When Vice President Dick Cheney attends a Wyoming Republican Party fund-raiser tonight at the Poplar Street residence of Diemer True, a Republican national committeeman and former Wyoming Senate president, it will not be the first time a major political figure has attended an event on that property, according to True's neighbor Charles Kudolla.

Back in 1968, before True owned the property, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, a Democrat, stopped by the house next to Kudolla's on the presidential campaign trail for an event, Kudolla said.

The event took place just shortly before Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles.

Back then the property was owned by Ray Chorney, who was a member of the Democratic Party, said Kudolla, who was college-aged in 1968.

Kudolla, who was in college at the time, did not attend the Kennedy event next door and neither did his parents, who owned Kudolla's house back then, he said.

But the elder Kudollas did see something interesting that took place outside Chorney's home, Kudolla said.

Although Chorney's house was nice, it was not designed with a bounty of bathrooms, Kudolla said. And at an event as large as the Kennedy shindig, many people needed to use the bathroom.

So when nature called, some of the event's male attendees decided to go outside and discreetly relieve themselves on a pair of small pine trees in Chorney's yard, Kudolla said.

However, they were apparently not discreet enough -- Kudolla's parents, who were out doing yard work at the time, saw what was going on, he said.

Weeks later, Kudolla said with a laugh, the pine trees turned brown and had to be replaced.

Thirty-six years and one owner later, the property next to Kudolla's is scheduled to once again host a major political figure, when Cheney attends tonight's fund-raiser.

The Casper Star-Tribune on Wednesday, citing Wyoming Republican sources, incorrectly reported the day on which the fund-raiser was scheduled.

True could not be reached for comment Friday, and did not return numerous phone calls left at his home and office this week.

Cheney has no planned public appearances today in Casper, according to the White House.

Wyoming Republican Party officials this week declined to specify when the event at the Trues would take place, instead referring calls to the White House.

The White House would not even confirm whether the vice president would be in Casper today.

Casper police referred all calls about security measures in Casper related to Cheney's visit to the Secret Service. But the Secret Service declined to offer any information as to when the vice president was scheduled to be in Casper.

However, Cheney's advance Secret Service team did arrive at the Natrona County International Airport on Friday. That was evident from the transport plane that unloaded his motorcade.

Staff writer Brendan Burke can be reached at (307) 266-0589 or Brendan.Burke@casperstartribune.net.