
Newspaper Ad this month? 
July 2025 Meeting: 7/2/25 Date in Paper: 6/23/25 Mike & Kim Herzing
Please contact IR-Georgeanne will take care of getting the check to the 

Treasurer’s Report
Beginning: $1,883.65 – End: $1,616.83
Bring all receipts with your name on them to be recorded as an in-kind donation. Ad payments are considered in-kind donations.

Line Items
Discussion and reports from committees

1. Pride
   1. Setup at 9am.
   2. Washakie county banner
2. July 4th committee will report
   1. Money spent on fliers.
   2. Need items 
   3. 2-4p kiwanis shelter
   4. 2024 sign up sheet shared with Georgeanne and Marylin
3. Candidates and Elections
   1. Table that discussion
4. Wyoming State Convention
   1. Fundraising and donations.  Media, candidates, events. ActBlue-national PAC whose purpose is to raise money for every democrat running.  All legal issues have been resolved.
   2. Increase of DNC money to WY from 15k to 22k
5. Resistance Rally in Worland June 14th
   1. No Kings Day – Time is TBA
   2. Paperclip is a sign of resistance.
   3.  

CER Certification – John Anderson has the floor for 45 minutes to discuss.

Strengths:

• Small, mighty
• Stiff spine/courage
• Enthusiasm
• Growing
• educated/knowledgable/informed
• Willing to work
• Organized monthly meetings
• We show up we invite
• Social media presence
• Volunteerism
• visible/activities
• Commitment to truth/good

Weaknesses

• Recruiting seniors
• Fundraising
• Funding dollars for candidates
• Determining and finding candidates
• Leadership/
• Young people getting involved
• Families
• Constructive confrontation>trained
• Fears, being scared, feeling uncertain
• Messaging

Opportunities

• Disgust w/ Trump-alternatives
• Fundraising
• Speaking Truth/Change the channel
• Organized Responses locally
• Steal Republicans/Voter Registration
• Door to Door Recruitment
• Reframing messages

Threats

• Violence/Hate
• Subversive actions/bills/national politics
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Isolation
• Aging Volunteers
• Lack of unbiased media/social media
• Financial Instability
• Become insular (hiding)
• Scary Neighbors

Next Meeting – Wed., 7/2, 6 pm, County Annex  Meeting Adjourn 7:17p