BOZEMAN MAGAZINE
Inside This Issue:
May 2020 - Volume 13.12
The Class of Covid-19 Bozeman’s Medical Heroes Haufbrau’s The Pandemic Sessions
ONLINE GREATER YELLOWSTONE EVENTS CALENDAR
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S VISUAL ARTS
R E C & H E A LT H
Cover Shot: - Ken Thorsen 10
Climbing Kilamanjaro at 60 - P Knight 26
FOOD & DRINKS I-Ho’s Korean Grill - M Hudlow 12 Liquid Refreshment in Quarantine - E Dean 16
M O N TA N A M U S I C Haufbrau The Pandemic Sessions - C Reid 18
photo: Ken Thorsen
Navigating New Waters - G Louzan 32
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LIVING LOCAL Bozeman’s Medical Heroes - R Phillips 34 Cohousing Community - K Drummond 38 The Class of Covid-19 - M Snyder 42 How Covid-19 Affects Bzn Real Estate - T Ford 44
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S C R E E N & S TA G E My Irish Dog - J Calloway 22 Arts In The Time of Plague - K Brustuen 24
EVENT CALENDAR www.bozemanmagazine.com/events
HOROSCOPE
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Black Rose Spiritual Center - Dr Nikki 36
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Dead & Co. - Alpine Valley photo: Ken Thorsen
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May 2020
Sarah Cairoli - Copy Editor Local writer, tutor, and mother who has been enjoying all Bozeman has to offer for the past decade. Copy Editor for Bozeman Magazine.
Angie Ripple - Publisher Angie makes Bozeman Magazine happen all while wrangling her three children and adventuring with her husband and living the dream.
Brian Ripple - Publisher Brian enjoys taking his kids camping, and skiing. He is an artist, sound engineer and co-editor of this fabulous magazine you are reading.
Nikki Judge - Horoscope Nikki is a spiritual counselor and life coach who is happily serving those who have chosen a solo spiritual path.
Phil Knight - Local Living / Rec Preferring the solitude of mountains & rivers and the company of his wife & cats to the hustle & bustle of ‘boomtown’ Phil has traveled 6 continents & been arrested 4 times.
Cammie Reid - Local Living Cammie Reid is a student, writer, and environmentalist at Montana State University. Hailing from the East Coast, she has written in publications in three different cities before arriving in Bozeman in 2017.
Kelly Hartman - History Kelly Hartman is the Curator at the Gallatin History Museum. She is also a painter and printmaker inspired by the beauty of Montana.
Abby Hernandez - Local Living Abby grew up in Paradise Valley, but currently calls Bozeman home. You can follow the adventures of her and her family on Instagram @adventurepeaksupply
Tim Ford - Real Estate Tim Ford is a Broker / Realtor® with Bozeman Broker Real Estate in Bozeman Montana.
Eric Kofer - Music Former ASMSU concerts director. Local music contributor and ChickenJam West Productions Owner. Eric spreads his love for music around the valley.
Kris Drummond - Local Living Kris Drummond is a writer, photographer, and traveler living in Bozeman and enjoying spring skiing in May.
Abby Bradford- Music The Marketing and Development Communications Manager for the Symphony, loves connecting people to purpose through the arts, outdoor adventure, and time shared together.
Jamie Calloway - Local Living Jamie Calloway is interning for Bozeman Magazine and is currently pursuing an English Writing degree at Montana State University.
Maggie Rose Hudlow - Dining Maggie is a lover of mutts and open mics. She will exercise moderately, but only to consume food excessively.
Kate Springer - Local Living Kate spends almost every free moment enjoying Bozeman and Montana in some way; hiking and exploring the mountains, skiing, or kayaking the rivers.
Rachel Phillips - History Rachel Phillips is the Research Coordinator at the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman.
Kevin Brustuen - Screen & Stage Kevin Brustuen lives in Bozeman and can be contacted at kbrustuen@hotmail.com. He is an avid theater-goer.
Shawn Vicklund - Local Living Shawn is a local entrepreneur and professional marketer who enjoys running, hiking and spending time with family.
Greg Louzan - Health & Rec Greg is a senior English major at MSU. In his spare time he enjoys playing with basset hounds and giving out free lip piercings to local salmonids.
Chris Marie Forest - Local Living Chris Marie Forest is the greatgreat-granddaughter of William and Ellen Arnold. She was born and raised in Southern California, listening to bits and pieces of her Arnold family stories.
Mia Snyder - Local living Mia is a part-time intern and a full-time student at MSU. When she isn’t participating in Army ROTC program, she likes to drink coffee, play piano, and root for the Seahawks.
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Lava Lake
INDEPENDENT & LOCAL PUBLISHER CASEN CREATIVE SALES MANAGER, CO-EDITOR ANGIE RIPPLE PRODUCTION MANAGER, CO-EDITOR BRIAN RIPPLE COVER ARTIST KEN THORSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN RIPPLE, MAGGIE HUDLOW, PHIL KNIGHT WHAT’S YOUR BEEF? DARCY CITIZEN SEND TO: INFO@BOZEMANMAGAZINE.COM FOOD & DRINKS MAGGIE HUDLOW MONTANA MUSIC CAMMIE REID SCREEN & STAGE KEVIN BRUSTUEN, JAMIE CALLOWAY RECREATION & HEALTH PHIL KNIGHT, GREG LOUZAN LIVING LOCAL TIM FORD, MIA SNYDER, KRIS DRUMMOND, RACHEL PHILLIPS HOROSCOPE NIKKI JUDGE, BLACK ROSE SPIRITUAL CENTER EVENTS CALENDAR YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN EVENTS AT: WWW.BOZEMANMAGAZINE.COM THE BASICS Bozeman Magazine features a local artist on every cover and contributions from talented local writers each month. Every attempt has been made to provide our readers with accurate, dependable information about things which make the Bozeman area unique. Distributed to over 200 locations in the Gallatin Valley, and on MSU’s campus, well over 20,000 people enjoy Bozeman Magazine every month. We think you will too. CONTRIBUTING Bozeman Magazine relies on the hard work of creative local people to keep our flow of information going. If you would like to become a contributor in writing, art, or photography please email us at info@bozemanmagazine.com to learn how. Every attempt is made to include accurate information, however, our writers and staff can NOT be held responsible for misprinted information. ALL MATERIAL ©2020, CASEN CREATIVE LLC - Bozeman, MT FIRST COPY IS FREE, ADDITIONAL ARE COPIES $1.00 EACH All writing, photos, and artwork remains property of the author, photographer, or artist. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Bozeman Magazine staff or advertisers. Send feedback, comments, suggestions, questions to: info@bozemanmagazine.com CONTACT INFO WEB: bozemanmagazine.com EMAIL: info@bozemanmagazine.com OFFICE: 406-219-3455 • CELL: 406-579-5657 TO ADVERTISE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION contact: info@bozemanmagazine.com or 406 219-3455
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W H A T ’ S YO U R B E E F ?
FAMILIES RIPPED APART
YOU DIDNT PROTEST
Darcy, MT Citizen 4.19.2020
Families ripped apart....you didn’t protest. Kids in cages getting sexually abused by ICE....you didn’t protest. Black kids killed by cops...you didn’t protest. Whole cities with poisoned water...you didn’t protest. Nepotism and corruption in the White House...you didn’t protest.
get stole by the feds...and you didn’t protest.
save our most vulnerable and NOW you’re protesting.
But now, NOW, you’re protesting? Because there’s a global pandemic and you’re forced to stay home to protect my child and your neighbor’s grandmother and my brother’s spouse and my good friend and the local health care workers who are literally dying to save others, including people like you.
You expect the rest of us to believe you care about “rights”? You just don’t like being told what to do, like a spoiled brat with no boundaries. You can’t get over yourself and past your own fucking entitlement to see a bigger picture, to care about your neighbor, to look to the future of our species and think for one moment that your actions have consequences.
THAT you protest. THAT you throw an adult-sized tantrum over. You whine about your rights being taken away because our leaders are desperately trying to stem the tide of a global pandemic that has killed 30,000 Americans and you’re told to stay home for the good of the country.
A Non-Discrimination Ordinance that would make it illegal to fire our friends in Billings or kick them out of housing for being gay gets shut down by city government...you didn’t protest. Laws enacted to control women’s medical choices...you didn’t protest.
You never would have survived the rationing of WW2. You would have complained about being uncomfortable for the greater good. About suffering a little so we could win a war. You wanna know what you would have done if you’d lived through those trying times in our history that you idolize?
A rapist and pedophile elected to the highest office...you didn’t protest A rapist appointed to the Supreme Court... you didn’t protest. A president who incites violence again people who don’t worship him...you didn’t protest.
YOU’RE F*#%ING DOING IT NOW. Atrocities against human beings and denial of actual human rights have been committed by our government over and over again but THIS.....THIS you throw a tantrum over. A whole world trying to work together to
The Trump administration is stealing PPE that our health care workers need, states are having to covertly order it so it doesn’t
Thank you for proving to the world that America is built on toxic individuality that says “I got mine, I don’t care about you, I don’t care about my community or facts or even getting the person standing next to me waving a sign at this protest sick.” I wish you were the only person to be harmed by your stupidity and selfishness. If you were, I wouldn’t be writing this and no one would care that you’re throwing a tantrum in the streets today. But I’ve seen the people who are marching in my state capital today. They own retirement homes, they run clinics, they are the superintendent and teachers and school board members of our childrens’ schools. Their 1 act of selfishness could be what takes another’s life. I hope it doesn’t take that to get people to wake up and get over themselves. d
All generic disclaimers apply. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Bozeman Magazine staff or advertisers.
SUBMIT YOUR BEEF
at: www.bozemanmagazine.com/pages/contribute or to: info@bozemanmagazine.com 8
May 2020
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Strange Days Angie Ripple
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e are living in strange times. The key word in that sentence is living, which is what my note is all about this month. Bozeman Magazine celebrates life in Bozeman, Montana, we tell the story of Bozeman, past and present, and we feature local events before they happen in articles and with our Greater Yellowstone Events Calendar. When events ceased in March 2020, I felt a bit lost, and the loss of upcoming events and celebrations is something I have personally grieved over the past weeks. Notably, my eighth grade daughter’s class trip was canceled, her performance in Matilda was canceled, her eighth grade graduation will likely not happen. These are big events in the life of a thirteen-year-old, events that can’t easily be replaced. Likewise, some of our contributing writing interns were set to graduate from MSU this month - see the article Class of Covid-19 by Mia Snyder within. We will get through the disappointment of lost events by continuing to live! I have some experience with thriving in strange times. I was in the first class of Montana State University students to graduate after 9/11. I can tell you that it wasn’t a fun time, the world did slow down, the economy was a mess, no one was hiring, and the dreams I had of getting a great job with a college degree quickly were met with the reality that I was going to have to figure it out on my own. The spirit of survival, of reinvention, and of the rugged individuality that Montanans are known for is what I called upon to make it through. It took working some jobs I didn’t love and skiing some runs I did to turn me toward creating a family and a business that would benefit my community. It will be the reinvention of ourselves and our businesses that will help us thrive in these times. How will we come out better when coronavirus has passed? We will do that by supporting each other, by brainstorming with each other, by keeping our dollars local, by supporting local farmers and workers that keep us fed and healthy; we do it by living a Bozeman life. Printing this issue of Bozeman Magazine was a hard decision for me personally. I am very concerned with public health and didn’t want to encourage people to go out to pick up a copy of the magazine if it could be detrimental to their own health or the health of our community. We decided to print a limited run to encourage you, to make things feel a little more normal, to show solidarity with our local businesses all struggling to find their new normal, and to share the stories of life in Bozeman. Please show your support for our advertisers by letting them know you saw them in Bozeman Magazine. Thank you for reading this May issue, and all of our future issues. Be well. r
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VISUAL ART
COVER
SHOT
K
KEN THORSEN
en Thorsen was born and raised in beautiful Bozeman, Montana where he continues to live with his wife Maggie and one of their three sons. If you are a regular reader of Bozeman Magazine you have likely seen Ken’s past contributions of writing and photography; for several years his son Jack contributed articles on Bobcat Football. Ken’s most viewed/read article is his 2016 interview with John Mayer Backstage at Alpine Valley. If you don’t know Ken from Bozeman Magazine you may know him as the voice of the Dead Show on KGLT, Thursdays from 3-6p.m., 91.9FM. On March 21, 2020 five days after Montana’s first
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Coronavirus stay at home order was issued Ken took a photo of downtown Bozeman at 6a.m. near the corner of 4th Avenue & Main Street (below). Every day since March 23 he has posted a photo from the same downtown location at 7:30a.m. Of the daily photo project Ken says “I started taking the pictures as a replacement for my daily routine of driving to Big Sky every morning at 7a.m. I replaced one habit for another.” Friends online began to expect the morning photo and each image averages 50 friendly Facebook likes. One friend suggested a coffee table book when the project is complete, stay tuned.
John Mayer - Playin in the Sand 2019
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FOOD & DRINKS
KOREAN GRILL Maggie Hudlow
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Maggie Hudlow
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ith the shelter-in-place order, I have been doing a ton of cooking lately, and I am ecstatic to eat something that I haven’t prepared. Maybe it’s my spice drawer or perhaps it’s my technique, but all of my cooking is starting to taste the same. I decide to stop by I-Ho’s Korean Grill (pronounced E-Ho’s) to grab some take-out food for lunch. They have a to-go window set up right now, with a slightly limited menu and all you have to do is call in your order ahead of time to pick up and drive away with it. It’s the best kind of fast food. As I drive away with a bowl of ramen nestled in my cup holder and a to-go box filled with fall-off-the-bone Korean chicken wings and cucumber salad, my mouth instantly starts watering. This is the ultimate test of my strength: Can I make it home without snacking? I am a serial car-muncher. I’m the kind of person who will order Pad Thai to go and shamelessly eat most of it with my hands, arriving home covered in peanuts, cilantro, and bits of rice noodle. The wings are within my reach; I must resist. I look at the hand sanitizer in the center console and think well, maybe I could just sanitize my hands and eat just one wing. If you truly love wings, you know there is no such thing as just one wing. And if you have ever had the wings from I-Ho’s,
you know it’s impossible to stop at one. So, I persevered; it was a mental battle, but I made it home, washed my hands, took a picture, and instantly downed three wings. I don’t believe a breath was taken between them. They are sweet, savory, and unbelievably tender. A few days later, owner I-Ho Pomeroy was kind to chat with me on the phone about I-Ho’s Korean Grill and how they are dealing with the strange times we currently face. Maggie Hudlow: How are you dealing with the shelter-in-place mandate? I-Ho Pomeroy: We are surviving! Fortunately, the restaurant already had the infrastructure for a drive-through window and the transition has been relatively easy. We have reduced our menu, so we don’t have a few things like seafood and teriyaki chicken, but we still have lots of healthy and delicious food to provide the community! MH: How was I-Ho’s Korean Grill conceptualized? IP: About 23 years ago, my husband built me a food cart so I could sell Korean food, that I learned how to make from my mother, here in Bozeman. I started on East continued on next page www.bozemanmagazine.com
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I-Ho’s p. 12
2631 W MAIN ST, BOZEMAN (406) 404-1653 ihoskoreangrill.com
Main in front of what is now Townshend’s Tea House on the weekdays and attended lunch on the Emerson lawn and farmer’s markets on the weekends. It went very well, and I was able to move into a restaurant. I started in the building that is now Granny’s Donuts, then moved to a location on Lincoln St, and am now at the current location on West Main. We are always progressing, now selling Kimchi in seven grocery stores around town and providing take-out for the moment.
FOOD STYLE:
MH: What makes I-Ho’s Korean Grill unique in the Bozeman food scene?
DRINKS:
PRICES:
IP: Our motto! 1. Employee safety and happiness: because good food is made with love and everything here is made from scratch! 2. Customer elation: we want our customers to be more than happy with our food. 3. Community well-being: this is a relationship; we serve good, healthy food because we want a healthy community!
VIBE:
MH: What do you want people to experience when they walk through your doors?
Healthy & Delicious Korean Food
Soft Drinks
HOURS:
Drive Thru: Monday- Saturday Noon– 6pm
$-$$
Warm and Welcome
IP: Kindness and generosity. We show this by making everything from scratch and it is returned by our customers. Common people enjoy our food and they reciprocate this with so much generosity.
NEW EVENTS ADDED DAILY AT: www.bozemanmagazine.com 14
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MH: What item do your regulars keep coming back for?
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IP: Right now, we are trying to focus on how we can contribute best to our community’s well-being. The tofu Kimchi pancake is very good for the immune system, so we are promoting that. Anything that is fermented, like Kimchi, really is really great for the immune system. We also have KimChi-Che-Gar which is Kimchi soup and DenJang-Che-Gar which is a fermented soybean soup, both are very good options for the present moment. MH: What do you enjoy most about being part of the Bozeman community? IP: We love being part of the Bozeman
community. Thank you for all of your support! We would not be here without our customers. On Thursday, April 9th, Dr. Suzanne Wood and Dr. Arlis Wood bought meals for all the police officers working that day. Together we were able to feed 33 officers! We are very fortunate to live in this place with a community filled with such kind and generous people. MH: Do you have anything upcoming that you want readers to know about? IP: Yes! We should be having a fundraiser for a warming center with the HRDC that is funded through donations, possibly in November. Right now, we are giving free meals to front line workers from the hospital and EOC people until the end of the lock down. After hanging up the phone with I-Ho, I experienced the same sort of warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy that I usually only get after speaking to my Grandma. I believe this feeling comes from knowing there are good-hearted people making good-hearted food and that actually has the capacity to make a positive change in the world. We are definitely surviving! Customer elation! Community well-being! Her statements of adamant positivity popped through my head all afternoon, making me smile, easing my anxieties, and simultaneously fueling my hunger for more Korean food. I was skeptical of the tofu kimchi pancake, I admit. But, I-Ho insisted that it’s very good, so I figured I better go back, give it a shot, and order another $50 worth of takeout while I’m there. Well, despite how delicious the chicken wings are, how perfectly sticky the rice is, and how refreshing the cucumber salad is, I think the tofu kimchi pancake may be my new favorite thing on the menu. I admit to liking tofu and kimchi in moderation, but this doesn’t necessarily taste like either; it’s an entirely new experience. The tofu almost acts like scrambled eggs (minus the egg-y flavor) binding together all of these perfectly al-dente vegetables and the outside is a nice crisp golden brown. The melding of textures and flavors is undoubtedly delicious and the sauce with green onions really puts the dish over the top. It’s hard to believe healthy can taste so good! I-Ho’s love for Korean food is apparent when you eat it: this is comfort Korean food. And as she told me, good food is made with love! Her care for this community is so very apparent. It’s reassuring to know that despite the world being flipped on its axis for the moment, we have strong willed women like I-Ho to aid in fortifying the bonds that make us a whole, healthy community. Even though we are distanced, we are one, Gallatin Valley. m Maggie is a lover of mutts and open mics. She will exercise moderately, but only to consume food excessively. www.bozemanmagazine.com
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FOOD & DRINKS
Liquid Refreshment Before During and After Quarantine
HUCKLEBERRY PRESS
THE MONTANA MULE
• • • • •
• • •
1 oz BSD Huckleberry Vodka Juice from 1/2 of a lime Soda 7-up Lime slice
Fill a glass with ice and squeeze 1/2 of a lime into it. Add Huckleberry vodka and fill with half soda and half 7-up. Stir and enjoy! Garnish with lime slice and a spoonful of huckleberries if you have them.
1 oz 1889 Whiskey Ginger beer 2 lime wedges
Fill a copper mule mug with ice and add 1889 whiskey. Squeeze one lime wedge over whiskey and drop into the mug. Top with ginger beer and garnish with second lime wedge.
SPRINGTIME CUCUMBER LEMONADE • • • • •
1 oz BSD Ruby River Gin A few slices of cucumber, chopped Lemonade Lemon slice Cucumber slice
If you have one, muddle the chopped cucumber in a shaker. If not, simply muddle in a glass. Add ice, gin and lemonade and shake. Strain over new glass with ice or, if desired, leave cucumber pieces in the mixture and dump into new glass. Garnish with cucumber and lemon slices. *Option: add a slice of jalapeno in to muddle with cucumber to add a little kick!
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M O N TA N A M U S I C
HAUFBRAU OPEN MIC
THE PANDEMIC SESSIONS Cammi Reid
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haufbrau open mic (the pandemic sessions)
U
p until March 16, 2020 the Haufbrau, part of Bozeman’s infamous Bar-muda Triangle, hosted live music seven nights a week, with Open Mics on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. When the entire state of Montana was given the stay-at-home order mid-March Bozeman musicians who rely on money from live performances to make ends meet began hatching plans to get through it, if not financially, then creatively. “It was St Patrick’s Day. I was playing guitar on a Tuesday night and I was trying to get a group of songs together to play at Open Mic but I realized that I couldn’t go to play at the Haufbrau the next day. So I thought, maybe I’ll start a little group online and post my own open mic,” said Adam Lee Crowson, a regular performer at the Haufbrau’s weekly Wednesday Night Open Mics. Only ten minutes after Crowson’s post someone else joined the livestream, and the thing took off. Crowson named the Facebook group Haufbrau Open Mic (The Pandemic Sessions); the first other person to post? Tyler Potter, of the local act 3 Miles to Clyde. From its beginnings, the page’s success has relied on local involvement.
Bozeman, but around the world to share their passions and their creative products with each other. As a group on Facebook, artists can livestream performances or acts or publish edited videos or pictures of their art. Some artists post links to other web-
AC: Being an open format group, anyone can post anything to the Pandemic Sessions anytime they like. The faith we’ve placed in humanity here has been rewarded. The content has been entertaining and the comments have all been friendly, with an overwhelming amount of support flowing into the Bozeman community from across the globe. I don’t want to police the page at all. I want it to form organically, as long as no one is being offensive. CR: What would it mean if the Haufbrau Open Mic was somehow gone from our music community? CR: It would be devastating. Just seeing how much feedback I get I can see how much everyone in the community needs it. CR: The page grew in numbers pretty fast. How much did this surprise you?
Cammie Reid: In your words, what is the Pandemic Series? Adam Lee Crowson: An outlet for musicians to share a space and share their stuff to their friends and family, so everyone can listen to it. [A place to] share their creativity with people while every body is in lockdown and self isolation.” The Pandemic Sessions have become an outlet for creatives, not just across
Most of the postings in the Facebook group are of musical performances; however, any sort of creative expression is welcomed by the page’s owners. Adam noted that the eclectic nature of the postings is one of his favorite aspects of the Facebook group, which now has over 1,500 posts that have been shared. CR: What times do you steam?
sites, such as Youtube or Soundcloud, where more art can be found. CR: Who performs on your series? AC: It’s pretty general, Country, Rock , Pizza recipes -everything gets shared, color guard routine..Not only music! Anything creative! I just wanted it to be a place to share.
CR: Yes, definitely. I never expected that it would get beyond me and my group of friends. The group has now amassed more than 2,300 followers, though most do not come to the page to share anything at all, just to watch videos and connect with the art community that usually bustles throughcontinued on next page
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T U O E TAK
Y N N LA ER BURG
out the city of Bozeman. Visitors to the page come from all over. Some regular commenters are from NYC and Florida, and one artist who has posted music did so all the way from Ireland. Perhaps one silver lining here is that the art community of Bozeman has expanded its reach to affect lives thousands of miles away. Some artists accept virtual tips via Venmo, while others perform just to be involved in the community atmosphere. Either way, it is totally free to tune in. The group’s admins accept every request they receive to join the group, so no one gets left out. CR: Do you know who has had the most submissions on the page? AC: It’s hard to say, but not me. CR: Do you have plans to turn this into anything bigger, or will it fade away as we re-open the economy? AC: It will still exist, people will need a place to share music. It takes people in the comfort of their own home in their own element. There needs to be a place where people can perform on their own terms, like the lady who plays with their kids, they wouldn’t be able to come to the bar. I have a lot of friends in the community and they appreciate the outlet. Thank you to Adam for taking the time to talk to us, and for creating such an awesome outlet for creative Bozemanites to be “alone together.” Next time you catch yourself at home dreaming of an open mic, you can find a space to perform and enjoy in your own home on the Pandemic Sessions Facebook group. We look forward to seeing you all live sometime soon! c Cammie Reid is a student, writer, and environmentalist at Montana State University. Hailing from the East Coast, she has written in publications in three different cities before arriving in Bozeman in 2017.
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S C R E E N & S TAG E
Author’s Journey Through His Writing Jamie Calloway
O
ne of the rarest things in life is finding inspiration. Despite this, Bozeman author Douglas Solvie happened to stumble across the inspiration for his new book My Irish Dog during one of his vacations. Some of the greatest relationships that people can have are with their dogs, so who can turn down a story about a dog in Ireland? My Irish Dog is a story about how an ordinary man named Spencer met a dog while on a trip to Ireland. The story gives detail to Spencer’s fragile mental state through his mid-life crisis. In My Irish Dog, Spencer suffers from depression and anxiety. During the trip, Spencer hopes to get away from everyone he knows and find peace of mind through flyfishing. He eventually meets a dog, named Shandy, that is lost in a way. Spencer finds out that he and Shandy have a lot more in common than he would expect to have in common with a dog. His depression and anxiety are the driving force for Spencer to connect with Shandy. Spencer needs Shandy’s help; therefore, they go down a path together and end up in a village named Galbally. Although My Irish Dog is a fictional story, some of the details are based on Douglas Solvie’s personal experiences. Solvie also took a trip to Ireland. During this trip, he came across a lost dog named Shandy. Solvie dealt with the situation at the time and managed to find Shandy’s home. At the time, this was not really significant to him, but eventually, this memory strikes inspiration for him to write An Irish Dog. Although Solvie does not specifically feel connected to Spencer (besides creating him of course), he does feel that a lot of people could connect with him or at least sympathize with him. Solvie explained that he tried to put Spencer’s character in his shoes, in a way. Spencer is not supposed to represent Douglas Solvie but many of Solvie’s experiences were the inspiration for creating this character. The author and the character share similarities because it was natural for Solvie to develop this character based on his experiences. Originally, Douglas Solvie was a businessman. He grew up in Montana but spent most of his career in Japan. He retired shortly after his trip to Ireland. This is when his writing career started, leading him to publish his first book, My Irish Dog. There is a lot of writing required in the business world, so Solvie did not expect the amount of work that was ahead of him when he started writing this book. The publication process was a long one. Solvie always planned on publishing this book himself. After creating his first draft, he hired a developmental editor to give him advice. Originally, he thought his draft was great, but he learned that it was nowhere near ready. The editor recommended that there be more “punch” and action to make the story more interesting. Along with this, there needed to be more development for the characters. From
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here, there would be many drafts that addressed grammar. Another struggle was defining the genre of this story. Solvie originally wrote the story without considering the genre. While editing one of his drafts, the editor recommended that it might be considered a Physiological Suspense story. After completing the story and creating the cover, which was also a really long process, he was only 50% done. He needed to advertise his work. One of the challenges with this is finding people who enjoy Physiological Suspense because everyone has different tastes. Through this process, he has learned to be more active on social media. He created a website and a blog that provides descriptions of the book along with his inspiration. He also has been more
active on his Twitter account @DSolvieAuthor, where he promotes the launch of his book. After all of this hard work, he managed to create an incredible book. You will not find another story like this one because of how rare it is to find a book that displays a relationship with a dog so well. So, if you are looking for a great read, I would recommend reading My Irish Dog. Solvie recently published this book on April 5th. You can visit his website myirishdog.com for more information on the book and where to buy the book. You can also see photos of the real Shandy and where the idea for this book started. t Jamie Calloway is interning for Bozeman Magazine and is currently pursuing an English Writing degree at Montana State University. If you would like to contact her, you may email her at callowayjamie@gmail.com
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ARTS IN THE TIME OF PLAGUE Kevin Brustuen
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his time of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders is a time of catching up on things, right? I’ve always wanted to sleep in, deep-clean the house, read that pile of books, fix that door latch so it closes properly, clean the garage, write oldfashioned letters to family and friends. But after the first few weeks or so, the door latch still doesn’t close properly, the books don’t get read as fast as I thought, the letters remain unwritten, and the house, well, my fingerprints are still visible on top of the piano. The COVID-19 crisis shows how similar we are, not just in procrastination, but in what comforts we need to help cope with quarantine. There is a strong desire on the part of all humanity to find companionship in their fears, worries, concerns, and joys as expressed in paintings, sculpture, poetry, music, and drama. This need goes back to the earliest days of humanity, to the time when someone stood deep in a cave, dressed in furs and animal skins, and with a charcoal stick painted figures on cave walls. In times like these, the outpourings of creativity are trying to fill this same need as our primeval ancestors. And true to the very definition of the arts, these outpourings are popping up in all sorts of creative ways and times. Here is a list of just a few things from the arts world:
• VIRTUAL TOURS OF MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD (COMPLETE WITH DESCRIPTIONS BY *YOUR LANGUAGE* DOCENTS) • INSIDE VIEWS OF ARTISTS’— GALLERIES, ARTISTS FROM THE FAMOUS TO THE HOBBYIST DOWN THE STREET EXPLAINING WHAT, WHY, AND HOW BEHIND THEIR WORKS • LIVE-STREAMING PERFORMANCES OF THEATRE, FROM CLASSICS TO CONTEMPORARY • LIVE-STREAMING OPERAS, SYMPHONIES, AND CONCERTS, BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR • ONLINE POETRY READINGS 24
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What all this points to is the desire and the demand for arts, especially during times of crisis. There does seem to be something about the human spirit that craves arts. As Winston Churchill supposedly said during World War II when asked to cut funding to the arts, his response was “if we cut the arts, then what are we fighting for?” (Fact check: Churchill actually never said that, but he said something similar: “The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them.”). One of the most famous books written about and during a plague, The Decameron, was written by Giovanni Boccaccio in the 14th century while he was confined during the plague known as The Black Death. In previous times of plague, Shakespeare wrote King Lear, one of his most famous plays. Other playwrights of his time, notably Thomas Dekker and Ben Jonson, also wrote plays, providing peeks inside the plague-ridden 16th and 17th centuries. Paradoxically, this craving for artistic expression seems to be highest at times when the arts are least likely to be available, like the plagues of the Middle Ages, or the coronavirus pandemic we are currently experiencing. Yet, while the theaters may be shuttered these days (as they frequently were in the time of Shakespeare), publishing houses may not be printing books, bookstores may not be open to sell books, and concert halls may be closed, the artists are figuring out new ways to create and deliver art. To meet this need for art and in lieu of live on-stage performances, artistic companies have been making available films of previous performances via internet streaming. The new twist to this is that now artists have discovered technology to deliver live performances from their homes to your home. Opportunities like never before have erupted for everyone to experience the arts, just not in person. In fact, today we are witness to the creation of a new genre of art delivery: the “Zoom Shows”. Reminiscent of radio shows, theater productions on Zoom are somewhere between a live production onstage, and unseen actors reading their plays. Some Zoom Shows record their performances and have ‘watch parties’ so their audiences can all enjoy the readings at the same time on social media such as YouTube or Facebook. Other Zoom Shows stream their productions live, again broadcasting their productions over social media like YouTube and Facebook. Some
shows have the actors in regular street clothes, some are in full costume, some use props, some focus on the text or music alone. But in all cases, the actors are all reading from their own homes, sometimes from other states, and in some cases from all over the world. IN THE REALM OF THIS NEW GENRE, HERE IS A SMALL SAMPLING OF THE ART YOU CAN ACCESS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITHOUT EVER LEAVING YOUR HOME: Patrick Stewart reads “A Sonnet a Day” from his London home, at https://www.instagram.com/sirpatstew/channel/?utm_ source=ig_embed . The Red Bull Theatre in New York City presents live streamed events at https://www.redbulltheater.com/live. From the UK, “The Show Must Go On,” presents the Shakespeare Canon in the order in which they were written. Composed of both professional and amateur actors from across the world all Zooming from their own homes, there performances can be followed here: https://robmyles.co.uk/theshowmustgoonline/. In Germany, the famous Berlin Philharmonie makes available their whole series. Here is their Berlin Easter Philharmonie Festival Episode 3: https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/concert/53224#
CLOSE TO HOME, HERE ARE A FEW EXCELLENT LOCAL OPTIONS TO SUPPORT: Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has created a new platform called MSIP LIVE, an effort to provide engaging, cultural content during these difficult times. MSIP LIVE delivers a bi-monthly streaming of archival recordings of plays on Facebook and YouTube; Twelfth Night opens on Friday, May 1 at 7 pm. Virtual Shakes, the educational arm of MSIP LIVE, in partnership with MontanaPBS, delivers full plays from Shakespeare in the Schools and Montana Shakes on PBS Learning Media. Faithful Friends, an adaptation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, intended
for audiences K-6 provides interactive lesson plans available at FlipGrid. The password is Crabbe406! For more information, please go to Shakespeare in the Parks’ website at https://shakespeareintheparks.org/. Bozeman Actors Theatre has made available the performance of Dr. Gretchen Minton’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, as she turned it into a commentary about human impact on the earth, in an adaptation called Timon of Anaconda. Minton streamed a reading of this adaptation via Bozeman Arts—Live. This dramatic reading can be accessed by going to the calendar at Bozeman Arts Live and playing it anytime: https://www.bozemanarts-live.com/. BAT is considering the possibility of following a medieval English tradition of doing outdoor promenade-style theater that keeps theatergoers (and performances) outside and socially distant, at least during the earlier stages of opening the stay-at-home orders (as CDC and Montana recommendations allow). BozemanArts—Live at https://www.bozemanarts-live.com/ provides a forum for Bozeman-area musicians and actors. Go to their website and see their full calendar of recorded and livestreamed music and theatre events. Camp Equinox offers “Virtual Morning Meetings” on Saturday mornings. Geared for elementary-aged children, the Virtual Morning Meetings give children a chance to interact with art via Zoom. For more information, contact Camp Equinox at:
https://www.campequinox.com/. We are the beneficiaries of so many creative artists around the world during this time of innovative arts outreach. We sit at home and watch world-class arts from across the world for free. The artists themselves are performing for free, with no ticket sales to support them, even if they can’t afford it. The starving artist stereotype is strong because they often are just that: starving artists working as waitstaff, bartenders, and baristas so they can live to put on one more show for our entertainment and pleasure. Let’s not forget them in these days of the plague. b Kevin Brustuen lives in Bozeman and can be contacted at kbrustuen@ hotmail.com. He is an avid theater-goer.
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R E C R E AT I O N & H E A LT H
g n i b im
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O R A J N A LIM
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at 60 Phil Knight
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ven though I am a lifelong climber and mountaineer, before this year I’d never ventured higher than Mount Rainier, 14,410 feet. I had a desire to experience high altitude, somewhere close to 20,000 feet if possible. Like many travelers, I also have a bucket list. This is a running list of those places that maybe someday if you have the time and the means and the motivation you might go to. Well, my bucket list had not grown any shorter recently. But my remaining years had. This past year, I turned 60 and realized it was time to bust out something big. The biggest thing on my bucket list, literally: Mount Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 feet this met my high-altitude criteria. Kili is also the highest peak in Africa, which puts it on the Seven Summits list. I was pretty sure I’d never attempt Everest nor probably even Denali. But Kilimanjaro seemed doable – sort of. It’s one of the highest peaks in the world you can just walk up, no ropes nor ice axes nor crampons required. Plus, Africa was the only continent I had not been to, so this trip hit a lot of high points. Well, what the hell. In the spring of 2019, I decided to go for it.
wreaked havoc. It feels strange and decadent now, just a little over a month later, that I flew across the world for fun. So many people are suffering and out of work, including the fine people that helped me to achieve my goal. How quickly our priorities, our perspectives, can shift. Last spring of course I was oblivious of all this. Kilimanjaro was calling, and I had to get ready. I needed flights to get there, and this was daunting, being one of the longest plane trips in the world – about 28 or 30 hours each way (about 20 hours in the air). I needed a travel visa for Tanzania, as well as travel insurance (I got it through World Nomads). All this I lined up. I also had to get a variety of immunizations, which meant planning and scheduling with my doctor months in advance – Rabies, Influenza, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Hepatitis A and B, and Typhoid. I also needed anti-malaria medicine to take while I was in Tanzania. In addition, I chose to bring and take Diamox to prevent altitude sickness. I met with my doctor, and also with a friend who is a travel medicine expert. I also obtained Azithromycin to bring in case of
My patient and supportive wife Alaina gave me her blessing, and I booked a trip with an outfitter from the UK called Kandoo Expeditions, starting in Tanzania on February 23. Now things were getting real! In addition to 8 days on Kilimanjaro’s Lemosho Route, this trip included a 4-day safari to 3 national parks (including the famous Serengeti). This is one of the world’s greatest wildlife watching destinations. I was eager to see as much of the African megafauna as possible. Little did I realize I was going just in time, as the world started to contract and restrict travel and business as the coronavirus
“severe intestinal distress.” Getting in shape was the hardest part of the preparation. I have hiked and skied and climbed all my life, but I knew from my Mount Rainier experience that I needed to ramp it up so I did not suffer too much nor fail to reach the summit. Plus, I was not as spry as I used to be! So I started hitting the gym a bit harder. My sessions on the Stairmaster increased from 100 to about 140 floors. I started hiking more, doing laps on the M, Drinking Horse, and Kirk Hill. I continued on next page www.bozemanmagazine.com
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Kilamanjaro - p.26 went to Yoga classes for the first time in many years. I mountain biked as much as possible, and did some backpacking, as well as hiking in Glacier Park and Yellowstone. Come winter, I skied hard at Big Sky, and cross country skied a lot of miles. I snowshoed and hiked for snowboard runs. My basic philosophy was, if there were two options for a workout, I would choose the harder one. Go for that extra run on the snowboard. Grind out another ten floors on the Stairmaster. It will pay off on the mountain! Finally it was time to go. Early February 21, I was on a plane to Salt Lake, then Amsterdam, and finally direct to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, arriving at night, tired and stiff. Africa!! I made it. A driver for Kandoo Expeditions picked me up along with a few other expedition members and we got to our hotel in Moshi at about midnight, plenty tired after basically no sleep for 36 hours. I had made sure to arrive a day early so I could rest, and that’s what I did, slept in and stayed at the hotel all day, resting and getting used to the warm climate after leaving winter behind. From the top of the hotel, I got my first look at Mount Kilimanjaro. It looked immense, rising something like 17,000 feet above where I was standing. It’s the biggest free-standing mountain in the world, with almost no other mountains around it. The summit was capped with snow, just like something from a Hemingway novel. I started meeting my fellow hikers at breakfast at the hotel. By the 4:00 PM orientation, ten of the twelve trekkers were present. Our guides from Kandoo introduced themselves, led by Abraham. They were all from Tanzania, Swahili speakers but mostly fluent in English as well. These are very capable men who took excellent care 28
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of us. Most of the trekkers were from the U. S., but we also had some folks from Israel and the U.K. and one man from Austria. At last the real journey began! We boarded a small bus with our guides and driver Gideon and headed for the high country. We soon left the city of Moshi and made a three-hour drive into the hills, passing fields and villages, many people out walking or on motorcycles. Traffic drives on the left, disorienting at first. Tanzania is overly fond of speed bumps, which were everywhere, but it sure kept the traffic speeds low. Gideon took us up a steep dirt road to the Londorosi Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, passing huge pine plantations where the primary forest had been cleared and people were planting trees by hand. At the gate, we were greeted with a busy scene of many parked buses, trekkers milling around and at least a hundred porters lining up to receive their loads. Yes, we were spoiled on this trek by only having to carry day packs. The guides – Enoch, Mboi, Dismas, Armani, Raymond and Abraham- would walk with us while porters scurried ahead, carrying our gear and group gear, then set up camp and get the kitchen and dining tents set up and dinner started. Most of us used trekking poles which came in very handy. Other important gear included comfortable, sturdy hiking boots, gaiters, a buff to protect your face, a down jacket for elevation, a good rain jacket and pants, a sun hat, glacier glasses, an extra sleeping mat and a camelbak for water. Finally we set out, up a steep muddy trail into virgin rainforest, at about 8,000 feet. Kilimanjaro is only about 300 kilometers south of the Equator so it’s pretty mild overall, though we had plenty of chilly weather in store. For now the weather was perfect. Almost immediately, we started getting passed by groups of porters with heavy loads on their heads and shoulders, with some using back-
packs. This would be a theme throughout – the trails were almost always crowded, and solitude was very hard to find. We would greet many of the porters with “Jambo” or “Habari” and they would greet us back. Our guides encouraged us to always walk “Pole pole” (Slowly slowly). This way we would save energy and adjust to the altitude. Only ten minutes up the trail we had a once in a lifetime wildlife encounter – 4 adult colobus monkeys appeared in the trees right over our heads! One had a tiny infant. These are spectacular black and white animals with long fur and long white tails and a flattop-style hairdo. We watched them forage for leaves for a good 12 minutes. Our first camp was called Forest Camp. It was very crowded, as were all camps, but our team of porters had our sleeping tents all set up and a cook tent and mess tent all ready. We also had two bathroom tents with portable toilets, a real luxury as the toilet houses at these camps were filthy. We settled in and had “happy hour” in the mess tent – snacks, tea and hot chocolate. No alcohol was allowed on the mountain. It got suddenly dark about 6.30, and we sat up a while getting to know each other. The guides would come around each evening and morning and do a health check on each person, including pulse, oxygen saturation and general feeling. They kept a running chart the whole trip. Dinner was a multi-course affair served hot – the food was really good and very plentiful! Bed time was about 8:00 or 8:30 most nights. That first night, the stars were out but it was extremely dark. I learned the value of a pee bottle for the tent since Diamox makes you urinate a lot more. I also woke to an extremely spooky and strange sound from the forest, probably made by monkeys, as well as what sounded like a dog barking (it was a jackal). Breakfast was usually 6:30 or 7:00. Porridge, toast, pancakes, fruit. Weak coffee. Day two was a long trek with a lot of climbing
up into the Heather, then the Moorland, two of the life zones on the mountain. We would spend the next 4 days on the approach, wrapping around the south side of the mountain, moving to a new campsite each night. At Shira Camp, our last two trekkers – Heidi and Cathy from Kansas – joined us after a nightmare of flight delays. Here the guides and porters all joined in song and dance to welcome us to Kilimanjaro and Tanzania. I was grinning from ear to ear! We crossed the Shira Plateau – an extinct caldera – then trekked up to the Moir Camp, where we started to encounter some real elevation. Moir was at 13,665 feet (4165 meters), and we did an afternoon “bonus hike” to about 14,500 feet, a little higher than I had ever gone, or most anyone else either, apart from Karyn who had trekked in Nepal. Each afternoon, the fog would gather below us and roll up the mountain to engulf us, making for chilly evenings. At Moir, we had an intense sunset, looking red and angry like the eye of God. That night as well as three or four other nights we had hard rain. I was very glad for the heavy duty Mountain Hardware sleeping tents. We heard thunder and saw heat lightning, and had some wind with the rain. We were near the end of the trekking season and the rainy season was beginning. I started getting nervous about the summit climb, which would start at 11:00 PM and go all night. If it was stormy like this… Day 4 we had a long, hard day, entering the Alpine Desert zone and reaching Lava Tower at 15,210 feet, about 4637 meters. This was as high as most of us had ever been, and some people, like Adam and Tara from the UK, started getting headaches, a classic symptom of altitude sickness. Amazingly, the porters and cooks set up the cook tent and mess tent just to serve us a hot lunch at Lava Tower. Good thing too, since it poured cold rain on us all the way continued on next page
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Kilamanjaro - p.29 to Baranco Camp which was (thankfully) lower, at 13,040 feet (3976 meters). Everyone got soaked despite rain gear. But we did get to walk through a forest of Giant Senesia trees, which grow nowhere else on Earth! The climb from Baranco Camp took us up the Baranco Wall, a huge escarpment requiring easy-level rock climbing. It was a crazy scene with hundreds of people climbing this wall all at once, including porters with huge unsecured loads! But we reached the top and rested on a big flat shelf, then continued to Karanga Camp, a hard trek up and down through 3 different valleys. At this camp and the base camp for the summit (Barafu) all the water is hauled up on people’s backs and heads from a spring. I could not fathom how they did this. Everything was done with minimal fuss, except for a lot of Swahili talk. Most afternoons we were given time to nap, but that was hard due to noisy camps. We reached Barafu Camp at last, in early afternoon, and settled in to try to rest a bit before heading for the summit. Here we were already higher than anything in the Lower 48 at 15,200 feet (4637). At every camp we had to go to the ranger hut and sign in before we could do anything else. Then one of the camp helpers would show us our tent, where we would find our duffel bags. We could change clothes, set out a mat and sleeping bag and stretch out for a bit. At Barafu the cooks fed us three meals before we set out for the summit – lunch, dinner and “breakfast” at 10:30 PM! It was a lot of food but it assured we would need to eat little on the climb and descent. After “breakfast,” we made final preparations and queued up to start the climb to the summit, over 4,000 feet above us. It was very dark but I was overjoyed to see the stars were out. The Big Dipper appeared upside down like a hat on the summit of Kilimanjaro. I saw a shooting star. Plus it was Leap Day, February 29, soon to be March 1 – all good signs. Pole pole. Up we go. One step at a time. Headlamps glowing. We were bundled up for the cold, assured we would not get too warm, but most of us did and had to shed layers later. There were some steep rock slabs at the start but for the most part it was a long slog up a loose, rocky trail in the dark. Always there were long lines of headlamps stretching away above us in the dark. It looked like we would keep climbing right into the stars. We were going extremely slowly. I was glad when one of the guides, Armani, suggested we split the group and offered a slightly faster pace for one group. I joined in with the faster hikers. Only four of us set out with Armani, along with one of the “summit porters” who came to offer any help we might need. After about 20 minutes, I was starting to feel nauseous and dizzy. We were at about 17,000 feet so the altitude was really kicking in. Will from California was feeling it also (plus he had a head cold), and soon John from Austria was having some trouble. Nonny, however, formerly of the Israeli Special Forces, showed no signs of fatigue. The summit porter offered to take mine and John’s packs and we both accepted the offer. Daylight started to come as we approached the rim of the summit crater. We were on the Mweka Route, which reaches the rim at Stella Point, well over 18,000 feet! Here the sun finally hit us and we all got a second wind. The summit crater, filled with icy snow, stretched out before us, and the sun was peeking out of the fog over Mwenzi Peak. Remnant glaciers clung gleaming to the sides of the peak and sat like pieces of the Arctic in the crater. We could see the summit, Uhuru Peak, about an hour’s walk away. The weather was perfect. We were going to make it! That last hour was a pleasure, with the walk easy on hard snow and scree and all of Africa at our feet. By 7:30, we were hugging on the summit next to the “Congratulations” sign. Uhuru Peak! Top of Africa! We were at 19,341 feet, or 5895 meters. About 20 or 25 other trekkers were there, fewer than the crowds I had heard might be on top. About 10 minutes of taking photos and looking around, and it was time to go. We’d done it! Now to get down. On the way down to Stella Point, we met the rest of the group – 8 trekkers and 3 guides. We later learned that everyone had made the summit! A couple of folks definitely struggled, feeling poorly,
but everyone got there. The 6 of us took a quick break at Stella Point, then plunged off the mountain. No more “pole pole” – now the guides wanted to get us off, to lower elevation, before anyone got sick or the weather turned. It was very hard on the legs and knees. Fortunately, we took a somewhat different route down the “scree field” where loose gravel made for a slightly easier descent. It was now hot and sunny and I felt like I was baking as my knees got hammered. We scurried back to Barafu Camp, where we were able to rest for a time in our tents as we waited for the others to arrive from the summit. They did not get back ‘til after 1:00 PM, and by the time we had lunch and everything got packed it was 3:00 PM. We’d been slated for another 14 kilometers of hiking, a daunting prospect after we’d already done 12 km and 9,000 feet of climbing and descending. Instead, we stopped for the night at Millennium Camp, at 12,500 feet (3810 meters), after about 9 kilometers. Good thing too, as everyone was exhausted and rain was moving in. As it was we had climbed over 4,000 feet and descended almost 7,000 – no wonder we were exhausted! Dinner that night went down real easy and we all slept like logs. Our last day took us down into amazing rain forest on steep, muddy trails then past Mweka Camp and down to the gate for the national park and our waiting bus. We were one tired and happy crew! Back at Bristol Cottages hotel in Moshi, we toasted the climb with Kilimanjaro beers and then enjoyed an “award ceremony” where everyone received certificates of achievement for their climb. We also thanked our guides and porters and made sure everyone got well tipped. We still had a huge adventure ahead – four days of Safari in the Serengeti and elsewhere – but the hard part was over. I, for one, would be glad to sit in a car and look at animals! k Preferring the solitude of mountains & rivers and the company of his wife & cats to the hustle & bustle of ‘boomtown’ Phil has traveled 6 continents & been arrested 4 times.
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NAVIGATING NEW WATERS Greg Louzan
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W
ith women being the fastest growing demographic in fly fishing and Bozeman being one of the fastest growing towns in the nation, it’s not too much of a stretch to realize that Bozeman may be the epicenter of the boom in women fly fishermen. Having worked in various fly shops since 2015, I have noticed an increase in both female fly anglers as well as products geared towards them. Through my work and by chance, I have been fortunate to meet some of these anglers. I recently had a chance to interview guide and outfitter Mae Monaghan who is owner and operator of Maeflyoutfitters and also guides for the Tackle Shop in Ennis. Greg Louzan: How did you get into fly fishing and what part of Montana are you from? Mae Monaghan: Born and raised over in the Harrison Pony area and graduated high school at Harrison. Originally, I used to fish with my grandpa all the time. We would go camping and fishing; he was the one who introduced me to fly fishing. He passed away when I was younger and no one else in my
family was really into it. What was really cool though at Harrison High School, we had these crazy PE electives that we could take. One year we had a local guide out of Ennis, out of the Tackle Shop and he taught one of the PE classes, so I took the course. We tied flies, he took us out on the Lower Madison, we fished. He basically just donated and volunteered his time to teach us all how to fish. We had a small class of 10 kids, so we had a lot of exposure to him and that guy was super influential in getting me started fishing. GL: What was it like starting out as a female guide and eventually outfitter, and do you feel it has become more accessible for female anglers to make the transition?
MM: Yea, I think so. Especially right now, they gear a lot of stuff toward women and their comfort in mind. Right now, it’s especially big but before it wasn’t. When I started out, I ran into some guys that weren’t mean necessarily, but they definitely wanted to test me. There was one guy who I worked with a lot early on who was just so tough, and I’d come home at the end of the day just so frustrated and upset. But we’re great friends now and I learned so much from him. It definitely made me a better fisherman, working with the guys. I can take criticism and crap from people and be okay at the end of the day. It was kind of twofold; it was a good experience learning and made me tougher, but then it was also challenging and it was hard for sure. A big part too was that I love rowing, especially the Upper Madison. At first a lot of the guys were like “oh she’s too little” or “she can’t do this” “can’t handle high wind days.” That’s kind of where I always felt that I had to prove myself, and once I did then it was fine. There were no more questions about it. But that was a big one, when it came to rowing that drift boat, especially on bigger water, they would kind of baby me with that kind of stuff. A lot of it comes down to ego and trying to break free of that. There’s always something new to be learned if you just let yourself.
MM: Oh gosh, social media, you have to be good at it. Word of mouth isn’t good enough anymore; you have to be holding the big fish and get “the shot.” I think social media has played a huge piece of that. Like I said earlier, it’s almost trendy, it’s cool to hold the big fish in that picture. I’ve noticed too people are more careful even, you will get torn apart if you’re not holding the fish right or if you’re too far from the water. I don’t know, it seems like social media has exploded in the fly fishing industry. Sometimes I have to look at it like work, after a long day I get home and say to myself “okay you have to post this stuff.” When I grew up, we didn’t have cell phones and Facebook or any of that, so it’s different. It’s free advertising really, but it’s hard for some of us to do. I work with Orvis quite a bit and sometimes will write a little article for them or someone from the company will visit and fish with me. And always one of my guy friends will say, “Oh you only get that cause you’re a woman and you’re pretty.” It is a doubleedged sword because I don’t wanna cry and complain about getting these opportunities but you do kind of wonder, is it because of that or because I’m decent at the sport?
GL: Women are the fastest (and only) growing demographic in fly fishing. Do you think this is attributed to the overall growth in outdoor sports or is there something specific that is attracting more and more females to fly fishing?
MM: I’ve actually told a couple gals this lately. Women will seek me out because women are comfortable with women, ya know. Like I told you in the beginning, if I hadn’t had those experiences with older fly fishing men, I wouldn’t be in the place I am today. So get over being nervous; those guys have tons to teach us and most of them are more than willing to teach us. My advice would be to learn something from everyone, seek out women if that makes you more comfortable, but don’t be afraid to learn from someone who may be older or slightly intimidating.
MM: I think a lot of it has to do with family-oriented activities, not just women but also the kids as well. We get tons of trips with kids. Our society is kind of getting away from the ‘Good ol’ boys club.’ Like, “we’re gonna take the weekend and go fishing” has turned more into “we’re gonna take the whole family fishing.” I think they get the wives or the girlfriends up to speed so they feel like they can do something enjoyable together. I’ve kind of noticed that as well as the kids; the kids are big-time getting into it. There’s a piece of it that people like it because it’s cool. Fly fishing has become more trendy and a lot people when they come to Montana, if they’re gonna do two things, they raft and they fly fish. GL: With the rise of “fishing influencers” and “instafamous” female anglers, what role if at all do you think social media has played in the recent growth?
GL: What advice would you have for female fly anglers entering the sport and how to navigate a steep learning curve in a sport by and large dominated by older men?
After speaking with Mae, I was excited to hear her view that the growth of fly fishing is expanding not only to female anglers, but more and more as an activity for the whole family. Whether you are just experiencing the sport for the first time or are a seasoned angler, Mae’s advice about getting over ego and learning from everyone is a valuable tip that will surely maximize your time on our region’s bountiful water. Mother’s Day is fast approaching and with it the infamous Mother’s Day caddis hatch. If you are able, it is always a great excuse to get out of the house and experience some of the best dry fly fishing of the year with your loved ones. l Greg is a senior English major at MSU. In his spare time he enjoys playing with basset hounds and giving out free lip piercings to local salmonids
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LIVING LOCAL
BOZEMAN S ’
MEDICAL
HEROES Rachael Phillips
Nurses stand on the front porch of Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, corner of Lamme Street and Tracy Avenue, circa early 1920s. Photograph courtesy of the Gallatin History Museum
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n the late 1860s, only a handful of doctors lived in the Gallatin the young age of twenty-four, already a trained surgeon. Cesarean Valley, and most split their time between practicing medicine sections were virtually unheard of in Montana in the 1890s, but the and other more lucrative careers. Today, our community supconfident Dr. Foster performed one safely in Bozeman in 1893, likely ports a large regional hospital that employs hundreds of medical the first such procedure in the state. After a second successful Cprofessionals. Recent current events encourage us all to think of the Section three years later, Foster quickly gained notoriety in his field. dedicated medical staff who daily put their health at risk to care for Accounts of the procedures in medical journals amazed eastern the sick. In honor of our local medical professionals and community practitioners, who could not imagine performing such a surgery volunteers, here is a brief history of medicine in Bozeman that highaway from modern facilities. Dr. Foster’s small practice began burstlights a few hometown heroes from the past. ing at the seams as new patients from across the region sought his Like most frontier towns in the 1860s and 1870s, Bozeman had care. few options when it came to medical care, and home remedies and In 1896, Foster’s success allowed him to construct a sophisti“cure-all” pills filled in the gaps. Fort Ellis, established just a couple cated 20-bed hospital on the northwest corner of Lamme and Tracy. miles east of Bozeman in 1867, did attract a few medical personnel The building boasted hot-water heat and electricity, colorful wall to the area. One of these and ceiling frescoes, and doctors was Dr. Robert an operating room. OrigM. Whitefoot, who eveninally named Bozeman tually settled in BozeSanitarium for Women, man. After beginning the word “Women” was his career in the Gallatin soon dropped from the Valley caring for soldiers, name in order to welhe later set up a medical come male patients and practice in town and children. The Bozeman catered to local civilians Sanitarium was heavily until he passed away in used, and Dr. Foster was 1906. able to build an addition Many early physiafter only a few years in cians worked other business. careers on the side or Tragically, Dr. Foster held civic leadership died in his mid-40s in positions. Dr. George 1902. Dr. James Franklin Washington Monroe was Blair briefly took over a Virginian by birth and the operation of the arrived in Bozeman in Bozeman Sanitarium the early 1870s. Besides and changed the name practicing medicine, he to the Blair Sanitarium. served as Gallatin County Financial difficulties led Superintendent of him to lease the hospital Schools from 1877-1882, to the Deaconesses of and Bozeman’s mayor the Methodist Church in from 1886 to 1887. Dr. Montana. The Methodist Monroe later relocated Deaconesses partnered to Butte where he died with the community, in 1912. Dr. Achilles and thanks in part to Lamme established money raised by local himself in the mercantile citizens, the hospital trade after he arrived was purchased in 1912 in Bozeman in 1865. and renamed Bozeman His store, A. Lamme & Deaconess Hospital. Co., was located on the The Deaconesses, north side of Main Street single women trained as between Tracy and Black nurses working for the Avenues. Because of the Methodist Church, took shortage of other qualiover hospital operations fied physicians in the in the early 20th century. area, Dr. Lamme did lend Deaconess nurses made his services from time to a huge impact on loE. Augusta Ariss, Deaconess nurse at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital, 1911-1914. time to area residents. cal medical care, even Photograph courtesy of the Gallatin History Museum Interestingly, Lamme though some, like Miss Street, which was named E. August Ariss, were for Dr. Achilles Lamme, later became the location of Bozeman’s first only in Bozeman for a short time. In the early 1900s, Miss Ariss left hospital. Toronto to work in a Methodist mission in Montana and soon found In 1892, the Bozeman Polk city directory listed eight physicians herself the superintendent of the Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls. in town but still no hospital, and Bozeman’s population was boomShe came to Bozeman in 1911 and used her management skills to ing. Several factors contributed to this growth, including the arrival transform the old financially struggling sanitarium into a modern of the Northern Pacific railroad in 1883, Montana’s admission as the and efficient hospital. As superintendent, she also established a 41st state in 1889, and the creation of Montana Agricultural College nursing school on site that provided both instruction and boarding. (now MSU) in 1893. The time had come for Bozeman to have its E. Augusta Ariss left Bozeman in 1914, but the nursing school and first formal hospital, and Dr. Henry Foster was the right man to take hospital continued to grow. charge. Minnesota-born Dr. Henry Foster arrived in Bozeman in 1882 at continued on next page www.bozemanmagazine.com
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SUN SIGN HOROSCOPE MAY 2020
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Aries: Between shifts and
Libra: Your ability to shift into
changes of perspective, blockages to clear thinking will be the norm of the day. This rush of ideas may be uncomfortable, but, there’s a way to keep track. Just simply write the ideas down so that you can review at a later time.
a slower gear helps you find your balance. Things have been crazy busy and you barely had time to think, much less act. Now you have the opportunity to sit back and take a good look where you are and where you are headed.
Taurus: While you are always
Scorpio: You have been doing
a good fan of caution, now you much also face confusion. Whether it is getting answers to questions or long range planning, forward momentum is difficult. Focus on what you can take care of, the rest will settle out soon.
and going toward an unknown end for a while as you have incorporated changes begun near the first of the year. As the appropriate answers start lining up with your newfound sense of self, you feel more yourself again.
Gemini: The duality of your
Sagittarius: Go ahead! Stretch
twin nature is going to hold you in good accord. There are challenges and wake-up calls that will lead to some discomfort. Your inner compass may be saying stay the course, but your outer reality is off, now is not time to choose.
those muscles. You are through the course and are now feeling very comfortable with the new you. Those that do not appreciate the change are bound to voice their opinions. Now you know how to ignore them and follow YOUR bliss.
Cancer: There is a major shift
Capricorn: The best thing for
in energy and you sure can feel it. This shift loosens some of the frustrating bans and blockages of the past 18 months. Life feels lighter and brighter as the month progresses. Your normal optimism returns.
you to do is hang on – it is going to be a bumpy month. Your plans may hit snags unforeseen pulling you into a bit of a quagmire. Keep the long range in focus as you ride the roller coaster – remember, there are more ups than downs on the ride.
Leo: Others may not have seen
Aquarius: Plans move forward
it, but you have been on your last nerve for several months now. However, you finally get to breathe deep, shake out that gorgeous mane and enjoy some new sights and sounds. Finding your happy is easier now.
with ease and nearly abnormal speed. Your target goals are getting hit dead square on, and you feel forward momentum building. It has been a long journey into yourself and now that you have the emotional cleaning done, life is good!
Virgo: The wished for oppor-
Pisces: You feel stuck and it is
tunity for growth and creativity are granted in many ways. Your confidence level returns and inspiration is pouring in. It is time to take on the plan. There are new options open to you granting inspiration and new ways of engaging.
no wonder because it is going to be difficult for you to push forward with any plans this month. Sometimes it is the comparison between the extremes that allows for the best clarity of vision and plans. Keep on marching, you’ll get there!
Medical Heroes... p.34 In 1918, at the close of World War I, the devastating Spanish Influenza pandemic hit Bozeman. Like today, schools closed, public gatherings were cancelled, and quarantine measures were put into place. The empty Gallatin County High School on Main Street and several buildings on the Montana State College campus were converted into makeshift hospitals. Also like today, doctors and nurses worked tirelessly to care for victims of the virus. On campus, young female students like Gudruda Berg in Hamilton Hall carried on their studies as best they could while saving out time each day to make face masks and sputum cups to help curb the spread of the flu. Gudruda Berg made it through the Spanish Flu pandemic unscathed, married, had a family, and later taught her children how to make paper drinking cups—a skill she remembered from her 1918 quarantine at MSC (for her full story see “The Pandemic of 1918 Still Affects Me and I Didn’t Even Exist Then,” by Jim Sargent with Linda Sargent Wood, Gallatin History Quarterly, Vol. 41 No. 4). Fortunately, the Spanish Influenza pandemic slowly subsided and life returned to normal. In 1920, a brand-new 50-bed hospital designed by local architect Fred Willson was constructed on Lamme Street, adjacent to Dr. Foster’s old Bozeman Sanitarium. Repurposed as a nursing residence and training school, the old sanitarium was utilized until 1952. In the mid-1940s, hospital management transferred away from the Deaconesses, but the hospital continued to grow. A new west wing was constructed and in the 1950s and 1960s, new departments were added, including radiology, physical therapy, an intensive care unit, and a medical laboratory. Bozeman’s first pathologist, Dr. Volney Steele, worked out of this laboratory on the top floor of the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on Lamme Street. The son of a physician, Volney Steele grew up in Arkansas and after graduating from medical school, served in the Navy during World War II. Following a brief stint at a
naval hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, during the Korean War and two years in Colorado, he returned to school to pursue specialized training in pathology, and jumped at the chance to complete a residency at a hospital near the Panama Canal. In 1959, a doctor in Butte, Montana, urged Volney to move north and become his partner. During a preliminary visit to Butte, Dr. Steele befriended several Bozeman doctors who convinced him to move to the Gallatin Valley instead, much to the Butte doctor’s disappointment. Dr. Steele spent the rest of his professional career in Bozeman and was known for keeping a box of donuts in his lab. The pastries drew his colleagues through his door for visits as they made their hospital rounds. Volney Steele passed away in Bozeman in 2015. As the 20th century progressed, Bozeman’s medical center began to outgrow the downtown area. In 1956, forward-thinking hospital administrators purchased land on the eastern edge of Bozeman, just south of Sunset Hills Cemetery. This was fortunate, because over the next three decades Bozeman’s population continued to grow and by the early 1980s the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on Lamme Street was too small. The new Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on Highland Blvd. was constructed in 1986 and has only continued to expand over the last thirty years. Bozeman’s history is full of champions like Dr. Henry Foster, E. Augusta Ariss, Gudruda Berg and Dr. Volney Steele. Their contributions to local healthcare – accomplishments big and small – were all important. Let’s send out a big “thank you” to the doctors, nurses, lab techs, hospital staff and community volunteers who stand on the shoulders of our past medical heroes. p Rachel Phillips is the Research Coordinator at the Gallatin History Museum in Bozeman. Visit the Gallatin History Museum at 317 W Main Street in Bozeman, gallatinhistorymuseum.org, or on Facebook.
The original Bozeman Sanitarium and the new Bozeman Deaconess Hospital on Lamme Street, circa 1920. Ernest Hilton photo. Photograph courtesy of the Gallatin History Museum
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Cohousing Community Kris Drummond
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s I was driving to meet with Bozeman Cohousing Community cofounder Mark Owkes at the Daily Cafe on a quiet Sunday morning in February, I was secretly hoping to encounter a spiritual teacher. Or at the very least, a representative of a group loosely based on the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country. After all, in this individualistic culture of vast and largely empty houses, anything involving the words “communal living” can conjure images of fringe beliefs, bunkers, erratic dancing, and incense. And while that’s exactly what I was hoping for, what I encountered was something more grounded, inspiring, and real. I could immediately tell that Mark was an intelligent, friendly, and reliable guy. From his handshake alone, I knew that he believes the earth is round, that dinosaurs existed, and that knowing his neighbors is worthwhile. And when I found out that he’s a professor of mechanical engineering at Montana State University, my final hopes for accidentally stumbling upon an anarchic cult
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were dashed. Instead of enlightenment, Mark offered me a comprehensive overview of what cohousing is and why he is motivated to log long hours getting Montana’s first cohousing community off the ground. “In a lot of ways,” said Mark through a wry smile, “we’re not creating anything new here. We’re just going back to maybe how it was in smaller villages where you know the people you’re living with, and you’re there to help each other. Right now, if we need something, we just go out and buy it. In the past, if you needed something, you checked with all your friends to see if they had it, and if they didn’t, you built it. So, it’s that kind of culture of knowing who’s around us that we want to bring back.” According to the Bozeman Cohousing website, cohousing “is an intentionally planned community of smaller private homes and a large community house. The homes provide private space. The community house is where families gather and spend time together... cohousing encourages a culture of sharing and interaction with a balance of privacy…” “Gathering, spending time together, sharing, interaction”...in other words, connection. As we move deeper into the 21st century, this evolutionary advantage becomes increasingly rare as technology and busy lives drive a loneliness epidemic. In recognizing the painful symptoms of this contemporary isolation in their lives, Mark and his wife Kathleen started looking into other options. “Last winter when my family was holed up in our home, feeling isolated by the end of the winter, my wife found a cohousing community in Oregon and said ‘hey let’s go there...but we didn’t want to start all over,” Mark said, pausing to think. “Right now, our kids can’t walk out our front door and go find other kids. We have to schedule playdates and drive across town to spend time with our friends...this is more like intentionally creating something where the people living there have expressed the desire
for more community in their lives.” As I sat with Mark and considered what he was saying, I remembered stories my grandparents told me when I was kid; tales about neighborhood picnics, borrowing flour and sugar and wrenches, helping each other dig out trucks in winter storms. Thinking about this made me sad as I realized the cultural absence of this interdependence in my own life. It seems that Cohousing is an age-old solution to a contemporary problem - or rather, a rising tide of contemporary problems. In talking to Mark and doing further research, I discovered that the primary reasons many people choose cohousing are loneliness and the lack of community. Another reason for the current rise of cohousing - which has been around since 1972 - can be attributed to the growing awareness of climate and the need to scale down our living practices if our species is to continue existing on Earth. “Building sustainably, having well built homes, having a large garden to grow food, having some animals, doing solar panels, reducing our impact through smaller homes, I think cohousing promotes lifestyles that mesh with those [sustainable] ideas,” Mark said. And while a shared intention toward environmental living is common in cohousing philosophy, there is no single belief system or worldview required for getting involved. According to Mark, the Bozeman Cohousing Community “has a diverse group of people composed of professors, business owners, families, retirees, etc from here in Bozeman. Cohousing isn’t centered around a worldview. It’s centered around the goal of people wanting more community. Typically, sustainability comes with that. Living in smaller homes, having more of a shared culture so you don’t have to buy everything, but we’re not all Democrat, all Republican, all Catholic…” continued on next page
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Cohousingp 38 I’m amazed that using such a simple orientation, the Bozeman Cohousing Community formed and organized a cohesive community in just over a year. Especially now, where it seems like political fervor is the only organizing principle. As of February 20th, 2020, the land where the community will exist was purchased, the design process has begun with our architect, and the group is on schedule to begin building in the Spring of 2021. That’s an impressive victory considering the legal and organizational challenges of launching something that’s never been done in the state. In theory, the success of the Bozeman Cohousing Community will clear the path for others who want to create other cohousing initiatives. “This is the first cohousing community in Montana, so the legal process has taken some extra work,” said Mark, “but we’re hopefully paving the way for other communities, as well as Bozeman. We’ve had a lot of support for this project and we could definitely see other people creating other communities here in Bozeman.” As I started to grasp the dynamics of how it might look, how cohousing is basically an environmentally and aesthetically conscious neighborhood with the intention for meaningful human connection, I started wondering about the practicalities. What about arguments, what about decisions, what about those days when someone doesn’t pick up their dog’s poop? Is the poop everybody’s poop? Mark, smiling, was ready to assuage my anxieties. “It’s consensus-based decision making, which takes effort, but the goal is to foster community and by doing that, everyone’s voice is heard, and we work together to find solutions. That doesn’t mean just saying “no, I don’t like that idea,” instead you say ‘no, I don’t like that idea, I think we should do this,’ And have more of a discussion until everyone is satisfied.” I was confused and wondering whether humans can actually live this way, so I researched further. One website clarified the benefits of consensus-based decision making this way: “Using consensus gives us a taste of how things could be done
differently. It aims to dismantle all kinds of hierarchy, and replace it with shared power. It is based on the values of equality, freedom, co-operation and respect for everyone’s needs...Consensus involves looking for ‘win-win’ solutions that are acceptable to all. It is neither compromise nor unanimity – it aims to go further by weaving together everyone’s best ideas and key concerns – a process that often results in surprising and creative solutions, inspiring both the individual and the group as whole.” As my conversation with Mark wound down and I felt the excitement of new possibility- or the coffee - rumbling in my belly, I asked about spaces and whether it was still possible to get involved. Mark nodded enthusiastically. “We’re definitely looking for more people - there’s benefits to getting in earlier. You can have a say in the design, there’s some financial benefits, you can also secure your home. At some point it will fill up, so the sooner you can get in the better.” I pressed him again, questioning about the qualities they are looking for in people who join. “It’s open to everybody. We’re not discriminating. But we are hoping for people that agree with the values of the group; wanting community, wanting to put in a little effort to make that happen, community work days, cooking community dinners, using whatever skills you have and sharing them. If you’re good with kids, if you want to help caretake, all of that is welcome. So far everyone in the group has been doing a lot and helping out.” As I come to the end of this article and reflect on all the details I included, I recognize it may sound complicated. It seems like there’s special words and concepts and legal processes. But really, I think it’s actually quite simple. In Mark’s final words, “We’re just people that want a little more community and a little more intentional design.” d Kris Drummond is a Bozeman based writer, photographer and web designer. To connect with Kris, go to his website http://www.kristopherdrummond.com
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LIVING LOCAL
Mia Snyder
THE CLASS OF 2020 THE CLASS OF
COVID-19 Mia Snyder
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F
or the longest time, graduation seemed like an illusion to me, a mountaintop I could see but never thought I would reach. By my junior year, I’d switched my major upwards of five times, from Kinesiology to Chemical Engineering to English. I never knew what I wanted to do. (I still don’t.) I spent a summer working at a beautiful campground that sat on a lake ten miles outside of Mt. Rainier National Park and highly considered dropping out to stay there forever. Who’d want to come back to school after that? Eventually, I came to my senses, buckled down, chose a major, and clawed my way through my senior year. I credit much of my commitment to three consecutive semesters of bowling class. There’s something about chucking a 10-pound ball down an oiled lane over and over again that lessens a 20-credit course load. As spring break approached, the top of that mountain appeared closer and closer. My capstone project became the biggest obstacle between me and a diploma. At that point, if I’d had to guess what would inevitably prevent me from walking across the stage at graduation, a worldwide pandemic wouldn’t have even been on my list. Yet here we are.
In all reality, some things don’t feel all that different. As an English major, I’m still writing papers, reading challenging texts, participating in engaging discussions, and suffering from the allconsuming disease that is senioritis. But I’m also plagued by the knowledge that the class of 2020 was cheated. We were cheated out of a chance to savor the last few moments with our favorite professors and classmates. We were cheated out of an opportunity to watch as the snow finally melted from the sidewalks on campus and Bozeman shifted from an everlasting winter to spring. We were cheated out of decorating graduation caps and holding parties to celebrate our achievements with close family and friends.
Obviously, it doesn’t bode well for quarantine survival to dwell on the negative implications of coronavirus, nor is it realistic. Personally, it’s taken some trial and error to learn how to navigate this maze. Quarantine has given me the false sense that I have more time and thus, should accomplish more. I’ve attempted several “30Day Challenges” for fitness or self-development or whatever else, only to fall flat on my face after the first couple of days. I’ve had to tell myself that it’s okay to be patient, understanding, and most importantly, kind to myself throughout this experience. Instead, I’m finding the joys in small victories and otherwise mundane parts of my everyday life. Some of these small victories are a little strange. I’m sure that by now, most of you have heard or taken part in the 8 pm daily howl that echoes across Bozeman and many other states and cities across the country. The first time I heard it, I was on a sunset walk with my boyfriend, at Peet’s Hill. The sun had just begun to dip behind the mountains when out of nowhere, I was suddenly surrounded by screams, howls, and even a few wonderfully obnoxious blares from a trombone. My boyfriend and I turned to each other and fell speechless in shock as the noises continued for almost five minutes. After a quick Google search, I learned that the howls were meant to communicate support for the essential first responders and healthcare workers who have been sacrificing so much for us lately. People howl to convey solidarity, support, frustration, and whatever else they feel deserves a howl that day. I can certainly think of a few things. Today I received an email sent out by the head of the department of English, and he shared that he had a similar experience last night when he heard the howls for the first time. But he joined in and vowed to join in for everynight after: So I joined in too, howling not just for health care workers but for grocery store employees and delivery people and all the suddenly unemployed people and everyone else who is keeping the world together or whose worlds are falling apart...Tonight at 8, and every night after this, I’ll step outside and howl, and I recommend you do also, if you’re in Bozeman. I’m going to howl tonight for all the students and teachers in the English Department too...so when you’re out tonight, listen for my howl among the mix, and know that it’s directed to all of you, students who are graciously adapting to the sudden upheaval of their academic lives, teachers who have shifted as gracefully as possible to an online format, all of us who on top of that are also sharing collective and individual anxieties about uncertainties and upheavals in the present and the future. That’s me, cheering for you. I’ll listen for your howls as well, and it will help me remember that our department is a community even still, though stuck in our houses and apartments, talking to each other through computer screens, still celebrating the power of language and human interaction and learning and making loud noises. Just like the snow that falls this weekend will melt before too long, this pandemic will not last forever, and we will find each other in person again. I found comfort in his words and I’ve gained a little closure knowing that even though I won’t hear my name called as I walk across the stage in the Brick Breeden to shake President Cruzado’s hand, my department head is willing to do something as ridiculous as howling from his back porch to show his commitment and genuine empathy for his staff, students, and community. This is what I will remember about my senior year of college. It won’t be the cap and gown photos or the outlandish grad parties, it will be the genuine support and camaraderie that came out of complete chaos and uncertainty. It will be the knowledge that amidst a worldwide pandemic, teachers and department heads and even the university President herself, still want us to know that they haven’t forgotten about us. We matter. t Mia Snyder is a part-time intern and a full-time student at Montana State University. When she isn’t participating in activities for the Army ROTC program at MSU, she likes to drink coffee, play piano, and root for the Seattle Seahawks.
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LIVING LOCAL
HOW IS THE COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS AFFECTING THE BOZEMAN REAL ESTATE MARKET? Tim Ford – Real Estate Broker
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he coronavirus is affecting the lives of Americans and Bozemanites like nothing else has in my lifetime. My family and I are trying to navigate our new daily routines as my wife and I now try to both work from home while simultaneously trying to home school our young children. For those essential workers that have been working the front lines, I want to say Thank You so much for everything you’ve done to help our community. I have fielded a lot of calls from friends and clients wondering what is happening in real estate. Are homes still selling? Are there any buyers out looking? Let’s dive into that. The short answer is Yes. Homes are still selling, buyers are still out looking. However, there have been changes in the way we do business and the activity we’ve seen. I’m writing this on April 22nd, 2020. We are currently waiting to see whether Governor Bullock will continue stay-at-home orders and school closures, or whether we’ll start to see a gradual reopening. So, I’m sure depending on when you’re reading this, a lot may have changed. One piece of data I’ve been monitoring is the number of homes that have gone pending this year, starting on the Monday of Spring Break, and then comparing that to the same time period last year. Since it’s such a short period of time, one big day for sales can really swing the number, so it’s definitely not a perfect indicator, but at least it gives us a sense. With the school closure issued on Sunday, March 15th, that first week really didn’t see a big shift. However, the following week, when the stay-at-home order was issued, we did see a large reduction in the number of contracts. But, as buyers became adjusted to the “new normal,” the number of new contracts started to march back up. The following data includes the number of new contracts for all types of residential homes in Gallatin County, including single family homes, condos, & townhouses. Being roughly five weeks out from the school closures, we’re currently hovering around 84% of the activity from
last year. There’s two ways to look at that data. I could see some read it and think, “16% drop in new contracts! That’s terrible.” However, if one looks around town at all of the businesses that are shuttered and the level of market activity elsewhere, (you can park wherever you want in downtown Bozeman!) this actually looks like pretty strong activity to me. All things considered, I wouldn’t have been surprised if we were only seeing 10% or 25% of the “normal” market activity. One also has to remember that 2019 was a very busy year for real estate in Bozeman. What about showing protocols? We’re definitely changing the way we’re doing business during this pandemic. First and foremost, if buyers have had any signs of illness, whether or not those signs align with coronavirus symptoms, we’re asking them to stay home. Even for those feeling well, we’re often trying to start with a Face Time tour or video walk through. The number of homes offering virtual tours has also increased dramatically. If a buyer is taking that next step to tour the home, we’re taking a lot of precautions to minimize touching of surfaces and instituting social distancing. For those of you who own investment properties, are completing 1031s, or are looking at the Opportunity Zones, this is a time to keep current on the constantly changing guidelines and relief efforts. The IRS just issued extensions for those involved in 1031 like-kind exchanges or capital asset sales that were earmarked for Opportunity Zone fund purchases. It will be very interesting to see how things pan out in the coming weeks and months. A recent survey by the National Association of Realtors noted a majority of Realtors predict the market will rebound once the pandemic is over. t Tim Ford is a Realtor® with Bozeman Brokers Real Estate in Bozeman Montana. He can be contacted at 406-209-1214.be contacted at 406-209-1214.
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