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www.thermopir.com July 18, 2019

Schulmeister returns
from overseas work by Mark Dykes
On June 30, a familiar face with the Wyoming
Highway Patrol returned to Thermopolis, follow-
ing a nine-month deployment to Lima, Peru. In
addition to being a trooper with the highway pa-
trol, Regina Schulmeister is a chief petty officer
and hospital corpsman with the Navy Reserve.
On Oct. 1, she headed to Billings to prepare
for her trip. Her destination was Lima, Peru, to
work with the U.S. Embassy as the humanitar-
ian assistance program coordinator. She noted
the Department of Defense has some funds and
she applied to get them from the Overseas Hu-
manitarian and Civic Aid. In the grand scheme
of the American budget, she said, it’s less than
one percent, “but when you are there it seems a
lot, especially for these areas where they have so
many needs.”
Schulmeister emphasized this is not just giving
money away; there is a strategic goal every time
supplies are donated, such as school supplies, to
make countries self-sufficient. Here in Wyoming,
she works toward fighting drugs, and when this
opportunity arose she realized it was the same
work, just on a bigger level.
“I’m in another country, helping them fight the
drugs,” she said, noting in Peru it is still legal to
grow coca plants, though the manufacture of co-
caine is illegal. There is also illegal gold mining
happening there, she said, and when that hap-
pens there is also human trafficking. Not only are
adults used as labor, but children as well; chil-
dren are also prostituted.
She’s a firm believer that education brings not
only advantages to a person but to the commu-
nity. “That’s why I was passionate about what I
was doing. You give education to somebody, to
finish primary school or high school, they have
with a little bit of paperwork, Venezuelans are
given permission to work. The impact is felt at
the schools, she said, as afternoon sessions and
teachers had to be added to accommodate the
hundreds of new students.
“It was a full-time job,” Schulmeister said. “I
was coordinating the purchases of schoolbooks
and supplies and medicines. And they had to fit
what they need.” There were some who didn’t even
speak Spanish and speak Quechua instead, so
special books in their language have to be found.
There are also a number of people there who
are still members of the Sendero Luminoso ter-
rorist group, she said, and they try to get farm-
ers to sell them the coca leaves and produce co-
caine, so they work to gain the people’s trust in
the help they are providing. Schulmeister noted
they also help the Peruvian military and police,
having those officers hand supplies to children,
to help earn their trust and respect.
Of course it’s not all work for her, as Schul-
meister had a chance to visit Machu Picchu and
Cajamarca. The people were unbelievably humble
and nice she said, and that along with the scen-
ery and buildings reminded her of Thermopolis.
This isn’t Schulmeister’s first overseas deploy-
ment. She was in Kuwait in 2004 and in Germa-
ny in 2012 in medical capacities. Of the Germany
trip, she noted she travelled to 17 different coun-
tries when she had a break in her work, knowing
she might not get the opportunity later in life. courtesy photo by Regina Schulmeister
She’s appreciative of the support she received
from the Navy and Wyoming Highway Patrol,
Out and about
as well as her family, friends and neighbors. She In addition to the work she did in Lima, Peru, Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Regina
noted Beverly Ward watched her house and dog Schulmeister had time to visit around the country.
while she was gone and sent her the paper, and
other neighbors and friends sent her letters.
“That’s a peace of mind,” Schulmeister said of

Print Zone relocating

another big goal.” Ward’s help, “especially being by myself. In fact,
Another aspect to Schulmeister’s work, she she was the first one I asked.” She added that
noted, is the Department of Defense is very sup- having the paper meant she was able to keep up
portive of women in the military. Appearing be- on what was happening back home.
fore the younger students in uniform, she said, The deployment didn’t mean a loss in senior-
helps them realize they can grow up to be law ity or pay with the highway patrol, Schulmeister
enforcement or military officers. said, and she was able to keep the slick top patrol by Mark Dykes plies. keep Flying Eagle Gallery as
Peru is a country that has opened its doors to unit she had. Whether here or half a world away, This month, Broadway will “Part of that goal in making a tenant. His business will re-
Venezuela, Schulmeister said, and the result- Schulmeister is certainly making a positive im- have a new look as the Ther- this whole transition,” Samel- main a FedEx location. He’ll
ing migration has stretched their resources. But pact in her work. mopolis Print Zone moves from son said, “is to make sure that also be working with other mer-
its current location at 521 the people who have been using chants in town to see if there is
Broadway, going a few doors the WOW Store for those things any interest in the products be-

Get ready to crash

It’s the time of year when a
young man’s mind turns to the
Thermopolis Demolition Derby
and the car he wants to drive.
This year, the derby will
be held on Saturday, August
17 at the Hot Springs County
Fairgrounds, starting at 6 p.m.
Grand prize for 2019 is
$3,500 with the second place
winner taking home $2,000
in the truck derby, first place
garners the winner $1,500
and the Herby Derby boasts
a $500 prize.
Additional prizes in both of
these classes will depend on
how many entries they have
the night of the derby.
And not to be left out, there
is also the Power Wheels Der-
by for the little ones aged four
Advance tickets are on sale
now at $12 for adults, $5 for
kids aged five through 12, and
$7 for seniors. If you purchase
at the gate, adults will be $15,
kids $7 and seniors $10. Tick-
ets are available at the Cham-
ber of Commerce, Black Bear
Café, Carquest Auto Parts, Hot
Rod Station, O’Reilly’s Auto
Parts and Storyteller.
west to the WOW Store.
Print Zone owner Howie
Samelson said he purchased
the building and the business,
with the sale finalized on July
1. He did it for two reasons, he
said. One was because his busi-
ness is growing and he needed
more space.
The second is that there is
a need for a business in town
to “pick up some of the slack
with Shopko closing.” As part
of that goal, he’ll be bringing
in office and school supplies,
Thermopolis souvenirs and,
don’t get forced to do shopping
out of town. I’m committed to
keeping most of what the WOW
Store has had in the past and
improving on that.
“I don’t want people to be
afraid that in this transition
that they’re going to lose their
ability to shop locally.” He
add people will see changes
in where products are located.
The business will be under
a new name as well — Discov-
er Thermopolis — and he will
ing carried by the WOW Store.
Gooseberry Garden Quilt Shop,
which currently share space
with Print Zone, will remain
where it is.
With the additional space,
Samelson said as time goes on
there will be some significant
improvements and the ability
to print things more efficiently,
which opens up the ability to
print different things.
Discover Thermopolis is cur-
rently planned to open Aug. 1.

I’m ready! Are you?

and third place brings in through 10. For a full list of rules for conceivably, some electronics.
$1,000 plus trophies for the top Entry fees for the derby are drivers, please check the He’ll also be building the inven-
three winners and the M.A.D. $75 which will include the chamber’s website at ther- tory for what the WOW Store
Dog trophy. driver and up to two pit crew mopolischamber.org/demoli- has been known for, such as DeaDl
FO ine
July 2 R enTRie
If you’re more interested members. tion-derby. party supplies and craft sup-
6• 4 S
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