JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

There are many good reasons not to leave your car idling: save gas, reduce pollution, save money, reduce engine wear, fight terrorism, improve public health. Also, the vehicle will warm up faster if you drive it.

But people still idle, anyway, mostly because we live in a cold climate and it sucks to be freezing all the time.

At what point does the right to waste fuel and money interfere with the public’s right to clean air?

That’s bound to be the crux of the discussion Monday when the Town Council takes up the concept of an “idle-free” Jackson. Beginning at 3 p.m., councilors will consider a proposal to prohibit idling on public streets and parking lots.

A group of citizens has come together on this issue to honor the memory of Willie Neal, the all-world teenager hit and killed by a car last summer. Making Jackson an idle-free community was Willie’s signature issue.

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Posted under Crime, Environment, Politics, Town Government

Tags: conservation, mark barron

Tickets have been on sale since late last month, but judging from conversations with friends, not many people realize that U2 is kicking off its 360º World Tour in Salt Lake City on June 3.

The Irish rock band is playing Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah, with Lenny Kravitz opening. There are plenty of tickets available, although many are spendy ($55 to $250).

U2 last played Salt Lake in 2005. Dozens of Jackson Hole fans made the trek to the Delta Center and were treated to a life-affirming performance, a review of which follows after the jump.

There are few bands I would travel to Utah to see, and U2 is one of them. This time, on an outdoor field of grass, the sound should be even better.

In God’s Country, no less.

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Posted under Music, Religion

Tags: rock, travel, utah

No more Re-Petes.

State Rep. Pete Jorgensen, D-Jackson, said Monday he won’t seek re-election for House District 16.

“I think it’s time,” Jorgensen said. “I’m hoping we can get a good person to fill the seat.”

Jorgensen, 75, a retired highway engineer, served four terms in the Legislature. He established himself as a watchdog on the Appropriations Committee, which controls the purse strings of state government spending.

The former University of Wyoming trustee took on legislators from both parties in resisting projects he deemed lavish or frivolous. He gained a small measure of notoriety in 2004 for opposing the use of state funds for construction of luxury boxes at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie.

His skepticism was pivotal in the state’s jettisoning of a plan, hatched by Republican leaders in 2005, to build a $28 million graduate school of business and corporate training center in Jackson — a boondoggle that looks even more foolish in light of the economic collapse on Wall Street. U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, then state treasurer, was among the architects of that plan, along with state Sen. Grant Larson, R-Jackson.

Jorgensen was a champion of open government and Wyoming’s public lands and wildlife. He used to say he represented only one special interest in Cheyenne — the public interest.

Teton Dems now have two sets of big shoes to fill; Gov. Dave Freudenthal announced last week he won’t run again this fall.

The Teton County Democratic Convention is March 20. Candidates have until May 28 to file to run in primaries.

Posted under Democratic Party, Environment, Politics, Wyoming Legislature

Tags: conservation, football, gov dave

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has added another event for its Mountain Festival: the inaugural Coombs Classic.

The resort has teamed with Marmot for this spring skiing challenge, in which participants will hike the Headwall or traverse into Casper Bowl in memory of the late extreme skier. Each lap earns a raffle ticket for prizes such as Marmot clothing and packs and a pair of K2 Coomback skis with skins.

The centerpiece of the festival is a free concert by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals on March 27. The Coombs Classic will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on March 28, followed by a party from 3 to 5 p.m. on the Nick Wilson’s deck with music by the Chanman Roots Band.

The event honors Doug Coombs, a two-time World Extreme Skiing champion and former JHMR ambassador. A portion of sales of Coomback skis is donated to Coombs’ family.

Skiers and snowboarders will have their choice of hiking Pepi’s Bench to the Coombs run atop the Headwall, or traversing from the Bridger Gondola along Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride into Casper Bowl.

No word on whether extra points will be awarded for a descent of the Parachutes, the infamous “gray area” beyond the Cirque that Coombs was banned from the resort for skiing in 1997.

Posted under Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: doug coombs, jackson hole mountain resort, skiing, snowboarding

A mechanical problem has forced Snow King to close its Summit Chairlift until the middle of next week.

Workers will be replacing the bearings in the bottom bullwheel, which have worn out after 30 years.

“It’s a big project taking all that hardwear apart,” says Ski Area Manager Jim Sullivan. The lift has been closed since Monday.

Sullivan said the resort aims to have the chair ready in time for the Town Downhill on March 13-14 and Snowmobile Hill Climb on March 26-28.

Of greater concern for both events is the lack of snow. The Grizzly slope, where the downhill is run, is thin near the top.

Sullivan says it’s doubtful the race will be run at its full length, although the Jackson Hole Ski Club’s race crew is exploring every option.

For the Hill Climb, always controversial because of its impact on the mountain, snowmobilers are likely to tear through a soft, shallow base on the Exhibition run rather quickly. The key, Sullivan says, is proper reclamation after the event.

The ground froze solid on the north-facing slope this year, which will help keep sleds from ripping up too much vegetation, he says. The resort also made a lot of snow on the lower part of Exhibition.

Sullivan sticks by his challenge for anyone to inspect the slope on July 15 and find much damage; hikers and dogs cause more impact, he says.

As for the lack of snow, “We’ve seen much worse,” Sullivan says.

Posted under Ski Resorts, Sports, Weather

Tags: hill climb, ski racing, skiing, snow king, snowboarding

In a move that largely had been expected, Gov. Dave Freudenthal said today he won’t seek a third term.

“Eight years is enough,” the governor told the Cowboy State Free Press.

Why he waited so long to make the announcement is a bit of a mystery, but so has been much of Freudenthal’s political strategy these past few years.

The move clears the way for a primary with what is likely to be a crowded Republican field and one prominent Democratic contender, state Sen. Mike Massie of Laramie.

While Freudenthal enjoyed high popularity, he often frustrated Democratic supporters by not going far enough on their behalf. I once heard him say that the best way for him to help the Democratic Party in Wyoming was to be a good governor, and while Democrats would not dispute that, there is a sense of disappointment that he could have done more.

Among his accomplishments are creation of the Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust Fund and major investments in education, including the Hathway Scholarship program at the University of Wyoming.

Posted under Democratic Party, Politics, Wyoming Legislature

Tags: gov dave