The Key to Medicine Bow

Kenda and Jim Colman depart Medicine Bow after four decades of service to the community

Kenda and Jim Colman first came to Medicine Bow 42 years ago when Jim was hired at Medicine Bow High School. Kenda did not really know much about small town living. When she and Jim married the first place they lived was Omaha, Nebraska.

"When Jim got hired at Medicine Bow, I thought I knew what the West was like having been raised in Ft. Collins but I was totally shocked. No paved streets, no sidewalks, no nothing," Kenda said. "I really felt like we had stepped back in time."

Kenda said she and Jim were involved in the community from almost the beginning.

"We started with the fire department," Kenda said. "Then we went into EMT training. Jim and I, between us, served 14 years on the ambulance service. After working with the ambulance and fire department, I got the bright idea to work with the government and decided to run for a council seat and the rest is history."

Kenda estimated she spent almost half her time on the town council. She recently retired as the deputy town clerk/treasurer. During her time on council she is proud to have served the community of Medicine Bow in the different ways she has.

Kenda remembers, about six years ago, when she was told by a repairman that Medicine Bow would see high speed internet when "hell froze over" after she asked him how long he thought it would be.

"I started contacting provider companies that day and the first calls all did say we were too small," Kenda said. "Then I called a company in Nebraska and he worked it out to make it happen in two months. I guess hell froze over a lot because now the town actually has a selection of providers."

Kenda tells the story to impress that while Medicine Bow has been written off in people's minds, the town and area have a lot to offer. Wind energy companies and employees see that.

This past summer, the fire department would offer a dinner to the workers on the turbines and roads for under five dollars every Friday. Kenda and Jim said the workers really appreciated how the town looked out for them.

During the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council's deliberations on how much towns needed for impact funding concerning the different wind projects coming to the area, Kenda was at the meetings with other Medicine Bow council members defending the town's request.

"I remember at one meeting I was told that these funds were not there to fix up a town," Kenda recalled. "I told the person, impact means how it effects something. The impact of all the people and machinery hitting our town will affect our town and if we are not going to be compensated in a lasting manner, why should we go through it? It has to be something lasting that the residents can look at and say wind energy built that. This impact can be a positive legacy and that is what we strived for when asking for what we did."

Her views have not always been popular at meetings in Carbon County, but Kenda said she got a note from Carbon County Commissioner Sue Jones that said she was going to miss Kenda.

"I am going to miss her too," Kenda said.

This reporter remembers when the recent Special Purpose Tax was being promoted at the Carbon County Fair, only Kenda and Sue Jones ever manned the booth asking for support of the tax. Kenda, driving from Medicine Bow, was there every day the booth was open. No other municipality sent a representative, not even Rawlins where the fair was located.

"It made me a little angry at first no other town sent anyone, but after I thought about it, I was happy to be talking to the public explaining how it could help all of Carbon County and the towns," Kenda said.

The tax passed.

Kenda is not the only Colman that was involved in Carbon County boards and the town of Medicine Bow.

Jim was the town's representative to South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS). He has watched it go through changes over the years he has been involved.

His fondest memories of the town however was when he taught at the high school.

"We had kids of our own but in this community, all kids were everyone's kids. Every kid was a brother and sister to each other," Jim said. "The school was the heart of the town. People in wheelchairs would be at every game. It was easy to become involved with Medicine Bow. You wanted to be involved."

Besides having to resign from SCWEMS this past council meeting, he also resigned as chairman of planning and zoning for the town.

The Colmans were not looking to leave Medicine Bow, but their son Kevin, who was mayor, left last year to live out of state and their other son lives in Lander with his family.

The town was looking for a house to buy for the new law enforcement officer and the Colmans decided to put their house in the market along with six other houses.

"The past year I had seen how houses were moving and, when this opportunity came up, we just decided to see what would happen," Kenda said.

Their house was picked last month. Before they knew it, the Colmans had a house in Lander and were moving from Medicine Bow.

They found their departure date on February 17.

They attended one last town meeting where they would resign their different posts.

The meeting started as usual and then Mayor Sharon Biamon presented a Key to the Town to the Colmans. It was handcrafted by local resident Dave McNett. The mayor said they are welcome back anytime.

This is only the second time the key has been given away in any near memory. Resident Don Mayfield, who has lived in Medicine Bow over 70 years, said the only other time was when it was sent to Iraq during Desert Storm. The town had adopted a unit where the Colman's youngest son, Clayton served.

"We gave the key to honor what those boys were doing for America," Mayfield said. "That is the only other time I can remember honoring folk with a key to the town."

The specialness of this presentation is not lost on the Colmans and were awestruck and proud of having received the honor.

"I have heard that sometimes it was hard to get people to work and live in Medicine Bow," Kenda said. "That is not true. We have proven that with all the applications that came in for our law enforcement officer. That is a prejudice that comes from others who have not examined what this wonderful town has to offer."

Both Colmans say it is difficult to leave behind so many people they care about. They said the senior center is one of their favorite haunts in town and it, with its people, will be missed tremendously.

"I am going to miss my kids," Jim said. "They may be retired from their jobs now, such as Bill Nation, but when I see them they are still my kids."

Kenda said cards have been coming in for Jim from all over the state and country expressing their thanks for his kindness as a teacher in Medicine Bow.

"This a special place. I am excited about what lies ahead; I even think of it as a new adventure getting to live in Lander and be with my son and grandkids," Kenda said. "But this place is a part of me and Jim and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to have lived in this wonderful community. We may not live here, but we will be back to visit."

The Key to the Town certainly indicates the Colmans will be welcomed back with open arms.

 

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