September 11, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
Last week I wrote about the Ridley’s application and the public process ahead. I want to stay with that theme briefly, not to repeat all the details, but because how we handle difficult public questions helps define us as a community. The question is not only what decisions we make, but what kind of people we are becoming as we make them: whether we can be honest without being cruel, passionate without being careless, and firm without forgetting that we still belong to one another.
Pinedale will continue to face questions for years to come about growth, housing, traffic, utilities, small businesses, downtown, neighborhoods, and public safety. Some of those conversations will be easy. Some will not. But a healthy town does not avoid hard questions. It works through them carefully, publicly, and respectfully. Large projects can generate rumors, partial information, and social media summaries. The best input from the public starts with the actual applications, staff reports, agendas, and public-hearing materials, and then brings specific questions and concerns into the public process.
Public comment is not a formality. It helps staff, Planning & Zoning, and the Town Council understand what residents see and experience on the ground. It gives business owners, nearby property owners, families, and neighbors a chance to explain how a proposal may affect them. It also gives applicants a chance to hear concerns early, respond to questions, and improve their plans where possible.
At the same time, public comment is most helpful when it is connected to the decision being made and the standards that apply. For land-use matters, that usually means focusing on things like zoning, traffic, drainage, utilities, lighting, access, sidewalks, pathways, neighborhood impacts, public safety, and consistency with Town Code and adopted plans. Passion matters, but so do facts, process, and practical suggestions.
I know public meetings can sometimes be frustrating. People may feel like decisions are already made, that government moves too slowly, or that their concerns are not being heard. I understand that. But the public process is designed to slow things down enough for notice, review, questions, agency comments, public comment, staff analysis, Planning & Zoning recommendations, and Council action. That process can feel cumbersome, but it also protects the community, the applicant, and the integrity of the decision.
It is also important to remember that disagreement does not make someone an enemy of the town. A resident can raise serious concerns and still care deeply about Pinedale’s future. A business can want to invest here and still need to answer hard questions. Staff can explain code requirements without taking sides. Elected and appointed officials can listen carefully without promising a particular outcome before the process is complete. That same principle applies beyond any one application. Whether the issue is land use, business activity, streets, pathways, public safety, or neighborhood impacts, the Town has to work through real concerns under the rules that apply.
That is the kind of public process we should expect from one another: honest questions, plain speech, careful listening, and respect for residents, applicants, business owners, volunteers, and Town staff.
This is not only about one application. It is about what Pinedale is becoming, and how we preserve our identity as we grow. Growth is here, and with it come real questions about jobs, housing, services, traffic, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and the character of the community. The challenge is not to freeze Pinedale in place or accept every proposal without question. The challenge is to shape growth so Pinedale remains a western town with a strong sense of community, practical opportunity, safe neighborhoods, and room for young people, working families, local businesses, retirees, and longtime residents to see a future here.
Finally, thank you to everyone who helps make public life in Pinedale work: residents who attend meetings, volunteers who serve on boards and commissions, staff who prepare the materials, and citizens who care enough to speak up. We will not always agree, but we can keep working through important questions together.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, September 14th at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
September 3, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
September has arrived, and with it comes the familiar shift back into school routines, fall activities, and a different pace around town. Please be careful in school zones, around buses, near the elementary school, and anywhere children, bicycles, and pedestrians are present.
One public issue receiving attention right now is the Ridley’s application, which involves ~74 acres south of Dollar General and is before the Town in two related parts: a request for annexation and a request to amend the zoning map. The property owners and applicants are asking the Town to annex ~17 acres and rezone ~57 acres already within Town limits. They have included a general development concept with a proposed grocery store, smaller commercial spaces, and housing. The Town is not proposing the development. The Town’s responsibility is to review the applications under state statute, Town code, adopted plans, engineering requirements, and the public-hearing process.
That process has several steps. The Town Council received the applications and referred them to the Town Planning & Zoning Commission, with staff conducting the technical and code review. Staff will also seek comments from outside agencies and technical reviewers, as appropriate, such as the County, WYDOT, Game and Fish, ditch representatives, engineers, and others with relevant jurisdiction or expertise. Agency comments are helpful, but they do not replace public comment from the people who live, work, travel, and do business in Pinedale.
On September 15, the Planning & Zoning Commission will hold the first Town public hearing on the zoning request. Planning & Zoning will review the materials, hear public comment, determine whether the zoning application aligns with Town Code, and make a recommendation to the elected Town Council. I am grateful for the residents who serve on Planning & Zoning and take the time to work carefully through these kinds of applications. After that, both parts of the application will return to the Town Council. The zoning request requires three ordinance readings, and the annexation request will also be considered through three public meetings on the same schedule before final action. Watch the Town website and official Town notices for the most current information.
Public comment is welcome, and it can also be passionate. Fear, frustration, and even anger are understandable when people care deeply about their homes, neighborhoods, businesses, property, and the future of the town. My hope is that we can speak plainly, ask hard questions, and still treat one another, including residents, applicants, business owners, and Town staff, with respect throughout the process.
Pinedale is growing, and I am grateful that businesses want to invest here and serve our community. One of the long-term tests for Pinedale is whether young people and working families can still build a future here. That means jobs, housing, services, and business investment matter. It also means growth must be reviewed carefully, with attention to traffic, utilities, drainage, lighting, pedestrian and bicycle connections, neighborhood impacts, and the character of the town.
Finally, Wind River Brewfest, sponsored by Foundation 23, and the Wind River Art Festival are coming up during the September 11–13 weekend. These events bring people downtown, support local businesses and nonprofits, and help make Pinedale an active and welcoming place as summer gives way to fall. I am grateful to everyone helping make them happen.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next regular meeting is Monday, September 14, at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
August 27, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
To the chagrin of some, school is back in session. As a reminder, please drive carefully in our school zones, especially near the elementary school and the intersection just off the highway. This can be a difficult and sometimes dangerous area at the beginning and end of the school day, and we all need to slow down, be patient, and pay attention.
Monday night’s Town Council meeting was a good reminder that many of the things that make a town work are not always highly visible. Some agenda items are large, but many are agreements, maintenance items, reports, permits, and practical decisions that help Pinedale serve residents, visitors, and the broader region.
One example was the Bare Fire land use agreement for use of the Pinedale Airport. A land use agreement allows an incident-response team to use Town property or facilities during an emergency, while also setting out how costs are tracked and reimbursed. During fire season, the Pinedale Airport becomes part of the regional emergency-response network. The Town has handled several of these agreements in recent years, and our staff has become much more efficient at working through the details quickly so emergency-response work is not delayed.
The airport is also growing as a community and regional asset. Council approved a change order connected to the FBO and Hangar 7 energy retrofit project, and staff reported that the new hangar project continues to make progress. The building is expected to begin going up in early September, and Rocky Mountain Power has indicated that a needed transformer should be available in October. The last statewide aviation economic impact study showed the airport’s annual economic activity at roughly $13 million, up from about $4 million in the prior study. With updated WYDOT Aeronautics numbers expected soon, it will be interesting to see how the airport’s role has continued to grow. Taken together with Rocky Mountain STOL, medical aviation, private aviation, fire response, and future hangar capacity, the airport continues to play a larger role in Pinedale’s economy, public safety, and regional connectivity.
Council also heard additional questions about the Town’s e-bike ordinance. The ordinance is now in place, but implementation will take education, good judgment, and common sense. The goal is not to punish responsible riders. The goal is to give law enforcement and the Town clearer tools when riders create unsafe conditions on sidewalks and pathways. Riders should slow down around pedestrians, give warning before passing, and walk bikes across Pine Street when appropriate. Drivers also need to remain alert for children, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The Sheriff’s monthly report was encouraging in several respects, but also a reminder that summer is busy for law enforcement. Major events in and around Pinedale went well, with positive comments from Little League visitors and a strong Rocky Mountain STOL weekend. At the same time, July warnings nearly doubled, citations more than doubled, and there were six arrests, including DUIs and drug- or alcohol-related arrests. That is a reminder to enjoy community events responsibly and to help keep our streets, parks, and public spaces safe.
Council also approved items related to Wind River Brewfest and Wind River Art Festival, which will both take place during the September 11–13 weekend, along with pathway connectivity, water testing services with the Town of LaBarge, annual fire maintenance, and other routine operations. These may not all draw the same attention, but they are part of the daily work of keeping public spaces usable, utilities functioning, events organized, and Town facilities maintained.
Finally, I want to welcome Charlie Thompson as the Town’s new Public Works Administrator. Public Works carries a heavy load in a small town, from water and wastewater to streets, pathways, facilities, projects, permits, and citizen concerns. We are glad to have her on board and grateful for the work our amazing staff continues to do.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next regular meeting is Monday, September 14, at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
August 20, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
Each week, as I prepare this update, I try to think about both the formal work of the Town Council and conversations with residents around town. One of the things people have asked me about this week is the return of the painted bulb-outs on Pine Street. That makes sense, because Pine Street is not just US 191 running through town; it is also our Main Street. According to WYDOT's 2025 data, the downtown section of Pine Street carries approximately 10,250 vehicles per day on an annual-average basis, That means one of the places where our residents and visitors walk, bike, shop, work, turn, park, cross, and visit is also the busiest transportation corridor in our community.
Many will remember that the Town painted the bulb-outs last year as well, so this is part of an ongoing effort connected to the planned US 191 / Pine Street safety improvements, currently expected to move forward with WYDOT’s larger 2028 project. Pine Street is both our Main Street and a state highway, so any improvement requires coordination between the Town, WYDOT, engineers, businesses, and residents.
The purpose of the painted bulb-outs is to help people begin to see how future changes may function. The broader project is intended to improve pedestrian safety, shorten crossing distances, improve sight lines, calm turning movements, address ADA accessibility, and make Pine Street safer and more predictable for drivers and pedestrians. In some locations, the changes also allow vehicles to pull slightly farther forward to gain better visibility before turning onto Pine Street.
I understand that changes like this can feel frustrating, especially when people have driven the same street the same way for many years. One resident told me quite plainly this week that he dislikes them in pretty strong terms, and I appreciate that honesty. The painted bulb-outs are intended to help prepare drivers, pedestrians, businesses, and residents for the permanent improvements planned as part of the larger Pine Street project. These ideas did not appear overnight. The Transportation Master Plan was a two-year effort, with community workshops beginning in August and September 2022, additional public meetings and workshops in 2022 and 2023, and final adoption in 2024. Public discussion often happens long before construction begins, and then a project can feel sudden when paint, signs, or construction finally show up.
For that matter, the same principle applies to many Town issues. Whether we are talking about pathways, e-bikes, development, zoning, housing, drainage, or sidewalks, good decisions require public input before everything is final. The Town does not always have unlimited flexibility. We must work within state highways, FAA, EPA, DEQ, municipal code, grant rules, engineering standards, budgets, and legal processes. But public participation still matters because it helps identify concerns, improve designs, invite better ideas, and keep decisions grounded in the daily life of the community. Thank you to all of you who pay attention, ask thoughtful questions, attend meetings, volunteer at events, and help keep Pinedale moving forward.
I also want to thank everyone involved with Rocky Mountain STOL at Ralph Wenz Field last weekend. Events like this highlight one of Pinedale’s unique community assets and bring pilots, visitors, families, volunteers, and aviation enthusiasts to town. A lot of unseen work went into making it successful.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next regular meeting is Monday, August 24 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
August 13, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
I hope everyone is enjoying these last weeks of summer before school routines, fall activities, and cooler weather begin to return. Monday night’s Town Council agenda again reflected the practical work of local government: public safety, pathways, water, housing, infrastructure, community events, local services, and development all came before Council in one meeting.
One item that I’ve ended up talking about a lot with citizens is the Town’s e-bike and pathway ordinance, especially with residents who are concerned about the unsafe behavior of some riders. Council passed this on third reading with the goal of setting clearer expectations so pedestrians, riders, children, families, and drivers can share public spaces safely. Most riders are responsible, but the Town continues to receive concerned comments about speed, sidewalks, and near conflicts, making clearer guidance necessary. As school approaches, I encourage riders to slow down around pedestrians, give warning before passing, and remember that sidewalks and pathways are shared spaces.
Council also continued working through Pronghorn Crossing and the remaining subdivision improvements. These discussions are difficult because more than one thing can be true at the same time. Pinedale, with its growing population and increasing cost of living, needs attainable housing, and projects that provide homes at price points local families can reach are important. At the same time, subdivision approvals come with obligations, and promised infrastructure still has to be completed.
The Town’s job is not simply to punish a developer or ignore the practical realities of construction. It is to protect present and future residents, uphold Town standards, and get the required improvements finished. Tools like bonds exist for accountability, but they do not automatically make sidewalks, drainage, roads, or other improvements appear overnight. In many cases, the best result comes from holding firm on the obligations while continuing to work through the practical steps needed to complete the project. That is the balance Council is trying to strike.
Council continues coordinating with the Wyoming State Engineer’s Office on the temporary release of stored Town water from Fremont Lake. This release is part of a provisional accounting effort to measure streamflows, calculate conveyance losses, and better understand how stored water moves through Pine Creek and downstream systems. These technical issues matter because good water accounting helps protect Wyoming’s long-term water interests, including Wyoming’s position within the Colorado River system, and Pinedale has an important role because of our stored water allocation in Fremont Lake.
The agenda also included several practical infrastructure and community matters, including work related to Ralph Wenz Field, water-treatment supplies, manhole lining, park picnic tables, contract-for-services organizations, the Pinedale High School Homecoming Parade, and Fort Sublette at the Museum of the Mountain Man. These items may not all draw the same attention, but together they are part of keeping a town functioning and supporting the community life that makes Pinedale feel like home.
Finally, I want to thank the people who serve on our boards and commissions. Good decisions depend on residents who are willing to review details, ask questions, listen carefully, and serve the public. Pinedale works best when people stay engaged before decisions are final: by reading agendas, attending hearings, asking questions directly, serving on boards, following reliable local news, listening to local radio, and offering public comment in a respectful and constructive way.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next regular meeting is Monday, August 24 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
July 30, 2026
Hello Pinedale, I hope everyone is having a good summer and finding time to enjoy the season with family, friends, neighbors, and visitors. Even with the unusual heat, this is still one of the special times of year in Pinedale, when our public spaces are full of activity.
Monday night’s Town Council meeting was a reminder that local government is often slow-moving, detailed work. One of our first items of business was the appointment of Ryan Wells to the Town Council. Councilman Wells brings six years of service on the Town of Pinedale Planning & Zoning Commission, professional experience in land surveying, and practical knowledge of land use, subdivision review, public infrastructure, rights-of-way, easements, and development processes. He will serve until the next municipal election in 2028, when the seat will be placed on the ballot for the remaining two years of the term. I am grateful for Ryan’s willingness to serve.
Councilman Wells’ first meeting was also one of our longest in some time. The meeting lasted about four and a half hours, with much of that time spent discussing Pronghorn Crossing and remaining subdivision improvements.
It was a difficult conversation because there were legitimate concerns on more than one side. The Town must enforce its standards, protect future residents, and ensure that promised infrastructure is completed. At the same time, we also recognizes the real challenges of building attainable, USDA-qualified housing in Pinedale’s market. After a lengthy discussion, the Council reached a compromise intended to keep the project moving while maintaining the Town’s expectation that required improvements will be completed in a timely manner.
Council also continued discussion of the proposed bicycle, e-bike, scooter, and pathway ordinance, which passed on second reading. It has become a hot topic, as I continue to receive weekly calls and comments on the issue, and I appreciate residents taking the time to share their concerns. The goal remains the same: to create clear expectations so pedestrians, bicyclists, families, children, and other pathway users can move around town safely. Most riders are responsible, but sidewalks and pathways cannot become places where speed creates unnecessary risk for pedestrians.
This is especially important during the summer, when more residents and visitors are walking, riding, and driving around town. Drivers need to watch for cyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists and e-bike riders need to slow down around people, give warning before passing, and remember that sidewalks are primarily pedestrian spaces. Parents also have an important role in helping young riders understand that public pathways are shared spaces.
Looking ahead, Pinedale will soon welcome Rocky Mountain STOL back to Ralph Wenz Field. The event is scheduled for August 13–15 at the Pinedale Airport, bringing short takeoff and landing aircraft, pilots, aviation enthusiasts, visitors, and families to our community. This has become another annual favorite event that highlights one of Pinedale’s important community assets. Events like STOL take coordination among airport staff, emergency responders, organizers, volunteers, and local businesses, and they help bring people to town in ways that support our broader summer economy, for which I am very grateful.
As we move into the rest of summer, I want to again thank the Town staff, businesses, community organizations, and residents who help make these busy weeks possible. Pinedale works best when people are willing to serve, be patient, share public spaces responsibly, and keep the long-term good of the community in mind.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, August 10 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
July 23, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
One of the quieter but important improvements within Town administration is now up and running. The Town’s new digital permitting system is live, giving residents, contractors, and businesses a more convenient way to apply for permits, submit information, and work with Town staff. Like any new system, there will be a learning curve, but the goal is simple: make local government easier to navigate, more transparent, and more efficient.
Business licenses are also beginning to move through the digital portal. The first license year began July 1, 2026, with a reduced $10 fee as businesses and staff learn the system together. Town staff will be working with applicants to help them get set up and answer questions along the way. Over time, the portal should help simplify annual licensing, create clearer records, reduce paper handling, and make it easier for staff to follow up when information is missing.
At the same time, not every challenge can be solved with a better form or a new system. Some issues require long-term attention, community judgment, and residents willing to serve. One of those issues is housing.
The Town is currently looking for two or three additional residents to serve on the Pinedale Housing Commission. That need is becoming more practical as seven deed-restricted homes or lots are now either in place or moving forward. These homes come with conditions intended to keep them available for local workforce and qualified residents, rather than simply becoming market-rate or investor-owned housing. Affordable housing does not lower every cost in Pinedale, but it can reduce the single largest pressure on many working households: housing. The objective of the deed-restricted units is to bring total housing costs closer to 30% of income. When that happens, families have more room for food, transportation, childcare, and savings. Over time, that can also help ease pressure across the broader housing market.
The Housing Commission will help administer the Town’s affordable housing program as deed-restricted homes become available. Once members are appointed, the Commission will help review applications, verify that applicants meet the Council’s eligibility requirements, maintain a list of qualified households, and monitor ongoing compliance with our deed restrictions. This will help ensure that affordable homes remain available for the local workforce while providing a fair, transparent, and consistent process for everyone who applies.
Good local government is not only about what happens at Council meetings. It also depends on residents who are willing to serve on boards and commissions, ask good questions, review details, and help the Town make better decisions. I am grateful for everyone currently serving on our Town boards, including Planning & Zoning, Park & Tree, Travel and Tourism, the Airport Board, and others who give their time to work through issues that often happen outside the spotlight. As the Housing Commission begins its work, we are looking for Pinedale residents who are thoughtful, practical, and willing to help with one of the most important long-term questions facing Pinedale. If you are interested in serving, please contact the Town to schedule a time to visit with me about the role. I will be making appointments for Council approval in the coming weeks.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, July 27 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
July 16, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
Rendezvous is now behind us, and I want to thank everyone who helped make it a successful week. During that same busy stretch, Pinedale also hosted the Wyoming Little League state championship, welcoming teams and families from across the state to the Dudley Key Sports Complex. Events like these take substantial work from volunteers, coaches, families, businesses, Town staff, and community organizations, and they demonstrate what Pinedale can accomplish when many people work together.
Over the past several months, the Town and I have observed unsafe bicycle and e-bike use and received a significant and growing number of complaints, particularly regarding sidewalks and other areas shared with pedestrians. We have also heard reports of multiple near collisions involving pedestrians, children, and riders. While most people operate their bicycles responsibly, a relatively small number of riders are creating real safety concerns and risk spoiling the use of these spaces for everyone. In response, Council completed first reading of a proposed ordinance Monday addressing bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, and pathway use. For those unfamiliar with the terminology, Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 20 miles per hour; Class 2 e-bikes may also use a throttle and are limited to 20 miles per hour; and Class 3 e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 28 miles per hour. The proposal would generally allow Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on Town pathways while restricting the faster Class 3 models unless specifically authorized.
The larger issue, however, is not simply which class of bicycle someone owns. It is how that bicycle is operated around other people. The proposed ordinance would establish a 10-mile-per-hour pathway speed limit unless otherwise posted, require faster users to yield to slower users, and require an audible warning before passing. Sidewalks are intended primarily for pedestrians, and the increase in complaints makes clear that riders need to use much greater caution. Even where someone believes riding on the sidewalk is safer than using the street, a bicycle or e-bike should never be operated quickly around pedestrians, children, building entrances, driveways, or intersections. Where riding is prohibited – or where conditions are crowded or uncertain – the responsible choice is to slow down, dismount, and walk the bicycle.
The purpose of the ordinance is not to discourage bicycles or e-bikes or penalize the many people who ride responsibly. The Town continues working to improve pathway connections. The goal is to establish clear expectations so pedestrians, riders, children, families, and other pathway users can move around town safely and predictably. Responsible riders should not lose access or freedom because of the unsafe conduct of a few. The ordinance remains subject to additional readings and possible changes, and public input is welcome.
Clear rules are only one part of improving safety; the Town must also continue creating better places for people to walk and ride. At the same meeting, Council supported an application for the next phase of Pinedale’s pathway-connectivity project. The proposed work would create nearly two miles of additional pathway connecting Harmony Bridge, Dudley Key Fields, west-side neighborhoods, the future US 191 pedestrian underpass, and Pinedale Elementary School. Together, clearer expectations and better connections can reduce unnecessary conflicts among vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.
That same spirit of shared responsibility is reflected in the work of the Sublette Community Resource Network. Local organizations continue coordinating youth programs, workforce training, education, public health, emergency response, victim services, senior services, and other support throughout the county. These efforts may not always be highly visible, but they help ensure that people know where to turn when they need assistance while helping community organizations coordinate their work effectively.
Pinedale is strongest when freedom is accompanied by responsibility: when drivers watch for cyclists, cyclists protect pedestrians, faster pathway users yield to slower ones, parents teach safe riding, and neighbors look out for one another. The goal is not simply more rules. It is a community where people of every age can move around town safely and confidently.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, July 27 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
July 9, 2026
Hello Pinedale and welcome to those visiting Pinedale this week. Whether you are here for Green River Rendezvous, Little League, summer vacation, the mountains, concerts in the park, our trails, lakes, restaurants, shops, or simply to spend time with family, we are glad you are here.
Rendezvous is one of the weeks when Pinedale remembers who we are. Our history is not just a backdrop or a costume. It is a reminder that this valley has long been a place of gathering, travel, trade, hardship, endurance, and community. People came through this country because it mattered, because it connected places and people, and because it required courage, skill, and dependence on one another. That is still part of what Pinedale means. Pinedale has always been a kind of meeting place: between mountains and valley, wilderness and working lands, residents and visitors, old stories and new responsibilities. Rendezvous reminds us that a community is not just a place people pass through. It can be a place where people are received, strengthened, and sent on better than they came.
Today, Pinedale remains a gathering place. We are a gateway to extraordinary public lands, but we are also more than a gateway. We are a working community with families, schools, churches, businesses, volunteers, parks, youth programs, emergency responders, nonprofits, and neighbors who care deeply about this place. During a busy week like Rendezvous, those strengths become visible all at once. Our ranching heritage also reminds us that love for a place is measured in stewardship: land, water, wildlife, roads, neighbors, and future generations all have to be considered together.
With that comes a simple responsibility. Residents and visitors alike are asked to help take care of the town we are proud to share. Please be patient in traffic, slow down near crosswalks and parks, watch for children and bicycles, use trash cans, respect private property, and leave public spaces ready for the next family, vendor, or event. Hospitality and stewardship go together. Pinedale is, in a real sense, a headwaters community. What begins in the mountains around us flows far beyond us, and the same is true of the way we live together. Small acts of respect, patience, hospitality, and care help shape the kind of town we are becoming.
This year, residents and visitors will also see more activity at 210 W. Pine Street. The sod is now in, and the space will host multiple vendors during Rendezvous. That property has been a visible example of the Town’s effort to turn an underused downtown lot into a more active public space. Like our parks and pathways, it will only work well if we all treat it with care.
I also want to recognize the many organizations working quietly behind the scenes through the Sublette Community Resource Network. At the most recent SCRN meeting, local partners shared updates on youth programs, summer events, educational opportunities, public health, victim services, emergency response, senior services, workforce training, and other needs across the county. A strong community is not built by one office or one event. It is built by many people doing steady, often unseen work to serve their neighbors. That kind of service may not draw the largest crowds, but it is part of what holds a town together.
So welcome to Pinedale. Enjoy Rendezvous, support local businesses, visit our events, take in the history and the mountains, and help us care for the town we are proud to call home. May this week remind us not only of where we have come from, but of the kind of community we are called to become: hospitable, courageous, rooted, generous, and faithful in our stewardship of what has been entrusted to us.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, July 13 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.
July 2, 2026
Hello Pinedale,
This is one of those weeks when Pinedale feels especially alive. Between the Fourth of July, the Farmers Market, live music, summer visitors, and Green River Rendezvous just around the corner, our parks, streets, businesses, and public spaces will be doing exactly what they are meant to do: bringing people together.
This Saturday, the Town will host its Fourth of July celebration at American Legion Park. The day will include the Farmers Market, a community BBQ and picnic, live music through the Pinedale Fine Arts Council’s summer concert series, and fireworks at sunset, with prime viewing from the Dudley Key Sports Complex. I hope residents and visitors alike will come out, enjoy the day, and take part in one of the simple traditions that makes small-town life special.
The Pinedale Fine Arts Council summer concert series is also a good reminder of why these community partnerships matter. Events like Concerts in the Park are enjoyable for residents, but they also bring people downtown, support restaurants, shops, lodging, and local vendors, and help make Pinedale a more vibrant place during the summer months.
By the time my next “Minute” is published, Green River Rendezvous will be underway. Rendezvous remains one of Pinedale’s defining traditions, connecting our community to the history of the mountain men, the fur trade, and the early gatherings that helped shape this region. It is also one of our busiest weeks of the year, and I want to thank the volunteers, businesses, organizations, Town staff, and residents who help make it possible.
This season, residents will see renewed activity at 210 W. Pine Street. The sod is now in, and the space will host multiple vendors during Rendezvous. That site has been a visible example of the Town’s effort to turn an underused downtown property into a more active public space. Like our parks and pathways, it will only work well if we all treat it with care. Please help keep public spaces clean, respect nearby property, and leave things ready for the next family, vendor, or event.
With more people in town, I would also ask everyone to be patient and attentive. Again, please slow down around crosswalks, parks, and event areas; watch for children, pedestrians, and cyclists; and give yourself a little extra time when parking or traveling through town. A busy summer weekend is a good problem to have, but it works best when we look out for one another.
Finally, as many of us head into the mountains for hiking, camping, fishing, and summer recreation, please be fire aware. Recent fire activity in the region is a reminder that one careless moment can put firefighters, public lands, private property, and communities at risk. Please be careful with campfires, vehicles, trailers, fireworks, and anything else that could spark a fire.
As always, the public is welcome at Town Council meetings. Our next meeting is Monday, July 13 at 5:00 p.m., and questions are always welcome.