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People who make a difference
  
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Bollinger serves the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum with prose, experience
By David Carkhuff
Editor’s note: The community responded in force with the names of candidates for People Who Make a Difference, the Buffalo Bulletin’s annual salute to people who go above and beyond for the residents of Johnson County. Because of each and every one of them, this is a better place to live, do business and raise a family.
The Bulletin reviewed dozens of nominations and multitudes of candidates to choose five. This year’s People Who Make a Difference are Gil Bollinger, Laura DeMatteis, Jan Johnson, Joyce Reculusa and David Stewart. From the bottom of our hearts and those of our readers: Thank you for all you do to make our communities a better place to call home.
Gil Bollinger could be called the scribe of Buffalo.
Bollinger said his most recent book, “A Postcard History of Wyoming: Powder River Country,” will be followed by a similar collection about cities and towns of Wyoming. He’s also awaiting the publication of a photographic history of Buffalo and the surrounding area — Arcadia Publishing will release the book this year, possibly by summer, Bollinger predicted.
For Bollinger, a local historian who has penned books on Fort McKinney, the 1867 gold rush along the Wind River Mountains and seminal Buffalo businessman Jim Gatchell, Buffalo is not only home; it’s his favorite research arena.
A former professor of geophysics from Virginia Tech, Bollinger retired to Buffalo with his wife, Jane, in 1993.
“When we retired here, we knew that this was where we wanted to retire,” he said.
Pre-retirement counseling urged thinking of retirement as a second career. Bollinger took the lesson to heart. The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum soon attracted his attention.
“I always enjoyed being in museums, so it wasn’t long before I was in the museum and a member of their foundation board. At the time, they were just starting publishing a quarterly newsletter, and they were paying writers a couple hundred dollars to write a lead research article,” he recalled.
Bollinger offered to write the next article for free. “DeSmet and his Lake,” published in the museum newsletter, The Sentry, became the first of a string of articles, written solo or in tandem with other history buffs.
“The history around here I think is virtually palpable,” Bollinger said. “The more I got into it, the more I got turned on. I always enjoyed library and archival research and writing.”
Bollinger said he concentrates on local history “because this is where I live.”
“I try to find niches that are interesting and worthwhile but haven’t been treated by someone else. Like Fort McKinney, there had never been a book written about Fort McKinney; the same thing was true about Gatchell and the museum.”
John Gavin, director of the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, said Bollinger has been indispensable.
“He has been instrumental in getting the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum press going, the museum’s publishing arm,” Gavin said, referring to the part of the museum that publishes books and a quarterly newsletter.
“He was key in compiling the Jenkins homestead cabin history in a brochure,” Gavin added.
In 1994, the museum director at the time, Gary Anderson, recruited Bollinger to the Gatchell Museum Association, a nonprofit foundation board. He served on the board for six years, including four as an officer. Then, he went to the museum advisory board and served there for eight years.
Bollinger churned out five books, three professional journal articles and seven booklets.
Gil Bollinger said he and his wife adore Buffalo and its “sense of community.”
“Buffalo is a special place, and so we found that out early, and our chuckle kind of statement now is you couldn’t get us out with dynamite.”
DeMatteis takes lessons to heart with recycling
By Mandy Jarrard
Laura DeMatteis, a leading local authority on environmental friendliness, is making a difference by working to keep things the way they are.
“Look to our west,” DeMatteis said, gesturing toward the Big Horn Mountains. “Why would we not want to preserve that and make as little impact as possible?”
DeMatteis has been advocating earth-friendly practices for many years, and has been actively involved with Johnson County’s recycling program since she first came to the Buffalo area in 1997 with her husband, John. Seasonal residents at first, the DeMatteises took advantage of the local recycling center as much as possible, and spared the landfill further by schlepping the items Buffalo’s program couldn’t accept all the way back to their other home in Dallas, where more recycling resources were available.
Now a full-time Johnson County resident, DeMatteis serves on the local recycling board and knows the program is far from lucrative. She and her fellow board members share the lifelong passion necessary to keep the program alive despite the hard work it takes just to break even.
By her calculations, maintaining a steady path to a brighter future is worth more than immediate profits.
“It doesn’t look good on paper, but monetarily it makes sense,” she said. “Today, it costs $10 million for a new landfill, which we will need sooner if we don’t recycle.”
DeMatteis said she would like to see more awareness of the impact people’s actions will have on future generations, but she added that Buffalo residents are doing an outstanding job with recycling.
“Buffalo recycles more materials than any other town in Wyoming,” she said. “The fact that we don’t even have a curbside pick-up program speaks volumes about the citizens of this town.”
Johnson ‘the number one fan’ of kids
By Grant Smith
“To me it’s not a job it’s a way of life. I’ve always approached it like that, and this position has always been really important to me,” remarked Buffalo High School Athletic/Activities Director Jan Johnson.
Johnson’s commitment and passion for her job has garnered the notice and praise of her peers and co-workers and has led to her selection as one of this year’s people who make a difference.
“Jan’s partnership with this community is unchallenged,” noted Johnson County School District No. 1 superintendent Rod Kessler. “She’s very honest and very reliable. If there’s a problem with a discipline issue or appeared unfairness, she’s an advocate for the kid. And on top of that she probably bleeds black and gold.”
Johnson’s career at Buffalo High School began in 1985. She was hired to coach athletics and teach physical education. Working under the tutelage of now-retired athletic director Jerry Campbell, Johnson explained the impact his style had on her.
“There’s only been two athletic directors at Buffalo High School: me and Jerry Campbell. Jerry loved kids. He was a great role model and a great person to watch. He’d stand in the hallways and know every single kid. He would know their names and what was going on in their lives.”
The lesson was well-heeded, and the admonishments of commitment to children now fall on Johnson.
“I would say Jan is the number one fan of our kids,” Kate Holt said. “I see her walking down the hallways and the commons, and as she passes by the kids she pats them on the shoulder and shows that she cares. I don’t think it matters to her if the kid is an athlete.”
As a matter of fact, it doesn’t.
“For some of these kids, we’re all they have, not all the kids but some,” Johnson said. “It is very important that we provide that stable environment for everyone and act as role models for all the kids to look up to; it doesn’t matter if they’re an athlete or not.”
While Johnson is quick to defer praise to a caring community and supportive administration, there is no doubt that her often 80-hour work weeks, her devotion to extra-curricular activities and her level of allegiance to the position have made Buffalo High School a center of pride for the community.
“She’s at every event no matter the time, no matter the weather, no matter the day,” stated Holt. “She is our number one ambassador for Buffalo and our number one cheerleader for the kids.”
Reculusa brings enthusiasm to Kaycee activities, efforts
By Grant Smith
When you live in a small town, the value of a good neighbor increases considerably.
You learn to lend a hand when times are tough and a smile when things are running smooth.
It’s refreshing to find this dying breed of hospitality still verdant in the town of Kaycee.
“Joyce means a lot in a town of this size,” said Kaycee Voice co-editor Ginger Curichet. “Her enthusiasm is just contagious, and she is the type of person you can count on if you ever need help. And in this town that happens a lot.”
Joyce Reculusa has done a lot for Kaycee. Whether through her efforts of spearheading the Deke Latham Memorial Rodeo or working as a volunteer for the Hoofprints of the Past museum, Reculusa has always been willing to answer whatever call is thrown her way.
“I’m a member of the Hoofprints and help out with whatever they’re doing,” stated Reculusa. “I just think that what they’re doing is such a good thing for the community, especially through their tour to the Hole in the Wall. I think that everyone in Kaycee wants things to succeed. Us and our neighbors are all in there trying to help each other and help things succeed, whether it’s the sheepdog trials or the museum.”
In tribute to her late son, Reculusa helped start the Deke Latham Memorial Rodeo.
For over 20 years, Reculusa kept the rodeo running strong, adding the unique draw of a professional rodeo to her hometown.
“Joyce has worked endlessly on getting the rodeo going and keeping it going,” noted Curichet. “We worked together for quite a while on it, and she made a lot of good contacts.”
Reculusa attributes her western upbringing for what others perceive as her outstanding character.
“I guess I’m just a common-sense sort of person,” said Reculusa. “I think one of the things about a small community is that you know when people need help whether they call you or not. I know that it’s tough on teenagers because everyone knows what they’re up to, but for us adults it’s one of the thing I like the best. I think we’re all mostly in the same circumstance.”
“She is a friend and someone you can trust,” stated Kaycee resident Deirdre Stoelzle-Graves. “You know she is always speaking from the heart. She works so hard and yet she always takes the time to call someone that is having trouble just to let you know that she is there for you.”
Helping people in a jam
By Mandy Jarrard
David Stewart is a songwriter and musician who has gained respect in the community for his leadership in a project that combines culture with altruism.
Still, he would rather see the community itself receive the honor of People who Make a Difference.
“The people here just give and give and give,” he said.
Stewart’s road to this particular recognition began with a simple desire to bring people together in Buffalo to make music. Just over two years ago, he joined Lynn Young, Doug Brothers, Charlie Firnekas and Dan Carlat in starting the Thursday night jam sessions at the Occidental Saloon, and the event grew into a tribute to the giving nature of Buffalo.
At first, the musicians, to whom Stewart refers as the “pickers,” planned to invest the tip money from the jams into a sound system, but they found that unnecessary when the saloon owner offered to buy the system. One gift led to another, and in 2007, a new benefit for the needy was born.
“So we talked about giving the money to people in need in the community,” Stewart said. “The first money we gave away, I believe it was like $60 we gave to a family in need.”
It felt so good the pickers ran with it. In no time, the jam sessions began to get attention as a vessel for sharing with the rest of the community. Donations rolled in, not just from the audience in the saloon, but from local businesses and the public at large as well.
“It’s amazing. Every time the can is depleted, it seems to fill right back up,” Stewart said. “I’ll never forget what Doug (Brothers) said: ‘You can’t out-give the Lord.’ And I said, ‘We’ve got to write that song.’”
Stewart has been working on the song ever since.
He doesn’t do it for the glory, as evidenced by his reluctance to accept the title of person-who-makes-a-difference. He used his interview to hand the credit over to those who make Buffalo such a charitable community.
“I’m honored and very humbled, but without these people, none of this would be possible,” he said. “I feel good about being part of it.”
By David Carkhuff
Editor’s note: The community responded in force with the names of candidates for People Who Make a Difference, the Buffalo Bulletin’s annual salute to people who go above and beyond for the residents of Johnson County. Because of each and every one of them, this is a better place to live, do business and raise a family.
The Bulletin reviewed dozens of nominations and multitudes of candidates to choose five. This year’s People Who Make a Difference are Gil Bollinger, Laura DeMatteis, Jan Johnson, Joyce Reculusa and David Stewart. From the bottom of our hearts and those of our readers: Thank you for all you do to make our communities a better place to call home.
Gil Bollinger could be called the scribe of Buffalo.
Bollinger said his most recent book, “A Postcard History of Wyoming: Powder River Country,” will be followed by a similar collection about cities and towns of Wyoming. He’s also awaiting the publication of a photographic history of Buffalo and the surrounding area — Arcadia Publishing will release the book this year, possibly by summer, Bollinger predicted.
For Bollinger, a local historian who has penned books on Fort McKinney, the 1867 gold rush along the Wind River Mountains and seminal Buffalo businessman Jim Gatchell, Buffalo is not only home; it’s his favorite research arena.
A former professor of geophysics from Virginia Tech, Bollinger retired to Buffalo with his wife, Jane, in 1993.
“When we retired here, we knew that this was where we wanted to retire,” he said.
Pre-retirement counseling urged thinking of retirement as a second career. Bollinger took the lesson to heart. The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum soon attracted his attention.
“I always enjoyed being in museums, so it wasn’t long before I was in the museum and a member of their foundation board. At the time, they were just starting publishing a quarterly newsletter, and they were paying writers a couple hundred dollars to write a lead research article,” he recalled.
Bollinger offered to write the next article for free. “DeSmet and his Lake,” published in the museum newsletter, The Sentry, became the first of a string of articles, written solo or in tandem with other history buffs.
“The history around here I think is virtually palpable,” Bollinger said. “The more I got into it, the more I got turned on. I always enjoyed library and archival research and writing.”
Bollinger said he concentrates on local history “because this is where I live.”
“I try to find niches that are interesting and worthwhile but haven’t been treated by someone else. Like Fort McKinney, there had never been a book written about Fort McKinney; the same thing was true about Gatchell and the museum.”
John Gavin, director of the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, said Bollinger has been indispensable.
“He has been instrumental in getting the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum press going, the museum’s publishing arm,” Gavin said, referring to the part of the museum that publishes books and a quarterly newsletter.
“He was key in compiling the Jenkins homestead cabin history in a brochure,” Gavin added.
In 1994, the museum director at the time, Gary Anderson, recruited Bollinger to the Gatchell Museum Association, a nonprofit foundation board. He served on the board for six years, including four as an officer. Then, he went to the museum advisory board and served there for eight years.
Bollinger churned out five books, three professional journal articles and seven booklets.
Gil Bollinger said he and his wife adore Buffalo and its “sense of community.”
“Buffalo is a special place, and so we found that out early, and our chuckle kind of statement now is you couldn’t get us out with dynamite.”
DeMatteis takes lessons to heart with recycling
By Mandy Jarrard
Laura DeMatteis, a leading local authority on environmental friendliness, is making a difference by working to keep things the way they are.
“Look to our west,” DeMatteis said, gesturing toward the Big Horn Mountains. “Why would we not want to preserve that and make as little impact as possible?”
DeMatteis has been advocating earth-friendly practices for many years, and has been actively involved with Johnson County’s recycling program since she first came to the Buffalo area in 1997 with her husband, John. Seasonal residents at first, the DeMatteises took advantage of the local recycling center as much as possible, and spared the landfill further by schlepping the items Buffalo’s program couldn’t accept all the way back to their other home in Dallas, where more recycling resources were available.
Now a full-time Johnson County resident, DeMatteis serves on the local recycling board and knows the program is far from lucrative. She and her fellow board members share the lifelong passion necessary to keep the program alive despite the hard work it takes just to break even.
By her calculations, maintaining a steady path to a brighter future is worth more than immediate profits.
“It doesn’t look good on paper, but monetarily it makes sense,” she said. “Today, it costs $10 million for a new landfill, which we will need sooner if we don’t recycle.”
DeMatteis said she would like to see more awareness of the impact people’s actions will have on future generations, but she added that Buffalo residents are doing an outstanding job with recycling.
“Buffalo recycles more materials than any other town in Wyoming,” she said. “The fact that we don’t even have a curbside pick-up program speaks volumes about the citizens of this town.”
Johnson ‘the number one fan’ of kids
By Grant Smith
“To me it’s not a job it’s a way of life. I’ve always approached it like that, and this position has always been really important to me,” remarked Buffalo High School Athletic/Activities Director Jan Johnson.
Johnson’s commitment and passion for her job has garnered the notice and praise of her peers and co-workers and has led to her selection as one of this year’s people who make a difference.
“Jan’s partnership with this community is unchallenged,” noted Johnson County School District No. 1 superintendent Rod Kessler. “She’s very honest and very reliable. If there’s a problem with a discipline issue or appeared unfairness, she’s an advocate for the kid. And on top of that she probably bleeds black and gold.”
Johnson’s career at Buffalo High School began in 1985. She was hired to coach athletics and teach physical education. Working under the tutelage of now-retired athletic director Jerry Campbell, Johnson explained the impact his style had on her.
“There’s only been two athletic directors at Buffalo High School: me and Jerry Campbell. Jerry loved kids. He was a great role model and a great person to watch. He’d stand in the hallways and know every single kid. He would know their names and what was going on in their lives.”
The lesson was well-heeded, and the admonishments of commitment to children now fall on Johnson.
“I would say Jan is the number one fan of our kids,” Kate Holt said. “I see her walking down the hallways and the commons, and as she passes by the kids she pats them on the shoulder and shows that she cares. I don’t think it matters to her if the kid is an athlete.”
As a matter of fact, it doesn’t.
“For some of these kids, we’re all they have, not all the kids but some,” Johnson said. “It is very important that we provide that stable environment for everyone and act as role models for all the kids to look up to; it doesn’t matter if they’re an athlete or not.”
While Johnson is quick to defer praise to a caring community and supportive administration, there is no doubt that her often 80-hour work weeks, her devotion to extra-curricular activities and her level of allegiance to the position have made Buffalo High School a center of pride for the community.
“She’s at every event no matter the time, no matter the weather, no matter the day,” stated Holt. “She is our number one ambassador for Buffalo and our number one cheerleader for the kids.”
Reculusa brings enthusiasm to Kaycee activities, efforts
By Grant Smith
When you live in a small town, the value of a good neighbor increases considerably.
You learn to lend a hand when times are tough and a smile when things are running smooth.
It’s refreshing to find this dying breed of hospitality still verdant in the town of Kaycee.
“Joyce means a lot in a town of this size,” said Kaycee Voice co-editor Ginger Curichet. “Her enthusiasm is just contagious, and she is the type of person you can count on if you ever need help. And in this town that happens a lot.”
Joyce Reculusa has done a lot for Kaycee. Whether through her efforts of spearheading the Deke Latham Memorial Rodeo or working as a volunteer for the Hoofprints of the Past museum, Reculusa has always been willing to answer whatever call is thrown her way.
“I’m a member of the Hoofprints and help out with whatever they’re doing,” stated Reculusa. “I just think that what they’re doing is such a good thing for the community, especially through their tour to the Hole in the Wall. I think that everyone in Kaycee wants things to succeed. Us and our neighbors are all in there trying to help each other and help things succeed, whether it’s the sheepdog trials or the museum.”
In tribute to her late son, Reculusa helped start the Deke Latham Memorial Rodeo.
For over 20 years, Reculusa kept the rodeo running strong, adding the unique draw of a professional rodeo to her hometown.
“Joyce has worked endlessly on getting the rodeo going and keeping it going,” noted Curichet. “We worked together for quite a while on it, and she made a lot of good contacts.”
Reculusa attributes her western upbringing for what others perceive as her outstanding character.
“I guess I’m just a common-sense sort of person,” said Reculusa. “I think one of the things about a small community is that you know when people need help whether they call you or not. I know that it’s tough on teenagers because everyone knows what they’re up to, but for us adults it’s one of the thing I like the best. I think we’re all mostly in the same circumstance.”
“She is a friend and someone you can trust,” stated Kaycee resident Deirdre Stoelzle-Graves. “You know she is always speaking from the heart. She works so hard and yet she always takes the time to call someone that is having trouble just to let you know that she is there for you.”
Helping people in a jam
By Mandy Jarrard
David Stewart is a songwriter and musician who has gained respect in the community for his leadership in a project that combines culture with altruism.
Still, he would rather see the community itself receive the honor of People who Make a Difference.
“The people here just give and give and give,” he said.
Stewart’s road to this particular recognition began with a simple desire to bring people together in Buffalo to make music. Just over two years ago, he joined Lynn Young, Doug Brothers, Charlie Firnekas and Dan Carlat in starting the Thursday night jam sessions at the Occidental Saloon, and the event grew into a tribute to the giving nature of Buffalo.
At first, the musicians, to whom Stewart refers as the “pickers,” planned to invest the tip money from the jams into a sound system, but they found that unnecessary when the saloon owner offered to buy the system. One gift led to another, and in 2007, a new benefit for the needy was born.
“So we talked about giving the money to people in need in the community,” Stewart said. “The first money we gave away, I believe it was like $60 we gave to a family in need.”
It felt so good the pickers ran with it. In no time, the jam sessions began to get attention as a vessel for sharing with the rest of the community. Donations rolled in, not just from the audience in the saloon, but from local businesses and the public at large as well.
“It’s amazing. Every time the can is depleted, it seems to fill right back up,” Stewart said. “I’ll never forget what Doug (Brothers) said: ‘You can’t out-give the Lord.’ And I said, ‘We’ve got to write that song.’”
Stewart has been working on the song ever since.
He doesn’t do it for the glory, as evidenced by his reluctance to accept the title of person-who-makes-a-difference. He used his interview to hand the credit over to those who make Buffalo such a charitable community.
“I’m honored and very humbled, but without these people, none of this would be possible,” he said. “I feel good about being part of it.”
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