Hands on deck

In early May, the Hanna Landfill let go of two of its employees.

"We had to let them go," Sharon Biamon Medicine Bow mayor and High Country Joint Powers Board (HCJP) member explained. "There were aspects of the job that were not getting fulfilled."

This put the Hanna dump in a tough position.

Besides having to let the two workers go, the dump could not continue to take trash any longer at the landfill and had to put out roll-offs for residents.

Opening the gates for people to deposit their household trash required someone to man the dump to make sure people were using the dumpsters and not try to go into the landfill itself. HCJP board members came to the conclusion, the human monitors would have to come from their group.

"I have been here for the last two Saturdays," Biamon said. "I get here at 8 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m. It creates for a long day, but people are friendly and I have had some interesting talks. Other board members have said they have had the same experience. The many people to talk to makes the day go by quicker."

The dump is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

The three days have been successfully manned to this date.

Saturday, Baimon was happy to report a worker had been hired. She knows there may still be need for volunteer work at the dump, but she is hopeful the pressure is off the board to find a person for every shift.

She said the board is still looking for another worker.

Biamon made clear the dump will be closed permanently come July 1. Dumpsters will be located throughout the town to hold the household garbage and taken away to Laramie. Currently the towns of Medicine Bow and Elk Mountain use dumpsters for their trash.

"The board is doing the best it can under a lot of trying circumstances," Biamon said. "The situation seems to be improving over just a few weeks ago."