To the editor:

I owe an apology to Park County residents.

On July 20 I attended a meeting of the Park County Travel Council, of which I am a member. There was an agenda item to approve a project (in which all interested parties had earlier been publicly invited to participate) to have 30 hiking guides produced by Sunlight Sports at a cost of $17,000. As many of you know, my husband Bob Newsome started Sunlight Sports in 1971 and I joined him at the store after our marriage in 1989. We sold the store to Wes and Melissa Allen in 2010; Melissa is my sister.

The writing, photography, maps, layout, branding, editing, printing and publishing of these guides will be produced at a high professional level. This content will be used in various ways, including printing individual guides, as part of a comprehensive guidebook and on the PCTC website, CodyYellowstone.org. Funds have been saved using a local vendor because such a project with an outside agency is estimated to cost $30,000- $50,000.

Still, even though the motion passed unanimously, I should have abstained from that vote to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.

I apologize for my error in judgment in casting that vote and assure you this will not happen again.

Rep. Sandy Newsome

(HD-24) R-Cody