Missoula Valley April 2015

Missoula Valley APRIL 2015

MissoulaValleyLifestyle.com

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MS. MISSOULA TALKS WORDEN LEGACY SIR TINKLE OF THE HARDWOOD A SLICE OF MONTANA IN EVERY CLUB

Phil Vassar acoustic show Tucker Entertainment Concerts Benefitting the Missoula Sports Commission

at the Dennison theater Missoula, Montana FriDay May 8, 2015 ViP Package includes: • 10 VIP Tickets in Rows 2-3-4 for the Show • VIP Pre-Party, Skybox at the Adam Center 5-7pm Night of Show • No-Host Bar • Hor D’ oevres • VIP Entrance into Concert

Price for ViP - $600

For ViP Packages contact: Tucker Entertainment Concert 10565 George Cates, Missoula, MT 59808 E-mail: tuckerentertainmentevents@gmail.com

406.544.8333 tickets available at www.GriZtiX.com and all GriZtiX locations.

Signature Scramble

The Club's Ribeye

Chop Chicken Salad

Bubbling Cucumber Martini

Huge Breakfasts to Certified Angus Beef ® Steaks • Cocktails • Montana Microbrews

2620 Brooks 543-3200 | 4561 N. Reserve 541-8141

If you’re nearby, visit us in Kalispell, Butte and Great Falls. Billings location coming soon! www.montanaclub.com

Check out our menu!

Editor’s Letter

Welcome to Missoula Valley Lifestyle!

O

n more than one occasion I have heard Missoula referred to as a pit stop on the way to somewhere else. Each person who has said this to me, strangely enough, has a Garden City address on her driver’s license. She never made it to somewhere else.

My dog Chupete and I came here with zero intention of staying in the Missoula Valley for any significant length of time. Well, I was thinking that; Chupete was just happy to be embarking on another adventure with me.

That was more than a year ago.

We have found ourselves enamored with Missoula: the strong sense of community felt in every sphere of the city, particularly with dog owners; the pride the city and its residents take in being “weird”; and the short distance and easy assess to the best skiing, hiking and fishing in the country.

Chupete has walked with a little more pep in his step since we started calling Missoula home. As for me, I cannot believe I once thought of the hub of five valleys as merely a pit stop to greener pastures. Missoula is the rarest gem in a mountain of treasures.

The thing about treasures, though, is that you need a map to find them. This is the point of Missoula Valley Lifestyle magazine—to share our appreciation of this place and to better connect us to what’s going on in the community.

I feel lucky to have found Missoula and, with my four-legged beast, look forward to unearthing the city’s must-see places, attending the goings-on, and meeting the people who are making Missoula the best place to live, work and play.

Enjoy the magazine and use it to discover someone or something new! But don’t forget to share with us. We want to hear from you, so drop us a line and let us know what’s happening and who’s making waves, aside from Brennan.

APRIL 2015 publisher Michael Tucker | MTucker@LifestylePubs.com

editor Danielle M. Antonetti | DAntonetti@lifestylepubs.com

contributing writers Joni Gibson Mielke, Austin Schempp, Denise Snodell, Tom Strongman

contributing photographers Erika Peterman

Published monthly, subscriptions are: 1 year for $22 or 2 years for $39.

Visit MissoulaValleyLifestyle.com

corporate team chief executive officer | Steven Schowengerdt chief sales officer | Matthew Perry chief financial officer | DeLand Shore production director | Christina Sandberg director of marketing | Brad Broockerd art director | Sara Minor ad coordinators | Cyndi Vreeland, Samantha Engel copy editor | Kendra Mathewson executive assistant | Lori Cunningham application architect | Michael O’Connell it director | Randy Aufderheide

Danielle M. Antonetti, Editor dantonetti@lifestylepubs.com

| MissoulaValleyLifestyle.com | ON THE COVER Often described as the hub of five

valleys, Missoula sits in a valley at the convergence of the Bitterroot and Rattlesnake Mountains, the Sapphire and Garnet Ranges, and the Reservation Divide.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIKA PETERMAN

4 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

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by Community ™ P.O. Box 12608 Overland Park, KS 66282-3214 Proverbs 3:5-6 Missoula Valley Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of Missoula Valley’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Missoula Valley Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

April 2015

18

Departments 8

Good Times

10

Around Town

11

Home Matters

12

Hot Spot

14

Healthy Lifestyle

22

What’s Cooking?

24

Driver’s Notebook

28

Lifestyle Calendar

34

Parting Thoughts

12 An All-Montana Club

Locals create the definitive Montana dining experience.

16 The Worden Legacy

Missoula’s first family reflects.

18 Hellgate ‘Knight’ of the Hardwood

Tres Tinkle talks fun, family and future.

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Danielle Schulz Agent April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

7

Good Times

12th Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

The 12th year promised to the biggest. It was huge. The 11-day film festival screened more than 150 documentaries from around the world, leaving Missoula’s film-hungry community satiated for another year. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIKA PETERMAN

8 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

Ruby Jubilee Benefit Auction and Dinner

Missoula’s art lovers gathered over cocktails and cuisine to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Missoula Art Museum.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SLIKATI PHOTOGRAPHY

We are Missoula's Coolest Hotspot!

Great Happy Hour Specials on Food & Drinks The Perfect Place to Watch Sports with Friends BreakFaST & BruncH • SanDWicHeS • BurGerS Locally Owned & Operated for Over 20 Years

Join us at 3621 Brooks Street • 406.728.3228 Visit us on Facebook to see our current specials, menu, and events!

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

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Around Town GARDEN CITY TO GET COS-MISSOULIAN FOR FASHION WEEK The second annual Missoula Fashion Week kicks off the week of April 20-26. It’s a week celebrating Missoula’s incomparable style.

“Connecting to fashion in Downtown Missoula is a great opportunity for both downtown businesses and community members,” says Aimee McQuilkin, owner of Betty’s Divine. “Nearly everything is free of charge, and Missoula Fashion Week will celebrate the fantastic individual style and creativity of Missoulians.” Fashion shows, outfit-of-the-day challenges, sales events and trunk sales, classes and clinics will be held all over downtown Missoula. Last year, a Champagne Pedal Boutique Tour led participants around the Garden City with Thirst Gear on a tour of shops who took advantage of exclusive sales, met with shop owners and toasted to Missoula’s unique style with signature cocktails. “Fashion,” McQuilkin says, “is as much a part of our lifestyle here as the arts, food, beer, recreation, and music are.” For more information, search Missoula Fashion Week on Facebook or visit MissoulaDowntown.com.

Medchal could be opened and a clean water pump could be installed. The mission of the Angel House organization is to bring abandoned children from the slums to safety and into the loving arms of caretakers that will educate, love and raise them to become future leaders in their generation. The home in Medchal will house a dozen children. To learn more, visit AngelHouse.me.

WORDS GO ON TOUR Joshua Fields Millburn, one half of The Minimalists duo, is bringing a team of Asymmetrical authors—Colin Wright, Josh Wagner, Shawn Mihalik, and himself—on the road for a 42-city “Word Tasting” tour— including a stop in Zoo Town at Shakespeare & Co. on May 1—to showcase their diverse work, from memoirs to novels, self-help to YA fiction, and more. Former Bitterrooter, violinist/songwriter Skye Steele will be accompanying them. For more information, visit Asymmetrical.co/wordtasting.

PHIL VASSAR TO PLAY AT DENNISON

LIFESTYLE PUBLICATIONS PARTNERS WITH ANGEL HOUSE At Lifestyle Publications, we are inspired by our communities and we want to build up communities around the world. To that end, Lifestyle Publications, the parent company of Missoula Valley Lifestyle, recently made a significant donation to Angel House in India so that an orphanage in the village of 10 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

for a song to carry a message and make the listener feel something. “Songs should evoke something, whether it makes you happy and puts you in a good mood, or makes you cry and feel desperation…you know, whether you’re going through a marriage, or a divorce, or you’re in love or you hate somebody, or whatever it is… songs should evoke something,” he says. For tickets and more information, visit GrizTix.com.

Tucker Entertainment Concerts presents country music artist Phil Vassar on Friday, May 8 in an acoustic show at the Dennison Theater. The concert will benefit the Missoula Sports Commission. Vassar is as driven today as he was when he first left his Lynchburg, Virginia, home to pursue—and realize—his dream of making his mark in entertainment. A career that has seen the release of eight albums, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year trophies, Billboard Country Songwriter of the Year, countless hits as a singer and songwriter and a mantle full of awards and the launch of his own Rodeowave Entertainment label continues to expand and evolve. For Vassar, his philosophy about songs has never changed during his time spent writing hits for himself and other artists, it’s important

LUNAFEST SUPPORTS GIRLS WITH GUTS! LUNAFEST returns to the Garden City at the invitation YWCA Missoula. This nationally-touring film festival showcases short films by, for and about women. This film festival highlights women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine short films by women filmmakers. The films range from animation to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, motherhood, body image, aging, cultural diversity and breaking barriers. For more information about LUNAFEST and its mission, visit LunaFest.org.

Eighty-five percent of the proceeds from LUNAFEST will benefit the YWCA Missoula’s GUTS! Girls Leadership Program, which funds scholarships for GUTS! Summer Outdoor Adventures for girls ages 9 to 18, with LUNAFEST’s national partner, the Breast Cancer Research Fund, receiving 15 percent.

The festival comes to the Wilma Theatre on Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at the event or online at YWCAofMissoula.org.

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT AND YOURSELF Light Up the Night is a fundraiser for Living Art of Montana, a local nonprofit that provides art and writing workshops, free of charge, for people dealing with illness and loss. The event takes place Saturday, May 9 at the Hilton Garden Inn and includes dinner, entertainment, raffles, and silent and live auctions of art and “experiences” donated by local artists using the theme of light. Guests are encouraged to “share their light” by incorporating light into their evening attire. Visit LivingArtofMontana.org for more information.

DIY Home Upkeep

Home Matters

A SEASONAL GUIDE TO MAINTAINING YOUR HOME

H

omeowners can avoid emergency repairs by completing a few home projects each season. A simple project such as inspecting the plumbing annually can prevent the unexpected cost of repairing water damage from a pipe that burst.

“Repairing water damage can cost 22 times the amount of annually cleaning the gutters, which can prevent water damage to the home’s foundation,” said Chris Terrill, CEO of HomeAdvisor.

“The average cost of cleaning the gutters is $212 according to HomeAdvisor’s Cost Guide.”

From spring to winter, Terrill offers these maintenance tips to help homeowners save money and time in the long run:

• Gutter and downspouts. During the fall, clean the gutter and downspouts. According to HomeAdvisor’s Cost Guide, the average cost of cleaning the gutter and downspout is $212. Ignoring this matter can affect the foundation of a home, which can cost an average of $4,607 to repair.

• Windows and doors. Install weather stripping during the fall for an average cost of $458. This will prevent unwanted air from leaking into a home. On average, homeowners spend 40 percent more on heating and air conditioning due to drafty windows and doors.

SPRING

WINTER

• Plumbing. Every spring inspect all plumbing for leaks. Small problems, like leaky faucets and clogged drains can turn into big headaches if left unchecked. The average national cost of hiring a plumber to repair pipes is $411; however, repairing water damage can cost seven times that amount.

• Roof. Checking for damage and making general repairs in the springtime can extend the lifespan of a roof. Neglecting to make these minor fixes can lead to long-term damage. The average cost of replacing and installing a new roof is $7,744.

• Refrigerator. Vacuum the coils on the back of the fridge during the winter. Letting the coils build up with dirt and grime can decrease its efficiency, and can cost $317 to repair.

• Furnace. In the winter, service the furnace to make sure it is operating properly, safely and to its fullest capability.

SUMMER

• Trees and shrubs. The average cost of trimming trees and shrubs is $577, but leaving them untrimmed can lead to roof damage. The average cost of repairing a roof is $1,100.

• Paint. In the summer, touching up the home’s exterior paint not only boosts its curb appeal, but it also acts as a home’s primary defense against weather, insects and other damage. If a homeowner neglects to complete this task, completely repainting the home’s exterior costs an average of $3,180.

FALL

TIPS FOR EVERY SEASON

• Garbage disposal. Flush the garbage disposal every season.

Regularly doing this will keep your disposal clean and functioning properly. The average cost of repairing a clogged drain is $381.

• Smoke detectors. Be a responsible homeowner and test the smoke detectors seasonally. Smoke detectors are the single most important step to ensuring home safety, and having one during a fire increases the likelihood of survival by more than 50 percent.

For more information, visit homeadvisor.com/cost.

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

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Hot Spot

Montana Club A TRUE MONTANA EXPERIENCE ARTICLE AUSTIN SCHEMPP | PHOTOGRAPHY THE MONTANA CLUB

Ribeye: Hand cut and prepared with the Montana Club’s own special rub

W

hen best friends Nick Alonzo and Bob Powell opened their first Montana Club restaurant, they wanted to give Missoulians a restaurant with a wide variety of entrees inside a comfortable building with the warm feeling representative of Montana.

Now, 15 years later, the two Montana natives who met each other in the first grade have seen their franchise grow from one restaurant on Brooks Street to another on Reserve along with five others across the state.

In fact, business is so good that the partners, who started out in the quick-service restaurant industry, are opening a sixth restaurant in the state’s largest city, Billings.

So what separates the Montana Club from other restaurants?

Quality, selection, and a true Montana experience that appeals to everyone, Powell says.

The menu offers many options that you can find in larger cities and is stacked with signature dishes—some the creative genius of the cooks, who are given the ability to experiment. Most of the 12 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

food is made from scratch, giving it an authentic taste.

“When you do things the way we do, there’s just a taste difference and that’s our goal— for food to taste kind of like the way it was growing up, like our moms cooked,” Powell says. “That’s really the biggest difference.”

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Montana Club offers a plate of scratch-made benedicts for about $10 and includes seasoned red potatoes or hash browns.

For lunch, those looking for a lighter meal can enjoy the Montana Club’s large selection of salads starting at $10.99, including the Chop Chicken Salad.

Dinner diners can enjoy a heartier meal such as Huckletini

the grilled blackberry salmon for $23.99 or bite into a 9-ounce Kobe Filet of Ribeye for $29.99.

With so many options, including a large list of appetizers and desserts, diners can find something for everyone at reasonable and affordable prices.

Even though the menu is extensive, the Montana Club is focused on ensuring the quality of its dishes. Three to four times per week vendors deliver fresh ingredients to the restaurants.

Guests can also order entrees with certified Angus beef, wild Alaska seafood, and sample the large collection of wines and Montana microbrews that the Montana Club offers.

Both Alonzo and Powell regularly visit their restaurants and taste-test items, something that larger franchises aren’t well equipped to do.

“Everything that hits our menu is something that both of us have looked at and scrutinized and eaten,” Powell says.

“We’re very conscientious about what we’re serving. We are born and raised Montana guys and that’s what we want to sell—a true Montana experience when they come to one of our restaurants.”

Large turn-of-the-century photographs of Montana decorate the walls of the restaurants and wood lining the perimeter creates a warm feeling, giving the Montana Club a family-friendly environment.

Alonzo and Powell, who also operate

the Hoagieville restaurants in Missoula, opened the first Montana Club in 1999 because they saw an opening in the market for a local restaurant that served value food at a value price.

“People like to support local if you can do the job,” Powell says. “We’re that place where if people have friends from out of town they can bring them and can give them something that they can’t get in any other city in America.”

For Powell, one of the most enjoyable aspects of running the Montana Club is serving his hometown and people.

“We’re just core Montana guys who really enjoy what we do,” Powell says. “We like the people business a lot and that’s really what we’re in. It’s all about people.”

Chop Chicken Salad

THE MONTANA CLUB

2620 Brooks St. Missoula, MT 59801 406.543.3200 THE MONTANA CLUB

4561 N. Reserve St. Missoula, MT 59808 406.541.8141 MontanaClub.com Hours: Monday – Sunday 8 a.m. until late (Brooks Street opens at 6.30 a.m.)

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

13

Healthy Lifestyle

Local Dentists Draw Awareness to Oral Cancer FREE ORAL CANCER SCREENINGS KEEP MISSOULA SMILING ARTICLE DANIELLE M. ANTONETTI PHOTOGRAPHY ORAL SURGICAL ASSOCIATES

M

ike Tyson once said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Everyone expects the punch to be a fist, but the doctors at Oral Surgical Associates in Missoula have something else in mind: oral cancers.

“A cancer diagnosis can really put a wrench in your plans,” says Dr. Eugene F. Morris, an oral surgeon with Oral Surgical Associates. “That’s why it’s so important to get screened each year for oral cancers.”

Early detection is the key to curbing this killer of more than 43,000 people annually.

“At least with this kind of cancer, which actually kills more people in the U.S. than some more well-known forms of cancer like melanoma, lymphoma and cervical cancer, a simple screening can help catch it early. That’s why we’re offering free screenings this month at Oral Surgical Associates.”

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month, which is sponsored by the Oral Cancer Foundation.

“They are an important organization because they help by making people aware of the need to be screened on a yearly basis by your dental professional,” he says.

The key, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation and Dr. Morris, as well as his partner at the practice Dr. Armando A. Gama, is to detect the cancer in the earliest stages—one and two. If caught then, the survival rate is as high as 90 percent compared to 20 percent if detected in later stages, according to a press release from the foundation.

In fact, late discovery and diagnosis are major factors in the high death rate.

“Every adult should be screened each year at their annual visit to their dentist,” says Dr. Morris.

Dr. Gama adds, “Annual screenings are necessary in order to detect the disease early when it’s at its most highly curable stage.”

This form of cancer lends itself to early visual and tactile detection, which is why oral cancer screenings are such a valuable and inexpensive tool in fighting the disease.

“Unlike most other cancer detection exams, the screening for oral cancer does not require any special equipment, pain, high cost, invasive tests or procedures,” according to the Oral Cancer Foundation.

Dr. Eugene F. Morris, Oral Surgical Associates

INDICATORS

Common early indicators of oral cancer include red and/or white discolorations of the soft tissues of the mouth, any sore that does not heal within 14 days, and hoarseness that lasts for a prolonged period of time.

14 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

Dr. Armando A. Gama, Oral Surgical Associates

“Early signs often can be detected by any dentist trained to do oral cancer examinations,” Dr. Gama says. “Sometimes we don’t want to think that something like this can happen to us but it can; drawing attention to the common signs and symptoms and building awareness of oral cancer are important to stopping it before it escalates to the later stages.”

The indicators of late-stage oral cancer can include a sensation that something is stuck in the throat, numbness in the oral region, difficulty in swallowing and/or moving the jaw or tongue, ear pain that occurs on one side only, a sore under a denture that does not heal even after adjustment, and a lump or thickening that develops in the mouth or on the neck.

RISK FACTORS

Historically, oral cancers are linked to use of tobacco and alcohol and most likely to occur in people older than 50 years.

“Of course, anything you put into your mouth that decreases the oxygen levels, such as alcohol, cigarettes, and also chewing tobacco, could potentially cause changes to the tissue,” Dr. Morris says, “thus possibly causing an increase oral cancer.”

Morris is quick to point out that there are several factors to consider Squamous cell carcinoma on the tongue that may increase a person’s chance of getting a form of oral cancer.

“People shouldn’t assume that these are the only factors. It depends on a number of things, which is why I can’t emphasize it enough how important it is to be screened annually,” he says.

NEW FACTOR

A new factor seems to have emerged over the last few years, however.

Oral cancers are now being linked to HPV-16, the same virus responsible for the majority of cervical cancers. In fact, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation, the virus is now the leading cause of oral pharyngeal cancers in the U.S. The influence of the virus may also be changing the age of patients that many dentists and oral surgeons are seeing. Nationwide, the fastest-growing segment of the oral cancer population is people between 25-50 years old, the foundation says.

“While the majority of our patients seem to have been users of tobacco and alcohol, we are still concerned about HPV-16 and the effect it could have on Montanans,” they say.

Oral Surgical Associates is offering complimentary oral cancer screenings on Thursday, April 30. To set up your free oral cancer screening, contact

Montana Ace - Tremper’s 2301 Brooks St Missoula (406) 728-3030 Montana Ace - Eastgate 905 E Broadway Missoula (406) 721-9690

montanaace.com

406.728.6840 or visit the website at OralSurgicalAssociates.com.

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

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Preserving Missoula’s Founding Spirit Ms. Missoula talks Worden legacy ARTICLE JONI GIBSON MIELKE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE WORDEN FAMILY

“Worden left in the hearts of his family and friends the memory of a progressive citizen who helped to build an empire out of a wilderness. He had witnessed the changing frontier during its most picturesque transition.”

Mrs. Francis L. (Lucretia) Worden

—The Missoulian, August 1913 (description of Francis L. Worden in the notice of the passing of Mrs. Lucretia (Miller) Worden)

T

here was a time when Missoula, then Hell Gate, was going to be named Wordensville.

Francis L. Worden was not only one of the first to settle in the beautiful hub of five valleys, but he had also established a budding community and had followed through on fulfilling the vision of what it would take to make Missoula more than just a stop on the way to somewhere else.

“He’d have nothing of it; he was a humble man, a kind man, and he struck that idea down right away,” says Tomme Lu Worden, Francis L. Worden’s great-granddaughter-in-law, when I asked her why we weren’t talking family history in Wordensville rather than Missoula.

Historical records show there at least three attempts were made to name Missoula “Wordensville,” all three attempts dropped at Worden’s request. That third and final attempt occurred at the first legislative assembly of the Montana Territory in 1864 when a bill was introduced to establish a wagon road to Wordensville. Worden was a member of that legislature and removed every reference to “Wordensville,” changing it to Hell Gate instead.

Hell Gate, a translation from the Salish and Flathead word for the area—m-i-sul-e’tiku—meaning “a general sense of fear or dread,” referred to the Blackfeet tribe, which would lay an ambush along the mountain pass into Missoula Valley.

When Worden and his partner C.P. Higgins established a mill in what is now downtown Missoula, near where the Holiday Inn Parkside is today, the city became known as Missoula Mills. It’s at this time when the Missoula we now know began to blossom—literally and figuratively, as Worden imported maple trees to line Pine Street and planted the first lilac bushes at Missoula’s first residence, which still stands today and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, thanks to the preservation work and efforts of Tomme Lu.

16 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

Hellgate Trading Post

Sterling House MS. MISSOULA

Tomme Lu tells a good story and her knack for antidotes brings long-gone figures to life. She has been involved with the Missoula Cemetery’s Stories and Stones for many years and has been honored with awards for her many years of service to the Historic Preservation Committee and Preserve Historic Missoula Board.

Most recently, she and her friend Ty Robinson were honored as “Mr. and Ms. Missoula” at First Night Missoula 2014 as two

citizens who exemplify the best of Missoula. She laughs at the label: “It’s okay, it’s fun. I’ll take it!”

She possesses a genuine interest in what makes up our community. There’s nothing Tomme Lu likes more than to shuffle her papers and dig through her files to shed light on Missoula’s history.

Her home on Gerald Avenue, the former residence of Mrs. Fred Sterling, Lucina (Francis L. and Lucretia Worden’s oldest daughter), contains many of the photographs and artifacts that chronicle Missoula’s beginnings. The scales from the Worden and Co. trading post and a homespun tapestry that was part of Lucretia’s family’s possessions make their home in her home.

“I really do feel like it’s Missoula’s stuff,” she says.

FAMILY TALES

The earliest stories of the Worden and Co. Trading Post at Hell Gate could easily have come from the plot of a Western, from Worden’s young bride Lucretia and her family arriving at the trading post by covered wagon in August 1862 to the Skinner Gang’s attempted robbery of the Worden and Co. safe containing more than $60,000 of Gold Creek miner’s gold dust and the vigilante justice that squashed their plan.

Worden family history reads like a who’s who of Missoula and Montana place names and players. The characters are colorful and visionary, but it’s no movie or novel: It’s the true story of a Missoula family.

With any story, there are sure to be mix-ups.

Francis L. Worden did have the trading post at Hell Gate and then a grocery store in Missoula, but Tomme Lu reminds people that Worden’s Market is not the same Worden family.

“That was Donovan Worden, no relation, they were late-comers,” she says with a smile. “They arrived with the Hammond group.”

Tomme Lu likes Worden’s Market but wants to highlight the hard work and legacy of the real Ms. Missoula: Lucretia.

The store Francis and Lucretia established is on Main Street where the parking garage is today. Lucretia continued her involvement at the grocery store, running it with her oldest son, Henry, after her husband died of pneumonia in 1887. He was in the process of laying out the Missoula water system in the Rattlesnake when he died, and Lucretia ran the water company after his death until she died in 1913.

“Francis L. Worden would be amazed at what Missoula has become, and he’d be terribly proud of the university and the university area in Missoula. He’d be proud of the way the city has grown and how things are managed for the most part,” says Tomme Lu. “He was literally the first everything in Missoula…first merchant, first postmaster, first banker, legislative representative. He established Missoula’s water system and cemetery…. I think he’d be startled at what Missoula is today. He was literally a boy, a young man, when he arrived.”

Tomme Lu suspects Lucretia would be thrilled, too, with modern-day Missoula, especially the Missoula Cemetery and the women’s movement.

“She was 11 years old when she arrived, married at 14 and had no education; yet, she managed to take care of seven

children after her husband died, ensuring all but one did become educated,” she says.

Lucretia was quite progressive. In addition to her work with the water company, she served as a director of the Missoula National Bank, was the first chairperson of the Missoula Cemetery board and was an alternate delegate for the Board of Lady Managers of the Columbia Exposition in Chicago in 1890.

The Worden family legacy comes from a long tradition of preservation and being sensitive to the past and what’s important.

“Lucretia would likely be most impressed with what women have accomplished because she had to do it herself, and she did in a time when women simply didn’t.”

THE WORDEN LEGACY

One might think the Worden family in 2015 is quite different from their ancestors. Tomme Lu would disagree: “We aren’t much different from them, especially in the sense of community and having a willingness to volunteer.”

Volunteering is what makes a community in Tomme Lu’s opinion, and she is proud that all three of her children with husband, Bill— Peggy, Hank and Austin—are continuing in that tradition.

“They are great people to volunteer,” she says. Peggy lives in Rock Springs, Wyo., and is quite involved in her community. Hank volunteers “ad nauseum,” according to his mother, and is also interested in his family’s history. In fact, the infamous Worden and Co. safe sits in his office in Walla Walla, Wash. Interestingly, the office is located directly across the street from where his great-great-grandfather and C.P. Higgins established their partnership before setting out for Missoula. And Austin, she says, definitely has the kindness and gentle heart of a Worden.

Tomme Lu says the Worden family legacy comes from a long tradition of preservation and being sensitive to the past and what’s important.

“You don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.”

Joni Gibson Mielke is a rare specimen: She’s a native Missoulian. She can be heard weekdays as JJ Quinn on Eagle 93. She writes for us about a family near and dear to her heart. She lives in Hellgate Canyon with her husband and their five love-pups.

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

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A Knight

to Remember Star basketball player aspires to be the best man on and off the court.

ARTICLE AUSTIN SCHEMPP PHOTOGRAPHY CASSIDY THOMPSON

18 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

M

any don’t think of the Missoula Valley as a hub for churning out great basketball players, but Hellgate High School’s Tres Tinkle is changing that mindset.

Standing at a towering 6 feet, 7 inches tall, Tres is one of the best basketball prospects to ever come out of Missoula—and Montana for that matter.

For the past four years, Tres has excelled on the court for the Class AA Knights in Missoula. As a sophomore, he led the team to a state title. A year later, he averaged 21 points per game and Hellgate returned to the state title game.

His success won him Gatorade Player of the Year, an award celebrating “athletic achievement, academic excellence and exemplary character.”

His impressive statistics, rim-rattling dunks and awards would surely make any 18-year-old kid’s ego inf late, but Tres still embodies his dad’s motto, “Stay humble, stay hungry.” It was the message his dad, Wayne, preached to his players as coach of the University of Montana men’s team.

Ask him about his success and Tres is quick to credit his coach, Jeff Hays, his teammates, and family for the success he’s seen on the court. But his off-season preparation--which sometimes includes two to three workouts per day--and willingness to work hard to improve have also set Tres apart.

“I don’t want to stop doing something until I feel like I get it right,” he says. “Practice perfection instead of just going through the motions.”

FAMILY

Tres comes from a basketball family with a fierce competitive spirit.

Family vacations and trips to the movies are all smiles, but whenever the Tinkles hit the hardwood, it’s all business.

Sometimes they won’t talk to each other for a couple hours after a game.

His two older sisters, Joslyn and Elle, played basketball at the Division I level.

Joslyn starred at Stanford and plays professionally overseas, while Elle is a standout junior for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in Spokane. Wayne, his father, starred at the University of Montana, where he met Lisa, who was voted into UM’s Hall of Fame in 2011 for her college career with the Lady Griz.

“All of my family has had success and I just want to fill their shoes,” Tres says.

“They push me every day because they want me to achieve my goals and dreams.

So I do a lot of stuff for them and try to make them look good.”

TOUGH DECISION

Before his senior season, Tres had a difficult decision to make: Stay in Missoula and graduate with friends or finish his senior year in Corvallis, Oregon, where his dad had been hired as the head coach of the Oregon State men’s basketball team.

He chose Missoula, the place he has lived for almost his entire life.

“I’ve known my teammates and friends since I was in kindergarten. I just wanted to graduate with them,” Tres says. “There were a lot of things I wasn’t able to do (with friends) because basketball was getting in the way and now that I don’t have AAU, there are those things that I can do.”

A week after announcing his decision to stay in Missoula for his final year of high school, the four-star recruit had CONTINUED >

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

19

A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER (CONTINUED)

more good news. He verbally committed to the Oregon State Beavers, which had been ranked as one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, according to ESPN. Tres lives with his high school coach’s father, Eric Hayes, and says the decision was a trade-off of sorts, a year where he could live on his own and then be with his parents for the next four years. Still, he admits, it was a bit of an adjustment.

“It’s tough not being able to go home every day and see them and not seeing my dad coach, which was one of my favorite things to do when he was here at the U,” Tres says.

Staying in Missoula has helped solidify Tres as one of the best players in Knights’ history.

20 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

On January 27, the Missoula native torched Kalispell Glacier, scoring a career-high 35 points. The points pushed Tres past former record holder and University of Montana player Blaine Taylor to become Hellgate High School’s alltime career-leading scorer.

OFF THE COURT

The basketball court is just one place where Tres excels. In the classroom, his GPA hovers around 3.9.

When he starts school at Oregon State next fall, he’d like to study political science. After he earns his bachelor’s degree, law school is an option that appeals to Tres, who also has a goal to play professionally.

With high school graduation a month away, Tres is confident his time in Missoula will help him in future endeavors.

“Missoula is full of a lot of great people and I have had a lot of support here,” he says. “My dad has taught me to be a good person and that can take you a long way.

You can’t play basketball forever so as soon as your career is done you want to have good relationships with people. That’s what I’ve seen a lot of in Missoula. “ After he leaves, he hopes people will remember him not just as a basketball player but as a role model, too.

“I just want people to remember me as a good guy with the right morals,” he says.

“I want to be known as a good leader who leads by example, someone people can really look up to and respect.”

And as with any great athlete, Tres also has the desire to be the best.

“I want to be the best player to come out of Montana. I think that’d be a great accomplishment.”

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21

What’s Cooking?

Easy, Delicious Meals that Make Hearts Happy

D

id you know that small, positive additions to your diet and lifestyle can help promote a healthier heart? Instead of denying yourself the delicious flavors you crave, try weaving a few subtle changes into your menu and you can healthfully and conveniently meet your wellness goals.

SHOW YOUR HEART SOME LOVE

Besides giving meals a satisfying boost, soy-based foods are a heart-healthy addition to your diet. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a diet containing 25 grams of soy protein per day, accompanying other foods that are low in saturated fats and cholesterol, may decrease the chance of heart disease.

“Soy protein is a very high quality protein, equivalent to egg or milk protein,” said Mindy Kurzer, Ph.D. and professor with the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. “Soyfoods, such as soymilk, have been shown to lower dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, decreasing blood cholesterol concentrations and improving heart health.”

SPRINKLE SOY INTO YOUR DIET, EASILY

Available in many delicious forms, soy-based foods and beverages make the swap towards healthier options a snap. Try some of these meal ideas to help you cut calories, saturated fat and cholesterol from your diet: Breakfast: Take on the day by enjoying a fruit and soymilk blended smoothie for breakfast. Soymilk is the only plant-based dairy alter22 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

native with an average of 7 grams of protein per serving plus calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and D. Lunch: Opt for a juicy veggie burger – easy to cook in just a few minutes. Or try this flavorful recipe for Tuna Edamame Salad, which allows you to take in all the healthy benefits of these young green soybeans with a quick and easy lunch. Did you know one cup of edamame contains 17 grams of protein?

Snack: Throw a protein-packed nutrition bar in your car, bag or purse so you can have a healthy snack while running errands. (But read the label to make sure it contains soy protein and isn’t loaded with sugar.)

Dinner: Load up on vegetables and protein with a tasty and easy stir fry using marinated tofu strips. Or cholesterol-free soy “crumbles” can quickly and easily be added to favorites including pasta sauce, soup, chili and tacos.

To find more recipes featuring soy protein, visit soy-

foods.org or soyconnection.com.

TUNA EDAMAME SALAD

Prep time: 5 minutes Servings: 4

• • • • • • • •

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 cup carrots, shredded 1 can (6 ounces) tuna, water packed, drained 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup red onion, diced 1/4 cup bottled, reduced-fat Italian salad dressing Pita bread or whole grain crackers (optional)

Mix edamame, tomatoes, carrots, tuna, raisins and onion in medium bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss until combined. Serve with pita bread halves or whole grain crackers.

Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 210 calories; 3 g fat (0 g saturated fat); 16 g protein; 27 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 25 mg cholesterol; 350 mg sodium.

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April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

23

Driver’s Notebook

The GLA Is Mercedes’ Smallest CUV ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY TOM STRONGMAN

C

ompact crossovers continue to populate the automotive landscape. These scaled-down utility vehicles are primed for urban use because they are small enough to slip easily through congestion, haul various kinds of cargo and do so while returning good gas mileage.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic is one of the newest and it’s powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with 208 horsepower.

The base price of $33,300 puts it squarely in the sight of young buyers. The all-wheel-drive GLA is related to the CLA sedan. A frontwheel-drive GLA will be available next spring for about $2,000 less.

Styling makes the new crop of compact crossovers appealing, and the little Benz is one of the best looking of its kind. It has a bold nose and a low, sleek roof that ends in a large tailgate.

The GLA, at 173 inches long, 60 inches tall and 71 inches wide, is the smallest crossover Mercedes offers. It is roughly 5 inches shorter and 8 inches lower than the larger GLK crossover whose base price is about $8,000 more.

Even though all-wheel drive is standard, and the car sits further off the ground (for that very occasional off-road trek), the GLA feels and drives like a sedan. The test car’s optional 19-inch wheels filled the fenders nicely and added a beefy look but the ride was often rather thumpy over expansion strips or sharp bumps. There was a fair amount of road or tire noise through the cabin at highway speeds as well.

When I pushed the GLA hard into a turn the tires felt a bit mushy.

The 2.0-liter engine is rated at 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. I only drove the car for a little more than a day, and the onboard computer read 21.4 mpg in city driving.

The twin-scroll turbo delivers decent torque, but I found that offthe-mark acceleration was a bit soft, due in part to the seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic’s tendency to shift into as high a gear as possible for optimum mileage. Mercedes says the base GLA hits 60 miles per hour in 7.1 seconds and has a top track speed of 130 mph.

Switching from Eco to Sport mode brought noticeable life to the car although mileage would suffer some. The engine seemed a bit noisy at full throttle.

Performance buffs will be pleased to know that a GLA45 AMG is also available. Mercedes says it is the most powerful series-produced four-cylinder turbo in the world. It has 355 horsepower, and that’s a power output of 178 horsepower per liter. The base price for that jewel is $48,300.

The transmission has a mode for light off-road use. The DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) mode enables the car to control itself on steep descents. The LCD screen has an off-road display that shows percent of gradient, a compass, the roll angle and DSR activation.

The GLA’s interior reflects the youthful audience for which the car is intended. Five round air vents dominate the instrument panel. A wood grain or metallic trim panel arcs across the dash behind the vents, creating a feeling of open space and style.

Mbrace2 is an infotainment system that provides emergency notification as well as on-the-go access to the Internet. Owners are able to use their smartphone to lock or unlock the car from a distance and instantly find it in a parking lot.

A 5.8-inch LCD screen (7 inches if you choose the multimedia option) sits in the center of the instrument panel. Navigation has a CONTINUED >

24 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

The future has arrived, in two beautiful versions.

The new C-Class and GLA are here.

Every year promises a number of showstopping introductions from Mercedes-Benz, and this year will be no exception. The elegant and sporty C-Class sedan, with more advanced technology and connectivity than ever.

And the muscular GLA, a versatile and sophisticated SUV, smaller in scale but big on looks. Two bold expressions of the aggressive new Mercedes-Benz design language have arrived. Don’t miss them. Visit MBUSA.com

DeMarois Mercedes-Benz

| 3115 W. Broadway, Missoula, Montana | 406- 721-4000

Driver’s Notebook

(CONTINUED)

three-dimensional map option and a rearview camera. A mouse-like knob on the console can be used for navigation, telephone and audio settings but separate controls are also located on the instrument panel. Climate-control knobs and buttons are housed near the front of the console. Voice commands are also possible.

The front seats were nicely sculpted and comfortable for daily as well as sporty driving. Back-seat legroom was adequate, but those taller than six feet will be crowded.

The back seat folds flat and there is a central passthrough to accommodate long items such as skis without having to fold the seat. The test car had a power tailgate.

PRICE The base price of the test vehicle was $33,300.

Options included a panoramic sunroof, blind-spot assist, Xenon headlamps, 19-inch wheels, the premium package (Sirius satellite radio with 6 months service, heated front seats, Harman/Kardon surround sound, dual-zone climate control, garage door opener) and the multimedia package (navigation, rearview camera, 7-inch LCD screen and 10GB of music storage). The sticker price was $43,105.

2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA250 4MATIC ENGINE: 2.0-liter, 208-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder TRANSMISSION: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic all-wheel drive WHEELBASE: 106.3 inches CURB WEIGHT: 3,318-3,494 pounds BASE PRICE: $33,300 AS DRIVEN: $43,105 MPG RATING: 24 in the city, 32 on the highway

WARRANTY Four years or 50,000 miles.

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3916 Brooks Street 26 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

|

406.251.6742

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Missoula Market Pulse 2015 Year to Date 91 Sales, an 8% increase to the same time frame in 2014.

Median sales Price of $205,000 average sales Price $249,087 median Sales Price is 1% higher than that of the same time in 2014. average Sales Price is 4% higher than that of the same time in 2014. average Days on Market 149 Days, a 15% increase in average days on market compared to 2014 YTD. Foreclosure and Distressed sales Only 6 sales YTD in 2015, which represents just 7% of the total market. For the same timeframe in 2014, foreclosure and distressed sales counted for 10% of the total YTD. total Market supply at 4.14 months of listed inventory, which is trending to low supply, following national trends. at the same time in 2014, total market supply was 5.5 months of supply. a “normal market” has on average 6 months’ worth of listed supply at any given time.

Presented by Brint Wahlberg with Windermere Real Estate.

All data is sourced from the Missoula Organization of Realtors Multiple Listing Service.

Spring Cleaning Checklist Take the time to polish your home.

let the sun in. make any day look brighter with clean blinds and windows. mix a solution of one part white vinegar to eight parts water, plus a drop or two of liquide dishwashing liquid, for a green window cleaner. Spray on and wipe with a newspaper to avoid streaks.

sniff out smells. check the drip tray underneath your refrigerator and wash out any standing water from defrosting. Remove inside odors by washing the inside of the fridge with a baking soda and water solution. Boil lemon juice in your microwave and add it to your dishwasher to eliminate bad smells. also, put the lemon rinds down the disposal. add activated charcoal in the fridge to keep odors at bay.

Make your bed better.

Vacuum mattresses and box springs, and then rotate and flip over. Do the same for removable furniture cushions. This is also a great time to wash or dry-clean the dust ruffle and mattress pad.

Clean those coils. improve energy efficiency by vacuuming grates, coils, and condensers in your furnace, stove, and refrigerator (either underneath or in back). if a vacuum won’t reach, try a rag tied to a yardstick.

Wash the walls.

Grease, smoke, and dust can adhere to walls and make even the best decorating look dingy. Wash walls using a general all-purpose cleaner with hot water. Start at the top of the wall to avoid drips, and in a corner so that you wash one wall at a time. Rinse the mop head frequently in clean water. and don’t press too hard because flat latex paint won’t absorb too much water.

Source: Realtor® Magazine

DB

tune in! Missoula real estate today Saturdays @ 8am, Sundays @ 10am

The Diane Beck Team Your Real Estate Resource!

Windermere Real Estate - 2800 S. Reserve | 406.360.7654 | DianeBeck@Realtor.com

The Diane Beck Team proudly supports Special Olympics Montana Summer Games!

Lifestyle Calendar

April

APRIL 3

APRIL 11

FIRST FRIDAY

COMMUNITY TIES

MISSOULA

MISSOULA ART MUSEUM

Every first Friday of the month, Missoula’s art galleries, museums, retail stores and coffee shops stay open a little later to give people an opportunity to mingle with the artists. Visit MissoulaCultural.org for more information.

This elegant progressive event collectively celebrates the anniversaries of the Missoula Art Museum, Carousel for Missoula, Missoula Children’s Theatre, Missoula Symphony Orchestra, Garden City Ballet, and String Orchestra of the Rockies. Please visit MissoulaArtMuseum.org for tickets and more information.

APRIL 4 PHILIP SCHAEFER, JEFF WHITNEY & MELISSA MYLCHREEST SHAKESPEARE & CO.

These three Missoula-based writers will read from their books at 7 p.m. For more information, visit ShakespeareAndCo.com.

APRIL 9 OLD SALT UNION TOP HAT

This band is redefining bluegrass with pop and indie rock influences.

Visit TopHatLounge.com for more information.

APRIL 11

APRIL 15

PAW POWER 5K

STICK WITH JAZZ

MISSOULA

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

The second annual 5K run is to raise money to provide service dogs to disabled individuals. All money raised goes directly to the pups. Go to 406Running.com/event/2015-paw-power-5k/ for more information.

This event brings together the UM Lab Jazz Band, UM Jazz Workshop Band and Washington Middle School Jazz Band and features a special guest, trumpeter Jeff Stickney. Visit Events.UMT.edu for tickets and more information.

APRIL 15 SARAH GERARD FACT & FICTION

Author Sarah Gerard reads from her novel Binary Star. Visit FactAndFictionBooks.com.

APRIL 16 PORTRAITS THAT YOU CAN’T MESS UP MISSOULA ART MUSEUM

APRIL 11 CHRISTOPHER TITUS WILMA THEATRE

Stand-up comedian and brainchild of the FOX show Christopher Titus performs at the Wilma. For tickets and more information, visit TheWilma.com.

28 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

Join Dr. Valerie Hedquist, professor of Art History and Criticism at the University of Montana, for a talk about Andy Warhol’s photographs.

For more information visit MissoulaArtMuseum.org.

APRIL 17 THE BROTHERS COMATOSE TOP HAT

Don’t let the name fool you: This five-piece string band gives a lively, high-energy performance. Every. Time. Visit TopHatLounge.com for more information.

and the Missoula community share in Earth Week activities. Events include Ecopentathalon, river cleanup, wildlands restoration, special recycling events, and a sustainability fair at Caras Park. Visit UMT. edu/earthday for more information.

APRIL 17-18 KYI-YO POW-WOW ADAMS CENTER

This celebration is one of the oldest traditions of KyiYo. The celebration is a time to preserve the rich heritage of Native Americans and renew the thoughts of the old traditions. For more information, visit CAS.UMT. edu/kyiyo.

APRIL 18-25 EARTH WEEK UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

The University of Montana

APRIL 18-25 INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL ROXY THEATER

This film festival brings together world-renowned filmmakers to highlight the future of wildlife, environmental media and conservation. Also includes the WildWalk Parade and WildFest. Visit WildlifeFilms.org for more information.

April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

29

Lifestyle Calendar

APRIL 21 NEKO CASE WILMA THEATRE

An acclaimed musician-songwriter, Neko Case will be reissuing her iconic album “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” in a limited-edition run of red vinyl to commemorate Record Store Day 2015. For tickets visit NekoCase.com.

APRIL 22

APRIL 22 BOSS ROSS NIGHT

AARON WATSON

ZOOTOWN ARTS COMMUNITY CENTER

WILMA THEATRE

Bring on your Bob Ross wigs, impressions, and appreciation! Participants will be inspired to paint happy little trees while watching a video and drinking wine. Cost covers materials, supplies and canvas.

Visit ZooTownArts.org/bobross for tickets and more information.

Aaron Watson, the Texas-born and -bred country music singer, will be howling his way through Montana with a stop in the Garden City. For tickets and more information, visit AaronWatson.com.

30 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

APRIL 24 ALEXANDRA TEAGUE SHAKESPEARE & CO.

Alexandra Teague reads from her second book of poems The Wise and Foolish Builders. For more information, visit ShakespeareAndCo.com.

APRIL 24

APRIL 25-26

NEW WAVE TIME TRIPPERS

EARTH, WIND & FIRE

TOP HAT

DENNISON THEATRE

Revisit the ‘80s, ‘90, ‘00s and today with the one of the best cover bands around. Visit TopHatLounge.com for more information.

Missoula Symphony Orchestra celebrates Earth Day with the spiritual and moving sounds of the Native American flute as interpreted by R. Carlos Nakai. For more information, visit MissoulaSymphony.org.

APRIL 25 DOWN THE HATCH FISHING FESTIVAL CARAS PARK & WILMA THEATRE

Join fellow fisherman for this festival that features vendors from across the industry. End the day with a film and raffle at the Wilma.

For more information, visit Orvis.com.

APRIL 26-MAY 2 MISSOULA CRAFT BEER WEEK MISSOULA

This annual rite of spring brings together the Treasure State’s beer lovers to sample and celebrate craft beer in the Garden City. The event culminates with the Garden City BrewFest at Caras Park. Visit MissoulaBeerWeek.com for more information.

www.sageaccessories.com (406)531-8259 April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

31

business directory ART & PHOTOGRAPHY FASHION & ACCESSORIES Open Lens by Pamela (406) 370-2704

Sage Accessories (406) 531-8259 Slikati Missoula Photographers sageaccessories.com (406) 274-0592

AUTOMOTIVE Bitteroot Motors (406) 251-2525 DeMarois GMC, Mercedes-Benz (406) 721-4000

CHARITIES & FUNDRAISERS AniMeals (406) 721-4710

Camp Mak-A-Dream (406) 544-8333 campdream.org

DRY CLEANERS Missoula Textiles (406) 543-5171

FINANCIAL SERVICES & PLANNING Rustic Cabin Insurance - Shawn Friedeman (406) 728-3276

HEALTH & WELLNESS Spas of Montana (406) 251-6742

HOME BUILDERS & REMODELERS

INSURANCE

RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE

Danny Blowers Insurance Agency (406) 541-9885

MEDICAL CLINICS & FACILITIES

Oral Surgical Associates (406) 728-6840 oralsurgicalassociates.com/

OTHER

Ace Hardware Missoula montanaace.com

Paradise Falls (406) 728-3228 paradisefallsmissoula.com

SENIOR LIVING & SERVICES Springs at Missoula (503) 435-2323

Bob Ward’s Sporting Goods (406) 728-3220

Abbey Carpet Missoula (406) 721-1810

Tucker Entertainment LLC. (406) 544-8333

HOME DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

PROPERTY & REAL ESTATE

Pink Grizzly Greenhouse/ Agro Vitae (406) 728-3370

Montana Club Resturants (406) 541-0076 montanaclub.com

Diane Beck Windermere Real Estate (406) 532-7927

Ornamental Plants Seeds Gifts • Veggies & Herbs Trees & Shrubs

Create a spot for joy in your life!

We’ll help you with all your gardening needs.

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Serving the Missoula Area Since 1973 1547 S Higgins Avenue • Missoula Hamilton Satellite Office: 411 State Street April 2015 | Missoula Valley Lifestyle

33

Parting Thoughts

Greetings from Zin City

WORDS DENISE SNODELL

I

have a dirty little secret. I’m a non-gardener who has somehow slyly scraped the earth’s surface. Yes, it’s true I’m not ambitious about “planting things.” While other suburbanites take pride in nudging photosynthesis, I am clueless. Clueless.

My hidden outdoorsy adventure has nothing to do with homegrown veggies and herbs, either. Nice concept, but I thrill at harvesting crops in the grocery produce section only. It’s all prepicked and shiny and waxed. Nice. Whatever it takes to avoid the effort involved with growing cornucopia fillers, I’m there.

But flowers are a different story. I cultivate some myself. Crazy as it sounds, every summer, all summer long and into fall, my house is bursting with colorful, artful bouquets from my very own secret garden.

It’s not exactly a garden. My planting area is a little patch of sloping not-grass on a narrow side yard, right up against the house.

Picture this glamorous triangulation: a small area of lumpy dirt just below the dryer vent, smack dab between a small concrete door slab and a spidery window well.

What I just described is the opposite of a British flower scenario. (English people set the bar for lovely flower gardens.) If I were, say, an outskirt Londoner, my so-called garden would instead be in full view, punctuated with a delicate iron trellis and an antique stone bench, just beyond a row of fragrant, exotic roses. But here I am in Middle America, with the frumpiest set-up the outdoors can offer. Did I mention the dryer vent?

Fear not, when warm weather hits, I have some stuff even British royalty would die for. Good ol’ blaring American sun. A few cheap packets of zinnia seeds. A watering can. And southern exposure. Take that, Queen.

34 Missoula Valley Lifestyle | April 2015

The thing about zinnias is they’re perfect cutting flowers. And that’s why I’m a big fan. Probably many people who know what they’re doing plant zinnias as part of a sweeping, stay-put master-gardened grand plan. Their zins might serve as an untouchable color patch to transition the eye from, say, hydrangeas to box hedges. That sounds horrible, in retrospect, but it’s coming from me. What do I know?

Nothing.

So how did this whole zinnia thing happen? By accident. Years ago, I received a free seed sample in the mail. I think it was from a real estate agent. Can’t remember. The packet showed such a colorful mix and stated these suckers were great cutting flowers. When I noticed the instructions advised to plant the seeds just a quarter inch deep in the soil, I was totally on board. A fraction of an inch meant no worm encounters and no complications. Plus, I knew there was that un-mowable bare section at the side of the house, soaking up all that sunlight in vain. My cutting garden was born.

It’s been bouquet city ever since.

Inspired, but not a gardener? Trust me, zinnias are so forgiving.

They can get thirsty, yes, but who wouldn’t with all that sun? I’m sure garden clubbers have strict “how to” rules, but I plant my little buddies on my own schedule—sometime in the spring, when I feel like it. I always drop the seeds too close together, oops. Some years I fertilize the soil, others I don’t. Regardless, the zinnias always show up, and they’re always beautiful. My only advice, other than “just add water,” is to make sure you buy seeds labeled “giant” or “super giant.” Ka-pow!

It’s a good idea to have garden scissors, too. Upon the first wave of blooms, I run with mine.

Inspire

Bring us your ideas and inspiration.

Together, with our design team, we’ll turn your space into a beautiful place for family and friends.

721-1810 • 407 South Catlin • Missoula • Missoula.BuyAbbey.com

BITTERROOT FORD bitterrootford.com

3943 Brooks Street, Missoula, Montana 59804 | 406.251.2525 * Dealer to insert disclaimer for offers here. Try to avoid water higher than the bottom of the hubs and proceed slowly. Refer to your owner's manual for detailed information regarding driving through water.