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GREEN AND
GORGEOUS
We’re not your
average coal town
BAGELS, BARBECUE
AND FINE DINING
Bring on
the Next
100 Years
County celebrates centennial
Campbell County
eConomiC
Development Corporation
2001 W. Lakeway Rd., Suite C
Gillette, WY 82718
(307) 686-2603
www.ccedc.net
City of Gillette,
WyominG
201 E. 5th St.
Gillette, WY 82717
(307) 686-5200
www.ci.gillette.wy.us
Campbell County
Convention
& visitors bureau
1810 S. Douglas Hwy.
Gillette, WY 82718
(307) 686-0040
cccvb@orbitcom.biz
toWn of WriGht,
WyominG
201 Wright Blvd.
Wright, WY 82732
(307) 464-1666
www.wrightwyoming.com
Bright
Future
A head
+
CAMPBELL COUNTY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Teaching Effectively –
Learning Successfully
Administrative Offices
Gillette, WY
(307) 682-5171
issue
®
Gillette-campbell
county, wyoming
co nte nt s
F e atu r e s
12 Bring On the
Next 100 Years
22 Rodeo Mecca
Campbell County draws rodeo
fans from across the nation
26 Powered UP
Traditional, alternative energy
companies drive economy
50 BAGELS, BARBECUE
AND FINE DINING
Gillette restaurants give
diners delicious options
d e pa r tm e nt s
8 Almanac
30 Biz Briefs
32 Chamber Report
33 Economic Profile
34 Image Gallery
41 Health & Wellness
44 Arts & Culture
46 Sports & Recreation
48 Education
53 Community Profile
55 Through the Lens
12
printed on recycled paper containing
10% post-consumer waste.
Please recycle this magazine
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 3
®
Gillette- campbell
county, Wyoming
Project Manager Mitchell Kline
content Director Lisa battles
Proofreading Manager Raven Petty
Content Coordinator Jessica Walker
Staff Writer Kevin Litwin
Copy Editor Jill Wyatt
Contributing writers joe morris, jessica mozo
Media Technology Director Christina Carden
Digital Edition
Senior Graphic Designers Laura Gallagher,
Jessica Manner, Janine Maryland,
Kris Sexton, Vikki Williams
Graphic Designer Rachael Gerringer
Media Technology Analysts Chandra Bradshaw,
lance Conzett, Michele Niccore, Marcus Snyder
Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto
Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord
Staff Photographers Todd Bennett, Antony Boshier
Web Content Manager John Hood
Web project manager noy fongnaly
Web Design Director Franco Scaramuzza
Web designer II Richard stevens
A Century
Web developer i Yamel Hall
Web Account Manager Lauren Eubank
Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf
of Progress
COUNTY TREASURES ITS PAST, ANTICIPATES FUTURE
Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan
STORY BY JESSICA MOZO
C
ampbell County celebrates
its 100th birthday in 2011,
Office Manager/Accounts Receivable and its citizens sure know
how to throw a party. In
Coordinator Shelly Miller fact, the Campbell County Centennial
Committee has a whole year of
centennial events planned.
Integrated Media Manager Brady Fish “We’ve developed a centennial logo
and alerted area organizations and
businesses that they can utilize the
Sales Support Manager Cindy Hall centennial as a theme for events,” says
Carol Seeger, deputy Campbell County
color imaging technician Alison Hunter attorney and chair of the Centennial
Committee. “The library will have
imagesgillette.com
in whole or in part without written consent.
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 5
Gillette
in action
Don’t just take our word for it – see for yourself how great Gillette is
in our quick videos at imagesgillette.com, highlighting a little bit of
everything that Gillette has to offer.
imagesgillette.com
What’s Online
imagesgillette.com “Helping You
Find Your
Way Home”
What’s
Online
Catch all the action
at the Gillette
Thunder
Speedway
BAGELS, BARBECUE
AND FINE DINING
(307) 687-7070
on industries, schools and more
SpONSORED BY ThE CAmpBELL COUNTY ChAmBER OF COmmERCE
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 7
Almanac
Welcome
to Gillette
An introduction to the area’s people, places and events
Einstein in
the Classroom
Gillette gets creative when it
comes to its school curriculum,
with developments like Einstein’s
Adventurarium. The Adventurarium‚
which draws about 7,700 visitors
annually from Wyoming and
neighboring states‚ is a key part of
the schools’ science curriculum.
The facility provides hands-on
learning‚ with interactive exhibits
where children experiment with
bubbles‚ create rainbows‚ work
with light and shadow‚ and learn
about minerals and many types of
animals. The Adventurarium was
launched in 1990, and now
occupies about 10,000 square
feet in the Lakeway Learning
Center.
8 Gillette
On the Mark
Give a different kind of golf a try. Gillette’s Energy Rotary
Club Disc Golf Course is a 20-hole (or basket) course spread
over 6,210 feet of moderately hilly and wooded terrain. The
front 10 holes of the course throw a few obstacles and lots of
trees in the mix, while the back 10 are longer and more open
shots. If you prefer a more traditional park, you’ll find plenty of
those in Gillette as well. The Campbell County Parks &
Recreation Department operates 16 neighborhood and six
community parks. Local favorite Lasting Legacy contains the
Gillette Skatepark, a tricked-out rollerblade and skateboard park
on its northern side.
Like a Rock
The Campbell County Rockpile Museum has
been educating locals and visitors alike since 1974.
Legend has it that settlers knew they were in Gillette
when they saw the rock pile that is now on the
museum property. The museum devotes plenty of
exhibit space to the region’s mineral resources, and
highlights the area’s newspaper, railroading and
blacksmithing histories. The 1890s School takes
third- and fourth-grade students back to pioneer
days, and young visitors also can take part in the
annual Civil War Day, which gives sixth-graders a
chance to study both sides of that conflict.
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 9
Art Crawl
Give your legs a chance to earn
their keep by taking a walk
throughout Gillette, where the
city’s public art displays are placed
in and among the shops and
restaurants. They’re part of the
Avenues of Art public art program,
which began eight years ago as
part of the Mayor’s Art Council
and now brings in sculpture from
around the country as part of a
rotating and permanent display.
If you find a piece and fall in love
with it, no problem. The featured
art later goes on sale for your
purchasing pleasure.
10 Gillette
Ranch Hands
The Durham Buffalo Ranch is rated one of the best in the country, thanks to
its high quality and standards of raising buffalo. Set on 55,000 sprawling acres, Fast Facts
the ranch is currently home to about 2,500 purebred American bison and 1,100
n The cattle ranchers
breeder cows. Since the late 1950s, buffalo have been raised on the ranch, which
who settled in the
has been owned and operated by the Flocchini family since the mid-1960s. The
town in the 1800s
meat from the buffalo, which weighs in at an impressive 1,050 pounds, is sold to
originally referred
restaurants and supermarkets all over the United States and is shipped to several
to Gillette as
foreign countries as well.
Donkey Town.
n Oil exploration
began in Gillette in
the 1940s, and the
first commercial oil
field discovery was
made in 1968.
n Stock-car racing is
a popular sport each
season on the 3/8-
mile oval at Gillette
Thunder Speedway.
59
between the Big Horn Mountains and the Black Hills 1
14
387
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 11
12
Gillette
Brian M c Cord
A Century
of Progress
County treasures its past, anticipates future
Story By Jessica Mozo
C
ampbell County celebrates
its 100th birthday in 2011,
and its citizens sure know
how to throw a party. In
fact, the Campbell County Centennial
Committee has a whole year of
centennial events planned.
“We’ve developed a centennial logo
and alerted area organizations and
businesses that they can utilize the
centennial as a theme for events,” says
Carol Seeger, deputy Campbell County
attorney and chair of the Centennial
Committee. “The library will have
Photo Courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 13
honor of the centennial at Lasting
Legacy Park in Gillette.
Campbell County History
Speaking of legacies, Campbell
County has a colorful history that
began with its establishment on Feb.
13, 1911. Mary Kelley, president of the
Campbell County Historical Society and
vice president of the Wyoming State
Historical Society, wrote a book (Images
of America: Gillette) detailing Gillette’s
history with intriguing historical
photos from the Campbell County
Rockpile Museum.
Kelley’s fascination with Gillette’s
past began when she was just a child.
“I’m an Indiana Hoosier by birth, but
I love Wyoming, and I’ve lived in Gillette
since 1994,” Kelley says. “I had an uncle
who lived in Jelm, Wyo., and when we
visited him in the 1960s, Wyoming was
in the middle of nowhere for a kid from
Indiana. They actually rode horses to
round up their sheep and lived on
ranches and the whole Western bit. It was
14 Gillette
Brian M c Cord
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 15
Gillette and Buffalo to the west.
“Before that, travelers used back
roads, including the Black and Yellow
Trail, which was old Highway 14,”
Kelley says. “I-90 East wouldn’t be
finished until 1976. Tourism has been
an important industry in northeastern
Wyoming as people travel between the
Black Hills and Yellowstone.”
Campbell County’s
Historic Attractions
Campbell County overflows with
historic sites, including Pumpkin
Buttes, the Bozeman Trail, the
Rockpile in Gillette, Donkey Creek
and downtown Gillette.
“You can pick up a free downtown
walking tour booklet at the Chamber,”
Kelley says. “We have the Montgomery
Bar, which was built in 1911 by the
prominent Daly family. We have several
other bars that are said to be haunted in
the downtown ‘Bermuda Triangle.’ A 1911
jail cell, the site of the first county library,
the first city hall and the site of the
mansion used for the county courthouse
are all downtown on Gillette Avenue.”
To say the least, Campbell County
has come a long way since those early
days. And that progress promises to
continue in the future, furthering
Gillette’s reputation as the best-kept
secret in the West.
“I’d like to see Gillette become a
National Main Street city, which would
make our downtown larger and more
attractive with more events, prime
housing and lots of nightlife,” Kelley
says. “My other hope for the community
is an interactive, world-class minerals
museum that would attract visitors
from around the world. We have a huge
opportunity to educate people about
how clean our mining processes are and
what a valuable asset our minerals are
to America. There is a group working
on it, and it’s anticipated to become a
reality five years down the road.”
Photo Courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum
16 Gillette
Brian Mccord
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m
Brian M c Cord Photo Courtesy of Campbell County Rockpile Museum
17
18 Gillette
Green
Gorgeous
&
Gillette is not your average coal town
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 19
Story By jessica mozo
W
hoever said coal residents cool off during the heat of bike and running paths, and great
towns are ugly has summer, and the Mayor’s Art Council facilities such as Gillette College, the
never laid eyes on established its Avenues of Art program recreation center, airport, library and
Gillette. The city in 2003, which brings in sculptures CAM-PLEX [a multi-event facility],”
takes great pride in its ample green from around the world to display along Palmer says. “The area has benefited
space, public art and attractive major streets. from reinvestment by both the private
architecture, and is working hard to “The program has been very well and public sectors back into the
make sure it stays that way. received, and the city now has more communities, a ‘can-do’ philosophy
“One of the City of Gillette’s goals is than 50 permanent sculptures on and a willingness to get involved.”
to be ‘clean and green,’ and with more display and 25 new sculptures on
than 30 parks, the city continues to temporary display each year,” Foote says. Cloud Peak Energy, Inc.
provide green space for the public,” A work assignment brought Robert Gillette is referred to as the “Energy
says Michael Foote, sustainability Palmer to the area in 1984. He was so Capital of the Nation,” a title that
coordinator for the City of Gillette. enthralled by the beauty he saw and the denotes the area’s rich supply of coal,
“Dalbey Park, which includes the city’s people he met that he decided to stay for natural gas and other fossil fuels. The
fishing lake, has almost 87 acres of good. Today, Palmer is administrative nation’s third largest coal producer,
park space.” director for the Campbell County Cloud Peak Energy, Inc., operates three
Commission. surface mines in the Powder River
Gillette Recreation “The four seasons add to the Basin of Wyoming and Montana,
and Public Art changing landscape, and we have including the nearby Antelope and
The park and a public pool help local attractive, wide-open spaces and bluffs, Cordero Rojo. Cloud Peak operates a
Brian M c Cord
From left: Barrel racing at the 28th Annual Jesus Little Levi Rodeo at
the CAM-PLEX Wrangler Arena; An antelope in a Campbell County
pasture at sunset; The Cowboy Tough sculpture by artist Chris Navarro
welcomes visitors to Gillette at the off-ramp from Interstate 90 as part of
the Mayor’s Art Council’s Avenues of Art.
20 Gillette
third mine in Montana and collectively external relations for Cloud Peak Energy. public rain barrel program as a means
the mines produced more than 93 “Projects have included development of of water conservation, energy-efficient
million tons of sub-bituminous coal in mountain plover (a bird species) habitat LED lights in city facility parking lots,
2010, according to company officials. through relocating prairie dogs, yard waste containers to keep clippings
But just as Gillette is not your innovative techniques in riverbed and tree limbs out of the landfill, and a
average coal town, Cloud Peak Energy reconstruction and reestablishment of blue bag recycling program, to name
is not your typical coal producer. The land functions, intensive efforts in only a few.
company places significant emphasis establishing rare plant species, “We are on the cusp of taking a
on environmental stewardship, and in development of wetlands and playas, and leadership role in the state as a result
June 2010, Cloud Peak Energy received establishment of an elk conservation of our water conservation programs,
a reclamation award from the Wyoming easement that included a significant innovative recycling practices and actions
Department of Environmental Quality proportion of reclaimed land.” toward energy efficiency,” Foote says.
for establishing a wildlife habitat and Over the past eight years, Cloud “Sustainability is about quality of life. So
developing shrubs at its Antelope Mine Peak Energy’s environmental much of what is happening in Gillette will
near Douglas, Wyo. stewardship practices have been have a direct effect on the quality of life
“Cloud Peak Energy’s environmental recognized by six national awards for our citizens. For example, Avenues
stewardship projects are focused on and 10 state awards. of Art, community gardens, the grow
reestablishing or improving wildlife local movement, Gillette College and
habitat and land and water functions in Sustainability Projects the farmers market are all wonderful
reclamation,” said Bob Green, general The City of Gillette’s sustainability community resources. Gillette is a great
manager of sustainable development and efforts are also extensive, including a place to live and work.”
Brian M c Cord
Jeff Adkins
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 21
Rodeo
Campbell County draws
rodeo fans from across
the nation
J
ust as the state of Wyoming is synonymous with
cowboys and cowgirls, Gillette and Campbell County
are known for rodeo. Sports such as bull riding, steer
roping and barrel racing have long been ingrained
in the county. Gillette hosts several large rodeo events that
draw world class cowboys and cowgirls into town.
“Campbell County has always been known as a rodeo
community,” says Rex Brown, marketing manager at CAM-
PLEX, Gillette’s largest multi-event facility. “That was one of
the reasons CAM-PLEX was built – we had the fairgrounds
downtown, but CAM-PLEX gave us the opportunity to do
even bigger and better things.”
National High School Finals Rodeo
One of the biggest events CAM-PLEX hosts is the National
High School Finals Rodeo. This July event draws 1,500
contestants from 41 states, five Canadian provinces and
Australia. All told, the National High School Finals Rodeo
brings 6,000 people to Gillette for 10 days.
“It’s kind of like the World Series – the best of the best
come here to compete. It’s a huge family friendly event, and
we have about 1,200 RVs parked on our grounds the whole
10 days,” Brown says. “We’ve hosted it nine times. We’re in a
rotation, so we get it two years, then it goes to another site for
four years and comes back to Gillette. We hosted it in 2010,
and we’ll host it in 2011, and then it will be back in Gillette in
2016 and 2017.”
Staff Photo
22 Gillette
Mecca
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 23
Energy Town Pro Rodeo and Kids’ Rodeos More Rodeos Roll In
Campbell County also hosts the Energy Town Pro Rodeo, a In February, CAM-PLEX hosts a Winter Western Rodeo
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned & Trade Show with free stage shows and lots of family fun.
rodeo held each August in conjunction with the Campbell Come summer, local rodeo competitors converge on CAM-
County Fair. PLEX’s Wrangler Arena every Thursday night for Campbell
“The Energy Town Pro Rodeo hosts some of the best County Cowgirls and Cowboys, a jackpot event that is open
cowboys and cowgirls in the region to compete in their to the public and free to watch.
respective events,” says Betty Hough, Campbell County Fair Gillette College even has a competition rodeo team
manager. “It kicks off with a free barbecue hosted by energy that has been very successful, and Gillette is home to stock
companies in the area.” contractors who take bulls and horses to rodeos all over
Even youngsters can get in on the rodeo action in Gillette. the nation.
“There are several kids’ rodeos during the summer, Through August 13, 2011, the Campbell County Rockpile
including two Little Levi Rodeos, a youth rodeo during Museum is giving visitors an in-depth look at Gillette’s
the fair and a high school rodeo that is just for Wyoming cowboy history with a new exhibit called Horses and Heroes:
kids to participate in,” Hough says. Behind the Scenes at the Rodeo. The exhibit features the
On New Year’s Eve, the Burch Rodeo Co. sponsors its people who make rodeos safe, fun and successful, from the
annual Buck ’n Ball at CAM-PLEX’s Wyoming Center. life-saving pickup men to bullfighters, stock contractors who
“They make it into a rodeo arena and do bronc, bareback train the broncs, and judges. Horses and Heroes focuses on
and bull riding, and then they have a rodeo dance to bring in northeast Wyoming citizens who have succeeded in the rodeo
the New Year,” Brown says. “It’s a very popular event that’s world and has photos, artifacts, a rodeo clown dress-up area
been a tradition for five or six years.” and a rodeo quiz for all ages.
28th Annual Jesus Little Levi Rodeo at the CAM-PLEX Wrangler Arena in Gillette; Right: Senior (ages 14-17) pole
bending at the 28th Annual Jesus Little Levi Rodeo.
24 Gillette
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 25
Business
26 Gillette
Powered
UP
Traditional, alternative energy companies
drive Gillette and Campbell County economies
I
n real estate, location is Peabody Energy, are known for their safety records and
everything. And thanks to what’s Cloud Peak Energy, Inc. land-reclamation successes.
under it, real estate in Campbell Lead Producers Cloud Peak operates three mines in
County is in a very sweet spot. One-fifth of all U.S. coal production the basin, and controls 2.5 billion tons
originates in the Powder River Basin, of recoverable coal, sought by energy
Coal Mining Still Strong largely due to major players such as producers for its low environmental
When Gillette and Campbell County Peabody Energy and Cloud Peak impact when burned.
are referred to as the “Energy Capital of Energy, Inc.
the Nation,” it’s not just big talk. Thanks Peabody has three mines in the area. Dry Fork Power Plant
to many major players and the area’s The biggest is North Antelope Rochelle, One of those users is the Dry Fork
rich coal reserves, more than 40 percent the largest and most productive mine Station power plant north of Gillette,
of U.S. energy production takes place in the country, which has produced set to begin operation in August 2011.
here. Traditional mining is still going more than 1 billion tons of coal since it Basin Electric Power Cooperative is
strong, and with new coal extraction opened. The company also operates the building the 385-megawatt, coal-fired
technology and use, the future remains Caballo Mine and the Rawhide Mine, plant at a cost of $1.3 billion, and will
bright for this bedrock industry. which, like North Antelope Rochelle, have around $334 million of
One-fifth of all U.S. coal production originates in the Powder River Basin. photo by Brian Mccord
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 27
Business
28 Gillette
Jeff Adkins
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 29
Business
Biz Briefs
Businesses – both large and small – that help define gillette’s
economic climate
Scorecard
Business At
A Glance
$446 million
Annual retail sales
$12,327
Retail sales
per capita
$53 million
Annual hotel and
food sales
3,683
Total number
of firms
Source: U.S. Census
QuickFacts
30 Gillette
BLACK HILLS
CORPORATION
Biz: Diversified energy company
Buzz: Focused on supplying energy to
more than 750,000 customers, Black
Hills Corporation provides natural
gas and electric utilities to a number
of states. Black Hills Corporation also
comprises Black Hills Power, a utility
that powers its plants using low-sulphur
coal mined by Wyodak Resource
Development Corporation near Gillette.
www.blackhillscorp.com
EXPRESSO-LUBE
Biz: Oil change station and cafe
Buzz: Offering car maintenance
services, as well as a full-service
cafe, Expresso-Lube keeps customers
satisfied while their vehicles receive
oil changes, tire rotations and other
services. Expresso-Lube’s cafe provides
breakfast and lunch paninis, soups,
salads, wraps and various coffee
beverages. In addition, wireless
Internet and flat-screen televisions
are available for customers to enjoy.
(307) 682-7339
K 2 TECHNOLOGIES
Biz: Technology consulting
and training firm
Buzz: K2 Technologies works to keep
their clients’ information technology
systems functioning properly and
effectively by providing technical
support. In addition, telephone and
Living green
wiring services are available to assist
businesses of all sizes with their
telecommunications needs. K2
Technologies also offers Web design starts from the ground up.
services, as well as hands-on training Living green is making sure the air in your home is healthy for your family to breathe. Test
where groups or individuals can enroll your home for radon and build radon-resistant. It's easy. That's living healthy and green.
in a number of classes. Just call 866-730-green or visit www.epa.gov/radon
www.k2technologies.net
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 31
Business
Chamber Report
Chamber president enjoys several leadership roles
32 Gillette
Business | Economic Profile
Gillette
Economic overview
Located in the northeastern corner of Wyoming, Campbell
County is the powerhouse for the state. Rich in natural resources,
the mineral industry and supporting manufacturers dominate
the economy.
Buckskin Mining
314 S. Gillette Ave.
Gillette, WY 82716
28%
370 employees Blue-Collar Jobs
(307) 682-3673
Sources: Campbell County
City of Gillette frontoffice@gillettechamber.com Economic Development
278 employees www.gillettechamber.com Corporation, Onboard Informatics
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 33
Image Gallery
34 Gillette
Devils Tower National
Monument near Gillette
Photo by Jeff Adkins
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 35
Image Gallery
36 Gillette
Mule deer at sunrise in Gillette
Photo by Brian McCord
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 37
Image Gallery
What’s Online
Mt. Rushmore National Monument is a
three-hour drive from Gillette. For more
information on day trips from Gillette,
go to imagesgillette.com.
38 Gillette
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 39
Health & Wellness
brian mccord
Campbell County Memorial Hospital
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 41
GILLETTE OPTOMETRIC CLINIC P.C.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rita E.
www.visionsource-gilletteopto.com
McConnEll
D.C.
An Ideal Protein Clinic
Family Care
Infant & Childcare
Providing Comprehensive Vision Care with the Latest Technology Women’s Health
Offering Honest, Caring, Personalized Service
• Eye Exams for All Ages • Safety Glasses Pregnancy
• Vision Therapy • Gift Certificates
• Contact Lens Fittings • Infant Care Cox-Flexion/Distraction
• Emergency Eye Problems • Large Stock of Contacts
• Pre & Post Care for Cataract
and LASIK Surgery
• One of the Largest Frame
Selections in Wyoming
Traditional and
Low-Force Techniques
(307) 682-2020 • 609 4-J Court
R.L. Jordan, O.D., F.A.A.O.
J.L. Fischer, O.D.
R.L. Fitzgerald, O.D.
J.C. Maycock, O.D.
(307) 686-5709
R.L. Mills, O.D. 709 W. 8th St. #3
We accept Medicare, Medicaid, Gillette, WY 82716
VSP and BCBS.
42 Gillette
Health & Wellness
services, and occupational health
and rehabilitation services. It also
operates Pioneer Manor, a long-
term care facility.
CCMH Gets
Awards, Grants
These improvements aren’t
going unnoticed. The American
Diabetes Association has awarded
the hospital’s Diabetes Center’s
Diabetes Self-Management
Program its Education
Recognition, and the hospital
also has received a grant from
the Wyoming Division of Victim
Services to begin a program
training nurses as Sexual Assault
Nurse Examiners. The $147,000
grant will provide training salaries
for six nurse examiners and a
program coordinator, as well
as community education and
outreach. The hospital also
received an Aster Award for its
advertising and marketing efforts
during 2009.
– Joe Morris
Brian M c Cord
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 43
Arts & Culture
Centers of Activity
CAM-PLEX, ava, cinemas highlight County’s entertainment
T
“ here’s nothing to do” is a
phrase rarely heard in
Gillette, and with good reason.
ice rink with seating for 2,500
spectators and room for trade
shows with as many as 650
is a great place for children’s
birthday parties, offering
themes such as glamour models,
The City and Campbell County booths. The CAM-PLEX Heritage superheroes, monsters, space,
offer dozens of outdoor Center is a premier arts facility. It Dr. Seuss and dinosaurs. AVA
recreational activities, but features a multiuse stage in a members can receive special
those looking for arts and 919-seat theater, which has discounts on art classes and
entertainment find no shortage hosted Broadway productions, supplies, and advanced notice
of options. concerts, dancing performances and invitations to special events.
and school programs. Outside the
CAM-PLEX theater is a gallery that displays Let’s go to the Movies
People from around the region, national, regional and local works There are two places to catch
state and country routinely head of art. current blockbuster movies in
here for shows, concerts, rodeos Gillette. The Foothills Theatre,
and more at the CAM-PLEX, the A Place for Art located on Highway 14, is open
state’s premier multiuse facility. The AVA (Advocacy for Visual year round and features all-
Rodeo grounds, RV campgrounds, Arts) Community Art Center, stadium seating. The theater
a horse racetrack, 21-acre park located in the heart of the city, typically shows six new releases
and picnic area highlight the is a nonprofit organization that each week and always includes
facility’s outdoor offerings. The hosts a variety of exhibitions. a mix of flicks that range from
1,100-acre complex also contains Each summer the center is home family comedies to adult thrillers.
seven buildings, including the to the Community Art Show, Sky-Hi Theatre located on Shosoni
new Wyoming Center, a 177,000- where any local artist may put Avenue, Sky-Hi Theatre, located on
square-foot facility that can be their work on display. You’ll also Shosoni Avenue, offers occasional
split into three smaller spaces, find a variety of art classes at screenings of blockbuster movies.
and can seat 3,000 people for AVA. The classes range from It has digital, wide screen
dinner or 9,000 for a spectator pottery and painting to birdhouse presentations.
event. It also houses an NHL-size making and sculpting. The center – Joe Morris
From left: Campbell County Rockpile Museum; Tall Grass by Dale C. Lamphere, part of the Avenues of Art program
in downtown Gillette; The audience gathers for a live musical performance at the CAM-PLEX.
44 Gillette
CAM-PLEX by
By the Numbers
the Numbers
1,100
Number of acres of the
CAM-PLEX complex
9,000
Number of people the new
Wyoming Center seats
7
Number of buildings
available for events
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 45
Sports & Recreation
What’s Online
Go to imagesgillette.com to read more about
Gillette’s sports and recreational activities.
46 Gillette
Fun All the Time
Hunt, fish, skate, golf and even more
T here’s plenty to do
throughout Gillette and
Campbell County no matter what
Campbell County
Parks & Recreation
Department
the season, or even the weather.
Indoor and outdoor fun mix
thanks to the Campbell County
Hunting, Fishing
Parks & Recreation Department,
Destination
which operates 16 neighborhood
This part of Wyoming is and six community parks. Local
rightfully known as a sports favorite Lasting Legacy contains
lover’s paradise. The fishing is the Gillette Skatepark, a tricked-
legendary, with anglers coming out rollerblade and skateboard
from around the world to snag park, on its northern side.
the wily western trout and other
denizens of rivers and streams. Recreation Center,
Hunters flock here to go after ice arenas
mule deer, antelope and even
Then there’s the Campbell
trophy American bison. Multiple
County Recreation Center and
hunt ranches and guide services
its basketball, volleyball and
ensure hunters do well and natural
tennis courts, indoor running
preserves remain pristine.
track, weight rooms, cardio
area, racquetball and squash
Devils Tower
courts, six-lane swimming pool,
National Monument 200-meter track, tennis courts,
If you’re in the mood to mix a lap pool, waterslides, climbing
little Hollywood with some rock tower, elevated walking track
climbing, head over to nearby and much more.
Devils Tower National Monument, Chillier fun is on tap at the
made famous in Close Encounters Campbell County Ice Arena and
of the Third Kind. In addition to the new Spirit Hall Ice Arena at
serving as a landing point for the Wyoming Center, offering
extraterrestrials, in 1906 the tower NHL-size rinks with recreational
became the nation’s first national and league skating.
monument, and has been drawing
climbers and hikers to its 1,347 Golf courses
acres ever since. Those who prefer their
footwear with cleats rather
Campbell County than blades can enjoy fine golf
Rockpile Museum at the Bell Nob Golf Course, an
Stones of another sort await 18-hole course operated by the
you at the Campbell County Parks & Recreation Department,
Rockpile Museum, a great way which also offers a nine-hole
to find out all about the area. executive course; the Gillette
Exhibits offer everything from Golf Club, a nine-hole course
rifle and saddle collections to in Gillette; and the Hay Creek
a “dress-up” area for kids, and Golf Course, a nine-hole facility
even a video tour of a coal in Wright.
mine operation. – Joe Morris
photos by Brian M c Cord
Clockwise from left: Hockey practice at the Campbell County Ice Arena;
The climbing wall at the Campbell County Parks & Recreation Center mimics
climbing Devil’s Tower; Devils Tower National Monument
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 47
Education
Well Schooled
Gillette College, Campbell schools offer lifelong learning
48 Gillette
photos by Brian M c Cord
including a planetarium, aquatic kits to teachers for use in the businesses and industries. It also
center and the CCSD Science classroom, and also offers parent provides distance-learning
Center Adventurarium. The education classes for those with programs for those who wish
adventurarium, which attracts very young children so that a love to pursue four-year and advanced
around 7,700 visitors a year from of science and nature can get degrees at other institutions of
the region, doubles as the school started early. higher learning.
system’s science lab. Its focus is The college is so popular it
hands-on learning, from Gillette College has added dormitories for on-
experiments to interaction with Gillette College ensures that all campus living, as well as a new
animals, minerals and sometimes those well-trained young people Technical Education Center with a
even vegetables. don’t have to leave the county to culinary training room, computer
The science center’s 10,000 continue their studies after high labs, study areas and classrooms.
square feet contain more than school. The college offers two- The kitchen space will not only
60 exhibits and animal displays, year associate degrees and serve college students, but also
and another 3,000 square feet certificate programs, as well offer college prep classes for high
devoted to animal husbandry and as workforce development school students looking to get
science kits. It provides science and retraining facilities for local into the culinary arts. – Joe Morris
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 49
Local Flavor
Love to Eat
Gillette restaurants give diners delicious options
Casual Restaurants,
From Bagels to BBQ
For freshly prepared barbecue,
locals head to Pokey’s
Smokehouse & Barbeque on
South Douglas Highway. Opened
by Ric and Carolyn Schuyler in
May 2006, the restaurant’s food
is 100 percent homemade.
“None of this stuff is coming
out of a can or a box‚” Ric
Schuyler says. All the meats
are smoked with a homemade
dry rub in “Elvis‚” a whopper of a
smoker that holds 1‚800 pounds
of meat. Freshly made sauce
comes on the side.
“I barbecue some of it in there
for 14 hours‚ and some for 12
hours‚ and some of it is in for four
hours‚” he says. “There’s no gas or
electricity going to this thing. It’s
all wood. This is the good stuff.”
Steaks, Wine
and Finer Dining
The Chophouse Restaurant and
Catering wows diners with its
steaks‚ seafood and pasta dishes.
The restaurant, located in the
former Goings Hotel on South
Gillette Avenue, buys certified
Angus beef and ages it on-site –
four weeks for ribeyes and six
weeks for sirloin. Fish is flown in
from New England, and desserts
Brian M c Cord
50 Gillette
are prepared fresh, in house. The Martini Lounge, which features expanding list of vendors. You’ll
restaurant is open for lunch 22 televisions for watching find everything from locally
Monday through Friday and sports events. grown tomatoes, baked goods
dinner Monday through Saturday. and seasonal treats like caramel
The Prime Rib Restaurant and Fresh Food for Home apples, to fresh, grass-fed meats
Wine Cellar on South Douglas at the Gillette and free-range eggs from EZ
Highway boasts an extensive wine Farmers Market Rocking Ranch.
list that has won Wine Spectator Residents may stock their – Cristal Cody
magazine’s Best of Award of refrigerators and pantries with
Excellence on many occasions. fresh food from local farms by
Known as a destination for special visiting the Gillette Farmers
occasions, Prime Rib’s signature Market, Saturdays from mid-July
meals include hand-cut, aged through the first frost. Formerly What’s Online
U.S.D.A. Choice steaks, a variety located downtown, the market Hungry for more? Sink your teeth into
of pasta dishes and top-quality has moved to the grounds of other stories about Gillette’s local
seafood. The restaurant has five Gillette College on West Sinclair flavor at imagesgillette.com.
private dining rooms and the Blue to allow more space for an
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 51
52 Gillette
Community Profile
Gillette
Community Overview
Campbell County was established in 1911. It is home to the cities of
Gillette and Wright‚ along with the unincorporated communities of
Recluse and Rozet. The county seat of Gillette is named for 1890s
railroad surveyor Edward Gillette.
30.8%
201 E. Fifth St.
85° Gillette, WY 82716
July Average High Age 19 and Under (307) 682-5155
www.ci.gillette.wy.us
$78,975
& Food Service Campbell County
Treasurer’s Office
Median Household Income (307) 682-7268
unemployment rate
www.dot.state.wy.us/wydot/
$204,800 6%
titles_plates_registration
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 53
Locally owned
and operated –
Gillette, WY A leader
in flame
Over 40 years
cut parts
combined experience
and steel
in the steel industry
service
centers
www.majormetalservice.com
Just the
facts, please.
54 Gillette
Through the Lens
More Online
See more favorite photos and
read the stories behind the
shots at imagesgillette.com.
i m ag e s g i l l e t t e . c o m 55
visit our
advertisers
Adecco Office & Industrial
www.adeccousa.com
BW Insurance Agency
www.bankofthewest.com
Campbell County
Chamber of Commerce
www.gillettechamber.com
L&H Industrial
www.lnh.net
8,400
McConnell Chiropractic DC
37 564 98 7125 19
6039-TR12260M_TGB_Livability.indd 1 3/22/10 11:40:09 AM
10500 1 65 2000 92
Learn fun and interesting facts about Source Gas
www.sourcegas.com
Gillette in the By the Numbers video at
56 Gillette
Ad Index
31 Adecco Office 42 Gillette
& Industrial Optometric Clinic