Dear editor:

Ten ways to improve/increase jobs in Cody, Wyoming.

1. Add a roller rink: By adding one it will increase family fun, add jobs, it’s fun for everyone, it is also a great way to exercise, we could get a roller derby team set up and begin competing against other teams, plus it’s something to do during the winter.

2. Adding a mini/strip mall, one that would have a Target, Petco/PetSmart, Pottery Barn or a Bath and Body Works. If you go with this plan not only will it increase jobs, but it will also save a lot of locals gas money. It will also benefit the tourists on their way to Yellowstone. (Especially pet owners who have animals with special needs/diets)

3. Add a cat cafe. If done properly you could use the cats from the animal shelter, have a staff member there on site for onsite adoption or onsite donations for the animal shelter, and the cafe could have a special where 30% of the drink or whatever could be donated to the animal shelter.

4. Adding a Wild West amusement park. Now this is a bit far fetched. I know a lot of people come for the rodeo, but imagine a small Wild West amusement park, some of the attractions could be to shoot the outlaws (with metal cutouts), pony rides, haystack rides, lasso horses or buffalo (fake of course), sell western candy made by locals, and also have a storyteller onsite to tell all sorts of western stories, and maybe have some authors come in to read a chapter and sell/autograph their books. As a bonus it will increase tourism for families and history buffs.

5. Please add two more laundromats. This is pretty self explanatory, during the busy season it’s hard for locals to get in to the two laundromats, due to the tourists. I am hopeful you will consider this idea the most out of the others. Let’s put locals first, tourists second.

6. Speaking of putting locals first, please consider adding two small (three-story high) parking garages. Every year this town grows, we get more tourists, bikers and nature lovers. Which is great, but the parking anywhere is a nightmare, which is why if you add two small parking garages and only charge $1 per hour, it will make the streets of Cody much safer (especially during the Fourth of July parade, so there would be less cars towed). Also, it will help stores with limited parking receive more customers and finally it will help keep vehicles and pets out of the sun.

7. During the summer and when not in use during the winter, the City of Cody could use the old theater to play old, classic and pop culture movies for $1 matinees and $2 regular showings. It’d be also fun if anyone who shows up dressed as a character from the movie or one similar would get one free small popcorn that comes with one free refill.

8. Cody and Powell could greatly benefit getting an ice cream truck service that goes to all the neighborhoods in Cody and Powell.

9. Adding a trampoline park would not only be great exercise, but it could be booked for private events, birthdays, be used as a daytime summer camp or be used to teach gymnastics.

10. I think the entire city of Cody and parts of Park County could extremely benefit if we could get a donut shop. It doesn’t have to be a big store, it could be a local shop, but according to my research the city hasn’t had a donut shop in 15-plus years. (And I don’t count Albertson’s, Walmart or Blair’s. There is nothing wrong with them, it would just be nice to have just a donut shop.)

I thank you for reading this. Please think hard and consider at least some of my ideas. I know there are a lot of pros and cons, all I ask is to think about them and think of Cody as our humble cowboy city grows every year. Thank you again and God bless the City of Cody.

Kathleen Tucker

Cody