Harmony, Hops & Hope May 7 in Casper benefits Cancer Action Network

Saturday, May 7th, 4-8pm

The Yellowstone Garage, 355 W. Yellowstone, Casper, Wyoming

While raising funds for a great cause, "Harmony, Hops and Hope" also promises to be a fun community event, with homegrown Wyoming music and beer tasting, highlighting the craftsmanship of Wyoming breweries.

Bands include: Chad Lore, John Kirlin and the Highplains Drifters, and the Dang Ol' Boys!

The entire event will covered live, on-air by Casper's Pure Rock Station, 100.5 FM, KTED's own Rood Dogg.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), along with 307 Magazine, Wyoming's premium magazine, would like to personally invite you to attend the First Annual Fundraising Event, Harmony, Hops and Hope!

Order tickets online here. You will not recieve a hard-copy ticket. Simply bring a photo ID to "Harmony, Hops and Hope" and your name will be on a list to get in!

Proceeds from this event will go to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the nonprofit, nonpartisan, advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. ACS CAN is committed to making the fight against cancer a national priority.

Because we use your donations to support our citizen-based advocacy and lobbying efforts to end cancer, contributions to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc. are not tax deductible.

Wyoming Art for the Cure "celebrates art & life" April 29

“Wyoming Art for the Cure - A Celebration of Art & Life” will take place on Friday, April 29, 6-9 p.m., at Little America Hotel and Convention Center in Cheyenne.

The event is a live and silent art auction open to the community that includes an evening of light fare, friendly company, and incredible artwork donated generously by regional artists. All monies raised at the Wyoming Art for the Cure event are donated directly to the Wyoming Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

For tickets or more info, go to http://www.artforthecure.org

"Cottonwood Sunset" photo by Doc Thiessen of Laramie is one of the 2011 auction artworks in Art for the Cure.

"Let Their Voices be Heard" co-author addresses "Body Image Awareness" week at UW

How society views body image will be explored through a series of discussions and interactive demonstrations during "Body Image Awareness" week Feb. 21-26, at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

On Tuesday, Feb. 22: Betty Holmes speaks about the book that she co-authored, "Let Their Voices Be Heard: Quotations from Life Stories Related to Physical Activity, Food and Eating, and Body Image." Holmes works for the Wyoming Department of Health and was WIN the Rockies regional project coordinator. WIN the Rockies helped to educate community members to value health, respect body size differences and enjoy the benefits of self-acceptance, physically active living and healthful and pleasurable eating. Event is free and open to the public at the UW Union west and center ballrooms, 7 p.m.

For a complete list of the week's activities, visit the University Counseling Center website at http://www.uwyo.edu/ucc/ or call Tracy at (307) 766-2187.

COW Radio hosts a Stay at Home Benefit Concert for Locke Hamilton of Prickly Pair

This comes from Andy and Jim Nelson at Clear Out West (COW) Radio out of Pinedale:

Being aware of the need to help folks around us that are experiencing trials or tragedy, we developed the concept of the Stay-at-Home Benefit Concert with help from our good friends at www.CowboyPoetry.com. This is a special concert in which you can stay at home and enjoy without spending any money. With that in mind, you are now free to donate any amount of money that you may have spent in travel, food, tickets, and lodging to this worthy cause. Enjoy the show and thank you for willingness to help others.

Stay at Home Benefit Concert for Locke Hamilton

Listen to our special Stay-at-Home Benefit Concert here:

Listen to Part 1
Listen to Part 2
Listen to Part 3
Listen to Part 4

Our good friend and extremely talented musician Locke Hamilton is having heart problems and has also had surgery to remove a cancerous growth on her tongue. With these ailments, the medical bills are adding up quickly. Here is our opportunity to help out, please send what you can afford:

Make checks payable to The Prickly Pair, and mail them to Norman Winter, PO Box 272, Dubois, WY 82513, or you can make a contribution by credit card at The Prickly Pair website here: www.thepricklypair.com 

Thank you so much for your generosity. Together we can help those we care for.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Prickly Pair and the Cactus Chorale are long-time members of the Wyoming Arts Council's artist roster. Please contribute what you can. And get well soon, Locke!

Temple Grandin at UW: "Animals, Autism and Sensory-Based Thinking"

From a University of Wyoming press release:

A renowned designer of livestock handling facilities and whose life story of overcoming autism is profiled in an Emmy-award winning HBO movie will give two presentations at the University of Wyoming in February.

Professor Temple Grandin of Colorado State University will present "The Field of Animal Sciences" from 2:10-3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, in the College of Arts and Sciences auditorium. Her talk will focus mainly on animals and livestock handling and the innovations she has made in the area of humane livestock handling.

At 3:30 p.m., she will discuss "Animals, Autism, and Sensory-Based Thinking." A question-and-answer session, reception and a book signing will follow.

Her appearance is sponsored by Wyoming AgrAbility, a UW Cooperative Extension Service program, with support from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Wyoming INstitute for Disabilities in the College of Health Sciences.

"Bringing Grandin to UW will help share and spread the importance of her work," says Kelley Dees, Wyoming AgrAbility project coordinator. "Her livestock handling innovations have revolutionized the way cattle are handled in the United States and in countries abroad. Her animal handling practices not only provide better meat quality, but, when done correctly, prevent the animal from feeling any pain."

Grandin was featured in the 2010 film "Temple Grandin," which received seven Emmys. The film won further notoriety Sunday, Jan. 30, when Claire Danes, who portrayed Grandin in the movie, won the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV movie or miniseries.

"The obstacles that Grandin has overcome in her life are simply inspiring," says Dees. "I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with such a brilliant woman who is a hero to so many."

Grandin has designed livestock facilities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and other countries, and she speaks around the world on autism and cattle handling. She has consulted for such firms as Burger King and McDonald's.

Call UW Paratransit Services at (307) 766-6686 to request complimentary disability transportation to the event.

Wyoming AgrAbility provides education, networking and assistance to ranchers, farmers and agricultural workers with disabilities and their families. Information is available at www.uwyo.edu/agrability/ or by contacting Dees at AgrAbility@uwyo.edu or (307) 766-3052 or toll-free at (866) 395-4986.

Jackson duo offers art and chocolate for Valentine's Day

From Wilson artist Shannon Troxler:

Art and chocolate. The bare necessities of life.

Two girls from Jackson have teamed up to bring you just that. Kristen Simpson, a chocolatier. (Teton Chocolat) and Shannon Troxler, a fine artist, have combined their talents to create Teton Chocolat Boxes. We use repurposed cigar boxes decorated with a limited edition print of Shannon's art work and filled with Kristen's delicious hand crafted chocolates.

Each box is filled with an assortment of milk and dark chocolate (with nuts) hand-crafted in the shape of ornate flowers or Venus nipples dusted with iridescent colors. A portion of the proceeds from each box sold goes to the oncology department of St. John's hospital in Jackson to help in the research and treatment of
cancer patients in our community.

Order Direct by Feb 4 for $28 ($3 goes to charity).

After Feb. 4, the Chocolate Boxes will be at Ella's Room and at the JH Flower Co. for $34 apiece.

FMI: paintergirl@bresnan.net; 307-733-0378

Save the Date -- Wyoming Art for the Cure 4/29/11

Attention artists! Save the Date: April 29, 2011.

Mark your calendars now! Wyoming Art for the Cure will be held on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 6-9 p.m . at Little America Hotel & Resort.

Get more info -- and view last year's entries -- at http://www.komenwyoming.org/wyomingartforthecure

Putting the "art" in children's mental health

Artist & author Carlton Davis to speak at UW Disability Awareness Days

Carlton Davis is an artist and author of the book "Bipolar Bare."

Mark Junge on "New York to Charleston on O2" at State Museum April 8

Take a journey with Cheyenne author Mark Junge as he discusses his bicycle trip from New York City to Charleston, S.C., during a Wyoming State Museum lecture series presentation, April 8, at 7 p.m.

Titled, “New York to Charleston on O2,” Junge and wife, Ardath, discuss one of five trips throughout the United States that the couple has made on behalf of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Mark rides his bicycle while Ardath is chief of logistics. The program includes slides and music highlighting their recent adventures along the Atlantic Seaboard.

The Wyoming State Museum is located in the Barrett Building, 2301 Central Avenue in Cheyenne.

For more information about this and other State Museum programs, please call 777-7022.

"Celebrate Pink" Feb. 12 in Cheyenne

DT's Tusker Bar in Cheyenne is hosting "Celebrate Pink" on Friday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. A portion of the night's sales will be donated to Art for the Cure. DT's is one of the sponsors for the 2010 Art for the Cure Gala in Cheyenne.

Wyoming Art for the Cure Gala will be held on Friday, April 23, from 6-9 p.m. at Little America Hotel & Resort in Cheyenne. The 2010 honoree is Susan Thomas.

FMI: www.artforthecure.org

Pictured: "Angel Wing Begonia," water-based media, by Jessica DeBall, the 2009 Art for the Cure "Best in Show" winner

New book by Laramie mother and daughter

From a UW press release:

A new book describes a Laramie mother and daughter's trek from stroke through rehabilitation and their return home.

Stacy Gupton suffered a stroke in 2003 while working on an art project. Stacy and her mother, Mona, said at that time they lacked the resources to deal with stroke and all the complications and said they wrote "A Piece of Her Mind" to help others.

"We felt Stacy's story could give someone else hope of finding life after tragedy," said Mona, who works in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "We did not write this book to simply tell a sad story. We want others to know that life truly does go on, and it is up to each of us how we choose to live each day.

"Once a day is gone, we can't get it back. We can laugh or cry. I tell Stacy all the time that every day she has now is a bonus."

Mona said she realized writing the book would be emotional.

"It actually took me nearly three years to complete the manuscript. There were times when I wrote with such anger and pain that it was exhausting," she said.

Writing was therapeutic. "By going back and reading my journal entries and Stacy's, I was able to visualize exactly how far she had come and how we had grown together as a family," said Mona.

Stacy said she's glad she wrote the book. "I had to relive everything, and that wasn't easy. Even though it was really hard, I am glad we did this because it showed me how much I have improved," she said. "On bad days, it made me remember why I never give up."

Order the book through your local bookstore or at amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/ylm3wz9

Attending literary conference is good for you

From Mike Shay:

Several Wyomingites have raised the issue of the high number of cases of swine flu being reported by the media in Natrona County. In other words, will I catch swine flu (H1N1) by going to the Casper College Literary Conference next week?

I was at Casper College yesterday for the conference's final planning meeting. Didn't see anyone wearing masks. Didn't see hordes of swine-flu-infected students trudging zombie-like through campus. I did hear one sneeze in the distance, but it may have been the wind.

The threat seems a bit overblown. Some great writing workshops by fine writers are planned and there's the fellowship reading combined with a chili feed on Saturday. What could be better than poetry and chili on a fall Saturday?

The literary conference planning committee has promised to be especially vigilant next week watching out for an influx of germs.

Call me at 307-777-5234 if you have any questions.

Thomas Pogge discusses "Health Care Reform for the U.S. and the World's Poor"

Widely-published author and philosopher Thomas Pogge will discuss "Health Care Reform for the U.S. and the World's Poor," Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 4 p.m. in Room 133 of the University of Wyoming Classroom Building in Laramie.

A prolific writer and lecturer, Pogge who has written extensively on moral and political philosophy, including books on cosmopolitanism, global justice and extreme poverty. His book "World Poverty and Human Rights" is regarded as one of the most comprehensive works on global justice.

Pogge also heads a team that is developing a complement to the pharmaceutical patent regime that would improve access to advanced medicines for the poor worldwide. He received his Ph.D. at Harvard University.

For more information, e-mail UW Philosophy Professor Ed Sherline, sherline@uwyo.edu.