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BILLINGS’ MOST READ MAGAZINE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
kassia kassia
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lyman lyman Helping others live their healthiest lives
New Year, New You Expert advice on living your best year
Switch It Up
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Untangled
Combatting Hair Loss
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Letter
F RO M TH E
Editor
LIFE IS PRECIOUS.
were that she was gone. Over and over, they said almost the same things. Lynn was such a wonderful light in this world. She was a vibrant personality.
Early last November, I was reminded of that fact. One of the cherished members of our YVW family, Lynn Langeliers, passed away shortly after getting a terminal cancer diagnosis. With her ever-present smile and a twinkle in her eye, Lynn brought such a sweet and bright light to our magazine. Two weeks before her passing, we had been playing phone tag, and when I finally got through to her, she grew quiet and told me the news: She had stage four cancer. There were lesions on her liver and possibly her pancreas. I had no words other than, “I am so sorry. How can I help? What can I do?” There was nothing I could do. On Nov. 3, I went to her house, which was full of family and a few close friends, and I could feel the deep love inside her home. There were hugs and tears and then, more hugs and more tears. I sat with Lynn at her bedside and told her all the things that were on my heart. She was so gracious with me, as she always was. I remember her grabbing my hand and telling me how much she loved me. She passed away hours later. I will be forever thankful that I was able to spend that short time with her and tell her how cherished she was. As I do every year, I think of a word to anchor my life for the next 365 days. As I thought of Lynn, I couldn’t help but think that my word should be “gratitude.” It didn’t matter who was with Lynn; she was fully present and interested in that person’s life. As the news spread of her passing, I can’t count how many emails and phone calls I received telling me what a beautiful lady Lynn was and how sorry they
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YVW MAGAZINE
It takes a special person to get that kind of response. I remember when we met for coffee to talk about her being a salesperson for YVW back in 2018. We spent more time visiting than we did talking about the job. That’s just what she did. Life, for her, was all about being grateful for the time with others. Life, for her, was about relationships. She did tell me that she loved to travel and that she wanted to work to be able to do more traveling. Over the years, we’d watch her hit New York City, Nashville, Croatia and Italy, and just a few months before she passed away, she went to Paris. As I was scrolling through her social media looking at the photos from some of her travels, I stumbled upon a post that sums Lynn up pretty perfectly. It reads: “Imagine the impact of being kind. Smiling more. Seeing the good first. Life is too short to be dragging others down. You get a choice every single day. Choose kindness. This world needs you.” Thank you, Lynn, for blessing us with your life. The world indeed needs more people like you. With love,
Julie
P U B L I S H E R & E D I TO R JULIE KOERBER
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ON THE COVER
Photography by Daniel Sullivan
©2024 Media I Sixteen All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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ja nua ry /fe bruary 20 24 o n t h e cove r
26 leadin g with heart
Kassia Lyman works to make sure others live their healthiest lives
N E W YEA R , NEW YO U !
12 m e n din g throu gh m ed iati on
Temple McClean helps others deal with conflict without the court system
16 bill in gs bucket lis t
Mom and Daughter write a book highlighting all the city’s hot spots
22 n ew year , new you From finances to fashion, our experts weigh in!
32 s w itch in g it u p
Billings business takes old clothes and gives them new life in other people’s closets
feat u r es
26
4 4 th e ce le bration of a m irac le
One-year-old and family return to the ICU to thank the medical team that saved his life
50 u n tan g led
Dr. Chloe Ekelem challenges hair loss & misconceptions about rural Montana
54 sh e l ikes to m ove it, m ove i t Enterprising Woman Tara Kirchenmann balances logistics, shipping and life
58 o n th e f ront lines
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Combat Veteran Dallas Knight reflects on the Iraq War and how it’s led her to fight for good
66 i n f use d w ith joy
Cindy Beers serves up wellness at Fresco Juice Company
74 fres h p e rsp ectives, f ree ad m i ss io n & b ig d ream s
It all defines the Yellowstone Art Museum’s 60th anniversary
h o m e a nd ga rden
80 beau t y a nd balance
Young homebuilders strike a high note with Scandinavianmodern style
92 bu il ding with the f u tu re i n m i nd
Couple builds dream home to age in place beautifully
i n eve ry issu e
20 kare n g rosz: Try New Things in the New Year 38 fa s h io n: What's Trending in 2024 64 heart gallery: Meet Tyler, a Charismatic Teen 72 ta s te o f t he valley: A Warm Hug in a Bowl 8
YVW MAGAZINE
58 92
m eet the STAFF
In loving memory of
lynn
l angeliers S a les E xe c u t i v e
e d ke m m i ck
L AU R A BA I LeY
Te r ry P e r k i n s
t r i sh scoz z a r i
M i ch e le Ko n ze n
gay le sm i t h
m e l a n i e Fa b r i z i us
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c a sey Pag e
N i co le B u rte l l
Copy Editor / Writer
Sales Executive
we
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ou r co mmun ity partn ers
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, r , r a a e Y e Y w ! w e u e N o u! N
o y y w w e e N N
AS THE CALENDAR TURNS, it brings an
opportunity to strengthen the pieces of your life you love and grow in areas that might need a little work. In this special section, you’ll meet Temple, a woman whose skillful art of conversation is not only bridging gaps but helping to settle disputes in a world that can be divided by differences. Meet Emily and step into the world of sustainable fashion. Her visionary new business is helping us all rethink (and share) our closets. We introduce you to our cover girl, Kassia, who is a motivational force to be reckoned with. She’s inspiring others to embrace a healthier life and discover their strength within. And we gathered a panel of experts to give you their top bits of advice on everything from overall wellness and finances to organization and nutrition. Read up and get ready for the new year and maybe even a new version of you. ✻
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
11
Carol
Temple
Nikki
Mending Through
Mediation TEMPLE MCCLEAN HELPS OTHERS DEAL WITH CONFLICT WITHOUT THE COURT SYSTEM written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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YVW MAGAZINE
TEMPLE MCLEAN TALKS WITH BILLINGS MEDIATION CENTER BOARD MEMBER CAROL BRADFORD (LEFT) AND MEDIATOR NIKKI SCHAUBEL (CENTER)
COURTROOM DRAMA in movies and television sets the
stage: Someone’s been unforgivably wronged, and they shout, with their fist in the air, “I’ll see you in court,” or “You’ll hear from my lawyer.” We know it’s not real life, but that’s often the only solution people consider in times of conflict. What if, in real life, there was a quicker, less expensive and more creative solution? There is. It’s mediation, and it’s gaining traction in Billings thanks to the nonprofit Billings Mediation Center and the work of its founder Temple McLean. Mediation is a semi-formal decision making process that is facilitated by a third, neutral party. They help those dealing with conflict have difficult conversations, make some compromises and come to an agreement that works for everyone.
it, his colleague refused. The relationship dissolved and eventually ended up in small claims court, where the judge asked the men to try mediation. With Temple’s guidance, the two men came to the table, settled their dispute, and even met for a drink at a local tavern after the mediation session was done. Not only was the issue resolved, their relationship was mended. That’s not something that’s going to happen in court.
FEELINGS MATTER IN MEDIATION. ALL THAT MATTERS IN COURT IS THE LAW. — Temple McLean
“We don’t make decisions for the parties,” says Temple, an experienced mediator. “People come voluntarily to the mediation table. The only thing we ask in return is that they act in good faith.” Temple has hundreds of success stories to her credit. Not long ago, Temple worked with two business associates who experienced a rift in their relationship over a botched project. One thought the other owed him money, and when he asked for
“Feelings matter in mediation,” Temple says. “All that matters in court is the law.” Under the umbrella of the Billings Mediation Center is the Conflict Resilience Project. It’s funded by a grant from the Montana Justice Foundation, and the goal of the project is to connect people of all income levels with mediation services, train mediators and provide volunteer mediation services for Yellowstone County Justice Court, and other courts in surrounding areas.
Yellowstone County Justice Court refers small claims court and civil matters where people are representing themselves to Temple and her team of up-and-coming mediators. Conflict Resilience Project mediators mediate about 35 cases a year. Not all end in an agreement, but those that do save the court about $1,200 a year.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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The process lifts a significant burden from the courts and provides a learning space for the project’s hopeful mediators, who need to gain hands-on experience for certification. Through the Conflict Resilience Project, mediators in training are required to log 50 hours of training in all facets of mediation. Once the course is completed, they will exceed the requirements for certification from the national Certified Facilitative Mediators Association (CFMA). “I want to help people get the best possible training,” Temple says. “My goal is to mentor other mediators, set the standard high and eventually pass the baton.” Temple has been a part of the field of law since her 20s, working as a paralegal alongside lawyers in firms that specialized in family law. In 2008, she read an article in American Bar Journal about an attorney who worked with both parties in a divorce to create a “post-nuptial” agreement, essentially an amicable divorce. She wondered if that wasn’t something she could do with her legal experience. Temple started researching how to become a mediator. It wasn’t easy finding standardized training in Montana, but in 2011 she met Art and Kitty Lusse, founders of Montana Mediators, based in Billings. They were seasoned family mediators and introduced Temple to the art. Although Montana Mediators has since closed its doors, Art and Kitty offered their guidance and Temple worked with Project Settle in Bozeman for hands-on experience. She achieved her certification from CFMA in 2014.
AGREEME NT TO ME DIATE Role of Me diator It is unders tood that th within the m e mediator ediation. shall not re 2. nder individ Scope of M ual legal ad ediation vice to any The parties party understand mediator’s th a t it is for the agreement, parties and to determin accomplish their attorn e the scop ed early in 3. Mediation Is the mediation proce e of the mediation an eys, with the d this will b ss. Voluntary e All part agreement. ies here state their g ood faith in It is, howeve tention to co mediation a r, understo mple “I didn’t just want to log the hours, I wanted the ta od regarding th ny time, for any reaso that any party may w te their mediation by an n. A Media experience,” Temple says. ithdraw fro e status of m or suspe the mediatio tor’s Report The parties n d n w , th ill e e sp b e e filed with th cially when also unders mediation if e court a media tand th From the beginning, Temple wanted to help fams/ mediator fe he feels the mediatio at the mediator may su tion clause already e n will lead xi els that an ilies. She has a heart – and a knack – for helping sp st s. e n d or te to an unjust imp can no long or unreaso rminate the er effective asse has been reach estranged couples develop and amend parenting n a ly perform 4. Absolute C his/her role ed, or if the mediator ble result, if the plans. Although it’s difficult, emotional work, she onfidentialit d . e te rm ines that s/ y It is un he knows the children are the ones who ultimately strictly con derstood between the fidential. P p a rt ie s benefit. a n u d rs the mediato communica uant to MC A tio r th admissible ns, any draft resolutio 26-1-813, mediation d at the mediation will in any court be ns, and an iscussions, “The settlement is not the only goal,” Temple says. y w p u be admissi ble. The pa roceeding. Only a m nsigned mediated ag ritten and oral “The real success is in whether or not they complied ediated ag re rties furthe the mediatio e m ents shall n reeme r agre n with it, and we like to follow up.” court proce or subpoena the med e not to subpoena th nt signed by the part ot be ies ed em iato will break co ing between the partie r to provide any mate ediator to testify con may ce s. The part ri nfidentiality rning a ls fr o Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the mediation prom th ie be in dang er of harm. in any situation in wh s understand and ag e mediation in any cess, and everyone is required to adhere to set ground re ic h e th 5. s/he may su Full Disclosu spect that a at the mediator re rules. The mediator follows a five-step process. Fren o ther person Each p may quently Temple works with a co-mediator, and often, as request arty agrees to disclose ed a mediation if by the mediator and a ll relevant informatio it’s one of her cohorts in the Conflict Resilience Pron and writin ll informatio the mediato g n s 6. r re fu d e q gram. It helps “balance” the table, Temple says. lly te u e rmines tha Mediator Im t the disclo sted by any other pa and honestly pa sure is rele rty of the The parties rtiality vant to the unders the mediatio discussion “We have a duty to give them a quality process and that s. n process. tand that the mediato r must rem Thus, the m another in is to be neutral,” she adds. ain the ed mediator m mediation or in any co iator shall not champ impartial throughout a io ay discuss n n the intere urt or other d after the st retained as p Since the pandemic, most mediations are done via Zoom, individual co parties’ mediation pro roceeding. The partie s of any party over s ce u a nsel and is gree that th ss with any and most mediation sessions last three to six hours. TemSuch discu present at e attorney th ssions th generally in at any part ple admits that it can be exhausting for all involved, but y has volve all pa may include negotiatio e mediation. rties directly n the outcome is usually worth the effort. . The media s, although mediation tor will provi negotiation s d e copies of co Agreemen t to Media rresponden While Justice Court provides a stream of mediation opte – P a g ce, e | 1 of 2 portunities, many more come from folks simply looking to settle disputes without the hassle of attorneys or the court system. They commonly include family disputes and work1.
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YVW MAGAZINE
place and professional disputes.
her niche in workplace mediation.
“If there are hurt feelings it’s usually out of miscommunication,” Temple says. “We can help sort that out.”
Dealing with conflict is difficult for almost everyone. However, mediation may be the best, if not the only, place where some conflicts can be resolved. No matter how heated or emotionally charged the mediation may become. Temple and her colleagues are unflappable. They believe in the process and know there’s always a possibility that a resolution can be reached that works for everyone.
Good mediators have a love for communication, and an ability to remain neutral in conflicts. They have a knack for suspending judgment and a desire to learn everyone’s story better. “People who are drawn to this are people who are feelers to an extent,” says Nikki Schaubel, a mediator in training. “Being neutral doesn’t mean you don’t feel anything. You have to feel everyZoo Lights thing.” Take time out of the holiday shopping frenzy, pack up the family in
Nikki, a communication consultant, marketing professional and the carthought and enjoy a magical holiday display during ZooMontana’s coach, the opportunity tolight become a mediator would be Zoo Lights.The display will be open in December theher 7th-8th, 14thinteresting and bring some additional diversity- to resume. 15th, and 20th-24th from 5pm to 9pm each night. zo o m o nt a na . org What she didn’t expect was how much she has come to enjoy mediation. While Temple enjoys family mediation, Nikki is finding
Cha se hawks Rodeo Touted as one of the best rough stock rodeos in America, the Chase Hawks Rodeo takes place in the Rimrock Auto Arena on December 22nd.Top cowboys and stock come straight from the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas to compete right here in Billings, Montana. And best of all, it’s for a great cause. The Chase Hawks Memorial Association works to bring comfort and assistance to families during times of tragedy and crisis.m e t r a p a r k .c o m
Celebrating 17 Years of Wellness!
“Every mediation I walk into, I always watch for the opportunity for transformation,” Temple says. “An apology, a handshake, any Beauty & the conciliatory gesture, is meaningful.” ✻ Bea st Billings Studio Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Junior,” January 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape her LEARN narrow and restricted life the including herMediation brute of a suitor, TO MORE about Billings Center,Gaston. visit Belle gets adventurous and as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s billingsmediationcenter.org enchanted castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another as they learn how to love.b i l l i n g sst u d i ot h ea t re. com
FRinge FestivaL Venture Theatre presents its Fringe Festival, January 18th-19th and 25th-26th.The festival features four nights of shows featuring local and regional performing artists of all types including dance, standup comedy, theater improv, one act plays, musicals, performance art, spoken word/poetry, and puppetry.vent u ret hea t r e . or g
souL stReet danCe This high energy show comes to the Alberta Bair Theater on January 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic boundaries of street dance. Soul Street concerts consist of a mix of movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages entertained.
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ConCeRt Fo R the whoL e FamiLy a Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the Alberta Bair Theater. Four time Grammy nominees, “Trout Fishing in America,” will perform along with the Billings Symphony. Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children’s music. b i l l i n g ssy mp hon y. c om
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Billings
Bucket List MOM AND DAUGHTER WRITE A BOOK HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE CITY’S HOT SPOTS written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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YVW MAGAZINE
NANCY ICOPINI has no idea how many miles she put on her
car hopscotching all over town checking out this upscale martini bar or that comic shop. She was on a mission, along with her daughter, Gina Tarnacki, to find things to do in Billings — 100 things, to be exact. The two joined forces after being nudged by Reedy Press to write “100 Things to do in Billings Before You Die.” It’s a different kind of guidebook that plays more to people who live here than it does to travel buffs. “The intriguing and fun thing about this book was that it was what is unique, what is different, not necessarily the highest stars on a travel site, just those fun, cool things to do,” Nancy says. Gina laughs and adds, “You’d spend hours and hours going everywhere in Billings trying to figure out what to include.” Gina is a former travel agency marketing director turned freelance travel writer. She has a few travel blogs. One blog is deals exclusively with international travel. The other, which she runs with her mom, shines a spotlight solely on Montana. Reedy Press, a publishing company out of St. Louis, Missouri, that’s known for its travel guidebooks, reached out to Gina and asked if she’d be willing to pen a book on the Magic City and, with her mom’s help, the two jumped at the opportunity. Nancy is a retired teacher who started in special education in the largest high school in Minnesota. She spent the last 15 years of her career as an outdoor adventure education teacher, taking kids canoeing, rock climbing, kayaking and basically showing different ways to stay active.
#7
WALK THE BILLINGS BREW TRAIL
“Naturally, when it came to the book, I thought there are so many wonderful outdoor things here,” Nancy says. Gina knew the two were onto something. While running her travel blogs during the pandemic, she’d look at Google Analytics to see what people were interested in searching and reading about. Traffic was down on her international blog, but Montana travel stories were soaring in popularity. “I said, you know, there’s really a market for information about Montana from people who actually live in Montana,” Gina says. Gina was born and raised in Billings but has since moved on to Seattle with her husband and two girls. That doesn’t stop her from coming back each summer by car and stopping off in all corners of the state on her way back home. “They go all over before we ever get to see them,” Nancy says with a laugh.
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START YOUR ENGINES AT THE YELLOWSTONE DRAG STRIP JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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#85
AWAKEN YOUR INNER CHILD AT ACTION TOYS
After getting some guidance from Reedy Press, the two started in the summer of 2022 to throw out all the ideas they found with the hopes of whittling it down to 100 spots. They had to hit food and drink hot spots, music and entertainment venues, where to go for recreation, culture and history locales, plus where to go to shop. It wasn’t easy. “Billings has an awesome downtown, so many breweries. Red Lodge is an hour away. It’s surrounded by stuff to do plus you have all the history,” Gina says. Most guidebooks, she continues, have a heavy focus on food and drink. She and her mom knew their book would be different, since Billings offers so much more than places to grab a bite. “It was way more fun than I expected,” Nancy says with a chuckle. She knew she and Gina could work well together. She’d been editing Gina’s online content for years. “We each have our strengths for this kind of project,” Gina says. “We just complement each other so well.”
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#44 YVW MAGAZINE
ROOT FOR A COWBOY AT THE RODEO
If you flip through the book, you might be tempted to learn from a local chef at Zest, a downtown cookware and kitchen store. You might become a birder at the Montana Audubon Center. Or, you might awaken your inner child with a stop at Action Toys. Right away, the two realized this book was aimed more at those who live here than those who are just popping in for a day or two.
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In the back of the book, you’ll find highlights for each season, along with itineraries on what to do for girls’ night, date night or ways to take in a few Rims or trail adventures. “We really wanted to have — and I feel that we captured it — a real diverse look at what Billings offers,” Nancy says. That meant walking into stores they’d never been to before like Keep It Alive Antiques and Collectibles, which gives a nod to ’80s and ’90s kids with toys from that time along with old Atari game consoles. And, it meant sampling unique fare. “Rattlesnake sausage,” Nancy says. “I remember when I first had it at the Buffalo Block. I thought, I can’t do this. Snakes are a big phobia of mine, but it was good and I did try it!” “I think Billings is so special and when I talk to people who aren’t from here, it just doesn’t get a lot of love,” Gina says. “I was excited to give it some love.”
House
This
“What a great book for parents who have kids home from school for the day. Let’s open the book, point your finger to a page, and go,” Nancy says.
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“For me personally, it made me fall in love with Billings again,” Nancy says. “I think it’s great to have pride and really know where you live.” ✻
YOU CAN CHECK OUT more of Gina and Nancy’s adventures by going to the
blog travelmontananow.com. You can find “100 Things to Do in Billings Before You Die” at Joy of Living, This House of Books and The Basecamp, to name just a few spots.
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written by KAREN GROSZ
I LIKE NEW THINGS. New shoes. New restaurants. New
wall colors, which is why our house has been upside down for over a year. New wall colors meant new flooring, new trim and lighting, and now we are so behind schedule that we have decided to adapt to the situation until our life slows down. And that is the problem. I really don’t want life to slow down. I like to go-see-do, get up before dawn, get in, get out, and get on with the next thing. Still, now that I have reached a certain age, I feel life slowing down.
s g n i h New T
their confidence, their spark, and their willingness to explore beyond the comfort of their own carefully crafted, well-cushioned norms. Old is telling the same stories, over and over again because they are the only stories you have to tell. Ugh. I’ll embrace gray hair, but I won’t accept being old. In September, Julie Koerber shared an article about a young woman who committed to trying something new every day for a year. It’s the kind of idea I get wound up about and have to try. Still, every day seemed daunting given that I run a business, sit on several boards, and am committed to savoring and over consuming this year. Something new every day sounded too big but trying 20 new things sounded reasonable.
Old means I won’t try new things, will only listen to oldies at a moderate volume, and will peek out the shades to spy on the neighbors. Old is being scared to fail, fall, or flatulate in public, even though any one of those could happen to any of us at any time. It seems that after a certain age, fear moves to the forefront, and you calculate every move, every bite, for the ramifications they may have on your image IN EVERY ISSUE or mobility. All too often, I’ve seen people lose
First, I set parameters. Only two things could be food-related, as we are already adventurous eaters around here. Half of the things could not cost money and I couldn’t just repackage a hobby by trying it in a new setting and call it good. I wanted at least seven of these adventures to be things I said, over and over, I should try that. I decided to do all of these things alone because I tend to make sure everyone else is enjoying an experience at the expense of getting lost in the moment. That
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I linger over conversations. I don’t feel the need to see every hit movie or accept every invitation. I’m okay sitting and watching others play the game until I leave while I’m still having a good time, even if the final bell hasn’t rung. I knew this time in my life would come. I’ve seen it happen to many others, and while I am not afraid of aging, I am afraid of being old.
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turned out to be the best parameter of all. You see, while trying these things alone, I found out who I am now, what I like, what I want, and that my people don’t need to be involved in every aspect of my adventures because sometimes they are okay having their own experiences.
And I found my creative home.
In case you don’t know, I own Canvas Creek Team Building and Coaching, and I often get to travel to work with teams for their strategic planning or celebration events. In October, I did just that and knocked a few things off my list. On a Friday, I drove through Vale, Colorado, in an Alfa Romeo (I counted that car!) and was awe-struck by the beauty of the birch trees in their fall splendor. After working in Grand Junction, I changed my ticket to allow most of Sunday in Vale. Just thinking about it makes me smile and sigh. It was glorious. The temperature was 65 degrees, the sun was out, the leaves were fluttering in a soft breeze, and there was a craft and farmers market throughout The Village.
Going in, it was a little scary. There was heat, electricity, and a mask that made the whole thing seem ominous. But my friend was patient, thorough, and oh-so encouraging. He taught me the three base elements for a perfect weld: distance, speed, and angle. Then, as the best instructors do, he let me discover, for myself, the magic of making two pieces of metal into one. I had taken a Gouache class at Crooked Line Studios in the morning, and one of the kind and helpful employees said, “Often people are afraid to try something they can’t pronounce” (it’s go-wash). I think we are also afraid to try things we don’t understand, like the gasses that make welds happen, the reason a parachute can take us softly to the ground, and the difference between the standard and performance button in an Alfa Romeo (highspeed cornering makes that clear!)
I ate on the porch of a German restaurant, ordering only things I’d never tried, including dessert because why not, I smiled as people took my picture because I was sitting at a table near a delightful garden, my silver hair dappled by sunlight. (I say this because they told me, not because I’m vain.) I was smiling because it was a heavenly meal, and I treasured every moment.
I’m not kidding. Since my lesson, I’ve been dreaming about welding, planning my next sculpture, an ambitious project, and each time I walk past something metal, I check the weld.
" During each of my
20 THINGS,
During each of my twenty things, I smiled. I grew. I laughed. I had new thoughts, made new friends, and celebrated that life has so much to offer us if we only let it. But it was welding that made me giddy, made — KAREN GROSZ me jump up and down with pure exhilaration of accomplishing something I assumed would be After lunch, I stumbled upon a stall with electric bikes, too hard for my brain and hands to coordinate. My friend which until then I’d avoided because they seemed like cheating. taught me the rules, and according to everyone who has examBut, new things! I rode for hours past beautiful homes and mounined my welds, I did a mighty fine job. Then I did what artists do, tain vistas. By myself. With no map and my cell phone turned off. and I will do more of it. I broke the rules and created a sculpture It was indeed an incredible experience, one that left me feeling that spoke to me, with a welding bead that made me laugh bemore robust and more grateful than I had in a long time. cause it was so bad, and that was oh so perfect.
I smiled. I grew."
I returned home to work and family and this passion to try one thing and then the next. Twenty things were going to be easily accomplished! A new trail to hike, then a bus tour with Big Sky Economic Development, during which I made new friends, saw new businesses and chose my retirement home because of the upcoming project at St. John’s. That was a surprise for someone who isn’t anxious to get old!
I hope that you will try something new today and tomorrow too. Do it for yourself, by yourself, and if the opportunity strikes, take someone up on their offer to show you what they know, you won’t regret it. Whether you try one new thing or twenty, besides an increased sense of wellness, you will have new stories to tell, over and over again, while listening to oldies at a moderate level. ✻
While in Great Falls, helping Leadership Montana with their strategic plan, we stayed at a hotel with incredible welded sculptures, and when I commented on them, saying, “I’ve always wanted to learn to weld,” I knew I had to try. A friend offered to give me a lesson. That’s the kind of thing we often neglect to take people up on, letting them show us something they love to do. I decided to take him up on the offer.
KAREN GROSZ, writer Karen Grosz is a local Team and Leadership Development coach and motivational speaker. She owns Canvas Creek Team Building, is the author of “What’s Next” and “Quiet Leadership” and founding voice of the Facebook group “I’ll Help”- Billings. You can find more from Karen at karengrosz.life.
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Quietly. By Karen Grosz
QUIET LEADERSHIP
will help you discover your capacity to operate as a Quiet Leader for yourself, your team and your community.
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FASHION, OURY EXPERTS WEIGH IN! e FROM FINANCES TO N w e , e r Y a e w Y e N w SAY GOODBYE TO CLUTTER u e o Y w w e e N N , , r r a a e e Y w e N u u o o Y w ew Y e N r,
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"If you’re ready to declutter your home, start by thinking small, and tackle one space at a time so you don’t become overwhelmed. Organize things in zones — like items belong with like items — and when it comes to tackling big projects, like the garage or basement, the same method applies."
~ Sarah Kary, professional organizer and owner of From Mess to Blessed
a e Y ew
SHAPE UP YOUR FINANCES WITH SAVING
“Build your emergency fund by creating a short-term savings goal and put it in a separate savings account. For a longer-term goal, aim to have at least three months’ worth of living expenses saved in your emergency fund. Once you feel comfortable with your savings, open an investment account, do something fun, or give to a local charity.” ~ Tracy Hawbaker, Cladis Investment Advisory
GET FIT WITH SMALL GOALS “I always encourage people to start out with smaller goals and stay consistent. And, be kind to yourself. You will have days you will fall down or even weeks but know that you have the next day or week to get back to it.” ~ Mistie Mims, personal trainer with Mims Fit
EAT WELL BY ADDING NOT RESTRICTING “Be aware of what the $75 billion diet industry is selling this time of year and avoid fad diets. Instead, emphasize non-weight wins and think of what you can add to your life instead of what you can restrict. Add colorful foods, add fiber, add mindfulness, add protein, drink more water.” ~ Sandy Moe, registered dietitian 22
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, r a e Y N ew
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Yo u
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Y e N w , e N , r ea r a e Y w ENRICH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS o e Y N u w o e Y N w r,
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ARE YOU SETTING A FEW GOALS FOR 2024?
Whether it’s to get in shape, or shape up your finances, we have you covered. Maybe you want to have more fun, find your own
unique style, be a better friend, or declutter your home. A few of our favorite experts weigh in with their best advice. Read on! ✻
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“Work on yourself. There’s a ripple effect that happens when one person in a relationship takes steps to improve themselves, and I’m a huge advocate for self-care and believing you are worthy of love.” ~ Onnie Michalsky, licensed clinical professional counselor & life coach
HAVE MORE FUN “You’ve got to make the time to have fun. You have to make the most of your free time — try something new and be adventurous. You have to get outside your comfort zone. After all, it wouldn’t be fun if it was in your comfort zone.” ~ Kristen Hoyer, co-owner of Go Unite, a group entertainment company
BACK TO THE BASICS ON HEALTH & WELLNESS “Our whole focus is on preventative care, so if you can, you should visit with your provider and get your physical and blood work done. And take care of yourself by eating whole foods, drinking plenty of water and nourishing your body. Everything in moderation. ~ Cole Whitmoyer, nurse practitioner and co-owner of Flex Family Health
FIND FASHION THAT FITS “Figure out who you are and what you like — not what someone else says you should wear. And choose clothes that honor your body and the way you are designed. Your style should really reflect your personality and who you are on the inside.” ~ Kaitlyn Bolotas, owner of House of Colour West Billings JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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MAKE 2024 THE YEAR OF CONNECTION “Self-connection is the foundation of self-care, resilience and balanced mental wellness. It’s about developing a deeper and more intimate understanding of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors as well as fostering self-compassion and self-love while building a strong foundation for personal growth. That sense of self-awareness is just what we need to guide us through this next year’s challenges.” ~ Erin Bratsky, licensed clinical professional counselor and owner of Brighter Sky Counseling
SET YOUR CAREER GOALS “What’s Next? It’s a question I ask myself, my family, my clients. It’s how I live my life, one next, and then the next, and then the next one after that, always forward, always focused on a goal. What I suggest, as you are thinking about your goal, is that you do three things. First, make sure it is your goal and not someone else’s. Then, get clear on your why. It will carry you forward when the going gets tough. Third, you need your next next. Yes, you should know what you are going to do after you achieve your goal. Knowing there’s something else to look forward to, something more to achieve, will eliminate the desire to procrastinate and give you a sense of urgency to do more in 2024!”
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t r a he VE HERS LI T O E R U KE S S TO M A S T L I V E S K R O W LY M A N E I R H E A LT H I E L IVA N IE L S U L N KASSIA A D TH y b p hy w ri tt e n
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KO E R b y JU L IE
BER ph
o to g ra
t
WITH HER
beaming smile and ever-present words of encouragement, Kassia Lyman is a fixture at the Billings Family YMCA. The 34-year-old says the Y is so deeply ingrained in her life because it helped her become who she is today. Serving as the health and wellness director, she oversees every aspect of fitness at the Y. She’s credited with bringing new and innovative programs to Y, and with ushering in citywide health and wellness challenges outside the Y’s walls. She was also one of the main drivers behind the facility’s recent $200,000 weight room upgrade. On top of all that, she’s always ready to greet any one of the Y’s nearly 9,900 members with a smile. She does it with enthusiasm because she never lets herself forget that, for everyone on the road to a more active life, there is always a “day one.” Hers came during her senior year of high school. When Kassia was just 18, she made the difficult decision to pack up her belongings and move out on her own. A woman she waited tables with offered her a place to stay and she took it, knowing it was a way to leave her difficult family life behind. “My relationship with my biological parents was very hard,” Kassia says. She’s now estranged from her mom. Though she didn’t want to go public with all the reasons why, she did share that her mother tried to control every aspect of her life in an unhealthy way. And while she loved her father and knew he loved her too, decades of addiction caught up with him, and he died two years ago from a fentanyl overdose. “Being raised in the household that I was raised in,” she says, “I felt it was better to go out on my own.” Within six months of leaving home, Kassia packed on more than 50 pounds. At 5-foot-6, she was well over 200 pounds and was, as she says, “walking through depression.” The struggle was some-
I MET PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN ME AND ENCOURAGED ME. THAT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT I WAS USED TO, AND I WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT, WHATEVER THAT MEANT. — Kassia Lyman
times intense. “I was still trying to graduate high school, which is a battle when you’re on your own,” she says. One day, she looked in the mirror and made a promise to herself. It started with one small yellow sticky note. “I got to put a sticky note up every time I finished something active,” Kassia says. “I made a deal with myself that I had to stick with it for 30 days. It didn’t mean that I had to do a 20-minute workout. It just meant that I had to move my body, one way or another.” She adds, “I remember one of the days that literally meant doing pushups during commercials.” Once she got to day 25, she didn’t bother putting up any more sticky notes. “I bought into the consistency of it and the belief that I could do it,” she says. During that time, she also made the brave move to step into the YMCA. She was engaged at the time to her high school sweetheart, Donnie. “My fiancé and I were planning our wedding and, of course, when you are doing that, you want to be your best self and look the best in your wedding dress, so I started coming to the Y,” she says. She knows now how transformative that one small act later became. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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Kim
Kassia everybody needs.”
IT GOES TO SHOW THAT SHE IS A NATURALBORN LEADER. WHEN SHE HAS AN IDEA IN HER HEAD, SHE WILL TAKE IT AND RUN WITH IT. ANY OBSTACLE THAT IS IN HER WAY, SHE WILL FIND A WAY TO GET AROUND IT.
As things started to click on her fitness journey, Kassia saw that the Y was hiring, and she felt called to apply. It was a parttime job working as a fitness floor attendant, showing people how to use the machines and keeping them clean. “I didn’t hear back for a few weeks and I just kept calling and asking about the job,” Kassia says with a laugh. “I think eventually they gave me the job because I think they felt ‘This girl just needs to be here. She wants to be here.’”
That was 2009, and within a year she was already dreaming of her next upward move. She got certified to be a personal trainer and went through training to teach not only cycling but group exercise as well. Since she knew she had to build up a training clientele, she got creative to attract clients.
—Mistie Mims
JAYSUN & MISTIE
“I met people who believed in me and encouraged me,” she says. “That wasn’t something that I was used to, and I wanted to be a part of it, whatever that meant.” Jaysun and Mistie Mims were two of those people. Mistie was the health and wellness director at the time. Jaysun was Kassia’s personal trainer for a time, but when Kassia had to back off training due to finances, he didn’t back off on the encouragement. “He would call me and say, ‘You said you were going to be here, and you aren’t. Where are you?’” Kassia says. “I think that’s what 28
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“Now it just cracks me up, but I had printed flyers with a picture of me on it and it had the Y logo on it,” Kassia says. “I remember walking through the snow in my boots, which is just funny, and I knocked door-to-door to give people my flyers as just a chance for them to see my face. I was so determined to be a personal trainer.” “We have never — over the 14 years that we were there — seen
anyone else do that in order to get clients,” Mistie says. “We just thought, ‘There she goes!’” When Mistie left the Y to pursue Mims Fit, the training company she and her husband, Jaysun, built, she didn’t have to look far to find her replacement. Kassia had worked her way up to health and wellness coordinator working right alongside Mistie and Jaysun. She calls both her mentors and says they both hold a special place in her heart. “I knew she was the best fit, and honestly, I think she’s done circles around me since I left the Y,” Mistie says. “She’s the one that found the Livestrong program through the YMCA. She had a passion for it right away. She’s the one who pushed to get the program at the Y.” Livestrong is a free, 12-week program designed for cancer survivors to gain strength either during treatment or after. The Billings YMCA launched it in 2012. “It was one of my babies that I am so proud of,” Kassia says. “It’s given me the honor of helping a lot of individuals regain their health and strength – mentally and physically after a cancer diagnosis.” She calls the program, which is still going, one of the biggest ways she’s been able to impact the community. She remains friends with one of the men who took her class. Back then, he was recovering from kidney cancer. He was weak and had no stamina. “I met Kassia about 12 years ago when I was having my first battle with cancer,” says Don D’Ambrosia. “When I came into that Livestrong class, I was basically in a wheelchair.” “His only goal was to walk to get his certificate at the end of the session,” Kassia says. She taught him exercises he could do in his wheelchair to get stronger. “I attribute my ability to walk to her,” Don says. “It’s her personality and determination that she passes on to you — you just feel yourself healing, let’s put it that way. She gives you hope.” Now, at 79, Don says he has other limitations that come with age. One thing he doesn’t need, however, is his wheelchair. With a laugh, he says, “I donated my wheelchair to the Y. That’s where it is.” He says he never wanted to see it again, but because he still works out three times a week, he sees it sitting there nearly every time. By 2015, Kassia, still on a course of personal growth, decided she wanted to go back to college. Not only was she working full time, she was married with a daughter. She remembers telling her husband, “This is on my heart. I am going to follow through with it. “
FINISHING THE SP ARTAN RACE
It took her five years to earn her bachelor’s degree in health and human performance with a community wellness emphasis at Montana State University Billings. She remembers many nights sitting with her nose in a book burning the midnight oil while her husband shuffled loads of laundry. During that time, the couple had their second child. While she thought about graduate school and becoming a physician’s assistant, she remembers watching her girls playing together one day and hearing these words on her heart. “Be there for your girls the way you wish your parents always were.” The moment is burned in her memory. “I need to make sure that I raise girls that always feel loved un-
MONTANA HALF MA
RATHON WITH STAC EY
BOOTH
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THE Y OFFERS MULTIPLE CLASSES A DAY ONLINE! WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO AREN’T EVEN IN THE STATE WHO HAVE MEMBERSHIPS SOLELY FOR OUR VIRTUAL CLASSES, WHICH IS SO COOL. THEY’VE NEVER EVEN STEPPED FOOT IN OUR Y. — Kassia Lyman
conditionally and know that no matter what, they are loved and I am proud of them,” she says today. The year 2020 was a bit of a blur for Kassia. Besides having to wade through Covid and all the challenges it created with a largescale fitness facility, it’s the year she took in her 16-year-old sister, Madi. “We brought her into our home and I got her through her junior and senior year,” Kassia says. “It was just history repeating itself. She needed to see that security and needed to know she was going to make it to the other side even though it felt really heavy.” She pauses before saying, “I think that’s why I feel so passionate about making sure people feel like they have a place in this world.” Since then, she’s also become the primary caregiver for her 77-year-old-grandmother who is in the depths of dementia. “It is so hard sometimes,” Kassia says. “But, she’s always been there for me.” That’s why when her grandmother’s memory started to deteriorate, she says, “I just had to keep showing up for her.” She leads with her whole heart with literally everyone she interacts with — from family all the way down to someone who happens to take her Friday afternoon cycle class. “I tell them every week that I love them, and I mean it,” Kassia says. “If people can choose hate for absolutely no reason, then I can choose to love you for absolutely no reason.” She sees it as another way to encourage those who have had to overcome serious barriers on their road to fitness. It’s why she started the program Embarc at the Y. “Embarc is a program for individuals who have been knocked down or are just trying to start and the thought of working out is just too consuming and too overwhelming. So, we’ll meet them 30
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where they are at,” Kassia says. The group comes in every Monday to set a new goal. “Maybe it’s to get their step count up to a couple hundred or a thousand,” she says. Recently, she launched another program called Girls That Lift (GTL). The program was created after leadership at the Y sat down with a young woman who felt far too intimidated to walk into the weight room. The program meets three days a week. A female trainer is in the room with pre-planned workouts to give women a chance to learn how to use every piece of equipment here. “We have seen that explode,” says Kim Kaiser, the YMCA’s CEO. “A few weeks ago, Kassia said we had 20 women in there. We had to move. It was overcrowded in our new weight room.” Kassia is proud of that room, calling it “the prettiest weight room you’ve ever seen.” It’s personal for her. Two years ago, she went to Kim asking for major, fairly expensive, changes. “In the fitness industry, you need to be relevant. It’s constantly evolving, constantly changing,” Kassia says. “Kim is fantastic. She was all in and said, ‘I see your vision.’” The vision was a state-of-the-art weight room that offered not only updated equipment but space for functional fitness with battle ropes, push sleds and cardio rowers. The nearly $200,000 weight room (which is actually two rooms) opened on Aug. 20 of 2023. Then there was Kassia’s role in offering virtual memberships. When Covid hit, Kassia says she remembers running from one fitness instructor’s home to the next with her laptop trying to go “live” with classes when the gym was forced to shut down for six weeks. So many people liked being able to log onto classes from home that the virtual program stuck. Kassia researched platforms and developed a way for the Y to now offer multiple classes
a day online. The Y is already working on improvements to their app to make the program bigger and better. “We have people who aren’t even in the state who have memberships solely for our virtual classes, which is so cool,” she says. “They’ve never even stepped foot in our Y.” Kassia is the kind of woman who walks the talk. As much as she pushes others forward, she does the same with herself. In 2016, she did her first of 10 Spartan races alongside a workout buddy, Stacey Booth. Three years ago, the two of them entered The Rut, a 28K mountain running event that takes competitors up a 7,800-foot incline along Big Sky’s Lone Peak. It’s described as nothing short of a beast. All along the course there are specific check-ins and if you don’t make them in the allotted time, you’re disqualified. “We were mid-mountain, which was one of the most brutal things that I have ever done. I said, ‘We only have 12 minutes to make it to the top to hit our cut-off,’” Kassia says. “We said, what are they going to do, tell us to turn around? They do. They tell you to turn around!” She tried again in 2022. She made the first two check points. “As I was running, my foot got trapped and it stayed put but my body kept going. I heard it pop,” Kassia says. As she was limping along in the course, she met up with her younger brother who flew in from California to do the race with her. She laughs as she shares that her brother told her to worry about her ankle at the finish line.
KASSIA WITH HER DAUGHTERS AVANNA (LEFT) AND ADDALEIGH (RIGHT) WITH HER HUSBAND, DONNIE.
She ended up summiting Lone Peak and hitting the next four checkpoints. “I missed the second to the last checkpoint by less than a minute,” Kassia says. “We are talking seconds.” After the race, she realized not only did she break her ankle but she ran eight miles up and down a mountain on it.
she says, knowing it wasn’t just true in her own life but in every life she is able to touch. “I’m here to encourage others and push them forward. I know with my whole heart that is my purpose.” ✻
Then came last summer. “I went back for year three and I did it,” she says pointing to the medal that proudly hangs on her office wall. “Three years in the making…” It probably comes as no surprise that Kassia has jump started Spartan training groups at the Y. If you look around, her fingerprints are all over the building. While her job calls for 40 hours a week, she’ll admit she works overtime to help make sure everything runs smoothly not only for members but for the 70 employees she oversees. “When you have somebody who invests in you and believes in you on a regular basis, it’s a no-brainer to give back,” Kassia says, knowing she’s there because of one little yellow sticky note. “That promise to yourself, that dream in your heart, it's all yours,”
“You can do hard things.”
You inspire us all Kassia.
CONGRATULATIONS! W W W . B I L L I N G S Y M C A . O R G
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written by JULIE LOVELL photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
BILLINGS BUSINESS TAKES OLD CLOTHES AND GIVES THEM NEW LIFE IN OTHER PEOPLE’S CLOSETS
witching It Up Switching U
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AS THE OWNER OF SWITCH SOCIETY, a clothing
swap shop in Billings, Emily Petroff has two goals: to help women look and feel their best, and to give the landfill a rest. Emily loves giving new life to old clothes, so they don’t end up in the trash. “Eighty percent of the American closet hasn’t been worn in the last year,” says Emily. “We encourage our customers to bring us all of that 80 percent and we give them points for those items. Then they shop the store with those points.” When you step into the shop on Grand Avenue, it’s clear Switch Society is not a typical clothing store. Customers walk in with armfuls of old clothes and usually walk out carrying something new from someone else’s closet. When customers shop, no money exchanges hands. The shop operates using a membership model, with customers buying either a monthly membership for $10 or an annual membership for $99. When a member brings in old clothes, each item is assigned a point value. Items that are newer, in very good condition, are name brand or are made of sustainable materials earn more points. Customers can shop the store with their points or bank them to use later. “The average price of a piece of thrifted clothing nationally is about $16.67,” says Emily. ”I think it’s a little higher here in Billings, so they really only need about seven to 10 pieces of clothing over the course of an entire year to pay for their annual membership.“
Emily’s budding business started out last January after she created a Facebook group and hosted a free clothing swap at a Billings hotel. The response was strong, and Emily realized there was a market for a business that sells old clothes in a new, environmentally friendly way. Since the Switch Society store opened its doors last May, Emily has collected more than 40,000 clothing items. No clothing goes to waste. Items that aren’t in good enough shape for exchange are given new life. Emily loves to sew and enjoys hosting upcycling workshops where she helps customers learn how to turn trash into treasure. “We encourage people to bring us their ripped, torn, stained and broken things, and we upcycle them into new things,” Emily says. Emily also plans to get a shredder, so unusable clothing can be shredded and re-used in products like mattress filling and insulation. As she researched the fashion industry and developed a business model for her shop, Emily says she learned how much waste there is in the textile industry, and how the fashion industry hurts the planet. Her shop has a zero-waste culture, and customers learn the important role they play in reducing textile waste. “No one should ever be without clothing,” Emily says. “Two billion pairs of jeans are produced every single year. There are too many textiles in the world.” While the store only sells women’s clothing, members also earn points when they bring in men’s and children’s clothing. Those
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I LEARNED A LOT, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF VALIDATION FOR ME ABOUT WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE AND HOW NECESSARY IT IS. — Emily Petroff
“Once they come in and see the quality of items we have, the diversity and style and sizes, it’s easier to give up the things that have been in the back of the closet for a long time,” she says.
Emily’s bright, energetic personality keeps customers like Lynn Johnson returning again and again. Lynn says she really likes Switch Society’s concept of sustainability. She started out as a customer, then became a store volunteer. Recently, she joined the board of directors for the business, which is set up as a public benefit corporation. “I like the fact that we’re not throwing stuff into the landfill,” says Lynn. “I’ve got grandkids who are in that age bracket where they’re in a disposable society, as I was at one point. So I like that part of her business model and that we’re doing a little bit to save the earth.” The store’s inventory turns over quickly, making it easy to spot something new on each visit. Customers are welcome to bring in all types of clothing year-round. Switch Society also allows returns at any time. “So someone can take something, try it one time and if it doesn’t work, or they just wanted to wear it for that one event, you can just bring it back and try something else,” Emily says. items are saved for free family swaps Emily hosts twice a year. Emily says it’s fun to see customers get excited when someone else buys their old clothes. While new customers are sometimes initially a little unsure about how the store operates, they get excited once they realize the endless possibilities for swapping. 34
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Emily is thankful for her mom and her sister, who have pitched in to get the store up and running. As her business grows, she hopes to draw in more volunteers who can earn shopping points by working at the shop. Sharing her passion for fashion and supporting women of all
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“I don’t let anyone speak negatively about their body,” says Emily. “In some ways, I think people are craving that kind of experience. To be able to go somewhere and know that you’re not allowed to do that to yourself feels really good.” “Emily is very accepting of herself and she gives everybody else the idea that
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you can accept yourself, no matter what size you are, what color your hair is,” says Lynn Johnson. “She’s very encouraging. It’s a safe place to be.” Inclusivity is also very important to Emily. She enjoys serving customers of all ages and all socio-economic backgrounds. A scholarship program helps members who don’t have clothing to exchange, and customers can donate points to others in need. While Emily has her hands full running her growing business, she’s always thinking about the future. As Switch Society grows, she knows she’ll need a larger space to house it. She’s also a business coach, and dreams about expanding the business to other communities. “I love to support small business owners, and to take this concept I’ve created and help them create their own business around that is something that is right up my alley,” says Emily. Learning from other entrepreneurs is also something she values. Last summer, she competed against startup business owners from across the country in a reality TV series called “The Blox.” The show is expected to air this winter. While she didn’t win the competition, her fellow contestants taught her a great 36
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deal about starting, operating and growing a successful business. “I learned a lot, and there was a lot of validation for me about what we’re doing here and how necessary it is,” Emily says. As a new business owner, Emily’s days are often long and challenging. But she says it doesn’t feel like work, because she likes to support women and speak up for the environment.
Let’s Let’s get get
social
“I’m pretty loud and obnoxious, so I’m happy to use this voice,” Emily says with a laugh, “and I love these women who come in here.” ✻
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE BREATHTAKING WORLD OF CIRQUE SHOWCASING THE INCREDIBLE TALENTS OF THE BILLINGS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CIRQUE PERFORMERS.
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YOU CAN FIND THE SWITCH SOCIETY at 2500 Grand Ave. in Billings or on the web at switchsociety.org.
JULIE LOVELL, writer Julie is a former Billings news anchor who loves sharing positive news stories. After spending a decade in Georgia, her family is happy to back home in Montana. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her volunteering for special needs organizations, stretching her faith and getting reacquainted with the joys of life under the Big Sky!
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miracle2 THE CELEBRATION OF A
ONE-YEAR-OLD AND FAMILY RETURN TO THE ICU TO THANK THE MEDICAL TEAM THAT SAVED HIS LIFE written by CYDNEY HOEFLE photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
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2
IT WAS ALL SMILES on the fourth
floor as pediatric intensive care nurses at St Vincent Healthcare greeted Caleb Hyland and his mother, Lindsey, in early December. The doctor and four nurses who welcomed them remembered Caleb and his family well. Almost a year earlier, he had spent two weeks under the care of the team, and there were times when they weren’t sure he’d make it. But on this day, there was nothing but joy over the fact that the baby had made a complete recovery. In celebration of his first birthday, it was important to Lindsey to come back to the people that had cared for her son and celebrate his miraculous recovery. “Oh my gosh, he’s gotten so big! And look at that smile,” one nurse said. “He’s so healthy!” another added. Late last year, when Caleb was just 7 weeks old, he came down with RSV — respiratory syncytial virus. Though it’s highly contagious, most children have built up their immunities to it and endure sniffles or cold-like symptoms. For some babies it is far more serious and at times a deadly threat. “Infants under 2 months are especially susceptible because their immune system is not yet developed and their lungs are so tiny,” says Dr. Menard Barruga, physician of pediatric critical care medicine, and Caleb’s doctor. “There’s no way to completely prevent it, especially if there are older children in the home or if the baby has been exposed.” Only 5 percent of those who contract RSV will need hospitalization but, as Barruga says, “It happens and it’s very scary for parents.” The Christmas holiday was busy at the Hyland house. In addition to Lindsey and Chaz and their little boys, Caleb, and 18-monthold Zach, Chaz’s older children, London, 11, and Sayre, 10, were visiting. The day after Christmas, Lindsey says Caleb slept most of the day. He woke up twice to eat instead of the eight times he normally nursed during the day. She attributed it to being overstimulated and tired. “When we bathed him that night, he was very lethargic, but he wasn’t feverish, and his breathing wasn’t labored. But when I went to change him later his ribs were protruding. It terrified me. I told Chaz I was taking him in.” The nurses at the Red Lodge hospital were certain it was RSV and that he was in serious condition. Lindsey and Caleb were rushed by ambulance to Billings. “In the 10 minutes since I’d left home, his lips were turning blue, and I could see the veins in his face,” Lindsey says with tears in her eyes. At St. Vincent Healthcare, the nurses reflected on last year’s RSV
season. Amanda Whiters, PICU nurse, says the number of RSV patients in PICU that they handled last year was high the entire RSV season, which usually runs from December until well after the first of the year.
HE WAS JUST TOO WORN OUT TO BREATHE ON HIS OWN. HE WAS WEAKENED FROM HIS SECRETIONS AND WAS A VERY SICK LITTLE BABY. — Dr. Menard Barruga
“It started with a vengeance right after Thanksgiving and there was no respite,” she says. “It hit hard and lasted for several months after the new year.” She, Christine Hebert and Kori Caudill are part of the team of registered nurses that are usually in one of the five pediatric ICU rooms at any given time. Lori Marosok, a floor nurse, usually cares for patients after they have progressed out of the PICU. All four nurses took care of Caleb at some point during his stay. “He developed pneumonia along with RSV and immediately he was sedated with fentanyl and given a breathing and feeding tube,” Lindsey says. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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HE WAS NEVER LEFT ALONE. THEY CONSTANTLY CHECKED HIS VITALS AND KEPT AN EYE ON THE MONITORS AND THEY ALWAYS TOLD ME WHAT THEY WERE DOING. AS SICK AS HE WAS, I KNEW HE WAS IN GREAT HANDS. — Lindsey Hyland
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“He was just too worn out to breathe on his own,” Barruga explains as he reflects back on Caleb’s situation. “He was weakened from his secretions and was a very sick little baby.” RSV is known to run in cycles, usually every two years. Some believe that the pandemic played a role in the recent spike in severity. With children segregated from others, their immune systems weren’t prepared for the next RSV cycle and, as a result, cases rose rapidly. On the PICU floor that cared for Caleb, there is a close-knit group of 28 nurses that have more than 263 combined years of experience dealing with very sick children. ICU Nurse Manager Mike LaBard has managed them for two years and has, himself, more than 24 years as a pediatric critical care and flight nurse. “You don’t see what we have here in every hospital,” LaBard says. “I’m blown away by the dedication of these nurses. They put their all into their jobs. Hands down, this is the best and most compassionate ICU team I’ve ever worked with.” “Someone was always with Caleb,” Lindsey remembers. “He was never left alone. They constantly checked his vitals and kept an eye on the monitors and they always told me what they were doing. As sick as he was, I knew he was in great hands.” In the first week of Caleb’s time in the hospital, he showed very little progress and as a result remained sedated and hooked to
life-support machines. “We had people praying for him and he had the best of care possible, but nothing was happening,” Lindsey says. “I just wanted him to wake up so I could hold him in my arms. It was the most horrific thing I’ve endured as a mother.” One week turned into two. Older brother Zach was being cared for by Lindsey’s parents, who live in Billings. When she could, Lindsey would rush over to see him and then hurry back to be near Caleb. “That first week I wouldn’t leave his side,” Lindsey says. “But by the second week, the nurses convinced me that I needed to get rest, or I was going to get sick too.” She checked into the Ronald McDonald House across the street from the hospital and she and Chaz took turns staying with Caleb and being with Zach. “It can be very stressful for parents,” Whiters says. “They’re scared, so we try our best to stay calm so that they do. We become like mama bears to them. We make sure they are eating, taking breaks and resting. It’s just what we do.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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After a week under sedation, Caleb finally turned a corner. “He was weaned off the fentanyl slowly and after about four days of that, they were ready to take the breathing and feeding tubes out and see how he’d do,” Lindsey says. Thankfully, the care given to him by the doctors and nurses, the power of prayer and Caleb’s fighting spirit prevailed, knocking out both the RSV and pneumonia. “The first time I got to hold my baby after two weeks was the best feeling ever,” Lindsey says. “When he started nursing, I knew he’d be OK. He really is a fighter.” At this time last year, LaBard says, the PICU was overflowing with RSV cases. “We were at 150 percent of capacity. Our nurses did what needed to be done and did an amazing job caring for all the patients,” he says. “We want all of our patients to have the same outcome as Caleb did.” “I’m so grateful that my baby is healthy,” Lindsey says. “It was a
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WITH RSV THE SIGNS & THE SYMPTOMS 48
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terrifying time, and I fully believe that Caleb would not be here if not for God’s mercy, the power of prayer and the care of the amazing doctors and nurses.” At the celebratory reunion, the nurses couldn’t help but fuss over Caleb, each taking a turn to hold the robust 1-year-old while visiting with Lindsey. It was clear this reunion was a special one for everybody. “We don’t often get to see someone that’s been in our care after they leave,” says Marosok. “Having him come back to visit us this healthy and active is awesome. This is a special day for all of us.” ✻
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.
✱ In mild cases of RSV, you might see a runny nose, low-grade fever, sneezing and a dry cough. ✱ In more severe cases, you’ll find shallow, rapid breathing (tachypnea), retractions where the chest muscles and skin pull inward with each breath, a severe cough, lack of appetite, lethargy and irritability.
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Untangled
DR. CHLOE EKELEM CHALLENGES HAIR LOSS & MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT RURAL MONTANA written by VIRGINIA A. BRYAN photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
DR. CHLOE EKELEM never imagined she’d find her “best life”
Two days a week, she sees dermatology and hair loss patients at the Billings Clinic main campus. The schedule minimizes driving time, introduces her to the Hardin community and gives her an opportunity to build a dermatology and hair loss practice. Her schedule is a working mother’s dream.
In Ventura, she met a fellow resident, Dr. Orin Hansen. From the beginning, Hansen knew he had a job waiting for him in Hardin, Montana. A rancher’s son, he was raised on a saddle horse helping his dad mend fences and herd cows near Ekalaka, population 403. Did someone say “urban girl meets country boy and romance blossoms?” The two commuted between cities while completing their respective fellowships. Then, they moved to Hardin, married and welcomed their sweet baby girl, Cosette.
THE HEARTBREAK OF HAIR LOSS
living and working as a dermatologist focused on hair loss in rural Montana. Originally a California girl, she graduated from medical school in Georgia, continued her training in the Ventura, California, Family Residency Program, followed by dermatology fellowships in California and Utah.
Ekelem’s circle openly wondered how their city girl would fare living on Montana’s vast open plains. With a ready grin, she’s quick to say she’s “just fine.”
THE HAIR LOSS PUZZLE Her interest in dermatology and hair loss began during medical school rotations that are intended to expose new doctors to a variety of specialties. Naturally curious, she was fascinated by the multiple causes of hair loss and the challenges it presented. Approaching each case of hair loss as if she is solving a puzzle, she finds great satisfaction when she can find a solution. Up to 70 percent of men and women experience some type of hair loss by age 70. Billings Clinic was quick to embrace her skill set and her need for an unconventional schedule. It turned out to be a win-win scenario for everyone. “I’m so grateful to Billings Clinic and the doctors before me who introduced flexible work schedules,” Ekelem says. One day each week, she works as a dermatologist at Hardin’s One Health Clinic, a Billings Clinic outreach site. The Hardin clinic benefits from her presence there because it’s difficult to find doctors to serve in rural areas.
LeAnn Larsen Melzer was one of Ekelem’s first patients at Billings Clinic. LeAnn was in the early stages of menopause when her hair began coming out in clumps during her morning showers. She read an article suggesting that menopause can cause hair thinning. Looking for a solution, LeAnn spent “hundreds of dollars” on overthe-counter supplements, serums, shampoos and “snake oils.” She was often in tears. Amid her desperation, she was ashamed of her reaction. “So many of my family and friends were experiencing life-anddeath ordeals and I was worried about my hair,” LeAnn recalls. Initially, she saw Roberta Bourgon, a naturopathic physician at Billings Clinic. After ordering a series of blood tests that yielded no clues, she suggested LeAnn consult Ekelem. LeAnn recalls her lengthy first visit. Her questions were answered and the two talked about possible outcomes. LeAnn’s instincts told her that her hair loss was more than a menopause symptom. A scalp punch biopsy revealed a diagnosis of androgenetic alopecia, or female pattern baldness. During a second appointment, also thorough and patient-driven, LeAnn received a prescription for Minoxidil to be taken orally. Low thyroid function can be a factor for hair loss. So can vitamin D, zinc and iron deficiencies, high testosterone levels, stress and the aftereffects of pregnancy or surgery. Ekelem treats all these early clues with caution as they may be just one part of the puzzle. Chemotherapy or medication-related hair loss is usually temporary. Hair often re-appears when the cancer medication or treatment stops.
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HAIR LOSS IS A BIG DEAL, WHETHER YOU’RE YOUNG, OLD, MALE OR FEMALE. AN IMPORTANT PART OF CARE IS MANAGING EXPECTATIONS.
Ekelem knows the huge emotional toll hair loss takes on her patients. We have deeply embedded cultural expectations for our hair. On the flip side, there are no solid standards to measure whether a treatment is effective. New hair growth is cyclical, and each patient is unique.
“There are no silver bullets for hair loss,” she says. “Hair loss is a big deal, whether you’re young, old, male or female. An important part of care is managing expectations.” Recovering one’s self-esteem and the loss of identity hair loss triggers can be a long process.
— Dr. Chloe Ekelem
NEWER TREATMENTS ON THE HORIZON For many years, the cornerstone of hair loss treatment has been Rogaine, also known by its generic name, Minoxidil. It blocks or limits hair shedding, encourages hair growth and improves hair health and is available over the counter as a cream or solution and as a pill by prescription. Finasteride and Dutasteride were originally developed to treat male prostate issues, but they’ve been found to increase production of scalp hair follicles in men and women. Minoxidil and Dutasteride can be administered in pill form or injected directly into the scalp. None of these medications are recommended for pregnant women. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy, another approach, relies on the body’s ability to heal itself. First developed to treat joint pain and skin regeneration, PRP involves drawing blood, extracting the plasma (a known, rich source of growth-inducing ingredients) and reconstituting the plasma 52
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into a concentrated platelet mixture that’s injected directly into one’s scalp. Red light therapy, marketed online and over the counter, is a more unconventional approach to hair loss. Wavelengths of red light are thought to stimulate the growth of hair follicles. Users receive red light through helmets, combs and headbands. As with most hair loss treatments, regular use over the long term yields the best results.
“Hair loss is often out of our control,” says Ekelem. “I encourage my patients to focus on aspects of their lives that bring joy and a sense of satisfaction. For some, it may mean wearing a wig, getting a tattoo, or going natural, I’m all for it. I’m here to offer hope and support.”
LIVING THE RURAL LIFE
The fact that insurance doesn’t cover many of these treatments keeps some of these options out of reach for many. Insurance companies consider many hair loss treatments to be cosmetic in nature as they do not, in the industry’s view, limit one’s daily activities. The bottom line is that your insurance company might deny or limit coverage for medication or other treatment. If paid for out of pocket, solutions can quickly become cost prohibitive.
Ekelem is poised to challenge any misconceptions about rural life, noting that she and her family have been warmly welcomed and embraced. She remembers how hard it was to find a community in a large urban area. Hardin, she’s discovered, is home to people from many cultures, including farmers and ranchers with European ancestry, Northern Cheyenne and Crow families living near their traditional homelands, and a nearby Amish community.
LOOKING FORWARD
Reflecting on her young family, the challenges of her current practice, and her small-town life under Montana’s big sky, an amused look crosses her face. “I hardly remember any misgivings I might have had about rural Montana. This is a wonderful place to be.”✻
Within three months of starting her Minoxidil regimen, LeAnn’s hair began to grow back. She no longer dreads her morning showers. She doesn’t fear that she’ll be bald for the rest of her life. She attributes her recovery to Ekelem’s compassion and expertise and to Minoxidil. She’s even found some humor in her hair loss recovery. “I’ve always had straight, fine, dark hair,” LeAnn says. “It’s coming back curly and gray. I’ll take it!” LeAnn’s positive attitude is just what the doctor ordered.
VIRGINIA BRYAN, writer Virginia Bryan is a freelance writer and former Director of ArtWalk Downtown Billings. She has written extensively about our region's artists,culture, history and women.
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, T I E V O M
O T S E K I L SHE
T I E V O M WOMAN G N I S I R ENTERP CHENMANN R TARA KI LOGISTICS, S BALANCE AND LIFE G SHIPPIN HOEFLE
NEY LIVAN by CYD w r it t e n by DANIEL SUL p hy photogra
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T TARA KIRSCHENMANN has an impressive resume. She
has a degree in health and human biology from Western Oregon University. She’s among the top performers of 600 salespeople in a nationwide company, Worldwide Express, and she’s also the founder and CEO of a local moving company, Montana Muscle Movers. If there was such a thing, she’d also have a degree in time management. “I do like structure,” she says, smiling. “It makes my life so much easier.” Tara’s a goal setter, and years ago she set a goal for herself to not have to depend on anyone but herself. An “Army brat,” her family moved multiple times, including several years in Germany, during her formative years. She and her younger siblings grew up as latchkey kids, and even with both parents working, it was tough to make ends meet. She left home as soon as she graduated from high school and headed off to college. ✴
before the owner of the franchise said she’d need to work in sales. “It wasn’t what I wanted,” Tara laughs. “In fact, it terrified me.” Still, she knew she had to work to support herself, and as fate would have it, she was good at it. Worldwide Express is a shipping service that is a carrier network handling package and freight shipments for businesses. They are the largest non-retail authorized reseller of UPS in the nation. As a salesperson, Tara began her career cold-calling, trying to get companies to use their services. “Basically, I would stop at a company that I thought might do shipping and visit with them about how their company handles their shipping needs,” she says.
NG✴ I S I R RP ENTE N ✴✴✴ MA ✴ WO ✴✴
Tara worked her way through college, and after receiving her degree began a career as a clinical research coordinator and phlebotomist working in physician laboratories. But the vivacious young woman soon realized that she needed more interaction with people and “a window in her office.”
“It’s hard when you realize that the degree that you worked for isn’t what you want to do,” she says. She kept at it, until the laboratory she was working for underwent some downsizing and she was left looking for a new job. “I was given a generous severance package,” Tara says. “And it would have supported me for quite some time, but I was bored after about two weeks of not working.” That’s when she was recruited for a position with the franchise Worldwide Express. Hired as an account manager, it wasn’t long
Her simple philosophy of looking for ways to improve or optimize their practices more often than not landed her a new client. But it wasn’t easy. A move from Oregon to Boise, and then from Idaho Falls to Billings, had her covering new territory with a lot of miles and hours in between clients.
“I would be away from home from Sunday night to Friday night,” she says. “And then start it all over. But I knew that’s what I needed to do to establish a secure foundation.” Amazingly, as much time as she spent away from home, she met and married her husband, Thomas. “I only wanted to be in Billings for six months at the most,” she says. “But that all changed when I met Thomas. We’re here for the long haul!” Several years ago, the individual franchises of Worldwide Express were bought out by a corporation and Tara stayed with the company. She’s now one of the company’s top performers in the nation. In fact, she’s in a strong position to be named a top performer for 2023. “I made it a goal for myself this year,” she says. “It’s been a very JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 55
busy year for me. If I win, we’ll use that money toward a skidsteer for our moving company.” Montana Muscle Movers, the moving company Tara and Thomas own, was born out of need. “Thomas and I were stood up by movers on our moving day,” Tara says. “It left us in a tough spot, but it also showed us that there was a need for a reliable moving company in town.” Besides starting the successful company, they added snow removal as another facet to the business. “We bought trucks and trailers for the moving business,” she says. “So, we decided to outfit them with snowplows to keep our business going and to keep our guys employed in the winter.” In six short years, the company, of which she is the majority owner, has annual revenue in the seven figures. Tara and Thomas are generous with their success. They have made it a priority to give back to the community whenever they can. “We’re committed to giving a percentage of our profits back in some way,” Tara says. “We vote as a company how we will do it.” Recipients of Montana Movers have included local teachers who compiled wish lists for their classrooms; Landon’s Legacy, a special needs baseball field; and students who owed money on their lunch accounts in classrooms across Billings.
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“We are always blessed when we give,” Tara says. “Anytime I’ve ever been on the fence about giving in some way, maybe thinking it isn’t a good time, I’ve been shown that it definitely is the right time, and a blessing has followed the giving.” The company also offered up its services to the Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office to move domestic violence victims for free. They’ve helped residents being displaced from their homes. “We try to be good stewards of what we’ve been given,” Tara says. “It’s also a good example to our employees and our kids.” Between her generosity, owning one business and working for another, Tara’s days are full. She has cell phones for each company and both phones are often pinging with notifications at the same time. Her home office has six computer monitors to help her stay on top of each business. Her days start early and often last into the night. She functions on about five hours of sleep, but she’s continually looking for opportunities and ways to improve all three businesses. Her roles also include being the mother of two young children, Zoe, 7, and Tripp, 3. As busy as she is, she says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m an extreme person,” Tara says. “Definitely Type A, but it works for me. I have an amazing partner in my husband, and we balance each other out.”
Love YOUR Smile
In the early days of their marriage, Thomas worked at the Stillwater Mine and Tara was traveling with the shipping business during the week. After their first child was born, they decided that their schedules weren’t conducive to a healthy marriage or family. The moving business was a perfect fit for them. Thomas is available during the day for the family, taking the kids to school and picking them up in the afternoon. During his free hours, he manages the moving and snow removal business.
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In the last several years, Zoom meetings and phone apps have enabled Tara to have a home office where she holds meetings, handles social media, and tracks employees and customers. In between calls, she stays on top of the household chores. “I wear a lot of hats,” Tara says with a laugh. “My desk is situated so that three of the walls behind me have the three company logos (Worldwide Express, Montana Muscle Movers and Montana Muscle Movers Snow Division) so that when I am in a Zoom meeting, the right logo is being shown.”
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Front Lines ON THE
COMBAT VETERAN DALLAS KNIGHT REFLECTS ON THE IRAQ WAR AND HOW IT’S LED HER TO FIGHT FOR GOOD written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
TWO YEARS AGO, Dallas Knight brushed the dust off
a leather-bound journal, unsure if she wanted to relive her handwritten memories. Inside were 88 entries that detailed her days during the initial months of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Just 18 years old back in 2003, Dallas served in the 72nd Military Police Company. It was her unit that provided protection just outside the walls of the Abu Ghraib prison, described as Saddam Hussein’s former torture chamber. In 2003, it was reclaimed by the U.S. military and rebuilt by Dallas’ unit to house high-level prisoners of war. Dallas landed in Iraq because she had dreams of working for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Before she could apply for a job with the DEA, she needed a bachelor's degree and some real-world experience. She thought the military would give her a chance to get both.
thought was, ‘I’m going to war. This is absolutely going to turn into a war,’” Dallas says. Her unit was called up in February of 2003, one month before the official start of the Iraq war. This past fall, Deeds Publishing released “Shattered Reflections: A Female Soldier’s Unveiled Truth.” The book was Dallas’ journal that vividly detailed her time in combat.
I THOUGHT, OK, IF I PUT THIS OUT THERE, MAYBE IT WILL GIVE OTHERS THE INSPIRATION OR EMPOWERMENT TO EITHER START OR CONTINUE DOWN THEIR HEALING JOURNEY, ESPECIALLY WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN TO COMBAT. — Dallas Knight
“What I didn’t realize was how ‘real life’ the experience would end up being,” Dallas says. As she talks about that season of her life, the timing of her decision wasn’t lost on her. Coming from a multi-generational family of combat veterans, Dallas joined the U.S. Army just weeks before Sept. 11. When she turned on the news that day, “My first
“I thought, OK, if I put this out there, maybe it will give others the inspiration or empowerment to either start or continue down their healing journey, especially women who have been to combat,” Dallas says. She’s come to learn that even spouses of servicemen and -women have found value in it as they try to understand what their loved ones endured.
“I oftentimes was hesitant to put my story out there because it wasn’t some ‘Blackhawk Down’ story,” she says. “It wasn’t some big Sony production that everyone was going to think ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that happened. What a heroic and amazing story.’ But it was still a story that I felt sure needed to be shared. The book, which she describes as the raw, authentic perspective of a 19-year-old girl in combat, details the intense sleep deprivation, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 59
the unsanitary conditions, the prison riots, the fear every time her unit would hear the thump that preceded a mortar attack, the loneliness, the illness and the loss. “There was one particular entry that almost ended it all,” Dallas admits about her writing process. “I read the first line and it was something along the lines of ‘Last night was the worst night that I have spent in Iraq.’ I shut the book, set it down and said, ‘I’m done.’” The entry — Sept. 21, 2023 — detailed the bombing of a military intelligence tent that killed one and injured eight. “It hit where the EPW (enemy prisoner of war) compound was. Just outside of that, there was a tent where the military intelligence unit stayed. The mortar hit just outside that tent by the stairwell that led to the prison,” Dallas says. She was off duty that night. On many such nights, she and another female soldier would sit in the stairwell and talk. They weren’t there that night. “I would have been hit by shrapnel for sure,” she says. When Dallas made it home in November of 2003, it came amid difficult questions. Her unit was the 72nd, but it was the 372nd that came under fire for its use of torture during interrogations of Abu Ghraib prisoners. “It was disgusting,” Dallas says. “It was heartbreaking and disappointing to watch something we built from scratch be ultimately destroyed in a way that puts all of us that 60
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were there on the defensive immediately when someone asks where we were in Iraq and what our mission was.” Dallas says her unit subsequently underwent a full investigation, and everyone in the unit was cleared. Dallas says she did not know about the abuses going on inside the prison. Midway through her tour in Iraq, she remembers asking her superiors not to be put on security detail inside the prison. For months, she’d suffered severe sexual harassment by the prisoners she was supposed to guard and protect. For years, she stuffed those feelings aside and refused to acknowledge them.
be taken out of these situations because their parents are making meth in the garage. …” Today, she works for a company called Blue Light. Just this fall, the company released new software that she helped develop. Its software law enforcement can use to search 20 to 30 data sources with only one search. “It’s very time-consuming to go what I call data shopping,” she says.
“I was watching my walls go up and watching me become more emotionally unavailable,” Dallas says. As she looks back now after years of healing, she knows all roads have led her here — not only publishing her book but how it led to her career in software engineering designed to serve law enforcement and the military. After leaving the military, Dallas realized her dream of working in drug enforcement. She spent 10 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, assigned exclusively to the DEA and working on an anti-drug-trafficking task force. She was an intelligence analyst and learned how to pick up on the tiniest clues to help law enforcement stay on the trail of several high-profile drug dealers. Coming from a family with a history of addiction, her work was beyond satisfying.
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“I think on a subconscious level, I wanted to make an impact and not have other little girls endure what I did,” Dallas says. She shakes her head as she says, “To see the drug house and to watch the children
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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I WANTED TO GIVE THESE WOMEN A SAFE SPACE TO SHARE THEIR STORY. I WANTED THEM TO FEEL SAFE AND BE HEARD. — Dallas Knight
“You run a query through our software and it hits all of those sources simultaneously,” saving valuable time for investigators. While traveling to conferences to promote the software, the discovered her latest passion project, known as Skull Games. “Their mission is anti-human trafficking,” Dallas says, adding that the group is a collaboration between retired military and law enforcement intelligence analysts. The volunteer group meets once a quarter and goes over escort ads uncovering sex trafficking indicators. They gather up all leads, compile detailed reports and turn the information over to law enforcement. They only use the web, no back-channel programs and no hacking. The goal is to use open-source information to help law enforcement re-create their every step and quicken the pace of an investigation. “The first thing we want to do is identify the victim, the girl in the ad. Most often we have a name and it’s most likely an alias and there’s a phone number,” Dallas says. That phone number might lead to a social media page, creating a domino effect. “Through that we might identify her real name, date of birth, where she lives, who her family is – through that we validate, is this most likely a trafficking victim?” When the group met last October, it passed more than 60 62
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Since the podcast’s launch, she’s had six female combat veterans tell their stories. She dreams of one day taking the idea a step further, by hosting a Not So Average Jane Retreat for female combat veterans. The weekend would not only focus on healing but would help these women create bonds with other women who understand the battles they’ve endured.
BEFORE
“I wanted to give these women a safe space to share their story,” Dallas says. “I wanted them to feel safe and be heard.”
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AFTER
potential human trafficking cases over its law enforcement partners all over the country. And it was just this fall that Dallas also unveiled a podcast called “Not So Average Jane,” in which she chats with other female combat veterans about their service.
As she slips into new roles while still being a single mom of two boys, she recalls a piece of advice another veteran once shared. “He told me that veterans need two things — a mission and a purpose. Without those two things, we fall into depression, we fall out of place, we isolate, and we can go down this really scary rabbit hole that we, at times, can’t get out of,” Dallas says.
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Through writing her book, starting her podcast, working in a place that helps her be a force for good and volunteering in a way that keeps her intelligence analysis sharp, Dallas has found both mission and purpose. “For the first time in my life, I feel most of what I’ve endured throughout my life has purpose now,” Dallas says. “All the challenges, all the struggles, all the tears, all the frustrations, the anger and the dark moments. They were all for this. They all have purpose and meaning to this now.” ✻
YOU CAN FIND “Shattered Reflections: A Female Soldier’s
Unveiled Truth” as well as the Not So Average Jane podcast at notsoaveragejane.com.
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Friendly &
Charisma MEET 16-YEAR-OLD TYLER, A TEEN LOOKING FOR A FOREVER FAMILY any big game during his recent hunt, he laughs and says, “Yes, a dragonfly. We didn’t have much luck.” Tyler’s social worker, Dawn Bushard, calls him a charismatic kid who invests in the people around him. She’d love to see him find a family that can help him transition into adulthood.
written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
“I’d love a family that could help him learn healthy family relationships, help him learn independent living skills and to give him the love and nurturing he longs for,” Dawn says. This charming teenage boy has been in and out of foster care since 2015. He’s really looking forward to being able to spend time in the great outdoors with a family and he already knows what’s most important when it comes to a family. . “My number one is quality time,” Tyler says. “I would hopefully spend quality time with them, going on vacations and exploring different areas, going to the movies.” He also loves animals and wouldn’t mind a pet. His social worker says he really misses his dog and his pet goat. Over and above pastimes and spending quality time, Tyler is simply looking for a family who can support his success in the future. While he’s not sure exactly what he’d like in a career, he often thinks about being a truck driver to be able to travel and see the country a bit.
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD TYLER is brand new to bow hunting, but he knows enough to tell you he loves the sport. If you ask, he’d be happy to show you the bow hunter’s license he keeps tucked in his wallet.
heart gallery 64
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“I only went once but I love it,” he says with a big smile. When asked if he landed
deserves.”
Dawn says his goal is really quite simple — “to find a forever home that he very much
When asked how he might describe himself, Tyler shrugs his shoulders and says, “I usually don’t dress like I am the nicest guy, but I am a really nice guy. I like making friends and I will do anything to help my friends out, no matter what it is. ✻
atic OUR HEART GALLERY FEATURE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY WENDY’S AND THE DAVE THOMAS FOUNDATION FOR ADOPTION.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TYLER OR THE FOSTER-ADOPTION SYSTEM IN GENERAL, CALL DANIELLE METCALF AT 406-657-3120. While Tyler 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 fosteradoptive home must undergo 18 hours of mandatory training to learn what it takes to become a successful foster family.
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 65
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written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
CINDY BEERS SERVES IT ALL UP AT FRESCO JUICE COMPANY
infused with joy
EVERYTHING ABOUT FRESCO JUICE CO. is in-
fused with joy. With an always uplifted spirit, owner Cindy Beers serves up fresh juice and real foods to all who step in from First Avenue North into her bright airy store embellished with orange and green colors and an orange fruit logo. As a registered dietitian, Beers worked as an outpatient counselor in Billings in the early 1990s, specializing in diabetes and eating disorders, helping “people understand the ways that food impacts their physical and mental health.” After leaving her practice nearly 10 years ago to raise children, the time was finally right for her to start her own business. “Fresco is fresh in Italian,” Beers says of the name she chose for her company. The word exemplified her desire to serve juice and food in their freshest form. “I do have some health issues related to my gut, and I’m unable to eat the quantity of fruits and vegetables that I would like to eat. The juicing has allowed me to get more fruits and vegetables into my diet,” Beers says of her challenges from irritable bowel syndrome. In 2021, while traveling with a friend in Colorado, she discovered cold-pressed juices. This led to her juicing at home with healthy results, including renewed energy and the calming of her digestive issues. She opened Fresco Juice Co. at the end of 2022, starting out with online pickup orders. She opened her doors for in-shop drinking and dining at the beginning of this year. Aside from cold- pressed juices, she also serves up cashew milks, açaí bowls, smoothies and granola.
The Blue Juice reigns as the crowd favorite. Its brilliant color comes from spirulina and is made with Fuji apples, green apples, cucumber, ginger and blue spirulina, espelette powder and lemon. Healthy Hawaiian-made with carrots, green apples, pineapple, Fuji apples, lime, ginger and beets is another popular drink. The reddish-pink color is reminiscent of the Hawaiian punch that was once found in cans promoted by the cartoon characters Punchy and Oaf but now offered in a much healthier way. When researching her new business, Beers considered buying into a franchise, but opted to pursue her own enterprise instead. Being on her own she says, “I’m able to keep it local. We’re able to partner with Le Fournil bakery, and that’s who we use for our avocado toasts, or we can buy local honey.” The Devour Me Avocado is a slice of Le Fournil’s country loaf toasted and adorned with smashed avocado and topped with slices of cucumber and radish. Beers exudes a joyful vibe along with her employees. Six people work for Fresco Juice Co. with the manager, Finn Collins, as the only full-time worker. “I am just really picky about who works here,” Beers says. “I don’t just hire, just to have a body in the shop. I hire somebody that believes in what I’m trying to do and wants to support that.” Beers leads by example. “If I’ve got somebody back there scrubbing the floor, they would have seen me back there scrubbing the floor at some point.” She continues, “We can talk a really good talk in our world, but it's our actions and what we produce that are important.” JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 67
For what she does not know, she is not afraid to ask for help. “I surround myself with people who are a lot smarter than me.” When starting her business, she hired professionals to guide her. She consulted Oliva Esquivel of Southern Pressed Juicery to develop her recipes and still seeks her advice for marketing especially navigating the world of social media. In respecting all who work at Fresco Juice Co. and those people who come through the door, Beers asks employees to sign a No Gossip contract promising not to “backbite about my team, guests, or anyone else.” “It creates a comfortable environment for staff and customers,” Beers says. Spirituality is also important for Beers. “I am a very faith-filled person,” she says. “I lean on my Catholic faith a lot.” On each bottle of juice there is a verse from the Bible, Nehemiah 8:10, “Go and enjoy choice food and 68
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sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” On the counter across from the coolers where the bottled juices are kept, there is a prayer jar. Customers are invited to write a request for help or an expression of thanks, a hope or wish. On this morning, Beers pulls out a brown sheet of paper with a prayer for a friend who had been in an accident and was in the hospital. Another note requested a “forever home” while Beers says, “We had one in there that just said, ‘Make it stop.’” “And so, when I say it’s just juice, it’s a conduit to being a light in our community.” Beers and her husband, Robert, have three children, Megan, 19, Emily, 16, and RJ, 10 “My husband helps me a lot,” she says. “He picks up the slack by carpooling and driving kids around. I have a house that is a little more messy now than it used to be,” Beers adds with a laugh. “I feel like our relationship is a little bit more authentic now because they (my family) see me struggling. They see me come home and I’m exhausted.” Collins, the manager, says he loves the work environment at Fresco. “It’s healthy and fun,” he says. “I worked in the health field as a medical assistant. This was a good change for my work life and personal life. Working with Cindy is so great.”
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After a year in business, Beers hopes to continue infusing joy in her juices and food, and even more, into the community. ✻
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 69
very green gazpacho SERVES 4
12 ounces Mighty Green 1 clove garlic, sliced 1 English cucumber, peeled if desired, coarsely chopped 1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
overnight carrot ginger oatmeal panna cotta with coconut with yogurt, carrot & ginger flakes & dark chocolate SERVES 4
MAKES 2 CUPS
12 ounces carrot
½ bunch cilantro
1½ t. gelatin
12 ounces Cashew Latte
1 small jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. old fashion rolled oats
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 t. gelatin
2 T. chia seeds
3 slices ginger, smashed
2 T. sesame seeds
Zest from 1 lemon
2 T. maple syrup
DIRECTIONS: In a small saucepan, add
DIRECTIONS: Mix latte, oats, seeds, and
1 slice sourdough, edges trimmed, broken into pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
GARNISH
½ avocado, cubed 2 T. cilantro leaves 2 T. sour cream 4 lime wedges DIRECTIONS: In a food processor, add
juice, garlic, cucumber, shallot, cilantro, jalapeno, olive oil, salt and pepper. Process until vegetables are minced. Add bread and blend into mixture. Divide into 4 bowls and garnish.
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½ cup juice, sprinkle gelatin over top of juice, and let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the juice and heat over medium heat until gelatin melts and juice come to a simmer. Cool for 15 minutes. Pour evenly into 4 glasses and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. In a small saucepan, add ½ cup cream, sprinkle gelatin over cream, and let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine remaining cream, ginger and zest and let stand. Add mixture to cream in saucepan. Bring to a simmer, whisking until gelatin melts. Cool for 15 minutes. Strain cream and pour on top of carrot juice panna cotta. Chill for 6 hours or overnight and up to 5 days. Garnish with honey and grated carrot.
maple syrup in an airtight container. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 5 days. Divide into 4 bowls and garnish with toasted shredded coconut, chocolate chips or fresh berries.
STELLA FONG, writer
Stella divides her time between Billings and Seattle and is the author of two Billingscentric 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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A Warm Hug in a bowl GIVE THE GIFT OF HOMEMADE SOUP written by KAY ERICKSON
WINTER IN MONTANA is an ideal time to give our families — and ourselves — the warm hug that homemade soup can bring.
Saturday night dinners in winter in the Erickson household are soup nights — usually homemade. With just two of us, a pot of soup creates leftovers that get an encore later in the week, or that are frozen for another Saturday night dinner later in the month. Thanks to one of my mother’s sisters, my Aunt Anne, I have a plethora of amazing soup recipes that are not repeated during the season, even in those years when winter’s grip is unrelenting. Anne lived outside of Chicago and would visit the most amazing restaurants and cafes in Chicago and in her hometown of Joliet and would come home with recipes that she would share with 72
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my mother and me, pots of warmth and flavor that can brighten a cold winter’s night. Homemade soup. Cold winter nights. A warm hug from my aunt, who is gone but never forgotten. 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.
anne’s potato soup 2 lbs. red potatoes (about 4 medium) 6 T. unsalted butter 1 c. diced celery ¼ c. diced parsnip 1 c. diced yellow onion 1 c. diced carrots 2 T. flour 1 qt. chicken stock ¼ t. marjoram ½ t. kosher salt
DIRECTIONS: Cook unpeeled potatoes 6 to 8 minutes in enough
boiling water that just covers the potatoes. When cool enough to handle, peel and dice into ½-inch chunks. Melt butter in a heavy 4-quart saucepan or soup kettle over medium heat. Add potatoes, celery, parsnips, onion and carrots. Cook vegetables uncovered in the butter, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Sprinkle flour evenly over the vegetables then stir until well coated. Add stock, marjoram, salt and a few grinds of black pepper and the mushrooms. Bring soup to boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to very low and partially cover the pot. Simmer 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Taste for seasoning.
Freshly ground black pepper ½ c. chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)
anne’s canadian cheese soup 4 c. chicken broth 2 c. hot water 2 carrots, finely diced 2 celery ribs, finely diced 1 small yellow onion, finely diced 2¼ c. milk ½ c. flour ½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick) 1 T. Worcestershire Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS: Combine the first five ingredient in a 2½-quart
saucepan. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. (The veggies are diced and small enough that they are tender in the final product. Sometimes, I will use an immersion blender at this stage to make the final product a little smoother.) Meanwhile, in a large skillet-type saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook for about 5 minutes to eliminate the flour taste. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add the sauce to the vegetable mixture and stir constantly until boiling. Add the cubed cheeses and reduce the heat, stirring until the cheeses melt.
3½-4 c. cheddar cheese cubed (my aunt would sometimes use Velveeta) 3½-4 c. Colby Longhorn cheese, cubed
anne’s cream of mushroom soup 4 T. unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan.
1 T. chopped onion
Add onion and mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
1-3/4 c. finely chopped fresh button mushrooms (approx. ½ lb)
Add chicken broth. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
½ t. kosher salt
In a smaller skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in flour and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 2 minutes until bubbly. Blend into the mushroom mixture. Add half & half and whisk until blended.
1 c. half & half
Heat to boiling, whisking constantly.
6 T. unsweetened whipped cream
Serve, topped with whipped cream (which does add calories, so it can be left out).
1 quart chicken broth 2 T. flour
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 73
, S E V I T C E P S R E P H S FRE
M D A E E R F AM A E R D G I B
and7
AS THE YELLOWSTONE ART MUSEUM (YAM) marks
its 60th anniversary this year, it looks back to its early days reclaiming the former Yellowstone County Jail and celebrates its leading role among contemporary art museums not only in Montana but in a multi-state region. A 60th anniversary is known as a Diamond Jubilee, and the YAM possesses some of the traits we associate with diamonds: strength, longevity and beauty. Recently, serendipity intervened when a grant from the Art Bridges Foundation, supplemented by private donations, made it possible for the YAM to waive admission fees through 2026. The Art Bridges Foundation is funded by Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. Over the weekend following the free-admission announcement, the YAM saw a surge in visitor numbers, an increase that is expected to continue.
A DEFINING MOMENT Jessica Kay Ruhle (pronounced “Roo-lee”) became the YAM's executive director in early 2022. She brings a joyful exuberance and fresh perspective to the YAM. Ruhle served as director of education at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, before arriving in Billings. Ruhle characterizes the YAM's 60th anniversary as a “defining moment.” She's impressed by the museum’s commitment to educational outreach and its willingness to step boldly into the future. She's exploring ways to better incorporate the Visible Vault on North 26th Street into the main campus on 27th Street. She envisions the Visible Vault as a revitalized community gathering 74
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space and anticipates restarting its Artist-In-Residence Program in January 2024. She's eager to expand community partnerships, increase access to the YAM's permanent collection across the city, and strengthen alliances with Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University Billings.
BIG DREAMS WAY BACK WHEN In 1964, volunteers from the Yellowstone Art Center occupied and transformed the abandoned Yellowstone County Jail into a space to showcase art, provide art instruction and further fellowship among artists. It was a herculean effort. In today's YAM, remnants of the building's former life remain. The Earl E. Snook Family Gallery still has thick iron poles and bolted ceiling bars that outline ghost-like jail cells. Behind the YAM's reception desk, an original jailer's key is secured in an ornate frame. Over the doorway leading to the Young People's Gallery, the words “Yellowstone County Jail” are chiseled in stone and preserved for posterity.
VISIONARY ACQUISITIONS In 1974, 10 years after the fledgling Art Center moved to the former Yellowstone County Jail, Donna Forbes became its executive director. Forbes realized that limited space, lack of climate control and lax security at the former jail hindered the institution’s big dreams. Under her keen leadership over two decades, the organization achieved museum accreditation and was renamed
N O I S S I M
IT ALL DEFINES THE YELLOWSTONE ART MUSEUM’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY written by VIRGINIA A. BRYAN photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
MS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 75
E FROM TH ON, T N A R G TI A FOUNDA THE S E G D I ART BR OSSIBLE FOR P MADE IT YAM TO OFFER
ee r f MISSION ADROUGH 2026! TH
the Yellowstone Art Museum. To distinguish itself from other regional museums, it focused on contemporary art. By 1998, it had tripled its footprint to meet ongoing space, storage, security and exhibition demands.
With two separate grants from the Montana Cultural Trust, Forbes and the late Miriam Sample a longtime YAM patron, joined forces to identify and acquire works by contemporary Montana artists. They were a tenacious pair. Their early purchases were visionary. Their acquisitions launched the careers of nationally recognized artists, including Ted Waddell, Deborah Butterfield and Juane Quick-to-See Smith. Notable pieces created by the selected artists stayed in Montana. The YAM's ever-growing collection drew the attention of additional patrons and other museums nationwide. The YAM's acquisition of the Poindexter Collection of American Modernist Art, shared with the Montana Historical Society, is proof of its prowess in the contemporary art world. The Poindexter Collection includes works by internationally known modernists such as Willem de Kooning, Robert De Niro Sr., Nell Blaine and Richard Diebenkorn. After his boyhood in Dillon, Montana, George Poindexter pursued a finance career in New York City. His wife, Elinor Poindexter, owned an art gallery. She befriended, collected and mentored many renowned artists whose works are in the noteworthy collection. 76
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THE COLLECTION OF JOSEPH AND MIRIAM SAMPLE In 2023, the YAM received Joseph Sample's collection of traditional Western art. The stunning collection contains works by Charles M. Russell, William Standing and Joseph Henry Sharp. Sample (1923-2022) was a well-known patron of public radio. He and his spouse, Miriam (1920-2008), were highly regarded members of the Billings community and admired for their generosity, but their tastes in art were decidedly different. While Joseph Sample amassed his collection, Miriam Sample was building her own private collection of contemporary pieces, knowing that they would one day augment the legacy she and Forbes had created at YAM. The Miriam Sample Collection is on exhibit through June 2024.
For Ruhle, the Miriam Sample Collection exemplifies the “impact one donor can have on an institution.” She favors the body of work by Grass Range rancher Bill Stockton. Before Stockton returned to run the family ranch in 1950, he studied art in Paris and Minneapolis on the G.I. Bill. Given his insatiable need to create, he spent his winters writing, drawing and creating furniture and sculpture from discarded farm equipment. His art gives us a sheep rancher's view of windswept central Montana landscapes, as well as intimate family portraits. Ruhle notes that it’s unusual to see all sides of an artist as we do with Stockton. She commends former YAM curator Lisa Ranallo for overseeing an installation that showcases work by Stockton and other artists as if they are in conversation with one another.
Ruhle regrets that she never met Miriam and Joe Sample, or Donna Forbes, who now lives in Seattle. She doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge their importance at YAM. “The YAM's success is rooted in relationships,” Ruhle says. “I'm anxious to nurture existing relationships and foster new relationships for the future. We are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us. Our job is to carry their legacy forward.” ✻
“The Montana contemporary art community is so interconnected, and this exhibition embodies that,” Ruhle says.
FUTURE DREAMS Ruhle knows firsthand the value of early engagement with visual arts. As a young girl, she often accompanied her grandmother, an art museum docent, and tagged along when her teacher-mother incorporated museum field trips into her students' experiences. Ruhle attended every summer art camp she could. A college internship was the link between her love of art and a career in arts administration. On a given day at the YAM, you might meet a bus load of eager fourth-graders, bag lunches in hand, doing their best to maintain an orderly line before their docent tour begins. Among them might be a young boy like Ted Waddell, who wants to be an artist when he grows up. Maybe there's a girl who loves museums and who is destined for a career in arts administration.
Museum admission is now FREE!
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.
401 North 27th Street | Billings, MT | 406.256.6804 | artmuseum.org
Experience the harmonious collaboration of the Billings Symphony Orchestra, Billings Symphony Chorale, and MSU-Billings Chorus in the majestic performance of Song for Humanity, featuring Johannes Brahms' compelling work, A German Requiem. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10 | 7:30PM | ALBERTA BAIR THEATER Tickets available online at www.billingssymphony.org or by calling the Alberta Bair Theater Box Office at 406-256-6052 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 77
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Young homebuilders strike a high note with Scandinavian-modern style
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bu il d ing w it h th e fu t u re in m i nd
Couple builds dream home to age in place beautifully JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 79
in the
BEAUTY AND BALANCE
HOMEBUILDERS MARLEY AND JUSTIN Johnson’s design prefer-
ences inspire them to create one-of-a-kind quality custom homes. “I like dark, dramatic high contrast,” Justin says. Marley, for her part, says, “I’m more modern, but I like transitional style that withstands the test of time.” This high-octane couple skillfully pair their individualized styles with business acumen and homebuilding savvy, topped off by high standards of creativity and ability, and a big dose of abundant energy. Billings natives and owners of West Peak Construction, Marley and Justin combined these key ingredients for entry into this past September’s Parade of Homes collection. Their unique and edgy design focusing on Scandinavian-modern struck a high note with Parade visitors. The sleek appeal of their innovative kitchen tied for “best kitchen” in the People’s Vote. Situated on a three-quarter-acre lot on the southwest end of town in the Grove subdivision, their personal one-level home settles into the pastoral landscape. The exterior’s clean lines and unadorned black-frame Pella windows harmonize with the environment. The setting casts a serene feel, giving subtle nuance to the open display of
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grove2
YOUNG HOMEBUILDERS STRIKE A HIGH NOTE WITH SCANDINAVIAN-MODERN STYLE written by TRISH ERBE SCOZZARI photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
BEAUTIFUL PICTURE WINDOWS FROM PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS MAKE A STATEMENT ON THIS MODERN HOME modern architectural beauty inside the exquisite home. “The floor plan is so much more functional for our everyday living,” Marley says with enthusiasm as she points out a few of the home’s numerous highlights. “The open-concept area is meant to feel separated with the two ceiling heights, and we love the large windows. It’s an indoor-outdoor feel.” The organic “feel” expresses the couple’s outgoing personalities, as well as their pursuit and enjoyment of an active lifestyle. “We’ve been married five and a half years and we don’t sit still well,” says Marley. The large fenced yard is neatly manicured and their three sporting dogs well-behaved. “All the window sills are granite because of the dogs,” Marley points out. A carefully planned covered patio area with built-in barbecue and linear gas fire pit greets breathtaking sunrises, as well as a view of the Rims. The space easily accommodates crowds of friends and family the couple often entertains.
Black-frame sliding patio doors give relaxed access into the sun-dappled spacious living/dining/kitchen area, serving as the heart of this open-plan space. A gorgeous ash table crafted by one of the couple’s friends enriches the home’s natural edginess. Detailed planning with “a lot of revisions,” the couple agrees, has brought their vision to life. “We put time and thought into this home,” Marley says. “Justin worked about two years on the floor plan starting it on graph paper.” With a big grin, Justin adds, “I drew it to scale.” Considering the home’s square footage is 2,685 on one level with an additional 1,630-square-foot finished garage complete with mechanical and storage capacity, drawing to scale merits a young man’s grin. Justin’s expertise as a tile and flooring specialist, along with degrees in business management and organizational leadership, pairs well with Marley’s business management and accounting degrees. The combination prompted the couple to become an independent installation company several years ago. Marley also JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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continues as assistant manager at Goldsmith Gallery Jewelers, where she’s worked for over six years. During their recent homebuilding process, the couple reached out to another local business for design and cabinetry assistance. Designer Ragan Yetley of Beyond the Box worked closely with Marley and Justin in coming up with the elegant designs and cabinetry for the three bathrooms in this four-bedroom beauty, and for the spectacular kitchen. Each room richly celebrates the overall plan of the home, offering cohesiveness and structured order. The walk-in butler pantry quietly tucked behind the huge side-by-side fridge caters to the Scandi-modern mood, yet it can only be described as stunningly artistic with practical purpose. “Marley and Justin had a very clear 82
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vision of what they wanted from the beginning,” says Ragan. “Designing these areas was a matter of talking through how they use their spaces and what kind of storage they needed.” Since the couple cooks, grills, entertains and eats “95 percent of the time at home,” it serves them well to have focused on a functional kitchen. The bright and airy space sets the tone with its massive dark base center island surfaced with white quartzite. “It’s one full slab,” notes Justin of the island’s natural stone top, which is as beautiful as granite, yet more durable. “I told Marley, ‘You can design anything else around it!’” The island emphasizes Justin’s nod to “dramatic high contrast” while brilliantly defining the space. As a tiling and flooring specialist, Justin favorably leans to the artistic side. He crafted the single piece quartzite backsplash along the back wall’s cooking area,
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www.P3Coleman.com 86
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showcasing the custom work achieved in the home. The tile’s veining dances through with minimal effort, lending an additional dramatic element to the room. A black hood built by Justin gracefully extends above the five-burner gas range. It’s topped with crown molding and finished with a “lip” edging. It’s simple. It’s grand. It juxtaposes effortlessly with the warm wood tone cabinetry. The frameless slab style kitchen cabinetry is a Thermal Structured Surface (TSS). “It’s specially designed papers replicating various wood grain patterns and colorings that are thermally bonded to a particleboard substrate,” Ragan explains. It’s a very durable finish that also gives us the warm and natural ambiance to the living space.” Complementing the cabinetry, as well as the entire color scheme and look is Mozaik Waterwise Premium laminate flooring from Rich’s Modern Flooring. “The lighter-color flooring pulls out the light color in the wood cabinets,” Marley says.
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The clean lines and the quality craftsmanship caress every detail. An elegant minimalism in this striking interior with its neutral color palette enhances the Scandinavian-modern inspiration Marley and Justin created. “I like clean and simple,” Justin says. “We went with Scandinavian-look accents, too,” says Marley. “We did!” Justin smiles, saying, “Marley did the décor, and I supplied the elk heads.” The impressive bleached elk mounts, positioned on either side of the TV screen, present another dimension of the Scandinavian vibe procured from right here in Montana. The fireplace wall stands out as the focal point of this outstanding great room and sports a felt-backed acoustical wall. “Justin wanted a big, dramatic fireplace,” Marley says. Extra-large porcelain tiles compose the front of the fireplace wall. Centered below the elk mounts and TV screen is a classy Heat N Glo modern gas insert from Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning. It delivers a toasty coziness. “It’s a slat-look front with Woodupp (a Danish company’s acoustical wall panels), at the top,” Justin says. “The wall is 7½ feet at the bottom and 6½ feet at the top. The mantle is hemlock.” The detailing of the feature wall resonates throughout the rest of the home, magically Continued on pg. 91
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flowing from space to space. A fitness room sits on the northeast end and a posh powder room is conveniently located near the patio. Two guest rooms with a shared bath also sit off the great room on the northwest end. The detail, the tile work, the color themes, the use of natural stone in the bathrooms cannot be overstated, as each room is a veritable work of art. The office just off the front entrance features another extraordinary work of refined minimalism. So, too, does the main suite. The couple’s private sanctuary hits another high note in prioritizing minimalism in Scandi-modern style. “We did a panel wall instead of a headboard,” says Marley. “We went for it and it worked.” Black pendants dangle on both sides of the headboard, creating a splash of contrast and light. Across the room an electric fireplace nestles into a white tile-textured wall topped in black. The en suite resonates with equal chic classiness. “The shower is a straight walk-in,” Marley says, “with a no-frame shower door so it feels more open.” “It’s a curbless shower (meaning nothing to step over) with a linear drain,” adds Justin. “The 24-inch-by-48-inch black tile gives a fluted look and the corner niche is lighted.” Black cabinetry wraps up this absolutely divine bath while the walk-in closet hosting built-in dresser and mirror enhances the flavor of organized simplicity. Marley and Justin’s new home strikes every high note on the chart of simple, elegant living. These two young homebuilders have deftly mastered the art of arranging beauty and balance. Their distinct styles come together in one graceful movement in the Grove. ✻
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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future5
BUILDING WITH THE
IN MIND
CARLA AND PATRICK COBB didn’t have to go far to get to
their new custom-built home. They lived just a half mile away for more than 23 years — where their children grew up. But, being empty-nesters, the couple wanted a home that lent itself to their love of cooking and entertaining. They wanted a space that was both functional and automated where they could comfortably age in place over the next 20 or so years. The Cobbs’ architect, Eric Simonsen, recommended Myers Custom Homes to make their vision a reality. “From floor to ceiling, this home is built for the future of the Cobb family,” says Jon Glassing, the new owner of Myers Custom Homes, now GCC Glassing Custom Construction. “We worked together with the
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COUPLE BUILDS DREAM HOME TO AGE IN PLACE BEAUTIFULLY written by GAYLE SMITH photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN
Cobbs to ensure every detail was done with forward-thinking being a top priority.” The main floor is a little more than 3,400 square feet and takes up the majority of this nearly 4,800 square foot home. The main living space includes a spacious living area, kitchen, pantry, powder room, dining room, and expansive private master suite. A partial basement gives a little extra storage and a second level provides two bedrooms with two en suite baths, plus a sitting area that will comfortably accommodate family or guests. Thinking of the future, one of the upstairs bathrooms is even equipped with a bathtub — just in case “younger members” are added to the family.
5
From the spacious driveway, this contemporary craftsman home is covered in Owens Corning onyx black shingles and tumbled silver tip limestone giving the home a dynamic and inviting appearance. Mahogany garage doors match the front door, opening to a space that is both energizing and inviting. Walnut wood flows throughout most of the home not only in the trim but with interior built-in cabinets. The living space features high ceilings with eight-inch alder beams that bring warmth and charm to the open space. The wood flooring throughout the living and kitchen area is an oak flooring laminate, uniquely built with wider, 8-inch planks, not only reducing sound but also for easy care.
Working with Carla and Patrick on the fabrics, furniture, and design, Tiff Davidson-Blades, of Davidson Home Furnishings & Design, says, “My number one priority is to listen, interpret, and help create the vision the Cobbs had in mind to make the design process enjoyable and successful. We incorporated some items from their previous home that were important to them and melded them into the ‘eclectic traditional’ style of their new home. Blue was a comfortable and favorite color so we decided to ‘go big’ to pull the various shades together.” For the home’s lighting, Lauri Patterson of One Source Lighting, suggested the Cobbs bring along some unique chandeliers and sconces from their previous home, “Having a personal connection
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 93
WE INCORPORATED SOME ITEMS FROM THEIR PREVIOUS HOME THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM AND MELDED THEM INTO THE
‘ECLECTIC TRADITIONAL’ STYLE OF THEIR NEW HOME. BLUE WAS A COMFORTABLE AND FAVORITE COLOR SO WE DECIDED TO ‘GO BIG’ TO PULL THE VARIOUS SHADES TOGETHER. — Tiff Davidson-Blades
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your
comfort
your way.
to these pieces, they wanted very much to incorporate as many of the fixtures as possible,” she says. “Marrying these fixtures with new products where necessary, was a challenge that I was honored they trusted me with. The result — celebrating old traditions and beginning new ones,” says Lauri. Paying homage to her Canadian roots, Carla wanted to use Tyndall Stone, brought from a quarry in Manitoba, Canada. Both the fireplace in the living room and the face of the kitchen bar are covered in it. This unique limestone has a tapestry-like effect and fossils can be seen throughout. “We wanted to incorporate automated features such as the blinds, lights, and sound system that can be run from our smartphones,” says Carla. “Even our interior egg-shaped glass door knobs turn and open easily for mobility and we have wider doorways if there is ever a need for wheelchair accessibility. Everything we need now and in the future is located on the main floor,” she adds. The kitchen and surrounding space, including the dining room, are meant for cooking and entertaining — quartzite countertops, an island with plenty of space for guests, meal preparation, with a builtin warming oven, and built-in space for various kitchen gadgets. Summit Cabinetry owner Mark Davies designed and created the kitchen and pantry cabinets along with all the bathroom cabinets. Mark explains, “The Cobbs came to me with a vision of what they wanted. The pantry storage for small appliances and other kitchen storage was very important to them. This home is unique and very well thought out. Every room is different. With a mixture of design and the incorporation of different woods, there was a great deal of planning involved.” The countertops and kitchen island in both spaces were from Magic City Granite and are made of Quartzite. The tile on the kitchen walls, laminate flooring, and carpeting was installed by Pierce Flooring. There is also a bar with plenty of seating and a wrap-around on the end of the kitchen island made from custom walnut by Wilson Cabinetry, along with a full wine chiller and a built-in, back-lit bar. For convenience, the kitchen boasts a Ferguson refrigerator only, and in the pantry, a freezer only.
6 55- 9 700 • 2494 ENTERPRISE AVE • BILLINGS • RANDTSERVICES.COM 96
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Directly off the kitchen, the butler’s pantry serves as a functional workspace for a variety of things, housing small applianc-
CONGRATULATIONS COBB FAMILY on the completion of your beautiful new home!
Montana’s Brand of Banking Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender
THE MAIN FLOOR IS 3,400 SQUARE FEET AND TAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THIS NEARLY 4,800 SQUARE FOOT HOME.
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creating tomorrow’s ANTIQUES siness!
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THE BUTLER’S PANTRY SERVES AS A FUNCTIONAL WORKSPACE FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS, HAS TONS OF STORAGE, AND A GORGEOUS ISLAND/ WORKSPACE.
es, an ice maker, a washer and dryer, tons of storage, and a gorgeous island/workspace. One unusual, highly functional feature is what the Cobbs refer to as the “Costco entrance.” The full-size door, when opened from the pantry, has ample shelving space. On the opposite side, a door opens directly from the garage to easily bring things in to store. Two sets of leaded stained-glass double doors open into a classic dining room and into the master suite as well. The doors were designed in Billings by Susan Sommerfeld of Kennedy’s Stained Glass. “Carla and her designer brought in colored swatches, design patterns, and tiles as examples to use in the glass,” Susan says. “Then we determined how much light they wanted to shine through — adding a more transparent look and feel to the dining room, and for privacy, less light coming in through the master suite.” Keeping their future lifestyle in mind, the master suite features an office and at-home gym, along with the master bedroom, walkin closet by RTI Closets, and bath. A private Hot Springs Spa sits just outside, off the master bath. All windows for the home are Pella, and the gym features specialty windows that open in a variety of directions. From the living area, folding doors open to as much as 15 feet across for an open walk-through to an outdoor patio featuring a covered kitchen with overhead infrared heaters, and a gas fire pit
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BEAUTIFUL & AFFORDABLE GLASS DESIGNS
from R&T Services. The patio overlooks a built-in pool and an expansive fenced backyard. The entire patio and pool area are covered in three-quarter-inch tile. “We wanted a builder that would be willing to accommodate our needs,” Carla says. “Jon did a wonderful job. He was on top of everything with a clear attention to detail. We are healthy and vibrant now, but looking to the future. Our home is exactly what we envisioned.” “Incorporate where you will be in 10 to 20 years,” says Jon, “When you build a custom home, you are going to be there awhile. Think about where that is going to take you.” ✻
(406) 259-3426 2850 Grand Ave, Billings, MT Zach Wilson, Owner rockymountainglassmt.com info@rockymountainglassmt.com
Perfectly
Pella Window & Doors • 406.656.1516 104
YVW MAGAZINE
Beautiful
builder7 SPOTLIGHT A LOOK AT GCC GLASSING CUSTOM HOMES
MEYERS CUSTOM HOMES’, Scott Meyers, a long-time
Billings Home Builder, has retired, passing the torch to home building veteran, Jon Glassing, whose new business name is GCC Glassing Custom Construction. Jon worked with Scott for the last
12 years and has been in the home-building industry for almost 20 years. “I learned many years ago from Scott, that to create a successful home build or remodel, the attention to detail was key.” ✻
O PENING T HE DO O RS T O
406-350-0301 • rticlosetsmt.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 105
new listing
Under Contract
4076 RIFLE CREEK TRL
4034 HYALITE CT
1503 REDWING CIR
1719 FRONT ST
1126 29TH ST W
5140 CLAPPER FLAT RD
Lot #1 2.937 Acres
Pureview Lane n Sky
Bluff Lane
ne La
Southern Sky Lane
Lot #8 1.64 Acres
7 res t # Ac Lo 123 2.
Can
al
Team Hanel - Robin & Tom Hanel
9 res c t# 3A 7 2.3
Lo
| Korinne Rice
406.860.6181
Amberley Lane
BB W A
Danford Road
4 res t # Ac Lo 103 2. 5 res t # Ac Lo 107 2. 6 res t # Ac Lo 199 2.
Lot #12 1.214 Acres
al
er
3 re c t# 7A 2 2.4
Lo Can
th
s
BB W A
Lot #10 2.2 04 Acre s
Lot #2 2.931 Acres
Sou
1.2+ Acre Lots 139,000
©2023 A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC.
Under Contract
1006 VICTORY AVE
Residential Area
Project Financed By
new listing
4118 WOODCREEK DR
SOUTHERN SKY ESTATES Starting at $
Under Contract
Lot #11 3.216 Acres
TURN HERE
17+ Acres
11 lots, 1-3+ acres
SOUTHERN SKY ESTATES
sold
2+ Acres Each
1019 52ND ST W
sold
RED LODGE RANCH
sold
LOT 15 & LOT 16 CLARKS POINT
WEST END LOT
sold
GOLF COURSE RANCHER
sold
PRYOR CREEK GOLF COURSE
REMINGTON SQUARE PATIO HOME
Our experience with Team Hanel has been a family affair. Tom, Robin and Korinne not only
expertly marketed and navigated the sale of our family home, they also found our new home to meet our very specific needs. During this time our daughter and new son-in-law decided to start looking for a home and we suggested using Team Hanel. With
patience and knowledge of the market, Kennedy and Josh are settled into their first new home. Selling and buying a home can be stressful, but Team Hanel truly cares about you and together guides you through the entire process. We would recommend Team Hanel to anyone in the market to buy or sell. — Kevin & Leslie Chambers and Josh & Kennedy Hopkinson
• • • • •
TEAM HANEL
• • • • •
TOM HANEL ROBIN HANEL 406-690-4448 406-860-6181 Tom@TomHanel.com
Robin@RobinHanel.com
KORINNE RICE 406-697-0678
Korinne@TeamHanel.com www.berkshirehathawayhs.com
O NE COLOR / S IN GL E L IN E
FITS BETTER. WORKS HARDER. APPAREL • RUBBER BOOTS • SOCKS • GLOVES • OUTERWEAR ... AND MORE! BIG R WEST 2600 Gabel Road (406) 652-9118
BIG R HEIGHTS 1908 Main Street (406) 384-0099
BIG R EAST 216 N. 14th Street (406) 252-0503
BIG R SHERIDAN BIG R LEWISTOWN 2049 Sugarland Dr. 825 NE Main Street (307) 674-6471 (406) 350-4422
BIG R HARDIN 1001 N. Center Ave. (406)-953-5111
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refresh LET'S
YOUR KITCHEN
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