GREEN RIVER — A pair of two-year-old mustangs were delivered to the Green River Visitor Center Monday, a summertime event that has become a tradition in Green River.
Janet Hartford, the former director of the Green River Chamber of Commerce who continues to volunteer her time with the chamber’s mustang program, told the Green River City Council Tuesday night that the mustangs are halter started by the Wyoming Honor Farm, and the horses are quite friendly. She said they’ll even come over to her when she’s feeding them to get cuddles and pets, though people should still not try to feed them or pet them.
Both horses are available for adoption for $125 each, and Hartford said she has a good success rate for adopting these horses out each year. One of last year’s horses is being kept in the horse corrals down by Scotts Bottom, and the other is being broken and trained in Lander before it will go to California.
One of this year’s mustangs is a Sorrel from the Little Colorado area, northwest of White Mountain. The other mustang is a Grulla that came from a basin north of Interstate 80 and the Jim Bridger Power Plant. In the coming weeks, Hartford will host the annual “name the mustangs” activity on her Facebook page, where community members can help choose names to give the two horses.
During the Green River City Council meeting, the Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo Committee also gave an update on last year’s rodeo as they gear up for this year’s event, happening this weekend. Committee member Karrie Collins said last year the rodeo had over 2,400 attendees across Friday and Saturday, which was record attendance for two years in a row.
This year’s rodeo will take place this Friday and Saturday with gates opening at 6 p.m. and showtime at 7 p.m. both nights.
The Council unanimously approved on second reading a proposed language amendment to the City of Green River Code of Ordinances to establish the specific boundary of a Restricted Use Control Area Overlay (RUCAO) Zone and place the overlay designation on the official zoning map. This involves the clean up of contaminated soil by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Also unanimously approved by the Council was a phone system upgrade for $120,000. Director of Finance Chris Meats said the phone system is over 15 years old. This new system will allow them to have desk phones, as well as make calls on their computers, and on their cell phones.
Lastly, a bid in the amount of $102,040 for a new Green River Animal Control transport van was approved by the Council. GRPD Chief of Police Shaun Sturlaugson said the bid came from Ken Garff of Cheyenne, and the van will allow animal control officers to more easily and safely load large animals.
