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Big Sky

Exploring life, land and culture from the heart of the Yellowstone Region

Oct. 19 - Nov. 1, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue No. 21

Ousel Falls Trail: A closer look

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On the Cover: Two hikers check out the view from Ousel Falls. A rich history surrounds popular Ousel Falls Trail. For the story, see page 4. Photo by Chris Davis

2011 big sky

Old Faithful to the Governor’s mansion

Business of the Year

The Big Sky Weekly has been connecting the dots this fall.

Oct. 19 - Nov. 1, 2012 Volume 3, Issue no. 21

Tyler Allen, staff writer and distribution director, attended the Oct. 15 unveiling of Destination Yellowstone, a new interactive, educational exhibit with museumquality displays at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. The installation, which includes a six-foot tall touch screen, will answer questions about the park, provide real time information about wildlife sightings and weather conditions, and gives directions.

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PUBLISHER Eric Ladd COO & SENIOR EDITOR Megan Paulson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mike Martins VIDEO director Brian Niles MANAGING EDITOR Emily Stifler EDITOR Joseph T. O'Connor

Jamie Balke, Buscrat, Mike Coil, Brooks Johnson, Meagan Malone, Anne Marie Mistretta, Brandon Niles, Jessica Nolan, Patrick Record, Katie Thomas

“This is a very important gateway to the park,” said Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Weekly editor Joseph O'Connor Photo by Brian Niles about the airport. The new Niles met with Gov. Brian Schweitzer for an hour-long exhibit also gives people a chance to be stewards by coninterview at the capitol building in Helena. necting them to the Yellowstone Park Foundation, the park’s official fundraising partner, he added.

“He’s larger than life, but accessible,” O’Connor said of the Governor.

The installation is a result of collaboration between YPF and the Yellowstone Association, which is the park’s Schweitzer and O’Connor talked about the upcoming official educational partner. The Bozeman Yellowstone elections, the importance of bipartisan work in politics, International Airport and Yellowstone National Park are whiskey and skunks. O’Connor is now working on a involved, as well. feature story for the upcoming winter issue of Mountain Outlaw magazine about Schweitzer’s tenure in office and “It was exciting to witness these organizations solidify what’s on the horizon. their partnership,” Allen said. “For years they’ve worked apart, so this was long overdue. The airport was the perThere’s a lot happening in Montana right now. It’s a good fect place for that to happen.” time to be in publishing.

Editorial Policy

That same day, Weekly Editor Joseph O’Connor and Outlaw Partners Director of Video Production Brian

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelsey Dzintars distribution director/Staff Writer Tyler Allen videographer Chris Davis Operations director Katie Morrison WEB Developer/Designer Sean Weas Design Intern Taylor-Ann Smith CONTRIBUTors

Outlaw Partners LLC is the sole owner of the Big Sky Weekly. No part of this publication may be reprinted without written permission from the publisher. The Big Sky Weekly reserves the right to edit all submitted material for content, corrections or length. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or the editors of this publication. No advertisements, columns, letters to the editor or other information will be published that contain discrimination based on sex, age, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual preference, or are in bad taste.

Letter to the Editor Parameters The Weekly accepts letters to the editor to give readers a platform to express their views and share ways they would like to effect change. These should not be Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, state accurate facts and figures, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters. Include: first and last name, address, phone number and title.

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Table of Contents Community...4 Local News...7 Regional..11 Montana...13 Food & Dining...17 Gallery...18 Sports...19 Health...20 Chamber News...21

Business Profile...22 Classifieds...23 Business...23 Outdoors...24 Gear Reviews...25 Events...26 Fun...28 Column...29 Back 40...30

HELMS JAMISON KULESZA

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Big Sky Weekly

Ousel Falls Trail: A view of Big Sky’s most famous hike

By JOSEPH T. O'CONNOR big sky weekly editor

BIG SKY – A TrailMaster TM1550 hugs a Douglasfir near the beginning of the Ousel Falls trail. The black rectangle looks like an outdated pedometer, hanging on as if the tree might take off down the meandering path. But the device doesn’t measure distance; instead, it logs the number of hikers who stroll from the Ousel Falls parking lot to the waterfall. And it logs them in droves.

Installed by local nonprofit Big Sky Community Corp. in mid-June, the TrailMaster has since counted more than 15,000 hikers on this trail, which is two miles south of the Big Sky Town Center. These numbers reflect the trail’s acclaim – anyone can handle the walk; and, it seems everyone does.

There are plenty of hikes in and around Big Sky, but few have the universal appeal the Ousel Falls Trail has. Its gentle pitch and well-maintained path draw visitors and locals alike to the stunning 40-foot falls. photo by Meagan Malone Parents bring kids, and everyone brings dogs; at 0.8 miles from the trailhead to the waterfall, some hike it on their lunch breaks.

“The parking lot is packed from sun-up to sundown,” said Jessie Wiese, executive director of BSCC, which led efforts to re-build the trail in 2003. Wiese feels it’s important for the community to know just how popular the hike is.

“That’s our showcase trail, so we want people to understand the usage. It’s the first question everyone gets when they move to Big Sky: ‘Have you hiked Ousel Falls yet?’”

The Ousel Falls story The Ousel Falls hike began as a social trail through U.S. Forest Service land.

People walked from the Yellow Mules Trailhead, along the ridge above the south fork of the Gallatin River’s west fork, and then had to negotiate a steep, treacherous path down to the falls. As foot traffic increased, everyone began to notice a problem. In addition to the dangerous section of trail, residents were building new homes in the Club at Spanish Peaks, along that same ridge.

As more houses were constructed, private landowners voiced concerns about the trail winding through their backyards. BSCC, along with representatives of Spanish Peaks Club and the Yellowstone "Being able to [access the Club, teamed up with wilderness] from town – the Forest Service to move the trail. But a that’s why we’re here, and question remained: that’s what keeps people How would they get people to the falls and coming back.” then connect to the Yellow Mules Trail?

-Jessie Wiese, executive director of BSCC Enter Bill Olson, thenchairman of BSCC’s Trails Committee. After negotiating the donation of land for Ousel Falls Park beneath the ridge, Olson, working closely with Forest Service engineer Jonathan Kempff, devised a plan for the trail.

“I said, ‘Let’s route it through the park and along the river,’” said Olson, who’s often hailed as the grandfather of Big Sky area trails. “Rather than up high where you’re going to be in development and in conflict with roads.”

The group liked the idea and began pitching in, with Gallatin National Forest in the lead.

“The Forest Service basically paid for all of the trail up to that [Yellow Mules] junction,” Olson said. Spanish Peaks Club provided additional funds to build the new trail, according to minutes from a June 20, 2003 meeting between the Big Sky Owners Association and BSCC. On Aug. 11, 2003, the new Ousel Falls Trail opened to the public. It “was a huge success,” Olson reported in a September meeting between BSOA and BSCC. “I was working 70 hours a week, but it was fun for me,” he said later. Olson was a guiding force in the planning and construction of the new trail; indeed, he contributed much to outdoor recreation in Big Sky. Trish Loomis (L) and Carol McGuire take a mid-day hike on the Ousel Falls Trail. Photo by joseph T. O'Connor

4 Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012

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“He was the guy who got things done up here,” Wiese said. “He really believed in the [trails program].”

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Big Sky Weekly

Cinclus mexicanus Ousel Falls gets its name from the Ouzel, or American Dipper, a small, round bird that lives near swift water. With a keen eye, hikers often spot the birds near the waterfall, bobbing up and down in search of food.

To deal with the crumbling walls and weak layers, Davis and his crew have built rock armories and gabion baskets, wire boxes filled with rock that stabilize areas prone to slumping.

slopes along the dirt and gravel path to further prevent soil erosion.

BSCC has put a lot of work into the acquisition and maintenance of parks, trails and recreational facilities in the area. But for Wiese, and many others, the Ousel Falls Trail has special significance.

Even with southwest Montana’s frozen winters, Ouzels are some of the few birds that don’t migrate. “They’re residents here,” Wade says. “They live, literally, in the falls.”

Between closing side paths where hikers cut corners, rebuilding retaining walls and adding gabion baskets, Davis says he uses every bit of the money BSCC gets to maintain the trail. He brings in miniature excavators to remove slumps from the trail and to provide for BSCC’s greatest concern.

One of the bird’s most fascinating traits is its ability to feed underneath icy waters. Its skin produces oil that keeps it warm, while an extra pair of eyelids, called nictitating membranes, allows the Ouzel see underwater as it walks along the bottom of streambeds to hunt larvae and insects. “It’s got its own built-in swimming goggles,” Wade says.

“There’s a lot of traffic down there,” Davis said. “There are people on bikes, hikers, people with strollers. Our biggest concern is safety.”

While Ousel Falls has become a local landmark, something the community rallies to support, Wiese knows there’s work left to do.

The fact that Ouzels have made a home in Ousel Falls speaks to the work BSCC has done to keep the area clean. Since the birds tend to move from polluted areas in favor of fresher waters, the presence of Ouzels can be a good indication of a healthy stream.

That’s why we’re here

“This is just the beginning for trails in Big Sky.”

On a cool morning in early October, Jessie Wiese walked her dog, Hunter, down Ousel Falls Trail. Most mornings she runs the trail, but today she’s checking her work: This fall she planted wild rye and other stabilizing grasses on the

For questions or information about how to volunteer or donate, visit bsccmt.org or call Big Sky Community Corp. at (406) 993-2112

A pair of Ouzels have a nest right behind the falls and live there year round, says Denise Wade, who runs the naturalist and Nordic ski program at Lone Mountain Ranch.

Locals spell the name Ousel with an “s,” but the bird is spelled with the letter “z,” something Wade thinks is just a matter of pronunciation.

Community dedication

Maintenance

Since taking over management of Ousel Falls Park, BSCC has shouldered other responsibilities, adding to the recreational enjoyment of Big Sky residents and visitors.

Trail work isn’t cheap. Ousel Falls Trail, for example, costs about $15,000 to $20,000 in maintenance each year, Wiese said. The funding comes from various sources

“We’re a many-legged organization,” said Wiese, who accepted the executive director position nearly a year ago.

In July, the Resort Tax Board allotted $15,000 for maintenance to the Ousel Falls Trail. Additionally, BSCC was awarded a Gallatin County Resource Advisory Council grant for $5,000. That funding went toward re-vegetation and erosion control, specifically earthslumping, a major problem in the area, Wiese said.

In 2006, BSCC acquired 36 acres to build the Big Sky Community Park.

The 44-acre park now has tennis courts and two softball fields, a disc golf course, a climbing boulder and a new skate park, which opened to the public on Sept. 29. Additionally, BSCC maintains more than 16 miles of trails in the area, including Ousel Falls.

But the vision doesn’t stop there, Wiese says.

“We’re working on creating access from Town Center to the Ophir School and out to Ousel via those ridge lines,” she said, pointing southeast from the Town Center, toward Michener drainage. “It would add close to 18 miles to our trail system.”

BSCC also hopes to build a Mountainto-Meadow route linking the two villages in Big Sky. “We’re always hoping to build more trails,” Wiese said.

“It’s incredibly beautiful,” she muses.

“It’s a resource for everyone and showcases what Big Sky has to offer by getting people in the wilderness quickly.

Being able to [access the wilderness] from town – that’s why we’re here, and that’s what keeps people coming back.”

Slumping occurs when a block of soil and rock breaks off from the main landmass and slides a short distance down a slope. It can happen due to slope loading and, in the case of Ousel Falls trail, to undercutting. To handle these issues, BSCC brought in some outside help.

Herb Davis, who owns a trail maintenance and design company called North Fork Trails, has been contracting for BSCC for two years. He contends slumping occurs on Ousel because of the type of soil and rock content.

“There’s a lot of shale and old volcanic mud,” he said. “It’s inherently unstable.”

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Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 5

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Big Sky Weekly

Big Sky food bank to open in November By emily stifler

Food Bank, which falls under the nonprofit Human Resources Development Council.

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Food Network has been a long time coming, and now a group of locals is collaborating to make the food bank a reality.

The GVFB already helps administer the Headwaters Food Bank in Three Forks, as well as several other mobile pantries around the county. Ultimately, Trzinski said, the Big Sky location will be another satellite office, with food services, and other resources like energy and housing assistance. It will also be a place to educate and connect people to other services.

big sky weekly managing editor

Anne Marie Mistretta saw the necessity when she was superintendent of Ophir School from 2005 to 2010.

“I could see families of schoolchildren in need, and I could also see there were people in the community in need,” she said.

“It will literally be an extension of our office,” Trzinski said. “Moving food down there just helps us serve folks we would be serving anyway, a little bit more conveniently.”

Between 50 and 75 households from the Big Sky/Gallatin Canyon area use the Gallatin Valley Food Bank in Bozeman each month, said Tim Trzinski, program director there.

GVFB will provide volunteer training, a database for client management, a portion of the food to stock shelves, and staffing early on until the BSFN gets off its feet.

Several groups discussed it over the years, but nothing came of it until Country Market owner Lynne Anderson approached Mistretta last February. Anderson has long donated food to seasonal workers.

The BSFN will follow the shopping model GVFB uses, which means clients can shop for a five to seven day supply of food, once every 30 days..

“I understand you have an interest in this,” she said to Mistretta. “I have a passion for it.”

The two set about finding other interested parties, and came up with a nine-member advisory board. In addition to Anderson and Mistretta, the seven other community members are Dianne Bartzick, Deb House, Leonard Izzo, Gayle Palmer, Leslie Piercy, Margaret Leeper, Leah Johnson. They have connections to the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club, the Big Sky School District, the Chamber of Commerce and the Big Sky Rotary, among other local businesses, churches and organizations.

Ambros Locker and Dan Bartzick set up shelving donated to the Big Sky Food Network. The new food bank will open in the Big Horn Plaza in mid- November.

Photo by anne marie mistretta

They found a location available for rent at the Big Horn Center on Highway 191, and it fit their criteria for privacy and being along a bus route.

But without startup money, the project was at a standstill for several months.

Until Kym Rapier, standing in line to buy groceries, overheard Anderson bemoaning the situation.

“What’s the problem?”

Rapier asked.

Anderson explained, and “that was the end of that.”

Rapier, who moved to Big Sky with her husband George six months ago, runs charities through their Rapier Family Foundation. Within 24 hours, Rapier had contacted the owner of the property in the Big Horn Center and made arrangements for the space. She also helped cover the first year’s rent and repairs needed for the building.

“There are a lot of people that need help,” Rapier said, “especially during Christmas and Thanksgiving.”

Set to open in midNovember, the BSFN will be a subsidiary of the Gallatin Valley

6 Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012

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Anderson and Mistretta, with their passion and startup energy, hope the community will embrace the food bank.

“This is only my baby because I’m jumpstarting it,” Anderson said. “I want the community to take ownership of it.”

That will mean people volunteering time for fundraising or stocking shelves, donating food or warm clothes, cash and supplies, and helping recognize needs.

Students from Lone Peak High School are helping with setup, and the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club coordinated several food drives over the summer. The BSFN has also partnered with its neighbor the Consignment Cabin to set up a program for donating winter clothes.

Anderson anticipates the BSFN will be open two days a week, Tuesdays from 3 – 7 p.m. and Fridays from 1 – 4 p.m., but says that’s not set in stone.

There will be a work day at the BSFN on Nov. 3 starting at 9 a.m. Volunteers can stop by any time and “we’ll put them to work,” Mistretta said.

“What we want to do is have people understand it's a very pleasant facility, and it’s an extremely necessary program here.”

Currently, the Food Network is looking for the following donations: •

Freezer

•

Chairs for intake centers

•

Substantial desk for intake centers or computer work stations

•

Floor scale

•

Baby formula with current date

•

Clothing racks

•

Cash donations for food (these, Anderson says, have 30 percent higher value than donated food due to wholesale discounts)

•

Plumber to donate time plumbing sinks, toilets and washer/dryer areas

local news

Grimm hired as CAP Mentor coordinator

Hopes to make 20 student/volunteer matches this year By barbara rowley BIG SKY – Long-time local Julie Grimm has accepted the position of Child Advancement Project Mentor coordinator for the Big Sky School District and will immediately begin recruiting weekly volunteers as CAP Mentors in the Lone Peak High School and Ophir School.

“I’m so excited to have this position, because I know the school, not just from going there, but also from being a frequent guest teacher,” says Grimm, who graduated from LPHS in 1996. A trained secondary education teacher, Grimm holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Carroll College, and has both taught at middle and high school levels and been a CAP Mentor herself.

“As a mentor I worked with a student who struggled in math and set goals for her math progress. I think the real benefit of the program is that it offers kids a weekly ‘check-in’ with an outside adult,” Grimm said. “Although I’m no math whiz, I was able to help her with her homework and connect with her, and she was doing exceptionally well by the spring.”

According to Grimm, the CAP Mentor program can match a variety of students with mentors. “Sometimes students are excelling in class and need extra time with a caring adult to work on taking their interest to the next level. A student who is an exceptional writer, for example, might be placed with a mentor who could help her get work published, or finish a short story to submit to a contest.”

Working as an employee of the Bozeman-based nonprofit Thrive, which runs CAP Mentor programs in all Bozeman’s schools, Grimm hopes to recruit and oversee 20 matches this school year. Mentors work one hour a week during the school day, and need to participate in two trainings – held in Big Sky – during the year.

Grimm already has two recruits, both Big Sky residents who love the program. They were volunteering in Bozeman and will now volunteer with kids in their own community.

Grimm’s roots in the community have already aided her recruitment efforts.

She spoke to the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Club and plans to meet with the Rotary Club and other local businesses. In Bozeman, Grimm notes, many businesses encourage employees to volunteer as a way of giving back to the community.

The benefits of the program are not a one-way street. “We see, in statistically-documented ways, what this program does for kids,” Grimm said. “But we also see what it does for mentors.

I saw some mentors see their matches again this fall and it was heartwarming … how close these relationships are.”

Thrive's CAP Mentor program was recently named to the National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices. The National Registry assists the public by identifying scientifically-based approaches to preventing negative outcomes for children. Only three other mentor programs are in the registry.

The CAP Mentor program was made possible by a three-year grant from the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. Grimm will be the third new member of the Big Sky School District Guidance team, joining Beth Farhat, who coordinates internships, Guidance Counselor Leah Johnson, and a parent liaison position, for which the district is currently accepting applications.

To inquire about volunteering as a CAP Mentor, contact Julie Grimm at jgrimm@bssd72.org. For more information about the parent liaison position or to apply, visit Thrive's website allthrive.org.

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Big Sky Weekly

RTB October meeting: bonding authority, winter town hall assemblies Board hears concern about Bozeman/Big Sky bus service By tyler allen

big sky weekly staff writer

BIG SKY – Markus Kirchmayr stood before the Resort Tax Board on Wednesday, Oct. 10, to deliver a rare public comment questioning the board's spending priorities.

Kirchmayr, a Big Sky resident and owner of Alpine Property Management, aired concerns about the $170,000 in resort tax funding spent annually on a transportation service that, as he said, “subsidizes those who work in Big Sky, but choose to live and spend outside of Big Sky.” Board members Les Loble, Jamey Kabisch, Mike Scholz, Jeff Strickler and Ginna Hermann (via conference call) listened as Kirchmayr explained that the Bozeman connection of the Skyline bus service is a huge expense. “Should we not instead turn those funds toward projects that create incentive for people to live, work and spend here in Big Sky?” he asked.

He suggested the transportation district should levy a tax for funding transportation in the area, as allowed by Montana law. Kirchmayr owns a taxi service as part of his business in Big Sky and described how one of his drivers recently quit because it was too expensive to live and work in Big Sky.

“[The resort tax board has] asked the transportation board numerous times to ask the community for a mill levy,” board chairman Loble said, “Markus should come to the [upcoming] town hall meetings because he’s brought up many good points.”

Next, the board discussed its proposed bonding authority with tax board attorney Mona Jamison, via conference call. Under Montana law, Resort Communities like Red Lodge have that capability to authorize bonds, but Resort Areas like Big Sky do not. Jamison is drafting a bill to present to the state legislature this November, requesting authority for the RTB to make bonding decisions in the future.

The proposal would give the RTB the authority to make bonding decisions without voter approval, Jamison explained. Board members weighed in on whether they believe it’s appropriate for the board to have that ability.

“This money is not being directly collected from taxpayers, because [Resort Area sales tax] is not a direct tax,” Strickler said.

“This would not be affecting the tax burden of [Big Sky] citizens,” Scholz added.

“I’m opposed to any bonding without voter approval,” Kabisch said, before the board voted on a motion to limit its bonding authority at 25 percent of the total appropriations budget. Kabisch was the only dissenting vote.

Next, the board discussed the upcoming town hall meetings – Dec. 12 and Jan. 16. The planned meetings resulted from the two-day RTB strategic planning session in August, facilitated by consultant Buz Davis. The meetings are intended to help the board streamline the application process for resort tax funding applicants and create an, “open dialogue with the resort tax board,” Hermann said.

“The first meeting could be ‘resort tax board, where are we today,’ and the second meeting, ‘where do we go’,” Kabisch suggested.

“Hopefully big ideas about the future will come up,” Scholz said, “[about] how Big Sky will become a world class resort.”

RTB administrative officer Whitney Brunner reported tax collection revenue this July was the best on record. The next RTB meeting will be Wednesday, Nov.14 at 11 a.m.

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local news A roadmap going forward State tourism office holds public strategic planning session in Big Sky By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

BIG SKY – The future of Montana tourism is in your hands.

The Montana Office of Tourism and the Tourism Advisory Council are holding a strategic planning session in Big Sky on Oct. 25 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at Buck’s T-4. The tourism groups are inviting community members from around the region to weigh in on individual and collective statewide priorities, actions and goals for Montana tourism over the next five years.

This is one of about 20 such community input sessions being held this fall in at least 15 communities around the state. This year is the fifth in a series of statewide strategic planning sessions since the early 1990s.

Julie and Jim Cerenzia of Open Window Consulting in Bozeman will facilitate the discussions, asking participants to share what their tourism business or organization wants to accomplish in the coming five years, and how those objectives “can be brought together for a larger cooperative effort to support the tourism industry and its economic benefit for the state,” Julie said.

A variety of tourism organizations and businesses attended workshops in Butte, Missoula, Kalispell, Whitefish, Cutbank and Great Falls in early October, Julie said. Other sessions will be held in Billings, Wolf Point, Miles City, Hardin, West Yellowstone, Livingston, Bozeman, Red Lodge, Helena and Lewistown.

“Tourism has remained an important part of the Montana economy, even in the economic downturn,” said Victor Bjornberg from the Montana Office of Tourism and Department of Commerce.

He credits this, in part, to Montana’s tourism marketing strategy over the last five years. This included the completion of the Montana Brand, something used by the office of tourism, state tourism regions, convention and visitor bureaus, private-sector tourism industry partners, and other state travel offices.

The 2012 outreach sessions are aimed to prioritize resources, and “see how we can keep moving tourism and recreation in a positive way in Montana,” Bjornberg said. One goal is to spread visitation around the state, making it a four-season travel destination.

Big Sky Resort’s sales and marketing director Meg O’Leary is has been on the Tourism Advisory Council the past two years. Appointed by the Governor, the TAC board advises the office of tourism on marketing, vision, and how to spend the money it collects from the statewide 4 percent bed tax. TAC met

with Open Window to help lay the groundwork for the sessions.

“We’re in a great spot to get a really clear direction, and go deeper and [become] more efficient,” O’Leary said. She hopes to see discussion about “where we want to be, and not just in the five year plan. I’d like to see people thinking about where we want to be long term.”

“I’m hoping everybody in [Big Sky] goes to this thing to get a grasp of the big Montana picture. Everyone in town is a stakeholder. We’re all here because of tourism.”

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Approximately $16 million of the annual bed tax collections goes to the office of tourism for driving visitation.

“This a lot of marketing money,” O’Leary said. “It could have a really big impact in addition to what all of us are already doing.”

Ideas from workshop attendees could make a “huge” difference, she added.

“Please come. Your input will be valuable, and this will sit for the next five years. It’s a big blueprint, a road map.”

Montana has seen steady growth in non-resident visitation and spending in recent years, according to the Montana Office of Tourism. For the last three years, the state has led the nation in summer hotel occupancy rates during July and August.

The latest reports from the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research show statewide lodging tax collections for the first two quarters of 2012 up 9 and 13 percent, respectively.

For the Big Sky CVB area, the 2012 collections for this same period were up 1 percent in the first quarter and down 11 percent in the second quarter. That decline is in comparison to the 2011 second quarter, Bjornberg said, which saw a 75 percent jump in collections from the previous year. Big Sky’s 2012 second quarter collections (at $97,703) were the third highest in history, just behind 2011 and 2007.

In 2011, Montana saw 10.5 million visitors and $2.7 billion in non-resident visitor spending. The last time spending was at this level was in 2008, Bjornberg said. With just more than $3 billion spent by visitors, 2007 was the record year.

“Tourism is an economic engine and also something that can protect our assets and the quality of life in Montana,” Bjornberg said.

Registration for a strategic session is requested. Visit the 2013 Strategic Plan web page to register or provide input through an online survey: travelmontana.mt.gov/2013StrategicPlan.

Build your dream and let the memories begin.

loneviewridge.com

Montana’s Missouri Breaks—Subject to Rehberg’s Federal Land Grab

Dennis Rehberg

Jon Tester

 Took control of Montana’s classrooms away from

 A former teacher, supports local control of education

teachers with the No Child Left Behind Act

 Voted 5 times for the unpopular Patriot Act  Supported and passed a National ID Card—Real ID

Bottom line:

 Joined Montanans in consistently opposing

the Patriot Act

 Supports a free and fair Internet

Without listening to the concerns of Montanans, Congressman Dennis Rehberg passed H.R. 1505, a “federal land grab” bill, which gives “unprecedented power” to federal bureaucrats to control public lands within 100 miles of Montana's northern border. Under Rehberg’s bill, the Department of Homeland Security can build roads, watchtowers and buildings on public lands and deny hunters and anglers access to the some of Montana’s best places to hunt and fish—with no public input.

Montana Votes: A side-by-side comparison of the candidates on the issues.

Women Supports equal pay for equal work

Millionaires Opposes tax breaks for millionaires

Freedom Opposes the Patriot Act and Real ID

Outdoors National Shooting Sports Foundation “Legislator of the Year” PAID FOR BY MONTANANS FOR TESTER

Jon Tester

Dan Cox

Dennis Rehberg

Third-generation Montana farmer and former teacher. Jon brings Montana values to the U.S. Senate.

Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate and fishing tackle shop owner from Hamilton.

Lobbyist-turned-Congressman and land subdivider who has spent 12-years in Washington DC.

explorebigsky.com

regional

Big Sky Weekly

Department of Defense awards Bozeman's Microbion Corporation, PENN and UCSF $2.5 million grant funding big sky weekly staff writer

In June 2012, the award team met with the FDA in Washington D.C. to discuss Microbion’s plan to advance to Phase 2 human clinical studies for the treatment of post-surgical infections associated with orthopedic medical devices.

BOZEMAN – $2.5 million in federal grant money may help a Bozeman-based company change the future of the health industry.

Microbion Corporation is developing products related to antibiotic resistant bacteria and microbial biofilms, both in health and industry. Its focus is on an innovative new class of anti-infective drugs, one of the few discovered in the last 30 years.

The funding, awarded to a team consisting of Microbion; University of Pennsylvania; and University of California, San Francisco, will help facilitate Phase 2 human trials to treat post-surgical orthopedic infections with Microbion’s innovative antimicrobial drug, currently in regulatory development. Provided through the U.S. Department of Defense, the grants are part of the 2012 Congressionally Directed Defense Medical Research Program.

Clinical studies will be carried out at both the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and at UCSF/San Francisco General Hospital. A team of researchers led

by Samir Mehta, MD, chief of the orthopaedic Trauma & Fracture Service at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will work with Microbion and the University of California-San Francisco on the trial, set to begin pending FDA approval of the Investigational New Drug application.

“Orthopedic trauma and fracture patients are at an increased risk for infection,” Mehta said. “If successful, this new treatment strategy could be a significant step toward reducing instances of amputation, disability and even death.”

This is Microbion’s second DoD grant in support of the regulatory development of this drug. Microbion’s BisEDT therapeutic drug successfully completed Phase 1 human trials in 2011.

“This is an important step for Microbion as we advance this drug to fight extremely challenging infections associated with orthopedic surgeries, including antibiotic resistant infections," said Dr. Brett Baker, Microbion’s Founder, President and CEO. "The application process was highly competitive, and it’s an honor for our team to have been selected for this funding.”

In 2011, the World Health Organization identified antibiotic resistance as a global health crisis. In response to this crisis, Congress passed the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) Act in 2012 with broad bipartisan support. This legislation provides incentives and FDA regulatory priority to companies who are developing new drugs to fight antibiotic resistant infections.

An estimated 100,000 patients receiving orthopedic implants in the U.S. annually suffer from a postoperative infection.

“This is a critically important area for the global community, as almost all current antibiotics are losing effectiveness against resistant bacterial and fungal infections,” Dr. Baker said. “The rapidly expanding unmet need in healthcare is creating an international market that must be addressed as a matter of global necessity. Our technology has the potential to improve outcomes for patients who develop an infection related to an implanted orthopedic medical device.”

More than 1,800 Montanans becoming certified to trap wolves montana fish, wildlife and parks

More than 1,800 people contacted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in August, interested in becoming certified to trap wolves. About 830 have already been certified, and 1,050 more are registered for upcoming classes.

Earlier this year, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved Montana’s third wolf hunting season and added a trapping season to begin Dec. 15 and end Feb. 28, 2013.

To trap wolves, however, prospective trappers must attend a certification class and have a Montana trapping license.

Such considerable interest has led state wildlife officials to add more certification classes.

"We're offering additional classes in Anaconda, Bozeman, Kalispell and Missoula," said Ken McDonald, chief of FWP's wildlife bureau in Helena.

Most of the remaining six-hour-long certification classes, the last courses

offered this year, are held on weekends. Like many of the September classes that filled immediately, the October and December opportunities are full or filling fast.

The wolf archery season closed Oct. 14, and the general rifle season will run Oct. 20 through Feb. 28, 2013.

FWP has led wolf management under the federal guidelines since 2004.

The delisting of wolves in May 2011 allows Montana to manage wolves in a manner similar to how bears, mountain lions and other wildlife species are managed. State management plans, administrative rules and laws guide these specifications.

For more trapping information, including certification dates, times and locations, visit the Fish, Wildlife and Parks website at fwp.mt.gov. Click on “Wolf Trapping Certification.”

Idaho Fish and Game also offers wolf trapping classes. For more information, visit fishandgame.idaho.gov.

explorebigsky.com

Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 11

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montana Bullock-Hill race offers voters clear choices for governor

By Brooks Johnson University of Montana School of Journalism

Say goodbye to bolo ties.

Whoever replaces Gov. Brian Schweitzer will be making an executive neckwear change. But that’s one of the few areas in which the candidates agree.

The race pits Attorney General Steve Bullock, the Democrat, against former Congressman Rick Hill, the Republican. Throw in Libertarian candidate Ron Vandevender and independent Bill Coate and you’ve got the cast of Montana Governor 2012.

The major-party rivals say they offer voters a clear choice.

“This election represents a crossroads,” Bullock said in an interview. “The congressman is looking backwards, and I think there’s great things ahead of us.”

Hill sees it differently. “Our agenda is focused on unleashing the private sector,” he said. “[Bullock’s] focus is on expanding the public sector.”

The two differ on issues ranging from abortion to tax reform and unions.

Hill, who defines himself as “pro-life,” supports the statewide ballot measure that would require doctors to notify parents when girls under 16 seek abortions. Bullock supports abortion rights and opposes the parental notification measure as government intrusion into a woman’s private healthcare decisions.

They also differ on public education. Hill’s plan would revise tenure laws to reward good teachers and replace bad ones. He would promote charter schools and allow tax breaks for foundations that support scholarships for students attending private schools.

Hill also supports changing how Montana pays for education, saying he would eliminate statewide property taxes for K-12 schools and replace the lost money with revenue from oil, gas and coal development.

Bullock, whose mother and stepfather were public school teachers, has criticized Hill’s plan. Bullock argues for keeping taxpayers invested in K-12 schools to ensure stable funding and also supports freezing college tuition.

L: Attorney General Steve Bullock R: former Congressman Rick Hill Photos by Patrick Record

Both candidates support developing Montana’s natural resources.

Hill questions his rival’s enthusiasm by pointing toward Bullock’s vote against accepting Arch Coal’s winning bid to develop state-owned coal in southeast Montana’s Otter Creek area.

Bullock, a member of the board that oversees stateowned lands, defends that vote, saying the bid was too low. He’s voted for other leases that better served the state, he added. “And we’ll continue making sure we’re not selling our resources at bargain basement prices,” he told a Helena audience last month.

When it comes to health care, Hill is quick to tie his opponent to the controversial federal Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare. Hill points to Bullock’s refusal to join mostly Republican attorneys general in 26 states who unsuccessfully challenged the law in federal court.

Joining that effort would have wasted Montana’s time and money, Bullock said. He stops short of advocating the Affordable Care Act, but added, “We’re paying too much and getting too little. We need to challenge every cost and start paying for results and not just repeated tests.”

On tax reform, Bullock made a stir earlier this year with his plan to refund Montana taxpayers $400 as a direct stimulus. The money would come from the state’s current surplus. Hill supports permanent property tax cuts and replacing the lost money with revenue from energy development.

unions from making membership a condition of employment. Bullock promised to veto right-towork legislation.

Bullock, 46, was born in Missoula and raised in Helena. He received his law degree from Columbia University’s School of Law in New York and practiced law in Washington, D.C. before returned to Helena in 2005. He became attorney general in 2008, defeating Republican Tim Fox. Born in Grand Rapids, Mich., Hill, 65, graduated from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota in 1968 and moved to Montana shortly afterward. He entered public life in 1993 as a lobbyist for Gov. Marc Racicot and was elected to the U.S. House in 1996 and 1998.

As the race heads to the wire, undecided voters may make the difference. A Lee newspapers poll in midSeptember found 11 percent of those surveyed had yet to make a choice.

Vying with Bullock and Hill for that last chunk of votes are two third-party candidates.

Libertarian Ron Vandevender, who lives near Craig, opposes federal intrusion and is a staunch supporter of property rights. He supports cutting business taxes, establishing co-ops, and developing industrial hemp.

Independent Bill Coate, a Marine Corps veteran who lives in Helena, says the two-party system is broken. He’s campaigning for tax cuts, more energy development and less government regulation.

The two also clash over unions, with Hill saying he would support a right-to-work law, forbidding

Big Sky Ski Education Foundation’s Annual Ski & Gear Swap SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH AT BUCK’S T-4 BALL ROOM Set up: Sunday 10 a.m. to noon Swap opens to public from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Seller’s fee $10 + requested 10% to BSSEF. Entrance fee $1 per person. BSSEF will sell your items for 40% fee. Donations gladly accepted 10 a.m. to noon or prior by contacting Jeremy Ueland. For more information, contact Jeremy Ueland at 579-7005 or email:bigskysef@yahoo.com

explorebigsky.com

Big Sky Weekly

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montana

Big Sky Weekly

Ballot initiatives to decide controversial issues big sky weekly editors

HELENA – Abortion, illegal immigrants, health insurance, medical marijuana and corporate personhood are all scheduled to appear on the general election ballot this fall.

minor. LR-121 would deny certain state services to illegal aliens. LR-122 would prohibit mandating the purchase of health insurance.

The other two measures, Initiative Referendum-124 and Initiative-166, are petitions focusing on the state medical marijuana law and corporate political spending, respectively.

IR-124 is a bill to repeal the current medical marijuana law put in place by the 2011 Legislature, which restricts the medical marijuana program originally made law by voter referendum in 2004. A yes vote on Nov. 6 would cement the new stricter program. A no vote would restore the more lax 2004 laws.

This collection of issues, rife with controversy, will have Montana voters checking FOR or AGAINST five ballot initiatives on Nov. 6.

Three of the measures are Legislative Referendums, meaning the 2011 State Legislature added them to the ballot to alter existing laws. LR-120 would require parental notification prior to abortion for a

I-166 would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v.

Federal Election Commission and establish a state policy that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings. It would charge Montana elected and appointed officials, state and federal, to implement that policy.

The Associated Press on Oct. 8 reported that neither I-166 nor LR-122 would be enforceable if passed,

Minimum Wage to increase HELENA – Montana workers earning minimum wage will see an increase from $7.65 per hour to $7.80 per hour on Jan. 1, 2013. This is due to a rise in the cost of living, according to Montana Labor Commissioner Keith Kelly.

All Items from August of the preceding year to August of the year when the calculation is made.

Initiative 151, passed by Montana voters in 2006, added an annual cost-of-living adjustment to the state minimum wage.

The increase in the minimum wage is based upon any increase in the U.S. City Average Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for

The proposed 100-foot tall gray steel lattice tower would be installed at an existing utility site, next to existing telephone and electric lines. The tower would not be visible from the nearby Lake Hotel, Fishing Bridge and Lake Lodge historic districts. The site was also selected to minimize the cell signal’s reach into the park’s backcountry.

The state’s medical marijuana law, originally passed in 2004, is also illegal under federal law; many businesses were shut down by a series of raids in 2010 that cracked down on operations doing business over state lines.

To add an initiative or initiative referendum to the ballot (like IR-124 and I-166), groups obtained signatures from 5 percent of the total number of qualified voters in Montana, including 5 percent of the voters in each of 34 legislative house districts (a total of 24,337 signatures for the 2010 ballot).

Voter information packets Voter information packets with extensive information about the ballot measures were mailed to registered voters in October. Contact the Montana Secretary of State’s office for additional copies, or to receive the materials in brail, audio cd, large print or electronic format. The information packet is also available online at sos.mt.gov/elections/2012/2012VIP.pdf.

Big Sky Fire Department’s

Halloween Festivities

Wednesday, October 31st 6-8p.m

Verizon proposes new cell tower for Yellowstone’s Lake area The National Park Service is reviewing a proposal by Verizon Wireless to construct a cell phone tower to serve the Lake and Fishing Bridge areas of Yellowstone National Park.

because they conflict with federal law. Both measures are related to matters recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. LR-122 was written before the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision to uphold the Affordable Health Care Act mandating the purchase of health insurance.

This is the only part of Yellowstone where construction of a new cell tower was permitted under the park’s Wireless Communications Services Plan Environmental Assessment.

Big Sky Fire Department, Station 1 Westfork Meadows, Big Sky The Big Sky Fire Dept. invites you to join us on Halloween! There will be oodles of ghoulish delights in the haunted house plus craft activites and treats for the kids!

For more info, please call the Big Sky Fire Department at 406-995-2100

While all are welcome, the event is geared towards elementary children and we ask that older children be respectful of this during their visit

Written comments may be submitted online at parkplanning.nps.gov/ lakecellularsite, in person, or by mail to Compliance Office, attn: Lake Cell Tower Proposal, National Park Service, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190. Comments must be received or postmarked by Nov. 16.

Comments will be reviewed by the NPS and if the permit is approved, construction would begin later this fall or in early 2013.

explorebigsky.com

Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 15

NFL & COL

Big Sky Weekly

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explorebigsky.com

explorebigsky.com

Section 2:

Big Sky Weekly

Oct.19 - Nov. 1, 2012 Volume 3 // Issue No. 21

sports, health and business

food & dining

La Châtelaine Chocolat story and photos By katie thomas

big sky weekly contributor

La Châtelaine. If this is not a name you’ve heard, it may sound like a rustic yet elegant place to hang your hat in the mountains.

Qu’est-ce que c’est? What is it? Un château, oui?

But no. Gallatin Valley is fortunate to have a genuine chocolaterie – think of that 2000 movie Chocolat, minus Johnny Depp – of the most gourmet variety.

Wlady and Shannon Grochowski started La Châtelaine Chocolat in Bozeman in 2006, near what many locals still call “the Red Barn,” at 1516 West Main. Here, customers can browse dozens of flavors of ornate chocolates, seven days a week.

An auxiliary store, La Petite (“the little one”), was added in 2008, in the Baxter Hotel lobby downtown where many of the hotel’s diners and drinkers are drawn to the rustcolored boxes enveloped in silk ribbon. During the winter months, one can often smell another of La Châtelaine’s specialties, chocolat chaud (hot chocolate), from the street.

Wlady, the French half of the Grochowski couple, hails from Paris, where he began whisking chocolate concoctions at a young age. His first attempt at chocolate cake, at age 10, was largely influenced by his mother’s baking, as well as exposure

to his grand-mère (grandmother) from the Vosges in northeastern France; she made flourless chocolate cakes every week. After studying management at Paris-Sorbonne University and a brief career in auto racing, Wlady moved to the U.S. in 1993 and found success selling traditional French cakes and marketing through word-ofmouth.

The delectable deli case at La Châtelaine Chocolat

Shannon Hughes Grochowski also fell into chocolate crafting after exploring other vocations. Eventually heeding what she calls a “Julia Child impulse,” she too began selling her own creations on a small scale that grew and grew.

Once she met and married Wlady, and then traveled to Paris with him, the deal was sealed. Shannon trained further with pastry chefs in San Francisco and Paris before she and Wlady opened La Châtelaine in Bozeman.

of individual chocolates with names like “King Bourbon” and “Coeur de Passion.” There’s also a counter next to the ice cream case where one can order a fancy milkshake or ice cream sundae and imagine what a 1950s French soda fountain must have been like.

The Grochowskis pride themselves on presentation. Towering displays of treats such as brownies, tartlettes, cookies and mendiants (a chocolate disk studded with nuts and dried fruits) adorn the tops of the glass display cases. Inside these cases are perfectly organized rows

“We are the opposite of Godiva,” Shannon says. “We try to keep our varieties changing. We go with the seasons, we do custom designs, and are always exploring new things.”

As for the chocolates, it’s hard to say which is more enjoyable – devouring La Châtelaine’s lavish delicacies, or admiring their intricate, artistic details.

With works of chocolate art like the “French Martini,” “Black Pep-

percorn,” “Azteca” and “Broken Heart,” customers must make a conscious effort to save room for the pink champagne truffles or jars of house-made caramel sauce.

In addition to the two Bozeman stores, La Châtelaine makes its chocolates locally available at the Hungry Moose in Big Sky, the Bogert Farmer’s Market in Bozeman (summers only), the winter farmer’s market at the Emerson, and online at chatelainechocolate.com.

Need more? Take a look at the blog, chatelainechocolate.blogspot.com.

It’s enough to make you want to marry a Parisian. These chocolates are as heavenly to look at as they are to eat and will make you feel, if only for a moment, like you’ve taken a trip to France…très chic.

explorebigsky.com

Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 17

gallery

Featured Artist: “Lesson Plan, October”

Artist Catherine Courtenaye immerses herself in Victorian ephemera, collecting vintage tendrils, flourishes and fragments of penmanship she transfers into gorgeous color fields on canvas and panels. Layers appear and disappear on the surface, creating movement and freedom in the finished painting, a contradiction from the source’s original intention.

Since moving from San Francisco to Montana, Courtenaye has continued exploring her vision of merging the old with the new. She shows in galleries throughout the country, and recently had a solo retrospective exhibition at the Boise Art Museum.

Stop by the Gallatin River Gallery in the Big Sky Town Center to see a Courtenaye original oil on panel painting, entitled (appropriately) “Lesson Plan, October.”

(406) 995-2909 gallatinrivergallery.com Catherine Courtenaye, “Lesson Plan, October,” oil on panel, 45”x45”

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sports

2012 NBA Preview

By Brandon Niles

Big sky weekly sports columnist

With preseason under way, now is a good time to take a look at which teams will end up at the top of the standings in the NBA this year. Questions abound as fans look across the NBA landscape: Can the Heat repeat? Are the Lakers a title contender again? Can Oklahoma City take the next step and win it all? Will this deep and talented draft class make an early impact? These questions and more will be answered in the coming months, as we embark upon what should be another entertaining NBA season.

Big Sky Weekly

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Here are my predictions for the 2012-2013 season: Eastern Conference

Western Conference

1. Miami Heat 2.

Philadelphia 76ers 3.

Boston Celtics 4. Chicago Bulls 5.

Brooklyn Nets 6.

Indiana Pacers 7. Detroit Pistons 8.

New York Knicks

1.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2. Los Angeles Lakers 3. Denver Nuggets 4. Los Angeles Clippers 5. San Antonio Spurs 6. Minnesota Timberwolves 7. Dallas Mavericks 8.

Portland Trailblazers

The Eastern Conference begins and ends with the Miami Heat, an elite squad coming off Lebron’s first NBA title and back-to-back finals appearances. After the Heat, the rest of the East is wide open.

perennially underrated Spurs should ride Tony Parker back to the playoffs.

The Mavericks did just enough to stay competitive, signing Chris Kaman and Darren Collison to cap-friendly contracts.

The 76ers have the most potential, provided their star acquisition center Andrew Bynum gets and stays healthy.

The Celtics will remain a top team with excellent depth and Rajon Rondo running the point. The Bulls will stay under the radar until former MVP Derrick Rose comes back from a knee injury.

The Nets and Knicks will both be hoping their expensive squads can get them to the next level, while the Pacers and Pistons will be battling it out as teams loaded with young talent.

The rest of the West is wide open, but the Timberwolves and Blazers have just enough all-star talent combined with a young upside to sneak into the playoffs.

The Wolves are the most likely to make it to the postseason, while the Blazers could finish anywhere from fifth to tenth in the conference. Also vying for these spots will be Memphis, Utah, and Houston. All three have talent, but will ultimately be watching the postseason from home. Golden State, New Orleans, Phoenix, and Sacramento all have a lot of work to do before they become competitive.

The Cavs and Wizards will also be interesting to watch, as they both feature talented young backcourt combinations that may join the league’s elite in the next couple of years. The Hawks are in a rebuilding year, while the Magic, Bucks, Bobcats, and Raptors still have a long way to go.

The Western Conference will feature age versus youth, as the Thunder try to earn a repeat trip to the finals and the Lakers have loaded up on veterans to make a final push for Kobe Bryant’s sixth championship ring. The Lakers also added Dwight Howard, widely considered the best center in the game today.

After the two heavyweights, the Nuggets look like a team on the rise. They’ve gained another piece this offseason in Andre Iguodala, and they have a great deal of depth. The Clippers will be out to prove they are more than just a flashy big man and a star point guard, while the

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While the Western Conference is deep in talent, the Thunder will remain a difficult team to knock off. Still, the Lakers look impressive enough to make it to the finals providing they stay healthy.

A Lakers-Thunder playoff series might be in store for NBA fans to enjoy. In the East, the Heat are just too good for anyone to challenge them.

Final prediction: Heat over Lakers in six.

Brandon Niles has done online freelance writing about the NFL since 2007. His articles range from NFL news to teamspecific commentary. A Communication Studies graduate student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Niles is also an avid Miami Dolphins fan, which has led to his becoming an avid Scotch whisky fan over the past decade.

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Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 19

health & wellness

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Big Sky Weekly

Reflexology now offered by Wolff Creek Massage

By Tyler allen

big sky weekly staff Writer

BIG SKY – Traditional Chinese medicine includes a broad range of practices and dietary prescriptions developed throughout the last 2,000 years. As of September, one of those ancient practices is being integrated into a Big Sky massage business.

Kerri Fabozzi, owner of Wolff Creek Massage since summer 1999, took a reflexology class at Boulder Hot Springs this fall and is now offering it to her clients as an element of her massage therapy.

The practice of reflexology is based on the belief there is energy called Qi that courses through the entire body and by manipulating specific parts of the hands or feet – called meridians – you can release blockages of that energy.

“It’s all new to me,” Fabozzi says of reflexology.

“But the way your body reacts to its entire environment, you can use many techniques to stay healthy with the seasons.” Fall is the season for lungs and large intestinal meridians, Fabozzi says, and she encourages specific seasonal foods to benefit these organs: radishes, onions, leeks and other white vegetables. She also mentions it’s a good time to cleanse.

Like some other naturopathic techniques, reflexology is met with skepticism by the Western medical

establishment, though massage is widely accepted as a benefit to patients by doctors throughout the West.

“A growing body of clinical research on the efficacy and value of massage as part of integrated health care . . . has fueled a renewed collaboration between massage therapists and other health professionals,” according to the American Medical Association Health Care Careers website.

In addition to massage, reflexology and diet, Fabozzi uses castor oil, a deeply penetrating oil that has long been used as a “cure-all” for everything from promoting immune efficiency to stimulating labor in pregnant women.

Fabozzi opened her home studio when she and her husband bought their house in 2008, but continues to do house calls.

“It’s a nice service to have in a ski town,” she says. “I can come into people’s homes, give them a massage after a hard ski day, and they don’t have to drive afterwards.”

Fabozzi was drawn to massage school for two main reasons, she says. “Alternative healthcare profoundly appealed to me. I also perceived massage therapy as a compatible career to my lifestyle as a ski bum . . . and now raising two wonderful children."

Photo courtesy of flickr.com/photos/lmbrazeau

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chamber news

Nice Shades

Community calendar stalled, visitor numbers up

By Emily Stifler

Big Sky Weekly Managing Editor

At its Oct. 9 board meeting, the Chamber board passed a motion to allow the Historic Crail Ranch Museum to have an annex in the Chamber’s Visitor Information Center.

“There really is history in Big Sky,” said Chamber president David O’Connor. “There was life here before 1972. It wasn't just when the resort opened that the clock started ticking.”

Consensus was, while this was a positive move, it was an indefinite agreement.

Photo by jessica nolan

Executives and staff members from chambers of commerce around Montana came to Big Sky Oct. 4-5 for the bi-annual Montana Association of Chamber Executives conference. Here, the group poses with sunglasses from Outlaw Partners, a local marketing and media firm (also the publisher of this newspaper).

In her director’s report at that meeting, Clemens brought up the community calendar, which the Jackson-based AllTrips promised would be completed by summer’s end.

Outlaw CEO Eric Ladd was one of four local guides leading a 90-minute tour of “what’s new in Big Sky.” The other guides were Ryan Hamilton, Catherine Gilb and David O’Connor. MACE is the professional-development, continuingeducation organization for chamber of commerce staff and volunteers in the Treasure State. E.S.

“They are still trying to plug forward,” she said. “It’s still on [All-

Entryway monument committee forming BIG SKY – After two years of work on the proposed Big Sky Entryway monument, volunteer Ryan Hamilton is passing the baton to Big Sky Chamber Director Kitty Clemens.

Clemens is putting together a design-build advisory committee of a dozen or so people to help drive the project.

These people will “represent key community stakeholders,” Clemens said, naming the Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Moonlight and Big Sky resorts, Resort Tax Board, Big Sky Owners Association, Town Center, and the Big Sky Community Corp.

Architect Jamie Daugaard, of Centre Sky Architecture, will draw up two proposed designs for the monument, to get the conversation started.

Currently, one design has a national park theme, Daugaard said, with rougher stones, logs or timber, some steel and a viewing tower. The other design is more contemporary, with “cleaner lines,” a steel shroud and I-beams or C channels.

Big Sky Weekly

Trips] end, technical issues [they have] not been able to overcome.”

The plan is to have it ready and functional before winter visitors start to show up, and to have it be free to the Big Sky community.

Ryan Hamilton, who’s been spearheading the entry lighting project, has procured permits from the department of transportation and also bids from local contractors. The bids came in higher than expected, so the Chamber board is contemplating its options.

The Chamber’s visitor numbers have been up since moving to its new location this summer, reported VIC manager Danielle Chamberlain at the meeting. Since July 13, nearly 5,000 people came into the chamber, compared to about 2,000 in all of 2011. The top state for this summer was Minnesota, with Illinois and Texas tied for second.

This is how Big Sky gets into hot water.

In either design, he imagines a propane flame surrounded by the translucent stone calcite, similar to what’s found at Redcliff, south of Big Sky. There will be informative signage built in, and both designs would be completed in two more phases, the third being a bridge that crosses Lone Mountain Trail.

Resort tax allocated $15,000 for the design this year. According to the application, the money will be used for architectural design and legal work for drafting the easement.

Once the advisory council has reviewed design options, it will host a town hall meeting this winter and invite members of the public to come and discuss the project.

“There’s still consensus that needs to happen,” Clemens said. “What time of year are we building? How do we raise the money? Who do we tap?” She and Hamilton applied for a Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program grant from the Montana Tourism office this year, but were denied funds for the project. They plan to re-apply next year and also seek federal surface transportation funds. E.S.

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Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 21

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business Profile

Big Sky Weekly

Spire Climbing Center: Summer-long remodel complete opened, it snowed. This was the first remodel since the addition of the bouldering room in 2006, which stayed open all summer and has not changed.

Both soft-spoken and humble, they smile and shrug when asked if they like owning the gym.

“What do you think?” Hall says. “Of course we like it.”

Eight years after opening, Spire now has 18 employees, between its route setters, part time front desk staff and its youth program instructors. It offers myriad classes, and lessons for kids and adults.

You’d never know it, but these longtime locals are also two of the most accomplished climbers in a town of big name crushers.

Touch the Sky, the Gallatin Valley’s climbing team, is based there, and the gym also offers an array of kids programs.

story and photos

By Emily Stifler

“Basically, whatever you can think of, we will teach,” said Leigh Spokas, Spire’s Director of Instruction.

big sky weekly contributor

BOZEMAN – Spire Climbing Center completed a four-month remodel project this fall, and is now open with resurfaced walls, a few structural redesigns, a new floor and a new paint job.

The idea was “to update the walls and revive the place a bit,” said Jeff Ho, who owns Spire jointly with Meg Hall.

The steep walls are about the same as before, structurally, Ho said, with small changes to features, namely softening the angles on some of the overhangs. They also added two cracks, more top ropes, and “just made things better.”

With winter the busiest season for the gym, the timing of the re-opening was right on: The day it

She lists them off: programs for preschoolers, homeschooled kids, and an after school session for climbers ages 5-18; an accredited college class with Montana Bible College; summer camps; private lessons; women’s clinics; and courses in self-rescue and falling.

Aside from the climbing gym at Montana State University, Spire is the Gallatin Valley’s only public indoor climbing facility. Stop by on a winter night, and there will be cars parked down the street.

Hall started the business in December 2004, and Ho came on a year and a half later. Before going into business together, the two knew each other in passing from the climbing community, and climbing on the limestone at Bozeman Pass.

“It’s a great business,” Ho said. “I get to hang around climbers all day and talk climbing.” It can actually be hard to get any work done, he said.

Spokas, who’s originally from the Bitterroot, says she’s climbed in a lot of gyms around the country and this one is different.

“It’s kind of become the pillar of the climbing community here, which is unusual for a climbing gym.”

BSIA launches NYC marketing campaign, new website

By JOSEPH T. O'CONNOR big sky weekly editor

BIG SKY –Big Apple subway passengers may feel a blast of winter air this fall, just by staring at an advertising panel.

On Monday Oct. 8, Biggest Skiing In America, together with other local entities, launched a major marketing campaign that included advertising panels in New York City subway cars.

That same evening, BSIA launched its new website, its homepage depicting the same epic ski photo that graces the subway panel ads.

BSIA joined forces with Big Sky’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Big Sky Resort, Moonlight Basin, Yellowstone Country and Yellowstone West, to market the area in New York, according to Catherine Gilb, chair of the BSIA Committee.

A $15,000 investment in the campaign landed BSIA half of the ad panels; the other half are split between Yellowstone Country and West Yellowstone.

The broad marketing strategy also utilized outlets such as The New York Times, Ski Magazine, Skiing Magazine, TripAdvisor, weather.com and OnTheSnow.

BSIA launched this latest marketing strategy this fall, after United Airlines announced it would extend a successful summer of direct flights from Newark, N.J. to Bozeman. United Airlines first introduced the direct flight last summer, from New York/Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN).

BZN reported record-breaking passenger numbers in 2011, prompting the extension.

BSIA began as an economic development group in 2009, following the economic downturn, to increase the number of Big Sky skier visits, said Gilb, who took the position as chair of the group in July.

Of the ad panels, totaling 2,650, BSIA is represented on 1,325.

“The goal was to reach 500,000 skier days by 2013,” Gilb said. “We called it the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).”

“Our goal is to romance families and baby boomers,” Gilb said. “We want to show them that there’s a new spot they need to explore.”

While BSIA is shy of its objective, Gilb reports that there has been a notable increase in skier visits since BHAG was set in motion.

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Big Sky Weekly

Email classifieds and/or advertising requests to media@theoutlawpartners. com or call (406) 995-2055

Big Sky Chamber has a permanent, part-time (16hrs/wk) clerical position at the Big Sky Visitor’s Center. Must have strong customer service skills.

Pay is $9/hr. Email resumes to info@ bigskychamber.com or mail to PO Box 160100, Big Sky, MT 59716

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Big Sky Weekly

October chuting

Reflections on fall powder skiing in Montana By tyler allen

big sky weekly staff writer

The long Indian summer of 2010 delivered hot and sunny days to southwest Montana late into the fall, but it ended abruptly on Oct. 25. A powerful storm dropped two feet of snow in most of the region’s mountains, with the Bridger Range picking up more than three feet in the upper elevations.

The system came in warm, dropping two feet of heavy snow before the air cooled in time to drop another foot of light, early season powder. The dense snow on the bottom smothered the rocks and stumps, producing an instant mid-season base.

The first day after the storm the upper parking lot at Bridger Bowl was full, as was most of the B lot. I skinned from the base through a slalom course of frenzied dogs and their leavings. It was as if the lifts were turning with all the tracks being carved into Northwest Passage that pre-season day.

With the resort getting hit hard, the next day a friend and I decided to pursue some less popular slopes. We aimed our sights at October Chute, on

Hardscrabble Peak, which is named for its ideal northerly aspect that captures early snow and doesn’t usually lose it until late the following summer.

This was October after all, the snow was deep and Fairy Lake Road was still open. The only factor that could thwart a quick assault on the northern Bridgers was how far my buddy’s Subaru could rally up the snow-covered road.

As we feared, the long hill between the first and second gate proved too sustained for the scrappy Subaru. We had a long, white knuckled retreat in reverse down the slippery hill, and started hiking from there.

The snow was deep and the skinning strenuous, but we surmounted the lower headwall of Hardscrabble within a couple of hours. We contoured north up a broad, treed gully known as the White Worm and gained the ridge, milky clouds swirling around us. Our first run was mellow but thrilling: It wasn’t even November, and we were making effortless turns through knee-deep powder. We whooped and hollered all the way down.

Joshua Boulange hiking up an unnamed chute on Hardscrabble Peak, October 2010. Photo by Tyler Allen

With a few hours of fall daylight remaining, we decided to ski one more line before our final descent down October Chute. On the skin track up we’d eyed a short, striking north-facing couloir, hemmed in by the hulk of Hardscrabble above and a detached rock spire below. The gluttonous thirst for soft turns spurred our tired legs up the steep grade to the top of the chute.

The short hike paid dividends and rewarded us with smooth riding down an exciting line, before we traversed toward the top of October Chute at twilight. My heart raced as we peered over the edge. It was steep and long, and the snow looked incredible.

I was given the honors by one of my closest and dearest ski partners. He’ll probably never forgive himself. My first turn produced a cloud of snow that turned the twilight to a whiteout. The next few turns were more of the same, until the pitch subsided in the apron.

Standing across the drainage, I watched as my partner did the same disappearing act above me, a moment of shared bliss.

When he reached the bottom, we exchanged the nonsensical exclamations of powder enthusiasts, drunk on our sauce after a summer of sobriety. We slid away from Hardscrabble in the fading light, relishing just one more reason we’re lucky to live in Montana.

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Gear reviews

The Big Sky Weekly/explorebigsky.com staff is a group of outdoor-loving men and women who play hard almost every second we’re not in the office. Some of the gear seen here is brand new, and some of it’s stuff we’ve had for ages—we think it’s worth the ink to tell you about some of the gadgets, gizmos, gear and garb that make our lives even more fun.

Wenger EvoGrip S18 Knife By emily stifler

big sky weekly managing editor

This knife reminds me of one I used for whittling as a kid, only better.

The locking mechanism on the large blade is definitely something I should’ve had, and the ergonomic shape and non-slip rubber grip material makes opening boxes of magazines (my main use) a sturdy proposition.

At 3.1 ounces, it’s light enough to live in my purse, and the bright yellow makes it easy to find among the flotsam and jetsam. The Phillips head screwdriver is a must, as is the bottle opener for Friday afternoon creative jam sessions. The only thing that would make it better is a corkscrew. $74.95 wengerna.com

Vivobarefoot Off Road hiking boots

The Vivobarefoot Off Road Hiking boots stood the test of the rocky Mystic Lake trail in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Photo by Kelsey Dzintars

By Kelsey Dzintars

big sky weekly staff writer

VivoBarefoot is built on the idea that 70 percent of your brain’s information for movement comes from the nerves on the soles of your feet.

“The more you can feel the ground, the greater your body’s understanding of its surroundings and natural movement,” the company’s website explains.

As I embarked on a 13-mile hike in the Absarokas this summer, I was a little nervous how my feet would feel without the usual cushion and stability traditional hiking boots provide.

I found I loved the lightweight boot with a sole that allowed me to really feel the nuances of the trail. The toe box allowed my foot to flex naturally,

so when we finally arrived at our site, my feet were happy campers.

After this first excursion I was more confident a few weeks later on a backpacking trip to Mystic Lake. Again the Vivobarefoot Off Roaders stood up to the test. I scrambled up a talus slope, feeling every boulder but no pain.

With the waterproof boots, I also had no fear wading across the small creeks and on the banks of the lake. My feet did get a little hot with my wool socks in the height of summer, but only when the sun was beating down. I’m look forward to hiking in these well into the winter months. $175.00 vivobarefoot.com

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Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 25

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EVENTS

Big Sky Weekly

Infamous Stringdusters’ cross-country tour stops in Bozeman Oct. 30

BOZEMAN-The Infamous Stringdusters will bring their heralded, high energy performance to Bozeman’s Emerson Cultural Center on Tuesday, Oct. 30. The Grammy nominated band has earned a reputation as one of the best touring acts in the country, and their Halloween Eve engagement will include a costume contest judged by local celebrities.

The Stringdusters’ 20-date fall tour kicks off Oct. 16, at the Brooklyn Bowl in New York, the same day the band releases Silver Sky – Deluxe Edition.

The band’s 2007 debut album Fork in the Road garnered attention from

The International Bluegrass Music Association, which awarded them three major prizes that year: best song, emerging artist and album of the year. Since then, the Infamous Stringdusters have spent “a good stretch of time…learning their craft and woodshedding their musical chops,” according to the Lexington Herald.

The band recently relocated from Nashville, Tenn. to Charlottesville, Va. After Bozeman, they head to Missoula for a Halloween performance at the Top Hat Lounge.

Photo courtesy of Molly McCabe

Second annual Boots and Bales fundraiser Red Feather benefit supports American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative FOUR CORNERS – On Saturday, Nov. 3, Red Feather will host its second annual Boots and Bales fundraiser to support its American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative.

This year, Red Feather Development Group is celebrating 18 years of partnering with American Indian nations to develop and implement sustainable solutions to the housing needs within their communities.

regarding sustainable construction techniques, and provides assistance with the complicated mortgage and land procurement process.

Of the 2.5 million tribal members living on America’s Indian reservations, more than 60 percent are either homeless or living in overcrowded, substandard conditions.

Many homes lack basic facilities such as water or electricity.

The evening will be an opportunity for guests to hear from volunteers and staff about Red Feather’s important work creating affordable straw bale homes and building the capacity of American Indian communities.

Red Feather partners with Native American families to build energy efficient, affordable straw bale houses, provides tribal members with vocational education

To purchase tickets, or for more information, contact Red Feather at (406) 585-7188 or info@redfeather. org.

The event will be held at the Rockin’ TJ Ranch and include music from Montana Rose, a popular Western Americana band; Indian tacos for dinner; local libations; and live and silent auctions.

Big Sky Ski Education Foundation's Annual Ski & Gear Swap Sunday, October 28th at Buck's T-4 Ball Room Set up: Sunday 10 a.m. to noon Swap opens to public from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Seller's fee $10 + requested 10% to BSSEF Entrance fee $1 per person BSSEF will sell your items for 40% fee Donations gladly accepted 10 a.m. to noon or prior by contacting Jeremy Ueland at 579-7005 or email: bigskysef@ gmail.com

26 Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012

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EVENTS friday, oct. 19 Bozeman Element Film Festival preview party Wild Joe’s Coffee House, 7 p.m.

Father of the Bride of Frankenstein Equinox Theater, 8 p.m.

Hillfork Noir & Screen Door Porch Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Saddle Tramps Eagles Bar, 9 p.m. livingston & paradise valley Beb Corbett Livingston Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

Little Jane Acoustic Pine Creek Lodge & Café, 7 p.m.

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Planning an event? Let us know! Email tyler@theoutlawpartners.com, and we’ll spread the word. livingston & Paradise Valley Juke Joint Giants Pine Creek Lodge & Café, 7 p.m.

The Ironfront Band Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 9 p.m.

Greg Rawlins Murray Bar, 9:30 p.m.

sunday, oct. 21 Bozeman TOMTEN, Baroque Pop Wild Joe’s Coffee House, 4 p.m. livingston & paradise valley Studebaker John & The Hawks Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 8 p.m.

tuesday, oct. 23

The Ironfront Band Chico Hot Springs Saloon, 9 p.m.

Big Sky

Huckle Murray Bar, 9 p.m.

Open Mike Night Choppers, 8 p.m.

saturday, oct. 20 big sky LPHS Football vs. Billings Christian Big Horn Field, 1 p.m.

Bozeman Bozeman Creek Cleanup Bogert Park, 8 a.m.

Winter Farmer’s Market Emerson Cultural Center, 9 a.m.

Raise the Roof: An exhibit about buildings Museum of the Rockies, through Jan. 20 Silly Moose Comedy Improv Equinox Theater, 2 p.m.

Sean Michael Devine, folk & country Wild Joe’s Coffee House, 7 p.m.

Father of the Bride of Frankenstein Equinox Theater, 8 p.m.

Comstock Lode American Legion Club, 8 p.m.

Filth & Foul Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Big Sky Weekly

Bozeman Richard Smith photography talk Weaver Room, Emerson Cultural Center, 7 p.m.

Sesame Street Live Brick Breeden Field House, 7 p.m.

wednesday, oct. 24 Bozeman Elmo’s Super Heroes Brick Breeden Field House, 10:30 a.m.

Sally Newsome Starky’s, 6:30 p.m.

Bob Britten Baxter Hotel, 6:45 p.m.

“Not Yet Begun To Fight,” Warriors and Quiet Waters movie premier Emerson Cultural Center, 7 p.m.

Uke Group Wild Joe’s Coffee House, 7:30 p.m. livingston & Paradise Valley Writer’s Night Pine Creek Lodge and Café, 7 p.m.

Saddle Tramps Eagles Bar, 9 p.m.

thursday, oct. 25

sunday, oct. 28

big sky

big sky

MT Strategic Plan Community Input Sessions Buck's T-4, 9:30 a.m.

Big Sky Ski Education Foundation's Annual Ski & Gear Swap Buck’s T-4, 10 a.m.

Bozeman Mystery at the Museum Museum of the Rockies, 7 p.m.

Kitchen Dwellers & Magic Beans Filling Station, 9 p.m.

All Saints Reformation Celebration Big Sky Chapel, 9:30 a.m.

Bozeman Bozeman Symphony w/ cellist Amit Peled Willson Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.

livingston & Paradise Valley

tuesday, oct. 30

Blues 2 Livingston Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

big sky

Bluegrass Jam Pine Creek Lodge and Café, 7 p.m.

Open Mike Night Choppers, 8 p.m.

friday, oct. 26 big sky The Driftwood Grinners Choppers, 9 p.m.

Bozeman Western Sustainability Exchange Harvest Beer Celebration Montana Ale Works, 5:30 p.m.

Family Science Night Bozeman Public Library, 6:30 p.m.

Bozeman PowderBlast, GNFAC benefit Emerson Cultural Center, 6:30 p.m.

Lamewavve Halloween Party Wild Joe’s Coffee House, 7 p.m.

Hawks Football vs. Billings Senior Bozeman High School, 7 p.m.

The Infamous Stringdusters The Emerson Cultural Center, 7:30 p.m.

Kitchen Dwellers & Magic Beans Filling Station, 9 p.m.

wednesday, oct. 31 big sky

Spencer Bohren Peach Street Studios, 7:30 p.m.

Father of the Bride of Frankenstein Equinox Theater, 8 p.m.

Big Sky Fire Department Halloween Haunted House Big Sky Fire Department, 6 p.m.

Bozeman

Cure for the Common & Tsunami Funk Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Eight Track Mind w/ Black Mask The Zebra Cocktail Lounge, 10 p.m. livingston & Paradise Valley Tom Catmull/Travis Yost Pine Creek Lodge & Café, 7 p.m.

Jamelution Chico Hot Springs & Saloon, 9 p.m.

saturday, oct. 27 Bozeman Silly Moose Comedy Improv Equinox Theater, 2 p.m.

Bobcat Football vs. North Dakota Bobcat Stadium, 2 p.m.

Comics for Courage Emerson Cultural Center, 7 p.m.

Downtown Trick or Treat Downtown Bozeman, 3 p.m.

Halloween Open House Emerson Cultural Center, 3 p.m.

Pinky and the Floyd Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Archer’s Mob Eagles Bar, 9 p.m.

thursday, Nov. 1 Bozeman 9th Annual Entrepreneur Day SUB Ballroom, 10 a.m. livingston & Paradise Valley Shea Stewart Pine Creek Lodge & Café, 7 p.m.

NORRIS HOT SPRINGS

John Jorgenson Ellen Theater, 7 & 8 p.m.

The Driftwood Grinners, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 19

Bozeman Symphony w/ cellist Amit Peled Willson Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

Beau Houston, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 20

Archers Mob & Smooth Money Gesture Filling Station, 9 p.m.

Greg Rawlins, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 21 Mountain Grip, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 26 Tommy Georges, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 27

HAPPY QUEENTOBER! The Outlaw crew wishes Jean Palmer a happy 21st birthday

Tom Catmull/Travis Yost, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 28

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Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012 27

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fun

Big Sky Weekly

Buscrat's Fables Mystic M&Ms Annie and her mom moved from Ohio to Oregon where her mom got transferred with her job. At first it seemed exciting for Annie, until her first day at school. Some other girls sat next to her during lunch and introduced themselves then started talking about how difficult math was.

“I find math easy,” Annie said. “I never have to study…”

with another girl and a couple of boys.

She was excited she’d already started making friends. The boys complimented Annie about her hairstyle.

“I’ve always gotten my hair done by one of the best hair stylists in Ohio,” she said. “He’s quite expensive, but I don’t care. My mom can afford it.

Whenever I make an appointment he drops everything and…”

As Annie continued bragging about herself, she saw a strange thing occur.

A huge bubble began to surround each of the other girls.

While Annie was flaunting her status the three other kids were each enveloped in a bubble. Quickly they shrank and then goymp, goymp, goymp, they disappeared.

Annie continued boasting, and the girls in each bubble started shrinking smaller and smaller. She stopped and stared. Within 60 seconds the bubbles were only about an inch around with a girl inside each one.

That evening Annie and her mom were at a restaurant. Annie was telling her mom all about her day while they were waiting for their server to ask for their order. The server came and said, “That’s a nice sweater you have on.”

Then goymp! One of the bubbles popped and disappeared. Goymp, goymp, goymp! The rest of the girls disappeared when their bubbles popped.

“I made this sweater by myself,” Annie said.

After school Annie was walking home

“Well, aren’t you talented?” the server said. Then she took their order and went to turn it in to the kitchen.

Then the server brought them their dinner. “Here’s yours ma’am and here’s the talented young lady’s dinner.”

Annie’s mom chimed in, “You know, my daughter is also a straight A student and is on her way to winning the…”

Just then the server was cloaked with a bubble, shrank to an inch then goymp!

She was gone. A few minutes later goymp, goymp, goympy, goymp, the whole restaurant was empty of people.

After a few days Annie saw people everywhere around her goymp and disappear every time she spoke. Within a few weeks the entire population of Oregon had goymped and disappeared.

That’s about the time I met Annie.

She and her ma was travelin’ through Montana to git back to Ohio. When they got to Montana everybody kepta disappearin’ til there weren’t nobody in the state that was around. So Annie and her ma was perty curious why I was still around. We had a nice chat about their experiences.

“Why is it I can talk to adults about myself, but kids my age all disappear?”

Annie asked in frustration.

“Well, adults ain’t challenged by a child, but they are with another adult, just like a child is with another child,” I said.

“It’s lonely without anybody else around,” Annie said. “It sure would be nice to have some friends that would stick around.” Her mom agreed.

“Well, I gots just what ya need!” I said.

I gave em some instruction then gave ‘em some little chocolate candies. “Eat some o’ these candies every time you have a conversation with someone, especially with one o’ yer peers.”

They looked at the small oval chocolate candies. They looked like M&M’s, but they said A&A on them instead.

28 Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012

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“Why do they say A&A?” Annie asked.

“Just remember my instructions that whenever ya talk to somebody from now own, insteada talking about yerself, ask them about themselves and admire them fer it. Just Ask and Admire. That’s all ya needs to remember. Ask and Admire.”

So, off they went. Soon they seen a couple parents playing catch with their kid at a park.

“How long have you been playing baseball?” Annie asked the other kid.

“Just a couple of years,” the kid said.

“You’ve got a good arm,” she said.

“I wish I had that talent.”

Annie’s mom asked the parents, “how often do you come here?”

“Couple times a week,” They said.

“I admire you for your dedication,” she said. “You’ve got a talented kid.”

The parent and the kids both thanked them for their compliments. Then all of a sudden a couple bubbles appeared, starting at about an inch in diameter, then quickly growing until Zoop! Zoop!

Two more people appeared from the bubbles.

Annie and her mom engaged in conversation with them, then asked and admired. Then more bubbles came from all around, grew larger, then popped.

Zoop, Zoop, Zoopy, Zoop! There were people everywhere making friends with Annie and her mom.

Before long Annie and her mom were back in Oregon eating their A&A’s and enjoying all of the new friends they had made.

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wanderer at rest

Big Sky Weekly

Joey, ninja pig Story and Photo

By Jamie balke

the condition was not resolved. She advised me to come in for a different medication.

BIG SKY WEEKLY COLUMNIST I arrived and had approximately the following conversation with the person at the front desk.

In order to write this column, I must first make a confession. I own an albino guinea pig. I assure you, it’s far less creepy than it sounds.

“Jamie Balke here, to pick up medicine for my guinea pig.”

Long story short – after moving around a lot after college, I desperately wanted to get a dog when I settled in Bozeman three years ago. Thwarted by the rental policy of my first place, I decided to find an alternative pet. It wasn’t long before a friend had a lead on a guinea pig and I was driving to Yellowstone to retrieve him.

Thus it was that Joey the guinea pig made his way into my life, doubling the number of slightly cantankerous, spazzy beings residing in the apartment.

Joey has had a predominately healthy and seemingly happy existence since his move to Bozeman. He does a great deal of jumping about, squeaking and rattling the bars of his cage with the full force of his grip and teeth to demand carrots. There have, howeve,r been a couple of occasions for Joey to visit the vet.

The first was shortly after I got him, when he tweaked his back. I came home one day to find the poor little dude limping around, so I made a vet appointment. While he didn’t like being x-rayed, Joey did develop a taste for painkillers. The vet prescribed a liquid analgesic for his back pain, and the first time I squirted it down Joey’s mouth, I had

“No problem,” she replied, “you will simply apply this ointment to the affected area.”

“His eyeball is the affected area,” I replied, voice hushed with disbelief and fear, “You want me to apply an ointment to his eyeball?”

to hold him down. Subsequent days, I had to pry the syringe out of his mouth.

Joey eventually recovered to his awesomely peculiar self, but he recently had another occasion for medical intervention. This time, I set up an appointment after noticing that his eye looked weird. The vet prescribed some drops, which at first didn’t seem so bad.

However, as soon as Joey wised up to the implications of being wrapped like a papoose in a towel, he became an expert eye-drop avoider. With uncanny timing and ninja-like speed, he dodged and weaved away from the medicinal liquid. After a week of fighting that battle, I followed up with the vet, as

She did. The last few days have been what I shall generously describe as an adventure in rodent medicine. I have tried everything I can think of to get the goop to smear on his tiny red eye. He is disinclined to cooperate, so we find ourselves at an impasse.

When I came to Montana, I never could have envisioned trying to maneuver ointment into a small animal’s eyeball. If you would be so kind as to think speedy, agile thoughts on my behalf, I would appreciate it.

Jamie Balke moved to Bozeman in the fall of 2009. She can generally be found behind the cover of a book, meandering down a trail or desperately trying not to kill houseplants.

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rainbowranchbigsky.com • 1.800.937.4132 Five miles south of Big Sky entrance on Hwy 191

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Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”

For the Big Sky Weekly, the Back 40 is a resource: a place where we can delve into subjects and ask experts to share their knowledge. Topics include regional history, profiles of local artists and musicians, snow and avalanche education, how-to pieces for traditional or outdoor skills, and science.

Shooting Football The Bozeman Hawks

story and photos By mike coil

big sky weekly contributor

MSU quarterback DeNarius McGhee filled my viewfinder. I was totally in the moment. I could hear my camera firing at 9 frames per second and the sound of other cameras near me on the sidelines, but mostly I was focused on McGhee.

I worked the zoom ring on my lens to keep the viewfinder filled with the action. I could see his strain and exertion as he came around the left side and tried to turn up field. I also could see five thundering North Dakota Buffalo players right behind him, also straining and exerting to make the play. They were headed straight for me. I flinched, lowered my camera and scrambled out of the way as the mass of football players fell, slid, crashed and tumbled into the space I had occupied a split second before.

The site of all those huge, male humans, the noise, the grunting and groaning, the clash of helmets on helmets, the smell of sweat and the roar of the players and the crowd was extraordinary. At that moment I realized again how incredibly lucky we, as photographers, are to photograph football.

For the last several seasons I’ve had the good fortune to shoot the Lone Peak Big Horns, the Bozeman Hawks and the MSU Bobcats for the Big Sky Weekly. People often ask me what it’s like to be so close to the action and how

30 Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2012

I get some of the photos that show up here and on explorebigsky.com. I tell them it’s not like anything else you do as a photographer.

The contrast between Class C, sixman football and the MSU games is extraordinary. On one Saturday there were games in both venues. By shooting until half time at the LPHS game and then dashing for town, I walked into Bobcat stadium in the middle of the second quarter and got great photos from both games.

Bobcat Stadium magnifies the noise of the crowd, the constant rumble turning into a deafening roar during the introduction of the players, or a touchdown. The action is faster in college ball, and the players are bigger and more uniform in size. The field at Bobcat Stadium is also longer than the 80-yard six-man field. Cheerleaders and all kinds of other people make the MSU games crowded and congested.

Six-man football has its own charm.

As a photographer, I’m very close to the action, and I often get to chat with players, fans and parents. Kids playing six-man football give it their all, just like athletes at MSU. During the game I move up and down the sidelines, always trying to be in position for the perfect shot. That’s when I see things seldom shown on TV, that you don’t notice from the grandstands.

Without their helmets, the players become individuals with their own

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Big Sky Weekly

The MSU Bobcats

personalities, voices and sweatbands.

They’re also young. At the high school level, some of them are much smaller than others. They sometimes seem vulnerable and scared, but also proud and happy to be in a football uniform on a fall afternoon playing this game with friends and classmates.

their first season in 2011. Finally, Tucker Shea broke free on a running play against Fromberg on Sept. 3, 2011 and streaked for the endzone. What happened next couldn’t have turned out any better even if Shea and I had scripted the sequence in advance. As he crossed into the end zone he came around to face the camera, and thrust the ball skyward in celebration, just as he ran past the goal post displaying the Big Horn name. It was a perfect moment. Tucker Shea had the first touchdown in school history, LPHS was officially on the scoreboard. My photo was the next Weekly cover shot, on Sept. 9, 2011.

In the college arena, there is a bench toward the back of the team area that slowly fills with injured players, ice packs bound to knees or shoulders, helmets on the ground, heads down. Players aren’t happy here. They want to be back in the action.

The Hawks run for the 2010 state championship was memorable, too. As the clock wound down on that cold November night, it was apparent Bozeman was about to win its first championship in 93 years. The excitement was palpable, with the players, coaches, parents, students and fans on their feet and cheering. At 10 seconds they began chanting the countdown. At seven, the team broke for the center of the field in a powerful surge that carried the photographers and news crews with them. I ran with them, shooting with both cameras. Then I looked back as the crowd was pouring out of the grandstands and across the security fencing onto the field. The next 30 minutes was unmitigated joy and pandemonium.

The football field at LPHS is grass, as compared to the Bobcat’s astro turf. As the grass is worn down, the players end up with mud and grass stains on their uniforms, and it seems more like real football. When my camera fires at high speed at Bobcat Stadium, I can catch a plastic dust around a player’s feet as he runs or slides. I had no idea astro turf made its own fake dust.

Football has moments of sublime beauty. Lone Peak Bighorns With a high-speed camera, you occasioncold. In the Hawks game for the state championship in ally capture a split second of action otherwise invis2010, huge waves of snow swept the stadium, blowing ible. You find these shots later when editing in front horizontally. I’m always amazed my Nikons continue of your computer monitor. Although the burly playfaithfully firing away, in spite of the harsh conditions. ers wouldn’t admit it, some of the movements almost look like choreographed ballet. We have no covered It’s rare in today's sports world to get a first of anything. stadiums in Montana. The kids play regardless of Because the Big Horn football program is only in its the weather. At the beginning of the season, everysecond season, they have had a lot of firsts that will one on the sidelines is in shorts and sandals. By the forever stand in the history of the program. The team end, especially during playoffs, it can be snowy and went scoreless for several quarters during the start of

But there would be no teams, fans, stadiums, games or football photography without the young men who love to play the game, who sacrifice their time and energy, and endure pain and injury to play. We love football.

At our high schools. At MSU. At the pro level. It truly is our national game. For me, it’s a privilege to shoot football at all levels.

Go Big Horns! Go Hawks! Go Cats!

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Big Sky Weekly

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