The Laramie County Extension Office and the Laramie County Master Gardeners will be presenting a zoom program on “Container and Raise Bed Gardening” via Zoom internet connection on Tuesday, May 26, at 6:30pm. This program is free and open to the public. For more information and the zoom link, please go to https://wyoextension.org/laramiecounty/ Ag and Hort page.

Cheyenne Animal Shelter has great need for foster care volunteers throughout the year! By opening your home and your heart, you can help them save more lives. Their foster program is at no cost to you. Please contact Bev at (307)632-6655 or email volunteer@cheyenneanimalshelter.org.

Taco John’s is generously sponsoring the 8th Annual Plant Pandemonium at the Paul Smith Children’s Village at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens. The community is invited to help them plant the landscape for the Village and Gardens. All plants are provided. There will be several precautions enforced to ensure the safety of all volunteer planters. Volunteers MUST provide their own hand trowels for planting. The Botanic Gardens will NOT be sharing tools. Planting beds and containers will flagged with six foot spacing between family groups and individuals. The Paul Smith Children’s Village will not be open for free play during Plant Pandemonium programs. Restrooms and drinking fountains will be unavailable. Due to COVID-19, and limits on social gatherings, the volunteer workforce will be reduced significantly. Currently, they will be able to host 25 volunteers at one time. Individual and family groups are welcome. No pre-registration is required, but volunteers will not be allowed to enter the Children’s Village if they have reached capacity. Dates and times: Saturday, May 23, from 1:00pm-4:00pm - Container Chaos, help plant planters and containers for the Paul Smith Children’s Village and the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens; May 26, 28, 30 and June 2, 4, from 1:00pm-4:00pm - Plant Pandemonium, help plant areas within the Paul Smith Children’s Village; June 6, from 10:00am-4:00pm - Help plant areas within the Paul Smith Children’s Village, and the Taco John’s Taco Truck will be onsite for hungry volunteers. If you would like a volunteer opportunity for your social or service organization please contact Aaron Sommers, Paul Smith Children’s Village Manager at aaron@botanic.org directly to schedule a private volunteer session. Questions may also be directed to the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens at (307)637-6458.

Due to Laramie County Library System closures caused by COVID-19, the Seed Library of Laramie County will be available online for the 2020 growing seasons. Individuals who would like to check out seeds may do so by visiting www.lclsonline.org/seed-library/ to examine the 2020 Seed Catalog and fill out an online form. Once the form is submitted, the library will mail the requested seed packets to the provided address. Individuals may check out 1-2 packets of each seed variety, for up to 12 packets of seeds total. The library will update the catalog throughout the season to reflect availability, so please check it carefully before making any seed selections. Requested seed packets may take a few days to arrive in the mail. The Seed Library is free to use and does not require a library card. Visit www.lclsonline.org/seed-library/ to access the form and to find more information on the Seed Library, along with resources for successful gardening. For questions, call (307)634-3561.

VIRTUAL Empowered to Connect Conference 2018 Link - free! Practical teaching designed to encourage, educate, and equip foster parents, those considering adoption or foster care, and those who are serving and supporting others, including social workers, agency professionals, church staff and ministry leaders, counselors, and therapists to better serve children impacted by adoption and foster care. Featuring presentations on Trust-Based Relational Intervention Methods to help bring families attachment and connection. To receive the link, contact Katie Yim with Bethany Christian Services at kyim@bethany.org. The link will work from now until May 31, so you can watch the two days of transformational material on your own schedule from your own home.

The Cheyenne Transit Program (CTP) fixed-route bus service has been suspended until further notice due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. ADA Paratransit services have continued to operate as normal. CTP will make single passenger paratransit service available to all residents of Cheyenne for essential trips only, at no cost to the rider. Register with the scheduling office by calling (307)637-6253. A name, address, telephone number and date of birth will need to be provided. Schedulers are available Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm and Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm. Service will be provided on a first come, first serve basis.

Stay safe, practice social distancing, and vote absentee at home for Wyoming’s 2020 Elections. That’s the message from the Laramie County Clerk. The Primary Election is Tuesday, August 18 and the General Election is Tuesday, November 3, but any registered voter can request their absentee ballot today. To request yours: Call (307)633-4242 or visit https://sos.wyo.gov/Elections/State/AbsenteeVoting.aspx. You will be asked to provide the name under which you registered to vote, your residence address, date of birth, and address where you want the ballot mailed. Ballots are mailed starting 45 days before the election. To vote in the Primary election, you must be registered with the political party for which you are requesting a ballot. If you aren’t sure which party you selected when you registered, or want to know about how to register to vote, contact the County Clerk’s office at (307)633-4242.

With community support, St. Joseph’s Food Pantry has plenty and a variety of food. Any families in need; unemployed; seniors; veterans; campers, come get weekly groceries through the quick Drive Thru. Proxies are welcome to pick up for people who are self-quarantined. Just call Renee at (307)275-0567 and get it set up. The Pantry is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:00am-1:00pm, 206 Van Lennon, south side. If you are new to the pantry, bring a photo ID, proof of address, (utility bill, rent receipt) no income documentation required just self reporting. During this difficult time, the Pantry is available for everyone in need.

The City of Cheyenne’s trash, recycle, and yard waste pickup schedule for the Memorial Day Holiday: the Solid Waste Transfer Station, 220 N. College Drive; Happy Jack Landfill, 1416 Happy Jack Road; and the Compost Facility, 3714 Windmill Road will be closed Monday, May 25 due to the holiday. Trash, recycle, and yard waste pick-up scheduled for that day will take place on Saturday, May 23. Please have your trash, recycle, and yard waste containers out on Saturday, May 23 by 6:00am. For more information, contact the Sanitation Division at (307)637-6440. Additional info at www.cheyennecity.org or download the Recycle Coach app on your device to receive notifications about any changes in the City’s collection schedule.

Our office will be closed Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. The deadline for the May 29th issue of Trader’s Shopper’s Guide will be Wednesday, May 27, at 3:00pm. You can still place your ad by calling (307)634-8895 and leaving your ad, contact name and phone number on our voicemail or place your ad online at wyotraders.com.

As public health officials have advised, we are taking steps to minimize person-to-person contact and do our part in helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has proven dangerously contagious. Therefore, for your health and the health of our employees we are closing our doors to public customer traffic for the time being. Our office staff will still be able to assist you by phone at (307)634-8895 from the hours of 8:00am to 3:00pm, Monday through Friday. If you would like to place an ad outside these hours you may phone in your ad by calling (307)634-8895 and leaving your ad, contact name and phone number on our voicemail. You may also place your ad online at wyotraders.com. With this temporary change of office hours, our new weekly deadline will be 3:00pm Wednesday. Thank you for your understanding. Stay healthy!

In observance of the Memorial Day Holiday, the Cheyenne Transit Program office will be closed and city buses will not run on Monday, May 25.

Have seed starting or vegetable growing questions, lawn issues, tree and shrub concerns? Please call the U.W. Laramie County Extension Office at (307)633-4383 for information. There is no charge for their research based advice.

Beginning May 18, all Laramie County Library System facilities will offer curbside pick-up of library items for limited hours throughout the week. Library card holders may put items on hold and pick them up curbside when the items are ready. The library will provide detailed instructions for curbside pick-up in an email when the hold becomes available. More information and hours for the new service can be found by visiting LaramieCountyLibrary.org or by calling (307)634-3561. Due to this new service and the resumption of item checkout, library materials that are currently checked out will be due on May 18. Overdue fees for items due on May 18 will be suspended through May 31. Laramie County Library System will remain closed to the public through at least May 31. This closure applies to all library facilities, including Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, The Library Café, Burns Branch Library, Pine Bluffs Library, and the bookmobile.

You can take a guided tour of Powars II to see the archaeology at Sunrise Mine. The tour is Saturday, August 15, the gates open at 11:30am and the 3-hour mine and town tour leaves at 1:00pm. This tour will include the Paleoindian Red Ochre Mine and Historic Town of Sunrise. Wear old shoes because they will get stained. $20 for adults, $35 for families, please no credit cards, also lunch is available for purchase for a no-host barbecue at Miners & Stockman’s Steakhouse to follow the tour. Call George Zeimens for information (307)575-2010. Proceeds to benefit the Western History Center. Don’t miss this once in a life-time opportunity!

Laramie County Community College’s Return to Business (R2B) team is working to provide guidance related to the operations of the college and the phased return of a physical presence on the campuses in Cheyenne and Laramie. LCCC will continue to work in a virtual format with suspended physical operations through May 31. The college will continue to assess this situation, including any exception requests, in line with the current health orders provided by the Wyoming Department of Heath and the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department. This closure extension includes the LCCC facilities for community and campus events/activities, such as the Children’s Discovery Center, Recreation and Athletics Complex dining facilities, Boys and Girls Club, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Outreach and Workforce Development, and UW Extension. Additionally, the college has cancelled all summer youth programs, including SEEK, Fit Kids Camp, athletic camps, and more. Participants have already been notified of this situation. As college officials consider the re-opening of campus, the first phase of the R2B plan will address those operations going forward from June 1. All updates to this and other information related to the college’s response to the pandemic can be found at lccc.wy.edu/COVID. LCCC will hold a number of virtual and online classes this summer semester. Anyone interested in enrolling should visit lccc.wy.edu/admissions for more details.

The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce is announcing the Check On 2 campaign — a movement dedicated to showing support and spreading positivity to local businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak. Check On 2 is designed to become a chain-reaction which will foster a support system within the greater Cheyenne business community. The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce is challenging the local business community to participate. The rules are simple; local business owners should reach out to two individuals (friends in business, associates, clients, employees, etc.) and simply check on them. During the conversation, ask how they are doing, offer to purchase a carry-out item for them from a local restaurant, purchase them a local gift card, ask if they need help, and spread positivity. Finish the conversation by asking them to pass the challenge forward, by encouraging them to contact two more community members. Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines of limiting in-person contact is important, so plan to call or text the businesses you are checking on. Use the hashtag, #CheckOn2 and tag the Chamber on social media (Facebook@GreaterCheyenneChamber and Instagram @CheyenneChamber) with comments, photos and videos to show your support.