Volume 35 , Issue 3
www.buttechamber.org
May 2015
Thursday, May 28th - 5 p.m. Quack Attack—Duck Races @ the Chamber
On April 30th, the Butte Chamber of Commerce, Butte Local Development and Montana Tech hosted the luncheon for the Chief Executive’s State of the City Address. Approximately 55 people from throughout the community attended this event at the Frank and Ann Gilmore University Relations Center Building.
Thursday, June 10th - 12 noon CVB Board @ Chamber Monday, June 15th– 11:30 a.m. Chamber Executive Board Meeting @ Chamber
The luncheon followed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Natural Resources Research Center. Starting at 4:30 p.m., Montana Tech hosted the Chamber Business Card Social at the HPER Complex, which was held in conjunction with Techxpo.
Tuesday, June 16th– 12 noon Advantage Butte @ Metals Sports Bar & Grill
A very large crowd was in attendance for the social. The Chamber would like to thank Montana Tech for hosting this social and for allowing us to have the luncheon at noon on campus. It was truly a great day for all who attended these events.
Thursday, June 18th– 7 a.m. Chamber Board Meeting Thursday, June 18th - 12 noon Chamber Ambassadors @ Chamber
There are photos from this event on pages 10-11.
Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce Visitors’ Center 1000 George St. Butte, MT 59701
Marko Lucich Executive Director mlucich@buttechamber.org Maria Pochervina CVB Director/TBID Executive Secretary mariap@buttecvb.com
Stephanie Sorini Marketing, Membership & Bookkeeping Director
marketing@buttechamber.org Cheryl Ackerman Receptionist/Staff Associate bsbchamber@gmail.com
(406) 723-3177
Shane McCarthy, Safeway
Don Peoples, Individual Member
Desiree Shogren, Comfort Inn of Butte
Cindi Shaw, Council of Commissioners
Ed Stepan, REC Silicon
Pat Fleming, Fleming & O’Leary Attorneys
Paul Tash, Tash Communications
Lynn Lloyd, Montana Standard
Alana Ferko, Butte Plaza Mall
Bill Melvin, Butte Civic Center
Linda Granger, School Trustee/Highlands College
Kevin Dennehy, St. James Healthcare
Town Pump Hotel Group
Paul Babb, Northwestern Energy
Chris Ackerman, Cherry Creek Radio
Ed Stepan, Vice President
Tami O’Connell, Stix & Stonz
Herb Kelsey, Farm Bureau Financial
Karen Corbin, KXLF TV
Judy Jonart, School District #1
Maura Uggetti, Copper Ridge Healthcare
Andy Zdinak, BLDC
Becky Sprunger, Human Resources Council, District XII
Kristen Rosa, Butte-Silver Bow
Colin Higgins, MacKenzie River Pizza Company
Machelle LeProwse, Rodan & Fields
Bob Bentley, Jr., Bentley Construction
Pete Akey, Glacier Bank
Matt Vincent, BSB Chief Executive
Marsha Foster, Individual Member
Donald Blackketter, Chancellor Montana Tech
Janel Morgan, Harrison Avenue Realty
Paula Ruark, Town Pump Hotel Group
Craig Tippett, Newland and Company, P.C.
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Jeff Gorman, McDonald’s
Pete Akey, President Glacier Bank
Colin Higgins, President-Elect MacKenzie River Pizza Company
Paula Ruark, Past President
REC Silicon
Bill Melvin, Vice-President Butte Civic Center/CVB President
Desiree Shogren, Vice-President Comfort Inn of Butte
Paul Tash, Vice-President Tash Communications
Chris Ackerman, Vice-President Cherry Creek Radio
Chamber Board Presents 2016 Slate of Candidates for Chamber Board of Directors and Officers The following directors will be completing their 2nd and final term on October 31, 2015: Chris Ackerman Herb Kelsey Lynn Lloyd Paula Ruark The following directors will be completing their 1st three year term and have agreed to serve a 2nd term: Andy Zdinak Judy Jonart Kristen Rosa Machelle LeProwse Pete Akey Proposed slate for new directors for 2016 commencing on Nov. 1, 2015-Oct. 31, 2018: Francene Archibald - Account Executive, NBC Montana Jamey McDaniel - Manager, Wal*Mart Jenean Salle Kujawa - Montana Standard Mike Paffhausen - State Farm Insurance Proposed Executive Board for 2015: Pete Akey - Past President Colin Higgins - President Paul Babb - President Elect Craig Tippett - Treasurer CVB President Bill Melvin - Vice President Desiree Shogren - Vice President Ed Stepan - Vice President Paul Tash - Vice President Marsha Foster - Vice President
Nomination by Petition If a Chamber Member would like their name to be placed in nomination for the Board of Directors, the following procedure must be followed in accordance with the Chamber Bylaws. See Article VI, Election of Officers, Section 4. Nomination by Petition. Additional names of candidates for directors can be nominated by petition bearing the signatures of at least twenty-five (25) members of the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of commerce in good standing. Any petitions for nominations shall be presented to the board of directors prior to the September meeting. Also see Section 5. Petitions must be turned in to the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce no later than Friday, September 11, 2015, by 5 o’clock p.m.
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These recent photos show Chamber Volunteer Myrtle Gamroth preparing the duckies for battle‌.
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On behalf of the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce, Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) and Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) we are excited to share with the residents of Butte-Silver Bow the tremendous economic impact that tourism produces for our community. This data is collected from the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at the University of Montana. The figures we will be sharing with you today are a two year average from 2012 and 2013 for non-resident traveler expenditures. Below is a chart of the respective categories and expenditures for this time period. Categories
Expenditures
% of County
Gas
$ 58,472.000
51.4%
Hotel, Motel, B&B
$ 16,877,000
14.8%
Restaurant, Bar
$ 16,321,000
14.3%
Retail
$ 11,541,000
10.1%
Grocery, Snacks
$ 6,798,000
6.0%
Auto Rental, Repair
$
994,000
0.9%
Outfitter, Guide
$
815,000
0.7%
License, Fees
$
614,000
0.5%
Gambling
$
548,000
0.5%
Rental Cabin
$
364,000
0.3%
Campground
$
278,000
0.2%
Service
$
138,000
0.1%
Farmer’s Market
$
104,000
0.1%
Transportation Fares
$
13,000
0.0%
TOTAL
$113,877,000
100%
This This data provides us with a glimpse into the industries most impacted by tourism in Butte-Silver Bow. Tourism has an impact on many different business sectors, in addition tourism businesses circulate traveler dollars through the Butte economy each time they purchase local product and services. Looking further down the list you will find much of our community benefits from non-resident visitor expenditures. These numbers vary a bit from community to community as to where the lodging/industry ranks in expenditures, for entire state of Montana. Looking at the state of Montana as a whole, lodging expenditures ranks #4 following # 3 Restaurant/Bar, #2 Retail and again at #1 Gasoline in the expenditure ranking.
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The lodging industry throughout Montana collects a 7% Accommodations Tax and in Butte, like so many other cities a $1.00/room/night assessment through the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) on occupied rooms. These lodging industry, self-imposed assessments/taxes are used to promote tourism. Two different organizations and boards of directors oversee how this money, totaling $300,000, for Butte-Silver Bow. The Accommodation Tax is dispersed through the Montana Department of Commerce. A Governor-appointed Advisory Council oversees the state, region and Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) promotion dollar expenditures, ensuring a cohesive message is shared to our non-resident visitors. The TBID is comprised of a local group of lodging property owners or their designees. Again promotion is the focus of TBID dollars, from tournament sponsorship, leisure marketing campaigns to meeting assistance. Tourism promotion dollars have been spent to increase awareness of Butte and encourage visitors to stay. Between the Accommodations Tax and TBID assessments events such as the: Montana Folk Festival, Evel Knievel Days, An Ri Ra, Northern Rodeo Association, Montana High School Association tournaments have received funding for event promotion. A large scale “warm season” print and digital campaign began rolling out earlier this spring featuring the mountain biking and fishing opportunities in our area. Our visitor guide and the Attraction Sheet/Map has been printed annually, helping our visitor find fun and interesting things to do. Butte continues to have a presence at tradeshows to attract domestic and international travelers such as the American Bus Association, National Tour Association, Go West Summit, Rocky Mountain International Roundup and the Calgary Adventure and Travel Show. Ads have been placed in the travel region of Southwest Montana and Glacier Country along with having our visitor guides along the corridors between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Assistance has been given to meetings using our conference facilities: MT Newspaper Association, MT Park and Recreation Conference, MT Association of Chamber Executives and Heads-N-Tales bike rally. As we begin to close on the busy tourism season, our new website will be unveiled along with a mobile app with tours of various areas in Butte. These two projects are being funded through grants and partnerships with the Montana Office of Tourism. The quest of the tourism promotion arm of the Chamber of Commerce is very simple; bring people to Butte who will stay and enjoy what our city has to offer. With this in mind, we encourage our residents to invite your business associates, family & friends “home to Butte” to rest in our hotels, dine in our restaurants, shop in our stores, visit our attractions, bike and hike on our trails and fish in our rivers and streams. Butte is blessed to have it all at our front door for all to enjoy!! Once people have experienced Butte, they will have discovered Montana’s real treasure.
Executive Director Butte Chamber of Commerce
Director of the CVB Secretary of the TBID
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DARK WEB: Ransom-held Computer Files Lead to Troubling Trek Deep into the Web By Paul Tash originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of the Montana Tavern Times (reprinted with permission) If you’re not sitting down, my friends, I suggest you do so now. What follows is a terrifying tale of unscrupulous computer hacking – one that entails bad luck and poor decisions, bitcoin purchases and off-grid browsers, and an illfated journey into the Dark Web. ––– One Friday morning in late January I stop in the office to finish some editing and answer some emails before leaving town for the weekend. It’s simple stuff, and I expect to be done in just a few minutes. I call up a Word document. It doesn’t appear. Instead, a window pops up with this message: “Your files were encrypted and locked with a RSA2048 key.” I call up another document. Same message. I try an Excel file. Same message. Panic sets in. Rapid-fire clicking on dozens of files follows. None can be accessed, but my desktop is littered with “your files were encrypted” windows. The message now is loud and clear – I’ve been hacked. ––– Mental health experts tell us that human beings often go through phases during recovery from a personal trauma. Grief, for example, may have several stages to work through during recovery, from shock and denial to acceptance and hope. Only two stages exist for computer hacking, however. Panic and anger. Sometimes a third phase comes up, but it’s just another round of anger. A special place in hell is reserved for computer hackers. It’s right next door to the place awaiting those who prey on the elderly with their phone scams. Bad, bad people they are. ––– Under the encryption message are directions on how to “decrypt,” or unlock, my files. I see these are not simple traffic directions … take a right on Harrison Avenue, go to the second stop light, and Walmart will be on your right. These directions are complex and take you into the cyber world to places you’ve never been, or
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even heard of. First, I’m supposed to download something called a Tor browser, then go to http://r7twae4a7jtozjwv.onion and “follow the instructions.” I do so, just to see what they are, and find more steps that focus on the acquisition According to Wikipedia, bitcoins have grown in popularity as a form of payment for products and services, and merchants have an incentive to accept it because fees are lower than the 2–3 percent typically imposed by credit card processors. The price of a bitcoin fluctuates, and some people purchase them as an investment. Further research tells me that bitcoins are becoming the currency of choice for cyber criminals. I can verify that because the instructions say it’s going to cost me one bitcoin for the hackers to email me the key to unlock my files. ––– “Oh no,” says the computer expert I call to describe my problem. “Oh no,” he says again as I continue with the story.
So I begin to waiver. What will this key cost? I research further and find that one bitcoin, the amount of ransom asked for the key, is currently about $257. The instructions say I need to buy two bitcoins, to assure that should the value of the bitcoin fall before the final transaction is made to the bad guys, I’d still have enough bitcoin purchased to send them one. So I begin to rationalize. It’ll cost me $514 initially to get my computer back the way it was with all my files, and in less time than it would take to wipe and reinstall. And I’d probably have a bitcoin left over. So I make a decision. I’m going to chase the key. Why on earth would I trust the people who hacked me in the first place to actually send the key, after they have their money? My research seems to indicate that most of the victims of this computer attack do indeed receive a key.
Why? Because the bad guys want to perpetuate After a third and even more emphatic “Oh, no!” their scheme. If victims found after Internet from my computer guy, I realize I’m having a research that the key wasn’t ever being sent very bad morning. after the ransom was paid, nobody would pay. Though maybe successful originally, the scam He tells me I have two options: one, wipe my would end rather quickly. computer clean and lose everything on it, or two, follow the directions and buy the key to The following Monday, after returning from a hopefully unlock my files. My first reaction was, weekend that was not restful at all, I visit a “they can kiss my butt.” I’m not paying their computer store. I ask a computer expert there ransom, period (one of the names to describe about the mysterious Tor browser, which I’d this particular hack is, in fact, “ransomware”). downloaded the previous Friday. He looks at me, and pauses like he isn’t sure I can handle Then I start thinking … always a dangerous the truth. proposition. What all was I going to lose? I know computer backups are important. “That’s the portal to the Dark Web,” he finally says. Everybody knows that. And, yes, I do back my files up whenever I remember to. I just hadn’t “The Dark Web,” I say. remembered to lately. “What’s the Dark Web?” But even though I’d lose some important files, I “That’s where people go to find hit men,” he could get by. answers, watching my face turn white. “Lots of What really has me thinking is the enormous drug deals and other bad things go on there, chore of reinstalling all of my software. The too.” reinstalls would literally take days, if I could Tor, he explains, allows much more anonymous even find all the installation CDs. And before communication than regular browsers. launching that effort, the computer tech would Wikipedia says the browser “directs Internet need 2-5 days to wipe the computer. traffic through a free, worldwide, volunteer network consisting of more than six thousand
relays designed to conceal a user's location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis.”
It delayed postal deliveries for days.
In an unbelievable example of Murphy’s Law, the money order does not arrive in Brooklyn on I think, this is crazy stuff. I think, I should bail on Wednesday. Nor does it arrive on Thursday or this key thing right now. Then I think, but I can Friday. Finally, on Saturday at noon, delivery is have everything back to normal by Wednesday confirmed. or Thursday. The Coin Café is not open on Saturdays, I return to the office and begin my journey into however, so my transaction will have to wait the Dark Web. until Monday. ––– Seated at my ailing computer, I print the directions from the web address reached in the Tor browser. (The computer’s print and some email functions are not affected by the ransomware, which for the record is officially called CryptoLocker.) Working in the Tor browser, I download and install software to create a virtual “wallet” that I later will transfer my bitcoins to. Directions take me to a website that lists a dozen or so companies that sell bitcoins. I choose the top one, called the Coin Café that’s based in Brooklyn, N.Y. I then set up an account at the Coin Café. To do so, I have to upload to the company’s website a photo of me holding my driver’s license next to my face to prove identification. This photo had to be taken in bright sunlight with an identifiable background to make it more difficult to fake the photo. Then I go to the Post Office, as required, to purchase a moneyorder for $596 – $514 for the two bitcoins, plus the Coin Café transaction fee and the money-order charge. The price for this cyber safari is rising. I then overnight the money order to Brooklyn. I miss the day’s delivery cutoff, though, so it isn’t scheduled to arrive until Wednesday. When it arrives, Coin Café will purchase my two bitcoins, then transfer them to my virtual wallet. From my wallet, I’ll transfer one bitcoin to the bad guys’ virtual wallet, and within 12 hours of that transaction, I’ll receive my key via email. But as college football analyst Lee Corso likes to say, “Not so fast, my friends.” ––– The Northeast has endured an awful winter. An awfully snowy winter. The worst of that snow came in the last week of January. So much snow fell that it closed schools and businesses and airports.
everything. Then I check it again, and pause. Then I hit send. ––– You’ll notice on the Tavern Times masthead that my email address has changed. I was advised to make the change after four days of waiting for a key that never arrived.
That’s right. No happy ending came from my exasperating 14-day encounter with the One of the main reasons for chasing the key CryptoLocker. Those last four days were was to retrieve the use of my files in the especially excruciating. I was Charlie Brown, quickest way possible. That reason is no longer waiting by the mailbox for a Valentine that valid. never comes. Emotionally and physically drained, I took my computer in to be cleansed I first encountered CryptoLocker on my of the ransomware. A couple of days and computer Friday, Jan. 23. It’s now Monday, Feb. another hundred bucks later, I picked it up. 2, exactly 10 days later. I had just 10 days to get the hackers the ransom of one bitcoin. After Lessons were learned, however. that, ransom doubles to two bitcoins. Now I For one, my computer is backed up every day, wonder, did the 10-day window expire? What automatically, on the cloud. And I unplug time on that first Friday did the clock start to external hard drives from my computer when run? I’m not using them. Some of the nastier viruses Throughout this process, all I’ve had are the can crawl right into those drives, if they’re original instructions – there’s no way to contact connected during the initial attack, and infect the hackers. Dilemma. Do I transfer just one them, too. bitcoin, hoping I’m within the 10-day window, I’m more careful now opening email and risk the possibility of not getting the key attachments. CryptoLocker usually invades after all the trouble? Or do I send them two computers through email attachments, bitcoins, at the cost of an extra $257, just to be especially ones that falsely indicate they’re sure? Of course, another option exists. I could from FedEx or another courier service. shut down the whole crazy cyber safari, cash in my bitcoins to rescue the majority of my However, the ransomware can also hijack money, and wipe the computer clean. That’s certain websites and infect from those. I don’t what I should have done in the beginning, but know how my computer was infected. now …. I’m also more selective in my web-browsing. Now, I have to see this through. Way too much Don’t expect your anti-virus software, such as effort has been expended not to experience Norton and McAfee, to keep your computer some conclusion. It’s like one of those B horror safe. A computer wizard told me those movies. Everybody knows the guy shouldn’t programs are only 40 to 50 percent effective in venture into the dark alley to look for his lost catching all the bad that’s floating around the puppy. But he always does, and bad things web. always happen. ––– I don’t care. Come hell or high water, I’m going I hope you’ve learned something, too. Back up in after my puppy. your files daily. Be wary of unfamiliar emails. ––– And if you ever come face-to-face with CryptoLocker, remember my arduous journey I decide to transfer two bitcoins. Money is no into the Dark Web. longer a concern, nor is sleeping or eating. I’m consumed by the Dark Web. I launch Tor, and Believe me, you do not want to star in your own go to my virtual wallet. Coin Café has indeed horror movie. purchased my bitcoins and transferred them to my wallet. The address of the hackers’ virtual wallet is a mind-numbing 25 characters long, virtually impossible to type in correctly. I copy and paste it. After completing the rest of the bitcoin transfer information, I double check
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PERIODICALS U.S. POSTAGE PAID BUTTE, MT
1000 George St. Butte, MT 59701
POSTMASTER: Send changes of address to: Chamber of Commerce, 1000 George St., Butte, MT 59701. Membership investment includes $3.00 per year subscription. The Progress (USPS 124-550) is published monthly by The Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce, 1000 George St., Butte, MT 59701. Periodical Postage Paid at Butte, Montana.
CONSTRUCTION Year to Date
EMPLOYMENT Labor Force Unemployment Unemployment Rate
MONTH/YEAR
MONTH/YEAR
%
March 2014
March 2015
CHANGE
314,456.64
3,952,274.67
1156.9%
We can’t promise that we can include everything that we receive, but we do promise to carefully consider all submissions.
1,696,218.38
6,297,453.72
271.3%
bsbchamberprogress@gmail.com
17,948 1,046 5.9%
data unavailable data unavailable 4.8%
n/a n/a -18.9%
14 2
25 3
78.6% 50%
MAIL Tourism Requests General Information
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