February 23, 2023 Meeting Summary

Presiding: Randi Downham

Meeting Room setup/takedown and general problem solving: Ron Van Ekeren

Introduction of Guests:  Dave Hansen

Guests: Terry Roark introduced prospective member, Neil Theobald; Jan Lawrence introduced Ky Zierke; John Bard introduced the new Junior Rotarians

Exchange Students: Amanda Nilsson

Junior Rotarians: Molly Ballard and Isabella Pacheco

Rotaract/Interact Students:

Special Presentation: Jean Garrison received her blue badge!

Foundation Drawing: Steve Morgan won $10 from the jackpot drawing.

O’Dwyers Drawing: Jan Lawrence

 

 

Rotarian of the Week: Sarah Brown Mathews nominated Paul Montoya for his career of public service; Jaime Stine nominated Jan Lawrence for promoting early childhood education.

 

Songs: Jan Lawrence

 

 

Introduction: Murray Schroeder

 

The Bath Ranch is an approximately 8,200 acre tract of land located about 10 miles SW of Laramie on the Laramie River.

  Originally part of the Overland Trail Stage Stop, the Bath Ranch is one of the oldest deeded ranches in Wyoming. This property was established in the early 1860's with the oldest recorded water rights on the Big Laramie River.

  As it stands today, the ranch was purchased by Henry Bath in 1928 and has remained within the Bath family ever since.

  The City of Laramie, in conjunction with The Conservation Fund is in the process of purchasing this land through a cross contingent purchase agreement. The City will purchase 4,600 acres of the Bath Ranch property, including all BLM leases, buildings,

improvements, crops, timber, mineral rights and water rights, for $7,583,400. Municipal bonds will finance $7 Million with the remaining $583,400 to be paid by the municipal water system.

The City's primary interest is the water rights associated with the land but will manage the property for open space, recreation and other public purposes into the future.

  The Conservation Fund's interest in the Bath Ranch is primarily for the preservation of wildlife habitat and the fact that it is contiguous to the Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

  The idea is to some day legally transfer the agricultural water rights from the Bath Ranch and the City’s adjacent Monolith Ranch into municipal water rights.  Parkin estimates that this available water could allow Laramie to double in size. Parkin also estimated that if this ranch were sold into the Colorado Front Range water markets today, those water rights are worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

Response: Don Prehoda

 

Of the things we think, say, or do:

•Is it the Truth?

•Is it Fair?

•Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?

•Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?

 

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

•FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

•SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

•THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

•FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

 

 

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Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org