Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine by yellowstonevalleywoman

COMPLIMENTARY

BILLINGS’ MOST READ MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2021

cheers2 20 YEARS! TO

Erik Hokenstad, MD Billings Clinic Urogynecologist

You don’t have to live with incontinence

Craig A. Mayr, MD, PhD Billings Clinic Urogynecologist

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For an appointment with one of our urogynecologists, please call (406) 238-2887.

Community Corner Introducing our new owners,

Dan and Beth Smith!

Kris Barthuly 406.855.1252

Nancy Curtiss 406.696.2434

Victoria Brauer-Konitz 406.855.2856

Erica Burke 406.544.8033

Stella Ossello Burke 406.690.9955

Cheryl Burows 406.698.7423

Maya Burton 406.591.0106

Tony Contreraz 406.671.2282

Suzie Countway 406.671.1595

Anita Dolan 406.869.7639

Cindy Dunham Lance Egan 406.425.0182 406.698.0008

Myles Egan 406.855.0008

Karen Frank 406.698.0152

Darwin George 406.794.4663

Catie Gragert 406.697.4321

Rhonda Grimm Toni Hale 406.661.7186 406.690.3181

Kris Hein 406.598.7169

Scott Hight 406.425.1101

Amy Kraenzel 406.591.2370

Sheila Larsen 406.672.1130

Susan B. Lovely 406.698.1601

Julie Magnus 406.672.1164

Career Enhancement Manager

Don Moseley 406.860.2618

James Movius 406.670.4711

Ginger Nelson 406.697.4667

Linda Nygard 406.855.1192

Mike Oliver 406.254.1550

Gregg ONeil 406.425.3684

Jordan Painchaud Kelsey Palmer Jeanne Peterson 406.633.1141 406.396.8785 406.661.3941

Korinne Rice 406.697.0678

Nicole Sayre Judy Shelhamer 406.850.3623 406.671.1423

Mary Dobrowsky 406.606.0233

Brett Taylor 406.671.0519

Carlene Taubert Brandon Treese 406.647.5007 406.698.2205

Robin Hanel 406.860.6181

Jeff Watson 406.672.2515

406.860.1032

Mark Winslow 406.671.7305

Team Smith

Team Hanel

Tom Hanel 406.690.4448

Melissa Utley 406.861.7663

Liz Miller

Billings Best Real Estate Agency 2014-2019

Beth Smith 406.861.9297

Dan Smith 406.860.4997

406.254.1550 | 1550 Poly Dr, Billings | 444 N 9th St Ste 5, Columbus | 201 Broadway Ave S, Red Lodge | www.bhhsfloberg.com ©2021 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity.

MEET the STAFF

MELANIE FABRIZIUS

ED KEMMICK

LAURA BAILEY

Design

Copy Editor / Writer

Special Section Editor Social Media / Writer

TERRY PERKINS

TRISH SCOZZARI

LYNN LANGELIERS

Sales Executive

Sales Executive / Writer

Sales Executive

SPECIAL THANKS to our

CONTRIBUTORS

DANIEL SULLIVAN

LOVELY HITCHCOCK

Photography

YVW MAGAZINE

Virginia Bryan Sue Olp Vicki-Lynn Terpstra Karli Bies Kay Erickson Stella Fong Karen Grosz Linda Halstead-Acharya Rachel Jennings

Letter

FROM THE

Editor

TWENTY YEARS. That’s

I love telling stories. I love being a part of those occasionally intimate moments as the women I’m interviewing share bits and pieces of their lives. As I reflect on the hundreds of stories I’ve written over the years, I look at this magazine as a kind of sisterhood. When one woman opens up and inspires others with her work or her life, it creates a chain reaction. It’s a beautiful thing I’ve witnessed time and time again.

a long time. Think about how old you were 20 years ago and the things that were prominent in your life. As I reflect, my daughter hadn’t yet been born. My son was just 4 and was causing a ruckus, as most 4-year-old boys do. I had been married to my best friend for only five years. At the time, I was anchoring the noon news for KTVQ-2. Sometime in March of 2001, I remember hitting the grocery store on my way home from work to pick up something for dinner when I spotted the face of Lynn Turner Fitzgerald on the cover of a magazine I’d never seen before. The cover caught my eye because Lynn was working at KULR-8 at the time. Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine? What was this? I grabbed a copy and stuffed it in the bag right next to my groceries and went on my way. I’m not sure I read that first issue cover to cover. I know I read Lynn’s story. I was interested to learn more about the woman who worked for the other station in town. I had no idea then that the magazine I picked up from an Albertsons shelf would wrap itself so tightly around my heartstrings in the years to come. When I joined the team in the fall of 2005 — and I laugh as I admit this — I had no clue what I was doing. When I met with then-publisher Jay Hanson, I said, “yes” to a job as YVW’s editor, only to come home and ask myself, “What did you just say ‘yes’ to?” I’ve had 15 years to figure it out, growing not only as an editor but for the past three years as YVW’s publisher. The job has stretched me. It’s been my best professional “yes.”

YVW MAGAZINE

As YVW celebrates this 20-year milestone, I want to thank you, our readers, for picking up this magazine and making it matter. Your love for it only makes us work harder to bring you these stories. Our litmus test has become – Is it compelling? Will it inspire? Will it inform? If the answer is yes, we can’t wait to put it in print. I have to acknowledge the women and men who help make this magazine shine. There are close to two dozen of them. From the contributors always willing to delve deep into our pieces to the salespeople —Terry, Trish and Lynn — who take our mission and partner with the 150-plus advertisers annually to make sure YVW exists, to the creative people — Melanie, Dan and Lovely — who give a “face” to YVW. Flip to our Staff and Contributor’s Page and look at those names. I am so grateful for each one of them. They are YVW. Here’s a little fun fact before I let you enjoy this anniversary issue. Since March of 2001, we’ve published more than 2.6 million words and featured more than 120 cover stories. That’s remarkable. If you’re holding this magazine, you’re helping give YVW its voice. So, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you. Cheers to 20 years!

Julie

Five Stars. Two Years in a Row.

Quality Matters. St. Vincent Healthcare is proud to be among the TOP 8% of U.S. hospitals for overall quality. The five-star rating from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is due to the countless hours of work and unmatched commitment by our doctors, advanced care professionals, nurses, and staff. Together, they do an exceptional job in meeting the health and wellness needs of families across our region. We extend our thanks to them for all they do as well as to our community for the confidence you show in us. Quality Matters. And quality is found at St. Vincent Healthcare.

Learn more today at svh.org/5star

MARCH/APRIL 2021 2021 On the Cover 18

HELPING OUR VALLEY SHINE

The women who have added color & content to YVW's pages over the last 20 years

Features

A 20 YEAR SNAPSHOT

ALL ABOUT ANNA

TAKING IT TO THE MAT

TAKE 20!

The events that shaped our community

A 20 year old entrepreneur & fashionista

Billings Senior’s girls wrestlers give it their all in their first season

Top tips to live a healthier life

66 FLAVORS & FAMILY FROM THE MAGIC CITY'S PAST

Revisiting some of Billings' favorite restaurants

REMARKABLE WOMEN

RECYCLING E-WASTE

HEART & SOUL

Inspiring & impacting change

Fox's determination & diversification make ‘going green’ profitable

The women in leadership roles help St. John's United through a challenging year

YVW Home

GAME ON AT THE KOK HOUSE Home undergoes dramatic transformation

106 ENERGY EFFICIENT POWERHOUSE Braving the elements with these savvy tips

IN EVERY ISSUE

CORRECTION: In our January/February 2021 home story featuring LC Custom Homes, we used the term "whole house surround sound." In actuality, CK Tech + Security provided a "whole-home multi-zone audio system." We apologize for the improper terminology.

YVW MAGAZINE

FASHION: Revamp Your Closet

TASTE OF THE VALLEY: Tasty & Budget Friendly Feast

KAREN GROSZ: Talking to Strangers

104

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND: Bring in Spring

Accidents Happen... WE CAN HELP.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR JULIE KOERBER julie@yellowstonevalleywoman.com COPY EDITOR ED KEMMICK SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR LAURA BAILEY ADVERTISING TERRY PERKINS: 406-860-3951 terry@yellowstonevalleywoman.com TRISH SCOZZARI: 406-690-9528 trish@yellowstonevalleywoman.com LYNN LANGELIERS: 406-671-2325 lynn@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

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C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R MELANIE FABRIZIUS ads@yellowstonevalleywoman.com DISTRIBUTION NICOLE BURTELL CONTACT Yellowstone Valley Woman PO Box 23204 Billings, MT 59104 Phone: 406-254-1394 www.yellowstonevalleywoman.com ON THE COVER Photography by Daniel Sullivan Clothing by Cricket Clothing Co. Makeup by Brooke Becker, Sanctuary Spa & Salon ©2021 Media I Sixteen All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Crispier. Flakier. Tastier. Try the new Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich, only at Wendy’s. Available for a limited time at all four Wendy’s locations in Billings and Wendy’s in Laurel. © 2021 Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC

MARCH/APRIL 2021

A 20

SNAPSHOT

YEAR

THE EVENTS THAT SHAPED OUR COMMUNITY written by VIRGINIA BRYAN

Yellowstone County hosted a Bicentennial Celebration of the

LEWIS AND CLARK CORPS OF DISCOVERY. On July 25, 1806, William

A SEVERE WINTER STORM IN DECEMBER closed

Clark, Sacagawea, her infant son and others stopped at a large sandstone outcropping on the Yellowstone River about 20 miles east of Billings. Clark carved his name on the formation and named it “Pompey’s Pillar” in honor of Sacagawea’s son. The site became a National Monument in 2001.

I-94 and I-90 and secondary roads in and around Billings. After hotels and motels quickly filled, the Red Cross set up emergency shelters to house stranded motorists.

AVERAGE

HOME VALUE IN BILLINGS:

$105,760

Billings voters approved a multimillion-dollar mill levy for a NEW BALLPARK on North 27th Street. Named Dehler Park to recognize a private donor’s significant gift to the effort, it opened in 2008.

POPULATION OF BILLINGS:

91,006

2001

2002 St. Vincent Healthcare announced the

NELLES NURSING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM to train and retain nurses.

Every semester, 35 nursing students received a generous scholarship and the opportunity to work at St. Vincent Healthcare upon graduation.

YVW MAGAZINE

2003

2004

2005

2007

JOHN BOHLINGER

WAS ELECTED LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ON A BIPARTISAN TICKET WITH GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER. For many years, Bohlinger owned and operated Aileen’s, a women’s clothing store in downtown Billings and Rimrock Mall.

DUBBED “SKYPOINT” BY A BILLINGS SIXTH-GRADER, a 73-foot-high steel structure with canvas sails, covering an entire intersection, was installed at North Broadway and Second Avenue North. It has lived up to its intended purpose, becoming a “defining element” in downtown.

WHEN YELLOWSTONE VALLEY WOMAN MAGAZINE

first hit the racks citywide, what did Billings look like? What were some of the events that moved and shaped our community? We take a look back at that snapshot in time.

FORTUNE MAGAZINE NAMED BILLINGS

“THE BEST SMALL CITY TO START A BUSINESS.” BICYCLE MAGAZINE NAMED BILLINGS

ONE OF AMERICA’S “TOP 50 CITIES FOR BICYCLING.”

2009

ARTHOUSE CINEMA

opened its doors on North 30th Street after three years of planning, fundraising and the renovation of a former bowling alley. In 2016, the non-profit launched Phase II to add additional theater space to show documentaries, art and foreign films and host community gatherings.

AN OIL PIPELINE NEAR LAUREL BROKE, SPEWING MORE THAN 63,000 GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL INTO THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER. Since then, more than $12 million has been funneled into restoration projects along the river between Billings and Laurel.

2010

2011

2014

2015

2016

An all-new

BILLINGS PUBLIC LIBRARY opened its doors on the corner of North Broadway and Sixth Avenue North. The library, funded by a hard-fought mill levy and private donations, covers a full city block and includes a cafe, a garden and dedicated parking.

THE FATHER’S DAY

TORNADO

ripped through Billings on June 20. Winds up to 135 mph damaged businesses and ripped most of the roof off of Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark. Damages were estimated at $30 million.

The YELLOWSTONE

ART MUSEUM, first established in 1964 as the Yellowstone Art Center, celebrated 50 years as the region’s leading contemporary art museum. SHILOH CROSSING, an 80-acre development at Shiloh Road and King Avenue West, opened with Kohls Department Store and Scheel’s Sporting Goods as anchor retail stores.

MONTANA CELEBRATED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF

JEANNETTE RANKIN’S 1916 ELECTION TO THE U.S. HOUSE.

Upon her election as the first woman to ever serve in a national legislative body, she said, “I may be the first woman to be elected to Congress, but I won’t be the last.” OUTSIDE MAGAZINE NAMED BILLINGS AS 2016’S

“BEST ADVENTURE TOWN” OFTHE YEAR. MARCH/APRIL 2021

FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK Family Support Network strives to make every home a safe and heathy space for children by providing parents with the skills and resources needed to strengthen relationships with their children. Western Security Bank’s Hands of Hope donation will be used to upgrade their computer system so they can provide remote services to their clients.

INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. WesternSecurityBank.com

ARTWALK DOWNTOWN BILLINGS TURNED 25.

CROW FAIR, known as the

What began as a modest group of Montana Avenue galleries that opened their doors on designated Friday nights grew into a much-anticipated event that creates community and hosts artists of local, regional, national and international acclaim.

“Tipi Capital of the World,” turned 100. It attracts native dancers, native horsemen and -women and visitors from around the world. Festivities include powwow dancing, an allIndian rodeo, parades and family gatherings.

THE ALBERTA BAIR THEATRE undertook a major, multimillion-dollar capital campaign to upgrade its facility. Originally built as a Fox Theater in 1931, it was extensively renovated and renamed the Alberta Bair Theatre in 1987.

POPULATION OF BILLINGS: 109,577 representing a 19.1percent increase since 2000.

2017

2018

2019

2020

AVERAGE HOME VALUE IN BILLINGS

REACHED

$308,179

BILLINGS RECORDED

106.1 INCHES OF SNOW,

BILLINGS PROPERTY SALES

THE HIGHEST SNOWFALL ON RECORD.

EXCEED $1 BILLION,

according to the Billings Board of Realtors.

NEED MONEY FOR COLLEGE? We're offering $2020 (20/20 vision, get it?!) to one graduating senior from Yellowstone County who plans to pursue higher education in a health profession. DEADLINE TO APPLY:

WINNER ANNOUNCED:

March 31, 2021

No later than May 15, 2021

Billings honored the contributions of HAZEL HUNKINS HALLINEN, a noted suffragist and member of the National Women’s Party, to the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. A graduate of Billings HIgh School, Hallinen was arrested and jailed for peaceful protest in front of the White House as she and others lobbied President Wilson to support women’s suffrage.

IN DECEMBER, SEVEN WHITE CROW TEEPEES WERE PUT UP IN SWORDS PARK BY THE PRETTY SHIELD FOUNDATION, the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and others. The teepees were a gift of hope to the community, dedicated to the memory of the lives lost in Billings, on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations and elsewhere due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The installation drew international attention.

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ALL ABOUT A 20 YEAR OLD ENTREPRENEUR & FASHIONISTA written by LAURA BAILEY photography by LOVELY HITCHCOCK

YVW MAGAZINE

Author’s Note:

As the first issue of Yellowstone Valley Woman was rolling off the presses, Anna Kraft was making her way into the world. Now, 20 years later, she’s making her way in the world as a college student and entrepreneur with lofty goals for her online boutique, Anna’s Raffia. In this, our 20th anniversary issue, we’re thrilled to share her story – and her birthday.

IF YOU ASK ANNA KRAFT what’s trending in the fashion world, she has plenty to share. You’re going to hear about graphic tees and how you can dress them up with accessories or wear them for every day. You’re going to hear about blousy tops, boho styles, and a fun and funky jacket trend. She’s ready with an idea or two about what to wear to work and what to wear for a night out with the girls. She’s got opinions on what’s hot for jewelry — beaded, bold, and dangly — and if you’re inclined to ask, she also has ideas on what to expect for spring and summer trends. Hint: graphic tees are not going anywhere anytime soon.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS AWESOME IS THAT I’M 20 AND MY MOM IS 50, SO FINDING THINGS THAT WORK FOR BOTH AGES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN IS WHAT MATTERS TO BOTH OF US." — Anna Kraft

Anna has her finger on fashion because she’s the girl behind the Anna’s Raffia brand and founder of her own online boutique, which sells all the latest styles, especially those that trend western. Her website at annasraffia.com includes a wide variety of styles that reflect Anna’s personal tastes. “I’m all over the place with my fashion,” Anna says. Sometimes she likes to dress western, sometimes its hippie-chic, and sometimes she just throws on a favorite graphic tee with jeans to head out to help her father with chores on the family cattle ranch west of Billings. Anna started Anna’s Raffia with the help of her mother, Lori Kraft, who is no stranger to retail clothing sales. Lori owned Raffia, a popular brick-and-mortar store on Grand Avenue, along with her sister Lynda Berg. The duo closed the store several years ago after an 18-year run. “Growing up I was there pretty much all the time, and I just fell in love with retail and that whole world,” Anna says. Lori eventually returned to retail as a buyer for Western Ranch Supply, and Anna took a job there in the clothing department during high school. At the end of Anna’s junior year, Lori said, “Let’s do something new! But you can’t tell dad until we have a plan.” Lori and Anna carefully drafted a business plan and penciled out the cost of startup for an online clothing boutique. They called it Anna’s Raffia. They launched a little more than two years ago with an inventory of about 10 shirts. They stocked them in a range of sizes, and Anna modeled the tops while Lori photographed them in their living room. Lori brought to the table a wealth of business sense, while Anna brought a youthful enthusiasm and social media savvy. Their goal was to provide fun and fashionable clothes that would appeal to a wide variety of tastes, styles and ages. Despite the variety (or maybe because of it), their brand has a cohesive theme.

“One of the things that I think is awesome is that I’m 20 and my mom is 50, so finding things that work for both ages and everything in between is what matters to both of us,” Anna says. Now Anna is a sophomore at Montana State University in Bozeman and is studying ag business and marketing with hopes of achieving a major in both. She got a head start on college credits through College Connections, a program for that allows students to take college courses at a discount while still in high school. While Anna is all-in for Anna’s Raffia, her parents say, “College first!” Between classes, Anna does all the social media promotion for Anna’s Raffia. At home, Lori packs and ships the orders. “We talk on the phone, I swear, like three times a day,” Anna says. Anna’s old bedroom has become Anna’s Raffia central. Merchandise is stacked to the ceiling in the closet and impeccably organized. Accessories are stashed in a rolling cart that tucks behind the door. A long workbench serves as a shipping station and desk. On weekends when Anna comes home from college, Anna and Lori update the website and order new merchandise. The challenge has always been, and continues to be, building an online clientele. “Figuring out Instagram and Facebook and how to use them to MARCH/APRIL 2021

GET TO KNOW

ANNA’S RAFFIA annasraffia.com /annasraffia annasraffia

your advantage — we’re still trying to figure that all out,” Anna says. In addition to the online store, Anna and Lori set up booths at local trade shows and events. Anna’s Raffia took a giant leap forward last December when Anna and Lori took the shop to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR). The NFR is usually held in Las Vegas, but due to statewide Covid-19 restrictions, the NFR moved to Arlington, Texas. The logistics of running a pop-up retail space for almost two weeks in another state were huge. Just getting there with a trailer packed to the roof with merchandise was a challenge, but once they were there the action really picked up. The days were a whirlwind of sales with barely an opportunity to eat lunch or use the bathroom. The trade show lasted 10 days, and Aunt Lynda flew down to help. “It was overwhelming for sure, in the beginning, but we got the hang of it by the end,” Anna says. “It was a big goal of ours, and it really helped us grow our clientele.” The Anna’s Raffia website tracks where buyers are from, and before the NFR they were from mostly Montana. Now customers are coming to the site from across the country, from New York to Texas and almost every state in between. Anna and Lori are already preparing their application to return to the NFR in 2021. This time, they’ll know what to expect and already have a few ideas on what they might change. In the meantime, they’re stocking their shelves and keeping up with 16

YVW MAGAZINE

orders — and Anna’s back in college. “Honestly, what I really want to do is open a brick-and-mortar Anna’s Raffia store,” Anna says. Anna also has dreams of developing an Anna’s Raffia line of original graphic tees and wholesaling them across the country. “That’s shooting big, but I guess that’s what you’ve got to do,” Anna says. For Lori, Anna’s Raffia is not just a fun side hustle, it’s an extension of her goals as a parent. “I really wanted to provide her with the opportunity to get involved in something meaningful,” Lori says. “That’s important to Brad and I – that we give our kids a sense of business through real-life experiences.” For now, all the income Anna and Lori make from Anna’s Raffia is reinvested back into the business. “I consider us still starting out,” Anna says. “We’re still learning a lot.” In the short term, Anna and Lori have plans for summer trade shows and festivals throughout the area. They’re looking to purchase a fun and funky camper, van or RV to take to events and do pop-up shops. “We know what we’re looking for,” Anna says, “we just have to wait for it to come along.” ✻

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2 e n i Sh HELPING OUR VALLEY

THE WOMEN WHO HAVE ADDED COLOR AND CONTENT TO YVW’S PAGES OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS

YVW MAGAZINE

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, Yellowstone Valley Woman magazine has been a staple on coffee tables, in doctor’s offices, and on the stands at your local grocery store. Each new issue brought new faces to celebrate. There have been more than 120 women who have graced the cover of YVW and each one had her own unique story to share. As we light 20 candles on YVW’s anniversary cake, we raise our glasses to these women who have not only lived their lives to the fullest but conquered amazing feats and made our community a better place in ways both big and small. As we celebrate, we decided to look back and check in with some of these women who are still making our Valley unique, colorful and beautiful.

MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY

NOVEMBER

2006

onnie J

JONCKOWSKI ON THE RIDE OF HER LIFE written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHILE MANY OF her peers are looking forward to retirement and slowing down, Jonnie Jonckowski is on the ride of her life. Jonnie is the founder of Angel Horses, an equine-assisted therapy program that serves senior citizens. She graced the cover of YVW’s November/December 2006 issue. A professional bull rider back in the day, she grabbed headlines nationwide for her fearless approach to the male-dominated sport. She also caught the eye of movie producers, who wanted to bring her largerthan-life story to the big screen. Those dreams faded as she discovered the joy of helping others with her Angel Horses endeavor, which she started 22 years ago. She ran the nonprofit out of her home until three years ago, when she purchased a dedicated property for Angel Horses. It’s been a whirlwind of exciting growth and change ever since. The new, 10-acre Angel Horses property is located on 56th Street West in Billings and includes a barn, indoor arena, gazebo, chapel and three full-sized tipis. It’s a beautiful retreat. However, when she bought it, it was nothing like the destination that it is today. “It was a horrendous, horrendous mess,” Jonnie says, describing waist-high weeds, junk cars, heaps of old scrap metal and broken pieces of concrete. “God bless the hundreds of volunteers from the community who helped us clean the place up. I don’t know what we would have done.” Most of the visitors to Angel Horses are shut-in seniors or residents of assisted-living facilities or memory-care facilities. Angel Horses sees about 600-800 visitors a year, and there’s never a charge for the experience. 20

YVW MAGAZINE

Seeing the joy spread across the elders’ faces during a visit to the property makes all the work worthwhile, Jonnie says. “A lot of them who are agitated in their residences are perfectly calm out here,” she adds. Those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are among Jonnie’s favorite guests. For many of them, seeing and interacting with the horses brings about surprising clarity. For other visitors, just leaving their room for a visit to Angel Horses has a profound and lasting effect. “They may not say a word for two hours, but their world is better for those two hours,” she says. Residents of the property include horses, donkeys and ponies. All of them are rescues, and many are older and were saved from the kill pen. They love affection and seem to know innately when to be gentle and still for guests.

rent equipment from them and use their vendors, Jonnie allows groups to do what they want with the place as long as they respect the property and leave it in good condition. “They can save money, and because it’s a donation, it helps us too,” Jonnie says. Several events are in the works, including a big fundraising shindig for Angel Horses in early June. The exclusive event will include a buffalo barbecue, music and special guests.

ANGEL HORSES HAS CHANGED MY LIVE. IT TAUGHT ME HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO HELP OTHERS. — Jonnie Jonckowski

“They give so much because they were in a bad way when they came to us,” Jonnie says. Jonnie’s golden retriever, Giddy Up, is trained as a therapy dog, and the resident barn cat, Georgie, hops up into visitors’ laps looking for affection. As a way to help support Angel Horses, the location is available for rent for parties, weddings, retreats and other events of all sizes. From an event planning standpoint, Angel Horses is economical and versatile. Unlike other venues that require renters to also

“For years and years, I was pretty selfishly focused on my bull riding and movie dreams,” Jonnie says. “Angel Horses has changed my live. It taught me how good it feels to help others.” Jonnie’s 2006 movie deal never materialized, but as she puts it, that was a blessing in disguise. “I’m glad it didn’t happen because by the time they finished with all the changes to the script it was so unrecognizable,” she says. “It wasn’t even me.”

Recently, producers from MGM approached Jonnie with another proposition and a script that’s more true to life. Jonnie says it’s inspiring with a motivational message. “I believe it will happen because it has my blessing when it didn’t before,” Jonnie adds. “My whole goal with the movie is that it is successful, and I can fund Angel Horses with it.” ✻

MARCH/APRIL 2021

TAYLOR

M A G A Z I N E BILLINGS’ MOS

COMPLIMEN TARY

WOM AN

2018

TON E VAL LEY

AUGUST

ethany B

Y ELL OWS

YVW COVER STORY

T READ MAG

RISING ABOVE TO GIVE BACK

BE TH AN Y

AZINE | AUG /SEP 2018

TA YL OR

A Tru e

SURVIVOR

written by LAURA BAILEY AUG UST /SEP TEM

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NAVIGAT THE TEENING YEARS 52

BETHANY TAYLOR

is your classic college student. She studies hard, lives in an apartment with roommates, and works evenings and weekends at the coffeeshop down the street. During school breaks, she and her friends hit the road looking for adventure. What is ordinary life for her college classmates is a dream come true for Bethany, who was homeless here in Billings through most of her teens. Thanks to the support of the Boys and Girls Club of Yellowstone County and the Tumbleweed Program — along with a lot of hard work — Bethany graduated from Senior High in 2018. At 18, Bethany was YVW’s youngest cover woman. In our August/September 2018 issue, her story was one of survival, sharing how she became homeless at 14 and uncovering the grit it took to get through high school on her own. These days, Bethany lives in Eugene, Oregon, where she is attending Bushnell University and studying interpersonal communication. She has her sights set on graduating with the class of 2023 and knows she wants to do the kind of work for others that made a difference in her life. She’s hoping to work for a nonprofit after graduation. “I definitely want to be where people need the most advocating,” she says. For now, finishing college is her primary goal, but Bethany is finding ways to have fun, too. She and her friends have been to the Oregon coast, backpacking in the Sierras, and experienced city life in Portland. “These past two years have taught me a lot about myself,” Bethany says. While life is as normal as it’s ever been for Bethany, she’s not one to forget where she came from and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. “I have always done the best I can with what I have,” she says. ✻ 22

YVW MAGAZINE

YVW COVER STORY

JANUARY

2005

Kristianne

WILSON

FINDING HER WAY IN RETIREMENT written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHEN WE FIRST met Kristianne Wilson as the subject of our cover story in the January/February 2005 issue, she was at the height of her career with Billings Clinic, serving as the vice president of strategic development. In those days, telemedicine was in its infancy, and thanks in part to her leadership, the Eastern Montana Telemedicine Network was honored as one of the top 10 programs in the country. Her list of accomplishments – including service on many advisory boards – continued to grow until she retired in 2015 as executive director of health policy. “I had an opportunity to really use my talents and had the support to do a lot during my career,” she says. In retirement, Kristianne is active in her church, Emmanuel Lutheran in Shepherd, and enjoying the company of friends and family. Kristianne is also sharing her leadership talents with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Billings Board of Directors. “It’s certainly been interesting to work with an organization that’s allvolunteer driven and interacts directly with individuals and families impacted by mental health issues,” she says. Retirement hasn’t come without its challenges. At the end of her career, Kristianne lost both her parents, and early on in retirement she unexpectedly lost her husband. She also marked the passing of Dr. Nicholas Wolter, her mentor at Billings Clinic. The grief, she says, was difficult to manage, but she leaned on friends, family and her faith community for support. “I learned that everyone’s grief journey is different,” she says. These days, a new romantic relationship is bringing joy. She’s involved with a man who was a longtime family friend. They’re both University of Montana Grizzly fans and are having fun reuniting with old college friends from Missoula. He drives down from Kalispell. She makes the trek from Shepherd. “We’ve taken a lot of backroads between here and there,” Kristianne says. “We’re just making it fun.” ✻ MARCH/APRIL 2021

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YVW COVER STORY

Ginny

Billie clark on two wh unleashes angels eel in need 26 s to help families

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EVERY FRIDAY AFTERNOON in schools across Billings, educators tuck packages of food into backpacks for students who might not have anything to eat over the weekend. Middle and high school students who have a need drop into their on-campus food pantry to stock up before the weekend hits. The BackPack Meals and Teen Pantry programs are at the center of this outreach. Both are nonprofits aimed at ending childhood hunger in Billings. The pandemic brought economic uncertainty and job loss, launching more families into poverty. Now more than ever, both programs are rising to meet a critical need. Childhood hunger shows no sign of letting up, and neither does Ginny Mermel, the programs’ founder. Ginny, a board-certified nutritionist and food insecurity expert, was featured on the cover of YVW’s February/March 2017 issue. She founded the BackPack Meals Program in 2009 and added the Teen Pantry Program in 2011. More than a decade later, Ginny is still committed feeding kids and ending childhood hunger, one meal at a time. In 2020, the nonprofit met its greatest challenge with school closures across Yellowstone County. Ginny and her crew of volunteers went into overdrive. “My head is still spinning,” Ginny says. The BackPack Meals and Teen Pantry Programs have always worked in concert with the Billings Public Schools food service program, which immediately started serving breakfast and lunch at 23 sites across town. Ginny and her crew of volunteers used those sites to identify needs and distribute weekend meals. They also hit the streets and delivered meals to families in hotels and impoverished neighborhoods, and they worked through Tumbleweed to identify teens who needed food. 24

YVW MAGAZINE

“We fed thousands of kids,” Ginny says. “We will continue to feed these families until they get on their feet.”

and are no longer able to help contribute to their family food costs.

In a normal year, the BackPack Meals Program serves about 300-350 children a week in elementary schools, and the Teen Pantry Program serves another 100-200 middle and high school students per week. Immediately following the school closure, those numbers leapt to about 1,200 meals a week.

Perhaps one of the brightest beacons of hope has been the outpouring of support from the community. Volunteers continued to pitch in despite the risks, and donors gave big.

“Our needs just skyrocketed,” Ginny says. The need eventually tapered off when Billings Public Schools Food Service Program began offering weekend meals to low-income students about six weeks into the school closure — thanks to the first Covid-19 relief package.

“There’s so many people helping in all kinds of ways,” Ginny says.

WE FED THOUSANDS OF KIDS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FEED THESE FAMILIES UNTIL THEY GET ON THEIR FEET. — Ginny Mermel

These days, needy families are accessing a variety of financial and food relief programs, including the federal Farm to Trunk Program, which provides families with regular food boxes that include fresh produce and dairy products. As a result, need for the BackPack Meals Program dipped below previous averages, Ginny says. However, the Teen Pantry Program has seen an increase, primarily because teens who worked before are now unemployed

Ginny is also involved at the state level and sits on the board of Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger, an all-volunteer organization with the goal of pushing the issue of food insecurity forward across the state. She also serves on the board of Family Promise of Yellowstone Valley, a faith-based nonprofit that helps homeless families achieve independence and regain housing.

Time will tell what the lasting impact of the pandemic will be, but no matter what that looks like, Ginny and her team will be ready to feed hungry kids. “We’re not out of the woods yet in terms of childhood hunger,” Ginny says. ✻

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YVW COVER STORY AUGUST

2016

Christina

ARAGON RUNNING THE DISTANCE

written by JULIE KOERBER photography by CHUCK ARAGON

IN JULY OF 2016, Christina Aragon was chasing big dreams. After holding state all-class track records in the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter in high school, she qualified and ran in the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, months after graduating from Senior High. Today, a little more than four years after her YVW cover story, Christina is a fifth-year senior at Stanford University and is on the roster for the Division 1 school’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams. “I feel like I have learned so much and I am a much better, more equipped version of myself than I was four and a half years ago,” Christina says. “That makes me excited for what’s ahead because I still love running and I am still excited about the potential that I hold.” She called the lessons learned “transformative.” “I felt pretty indestructible in high school,” she says, reflecting on a pair of injuries that sidelined her for a portion of her college sophomore year and a stress reaction in her hip that took far longer to heal during her junior year. “To be honest, I didn’t really know how to take a step back and take care of myself,” she says. “I was very goal-driven, which I still am but being so goal-driven got in the way of me giving my body everything it needed. It forced me to gain a sense of self-worth that is separate from running.” In late January of this year, Aragon — a six-time All American — was just moving back to campus after a ninemonth closure of the university due to Covid-19. For the first time in a couple of years, she had the indoor track, cross country and outdoor track seasons ahead of her. Right before the first cross country event at Florida State University in early February, however, she suffered an injury to her iliotibial band, the long piece of connective tissue that runs along the outside of the leg from hip to knee and shinbone. 26

YVW MAGAZINE

“It’s a common injury when you’re increasing your miles as a runner,” says Kathy Aragon, Christina’s mother. Kathy says her daughter is just taking it day by day. If you ask Christina about her collegiate career, the high points stay front and center in her mind. The first was placing 38th at the NCAA Championships as a freshman to land her first All American title. The top 40 earn that title. The second high point came during her sophomore year when her coach asked her to anchor the distance medley relay at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The relay consists of four legs — a 1,200-, 400- and 800-meter with the fourth and final leg being a one mile. “Something just clicked in my head that race,” Christina says. “I felt like I was finally able to step outside myself. I gave everything I had that race.”

“There are a lot of potential options on the table that are going to depend on scholarship money, how well I run this year and just how I am feeling at the end of the year,” Christina says. “This is definitely a hard time to ask me exactly where I am headed.”

In the meantime, she’s finishing up a degree in human biology. There are at least two potential paths she could take. One looks to medical school and a career as a physician or a physical or occupational therapist. Another moves toward running professionally. If she’s able to do the latter, she’d love to try qualifying for I FEEL LIKE I HAVE LEARNED the Olympic Trials again. “If I am SO MUCH AND I AM A MUCH going to run professionally,” she says, BETTER, MORE EQUIPPED “I want to run at a high level.”

VERSION OF MYSELF THAN I WAS FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO. — Christina Aragon

In the end, the Stanford Cardinals came in second. The time between University of Oregon’s first-place runner and Christina stood at three tenths of a second. “That was a super valuable feeling,” she says. In 2019, she went on to help her cross country team win both the Pac-12 and NCAA West Region titles. Christina says there’s a lot riding on this year that could help her figure out her next steps in life. Due to Covid-19 and past injuries, Christina still has a full year of eligibility for the 2021-2022 season.

One thing Christina knows without the shadow of a doubt is, she’s not going to sacrifice her body in the pursuit.

“What I have realized over the past five years is that there are a lot of runners out there that aren’t a great example to young high school girls who want to chase their goals,” she says. “There are lots of examples of people going about it in unhealthy ways whether it is cutting calories and being super restrictive or not allowing themselves to enjoy anything else because they are so singularly focused.” She’s set a different standard for herself. “Whatever I do, I want to be the example that I wish I had as a high school runner.” ✻ MARCH/APRIL 2021

Kelly

YVW COVER STORY

EVANS

MARCH

2004

A CHAMPION FOR RURAL HEALTHCARE written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

KELLEY EVANS went to work for the Carbon County Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home in 1990 as the director of nursing. Two years later she was promoted to hospital administrator – the same year Lutheran Health Systems, the hospital owner, decided to suddenly close the small hospital in Red Lodge. Carbon County Memorial hadn’t been profitable for years. A meeting was held to set the closure in motion, but Kelley wasn’t going down without a fight. She wasn’t just fighting to keep her job. She was fighting for her small community to have access to healthcare. Also at the table was Dr. Frank Newman, a longtime advocate for rural healthcare access, who would later be instrumental in founding the Montana WWAMI Medical School Program, the Montana Office of Rural Health, and the Montana Family Medicine Residency Program. Newman sat across from Kelley and passionately laid out a case for why the hospital should remain open. Kelley made her case too, and community support was there as well. Lutheran Health Systems abandoned Carbon County Memorial that day, but the little hospital stayed open and would operate independently for 10 years before becoming affiliated with Billings Clinic. “I’ve always believed that people in rural areas deserve the same level of care as those who live in urban areas,” Kelley says. Kelley was featured on the cover of YVW in March/April 2004. She is still the administrator, although her title has changed to CEO. The name of the hospital has changed as well. It’s now called Beartooth Billings Clinic. The impassioned call for rural healthcare worked. Carbon County Memorial remained open. In those days, smaller hospitals were expected to cash flow in the same way a larger, urban hospital did. The model would later be reconsidered nationwide and changed for what’s now called critical access hospitals – those like Beartooth Billings Clinic, which serve small communities in rural areas. Kelley was also in on that change, fighting again, this time at the national level for access to healthcare in rural communities. Now critical access hospitals operate on what’s called a cost-based reimbursement, and with support from Medicaid, they are now solvent. There are 46 critical access hospitals in Montana and 28

YVW MAGAZINE

about 1,300 across the nation.

public health efforts. She says she is inspired by her staff.

“The tenacity of these communities to hang on to their rural hospitals is inspiring,” Kelley says.

“Our employees have been amazing in their flexibility and sheer grit coming to work,” Kelley adds. “It’s just changed our whole world, and they’re still giving it their all.”

Ten years ago, Beartooth Billings Clinic moved into a new facility north of town, and in that decade the hospital’s budget has gone Kelley announced to the board in January that she will be stepping from $7 million to $22 million. While down as CEO in July. She’s reluctant much has changed, Kelley says her role to call it retirement, even though has remained much the same. She’s still she has spent more than 30 years at beating a drum for rural healthcare, and Beartooth Billings Clinic. Instead, she’s she’s held numerous leadership roles changing lanes — still advocating for THE TENACITY OF THESE on board both at the state and national rural healthcare — but in a new, more level. flexible role. COMMUNITIES TO HANG ON In 2017 Kelley was awarded the Dr. Frank E. Newman Rural Health Leadership Award for her tireless dedication to rural healthcare.

TO THEIR RURAL HOSPITALS IS INSPIRING. — Kelley Evans

“He was dedicated to rural health, and to know him and to have been on the receiving end of his wisdom, then to receive the award, still makes me choke up,” Kelley says. Beartooth Billings Clinic, which includes an emergency room and same-day care clinic among other critical services, faced its greatest challenge yet when Covid-19 hit a year ago. Kelley channeled all her leadership skills and determination to support

“I enjoy the work, but I feel like it’s time,” Kelley says. “You need to know when it’s time to move on, and I just know it’s time.”

Kelley plans to spend more time with her husband, who retired a few years back, and their children and five grandchildren. She’ll miss working with her team and the staff at the clinic but plans to stay in Red Lodge. “I’ve been lucky to have an organization and a community that has been so supportive,” Kelley says. ✻

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Joyce

YVW COVER STORY

KRAMER

APRIL

2012

HONORING THE LIVES LOST IN THE LINE OF DUTY written by SUE OLP photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

IN OCTOBER 2006, Joyce and Denny Kramer lost their son, Patrick, when icy roads caused the West Yellowstone police officer to crash his cruiser on the way to the scene of another accident. By the time Yellowstone Valley Woman first profiled Joyce, in May 2012, she had helped to organize a Montana chapter of C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors). The national nonprofit helps families and coworkers who have lost people in the line of duty to rebuild their shattered lives. Aiding other Montanans who have experienced the same tragedy as Joyce, 70, and Denny, 74, has continued to be a meaningful part of the couple’s life. “It’s a priority for us,” Joyce says. “And by helping others, we get to heal alongside them.” What hasn’t changed for the pair, who live just outside Billings, is that every October, they revisit the site where the deadly crash occurred and tie blue ribbons around a nearby tree. This October, they will mark the 15th anniversary of Patrick’s death. The whole family, including two daughters who now live out of state, and Patrick’s daughter, Lexi, now 17, plan to come together to remember his life. Since the original story, Joyce, who remains president of the Montana chapter, has joined the national board and works with chapters in six western states. Denny, for the fourth year this May, will join the fundraising Law Enforcement United Ride, a 250-mile bicycle ride from Virginia to Washington, D.C., that honors the fallen and remembers the survivors. “It brings tears to your eyes when you see how many people are riding for those fallen officers,” Joyce says. For the past two years, Joyce has helped coordinate a survivors’ appreciation get-together at Fairmont Hot Springs or in Red Lodge. “We share stories and memories, shed a few tears but we get to laugh, so it isn’t all about sadness,” she says. “We share a bond that nobody else truly knows what it’s like.” ✻ 30

YVW MAGAZINE

YVW COVER STORY

OCTOBER

2012

Sue

RUNKLE EVERY CHILD MATTERS written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

SUE RUNKLE believes that every child matters, no matter where they live. Sue is the homeless education liaison for Billings Public Schools, and her goal is to make sure homeless kids are in school and thriving by removing as many barriers as possible. She makes sure they have food, clothing, perhaps a hot shower, school supplies and the transportation they need to stay in the same school throughout the year, no matter where they spend the night. When YVW put her story on our cover in the October/November 2012 issue, she was doing the same work, with the same passion. Back then, she was helping guide a record-setting 497 school-aged children. So far this school year, the homeless education program is serving 317 students. The children today are living on the streets with their parents. They are staying in hotels, bunking with friends and family or have found a place in one of the few homeless shelters or programs that provide temporary housing to families. Once in Sue’s program, they’re allowed to continue to receive services for the entire year, even if they find housing. “There are so many families who are just doing the best they can,” Sue says. “The vast majority of parents are just trying to keep their kids in school.” Numbers have stayed steady over the years, but Sue expects to see an eventual rise in the number of homeless families due to Covid-19 and the economic insecurity it’s caused. Sue knows that when she can provide a safety net for the children, help for the whole family usually isn’t far behind. “When you help a student, you help a family as well,” Sue says. In 2014, Sue was named Advocate of the Year by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. To receive the national honor, she was nominated by principals and staff at School District 2 and officials from the Montana Office of Public Instruction. “It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long since the program started,” Sue says. “And other days, I see just how far we’ve come.” ✻ MARCH/APRIL 2021

Karen

YVW COVER STORY

GROSZ

JUNE

2017

HELPING THE COMMUNITY & MENTORING ‘NEXTS’ written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

KAREN GROSZ has worn a lot of hats over her career. She’s sold cars. She launched and ran a successful ceramic studio. She started a team-building and coaching company that still thrives today. She’s written a handful of books. It was, however, a handful of community gatherings she put together in 2017 that changed the trajectory of her life and sparked a community effort that’s been going strong for four years. “Holy cow, that introduced me to so much that I didn’t know about the community,” Karen says of the Figure It Out community meetings. “I knew a little bit about child welfare and a little bit about homelessness and I thought if we can get the average Joe to understand, we could make inroads.” One of those meetings sparked a Facebook page titled “I’ll Help — Billings.” The page was launched to help care for the needs of foster families. It quickly evolved. “It turned into anybody in town who needs something,” Karen says. “If they are brave enough to say, ‘I need Similac, I need tires for my car, I need money to buy gas,’ they go on that page and share. Then, one of the 6,500 members says, ‘I’ll help with that.’” She adds, “The person who needs Similac will often ask when she’s given that baby the very last bottle of milk and she doesn’t know what else to do. She goes on that page and somebody will bring her Similac often within the hour. I’ve seen that over and over and over.” To say she’s constantly moved by the kindness would be an understatement. She thought she would be able to keep track of each act, but over the years, it’s become too monumental to document. “I do know that before the pandemic, two thirds of the people who joined the page, joined to help. I think that speaks to our community’s heart and the type of people we are,” Karen says. Since Billings launched its I’ll Help page, similar 32

YVW MAGAZINE

pages sprouted in Hardin and in Anchorage, Alaska. While she’s watched the needs grow during Covid-19, Karen has also witnessed a major pivot in her own business. Instead of hosting in-person team building sessions, she now helps coach individuals and teams via Zoom and she’s launched an online platform to help others achieve personal growth.

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“There is this beauty of helping people grow into themselves,” Karen says. It’s why she wrote the book “What’s Next?” She hoped to be able to hand it to those who appeared to be stuck in life. Instead, it’s helped her morph into a mentor for others, leading them on the journey to find their “next.” She met one of her readers serendipitously while she was out and about. “She said to me, ‘You don’t know this but two years ago, you handed me a copy of your book. I’ve read it three times. When life was the darkest, your book was the only thing that gave me hope that I could change my life.’” Karen goes on to share that the woman was no longer in a bad marriage. She was no longer overweight and was running a business that was helping others. It’s stories like this that fuel her day in and day out. “We were booth crying,” Karen says. “It’s so beautiful and overwhelming.” ✻

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YVW COVER STORY

NOVEMBER

2002

Majel

RUSSELL

EMPOWERING & ADVOCATING FOR MONTANA’S TRIBES written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

MAJEL RUSSELL

has spent her entire law career advocating for Native American people in tribes and on reservations across Montana, and despite the challenges, there’s nothing she’d rather be doing. Majel, an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe, was one of YVW’s first interviews and was featured on the cover of the November/December 2002 issue. In those days, she was instrumental in redrafting the Crow Tribe’s constitution and heavily active in litigation involving the mismanagement of tribal lands. Today, she’s still working on protecting tribal lands, although environmental issues take more of her time. She works to make sure tribes are recognized and respected as sovereign nations. “Tribes are in the best position to protect their homelands, but it’s always a struggle to maintain that authority,” she says today. Majel is also active in advocating for Native American rights and the many programs that benefit tribes across Montana. In recent years, healthcare has been a key issue, and she’s helped tribes navigate the Affordable Care Act to bring much-needed healthcare resources to reservations. She also works to empower tribal governments within the federal court system. 34

YVW MAGAZINE

In 2007, Majel took a one-year leave of absence from her firm, Elk River Law Office, to serve as principal deputy assistant secretary of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. “It’s brought me a lot of understanding as to how federal budget priorities are set and how Indian tribes fit into them,” Majel says. The appointment expanded her network, and though it’s been 14 years, she still has contacts in the Bureau of Indian Affairs that she can rely on for occasional advice. Over the years Majel has volunteered on several Montana state Department of Justice boards, where she’s brought a Native American perspective to the table. She also sits on the SCL Health Board of Directors, where she’s dedicated to ensuring access to healthcare for all. “There’s many disparities in healthcare for minority groups,” she says. Majel is 60, and while many of her peers are considering retirement, she hasn’t given it a thought. Her advocacy work is too important, and tribes are depending on her. “There’s so much potential for tribal governments that’s untapped,” she says. “I want them to be able to exercise sovereignty to the greatest extent possible and improve the standard of living on reservations so that they can create opportunity for young people.” ✻

YVW COVER STORY MAY

2002

Karen

FAGG

FROM LEADING TO SERVING HER COMMUNITY written by SUE OLP photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

KAREN FAGG has always been passionate about faith, family and work. And though Karen, 67, formerly president and majority owner of HKM, one of Montana’s largest engineering firms, sold her interest in the Billings business in 2011, she is by no means retired. Karen spends time devoting herself to issues close to her heart, like education and health care. She serves on several nonprofit boards — SCL Montana, the parent organization of St. Vincent Healthcare, Holy Rosary Healthcare in Miles City and St. James Healthcare in Butte, as well as Carroll College in Helena. “I meet the best and brightest people I wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet otherwise,” Karen says. “It’s always a wonderful experience and I hope in each case I’m able to add a little bit to the equation.” She also is on the board of MDU Resources, which allows the woman who graduated from Carroll College with a math degree to “keep involved technically,” she says. “I have thoroughly enjoyed that.” Karen has spent many years as a leader. Back in 1989, Stan Stephens, the state’s incoming governor, appointed her, then 35 and single, the director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. It was rare to find a woman and one that young in natural resources, she says.

a former Yellowstone County district judge. The couple eventually married and became parents of twins, Harrison and Barclay. By the time Karen was featured in YVW in 2002, she was leading HKM Engineering, again as a woman in a male-dominated profession. In 2016, Karen was named to the Montana Business Hall of Fame at Montana State University Billings’ College of Business. Her nominator cited “her ability to run a successful business in a very competitive industry” as well as her civic-minded board work and financial contributions. Looking back, she acknowledges there were challenges along the way, and skepticism about whether she was smart enough and tough enough to succeed. She thinks growing up in Anaconda taught her to be stubborn and to persevere. “I’ve told women that there were times that doors opened for me,” she says, “but once I stepped through, I had to work twice as hard to prove myself.” ✻

“You have to prove yourself, and I worked very hard,” she says, of her four years in that post. It was during that time that she met Russ Fagg, then a legislator from Billings and now MARCH/APRIL 2021

Kori

YVW COVER STORY

KELLER

APRIL

2014

EASING THE PAIN FOR GRIEVING FAMILIES written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHEN KORI KELLER speaks before a crowd of future nurses as they enter their labor and delivery rotation, she often wears pink. The color is the unspoken way she pays homage to her 2-day-old daughter who left this world far too soon. “It gives me a chance to share Ramsey with others,” Kori says. “It opens their eyes and that really fills my bucket.” Ramsey Keller died from a condition called Hydrops Fetalis. Shortly after birth, her body rapidly took on fluid, so much so that her organs couldn’t function. Knowing the end was near, Kori remembers unhooking her tiny girl from the equipment working to keep her alive just so her family could hold her in their arms during her final moments of life. Before the funeral, a gift from Kori’s father brought a new mission for the Keller family. Kori’s dad paid to lay Ramsey to rest and told Kori at the time that no parent should know the pain of paying for their child’s funeral. That act sparked the Ramsey Keller Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit that pays 100 percent of the funeral cost for an infant. The organization “hopes to take that burden off heartbroken families.” “We are going all out for year 10,” Kori says, referring to plans for the nonprofit’s 10th anniversary. She’s already set the date for her Run for Heaven’s Sake, which unites more than 1,000 runners and walkers to honor those lost lives. She’s also got a day in September for the annual Pink Tie Affair. Both events are the primary fundraisers for the Ramsey Keller Memorial Foundation. In 2012, the foundation raised a little more than $10,000 and was hoping to help a few dozen families. Now, the annual fundraising goal is $120,000. Over the past five years, the foundation has offered help to every one of the families of the roughly 120 infants who die each year in Montana. “That makes my heart happy for the families that we help,” Kori says. 36

YVW MAGAZINE

Close to four years ago, the foundation brought another element of caring to both Billings hospitals. They spent more than $6,000 to equip both with Cuddle Cots, a type of bassinet that has a cooling mat below. “The cooling mat allows the baby to stay with the family longer without losing color,” Kori says. “It is really great in the healing process for the parents to be able to have their baby by them. It is buying them some valuable time. “The first time a Cuddle Cot was used, it was a very emotional phone call,” she continues. “It settles my heart knowing that we are doing something in Ramsey’s name that is helpful because it is hard to find helpful things to do when a child dies.”

OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS,

THE KELLER MEMORIAL FOUNDATION HAS OFFERED HELP TO EVERY ONE OF THE FAMILIES OF THE ROUGHLY 120 INFANTS WHO DIE EACH YEAR IN MONTANA.

Emotions still bubble to the surface for Kori, even 10 years after Ramsey’s death. She feels them every time she dons a Run for Heaven’s Sake shirt and joins the families who are walking to remember their own loved ones. “It doesn’t matter who you are walking by, running by or standing by after the run,” Kori says, “there is just this feeling that we are all on the same playing field. It is one of the very few moments in life where it feels good because we are surrounded by families and friends that have known the hurt like us.” She says it’s a club she never wanted to be a part of, but she knows now that it is full of amazing people. She knows each event, each donation, each phone call is part of a powerful ministry meant to lift up other grieving families with hope. “Not only can you survive, but you can thrive,” Kori says. “It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a piece of you missing every day but there is still joy to be found. I want people to see that.” ✻

FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Ramsey Keller Memorial Foundation, visit kisses2heaven.com. There you’ll find more information on the Run for Heaven’s Sake, set for May 16, and the Pink Tie Affair, scheduled for Sept. 24, 2021.

MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY

FEBRUARY

2011

Marcia

GOOD

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN INDIAN COUNTRY written by LAURA BAILEY

IN MONTANA, Marcia Good built a reputation for being a tenacious and hard-hitting prosecutor who took on some of the most demanding and heart-wrenching cases of child abuse and sexual exploitation. As an assistant U.S. attorney, she specialized in cases from Indian Country and was all too familiar with the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, long before the MMIW acronym and awareness campaign began.

not only with tribal leaders but with the families of the missing and murdered. In addition to helping come up with a Tribal Community Response Plan, the team is focusing on training and systemic change to prevent people from going missing in the first place. “Folks in Native American communities have been asking for this for a long time,” Marcia says. Operation Lady Justice, established in 2019, is set to disband at the end of November 2021. With little doubt that the work will be far from over, Marcia hopes Congress will step up before the deadline with legislation to allow the task force’s work to continue.

Now Marcia works for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where she is the executive director of Operation Lady Justice, part of the Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. Marcia was featured on the cover of YVW in February/March 2011. Her passion for justice is just as unwavering today. The task force works closely with tribal governments, law enforcement and federal agencies to develop solutions unique to each tribal community when it comes to the cases of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. It’s established multijurisdictional teams to comb through cold cases. “This is a tribal issue and we need to be looking to tribes for solutions,” Marcia says. “We need to assist them however we can because we know the tribes have the answer.”

“We’re just going to have to wait and see what will happen this year,” she says. “Until then, I’m just going to keep my head down and keep working.”

THIS IS A TRIBAL ISSUE AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING TO TRIBES FOR SOLUTIONS.WE NEED TO ASSIST THEM HOWEVER WE CAN BECAUSE WE KNOW THE TRIBES HAVE THE ANSWER. — Marcia Good

That’s no small task considering there are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States. Since its inception, Marcia and her team have been at the helm of listening sessions 38

YVW MAGAZINE

Before serving as head of Operation Lady Justice, Marcia worked within the U.S. Department of Justice as senior counsel to the director of the Office of Tribal Justice. If the task force is disbanded, she’ll go back to the post she’s held since 2013, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a point of contact for tribes across the nation. While Marcia says she misses the courtroom, she believes her policy work has a greater opportunity to impact more people.

“It’s rewarding to make changes on a national level rather than just one case at a time,” Marcia says. “I’m just trying to make a difference on an issue that’s near and dear to my heart.” ✻

YVW COVER STORY

JANUARY

2004

Lise

MCCLENDON WEAVING MYSTERIES WITH EASE written by SUE OLP

WHEN YVW first sat down with Lise McClendon in 2004, she had written nearly a half-dozen mystery novels and she was just embarking on a series of books about the five Bennett sisters, all lawyers, set partly in France. Now more than 15 years later, the prolific writer has published eight Bennett Sisters novels, plus a trilogy featuring Pascal d’Onscon, the French policeman and fan-favorite character from the Bennett series. She’s completed three novels under the pen name Rory Tate, written a smattering of short stories, co-authored a dark, comic serial-killer novel titled “Beat, Slay, Love” with four other mystery writers, and conceived of and edited a pandemic anthology. And she’s not finished yet. Lise, formerly of Billings, now lives on the banks of the Madison River in western Montana with her husband, Dr. Kip Webb. The couple are snowbirds, spending the cold months in California. “People are always asking, ‘are you still writing?’” she says from her winter home in Palm Springs. “I tell them ‘Yes, and I’m looking forward to doing that till I run out of things to say.’” Technology brought a shift to the way Lise writes. In 2007, when Amazon started selling its Kindle reader, she and fellow author Katy Munger launched Thalia Press to get their out-of-print mysteries back into circulation. It ended the long process of publishing houses accepting her manuscripts only to sit on them for a year or more.

“When the Kindle came out, that revolutionized self-publishing,” Lise says. “I haven’t had a traditional contract since then.”

In 2020, the pandemic inspired another kind of collaboration. When the nation was in lockdown in April, Lise heard a podcast in which a creative writing instructor talked about encouraging his students to write about their experiences. “He said, ‘this is such a unique time. You’ll want to forget, but at some point, you’ll want to remember,’” she says. That inspired her to reach out to a network of writers looking for contributors for an anthology. Lise worried people might decline. Instead, 40 authors submitted pieces, which she and her co-editors compiled into “Stop the World: Snapshots from a Pandemic.” The experience proved that as an independent writer, she could switch gears, write and publish something completely different from her past works. “But at the moment, the Bennett sisters are still resonating with readers,” she says. And that’s why Lise has a new trilogy planned, keeping her focus on the sisters she’s come to know well until another inspiration hits. ✻

MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY

NOVEMBER

2008

Mary

GILLULY

HELPING MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

MARY GILLULY’S office sits on the main floor of St. Vincent de Paul’s downtown building. As the director of Social Services, she helps serve the homeless or, as the nonprofit calls them, friends. Although she’s in a supervisory role, her office is just a few steps away from where friends come in from the elements to grab a meal or seek services. In January, after a particularly long wait, one of her friends finally obtained housing, sparking a spontaneous celebration just outside her door. “It was pretty exciting,” Mary says, recalling the milestone in the homeless man’s journey. St. Vincent de Paul is a Billings nonprofit that provides a variety of support services to the poorest of the poor. They help feed the homeless and offer rental or utility assistance to help prevent others from becoming homeless. RiverStone Health provides medical services on campus and the agency works to support those battling addiction by helping them find sober-living options. “We try really hard to just meet them where they are,” Mary says. “Their life might not look like mine, and that’s OK.” Mary started at St. Vincent de Paul as a volunteer in the spring of 2020 and was hired as the director of Social Services in July. While she’s relatively new to her position, she comes with a lifetime of case management and social service experience. Empathy and advocacy have been common threads throughout her career. When we first featured Mary in a cover story in November of 2008, she was the executive director of the Family Tree Program, a nonprofit that provides support for at-risk families. The agency helps prevent child abuse and neglect through early intervention. From there, she moved to a long-term-care facility helping families deal with end-of-life issues. When her mother fell ill, Mary left her job to be with her in Livingston, where she returned to teaching for a few years. After her mother died, she came back to Billings and went to work for Rimrock Foundation, and later, St. Patrick’s Church, where she was the director of 40

YVW MAGAZINE

religious studies and youth ministry. It’s as if every position she’s held equipped her for her work at St. Vincent de Paul. With Covid-19, St. Vincent de Paul has seen a greater need for services than ever before, especially in requests for rent and utility assistance. “That’s really increased in the last year, and a lot of these folks have never had to ask for help before,” Mary says.

“It doesn’t matter what they come to us for, there will be some kind of case management services available to them,” Mary says. The goal of the drop-in center is to provide not just day-to-day support for the poor and homeless but to address the underlying causes of homelessness and poverty to help create systemic change.

WE TRY REALLY HARD TO JUST MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE. THEIR LIFE MIGHT NOT LOOK LIKE MINE, AND THAT’S OK.

“This gives us the opportunity to stand with them for a longer period of time when that’s required of us,” she says. Mary’s faith guides her work. While some of the people she’s seen and stories she’s heard would seem unimaginable to most, Mary looks at each individual with acceptance and compassion and believes each one is worthy of respect and dignity.

St. Vincent de Paul is poised to take a — Mary Gilluly new leap forward in its mission to help the homeless with grants from the state of Montana and St. Vincent Healthcare. The funding will facilitate the creation of a drop-in center for those experiencing mental health issues and/or substance “I believe that we need to be proactive,” abuse. They’ll not only have a place off the streets to spend their Mary says, “and we need to be working to make the world a better days, they’ll have the support of peers and professionals. place.” ✻

Congratulations, YVW Magazine! Thank you for inspiring girls to dream big, so one day they will become women of vision.

Sincerely,

www.laviebillings.com

@laviebillings MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY JUNE

2010

Nadine

HART

HELPING OTHERS RISE OUT OF POVERTY written by LAURA BAILEY

YVW MAGAZINE

SOMETIMES THE simplest solutions have the most profound effect, and perhaps no one knows this better than Nadine Hart, the founder of Hope 2 One Life, a Billings-based nonprofit that provides clean water, sanitation, basic healthcare and educational resources to impoverished people in underdeveloped countries. We first met Nadine, a physician assistant at St. Vincent Healthcare, when she was the subject of our June/July 2010 cover story. At the time, Hope 2 One Life was just beginning. Her passion and resolve are as strong today as they were then. For the past 14 years, Hope 2 One Life has been working in Uganda, where the organization has helped to improve the lives of people living in nine very remote villages. When Nadine and her team begin their work in a community, “Everything starts with clean water,” she says, explaining that without clean water no other interventions will have a lasting effect. Once a well is established, Hope 2 One Life teams teach basic sanitation and bring in healthcare workers to address maternal health and other pressing medical concerns. They teach sustainable farming and gardening techniques, and offer small, short-term loans for basic equipment. Women are taught craft skills to help support their families, and schools are created to educate children. “We’re teaching them to do it themselves and the whole goal is for them to have that legacy to leave for the next generation,” Nadine says. Nadine and her team use a Post-war Recovery Empowerment Sustainability Model, or PRESM, in their work, and based on Uganda’s history, it’s the right solution at the right time. More than 1.7 million Ugandans were displaced by the Lord’s Resistance Army in a conflict that lasted 20 years. Since the war started in the late 1980s, many have died, and even more were pushed into extreme poverty. That crisis has plagued the people of Uganda since. Nadine and her team understand that lifting people out of poverty takes time with years of development. “We’re doing it in community with them and the whole goal is a rise out of poverty, monetarily and spiritually,” Nadine says.

Hope 2 One Life is a faith-based organization, and in addition to the aid, Ugandans are given the Gospel of Christ. Many of the volunteers who travel to Uganda from the United States are from Billings-area churches. “God has led all of this and I’ve just followed along in his plan,” Nadine says. “There’s always hope for the future. I’m inspired every day to do more.” Hope 2 One Life has truly transformed the lives of the people in the villages where Nadine and her teams have worked, and the momentum is building. While fundraising remains a challenge, Nadine says she’s always surprised at what they accomplish on a shoestring budget. “I knew I was in it for the long haul, but I wasn’t sure how God would lead us,” Nadine says. It’s been more than a year since Nadine has set foot in Uganda. The team was set to leave for a trip last March when Covid-19 shut down travel. A scheduled trip for November was also canceled. Undaunted, Nadine says the Ugandan teams on-site have done a great job keeping the programs afloat. Nadine also had personal setbacks in 2020. She’s undergone two brain surgeries, forcing her to take an extended leave from work. Her Ugandan friends, she says, have inspired her recovery. “They’re very resilient people,” Nadine says, “and that’s taught me a lot.” ✻

MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY

DECEMBER

2018

Judge MaryJane

KNISELY

INNOVATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHEN MONTANA’S

25th governor was sworn in January of this year, the person administering the oath to Greg Gianforte had a familiar face. “I felt privileged and honored to be asked. It was absolutely amazing to be included in that process,” says Mary Jane Knisely, one of Yellowstone County’s 13th Judicial District Court Judges. In December of 2018, YVW featured Mary Jane as a pioneer for innovative criminal justice. When she took office in 2010, she spearheaded the felony DUI treatment court known as STEER (Sobriety Treatment Excellence Education and Rehabilitation), and in 2011 she secured a grant to launch the CAMO court (Courts Assisting Military Offenders). The court delivers intense supervision and accountability for veterans who find themselves in trouble with the law. She launched both courts, wanting a different approach for justice. “These veterans sign their name on a piece of paper saying they would die for this country and that’s why we give them a second look,” Mary Jane says, noting that the court gives them an ability to “address the invisible wounds of war and rebuild their lives in the community rather than going to prison.” Since the inception of both courts, she’s heard the cases of 373 participants in the STEER program. Of 44

YVW MAGAZINE

those, 96 percent had no DUI charges brought in the three years post program entry. There have been 163 participants in the CAMO court program. Of those, 93 percent had no felony arrests in the three years post program. Mary Jane says the multi-disciplinary approach that offers treatment, life skills, parenting classes and more are drivers in the outcomes.

IN THE FELONY DUI TREATMENT COURT,

96 % 93

Award. She’s also sits on the Executive Committee for the American Bar Association’s National Conference of Specialized Court Judges, helping pave the way for similar courts nationwide. As of 2020, Yellowstone County’s veteran treatment program was designated the nation’s only mentor training court, meaning those involved in the justice system come from over the country – in person and virtually – to learn how to operate a court like this.

HAD NO DUI CHARGES IN THE 3 YEARS POST PROGRAM

IN THE COURT FOR MILITARY OFFENDERS, HAD NO FELONY

ARRESTS IN THE 3 YEARS POST PROGRAM

As the program’s success has grown, so has its reach. “We’ve been able to cast a really wide net, accepting participants from all over the state,” Mary Jane says. Judges from other jurisdictions can make completing the program a condition of their sentence. The court has seen participants from the federal court system as well. In 2019, Mary Jane was honored by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals with the DWI Court Leadership

“The research in problem-solving courts shows that if a judge spends three minutes a week with these participants, that the outcomes are so different — just by spending that time talking to those people,” she says. “This is the single greatest thing I have ever been involved in during my career. It’s pretty moving.” ✻

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MARCH/APRIL 2021

Cindy

YVW COVER STORY

NORDSTOG

DECEMBER

2007

A SERVANT’S HEART written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

IF CINDY NORDSTOG

has a mission, she’ll tell you it’s to have a servant’s heart. When we met her in 2007 as a part of YVW’s cover story, she and her family were rallying to help homeless families by adopting them during the Christmas season. The effort started in 2006 with her son Niklas, then in first grade. “There was a boy in his first-grade class who was homeless,” Cindy says. “His family was living in a car and he (Niklas) came home just desperate, asking if we could do something. He wanted to fix this problem.” That one act, noticing the needs of another, sparked a family effort that lasted seven years and helped upwards of 30 families annually at its height. When Cindy reflects on those moments, she says it was the life of another one of her children that led to her actions. In 1998, Cindy and her husband Kris, were anxiously awaiting the birth of their daughter, Callie Ann. Even though the pregnancy showed no signs of distress, Callie Ann was stillborn. “When we lost her, that is where the story begins,” Cindy says. “The Lord took me through such a transformation.” It took 15 years after the loss, but Cindy walked into the doors of LaVie, then known as CareNet, wanting to serve. The nonprofit offers free and confidential services, for men and women, including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, STD testing, pregnancy and parenting classes, and support for those who have had an abortion. “We draw from our own brokenness and our own hurts,” Cindy says. “Hopefully, we can use those in the right way and use it in a way that helps someone else.” 46

YVW MAGAZINE

Cindy started doing part-time marketing before moving on to become the clinic manager. In 2014, when the executive director stepped away for family reasons, Cindy took the job on an interim basis before the board asked her to stay in that role. Over time, she felt her work helping homeless families — sitting with them or standing with them in line to receive food at Family Service — prepped her for this job. “It was preparing my heart in such a way for those who came through LaVie,” she says. While not all are in financial distress, a healthy portion are. “Truly, we see those people who are broken. They are so reserved. They don’t want to be seen.”

continues to meet the critical needs of our community’s seniors.

She says she and her staff make sure they are “seen.” Each year, LaVie serves roughly 3,000 people from all walks of life. As Cindy says, an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t discriminate. “What are your challenges? Who can we connect you with? How can we support you in such a way that doesn’t create more shame for you? We are trying to really convey hope, love and compassion.” And, Cindy adds, “Even just stepping back and understanding that the circumstances you are in may not be the circumstances you are facing in five years. We all get empowered when we have knowledge.” As Cindy reflects on the six years she’s been at the helm of LaVie, she often thinks of a scared 16-year-old girl who came in four times for an ultrasound, confused about what to do with her unplanned pregnancy. The nurse leading the ultrasound asked if her mother knew. She didn’t.

As we move towards a complete

G N I N E P O REof all PROGRAMS,

Seven months later, the teen returned, baby carrier in tow with her mother by her side. The pair handed Cindy a jar of change and a check.

please know that we will do so with everyone’s safety as our main concern.

“She wanted to come back and thank us,” Cindy says, still touched by the act.

Stay well.

“She really encouraged the girl to tell her mother,” Cindy says. “We hear that over and over. They just don’t want to disappoint their parents.”

“We are really trying to take back the narrative to show women, ‘Oh my gosh, you can go to college. You can have a baby and still have a job. You can do this.’” LaVie offers Fund the Future scholarships to help women who want to go back and get additional training or education. Cindy says the work boils down to one word — hope.

See you soon!

“There’s this whole notion of hope and hopelessness and we all go about it differently,” she says. “Don’t we all want to have hope?” ✻

1505 Ave D • Billings • 259-9666 935 Lake Elmo Dr • Billings Heights • 606-1170 allianceyc.org MARCH/APRIL 2021

YVW COVER STORY APRIL

2016

Dr. Megan

LITTLEFIELD BALANCING COMMUNITY HEALTH IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC written by SUE OLP photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

SOME THINGS YOU CAN PLAN FOR.

Others, you

figure out as you go along. That sort of sums up what Dr. Megan Littlefield, chief medical officer at RiverStone Health, has experienced since she was profiled by YVW in 2016. Four years ago, Megan, 48, was in the midst of helping spearhead the planning of an updated $11 million health clinic, which opened on the RiverStone campus in January 2018. At the time, she thought seeing the new clinic completed would be “one of the highlights of my career.” What she couldn’t foresee was that less than three years later, she would be in uncharted territory, helping lead RiverStone’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re constantly talking about building the airplane as we’re flying it,” Megan says. “That’s what you do in a pandemic when it only occurs every 100 years — thankfully.” Marking 10 years of working at RiverStone this September, Megan wears many hats. As the medical director, she oversees all the organization’s medical, dental and behavioral health care for adults and children. She teaches students enrolled in the Montana Family Medicine Residency program and she is medical director of Kids First, which helps meet the medical needs of children entering foster care. Board-certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics, she also has her own patient practice and works in the public health side of the organization. Everything, she says, is with a focus on the people RiverStone serves. “We’re constantly trying to identify where gaps in people’s lives are and figure out how do we meet them,” Megan says. “That’s why I do what I do here.”

YVW MAGAZINE

Completing another part of her dream has been the creation of the Live Well Center. As a physician, Megan can diagnose diabetes and get her patients started on the right medication. “To be able to set them up with a health coach, a nutritionist and behavioral health, and to see patients achieve goals and improve not only their diabetes but their whole lives is an incredibly powerful thing as a physician,” she says.

WE’RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHERE GAPS IN PEOPLE’S LIVES ARE AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE MEET THEM. THAT’S WHY I DO WHAT I DO HERE. — Dr. Megan Littlefield

If the new clinic was everything she hoped for, she had no idea changes would be required in March 2020, when the first cases of COVID-19 showed up in the state. “We had to create a viral care clinic, where we could keep people sick with the virus from the rest of the clinic,” Megan says. “We had to completely revise the operation of our clinic in a weekend.” Equally critical was making sure there was enough personal protective equipment for the medical staff. It was “like we were entering battle and trying to get the team ready and braced for the unknown,” she says.

balancing recommendations to curb the spread of the virus with the negative consequences that came from shutting things down. “John (Felton) ultimately is the one who bears all the responsibility and accountability in many ways, but there was a whole team of us weighing in and giving guidance,” she says.

She and the other public health officials faced backlash. That included the negative comments about her that were spotted online by her kids. And they heard negative remarks at high school. “I told my kids that sometimes leadership is doing what’s right, not what’s popular or what people want to see,” she says. “It was a good lesson for them to see that, and to see me being a part of those decisions and being resilient.” ✻

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE

From a public health standpoint, Megan was part of the team charged with figuring out the best way to keep the community safe, working with Dr. John Felton, the Yellowstone County health officer, and other RiverStone, hospital and county leaders. In the most intense period, the effort required 12-hour days, seven days a week, at times running on pure adrenaline. “Then, after a month or so, you realized, ‘Holy cow, this isn’t a sprint that’s going to be over. We’re really in an ultra-marathon,’” Megan says. “We realized we had to figure out how to support our staff and our providers to get through the long haul.” For her, the pandemic was a precarious balancing act. Both she and her husband, who is employed at a long-term health facility, worked long hours while their two teenagers stayed home, figuring out how to attend high school online. “The way we dealt with it is we made sure that at least we focused on doing family things outside,” Megan says. “We’re fortunate we’re in a place to go to Red Lodge once a week or go on a hike on the Rims with the dogs.” Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects for her was

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YVW COVER STORY MARCH

2001

Lynn

TURNER FITZGERALD ALWAYS A STUDENT OF LIFE written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

TWENTY YEARS AGO,

Lynn Turner Fitzgerald spent her days juggling motherhood with a fast-paced job delivering the nightly news for KULR 8. In March of 2001, Lynn’s was the first face to grace Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine. In that inaugural cover story, she shared her philosophy on news, how she got her start, and what it meant to serve her community in this capacity. Today, life is a little slower for Lynn, but one thing has remained constant. She still finds a way to soak in all that’s going on in the world. “It’s a quest for knowledge,” she says. “It’s a quest for information.” Instead of a TV news desk, most days you’ll find Lynn in her home office in Red Lodge with her pet parakeets, Marley and Farley. Most days involve hours of research as she writes and does research for her award-winning radio show, “Boomers.” It’s been a staple on the radio airwaves, landing a spot on 16 stations statewide since 2018. “I wanted to highlight events, people, music, culture, anything that influenced the Baby Boomer generation and then the things that Baby Boomers have done or lived through that will influence generations to come,” Lynn says. As a woman who lived through the ’60s, she says, “I was so young. I had no idea the impact of the sexual revolution, the women’s movement, the civil rights movement. I had no concept of what was changing in the world.” That’s why she created the two-minute segment that gives bite-sized glimpses into the past with a unique take on what made that moment in time worth remembering. She’s talked about the game Scrabble’s long journey to the National Toy Hall of Fame, what happened to the sewer system in New York City minutes after the two-hour finale of the hit TV show M.A.S.H. ended, and how the Coneheads made their break into the comedic rotation on “Saturday Night Live.” She says delving into the history has given her a unique perspective on today’s headlines. “I realize we will get through this,” she says. “We will come out the other end. We will learn a lot but we will never be the same.” As a 60-something woman who has been in some form of community media for more than 20 years, people often ask her when she’s going to hang up her microphone and give her vocal cords a rest. “I say ‘Never,’“ Lynn says. “As long as the voice holds out, there is no end date.” ✻ 50

YVW MAGAZINE

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Closet revamp your

10 ITEMS, MORE THAN 20 OUTFITS

10 key pieces

flipped through the hangers in your closet wondering if there was some hidden potential in the items you had for mixing and matching in new ways? Whether you are packing to hit the road or downsizing your closet, knowing how to pair an item could expand your wardrobe in ways unimagined. Enter the capsule wardrobe. This “mini wardrobe” is made up of versatile pieces that you love to wear. I chose 10 items and, trust me, no one will know by looking at the way these looks were styled that this wardrobe consists of only 10 items.

written by VICKI-LYNN TERPSTRA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

To start, find a cohesive color palette. That’s essential. From there, choose quality pieces that wash and wear well over time. Think of your lifestyle. Is work business casual or are you on the go a lot and need sensible footwear? Since we live in a climate that can deliver temperatures of 60-above one day and minus-7 the next, I chose pieces that are perfect for those major thermometer swings. Now it’s time to empty your closet. Pile like items together and ditch the items that don’t fit, you don’t love or that won’t work with anything else. Be patient and realize some of the items you’ve ditched, thinking you can’t use them, might end up being more versatile thank you think.

FASHION 52

BB Dakota Shawl Collar Jacket in cream, $98 at Something Chic

HAVE YOU EVER

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Start with your favorite piece, build an entire outfit around it and then, photograph it. You’ll want to remember this inspired look! Then, take an item from that outfit and find another item using that one item. Continue this one more time and you’ll have roughly 10 pieces to start mixing and matching. Levi’s Sculpt Skinny jean, $69.50 at Shipton’s

You might be wondering what your closet needs. A good base is two pairs of jeans that look nothing alike, three or four tops, blouses or shirts and a couple of jackets or layering pieces. I like to also pick one out-ofthe-box item for a top or layering piece. This will provide a little more style to an everyday outfit. Last, but not least, have fun and find joy in the process of every outfit you construct. ✻

3 4 5

Tip

Lush cream and black printed blouse, $34.99 at The Banyan Tree

Empty your closet and photograph options to serve as a reference and help you plan several weeks in advance.

Joseph Ribkoff black skirt, $98 at Cricket Clothing Co.

Foxcroft grey button up blouse, $98 at Cricket Clothing Co.

Flying Monkey Black Label button fly jeans, $74.99 at The Banyan Tree

Thread & Supply camo jacket, $109 at Cricket Clothing Co. MARCH/APRIL 2021

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congratulations YVW on 20 years of making our

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2812 2nd Ave N | Billings, MT 59101 | somethingchicclothing.com

BB Dakota black duster, $119 at Something Chic

Lulusimonstudio Savage tee, $42 at Something Chic

Wait!

there's more Visit our Facebook and Instagram to see the rest of the outfits!

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Banyan Tree dolman taupe sweater, $37.99 at The Banyan Tree MARCH/APRIL 2021

the accessories Joy purse, $69, at Cricket Clothing Co.

Ariat Dixon booties, $169.95 at Shipton’s

Free People Nicola Heel Boot, $89 at Cricket Clothing

Burgundy vintage paisley neckerchief, $11.99 at The Banyan Tree

VICKI-LYNN TERPSTRA, writer

Vintage Havana ooster Sneaker, $120 at Something Chic

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With nearly a decade long career in retail, Vicki-Lynn has cultivated a true passion for fashion. Even though her day job involves event planning and social media for the largest insurance agency in the Northwest, she uses her style and industry know-how to help keep women in the Yellowstone Valley looking their best.

Join us for a

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Saturday May 8, 2021 2 mile & 5 mile virtual race Register Today! www.womensrun.org

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CHEYENNE 58

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KENDAL

PAIGE

Taking It to the Mat

BILLINGS SENIOR’S GIRLS WRESTLERS GIVE IT THEIR ALL IN THEIR FIRST SEASON written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

CHEYENNE D’AIGNEAU was just 6 years old when she’d curl herself up on a bleacher with a blanket, waiting for wrestling weigh-in time for her older brother, Gabriel. He started the sport at the age of 4 and wrestled all through high school at Billings West High. “He was a really good wrestler. He was like second in the nation. It was crazy,” D’Aigneau says of her now 19-year-old brother. Today, it’s her turn to take to the mat, wrestling in the 126-pound weight class for Billings Senior High. D’Aigneau is just one of the 16 girls on the team competing in the first season of girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport with the Montana High School Association. When word began to circulate through the halls of Senior High last fall that Josh Beeman, the boys head wrestling coach, was looking for a few girls to get involved in the program, D’Aigneau didn’t hesitate. “I’ve always wanted to do it and now that there’s girls wrestling, I can,” she says.

Even after enduring grueling three-hour practices with weights, sprints, stair laps and circuit training, D’Aigneau says her dad, who coached her brother through his days of wrestling, would take time when she got home to share a few pointers. “I will be up in my room and he will tell my mom to text me to come downstairs so he can show me a move,” she says with a laugh. “My brother used to do those moves on me, so it’s been easy to get it in my head.” Teammate Kendal Tucker’s mom always told her she’d be a good wrestler. As a soccer player, however, she brushed it off until last fall when she decided to go to one of the open workouts, just to get a feel for the sport. She thought it might help her stay in shape. She was hooked from the first practice. “All you have to do is give it all that you have for six minutes,” she says. “I think just knowing that you can do it and you want to go out there and prove to everyone else you can do it. That’s a good feeling.” Senior High’s season started with 20 girls, making up roughly a MARCH/APRIL 2021

third of the entire wrestling program. Going into the state tournament, 16 girls remained. It was still one of the largest girls’ teams in the state. None of them had set foot on a wrestling mat before then. “I think the whole time there have been girls who wanted to wrestle but were discouraged by the coach, the experience or a boy,” says Mickey Mahlmeister, who was hired last fall to coach the girls’ team at Senior. He had been coaching club wrestling for years. As he worked with each of the girls, showing them technique and how to visualize each match, he says, “The biggest surprise, to be honest, is that this group of girls doesn’t have quit in them.” “I never thought I could or would be this strong,” says 14-year-old Paige Gershmel. The freshman who wrestles in the 138-pound weight class is no stranger to physical sports. She was a defensive linebacker for Senior’s football team last fall. She loves CrossFit and has been competing in Olympic weightlifting since the age of 10. Her favorite wrestling move is the “double leg,” in which she grabs her opponent’s legs with both of her arms for a take-down. “Paige has a really good double leg,” Mahlmeister says with a smile.

I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD OR WOULD BE THIS STRONG. — Paige Gershmel

“Once I get that in a match, I feel like it’s over for the other person,” Gershmel says. “When I am wrestling, I like the adrenaline. I like the rush. If you don’t go all out, it’s not going to work.” As the days moved closer to the state tournament, Gershmel says, “State is huge for me. I want to make history.” She and Tucker both consistently ranked in the top four for each of their weight classes in the weekly Montana All-Class Girls Wrestling rankings. “The state is peppered with female talent, girls that have been wrestling and girls that know great technique and then the rest, everybody’s green,” Mahlmeister says.

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While 169 girls from 48 MHSA schools competed during the season, a little less than 150 showed up to wrestle at the state tournament representing all 11 weight classes. Josh Beeman, head coach of the boys’ team, has stood by Mahlmeister’s side not only working on fundamentals with the girls but helping teach them the wrestling mindset — to figure it out and persevere. Beeman looked forward to seeing them take to the mat against girls. Last season, those with MHSA estimated there were upwards of 40 girls statewide who wrestled against boys just to be able to compete. “There are going to be some state champions and there’s

going to be some heartbreak,” Beeman says. “You can’t control that. All you can control is your effort. I know that every single one of these girls is going to come back with something to prove next year.”

SENIOR HIGH SHINES 2021 ALL-CLASS GIRLS WRESTLING STATE TOURNAMENT On February 19th and 20th, Lockwood High School hosted the

All-class Girls Wrestling State Tournament. Senior High took second place overall, missing the top spot by just 8 points. Kendal Tucker became Senior High’s first state champion in the 152-pound weight class, pinning her opponent in 1:07. Paige Gershmel took third place in the 138-pound class and Cheyenne D’Aigneau placed fifth in the 126-pound class. “I am very proud of all the girls on the team,” coach Mickey Mahlmeister said after the win. “It was a special year.” ✻

Thank you for a delightful 20 years, and for many more to come!

1 199

Partners for Parks Foundation is working to build the BEST and most EXCITING Parks in Billings.

With your help, it can be accomplished.

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“yes my darling, you will be, always young and fair to me”

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A NEW WEBSITE has been designed ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE to provide information concerning on- Watch for exciting news about the going Park projects, like Centennial, Grand Opening of Centennial Castle Rock, Coulson, Landon’s Park and the Centennial Park Dog Legacy, and the Dog Parks. Park in early June, 2021. I N F O @ P F P B I L L I N G S . O R G • W W W. P F P B I L L I N G S . O R G MARCH/APRIL 2021

20!

Take

MY FAVORITE TIPS TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE written by KARLI BIES

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU

getting in tune with your health could be as simple as 20 bits of advice? Each and every one of us probably has a little room to grow when it comes to eating healthier and staying active. While New Year’s resolutions are often forgotten by this point in time, I jotted down some of my favorite tips that you can weave into your day no matter what the calendar says.

1. Instead of taking foods out of your diet, try adding in more nutrient-dense foods like vegetables and fruits. Think of all the things you can eat, not the things you can’t.

2. Drink plenty of water. Divide your weight in pounds by two and that’s how many ounces of water you should be drinking a day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water.

3. Swap the meat in your meal for a vegetarian option one night a week. This adds variety and different nutrients to your diet,

and removes saturated fat.

4. Ditch the quick fix diets and detoxes. Instead, write down two long-term, sustainable goals you want to accomplish this year and beyond. Maybe you want to add extra vegetables to two meals a day. Or, maybe you want to strive to prepare more homecooked meals.

5. Eat the rainbow at each meal. Adding different-colored foods at each meal naturally increases the variety of foods and vitamins in your diet.

6. Include two servings of fatty fish in your diet each week to increase your intake of healthy omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

7. Find a new dinner recipe to incorporate into your rotation each month. It doesn’t have to be fancy, and it can be fun to get the whole family in on cooking a meal that sounds (and tastes) flavorful to them.

8. Move your body in a way that feels best for you. Whether that’s going on a walk or going to the gym, do something you enjoy that gets your blood flowing and heart rate increased. Strive for 75 minutes of intense exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week.

9. Stock up on healthy snack options such as carrots and hummus, popcorn, pre-cut fruit, etc., so you have easy and healthy options on hand when life gets busy.

10.

Have a loose plan when you grocery shop. When the meals are already planned and you have the ingredients, you are more likely to make

YVW MAGAZINE

dinner at home and enjoy it.

blood sugar.

11. Try to have each meal consist of

17.

protein, fat and carbohydrates. It doesn’t have to be a precise amount for each, but by including all three you are including different nutrients the body needs.

Make meals a no-phone or noTV zone. It may sound obvious, but oftentimes we are so distracted that we don’t even stop to enjoy the flavors and tastes or realize when we are full.

12. Get outside after dinner. Taking a

18. Grow your own herbs, lettuce and

walk or simply enjoying some fresh air will give your body time for digestion and will help you figure out if you’re truly hungry for that late night snack or just bored.

spinach at home. It’s a great way to add greens and flavor to your meals. They can easily grow in a windowsill until warmer weather arrives.

13. Try meditating. Start small with just five minutes a day to create a quiet moment. Meditating not only gets you in tune with your body but also helps you tune into your hunger cues.

14. Join a group to keep you motivated and connected. Try group exercise or maybe a virtual cooking class to help switch up your meals. This kind of connection is good for your mental health, too.

19.

Keep frozen vegetables in the freezer. Not only do they provide the fiber and nutrients, but they can be an easy addition to any meal.

20.

Focus more on enjoying what you eat and adding variety to your diet that nourishes your body, rather than worrying about the calories. If you enjoy what you eat and learn to listen to your body's hunger signals, you’ll feel satisfied and healthy in the years to come. ✻

15. Track your fiber. If you want to track anything to help your health, fiber is a great option since most people don’t get enough. Strive for 20 to 30 grams of fiber a day.

16. Limit sugary drinks and replace them with sparkling water, tea or other simple drinks that don’t cause a spike in

KARLI BIES, writer Karli is a registered dietitian whose passion is not only food and nutrition but working with clients on their overall health. She loves helping make changes that are sustainable and helping to create healthy relationships with all foods.

MARCH/APRIL 2021

Score! WHAT A

TA STE OF T HE VALL EY

written by KAY ERICKSON photography by LOVELY HITCHCOCK

TASTY & BUDGET FRIENDLY FEAST FOR YOUR FAMILY

IN EVERY ISSUE 64

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SCORE! That’s not a reference to my deep love for sports, especially my Chicago-based teams. It’s about scoring a deal for one of those busy family nights. It also pays homage to a different definition of score, as in President Abraham Lincoln’s opening to his Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago...” Look up the word on the Merriam-Webster app (who still uses a paper dictionary?) and you see a one-word definition: twenty. It’s all about 20 on the pages of this issue, marking the 20th anniversary of YVW. To celebrate, I asked Marguerite Jodry, who during the pandemic opened Zest, a new kitchen and cookware store in downtown Billings, to dig into her culinary expertise to fashion a feast for a family of four for under 20 bucks. Just for us, she created Zesty Lemon and Arugula Pasta with Crispy Chickpeas.

“Inexpensive meals don't have to be bland,” Jodry says. The ingredients, she says, deliver a zesty, flavorful and healthy punch. “It's perfect for a weeknight dinner or, served with a perky lemon dessert, can make a compellingly delicious meal for guests. Best of all, the whole meal comes in at $20 for four hearty servings.” With this new recipe to add to your arsenal of dinner options, open up a nice bottle of your favorite bubbly or sparkling beverage and help us toast these past 20 years. SCCOOOORE … and enjoy! ✻ KAY ERICKSON, writer Kay has spent her professional career in public relations and broadcast news, currently at Yellowstone Public Radio. Her journalism degree is from Northern Illinois University. Her passions include her family, sports and food. Her mom and an aunt taught her the finer points of cooking and instilled a love of good food and family mealtime.

zesty lemon & arugula pasta with crispy chickpeas Recipe from Marguerite Jodry, owner of Zest

SHOPPING LIST 16 oz. Penne Pasta ($2.99) 1 lb butter ($3.97) 1 head of garlic ($0.59) 1 lemon ($0.95) 1 can chickpeas ($0.99) 5 oz baby arugula ($5.95) 8 oz parmesan cheese ($4.99) FOR THE CHICKPEAS 1 can chickpeas 1 T olive oil 1 pinch kosher salt 2 t. chili powder, paprika, curry powder or any seasoning you prefer FOR THE PASTA 16 ounces of penne pasta 1 T. salt ¼ c. butter or ¼ c. olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 t. red pepper flakes Freshly ground black pepper 2/3 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano Juice of one lemon 1 T. lemon zest

DIRECTIONS To start, make the crispy chickpeas by preheating oven to 425. Drain the chickpeas, reserving a 1/4 cup of the liquid from the can. Rinse under cold water, then pat dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss dried chickpeas together with olive oil and salt in a mixing bowl. Spread the chickpeas on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes. The timing will vary by brand of chickpeas. The chickpeas are done when they are dry and crispy on the outside but still slightly soft on the inside. Remove from the oven and toss with spices. Cook the pasta and prepare the sauce by filling a 6- to 8-quart pot ¾ way full with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Place over high heat and cover. Heat until boiling. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch or more) skillet, heat butter over medium heat. When melted add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, then turn off the heat. When water is boiling, add your pasta and cook 4-6 minutes until very al dente. The pasta should still be quite chewy at this stage. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Pour the drained pasta into the skillet with the butter, garlic and red pepper flakes. Return to medium heat, and add the reserved pasta water, chickpea liquid, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until pasta has reached desired level of doneness and the liquid has emulsified into a smooth, slightly thick sauce.

TO SERVE Stir in crispy chickpeas, arugula, lemon juice and one tablespoon of lemon zest. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly ground black pepper. Portion into four pre-warmed bowls. MARCH/APRIL 2021

e r G A J e l h N BA l T a W Y t R a e E r K G A e h B T e r G e G CABIN CABIN BAKERY h T Y R E K A G B O L N I s l l B R o A r E g C K Eg A G B O L N I s l l B o A r g C g E G s O ' L y l s a l l h t o B r n g a A g h C E K s G ' y O l L a h s t l l n o a r h g K g E E s C ' y l A a L h r t A g n g a E h EP K s ' y E l a C h t A n L a h A K P E E C D A A L J a h l A t l n P a a W h E K D E A C J A l l L a A W P at E e r D G A A J e l L h l T a A P W t Y a E e r D G A e J h l T l a Y W R t E a K e r A G B J e l h l T a BIN W Y t R a e E r K G A e h B T N I Y B R A E C K A e G F ROM h B T LO N I Y B R A E THEOMAGIC CITY’S PAST C K A G B L N I s l l B o A r g C g E A G s B ' O L N aly I s l l B o A r g C g E G s O ' L y l s a l l h t o r n g a g h C E K s G ' y O l CE L a h s t l l n o a r h g K g E E s C ' y l A a L h t A n P a h E K s ' y E l AD a C h t A n L a h A K P E E C D A A L J l A l P a a W h E t K a D E e r A C J A l l L a A W P t a E e r D G A J e l h l T a P W t a E e r ERY D G A e J h l T l a Y W R t E a K e r A G B e h N I T a B W Y A t R a C e E r K G A e h B T N I Y B R A E C K A G B O L N I Y B R A E rolls C K A G B O L N I s l l B o A r g C g G O L N I s l l B o nthaly's E A r g C g E G s O ' L y l s a l l h t o r n g a g h E K s ' E y O l C L a h A s t l l n o a AL r h g K g E E s C ' y l A a L h t A n P a h E K D E E A C s J ' A y l L all a h A t JADE P C E Khan

FLAVORS

&FAMILY written by STELLA FONG

TWENTY YEARS AGO,

five wives with their husbands cooked up comforting heritage foods for our community. Though these establishments no longer exist, delicious memories remain with the guardians of these restaurants who flavored the Magic City with inspirations from Hong Kong, Laos, China, Europe and America. At the Jade Palace on the West End, Selina and Stephen Tang ran one of the area’s longest-lived Chinese

YVW MAGAZINE

restaurants. In midtown, Khanthaly Keutla opened Khanthaly’s Eggrolls with her husband, Sisavath, daughter Lucky and son-in-law Shawn Moua. Right next door, Lin-Lin and Chia Wei (C. W.) Lo ran the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant. From the Log Cabin Bakery, established by Mike and Cara Schaer, smells of cinnamon rolls and baking bread wafted onto Montana Avenue.

LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY at Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Baker eLog Y CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY RLOG IN Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Baker BLog LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY olls Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Baker rLog ly's CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY aLOG ALogC ECabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Baker A D ECABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY JLOG Log aCabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Baker t Gre CABIN BAKERY Log Cabin Bakery LOG CABIN BAKERY eLOG Y CABIN BAKERY RCabin KELOG ALog Bakery LOG CABIN Janet Carson & Cara Schaer ABIN Log Cabin Bakery CBAKERY In the Schaers’ efforts to revitalize Montana Avenue in the late 1990s, they opened McCormick Café, which provided computers for internet access. The Log Cabin Bakery opened in April of 2000.

Eggrolls anthaly's E C A L A P all J A D E The Great Y R E K A NB N I B A C OG G O L s l l o r g Eg

Cara Schaer grew up with “regular food,” but says, “I seemed to be fascinated with pastries and cakes.” She remembers visiting her grandmother, who lived on a farm with a wood-burning stove, “smelling rolls baking in the oven.”

Carson says. “We were in the 14-by-40-foot space in the back of the building. People would line up out back in the alley to get the sandwiches.” In keeping with Carson’s motto —“Keep it simple, sweetie” — two kinds of sandwiches were offered, grilled ham and cheese, and tuna melt.

“If I build a bakery, would you run it as your own?” Mike Schaer asked Janet Carson. Her affirmative response garnered her the role of manager to work alongside her daughter, Hannah THE COOLEST THING ABOUT Gifford. Mike’s desire to open a corner THE BAKERY IS IT FORGED bakery stemmed from his youth in Chicago, A FRIENDSHIP WITH MY prompting a trip with the mother-daughter DAUGHTER. team to the Windy City for preliminary — Janet Carson research. Carson, of Scottish and Norwegian descent, grew up in Bozeman as the daughter of a farmer. “My father raised Angus cattle and farmed wheat,” she says. She recalled baking with her mother making Kristiana Kringles and almond roca. At the bakery, Carson baked her grandmother’s Andama Bread, a dark yeast bread for sandwiches. “There was no front door,”

ACE

At the Yellowstone Valley Farmers’ Market, the Schaers ran the bakery’s stall, offering fresh crepes. While Mike made the delicate French pancakes and Cara adorned them with Nutella, lemon curd or raspberry sauce, Carson stayed behind to insure a steady supply of caramel rolls

and doughnuts. “The coolest thing about the bakery is it forged a friendship with my daughter,” Carson says. “I thank Mike and Cara for the opportunity to achieve something I loved, something that I could hook my name to that was so popular.” MARCH/APRIL 2021

THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL The Great Wall THE GREAT WALL

THE GREAT WALL Lin Lin Lo

Lin Lin and C.W. Lo opened the Great Wall Chinese Restaurant in 1987. In the 5,000-square-foot contemporary Asian-styled Chinese restaurant designed by Gene Rockman, three round entrances or moon doors welcomed diners with the spirit of good luck.

restaurant management and cookbooks. Lo recalls a busy night at the restaurant. In the kitchen a whole box of chickens required processing. “You just show me how to do it,” she said to the cook. “I won’t do it as good or as fast as you, but I can do it.”

Lin Lin Lo, born in Chengdu, China, moved to Taiwan when she For over 10 years, she and C.W. did it. They dazzled customers with was a year old. She fondly remembers her mother preparing a their most popular dish, “Happy Family.” daily lunch for her to take to school. In After calling “Hot Plate” in the kitchen, a hot a tin container, “I always had a piece of metal plate came to the table with shrimp, pork, vegetable and one egg. Sometimes YOU WILL FACE SOME scallops and crab. “We shoveled the stirI had noodles, pot stickers or dumplings.” DIFFICULTIES.. GO ON TO fried seafood on the hot sizzling plate. That On dumpling days, extras were packed for REACH YOUR GOAL. was a little show,” she says. sharing with classmates. GO FORWARD. — Lin Lin Lo In 2002, with the property owner facing Lo moved to the United States in 1981 financial challenges, the Los closed the after her fighter pilot husband took on Great Wall to open Sweet Ginger Asian a diplomatic post in Washington, D.C. Bistro and Sushi on Montana Avenue, which In Rapid City, an Air Force colleague who owned a Great Wall they operated until 2012. Restaurant asked if the Los wanted to start a branch in Montana.

Even though they had never operated their own venture, Lo says, “I could tell I could run a business.” They hired a chef to do the cooking, but to learn about business consulted books on 68

YVW MAGAZINE

Lo had always followed the words of her mother: “You will face some difficulties. No matter how hard it is, it will be like climbing a mountain. Don’t look down. Go on to reach your goal. Go forward.”

JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace Jade Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE JADE PALACE JadeJADE PalacePALACE JADE PALACE Jade Palace Selina Jade Tang Palace JADE PALACE Jade Palace JADE PALACE In 1989, Selina and Stephen Tang opened Jade Palace, serving Mandarin, Szechuan and Cantonese dishes on Overland Avenue. The restaurant featured a full bar, lobster tank and a service staff wearing bowties. After the Tangs immigrated to Seattle in the early 1980s, Stephen worked in the restaurant industry, later moving to Wyoming to open the Hong Kong Restaurant in Cody. Selina worked in an export garment company as a bookkeeper in Hong Kong, and while in Seattle completed college courses in accounting. It was not until after they came to the United States that Selina came to the stovetop.

Yellowstone National Park stopped at the restaurant, motivating the Tangs to expand their restaurant, adding 60 more seats. The Tangs used a chef to cook the extensive menu Stephen created. Over the years, sweet and sour pork, and Mongolian beef with sticky rice became the popular dishes. Selina found a family at the restaurant. “I was really happy with loyal customers. I made some good friends,” she says. Selina’s eldest son, Ken, says of his mother, “She has optimism. She has faith in people.”

“I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH LOYAL CUSTOMERS. I MADE SOME GOOD FRIENDS.

Her faith extended to her son Kalvin, who opened JP Kitchen, a modern Asian restaurant, a year after Jade Palace closed in — Selina Tang 2015, where on occasion she put her frontof-house expertise back into practice. The “My mom did the cooking,” she says, “After I Covid-19 pandemic closed the restaurant got married, I cooked for Stephen.” but it recently reopened as Kal’s Chicken Coop, offering fried chicken sandwiches and sides. Selina remembers working long days. After the lunch shift from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., she went home to make dinner and give baths to her sons, Ken and Kalvin. At 5 p.m., after the arrival of a babysitter, she returned to the restaurant to work until closing. In early years, buses with Chinese tourists heading into MARCH/APRIL 2021

KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls KHANTHALY'S EGGROLLS Khanthaly's Eggrolls

KHANTHALY’S EGGROLLS Khantalay Keutla

“We had the first food truck in Montana,” Khanthaly Keutla says proudly. In 1990, she and her husband, Sisavath, began serving their signature eggrolls and noodles out of a trailer towed behind their car. The spirit of these foods reigned in the Keutlas’ life with eggrolls symbolizing gold bars signifying wealth and prosperity, and noodles representing a long life. In 1981, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Hagstrom family brought Khanthaly’s family from Laos with five children to Billings. Their sixth child, Khuanmany, who rejoined the family 1995, was an infant when they left their homeland, escaping Communist oppression. For fear of the baby’s cries, they left her behind with an uncle.

I LEARNED HOW TO COOK AND PREP. I LEARNED HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS. — KHANTHALY KEUTLA

“When I came to the United States, I had to cook for myself and my family,” she says. She credited the Happy Garden Restaurant for the on-the-job training she received. “I learned how to cook and prep. I learned how to run a business,” she says, and her belief in herself — “I thought I could do better” — led her to start her own business selling eggrolls. In 1994, their son-in-law Shawn Moua discovered a space for a restaurant at the corner of 13th Street West and Grand Avenue after a sandwich shop closed. Khanthaly recalls her son-in-law saying the space was perfect, and not too expensive.

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Partnering with Shawn and daughter Lucky, and receiving help from Tobee and Khuanmany, the family started the 30-seat café, Khanthaly’s Eggrolls Laotian Cuisine Express. Featured items included chicken kabob, Kaopoon with vermicelli noodles in a curry broth topped with beef, bean sprouts, mint and chopped peanuts, and Phir with rice noodles in a beef broth with beef, bean sprouts, lettuce and lemon. The dozen or so menu offerings included eggrolls, rice and noodle dishes with iced coffee and a soy bean drink. To save on cleaning costs, “I used Styrofoam and paper plates, paper cups to serve the food,” Keutla says.

When the lease ended in 2002 at the midtown location, Keutla moved her business back into a food truck. Along with their trailer, semi-permanently located in the Transwestern II parking lot, Khanthaly’s Eggrolls continues to bring delicious enthusiasm for those wanting food of long life and prosperity. ✻

STELLA FONG, writer

Stella divides her time between Billings and Seattle and is the author of two Billings-centric books, Historic Restaurants of Billings and Billings Food. Her writings have appeared in Big Sky Journal, Western Art and Architecture, the Washington Post as well as online at lastbestplates.com.

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TALKING TO

YV W CO LUMIST

written by KAREN GROSZ

STRANGERS STRANGERS

WE STEPPED THROUGH the doors of a building that was a café, bar, gas station, hotel, and yes, even the proprietor’s home, as well as the town post office, somewhere north of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and south of the Alaskan border. My husband, ever careful in well, any situation, but especially ones that seem a bit curious, grabbed my hand and said, very clearly, and under his breath. “We want to know NOTHING Karen, don’t ask one question.” Are you kidding? How could I not ask even one question? I mean really, how did they decide this was the place they wanted to live? How many weary winter travelers stop by on any given day? Were the cinnamon rolls, which looked a little dusty, edible? Did the barking dog, who was leaping at us while chained up near the door, bite anyone? Did they have a bathroom, which is really what I needed? NO questions? Come on man, not even one?

IN EVERY ISSUE 72

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Well. I found the bathroom, and he bought a cinnamon roll, which as it turns out, was delicious. We really should have bought a dozen. And there I was without the recipe I could have gotten had I asked one question. But no, the mister wanted to give them their space as they felt like people who liked their space, which is why theirs was the only building on this 400-mile stretch of lonely Alcan Highway. I gave them their space, but I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it because I like people. I like that they are where I am, be it in church or in line for a concert. I like that they have skills I don’t. I like people who are doing things I wish I knew how to do, and I like people who are oh so different than me. I like people to know I like their new shoes, the flowers they bought at the grocery, and that their child is the cutest child I have ever seen, because

mily in ntana’s , 14tha.org

Chase ember Finals ntana. morial during

everyone deserves a compliment. I like them to know that when they hand me my receipt that they are worth looking in the eye and truly thanking. Mostly, I like people because people have stories.

up in conversations with them that one failed to notice she was driving on a newly paved road. By the time she realized what she had done, the tires were caked with tar, rubbing the fenders. The car was a disaster. Those two were banned from unsupervised car rides for a long time, something that made him very proud, and he was on his way to buy her a new car, simply because he could. That made him proud, too.

And I like to know those stories. But sometimes the stories come with a little bit too much information, which is what my husband was afraid of at the cobbled-together, multipurpose building in Canada. He worried they might tell me more than I wanted to Beauty the st know, or worse, wonder who I was&and whyBea I wanted to know what was inpresents the back“Disney’s room. Beauty and theI START Billings Studio Theatre Beast THE At the nextJanuary stop on the Alcan, I overruled Junior,” 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape CONVERSATIONS SLOWLY, narrow asked and restricted life including her brute of a suitor, Gaston. his her objection, a question and learned WITH A COMPLIMENT OR BelleIgets adventurous as a result becomes things didn’t want toandknow, while he a captive in the Beast’s A SMILE, AND THEN I ASK enchanted castle! snickered in the truck.Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing

QUESTION. furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved Afairy tale about

IT’S A SKILL

It is the idea of being a willing ear that I think is most important. Complete strangers will tell you how they made their fortune, how they lost their spouse, and why they became the World Hacky Sack Champion — that really is a thing. I met him flying into Billings, neither of us in first class. Imagine what those closest to us have to say, if we are willing to listen without telling them what we think first.

different people finding in one as they learn how AS A COACH Yes,very I talk to strangers. I talkstrength to people I another I’VE PERFECTED to love.bshouldn’t, i l l i n g s s tuand dioth a t r e .c m probably I etalk to o people BUT THAT I LEARNED who probably wish I wouldn’t, but I try to In the time before, as a Facebook friend calls FROM MY DAD. be incredibly careful about that. I FestivaL start the the days before Covid, it was easy to start FRinge — Karen Grosz conversations slowly, with a compliment or a conversation. No masks to hide a smile Venture Theatre presents its Fringe Festival, January 18th-19th and a smile, and then I ask a question. It’s a skill or a smirk, never a care about a pesky little 25th-26th.The festival features four nights of shows featuring local I’veand perfected a coach but thatofI all learned germ. I am looking forward to those days regionalasperforming artists types including dance, standup from my dad. He taught me, when I was old again, and I promise, when they arrive, to be comedy, theater improv, one act plays, musicals, performance art, enough to finally listen to him, that if you asked three questions on my very best behavior, because right now there is someone spoken word/poetry, and puppetry.v e n t u r e t h e a t r e .o rg before you started yammering, his word not mine, conversations telling how a young woman, as it was awfully long ago and I was souL s tReet d anCe would be much richer, full of ideas and learning. very naïve, pantomimed, with great exaggeration mind you, while This high energy show comes to the Alberta Bair Theater on January slowly and clearly saying, “Do. You. Want. My. Pretzels?” to which 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic I’ve taken that advice and built a business around it, but more the wife replied, “No thanks and we speak English.” boundaries of street dance. Soul Street concerts consist of a mix of importantly built a library of stories I never would have known movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is had I not talked to strangers. One of my favorite strangers has That didn’t break the ice, which would be the perfect way to end combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. become a life-long friend, a man whose pants were too short to this article, but it did teach me to pay attention, and to lean in It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages go with his cowboy boots, but who bought my coffee because he when the moment was just right, to ask another question, and to entertained. wanted to tell me about his adventures in space. Yes, an astronaut, let people know that they matter, and that their story does too. ✻ but not the NASA kind, the tourist kind, who paid the Russians to a ConCe Rt FoR the w hoLe FamiLy take him for a ride. Now that, my friends, was a story! Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the

Alberta Bair Theater. time Grammy “Trout Fishing Three times I met men Four on planes, sitting innominees, first class, where if in America,” will perform along with the Billings Symphony. Trout you know what you are doing, and I clearly don’t as my seat is Fishing in America is a musical folk rock and usually a bump not a purchase, youduo sit which quietlyperforms with your headset children’s music. b i l l i n g s s y m p h o n y.c o m on, looking forward. Anyway, three men told me tear-filled stories about their grandmothers — women who loved them unconditionally, took time to listen to them, and were so wrapped

eals ade

KAREN GROSZ, writer Growing up in the shadow of Mt. Rushmore gave Karen an appreciation of high ideals. Living in Alaska for 25 years gave her a frontier spirit. Life in Montana finds her building community. A selfdescribed "multipotentialite," she loves coaching others with her business, Canvas Creek Team Building.

Changes, ideas, wondering what to do now? Discover your Next in these pages

What’s Next?

AVAILABLE ON

amazon.com “I’m not stuck anymore. Thank you.” —Jessica

e rd YELLOWSTONEVALLEYWOMAN.COM |

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013

MARCH/APRIL 2021

INSPIRING & IMPACTING CHANGE written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

THE REMARKABLE WOMEN FINALISTS

NICOLE GALLAGHER-KINER ATTORNEY & ADVOCATE ATTORNEY NICOLE GALLAGHER-KINER

always felt a need to stand up for those whose voices might not be as strong as hers. When it came time to choose a profession, all signs pointed to legal defense work.

STANDING NEXT TO SOMEONE ON THE WORST DAY OF THEIR LIFE IS VERY DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED ANY SORT OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. — Nicole Gallagher-Kiner

“Standing next to someone on the worst day of their life is very difficult, especially if you have established any sort of relationship with them,” she says about the work she does for the public defender’s office both at the state and federal level. “You have to humanize people in the justice system today. That’s my job – to make sure that the court and the prosecutors know it is a person standing before them.” Nicole began her career volunteering for a domestic violence clinic in San Diego, near the law school she attended. She’d help women fill out the paperwork to secure restraining orders and then assist them in navigating the justice system. Many times, you’d find her sitting in court, just to be by a woman’s side at her hearing. After finishing law school in two and a half years, she worked in debt collection defense, helping people legally fend off 74

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predatory lenders. Today, Nicole works overtime defending those who can’t afford to hire an attorney. “She cares deeply for people that many of us don’t want to acknowledge,” says Britton Frisbee, a legal assistant who works closely with Nicole. While she spends her day in private practice taking on case overflow from the public defender’s office, she reminds others, “None of us is the sum of only our worst decisions.”

YOU PROBABLY KNOW

a few remarkable women, the kind who graciously roll up their sleeves, many times unasked, to make the lives of others a little easier. Yellowstone Valley Woman has joined forces with Your Big Sky, which operates both ABC 6 (KSVI) and FOX 4 (KHMT), to help put a handful of these women in the spotlight for International Women’s Month.

After dozens of nominations were reviewed, four women rose to the top as finalists of the Remarkable Women campaign. You’ve read the stories of two of these women here on the pages of YVW. Others are getting their time in the spotlight now. Stay tuned. YVW will reveal the winner of the Remarkable Women contest in our next issue.

SHAWN HINZ VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES AT RIVERSTONE HEALTH WHEN THE COVID-19

pandemic hit the Billings community, Shawn Hinz led a team of public health staff and medical professionals to manage the community’s response. In her 30 years of working in public health, this, she says, was by far the most challenging of times. “We had to pivot on a dime and decide what’s most important for that day and do it,” she says. “We just do it.” She serves as RiverStone Health’s internal incident commander for the Covid-19 Response Team, overseeing a staff of roughly 80 and managing the after-hours response, testing, case investigation and contact tracing. “We just take it one step at a time,” she says about the massive undertaking. As if helping a community navigate the virus isn’t enough, Shawn and fellow members of the Continuum of Care board (CoC) targeted the problem of the un-sheltered homeless. “It was the vow of this group that we would not go into another winter where individuals in our community were not warm, dry and safe and safe from whatever that means, Covid included,” Shawn says. The result was the “Off the Streets” program, which transformed the old Western Hotel, at 3311 Second Ave. N., into a 40-room space to give shelter to people with nowhere else to go. Even though such a site had been talked about for years, Shawn says, “It was all of the stars aligning – the right people, the right time, the right places. We had momentum.” In more normal times, Shawn’s primary role is to help develop and manage county programs that directly affect the life, health and safety of our community. She’s also been hard at work making sure RiverStone does everything necessary to keep its

Public Health Accreditation. It is one of just two public health systems in Montana to win such accreditation. She also serves on the board for United Way of Yellowstone County and is the president of the Montana Public Health Association. “I’m the fortunate person who gets to watch all the amazing work that’s happening across public health in our community,” Shawn says. MARCH/APRIL 2021

ELYSSA LEININGER ARTIST & VOLUNTEER YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

Elyssa Leininger’s name, but there’s a good chance you’ve seen her vivid and detailed work depicting the Yellowstone Valley and the animals that once roamed here. Last summer, the western wildlife artist spent more than a thousand hours covering roughly 2,000 square feet of the Sixth Street West underpass with a mural. “I’ve received letters from people saying they love the mural,” Elyssa says. “And pretty much everywhere I go, I get compliments.” From the end of July to the first part of November, Elyssa spent sun-up to sundown at the site. Even now, she returns weekly to clean up garbage, sweep and shovel snow, trying to keep the walkway clear. The mural has sparked talks and lessons to groups like the Girl Scouts and the Women’s Federation for World Peace. “I’ve done lessons on the impact of color and color psychology,” Elyssa says. “I’ve gotten involved in the temporary homeless shelter in Billings and I’m going to be doing an art project with them coming up.” The mural was initiated by the South Side Neighborhood Task Force and funded through a mix of grants and community donations. The task force is already looking for a new urban canvas for Elyssa. In addition to returning to paint the Sixth Street underpass walkway and pillars for a more “immersive” experience, they are looking for a grant for Elyssa to paint the underpass at Minnesota Avenue and 13th Avenue North. During the month she spent on the Sixth Street project, Elyssa says, it transformed how she sees Billings’ transient population. Some of them helped lay down the first layers of paint, while others promised to protect her work during the night. One even gave her a tobacco blessing. “It restored my faith in humanity,” Elyssa says. “It’s really warmed my heart and made me want to give back that much more.”

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TO READ MORE OF ELYSSA LEININGER’S STORY — LOG ONTO —

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BRITTANY CURL CASEY’S DREAM FOUNDER GROWING UP ALONGSIDE

a sister with Down syndrome, Brittany Curl knew that people with disabilities needed something more than the traditional group home setting. That’s why she started the nonprofit Casey’s Dream, naming it after her sister and providing people like her with a range of holistic services, including homes for independent living. “Families of those with disabilities don’t have an idea that there are other services out there that are really community-based and family-centered,” Brittany says.

FAMILIES OF THOSE WITH DISABILITIES DON’T HAVE AN IDEA THAT THERE ARE OTHER SERVICES OUT THERE THAT ARE REALLY COMMUNITY-BASED AND FAMILY-CENTERED. — Brittany Curl

Brittany launched the nonprofit when she was 25. Now, a year later, she has not one but a dozen homes with more than 60 employees. She’s also expanded this nonprofit while fighting brain cancer and singlehandedly raising her 4-year-old son. After a surgery to remove her brain tumor, she lost the use of the left side of her body and spent time in intensive rehab to regain feeling, all while keeping her nonprofit alive. Since being featured in our January 2021 issue, Brittany hasn’t sat idle. She is in the midst of buying a new facility that will help Casey’s Dream expand to provide a day center where individuals can come to learn life skills, exercise or even find help in starting their own small business. She has a motto in life that she longs to instill in those she serves. “You can really do anything that you set your mind to,” Brittany says. ✻

TO READ MORE OF BRITTANY CURL’S STORY — LOG ONTO —

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MARCH/APRIL 2021

Recycling

E-waste

DETERMINATION & DIVERSIFICATION MAKE ‘GOING GREEN’ PROFITABLE written by Linda Halstead-Acharya photography by Daniel Sullivan

KOLBI FOX works in a world few of us can imagine. From her office she looks down at a ground-floor warehouse that resembles a giant’s toy chest. The “chests” are actually gargantuan cardboard boxes heaped high with countless bright, shiny trinkets. On closer inspection the trinkets are cast-off electronics waiting to be “born again.” Kolbi’s workplace is the headquarters of Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions, a business she owns and runs with husband, Brandon Fox. Earth Day this year marks the 15th anniversary for the company that has become the largest e-waste recycler in the state – an accomplishment and a milestone that amaze Kolbi. Speaking from her office, where she’s gathered a collection of old rotary telephones and still-functioning Sony Walkmans, Kolbi recalls the struggles of the early years. To help make ends meet, she waited tables, the family lived on Ramen noodles and together they pulled a wagon through Billings’ ditches collecting cans and scrap metal. She also remembers how slow traffic was at the warehouse. “We’d sit around playing games,” she says. 78

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It took several years for the concept of recycling old electronics— or “e-waste” — to catch on. But once it did, it’s only continued to grow. Today their operation fills 18,000 square feet, employs a dozen people and has diversified into several side businesses including Rewind Design and Replay Electronics. The former business sells unique jewelry – also Christmas ornaments and keychains – made from tiny pieces of computer mother boards etched with intricate copper circuitry. “No two are alike,” Kolbi points out. The latter business is a brick-and-mortar retail outlet where the public can purchase repaired or re-purposed electronics — everything from nearly new Apple computer monitors to laptop computers and VHS players — at drastically discounted prices. After 15 years, Kolbi and Brandon have figured out what works for them. But the circuitous path that brought them to 2021 was not without glitches. “It’s not a lucrative business unless you know exactly what you’re doing,” Kolbi says, smiling. “We’ve taught ourselves everything,

learning through trial and error. Lots of error.” To begin with, their passion for recycling came as second nature for both Kolbi and Brandon. As an elementary school student, she published a recycling newsletter. As a boy on the family farm, he spent hours scrapping and dismantling old farm equipment for recycling. The couple met while working at a print shop in Billings. Neither had any background in business — Kolbi has a degree in graphic design and marketing — when Brandon decided to take the leap into e-waste recycling. “We all thought he was crazy,” Kolbi says. “We didn’t think it was a good business model. But he pursued it anyway.” Despite countless hurdles, she and Brandon refused to abandon the dream. Slowly, their efforts paid off as they earned support from the city of Billings Solid Waste Division, School District 2 and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Today, Kolbi credits their success to their doggedness. “Persistence is 100 percent the main key to everything,” she says. “You keep trudging through and living on the edge. When we came up against adversity, it made us work that much harder. Over our dead bodies we were going to close. Ever.” As their business evolved, Kolbi’s love for learning has stood her in good stead. Today, as co-owner of Yellowstone E-Waste, she manages staff, conducts detailed inventories, schedules statewide pick-ups and serves as a one-woman human resources department, among other tasks. “I do a little of everything,” she says. Her job description also includes raising three children — Alex, 21; Taryn, 19; and Kieran, 5. Each has taken to recycling with new energy and visions of his and her own. Now that Yellowstone E-Waste is running on all cylinders, Kolbi takes time to give back to the community. Currently, she

serves as a board member for Recycle Montana, an educational organization that promotes recycling throughout the state.

IT’S NOT A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU’RE DOING. WE’VE TAUGHT OURSELVES EVERYTHING, LEARNING THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR. LOTS OF ERROR. — Kolbi Fox

“It’s needed in Montana,” she says. “This state is 50 to 60 years behind the rest of the U.S. in recycling. The logistics are so tough. It’s expensive here and sometimes not possible.” What make recycling possible for Yellowstone E-Waste are the scale of its operations and the vast expanse of the area MARCH/APRIL 2021

On a regular basis,

YELLOWSTONE E-WASTE SENDS A FLEET OF TRUCKS, WITH CREW, THROUGHOUT THE STATE & INTO WYOMING TO COLLECT BROKEN & OBSOLETE ELECTRONICS FROM DOZENS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, HOSPITALS, GOVERNMENT OFFICES & PRIVATE ENTERPRISES.

they serve. They accept just about any old electronics — except tube TVs and tube computer monitors (CRTs) — and they do it for free.

data destruction or one of their side businesses. Today, sales from their store Replay Electronic have kept the operation humming.

“You’d be surprised how many people want a VHS player,” Kolbi On a regular basis, Yellowstone E-Waste sends a fleet of says. “There’s a whole room of vintage stereo equipment – from trucks, with crew, throughout the state and into Wyoming to reel-to-reel to tape decks.” collect broken and obsolete electronics from dozens of school Not only do they market these items locally — who knew there districts, hospitals, government offices and private enterprises. was a demand for an old-time projector that could be Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions not only contracts with converted into a valuable retro guitar amplifier? these entities to haul off their refuse but also — but they’ve expanded their customer base to destroy the data preserved in them. Once exponentially by listing items on eBay. collected, the company’s massive metal shredder chews up the hard drives and “EBay has been huge,” Kolbi says. IT’S NEEDED IN MONTANA. sends the remnants off to markets that THIS STATE IS 50 TO 60 will re-use the scrap metal. Likewise, Rewind Designs, the jewelryFor the average household or mom-and-pop business, Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions organizes community collection events.

YEARS BEHIND THE REST OF THE U.S. IN RECYCLING. THE LOGISTICS ARE SO TOUGH. IT’S EXPENSIVE HERE AND SOMETIMES NOT POSSIBLE.

from-motherboards business, broadens its reach via Etsy. Kolbi and Brandon set a high bar for Yellowstone E-Waste Solutions. For that reason, they take particular pride in being recognized as Montana’s Recyclers of the Year for 2018. And that’s not just e-waste recyclers, but all recycling businesses, Kolbi points out.

As Kolbi strolls through the warehouse, she — Kolbi Fox makes her way through a labyrinth of malfunctioning printers, dead computers and even retro arcade games. She tells how she and Brandon complement one another in the workplace. She’s the task master. He’s the “nice guy” who perfected their customer “We want to express gratitude for our customers, our awesome relations. Together, and with the benefits of diversification, they employees and the amazing support system of Brandon’s family have weathered shifts in the recycling world. and my dad,” Kolbi says. “We’re proud of what we’ve done and “Things we used to sell, they (markets) weren’t taking anymore,” she says. For example, when the scrap metal market slows, profits shift to

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CHARGERS & CONNECTING WIRES OF ALL TYPES

POWER STRIPS

2 Hair dryers and irons

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PRINTERS & FAX MACHINES

Computer “mice” HOME STEREO SPEAKERS ROUTERS

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TELEPHONES even the old rotary phones stashed in your closet! OLD CAMCORDERS & CAMERAS

10 VHS players & tapes

CDS, FLOPPY DISCS & HARD DRIVES CONTAINING INFORMATION YOU NO LONGER NEED, BUT DON’T WANT SHARED

12 Computer keyboards

DID YOU KNOW? YELLOWSTONE E-WASTE SOLUTIONS RECYCLES 1 MILLION TO 1.25 MILLION POUNDS OF E-WASTE EVERY YEAR.

E-waste is the fastest growing component in our waste stream. SOME OF THE METALS USED IN ELECTRONICS ARE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MINE. KOLBI PREDICTS THAT, NOT FAR INTO THE FUTURE, LANDFILLS WILL BE “MINED” TO RETRIEVE THOSE RARE METALS.

Aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing its integrity. A MARKET STILL EXISTS FOR VHS MACHINES, OLD CAMCORDERS AND EVEN 8-TRACK TAPE PLAYERS.

Some discarded electronics can be repaired, refurbished and “rehomed” for a fraction of the price of new.

FINANCIAL FOCUS Are You Still Planning to Retire Early? by Morgan A Reif, AAMS®, Financial Advisor Have your retirement plans changed because of Covid-19? If so, you have plenty of company. Nearly 40 percent of those planning to retire say the pandemic has disrupted their intentions, according to the Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study. You might have been thinking about retiring early – can you still do so? Even without a crisis, it’s not a bad idea to review your life goals from time to time. When you think about early retirement, consider these factors: • Your retirement lifestyle – Your ability to retire early depends on what sort of lifestyle you’re anticipating during retirement. If you want to travel extensively or pursue expensive activities, you might not be able to afford to retire as early as someone with more modest ambitions. There’s no “right” or “wrong” way of living in retirement. We all have our own dreams and preferences. But be aware that different lifestyles do carry different price tags – and have different effects on when you can retire securely.

• Sources of retirement income – A key factor in whether you can retire early is knowing how much you have in retirement income. You’ll have to assess all your sources: Social Security, any other pensions you might receive, and your investment portfolio, including your 401(k) and IRA. For Social Security, the longer you wait to collect, the larger your monthly payments (although they will “top out” when you reach 70, excluding cost-ofliving adjustments). Regarding your investments and retirement accounts, you’ll need to establish a withdrawal rate that’s appropriate for the length of time you expect to be retired. So, by adjusting these variables – taking Social Security earlier or later, taking more or less money from your retirement accounts – you can help determine if the retirement date you had in mind is viable. • Your feelings about work – Your goals are not static – they can change. When you first decided you wanted to retire early, you might have been motivated by, among other things, a weariness of your current job. But has that changed

over time? Have you found new challenges that interest you at work? Or, if you were forced by the pandemic to work remotely, did you enjoy the arrangement and want to continue it? Many employers have found that their workers can be just as productive working at home, so, even when we’ve gotten past COVID-19, we might see a sizable shift in the geography of the workplace. In any case, if your feelings about work have changed leading you to rethink retirement, there may be financial advantages. Not only would you make more money, but you’d also keep building your 401(k) and IRA, and you could even possibly delay taking Social Security. The pandemic may lead to a reevaluation of many financial goals – and taking early retirement might be one of them. By thinking carefully about your situation and your options, you can come up with a course of action that’s right for you.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones, Member SIPC

and2

HEART SOUL THE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES HELP ST. JOHN'S UNITED THROUGH A CHALLENGING YEAR written by ED KEMMICK photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

BROOKE RIVERA

that this is a disease that not everybody makes it through.”

It was last spring, and there had been an outbreak of Covid-19 infections on one unit of the retirement community’s West End campus. As the virus spread, among the few people in the unit still uninfected was an elderly woman whose high spirits were a ray of sunshine amid the general gloom. But eventually she contracted the virus too, and soon she was gone.

Rivera is the administrator of Home Health and Hospice for St. John’s, a nonprofit whose West End campus is the largest singlesite continuing-care retirement community in Montana. And though the toll at St. John’s was relatively low —11 Covid-related deaths as of mid-January, when the number of residents totaled about 550 — the pandemic immediately upended virtually every aspect of the operation. It powerfully affected the lives of residents, as well as the lives of some 700 employees and hundreds more volunteers.

vividly remembers one of the worst moments of the pandemic year at St. John’s United.

“That event was very hard on staff because we were all rooting for her,” Rivera says. “She did so well despite a lot of people on her unit having Covid. When she succumbed to that, it was really, really hard on staff. It was a reality check — that this is deadly, 84

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All of those employees had to adapt quickly, on the fly, learning new tasks and dealing with complex health and safety protocols,

all while navigating a sprawling campus suddenly full of checkpoints, barricades and kiosks where temperature checks were administered. A colleague of Rivera’s, St. John’s Administrator Karna Rhodes, had her own memories of low points during the pandemic, but she says there were unlooked-for blessings, too, some that were downright “transformative.” “It sounds really weird,” Rhodes says, “but I just sometimes don’t think we realize what we can make it through, what we can accomplish in crisis, if we work together.”

units. A further complication was that health-care workers who were employed elsewhere but used to fill in at St. John’s on their days off could no longer enter the campus for fear of bringing in the virus. “When we were in the thick of it all, it just took a lot of emotional energy,” Markus says. During the worst phase, which hit fairly recently, in November and December, “it felt as though everybody was hopeless. … It was very hard, but we kind of came through t h a t , a n d we s ay o u r prayers every single day.” Although no staff members succumbed to Covid-19, St. John’s CEO David Trost says about 120 workers contracted the virus over the past year. And the rules stated that if one employee or one resident tested positive, it had to be called an outbreak, and the affected unit had to be shut down. That meant all residents were confined to their rooms, with all meals delivered.

That was a theme repeated over and over by Rivera, Rhodes and three other women — Libby Markus, Carissa Welsh and Sarah Schroefel — who are members of the leadership team at St. John’s United. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, ranging from Markus, who has been in health services for 42 years, to Schroefel, who is not quite two years out of college. What they share is a kind of awed respect for what they and their co-workers were able to accomplish in the past year." “They really are the heart that pumps what goes on through St. John’s,” Tom Schlotterback, vice president of Mission Advancement, says of the five women. "In each case, not only do they perform their duties so well, but they have soul in what they do. This is their deep, vocational calling.”

During those times, staff had to wear full PPE, or personal protective

BROOKE

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think in my nursing career I’d be dealing with something like this,” Libby Markus says of the pandemic. Markus is the vice president of Health Services, basically the director of nursing for St. John’s, which also operates four smaller congregate-living communities in Billings Heights, Laurel, Red Lodge and Hamilton. While she’s been her current role since 2007, in the years before she spent time in the nursing home and visiting nurse realm. At St. John’s, with 300 registered nurses and certified nursing assistants, scheduling is a challenge in the best of times. It has been beyond challenging during the past year, what with employees having to go into quarantine after being exposed to the Covid virus, and with the need to shuffle employees between

KARNA MARCH/APRIL 2021

the point where they were calling any period when a unit was not having an outbreak the “freedom phase.” During one such time, Rhodes says, “I just remember running through the dining room of Chapel Court yelling, ‘It’s freedom phase!’” During another period when residents were allowed into the dining room — though with masks and social distancing —

ONE OF THE GIFTS [KARNA] HAS, AND WHICH I WISH I HAD, IS THAT SHE KNOWS EVERY SINGLE RESIDENT OF THIS PLACE. SHE KNOWS THEIR NAMES, SHE KNOWS WHERE THEY LIVE. WHENEVER I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILY IN THE COMMUNITY, I ASK HER. — David Trost, St. John’s CEO

LIBBY equipment — gowns, gloves, goggles and masks. There was a time in November when St. John’s thought it would run out of PPE, but there was an outpouring of community support, with volunteers producing homemade masks and 650 washable gowns. Even with all that support, however, the ordeal was continually wearing on both residents and staff. “We did a lot of praying around here, I’m sure, and we’re lucky enough to have a pastoral care team that not only cares for our elders, but our staff as needed,” Markus says. Trost gives a lot of credit to Markus herself. “Libby is one of those individuals that you’d want to take to war with you,” he says. “They will come early, they will stay late, they will take a bullet for you. She’s proven that through Covid. She has dug deep and taken the pain.” Administrator Karna Rhodes also has strong memories of those times when residents were confined to their rooms. It reached 86

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some of the Nutrition Services employees made an archway of balloons to welcome them back. Rhodes first worked for St. John’s as an intern in 1998, when she was a student at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. After running a nursing home in Broadus for three years, she returned to St. John’s in 2002. Since then, she has become an integral part of life there. “One of the gifts she has, and which I wish I had, is that she knows every single resident of this place,” Trost says. “She knows their names, she knows where they live. Whenever I have a question about a patient and their family in the community, I ask her.” Those relationships made the past year especially difficult, Rhodes says, because she had so much work to do that she sometimes felt disconnected from the residents, though she did volunteer on some weekends. She lauded her colleagues who, “in true St. John’s fashion,” put in countless hours of volunteer work when the regular corps of community volunteers were not allowed on campus. “I’m just going to tell you that Schylie Wood, our scheduler, is

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a gift from God,” Rhodes says. “She juggles that schedule all the time, but during this it was really challenging.” Before the pandemic, Carissa Welsh spent two and a half years building a volunteer network from the ground up. As director of Volunteer Services for St. John’s, she coordinated the activities of some 350 volunteers, who provided transportation, helped keep up the grounds and attended end-of-life vigils, among many other services. “So when Covid hit,” she says, “it stopped all of that almost immediately.”

WE WEREN’T ABLE TO HAVE OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS COME, SO OUR STAFF VOLUNTEERS PICKED UP ALL OF THAT. OUR STAFF WERE WORKING DOUBLE TIME — THEIR OWN JOBS AND VOLUNTEERING ON THEIR OFF TIME. — Carissa Welsh

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“Honestly, she should have been furloughed,” Trost says, because the department she was hired to lead basically ceased to exist. “But she pivoted and started to coordinate all our repositioned employees, our employees who left one department and went into another.” In time, Welsh also started writing grant applications for St. John’s, something she’d had a little training in during college but had never done since. Trost says she excelled in that role, too. A four-year veteran of the Air Force, Welsh had also spent four years in Italy working for the American Red Cross European Division, first as a volunteer coordinator-recruiter and then as regional leader for volunteer efforts in Italy and Spain. At St. John’s, once outside volunteers were unable to come on campus, Welsh redeployed staff members to take meals to residents, to visit with them in their

residences and to take them for walks. She also coordinated the activities of employees who came in on their own time to play music for residents, write letters for them or just visit. Welsh used to provide community volunteers to be with people who were nearing the end of their lives and had no one else. After the pandemic hit, Welsh says, “We weren’t able to have our community volunteers come, so our staff volunteers picked up all of that. Our staff were working double time — their own jobs and volunteering on their off time.” Welsh says she’s not sure exactly what she’ll be doing for St. John’s once the pandemic is truly over. “If I’ve learned anything in the last 10 months,” she says, “it’s to keep open and flexible to whatever the needs are.” Brooke Rivera has been with St. John’s for 13 years, and eight years ago she was chosen to be the administrator of its Home Health and Hospice, an operation that partners with Billings Clinic and Big Sky Senior Services. St. John’s is the managing partner, responsible for employing all staff, who go to people’s homes to help them recover from surgery or hospitalization, or to assist them in managing medications.

SARAH Another key role that St. John’s has been filling has been that of information provider — trying to give residents and employees upto-date, accurate information in an age of rampant misinformation. St. John’s also began allowing e m p l oye e s t o h ave u n l i m i t e d visits with counselors, up from the traditional three visits a year.

As you might expect, requests for home visits plunged at the start of the pandemic. “People did not want people coming into their homes,” Rivera says.

CARISSA

It helped that St. John’s was ahead of the game in some respects. It started testing for Covid-19 almost immediately and was soon testing all its staff on a weekly basis. Rivera applied for and received a $75,000 grant from the state, with $50,000 dedicated to testing and $25,000 for buying more PPE. More recently, St. John’s set up its own laboratory in the building where Rivera now works — the old Gainan’s building in downtown Billings. “So instead of waiting for a week for results to come back from the state, I have a contract through our laboratory downstairs and I get my results within 24 to 48 hours,” Rivera says.

“We’ve really emphasized the ability of people to go to employee assistance programs,” Rivera says, “just to talk to a counselor about how wearing this is.” Sarah Schroefel, who interned at St. John’s during her senior year at Montana State University Billings, went to work there full-time two days after graduation in 2019. She was hired to head its new AtHome Project, basically providing most on-campus services for seniors who choose to remain in their own homes. Every client has a service coordinator who does shopping and yard work and coordinates the client’s participation in on-campus and other events, as well as providing transportation. The project also began offering a free grocery pickup service. “If you ever need anything at Albertsons,” Schroefel says, “I’m a MARCH/APRIL 2021

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The relatively new program had 10 households before the pandemic arrived, and now has 19. As soon as Covid outbreaks began being reported at nursing homes in Washington state, St. John’s started getting calls from families unwilling to put their loved ones in nursing homes, which made AtHome a welcome alternative. As the youngest member of the St. John’s leadership team, perhaps it was inevitable that Schroefel would also be pressed into service as the resident social media expert. She’s been helping residents, families and staff navigate social media to send and receive health updates and access online pastoral care, and she started a Facebook group called Staying in Touch with St. John’s United. “She just brings joy to everyone she comes in contact with,” Trost says. “I can’t think of any client or co-worker that would not enjoy just being in her presence.”

Sometimes, Schroefel says, there’s a little bit of heartbreak mixed in with the joy. In late July or early August, when “Covid fatigue” was really settling in, she and her staff organized a small group of clients to drive separately to ZooMontana and spend a few hours on site. “It was just the most wonderful day,” Schroefel says, “but the sad part was, a lot of our members said that was the highlight of their year. … That was the most that they did for months.” Similarly, she and her service coordinators knew that for many of their clients, they were their only human contacts for many months. With that in mind, Schroefel made a comment that was echoed, in one way or another, by all of her colleagues. “So, if we weren’t here, who would go ask them how their day was, and how their family is and bring them groceries?” she says. “It’s been a tough year for everyone.” ✻

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DENISE AND MICHAEL KOK’S HOME sits on a bit of acreage alongside a quiet, tree-lined country lane in the Heights. It’s a pastoral setting filled with the hum of nature — and with the homeowners’ two goats and several rescue dogs and cats. Inside this ranch-style home the ambiance mirrors the tranquility of its surroundings. Well, unless there’s a game going on. Then, it’s gathering time for friends and family. And, no matter what team wins or loses, the place rocks with excitement. As Denise succinctly puts it, “We like sports and beer.” Sports and beer play a compelling role in Denise’s life. It wasn’t that long ago that she ran her 50th half-marathon, in Hawaii, the 50th state, just three days after her 50th birthday. She says she still runs about three times a week, not to mention the fast pace she keeps at work.

Denise and2Michael MARCH/APRIL 2021

I WANTED A FUN KITCHEN AS WE ENTERTAIN A LOT. WE NEEDED THE SPACE. — Denise Kok

before “I have a fun job and Michael has a real job,” Denise says with a laugh. “I bartend at Uber Brew (a downtown brewery and restaurant) and have been there since the day it opened.” Michael works in telecommunications for Boeing. He’s worked mainly from his home office the past year. Now that it’s spiffed-up, working from home is even sweeter. The office as well as the entire main floor of the Koks’ two-level home underwent a major transformation by Ban Construction and Beyond the Box design center. During construction, Denise, Michael and son, Jaxson, a senior in high school, lived downstairs. Older son Jakob, attending college in Boise, Idaho, missed the action. “It started with the kitchen,” says Denise. “I wanted a fun kitchen as we 94

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entertain a lot. We needed the space.” “The kitchen was small and U-shaped,” Michael says. “We moved everything.” Pointing up to a row of new recessed ceiling lights, he adds, “That’s where the wall was along with the door into a mudroom.”

“I said, ‘tear it down,’” recalls Denise. “We lost a coat closet and mudroom but that’s OK. We now have a pantry.” Beautiful alder cabinetry in a charcoal wash now offers a ton of storage on this side of the kitchen. The large walk-in pantry is hidden behind a cabinet front, and a new laundry room sits at the far end, just off the kitchen. This intimate blue space makes all the right moves. “I love the color and feel spoiled with the soft-close drawers and doors on the new cabinets,” says Denise, rolling out one of the bottom drawers where the dog and cat food bowls are neatly tucked away. The space now flows. “Changing the garage entrance from entering in through the laundry to entering directly into the kitchen was a game changer,” says Debbie Ferguson, the designer and owner at Beyond the Box. It’s more convenient and much more welcoming. Plus, “I like being organized,” says Denise, walking to the kitchen’s center island where she pulls out the knife and utensil organizer drawer. “This way the knives are not on the counter.” These and many other details reveal flawless design in this dramatic, yet bright open space. “This kitchen is all about mixing colors, metals and textures,”

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perimeter cabinet pulls (brushed nickel hardware) coordinate with the stainless appliances, while the island countertop and cabinet pulls really bring together the light fixture finish and moody perimeter cabinets. Add in the backsplash and you have love.” Two large islands with chocolate glaze and distress rub bases sport dark Cambria quartz tops from Fabricators Supply. The light-colored perimeter Aria quartz counter tops create a stunning contrast. The larger island features a beverage fridge in its base and allows for seating all the way around. Michael calls the big island Hawaii. “The little island is Oahu,” he says, grinning.

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“We used a pretty good chunk of quartz,” Kristy says. “The colors in the quartz tops really work with the rustic knotty alder bases.” “It’s a straight shot from the island to watch the TV,” Denise points out. Pressing a button pad by the gas cooktop on the center isle, a downdraft fan automatically rises up behind the cooktop. “And people can watch the game without ducking around a stove hood.”

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DENISE AND MICHAEL ENJOY ENTERTAINING GUESTS IN THEIR NEWLY REMODELED HOME. THE RANCH-STYLE HOME, POWERED BY YELLOWSTONE VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, BASKS IN A PRISTINE SETTING IN THE BILLINGS HEIGHTS.

This well-designed kitchen features another vital attraction — the pub station. A lighted upper cabinet with a glass door showcases beverage glasses behind a decorative metal grid. On the countertop below, dual beer taps peer over a custom-built drip tray.

your comfort your way.

The grated tray discards overspill, as well as drains the water used by the “rinser.” As Denise holds a glass upside down on the grate, water jets in and rinses it clean. The drip tray keeps the area dry and tidy. “I had to laser cut the shape,” says Reese Newman, drafter and fabricator at Shepherd Stainless, “and weld the corners for water tightness.” The pub station scores big as the game plays on and the beer flows from a double kegerator (draft beer dispenser) stowed in the lower cabinet.

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Denise and Michael enjoy their more modern and functional “fun” kitchen. The open concept design ties in effortlessly with their previously cordoned-off dining room. The huge family table and treasured china hutch are in full sight. “We tore out walls and we moved walls,” says Tana Ban of Ban Construction.

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before says Pam Before, sales consultant at Rich’s Modern Flooring. The rustic-looking, yet elegant flooring continues into the grand front entry. Charcoal-colored stain on the front door and on the alder trim enhances the arched entrance, setting the mood for the living area’s rich new look. The double barn door to Michael’s office adds depth while the cultured stone floorto-ceiling fireplace in the living room adds another touch of rustic elegance. “We also redid the fireplace,” Tana says. “The stone has a hint of blue to pick up the warm blue tones in the flooring. We used alder for the hearth (providing extra seating), mantle and top.” The large arched window was trimmed to match the front entrance, as was the railing on the glass staircase leading to the lower level.

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The main floor guest and master bedrooms benefit from the neutrality of the carpeting, as well. Denise decided on a soft yellow wall color in the guest room. The browns and creams highlight the dark alder door and window trim against the soft walls.

DENISE, DEBBIE, TANA AND I CHIMED IN ON THE WHOLE DESIGN,” KRISTY SAYS. IT’S BEEN A TEAM EFFORT FROM START TO FINISH. — Kristy Ferguson, Beyond the Box

The staircase sits off the entrance, giving the living room its unique shape. Acquiring a custom gray sectional from Conlin’s Furniture allows specific-sized pieces to fit the space precisely. Textured carpeting in warm browns and creams pick up the gray in the wall color, sofa and fireplace, complementing this 102

charming living space.

The master bedroom wall color gives way to the juxtaposition of a lively, yet subtle blue. A headboard created from the rustic LVP reaches from behind the bed up to the high ceiling, accentuating the airiness of the space. “I thought shiplap would be nice,” says Denise, “but it was too expensive. I asked Tana about the flooring so we ended up using that. It looks good!”

“Denise, Debbie, Tana and I chimed in on the whole design,” Kristy says. It’s been a team effort from start to finish.” Tana’s eye for décor puts on the finishing touches. It’s the Ban family way of creating a home. ✻

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BROUGHT TO LIFE BY A MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEAM DEBBIE FERGUSON

grew up in the construction business, kindling her passion for design and a desire to create functional spaces. She then married a contractor, which gave both her and her daughter Kristy Ferguson a front row seat to to that world as well. The design center allows Kristy to oversee each project with resolution, enthusiasm and commitment. “I love seeing dreams turn to reality and getting to know the people behind the dreams,” she says. Debbie enjoys creating beauty, function, budget and value for each project she does while excelling in traditional, transitional and craftsman designs. Kitchen and bath design was a natural fit for these ladies, whose mission statement is, “Create Amazing Spaces. Build Relationships. Have Fun.” Beyond the Box design team is accredited by the National Kitchen & Bath Association and certified by Living In Place Professionals. Their belief in continued education is showcased in their Kitchen & Bath Apprenticeship that is accredited with the state of Montana. ✻

Ban Construction A REPUTATION FOR TIMELESS HOME REMODELS AND AWARD-WINNING CONSTRUCTION THE BAN FAMILY is noted for working hard. “I think that’s a trait of a Montanan – achieving the best of our abilities in whatever we’re doing,” says Tana Ban. Tana and her husband, Brian, along with their two sons, Nick and Zeth, deliver as a team as well as with individual talent. Zeth takes the lead in drafting the home’s floor plan with the design centering on expectations. “We work with the style that our client wants,” says Tana. Brian and Nick then move into the construction phase. ✻

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of seasons by bringing a little bit of nature inside — and these faux bird nests will do just that! In minutes, and with little cost, you can update your winter home with these sweet replicas that deliver a touch of nature and a hint of spring.

What you will need...

• American moss • Aerosol hairspray • Ribbon/Lace • Raffia • Vintage or new pedestal, terrarium, and cloche • Large eye needle • F oraged leaves, dried flowers, twigs and branches

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RACHEL JENNINGS, writer Rachel is a self described "Junker," who not only loves all things old, but LOVES the challenge of trying to make something new out of each find. While she is a Hair Stylist by day, in her off time you can often find her covered in paint, trying to repurpose something she's found.

When foraging for this project, I went to my yard to gather up those things I thought maybe a bird might choose for her nest. I remembered the size and scale of my project and reached for small twigs, dried hydrangeas, dried clematis vine and some Japanese maple leaves. Together, they created visual interest. I did buy some supplies at my local craft store and then hit up the thrift store as well. Secondhand stores always seem to have unique vintage glassware. That’s where I found my terrarium, pedestal and cloche. This project is very fragile and messy so you will want to place your nest in some sort of glassware. Just have an open mind. I’m sure you’ll find something fantastic. Start with the American moss by placing it in a mound. Keep in mind, this step is messy, so be sure to cover your workspace or work outdoors. Simply pull, twist, or push the moss into a nest shape. Keep adding moss to fill in gaps or holes. Now that you have something that resembles a nest, you can add the ribbon and raffia. Thread a large eye needle with raffia and “sew” a few stitches leaving long strings dangling. You’ll do this several times in different spots on the nest. Now, do the same thing with ribbon or lace. You can do this by hand also. Weave these items through the nest carefully. Try not to be super neat about the stitches or the weaving of the ribbon, since this is supposed to appear random. Keep in mind how a bird might do this. Continually reshape the nest, placing the twigs and foraged items

on or through the nest. When you are done, spray with a couple of heavy coats of aerosol hairspray. This will help keep things glued together in place. Once everything is dry, carefully place your nest in the container you chose. It might take some time to get a placement that’s visually appealing, so be patient. Not only are these nests fun and easy, but they are also a great and affordable project to do with children. Once finished, this display is perfect for anywhere in your home, signaling to all who enter that spring is here! ✻

Helping You Create Your

Landscaping

Vision

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ENERGY EFFICIENT

P WERH USE BRAVING THE ELEMENTS WITH THESE SAVVY TIPS written by TRISH ERBE SCOZZARI photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

OUR CLIMATE REMAINS FAITHFUL

to the old saying, “If you don’t like the weather just wait five minutes.” Temperatures can drop 30 or more degrees faster than you can walk around the block. The sun seems to warm it up sometimes just as quickly. With these kinds of climatic conditions, our homes need to keep us well insulated from the elements.

JEFF SCHERR Qwner of Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning

Whether you’re feeling cold drafts swirling around your ankles or beads of sweat breaking out on your brow, it’s time to delve into some ways to promote a more comfortable atmosphere while improving energy efficiency. Let’s see what our local experts say about energy-saving measures. We checked in to see how we can reduce energy waste, save money and give a boost to our property values.

CHECK THE FURNACE Most of us depend on the furnace to run year-round. It provides heat in the winter and, with the help of an air conditioner, cool air in the summer. This heat source, however, requires a wee bit of TLC. Replacing the furnace filter every three months is a big factor in keeping your furnace running efficiently, according to Jeff Scherr, owner of Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning. A clogged or dirty filter forces the furnace to work overtime. A clean filter protects the motorized components, as well as the air ducts from accumulating dust. “A good filter is one that’s not too tight,” says Jeff. “Sizes of filters come in MERV ratings. The higher the MERV, the smaller the particles are that are grabbed.”

FURNACE TIP A programmable thermostat is a great way to reduce heating and cooling costs. Some of these thermostats provide indicators that let you know when to replace the filter or when there may be an issue with the system. Wi-Fi thermostats are much more common and affordable and allow you to monitor and adjust your heating and cooling from your smart device. MARCH/APRIL 2021

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In many homes, the filter does double duty, serving the air conditioner as well. “The furnace filter is critical,” he adds. “Your air conditioner uses the furnace blower to move air around in the house.” That means the filter is working non-stop. Jeff also recommends that the outdoor area around the unit be kept free of debris. “You don’t want your air-conditioner obstructed by brush, grass, or trees,” he says, adding that the cotton produced by cottonwood trees is a major offender and easily clogs up the condenser unit.

Auto • Home • Business • Life Medicare Planning Farm & Ranch

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If you have a furnace that just doesn’t seem to be keeping up, there’s a good way to test whether it might be time to replace it. “How you know you may need a newer model,” Jeff says, “is if it’s very old or the cost of repair is very high. New furnaces run 97 to 98 percent, so you gain that higher efficiency. Air conditioners may last longer since we use them for about three months each year.” So, to keep it in tip-top shape, “Change that filter regularly and get the furnace maintained each year,” Jeff says.

CRANK THE WINDOW “Windows are a great tool to heat or cool your home,” says Aaron Reay, Passive House-certified consultant at 406 Windows. “In the cold winter months, you can collect free heat through the glass. In the warmer months, open them up to cool off and create a healthier living space.” Windows are much less insulating than your walls. This makes design and placement very important. These lightgivers either help keep a space toasty warm or contribute to freezing you out. “The most important factor is not necessarily the products put into the window,” Aaron says. “It’s how the window is designed. If the functionality is not working and you’re not feeling comfortable, it may be time to replace it.” Older windows aren’t a match for today’s technological advances. “We tune the glass to let in more sun or less sun if it’s facing the west by using a Low-E compound,” he says. “This film that’s put on the glass reflects heat back into the home. Low-E provides better insulation, controls solar heat gain, which makes the window look like it is tinted.”

THE BEST PERFORMING WINDOW IS THE SWING VARIETY OR TILT-AND-TURN (A “CRANK” WINDOW). COMPARED TO A SLIDING WINDOW, THE SWING STYLE WINDOW SEALS UP TIGHTER, BECAUSE IT COMPRESSES WHEN CLOSED. IT’S 10 TIMES MORE AIRTIGHT, PLUS IT’S QUIET. — AARON REAY, 406 WINDOWS

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Sophisticated aesthetic with exceptional performance.

406-656-9091 406windows.com

Aaron maintains the best performing window is the swing variety or tilt-and-turn (a “crank” window). Compared to a sliding window, the swing style window seals up tighter, because it compresses when closed. “It’s 10 times more airtight, plus it’s quiet,” Aaron says.

AARON REAY

Passive Housecertified consultant at 406 Windows

Back in the day, most windows were single pane. Then along came double pane. Triple pane (also known as triple-glazed) windows are the current standard. “Windows are designed to create ventilation, which helps with comfort, as we need fresh air,” Aaron says. “It’s all about comfort and health. There’s only three-fourths of an inch of insulation in windows, so to increase efficiency and meet Billings energy code, we use argon gas to fill the window.”

WINDOW TIP

DRESS THE WINDOW

Check for cold air coming in around your windows. 406 Windows uses argon and krypton gases between the panes. The gases are odorless, colorless and non-toxic. These gases insulate the space between the panes of glass promoting a more comfortable atmosphere inside your home while saving you money.

Window treatments afford privacy while aiding in protecting us against a cold winter’s night or a sunny day. Consumer demand for lower energy costs, as well as the desire to keep warm or remain cool, comes into play when talking window dressing. “The most energy-efficient window coverings are plantation shutters followed by honeycomb shades,” says Bobby Gray, owner of All Kinds of Blinds. “Honeycomb shades insulate the windows to keep it warmer in winter, cooler in summer. Plantation

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Voted Billings Best HVAC

— LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED — Natural Stone, Quartz & Laminate Counter Tops Free In-Home Estimates Contact our Comfort Advisor and request a free consultation. 406-656-5157 • 9934 S. Frontage Rd. Billings

comfortheatingbillings.com • jeff@comfortheatingbillings.com

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5850 Interstate Ave • Billings www.magiccitygranite.com

Starting a Project? Need Repairs?

McCabe Electric, Inc. Donald W. McCabe • 406-860-5225 • Taylor McCabe • 406-690-3625

S E R V I C E | R E PA I R | R E M O D E L | N E W C O N S T R U C T I O N

Let us take charge of your electrical needs! Call Us Today!

406-860-5225 Donald & Taylor McCabe Your Personal Electricians IONS

RAT 5 GENE

ICIAN R T C E L OF E 7 INCE 191

MT S SERVING

McCabe Electric, Inc.

P.O. Box 31976

Billings, MT 59107-1976

Phone/Fax 406-259-8275

BOBBY GRAY

shutters are especially effective at keeping the outside air out and the inside air in, year round. “Shutters can be manufactured in virtually any color and in a wide range of stains, including custom paint and stains to match a home's trim,” he says.

Owner of All Kinds of Blinds

SHUTTERS CAN BE MANUFACTURED IN VIRTUALLY ANY COLOR AND IN A WIDE RANGE OF STAINS, INCLUDING CUSTOM PAINT AND STAINS TO MATCH A HOME'S TRIM. — BOBBY GRAY, ALL KINDS OF BLINDS

“We’ve even installed shutters that were stained to match one customer's furniture and another's business logo,” Bobby continues. “Composite plantation shutters are available in many neutral colors. Honeycomb shades come in light-filtering or room-darkening fabrics in dozens of colors to match most any decorating scheme.”

WINDOW DRESSING TIP

He says All Kinds of Blinds also carries a 3M window film that “blocks up to 82 percent of glare and up to 99.8 percent of UV, causing as much as a 42 percent energy savings.” Outdoor areas become additional living spaces with exterior zipper shades. “These patio shades help to lower heat transfer in the summer by creating a shaded area in front of exterior windows,” says Bobby. “They add beauty and block light wind.”

Window coverings are the finishing touch on every home's design. They can transform a room from drab to "wow" while also lowering heating and cooling bills and saving fuel.

Another energy saver and safety booster is a motorized shade. “It can be equipped with an anemometer system to automatically raise shades when the wind gets too high.” ✻

Get Honest, Experienced Help Buying or Selling Your Home.

RYAN AUER 406.850.2011

SHERI AUER 406.661.3355

“Sheri and Ryan are a great team! We found the home we wanted at under asking price and they sold our old home quickly!” — Larry W.

Plan now for your

Remodel P roject with a fireplace from GEERING CO.

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“Your Source For Warmth”

GEERING CO. Hearth & Home

406.252.2068

3823 Montana Ave • Billings, MT geeringco.com

EXTRA ENERGY

SAV NGS • TOP 4 TIPS FROM YELLOWSTONE VALLEY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE •

UPGRADE A WOODBURNING FIREPLACE with an EPA-certified model or a more efficient insert to conserve energy. Check into tax credits.

INSTALL WEATHER STRIPPING AND PROPER INSULATION

where winter chill seeps in under doors, around windows and even through electrical outlets.

You can

trust us for all your window treatments... ✦

SWITCH YOUR CEILING FAN’S BLADE ROTATION by

reversing the blades to a clockwise rotation. This pushes the warm air back down.

USE EXHAUST FANS SPARINGLY IN THE WINTER.

Bathroom fans and oven hood fans are often-overlooked sources of heat loss. Turn them off when not in use.

ADDING THE

Perfect Touch

TO O UR C O MMUNI TY S I NCE 1995

Custom Blinds

✦ Window

Shades

✦ Window

Shutters

✦ Window

Film & Tint

E XAC TLY WH AT YOU WA NT AT TH E BE S T P O S S IBLE P R I C E STOP BY OUR SHOWROOM TODAY!

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Under Contract

5252 HIGH TRAIL ROAD

1125 BROADWATER AVE

5220 PRYOR MOUNTAIN VIEW DR

3323 REIMERS PARK new listing

Under Contract

5330 BLUE HERON DR

426 E ALKALI CREEK RD

4727 AUDUBON WAY

2961 CUSTER AVE

new listing

Under Contract

1936 HWY 10

sold

4729 LEWIS AVE

Under Contract

5420 MERLOT LN

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2720 US HWY 310

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1325 COLTON BLVD

3038 CENTRAL AVE

sold

448 CEMETERY RD

317 S 25TH ST (Co-list with Travis Dimond)

When it came time to sell my father’s unique property after his passing, I knew instantly who to call to market the property. Tom & Robin Hanel are not only friends, but also

impeccable reputation, strong work ethics, commitment to first class results and community-wide contacts obviously made them the right

their

choice. Team Hanel did an over-the-top marketing campaign! Robin was exceptional at

keeping me informed by phone calls, texts and emails which made the entire

process transparent and pleasant. I would recommend Team Hanel with highest praises for any real estate transactions.

— Phyllis Jenkins Galles

• • • • •

TEAM HANEL•

• • • •

TOM HANEL ROBIN HANEL 406-690-4448 406-860-6181 Tom@TomHanel.com

Robin@RobinHanel.com

KORINNE RICE 406-697-0678

Korinne@TeamHanel.com www.berkshirehathawayhs.com

Everyday we should make a Conscious Decision to the quality of life to improve improvethe for our horses. BIG R WEST 2600 Gabel Road (406) 652-9118

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BIG R SHERIDAN BIG R LEWISTOWN 2049 Sugarland Dr. 825 NE Main Street (307) 674-6471 (406) 350-4422

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75 Years

OVER OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE Stop By Our New Showroom And Meet Our Cabinet Specialists

KADY

SHAY Owner

Designer

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STEVE Designer