The Sheridan Area Blog

Cross Country Skiing in the Big Horn Mountains is great this year.  The ski trails are beautifully maintained by volunteers of the Black Mountain Nordic Ski Club.  The trail grooming expenses are paid for by donations and dues collected by members.  If you are interested in joining the club the dues are $15 for a single membership and $20 for a family membership.  Simply click here to sign up today.

Several local merchants Big Horn Mountain Sports and the Rendezvous Trading Company sell and rent ski gear as well as show shoes.  Skiing is a very economical way to recreate in our beautiful mountains.  Click here if you are interested in learning more about the sport.

See you at the warming hut!

Energizing Sheridan!

The North Main Revitalization Initiative in Sheridan is about people taking ownership in their community.   Over the summer, residents and business owners in the North Main area have hosted a series of block parties, North Main Business Open House events, and other neighborhood gatherings to engage North Main residents, business and property owners in a widespread community discussion.

The goals of these discussions were to build community involvement, identify barriers to the revitalization of North Main, and identify resources and partnerships necessary to encourage residential and commercial investment in the area.

This Initiative is building on a number of great efforts already taking place on North Main such as the renovation of the Trails End Restaurant & Motel, grand opening of Bella/Kennon Aircraft Covers and numerous small business start-ups such as Breckenridge Market.

On August 21^st the North Main Summit brought together almost 600 comments from over 160 participants from the 12 previous North Main events. Coming out of the Summit, five community work groups were formed focused around the following themes: Where We Live, Where We Shop & Eat, How We Travel, Where We Play & Kids, and North Main Look & Feel. These groups are meeting over the month of September to develop action plans to help revitalize the North Main part of Sheridan.

These action plans will be delivered as a “Report to the Community” and presented to the City Council by the North Main Steering Committee, which is made up by members from each work group. This Committee, with help from the City and others, will work to put these plans into action starting with completing the short-term projects by early next year.

There are a number of resources to help with this effort. To start, the Mayor will ask the City Council to allocate seed monies for the community’s short-term projects. In addition, the City will offer its staff, expertise and leadership to the work groups. The WYDOT North Main repaving project includes over $500,000 for enhancements such as benches and landscaping for North Main Street and this money will help with aspects of the long-term action plans.

For more information on the North Main Revitalization Initiative and to follow the work groups’ progress, please visit www.sheridanwyo.us and click below the North Main Revitalization Initiative logo.

So what is the EVENT? Sponsored by Sheridan real estate agency CENTURY 21 BHJ, you are cordially invited to attend this powerful “Impact Performance” Seminar to be held on the campus of the Sheridan College this Thursday, August 28th at 9:00am to 12 noon. Personal growth Master Coach Bob Davies is a professional and skilled speaker and Bob’s message is fresh and thought provoking. You will be challenged as Bob Davies blasts away myths that have previously been unquestioned. We invite you to come and expect to be radically impacted when you hear the message Bob Davies has to offer.

Who is Bob Davies?

As a highly successful former Cal State Fullerton football coach, Bob Davies is a highly sought after keynote speaker and human potential trainer. Bob Davies possesses a powerful presentation style. If you want to experience immediate results,  learn how you can take immediate action and take it to your world, you are invited to this special EVENT. If you are interested in learning more about attending this life-changing seminar, please leave a comment and let us know of your interest in attending this once-in-lifetime event. Just leave a comment below, call CENTURY 21 BHJ at (307) 672-5838 or email us at yourfriends@century21bhj.com.

The EVENT is to be held at:

Sheridan College (Northern Wyoming Community College)
Address: 3059 Coffeen Avenue
Griffith Building C-TEL (Center for Technology Enhanced Learning)
Sheridan, WY 82801

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bruce

By Student Guest Blogger and First Place Prize Winner Ms. Carissa Goodman

The city of Sheridan has much to offer. Main Street is lined with beautiful shops that are run by lovely people. Whenever you enter one you are greeted with a “Hello, how are you?” Just perpendicular to Main Street, statues are abundant on Grinnell Plaza in front of City Hall. Some are owned by the city and others are just out on loan. Kendrick Park, a big part of our small town, has the most lush green grass and towering trees around. On the other side of the park you find a pool and you can even get ice cream in the summer. Overlooking this beautiful park is the buffalo pen, where there are even a few elk.

The summer is a busy time in Sheridan. Fourth of July gives the several firework vendors around town plenty of business. And being such a small town we are close to wide open fields where we can shoot them off. About six miles south of town in Big Horn is the Equestrian Center where, if you don’t like to, or can’t, shoot off fireworks yourself, you can go to watch them professionally done. Starting in the second week of July is the rodeo. For three nights a full-length rodeo takes place at the fairgrounds, only a few minutes drive from downtown. Behind the towering arena stands in the carnival. In addition to different rides and thrills, the carnival offers cotton candy and other treats.

Even the fall and winter are hosts to many activities. The Sheridan High School football teams are great to go watch on a Friday night. There are high school orchestras and bands as well as many other sporting events. Halloween is a wonder event here. There are nice quiet neighborhoods for the children to go trick or treating. It’s even okay to go if you’re less of a child and more of a teenager, most people don’t mind. Once winter has fallen upon us, the ice rink opens and ski and snowboard areas are a short drive away. The mountains are just a few minutes south of Sheridan and great if you like to go snowshoeing or snowmobiling. Even in winter, you can find something to entertain yourself.

Sheridan is a wonderful place to live. Wyoming is general has a staggeringly high number of people under the age of 25, more then many other states. Sheridan reflects this greatly as you will see at the local movie theatre and skate park. There is always something here to do, and the people are welcoming. We’ve got culture that many places aren’t as exposed to.

We Have a Winner!

Rather than clutter this outstanding piece with an introduction, we chose to let Carissa Goodman’s eloquent words convey her first place $100 cash prize entry for the Sheridan High Creative Writing Contest. We congratulate Carissa on her fine efforts in her winning entry “Why Living in Sheridan is Great”. The team at CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc wishes to thank every Sheridan High student who participated in this contest. Special thanks go to Sheridan High School Principal Ms. Dirlene Wheeler and English teacher, Ms. Rita Geary for their important role in this creative blog writing event.

Show Your Support For These Fine Students!

We encourage you to show your support for these wonderful entries by submitting a comment. It’s very easy. Simply click on the “Be the first to comment on this post” at the top of this page and submit your comments.

Until my next post,

Bruce Garber
Century 21 BHJ Reality, Inc.

Your Sheridan Real Estate Resource

Creative Writing is on a Roll!

No doubt you have read our earlier post on the announcement of the Sheridan High Creative Writing Contest and the post on the 3rd place prize winning entry by Ms. Chelsey Hager. It is with great pride we the staff and management of CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc congratulate second place prize winner and recipient of a $50 cash prize to Ms. Kylen Caywood for her winning entry “Utopia“.

Utopia

By Guest Blogger Ms. Kylen Caywood

The definition of Utopia is—an ideal and perfect place or state where everyone lives in harmony and everything is for the best. In my Utopia, life stands still, unlike in the hustle and bustle of city life. There are no yellow taxi cabs scurrying around causing mayhem in the traffic. In my Utopia, the only sounds that are heard are the ones that the soft breeze creates. My Utopia contrasts with the obnoxious honks of impatient drivers and the revolting signals from their fingers. The scenic views are breath taking and pure eye candy. The unpredictable weather keeps me guessing on what clothes to wear. It goes from one extreme to another, never feeling any remorse. My Utopia is a place where everyone knows everyone’s name, and a neighbor helps out a neighbor.

My Utopia is the little town nestled beneath the Big Horn Mountains. This little town is called Sheridan, in the western state of Wyoming. My friends and family are truly genuine, for Sheridan shelters many that live here from the harsh world.

Sheridan, although small, has an eclectic community of people full of different opinions, thoughts, and lifestyles. This helps to give our town unique and diverse input along with great ideas. Sheridan is a town of security and safety. We have many police officers which help to regulate and keep our city safe.

People come here seeking tranquility, and many find something even more special. They find happiness. In my Utopia, happiness is not hard to find. It is beneath every stone I step, and it is within every smile I receive. My home gives protection to those who live here, while also bringing happiness and brightness into each blessed day. So, whether the white snow caps the top of our tall mountains, or the orange leaves fall to the ground, the hills, the people, and the sheer happiness of my Utopia will protect and care for me.

Outstanding Work!

What a vivid picture Kylen paints of Sheridan and we certainly appreciate her taking the time to put he thoughts on paper. If you would like to leave a comment for Kylen, please feel free to do so. I’m sure she would love to read your comments.

Don’t Forget to Stay Tuned For the Announcement of the Grand Prize Winner!

In our next post we will reveal the first place entry for the Sheridan High Creative Writing Contest.

Until then,

Bruce Garber
Century 21 BHJ Reality, Inc.

Your Sheridan Real Estate Resource

The Selection Process Was Difficult!

Selecting the winning entries for the Sheridan High School creative writing contest was really difficult. There were many exceptional articles submitted which speaks highly of our teachers and staff at Sheridan High School. We truly appreciate the efforts of Ms. Dirlene Wheeler and English teacher Ms. Rita Geary for coordinating this contest. It is with great excitement we announce the 3rd Place Winner of the Sheridan High School Creative Writing Contest. Congratulations go to 11th grade student Ms. Chelsey Hager for her entry “Sheridan is a Great Place to Live“.

Sheridan High Student Declares “Sheridan is a Great Place to Live”

by Guest Student Blogger Ms. Chelsey Hager

This area is one of the nicest places to live, in the United States. We have good schools and it is a safe environment to raise a child. It is a place where everyone knows their neighbor and people for the most part can be trusted. We have the Big Horn Mountains right outside our back doors, which provide recreational activities all year long. When in need of goods or services, you find yourself able to find what you need is within walking distance. It is incredibly easy to get where you need to be during the summertime; however, in the winter this is not the case. But isn’t it nice to have a few days off every once in awhile?

In such a quiet place people can relax and enjoy themselves, and there is little worry of getting caught in rush hour traffic when running late. Nor should citizens worry about being mugged if they should end up in the wrong part of town—in our area the wrong side of town just means being on the opposite side of town from Wal-Mart. The area in which we live is quiet, peaceful, and safe.

Many people dream of leaving after high school, but many of those people choose to come back when they’re ready to raise a family. This is a good place for children to grow up and get a good start in life. This is an area of hardworking families; there is a great deal of history and tradition displayed all around us. Anyone who can say they were born here should be proud. There are few cities where children are able to get such great educations, where a family can feel safe leaving the back door open to let in fresh air. Sheridan, Wyoming, has to be one of the nicest places to live in the United States.

Congratulations Chelsey!

As a $25 cash prize winner for her third place entry, we congratulate Chelsey for her fine piece on Sheridan, Wyoming. Be sure to leave your comments and words of encouragement for Chelsey as I’m sure she will appreciate your thoughts!

Stay Tuned

We will be announcing the Second Place Winner in our next post!

Until then,

Bruce Garber
Century 21 BHJ Reality, Inc.

Your Sheridan Real Estate Resource

Pride Lives in Sheridan County

If you know a little about CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc it becomes apparent we take a great deal of pride in being involved in our community. And what better place to invest in the Sheridan community than in our local schools. With that said, it is with that sense of community spirit and pride that CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc announces the Sheridan High School Creative Writing Contest. CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty will award three cash prizes to three students who write the best articles on the topic “Why Sheridan is a Great Place to Live.”

Key Support Provided by Sheridan High

We are so excited to launch this new initiative and we eagerly look forward to the entries we receive. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sheridan High School Principal Ms. Dirlene Wheeler and English teacher, Ms. Rita Geary for their important role in coordinating this creative blog writing contest.

Future Real Estate Bloggers in the Making!

Who knows, maybe one day a current Sheridan High School student will using this portal to write interesting articles about the virtues of buying a home here in Sheridan County.

Stay Tuned!

We recommend you stay tuned for future post on the selection of the winning Sheridan High entries.

Until my next post,

Bruce Garber
Century 21 BHJ Reality, Inc.

Your Sheridan Real Estate Resource

Fire in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming
By Bruce Garber, Broker / Owner, CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc

The Little Goose fire is now under control. It was quite a sad day to see the face of our mountain burn from Little Goose Creek to Red Grade Road. As always in Wyoming, it was nice seeing neighbors helping neighbors moving personal belongings and animals way from harms way over the weekend of August 11th, 2007. Our hearts go out to everyone who lost cabins and structures in the fire.  Spahn’s famed Bed & Breakfast  was lucky with only having lost an out building.  So, they are still open for business for those of you that make Spahn’s an annual outing with friends and family.

I have had several inquires this week on how this might affect real estate values for properties near the mountain. Mother Nature has a way of humbling us, but hopefully with time, the portion of the mountain that burned will shed light on a different form of beauty until the face of the mountain rejuvenates itself.

We definitely live in the Wild West and I personally would rather put up with an occasional forest fire over the perils of earthquakes, tornados, or hurricanes.

Lastly, a big thanks to all of the fire fighters, especially the volunteers of the Big Horn Fire District, for a job well done under very tough conditions.

Best,

Bruce Garber
Broker/Owner, CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc

A Conversation with Roger St. Clair. Polo Player, Big Horn Polo Club President, and Associate Broker with CENTURY 21 BHJ Realty, Inc.

Q: Roger, share with us what is new at the Big Horn Polo Club?

A: Well, polo in Big Horn is really exciting this summer. Games, spectators, community support, horse sales, it’s all going well.

Briefly, the BHPC (amazingly enough) begain in the mid 1890’s … and since then there has been a huge equine impact in this area. Especially with the neighboring Flying H Polo Club that the Skey Johnston Family founded in 2005. The club is right next to where we play and it has successfully developed a High Goal Polo club that is active in July and August … actually it’s one of only four places in the United States where High Goal polo is played. One is in Santa Barbara, CA; one in Greenwich, CT; another in Bridgehampton, NY, and finally the Flying H Polo Club right here. So it has actually brought a lot of renewed and new exciting interest to polo in Big Horn, Wyoming.

But back to your question about what else is going on this summer. Right now we have about 35 playing members and we play basically “Low Goal Polo”, which is the same as green horse polo. (go to www.sportpolo.com for a summary of the rules). Several families who play with us have been raising polo horses for 3-4 generations, and are still actively creating polo prospects (polo horses) for sale. The advent of the Flying H Club has brought the high goal professionals and sponsoring players to Big Horn, greatly increasing the overall interest in polo horses raised in Big Horn. Last year, we sold about 40 head of horses from club players to high goal and pro ranked polo players … and those horses sold from about $7500 to $175,000.

Q: Is there a way of telling what Polo means to our area economically?

A: Well, the sales I just mentioned have their own positive economic impact to the Sheridan area. It adds up when a “totally renewable resource”, such as these young horses, are bought and sold.

And speaking of economic impact, here’s how else it has a positive effect for Sheridan: Through to the end of August, we practice on Wednesdays and Fridays and have games on Sundays, and on any given day we play Big Horn Polo, we see about 200-250 horses at the Big Horn Polo Field. Consider that every horse carries around $100 worth of shoes, is being pulled around in a large trailers, and has grooms and other employees of the players that take care of every horse. It’s no small production.

Q: Is BHPC the “overseer” of all the Big Horn Polo activities – in other words, what is the primary purpose of the BHPC?

A: Actually we are set up at the Big Horn Events Center where we pay green fees for playing . They operate and maintain the polo fields and then we basically rent the use of them. So we’re different from the Flying H club which is private and managed and maintained by the Johnston family and staff. I feel it’s important to say that they are absolutely gracious to the BHPC as far as not trying to overshadow our events. It’s a great, great relationship and we could not have asked for better neighbors than we have at the Flying H Club.

Q: If someone were thinking about moving to Sheridan - or is currently living here and have not yet had a chance to see a game – what should they expect to see?

A: The BHPC has tournament games on Sundays in June, July, and August at Noon and 2 p.m. The games are just great, plus there is lots of room, it’s a great place to bring out the family and sit down and enjoy Polo, have a tailgate, the kids can run around, there’s 70 plus acres of lawn to play on … it’s the perfect place for a family experience.

The Flying H plays on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and again, it’s the High Goal, top tier players in the world that play at the Flying H. You’ll see unmatched horsemanship and ballstriking that just takes your breath away. So, both of the clubs are just east of Big Horn and are easy to get to and find. Games are free and both are open to the public.

Q: Can people drive right on in?

A: Yes, you just drive right in and park at the edge of the field.

Q: Roger, you also play Polo yourself, in addition to being President of the BHPC. What happens for you during the week as you prepare for games? A lot of people might not realize how much work and effort it takes to get ready for the Sunday games.

A: Polo horses are like endurance runners. They are much more fit than race horses, and have more lung capacity and they weigh less. They are ridden every day from about the 1st of May until we start galloping them and actually practicing and playing. After that they are ridden for 45 minutes twice a day as we start to really get them in shape. Once they are in shape, they will have to stay in shape and they are ridden every day except for one day off a week – generally Mondays.

Q: How many horses do you need?

A: There are six chukkers (periods) in a game, and some players will play each horse twice during a game. Three horses is a minimum. Many horses can do this, but it’s not optimal. Generally speaking, you’ll need a string of six Polo ponies to play and enjoy the game, and have a fresh horse every chukkar.

Q: You mention earlier you have some practice sessions during the week?

A: Yes, we have a Polo Manager that sets up our practices, and the players call in and let him know when they’d like to play. We generally have 4 practice games every Wednesday and Friday at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. On these nights we get to work the horses and enjoy a good practice together, but it’s definitely not the same as Sunday tournament Polo. It’s a different event when everyone puts their white pants and jerseys on and play for real.

Q: How would someone who is interested in polo get started?

A: We would love to have pople come out and visit with us about beginning to play. We have free clinics in June and July every Saturday evening. They are free to the public and anyone can bring out whatever horse they prefer to ride and we then furnish mallets and helmets. We have some great instructors who can get you started – learn how to hit the ball, learn the rules. Even if you never intended playing, you’d learn the game making it enjoyable to watch as a fan. Many don’t understand the rules, and with a bit of training, at least a person can appreciate the fast horses or someone hitting the ball a long way. So if you are interested, call us at (307) 751-6969 to ask about our clincs, or perhaps private lessons.

Q: Finally, because you are both a polo player and a real estate broker what is the connection there for you?

A: Well, it’s kind of two-fold. First, I’m of course happy to share what I know about horse properties in our area for anyone looking to relocate here. Second – historically there has always been a strong correlation between a strong equine industry and a strong real estate market. Our market is currently strong – and past indications tell us it could remain this way for a while– so now is a good time and place to invest in land and recreational properties.

Q:  Mike, I understand the Hospital was just honored with an important award? 

A:  “Yes, I’m very pleased to be able to share that on the 6^th of August, SMH was notified we would be receiving an award for work we have done in 9 critical areas of management at our hospital.  The award is the “Top 100 Hospital Performance Improvement Leaders” as recognized by Thomson Healthcare.  Thomson Healthcare works with Solucient, an organization that tracks and monitors clinical indicators, financial performance, management indicators, key ratios, and core measures for hospital quality, and patient safety. 

Each year Solucient measures over 2,800 hospitals around the country and SMH is in the 97^th percentile of those comparisons and calculations for performance improvement.  It’s a fantastic award and we are extremely pleased with how the statistics turned out for us.    Hospitals are measured within 5 different categories: teaching hospitals, university hospitals, large community hospitals, medium sized community hospitals, and small community hospitals.  In the “small community hospital” category there are over 1,000 hospitals and SMH is in the top 20 – that’s an outstanding achievement for us – not only as a healthcare organization, but for our whole community. 

It truly shows the vital resource we have right here.  The award also comes with a lot of support from our community, from our foundations, and from the generous giving our community is blessed with.  Giving, I’d say, in the form of income from a strong sense of shared values from around the community, from the people who live here. 

Finally the award demonstrates the quality of the physicians and healthcare providers we have … I couldn’t be more pleased with our organization, and it’s a privilege to be part of it.”     

In addition to the above award, here are a few other interesting facts you may not know about Sheridan Memorial Hospital: 

• With 425 employees, SMH is the second largest employer in town. 
• 50 physicians within 20+ specialties offer an uncommon breadth of services for a town our size
• With sophisticated technology and services beyond what one might expect in a hospital this size, patients can take comfort in knowing they are receiving high quality care.
• A unique expansion to the Hospital, the Medical Arts Complex, is home to several independent physicians’ offices, as well as a spa, a café, a large outpatient lab, and the recently opened Sheridan Pharmacy.

If you have questions or comments regarding this post for Mike McCafferty or the Hospital, feel free to respond below with your own thoughts or ideas.