The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – April 18, 2025
Published on April 18, 2025
This week was filled with events that provided me with a sense of thankfulness and appreciation. It started with attending a funeral in Torrington for my friend, Carl Rupp. If the number of folks in the church is any indication of a life well lived, his was. The church was so full they sent people to watch on a screen in the basement. Carl was a farmer, father, grandfather, college trustee, county commissioner, church elder, and a friend to nonprofits. It was a wonderful celebration of his life. He will be missed.
The local Board of Realtors came by the office so we could make a proclamation for Fair Housing Month. Having a group dedicated to educating our community about the need to make sure everyone has the opportunity for a safe place to live is an important message. It was not always that way in our country. We had a great discussion on fair housing and Cheyenne’s housing challenges. I am thankful for their efforts.
Friday evening, LEADS held their annual banquet. As I was sitting at the event, I looked around at over 400 people who are part of the 265 businesses and individuals that choose to be members and support our economic development efforts. Cheyenne is the envy of the state because of LEADS and the successes in creating primary jobs for our community. I am so thankful for the partnerships and dedication to creating the kind of economy where our kids can choose to stay in Cheyenne and earn a living wage doing something they enjoy.
Saturday evening, the Make-A-Wish Foundation held their Cheyenne gala. Since the founding of the Wyoming chapter, 800 kids have had a wish granted. The Little America ballroom was packed with people there to cheer the kids and raise funds to make wishes happen. I loved the UW athletes who came and did silly things to raise money and awareness. At the end of the night, enough money was raised to fund 16 wishes. In a normal year, 25 kids are given their wish, so it was an epic night. I am so thankful for the volunteers and donors and so impressed with the strength of the Make-A-Wish kids and families.
John Fitzgerald joined the Cheyenne Fire Department 25 years ago. I am always so thankful to our employees who have worked for decades serving the residents of our city. Their experience and expertise help mentor the younger members of our team. I enjoy it when I get a chance to sit down with them and their families to say thanks and to hear about their careers. John shared how the fire service has changed from a job to a profession. Thanks, John!
It is time for the state assessment testing in our schools. I taped a short video to encourage the Arp Eagles as they take their tests. I am hoping all our local students did their best work this week.
Wear sunscreen! I visited my dermatologist this week and he had to remove a few spots due to my youth when I didn’t use sunscreen regularly. With summer coming, a quick reminder to use sunscreen or face the dermatologist later in life.
The highlight for this week was the dedication of the Vernon Baker bronze on O’Neil Avenue. One of the things I have loved since the start of our downtown bronze project is the aspect of keeping history alive and educating our residents and visitors about the subject of the bronze. Vernon was born in Cheyenne in 1919, raised by his grandparents, and joined the Army in June of 1941. He was part of the 92nd Division made up of Black soldiers that were commanded by white officers. On April 5, 1945, he led his heavy weapons platoon on an attack against a German-held position at Castle Aghinolfi. Previous attacks against this well entrenched mountain position had ended in disaster. Lt. Baker found his platoon stopped by a concentration of fire from machine guns positions. He crawled up to one position and took it out, continued to attack an observation post, and with help from one of his men, attacked two more machine gun nests. He then covered the evacuation of the wounded personnel of his company by occupying an exposed position and drawing the enemy’s fire. The following night he voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. The fall of the Castle helped the Allies capture Italy.
Lt. Baker was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but the white officers blocked that effort. His heroism was rewarded with the Distinguished Service Cross.
50 years later, the Army was investigating why no Black soldier had received the Medal of Honor despite more than one million soldiers serving in World War II. They reviewed past reports and found seven Black service members who deserved the Medal of Honor, including Lt. Baker. On Jan. 13, 1997, President Clinton presented Vernon with the Medal of Honor. He was one of the seven service members, but the only one still alive. It is too bad it took more than 50 years for the recognition, but I am thankful it was finally given.
We were blessed that his wife, Heidy, was able to join us for dinner on Tuesday evening and for the dedication of his bronze on Wednesday. It was such an emotional moment when she removed the covering on the bronze and caressed his face while crying as she saw a perfect rendering of her husband. It was the largest gathering we have had for a bronze dedication. I appreciate the Buffalo Soldier Honor Guard for presenting the colors, the Buffalo Soldier motorcycle group and the Combat Veterans for escorting Mrs. Baker to the site, Major Eric Jacobs for serving as the Master of Ceremonies, Stevie Gannison for his beautiful rendition of our National Anthem, Pastor Latham for the invocation, and our team of City employees who made this special day happen. A big thank you to the military members who showed up in uniform. It was quite a sight to see.
I learned about Vernon’s story after reading his book, “Lasting Valor,” more than 20 years ago. I asked Commander Ed Galovatti, USN Retired, to take on the project to commission the bronze. He flew to Idaho to get permission from his wife, selected the perfect sculptor (LaQuincey Reed), helped raise the money, and made the dedication happen. I can’t thank him enough for his leadership and dedication. It was a perfect day.
The BOPU held a water summit earlier this year. I came away understanding we need to find new water sources for when our Colorado River water supply is interrupted. Rep. Lee Filer felt the same way and he asked for a meeting to discuss how the Legislature might be able to help Cheyenne in our quest for additional water sources. He also brought Rep. Rob Geringer and I appreciate their understanding of the challenges we face and their willingness to look for solutions.
Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Easter!