Oil spill experts grilled by Sen. Barrasso’s committee

by Andrew Schenkel, Cowboy State Free Press Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON–As the first oil reaches the Gulf of Mexico’s shores a blame game is gushing on Capitol Hill.

“I hear one message—don’t blame me,” said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. “Shifting the blame game doesn’t get us very far.”

Barrasso’s comments came during the first part of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on offshore oil and gas development Tuesday.

The senator spoke only during the first panel made up of industry and regulatory experts. A vote on the Senate floor prevented the senator from questioning the second panel, made up of executives from the companies involved in the Gulf Oil Spill.

The hearing was the first public questioning of the executives of BP, Halliburton, Inc. and Transocean Ltd. BP owned and served as the operator of the exploratory well–Transocean owned the drilling rig and Halliburton was contracted to seal the well with concrete. Each company’s’ representative had a reason why the other may be at fault.

Halliburton executive Tim Probert testified that the company had successfully sealed several portions of the oil well with concrete slurry. Probert consistently reiterated that his work had passed several standards laid out by BP. “Halliburton is confident that the cementing work on the Mississippi Canyon 252 well was completed in accordance with the requirements of the well owner’s well construction plan,” Probert said.

Steven Newman of Transocean had his finger pointed at Halliburton. “There was a catastrophic failure of the cement on the casing. Without the failure of one of those this could have been stopped,” he said. BP’s president Lamar McKay completed the blame triangle during his testimony. “The systems in place are intended to be failed closed and fail safe; sadly and for reasons we do not yet understand, in this case, they were not. Transocean’s blowout preventer failed to operate,” McKay said.

By the time the three executives had finished their testimony Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the ranking Republican on the committee, echoed what Barrasso had said in the first portion of the hearing. “You suggested, Mr. McKay, that Transocean is to blame, Mr. Newman says it’s Halliburton, and Mr. Probert brings it all back to the owner’s at BP. I would suggest all three of you begin to work together because what we find out will affect the long term energy policy of this country,” she said.

Murkowski followed her lecture with a harsh tones and implications for non-compliance. “If we can’t continue to convince people that that we can perform oil drilling safely, then BP won’t be out there, Transocean won’t be drilling anymore rigs and Halliburton won’t be out there pouring concrete.”

Murkowski’s biting words came despite her and several other committee members’ ties to the oil and gas industry. According to the nonpartisan government-tracking site OpenSecrets.org, the total amount of contributions made from the oil and natural gas industry to the Energy and Natural Resource Committee members is $2,251,170 for the 2010 election cycle. Murkowski has accepted more than $218,000 in oil and gas industry contributions, while Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana led all recipients on the committee with $394,950 in oil and gas industry contributions. Senator Barrasso has accepted $167,500 in oil and gas industry contributions.

While Barrasso didn’t get an opportunity to question the three executives during the committee hearing he was likely to get a second opportunity when all three testified before the Environment and Public Works Committee later on Tuesday. Senator Barrasso also sits on that committee.

A full break down of contributions made to members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee can be found at: Industry Donations

Wyo Supercomputer nears final approval

from the Wyoming Business Report

CHEYENNE — The National Science Board has given its approval to the proposed NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center, which moves the $530 million project ahead to its final hurdle of authorization by the National Science Foundation.

David Hosansky, a spokesman for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the nonprofit that manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said the board approved the project on May 5. The approval “authorized the National Science Foundation to move ahead with it (the project),” he said in an e-mail.

NCAR in Boulder is heading up the project to build the new supercomputing center in Cheyenne. The center will be dedicated to helping scientists from around the world better their understanding of climate, weather and other earth and atmospheric processes, including climate change, severe weather and air quality.

Projected construction cost for the center itself is around $66 million, which is part of an estimated total of $530 million project cost, including the supercomputers, over a 20-year period.

Denver-based Saunders Construction Inc. is providing preconstruction and, potentially, construction services for the 150,000-square-foot building in the Cheyenne LEADS North Range Business Park just west of the city. Other firms working on the project include Denver-based H+L Architecture, Boulder-based E-Cube Inc., and the California Data Center Design Group.

Depending on NSF timetable for approval, the center could begin operations by late 2011 or early 2012.

The NCAR Wyoming Super Computing Center is a partnership between NCAR, the University of Wyoming, the state of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS, the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power.

The Wyoming Business Council’s board of directors previously approved a $20 million contract to help build the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center.

For more details about the project, visit http://www.cisl.ucar.edu/nwsc/

Discover capital city’s secrets in historic homes walk

by Lauren Furtney, Cowboy State Free Press Reporter

CHEYENNE-Leather wallpaper. A house built with no kitchen. Winston Churchill’s uncle’s home. These are only a few of the secrets of Wyoming history you might discover if you attend the Wyoming State Museum Volunteers’ Annual Historic Homes Walk on Saturday May 15th in Cheyenne.

May is nationally recognized as Historic Preservation month and for six years the Wyoming State Museum Volunteers (WSMV) have organized the event.

“We choose a different route in different historical districts around the city every year,” said Beth Gianetti of the museum volunteers. This year the walk will be in the Lakeview Historic District.

Registration for the walk is on Saturday between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 2301 Van Lennen.

“We give you a guide (book) with the addresses and information and send you on your way,” Gianetti said. The booklets provide written directions and historical information about some of the homes along the trail, according to the event’s postcard.

It is a self-guided walk, she explained, so that people can go at their own pace. The homes are marked on the sidewalk ahead of time and it is approximately a one-mile walk, she added. The participants also get the volunteers’ cell phone number so if any questions or problems arise, a volunteer is available, she said.

The volunteers stay at the starting address to answer questions after the walk, and sometimes the home-owners come out to talk with walkers, Gianetti said.

“It’s fun because it’s a family event,” she said. “We have water. And dogs (on a leash) are welcome!”

Gianetti emphasized bringing dogs because the event originated as a “Wag’n Walk,” a walk for dogs, she said. “But there was a misunderstanding and so we changed the name,” she said. People thought they had to have a dog to be able to participate and that was not the intention, she said.

“It’s by donation,” she added. “People can come and they don’t have to make a donation.”

“It’s a public service,” she explained. “The (museum) volunteers have their own funds. They work to support the museum’s programs.”

People will have more of an appreciation for some of Cheyenne’s structures after the walk, said Gianetti.

“We drive by the buildings everyday but don’t notice them,” she said. The walks gives people a chance to “learn about architecture and the way things were built.”

“People on the walk will share their stories (with each other),” Gianetti said. The walk allows people “to learn fun things about people and their homes.”

For more information, call 514-0540.

Wyo Democrats gather in Casper for biennial convention

CASPER– The Wyoming Democratic Party will gather in Casper for the biennial state convention, May 14-16 at the Parkway Plaza Convention Centre.

Delegates from across the state will shape the direction of the party as they craft the party’s platform, hear from party leaders and candidates, and prepare for the 2010 election season with trainings and workshops.

Honored guest speakers at the meal events will include Oregon State Rep. Jefferson Smith, founder of the innovative “Bus Project” political action organization; and New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley, current president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs.

Former Wyo First Lady receives new award

from the Casper Star-Tribune, by Sally Ann Schurmur

CASPER–They were a community representing justice, federal and state politics, education, and religion. And all were friends — from church, the neighborhood, and from a life lived mostly in Wyoming nurturing preschoolers, planting gardens and improving the places in which we live.

And they were there, more than 100 of them, to honor Jane Sullivan with the first Louisa Swain Award on Saturday night at the Casper Petroleum Club.
There were United States senators and judges; a former governor and a current governor; one community college president, two priests and a deacon.

Read more at http://trib.com/news/local/article_396c23c3-fc36-5f77-a398-a081c178da2b.html

Wyo gov candidates should begin focusing on state issues, editorials say

by Phil Noble, Cowboy State Free Press Bureau Chief

CASPER/CHEYENNE–”If the ‘fight the feds’ mood in the campaigns of the four main GOP candidates continues unabated, one of them might try to settle things by punching Uncle Sam in the face,” says an editorial in the Casper Star Tribune.

A similar editorial in the state’s other major newspaper, the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, decries a lack of vision on the part of both the gubernatorial and Superintendent of Public Instruction races.

The CST editorial writers chide the candidates for trying to outdo each other in the “fed bashing” arena, noting that there are a plethora of issues right here at home more worthy of discussion on the campaign trail.

Among those issues, the CST says, are “energy development, education, environmental protection, employment, diversifying our economy and the state budget.”

The CST details some of the anti-fed statements made thus far during the gubernatorial campaign, wrapping up by saying, “folks, we get it.”

The WTE says essentially the same thing about the gubernatorial candidates’ sole focus on fed bashing, but adds, “A good example of this rearview-mirror approach to campaigning is the gubernatorial candidates’ fetish with agriculture and ranching. Gentlemen and lady, in case you haven’t noticed, that sector produces less than 5 percent of Wyoming’s total economic output. It may be culturally important, but do you really intend to squander your energy — and the state’s treasury — trying to bolster something that never will be a big economic winner for Wyoming?”

The WTE also blames candidates in the Superintendent of Public Instruction race for a lack of fresh thinking. “…those who want to be State Superintendent apparently believe that assailing PAWS–the state’s standardized test–is the only essential part of this year’s campaign.”

The CST editorial says all four candidates for Governor of Wyoming sat down with its editorial board recently, and that the results are at www.trib.com.

The CST goes on to say it will use its editorial page for the next four Sundays to assess what each candidate told them in those interviews.

The Cowboy State Free Press will of course continue to cover statements on the gubernatorial campaign trail and is planning to sponsor a series of debates in conjunction with local Rotary clubs around the state and others.

Simpson proposes Sunset Commission to eliminate government waste

CODY-–Wyoming Speaker of the House and gubernatorial candidate Colin Simpson says he would create a Sunset Advisory Commission to identify and eliminate waste, duplication, and inefficiency in state government agencies if elected governor.

Citing the need to make sure government stays out of the way of job creation and economic growth in Wyoming, Simpson said the proposed Commission would question the need for each agency, look for potential duplication of services or programs, and consider new and innovative changes to improve each agency’s operations.

“A key to job creation and economic growth is ensuring a light regulatory hand from the state government,” Simpson said. “There is no shortage of bureaucracy and red tape from the federal government, and state government should not add to the burden. Let’s get the legislative and executive branches together on a commission with the private sector, and identify what’s necessary and where we can cut back.”

Simpson said the proposed Commission should be composed of legislative, executive and private sector members and would review the policies and programs of each state agency every 7 years. The Commission would seek public input through hearings on every agency under Sunset review and recommend actions on each agency to the full Legislature.

The costs involved in creating such a commission would be minimal, especially when balanced against the savings achieved by eliminating costly government programs that may be unnecessary or duplicative.

“We see instances every day of regulations and red tape at the federal level making it harder for people to grow their businesses or start new ones,” Simpson said. “We need to make sure that state government makes it easier for the private sector to create jobs – not harder. Let’s get the government out of the way as much as we can and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of Wyoming’s small businesses.”

UW looking for director of new distance education program

LARAMIE–The Wyoming Governor’s Task Force on Distance Education, Video Conferencing, and IP-Based Communications is seeking an experienced Director for the new Wyoming Center for Excellence and Innovation in Distance Learning and Technology (Distance Learning Center), says an online ad on UW’s website.

With funds recently appropriated by the Wyoming Legislature, this Center will be created to provide support for distance learning statewide at all levels (K-12, community college, university, state agencies, professional organizations) and of all types (academic, training, professional development, lifelong learning).

The Director will oversee the work of the Center, which must be inclusive of and utilize distance learning expertise statewide and provide support for distance learning efforts statewide.

The Distance Learning Center will be administratively located at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming, and the Director will be classified as an at-will University of Wyoming employee.

The Director will be administratively supported and have day-to-day supervision at the University of Wyoming, but report to the Task Force for overall direction for the development of the Center. Initially, this will be a two-year position, with the possibility of renewal if funds remain available.

The Wyoming Center for Excellence and Innovation in Distance Learning and Technology
The Center is a statewide collaborative enterprise whose mission is to maximize access to quality learning resources, technology, training, and communication opportunities for all Wyoming citizens.

The Center connects learners, providers, technology, and resources to serve the State’s diverse educational needs in an equitable way. The Center will;

• Provide leadership in identifying new and innovative distance education methods and technology;
• Serve as a clearinghouse for training, best practices, and resources;
• Provide an avenue for students, providers, educational resources, and employers to communicate;
• Promote technological compatibility;
• Advocate for quality distance learning, including workforce training, professional development, technological literacy, and lifelong learning; and
• Facilitate statewide collaboration using distance technology.

Town Hall meeting on school bullying slated

CHEYENNE– Wyoming’s first-ever town hall on bullying will be held on Thursday, May 13, in Cheyenne, according to a release from the state Dept. of Education.

The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Laramie County School District 1 administration building’s auditorium at 2810 House Ave.

In addition, the town hall will be broadcast live over the Wyoming Equality Network (WEN) Video system in the high schools across the state and online, KGAB radio at 650 am, and on the internet at www.kgab.com.

It is a chance for diverse groups of people including law enforcement, parents, school staff, administration, and community members to gather in the same place at the same time, share their concerns, and hear different perspectives.

The town hall will include a discussion panel, and a question and answer period for those in attendance. Parents and all community members are invited to attend and share their thoughts, comments and ideas.

Wyo in the film spotlight

from the Billings Gazette

CODY — Some familiar Park County locations and a few local amateur actors are featured in a short film that has been chosen as a finalist in a contest sponsored by the Wyoming Film Office.

“Absaroka,” written and directed by Patrick Mignano, is a gritty and gut-wrenching Western that follows two cowboys as they seek justice — or perhaps vengeance — after outlaws prey on a hapless family moving to Wyoming Territory in 1881.

Working mostly with local actors and crew members who had little or no film experience, Mignano shot “Absaroka” entirely in Park County over several days in February.

Locals soon learned what any Hollywood veteran knows: the finished product may be glamorous, but filmmaking is a long, complex and sometimes tedious process.

“It’s amazing how much shooting they do, a whole day’s worth, and what they pick to end up with for maybe just five minutes on the screen,” said Linda Swearingen-Tremelling, a Cody mortgage broker who is friends with Mignano, and who co-produced the film.

Swearingen-Tremelling also appears in the film as a wife and mother who is brutalized and captured by outlaws.

When Mignano contacted her to help produce the film, Swearingen-Tremelling had no idea how much work it would be. She quickly found out that a small-budget movie producer does a lot of the logistics work of lining up crews, equipment, clothes, props and locations.

“For me, it was unbelievable how many times you had to redo stuff, and how long it took to get everything set up. I was a fixture in the trailer, and told them to call me when they were ready. It was really cold,” she said.

Mignano declined to discuss the film in detail, saying that he didn’t want his comments or publicity about “Absaroka” to be perceived as an attempt to influence judging of the contest. A winner will be announced May 21.

“Absaroka” was among the highest-rated of the 10 finalists chosen by viewers from more than 20 entries in the Wyoming Short Film Contest. Commenters on the contest’s website have praised the film’s cinematography, acting and direction.

Mignano, who also acted in “Absaroka,” has worked as a location manager on a number of big-budget films and television shows, including “Into the Wild,” “CSI: Miami” and “Starship Troopers,” which included scenes shot in Wyoming.

Clay Gibbons, who played the sheriff in “Absaroka,” said he was impressed with Mignano and his crew.

“This guy’s for real. He’s had a career with people in L.A. and worked on big productions,” said Gibbons, a director of Old Trail Town, a collection of historic Western buildings and artifacts where parts of “Absaroka” were filmed.

Mignano and Blu Murray, film editor for “Absaroka,” have both worked on several of the same films. They most recently worked on a number of Clint Eastwood productions, including “Gran Torino,” “Invictus” and “Hereafter,” a supernatural thriller starring Matt Damon that is scheduled for release in December.

Gibbons said local people pitched in by providing horses, clothes and props, as well as a horse-drawn wagon his son brought from Colorado.

Gibbons has long wanted to see Old Trail Town used as a location for a feature film, and though “Absaroka” is a 15-minute short, he said it makes good use of the weathered buildings arranged in the middle of Cody’s West Strip.

Mignano scouted the location before shooting, using a small videocamera to shoot test footage, he said.

“He really nailed it. He put it all together, with the scenery, the actors, costumes and just some incredible pictures,” Gibbons said.

Besides the footage from Old Trail Town, the crew spent several days shooting in remote locations, including the sprawling TE Ranch in the Upper South Fork Valley and on Jim Mountain in Wapiti.

Mignano recounts in his blog some of the challenges of shooting in Park County in the winter, including wind, changing snow cover and camera and lighting gear that sometimes malfunctioned in the below-freezing cold.

“We didn’t have the resources for true film lights and generators and all the other equipment normally used for night filming,” Mignano wrote.

The director of photography rigged battery-powered lights and used light from a campfire to shoot a night scene.

Mignano, who grew up in Star Valley, wrote that he drafted the script for “Absaroka” specifically to take advantage of locations around Cody.

He wrote that “the geography of Cody lends itself to the Western better than most areas I can think of. Within 30 miles of town in any direction you can have virtually any Western environment: high plains, badlands, rugged alpine mountains.”

Showing off Wyoming’s wealth of shooting locations is one goal of the contest, said Michell Howard, manager of the Wyoming Film Office. But it’s also meant to boost tourism.

Now in its third year, the Wyoming Short Film Contest will award $25,000 to the top film that features Wyoming settings or stories, she said.

The Film Office, part of Wyoming Travel and Tourism, works with filmmakers to find locations and crew members for film, photo and video productions in the state. It also offers incentives in the form of rebates of up to 15 percent of production costs.

With less to spend on incentives than most other states, Wyoming has recently focused on helping small, independent and emerging filmmakers, Howard said.

About 10 productions have applied for the incentive program, and about six have received funding, with some still in production and others still pending review, she said.

Ski documentaries based in Jackson and wildlife films are among the categories most often produced in Wyoming, which has fewer skilled production specialists than most other areas.

“Production infrastructure in Wyoming is probably one of the biggest challenges,” Howard said.

“We’re trying to build on that, and the Film Office has sponsored grip and electric classes,” she said.

Mignano said he was happy with the results he got from his crew of local volunteers.

“Everyone was very generous in their time and efforts, and for them to help me was really great. So I want to thank all the local people who helped make it possible,” he said.

Swearingen-Tremelling said that, despite the tedium and the cold, she would help Mignano again if he decided to make a sequel or an expanded version of “Absaroka.”

“I wouldn’t mind being in something in the future. But now that I know how much time it takes, I’d have to plan accordingly,” she said.

To view the short film, go to http://www.wyomingshortfilmcontest.com/entries/41797

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