The following Letters to the Editor appeared in the April 22, 2026 edition of the Star Valley Independent.
Freshman Cheer
Dear Editor
Cheerleading is more than a group of enthusiastic kids rooting for the home team and firing up the fans. It has become a sport in and of itself. As such, it is an event that should have a team reserved for the freshman class.
Our middle school has teams for football, volleyball, and basketball. Yet even with two years of experience, the kids who play these sports are not expected to compete with upperclassmen when they get to high school. Instead, they get to have their very own team. But that is exactly what happens for freshman who want to go out for cheer. And because we do not have a middle school cheer team, these freshman are not only competing with seniors for a spot on the team, they are doing it for the very first time in their life.
There are many reasons why a freshman squad is indispensable. Cheer involves significant physical risk if stunts, tumbling, and bracing are not taught progressively. A freshman team allows athletes to learn these skills in a controlled, developmental environment, ensuring they are physically prepared for the advanced requirements of JV and Varsity.
Without a middle school program here in the valley, the freshman year is the primary recruitment window. Providing a space specifically for 9th graders encourages students to try the sport without the intimidation of competing for spots against seasoned upperclassmen. This ensures a steady “pipeline” of talent for the years to come.
The jump from no experience to the precision required for Varsity routines is vast. A freshman season allows athletes to master the basics of motion placement, vocal projection, and rhythm, which are the building blocks of a cohesive and professional-looking squad.
Freshmen who participate in cheer immediately become integrated into the school’s culture. They learn the traditions and expectations of our athletic department, fostering a sense of leadership and school pride that they carry with them throughout their four-year high school career.
Our school’s focus should be about providing opportunities for our kids. We are denying that when we exclude a program like freshman cheer.
With love,
Brooke Hirschi
Prayers for Peace
Dear Editor
Like many in our community, I have been reflecting on how we can respond to a world that often feels divided and uncertain. One simple but meaningful way is to come together in prayer and fellowship, grounded in the shared hope for peace.
With this spirit in mind, members of the community are warmly invited to a prayer gathering for peace inspired by the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. These teachings emphasize the oneness of humanity—that we are all part of one human family—and remind us that lasting peace begins in our hearts and communities.
The gathering will be held on Sunday, April 26, at 2:00 p.m. in the Rendezvous Room, located at 422 S. Washington in Afton. We will share prayers and readings centered on peace, unity, and the betterment of our world. Those who wish are warmly invited to bring a favorite prayer or reading about peace to share.
At its heart, this event is a simple but meaningful opportunity: to pause, to reflect, and to join with others in a shared hope for peace in our community and throughout the world.
We hope you will join us.
Sincerely,
Dru Hanich
EMS Tax
Dear Editor
The proposal for the North Lincoln County Emergency Medical Services District is currently in a 60 day public comment period following approval from the Lincoln County Commissioners on March 17. If the district is officially created by the Commissioners at the next meeting on May 19th an accompanying mill levy tax will be placed on the November 2026 General election ballot. The proposal for this was brought forward by Star Valley Health CEO Dan Ordyna, who stated EMS has been operating its EMS Services at an annual loss of $2.38 million. Star Valley Health has still not completed a comprehensive audit explaining a $3.5 million discrepancy first disclosed in 2024. The Wyoming Department of Audit recently cautioned the Lincoln County Commissioners that the entire district could face dissolution if reporting failures continued.
Public financial information is difficult to obtain, so here is what we think we know: IN FY 2024 (latest available) EMS recorded 1,114 total responses: 735 911 emergencies. 134 inter facility transports. 245 “lift assists” or patient refused transport. The EXISTING 3 MILL HOSPITAL LEVY providing dedicated tax support for EMS Services totaled $1,752,000. Existing tax support per call was $1,572. There is a claimed loss of $2,513 per run in addition to that? A loss of $4,085 per call?
Here’s what we don’t know: What is the line item budget of EMS? What is the actual cost per run of EMS? Patients are billed for this service. How much of this cost was recovered? How much was billed to medicare and medicaid? Why is current funding insufficient? Why is this new tax district (and the new taxes) needed at all? Until Star Valley Health can provide a clean audit for its existing 3 mill levy to the County Commissioners it has not met the standard of “faithful performance and discharge of duties” required by title 9. The County Commissioners should require a full independent forensic audit of the Hospital’s claimed EMS related losses before considering approving this new tax district. An organization that can not produce current accurate accounting does not deserve more tax dollars.
I oppose the formation of this new tax district. I urge the County Commissioners to reject this proposal. I urge other residents to make their opposition known to the Commissioners before May 14. Families in Star Valley are already struggling with rising costs of daily life. Placing an additional tax burden on them will only make it harder.
Walter Ackerman
Our Republic, Our Responsibility
By Amber Hyde
Disclaimer: The following article is protected speech under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and reflect the author’s opinions based on publicly available, information and legislative proceedings.
“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” God calls people to act faithfully and responsibly, while trusting Him for the outcome.
SConsider the profound gift of our Constitutional Republic—established by our forefathers, who sought its foundation in the eternal Creator God. It stands as a form of government unlike any before or since, designed to secure true liberty, protect God-given rights, and place authority in the hands of the people rather than tyrants. If such a system has been weakened, neglected, or even quietly taken from us, then we must ask: Who is responsible?
It is easy to point outward—to leaders, institutions, or cultural shifts. But responsibility ultimately returns to We the People. This nation was not only designed to serve the people; it was meant to be sustained by them.
That responsibility begins closest to home. Local governments and county offices—where decisions most directly affect daily life—have too often been abandoned by the very citizens they serve. School boards, county commissions, and city councils operate with minimal public engagement. In stepping back, We have not simply disengaged; We have handed over influence that was always meant to remain in the hands of the people.
More specifically, what of those who profess faith in God? Those who believe they carry His presence and are called to live in truth, courage, and accountability? If such people withdraw, remain silent, or neglect their duty, then what remains? A vacuum—one that will inevitably be filled by those who neither honor God nor uphold righteousness.
We cannot ignore what has happened. Through complacency and distraction, We have allowed something precious to erode. What was meant to be guarded has been left exposed. What was entrusted to us has, in many ways, been surrendered—not always by force, but by inattention.
As John Stuart Mill warned, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”
If there is a calling in this moment, it is clear: those who believe in God must not stand idle. This is not a call to domination or division, but to responsibility—to stewardship of what has been given. A country founded on God-given rights requires a people willing to live as though those rights truly come from Him.
To those who hold that belief: the time for passivity has passed. Re-engage—starting in your own county, your own town. Attend meetings. Ask questions. Hold leaders accountable. Speak truth. Act with conviction. Take seriously the responsibility entrusted to you—
