A letter to you.
From: Ron Hansen with One Stop Market & Wind River Outdoor Company
If you would have asked me 6 months ago if Lander would be fighting for its’ health and economic survival, I would have laughed you out of the room and called you crazy. Lander has been steadily moving forward over the past couple years and for the first time in a number of years, the economic outlook was starting to look pretty good to most people. Fast forward to current day and now we are simply fighting to keep businesses open, to function as a society and to keep the population healthy.
Living in Lander brings great joy to many of us. We love the location, the solitude, the recreational opportunities and the life that a small town brings. We know most people, we share the love of the area and even though we may not think alike, we still call each other neighbors and friends. Those things should not change so please keep that in mind during these tough times.
The One Stop Market and Wind River Outdoor Company have worked hard in doing our part in keeping people safe. For starters, we decided early on that we were going to stay open as long as the staff felt that we could do so safely. We feel that we have done that in that every precaution has been taken – cleaning, staffing, stocking and product offerings. We removed some product options due to the Governors Covid-19 protocols but for the most part, our services are the same today as before. The big change is the level of cleaning/disinfecting that is occurring. In short, all surfaces are being sanitized on an hourly basis and the fuel pumps are being sanitized at a minimum of 3 times per day.
Other changes that are coming very soon are online ordering for the liquor store, delivery and the WROC ecommerce system is in final testing right now. Very soon, you will be able to shop from the comfort of your home for a great many brands and products that we carry. Other developments have been moved to the back burner right now while this whole Covid-19 virus scenario plays out but one will see some other major changes in the future so stay tuned.
Hopefully the Corona virus pandemic will be behind us in the coming 4 to 6 weeks. Being from Wyoming we will dust ourselves off and move forward just like we do with every oil bust, economic downturn or slow tourist season. The important thing, in my mind, is that we not let this situation define who and what we are. Lander (and Wyoming) is filled with tough souls. We can handle anything that is thrown at us and come out the other side for the better. This situation is nothing more or less that that. When it is all said and done, we will have to make some changes, plan on the next occurrence of this or some other virus (because there will be one) and be ready to tackle it on day one. This time we got lucky as most of us have taken for granted our safety, health and economy. We cannot do this going forward but I have faith that we will learn from this and be better than ever.
So the approach now is to shelter in place. If you have a compromised immune system or have an underlying health situation please stay home. If you are healthy and able to function then please continue to do so but with safety in mind. Maintain your safe distance, keep your daily activities defined meaning, don’t just go from one store to the next. Do your outside travels with purpose – get what you need and get back to isolation. If you are sick, please communicate that to the public health doctors and nurses, stay home and work on getting over it. If you are healthy then please stay that way by practicing good social distancing, smart decisions and proper hygiene.
Remember, we are all in this together. We are better when we work together than against. We are Lander and we will find a way to get through this sooner than later. We will work to resurrect our businesses and we will keep Lander (and Wyoming) the best damn place to live, work and play. God’s speed to all and know that we are here for you.hat is #LanderStrong?
Lander Strong began in the wake of Corona Virus AKA Covid-19. After the intense spread of a dangerous virus across the US and the world, came the call for social distancing and self quarantining. With the hopes of slowing the spread of this virus the world quickly came to a stand-still. And for a small town like Lander, WY local small businesses and the economy as a whole took a huge hit.
Lander Strong was an initiative started by our very own Ron Hansen. Ron Hansen owns and runs Wind River Outdoor Company and the One Stop Market here in Lander. He hopes that this will help bolster our small economy and help keep it from falling apart during the crazy time our world is in.
Written by: Ron Hansen