Virginia Livingston

Reading the West book club

February 22, 2020 by Virginia Livingston Leave a Comment

Discussion of Black 14: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Wyoming Football by Ryan Thorburn, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25.

“Many fans believed head coach Lloyd Eaton had his best team in 1969. Wyoming was on the verge of becoming a college football powerhouse. And then it happened: Race, religion, authority, protest, and football collided on the high plains of Laramie. The 14 black players on the team wanted to wear black armbands during the upcoming game against Brigham Young University to protest the policies of the Mormon Church, which did not allow blacks to enter into the priesthood. Eaton gave them the boot. And everything about Cowboys football changed forever,” from the back cover.

Pick up a copy of “Goodbye Judge Lynch: The End of a Lawless Era in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin” by John W. Davis for the March 24 discussion. “The Big Horn Basin of northern Wyoming was one of the last frontiers in the continental United States. Settlers did not arrive until 1879, when cattlemen poured into the Basin to capture empty grasslands. In their haste to seize opportunity, the new residents did not establish an effective criminal justice system, and the consequence was rampant violence. In “Goodbye, Judge Lynch,” Davis tells the fascinating story of how lawlessness finally came to an end in this remote corner of the West,” from the back cover.

Opa! Great Greece!

February 15, 2020 by Virginia Livingston Leave a Comment

Travels with romance writer Linda Rae Sande 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22.

Having traveled to Greece twice in 2019, Linda Rae was able to explore archaeological sites on five islands and several locations on the mainland in her research for her series of books set in Ancient Greece. Led by archaeologists, her daily forays resulted in over two-thousand photos
and a wealth of information, most not available online.

The presentation will include many of those photos as well as anecdotes about the trips and the importance of mythology in Greek history. Discover how easy it is to travel in this extremely hospitable country where some of the best and freshest food can be enjoyed for a great price. If you’ve ever thought of going to Greece, now’s is your chance!

Thank you, Linda Rae, for the books you have given the library. People love them!

Mental Health Challenges: A Five-Part Series

February 11, 2020 by Virginia Livingston Leave a Comment

A five-part series on mental health will continue on Thursdays, March 12, 19 & 26. Identical programs will be presented at 10 a.m. – noon & again at 6 – 8 p.m.

A panel on March 12 will focus on “Adolescent Mental Health” and will include Kori Black, counselor at Cody Middle School; Rick Satterthwaite, counselor at Trinity Teen Solutions; Dr. Dina Tassione, school psychologist; and Judson McKee, counselor at Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center.

“Advocating for Mental Health” will be the topic of the March 19 meeting. Warren Murphy, board member of Yellowstone Behavioral Health, will moderate a panel consisting of Dr. Shaun Balch, Clinical Director of Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center; Colin Simpson, former speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives and long-time advocate for mental health services; Wendy Corr, regional journalist with a background in newspaper as well as radio and TV broadcasting; and Roy Eckerdt, Chief of the Powell Police Department and board president of Yellowstone Behavioral Health.

The final session in the series, “Living Well,” will be led by Sara Murray, board chair of NAMI-Park County. Murray will discuss ways of creating social support networks with Christy Schmeiser, yoga instructor; Linda Raynolds, professional artist; Jenny DeSarro, Greater Yellowstone Coalition Conservation Coordinator and avid naturalist; and Megan Gaspers, owner of Firefly Yoga and Wellness in Cody.

The first session titled “Navigating Mental Health Services” was led on Nov. 27 by Cheri Kreitzmann, counselor and owner of Soar Counseling in Cody and vice-chair of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)-Park County.

On March 5, “A Conversation About Suicide” was led by a five-person panel including Josh Spinney, Licensed Professional Counselor at Cody Regional Health Behavioral Health Clinic; Peg Monteith, Park County School District 6 Student Support Services Director and current Interim Superintendent; Deb Bank, a parent affected by her son’s suicide who supports families who have lost someone by suicide; Dr. Terresa Humphries-Wadsworth, Associate Project Director with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and Rhianna Brand who represents Grace For 2 Brothers, an educational organization dedicated to the advocacy of suicide prevention through awareness and education in Wyoming.

The series is free and open to the public and is sponsored by Park County Public Library and Christ Episcopal Church.

Mental Health Resources at your Library Prepared by Head Librarian Nicholle Gerharter for N.A.M.I. on January 14, 2019

This just in from the Rev. Mary Caucutt announcing an exciting partnership with Healthy Park County for the upcoming Mental Health Challenges series at the Library. Healthy Park County is an initiative of Park County Health Coalition. PCHC is an innovative organization committed to mobilizing the community of Park County through awareness, education, and advocacy of health and wellness issues. Through local partnerships, various community outreach events, and an impactful online presence, Healthy Park County will have the ability to provide resources to those who need it the most. Wendy Morris is the Park County Health Coalition coordinator.

My sense about Healthy Park County is that it is a wellness, education, and prevention community based organization.

Their website: https://healthyparkcounty.org/Healthy Park County provides access to help parents and community members become better advocates for safe and healthy choices for Park County’s youth.

The panel for “Mental Health Challenges in Park County: A Conversation” held in November, 2019 consisted of Brett Martin (from left), Peg Monteith, Shaun Balch, Krista Blough and Shirley Stephens, moderator. A capacity crowd attended the program held in the Cody library café.

The series kicked off with two free screenings of the award-winning film, “Paper Tigers,” on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. at Big Horn Cinema. The film chronicles a year in the life of six students at Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Wash., where students had a history of truancy, behavioral problems and substance abuse. Lincoln’s principal learned about the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and decided to radically change the school’s approach to discipline.

Flight: The Gripping Tales of Eagles in Wyoming

February 8, 2020 by Virginia Livingston Leave a Comment

“Taking Flight: The Gripping Tales of Eagles in Wyoming” will be presented at the Cody library by Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Park Ranger Todd Johnson with Melissa Hill and the golden eagle Kateri from the Draper Museum Raptor Experience. The free public program starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15.

Johnson will recount the harrowing story of the 1971 mass bald eagle shootings and poisonings that occurred in Wyoming. He will trace how the incidents led to a national outcry and the eventual banning of certain poisons in the United States.

Melissa Hill, Assistant Curator of the Draper Museum Raptor Experience, will follow Johnson’s presentation and talk about the importance of eagles in Wyoming, and showcase Kateri the golden eagle.

“I am so grateful to be working with Melissa and her team again on this important program,” Johnson said. “Our talk will not only educate people on what took place in Wyoming, but more importantly, it will how show it led to important changes in national policy. Plus, people will get the chance to experience the majestic beauty of Kateri up close and personal. It’s going to be a great program.”