Burns football receives two awards of good sportsmanship

Jerry Beking received notification from the Wyoming High School Activities Association that the Burns football team was presented with the Good Sportsmanship Award for their exemplary conduct and good sportsmanship shown during the Wheatland game on Oct. 5 and the Wright game on Oct. 19.

The players and coaches were respectful to the officials and the players helped the opposing players up. In the Wheatland game, Burns “came into the game with a quality attitude that remained throughout the contest. When calls were made, they accepted them instead of arguing them.” The award went on to say “Whether ahead or behind, they handled themselves professionally and with great sportsmanship.”

Albin received $1,000 donations from Champ and New Fashion Pork for the expression of support to send the Albin Elementary Staff to the National Title I Conference in Nashville to receive their award for Distinguished School. LeAnn Smith, Albin elementary principal, said only two schools in each state receive the award. Smith thanked her staff for showing up to the meeting and said it was due to them the school received this.

Jeff Kirkbride, board member, said he didn’t know much about “big deal things,” but thought this was a big deal.Ester Davison, board chairman, said she hoped the staff could attend the conference to accept their award.

School board member Kristen Smith resigned her position. The board decided to take letters of interest for the at-large position. The position will be advertised in the paper and the web site, and closed Nov. 30. The interested parties will be invited to attend the COW meeting Dec. 5.

Laurie Bahl, Carpenter principal, talked about the stranger danger program the school started with the students. Andria Cassel, counselor, said the idea came when the child went missing in Cody. She was talking with her own second grader about the situation and struggling. “I thought if I can’t talk to my child about this, I’m sure a lot of parents aren’t talking,” said Cassel.

Carpenter and Burns worked in tandem with the program, talked to all the students about the dangers of leaving with someone you don’t know, and sent home a letter to the parents. Cassel was pleased with the outcome.

Julianne Randall, board member, said this program hit close to home, and explained how her own daughter was abducted by a stranger 16 years ago but was returned safely shortly after it happened. “With enough news about it and everyone from the local authorities to the FBI working on it, they caught him three years later in Nebraska,” said Randall.

Davison said the school board hopes to help keep the students safe.

Laura Woolington, community member, told the board last week her son went missing from the ALEX program in Pine Bluffs. “He was walking by the vet clinic and they called the police to check on him,” Woolington said. “Gage was missing from school for 28 minutes before they realized it. The school allowed my co-worker to sign in as a contact and take Gage with him. This is a big problem.”

Woolington said she contacted an attorney, but what she really wants is a solution to the problem.

Davison said there was a process to deal with the situation and “we are on it.”

Lane Brooks, Burns Cross Country team member, talked to the board about attending the state cross-country meet. “A few of us snuck out of our rooms and did some stupid things,” said Brooks. “I want to apologize to all here for what I did. It hurt a lot of people and I am sorry.”

“We are sorry for what you did, too,” said Davison.

The board approved 51 students for home school requested by 25 parents.

Rob Bryant, business manager, reviewed the financial report. The receipts in the general fund are 3.09 percent compared to 32.7 percent last year at this time. “The difference is due to the treasury money not being in the account yet,” Bryant explained.

The expenditures are 28.1 percent compared to 29.4 percent last year at this time. Enrollment was 931 at Nov. 1 but up to 935 Nov. 4, up 10 from last year, but down three from Oct. 1.

Bryant discussed the Joint Appropriations Committee meeting, and there might be a bill come before the legislature this session to limit the amount of reserve money school boards can keep in accounts.

The next board meeting will be Dec. 10, in Albin at 7 p.m.