9 minute read
Local runner
from 09-28-22 issue
Former Ronan athlete runs for suicide prevention, qualifies for Boston Marathon
News and Photos from Charleen Crenshaw
RONAN— Kira Crenshaw Niedens, a 2005 Ronan High School graduate, has been on the run for some time now. Running, that is, for suicide prevention with hopes of qualifying for one of the bigger races such as Chicago, New York, and Boston.
Thus far she has run in Missoula, in marathons in Oregon where she currently resides, and most recently has run in the Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon in Utah. With his race she qualified to run in the Boston Marathon by finishing in 3 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds.
“I’ve never been so happy to be 35 as the requirement for those who are 18-34 was 3 hours 30 minutes and I had an extra 5 minutes as a 35-year-old to qualify,” Niedens said.
Niedens was a Ronan athlete, breaking a 20-year standing record which was subsequently broken again the following year by yet another Ronan athlete. She ran both cross country and track, and played volleyball and basketball as well.
Athletes all have various reasons to run, and Niedens has a special reason to hit the road and earn money for suicide prevention.
Suicide affects thousands of families each year and is most prominent in the western states and Alaska, but suicide is no respecter of persons and does not discriminate. Her drive and motivation to run has earned approximately $4,000 for charity and has led her to continue to run, taking family and friends along for the ride who cheer her on.
She is currently scheduled to run Chicago in October, New York City in November, and is planning on applying to run in the Boston Marathon in April of 2023. Whether she is accepted or not depends upon how many other athletes are applying to run, as the cap for runners is no more than 30,000 and to earn a spot largely depends upon being chosen as a top tier runner among all those who apply. Runners are currently in the application process and should know by end October whether they have a place in this event.
What keeps her motivated to dig deep enough to keep going? Niedens said support from family, but also the idea that she is running for a purpose. It is a common practice to see names written on her shirt or on her arm of those who she will be running for in each race. Not all names she uses are those who have committed suicide, but some may be family members loved and lost that motivate her to push on.
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Story & Photos by Taylor Davison Valley Journal
JOCKO VALLEY — The Mission Mountain Area Pedal to Plate (MMAPP) bike tour kicked off on Saturday in a 26-mile route through farms around Arlee.
“The whole goal behind it is to promote our small-scale agriculture and the really diverse range of producers that we have here,” explained Mission West Cooperative Development Center Director Kaylee Thornley.
Started five years ago, a group of community members came together to work on agriculture tourism and stimulate local farms. As the area is great for biking as well, they approached Mission West Community Development Partners in Ronan with the idea and Mission West has acted as the fiscal sponsor ever since.
“It really promotes the farms,” Thornley explained. “We attract tourists here, they visit the farms and then when they see them at the farmers market or at the Good Food Store in Missoula, they have that recognition and are aware of the local food we have in this area and want to buy it to support farm families.”
Additionally, funds from the event often go towards supporting local bike causes, such as kids’ bike and helmet giveaways. This year’s funds will be going toward the Pedal Port bike hostile being developed in Ronan.
The biggest ride ever with 150 participants, this year’s route took participants through local farms Thunder Road Farm, Rock Raven Caprines, Mountain Meat Shares, and Harlequin Organic Produce, and three points of interest, including the Jocko River and the Garden of 1000 Buddhas. The last farm on the list, Sophie’s Farm and Orchard, ended up unable to be toured due to illness.
“It’s pretty exciting because it’s a lot of new farms that we haven’t gotten to visit or feature before,” Thornley commented.
Each farm offered visitors a taste of their local specialties to go along with the tour. Rock Raven Caprines served goat cheese and on Crow’s View Farm sourdough drizzled with local honey. Harlequin Farm offered Flare Pop popsicles made with produce from Fresh Roots Farm. Mountain Meat Shares, with Rusty Nail Farm, offered Horiatiki salad with fresh produce from Harlequin Farm and hummus from Montana-grown lentils and held lunch in lieu of Sophie’s Farm and Orchard.
Thunder Road Farm, the start and end point for the day, offered participants a farm-totable dinner, live music from the Western Montana Musician’s Co-op and a farmers market where riders could support the farms they’d visited.
“I love the dinner at the end,” Thornley said. “I feel like it all reinvigorates (the participants). People were dancing and enjoying each other’s company and that was just really satisfying to see at the end of the ride, how much people were just enjoying being together.”
Mission West is always looking for volunteers to help organize the event throughout the year. Those interested should reach out to Thornley at 406-676-5919 or email: kaylee.thornley@missionwestcdp.org.
At this time, next year’s MMAPP ride is planned for the third weekend in September. To sign up or find out more, visit: www.bikereg/ mmapp.
Montana made Indy feature Kicks-Off Statewide Special Screenings in Polson
The Year of the Dog filmed on location, features a Montana-based cast and crew
News from Alison Graham, AJGrp
POLSON — The Montana-based producers of the independent feature, The Year of the Dog, in partnership with the Polson, Montana-based film distribution company, Nova Vento Entertainment, will host a week-long special screening, in Polson at Showboat Cinemas - Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.
Filmed exclusively on location in Bozeman, Livingston, and the Paradise Valley with a cast and crew predominantly pulled from all over the state - Bozeman and Missoula, Butte and Livingston, Red Lodge and Polson - The Year of the Dog is about two strays: Matt, an alcoholic struggling to maintain sobriety and Yup’ik, a rescue dog with an unusual athletic gift.
Award-winning filmmaker, Robert Grabow who hails from Livingston, wrote, co-directed, produced, and starred in the film. Grabow says, “To debut our film in Montana, and Polson specifically, is a dream come true. I’m from Livingston. I’m a Park High School graduate, as was my grandfather. To make this film in Montana with Montana locals and then have this chance to share our film, which we think is special, with our Montana family is everything. A huge thank you to Nova Vento Entertainment and Showboat Cinemas and to the town of Polson for making this possible.” The Year of the Dog features an accomplished cast of TV and film actors including two Native American actors who are currently on the groundbreaking FX series Reservation Dogs: Lakota actor Michael Spears and Jon Proudstar, whose heritage includes Yaqui, Mayan, Jewish, and Latino ancestors.
Spears, who hails from Bozeman, is currently filming the titular role in the feature Sitting Bull, on location in eastern Canada. Proudstar, a veteran of 43 films, ((Dances with Wolves, Skins, Into the West, Yellow Rock, Longmire, and Reservation Dogs, Season 2) had four big releases in 2021, which include The Heart Stays, Wastelander, Deep Woods, and Mammoth. Proudstar is said to be on the short list for Emmy consideration for his performance as Leon in Reservation Dogs.
Additional actors include, Broadway actor Aaron Finley, a Bozeman local, (starred in the Emmy Award-winning Moulin Rouge and performed in the original productions of Kinky Boots and Rock of Ages); and reality TV actor Abram Boise, a Livingston local (MTV’s Road Rules South Pacific and The Challenge). As writer and co-director of The Year of the Dog, Grabow, plays Matt in the film and is credited with roles in the SYFY Network TV series Z-Nation and the feature film Mickey and the Bear which premiered at the South by Southwest and Cannes Film Festivals.
Grabow says that “The Year of the Dog is more than a feel-good dog film; it’s a heart-warming journey of forgiveness, finding purpose, being vulnerable, making connections, and ultimately healing.” In addition to being a well-acted, interesting film with great music and an abundance of cool dog moments, Grabow hopes that his movie “inspires people to continue to open themselves up emotionally and to connect with those they love.”
Beautifully shot in Bozeman, Livingston, and Paradise Valley, The Year of the Dog is a heartwarming film featuring great Montana landscapes and indigenous themes.
In addition to its week-long screening in Polson, The Year of the Dog is also slated for several other special screenings at nine theaters across the state in Havre, Glasgow, Cut Bank, Livingston, Lewistown, Wolf Point, Dillon, as well as in Salmon, Idaho, until October 30. Following the feature film’s special screenings, The Year of the Dog heads to New York to premiere at the Chelsea Film Festival.
Information on special screening locations and times, production stills, cast and crew, trailers and national release dates are available online: www. theyearofthedogmovie.com, Instagram: @ theyearofthedogmovie, Facebook: @TheYearoftheDogMovie, and Twitter: @YearofDogMovie.
News from the Mission Valley Choral Society
POLSON — Singers have until Oct. 11 to join the Mission Valley Choral Society to practice for Christmas concerts.
Practices are Tuesdays, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the New Life Church in Polson. Choir Director Christian Bumgarner has created a varied musical selection from Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” to “Sleigh Ride” arranged by Andy Beck, and “We Wish you a Merry Christmas” arranged by Alice Parker.
Christmas concerts are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17 for St. Ignatius Mission and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18 for the Ronan Performing Art Center.
Questions can be directed to 406-261-3304.
