Casper StariTribune Tuesday, June 19, 20G1 In Brief JL fS -Cy- SARAH BETH BARNETTStar-Trlbunt Bartender Michelle Walker serves a beer at the Spirits Bar in the Radisson on Monday afternoon during happy hour. City eyes TIPS program for liquor licensees 'Not only does it give liquor establishments more ability to keep down drunk driving and underage drinking, it also trains people to be better in the business how to make more MIKE MOSIER. TIPS PROGRAM DIRECTOR Wyoming Department of Revenue's Liquor Division said responsible drinking in an establishment brings in more tips and more customers. "Really, in the alcohol industry, what they're doing is selling atmosphere," he said. "You can go just about anywhere and buy a $2 beer.
But how you make money in the liquor industry is by repeat customers. So if you sell a socially responsible place where somebody wants to be. you get repeat customers, and that's how you make it in this industry. People tend to like responsible places." He said some bars are concerned only with getting customers to spend money. "If that means getting them totally trashed, and those people get DUIs or get into alcohol crashes and unfortunately some of those are fatal crashes those people aren't coming back," he said.
Mosier added that people who come into a bar to get as drunk as possible tend to spend the next day or so recovering and aren't likely to repeat the experience the next night. part of their license renewal," Witko said. TIPS program director Mike Mosier said that while he's happy to see the city of Casper get involved with TIPS, he questions the City Council's proposal to make the program mandatory. A former bartender, Mosier said retailers are the first line of defense against irresponsible drinking. "Voluntary participation is always preferable to mandatory," he said.
"Let's see what voluntary participation does first before we take other steps." The Wyoming State Liquor Association is funding the TIPS program through a federal grant administrated by the Wyoming Department of Health's Substance Abuse Division, said Mosier. The grant allows the course to be offered for free in Wyoming. He said the goal is to train 1,000 people in the state by the end of the year. The program, he said, provides classes on how to serve alcohol responsibly and how servers can legally protect themselves. "Much of the class focuses By MARK BRADY Star-Tribune staff writer An alcohol service training program offered to Casper liquor license holders will be voluntary this year, the Casper City Council said.
But that may not be the case next year. The council last week asked City Attorney Jack Stewart to draft a letter to all liquor license holders in the city encouraging them to send all of their employees who serve liquor to a Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program being offered around the state. The council, however, did say it is considering an ordinance change that would make TIPS participation mandatory for renewal of liquor licenses. Assistant Casper City Manager Linda Witko said that if passed, the ordinance may not be in place until 2003. "At this point, (council members) are going to send a letter out encouraging voluntary compliance with the idea of putting them on notice that it will become mandatory down the line as to make sure that we're on the same page." "Law enforcement, city government and retailers all want the same thing," he said.
"Nobody likes drunk driving, no one likes irresponsible drinking and no one likes underage drinking." He said the program has so far been incredibly successful. "Not only does it give liquor establishments more ability to keep down drunk driving and underage drinking, it also trains people to be better in the business -how to make more money," he said. "A responsible establishment makes more money, as well." Thomas Montoya of the on people skills involving people that are drinking and also basic knowledge on how people get intoxicated what happens, the repercussions of intoxication both legally and socially," he said. "The problem is we don't always have a set training program for people in the retail industry, and this does furnish that." He said he always trains liquor retailers and servers in the same room as members of law enforcement. "The idea is to bring the two sides together," he said.
"And the response, by the way, has been incredible. The response from law enforcement has been very positive, because we all need FROM STAFF REPORTS District awaits WyCAS results Anyone interested in seeing how the Natrona County school district did on the Wyoming Comprehensive Assessment System (WyCAS) tests will have to wait until next week. While the statewide figures were released Monday by State Superintendent Judy Catchpole, all district, individual school and student reports are not expected to be shipped to district offices before Friday, according to a memo from Scott Marion, director of assessment and accountability for the state Department of Education. Marion estimates that districts should have the results in hand by June 26. Marion said he intends to release all school and district results to the media and post results on the Internet at (www.asme.comwycasindex.htm).
Marion said each school district will receive all its WyCAS data on CD-ROM format in late July, as well as its individual student reports and WyCAS-Alt results for students with diminished mental capability who participated in the WyCAS testing last March. BP, DEQ to meet today on cleanup methods BP, formerly BP Amoco, and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality plan to hold meetings today and tomorrow on the DEQ's proposed cleanup methods for the former Amoco refinery property. The meetings are scheduled to be held at the BP office at 1707 W. Yellowstone. DEQ is planning to release for public comment its draft Remedy Decision outlining how the agency would like BP to clean up the refinery site.
For more information, call BP at 2614359. Arrests made in abuse cases Officers arrested three people in two separate incidents of alleged domestic violence this past weekend, according to documents filed in Natrona County Circuit Court. The cases fall under the Domestic Violence Protection Act, which allows officers to make arrests even when victims are unwilling to press charges. Police arrested a 39-year-old man who allegedly choked his wife and pushed her head against a wall during an argument about 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the couple's home in the 2200 block of Shumway, according to an affidavit filed in Natrona County Circuit Court.
Police reported that the woman's neck was red and swollen. Officers arrested a 41-yearoid man and his 36-year-old girlfriend after the two allegedly assaulted each other about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at their home in the 2600 block of South McKinley Street, according to a court document. The woman alleged her boyfriend pointed a gun at her, grabbed her by the throat and also backhanded her, the document states. The man alleged his girlfriend scratched his torso and back.
Officers noted seeing scratches on the man's body but no sign of injury to the woman, according to the documents. Big Brothers Big Sisters seeks volunteers Big Brothers Big Sisters is looking for adults for its three youth-mentoring programs, according to a prepared statement from the program. The one-on-one program provides adults with an opportunity to spend time with individual children. The adult and child set their own schedule to participate in activities they both enjoy. The school-mentoring program starts after a school staff person identifies a child who could use an adult friend.
The adult volunteers spend time with a child at school or at a summer program, either with tutoring or, preferably, with developing a friendship. The group-mentoring program arranges for one or more adults to meet with a group of children. These groups work on improving communication and team-building skills through fun activities. For more information or to volunteer, call Kimberly Zufelt at Big Brothers Big Sisters at 26S2227. CAC inmate escapes The Natrona County Sheriff's Office is looking for a Community Alternatives of Casper inmate who reportedly failed to return to the minimum-security facility Saturday.
Charles Reno, 21 reportedly left work at the Village Inn on Wyoming Blvd. around 320 am Saturday but did not show up to CAC by his 4 a.m. curfew, sheriffs Sgt Rex Hartford said Hartford requests that anyone with Information regarding Reno's whereabouts call Crimestoppers at (307) 577-T1PS (8477). Current water supply adequate just barely Teachers union to hold special meeting tonight 'We need a major recovery when it comes to JOHN LAWSON, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION notice of its intent to terminate the contract. McCall said his interpretation of the Professional Negotiations Agreement (PNA) makes it clear that notice must be given by Jan.
31 of the contract year to either negotiate or terminate the contract. But board Chairman Nick Murdock says no breach of contract occurred. He and fellow board members gave notice when they voted to allow the PNA to expire Aug. 14, Murdock said. The board now plans to create a new contract and present it to teachers by June 29.
Individual teachers may choose or refuse to accept the terms of the contract, but risk losing their jobs if they don't sign. This action was taken after lengthy negotiations that ended in impasse and stopped altogether after one day of mediation. McNamee said the NCEA is still trying to re-establish communication with the board. The last attempt was made through mediator Amy Jenkins on Thursday, McNamee said. The board had yet to respond to the NCEA as of Monday evening, she said.
"It takes two to sit down and open dialogue in open faith, and we're very willing to do that," she said. By DEIRDRE STOELZLE Star-Tribune staff writer The Natrona County Education Association has scheduled a special meeting of its membership tonight at 7 p.m. at the Hall of Champions at the Natrona County Fairground to discuss legal ramifications and other issues related to the now-terminated teachers' contract, NCEA President Alice McNamee said Monday. McNamee said that among other issues, the NCEA is trying to determine whether striking is an option for teachers to consider. "We are looking into that now, but we don't know one way or the other," she said.
"We are looking into several different actions." The Natrona County school board earlier this month voted 7-1 to let the Professional Negotiations Agreement expire and to form a new employment contract to present to teachers by June 29. Board member Donn McCall, who cast the lone dissenting vote, contends the school board violated the terms of its contract with teachers by giving insufficient By BRODIE FARQUHAR Star-Tribune staff writer June may seem like a odd time of year to think about snow, but John Lawson can be excused the snowpack of Wyoming and northern Colorado determine the bulk of water for the Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs he manages in Wyoming. Lawson said some 80 percent of the water in North Platte, Wind and Shoshone reservoirs is caused by snowmelt runoff, between April and July of each year. "Of that amount on the North Platte, 70 percent enters the system upstream or above Pathfinder." Lawson said. Summertime thunderstorms and showers if plentiful enough can slow down demands for irrigation water, he said, but are not significant contributors to water levels in Wyoming reservoirs.
The seven BuRec reservoirs along the North Platte continue to have enough carryover water to meet irrigator demands this summer. Lawson said, as he predicted last month. Yet another winter of low snowfalls could force the system to draw down even further on carryover supplies, he warned. "That could affect recreation interests and wildlife." Lawson said. He warned that in other parts of the state, reservoir levels can look worse than they really are.
For example, travelers from Casper to Riverton have to cross the Boysen Reservoir on a causeway, surrounded by mud flats that are turning a brilliant shade of green from flourishing grasses. Results still out on Def-Tec area testing "The reservoir is so flat and shallow at that end, that it can look bad real soon," Lawson said. Boysen is lower than normal, down to 77 percent of its 30-year average, he said. Still, the reservoir holds 450.000 acre feet of water right now and will hold 376,000 acre feet by the end of the irrigation season Sept. 30.
"To put that in perspective, Alcova Reservoir holds 180.000 acre feet." Lawson said. He has varying levels of concern about water supplies around the state. Up on the Wind River system, the Midvale Irrigation District will be short on water this season. Lawson said. The Shoshone system notably the Buffalo Bill Reservoir will lose all its carryover water by the end of this irrigation system, Lawson said.
As a result, the 640.000 acre-foot capacity reservoir will be down to 170,000 acre feet by Sept. 30, he said. "We need a major recovery when it conies to snowpack." Lawson said, "or the situation could get pretty dismal by next year." Without heavy snows next winter, the North Platte system will use up its carryover supply and be like the Buffalo Bill Reservoir this year. Law-son warned. better idea of what, if anything, is going on with properties surrounding the tear-gas manufacturing and testing facility on Neosho Road some 10 miles north of Casper.
Harrington said the water test results don't have any dramatic or eye-opening information. The water, soil and dust swipe samples were taken from homes surrounding the Defense Technology plant homes in which residents were complaining of such ailments as burning eyes, noses and throats, headaches, nausea and vomiting all symptoms of exposure to tear gas. Harrington and State Epidemiologist Karl Musgrave share lead responsibility on the Defense Technology investigation. By the Star-Tribune staff City of Casper-Natrona County Health Department Director Robert Harrington said state and federal officials will wait for all the Defense Technology soil and dust test results to come in later this week before they determine what further testing may be necessary. Water sample test results are In, Harrington said.
He declined to discuss those results just now. "We want to correlate the water test results with those of the soil samples and dust swipes," Harrington said, referring to samples taken by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Looking at all the evidence will give officials a City Editor Deirdre Stoelzle, For Information, questions and comments about this page, call the city desk (307) 2660582 or (800) 442-6916: e-mail editorsalrib.com; fax (307) 26fiHi8. -4-.
