COMPLIMENTARY
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Neighbor This is our neighborhood. From routine exams, same day care, or complex conditions, we’re here to help keep your kiddos healthy, happy, and ready for their next adventure.
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F RO M TH E
TAKE ALL THE ADVENTURES.
That’s the advice I gave my soonto-be 19-year-old daughter when she asked if she should accept an offer to represent the USA and play softball overseas this summer. The trip in early June would be to the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and, aside from playing a half dozen games, she’d be led on all kinds of sightseeing excursions in each of the countries. They’d go to the Anne Frank home, make Belgian chocolates, visit a clog making business, take a canal ride through Amsterdam — the list goes on. While all of this sounded delightful, the best part of the story started 47 years ago. That’s when my family took in a foreign exchange student from the Netherlands. She was 18 and bubbly and I still vividly remember her accent and her contagious laugh and smile. My parents made sure that while she was with us, she saw a good chunk of the United States so she could pack up some memories along with her suitcase. During it all, I was her little shadow, and she didn’t seem to mind one bit me toddling around behind her. I was only 4 at the time. When my daughter made up her mind to take this epic trip, my mom mentioned she should try to meet up with Anneke, the foreign exchange student who, now decades later, was married and had three grown children of her own. She lived just miles from where my daughter would be sightseeing and playing ball. My mom had kept in touch with her all these years. They were Facebook friends. When Anneke found out about the trip, she was already making plans to watch the softball games and take Ellie and her friend out to lunch. She even wanted her to spend some time in their home. What struck me was the fact that my daughter was the same age as Anneke was when she stepped foot on U.S. soil. Who would have thought? The two did meet, took lots of pictures and ended up having lunch at this charming outdoor restaurant called the Grand Café. Apparently, Anneke still has the infectious laugh and smile. She’s
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Editor still so warm and welcoming. In fact, when the two drivers — Marciano and Danielle — were waiting for Ellie to finish up her lunch, Anneke invited them to join them and treated them to tea, laughing and chatting with them in Dutch. They talked about the differences in their cultures. (Side note — did you know that if you want a glass of water, make sure to order it without gas or you’ll end up with a sparkling water?) Ellie mentioned after the fact that she would have loved to hang out with Anneke all day and she was sad when they had to part ways. As I type this, my daughter’s been home for about an hour. She looks exhausted but couldn’t wait to flip through the photos she snapped while on her journey. We saw the castles, the narrow streets, the slender homes, the art, the food and all the smiles she had with her newfound friends. “I want to show you all of it,” she said to her dad and me. “The pictures don’t do it justice. So, let’s just go to Amsterdam.”
I’m not sure I can take my own advice, but a piece of me would love to step onto those streets and see the woman I still hold so dear in my memory. I know we’d have one heck of a tour guide with her and my heart would be pretty full. Take all the adventures. It has a nice ring to it. I hope you enjoy this issue and hope you’ve planned some summer adventures of your own!
Julie
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july/augus t 2022 On The Cover
42 FOSTERING POSITIVITY,
Features
60 HOME SWEET HOME
ADOPTING CHANGE
Jamie Hickey wears two hats – business woman and ranch hand – and does it with finesse
New director builds community trust at YVAS
66
THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT
70
ON HER GAME
74
MAKING THE CUT
82
CHEERS THROUGH THE YEARS
86
DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DID
All Creatures Great and Small
14 THE BUG WHISPERER
Bug Lover Marian Kirst is making discoveries, taking us inside her world
20 HANGING WITH BATS Wildlife Biologist walks, talks & teaches to spark bat conservation
26 A REAL SHOW STOPPER Billings woman and her horse land the blue ribbon on a national stage
30 CREATING A WORLD OF WONDER
The women of the Montana Audubon Center
36 COMMUNITY OF CARING
Women Veterinarians lean on each other on the job and in life
50 ONE SPECIAL RESCUE
Grateful Dead Scholar Sue Balter-Reitz takes her love of the band to the radio airwaves Jenny Heringer passes on her love of Basketball to a new generation of athletes
Father-Daughter duo hones woodworking skills to spend time and create a side hustle
After close to 3 decades, Jeanne Moller pours herself into her last Wine & Food Festival
My Experience with Basal Cell Carcinoma
100 IN SEASON
A Taste of Tomato & Fresh Herbs
YVW Home
108 ROOM FOR RELAXATION Why the master bath is where it’s at
From hoarding case to house pet
52 CAPTURING THE WEST
At 25, Hailey Rae is making a name for herself on the rodeo circuit
58 HEALING VETERANS, CHANGING LIVES
Dog Tag Buddies embarks on a new mission of awareness thanks to a celebrity chef
In Every Issue 78
FASHION: Every Color Under the Sun
92
KAREN GROSZ: The Power Decision
94
HEART GALLERY: A Girl on the Go
96
TASTE OF THE VALLEY: Hello Huckleberry
104
LOOK WHAT WE FOUND: T aking the Strain off Planting
JULY/AUGUST 2022
9
P U B L I S H E R & E D I TO R JULIE KOERBER
julie@yellowstonevalleywoman.com
You don’t have to know insurance, just know me. “In this industry, it’s imperative to do everything with sincerity and passion.” Paulette specializes in learning about your lifestyle, then finding you the right coverage for the right price. She can shop dozens of carriers for home, auto and life insurance, as well as provide options for medicare and long term care needs. Contact Paulette Wengeler, Personal Insurance Agent at (406) 238-1948.
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COMPLIMENTARY
“Always remember you are braver than you believe —stronger than you seem —and smarter than you think.” ~ Dr. Suess
ON THE COVER
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Photography by Daniel Sullivan
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©2022 Media I Sixteen All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
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meet the STA FF
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LAURA BAILeY
Terry Perkins
trish scozzari
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melanie Fabrizius
daniel sullivan
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Copy Editor / Writer
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Sales Executive
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OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
JULY/AUGUST 2022
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all
Crea
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tureS
Great and
Small ALONG WITH THE WOMEN WHO FIND THEM ALL FASCINATING
THEY CREEP, THEY CRAWL and they hover overhead. Some even shake and roll
over. YVW is taking a deep dive into all kinds of creatures and the women who study and care for them. These women have devoted their lives to these creatures, from horses and cattle all the way down to the tiny Western firefly. As you flip the pages, we invite you to read their colorful stories and find how their fascination began.
JULY/AUGUST 2022
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the the
bug whisperer whisperer BUG LOVER MARIAN KIRST IS MAKING DISCOVERIES, TAKING US INSIDE HER WORLD written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & MARIAN KIRST
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WHEN MARIAN KIRST TALKS about winged things and crawly creatures, her excitement draws you in. With a master's in entomology, she seems to have a story or tidbit of information on each one of the nearly 1,000 insects that line every one of the drawers of a high-towered cabinet in her office. Her collection covers everything from the tiniest of beetles to the Cecropia moth with its wingspan of close to seven inches. “When I look at this collection, what is amazing to me is that I remember where I was with almost all of these,” Marian says. “The experiences are so special to me.” The majority of these bugs were plucked from places around Yellowstone County. “People will ask, ‘Did you go to Ecuador for this?’ No, these amazing creatures are right here in our city,” she says. On her desk sits a high-powered microscope that she uses to analyze each creature she collects. Not all, however, are immortalized and pinned on a tray. Over her shoulder sits a little container where a black widow crouches in a corner. It was a “rescue” Marian grabbed from a friend’s workshop. In the other corner sits Ocho, her adopted Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula. “He got loose one time and ended up in my husband’s shoe,” she says with a laugh. “He was sort of mad at first but now it’s just a nice story.” Marian says her love of insects blossomed before she was in kindergarten. Her family lived up in Indian Cliffs and the Rims proved to be the perfect grounds for a future bug lover. “We would get the craziest stuff that would come into our basement. I would often leave the screen door open,” Marian says. On more than one occasion, a Carolina Wolf Spider crept in. At first, she was terrified. “My parents, because they have such a connection to the natural world, would force us to put a cup over it, slide a piece of paper under it and then put it on the kitchen table and say, ‘Before you freak out, we want you to watch this guy for a few minutes. Just watch him.’” She adds, “I developed a love for the odd and unloved creatures.” Marian would grow and go on to earn an environmental studies degree from Hamilton College in upstate New York before getting a master’s in science journalism. “When I was at High Country News — they are an environmental ag magazine that covers the 12 western states — every story that I was writing was either on arachnids or insects. My editor pulled me into her office and said, ‘Marian, we don’t really have an insect beat. Your fellowship is almost up, I am wondering if you should consider going back to school for entomology. This clearly means a lot to you.’”
No t l o n g a f t e r, h e r WHEN I LOOK AT THIS husband’s job as a turnover COLLECTION, WHAT IS coordinator landed them AMAZING TO ME IS THAT in rural China at a nuclear powerplant construction I REMEMBER WHERE site. During the day, I WAS WITH ALMOST Marian worked on her master's in entomology ALL OF THESE. THE through a distance learning EXPERIENCES ARE SO program at the University SPECIAL TO ME. of Florida. In her offhours, she wandered the — Marian Kirst trails near their apartment and honed her skills in macrophotography, capturing all the unique bugs she spotted on her walks. Eventually, she’d bring that skill home when the couple moved back to Montana. Marian would set up a white box and her husband would help wrangle the bugs for her camera’s lens. “They are all alive in these photos,” Marian says of her artwork. “By getting up close with them in that little setting, you see some behaviors that are wonderful that you would not normally see.” With each photo, she says, she’s “taking you in and gently opening your eyes to this world.” Today Marian’s focus is on the moth population of the state. She’s the program developer and entomologist for a small, largely community-funded biological research nonprofit called Northern Rockies Research and Educational Services (NRRES). Her colleague and NNRES Executive Director Mat Seidensticker along with moth expert and Colorado State University research associate, Chuck Harp, started the Montana Moth Project in 2019. Marian joined the team in 2020. The work is gratifying but often has her up burning the midnight oil, setting up her lights and JULY/AUGUST 2022
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"MANTISPIDS CAMOUFLAGE THEMSELVES TO LOOK LIKE A PAPER WASP SO THAT INSECTS AND OTHER ANIMALS THINK THEY STING. THEY DON'T HAVE A STINGER. THEY CAPTURE PREY USING THEIR MANTIS-LIKE FRONT ARMS." —MARIAN KIRST
traps. The goal is to sample all 56 counties in what Marian describes as one of the most ambitious moth diversity surveys ever conducted in the state. Her work has led to some amazing discoveries. Of the more than 8,000 moths collected last year, Marian says, “We’ve generated dozens of state records and hundreds of county records.” Species of moths were recorded that no one knew were here in Montana. And, while on the hunt in the Pryor Mountains, she discovered a brand-new species of moth flitting about among the area’s red rocks and yellow sands. For a newbie entomologist, discovering a new species is like finding the Holy Grail. She’ll never forget the night she returned home after her discovery. After combing through her guide on Western months along with checking a myriad of online resources, she remembers telling her husband, “I can’t find anything that looks like it.” When it came time to update her colleagues, she recalls being embarrassed. “Finally, I just wrote them. OK guys, I tried last night. I just can’t do it.” When they were also stumped, the investigation began.
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“We were all like, ‘Man, that is so cool!’ It was bound to happen at some point with all the surveying that we are doing,” she says. When the species is officially confirmed, Marian will get the distinct honor of naming it and she plans to pay homage to the place it was found, the Pryor Mountains, a unique mountain island range jutting up from the surrounding prairie in south central Montana.
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L TO R: MARIAN FINDS A PATCH OF WESTERN FIREFLIES IN BILLINGS, MARIAN PICKS UP A NORTHERN SCORPION
“All right, we are going to go look for these guys,” she remembers saying. She knew fireflies tended to be in wetland areas off irrigation canals or in boggy parks with tall grass, but her timing had to be perfect. Western Fireflies only light up for about three weeks out of the year. They typically emerge around 9:30 at night and by midnight, stop flashing.
“I want to reflect the specialness of this place to me,” Marian says, adding she learned to drive in the Pryors She remembers tromping around the area in her youth looking for plants with her botanist mother and even landing her first kiss there. “Ecologically, it’s a treasure trove out there.” June of last year brought another eye-opening discovery. She’d been hearing about firefly sightings around Billings for years but every time she tried to get more information, her investigative trail dried up. “I could never actually get my hands on a physical specimen,” Marian says. “It got to the point where I said, I am not sure I believe you.” Last summer, City Forester Steve McConnell got a phone call that changed her mind. A resident called worried about a bit of land development. He was worried about the nearby fireflies. Sadly, the gentleman didn’t share his name or where he lived. But Marian was able to get enough information to predict a location, time of year and time of night to spot some if, indeed, they existed there. 18
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She and Steve scoped out an area and while she was walking, “I see a beetle fly in front of me. It didn’t flash but I thought, that’s about the right size. I grabbed it with my net,” Marian says. “As I look at it in my net, it just sparks. After we got that one, they all started flashing. The population seemed to cover a seven-squareacre area. It was just incredible.” You might wonder why Marian is so passionate about her work. “Part of the appeal of this profession is that you can be 99 and there will still be so much you don’t know and you still need to learn,” she says. With each new discovery, she’s trying to instill that love of insects in her 2-year-old and 4-year-old daughters, Fay and Mabel. She doesn’t take her job lightly. “We are the only species that can remember that they are here or even know that they are here.” ✻
JOURNEY JOURNEY IIN NTO TO TTHHEE
WORLD WORLD OF OF INSECTS INSECTS
WITH WITH ENTOMOLOGIST ENTOMOLOGIST MARIAN MARIAN KIRST KIRST Join entomologist Marian Kirst for a journey into the world of insects. On Friday, August 12, from 9 p.m.-midnight, the Montana Audubon Center will host its 4th annual Bugs & Brews night program for adults. Participants will enjoy some local microbrews from Gally’s Brewing Company (Harlowtown, MT) while hunting for and learning about insects, spiders and their kin. On Saturday, August 13th (7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) the insectthemed fun continues with Cocoa & Crawlers, a family-friendly night program designed to encourage kids’ natural curiosity about the world’s insect inhabitants. For more information, visit mtaudubon.org/center and then click on events. T
KIRS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIAN
JULY/AUGUST 2022
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Bats
hanging with
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST WALKS, TALKS & TEACHES TO SPARK BAT CONSERVATION written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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THE SUN WAS JUST SLIPPING
below the horizon when the parking lot at Norm’s Island started to buzz. It wasn’t insects making the noise, but the fuzzy static sounds created by a handheld meter that turns ultrasonic bat calls into something people can hear. “It sounds like a click,” says Megan O’Reilly, a wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. And, she says, when people hearing that click look up quickly, chances are they’ll spot a bat flying in its telltale erratic pattern overhead. “Most likely, we’ll see little brown bats. We’ll probably see some spotted bats,” she says. They’re just two of the 15 bat species in Montana. They’re the most common, especially in these parts. O’Reilly and her crew — Amber Stapleton, a wildlife intern, and Jerry Krause, an FWP volunteer — were just about to take a nighttime trek around Norm’s Island on the hunt for bats. By 9 p.m., the group had reached the southern portion of the trail that overlooks the Yellowstone River, hoping to spot some. O’Reilly, armed with an iPad and a sophisticated microphone, looked at the sound waves being picked up. Even though the insects were thick, there were no signs that the bats were starting to hit the sky for dinner. By 9:45, as the last bit of light was starting to fade, the small detector in my hand started making a whooshing click noise that’s really hard to replicate and even harder to describe.
ACT BAT F
BATS NAVIGATE AND FIND INSECT PREY USING
ECHOLOCATION
☛ THE SOUND WAVES EMITTED BY BATS BOUNCE OFF OBJECTS AND THE RETURNING ECHO GIVES THE BAT INFORMATION ABOUT ANYTHING THAT’S AHEAD OF THEM, INCLUDING THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF AN INSECT AND THE DIRECTION IT IS GOING. JULY/AUGUST 2022
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“Is that it?” I yelled. “Yes. That’s it!” O’Reilly said as she glanced down at her iPad and saw the tiny blue crescent sound waves that bats create. “What frequency are you on?” she asked. As I was telling her that it was 28.5 kHz, our heads were on a swivel. We knew a bat was there but we didn’t see it, yet. Walking along the island’s outer trail, alongside a small river channel, the clicking noise returned, and it was louder this time. “There’s one!” one of us yelled and flying off was what’s believed to be a Little Brown Bat moving back toward the center of the island. “It flew right over my head,” Stapleton said. “One little brown bat, which is our most common species in Billings and in Montana, can eat 1,200 mosquitos an hour,” O’Reilly told the group, adding that all of the bats who call the state home feast only on insects.
are here.” During the summer months, O’Reilly will lead groups on what she calls her Bat Walks. “I’m very passionate about bats and education,” she says. “I’ve done eight bat walks here and I’ve only had one walk where we didn’t see a bat.” O’Reilly says she does these walks because it’s important for conservation.
“ONE LITTLE BROWN BAT, WHICH IS OUR MOST COMMON SPECIES IN BILLINGS AND IN MONTANA, CAN EAT 1,200 MOSQUITOS AN HOUR. — Megan O’Reilly, Wildlife Biologist
“They are important critters,” O’Reilly says, pointing out that bats lose habitat every time a new subdivision is built. Wind turbines have killed off bats and pesticides have limited their prey. White Nose Syndrome, a fungus that affects hibernating bats, has also been found in Montana and has been known to kill off bats in record numbers. While it’s only been found in a little more than a half dozen counties in Montana, O’Reilly says there is sampling going on this summer to track it further.
“Do you scout the area first?” Melanie Fabrizius, one of the guests in the group, asked.
The threat is important to study because O’Reilly says a bat’s reproduction rate is slow.
“I did here the first time,” O’Reilly answers. “One of the game wardens came with me because I didn’t want to creep around Norm’s Island at night all by myself.” She adds, “Now, I know they
“They have one to two pups a year,” she says, adding that bats live long lives. Little brown bats can live more than 30 years. “They are slow to reproduce. If you knock out 50 to 100 bats in a colony,
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AMBER STAPLETON, MEGAN O'REILLY & JERRY KRAUSE
it is going to take a long time to get them back.” When a female bat gets pregnant, she says, maternity colonies emerge with other pregnant bats seeking shelter. Sometimes it will be a cave. Other times, they’ll find a home in an attic. O’Reilly says because of a bat’s slow reproduction, if you find a bat in your home, “You can certainly call us at Fish, Wildlife and Parks.” That way, she says, the bat will be safe and wildlife biologists can tell you how to seal up your home to prevent bats from landing in your home again. Education has always been at the core of O’Reilly’s decades-long career. She’s worked in Antarctica helping to keep tabs on Weddle seals. She’s worked alongside conservationists tracking lions in Western Africa. Now, she helps those in our area learn about Montana’s wildlife and, in this case, educating them about the world’s only flying mammal. “One of my proudest moments was when I had 100 people come to a bat walk on a Friday night. One hundred people chose to do this on a Friday night,” she says. “I enjoy doing these walks because people can’t conserve something they don’t know about.”
TO LEARN ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS,
check out the Montana Audubon Center's Facebook page at Facebook.com/ MontanaAudubonCenter. ✻
BAT FA CTS
1,300 THERE ARE MORE THAN
SPECIES OF BATS
☛M AKING BATS THE SECOND LARGEST GROUP OF MAMMALS IN THE WORLD.
SCIENTISTS HAVE ESTIMATED THAT INSECT-EATING BATS PROVIDE MORE THAN
$23 BILLION
IN AGRICULTURAL & HUMAN HEALTH SAVINGS FOR THE PLANET EACH YEAR
☛ WHEN IT COMES TO RABIES, RACCOONS HAVE A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF THE DISEASE THAN BATS.
☛ BATS GROOM THEMSELVES AND ARE ABOUT AS CLEAN AS A DOMESTIC CAT. JULY/AUGUST 2022
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A Real
Show
Stopper BILLINGS WOMAN AND HER HORSE LAND THE BLUE RIBBON ON A NATIONAL STAGE written by LAURA BAILEY photography by JEANNE BROVEAK, ANDREW RYBACK & KATRINA NATWICK
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BEING AN EQUESTRIAN competing in show jumping isn’t
easy in Montana. Hunter Jumper Shows are few in the state, so riders and their horses often have to pack up the horse trailer and travel long distances just to put their skills to the test. Trainers are also few and far between, as are arenas with fences that a rider uses to train. That’s why when Billings rider Lindsay Weinberg earned a slot at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association National Championships in Las Vegas last fall, she wasn’t leaving anything to chance. Walking the course before her event, Lindsay carefully paced off the distance between the jumps. She felt the sand in the indoor arena beneath her feet for stability. She took in every minute detail. One thing was certain — what Lola Z, her horse, would do at each jump. “You have to know your horse,” Lindsay says. “Horses are such finely tuned athletes that you can turn them in midair or turn them the second a foot touches the ground, but they’re also animals. They don’t always do what you expect, and that’s what’s humbling about riding.” Hunter Jumper events are timed. The horse needs to take the shortest track around the arena and over jumps placed on a precise course. The horse and rider need to be quick and efficient in their movements. Synergy is key. Competition includes three rounds: a welcome round, a speed
round and the grand prix. They’d done well in early competition. Now, in the last round, Lindsay and Lola were the final team to take the course. As they made their way around, their precision was flawless, and the ride was as close to perfection as they’d ever come. “Well, folks, it looks like we saved the fastest for the lastest,” Lindsay heard the announcer say. She’d won the national championship in the .08-meter division. She was shocked. Tears poured down her cheeks. Lindsay could only think of Lola and how she gave it her all. “I was so proud of her,” she says. “I believed in us, I knew she could do it, and I wanted it so, so badly.” The USHJA National Championships attract the best riders and horses in the sport, including Olympic hopefuls. Lindsay and Lola competed as one of 30 pairs going up against riders from Washington, California, Arizona, Georgia and Nevada. Almost everyone in the competition traveled with an entourage of trainers, grooms and other support personnel. Not Lindsay. When she registered, event officials were surprised to find that she hauled Lola down herself. A friend, Kyle Lybrand, came along for company. Lindsay also had Chanel Shaffer, Lola’s trainer, from Belgrade, fly in to join them for the competition. “I was so star struck by everything, but once we won that first class, I definitely felt like I belonged there,” Lindsay says. JULY/AUGUST 2022
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Lindsay’s love for show jumping isn’t connected to the glamour of the sport, or the thrill of competition. It’s all about her relationship with Lola and bringing out the best in her. Everything else is secondary. “She’s not necessarily in it to win it,” Kyle says. “It’s about her connection to her horse, and that’s why she’s done so well.” Lindsay has owned the chestnut Canadian Warmblood Holsteiner mare since 2019. “She can feel the energy,” Lindsay says. “She wants to win and succeed. She tries hard. She gets it. She really turns it up and can twist and bail me out of my mistakes to keep us in the game.” In 2021, Lindsay was committed to showing Lola as much as she could. She often traveled solo over long distances, sleeping in her truck. She made it to five Montana shows and did well at all of them. Lindsay committed to an almost-daily training and exercise schedule to keep Lola fit. Lindsay committed to a cross training routine of her own to stay fit too. It’s a partnership, she says.
HORSES ARE SUCH FINELY TUNED ATHLETES THAT YOU CAN TURN THEM IN MIDAIR OR TURN THEM THE SECOND A FOOT TOUCHES THE GROUND, BUT THEY’RE ALSO ANIMALS. THEY DON’T ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU EXPECT, AND THAT’S WHAT’S HUMBLING ABOUT RIDING. — Lindsay Weinberg
“My body affects her, and her body can affect mine,” she says. “I’m a small person and she’s a big horse.” Lindsay was lucky because a recent change in the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association rules allowed her to earn qualifying points at shows in the the Big Sky Classic series, which includes five shows across Montana. Then, she was nominated by the Montana Hunter Jumper Association, which was also a necessary step on the way to qualifying for nationals. “To be able to qualify at smaller shows was a unique opportunity, and I was determined to do it,” Lindsay says. Lola is 18 and easily one of the oldest horses in the national competition. Keeping her healthy, agile and strong is Lindsay’s top priority. “They say that a horse has only so many jumps in them,” Lindsay says. “At 18, I only try to jump her as often as I need to.” Lindsay is a uniquely qualified to keep Lola in top shape. Her career is in physical therapy – for people – but she has what she calls a “micro practice” providing equine physical therapy, which is a separate certification she received in 2017 through the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.
“I’m fascinated by the biomechanical interplay between horse and rider,” Lindsay says, adding that Lola gets the benefit of her education. “Performing her soft tissue work and hands-on care myself really lets me get to know her body on an intimate level and improve my ability to notice any changes or problems.” Lindsay has loved horses since she was a child and started showing horses when she was young. She owns two other horses: Penelope, who she rescued from a kill pen in Pennsylvania, and Chloe, a mini horse. Both are older as well, and she helps them stay young with equine physical therapy. Lindsay is competing this year for another shot at the championships this fall. If she does well in the Big Sky Classic events she could go to nationals again, but for now, she’s just savoring every ride and practice session. “If things work out well, I’d love to qualify for Vegas again,” Lindsay says, adding that if she doesn’t, that’s OK too. “To have this unspoken communication with such a large, powerful animal and feel that they love you back and take care of you is the most incredible feeling,” Lindsay says. “She’s truly my partner and best friend. The love I have for her and our bond is hard to properly put into words.” ✻ JULY/AUGUST 2022
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Creating a a World World of of Creating
Wonder THE WOMEN OF THE MONTANA AUDUBON CENTER written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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• ANTS PROGRAM • AUDUBON NATURALIST IN THE SCHOOLS
The ANTS program provides every fourth-grader in Billings School District 2 with three field trips to the Montana Audubon Center – fall, winter and spring.
ON AN OVERCAST SPRING DAY earlier this year, the
Montana Audubon Center was crawling with ANTS. These were not tiny crawling insects you expect (though there were plenty of them as well). They were fourth-grade students from Billings schools taking part in the Audubon Naturalist in the Schools (ANTS) program. Some were wearing bright orange life jackets and practicing oar strokes on the shore of a pond. Others scurried around carrying binoculars while their teachers trailed behind them, their gradebooks blissfully left behind. “As adults we feel like we need to teach kids things, but really all we need to do is provide them with the opportunity to put all the pieces together,” says Emily Chilcoat, Montana Audubon Center executive director. The ANTS program provides every fourth-grader in Billings School District 2 with three field trips to the Montana Audubon Center – fall, winter and spring. In the fall they’re apprehensive, unsure what to expect, and what’s expected of them, but by the spring they are confident and know their way around. They’re rewarded with an opportunity to take a canoe and pilot it around the pond. While some of the students might feel right at home outdoors, there are always more than a few that are unfamiliar with nature – the unpredictable weather and other hazards that serve as
gentle reminders that nature will do what it wants. “They’re told, no sticks. No running. Don’t do that. Don’t jump in that puddle,” says ANTS Program Director Taisha Haggard. “The kids look at me and say, ‘What do I do out here?’” The Montana Audubon Center, located near the Yellowstone River
OPPOSITE PAGE L TO R: TAISHA HAGGARD, SARAH CHATWOOD & EMILY CHILCOAT
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off South Billings Boulevard, is precisely the place to find out. It encompasses 54 acres, 23 of which belong to the Yellowstone River Parks Association (YRPA). The site is a reclaimed gravel pit. Over the past 25 years, volunteers have planted more than 75,000 trees and shrubs, all of which are native to the area. The once-barren gravel pit is now a thriving refuge for birds and wildlife.
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“There’s so much community history here,” Emily says. “Just about everything on the site volunteers have been integral in making happen.” Norm Schoenthal was among those volunteers and, and the driving force behind the creation of the center. He believed that learning should happen outside, and he wanted the site to be used for education – and that it should be accessible to all. The learning center at the Audubon Center is named after him, and so is Norm’s Island, which is adjacent to the YRPA property. Norm died in 2021, but not before realizing his dreams. ANTS, which provides outdoor experiences for almost 6,000 kids a year, is just one of many programs offered at the Audubon Center. The center also operates Fledgling Preschool, and this year added kindergarten.
THE MONTANA AUDUBON CENTER
lies in the heart of the 72,000-squaremile Yellowstone River Basin and within minutes of the urban center of Billings. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk and are located at 7026 S. Billings Blvd. For details on the center or upcoming events, visit mtaudubon.org/center
They also host a weekly play opportunity for toddlers and their parents called Nature Nuts and offer nature-based learning to home school students. Kids with developmental disabilities also have a place at the center and on weekends the staff offers Weekend Wonders, a family adventure program. Adult programming abounds as well, including the popular Master Naturalist Program, taught by Heather Bilden. “There’s never not something going on out here,” says Emily. Additionally, the site is open to the public from dawn to dusk for exploration. There are three miles of established walking trails. To keep the site as wildlife friendly as possible, no dogs are allowed. Sarah Chatwood is the center’s preschool coordinator. She has a background in elementary education, but like most of the women on the staff, the outdoors called to her, and she left her career in a traditional classroom setting. Around her neck, she carries a “magic notebook.” It’s a small notebook setup on a lanyard with a binder clip and a pen where she writes down observations from her day. Now at the end of the school year, it’s worn and almost full. The latest addition was a story about Max. He was lying on the ground in the play area when a barn swallow swooped down within a few inches from his face. He jumped up and said, “Did you see that!” “That sense of wonder is priceless,” Sarah says. It’s an experience Max wouldn’t have had in a traditional preschool. At the Audubon Center the students spend about 80 percent of their day outside year-round. Sarah and her team focus on play and providing nature-based learning opportunities. JULY/AUGUST 2022
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If an opportunity presents itself to introduce academics, they seize it, otherwise they let the children experience their world at their own pace. In nature, they learn confidence, resiliency, communication, problem solving and teamwork. Risky play like climbing trees, playing with sticks and throwing rocks is allowed. “There’s so much confidence building that happens outside if it’s accessible,” Emily says. Taisha Haggard, the ANTS program coordinator, is also a formal-turnedinformal educator. She started out in the classroom, but quickly discovered that she didn’t fit there. She was drawn to nature-based learning. “All I knew was that I wanted to be outside to teach,” Taisha says. Conservation is a large part of naturebased learning. The idea is that if a child develops a connection to nature, they’re more likely to protect it.
“My favorite part of my job is to meet with people in the community and introduce them to the center” Emily says.
— Emily Chilcoat
Nature-based education seems to attract a mostly female workforce, and the Montana Audubon Center is no exception. There are 16 staff members at the center, including Big Sky Watershed Corps interns. The majority are women. Of the permanent, year-round staff, only one, Anthony Sammartano, the land stewardship coordinator, is male. “There’s a lot of women in conservation education right now,” YVW MAGAZINE
Emily has been the center’s director since shortly after the start of the year, but she has been working at the center for six years. She started teaching the toddler program, then moved into the position of volunteer coordinator.
THERE’S SO MUCH COMMUNITY HISTORY HERE. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ON THE SITE VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL IN MAKING HAPPEN.
“They understand, because they are a part of this place,” Taisha says.
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Emily says. “They wanted a little more freedom, and an informal nature-based learning environment was just right for them.”
In the past few years, interest in the outdoors and nature-based activities like hiking and birdwatching has increased, and it’s been great for the center. “Having these places where kids and their families can be safe and play and explore is so very important to the overall health of people, especially kids,” Emily says.
The team at the Montana Audubon Center realizes that spending time in nature creates a greater sense of place. Through that appreciation and ownership develops a desire for preservation, which benefits everyone not just those who spend time outdoors. For those who don’t recreate outdoors, Emily has some advice: “You just need to go outside,” she says, “and see what’s out there.” ✻
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WOMEN VETERINARIANS LEAN ON EACH OTHER ON THE JOB AND IN LIFE written by SUE OLP photography by CASEY PAGE
FIVE AREA VETERINARIANS have discovered they have
a lot in common. The five, all women ranging in age from 36 to 60, knew from childhood they wanted to be vets, that they loved animals. Four out of five completed their training at the same university. Most are wives and mothers. All own pets, ranging from dogs and cats to a pair of demanding chickens and a house pig. Some work full-time and others, part-time. All agree that while they find much satisfaction in their calling, they rely on one another for emotional support to cope with what can be, at times, a grueling job. “It’s nice finding other women who share your challenges and your philosophy of life and your goals,” says Dr. Sharon Mohr, longtime veterinarian who recalls a time when that wasn’t the case. Back in 1994, not long into her career, Mohr was the lone female vet practicing in Laurel. “There were no women to talk to and there were days I felt 36
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all alone, that I was questioning myself, that I was not smart enough,” she says. Now in her late 50s, in a field where female vets these days outnumber their male counterparts, she appreciates the support she didn’t feel in those early days. “There’s a lot of joy in knowing them.” Mohr lives on a family ranch in Park City with her husband, Wayne Roller. The couple have three sons between them, as well as a small herd of cattle, a horse or two, a couple of sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. She fills in part-time at Billings vet clinics and finds camaraderie with these women, whether she knows them through a practice or personally. That’s especially true in a profession where multiple stresses — long hours, complicated cases, unhappy pet owners, crushing school debt and juggling roles — can overwhelm even the most dedicated veterinarian. A study published in 2019 found that suicide is 1.6 times more likely among vets than the general population.
Dr. Anneke Johnson, 36, the youngest of the five, values the wisdom she gleans from her more practiced colleagues. “It’s comforting to hear from experienced vets what they’ve seen and they’re still there practicing and they can still love it,” she says. “It’s nice to encourage each other and remind each other why it’s such a great profession – and some days you need that.” Johnson, the only one of the five who grew up outside the United States, was born and raised in Germany. She spent a year as an exchange student in Manhattan, Montana, and met her future husband through her host family. The couple married in 2007 and settled in Montana. Johnson, who graduated from CSU in 2017, lives in Big Timber with husband Lyle and their son, 2, and daughter, 8 months. She also owns two horses, two dogs “and two very demanding chickens.” Johnson works 20 to 30 hours a week, occasionally at a vet practice in Big Timber, and as one of the vets at ZooMontana and at other clinics in Billings. One of her specialties is acupuncture, to stimulate the nervous system function and for chronic pain and mobility issues. When the treatment brings the animal relief, it’s good news all around, she says. “Those are the days we all live for, when the animal feels better and the owner is happy,” she says. “Those are ideal.” Johnson spent her first year out of vet school working for Dr. Amy Lamm, owner of Vet-To-Go in Billings, and she continues to stay in touch with her mentor. She accompanied Lamm and Mohr to Loreto, Mexico, for what Lamm called a “spaycation,” blending work with fun.
Dr. Sharon Mohr,
Johnson helped with the surgeries and used her undergraduate degree in Spanish, acting as the trio’s interpreter, in what she called “a full circle” experience. Lamm, 60, an Arizona native, graduated from CSU the same year as Mohr, and the two women have maintained a close friendship over the years. A fierce advocate of low-cost spay and neutering, Lamm organizes four such clinics in Billings each year and helps with another one on the Fort Peck Reservation. “To me it’s about giving back to the community that’s given me a career and a life,” she says. Lamm, who is divorced, lives with three dogs and a cat. She works long hours in her office and then conducts spay/neuter clinics on weekends, so fatigue is a very real thing. She’s learned to say no to nighttime emergency cases “and I don’t do midnight calls anymore.” An empathetic person, Lamm says it can be hard to bear the brunt of anger from a pet owner unhappy with an outcome. Lamm loves heading outdoors when she can, riding her bike, camping and fishing. Or she’ll pick up a book. To decompress, she enjoys an occasional beer with Mohr at Billings microbrewery owned by Mohr’s brother. “I know she’s there for me and I’m there for her, if she needs me,” Lamm says. “It’s a comfort.” Like Lamm, Mohr owned her own practice, Friendship Veterinary Center in Laurel. She opened the business in 2003 and, after 13 years, “I was burning out, not finding help.” Mohr sold the business in 2016, then took a year off before she
Dr. Anneke Johnson, JULY/AUGUST 2022
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started relief work – also called locum tenons – substituting for other vets, temporarily filling in. “It was not as stressful as when I had my own clinic,” she says. Mohr has enjoyed years’ long relationships with her animal patients and their owners. “I’ve had lots of people greet me in the grocery store, tell me their appreciated my help,” she says. “You get cards and letters, especially from kids.” Vets have to know how to treat all kinds of ailments and all types of animals. That means staying up to date on treatments and technology for all the different breeds. “It’s definitely challenging,” Mohr says. “It’s not a career for the faint of heart.” While doing relief work at Shiloh Veterinary Hospital, she met Dr. Marci Cook, the practice’s managing veterinarian, and Dr. Carla Barker who, for a time, did relief work at Shiloh. Not only did Mohr and Cook work together. They live about 10 miles apart. Cook, in her 50s, and her husband, Rip, reside in the hills between Columbus and Park City. Both Mohr and Cook have sons about the same age, and like Mohr, Cook has dogs, cats and chickens. All they have in common solidified a bond, says Cook, who graduated from CSU in 1995.
Dr. Amy Lamm
“She and I hit it off really well,” Cook says. “We walk around, take the dogs here and there. It’s kind of nice to have an outlet outside of work to do things together.” Cook, who grew up in Billings, has “always had a huge love of animals and I can’t imagine living my life without them. What I love about being a vet is meeting people who love their animals as much as I love mine.” While in veterinary school, Cook wanted to find a niche to help her stand out. She thought that specialty might be birds, then llamas, but ultimately, she chose ultrasound. “I’m not an expert, but I’ve been lucky to have a large caseload from day one,” she says. “You get good at things you do a lot. Plus, I take classes and continuing education.” Like all vets, Cook has euthanized many animals in her 20plus years at Shiloh. She calls it “one of the most important parts of my job, making it as easy as possible in a very difficult situation.” But having to do it sometimes multiple times in a day can lead to compassion fatigue. “They’re all heart-wrenching and by the end of the day, there’s nothing left for myself,” she says. She finds outlets, like showing her Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, hiking, enjoying the family cabin. And she appreciates the encouragement of colleagues who face the same reality. “It’s certainly true that nobody knows what you’re going through like someone who does what you do,” she says.
Dr. Marci Cook 38
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Dr. Carla Barker has known Mohr for probably five years, when both were doing relief work at Shiloh. “And we just hit it off because she’s got great medicine,” Barker, 48, says. “She’s no-nonsense, she’s down to earth.”
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Dr. Carla Barker Barker calls Mohr, Cook and the other women “brilliant in so many ways. A lot of them have such deep compassion for the work they’re doing.” Born in Oklahoma and raised in Illinois, Barker remembered as a girl, when her family couldn’t afford veterinary care and her dog got hit by a car. “He sat on the porch and bled and there was nothing we could do,” she remembers.
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That experience helped spur her desire to help other animals. Barker graduated in 1999 from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. In a sort of reverse of Johnson’s experience, Barker moved to Germany with her husband, Brad, who was an active-duty U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot. Not long after the couple arrived in Germany, Barker was invited to open a vet clinic on base. After her husband retired seven years ago, the couple and their family moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Eventually, they relocated to Luther, deciding Montana would be a good place to raise their two sons and two daughters, who range in age from 21 to 12. In a time where more and more veterinary clinics are owned by corporations, Barker loves working at the locally owned Red Lodge Beartooth Animal Hospital, where she now works three days a week. The culture of the practice, she says, “is tied to community and compassion,” and it’s a mere 15 minutes away from her home. For Barker, the key to her work is focusing on the people she is serving and valuing their pets. “Look at what animals do for our families and our lives,” Barker
sen to i L
LOOK AT WHAT ANIMALS DO FOR OUR FAMILIES AND OUR LIVES. THEY ENRICH EVERY PART OF OUR EXISTENCE, AND IF I CAN HELP IN THOSE SITUATIONS THAT IS THE DELIGHT OF MY LIFE. — Dr. Carla Barker
with
Lynne Turner
says. “They enrich every part of our existence, and if I can help in those situations that is the delight of my life.”
Fitzgerald
At home, she enjoys the companionship of her dog, Ringo and a house pig, Clementine, as well as her family. Barker says she “lives a charmed life,” believing that happiness is a choice. She also has “oodles of faith in God.” But like the other vets, Barker is keenly aware of the toll stress takes on veterinarians who give so much of themselves to their work. She tells of an online organization, “Not One More Vet,” that strives to lend emotional support to animal doctors and guide them away from taking their own lives. In a Facebook post a year ago, she shared insights into the types of pressure that might push vets toward suicide, including this: “Medicine isn’t magic, and animals die or have complications that require a keen sense and rapid decision making, and ALWAYS a giant heart full of compassion,” she wrote. “But crappy things still happen. Really crappy. It adds up.”
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She appreciates the online group’s efforts to reach out to struggling vets. Closer to home, Barker is glad for the women she has come to know who share a dedication to healing animals and supporting their owners, and each other. “In the midst of those difficult client interactions that you wouldn’t want to tell your pastor or someone else, you can bring those conversations to another veterinarian and they’ll listen openly and bring that grounding to the conversation,” she says. “That’s really the beauty of doing this with so many women vets.” ✻
SUE OLP, writer Sue Olp worked for many years as a reporter at the Billings Gazette, covering everything from healthcare and education to county government, tribal issues and religion, not to mention plenty of human-interest stories. Now retired, she is a freelance writer and enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her family, including her grandchildren.
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Fostering Positivity,
Adopting Adopting
Change NEW DIRECTOR BUILDS COMMUNITY TRUST AT YELLOWSTONE VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER
written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & YVAS 42
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PAINTED IN VIBRANT COLORS,
the steady, soulful gaze of a larger-than-life dog dominates a mural outside the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter. The portrait sends the welcoming message that Triniti Halverson has worked hard to convey. In her three years as executive director at YVAS, Triniti made it her mission to wash away any negative stigma and replace it with something positive. “People think our work is sad. But it’s not sad,” she says. “We’re on the healing side. That’s not sad, that’s amazing.” Radiating “amazing,” Triniti is more handson than a sit-at-her-desk type leader. That might explain how she’s spearheaded great strides in short order. She led the charge to abruptly quit using euthanasia as a means of population control. And she’s launched an ever-growing list of programs to help pet owners where they need it most. “There was public outcry for change at the shelter,” Triniti says. “We are sustainable now because our community believes in us.” Steve Durrett, a YVAS board member for more than a decade, calls Triniti’s enthusiasm “truly inspirational” — even through tough times. “I also believe she is genuinely concerned about the welfare of her staff,” he says. “I think they recognize it and their performance is exceptional because of it.” Under her direction, he adds, he sees a bright future for the shelter. “I believe YVAS will thrive and grow to meet the needs of the community,” he says. Today’s shelter is a welcoming place. Visitors are met with friendly faces, the scent of clean kennels and the raucous sound of happy dogs. The shelter’s successes reflect its mission of strengthening the human-animal bond. During just one week in May, the team at YVAS reunited 19 lost pets with their owners, found foster homes for seven animals and adopted out 54 more. As a child growing up in Billings, Triniti never had a dog or cat. And later, as a young adult, she studied public health, not veterinary science. As it happened, her non-traditional background has proven especially fitting. “We use tons of public health practices every day to make sure the health and wellness of our shelter is on track,” she says. In her first job out of college, she promoted student health at Montana State University Billings. Her next job found her working for the Billings Parks and Recreation Department in a program aimed at helping senior citizens maintain their independence. “It was still public health,” she says, “but a very different concept.” When a co-worker suggested she apply for the director’s position
at YVAS, she did so on a whim. “It was just happenstance,” she says. “But by far it’s been my favorite job. For someone not connected to animals ahead of time, it’s been an interesting fit.”
PEOPLE THINK OUR WORK IS SAD. BUT IT’S NOT SAD. WE’RE ON THE HEALING SIDE. THAT’S NOT SAD, THAT’S AMAZING.
When Triniti came on board, — Triniti Halverson she had two key objectives: to erase the shelter’s negative stigma and to invest in her staff. The stigma was closely associated with the shelter’s euthanasia practices, which at one time accounted for 70 percent of the animals they took in. That figure had dropped considerably by the time Triniti arrived, but she wanted to eliminate euthanasia entirely.
As for her staff, many were worn down from “compassion fatigue” and she was determined to rally morale. Almost immediately, she was confronted with a decision that would impact both objectives. She was out of town, attending a conference, when she got a call from the office. Staff members were seeking her advice on which animals to euthanize and Triniti knew how heavily that decision weighed on them. “Population management was just a fancy term for picking who’s JULY/AUGUST 2022
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96
%
OF THE ANIMALS TAKEN IN AT YVAS ARE RELEASED TO NEW HOMES
increased adoption promotions and broadened its social media presence. What had even more impact was that Triniti and her staff embraced several “counter-intuitive” measures that other shelters had found to be successful. For one, they opened portals between two kennels, thus doubling the space allowed for each animal. But that also meant reducing the number of kennels by 50 percent. “The data showed that the animals (in larger spaces) were healthier and happier and more easily adopted,” she says. “It worked.” The shelter also significantly reduced adoption fees. “We were not doing great financially, so it took some convincing of the board to accept that,” Triniti says.
on the list and they don’t make it that day,” Triniti says. “I just said ‘No.’ I told them to call me back in a few hours with ideas.”
But lower fees also equated to faster adoptions. Cats, which had typically averaged 28 days in the shelter, were now staying less than half that. The average stay for dogs dropped from roughly 14 days to four.
By brainstorming solutions and looking for guidance from other programs, the shelter ended the practice cold turkey.
“If they’re going out the door faster, you’re saving money,” she says.
“We just stopped doing it,” she says. Period. “We looked at other places to see what they were doing right.”
The “Working Cat” program offered another avenue for eliminating euthanasia. Feral cats, which had traditionally been put down, are now adopted out, free of charge, to “work” as barn cats.
Today, 96 percent of the animals taken in are released to new homes. The only animals that don’t make it are either injured or suffering from health issues. To make that leap, the shelter 44
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But Triniti didn’t stop there. Donning a hazmat suit, she launched a ringworm treatment program for infected cats, a population that had also been targeted for euthanasia. Ringworm is not uncommon in felines and it’s not nearly fatal, Triniti says, but the treatment is expensive and timeintensive and the parasite is transmissible to humans. Brushing aside those concerns, she was determined to take that on that challenge – despite her staff’s reluctance.
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“My staff were terrified of the ringworm program,” she says. To prove her point, Triniti took a ringworminfested cat home to treat. Her approach garnered the trust of her employees. In the process, she also gained a cat.
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“I took him home not with the intention of adopting him but the intention of launching the program,” she says. “He never left.” Last year the shelter treated 60 cats for ringworm – 60 cats that would otherwise have been euthanized. Once the shelter surmounted those challenges, Triniti broadened YVAS’ reach. They added the Learning Center on Grand Avenue, where they offer everything from
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trap. And, of course, there are classes for parents of new puppies. “If your puppy is eating the couch, we want to help train it how not to eat the couch,” Triniti says, smiling. “So that it’s not another puppy being dropped off at the shelter.” Triniti and shelter employees are constantly seeking solutions for pet owners caught in tough situations. On a personal level, Triniti has faced her own challenges. During college, when she was finally in a situation to adopt a cat, circumstances changed and she had to give it up. On the flip side, she later adopted a bunny that had been abandoned in the dorms. The two experiences taught her a fundamental lesson: that anyone who relinquishes a pet should not be judged. “You never know what the reason is,” she says. “This needs to be a judgement-free zone.” Instead, she strives to make the public more aware of the resources available. In partnership with the YWCA, the shelter runs one such program that will provide temporary shelter for pets of victims of domestic abuse.
“kitten yoga” to Critter Camps to low-cost vaccination and microchipping clinics. There are classes demonstrating how best to clip a dog’s nails and classes on how to release pets caught in a 46
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“People are sometimes afraid to leave (bad situations) for fear of losing their pets,” she says. “It helps house animals while they get back on their feet.” Similarly, the shelter offers resources to help pet owners keep
their pets in spite of financial pressures. “Many pet owners are good pet owners, even though they may not have the financial means,” Triniti says. “If medical care is a barrier to pet ownership, we want to meet them where they’re at.” YVAS also mirrored the national “Home to Home” program for pet-owners who have made the decision to re-home their pet. “If you just put an animal on Facebook it can be pretty dicey,” Triniti says. “This gives owners resources to interview potential owners and discounted care to new adoptees.” Not only has the shelter made great strides, but Triniti has learned that YVAS must remain nimble. She was only one year into her tenure as director when Covid hit. Although her employees weren’t deemed “essential workers,” the animals needed their care to survive. She directed her staff to keep doing what they had been doing – with some modifications. Relying on her strong background in public health, she split them into two teams, hoping that there would always be one healthy team to maintain operations.
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JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE KENNELS DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE CARE. THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE THE CARE THE ANIMALS DESERVE? — Triniti Halverson
“It was a really hard time,” Triniti says. To lift morale, the teams came up with activities for one another. One team organized a scavenger hunt around the shelter. Another scheduled a paint-your-pet night. “At that time we were only hanging out with the people we worked with,” she says. “And I knew that if you take care of your staff, they will take care of the animals.” When the pandemic first hit, they anticipated a large influx of animals. “People started to surrender animals because there was a fear of transmission,” Triniti says. Then, when it became apparent that that risk was unfounded, shelter staff attempted to prepare for other scenarios. Would they see lots of animals orphaned by Covid? And how could they keep pet owners and pets united when some pet owners lost jobs and struggled to make ends meet? Brainstorming again, YVAS came up with the idea of weekly pet food bags. To keep spirits up, staff inserted hand-written notes for the owners and treats for their pets. Ultimately, the reality was played out quite differently from the worst-case scenario for which YVAS had prepared. So many homebound people were seeking companionship that animals were adopted at rates never witnessed before. “We had so few animals,” Triniti says. “And for the first time ever, 48
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we emptied out the kennel for Christmas – even if that meant a few went into foster homes for a few days.” The YVAS offers refuge for an ever-changing variety of animals – from boa constrictors to sugar gliders to turtles and the more ubiquitous kittens and dogs. Yet Triniti doesn’t gage the shelter’s capacity by the number of kennels available. Rather, she speaks of the shelter’s “capacity for care.” “Just because you have kennels doesn’t mean you have care,” she says. “The question is, how do we make sure we provide the care the animals deserve?” That capacity for care can stretch resources on a moment’s notice. Several years ago, YVAS’s cat population doubled overnight when they took in 48 cats from a hoarding case. More recently, the shelter made room for 19 dogs from a similar situation. “That was our first dog hoarding case and it was a whirlwind,” Triniti says. “We knew they were coming in and they were going to be big dogs. Space was a big issue, not only for holding but for exercising.” Staff quickly cleared kennels and made it work. Luckily for the dogs and the shelter, the case was resolved in short order. But that’s not always the situation – sometimes it takes months or years. “Every cruelty case, unless the owner signs off, we have to hold the animals through the entirety of the court case,” Triniti says. As YVAS deals with ever-changing needs, Triniti’s army of employees and volunteers step up to the plate. “We do a lot with passion and duct tape,” she says, smiling. “Our staff are the most innovative and creative people.” ✻
LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA, writer A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.
THE YELLOWSTONE VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION RUN BY A VOLUNTEER BOARD.
It is separate from the city of Billings but contracts with the city to house and unite lost dogs. Relying on donations, business partnerships and fundraisers, the shelter takes in more than 5,000 animals a year. It is by far the busiest shelter in the state and yet operates with fewer employees than shelters in Montana’s other major cities. To learn more about the shelter or view some of the adoptable animals, visit yvas.org.
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One One Special Special
Rescue Rescue FROM HOARDING CASE TO HOUSE PET
WHEN SARAH TRAMMELLE
first saw the post on Facebook, her interest was piqued. The post, on a page dedicated to aficionados of Komondor dogs, sought a new home for a Komondor that had recently come from a hoarding case in Billings. Sarah, a resident of Aurora, Colorado, already had one Komondor and she was looking for another. “My first Komondor is still kind of a puppy,” she says. “I was just starting to look for a friend for him when this popped up. The timing was perfect.” Sarah has been fascinated with the Hungarian livestock guardian breed since childhood, first seeing them on television at the Westminster Dog Show. She loved the look – they are sometimes referred to as “mop dogs” due to their dreadlock-looking cords – and their independent nature.
When YVAS staff picked up Sauerkraut – Sarah renamed him “Kolos” – at 11:30 that night, he just ran, Triniti says. “He must have been feeling so good and so much lighter,” she says. The dogs’ calm demeanor surprised Triniti and her staff. “They were so sweet,” she says. “Of all of the dogs we took in, they were the least scared.” All 19 dogs from the hoarding case had to be held until the case was resolved. In late March, Sarah and her boyfriend made the eight-hour drive to meet their new rescue. On the return trip to Colorado, Kolos jumped from the back of the car and tried to climb into their laps. “I expected him to be skittish and standoffish,” she says. “Despite what his past was, he’s been so willing to warm up to people.”
“They think for themselves,” she says. “They are super loyal and loveable with family members but more stand-offish with strangers.” Staff at the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter were less familiar with the breed, but when two adult Komondors came in from the hoarding case, they knew the dogs needed immediate attention. Triniti Halverson, executive director at YVAS, says the two dogs were so matted and weighted down with mud and feces that they could barely walk. Typically, when an animal arrives in such a condition, the first step is to shave it. But the breed’s unique cords, which develop naturally during the dog’s first year or two, are not supposed to be shaved and could be detrimental if they are.
Kolos & Kosmo
Realizing that the dogs needed urgent, specialized grooming, the staff at YVAS made a plea for help. Rae Traver at Loveable Pets took on the task. Staying after-hours, she and volunteers worked into the night bathing and grooming the dogs. The treatment included a vinegar bath – hence their nicknames, Sauerkraut and Pickles.
It took a bit for Kolos – estimated to be anywhere from 4 to 7 years old – to warm up to his energetic younger “brother” Kosmo. Now, Sarah is apt to find them lying together on the couch. Her unusual dogs garner comments from strangers, who often mistake them for some sort of doodle. “I love when people ask about the breed because I love talking about them,” she says.
As Kolos adjusts to his new surroundings and regains his health – at 85 pounds he’s a bit on the small side for a Komondor male – he’s been a real addition to Sarah’s family. “I was sad I couldn’t take both of them,” she says. “I’m just so glad the other one found a good home, too.” ✻
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CAPTURING CAPTURING THE THE
WESt
AT 25, HAILEY RAE IS MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF ON THE RODEO CIRCUIT written by CYDNEY HOEFLE photography by HAILEY RAE
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IT ISN’T TOO HARD TO FIND photographers in Montana. After all, there is an endless supply of gorgeous subjects to shoot — from breathtaking landscapes and abundant wildlife to the state’s down-to-earth people. It can be hard, though, to find photographers who not only take pictures but create art in the process. These kinds of photographers look at subjects from an entirely different angle. That’s how one young photographer found success capturing a slice of Western life in Montana.
Hailey Rae grew up in Billings and from an early age — even though she’s never lived on a ranch or competed in rodeo — loved the Montana way of life. She’ll tell you it’s embedded in her soul. Over the years, she not only made a career out of capturing Montana, but she’s also currently one of the 75 Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) photographers in the country and, at 25, she’s one of the youngest. “I’ve known forever that I wanted to be involved with rodeo,” Hailey says, then tells of being 8 years old and attending her first rodeo at the NILE. The excitement, the events, it all resonated with her. She remembers saying to her mother that night, “Someday I’ll be down there with those guys.” Homeschooled, Hailey participated in 4-H, and her family spent some time in her teenage years living outside of Park City where she had a few heifers and steers and showed cattle at the local fair. During those formative years she dabbled in photography. She attended Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming, where she received associate degrees in Animal Science, Agricultural Business, and a certificate in Agricultural Production. As a member of the livestock judging team with little livestock knowledge, she remembers others saying about her, “She has her work cut out for her.” That set a tone for Hailey as she moved forward. Nothing was easy, but her determination was strong.
It was at Powell, when she was asked to photograph the rodeo team while they were practicing, that she began to take photography seriously. “I didn’t know anything about rodeo,” she says. “But I love anything related to agriculture. I’ve never lived on a ranch, so why not get as close to it as I can?” Rodeo photography takes practice and knowledge of each event, the rules and a what makes a good ride. As Hailey photographed the team she began to learn more and more about the individual events. The more she worked, the more she enjoyed it. “This is it! This is what I want to do,” she says as she looks back on those days. During summers between college, she photographed county fairs, seniors and families. “My photography was definitely developing,” Hailey says, “and I started to find my niche.” And that niche seemed to be anything tied with the rural West. As she continued her photography, she began thinking about applying to become a PRCA rodeo photographer. It wasn’t easy. She needed a 20-picture portfolio of rodeo contestants, a letter of recommendation from a PRCA photographer of the year and from a cardholding PRCA photographer of at least 10 years. She completed that list and then waited for approval from a committee. Once the first step of approval came, the next was for a PRCA permit. In 2020, she began to work toward that goal. The first thing she needed were photos from five different rodeos. But just as she started working on it, Covid-19 entered the scene and the rodeo world came to a screeching halt. “It was crazy,” she laughs. “I finally figured out what I wanted to JULY/AUGUST 2022
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do and Covid hit.”
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Not one to let adversity deter her, she found five rodeos anyway and put together her portfolio. She found a tenured photographer in Oklahoma who said she’d be happy to write a letter, but she wanted to see Hailey in action. “I thought gosh, do I really want to do this? My mom said, ‘Just stick to it and do it.’ So, I did and that was my first road trip,” she says. “But it was well worth it. I learned a lot from her.” She passed all the tests needed to get her permit and in September 2020, she earned the right to get her PRCA photography card. “Hailey hit the ground running from the start,” says Carol Lawrence, photo coordinator with the PRCA in Colorado Springs. “No matter what is asked, her attitude is always, ‘I’ll do it!’ She filled her permit in half the time a lot of photographers do.” It’s a coveted position to be a photographer for the PRCA, but Carol says that many applicants drop quickly because of the arduous schedule and requirements. “The traveling alone is grueling,” Carol says. “Our photographers have to cover a lot of ground, not only in miles, but in what is expected of them at each rodeo.” Shortly after she received her card, Hailey’s first rodeo was in Cody, Wyoming. A last-minute change with the original photographer left the PRCA without one.
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“I wasn’t sure how she’d do,” Carol says. “We didn’t give her much notice. But she nailed it.” “I didn’t have a clue what I was in for,” Hailey says. “They didn’t give me enough warning to worry about it!” Assigned to cover some 250 contestants in the span of a week, Hailey was also responsible for keeping track not only of each contestant, but the time and score. For bull riding, she also needed to track the bull’s name. “It was crazy,” she says, “I learned in a hurry what I had to do to stay organized.” That rodeo launched her career as several of her photos were picked up and published. “Everyone was like, who is Hailey Rae?” she says with a laugh. They aren’t asking anymore. She’s building quite a reputation. As a rodeo photographer, Hailey tries to work for the contestants.
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Finding a unique perspective of their sport, catching them in positions that flatter and taking shots that might attract the attention of sponsors will almost guarantee sales of photographs. “Her photographs are amazing,” Carol says. “Hailey Rae will one day soon become a common name in PRCA photography.”
photos as well.
HER PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AMAZING. HAILEY RAE WILL ONE DAY SOON BECOME A COMMON NAME IN PRCA PHOTOGRAPHY. — Carol Lawrence, PRCA photo coordinator
“I try to capture images that no one has seen before,” Hailey says. She’s often peeking between the chutes and crawling along the fence, finding as many different vantage points as she can. Her photos captured the attention of North 40 Outfitters, an outdoor shop with outlets in Washington, Idaho and Montana, which uses her for all the rodeos it sponsors, as well as many of its promotional materials. Several magazines have picked up her
But rodeos aren’t the only thing Hailey shoots. In her spare time, she also enjoys Western weddings and capturing a bit of ranch life. “I love anything Western,” she says. “I love going to ranches and capturing the lifestyle of the families that live there. If there is an element of fun to what I’m doing, then I’m all in!”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAILEY’S WORK,
log onto haileyraephoto.com or find her on Facebook at Hailey Rae Photography. ✻
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Healing Veterans, Changing Lives DOG TAG BUDDIES EMBARKS ON A NEW MISSION OF AWARENESS THANKS TO A CELEBRITY CHEF written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & CHEF ANDRE RUSH
AS DEEDE BAKER looks around the large barnlike training
facility that houses her nonprofit Dog Tag Buddies, she says, “This is truly the dream I never knew I had. If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be doing this, I would have said, ‘No, I am going to retire.’” But in 2005, her husband, Jason, a sergeant in the Montana National Guard, came home from Iraq after being in close range of a handful of IED explosions. “Everyone talks about the reintegration,” Deede says, “but what they don’t tell you is what PTSD and a traumatic brain injury looks like.” She started to notice that when Jason was with their dogs, things changed. “When things were really hard, he could come in, sit down and the dogs could crawl up in his lap and it was palpable — you could just feel him relax,” Deede says. “I told him, ‘I don’t know if you are noticing this, but these dogs are having an impact on you.’ As we started talking, my husband said, ‘This is what we should be doing for our veterans. We should be doing this,’” Deede says. That’s what planted the seed for Dog Tag Buddies. Since the nonprofit launched in 2016, it has served more than 112 veterans and rescued more than 70 dogs. It takes upwards of $20,000 to complete training for a service dog. Dog Tag Buddies not only invests the time but helps a veteran cover all the costs tied to the dog while it is in training. Deede will tell you the lifesaving work is worth every penny. “We help veterans diagnosed with invisible injuries such as PTSD and traumatic brain injuries by pairing them up with rescued dogs and helping give them a new mission by training the dog to be service dogs,” Deede says. “Big picture, my dream now is to bring more awareness to what we do and how we do it” That dream, she hopes, will be fulfilled when Dog Tag Buddies hosts its first major fundraising event this October. The Celebrity Chef Gala will feature Chef Andre Rush as the headliner of the event. 58
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“He retired from the military as a master s e r g e a n t ,” D e e d e says. “He was in the Pentagon on 9/11 wh e n i t wa s h i t . He has worked as a master chef in f o u r p re s i d e n t i a l administrations. He also readily admits that he has PTSD.”
Deede Baker
“It took many, many, many years for that to come to the surface,” Rush says of his PTSD. “It’s like a ticking time bomb where you just suppress it. I knew it was there.” He says he learned of Dog Tag Buddies in 2018, when he began working with and training dogs as his own form of therapy. “Dogs love you unconditionally,” he says. “They show you gratitude and they don’t want anything in return. You can see it in their eyes.” When Deede reached out to see if Rush would be the guest speaker at their first fundraising event, he says, “I rearranged my schedule to do this. There’s so much passion behind what they do.” Not only will he be sharing a piece of his military story and how he landed in the White House as the executive chef, he’ll be working with the Northern Hotel to craft a one-of-a-kind menu just for the night. “It’s going to be an amazing menu,” he says. “My food always has a theme and a meaning. I like food that has a storyline behind it.” Rush has what you’d call a dominating presence. His biceps
measure 24 inches and he keeps them by doing 2,222 pushups every day to raise awareness for veteran suicide. Roughly 22 veterans a day take their own lives. He says it’s events like this that help give those veterans and their struggles a voice. “I had no idea that my voice would spread,” he says. “They say one person can’t make a difference. That’s a fairytale. I can’t even tell you to date how many millions of people I’ve reached.” Deede’s mission on the night of the fundraiser will be to show those in the crowd that by supporting Dog Tag Buddies, they can help a veteran heal. “If we can help our veterans to train a dog and help them navigate their day-to-day life in a way that they didn’t know that they could, that’s a win,” she says. ✻
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home sweet home JAMIE HICKEY WEARS TWO HATS – BUSINESS WOMAN AND RANCH HAND – AND DOES IT WITH FINESSE written by CYDNEY HOEFLE photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
THE SAYING, “You can take the girl out of the country, but
you can’t take the country out of the girl,” is a perfect way to describe Jamie Hickey. Raised on a ranch seven miles south of Billings, Jamie spent her early years working on the family’s cattle ranch. She still helps every day — when she’s not busy running a successful real estate business. The youngest of three, Jamie grew up learning how to work hard. She’s an experienced hand at working cows, riding horses and running haying equipment. The ranch has been in the family for five generations, starting with E.N. Cooper, Jamie’s great-grandfather, who homesteaded the property in 1892. The operation of the ranch then moved on to E.N.’s son, Homer, who ran Hereford cattle. It is now a familyowned cow/calf operation, being run by Homer’s son and Jamie’s father, Dick. Jamie lives on the ranch with her family and contributes to operating it by working around her full-time schedule at the
office. “I really do have a perfect situation,” she says. “My business affords me the time I need to help Dad.” That business is Montana Real Estate Brokers. Jamie has owned it since 2018, when she bought it from owner and mentor Al Littler, her employer for almost 25 years. “You couldn’t have told me back then that I’d be doing real estate today,” Jamie says. “I always wanted to be involved in agriculture.” She’s successfully doing both. As Al says, “Jamie’s a dual citizen. She excels at putting up hay, running cows and branding and she’s a tremendous businesswoman in the real estate world.” When she was in second grade, Jamie’s folks split up and she moved to town with her mother. But every opportunity she could, she was back on the ranch. Her mother, Susie Cooper Linnell, was instrumental in influencing her in real estate,
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having had a successful career herself as a broker/manager for Coldwell Banker the Brokers and later a selling broker at Montana Real Estate Brokers. Jamie’s father, Dick Cooper, was equally influential in keeping her interest in ranching alive. “I just naturally went after what both of my parents did,” Jamie says. Her real estate career started before she was 20, when she worked as a secretary for Coldwell and then Prudential Floberg Realtors. When Al sold his interest in the company and started Montana Real Estate Brokers, Jamie went with him. “I worked for Al as a secretary and
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office manager.” Jamie says. “He taught me everything.” Al expanded his business on the principle of allowing agents to retain 100 percent of their commission when they made a sale. Each agent would pay a monthly fee for the use of the office and split the expenses of running it, which also included Jamie’s income. “It’s a little different than most offices,” he says. “I didn’t have my agents split their commissions with me, which gave them the power to work for themselves and make decent money. We retained agents for decades because they knew they could make a good income with us.”
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Over the years, as Al watched Jamie blossom, it was a natural progression for her to climb from secretary to office manager to finally obtaining her real estate and then broker’s licenses. Al was grooming her to one day take over the business, and when he retired Jamie was able to buy it. “I ran my business by advocating to do business by what the law said and what people expected of brokers,” Al says. “As Jamie learned the business, she delved into the law and standard operating procedures. She’s run it the same way I did from day one. She’s an excellent businesswoman. I admire her greatly.”
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Today, as she continues to work full time at the office, she also plays a big part in the operation of the Cooper Ranch. Fifteen years ago, her dad made the decision to start raising Red Angus cattle and he and Jamie have worked hard to build the herd. Their heifer calves continually top the market every fall and they have built a reputable replacement heifer program. “It was a good move for him,” she says. “I’m really proud of what he’s done.” They’ve not been immune from typical economic struggles on the ranch, though. As with ranchers across the region, the drought has wreaked havoc, forcing them to trim down their herd size to keep the ranch sustainable. “We had some hard decisions to make,” she says, “but we always remain hopeful.” As the owner of her business, Jamie has the luxury of being able to take time away when she’s needed on the ranch arise. She worries about her 78-year-old father and is
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grateful that she has a flexible schedule, allowing her to help him out. “I’m Dad’s hired hand that doesn’t get a paycheck,” she says with a laugh, “but the perks of living on the ranch make it all worth it. I’m there as much as I can be. He’s an independent old rancher, but thankfully he’s taken to driving the side-by-side to check cows instead of saddling up.”
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Jamie’s agents all understand her dual career and work with her. “They know that I might be late some mornings because we’re trimming bull’s feet, or checking on the cows,” she says. “I work for Dad, but I also work for my agents.” Jamie has her broker’s license, but she doesn’t actively sell real estate. Instead, she has chosen a career that allows her to manage her successful business working Monday through Friday, from 8 to 5. It’s a decision that has made it doable for her to raise her son, help on the ranch and have a thriving business. “I have chosen not to compete with my agents,” she says. “I facilitate them to make their job successful. They are independent contractors and I supervise them and review their documents. We’re a family here and we help each other.” Just as Al was able to retain agents, Jamie has as well. All of them stayed with her when she bought the business. Today she has 15 agents working for her, and her business is one of the most successful real estate companies in Billings. “My agents appreciate that I have kept the same business strategy as Al did,” she says. “Real estate has changed dramatically. Right now, we’re low on inventory and sales are quick. Our agents have to be creative with their offers and write the highest and best offer they can come up with right away to have a chance.”
(406) 869-2000 | 2050 Broadwater Ave | Ste B | Billings, MT | SoldMontana.com 64
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Just as ranching has its highs and lows, so does real estate and Jamie plans on riding it out. At the end of each day, as she’s heading back to the ranch, she’s reminded how incredibly
I HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO COMPETE WITH MY AGENTS. I FACILITATE THEM TO MAKE THEIR JOB SUCCESSFUL... WE’RE A FAMILY HERE AND WE HELP EACH OTHER. — Jamie Hickey
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fortunate she is to live where she does. In the time it takes to drive from one end of Billings to the other, she has reached her home, tucked away from the fast pace of the city. “I love living on the ranch,” she says. “Ranching helps keep me sane for real estate and real estate helps pay for ranching.” ✻
CYDNEY HOEFLE, writer A fourth generation Montanan, Cydney was raised on a ranch on the banks of the Yellowstone River where an appreciation of the outdoors was fostered. She and her husband raised three children in Billings and are now the proud grandparents of three. The best part of any of her days is time spent with Jesus, family, friends, a good book or capturing someone’s story in words.
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GRATEFUL DEAD SCHOLAR SUE BALTER-REITZ TAKES HER LOVE OF THE BAND TO THE RADIO AIRWAVES written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
EVEN WHEN THE MOON is not in the Seventh House and
Jupiter aligned with Mars, Sue Balter-Reitz lets the sunshine in. The Grateful Dead scholar and host of Yellowstone Public Radio’s “The Dead of Night” says, “I was belting out the ‘Age of Aquarius’ at the age of 4 or 5.” She admits she never perfected her singing, but she did develop a deep love and knowledge of music. On Friday nights at 9, Balter-Reitz cues up the music created and inspired by the Grateful Dead. The Dead, formed in 1969 in San Francisco, is synonymous with the hippie and American counter-culture movement, and founding member Jerry Garcia is considered a folk hero. The band’s logo — the lightning skull and those infamous dancing bears — live on today. In her hourlong radio show, Balter-Reitz talks to scholars, musicians, music industry insiders and fans who reflect on the band’s timeless influence. How Balter-Reitz became a “Deadhead” started in her childhood. In music, she found solace and entertainment while growing up in a family of academics in New York. She says her father, a medical physicist, and mother, a psychologist, both loved music. “My first concert experience with my parents was Irish music at 8 or 9 years old,” she says. They took their oldest child with them to see Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers. About the same time, she received the album “Europe ’72,” recorded during a Grateful Dead tour of Western Europe. “Being born in the early ’40s was the right age for the folk scene in New York’s iconic clubs in the East Village,” she says, referring to her parents. “He was a folkie, with suit, glasses and a crew cut,” she says. Then her uncle, Bob Ader, an actor and performer, tried to teach her how to play the piano. “We realized it was a dead end. I didn’t have enough of an attention span,” she says. “Also, my fingers were teeny weeny.”
Balter-Reitz grew up as a “latch-key kid” who surrounded herself with words and sounds as her parents were “so open with music and books.” While other children in early grade school may have been given albums by the Partridge Family or Bobby Sherman, the first album she got from her parents was “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The Big Apple continued to nourish her imagination, and her family belonged to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “I met Saturday mornings to do art at the museum and it was the back door to the Met (Metropolitan Opera House),” she says. At Cathedral High School, an all-girls Catholic school, BalterReitz says, she received a “fabulous Jesuit education,” instilling in her the belief that a high-quality education creates a life of leadership and service. “I chose the school because of the TV production studio,” she says, and there she excelled in broadcast competitions, learning how to produce and edit mini documentaries. She and her classmates were also invited to do plays with the boys’ high school. Working on the behind-the-scenes team, she says, “I loved the process. I loved the rehearsals. I loved to organize. I loved the process more than the product. I loved designing the sets, designing the lights.” Outside of school, Balter-Reitz says, “We were free-range children. I was either babysitting or at clubs or at media production.” She escaped the two-bedroom apartment she shared with her sister and three brothers into the East Village that then became the birthplace of punk-rock, hip-hop and anti-folk. Her desire to pursue broadcasting and production led her to the new media center at Eastern New Mexico University. Soon after enrolling in a public speaking class, she found herself in a tournament where she won $75 in her first speech competition. A job at the campus radio station from 1981 to 1985 exposed her to many genres of music. “At the AM station, record companies sent
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ON FRIDAY NIGHTS AT 9, BALTER-REITZ CUES UP THE MUSIC CREATED AND INSPIRED BY THE GRATEFUL DEAD.
albums,” she says. “We would get everything from college rock to new wave.” “After college, CNN wanted to hire me at minimum wage,” she says. “They were just starting and would hire anyone with a broadcasting degree,” but “I loved debate so much that I thought I would go into law.” Instead, she went to the University of Wyoming in Laramie to pursue her master’s in Persuasion. While working the graveyard shift waitressing at Shari’s Restaurant, she met her husband Paul Reitz, who was working as a cook. “She brought back an overdone burger,” he says of the patty he had cooked up. “’C.B. It’s cheeseburger; it’s not charred burger,’ she said. I cooked it again and it was fine.” Things became fine enough for the two to move to Seattle together, where BalterReitz earned a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Law. In 2002, the two settled in Montana when she took a faculty position in the Communications Department at MSU Billings, which she now heads up, with time directing the e-learning department and a stint as the interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs. She is also a charter member and incoming president of the Grateful Dead Studies Association. The group launched in 2019 and is made up of scholars, writers and academic professionals who study the Grateful Dead phenomenon. On May 14, 2019, Balter-Reitz joined Mark Parker and Ken Siebert to produce “In the Strangest of Places” on Yellowstone Public Radio. The series was a 45th anniversary tribute to the Grateful Dead’s appearance at the Harry Adams Field House at the University of Montana in Missoula. The popularity of the show brought Balter-Reitz back to YPR in the beginning of 2021, when she kicked off her weekly broadcast. Her favorite Grateful Dead songs—“Unbroken Chain,” “Brokedown Palace,” “The Other One,” and “Hard to Handle”—
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evoke longings for love, expressions of sorrow and yearnings for belonging, all of which provide the basis and inspiration for her show. “Sue leverages her education and career in the field of communication to broaden the scope of the show considerably,” says YPR General Manager Ken Siebert. He says her choice of guests and her interview style create a unique way to encounter The Grateful Dead. “One week it’s a deep dive into the intersection of Indian philosophy and the music of the Dead, and another week it’s comparing the gonzo journalism of Hunter S. Thompson to the band and the scene they inspired,” Siebert says. “It is amazing,” Balter-Reitz says of her guests. “I cannot believe how people are so generous, how vulnerable they are. I cannot believe the depth of the interviews.” Her hour-long show includes music from the Grateful Dead, along with songs influenced by the band as well as segments of short interviews. “Based on their story, I then build the music around them,” she says. For now, it seems the planets are aligning every Friday night at 9 o’clock for Balter-Reitz, even in the dark of night. ✻
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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Game
written by JULIE LOVELL photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
JENNY HERINGER PASSES ON HER LOVE OF BASKETBALL TO A NEW GENERATION OF ATHLETES
On Her Her
WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN’S basketball in Montana, Jenny Heringer is a household name. She’s a fierce competitor who played for Billings Central Catholic High and Montana State University. She also helped coach at Central and MSU-Billings. Now, Jenny’s having a ball passing on her love for the game to a new generation of athletes. “I love basketball and I love the opportunity to get to know players on a personal level and then help them individually figure out what they want and how to get it,” Jenny says. In 2018, Jenny started Crafted Basketball Skills and Academy to help girls and boys of all ages improve their game. Her coaching business started as a hobby, but quickly took off. She now works with anywhere from 60 to 100 young athletes a week. Whether she’s coaching beginning players or college athletes, Jenny focuses on fundamentals. “Details matter,” Jenny says. “I always instill that in players, whether it’s in basketball or in life. You have to be prepared. I tell them in here, I’m going to push you really hard, but when I come to your games, I’m going to be your biggest fan,” Jenny says.
Jenny helps players set individual goals and a game plan to attain them. “I sometimes feel I’m a confidence coach,” she says. “A lot of times they come to me and maybe they’re down a little bit, and I have to try to figure out their personality and what motivates them. Hopefully, they leave with a ton of confidence, ready to go do whatever they’re going to do, whether it’s playing basketball or going to college and being a great student.” Ben Steele Middle School student Kamryn Reinke has trained with Jenny since second grade. “My favorite part is even if you think you had an amazing practice, there’s always something she has for you to work on and improve on,” Kamryn says. Jenny’s young players respect her because she knows first-hand the ups and downs of the game. When she was a freshman at Billings Central, she was sidelined by a torn ACL. But over the next three years, she scored more than 1,000 points for the Rams, and set records for blocks, rebounds, assists, steals and singlegame scoring. She earned a scholarship to play for the Lady Cats at MSU, where she was a Big Sky Conference All Conference player. She also played a season at MSU Billings.
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JENNY, BUCKY & PORTER
“Basketball has taught me so much,” Jenny says. “It has pushed me in ways I never thought I’d get pushed. It’s given me the highest of highs and some of the lowest of lows. It’s taught me how to deal with those. Fighting through injuries, fighting through disappointments.” After graduating from MSU, Jenny served as varsity assistant coach at Billings Central, helping lead the team to a state championship in 20112012. She then served as assistant women’s basketball coach at MSU Billings for five years, and in 2018 she helped the Lady Yellowjackets make it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II tournament. For Heringer, coaching is a family affair. Her dad, Bucky Heringer, and her 8-year-old nephew, Porter, assist her at a private gym on the West End of Billings. Bucky coached the Billings Central girls’ team while Jenny and her sister played there. “He calls himself the third assistant, and always says, ‘I’m just here to help out.’ But he’s a huge part of helping and always minimizes his role,” Jenny says. “It’s been so fun to work with him and my nephew. I get to coach basketball and hang out with my family.” “I’m really very proud of her turning her hobby into a business,” Bucky says. “She just loves the kids and does such a great job. She always says, ‘I learned all of this stuff from you, dad,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m learning so much more from you right now than I ever knew about basketball.’” Jenny was just a kindergartner when she started playing basketball, and Bucky knew early on she had a talent for the game. “At the time, I was helping coach a third and fourth grade team for the Y,” he says. “When she was 5 years old she was going over and playing with them. She also played on a boys’ team through eighth grade, and did really, really well.” “I wasn’t as fast or as tall or as quick or athletic as those guys,” Jenny says. “So I had to outsmart them.” Now that she’s a coach, Jenny loves teaching athletes to play smart. Shelley Erickson’s daughter Isabelle trained with Jenny before heading to Carroll College to play for the Fighting Saints. Shelley’s two younger sons currently train with Jenny. “I’ve watched her be so instrumental in my kids’ development,” Shelley
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I’VE WATCHED HER BE SO INSTRUMENTAL IN MY KIDS’ DEVELOPMENT. SHE’S JUST A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THEM. ANY TIME YOU CAN HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE LIKE THAT IN BASKETBALL AND OUTSIDE OF THE GAME, I THINK THAT’S HUGE. — Shelley Erickson
says. “She’s just a positive influence on them. Any time you can have a positive influence like that in basketball and outside of the game, I think that’s huge.” “She was always looking for new ways to improve me,” Isabelle says. “She improved my confidence. She’s really good at guard work, so we did a lot of unique things I hadn’t seen with other coaches. She opened my eyes to things I didn’t know I was capable of doing.” Billings Central student Sammie Day says she loves training at Crafted Basketball. “It’s definitely just a big family,” Sammie says. “We all work hard every day, and Jenny and Bucky both push me to be the best I can be in and out of basketball.” While Jenny has retired from playing basketball competitively, she’s still a student of the game. NBA Skills Trainer Drew Hanlen is a mentor and is helping her build her business. She says she made some mistakes when she started Crafted Basketball, but she’s learning and her business is growing. She’s excited about the future of basketball in Montana and says Billings can look forward to watching a lot of great young talent. For Jenny, seeing players succeed is a sweet reward. “I’m so excited when that lightbulb goes on for them and they take off,” Jenny says. “Then it’s all them. I give them the tools and they’ve got to go do it.”
TO LEARN MORE
about Crafted Basketball, visit craftedbasketball.com. ✻
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FATHER-DAUGHTER DUO HONES WOODWORKING SKILLS TO SPEND TIME AND CREATE A SIDE HUSTLE written by JULIE LOVELL photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & MICHELE PEDERSEN
AFTER MICHELE PEDERSEN retired from the banking
industry last winter, she started investing more time in something extra special — learning the art of woodworking from her 92-year-old dad. For father and daughter, it’s a passion with a nice payoff. They’ve crafted a little side hustle. Their creations are popular and the time spent working together is priceless.
salt and pepper shakers and toothpick holders. “Dad’s uses all hand tools for the turning lathe,” Michele says. “It’s all by touch, feel. So, it’s an art. I haven’t gotten there yet.” The workshop is filled with woodworking equipment that Bill has trained Michele to use.
“It’s a blessing,” says Michele. “Dad is a great teacher.” “She catches on quick, so I can show her something and I don’t have to say it twice,” says her dad, Bill Brinkel. “That’s fun.” You can usually find the two working on different projects in Bill’s large workshop west of Billings. Michele specializes in using epoxy to create unique and colorful items like charcuterie boards, vases, candle holders and coffee tables.
THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF WOMEN IN THE WOODWORKING FIELD, AND I THINK IT’S A SKILL THAT EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW. THAT WAY YOU CAN BUILD THINGS OR FIX THINGS OR JUST BE MORE INDEPENDENT. — Michele Pedersen
“I like it because every piece is different,” Michele says. “The wood and the epoxy flow where they want to flow." Bill creates a variety of pieces, including trivets and bookmarks. He also uses his skill turning a lathe to fashion smaller items like
“I’ve learned how to use almost every tool, I think,” Michele says. “Now he doesn’t worry about me because I can use the table saw, the chop saw, the drill press, the band saw, the router—that used to scare me.” “She won’t use the turning lathe, but I’m gonna get her there yet,” Bill says.
“There are not a lot of women in the woodworking field, and I think it’s a skill that every woman should know,” Michele says. “That way you can build things or fix things or just be more independent.” Bill’s love for woodworking stretches back more than 30 years. He spent much of his life working on the family’s farm west of Broadview and turned to woodworking for a fun hobby. He says
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SHE CATCHES ON QUICK, SO I CAN SHOW HER SOMETHING AND I DON’T HAVE TO SAY IT TWICE. THAT’S FUN. — Bill Brinkle
both woodworking and farming call for creativity. “Well, everything’s creative on the farm,” Bill says with a smile.
setting their own hours. The sign on the workshop’s wall says it all: “OFFICE HOURS: Open most days about 9 or 10. Occasionally as early as 7, but some days as late as 12 or 1.”
Michele says she learned creativity not only from her dad, but from her mom, who was a seamstress on the farm. Another thing she learned from dad: don’t waste wood.
The hours may be iffy, but they’re always thinking about their next projects and keeping an eye out for the perfect pieces of wood.
“Every little piece of wood can go somewhere,” says Michele. “That’s the era he lived in. You don’t throw anything away. You can always jimmy rig or MacGyver it for something.”
“I’ll be driving along with my husband, Greg, somewhere and I’ll be looking at wood over there, and he’ll say, ‘Stop. Stop looking at that, because you can’t bring it home,” laughs Michele. “I’m starting to be just like Dad.”
The two use a variety of woods, but they rarely have to buy any because people give them wood that would have otherwise ended up in the trash. For many projects, Michele works with wood from Russian olive trees. “The ironic part is that she’s using the Russian olive, which is a weed tree,” says Bill. “Nobody likes it. And look how pretty they are.” Although the two usually work separately on projects, they often team up, swapping ideas, encouraging and helping each other however they can. “I can get down on the ground and get the things that fall,” Michele says. “I can get down, but I can’t get back up,” Bill says with a laugh. “Oh, I can, but it’s a struggle.” These two work hard, but retirement has its benefits, including
Michele is also a talented photographer and has a thriving photography business. She uses the money she earns from her hobbies to help fund another great retirement pastime — traveling with Greg. “Woodworking is not a huge moneymaker, but we use it for our travel money,” says Michele, who recently took a bucket list trip with Greg to Ireland. Closer to home, Michele and her dad sell their work at area craft shows and even take special orders now and then. Both say they’re satisfied and proud when customers appreciate their work. They love finding ways to use the wood that would otherwise go to waste. One thing’s for sure. The time they spend together is never wasted. “It’s so special,” Michele says, “because I treasure the days I have with him.” ✻
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every7
Color Color under the sun2 WHEN IT COMES TO SUMMER FASHION, BRIGHT HUES RULE
WHILE NEUTRALS STILL REIGN
written by VICKI-LYNN TERPSTRA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
in the fashion world right now, bright shades are moving in for a summer cameo. Electric colors mixed with staples like denim give a nod to the early ’90s. Hot pink and royal blue would love to
coming in clutch Beaded bags keep coming back around and each season we tend to see a fresh new twist. If you’re looking to add a pop of color, small handbags like this handheld pouch with bold colors and the timeless word “loved” could be the perfect addition. It’s just the right accessory for your little black dress or the right amount of bling to dress up your denim for cocktails on the patio.
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play a supporting role in your outfit’s story, standing out on neutral backdrops. So, turn some heads one accessory at a time and put your summer fashion on the bright side with these colorful additions. ✻
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get the look7 Loved Moyna pouch, $119, from RocHouse.
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SHOP WITH US FOR EVERY OCCASION. — Owner Courtney Burton and the RocHouse Team
FLOWER P OWER Florals always pack a punch, but when they are in the boldest hues, they really grab your attention. Pick from an array of floralinspired accessories like an anklets, studs or large statement earrings to add a bit of playfulness to your everyday summer apparel. Anklets are coming back in full force and we welcome them with our ultra-low sneakers or casual sandals. Why not go bolder than a standard gold chain and slip on one adorned with colorful beads and a daisy?
get the look7
Melody Anklets, $15; 3-pack earrings, $20; Square floral earrings, $15. All can be found at Neecee’s.
TOTA L TH ROWBACK The hair clip is an accessory that fits any hair style. Rock a pixy cut and you can still add layers of barrettes for a sweet look. Or maybe your tresses need some taming and the trendy claw clips can help wrangle your mane. While these clips have been around for decades, the bold colors and throwback patterns make this flashback all the rage right now.
get the look
Wild fable hair claw, $5; Wild Fable smiley barrettes, $5; Wild Fable clips, $5. All can be found at Target.
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PE RP ET UA LLY UP BEAT P INK A symbol of optimism, pink promises to boost your mood. Hot pink heels are sure to liven up any outfit whether it’s the denimon-denim vibe or the demure white dress. If pink isn’t your thing, rest assured, this summer you’ll find heels in every color of the rainbow to add to your wardrobe.
get the look7
Sam Edelman Block Strappy Heel in Carmine Rose, $139, can be found at RocHouse.
KA L E ID OSCOP E OF C OLOR Wearing gemstone jewelry is elegant and timeless. This necklace kicks it up a notch by adding a kaleidoscope of color. This little beauty will remain relevant not only in summer with spaghetti strapped dresses but for fall days paired with plaids. It’s a subtle way to unleash bold color in small doses.
get the look2
Baguette necklace, $61, can be found at Something Chic. 80
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SOMETHING summer...
C ROWIN G MOMENT
2818 2nd Ave N | Billings, MT 59101 | somethingchicclothing.com
Montanans are known to have a hat or two hanging around in their closets. Whether it is felt or straw, you can add layers of bright colorful hatbands to give your hat a fresh look. The best part about a hatband is the ability to mix textures. Put a delicately beaded band with silky fabrics or even leather braids. Whatever your aesthetic, you can find the right hat jewelry to add more color to your summer looks.
Visit our new store in Shiloh Crossing, across the parking lot from our old location.
get the look2
Zephyr Rancher Gigi Pip, $112; Fabric band, $18; Neta’s hatband, $48. All can be found at Joy of Living.
VICKI-LYNN TERPSTRA, writer 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.
@neecees_mt Shiloh Crossing • 406-294-2014
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AFTER CLOSE TO 3 DECADES, JEANNE MOLLER POURS HERSELF INTO HER LAST WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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KRISTA MONTAGUE & JEANNE MOLLER
JEANNE MOLLER HAS A GIFT. She can walk into a room
and innately understand what people need before they know they need it. She has a knack for dodging pitfalls before they happen. After 28 years as the senior development officer at the Montana State University Billings Foundation, the woman who has anticipated the wants and expectations of volunteers and guests of the Wine and Food Festival is retiring.
emphasis in marketing from Eastern Montana College, one mentor in particular helped cultivate her leadership skills. Moller went to work for Butch Ott at the Forward Billings Economic Development Program, which later merged with the Chamber of Commerce. She says it was her job to provide information and a warm welcome to companies looking to make the move to Billings.
“He taught me so much,” Moller says of Ott, with emotion in her voice. “He taught me the basics on how to function in the business world. He nudged me to do public speaking and coached me on how to conduct myself in business. I wouldn’t be able to do a whole lot without the foundation he “WHEN ASKED TO built for me.”
The festival that has been headed up by Moller for all but one year of its existence has become the premier wine and culinary event in Montana. It has also, with the help of Moller, helped raise millions of dollars in scholarships for MSUB students. “When asked to do a job, you give it your all,” Moller says, and that’s been the key to her success. And she begins by observing before acting. When Moller’s son, Cole, was a boy, she watched him in new circumstances, noticing he always observed a situation before participating. When she commented to her husband Wayne about it, he said, “We are not people who burst into a room. We survey the space first.”
DO A JOB, YOU GIVE IT YOUR ALL. — Jeanne Moller
Moller grew up in an idyllic neighborhood on Yellowstone Avenue near downtown Billings. Moller’s mother, Doris, “loved to entertain,” but she says, “it was my father who was raised in a loving family that celebrated everything. My mother took to celebrating.” This helped spark Moller’s gifts early on. After earning her degree in business administration with an
staff.
The Wine and Food Festival’s inaugural year was 1993. Dona Hagen, who chaired that first event with Dottie Hollatz, says that at the time, EMC President Bruce Carpenter believed the event would give the college greater visibility in the community. It was clear after the first event, however, that it wouldn’t be able to thrive without a
“It was too much responsibility,” Hagen says. “They needed to hire someone who would manage the volunteers, a point person.” In 1994, Moller became that person. “I knew she was the right person for the job,” Hagen says. “She was so steady and she learned so quickly. She never got hysterical. She analytically looked at a situation and figured out what needed to be done.”
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Since then, Moller has coordinated the work of nearly 300 volunteers each year over the course of the six-day event. During the festival, volunteers help oversee cooking classes, seminars and tastings, culminating with the live auction on Saturday night. Moller admits, “The tasks aren’t glamorous — cleaning up after cooking classes and washing dishes.” The event has evolved into a dynamic and complex fundraiser and Moller learned to orchestrate all its ebbs and flows. “I couldn’t have done the Wine Fest by myself,” she says. “I have always felt I needed to step aside, and let the festival happen.” To do that, she allowed volunteers to take responsibility and make meaningful contributions towards the success of the event. In the early years, a tent was set up on the grassy area by the parking garage on campus. Later, it relocated to the lot next to the chancellor’s home. Today, it’s hosted at the MetraPark’s Montana Pavilion. Over the years, it wasn’t unusual for Mother Nature to throw in a few challenges. “Almost every single year, we have had rain,” Moller says. In 1996, when Pat Petersen was chair, Moller says, “The tent was set up by the parking garage and ready to go. It got so cold that there was ice on every table. We had to move everything to the Student Union, into the ballroom. It was a fast turnaround.” Another year, a fire started in the bushes near the back of the tent. At another, rivers of water cascaded through the tent during the auction. And then, under the tent, Moller says, “Chefs canceled at the last minute and there were chefs who didn’t get along.” Krista Montague, the new President and CEO of the MSU 84
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Billings Foundation, is quick to sing Moller’s praises “Jeanne has had an amazing impact on the students behind the scenes,” Montague says. “She’s the one who brings it all together. She’s honest and humble. She doesn’t get rattled.” Jon Egeland, the foundation’s chief financial officer, has been at the foundation for 30 years and has seen $7 million raised, with $3.1 million for scholarships since the first festival began in 1993. “It’s been interesting watching how easily it comes to her,” Egeland says. “Yet, she always has time to talk and joke.” Cynthia Arneson, who co-chaired this year’s event, says that when she thinks of Moller, one memory won’t soon fade. Arneson needed to do an interview, so Moller stepped in and took her slightly fussy baby, Bella, off her hands. “Jeanne was able to just rock her back and forth in her stroller and keep her calm,” Arneson says. “Bella didn’t make one peep! Jeanne has the biggest heart of anyone that I have ever met. She treats, not only you, but your whole family, like they’re her family.” As Moller steps aside, she’s grateful for the relationships she’s developed, and proud of having helped so many students advance their education and better their futures thanks to the Wine and Food Festival scholarships. “I’ve lived this for 28 years,” Moller says. “As the festival grew, I grew. I’ve loved 99 percent of it. I loved the event. Volunteers have made my job enjoyable.” The festival has also had a big impact on her own life. “It’s such an important part of me,” she says. ✻
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to Jeanne Moller and the hundreds of volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy into making Wine & Food Festival a success!
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Do As I Say, Not As I Did MY EXPERIENCE WITH BASAL CELL CARCINOMA written by VIRGINIA BRYAN photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
BEFORE THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN
of 2020, my primary care doctor recommended that I have a full body skin exam. It had been several years since the last one. I didn’t tell her about the odd spot on my nose that bled periodically. It would heal, but sooner or later, it opened again. Now in my late 60s, I have several skin cancer risk factors: fair-skinned, blonde, a history of sunburns and of northern European descent. My gut said my primary care doctor was probably right. 86
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I scheduled a skin exam, but when the time came, I didn’t feel well and I canceled. By then, Covid was in full bloom. It seemed prudent at the time. Did I mention that my husband and I sold our house, downsized and moved during this period? One day, while hanging a metal sign on our new deck, a weak board gave way and I went straight through. That laid me up for a while. In August 2020, my grandson was born. My life felt upended and I never got around to rescheduling my exam.
DR. MARK JONES & MOHS TECHNICIAN SCOTT MONSON
As summer turned to fall in 2021, that spot on my nose opened up again. This time, it was a hole about the size of a juice box straw. Oddly, it didn’t bleed. “This doesn’t look good,” I remember thinking. When I learned that Billings Clinic Dermatology sets aside two days a week for walk-in patients, I called.
HOW BAD COULD IT BE? Billings Clinic dermatologist Michele Spenny, M.D., peered closely at the spot on my nose. “That’s coming off,” she said. In her notes, she identified the spot as a basal cell carcinoma. The next day, a biopsy confirmed it. I took the literature Dr. Spenny provided, went home and waited. As a teenager, a benign lump was removed from a lymph gland on my neck. Near age 40, a benign lump was removed from my thyroid. The scars on my neck are hardly noticeable. Cancer wasn’t a family risk factor. How bad could it be?
Shortly after my visit with S p e n ny, I w a s s c h e d u l e d to see Dr. Mark Jones, one of two fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons/pathologists at Billings Clinic. Scott Monson, one of Jones’ three Mohs technicians, greeted me upon arrival. His calm, friendly demeanor was reassuring. Monson said he’s pretty good at reading people. He remembered I seemed nervous.
MORE THAN
5 MILLION
SKIN CANCERS ARE DIAGNOSED EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES
I settled into a chaise-like chair in the Mohs surgery room. There were bright lights overhead. My anxiety levels were rising. Monson eased me into the procedure by cleansing, sterilizing and covering my face and neck. He handed me a metal plate about the size of a hardback novel. When I let go of it during the surgery, Jones got a bit excited. Later, he told me it was an electric ground for the cautery tools he uses. Keeping my hands busy and out of his way was a secondary benefit. Like Monson, Jones was affable and exceedingly patient. After 20 years of working together, these two men can communicate JULY/AUGUST 2022
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SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF SKIN CANCER ☛ Asymmetry ☛ Uneven borders ☛ Color variation ☛ Size greater than 6 mm ☛ Evolving in size, shape and color
without speaking. They find that engaging patients in conversation puts them at ease, and relaxed patients have better outcomes. Jones outlined what I could expect in the Mohs procedure. First, he’d numb my nose and cheek. I must have gasped audibly upon seeing the needle. Scott encouraged me to press hard on the metal plate. It was white-knuckle time. “I hope that’s the worst of it,” I said to myself after the last pre-op lidocaine injection. I took a deep breath and waited for it to take effect.
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BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR Jones proceeded to remove the first layer of thin tissue where the carcinoma was located. In an adjacent lab, Jessica Hart, another of Jones’ Mohs technicians, received the removed tissue, froze it and prepared it for examination under a microscope. She has 15 years’ experience working with Jones. If any cancerous tissue was observed, Jones would remove another thin tissue layer until the remaining cells were cancer-free. As Monson and I waited in the surgical room, I wondered aloud if I might get a “nose job” while I was there. I’ve always been self-conscious about my nose. Monson chuckled, but I sensed he didn’t think it was funny. “Be careful what you ask for,” he gently cautioned. After two more extractions, Jones was satisfied that all of the cancer was removed. I was feeling no pain, but my curiosity was growing. Jones handed me a small mirror. “Do you want to see what your nose looks like?” he asked. “Holy shi**!” I exclaimed. I was shocked to see a round, gaping hole on the right side of my nose. It was big enough to hold
the tip of my little finger. Monson’s cautionary words echoed in my head. If I’d waited any longer, the cancer cells might have extended to the inside nasal wall or worse. Jones gave me a few minutes to regain my composure. One option was to leave the hole as it was and allow it to heal. Or, I could undergo a “nasolabial transposition flap closure” in which tissue and skin from my right cheek would be removed and used to fill and cover the hole. “Do what you can,” I said. “We can’t leave it like that!” I hope I didn’t shriek. By then, the seriousness of what I’d just been through was apparent. Earlier, Monson had assured me that Jones was an excellent surgeon. “The guy’s an artist,” he said. Of course, I paid little heed when he said it, but I remembered his words and tried, once again, to focus on my breathing. My nose and face were prepared for reconstruction and I got another shot of lidocaine. I felt completely powerless.
FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR’S ADVICE Near the end of the reconstruction, I could feel a needle and thread being woven through my cheek and nose. The stitches extended along a facial crease (dare I call it a wrinkle?) from my right nostril to my upper lip. To sustain blood flow, Jones connected a blood vessel from the repair site to the extraction site and covered it with gauze. Replacement tissue filled the hole where the cancer was removed. The small circle of skin covering the replacement tissue was attached to my nose with perfectly formed, tiny blanket stitches.
When it was over, I was almost giddy. I told Monson that Jones could win a blue ribbon at Montana Fair for his embroidery skills. I left Billings Clinic with instructions to call Jones’ cell phone with any complications. Thankfully, my Covid mask disguised the large bandage on the right side of my face. The next day, I returned for a 24-hour wound check. Hart and Jones were delighted with the wound’s appearance. I thought I looked like a pirate. The first few post-surgery days were rough. Prescribed pain medications and regular ice packs dulled the significant facial pain. I tried not to panic when bruising, nausea and nighttime bleeding occurred. I read and re-read the wound instructions and took to heart Jones’ instructions to take it easy for a few days. By Thanksgiving 2021, I wasn’t wearing a bandage at home. The first set of stitches had come out on schedule. In early December, a second procedure removed the skin flap, leaving me with a small, button-sized scar where the hole had once been. At each check-up, notes confirm excellent healing. In early January 2022, a full body skin exam (recommended by my primary care doctor two years earlier) uncovered no additional issues. By Valentine’s Day, I was released from further care. As I write this, it’s been nearly eight months since Spenny’s diagnosis. My face is healing nicely. The incision from my nose to my mouth is barely discernible. The button sized scar is also healing, but it needs more time. You won’t see it unless I point it out to you. Jones said it meets his “conversational distance” standard and he’s quite pleased. I am just glad I still have my nose. ✻
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What Is Mohs Surgery? IN THE 1930S, Dr. Frederic Mohs, looking for ways to
Mohs’ techniques have been refined over subsequent decades by Mohs and others, but the two original components— removal of tissue in thin layers and mapping cancerous and non-cancerous cells—remain constants. Hence, the methodology bears Mohs’ name. Now a surgical specialty, Mohs surgery and standards are governed by the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology, although it’s called “Mohs” or “Mohs Surgery” for short.
It was a multi-day process back then, primarily because removed tissue had to be coated with a zinc chloride paste and allowed to sit overnight before it could be examined. In contrast, my entire procedure, which involved removing three skin layers, took less than four hours.
Mohs surgery is considered the “gold standard in cancer treatment” according to the Mohs College (www.mohscollege. org). That reputation is earned by its ability to identify and extract damaged tissue, spare healthy tissue, remove the smallest amount of skin possible and achieve the maximum post-surgery aesthetic benefit. ✻
treat skin cancer for patients in his Wisconsin dermatology practice, began applying techniques he learned as a medical school research assistant. In the medical school lab, he learned how to extract and color-code thin tissue layers removed from cancerous skin and how to map out the cancerous and healthy cells. Using this information and the skills he’d learned, Mohs was able to locate and remove skin cancers like mine.
DO’S and DON’TS
FOR SKIN PROTECTION
DON’T IGNORE A SPOT THAT BLEEDS OR WON’T HEAL. If you have a spot that fits this
description and it lasts longer than two weeks, Dr. Jones recommends you have it examined by a doctor. Early treatment eliminates and/or minimizes later problems.
DO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN PROTECTED FROM THE SUN. Eighty percent of all skin
damage occurs before age 18. Apply SPF50 sunscreen liberally and frequently to the arms, legs, neck and face of your little ones. They should wear a hat when in the sun. You weren’t invincible as a youngster and your children aren’t either.
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written by KAREN GROSZ
YV W CO LUMIST
THE POWER DECISION GOOD GRIEF AND GOLLY we women have a lot to do.
We need to love our people, take care of ourselves, change the world, and — in the midst of it all — there’s probably a load of laundry with our name on it. So, how do we do it all and still have time to sit in the sun and read a good book? Wait, we’re supposed to do that too? Yes, yes, we are. Because the best of life is usually in the moments when we stop to enjoy the moment. As women, we can smile while shoveling dirt to move a mountain, and we can and will wrap those we love, in love. We just have to make one big decision and stick to it. Everything else will fall into place. That — the big decision — is key. I call it a “power decision.” When you look at everything you can do in a day, it can be overwhelming. There are moments when it’s easier to throw up your arms in defeat, or retreat to a closet and eat M&Ms than to face it all. And that, my friend, is when the power decision comes into play.
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A famous example of this is Suze Orman and her one pair of earrings. Years ago, she decided to buy the best she could afford, wear them every day, and never make that decision, or spend that money again. I heard her, but I sure didn’t make that decision. I need new sparkles every now and again. I recently coached a busy school superintendent who wore black every day, not because she was in mourning, or because she was boring. She wore black because it was like a blackboard for her fun jewelry. She accessorized like crazy with necklaces, bangles, earrings and scarves both large and small. She never worried if the colors clashed. Dressing in black freed her to grab and go with whatever suited her fancy that day. It also made gift giving easy for those that loved her with big, bold, beautiful colors popping out of every gift box. One decision is fine for things like getting dressed, but what about things that matter, like food? I have spent more money, more hours and more tears trying to figure out how and what to eat than any person ever should have spent. I have gained,
lost, found, depleted, hidden and battled the bulge until I couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve been low-fat, Atkins, Weight Watchers, vegetarian, Mediterranean, dairy free, gluten-free, flavor-free, and free-fed. I’ve sipped fancy shakes and taken supplements. I’ve boot camped, calorie counted, and been hypnotized. Holy hell.
can make another, and then another. One power decision means you get to live the best of your life without tripping over the inconsequential decisions, as they have already been made. You also get to say, “I wish I could (insert request) but I have decided (insert power decision),” when dealing with your nemesis.
These efforts rewarded me with an ulcer I couldn’t seem to A few power decisions that my people have made include: I cure, no matter what I did or didn’t eat. Then, kindly, pause before I respond. I only drink wine on Friday. I’d but firmly, Cole Whitmoyer, Doctor of Nursing rather save a dollar than spend a dollar. I always Practice at Flex Family Health, said, “I think lead with love. I don’t touch my phone in the Zoo Lights Beauty & the Bea st you just need to calm down about what car. I have decided to stay married, to commit you aretime eating.” time Ishopping took a bite, to this man as I originally intended. Take out ofEvery the holiday frenzy, pack up the family in Billings Studio Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the(This Beast I the repeated and within two doesn’t excuse bad behavior, but it car and“calm enjoy down” a magical holiday light display during ZooMontana’s Junior,” January 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to does escape weeks the ulcer was gone, I felt in like allow you to look for the of Gaston. your Zoo Lights.The display willand be open December - the 7th-8th, narrow and restricted life including her brute of abest suitor, THE 14thDECISION her THAT me again. Eating was fun and good marriage.) I have decided to start my 15th, and 20th-24th from 5pm to 9pm each night. zo o m o ntSEEMS a na . org Belle as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s TO HAVE THEgets adventurous andday choices were easy to make. with some form of movement. I castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing MOST POWERenchanted IS, volunteer with or in front of my family, furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved fairy tale about I carried that decision talks Rodeo Cha se into hawks instead of without them. I am writing very different people finding strength in one another as they learn how with Sarah Townley, The Type Two my book. I speak my truth and protect Touted ascoach. one ofDiabetes the best rough stock to love.b i l l i n g sst u d i ot hmy eaheart. t re. com Diabetes runs in myrodeos in America, the Chase I only keep things I have used Hawks Rodeo takes place in the Rimrock FIVE WORDS. family, and if I was going to calm down Auto Arena on December in the last year. I don’t tolerate abuse. 22nd.Top stock come about food,cowboys I didn’t and want to get so straight calm from the National Finals Trash is trash. I eat a vegetable at every FRinge FestivaL Rodeo Lasan Vegas to compete here in Billings, Montana. that I ranininto insulin pump forright a best meal. I drink 96 ounces of water a day. I friend. Sheof helped mefor learn to fast, which Venture Theatre presents Fringe Festival,for January 18th-19th and And best all, it’s a great cause. TheI Chase Hawks Memorial provideitsopportunities others to grow. love, and control Now, or 25th-26th.The festival features fourconsistent nights of shows local Association worksmy to blood bring sugar. comfort andtwo assistance to families during I choose to take action.featuring I link with three a week decideeto people whoartists help of me walk in dance, courage and and regional performing allgrow. types Iincluding standup timestimes of tragedy andI crisis.m t r fast, a p a rwhich k .c o mtakes all the day’s decisions about food off the table and not fear.improv, I choose honor and supportperformance my authentic comedy, theater onetoact plays, musicals, art, frees me mentally and physically to live and love more of self. word/poetry, and puppetry.vent u ret hea t r e . or g spoken life! The result? I am calm. I eat what I want. I get to decide what danCe and who to be, when not chained to constant decisions about The last two may souL have thestReet most power. Imagine filtering your points, calories or people judging me. I decided to calm down day-to-day life through courage andAlberta commitment to being you. This high energy show comes to the Bair Theater on January about food, and that decision helped me to ramp up the rest of Who would you be? What could you do? Why are you waiting? 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic my life. Make your one powerdance. decision liveconcerts that glorious boundaries of street Souland Street consist choice of a mixinof every facet of your precious life. ✻ movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is If it works for food, what about change? This is a recurrent theme combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. with my clients right now — how to deal with all the change in It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages the world. It affects work, home, friendships and staff relations. entertained. The decision that seems to have the most power is, “I’ve decided to accept change.” Five words. There’s so much power in those words. When change comes barreling at you, all you say is I’ve a ConCeRt Fo R the whoL e FamiLy decided to accept change and it no longer has the power to bowl Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the you over. KAREN GROSZ, writer
“I’VE DECIDED TO ACCEPT CHANGE.”
I wish I could tell you which power decision will have the greatest impact on your life, but I can’t. All I can tell you is this: pick something you To hhave a ve been yo u r struggling e v e n t s l i swith, t e d hthink e r e , of e mthe a i l outcome you would like to see, and then make the decision. When you’ve j e s s i c a @ b i l l i n g s 3 6 5 .c o m done that, everything else, all the small decisions, all the results, just fall into place. Once that power decision has done its job, you
Alberta Bair Theater. Four time Grammy nominees, “Trout Fishing Karen Grosz is a local Team and Leadership in America,” will perform along with theandBillings Symphony. Development coach motivational speaker.Trout She Canvasduo Creek Team performs Building, isfolk the author of Fishing in America is aowns musical which rock and “What’s Next” and “Quiet Leadership” and founding children’s music. b i l l i nvoice g ssyofmp hon y. c om the Facebook group “I’ll Help”- Billings. You can find more from Karen at karengrosz.life.
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A Girl on on the the
Go
written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
MEET CHEYENNE, A SOON-TOBE TEEN WISHING FOR A FAMILY
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD CHEYENNE
is on cloud nine. She just wrapped up a bit of pampering after the stylists at Iris Salon gave her hair the perfect curls. She does a little twirl and then stops short, saying, “Oops. I don’t’ want my hair to get all messy!” This energetic soon-to-be teen is what her social worker Dawn Boushard calls “a chatty Cathy.” Even Cheyenne admits she is far from shy. “I’m super adorable and cute. I’m a little hyper too,” she says with a giggle. Dawn chimes in, “She can get hyper at times but she’s working on that. She’s really sweet.”
Right now, Cheyenne is living in a group home and thinks often about what she would love in a forever family. “I would like parents who treat me nice and give me attention,” she says.
If this young lady had an ideal day, it would probably be hanging out around horses. “I like to ride horses. I’m obsessed with unicorns and horses,” she says.
That’s exactly what her social worker is hoping for as well. Dawn says Cheyenne has suffered trauma and abandonment. She desperately wants a family who will simply love her and help her heal.
While she definitely has a girly side with a love of all things pink and purple, if you spend any time with Cheyenne, you’ll see she loves to stay active and dabbles in school sports.
“Ultimately, we would love to be able to get her into a family who will love her and support her through this. It’s not her fault all that she has been through. It’s not her fault.” ✻
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“She’s playing volleyball after school and she loves that,” Dawn says. “The last time I was with her, we played basketball and then went for a walk. She’s fun to be around.”
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OUR HEART GALLERY FEATURE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY WENDY’S AND THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHEYENNE OR THE FOSTER-ADOPTION SYSTEM IN GENERAL, CALL DANIELLE METCALF AT 406-657-3120. While Cheyenne needs an adoptive home, many times the primary goal for children in the system is to have a temporary placement while social workers strive to reunify them with their biological family. Each family wanting to become a licensed foster-adoptive home must undergo 18 hours of mandatory training to learn what it takes to become a successful foster family.
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Hello
Huckleberry
TA ST E OF T HE VAL LEY
written by KAY ERICKSON photography by LOVELY HITCHCOCK
SERVE UP SOME SWEETNESS THANKS TO THESE MONTANA BERRIES
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AN ABUNDANCE OF RICHES
— an opportunity that inspires us to be creative with a bounty of produce. When the riches are huckleberries —gallons of them — inspiration is easy. The hucks came into our possession by being at the right place at the right time. Several years ago, we had been in Missoula in early August for a family wedding. After the festivities, we decided to head north for a quick trip through Glacier National Park. Our leisurely drive up US 93 had us stopping at many roadside stands flush with Flathead cherries. We made good use of the large cooler in the back seat. Tucked on the east side of the highway was a small stand advertising that bluish-purple gem of a huckleberry. Needless to say, we stocked up. With such a bevy of berries, I made huckleberry pie, huckleberry jam, huckleberry muffins and we ended up freezing the rest. AllProducts_Poster_24x36.pdf
AllProducts_Poster_24x36.pdf
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The idea of ice cream came as we prepared a menu for a cookout planned for later that month. I scoured my cookbooks (I have many) and the internet and couldn’t find an ice cream recipe that would elevate the huckleberry to my satisfaction. So, I culled ideas and tips from several recipes and created my own. For me, the compote is the key to bringing out the huckleberries’ flavor. Hope you agree. 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.
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kay’s huckleberry ice cream ICE CREAM BASE 2 c. heavy cream 1 c. whole milk 6 egg yolks Pinch of salt 2/3 c. granulated sugar ¼ vanilla bean (or ½ t. vanilla extract) HUCKLEBERRY COMPOTE 1½ c. huckleberries 3 T. granulated sugar 3 oz water (1/3 cup) ½ t. fresh lemon juice
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TO MAKE HUCKLEBERRY COMPOTE: Combine the huckleberries, sugar and water in
a saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to break up some of the berries, until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice. Cool completely.
TO MAKE ICE CREAM: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and
salt. Set aside. Split the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the seeds with tip of a knife into a saucepan and add the pod as well. Add the milk and cream and bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Temper the egg yolks by slowly adding about a third of the milk mixture in a steady stream. Whisk well. Slowly add the rest of the hot milk, whisking well. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon or registers 170 degrees on an instant read thermometer (do not boil). Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve, then allow to cool in an ice bath. If you aren’t using a vanilla bean, add the vanilla extract at this point. Refrigerate overnight. When the custard base and compote are cold, combine them in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions.
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TO THE NEXT LEVEL Cookware ets g d a G n e K i tc h ds o o F y t l a i Spec sses a l C g n i k C oo ning e p r a h S e f Kni 4 0 6 - 5 3 4 - 8 4 2 7 | 1 1 0 N 2 9 T H S T | B I L L I N G S | Z E S T B I L L I N G S . C O M | M O N - S AT 1 0 - 6 P M , S U N 1 0 - 4 JULY/AUGUST 2022
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In Season A TASTE OF TOMATO & FRESH HERBS story & photography by STELLA FONG
WINTER, SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL.
Each season comes with its own distinct flavor and its own unique fruits and veggies to savor. As many look to tap into the bounty
of local producers, we introduce you to In Season, a space for recipes that use ingredients that are fresh off the vine or fresh picked to enjoy. ✻
cherry tomato pesto salad
with peaches & mozzarella serves 4 to 6 During the summer, tomatoes and basil are the perfect partners in all things delicious. As these two come into season, peaches are also in their prime. The combination is magic. For variety, substitute the basil pesto with spinach caper pesto, kale olive pesto and spinach cilantro lemon pesto. Then feel free to substitute nectarines, blackberries or cherries for the peaches in this salad. The dressing can also be tossed with lettuce, arugula or even apple slices. Summer abounds with produce, so bring it all into this salad bowl.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING 2 T. basil pesto 2 T. white vinegar 3 T. extra-virgin olive oil 1 t. honey Salt, to taste INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 2 peaches, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks 6 ounces fresh baby mozzarella cheese balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), drained 1 bunch fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves ½ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano PREPARATION
In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Place tomatoes, peaches and mozzarella on a large plate. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish with basil leaves and cheese. Serve immediately. 100
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pesto I make pesto often, especially in the summer. Technically Pesto alla Genovese is made up of crushed basil, garlic, ParmigianoReggiano, pine nuts and olive oil. However, when we first moved here 23 years ago, basil and pine nuts were not as readily available in the local grocery stores and there were not as many brown trucks making deliveries. I started substituting spinach for basil and other nuts for the pine nuts, and I’ve continued to this day. As I began to substitute the real ingredients of pesto, I came up with including capers and olives and replacing the Parmesan cheese with Manchego and Romano.
One of the easiest meals I make for dinner is pesto with pasta served with a side salad. Pesto can also be spread on bread, topped with some cheese and broiled, used for a dressing on a salad or dolloped on baked potatoes along with sour cream, chives and bacon.
basil pesto
kale olive pesto
makes about 1 cup
makes about 1 cup
INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS
2 c. fresh basil leaves
4 Lacinato or Dinosaur kale leaves, stems removed, coarsely chopped
1/3 c. pine nuts 3 cloves garlic ½ c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ½ c. extra-virgin olive oil Salt, to taste
As the summer season comes to an end, make several batches of pesto and freeze them in small containers for a reminder of sun and warmth when temperatures drop here under the Big Sky.
½ c. raw cashews ½ c. Castelvetrano olives ½ c. freshly grated Romano cheese ½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
PREPARATION
PREPARATION
spinach caper pesto
spinach cilantro lemon pesto
Into a food processor bowl, add basil, pine nuts and garlic. Pulse several times until garlic and nuts are minced. Add cheese and pulse several times. Be sure to scrape the sides. While processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Process until all ingredients are incorporated.
makes about 1 cup INGREDIENTS 4 c. spinach leaves, packed ½ c. raw pistachios 2 T. capers ½ c. grated Parmesan-Reggiano ½ c. extra-virgin olive oil PREPARATION
Into a food processor bowl, add spinach, pistachios and capers. Pulse several times until nuts are minced. Add cheese and pulse several times. Be sure to scrape the sides. While processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Process until all ingredients are incorporated.
Into a food processor bowl, add kale, cashews and olives. Pulse several times until nuts are minced. Add cheese and pulse several times. Be sure to scrape the sides. While processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Process until all ingredients are incorporated.
makes about 1 cup INGREDIENTS 1 c. spinach leaves 1 bunch cilantro, about 4 ounces ½ preserved lemon, rinsed with water, seeds removed ½ c. walnut pieces ½ c. grated Manchego cheese ½ c. extra virgin-olive oil PREPARATION
Into a food processor bowl, add spinach, cilantro, lemon and walnuts. Pulse several times until walnuts are minced. Add cheese and pulse several times. Be sure to scrape the sides. While processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Process until all ingredients are incorporated. JULY/AUGUST 2022
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TAKING THE STRAIN OFF PLANTING
Creative container adds whimsy & charm
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ROOM FOR RELAXATION Why the master bath is where it’s at
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TAKING THE
STRAIN OFF
Planting
LO OK WHAT W E FOUN D
written by RACHEL JENNINGS photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
CREATIVE CONTAINER ADDS WHIMSY & CHARM
DON’T STRAIN YOUR BRAIN
for fun planter ideas! This quirky planter checks all the boxes. It has a ton of personality and is perfect for any outdoor area. All you need is an old pasta strainer and a few bits of moss and twine and you have the makings for a patio accent that’s sure to turn heads.
IN EVERY ISSUE 104
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d... e e n l il w u o y t a Wh iner
• Old past(Iaustserad Spanish moss) • Moss or twine cording, two pieces • H eemasup ring 36” m
on, atching ribb Cording or m ring 6” piece measu
•
one
• Topsoil of choice • Flowers Creating Your Planter When on the hunt for an old pasta strainer, it’s a great time of year. Check garage sales or make a run to one of our local thrift stores. Once you gather your supplies, cut two cords to measure approximately 36 inches plus another cord or ribbon to measure six inches. With your strainer in front of you, let's look at it as though it were a clock face, noting where 12, 3, 6, and 9 are on the strainer. String one end of one cord about three inches through a top hole on the side of the strainer at the 12:00 position. Bring to the rim of the strainer and tie a knot with the remaining length. Take the other end of the same cord, do the same thing and tie at the 6:00 position. Grab the second cord, do the same thing and tie at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions. The cords should overlap in the center. Grab the cords where they cross in one hand making two loops. Slide your hand down about three inches and tie the 6-inch ribbon around the neck of the two loops. This is how you will hang your planter. Now, hold your planter at the top of the cords to check and see if they will hang in a balanced way. If not, make any adjustments needed. You may need to tighten or loosen these cords for it to hang correctly. Trim any extra length on the ribbon. Set the cords aside and line your planter with the moss. This helps keep the topsoil inside the strainer without it all slipping through the holes. Make sure the moss is lined heavily inside the strainer. Add your topsoil and begin to plant up your planter with your annuals. Get ready for the compliments to roll in with this sweet planter. It's fun, easy and will bring a ton of character to wherever you hang it. ✻
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.
JULY/AUGUST 2022
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WHY THE MASTER BATH IS WHERE IT’S AT written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN AND NATHAN SATRAN
THE MASTER BATH. It’s a room that evokes thoughts of
spa-like relaxation and solitude. Real estate agents will tell you that, along with the kitchen, a master bath can and often does sell a home. Could your master bath use a little TLC? For inspiration, we tapped into the knowledge of Jennie Kolk. She’s been an interior designer for 24 years, working in both commercial and residential design before opening her own firm, Kolk Design Studio, five years ago. She shared three of her recent master bath projects to show just how much wow factor you can add to a master bath.
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BACHELOR PAD chic7 This bachelor pad on Billings’ West End used to ooze with a groovy vibe. Today, it’s sleek and streamlined with an understated elegance that’s perfect for a man.
“There was a huge platform sunken bathtub,” Jennie says, one that took up considerable space. So, when she gutted the room down to the studs, “We kept the same layout but then updated everything with a freestanding bathtub and updated the look with a high-gloss acrylic cabinet.” In the shower, you’ll find solid surface panels lining the walls instead of tile. Jennie says this trend is proving popular in master bath remodels. “It’s a Corian material and it comes in full sheets, so you don’t have to worry about cleaning grout lines,” she says. And, instead of just white and ivory, these panels are now taking on all kinds of colors and patterns to appeal to any type of design taste. While she helped ditch the platform tub, a sleek free-
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DOES IT PAY TO REMODEL A MASTER BATH? According to the National Association of Realtors, on average a homeowner will spend roughly $20,000 on a midrange master bath renovation and nearly $65,000 for a high-end remodel. Midrange remodels will recoup 67 percent of their costs while upscale renovations recover roughly 60 percent.
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standing tub now takes center stage with an artsy chandelier hanging above. “People are either getting rid of bathtubs altogether in a master bath or they are putting in a free-standing tub that is more sculptural. It’s kind of a piece of art all on its own,” Jennie says. To add beauty to function, one of Jennie’s favorite design elements is to layer light. Not only does this space offer recessed lighting, but sconces were mounted over the mirror to help the light bounce and create a splash of visual interest. The highgloss cabinets in a warm gray shade play off the flooring and the patchwork tile at the base of the shower. Jennie says gone are the days when you have to have a standard vanity in a predictable color.
Cooperative DELIVERING THE
D I F F ER EN CE
“People are getting away from just white or wood-stained cabinets,” she says. “They are finding some different materials for cabinetry.” As finishing touches, chrome fixtures spiced up the space and the frosted glass shower doors added a soft edge. “I love how the different finishes of metal that plumbing and lighting fixtures bring can really finish off the final layer of the design,” Jennie says. “It is the jewelry of the room. How light responds or glints off the metal finishes can really add another level to the design.”
V IS IT W W W. Y V EC . C OM FOR M EM B ER R EB ATES A N D M OR E
PEOPLE ARE EITHER GETTING RID OF BATHTUBS ALTOGETHER IN A MASTER BATH OR THEY ARE PUTTING IN A FREE-STANDING TUB THAT IS MORE SCULPTURAL. IT’S KIND OF A PIECE OF ART ALL ON ITS OWN,. — Jennie Kolk
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FARMHOUSE flair
The TLC show “Fixer Upper” and its designer Joanna Gaines created a trend that Jennie says has caught on more quickly than any other trend she’s seen — the use of shiplap. Walk into her recent farmhouse-style remodel, and you’ll see this slatted wood accent on every wall. It’s just one of the many textures she incorporated into the room.
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“Texture is really important to use to layer the space,” Jennie says. “Here you have the shiplap, the chevron floor with a wood grain. Instead of just seeing this plain box in black and white, you have these layers.” You’ll also find visual interest in the subway tile that surrounds both the inside and outside of the massive shower, which has a shower head that’s bigger than most pizzas. Adding another pop of style are all the black accents. “The bathtub is definitely the focal point in the room with the black cast iron bottom,” Jennie says. “The tub filler itself has that matte black finish. The nice thing about black fixtures is that it can go traditional or there are a lot of contemporary fixtures in black as well.” This master bath is full of beauty, and full of function as well. Jennie added a slim sliding cabinet, perfect to keep hair dryers and curling irons at the ready. These are the features Jennie loves to help a homeowner incorporate into their master baths. “You can plan a cabinet to store the clothes hamper and trash can that usually take up valuable floor space,” Jennie says, or, she adds things that you normally put on a counter can have their place in a cabinet.
TAKING YOUR PLUMBING NEEDS SERIOUSLY
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“Space planning is my favorite part of design,” Jennie says. “I love when I can envision a better use of space that is more user friendly and efficient for the homeowners
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Congratulations •
KOLK DESIGN STUDIOS • We’re proud to have worked with Kolk Design Studios and Custom Home Improvement on these projects!
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TRADITIONAL transformation
When redesigning a master bath, most homeowners will say they want to create a calming space that’s high on beauty and function. That’s what Jennie created when she gave this modern beauty a whole new look and feel with sleek, traditional lines.
incorporated a large built-in bathtub in a platform area and columns flanking it,” Jennie says, explaining how the bathtub sat in between his and her vanities. Add in heavy soffits and columns, Jennie says, and this bathroom felt heavy and dark.
“The general layout was similar, but the original bathroom
“We wanted to lighten up the space visually, so it was decided
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to use a freestanding tub instead,” Jenny says. And, the placement of this tub is a bit unconventional. “We turned the tub slighting on an angle to give it a bit more visual presence. It takes the symmetrical layout of the room and gives it a little unexpected edge to the design.” It’s the little details that make this master bath drip with interest. You see it with the furniture-style legs on the vanities and the mixed metal sconces and plumbing fixtures in a polished nickel and cocoa bronze finish. Crown molding around the room sets off the traditional design. “The gorgeous freestanding tub with the dark wood feet and the stately floormounted tub filler are the focal point of the room and these are my favorite parts of the room,” Jennie says. “The tub and filler make such a visual statement from the door of the bathroom.” Layers of light also shine through in this master bath. Recessed can lights are on different zones with dimmers. Wall sconces give task lighting for shaving or applying makeup. But, you have to look downward to see an unexpected bit of light. “We added another lighting layer to the toe kick area of the vanities, which can be a beautiful accent light or provide a nice glow in the evening for wayfinding in the dark if you don’t want to turn on the brighter overhead lighting.”
OSL is proud to partner on this beautiful bathroom! 100 24th St. West, Suite 3, Billings, MT 59102 406.655.7949 I www.onesourcebillings.com
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No matter how big or small a bathroom renovation, Jennie says it’s important to really delve into why you’d like to update the space in the first place. Do you need additional storage? Do you want updated finishes? How about extra lighting? Do you need to move a sink or toilet to a part of the room that makes more sense? Realistically, how much do you have to spend on making this space work for you? What Jennie does share with her clients is, be mindful of trends but in the end, the master bath is yours and should be a reflection of you. “I always encourage my clients to pick colors and designs that they personally love and want to see every day and not just what the latest trends are in design,” Jennie says. “Remodels are an expensive investment so you want a design that will stand up to the test of time and not something you will be tired of relatively soon.” ✻
Call now for your free in-home consultation!
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all about2
DESIGN
Q & A WITH INTERIOR DESIGNER JENNIE KOLK
Q. Tell us a little bit about your design style A. My personal design style usually incorporates bits
of traditional, timeless style with hints of contemporary clean line details. I like what warm wood tones can do for a space and love to use a contrast of colors, materials and textures.
Q. How do try to help inspire your clients to design their dream bathrooms? A. I use a computer drafting program that enables me
to create 3D imagery of the bathroom design. I can capture the new layout and design details so the client can envision what the space could look like. I think it’s an incredible tool to create a dialogue between the client and designer to ensure a clear design direction. For the clients who have a hard time envisioning a new layout or design, this can really help communicate to them what the result will look like.
Q. Why do you love working with people on creating their own dream spaces? A. The visual world around me including my own
home and workspace is so important to my mental well-being and productivity. It inspires me to help others create spaces that they too are happy to live and work in. ✻
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JENNIE KOLK Residential & Commercial Interior Designer
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