May 2011

Adopt Them • Love Them • Pamper Them

Unsung Heroes

6 people quietly making a difference

Culinary Arts

Recipe for changing lives

Montana Rail Link

An economic engine MAGIC I may 2011 I 1

Get Back to Living Faster!

da Vinci® Robotic Surgery Are you facing surgery? For gynecologic or urologic conditions, consider da Vinci® robotic surgery. The robotic system enables surgeons to perform surgery with very small incisions, resulting in faster recovery from major operations. This means fewer days in the hospital (often just one night), less pain and quicker return to normal activities.

At Billings Clinic, eight surgeons spanning four surgical areas – urology, gynecology, gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine – are trained and experienced, having performed more than 170 surgeries using the da Vinci Surgical System.

Learn more at www.billingsclinic.com/roboticsurgery or call HealthLine at 255-8400 or 1-800-252-1246.

Billings Clinic robotic surgeons: Standing L-R: Maureen Lucas, MD, gynecology; Christopher Montville, MD, reproductive medicine and fertility care; Michelle Montville, MD, gynecology; Richard Melzer, MD, urology; Lisa Bland, MD, urology; Patrick Connor, MD, gynecologic oncology.

Sitting L-R: Linda Waring, MD, gynecology; Randall Gibb, MD, gynecologic oncology.

2 I may 2011 I MAGIC

SHILOH CROSSING

NOW OPEN!

903 Shiloh Crossing Blvd 281-8414

MAGIC I may 2011 I 3

4 I may 2011I MAGIC

MAY 2011

50 For the Love of Pets:

Opening Hearts and Homes

By Anna Paige

pets SPECIAL

55 The Yellowstone Valley

Animal Shelter: A Kennel with a Cause

Section

By Laura Tode

60 The Rogue Gallery:

Adopt a Pet Today

All Things Pampering

61 Creature Comforts: 62 Slot Machine

By Jim Gransbery

64 Starting Fresh:

New program restores self-esteem to inmates

By Virginia Bryan

72 Unsung Heroes:

MAGIC • BILLINGS’ CITY MAGAZINE SINCE 2003

THE PET ISSUE • CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM • MONTANA RAIL LINK

85

Unsung Heroes

Culinary Arts

Recipe for changing lives MAY 2011

An economic engine

Montana Rail Link backbones the local economy

By Dan Carter

Montana Rail Link

By Katherine Berman

A Rail Runs Through It: 81

Love Them • Adopt Them • Pamper Them

6 people quietly making a difference

Meet six selfless citizens who are passionate about helping others

On the Cover Playful Weimaraner Getty Images

Nature’s Classroom:

The Audubon Conservation Education Center

By Brenda Maas

Run for Your Life: 89

A New Era for the Heart and Sole Run By jamie besel

MAGIC I may 2011 I 5

MAY 2011

The List: Fun, fascinating finds....................................................................11 Profile: Joseph FireCrow...................................................................................12 Giving Back: Easter Seals-Goodwill ....................................................14 Artist Loft: Kira Fercho.................................................................................16 Featured Block: Celebrating Central Avenue ...............................18 Elements: Let’s Take It Outside, outrageous outdoor offerings .20 Media Room: Reads, tunes, DVDs and technology....................22

12

SIGNATURE SECTIONS

Fine Living

31

Great Estates: Restoration Retrospective...................24 Epicure: Picture Perfect Picnics................................................ 31 Libations: Wild Wines................................................................ 33

Travelogue

24

35

39

45

Beyond Billings: One Great American Roadtrip.. 35

Montana Perspectives Legends: The Wildest of the Wild Bunch.......................... 39 I’m Just Sayin’: Sic ‘em, Shep!........................................... 43

Photo Journal: All in the Family...........................................45 Why Magic City?

IN EVERY ISSUE

Editor’s Letter: Who Owns Whom?.......................................................... 8 Contributors............................................................................................................ 9 Seen at the Scene........................................................................................... 92 DateBook................................................................................................................. 94 Last Word: Pet Trivia.......................................................................................... 98

6 I may 2011 I MAGIC

In the early 1880s, immigrants and adventurers came in droves to seek their livelihood on the verdant land along the Yellowstone River. The hastily constructed tents and log cabins made it appear as if Billings materialized overnight – thus earning the name “The Magic City.” Today, as the largest city in Montana, Billings proudly retains its ‘Magic City’ moniker. As for Magic City magazine, we promise to continue our mission to uncover all that is unique and wonderful and changing in this great community ... and we guarantee a few surprises along the way.

MAY 2011

Michael Gulledge

•

VOLUME 9

•

ISSUE 2

Publisher 657-1225

Editorial

Allyn Hulteng Editor 657-1434 Bob Tambo Creative Director 657-1474 Brittany Cremer Senior Editor 657-1390 Dina Brophy Assistant Editor 657-1490 Evelyn Noennig Assistant Editor 657-1226

Larry Mayer, David Grubbs, James Woodcock, Casey Riffe, Bob Zellar, Paul Ruhter Photographers Kyle Rickhoff, Preston Stahley

Online Web Designers

Advertising

Dave Worstell Sales & Marketing Director 657-1352 Ryan Brosseau Classified & Online Manager 657-1340 Bonnie Ramage Sales Manager 657-1202 Linsay Duty Advertising Coordinator 657-1254 Nadine Bittner Lead Graphic Artist 657-1286 MAGIC Advisory Board

Jim Duncan, Brian M. Johnson, Denice Johnson, Nicki Larson, Susan Riplett

Contact us: Mail: 401 N. Broadway Billings, MT 59101 editor@magiccitymagazine.com Find us online at our newly redesigned website www.magiccitymagazine.com Find us at various rack locations throughout Billings, including area Albertson’s, Borders Books, Music & Cafe, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Hastings Books, Music & Video, Holiday Stationstores and Gainan’s.

June 18, 2011 Billings, Montana 5K 10K

2 Mile Health Walk

New Micromesh T-Shirt Finish at Dehler Park RRCA 5K State Championship Wake Up Your Life Festival (Post Race) Live Music Presenting Sponsors

Major Sponsors

Subscriptions are available at the annual subscription rate of $29 (5 Issues). Single copy rate $4.95. Mail subscription requests and changes to address above, ATTN: Circulation ®Registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. LIVE SMART. LIVE HEALTHY.® is a registered mark and WAKE UP YOUR LIFESM is a service mark of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Magic City is published five times a year by Billings Gazette Communications

Proceeds Benefit

Copyright© 2011 Magic City Magazine

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written consent is prohibited.

THE GREATER BILLINGS NON-MOTORIZED TRAIL SYSTEM

Registration and Information

www.heartandsolerace.org 406.254.7426

Managed by

FROM THE EDITOR

this issue

Who owns whom?

It was her outstretched paws pressing against the glass that first caught my eye.

I had tagged along with a friend who needed to stop by the pet store. While my friend headed to the aquarium section, I strolled over to the wall of windows where adoptable cats were housed. Now, I am not impulsive by nature, and this was not my first foray down the aisle of adorable felines. In fact, whenever I go to the pet store I take time to peek at the animals and read their inspired biographies. It warms my heart to know there are so many caring people looking out for these creatures in need.

But on this particular day, a young feline padded at the window repeatedly, yowling, demanding that I stop. She was a beautiful Norwegian Forest kitty. Her striped coat was thick and glossy, and she had a big, bushy tail. Looking me in the eye, she continued her insistent caterwauling. Curious, I asked the woman volunteer to open the cage.

“We only allow people to hold pets if they’re seriously interested in adoption,” she said curtly.

“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t potentially interested,” I replied.

With that, the keeper handed over the now purring kitty who promptly nuzzled her face into my chin and – I am not kidding – wrapped her front paws around my neck in what can only be described as a giant bear hug. She had me at meow.

Pet-o-nomics Americans love their pets. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing Association, 63% of households own an animal, and nearly half own more than one. On average, owners report spending between $900 and $1,600 each year on their pets’ food, veterinary care, toys, treats, grooming, boarding and the like. Moreover, medical and nutritional advances have increased the average age of our pets; dogs now routinely live between 12 and 14 years.

The elevation of dogs and cats from outdoor animals to family members has fueled an enormous pet-centric industry. Last year we spent an incredible $48 billion on our pets, and that number is projected to climb to more than $51 billion, making Fido and Fluffy recessionresistant.

8 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Lessons in love

Our relationship with our furry friends is a complicated one. We refer to ourselves as pet “owners,” but it’s my observation there’s a deeper dynamic at work.

If you’ve ever had a dog or cat or critter, you already know what I’m talking about. For most, pets are an extension of our family. We care about them. We feed them, groom them, pet them, walk them, teach them fetch, sit, shake and settle. We laugh at their antics and cry when they’re hurt.

Through our pets, we learn what it’s like to receive unconditional love. And in a curious turn, the manner in which we treat animals reveals our humanity.

Sophia’s choice

I named her Sophia – Princess Sophia, actually. Watching her antics, my daughters called me on the name.

“She’s not a Sophia,” said Alex.

“She’s a Butch!” added Taylor.

While I didn’t agree with Butch, I had to admit, there was nothing prim and proper about the Norwegian Forest kitty. Sofa, as we’ve come to call her, wields a powerful personality. Over the years she’s taught me a lot.

We’ve come to an accord, Sofa and me. I feed her, groom her, give her an occasional saucer of milk and keep her box clean. In return, she lets me pet her. I think she’s going to keep me.

Lessons from Sofa: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Don’t let a glass wall – or ceiling – keep you from reaching your potential.

Fall madly, passionately and deeply in love, and show it.

Maintain a little mystery – unpredictability makes life interesting.

Indulge in napping without apology.

Play hard and often.

Allyn Hulteng editor@magiccitymagazine.com

contributors

Jamie Besel received her master’s degree in nursing,

working in various nursing positions such as education and intensive care. After the birth of her third child she switched gears to become a full-time homemaker. She is elated to pursue her dream of freelance writing and enjoys learning about women in our community. Most importantly, Jamie spends as much time as possible with her husband and three amazing children.

Scott Prinzing started collecting music in kindergarten, started writing about music in high school, and started deejaying in college. For the past decade or so, his focus has been on Montana music and American Indian music. In 2008, he produced a curriculum guide and compilation CD for the Indian Education department of Montana’s Office of Public Instruction. Other roles include performing as one-half of the acoustic duo, Earthshine, and the Green Man on Green Smarts with the Green Man! TJ Wierenga retired from her previous career as a Telecommunications Manager to be a Write At Home Mom for her two homeschooled children. Her faith, family and friends, quarterhorse gelding, gardening, reading and writing all keep her busy. She and her family also love to camp, hike, fish and shoot photos in our Montana wilderness.

Katherine Berman, originally from Boston, Mass.,

is approaching the end of her first year in Billings. When Katherine isn’t enjoying the local dining scene herself or— during work hours—helping others to do the same, she loves writing, exploring her new digs out West, cooking with her boyfriend, and talking to her friends and family back East, whom she misses dearly. Katherine has a weakness for takeout Chinese food, costume jewelry and garden gnomes.

Virginia Bryan, a free-lance writer based in Billings, is an MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at the University of New Orleans and chairs the High Plains Book Awards Committee, a project of Parmly Billings Library.

KIDS’ COUTURE & GIFTS

Dan Carter – Born and raised in the Gallatin

Valley, Dan found his journalistic roots at the University of Montana. After graduating, he worked at weekly and small daily papers in Montana and Oregon before returning to Billings. He worked at The Billings Gazette for 14 years and now works in government relations and publications at Montana State University Billings.

Featuring: Angel Dear (pictured above), Petunia Pickle Bottom, Little Giraffe, Stephen Joseph, Oopsy Daisy, Mimi & Maggie, Molly ‘n Me, and more!

502 N 30TH STREET MAGIC I may 2011 I 9 GN_Magic_LSprouts_Apr2011 1

3/8/11 3:25 PM

E N H Y W O U’RE EXPECTING T S E B E H T T C E P X .

E One look around our newly renovated Mother and Baby area and you’ll immediately notice our unique, family-centered environment. We provide Moms with two rooms - one for the safest birthing area possible and another clean, fresh room for recovery. Plus, we offer the area’s only dedicated nursery staffed by nurses, who watch over your bundle of joy while you get some much needed rest. To set up a personalized tour, call 406-237-7086 today.

THE HEALING POWER OF COMPASSION.

MAY / JUNE 2011

Fun, fascinating finds we think are great.

Stylin’ Shades

Bamboo Dreams

Protect your peepers this summer with a new pair of UV-protected shades, available in adult and munchkin sizes. Available at:

Add some sustainability to your sleep in these luxurious Roxy Ruffle bamboo pajamas by Dreamsacks. The tank and bottoms are available in a variety of colors and sizes.

The Base Camp Baby shades by Julbo $30 Polarized unisex sport shades

by Smith $50

Summer Sippin’

Quench your thirst in style with a Camelbak Groove water bottle, complete with its own filtration system that keeps your beverage ice-cold. The sipfriendly straw design makes drinking a breeze and your car seat will love the no-spill feature.

Available at The Base Camp $25

Available at Scandia Down $95

Stop Dreaming, Start Driving

Exotics Racing School offers the ultimate race car driving experience for everyday motorists. Located at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, drivers can choose from a fleet of exotic vehicles, including a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche or Audi. Accompanied by a professional instructor, you canpush the boundaries of the car’s performance as you drive around a true racetrack, thrilling at the acceleration, speed and response.

Driving packages start at $199 and include instruction—100% adrenaline response guaranteed. www.exoticsracing.com.

Ring ‘Em Up

Lasso Golf can keep the family entertained just about anywhere, whether it’s in the backyard, camping or an afternoon in the park. With two sets of target ladders, six sets of Lasso golf balls and a complete play book packaged in a handy, nylon carrying bag, your entertainment is in the bag and ready to go any time you are. Suggested age: 10+ Available online: target.com $25

MAGIC I may 2011 I 11

By Scott Prinzing • Photography by Casey Riffe

Joseph FireCrow:

The Cheyenne Nation’s Magical Flutist

“ I grew up hearing the drum and singing in the

As a young boy growing up in Lame Deer, Joseph FireCrow never dreamed that one

day he would be a musical ambassador for his Northern Cheyenne Nation. As one of the most celebrated players of the Native American flute, FireCrow has won several Nammys (Native American Music Awards), including the highest award, Artist of the Year, in 2010. His music has been included on compilation albums, movie and TV soundtracks. FireCrow’s second CD, Cheyenne Nation, was nominated for a Grammy in 2001, the first year there was a Native American Music category at the Grammys.

He has been honored with a Nammy for Songwriter of the Year, Flutist of the Year and for Best Instrumental Recording in 2005 for his performance on Parmly’s Dream, with the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Chorale.

In addition to concert performances all over the country, FireCrow gives frequent educational presentations and flute making workshops. During his most recent visit

singing in the Cheyenne language; I would hear the flute in the evening. It was beautiful. As a young person, I learned to play the trumpet, and when I went away to school I really came to appreciate and have a great understanding of music.

First flute: It wasn’t until I went to college that I closely listened to the flute. One of the professors was a Native man who taught music and how to make flutes. Music is a discipline. And there’s a lot of responsibility and dedication and sacrifice that goes with that. After I made my first flute, at age 18 in the summer of 1977, there were two melodies that just poured out of me and I could not forget them. When I picked up the flute again nearly two decades later, those melodies were still there. In my mid-30s, there was a renaissance of culture, heritage; the old songs and ceremonies were coming back; and the flute came back into my life. And it’s been with me ever since.

Boombox recording: I recorded my first album, The Mist, on cassette tape on a boombox at the Catholic Church in Lame Deer. I played all the melodies I knew on a few different flutes for about 40 minutes, later making dubs of the tape to give away as gifts for family and friends. I made my second tape, Rising Bird, at a studio in Billings pretty much the same way. Since about 1993, the flute has been my full-time occupation. In 1996, Makoche’ Records in Bismark,

12 I may 2011 I MAGIC

language; I would hear the flute in the evening.

It was beautiful.. ”

to Billings, he shared a bit of his story.

Childhood in Lame Deer: I grew up hearing the drum and

Cheyenne

N.D., picked me up after I shopped my tapes around at several record labels.

Face the Music: For Face the Music, my latest CD, we went back to a more progressive sound. Not really hip-hop, not really pop, more of an inner city/world beat kind of sound. It’s a little bit of everything. I was concerned that the Cheyenne back home would not appreciate it or accept it. My wife said, “Joe, you’re gonna have to go back to the reservation and Joseph FireCrow helps attendees make naface the music.” So, that’s how tive flutes at his workshop. we came up with the title. This is the CD that won the Flutist of the Year and Artist of the Year at the Native American Music Awards last November.

Flutist of the Year: I didn’t even realize that I’d won Flutist of the Year, because I was backstage after presenting an award for disabled veterans

from Iraq and Afghanistan. You still consider yourself to be really lucky to be there anyway, but to walk away with some hardware makes it all that much more…surreal…giddy…exciting. I can’t tell you how honored and happy and thrilled [I am]. It’s just all been good and awesome.

Parmly’s Dream: I first per-

formed at the Alberta Bair Theater with the Billings Symphony Orchestra on a piece called Parmly’s Dream, composed by Jim Cockey and conducted by Uri Barnea. That collaboration won the Best Instrumental

Joseph FireCrow has released five albums under the Makoche’ Recording Company label:

FireCrow Cheyenne Nation Legend of the Warrior Red Beads Face the Music

Find out more at www.JosephFireCrow.com.

Recording Nammy in 2005. It was truly a growing experience for me, as it was the first time I’d ever performed with an orchestra. I’d performed in numerous concert bands before, but never with an orchestra. It was quite challenging for me to be there, and I learned a lot.

Phone home: It’s so important to re-

member our relatives. I call my mother every Sunday – even if I’m on the road – I make that effort. It’s always important to stay connected, as it’s hard to get home a lot. This last year has been a good one, as I’ve already been back twice and it’s still early in the year.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 13

Add some magic to your bottom line.

Advertise in Yellowstone Valley’s most read* magazine.

Retail Advertising: 406.657.1370 Classified Advertising: 406.657.1212 401 N. Broadway • Billings, MT 59101

*June-Sept 2010 Thoroughbred Research

good luCK raCers!

June 18, 2011

5K • 10K • 2 Mile Health Walk RRCA 5K State Championship Participants will each receive a free micromesh t-shirt. The race will finish at Dehler Park for the Wake Up Your Life Festival. Proceeds Benefit YMCA Strong Community Campaign and Billings Trails Development.

Thanks to our great partners in this important community event!

Presenting Sponsors: St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation • Billings Gazette

Major Sponsors:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana • Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation • Wells Fargo

to register or for More inforMation www.heartandsoleraCe.org or (406) 254-7426.

Kohl’s Cares: Kids on the Move Kohl’s Department Stores and St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation have partnered to help kids learn healthy habits. Activities include: Physical fitness and health education program for Billings upper elementary students with guest speakers on health, safety and how to stay energized, active and making healthy choices; students and families participating in the heart & sole run; running clubs and co-sponsored elementary cross country meet.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 15

By Dina Brophy • Photography by Michelle Por and Kira Fercho

Kira Fercho

A color-canvassed world She holds a master’s degree in mental health and rehabilitation and works with teens in crisis because she “believes in service.” But Kira Fercho, no matter where she is or what she’s doing, is always an artist.

“Paint is everywhere in my life,” Fercho said. “It’s in my house, my car, my office – everywhere. There’s never a moment I’m not an artist, and the presence of paint all over my life is evidence of its importance to me.”

Kira defines her artistic genre as Western contemporary.

More specifically, she paints expressionistic/impressionistic Western-style landscapes.

“I like to paint what’s indigenous to the area,” said Fercho. “I take a landscape, then I make it funky. I look beyond what I see and try to create something that evokes feeling within the viewer. I want my art to spark something emotional.”

Fercho’s passion for art and its intention comes across in the final product. Her work is vibrant, electric and pops with unexpected color.

There is a maturity in this young woman’s painting.

At 31 years, Fercho’s list of life experiences eclipses that of many who are years her senior.

She dropped out of high school as a junior, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Montana at the age of 21, had a baby, went through a divorce and tried on several different careers before discovering she wanted to help teens with their emotional challenges.

Fercho returned to school and finished her master’s degree in the spring of 2010. Currently, she is a counselor for Tumbleweed Runaway Services and serves as the Tumbleweed Crisis Counselor at Billings Senior High.

All the while, she has been painting.

When do you recall art having a meaningful presence in your life?

I sold my first painting when I was 15, but I’ve been painting as long as I can remember; it’s always been my thing. I’ve always been fascinated by how things look and figuring out how to capture it in paint.

Is your art influenced by any particular art movement?

I’ve been strongly influenced by Russian impressionism; I’ve studied it a lot. It’s about understanding neutrals, value changes and making an image pop with jewel tones. Both have to be there, or it doesn’t work.

of friends and mentors. I’ve been lucky to develop friendships with some of my heroes - Harry Koyama, Loren Entz, Russell Chatham, Rusti Warner, Robert Moore - they influence my art and my life. do you HAVE ANY SPECIFIC MENTORS WHO HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY INFLUENTIAL?

I currently have an apprenticeship with Loren Entz. He’s a member of the Cowboy Artists of America (a prestigious, membership-byinvitation-only artist’s organization), and he lives in Billings.

I get to paint with him three to four hours each week. Currently I’m studying classic portraiture with him. But portraiture is something I do just for me. I’ll keep that out of the marketing world.

You are a young woman, a single mother and a freethinker. How has the artist community received you?

Galleries featuring Kira Fercho’s art:

Painting is primarily an older man’s world – I’m like the puppy of the group, but I know my place. I’m always respectful of them and their work, and in kind, they have become the greatest group

The Frame Hut Yellowstone Art Museum Beartooth Gallery (Red Lodge) Samarah Fine Art (White Fish) Xanadu Gallery (Scottsdale, AZ) www.kirafercho.com

16 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Top Right: Warmth Right: Moon Behind the Quakies and Summer’s Sun Coming Down

“Painting is primarily an older man’s world – I’m like the puppy of the group, but I know my place. ”

toys • shoes • clothing • gifts Free gift wrapping!

Free popcorn everyday!

1510 24th Street West, Billings, MT 59102 (next to Sanctuary and The Joy of Living) 406.294.1717 www.thejoyofkids.com

Smart Toys for Smart Kids

Available exclusively at Desmonds.

M-F 9-5:30 • Sat. 10-5 | 2819 2nd ave. n. | 245-4612 • 1-877-834-0732

MAGIC I may 2011 I 17

By Allyn Hulteng • Photography by Bob Zellar

11.

12.

Lane

9.

Moore

e Avenu 7.

Central

.W 10th St

10.

6.

.W 11th St

8.

.W 12th St

.W 13th St

5.

3.

.W 14th St

.W 15th St

2.

.W 16th St

.W 17th St

4.

Rega

.W 19th St Sunsetial Memorary

Cemet 1.

l St.

Celebrating Central Avenue

Sunsetial Memorary Cemet

view Mountetary Cem

Bowling, Burgers and Good Buys Once a drab arterial lined with dilapidated storefronts and decaying facades, Central Avenue is making a comeback. A recent infusion of new construction and renovation work has done much to improve the aesthetics and walkability of this area, slowly moving it from an eyesore to an up-and-coming, small-scale neighborhood commercial district.

And investors and business owners have taken notice.

We salute those visionaries who saw opportunity instead of neglect, and the business owners who are proud to have a Central Avenue address.

1. Par-3 Exchange City Golf Course Spend an afternoon on the green. The 18-hole Exchange City Golf Course boasts 2,799 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 54. Reasonably priced green fees and lessons.

2. Sunset Bowl Why Wii bowl when you can enjoy the real thing? Sunset Bowl offers open bowling, men’s, women’s and kids leagues, even birthday party rentals. A snack bar and cocktail lounge are conveniently located on site.

p Right: Warmth Right: Moon Behind

3. Buck’s Bar No frills – just one of the city’s best burgers in an iconic establishment. Wash your dinner down with a cold beer while taking in the unpretentious atmosphere.

4. Second Time Clothier, Inc. Prada, Kate Spade, True Religion, Dooney & Burke – find gently-used, high end clothing, shoes and accessories at a discount price. “Many of the clients who supply our inventory shop at exclusive, out-of-town boutiques making our merchandise truly one-of-a-kind,” said owner Rita Booke.

Rituals Day Spa and Salon

Second Time Clothier, Inc. High fashion – discount prices

Par-3 Exchange City Golf Course Play or Drive

18 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Buck’s Bar Burgers and beer

.W S. 8th St

5. Angry Monkey Take your paintball game to the next level with the topquality guns and supplies from Angry Monkey Paintball.

Other specialty merchandise includes Frisbee golf and Fight Co.™ brand MMA gear.

6. Central Hobbys Claiming to be the “world’s largest pattern r/c supplier,” Central Hobbys offers an incredible selection of materials to build remote controlled aircraft and so much more.

Amateurs and experts alike will appreciate the staff’s expertise.

7. Connect Telephone & Computer Group The Connect Group specializes in using technology to help businesses solve communication issues – including voice, video or data – giving the business a competitive advantage.

8. Staley’s Tire & Automotive With three area locations, Staley’s offers professional tire sales, installation and tire repair services. Staley’s is the only shop in the region with specialized “touchless” tire mounting equipment, ensuring your tires and wheels will not be harmed during mounting or repair.

Cenex Zip Trip

9. Rituals Day Spa and Salon Rituals is a full-service Aveda concept salon. The exceptionally trained staff offers cuts, color, manicures, pedicures, facials, massage and body treatments. Ask about the new, chemical-based, hair straightening process.

Aveda products are also available.

10. Cenex Zip Trip Billings’ newest Cenex Zip Trip is more than just a gas station – it’s a well-appointed pit-stop and snack food oasis. According to Tom Savas, Zip Trip’s regional manager for the eastern division, the new building’s ultra-contemporary design may become the prototype for future Zip Trip stores.

11. Batteries Plus You’ll find everything from common AA and 9-volt batteries to hardto-find specialty batteries in one convenient location. Have questions?

The store’s knowledgeable service specialists are ondeck, happy to help.

12. Three Sights Indoor Shooting Range Billings’ newest indoor shooting range features a retail store front with firearms, ammunition and accessories plus a 10-lane firing range. Three Sights welcomes walk-in’s for up to two hours of shooting for $17, or shooters may purchase a membership.

A variety of classes are also offered.

See her painting in our Gallery May 14th from 1-4pm

Three Sights Indoor Shooting Range Take aim

1430 Grand Ave.

245-9728

Staley’s Tire Full-service automotive

www.framehut.com

Mon-Fri 9-6 • Sat 10-5 MAGIC I may 2011 I 19

By Dina Brophy • Photography by Casey Riffe and Larry Mayer

Let’s Take it Outside Outrageous outdoor offerings Decorative Ceramic Dragonfly Brighten your patio table, flower pot or garden with these playful ceramic dragonflies available in green, red and yellow.

They can also serve as spirited linen anchors for your outdoor table.

Available at Gainan’s, $10

Factory Cart These rustic industrial factory carts were used at the turn of the century to transport goods across factory floors. Handmade the oldfashioned way, these sturdy hardwood carts move on cast iron wheels.

Each cart is a one-of-kind original and makes a charming display platform for an aged crock filled with colorful annuals or patio side table.

Available at Billings Nursery, $395-$595

Cupcakes & Cartwheels Floral Decanter This charming hand-painted decanter will make a cheerful statement at a picnic or on the patio. The motif and colors are inspired by the beautiful textiles of Kashmire. Crafted of stainless steel with spigot, it’s a unique, playful way to dispense your family’s favorite summer time beverge.

Available at Gainan’s, $165

20 I may 2011 I MAGIC

DIY Outdoor Fireplace

“Answers for Living When Life is Limited”

Imagine how this stunning fireplace could transform your backyard into a gathering place of warmth, comfort and style. Perfect for the patio, this build-it-yourself kit from Rockwood Retaining Walls delivers all the materials and step-by-step instructions you will need to create this striking addition to your backyard.

Available at Billings Hardware, $3,000

Hospice Care is 100% paid

by Medicare/Medicaid and most private insurance

Why Choose Rocky Mountain Hospice?

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s recent Family Evaluation Survey scored RMH at 100% satisfaction in the following categories: SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT

Natural Stone Candles

Victorian Cottage Birdhouse Avian housing reaches new heights with this distinctive architectural birdhouse from Home Bazaar. Wrens, finches, chickadees and nuthatches are the likely residents of this Victorian and cottage inspired “bird mansion.” Your bird residents will be the envy of the avian community in this charming birdhouse, complete with window box and bright red flowers.

Available at Gainan’s, $53

Gardenstone Creations employs a wet-saw technique to create these unique, one-of-a-kind candle holders made from river stones. With no two stones being alike, each candle holder is distinctive in its earthy purity. These candles will create a lovely ambiance as you relish a warm, summer evening on the patio.

Available at Gainan’s, $18 and up

Pain 100% Respiratory 100% Anxiety 100%

When asked, 100% of our patients’ families would recommend Rocky Mountain Hospice to others

Billings Bozeman Butte Helena

406-294-0785 406-556-0640 406-494-6114 406-442-2214

www.rockymountainhospice.com MAGIC I may 2011 I 21

By Brittany Cremer

Movie/DVD

Human Planet [Blu-ray] 2011 BBC, Discovery, Warner Home Video

“Human Planet” weaves together 80 inspiring stories, many never told before, set to a globallyinfluenced soundtrack by award-winning composer, Nitin Sawhney.

Following in the footsteps of “Planet Earth” and “Life,” this epic

eight-part blockbuster is a breathtaking celebration of the amazing, complex, profound and sometimes challenging relationship between humankind and nature. Humans are the ultimate animals – the most successful species on the planet. From the frozen Arctic to steamy rainforests, from tiny islands in vast oceans to parched deserts, people have found remarkable ways to adapt and survive.

“Human Planet” weaves together 80 inspiring stories, many never

told before, set to a globally-influenced soundtrack by award-winning composer, Nitin Sawhney. Each episode focuses on a particular habitat and reveals how its people have created astonishing solutions in the face of extreme adversity. Finally, we visit the urban jungle, where most of us now live. Here we discover why the connection between humanity and nature is the most vital of all.

22 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Music In Your Dreams

By Stevie Nicks “In Your Dreams” finds Stevie Nicks weaving her signature vocals through a mix of Bob Dylan-inspired folk songs, Italian love ballads and rock anthems.

Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell co-wrote two tracks, while Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard shared production duties.

Nicks’ first solo album in a decade, “In Your Dreams” was released this spring, nearly 10 years to the day after “Trouble in Shangri-La’s” 2001 release.

Web Ed www.talkingpets.org

This is the website all the pets are talking about—literally.

At this website, you can upload a photo of your furry friend, select an appropriate voice, type unique personalized messages and then listen, crumpled over in laughter, as the tiny jowls of your pet chatter your words back to you.

E-mail your creations to friends or post them on your Facebook page. Clicking around this site creates hours of pet-powered fun, perfect for children or adults.

Book Rolf Harris’s True Animal Tales

By Rolf Harris

Australian author Rolf Harris presents a wonderful collection of funny, heroic and sometimes heartbreaking stories about animals from all over the world in “True Animal Tales.” The book bursts with heroes like Greyfriars Bobby, a feisty Skye terrier who faithfully guards his master’s grave for 14 years, to heroines like Priscilla, a swimming pig who saves a little boy from drowning. Full of fun facts and Harris’ trademark illustrations, these heartwarming tales of devotion, intelligence and incredible talent are sure to make you think again about your feathered and furred friends.

te

n ce

Treat yourself to the ultimate “stay-cation.” Remodel with Freyenhagen Construction and enjoy the perfect view without ever leaving home.

▪

www.facebook.com/freyenhagenconstruction

MAGIC I may 2011 I 23

FINE LIVING

great estates

“It was important [to the homeowners] that we maintain the historical look of the home wherever possible...for instance, we put dormers at the front of the new addition to match the existing ones.

They flood the new addition with light – something that old homes weren’t designed around.”

— Jeremy Freyenhagen, General Contrator

Restorati Retrospect

By Julie Green

•

Photography by James Woodcock

ion tive

They had always loved the house, just a block or two down from their little Dutch Colonial. It sat on a spacious lot along a tree-lined street in one of the city’s most charming districts.

But they’d given up on it being theirs; in fact, they were ready to put in a bid on another property along historic Virginia Lane.

Before: Once painted a traditional white, the homeowners were encouraged by family friend Jim Gainan to choose a red exterior. The difference is dramatic, but the home still retains a timeless look and feel.

FINE LIVING

great estates

Then out of the blue, they received an unexpected call; a few weeks later, they were moving in.

That was 2004, when the now-family of seven was a family of five. The new owners immediately tackled a few projects, including updating changes to the upstairs bathroom, adding egress windows in the basement, painting throughout and addressing the outdated wiring. But as the family grew, it was time to make a decision: either remodel to make the home more functional for their needs, or move from the downtown neighborhood they loved into a newer, larger home in the suburbs.

It wasn’t a tough decision. Their love of downtown living, proximity to work and commitment to having their children grow up in a walkable neighborhood made their choice obvious: remodel.

After living in the home for nearly five years, the owners had a list of changes that were important – starting with opening up the dark, post-war era kitchen and adding both family living space and storage. Working with contractor Jeremy Freyenhagen, the couple decided to tear down the home’s existing garage and add nearly 700 feet of living space to accommodate a new, spacious kitchen and living area on the main level and provide room for future expansion in the basement.

“It was important [to the homeowners] that we maintain the historical look of the home wherever possible,” Freyenhagen said.

“For instance, we put dormers at the front of the new addition to match the existing ones. They flood the new addition with light – something that old homes weren’t designed around.”

1.

Before 2.

1] The sitting room, extended as part of the remodel, still boasts its original beamed ceilings and large windows. In addition to providing a cozy spot for reading the Sunday paper or enjoying a cup of coffee, it also serves as the family’s music room. 2] Before the remodel, the dining room was small and crowded for this large family, but was even more problematic when it came to entertaining and dinner parties - a common occurrence in this stately home. 3] A newlyexpanded dining room houses heirloom furniture inherited by the couple. It was no small task to replicate flooring in the new addition; although the use of maple shorts was common in 1940’s homes, matching it required hand-crafting pieces to create seamless connections between rooms.

26 I may 2011 I MAGIC

3.

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FINE LIVING

great estates

Despite careful planning by both the homeowners and the Freyenhagen team, there were some surprises no one could have anticipated. One of the most unusual was the discovery of a nest of baby owls behind the home’s steel siding. And although other surprises (including finding and having to safely remove asbestos) lacked the same fun, this Magic City family wouldn’t change a thing.

Before 4.

4] Before remodeling, the family could barely fit into the cramped kitchen, with its low ceilings and country-style cabinets.

5] All seven can now fit comfortably around the granite bar, which is also a perfect place for kids to play or do homework. Two full-size sinks, double ovens and a spacious energy-efficient stainless steel refrigerator allow for easy meal prep.

5.

6.

6] The use of furniture and floor coverings provide natural division between living spaces while maintaining and open layout. Skylights and south-facing windows allow light in during the day, and recessed lighting can be used in the evening.

28 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Sometimes, Simple Is Better.

ONE PROMISE. ONE WARRANTY.

7.

Why should buying flooring be so complicated?

We make it simple, so you can enjoy the important things.

7] A wall of windows, complete with a window seat, keeps the master bedroom bright. The couple decided to stage the remodeling project, which will eventually include an en suite bath. They, along with their contractor, recommend taking the time to think through and plan for the long term, even if all of the work cannot be completed in one project.

Pierce Promise.

No confusing terms.

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The

Visit PiercePromise.com for full details.

Billings 406.652.4666 2950 King Ave W www.PierceFlooring.com

FINE LIVING

epicure

Picture Perfect Picnics A kiss of warm sunshine.

Tender shoots of green grass tickling bare feet.

The soothing sound of a mountain stream quieting your spirit.

Picnics are more than a glorified sack lunch. They’re a sensory escape from the coarseness of everyday life. Plan now to pack a basket and indulge in an afternoon of sheer delight.

Earthy Pleasure

The Setting: Sportsman’s Park along the Yellowstone River.

(Directions: West on I-90, Exit 426, south through Park City on S. Clark 0.7 miles. Travel east on Cemetery Rd 3.2 miles, then south.)

Amazing Views

The Setting: A sandstone bluff along Black Otter Trail overlooking the valley.

The Spread: Feast on cold Italian pasta salad, baguettes, plump red grapes and sparkling bottled water. Short on time?

Pick up a savory pasta salad, fresh bread and delectable minidessert from Poet Street Market and be on your way.

Make it memorable: Bring low slung camp chairs and light jackets. Sit back and watch the sun slip below the horizon.

Family-Friendly

The Setting: Pioneer Park offers a treed oasis in the city. With acres of open space, a playground, wading pool and meandering creek, the setting is perfect for family outings.

The Spread: Keep it simple! PBJs, juicy orange slices, cheese sticks and bottled water. For a tasty, wholesome boost, use nine grain whole wheat bread from Great Harvest Bread Company.

Make it messy: Bring child-sized plastic buckets and shovels for exploring creek side.

Don’t forget sunscreen, bug spray and wet wipes.

30 I may 2011 I MAGIC

The Spread: Fresh hoagie rolls, thick sliced roast beef, aged cheddar slices with condiments. Add kettlestyle potato chips, sliced apples and wash it down with Wooley Bugger Root Beer available at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Company.

Make it uniquely Montana: Bring a raft and dine as you drift lazily down the Yellowstone River to Riverside Park in Laurel.

Audubon Conservation Education Center We offer after school programs, summer camps, birthday parties, and more!

Located just minutes from downtown Billings, the Audubon Center offers hands-on nature education programs for all ages.

We provide a low participant to instructor ratio, highly qualified staff, and lots of fun outdoor explorations!

Romantically Inspired

The Setting: Rock Creek Vista Point scenic overlook on the Beartooth Highway, just 20 miles south of Red Lodge.

At more than 9,000 feet in elevation, you’ll enjoy stunning views of Rock Creek Canyon below.

The Spread: Create a custom Euro-style meat and cheese board featuring Kerrygold Dubliner, French Brie, Stilton Bleu Cheese, Galileo Dry Salami, Prosciutto di Parma and Italian ham. Enjoy along with a selection of Mediterranean olives, marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and chewy Ciabatta bread. Sip on Perrier and finish with bite-sized bits of dried ginger.

Make it Last: Surprise your beloved and make reservations to stay overnight in Red Lodge. Enjoy an unhurried breakfast at one of the resort town’s well-known bistros before returning to the real world.

www.mTacec.org • 406-294-5099

MAGIC I may 2011 I 31

FINE LIVING

libations

Tasting notes:

Wild Wines

2008 Moselland Mosel Riesling Simply Wine, $13 Apple, pear and peach flavors dominate this light,

By Stella Fong

yellow-tinted wine. The bright acidity and slight sweetness will pair well

Wine labels are going to the dogs. Literally.

But fret not feline fanciers – cats have not been neglected.

Images of man’s best friend grace the labels of some delightful wines, including wines produced by Dunham Cellars, Pure Love Wines and Hightower Cellars.

“Port,” a friendly-faced, black and white pooch, pants happily on the label of Dunham Cellars’ Three Legged Red. Winemaker Eric Dunham recounts how he rescued the puppy after it was attacked by a Pit Bull. In the fight, Dunham says, “The puppy had lost a leg, but found a home. With only three legs, and two on the port side, I named him Port, and he is my friend.”

From Pure Love Wines, a Jack Russell Terrier named Barossa Jack proudly stands atop a

wine barrel on their Estate Grown Shiraz. The label notes that “a good dog keeps you company and protects you from snakes while walking the vineyard.”

On Hightower Cellars’ Murray Cuvée, a yellow Labrador (named Murray, of course), looks adoringly out from the label, a long-stemmed rose in his mouth.

“Murray has claimed the managerial throne at Hightower Cellars. His long lunches are usually spent chasing vineyard rodents, fetching sticks, or roaming around the perimeter of our vineyard, making sure he hasn’t missed out on anything.”

Not to be outdone, several wine makers prominently feature cats on their labels. One even boasts uniquelystyled decanter. Moselland Riesling, Germany’s flagship grape is “purr-fectly” ensconced in a sleek, cat-shaped glass bottle.

Fat Cat Cellars features a piano playing, sunglass sporting tom on its labels saying, “Our vibe is velvety varietal wines. Wines inspired by the jazz music we love.”

A pair of yellow eyes stare out from the label of Black Cat, a small boutique winery in Napa Valley, while a haughty black cat jumps off the Gato Negro label.

These and other fanciful, pet-inspired labels remind us to look beyond the critter and find the unique story within.

with Asian food, especially Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.

2008 Pure Love Wines Barossa Jack Shiraz City Vineyards, $27 A deep red wine with shades of purple exudes fragrances and flavors of black fruit, spice and chocolate with a streak of green pepper and dust with good tannins. A grilled lamb chop will taste delicious with this wine.

2007 Murray Cuvée Red Wine, Columbia Valley City Vineyards, $17 This wine is reminiscent of blackberry pie with hints of cherries. The wine finishes with medium tannins and herbaceous notes and has good acidity. Enjoy with a freshly-grilled flat iron steak.

2007 Dunham Cellars’ Three Legged Red, Red Table Wine, Columbia Valley Simply Wine, $22 Cherries abound in this wine made with Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah with notes of green herbs and a touch of toasty caramel. Good medium tannins are also found. Goes well with a hamburger hot off the grill.

Stella Fong divides her time between Billings and Big Sky where she writes, cooks and teaches. Recently she received a Robert Parker Scholarship for continuing studies at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

She also contributed family recipes to Greg Patent’s new book, A Baker’s Odyssey, and continues to write for other publications including Western Art and Architecture.

32 I may 2011 I MAGIC

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Can you tell the difference?

see at the following retail showrooms

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Rimrock Cabinet Co. 547 S 20th St W, #7 | Billings | 406.651.8109

Appliance & Cabinet Center 2950 King Ave W, #2 | Billings | 406.656.9168 MAGIC I may 2011 I 33

TRAVELOGUE

beyond billings

rapid c 34 I may 2011 I MAGIC

citySD One Great American Road Trip

By Karen Kinser

It’s an area of the country that’s called legendary. Iconic. And stunning – in the depth and breadth and beauty of its incredible offerings: the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. A visit to this nearby part of our world makes for a fabulous family adventure. From eagles soaring against the backdrop of the striated columns of Devils Tower in Wyoming to the spectacular scenery of the Black Hills, the immensity of Mount Rushmore, the lunarlike landscape of the Badlands and the kitschy fun of historic Deadwood, you’re in for a one great American roadtrip.

Aerial view of Rapid City with the Black Hills on the horizon. Insets above: Rock Stars from left, Devil’s Tower can be seen for miles on I-90 en route to Rapid City. Four presidents watch over the valley from Mount Rushmore. Close-up of the upper half of the unfinished Crazy Horse monument.

Photos provided by Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes.com.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 35

TRAVELOGUE

beyond billings

1.

2.

1] Panorama of the Black Hills. 2] Stunning colors of the Badlands at sunset.

3] Quirky tradition is found at the famous Wall Drug Store. 4] Historic main street in Deadwood.

5] Created by atmospheric pressure, Wind Cave has more than 132 miles of mapped passages.

6-7] Cowboy and Native American cultures intertwine in South Dakota.

3.

Devils Tower

Start your journey by picking up I-90 and heading to Wyoming.

About 30 miles beyond Moorcroft, take scenic Highway 24 for a close-encounter side trip to Devils Tower. Scraping the sky nearly 1,300 feet above the surrounding valley, this impressive monolith – originally named “Bear Lodge” by the Lakota Tribe – was formed by magma welling up into surrounding sedimentary rock. Hike the short trail around the base, climb the Tower, or enjoy longer trails in the area. Because the site is sacred to Native Americans, there is a voluntary climbing closure every June. Return to I-90 and continue east into South Dakota.

The Black Hills Sometimes called an “island of trees in a sea of grass,” the Black Hills region encompasses more than 8,200 square miles of western South Dakota and a portion of Wyoming (including Devils Tower). The “black” of the hills – which are actually mountains – refers to the dark appearance of the pine-clad mountainsides. In addition to spectacular scenery, the Black Hills is home to six national parks and monuments, 101 miles of national scenic byways, two national forests and four state parks – all guaranteeing sensational summer fun.

Six National Parks If you stopped at Devils Tower, you’ve already visited one of these six sites.

Another not-to-be-missed site is Mount

36 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Rushmore. On par with the Statue of Liberty and our Stars and Stripes for stirring patriotic emotions, Mount Rushmore features the carvedin-stone faces of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Designed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, the faces – 60 feet high and scaled to the proportions of 465 feet tall men – seem to change expressions throughout the day with the morning and afternoon sunlight. The Presidential Trail takes you past the sculptor’s studio and provides a dramatic view of the Presidents.

Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument are must-sees for avid and amateur spelunkers. Atmospheric pressure differences create the wind that pours out of Wind Cave, one of the world’s largest, with more than 132 miles of mapped passages. In addition to the cave, the park area has 28,000 acres of pine forest and mixed-grass prairie filled with native wildlife. Jewel Cave – named for its chambers fringed with jewel-like crystals – is the second longest cave in the world, and is also noted for the rare balloon cave formations, made of hydromagnesite and coated with moonmilk.

Established in 1999, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is one of the nation’s newest parks. Taking a “top secret” tour here will let you see a nuclear missile silo and its launch control facility and learn about the history of the Cold War.

Badlands National Park is a geological marvel of colorful spires, pinnacles, buttes, hoodoos, gullies and fossil beds, along with rolling grasslands on its 244,000 acres. Originally named “mako sica” or “land bad” by the Lakotas, the term badland has now come to mean any area where soft-sedimentary rocks and clay soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water (Makoshika State Park in Montana is also a badlands formation.) Located on the edge of the Great Plains, Badlands National Park can feel – and look – like a lunar landscape, even though the prairielands section of the Park is filled with wildlife roaming the largest expanse of protected prairie ecosystem in the country. Take a scenic loop tour around the Park (Highway 240) or get up close and personal on one of the hiking trails. For the best photos, catch the Park at dawn and dusk.

Crazy Horse Memorial The world’s largest stone sculpture – which is still under construction – began in 1948 by Korczak Ziolkowski, a man with a dream. He spent his life working on this carving of an Indian man astride a spirited warhorse. Leaving his wife and children with the plans to finish the project after his death, Ziolkowski’s dream endures at the site near Custer.

Scenic Drives The scenery in South Dakota is, indeed, spectacular, and you can view it on outstanding scenic drives that include US Highway 385 (the Black Hills Parkway), Highway 240 in the Badlands, Spearfish Canyon’s Highway 14A (a National Scenic Byway), and Highway 44 (the

4.

6.

5.

7.

Rimrock Highway). The 70-mile Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway (which includes Needles Highway into Mt. Rushmore) was designated one of the 10 Most Outstanding Byways in America. It’s an oval-shaped loop that winds through tunnels, hairpin curves, wildlife preserves, state parks and spiral pigtail bridges.

If you’d prefer a scenic biking or hiking trail, choose a portion of the 109-mile long George S. Mickelson trail, which follows an abandoned railroad line through the heart of the Black Hills.

Deadwood An 1876 gold rush created the miners’ camp called Deadwood. Now a National Historic Landmark and known as “America’s Restored Gold Camp,” Deadwood is a fun trip into our country’s gold-rush past, which included visits

from Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.

Originally noted for its bordellos, dance halls, saloons and card parlors, Deadwood is now known for its rich mining history. Here you can gamble at one of the city’s 80 gaming halls, tour the historical Main Street, enjoy a drink at the museum-like Old Style Saloon 10, witness a shoot-out, stand at Wild Bill’s gravesite or pan for gold at the Broken Boot Mine.

Success in school, and in life.

Spending a summer at Sylvan will do more than just keep your child busy. A personalized summer learning plan can build the skills, habits and attitudes your child needs for lifelong success.

Off the beaten path Other unusual places of note include Wall Drug in Wall, SD, and the Dances with Wolves film set in Fort Hays, where chuckwagon suppers are also available. If you’ve got time and inclination, travel farther east to Mitchell for a tour of the Corn Palace or to DeSmet to visit Laura Ingalls Wilders’ Little Town on the Prairie.

GETTING THERE / RESOURCES Rapid City, SD is about 320 miles from Billings (via I-90), which is in the heart of the Badlands area and could serve as your home base for discovering the area.

Visitor Center: The Black Hills Visitor Information Center is located at 1851 Discovery Circle in Rapid City (605-355-3700).

Park Pass: For great value, consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Parks Pass at any of the Parks. For only $80, it will get you and a car of three other adults into any Federal Recreation area that charges a fee for a year from the date of purchase. If you’re 62 or older, you can get a lifetime pass for only $10.

The Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes Association website (www.blackhillsbadlands.com) is an outstanding resource for planning your trip. Here you’ll find maps, coupons, travel planning guides, places to stay, suggestions for dining and a whole list of other activities – golfing, horseback riding, rock collecting, kayaking, wind surfing, mountain biking and gold panning – available in the area. Other useful websites include: Deadwood: www.deadwood.org Black Hills Tourism: www.blackhillstouristinfo.com All Black Hills: www.allblackhills.com South Dakota Department of Tourism: www.travelsd.com Badlands National Park, National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm

Sylvan will develop a program to help your child keep up over summer break.

We have flexible summer hours to accommodate your busy summer lifestyle.

It’s a fun approach that inspires summer learning.

Certified teachers working with your student in an exciting academic atmosphere will keep skills sharp throughout the summer.

Start Any Time on an Individual Schedule We work with students of ALL ages.

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• Reading • Math • Writing • Study Skills • Test Taking • College / University Prep and More!

MAGIC I may 2011 I 37

MONTANA PERSPECTIVES

legends

“The Wild Bunch” Top row, left to right: William Carver, Harvey Logan “Kid Curry” Bottom row, left to right: Harry Longbaugh “Sundance Kid,” Ben Kilpatrick “The Tall Texan,” Robert Leroy Parker “Butch Cassidy”

By Gail Hein In the Old West when a man extended his hand, sometimes there was a gun in it. A loaded gun. Harvey “Kid Curry” Logan made a name for himself as an outlaw in eastern Montana at the turn of the 20th century, both as a killer and a train robber. His outlaw career probably began in the area of modern day Landusky and Zortman, Mont., although he was wanted in Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Nevada, Idaho, Texas, Tennessee and Colorado and was pursued by the Pinkerton Detectives throughout the West.

Photos courtesy of www.legendsofamerica.com

MONTANA PERSPECTIVES

legends

During his lifetime, the Kid was wanted on warrants for 15 murders, but it was generally known that he had killed more than twice that number, many of whom were lawmen. William Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, called Kid Curry the most vicious outlaw in America. “He has not one single redeeming feature,” Pinkerton wrote.

(Legends of America, Warsaw, Mo.)

Will the real Kid Curry please stand up?

Novels, movies – “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” to name but one – even a television show have featured or included Kid Curry’s exploits with endlessly conflicting descriptions.

• Was Harvey Logan born in Iowa? Or Kentucky? Both have been “authenticated.” The date stands as 1867.

• Did he father as many as 85 children through liaisons with prostitutes? The claims of dozens of “Curry Kids” exist. He is also said to have had eight legitimate children in South America.

• Cornered by the law, did Curry commit suicide? Or had he swapped identities with another man who did so. Even exhumation did not conclusively settle the question.

40 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Reputed to be the wildest of the Wild Bunch, Curry was a key player in the robbery of the Great Northern Express train at Wagner, Mont...Kid Curry leaped from his galloping horse onto the rear of the baggage car, crawled over the roof and hid in the tender.

Such a tangled web of conflicting documents, legends and popular versions of the life and crimes of Harvey Kid Curry Logan presents a conundrum with no possible definitive outcome.

And thereby hangs the tale.

To catch a train Reputed to be the wildest of the Wild Bunch, Curry was a key player in the robbery of the Great Northern Express train at Wagner, Mont., in a heart-pounding scenario much as it was portrayed in the popular Butch Cassidy movie – historians and movie buffs alike will recognize

the following scenes: The engineer and conductor of the Great Northern told the jury how their train had been robbed on July 3, 1901. When the train halted at Malta, the Sundance Kid boarded the coach as a paying passenger. Meanwhile, Kid Curry leaped from his galloping horse onto the rear of the baggage car, crawled over the roof and hid in the tender.

At exactly 2 p.m. Kid Curry dropped into the locomotive cab, waving two six-shooters. Simultaneously, the Sundance Kid closed his watch and began shooting holes in the roof above the passengers’ heads, announcing, “Don’t worry, we only want the railroad’s money, not yours.”

Leaving the passenger coaches stranded on the prairie, the outlaws forced the engineer to haul the express car seven miles up the tracks. Butch Cassidy and Deaf Charlie Hanks waited with a box of dynamite and a string of horses. Their take was $44,000, more than half a million in today’s dollars.

A smart-dressing (and undressing) dandy Kid Curry had a rather lofty opinion of himself.

“I will show these people that they are not

Kid Curry in Popular Media Curry appears as the primary villain in Gerald Kolpan’s critically-acclaimed 2009 novel, “Etta.” The book tells the story of the Wild Bunch and Butch and Sundance through the eyes of Etta Place, Sundance’s alleged lover.

Curry is a central character in “Mr American”

by George MacDonald Fraser (1998).

Benjamin E. Murphy co-starred as Kid Curry in the ABC television 1979 series “Alias Smith and Jones.”

In the 1969 American Western film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” Ted Cassidy played Kid Curry/ Harvey Logan.

Left: Harvey “Kid Curry” Logan with Annie Rogers, prostitute who later became his wife.

Above: Curry rolling a cigarette.

dealing with a soft thing. They call me “The Napoleon of Crime” and you should see how they flock when a trial is on.” (Richard Sheppard, Old News, Vol. 22 No. 4) When traveling on trains rather than robbing them, the Kid often carried with him an expensive wardrobe.

Two young prostitutes told Pinkerton detectives that the Kid was a ‘sweet and bashful person’ who had tried to impress them by boasting, “My underwear comes from the finest men’s shop in Denver, Colorado.” (Sheppard) Ultimately captured near Knoxville, Tenn., Curry stood trial and was convicted of the Montana train robbery. On Nov. 30, 1902, he was sentenced to 20 years at hard labor in the

federal penitentiary at Columbus, Ohio. While awaiting appeal, Curry engineered an ingenious escape using wire stripped from a broom in his cell to lasso a guard.

Dead at 37. Or maybe 76?

Using the alias “Tap Duncan,” Kid Curry may have been one of three bandits who robbed a Denver & Rio Grande Railroad train at Parachute, Colo., on June 7, 1904. A posse trailed the outlaws to a gully near Rifle, Colo. Wounded and surrounded, Tap Duncan shot himself in the head to avoid capture and prison.

The gun used by Duncan was traced to Kid Curry. A month later, the body was exhumed and identified as Curry. However, W. T. Canada,

chief of detectives with the Union Pacific Railroad, vehemently disagreed and refused to pay the reward.

Others purport that Kid Curry gave up his criminal career and bought a ranch some 300 miles south of Buenos Aires in Argentina. There he married a Spanish woman who bore him eight children. According to Logan’s grandson, the infamous Kid Curry, “Napoleon of Crime,” died in Argentina in 1941 at the age of 76. (“Kid Curry’s Escape to Infamy” - Kerry Ross Boren) Whether to romanticize or to vilify – that is the question. Meanwhile, we recognize that a “legend” often adds up to less than the sum of its parts.

BRING YOUR CURIOSITY Visit our current & upcoming exhibitions at the Yellowstone Art Museum Carol Hepper: Inside the Between March 17 – June 26, 2011 Treasures Revealed: The Art of Hungary 1890-1956 Fertile Ground: Ceramic Art in Montana April 19 - September 4, 2011 The Wide Open: Black & White Photographs of the Central Montana Prairie April 21 – July 17, 2011

yellowstoneartmuseum 401 N. 27th St. Billings, MT 59101 (406)-256-6804 w w w. a r t m u s e u m . o rg

MAGIC I may 2011 I 41

MONTANA PERSPECTIVES

i’m just sayin’

Seven dog years ago (roughly 50 years) I met Shep, a dog that set the standard for his time and place. My four siblings and I had eroded our dad’s resistance and on a spring day he loaded us all in the Buick and drove to a neighbor’s farm. There we found six spotted puppies

pets

cuddled with their

SPECIAL

mother in the barn straw. The dominant

Section

breed appeared to be border collie, but the genetics were a little quirky and mostly dependent on the neighboring dogs. The term “pedigree” was unfamiliar when it came to farm dogs.

Sic ‘Em

By Gene Colling

42 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Picking up on this, my siblings and I also used the “sic Dad was an astute judge of animals and While we viewed ‘em” command for our amusement. Just like he had carefully looked over the litter before making a selection. Next came a confounding farmer Shep primarily as a learned the dividing line between protected and free game critters, Shep learned the nuances of “sic ‘em!” financial transaction that started when Dad pet and playmate, For example, he knew when the command meant to pulled out a dollar bill and offered it to his herd cattle and sheep, kill a rodent, or when directed friend, Alvin. Professing outrage, Alvin said our dad used him at one of our town cousins, to take it just far enough so he wasn’t going to take money for a dog. With they soiled themselves. equal bluster, Dad insisted on paying for the to help in one of At heart, Shep had a gentle soul. Though he tried to dog. This went for several rounds and even got the main farm put on a good show of bluff and bluster, it was thinly a little physical until a quarter was agreed on veiled. Hard boiled traveling salesmen were good as payment. chores, herding judges of farm dog temperament, and they could easily On the drive home my brothers and sisters and I came up with a name. After Spotty animals. Shep was size him up. They would call Shep’s bluff, and he would skulk away. The only other thing that could crack his was considered and rejected, Dad suggested bravado was thunder. He would cower and look for hardwired to herd Shep. We didn’t get around much, and were cover from an approaching prairie storm. It was the unaware that Shep was the name de jour of and it only took only thing that could coerce him into a vehicle or the just about every farm dog. We thought we had house. exclusive rights to the name, but no matter. It minimal training Shep’s herding instinct was almost his undoing. He fit him to a tee. could not resist chasing every vehicle that came down After a couple stressful days of separation for him to get the the gravel road. He chased the mail car with particular anxiety, Shep quickly adapted to the life of hang of it. zest until the mail man began throwing fire crackers his ancestors. He moved to his permanent out the window. Getting run over was a common operating base on the front porch of the house. demise of many farm dogs and Shep had some close He stayed there year-round even on polar cold winter nights. His only shelter was straw bales arranged as a wind block. encounters, including going under the wheel of a tractor. He shook it A farm dog had a real role to play and was looked on not only as a pet off and after a couple days of rest was fit as ever. Cuts and scrapes were cured by licking his wounds, and in severe cases, an application of the allbut a working member of the family.

We taught Shep the basics. Besides responding to his name, we purpose salve dad kept on hand. trained him to sit and shake hands. This he did with endless patience For all his farm sense, Shep turned out to be a terrible hunting dog. even after a hard day trotting after a tractor in the fields. Shep considered The first time we took him he spotted a pheasant and bolted after it. He it his duty to accompany the tractor up and down the rows even on the did not stop, and we could see pheasants flushing until they looked like hottest days. He would take occasional breaks to chase down jack rabbits dots on the horizon. We shook hands on it and left him home during that were spooked from cover. On the sprint home he would flare off and hunting season from then on. take a swim in the stock pond for his daily bath. Then it was back to the Shep was still going strong when I left the farm to go to college. Because porch and an evening meal of table scraps. He would never know the taste of his unchaperoned social life, I’m sure that he left his mark behind when of store bought dog food. By today’s standards, that sounds brutal but he he did go at the ripe age of 16 years. He had lived a hard life in which only enjoyed vigorous health for 16 years and never once visited a veterinarian. the most fit survived. His character and resilience were likely passed on Shep supplemented his diet with various varmints like mice, rats, for a few more generations. rabbits and gophers. He intrinsically knew how to separate the protected As family farms began to disappear, so did farm dogs. After leaving critters, like chickens and sheep, from fair game farm pests. This was a the farm I moved to an urban lifestyle and over the years our family had monumental test of will power because to a dog, chicken and sheep are urban dogs – a cairn terrier, miniature schnauzer and now a poodle. It saddens me to see a dog that is bred to work languishing in a yard. So just begging for it.

While we viewed Shep primarily as a pet and playmate, our dad used when I look over to see Gracie the poodle grooming like a cat, I imagine him to help in one of the main farm chores, herding animals. Shep was an ancient wolf is turning over in its grave. But I take some comfort hardwired to herd and it only took minimal training for him to get the in knowing that Gracie has nothing better to do. I take more comfort hang of it. Dad taught him the command, “sic em, Shep” and he was off knowing that I once had a real dog – the only dog I ever knew who understood “sic ‘em!” like a bullet.

m,Shep!

MAGIC I may 2011 I 43

MONTANA PERSPECTIVES

photo journal

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

pets All in the Family SPECIAL

Section

A look at our non-human siblings, sons and daughters through

the lens of The Gazette’s award-winning photographers.

“Black Lab on Oriental Rug” by James Woodcock

44 I may 2011 I MAGIC

MAGIC I may 2011 I 45

MONTANA PERSPECTIVES

photo journal

“Girl and Horse” by Casey Riffe

Left: “Pitbull Love”

by Casey Riffe Right: “Adoption”

by Casey Riffe Far Right: “Cat in Fence” by Casey Riffe

46 I may 2011 I MAGIC

“Foggy Window” by James Woodcock

MAGIC I may 2011 I 47

SOME THINGS IN MONTANA ARE

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pets SPECIAL

Section

A wagging tail, a calming purr, a cheerful chirp, our pets are more than four-legged friends – they’re family.

This special Pets Section examines the curious bond we have with our pets, why we indulge them, how they bring us sheer joy and what we learn from each other.

For the Love of Pets: Opening hearts and homes Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter: A kennel with a cause Creature Comforts: Go ahead, make their day MAGIC I may 2011 I 49

pets SPECIAL

Section

for the love of

50 I may 2011 I MAGIC

“We who choose to surround ourselves with lives even more temporary than our own, live within a fragile circle, easily and often breached. Unable to accept its awful gaps, we would still live no other way. We cherish memory as the only certain immortality, never fully understanding the necessary plan...” ­­— Irving Townsend “The Once Again Prince”

Animal companions provide us joy and heartache, love and heartbreak, and in many homes they are loved as family. We

enter into relationships with animals in most cases knowing we will outlive our beloved pets, and yet we give fully of our lives, our time and our hearts. While it seems at times animals are too fragile for this earth, our time together is repaid tenfold in the unequivocal love they give.

Dr. Jean Albright, DVM, has been in the veterinarian profession for

more than 35 years. She equates the relationship between pet and owner to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella, “The Little Prince.”

pets

Citing a passage from the story, Dr. Albright explains her go-to

reference for why people love their pets. The fox says to the Little Prince, “To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world...”

“‘I am beginning to understand,’ said the little prince. ‘There is a

flower...I think that she has tamed me...’”

“When the little prince talks to the fox about his rose, it is so profound,”

Dr. Albright said. “We value what we nurture. Where my cat to someone else is just a cat, to me he is really special.”

by anna paige • photography by casey riffe

Veterinarian Dr. Jean Albright with her dogs Penny, right, Poncho, left, cat Panda, and three of her horses at her home.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 51

Grooming can be more than a chore...

It can be a pleasure.

Appointments Now Available 52 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Amy and Bill Brown of Billings are pictured with their pets. From left, Dixie, an Airedale Terrier mix, Max, a Bichon Frise, and Lexy, an Old English Sheepdog.

Beneficial bonds Dr. Albright grew up on a ranch near Custer, Mont., surrounded by animals. “When I was young and was upset, I always went to the animals. Animals offer safety to children because they don’t judge, and they’re always there.”

From the barnyard to the home front, historically pets and their owners have strong bonds. From these ties, pet ownership is thought to provide therapeutic and health benefits to the caregiver. Owning pets is theorized to hold a multitude of benefits, from lowering blood pressure to preventing heart disease and helping individuals fight depression. In studies, people who own pets have also been found to laugh more and have lower levels of stress than those who do not have pets.

Dr. Albright maintains there is a reason for every animal in our lives. “My needy little Australian Shepherd is there to teach

me patience,” she said. “My ‘Steady Eddie,’ a greyhound mix, is like the rock in my life.”

For the love of dog Amy Brown has opened her heart and home to many rescued dogs and said the relationship is mutually beneficial.

“Animals reward our need to love, and you know that you’ve made their life better for the time that they’ve been with you,” Brown said.

Brown and her husband Bill have adopted or rescued eight dogs since becoming married, starting with their respective dogs.

“They were very happy we got married because they were best friends,” Brown said.

When her dog passed away, she said Bill’s lab was so distraught she wouldn’t even go out by herself.

“She would just wait for him,” Brown described. Soon after, they got a puppy and named him Jetson. This pup turned out to be

a “nasty little dog,” Brown describes. “The ‘grateful dog syndrome’ (a term Brown uses to describe a rescued animal’s gratitude toward its savior) doesn’t apply when they are still puppies,” she said. Despite all the dog’s quirks, the reciprocal love made it all worthwhile.

“Love won’t conquer all, but love and training do help with most everything,” Brown maintains.

Brown grew up on a farm in Basin, Wyo. Her desire to rescue dogs stems from her belief that animals need human companions as much as humans need them.

“We had some great dogs,” she recalls. Her father – an animal lover – helped instill in her a compassion and love of animals. “My earliest memory is of a dog that was always at my side,” she said. “I don’t know that she particularly liked me until I got older, but she was always there protecting me.”

Brown raised her children around dogs, and had a Labrador that would lie beneath their bassinets, alerting Brown when the baby had awakened. As her children grew up around dogs, she found the pet/caregiver relationship taught them empathy. Brown does caution that “children are very curious, and dogs are dogs, and you don’t know when some ancient instinct is going to flip the switch, so you must protect them from each other.”

The Browns currently have three dogs, an old English sheep dog named Lexy, an Airedale mix named Dixie (after the children’s book of the same name), and a feisty and aging Bichon Frise named “Macho” Max. “The only bad thing is that they aren’t with

us long enough,” she said.

Saying goodbye When animals pass on, they leave a vacuum in our hearts and small ghosts in our memories.

“Another dog never fills that void,” Brown said.

“They fill the space and the time, but not the hole.”

Brown lost two of her dogs at the sixth birthday mark. “Now when one of my animals turns six, I feel like I’m on borrowed time,” she said. Brown recalled the extreme emotion of losing a beloved pet dog. “We worked so hard to keep him alive, when we finally let go, just what do you do with yourself after that sustained intensity?”

As a vet, Dr. Albright is often asked when it’s time to let go, and she replies, “When you look at them and it hurts more to watch them than to let them go. Then it’s time.” She has “been around the block quite a few times with animals,” but said she still has a very hard time letting them go. “It’s like saying goodbye to a little kid because animals are little kids their whole life.”

Dr. Albright carried one of her arthritis dogs up and down the stairs, holding onto him longer that most people thought she should.

“For everyone it’s different,” she said. “That’s one area that I am pretty nonjudgmental. Some hang onto them longer than others.”

Despite the heartbreak of losing pets, Brown can’t imagine her life without dogs.

“I wish they would stay with me longer, but I have to believe that it is as worth it for them as it is for me.”

Our Domesticated Darlings

American’s love of pets is deeply engrained in our social fabric. The animal fascination surfaced in the 17th century in early portraits of children with animals.

In these works, animals retained a close proximity to nature, their ‘‘pet’’ status ambiguous, according to Roberta J. M. Olson and Kathleen Hulser in their study, “Petropolis: a social history of urban animal companions.”

Olson and Hulser maintain the wild kingdom moved from the pastures to American backyards in the 19th century, as the rise of household pets paralleled the decline of raising livestock.

“The popularity of pets blossomed as part of an idealized picture of the family that recruited its members from all parts of the animal kingdom. The notion of domestic companions embraced not only the familiar cat and dog, but also exotic birds, tropical fish, primates, snakes and even rats,” the researchers described.

According to a recent survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association, 62 percent of U.S. homes, or nearly 73 million households, have at least one pet. Of those households, nearly half of pet owners consider their pets to be “part of the family,” the American Medical Veterinary Association estimates.

With more than 72 million pet dogs and nearly 82 million pet cats in the U.S., these furry companions are deeply entwined in our lives.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 53

the yellowstone valley anim

a kennel with a by laura tode • photography by casey riffe

pets SPECIAL

Section

54 I may 2011 I MAGIC

al shelter:

cause

b

By anyone’s guess, the tiny

tabby was about four weeks old when she was dropped off at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. Her mother had been hit by a car, and at that age, she would not have survived alone on the streets. At the shelter, her chances among so many adult cats were only slightly better, but the director, Chris Anderson, saw a spark in the tiny kitten’s clear green eyes.

MAGIC I may 2011 I 55

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The Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter takes in strays and unwanted animals from throughout Billings. No pet, no matter its health, age or temperament is turned away, and when space is available, the shelter will take adoptable animals from the surrounding area. The goal is to find forever homes for all of them.

Happy home Looking at the kitten – a manx with white flashes on her face and toes – Anderson remembered a woman who had come in the day before looking for a male manx kitten. This one, a female, might be the right match, but the kitten would require some special care. She called the woman, who agreed to give the kitten a home.

She named her Poppie and nursed her through several weeks of health issues.

Poppie’s story is hardly unusual. The way Anderson puts it, “That’s what we do.”

“We’re about transition - helping people who are in transition and whose animals are in transition,” she added.

The non-profit shelter first contracted with the City of Billings two years ago. Since then, adoption rates have gone up 66 percent for dogs and are up 32 percent for cats. In the past year, Anderson and her staff found homes for 642 dogs and 555 cats. They reunited almost 900 lost dogs and cats with their owners. Several other dogs and cats were placed with purebred rescue organizations or went to families for long-term

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56 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Why Spay and Neuter?

likely to attract aggressive suitors. Spayed

they’re not distracted by hormone-driven

Although shelters are successful in finding

and neutered pets are usually calmer because

homes for many animals, the Humane Society of

activities, and they cost less to license.

the United States estimates that between 3 and

4 million unwanted pets are euthanized every

shelters are required to be spayed or neutered

year. There are simply not enough homes for

before adoption. People who adopt puppies

all of them. Spaying and neutering your pets is

and kittens that are too young for surgery, are

the only way to limit the number of unintended

still required to spay or neuter their pets. They

litters of puppies and kittens.

must pay a bond and commit to the operation in

advance.

Not only does spaying and neutering your

Dogs and cats adopted from local animal

pet prevent unwanted offspring, it can also

make your dog or cat a better pet. Neutered and

provide low-cost operations at spay and

Local animal shelters and veterinarians

spayed dogs and cats are less likely to display

neuter clinics several times a year. Contact a

dominant behaviors like urinating and marking

local animal shelter or veterinarian for more

inside the house, and spayed females are less

information.

There’s No Place Like Home...

...possibilities...endless...

Ron Thom 860-1284

Karen Frank 698-0152

Cal Northam 696-1606

Pat Schindele 591-2551

Phil Cox 670-4782

CC Egeland 690-1843

Rhonda Grimm 661-7186

Maya Burton 591-0106

Lindy Schmitt 690-9513

Susan B. Lovely 698-1601

Jeanne Peterson 661-3941

Larry Larsen 672-7884

Sheila Larsen 672-1130

Amber Uhren 670-1942

Michelle Anderson 208-7128

Erin Cortese 647-5649

406-254-1550

1550 Poly Drive • Billings, MT 59102 • www.floberg.com MAGIC I may 2011 I 57

foster care. They’ve also taken in Anderson said, are some of the other critters like rabbits, ferrets, hardest ones she’s ever made. birds and hamsters, gerbils and “I rarely go through a day without guinea pigs and successfully found crying,” said Anderson. “I wish I homes for many of them as well. could say they’re all tears of joy, When it comes to finding forever but it’s like anything, if you let it homes for the animals at the shelter, overwhelm you, it will.”

Anderson and her staff take special Anderson and her staff focus on care getting to know the prospective the reunions between lost pets and owners. They help them fill out the their owners, and the new bonds application, and ask lots of questions they help create through adoptions. about lifestyle, living arrangements “If you think of the positive and personal interests. Their answers changes you can make, that will help the staff make a perfect match. help you get through it,” Anderson “We have people come into said. the shelter looking for a dog “We really see the reality, and Nicole Thompson, assistant director, Yellowstone Valley Animal and leave with a cat because it gives us a better and bigger Shelter they find out that’s what is perspective,” Anderson said. best for their lifestyle,” Anderson said.

Although Anderson has seen the best and a majority of the funding necessary to keep the shelter open, but doesn’t cover the whole cost of the worst of Billings’ pet owners, she’s never operations, Anderson said. Donations of cash, judgmental and is always compassionate. She Compassionate caregivers pet food, and towels and blankets are always understands that sometimes circumstances When people release their pets to the shelter, force pet owners to release their animals to the needed. they’re charged a $20 fee to help cover the cost The Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter is shelter. When that happens, Anderson is ready of housing the animal until a suitable home what’s called a low-kill shelter. Because they with open arms. is found for it. Adoption fees, which include can’t turn any animal way, they have the difficult “My job and the job of our staff is to be here for vaccinations, are about $75, unless an animal job of deciding which ones have the best odds you no matter what,” Anderson said. “We’ll take needs to be spayed or neutered. Then, it’s an of finding new homes. Animals not suitable your animals, and we’ll help you through this and additional $50 for the surgery. for adoption are euthanized. Those decisions, help those animals find good homes.”

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58 I may 2011 I MAGIC

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MAGIC I may 2011 I 59

Department of Public Health & Human Services

The Rogue Gallery Bubba

These dogs and cats, along with many other highlyadoptable animals, are currently available at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. For more information about animal adoption, contact the YVAS or visit a Billings area animal shelter. For a statewide listing of adoptable pets, check out www.montanapets.org.

Button

Sammy

Nigel

Stubbs

pets SPECIAL

Dhyeni

Section

Ash and Cinder

Billings animal adoption resources: Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter

1735 Monad Rd., Billings 294-7387 www.yvas.org

Billings Animal Rescue Kare (BARK)

111 Moore Ln., Billings 839-9244 (WAGG)

Help for Homeless Pets

60 I may 2011 I MAGIC

2910 Hannon Rd., Billings www.helpforhomelesspets.org

Creature Comforts Spa days, gourmet eats, four-star accommodations and stylish hairdos aren’t just for humanoids anymore. Pet boutiques, salons and specialty stores now offer these services to your furred friends. Pamper your pets with these posh items and services, and they’ll be sure to appreciate the grand gesture. Pawsitively.

Max from Lovable Pets

Loveable Pets Bakery and Boutique 1313 Grand Ave.

Lovable Pets offers a wide variety of natural, organic and holistic foods for dogs and cats, plus a variety of unique toys, treats, supplements and accessories. They also offer a self-serve pet wash and luxurious full-service grooming salon featuring a variety of specialty spa treatments for your pet including blueberry facials, earth baths, toenail painting and more. Your pet will leave relaxed, refreshed and positively ravishing.

Animal Surgery Clinic in Billings 1414 & 1420 10th St. W.

In addition to typical veterinary services, the Animal Surgery Clinic offers pet massage, pet swimming, an underwater treadmill and therapeutic ultrasound.

Shiloh Veterinary Hospital 345 Shiloh Rd.

Your pet won’t mind being put up for a few nights in Shiloh Veterinary Hospital’s RitzCarlton condos. Individualized pet rooms include cable TV (to watch Animal Planet or whatever program you pick), private access to a play yard and off-the-floor bedding. Can you say posh pad?

Exotic Pets

2342 Grand Ave. This is the pet store for everything iguana, chinchilla, ferret, parrot and a myriad of other furry and feathered friends not found at your typical cat and puppy stores (but they have those, too). Exotic Pets carries all the fixings to create your luxurious lizard lair or bird sanctuary.

Circle of Life Animal Wellness Center

Center are more than guests, they’re family. The facility offers complete preventative care, digital and dental X-rays, specialty diet food for touchy tummies and canine reproductive services. And for the too-peppy pet, Circle of Life offers puppy socialization classes.

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Big Sky Pet Center

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Julie Finnicum

Sue Anderson

926 Main Ste. 20 406.248.4490

Clayton Barnes

Gordon Escene

1525 14th St. W. 406.254.0618

2290 Grant Rd. Ste B 406.652.1595

3936 Ave B, Ste. A-1 406.655.7836

Matt Greer

Quinn Hardy

Lee Humphrey

Mark Neale

John Vondra

Wayne Wallace

Animal Lodge Pet Resort

1310 Allendale Rd. (Laurel) Sick of kenneling your dog from 8-5 while you work? Animal Lodge Pet Resort has the solution. Drop off your pet off at their Doggy Day Camp— daycare for your pooch. Your pet will make new friends as he or she plays in a fun, secure, supervised environment with climate-controlled indoor play room and expansive outdoor play area, complete with obstacles and plenty of play toys.

Paws and Reflect Pet Salon

Reed Gerth

3039 Grand Ste. A 406.652.8276

Darlene Knudson 2212 Broadwater 406.652.3501

1010 Central Ave, Ste. 3 3210 Henesta Ste.E 406.248.8421 406.655.7830

15 Avanta Way Ste. 2 1645 Parkhill Dr, Ste. 5 406.252.4511 406.655.4566

GLENDIVE

213 N. Broadway 406.254.0403

760 Wicks Ln. 406.254.7048

MILES CITY

2906 Grand Ave.

Let your pooch express her inner punk rocker. Paws and Reflect Pet Salon offers safe, non-toxic hair dying for dogs in hues of pink, blue, black and more.

Heights Pet Center 895 Main St. Suite 6

Angie Hagen 303 Harmon St. 406.377.4493

Alan Sevier 1021 N. Merrill 406.377.8331

www.edwardjones.com

Paul Krueger 321 Main St. #1 406.234.6411

Member SIPC

Locally owned and operated, the Heights Pet Center offers a wide range of pet supplies, including harder-to-find items like tropical fish, salt water fish, reptiles and birds.

1321 N. 27th St. Pets at Circle of Life Animal Wellness

MAGIC I may 2011 I 61

pets SPECIAL

Section

62 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Like tomcats of all species, he arrived at his future home in the dark just before dawn. Attracted by a faint aroma of trout wafting from a box-sled used for ice fishing, the orange ring-tail was looking for breakfast. wind and provided a supplemental income of an occasional mouse.

They named him Slot Machine after the oneeyed bandit that took quarters in the eyeball on the upper left side – not the electronic kind, but the illegal, pull-handle version hidden in the back room of fraternal organizations across the state or promoted in Nevada. The cat’s eye was open but unseeing just as its namesake. Sympathy absent in both.

He made a strange pet. Distant and aloof – redundant when describing felines – he was a conversation piece, much like a weird work of art picked out by a hippie girlfriend from a visit to Seattle.

On weekends, when the population of the cabin increased several fold, he would climb one of the posts supporting the open rafters in the living room which was warmed by a barrel stove welded together by one of the train repairmen.

It was a refuge, a bell tower for a Quasimodo puss to ponder the activity below without partaking. He

By Jim Gransbery • Illustration by Lee Hulteng could lounge in an atmosphere of rustic luxury – warm, safe, enveldairy devoured, he looked for a warming nook. A oped in a blue haze that made him a mellow yellow wood box to the right of the door was topped with a tom, a cool dude enjoying the in-crowd scene. wool blanket under a saddle. The lean visitor sprang He enjoyed music. Country, of course.

A reprise of classics by pianist Leon Russell who up, slid under the saddle, curled and snoozed off.

It was an auspicious turn of luck for a cat who’d pounded out George Jones and Hank Williams like a juke-box seemed to fit the cat’s sensitivities. “Lost already used up at least seven of his nine lives.

A run-in with a much larger object, a vehicle pos- Highway” served as his theme song, too. More to the sibly, left him damaged and disfigured. The right side point was his favorite. of his face resembled that of a prize fighter on the “I’ve been living a new way of life that I love so. I can receiving end of Joe Louis’ jabs and left hooks.

His right eye was blind; when he slept the eyelid see the clouds a gathering and the storm will wreak did not close. The upper right lip was torn away ex- our home....You must have thought that I was sleepposing the fang which hung out, threatening a vam- ing. Lord, I wish that I had been. For I’ve been watchpire chomp or snake strike. Hair regrowth covered a ing from the window up above.” scar running from the lip to under his ear. The voice box had survived, but with the gravel tone accentu- Nothin’ lasts forever. Even for cats with extended ated to baritone, though he was neither a Mad Dog longevity. He could see with his good eye that the party time below would eventually run out. Better to nor Englishman.

He was not a nice little kitty cat fit for kids. He leave before the tenants were removed by nefarious circumstance. was a gambler.

It took a week or more before he ventured into After a few months stay, he left as he arrived. In the cabin. Though invited, he did not warm quickly the dark, he wandered off. At first they did not miss to the three rough inhabitants of the forest home. him, but after three days it was certain he was gone.

Wariness defined him. Regular meals on the porch The end probably came at the fangs of another tom twice a day became the habit. Shelter in a small ga- or maybe a coyote. rage filled with a boat and junk kept him out of the Or, maybe he just ran out of quarters.

Spooked, as the log cabin’s three inhabitants emerged for a day of gandy-dancing in the cold, the disabled feline scampered off the porch toward the brush along the creek that gurgled nearby, flowing under a layer of ice that thickened almost daily.

One of the men heard the fur ball’s voice scratching the frosted air like Joe Cocker on his worst night.

Pity won over.

Returning to the cabin, the bearded railroader placed a saucer of milk on the porch and a few scraps intended for fish-head soup, a recipe culled from a tour-guide for living cheaply in Spain.

As the truck disappeared through a tunnel of snow-wrapped trees, the cat cautiously approached the first meal he’d had in days. The repast of fish and

slot machine They named him Slot Machine after the one-eyed bandit that took quarters in the eyeball on the upper left side – not the electronic kind, but the illegal, pull-handle version...

MAGIC I may 2011 I 63

CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM

64 I may 2011 I MAGIC

starting fresh

:

new program restores self-esteem to inmates by virginia bryan photography by james woodcock

MAGIC I may 2011 I 65

For those who don’t like gardening, the planting, weeding and harvesting of a large, unfenced flower and vegetable garden on an open lot on Billings’ south side might sound like a colossal chore.

But to Erinn White, serving a 10-year prison sentence for forgery, and Joette Small, serving a 10-year sentence for assault with a weapon, it’s a big deal. Erinn and Joette quickly identified their favorite part of the expansive garden behind Passages, a residential prerelease center located in the former Howard Johnson Hotel on South 27th Street. They both said, almost in unison, “There’s no fence! We’re outside! There’s no fence!”

A Montana first

CAP plans, prepares and serves 1,000 meals daily...

After Erinn and Joette put in eight hours a day in the kitchen and classroom, they have homework, exercise, chores and recovery classes to attend.

Before entering Passages, Erinn and Joette were inmates at the Montana Women’s Prison (MWP). Any outside time at MWP was in a confined, barricaded area. But now, they are part of Passages’ Culinary Arts Program (CAP). Learning to garden, store and prepare the food they grow is part of the curriculum.

66 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Since 2007, Passages has provided correction options for women under the auspices of Alternatives, Inc. In 2010, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry certified Passages’ CAP as a Pre-Apprentice training program. It’s the first of its kind in Montana.

For Erinn and Joette, CAP Pre-Apprentice certification means that, upon graduation, they’ll be employable in a commercial food service. Their CAP training could apply to further study and examination for professional chef status.

Studies show a direct correlation between the ability to support oneself at a living wage and lower rates of recidivism.

Simply, trade certification and vocational training translate into marketable skills at living wages.

Meanwhile, it’s the garden time that Erinn and Joette love. They consider hoeing, raking and weeding in the fresh air under the open sky to be hard-earned, highlyvalued privileges.

I met Erinn and Joette recently in the office of Carlee Johnson,

CAP’s program manager. Carlee’s office is a converted motel room with linoleum floors, a stainless steel counter with bar stools and steel shelves lined with cookbooks, homemade preserves and canned vegetables. As we chatted, I could see the three of them and Head Chef Allan Maust at the same counter another day, in their chef coats and caps, discussing recipe conversions from metric measurements and common substitutions for alcoholic ingredients.

It’s no cakewalk Carlee created a curriculum based upon the classic Le Cordon Bleu Professional Cooking text and on-the-job training. Carlee and Allan teach Erinn, Joette and others the finer points of a good pie crust and other pastries, how to make a tomato sauce from scratch without it tasting like ketchup, French cooking terminology and the importance of presentation and food safety.

“It’s no cakewalk,” said Carlee, adding one part seriousness and one part jest to the conversation. CAP plans, prepares and serves 1,000 meals daily. Sometimes edible pansies and zucchini blossoms make it to the table as garnish. After Erinn and Joette put in eight hours a day in the kitchen and classroom, they have homework, exercise, chores and recovery classes to attend. Their days are rigorous. CAP women volunteer their time making food baskets for the YWCA basket auction, preparing banquet fare for the annual P.E.A.K.S. cancer fundraiser, serving Thanksgiving dinner at the Billings Food Bank and baking treats for four-legged residents at the Billings Animal Shelter.

“We’re happy to have an opportunity to give back to our community,” Erinn said. Carlee is quick to acknowledge the Billings community for the job opportunities, financial and educational support given. The Billings Soroptimist Club holds bi-weekly meetings at Passages with lunch fare provided by CAP. Soroptimists have also underwritten specific CAP projects. Members of the local cooks and chefs association have called with job openings at their restaurants and worksites.

A long road For Erinn, the community’s support has met a very basic need.

“They have believed in us,” she said. Giving back is an emotional subject for Erinn. The skin on her neck turns pinkish-red and her eyes get moist. “Before CAP, I lost it all. My family, my self-worth, my dignity. This program has given me a chance to want to be myself again.”

Not unlike many others, Erinn’s story began in a small, Montana Hi-line town, with a supportive family, a couple years of college and a good job. It all imploded when her gambling addiction led to serious, criminal behavior.

Joette never enjoyed the early life stability Erinn had. Born on a Montana Indian reservation and the oldest of 12 siblings, Joette was her mother’s kitchen and child care assistant at an early age. She married young and soon found herself with children of her own. “To numb the pain” she turned to drinking, she said. For Joette, CAP provides “a structure and stablility” she’s never experienced.

Joette, older than Erinn, with beautiful brown skin and salt and pepper hair pulled into a long braid, was in and out of jail and alcohol treatment before she landed in the Montana Women’s Prison (MWP).

While only a few blocks separate the MWP from Passages, for Joette, it was a long road. It took three classes in behavioral management, a year of good behavior and permission from the Parole Board before she was allowed to enroll in CAP. Joette is determined. “I won’t give up. No matter what,” she says.

“This will lead to a better life outside.”

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Above: Jan Begger, director of Passages, in front of the former Howard Johnson that is now Passages prerelease center. Above right: Carlee Johnson, CAP program manager, with Erinn and Joette.

Looking on the bright side Addiction therapy is a big component of the Passages curriculum. Drugs, alcohol, gambling and other addictions have played a role in the crimes leading to incarceration for most women there. Other factors include limited education, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Journaling and reading are two tools used in recovery. One therapist requires students to write a daily haiku, a form of Japanese poetry with a specific phrasing and syllabic structure. It is never easy to share one’s story, let alone a poem you’ve written.

Erinn is one courageous woman:

Today, I’m lucky.

The choppy waters are calm And I can swim free.

When we met, Joette had started her day on the 4:30 a.m. shift. Erinn’s work day started a few hours later. They don’t mind the long days and early morning hours. Both women, identified by their black and white skull caps as juniors, are looking at another 12 months of training before graduation and life “on the outside.”

“Every day is a day closer to home,” Erinn said. “Every day I’m healthier and headed in the right direction.”

Joette also looks at the bright side. “I like to be busy,” she said. Joette has a reputation for leaving the kitchen spotless and Erinn couldn’t resist some light-hearted teasing. Apparently, Joette expects the same from her classmates.

And despite restrictions and the underlying seriousness of their situations, the women are in good spirits. “I don’t have to drive to work,” Joette said. “It’s not far to go. I don’t have to buy car insurance. If you have any more questions, you know where to find us. We are always here!”

The People Behind the Program Jan Begger believes corrections work “found her” and not vice-versa. A job at Alternatives, Inc. fresh out of college led to two decades of work with the non-profit entity.

With a master’s degree in management and licensure as an addictions counselor, she oversees CAP. Jan is energized by the creativity of the CAP women and motivated by their successes.

Jan’s management style is guided by a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart.”

Carlee Johnson, CAP’s youthful, energetic manager, has a unique combination of skills: food and discipline. Before graduating from the Portland Western Culinary Institute, Carlee was a platoon leader in the Army National Guard in South Carolina. Within a year of taking a job at Passages, she was promoted to CAP manager. She is inspired when students “spread their love of food to family and friends and others outside Passages.”

Carlee learns from her mistakes and encourages students to do the same. She tells them, “Even if you fall flat on your face, you are still moving forward!”

Allan Maust was happy in his job at a local hospital when the opportunity to be Alternative, Inc.’s Head Chef presented itself.

A graduate of the Montana State University Billings College of Technology Culinary Arts Program, he shares Jan’s joy in watching his students succeed. He loves teaching students how to make Alfredo sauce from scratch and is delighted when they’re amazed at its easy preparation.

Chef Allan’s Alfredo Sauce: Yields 3 cups 2 T. butter 2 T. flour 2 ½ c. heavy cream ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese ¼ tsp. granulated garlic

Allan Maust, head chef of CAP, works with Erinn on preparation.

On medium-low heat, melt butter in medium sauce pan, add flour to make a roux (a thickened mixture). With a wire whip, slowly add heavy cream. Continue to stir over medium-low heat until mixture begins to thicken. Add parmesan cheese and garlic. Continue to cook for about two minutes until the flour taste is gone. Serve with your favorite pasta. Bon Appetit!

68 I may 2011 I MAGIC

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70 I may 2011 I MAGIC

unsung heroes Each day the people of Billings bustle around,

going to work, running errands, confident that all the little cogs that make their world run smoothly are firmly in place. This article is a tribute to six outstanding little cogs – that is – people who devote themselves to work that contributes mightily to the good of our community.

What makes our unsung heroes exceptional is

their desire to make our world a better place, not for recognition or personal glory, but because they truly believe in their causes. And though they do not need, nor would they ask for, an article highlighting their feats, they most definitely deserve our gratitude.

By Katherine Berman

MAGIC I may 2011 I 71

Bob Knight,

Crossing Guard Extraordinaire

After working for more than 30 years as a milkman and 10 years at a convenience store, no one would have begrudged Bob Knight the privilege of retiring to a life of peace, quiet and leisure. No one, that is, except Bob Knight.

All about kids. During his career as a milkman, Bob sometimes had to work six days a week, and he missed getting to spend time with his children. Bob’s youngest daughter, now grown, is a teacher in Topeka, Kan. Seeing her with her students inspired Bob to be around kids again. As a crossing guard, Bob gets to help kids every day in a position that is not too physically demanding on him.

The curb at Bob’s corner. Bob is not just your average crossing guard. He sometimes buys candy and hands it out to the kids when he helps them cross. It’s no surprise that when kids waiting to be picked up by their parents are given the option to wait inside the school or to stand at Bob’s corner, they most often reply, “Bob’s corner!”

Where everybody knows his name. Bob has a collage hanging on the bulletin board in his apartment signed, “From all us kids.” His favorite part of his job is, “when the kids come up and want to give me a hug, and recognize my efforts in trying to keep them safe. There’s not one kid in the school who does not know my name, even if I don’t cross them!”

“As long as my legs and health hold out, I’ll continue to do it...”

Above the call of duty. Bob is grateful to vehicles that go out of their way to help with the effort, but wishes that others would not speed up when they see that kids are waiting at the crosswalk. Recently, Bob had to dash into the middle of the crosswalk and wave his arms in the air to stop a speeding truck. According to Bob, “It was one of the closest times I’ve ever come to being hit. I look at these kids as my kids.”

What about Bob? Bob always tries to greet his kids with a “Have a good morning” or “Have a good evening.” He genuinely appreciates the effort of kids who reciprocate his friendly gestures.

Off-duty hero. When Bob is not helping kids cross the street, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Mary, who has multiple sclerosis and resides at Billings Health and Rehabilitation Community. “Regardless of the weather, I go up to see her every afternoon when I am done with my shift. We used to play a lot of cards. Now we mostly just spend time together.” Bob also collects newspapers and cans and takes them to a recycling enclave behind Albertsons where the Knights of Columbus retrieve it and insure that the proceeds go to charity.

The Tao of Bob. “Loving your relations and helping your neighbors and those in distress,” according to Bob is the way to fill your life with joy and happiness. “As long as my legs and health hold out, I’ll continue to do it,” he promises.

Photography by Casey Riffe

72 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Erin Augustine,

A Very Special Special Education Teacher

Learning is different for everyone. So what would we do without the exceptional teachers who dedicate their lives to helping children who learn in exceptional ways?

Born to teach. Erin has been a teacher her whole life. “I used to play with my sister who would be my ‘student’ in school, and we used to get teachers’ editions of books and I would teach her … that was what we did in the summer for fun!” Erin graduated from Carroll College with a degree in General and Special Education and went on to receive her masters in Reading from Montana State University and her National Board Certification in Exceptional Children’s Needs. Even Erin’s summers during college were spent teaching preschool at a Montessori School.

“I love what I do. I really do. I get excited about seeing the light bulb go on in a student’s head and know that I’ve made an impact.”

No student left behind. Erin was always drawn to kids for whom learning did not come easily. “When kids learn in different ways and we accommodate for that, what can seem like such a small step to someone on the outside looking in is a huge milestone for those students and their families.”

Ready, set, succeed! One of Erin’s most cherished experiences was coaching the Special Olympics for three years.

She loved the opportunity “… to work outside the classroom with students that have significant needs and see them accomplish a goal in swimming, or track and field, or bowling.”

When you love what you do…Erin struggles to come up with an element of her job that she does not enjoy.

Erin shares, “I love what I do. I really do. I get excited about seeing the light bulb go on in a student’s head and know that I’ve made an impact.”

Leading by example. Teachers are Erin’s personal heroes. “They have inspired me to do what I do.” Other exemplary and influential individuals for Erin are her family, as she comes from a background of educators. Erin’s sister is now an English teacher and her mother is a school psychologist.

Team effort. “When I’ve contacted parents and they’ve contacted me, and we work together for the benefit of one student and we see the success at the end, those are times that I think, ‘Man, this is awesome.’”

Her philosophy can be summed up by a quote she keeps posted outside her classroom: “Teachers open the door but you must enter by yourself.”

Photography by Bob Zellar

MAGIC I may 2011 I 73

Deb White, Lead Patient Care Navigator … and so much more

Deb White’s story is about turning a personal hardship into a monumental gain for cancer patients needing guidance. Deb is not only a survivor, but a role model, mentor and beacon in her field.

“I wanted to use my knowledge and experience to help other cancer patients...

Deb spotted a billboard featuring Billings Clinic patient care navigators. “I said to myself, ‘that’s what I want to do!’ ”

Caring for life. Deb been a registered nurse since she was 20. “I was a bit of a gypsy,” she notes. For 17 years, Deb did clinical work in hospitals in Sydney, Mont., Los Angeles, University of Virginia and Washington State.

In the early 90s, she began doing case management – a relatively new field for RNs at the time. In 2000, Deb moved back to Billings to be near her family.

Lemons to lemonade. In 1998 Deb was working as a nurse in case management when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, Deb caught her cancer early and triumphantly finished her therapy in 2003. Grateful for her survival, Deb felt inspired to do something more meaningful with her life. “I wanted to use my knowledge and experience to help other cancer patients, but I wasn’t really sure how best to do that.”

One day driving home from work, Deb spotted a billboard featuring Billings Clinic patient care navigators. “I said to myself, ‘that’s what I want to do!’”

A day in the life. What exactly does a patient care navigator do? “We are a point of contact for the patient and family. We address their needs, geting them in to wherever they need to go for their diagnosis and treatment.

We also provide educational information about their disease and their treatment plan, and we make referrals to other resources, such as financial counselors, social workers, dieticians and physicians. Even though we’re based out of the Cancer Center, we pretty much work with every department in Billings Clinic.

An impressive span. Deb mentors, trains and oversees six other patient care navigators. The navigators stay with patients from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. “A lot of times a patient I might have seen a year ago who got all the way through treatment will call because they have a question … it is a lasting relationship.”

Teach a woman to fish. In Deb’s spare time she enjoys volunteering for a national nonprofit breast cancer support group, Casting for Recovery. “We have annual retreats for 14 women, breast cancer survivors, and we take them to one of the rivers in Montana and teach them how to fly fish. It takes their minds off of what they’ve gone through, but also turns out to be a real time for bonding with other women that have gone through the same things … all at no cost.”

No “I” in team. Deb does not use first person when referring to career and her responsibilities. “We’re a team – the staff, the patients and their families.”

Patient Bonnie Hentz with Deb White.

74 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Deb’s key to leading a happy and fulfilling life? “Purpose.”

Photography by David Grubbs (top) & Larry Mayer (left)

Karen Benner,

Witness – Victim Program Advocate

Finding joy and beauty in this world comes naturally to Karen, who strives to help people out of harmful situations and assist them in achieving a life filled with joy and peace of mind.

A lifelong mission. “I’ve always tried to help people in need,” says Karen. One of her first jobs was doing social work at a retirement community. When her daughter was young, Karen volunteered at Child Find – an organization that prevents child abductions by fingerprinting children and conducting educational programs at the library. Later, Karen worked as a special education classroom assistant for eight years.

The perfect job. For Karen, becoming a witness-victim advocate was a stroke of destiny. She always had an interest in criminal justice. In college, Karen completed internships in both juvenile probation and at the women’s state prison. After graduate school, Karen’s job search coincided with newly-passed legislation for victims’ rights.

She happened upon a job posting for a witness-victim assistant and thought, “This was made for me. What a perfect combination of helping people who are really in crisis and putting right in the criminal justice system.”

“Letting victims know what’s happening with their case, what they can expect in the future and trying to build rapport so they feel like they have someone to go to when things get tough … and things often get tough.”

She’ll be there for you. As a witness-victim advocate, Karen provides direct services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Karen’s responsibilities include, “Letting victims know what’s happening with their case, what they can expect in the future and trying to build rapport so they feel like they have someone to go to when things get tough … and things often get tough.” Karen provides informational and emotional support, preparing victims for trial and then standing by them throughout the process.

Wonder women work. Karen’s career is not for the faint of heart. She is often privy to things that would be highly upsetting to the average person. But she asserts, “My colleagues and I are of the ‘we can handle anything’ ilk.

We’re strong women. We just do it.”

The things you cannot change. One of the challenging parts of Karen’s job is dealing with circumstances that are out of her hands. Karen sometimes must stand by victims that wish to remain in unhealthy situations. “I tell them, ‘Just know that there are options out there.’ The statistic is that women go through this [an incident of domestic violence] seven times before they leave the situation for good.”

Heroes among us. Karen feels inspired by the women she has worked to help, many of whom have stayed in touch with her, carried on in very positive ways, and blossomed. She also has great admiration for “strong women - people who bring the issue of domestic violence out in the open in a positive way.” Karen implores, “Don’t turn your head and pretend that domestic violence doesn’t exist. If you know someone who is being abused, the best thing you can do is be there for them.”

Photography by David Grubbs

MAGIC I may 2011 I 75

Eric Fisher, Dedicated Paramedic

Eric Fisher went to college to study Organizational Communications, but it was his work as a volunteer firefighter in Lockwood that ignited his true passion. That’s where Eric saw people who were experiencing various types of medical crises, and he wanted to help.

You never forget your first call. When Eric was training to be an EMT, he had an experience that would forever change his life. “I was working opposite a paramedic who was very good at his job. We got a call that someone had collapsed at the mall. We were there in minutes and found a 16-year-old girl in full cardiac arrest. The fire department arrived at the same time we did. We started CPR, intubated and used the defibrillator. We got her back and she started responding right away – turns out she had a congenital heart defect that she didn’t know about.

She recovered fully and is probably in her 30s by now. I had to become a paramedic after that.”

Pint-sized protection. Eric is inspired by the bravery of children trying to be strong for their family. “I like taking care of kids, but unfortunately when we get called to help a child, it’s their parents’ worst day. We tell parents all the time ‘they’re built to last a hundred years.’ Children tend to be much more resilient than their elder counterparts.

“I like taking care of kids, but unfortunately when we get called to help a child, it’s their parents’ worst day. We tell parents all the time ‘they’re built to last a hundred years.’ ”

76 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Unpredictable you. Eric always expects the unexpected. “This job is different every day. On a rainy day you might expect a ton of car accidents and it won’t happen. And then we’ll have a nice, dry day – sunny, beautiful – and we’ll have endless car wrecks. There’s no rhyme or reason.” Theme days are another phenomenon in a day in the life of a paramedic. “For example, one day half of the patients will be stroke victims or heart attacks. No one can explain it.” But as far as full moons are concerned, Eric confides, “After 15 years, the full moon thing doesn’t really mean anything to me.” He adds, “Some of the night people might disagree …”

Get fit. There is an emotional toll to being a paramedic, which results in the average career spanning three-five years. Eric has been doing this for an impressive 15 years. For Eric, it’s the physical, not emotional, element that will likely herald his departure. “What’s eventually probably going to take me out of this business is all the heavy lifting we have to do. It’s not uncommon to see patients weighing more than 400 pounds.”

Get smart. Eric advises curtailing potentially dangerous decisions before disaster has a chance to strike. “Before you consider trying to beat the odds, consider the likelihood of the odds beating you,” he says. Avoid risky behavior.

Restrain your kids – don’t do things that will endanger them.

I am a lucky man. “I consider it a privilege to do what I do. People call us because they’ve lost control of a situation. When we arrive on the scene, they’re relying on us to help,” he said. Eric does not consider himself to be someone special. “I want to be there so I can help, in whatever way is needed.”

Photography by Larry Mayer

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Angie Schmidt,

PACT Clinical Coordinator and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor

Angie Schmidt heads up PACT – or Program for Assertive Community Treatment – which provides 24-hour wraparound care for mentally ill clients. Though in charge, she is quick to attribute the success of the program to the cohesion and dedication of her phenomenal team.

More than a promise. Under the auspice of the South Central Regional Mental Health Center, the PACT program serves mentally ill clients on multi-dimensional levels, helping them achieve new levels of independence.

Angie explains, “We refer to our mission as hospitals without walls. Our main goal and focus is to prevent psychiatric hospitalizations by assisting clients with their activities and daily living.”

A team approach. The PACT team’s care is remarkably thorough and accessible. According to Angie, there are 14 people on the PACT team, including case managers, nurses, psychiatrists, a rehab aid and therapist. The team currently serves 76 clients.

“We refer to our mission as hospitals without walls.

Our main goal and focus is to prevent psychiatric hospitalizations by assisting clients with their activities and daily living.”

78 I may 2011 I MAGIC

24/7. Angie describes a typical day: “First thing in the morning we do med deliveries. After the morning delivery, we meet as a group to discuss cases, and then we meet with the psychiatrist. The afternoon is spent doing a variety of group work, going to doctor appointments and other things that the clients need to do, and then we deliver evening meds. We run 24/7… there’s always somebody on call.”

Enabling independence. The PACT team works primarily with people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bi-polar and schizoaffective disorders. For some of these clients, going to the grocery store alone is a huge achievement. “Seeing a client become independent and able to find part-time employment or being able to go out in a social setting without someone being there at all times is a major accomplishment,” Angie says. “We have a female client who is now living independently and working to get her GED. She no longer requires the intensive program we provide, though she will continue to get the services she needs at a lower level of care. This is the goal for all clients.”

A compassionate mission. Angie sometimes feels discouraged by the lack of sympathy for those with mental illness. “Oftentimes people don’t understand the importance of mental health care. It’s difficult to accompany a client somewhere and see others look at them, or frown at them. We are all human beings. People who have a mental illness should not be stigmatized.”

Difference maker. Though the PACT team members face challenges every day, they appreciate the rewarding fruits of their labors. Angie admits, “When we first begin to work with a client, their quality of life is generally extremely poor. As we observe improvements in their daily activities, I feel hope. That’s what keeps me coming back every day.”

Photography by James Woodcock

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MAGIC I may 2011 I 79

Montana Rail Link and rail transport customers remain major economic players in Yellowstone County.

a rail runs 80 I may 2011 I MAGIC

through it

By Dan Carter

Photos by Larry Mayer

MAGIC I may 2011 I 81

It’s one of those busy weekdays when businessmen, college students, delivery truck drivers and harried moms are pushing their to-do lists on 27th Street in Billings.

By the hundreds, wheels cross over one of the major economic lifelines in Yellowstone County.

“Thuh-thump… thuh-thump” is the steady beat of the rubber over steel rail, as the north-south traffic moves along, only mildly noticing a shuffle in the movement forward.

Then the bells chime and the rail crossing arm starts to fall. Traffic is frozen and annoyance heats up.

But while many drivers might wonder why the stream of concrete commerce has to come to a screeching halt, others understand that the long string of rail cars means jobs, economic vitality and revenue for state and local coffers.

A life line In Yellowstone County, a major player in the rail game is Montana Rail Link.

Montana Rail Link (MRL), affiliated with the Washington Companies, has been in operation since October 1987 after assuming control of the southern rail route from Burlington Northern.

The company serves more than 100 stations in Montana, Idaho and Washington.

The rail line was originally part of the first transcontinental railroad completed by the Northern Pacific in 1883. According to company spokeswoman Lynda Frost, the majority of MRL’s main line is single track with passing sidings and is controlled by a centralized traffic control office from the Transportation Center in Missoula.

Major freight classification yards and car repair shops are situated at Laurel and Missoula and the majority of the locomotive maintenance is done in Livingston. The railroad is one of two operating within the Washington Companies.

82 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Of MRL’s 950 employees, 335 work out of the Laurel and Billings area. Last year’s payroll was more than $84 million statewide.

Of MRL’s 950 employees, 335 work out of the Laurel and Billings area. Last year’s payroll was more than $84 million statewide, Frost said, and the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Washington Companies – made $75 million in donations and contributions in Yellowstone County.

MRL is classified as a regional railroad that operates 900 miles of rail in Montana, Idaho and Washington. Of the 875 miles of tracks it operates in Montana, about 70 percent are leased from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Everything from food to farm products to wood and coal are hauled by some of MRL’s locomotives and engineers from Billings to Helena, Missoula and beyond.

Last year, 298,747 cars of freight were hauled

by MRL, amounting to 33 million gross tons.

Coal capital

While kids in vans stopped along South 27th Street can count rail cars with petroleum products, construction materials or various dried goods, coal is king for MRL.

According to Montana Department of Transportation stats, in 2007, MRL moved more than 10 million tons of coal. Pulled from the ground in southeastern Montana, the coal fuels power plants in various parts of the country and feeds demand in Asian markets.

Todd O’Hair, director of government affairs for Cloud Peak Energy, said about half of the 6 million tons of coal mined at the company’s Spring Creek Mine near Decker went to a power plant in Centralia, Wash., which the other half went to help fill demands for Asian markets and was shipped overseas from a port on the West Coast.

As a major rail user, O’Hair knows the value of using MRL to get product to market, even though the mine is within throwing distance of Wyoming.

“We have an advantage of using the line in Montana,” O’Hair said. “Because of our geographical location, we’re closer to market than going through Wyoming.”

There is also a tax revenue benefit as well. Every time 110-car coal train rolls through Billings, $19,000 is paid to the state in form of excise taxes, equipment taxes and other taxes. Another $5,000 finds its way to county and local government coffers.

“It’s a major sum of money,” he said.

And not all coal travel is long distance. Some of it arrives in Billings to power local plants. The process involves a sort of heavy metal ballet, where tons of metal get choreographed and moved.

Lisa Perry of PPL Montana said that MRL plays a vital role of delivering coal to the Corette Power Plant in Billings after the mined coal

Left: A BNSF train crosses 27th Street on MRL track in downtown Billings on Wednesday, Above: A Montana Rail Link engine works in the Laurel rail yard.

arrives in Billings from BNSF. Perry said BNSF delivers PPL coal to Billings and once the train arrives, it is turned over to MRL. MRL then takes about 25 cars at a time (known as one cut) and brings them to the Corette plant. PPL uses its own locomotive to move and unload the cars. Once the cut is unloaded, MRL picks up the empty cars and deliver the next cut.

The process continues until the entire train is unloaded, which amounts to three cuts, Perry said. MRL then assembles the empty cars into one train and contacts BNSF to pick up the train to take the empty cars back to the designated mine for loading. On an annual basis, the Corette plant receives about 700,000 tons of coal or about 90 trains, Perry said.

MRL’s impact on the local economy as a regional railroad is essentially the latest chapter in a history of Billings’ railroad history.

Links to the past Kevin Kooistra-Manning, the community historian at the Western Heritage Center in Billings, compiled information for a multimedia display on the railroad history of Billings.

According to his research, the path now followed by the railroad tracks was once the same hunting and trade routes for American Indians and immigrant wagon trains.

Like other towns along the Yellowstone River, Kooistra-Manning found, the history of Billings illustrates the transforming power of the railroads. The first transcontinental rail line through Montana was completed by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883. This line traced the Yellowstone River as it cut a southern route across Montana. This route is now operated

by MRL to the west and BNSF to the east.

What continues to be remarkable, he said, is that the railroad still plays a powerful role, which is contrary to the image of a faltering industry.

“At the beginning of the 21st century, trains on the national transcontinental lines continue to operate at or beyond capacity,” the Western Heritage Center display said. “Trains still provide a third of the freight hauling business in the United States.”

Tomorrow and beyond Frost said 2010 was a turnaround year for MRL. A drop in the timber industry in Western Montana was a hit early in the year, but strong demand for Montana wheat and coal have more than made up that downturn.

“The economic outlook for Montana Rail Link continues to provide optimism for the future,” she said, noting that MRL experienced growth due to the world market and strong export demand for commodities including coal and grain.

“Economic indicators allow us to be very optimistic, especially in the transport of coal and grain,” Frost continued. “We are well aware that we need to think globally when analyzing our business development. The potential of a dramatic increase of export coal from Montana and surrounding states will have an impact on Montana Rail Link as well as other associate businesses.”

One sign of the positive outlook is in the job market. MRL hired 46 new operating employees and new Maintenance of Way staff in March, Frost said.

Whether it’s coal or groceries, minerals or mechanical parts, Billings remains a main hub for moving the state’s economy.

And it’s clear that a rail runs through it.

2814 2nd Ave N 259-3624 MAGIC I may 2011 I 83

Just outside of Billings, west of the South Hills and north of the meandering Yellowstone River, lies a place created by dreams and grit. A place where both seedlings and minds can grow.

Inset: Science students from Rocky Mountain College walk a canoe past the Audubon Education Center during a visit to the center. Right: Orchard School students gather water samples from the river near the Audubon Education Center.

84 I may 2011 I MAGIC

The Audubon Conservation Education Center

NATURE’S

CLASSROOM

By Brenda Maas • Photography by James Woodcock

MAGIC I may 2011 I 85

In the cavernous back shed of the Norm Schoenthal Wet Lab at the Audubon Conservation and Education Center, Norm— the Audubon Center’s namesake—runs his gnarled hand through a rich potting mixture as he talks about how the Center came into existence. “Gosh, it was the ugliest place in the world,” he notes with a laugh. “It was an abandoned gravel pit.”

Likely he doesn’t even realize that the wishful passion in his voice and the earthy smell aroused by his rhythmic soil-shifting intrigue his listener. Connecting the organized yet lush, natural sanctuary outside the shed doors to the bleak landscape from a decade ago requires great visualization skills.

The Center encompasses 54 shared acres of partially completed and yet-to-becreated microhabitats – eastern Montana landscapes in miniature. It is both a vision and a future waiting to be written.

Strong forces, including extraordinary visionaries, hundreds of volunteers and a partnership between the Yellowstone River Parks Association (YRPA), Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society (YVAS) and Montana Audubon, eventually converged in 1998. Like a phoenix emerging from the ashes, the Audubon Conservation Education Center rose from the former gravel pit. Trees, shrubs and native grasses grew in and up. Wildflowers lie in wait for their opportunity.

Yet the beauty there belies the years of grassroots organizing and sweaty work

that went into the project.

What stands today—more than 65,000 trees and shrubs later—is evidence that the Billings community values conservation education.

Physical labor is the key

“If we are to be responsible stewards of the land, it is vitally important to recognize where our food comes from, where we get our water, and where and how our energy is generated.”

Earth Day 2010 dawned as a perfect Montana spring day – sunny, 50s and no wind. Beyond the weather, what happened on that day — Heather Ristow, continues to inspire Center Audubon Center Director, Darcie Vallant. “To education director see 250 volunteers show up on their Saturday to do this kind of work – collect trash and pick up dog poop – convinced me that this community wants this place to happen,” she emphasizes. “We are a technology-driven society, and we spend most of our time indoors. Yet we are an animal and we need to be part of our environment, we need to connect with our natural surroundings.”

The Audubon Center is the place to do just that.

Every tree, shrub, grass and flower outside the center was planted by a volunteer. More than 1,500 community volunteers have put in more than 10,000 work hours. Schoenthal rattles off a seemingly endless list of volunteers – scouts, school groups, businesses, civic groups and civilians – who have had a hand in installing more than 65,000 plantings. It is a massive undertaking when looked at a whole. Yet, the overall effect is still in its infancy.

“I feel like a real scientist!”

Heather Ristow, the Center’s education director, overheard that comment when a fourth-grader discovered a pile of duck bones and created a hypothesis about what happened to the duck. She and the five other teacher naturalists hear similar comments daily as children of all ages make discoveries about their natural world. Some are handling an insect or observing a turtle close up for the first time. One of the Center’s most popular programs, Audubon Naturalists in the Schools (ANTS), included more than 400 students from 17 area schools this year and with a total of more

86 I may 2011 I MAGIC

Good News for

High Fear

Left: Students from Orchard School pull a canoe out of the river. Above: Orchard School students examine water life scraped from a shallow area near the Audubon Education Center. Below: Heather Ristow, Audubon education director, talks to students.

than 900 students since its inception in 2008. Ristow oversees the ANTS program along with the new preschool, afterschool, summer camps and increasingly-popular family-oriented programs. A program in January about arachnoids attracted 65 people and 35 adults and children traversed the trails on a frigid December Owl Prowl evening.

The programs’ popularity didn’t really surprise Ristow.

“Nature is intrinsically interesting, and ‘naturally’ humans are drawn to it,” she notes. “We are not as connected to the natural world that sustains us as we were just a few generations ago. If we are to be responsible stewards of the land, it is vitally important to recognize where our food comes from, where we get our water, and where and how our energy is generated.”

For John Miller, a biology and environmental science teacher at West High School, the Center is a living, outdoor laboratory. For the past 15 years, Miller and his students have traveled to the Center in a variety of scientific quests – field trips that give the students, potential scientists and teachers themselves, the get-your-hands-dirty kind of experience that they will build into future careers. For example, their grasshopper population survey involves a capture-mark-recapture method that field biologists often use with insects, fish and small rodents.

So these students, still in high school, have experience with an industry-standard survey method

before they even enter college.

In addition, classes like Miller’s will learn about water quality by studying the macroinvertebrates in the Center’s ponds. Others will use tracking and bird counts to study ecosystems or even complete independent study projects that are not possible inside institutional walls.

“The Center is certainly valued for the outdoor education aspect that it provides, the connection to our local ecosystems— birds, insects and aquatic life,” says Miller.

“It’s important for kids to understand the basics about ecosystem dynamics before they can then convert that to the greater world around us.”

Looking to the future Miller also notes that he now sees students who have been involved with the Center since they were in grade school. “Their volunteer work from elementary and then into junior high and now senior high is a reflection of how these kids value this Center and what it does for their community. Someday these kids will be parents and take their own kids down there, point to a tree that’s 30 or 40 feet tall, and say, ‘I planted that.’

That matters.”

Back in the planting shed, despite being in the fall season of his own life, Schoenthal’s eyes light up as he speculates about the Center’s future – 10, 15 or even 20 years from now – when the trees will tower and the understory of shrubs and wildflowers will be home to the many species of birds and other wildlife of eastern Montana’s native habitats. It will be there, forever for all of Billings to explore. For him, it’s not a personal quest – it’s a community’s quest. Or, perhaps, a community’s destiny.

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run for your life...

32 years of changing lives one step at a time

On June 18, 2011, seasoned runners and novice athletes alike will put their endurance to the test as they pound the pavement through the scenic streets of Billings during the 32nd annual Heart and Sole Run. The event, started by St.Vincent Healthcare more than three decades ago, has grown in popularity, drawing competitors from across Montana and 11 other western states. For the second year in a row, the Heart and Sole Race is also the 5K Road Runners Club of America State Championship Race – everyone who enters the 5K is automatically entered in the Championship.

By Jamie Besel

Photography by Casey Riffe

Last year the run drew a record-breaking 3,000 participants. According to Dave Irion, executive director of St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation, this year racers will see changes that will help make the Heart and Sole a destination-style event.

The race is on

“The event will continue to focus on healthy living, while at the same time encouraging the whole family to become involved.”

For participants, one of the most noticeable changes will be an updated course, with —Dave Irion runners crossing the finish Executive Director, St. Vincent Healthcare line inside the stadium at Foundation Dehler Park.

“There will be live music and streaming video Fitness for life from the finish line to the big screen,” Irion said. Transforming the Heart and Sole Run into an Family members and spectators can applaud event with a broader focus on community health and cheer as people cross the finish. and fitness is the biggest goal for organizers.

Adding to the festive spirit, a new, healthy- “The event will continue to focus on healthy living exposition will take place simultaneously living,” Irion points out, “While at the same on the stadium grounds. Sponsored by time encouraging the whole family to become BlueCross BlueShield of Montana, the Wake involved.”

Up Your Life Wellness Festival will feature live Community support has been integral to entertainment, interactive booths, kids events growing the event. and family fun.

This year, Billings Gazette Communications

joins St. Vincent Healthcare as a presenting sponsor, and many other businesses have stepped up as major sponsors.

In addition, the race will be managed by Montana Amateur Sports, the same non-profit organization that directs the Big Sky State Games. “Heart and Sole has a terrific 31-year history.

We will strive to honor that legacy of achievement while forging the changes required to grow and improve the event,” said Karen Sanford Gall, executive director of Montana Amateur Sports. Many volunteers have also stepped up working tirelessly to take this race to the next level.

As Irion points out, not only does the Heart & Sole Run promote the health and well-being of everyone involved, it embodies the spirit of giving in the community.

Events for everyone For those who may be intimidated by the word “run,” Irion stresses that the event has a

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class for anyone – casual walkers, amateur runners and seasoned racers alike. Participants can enter the 10K run, 5K run or 2-Mile Health Walk, and everyone is invited to attend the Wake Up Your Life Wellness Festival at Dehler Park.

The wellness festival is free, and proceeds from the race will benefit YMCA youth scholarships and assist the development of trails in the greater Billings Area.

Post Race Festival

®Registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. LIVE SMART. LIVE HEALTHY.® is a registered mark and WAKE UP YOUR LIFESM is a service mark of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Saturday, June 18, Dehler Park 8:30 to noon at the corner of North 27th Street and 9th Avenue North Sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, in conjunction with the “Wake Up Your Life” campaign, the festival will feature live music by Funk in the Trunk, interactive games, numerous vendors, kids events and activities and family fun. Admission is free and open to the public.

According to Mike McGuire, communications specialist with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, the idea behind the wellness festival is to raise awareness of the myriad of wellness resources available in Billings.

“The philosophy is that staying fit and leading a healthy lifestyle can be fun,” emphasizes McGuire. “It’s all about waking up your life and doing something fun that keeps you in shape.”

McGuire is quick to point out that none of this would be possible without the help of vendors and community volunteers.

“When people donate their time and money, everyone feels better,” McGuire said. And feeling better is what the Heart and Sole Run and Wake Up Your Life Wellness Festival are all about.

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Visit our new store at 111 S. 24th St. West 656-2815 • MON - FRI 10 - 8 • SAT 10-5 SUN 12-5 MAGIC I may 2011 I 91

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

American Heart Association Go Red Luncheon 1] Kim Albright, Kim Boelter, Janet Lamb, Breyon Briese, Dena Larson, Lorinda Lucas, Shannon Trostad, Ronada Angell, Chris Nelson, Wayne Hirsch Boys & Girls Club 40th Anniversary Dinner 2] Monica and James Kordinowy 3] Angie Gainan and Liz Fulton 4] Linda Baltrusch, Sandy Shelton, Becky Adams 5] Jim Duncan, Frank Cross, Heidi Brosovich

8.

9.

9.

10.

Billings Food Bank Mardi Gras 6] Tifani Barker, Tara Kelsey 7] David and Susan Irion 8] Tracy and Steve Neary Celtic Parade 9] Michael Schaff 10] Teresa and Rick Lundeen 11] Karlie and Angie Heaney 12] Doug Kramer and Shelly Hermanson

11.

12.

13.

World Water Day 13] Tana Cornelius, Barb Vogel, Cass Franklin 14] Patty and Colin Hanson Flying Karamazov Brothers at Alberta Bair Theater 15] Sean McAndrews and Wendy Rodabough 16] Dr. Katrina Mendis Hill, Jody Olson 17] Patrick Evans, Rollie Bach

14.

15.

7.

16.

Photos Courtesy of Brian Wagner, Lorinda Lucas and Jim Gainan

17.

June 24-25, 2011 Wild West Soirée High Falutin’ Buckaroo Bash May 27

Montana All Breed and Arabian Horse Show MetraPark Super Barn 256-2400 metrapark.com

May 30-June 26 Chicago Venture Theatre 591-9535 venturetheatre.org

June June 2

Alive After 5 Yellowstone Art Museum Featuring Six Strings Down 294-5060 aliveafter5.com

June 3-18

The romance of cowboy culture comes alive on the streets of Billings at the Wild West Soirée on June 24 -25. Bring the family to this western street fair for gunfights, live music, food and auction of works by local artists.

Proceeds benefit the Alberta Bair Theater.

May May 6-22

Bloody Murder Billings Studio Theatre 248-1141 billingsstudiotheatre.com

May 9-15

Young Jane Eyre Venture Theatre 591-9535 venturetheatre.org

May 11-16

Montana State University Billings Wine and Food Festival Various locations 657-2244 winefoodfestival.com

Lumberjacks In Love Billings Studio Theatre 248-1141 billingsstudiotheatre.com

June 9

May 14

Alive After 5 Ciao Mambo Featuring Funk in the Trunk 294-5060 aliveafter5.com

2011 Heritage Home Tour Historic Clark Avenue Billings Preservation Society and Moss Mansion 256-5100

June 11

May 14

Strawberry Festival Downtown Billings 294-5060 strawberryfun.com

Geranium Fest ZooMontana 652-8100 zoomontana.org

June 11

May 16-29

Zoolebrate ZooMontana 652-8100 zoomontana.org

The History Boys Venture Theatre 591-9535 venturetheatre.org

May 19-22

Bucking Horse Sale Miles City, Mont.

234-2890 buckinghorse.com

May 27

Lake Hills Alberta Bair Classic Lake Hills Golf Club 256-6052 albertabairtheater.org

June 12

Institute for Peace Studies Festival of Cultures Rocky Mountain College 657-1042 rocky.edu

MAGIC I may 2011 I 95

June 16

Alive After 5 Rowdy’s Featuring Sons of Billings 294-5060 aliveafter5.com

June 18

32nd Annual Heart and Sole Run and Wake Up Your Life Festival Dehler Park St. Vincent Foundation 254-7526 www.heartandsolerace.org

June 21-23

Yellowstone Valley Kennel Club MetraPark Montana Pavilion 256-2400 metrapark.com

June 23

Alive After 5 Club Carlin Featuring Soul Brat 294-5060 aliveafter5.com

June 24-25

Wild West Soirée Alberta Bair Theatre and Downtown Billings 256-6052 albertabairtheater.org

June 25

Runamuck Guest Ranch Benefit Trail Ride Runamuck Guest Ranch, Roundup 323-3614 tjdahl@midrivers.com

June 26

Symphony in the Park Billings Symphony Pioneer Park 252-3610 billingssymphony.org

June 30

Alive After 5 Montana Brewing Company Featuring The Bucky Beaver Ground Grippers 294-5060 aliveafter5.com

July July 1-4

Roundup Independence Days Various locations in Roundup 323-4163 roundupindepenencedays.com

Symphony in the Park will be held June 26, 2011.

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MAGIC I may 2011 I 97

LAST WORD

pet trivia

More than 50%

Every known dog has a pink tongue, except for the Chow, whose tongue is jet

of all pet owners would rather be stranded on a desert island with their

black.

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A cat can be either rightpawed or leftpawed.

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