'Picketting' Museum

The Carbon County Museum had a meet and greet for Steven Deniro, the new Executive Director, and offered a book signing by author C.J. Box starting at 5 p.m. and lasting until 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Box and his wife, Laurie, signed a contract with the museum to do book signings once a year. In turn, the museum will be naming the bookstore in the new facility being built after the couple.

Box signed copies of his new book, "The Disappeared," along with other copies of his books that the museum had in stock. His newest book was number one on the New York Times bestsellers list two weeks ago, and number three the week after.

"So this book is really hanging in there," Box said.

Box said he was pleasantly surprised to reach number one.

"I had another book that was number one two years ago," Box said. "This book was against bigger competition. It beat out James Patterson and Danielle Steele."

The purchasers were of all ages. Family members often went in together to meet Box, who was in a room set aside for his signing.

"You are my son's favorite writer," said a father with his boy standing next to him. Box smiled and thanked the boy.

Box did the book signing to help the museum, which had purchased the books for their current retail shop.

"It is a fundraiser," Box said.

Deniro was happy Box was there to help the museum, although he had just met him earlier for the first time.

Deniro said he has been in Wyoming for less than a month. He came from Philadelphia where he had been a professor at a small private university teaching history for 20 years.

"A lot of my work had to do with international issues," Deniro said. "I have always had an interest in the U.S. and my fascination and research has always been with indigenous populations."

Deniro said he started investigating job possibilities in the west and saw the Carbon County Museum position and applied in early February. He interviewed a few weeks later and, after he had ended the phone call, he was offered the job.

"Bottom line, I am interested in education and I believe that museums are about education," Deniro said. "I believe that anything that has to do with looking back at our past, in terms of our present, prepares us for the future."

He said museums help people get in touch with their past. Deniro said it helps understand a culture understand where it came from.

He said he is looking forward to working with the other Carbon County museums.

"We want to work with the other museums in an integrated way," Deniro said. "Our museum is one of several and we try to work with the others in a coordinated manner."

Deniro looks forward to seeing all the museums in Carbon County and meeting people from all over the county.

At 6 p.m. Box and his wife attended the signing ceremony in front of all the attendees.

Both C.J. and Laurie signed the document although an official name for the new facility had yet to be assigned.

"On behalf of the museum, I want to thank C.J. for the commitment to this institution over the years and for what we are about to do here," Deniro said. "We have a new name for the bookstore in the new facility and it is going to be beautiful. It will have this man and his wife's name on it."

After the ceremony, Box went back to signing books and Deniro continued introduce himself to attendees.

Deniro said he knows there are many history buffs in Carbon County he has not met. He hopes to change that and invites people to come and meet him.

"Come in and introduce yourself and tell me about what I should know about your area."