Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine

Rimrock River Sisters

Yokie Johnson

Prevent:

LIVE

Letter FROM THE Editor

FOR ME, summer in Montana always feels like a treasured gift that you just can’t enjoy for as long as you’d like. When even the wisp of warm weather hits, I become a bit crazed prodding my family to get outside. At the time of writing, we’ve already logged over a hundred miles from our walks, hikes and bike rides.

But, it’s the river that I watch the most this time of year, waiting for the flow to be just right so we can explore our area’s waterways.

A few years ago, we decided to take advantage (finally) of the mighty Yellowstone, which flows within walking distance of our home. I have always been a lover of the water. Family memories made me even more so.

My love was sparked during family rafting trips. I remember one in particular when my daughter was 10. It was the float where she “rode the bull” and was seated at the very front of the raft as we hit up the Gallatin River’s Mad Mile. It was later in the season so that wicked, boulder-laden stretch didn’t pack nearly as much punch as it would have in June or July.

Billings KOA. My mom was a bit confused when we called her asking for a ride home. Then, there was another time we got off the river to blood-curdling screams as my daughter stumbled upon a fly-infested dead deer on the shore. It’s the circle of life, honey. It’s the circle of life.

We’ve since graduated to kayaks, knowing we can take in a little more of the season and have loved exploring so many different stretches of the river from Big Timber to Billings. My friends laugh because when it’s river time, my social media feed becomes a non-stop flow of things I see while floating — eagles, herons, pelicans, cranes, deer and even the occasional cow or two. I can’t help myself. I have to share.

As she grabbed the ropes on each side of the raft to brace herself, you could see the look of anticipation on her face. She glanced back at me as if to say, “I’ve got this.” And I chuckled, knowing the outfitter who guided us would never put her in harm’s way.

As we made our way down, the waves from the rapids would crash completely over her body. I’d hold my breath and wait for the water to settle only to see her pop up, white knuckled on those ropes, laughing uncontrollably and readying herself for the next whitecapped wave.

Since that time, we decided to buy tubes, and when the Yellowstone was tame enough, we’d head to the Duck Creek Bridge, plop ourselves in and just float until we climbed out onto the shores near Riverfront Park.

There were some comical moments since those early days, like the time we missed our “river exit” and ended up walking through brush only to emerge right in the middle of a person’s campsite at the

My love has become so evident that last Christmas, my mother-in-law smiled as she handed me my gift — a sweatshirt that simply states on the front, “River Bum.” Yep. Guilty as charged.

Summer in Mon-

tana makes many of us feel alive and thankful that we live in such a beautiful part of the country that is so flush with places to explore. It’s why we devoted pieces of this issue to the spirit of summer fun. From a Montana road trip to Terry, with suggestions on places to enjoy, to an afternoon in Fishtail tasting the delicious cuisine of MontAsia to an invitation from the Rimrock River Sisters to join them on their next fly-fishing excursion to campfire cuisine recipes and glamping and camping must-haves. This issue is all that and more with one goal in mind — to provide inspiration for you to plan your end of summer adventure. Cheers to your next journey whatever it may be! ✻

Sincerely,

The River Bum a.k.a. Julie

Rediscover the joy of making new connections. Here at Westpark Village, we believe that needing a helping hand occasionally shouldn’t stop you from doing the things you love. Our community thrives on days brimming with delightful surprises, tailored just for you. Embrace tranquility, indulge in top-notch amenities, and bask in our warm and inviting ambiance, complete with restaurant-style dining, weekly housekeeping, convenient transportation services, and a vibrant calendar of events. And don’t forget, personalized care is always available when you need it. There’s so much more waiting to be explored.

Let us know you saw our ad in the YVW Magazine and you will be placed in a drawing for a Sanctuary Spa massage!

Billings

meet the STAFF

Michele Konzen Sales Executive

gayle smith Sales Executive / Writer

melanie Fabrizius Design

daniel sullivan Photography

Terry Perkins Sales Executive

trish scozzari Sales Executive / Writer

casey Page Photography

Nicole Burtell Distribution

LAURA BAILeY Social Media / Writer

ed kemmick Copy Editor / Writer

As a Level I Trauma Center, St. Vincent Regional Hospital offers the highest level of care in the region. Whether you’re having a heart attack, stroke, or you’ve had a sudden traumatic injury, we’re prepared to handle it.

It is always our goal to stay at the forefront of research and medical advancements in trauma care; with the resources, training, and technologies to treat every type of injury or critical health event. Serving our communities throughout Montana and Wyoming, we provide the life-saving care you and your loved ones need, when you need it most, right here close to home.

Learn more at svh.org/trauma

into the

Wild Wild

THE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND often defies description and the women you are about to meet prove that. We introduce you to Amanda, who tenderly raised a river otter pup abandoned by its mother, forming an inseparable bond that remains today. We meet Melissa, who pursued her passion for raising rare

MEET THE WOMEN WHOSE WORK HAS AN ANIMAL ATTRACTION

breeds of chickens, transforming a patch of land into a sanctuary of clucks and feathers. And there’s the group of pioneering scientists who collaborate tirelessly on a groundbreaking vaccine that is working hard at worldwide wildlife conservation. Turn the page and get ready to journey into the wild. ✻

Unbreakable Unbreakable

ON A COLD FEBRUARY morning in 2018, animal caretaker Amanda Atkinson was busy prepping breakfast for the bears at ZooMontana. Early mornings at the zoo were typically pretty quiet. That was about to change.

An incoming phone call interrupted the morning stillness. Allyson Dredla, a colleague working in the zoo’s Wetlands area, was talking excitedly on the other end of the line. When there is an unexpected animal health issue, Amanda is usually the first call. Allyson had just discovered four premature otter pups huddled together. The little critters weighed less than four ounces each.

The two women sprang into action to resuscitate and warm the pups, tiny enough to fit in the palms of their hands. They called ZooMontana Director Jeff Ewelt and zoo Curator Travis Goebel, knowing that difficult decisions were ahead.

Surrogate Otter Mom

At the time, ZooMontana was home to Ben, an adult male otter, and Mia, an adult female otter. Together, they’d produced three litters of healthy pups. But this time, Mia had had no visible signs of pregnancy, and she wanted no part of raising those offspring.

“It is rare that an otter is orphaned or not accepted by their dam,” Amanda says, adding that otters are fierce parents, like a bear with her cubs. “In Mia’s case, I believe she didn’t produce any milk, which is why she didn’t take the kits.”

It was all hands on deck to figure out how to care for the little ones.

“Too be honest, I don’t quite remember what the discussion was, besides all of us in Jeff’s office with North American river otter manuals thrown everywhere,” Amanda says. “We had the babies in our sweater pockets to keep them warm and we made Travis drive everywhere in town looking for bottles, milk and Colostrum.” (Side note: Amanda says they now keep these things on hand.)

“Because mom had no interest, we knew hand-raising them was the only option,” Jeff says. “They needed round-the-clock care.”

Every day the pups lived, their chances of survival increased. Amanda ended up caring for two pups she named Sam and Frodo. Allyson cared for two she named Wade and Francis. The otter babies required feedings every few hours with a special formula administered in an infant-sized syringe. The pups went home with them at night and returned to the zoo with them each morning.

AMANDA ATKINSON, TRAVIS GOEBEL, ALLISON DREDLA & JEFF EWELT

“Those two doted on those pups for months,” Travis says. “I’m so proud of them!”

Sadly, little Frodo succumbed to a kidney abscess. Eventually, Wade and Francis went to the West Yellowstone Grizzly and Wolf Center, where they continue to live their best otter lives.

Little Sam was left without a sibling or a mama to emulate as he matured. He craved constant attention. By necessity (or maybe it was fate), Amanda became Sam’s surrogate mom.

“My house was chaotic!” Amanda remembers. Sam slept on a stack of fleece blankets (many handmade by Amanda’s mother) in the mudroom. He’d splash in the bathtub, climb out of his playpen and scatter his toys about just like any other toddler.

“Sam was my baby,” Amanda says. Her voice becomes animated and her face brightens as she talks about Sam. “He thinks I’m his mama.” While showing off a tattoo of Sam on her right forearm, Amanda shares the advice offered by a Denver Zoo caretaker with experience hand-raising an otter.

“Let him grow up to be an otter,” cau-

tioned the caretaker. Amanda kept the advice close to her heart, knowing that someday, Sam would return to the zoo’s otter habitat.

Something Smells Fishy

By five months, Sam was weaned and introduced to a fish-based diet. Seeing Sam’s fondness for food, Amanda would reward him with a chunk of frozen fish when he rolled over, played dead or did other tricks.

“I smelled like fish for a long time,” Amanda says with feigned exasperation.

As plans were made to reintroduce Sam to the zoo full-time, Amanda found an unused zoo space she dubbed his “condo.” Worried that Sam would be lonesome, Amanda had many sleepovers in Sam’s “condo,” where he lovingly would burrow under her pillow as they slept.

By his first birthday, Sam met his otter dad, Ben. The visits confirmed that Sam knew he was an otter. The two yipped at each other and rolled around like old friends. Amanda hosted a first birthday party for Sam and

Did You Know?

FUN, FAST ZOOFACTS ABOUT ZOOMONTANA

ZooMontana is one of AMERICA’S TOP 10 ZOOS, according to USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The zoo is dedicated to the conservation of ANIMALS THAT LIVE ALONG THE 45TH PARALLEL.

As such, ZooMontana animals are acclimated to the temperature variations and the four seasons of Billings, Montana.

It’s Montana’s only AZA accredited ZOO, BOTANICAL PARK AND ARBORETUM.

Nearly 100 ANIMALS representing more than 50 species reside at ZooMontana. Their living areas are intended to mimic their natural habitats.

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT ZOOMONTANA.ORG

she’s continued the annual celebration inviting ZooMontana personnel and friends.

Mia wasn’t as enamored with Sam when they were reintroduced. Amanda attributes the cool reception to gender differences and Sam’s male scent. Mia scolded Sam with loud yelping noises to “put him in his place,” but Mia’s since come around. She’s been spayed and Ben neutered. In six years’ time, Sam grew from four ounces at birth to six pounds at weaning, to weighing in now at 22 pounds.

Still My Little Marshmallow

“Sam’s now the largest ZooMontana otter. He’s the otter alpha male,” Amanda says. “Often he doesn’t know his own strength. But, he’s still my little marshmallow.”

When the opportunity presents itself and the two are together, Amanda rubs Sam’s tummy and tickles his toes. He makes a giggling sound and rubs his face on her leg. While Sam can be “quite the show-off” for visitors, it's clear that for him, there’s no one like Amanda.

“I was told by several animal professionals from other facilities that our relationship was rare but also that once he hit 3 or

4 years old it would disappear due to sexual maturity,” Amanda says. “Well, at 6 years old he still bounces out of his skin when he sees me.”

“He is truly imprinted on his ‘mama,’” Jeff says of the pair’s relationship.

It’s evident the bond is mutual. Jeff remembers a brief discussion a while back about relocating Sam to another zoo. When Amanda heard the rumblings, she says she marched into his office.

“If Sam goes, I go!” Amanda remembers telling her boss.

“Quite emphatically!” he recalls, as he flashed his characteristic “ZooGuy” grin.

The subject of moving Sam has never come up again.

“We all love Sam,” Jeff says, “and are happy he is still here at ZooMontana.” ✻

VIRGINIA BRYAN, writer

Virginia Bryan is a freelance writer and Director of ArtWalk Downtown Billings. She has written extensively about our region's artists,culture, history and women.

R ainbow R ainbow R ainbow

Laying a Laying a

MEET MELISSA HEIKEN AND THE HERITAGE CHICKENS OF OPRY HILL FARM

written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

VISITORS TO OPRY HILL FARM are welcomed by some big names. There’s Bob Dillon, Colonel James and Randy Rogers, all roosters who take turns patrolling the yard. Today it’s Randy’s turn and he takes his job seriously, strutting across the lawn with swagger. He is a flashy Silverudd Blue with a bright red comb, black tail feathers and a cocky stride. Randy knows he’s one handsome bird.

When he sees Melissa Heiken, Opry Hill’s owner, he steps into a run. Randy knows she probably has a treat or will at least offer a few compliments on his good looks. Melissa breeds chickens at her small farm near Laurel. The nine breeds she prefers, and the ones her customers favor too, lay colorful eggs. Their eggs range from pale blue to deep chocolate brown and moss green to pale pink.

“All of the breeds I offer are going to lay a pretty egg,” Melissa says. “That’s just my thing.”

Her favorite breed, the Silverudd Blue, lays an egg that’s nearly the same color as mint chocolate chip ice cream. Silverudds are a rare heritage breed that do well in colder climates, and they’re known for their easygoing personality.

“They’re quirky, gentle and inquisitive,” Melissa says.

Melissa got her start in the in the business of chickens in 2019, when her husband handed her a Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog and gave her the green light to purchase a few chicks.

“I went all in,” Melissa says. “I started with six, which became 20, and by the end of the year I had 52.”

Her first batch of chicks were named after country-western singers, and she’s kept that tradition ever since. Melissa decided that first year that she wanted to sell chicks and launched a breeding program to focus on colored eggs.

She loves her chickens and can tell them all apart. Some have quirky waddle, others are fluffier or have a larger or smaller comb, or a peculiar twitch of their head.

“You go through your 20s and you’re looking for something to feed your soul, and then I got to my 30s and finally found what feeds my soul, and it’s chickens!” Melissa says.

Melissa is busiest from February through mid-June, when she is hatching chicks for delivery across the United States via the U.S. Postal Service. She has a small hatchery with five to 10 incubators set up in a spare bedroom in her home. The room is warm, tidy and quiet until Tuesdays, when the pipping starts first thing in the morning. By the time the day is over the small pens on the

ALL OPRY HILL CHICKS ARE NPIP (NATURAL POULTRY IMPROVEMENT PLAN) CERTIFIED AND MELISSA’S FLOCK IS TESTED TO BE SURE THEY ARE DISEASE-FREE AND CANNOT SPREAD A VARIETY OF DISEASES INCLUDING AVIAN INFLUENZA AND SALMONELLA PULLORUM.

floor are filled with fluffy, noisy chicks.

In five to seven days, they’ll be shipped with a 72-hour heat pack, food and enough electrolytes to last them a few days in the mail.

Many commercial hatcheries ship day-old chicks, but Melissa doesn’t like the risk of sending such young chicks through the mail. A few days can make a big difference, she says. Opry Hill also offers hatching eggs, which are shipped through the mail as well. For customers who only want laying hens, Melissa will also raise a limited number of chicks to an age when the males and females can be identified and sell females as feathered-out pullets.

All Opry Hill chicks are NPIP (Natural Poultry Improvement Plan) certified and Melissa’s flock is tested to be sure they are disease-free and cannot spread a variety of diseases including avian influenza and salmonella pullorum. It’s a voluntary program that adds another layer of protection for Melissa’s customers. To maintain the certification, Melissa adheres to strict bio-security protocols.

Melissa has nine breeding pens and a few experimental projects going all the time. She’s breeding for personality as well as a beautiful egg. That takes spending time in the pens getting to know each bird individually.

“They all have different personalities,” she says. “I only keep offspring from the really friendly ones.”

Melissa has become an Excel spreadsheet pro and keeps impeccable records.

“The genetics is just so fascinating to me,” she says.

It took four years and six generations to achieve the consistent

color she’s looking for, and she has her chickens genetically tested at a lab in Florida to ensure their offspring will lay colored eggs.

Melissa leaves nothing to chance. Her flock is fed organic feed, and they’re on a feeding regimen that’s carefully tracked, which makes a difference in the quality of the eggs and chicks. All her birds are free-range at various times during the day.

“I believe it’s just a better quality of life,” Melissa says.

Despite the small size of her operation, Opry Hill’s colorful eggs stand out, thanks to Melissa’s online marketing efforts. She regularly posts on social media and has a bank of YouTube videos covering almost all aspects of chicken keeping and breeding. One of her first birds, Reba, a golden comet, became a viral celebrity on TikTok and clucked her way to more than 5 million views.

“If anyone really wants to get into it, I say pick a breed and go for it,” Melissa says.

Some of her marketing strategies have had to take a back seat while Melissa focuses her time on her 5-year-old and 6-monthold children.

“There’s a fine line between perfection and getting it done,” she says.

Chickens were the gateway to more farm projects. Melissa now also raises and breeds goats and keeps an ever-expanding garden. She has dreams of one day growing and selling lavender. With a marketing plan and some spread sheets, it won’t be long before she reaches her goal.

“If you want to be successful,” Melissa says, “you have to do what you love.” ✻

TO KEEP TABS ON OPRY HILL FARM, visit them online at opryhill.com or follow the farm on social media at Facebook. com/opryhill or @opryhill on Instagram.

More Than Juice

BILLINGS WOMEN USE A UNIQUE APPROACH TO KEEP WILDLIFE POPULATIONS IN CHECK

Leading Leading Leading the way way way the the

written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

EVERY WILD HORSE HERD has its own personality. Some are curious and easy to approach. Some are wary and shy, while others are ghosts, so elusive they can hardly be found. From Montana’s Pryor Mountains to the Mojave Desert in Nevada, Kayla Grams, the senior biologist for the Billings-based Science and Conservation Center, has gotten to know them all.

“Their behavior is just fascinating, and they surprise me all the time,” Kayla says.

When it comes to wild horses, overpopulation is often a problem. These horses typically live on public lands, competing with native wildlife and cattle for a limited supply of grass and water. Without population control, the herd grows larger, the range becomes over-grazed and the horses eventually die of starvation.

Kayla is part of a group of women who work out of the center — located on the grounds of ZooMontana — dedicated to providing humane, affordable, non-lethal solutions to control animal populations not just in Montana but all over the world.

Their main tool in the fight is what’s known as the PZP vaccine. PZP stands for procine zona pollucida. Zona pollucida is a protein coating found on the eggs of all mammals. It’s a sperm receptor critical to egg fertilization. When the PZP is introduced to animals other than pigs via a vaccine, their immune system mounts a response that disables their own zona pollucida, blocking fertilization. It doesn’t disrupt hormones and can block fertilization for about a year before wearing off. The more recently developed PZP22 can last up to four years.

Since a wild horse is unlikely to stand still for a vaccine, Kayla and those she trains use dart guns to target the mares of a herd. It requires good placement and a good aim.

THE SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION CENTER

THE SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION CENTER

located on the grounds of ZooMontana is dedicated to providing HUMANE, AFFORDABLE, NON-LETHAL SOLUTIONS TO CONTROL ANIMAL POPULATIONS not just in Montana but all over the world.

located on the grounds of ZooMontana is dedicated to providing HUMANE, AFFORDABLE, NON-LETHAL SOLUTIONS TO CONTROL ANIMAL POPULATIONS not just in Montana but all over the world.

“They get smart with time,” Kayla says. “You have to try to get as close to them as you can for as long as you can.”

Most wild horse herds in the United States are managed under the Wild Horse and Burro Program, which has adopted the use of PZP in many herds. The program also manages herd numbers by regularly gathering horses using helicopters and ATVs. Some are placed for adoption while others are sent to live the rest of their lives in long-term holding facilities.

“With PZP we can insert ourselves into the problem earlier in the problem — ahead of the problem, before the foals are born,” says Kim Frank, the executive director of the Science and Conserva-

tion Center.

Right now, PZP is being used to manage 16 wild horse herds in the United States as well as herds in Romania and Hungary.

“Fertilization control is just one of the tools for managing overpopulation problems,” Kim says.

Outside of a few research facilities, the Science and Conservation Center is the only location where PZP is made. It’s also the only

place that distributes the vaccine. Since the vaccine can be used on more than just wild horses, the team is providing vaccines for roughly 250 zoos and game preserves worldwide — everything from the elephants of South Africa to feral burros in Arizona to bison on Catalina Island, California.

Kim and Kayla have become well-traveled in their professional careers, which have taken them to destinations across North America, Europe, South Africa and Australia. These days, most zoos and wildlife preserves send staff or volunteers to the Science and Conservation Center for training. Afterward, Kayla will always take questions from those in the field.

“The center established the model early on,” Kayla says. “We decided, let’s work with people who are the boots on the ground — the people who are passionate about wild horses and wildlife.”

Kim's background is in business, and she started at the Science and Conservation Center in 1993 as a volunteer for the zoo. She earned a business degree and eventually worked her way up to executive director. All along she carried a passion for science.

"I think, why me? Me of all people? How did I end up with such an amazing opportunity, and then to be able to make it my career,” Kim says. “It's sometimes hard to believe.”

KAYLA GRAMS, KIMBERLY FRANK, ANNA HOOVER & MELISSA ESSER (PICTURED ON LAPTOP)

I THINK, WHY ME? ME OF ALL PEOPLE? HOW DID I END UP WITH SUCH AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT MY CAREER. IT'S SOMETIMES HARD TO BELIEVE.

—Kim Frank

In addition to Kim and Kayla, there are two other women on the Science and Conservation Center team. Melissa Esser is the science liaison, and her role is to identify potential locations where PZP can be used and make connections with wildlife and zoo managers.

“I help identify barriers for people using PZP and PZP22 and help remove those barriers,” she says.

Anna Hoover, the newest member of the staff, is the Lab Technician, and her job is to make the PZP vaccine under Kayla’s supervision. All the women have a longstanding interest in science and wildlife.

The Science and Conservation Center was established as a nonprofit in 2001, but the PZP technology had been under development by Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick since the 1970s. Kirkpatrick was a critic of wild horse roundups and was looking for a humane and non-lethal alternative for population control. Kirkpatrick developed the PZP vaccine along with his colleagues Dr. John Turner at the University of Toledo and Irwin Lui at the University of California-Davis. In the late 1980s, Kirkpatrick became a member of the faculty at Montana State University-Billings and joined the staff of ZooMontana as the conservation biologist in 1993. He brought the PZP technology with him and established the lab at the zoo in 1998.

“Jay pushed for its use in the field in real life situations,” Kim says.

These days, research continues at Purdue University and the University of Ohio to develop a PZP vaccine that doesn’t need to be mixed right before injecting it in the field. Kim and her team are also committed to educating wildlife managers about using the vaccine for humane population control.

Working with wildlife and federal management agencies doesn't come without challenges. Bureaucracy often moves in slow motion, and wildlife management agencies seem to be always changing their protocols and procedures. However, Kim and her team believe in what they do.

"We get back up and wipe the dirt off and keep on going,” Kim says, “because we have a lot of people that depend on us.” ✻

EXPERIENCING THE HOMETOWN HOSPITALITY OF TERRY, MONTANA

written and photography by STELLA FONG

Hidden Treasures

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, a friend gave me Donna Lucey’s book, “Photographing Montana 1894-1928, The Life and Work of Evelyn Cameron,” after my husband and I first moved here. After all these years, I wanted to see Cameron’s vivid images that captured the spirit of the people who had settled in this part of southeast Montana, in Terry.

On a recent Saturday morning, my husband and I made the pilgrimage to the town that had preserved and protected her images of early pioneer

life. As we journey east on I-94, I marvel at the vast blue skies that stretch over a rugged and craggy landscape, and I find comfort that the Yellowstone River guides us along, always bordering the north side of the road.

After getting off the interstate at Exit 176, we drive towards the town of almost 600 people, established with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1881 and named after General Alfred Howe Terry of the U.S. Army.

Prairie Unique

Prairie Unique is our destination. This shop, owned by Dale and Kathy Galland, is a gift and hobby shop in one. As we step inside, a woman’s voice shouts an enthusiastic “Hello!” With a bright smile, Kathy bounds out from the back. She greets us as though we were long-lost friends and immediately hands us a piece of caramel swirl saltwater taffy.

The Gallands opened shop in 1995, becoming one of the first vendors to sell Montana-made products.

Kathy says, “We attended our first Made in Montana Tradeshow the year we opened and found such a wide array of extremely high-quality products made in Montana, and as we love Montana and its people, it was a no-brainer to handle the best Montana has to offer.”

Books authored by Big Sky writers are neatly displayed in the corner by the window. Open shelves feature ceramics from Patti Gettel of Moonstone Clay and Mountain Arts Pottery. Selections of culinary concoctions range from Huckleberry Haven jams and jellies, to Mimi’s Mustard and Dip, Arthur Wayne hot sauces and more. On the back wall, photographs of the Natural Bridges in the Terry Badlands, taken by Dennis Kaul, entice me to explore these nearby features.

I pause at the glass cases displaying handmade jewelry created by Macs Gems, Cool Water Jewelry, and RoseworksMT to even-

tually make my way to the next rooms with Montana children’s books, toys, puzzles and games.

I gasp as I step into the back room. Above the big table providing space for Dale’s upholstery work, my eyes are drawn towards the ceiling covered with radio-controlled model airplanes crafted by Dale. It’s a collection he started more than 50 years ago.

“Life is too short to not have fun,” Dale says.

After a childhood of farming with his family in Fallon, Dale attended college in Glendive at what he called the “Harvard on the Hill.” He returned home to farm, but an accident forced him to change careers. “I farmed until I screwed up my back. I was too hungry to work for anybody,” which led the Gallands to open a hobby shop in Fallon before later moving to Terry.

PRAIRIE UNIQUE OWNER KATHY GALLAND

PRAIRIE UNIQUE OWNER DALE GALLAND

Prairie County Museum

We slip across the street to the Prairie County Museum, housed in the 1916 neoclassical State Bank of Terry building. Here, we’re greeted by long-time museum volunteer Glenn Heitz.

Glenn began his tour with an introduction to the life and times of Evelyn Cameron.

“Lady Evelyn Cameron willed her ranch and belongings to Janet Williams,” he says. Williams held Cameron’s prints — as well as nearly 1,800 glass plates, nitrate negatives and detailed diaries — in her house before writer Donna Lucey discovered them in 1979. Lucey eventually gained the trust of Williams, who later allowed her to look at Cameron’s photos. “She worked on her book in Janet’s basement,” Glenn says.

Next door, at the Evelyn Cameron Gallery, Glenn leads us to the famous photo of her wearing a long white skirt and standing on her horse, Jim. Story after story spills from Glenn as we walk by each photo. His excitement peaks when we reach the back room, where Cameron’s diaries are stored.

Our tour continues to an old steam-heated outhouse, the Burlington Northern train depot, and the original 1906 State Bank of Terry building.

Roy Rogers Bar Grill and Casino

Lunch came thanks to the Roy Rogers Bar Grill and Casino owned by DeAnna and Travis Anderson. They purchased the restaurant at auction in 2018. Immediately, they refaced the front, opened up the inside, and updated the kitchen and restrooms. A long bar anchors one side of the room with the opposite lower wall accented with corrugated metal and black-and-white photos of rodeo competitors hanging above.

After devouring the house salad with crispy chicken and ranch dressing, and my husband savoring his bacon cheeseburger, we were reenergized for our afternoon adventure.

Terry Super Valu

Afterwards, we slide into the Terry Super Valu market to grab a kuchen. On the bottom shelf in a back freezer, the German-inspired pie-like pastry flavored with raspberry, apple, strawberry and other fruits can be found stacked on the bottom shelf.

Owner Sharon Self, who bought the market with her husband Don 32 years ago, does all the baking. The original recipe for the kuchen came from the previous German owners. Sharon’s baked goods repertoire consists of “28 cookie varieties. Caramel chocolate chip, oatmeal chocolate chip, Snickerdoodles, Twix. I can bake 4- to 500 dozen cookies a week,” she says.

Terry Badlands

Dale from Unique Prairie takes us on a shuttle three miles from town to the Terry Badlands, a designated Wilderness Study Area by the Bureau of Land Management. This beautiful, desolate landscape showcases spires, buttes, hoodoos, ravines and canyons.

PRAIRIE COUNTY MUSEUM VOLUNTEER GLEN HEITZ

Kempton Hotel

Returning to town, we moseyed over to the Kempton Hotel. Built in 1902, the colonial style two-story white building sport ing a prominent neon sign is a museum.

Upon stepping in, a Northern Pacific Railway Montana Roundup poster by Jessamine Spear Johnson greets us, along with other framed railway images. A wagon wheel couch with embroidered steer heads sits under a coin operated pay phone. Antique saddles line the stairway banister. There is history everywhere.

BD Bar

For dinner we drove 10 miles east to the BD Bar in Fallon. We walk into a bar with a live-edged wood counter bordered on one side by a knotty pine trunk. I order the hamburger steak from a menu, which consists of steaks, burgers and pizza. My dish came with brown gravy, Texas toast, a baked potato and a trip to the salad bar. The food was a perfect representation of a sign on the wall of the bar which read, “Gather for Good Food, Good Friends and Good Times.”

TERRY BADLANDS

Back at the Kempton Hotel

We return to a cozy room at the Kempton. Bryon Birdsall prints of landscapes with snowcapped mountains highlight the space. A yellow clapboard headboard soars over a queen-size bed with pillows and a quilt complementing the wall colors.

In the morning, I find owner Russell Schwartz sitting at the “coffee table” downstairs. With two other guests, conversations range from antique automobiles and books to the current state of affairs. Schwartz shares stories with ease. He credited an old roommate who was a pastor “who would practice his sermons on me” at honing his craft.

After working in Fairbanks, Alaska, as a contractor for 42 years he returned home with his wife, Linda, to care for his mother. Fallon was his home and Glendive hers.

His grandmother had worked at the hotel and his father once wanted to purchase the establishment. In 1988, the Schwartzes were given the chance to buy one of the oldest continually operating hotels in Montana.

In two of the hotel rooms, shelves brim with rare books from his collection of 25,000 volumes.

As a young boy, his love of reading drove him to collect the Uncle Wiggily, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series. He had read the entire Horatio Hornblower collection along with Patrick O’Brian’s famous Aubrey-Maturin series. “I have had a 50-year passion to collect books.”

Dizzy Diner

The Dizzy Diner is the popular stop for breakfast burritos or bowls, and breakfast sandwiches made with biscuits. Sadly, the day we ventured out, it was closed.

In 2001, mother and son, Pam and Rance Jones, bought the restaurant that had been owned by many people since 1960. Pam says, “We decided it was making us dizzy trying to keep track of who owned it and when, so the name ‘Dizzy Diner’ seemed fitting.”

As we continue toward home, after a quick stop at the interpretative signs erected by the Prairie Country Grazing District at the confluence of the Powder and Yellowstone rivers, my thoughts blur from all that I had experienced. What came into focus was the generosity shared by the proud keepers of history and hospitality in the small town of Terry, Montana. ✻

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

THE WORLD THE WORLD OYSTER OYSTER is her

OWNER OF TRAVEL CAFÉ SAVORS THE JOURNEY

written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

BILLIE RUFF HAS STORIES TO TELL. But, really, a frog in the sink?

“Yes, a client called me (from a resort) to tell me there was a frog living in his sink,” she says, chuckling. “I got on the phone to my vendor and was able to get my client moved to a different room.”

Then she smiles.

“But not without an argument.”

For the past 40 years, Billie has worked in the travel industry –— an industry that has seen major changes over time and is now enjoying a rebirth. As CEO and owner of Travel Café, she’s withstood the ups and downs on the strength of her personal service: besides arranging tickets and tours, she sells peace of mind.

“The biggest thing we do for consumers is advocate before, during and after a trip,” she says. “It’s just that extra layer of peace of mind working with a professional.”

Seated at her desk in her third-floor office of Billings Stockman Bank, Billie exudes professionalism. There’s no doubt that she’s an authority at what she does, but she wouldn’t be where she is without having tons of fun along the way.

“They said it was so very fun for them to see what the day had for them,” Billie says.

This July, as Travel Café celebrates its 25th anniversary, Billie has her own story to tell. The travel bug bit her early, during high school, when she traveled to Mexico City to visit an exchange student she’d met in Billings.

“That’s probably the thing that planted the seed,” she says. Later, as a language major in college — she speaks French, Spanish and some Italian — she envisioned working as a translator, probably in the Washington beltway. But a trip to Europe altered that course. The Joliet native was enrolled at Eastern Montana College (now MSU Billings) on a scholarship as a jazz drummer when her passion for travel eclipsed her zest for drumming.

THE BIGGEST THING WE DO FOR CONSUMERS IS ADVOCATE BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A TRIP. IT’S JUST THAT EXTRA LAYER OF PEACE OF MIND WORKING WITH A PROFESSIONAL.

— Billie Ruff

From dabbling in falconry at Ashford Castle in Ireland to touring the incomparable Taj Mahal on her own, Billie relishes the vast and varied experiences she has strung together over the years. And she loves to hear similar gems from her clients and staff.

“We have always, during good times and bad, celebrated the amazing travel stories that our customers bring back,” she says.

She recalls one client who relied on Travel Café to plan a family celebration for three generations. The trip included a stop in New York City to catch a Broadway play and on to Scotland for a round of golf at the famed St. Andrews golf course. And each adventure came as a surprise.

“I sold my drum set in order to travel with the jazz band to Romania,” she says. “My intention was always to replace it. I just never did.”

Perhaps it was natural, then, that after graduation she joined her aunt at a Billings travel agency. When Billie started working in the industry, the internet was yet a dream of computer nerds, travel was highly regulated — an individual could not purchase an airline ticket — and agents were required to earn accreditation from an inspection by the FBI. At the time, Billings boasted 18 brick-and-mortar travel agencies — a number that has shrunk to a handful of independent agents and Billie’s lone agency: Travel Cafe.

When Billie opened Travel Café, she gave it a unique twist by incorporating a coffee shop. She recalls the morning she first opened on North Broadway, across the street from the Alberta Bair Theater. She had neglected to provide her café manager with a key and the manager was waiting outside when Billie arrived in a flurry.

“I had overslept that first day,” she says, smiling. “I came screaming up to the building.”

Before long, both the café and travel continued to grow, forcing Billie to focus on one or the other. The sacrifice paid off, but back then just launching a woman-owned agency came with its own challenges.

“I had to flex my muscles to be taken seriously,” she says.

That “muscle” and her steady determination have taken her far. Billie combines those traits with her penchant for collaboration.

“I like to listen to my team,” she says. “I think that has served me well.”

She smiles as she recalls a mentor describing her as open-minded. “He told me I don’t always take his advice, but I always listen to what he has to tell me,” she says.

Like most businesses, the travel industry fell off a cliff during Covid. Too many people lost huge amounts of money when airlines, cruises and travel shut down, Billie says.

“As a consumer, you don’t know the best way to get your money back.”

Her long-standing relationships with vendors, however, helped her navigate refunds for her clients.

“No matter where you are in the world,” her website says, “we are only a phone call away, with a real person on the other end of the line, willing and able to answer any question.”

For reasons like this, travel — and particularly travel with the help of an agent — has come back in spades, she says.

Despite her vast institutional knowledge, Billie thrives on new perspectives and an infusion of young staff. She values their ideas and skills, and, in turn, they are rewarded with a wealth of travel opportunities.

“We vet the properties before we send our clients there,” she says. “For a young person, that’s an awesome opportunity and a way to see the world.”

She’s also energized by the younger clientele who have discovered the benefits of booking through a travel agency. “I love to hear what they thought we were and what we really are,” she says.

Many young people are familiar with the role of a flight attendant, she explains, but haven’t a clue when it comes

14thzoomontana.org Chase December Finals Montana. Memorial during

Belle gets adventurous and as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s 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.billingsstudiotheatre.com

F R inge Festiva L

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.venturetheatre.org

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, WE ARE ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY, WITH A

s ou L s t R eet d an

ANSWER ANY QUESTION.

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.

a Con C e R t F o R the w ho

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. billingssymphony.com

A NEW SEASON LIKE NO OTHER

EXPERIENCE THE SYMPHONY LIKE NEVER BEFORE! BECOME A SUBSCRIBER TODAY:

Customize your own season by choosing your favorite concerts

Enjoy the same seats for every performance

Save money on your tickets

Access exclusive perks like post-concert receptions and more!

|

— Billie Ruff

to travel agents. What young people do know, she adds, is that their lives are busy and they value their time.

Many are surprised to learn that agents’ fees are typically very reasonable.

“In some cases, we can save you money,” Billie says. “I’m always looking for the best schedules and the best value for my clients.”

And she’s always up on the latest hot travel destinations. Last year it was Italy and Greece. This year Japan and Botswana are up and coming. Just tapping into her website, montanastravelagency.com, offers a taste of the “extras” — fun tips and travel secrets

—travelers might never discover on their own.

How else would you know where to find the best party spots in Reykjavik, Iceland? Or discover that Ireland’s travel heritage card entitles you to free admission to all state heritage sites for an entire year?

Billie is excited about the future of the travel industry and is currently in the hiring mode. She has branched out to incorporate satellite offices and individual agents in Missoula, Bozeman, Great Falls, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin.

Recently returned from a business-related trip to Norway, Billie raves about the experience and mentions that she’s eager to see Africa.

“That’s on my bucket list,” she says.

As for retirement, that’s not yet in her vocabulary.

“At some point I’ll look at cutting back,” she says, smiling. “But it’s not going to happen for a while.”

In the meantime, she’s making plans for celebrating that 25th anniversary. ✻

LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA, writer

A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.

JULY 7

JULY 25

JULY 27

AUGUST 2

AUGUST 3

SEPTEMBER 28

OCTOBER 4

OCTOBER 5

OCTOBER 12

OCTOBER 19

NOVEMBER 2

NOVEMBER 4

NOVEMBER 20

FEBRUARY 1

FEBRUARY 7

FEBRUARY 18

FEBRUARY 28

MARCH 8

MARCH 11

MARCH 21

APRIL 12

MAY 10

MAY 13

TANYA TUCKER BORED TEACHERS

AN EVENING WITH JUDY COLLINS IN CONCERT

BEAR GREASE

GIRL NAMED TOM

JONATHAN DELY *SEASON OPENER!

BLACK VIOLIN

BIG SKY COMEDY FESTIVAL

ONE NIGHT IN MEMPHIS

WORLD BALLET COMPANY: SWAN LAKE

VILLALOBOS BROTHERS

COME FROM AWAY

HADESTOWN

“I AM, HE SAID” - A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF NEIL DIAMOND

DAMN TALL BUILDINGS

INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT

TRAILBLAZING WOMEN OF COUNTRY

THE ULTIMATE QUEEN CELEBRATION

R.E.S.P.E.C.T STEP AFRIKA! UPTOWN

THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL & ELTON JOHN STARRING MICHAEL CAVANAUGH

CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC

PAVING THE WAY PAVING THE WAY for

ADVENTURE ADVENTURE

KOA’S TOBY O’ROURKE IS AT THE TOP OF A HOMEGROWN CORPORATION

ED KEMMICK photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & KOA

IF TOBY O’ROURKE had begun her working life with the goal of becoming president and CEO of Kampgrounds of America, it’s hard to say what else she could have done to prepare herself for the job.

In a varied career that took her to Chicago, Denver and Washington, D.C., she acquired the skills KOA was greatly in need of when she went to work for the Billings-based corporation. On the job, she learned what else she needed to know and then, as CEO, she drew on her experience from the very start of her career to help KOA weather the storm of the Covid pandemic.

As a bonus, the job with KOA brought her back to her home state.

“After I had my first daughter, I wanted to get closer to my family, and my sister being in Montana was a big driver behind that,” Toby says. “It was really important that our kids grow up together. It was all driven by family.”

Now, in her fifth year as president and CEO of the world’s largest system of privately owned campgrounds, a business founded 62 years ago in Billings, Toby is at the center of a camping boom that continues to rack up record numbers.

For all the difficulties and dislocations of the pandemic’s early days, Toby says, 2021 saw a “really big explosion” in the number of people who flocked to KOA sites, attracted by the ease of social distancing in the outdoors.

“We’re starting to see that level off a little now, but we’re still ahead of where we were headed into the pandemic,” Toby says.

It was also early in the pandemic, in August 2020, that KOA went ahead with the long-planned opening of a new kind of accommodation — the Terramor Outdoor Resort in Bar Harbor, Maine. The glamping site features 64 tents with “highly appointed furnishings,” in Toby’s words, including bathrooms with showers, spa tents offering massages and other services, a main lodge with sit-down food service, and a swimming pool and hot tub.

SINCE 2014, THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WHO CAMP THREE OR MORE TIMES A YEAR WENT UP 97%

According to KOA’s 2024 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report — the company is also the leader in industry research — the number of households that reported having camped in the previous year has increased by 21.6 million over the past 10 years, a growth of 68 percent.

The same report shows that all types of accommodations have seen impressive increases — tent usage up 56 percent to 9.6 million a year, RV usage up 96 percent to 6.4 million, and cabin/glamping usage up 191 percent to 7 million. And many people who are camping are seriously enjoying it: since 2014, the number of households who camp three or more times a year went up 97 percent.

Terramor had an occupancy rate of 77 percent that first year, and the numbers have stayed that strong since then.

“It opens the outdoors to a whole new segment of people,” Toby says, and KOA is looking to expand the brand all over the country, including Montana. “We would love to bring it here,” she says.

Toby grew up in Sheridan, Montana, a Ruby Valley town with a current population of barely 800. Her family was Catholic and her father was a big fan of Notre Dame football, and one Saturday afternoon when she was in the second grade, Toby remembers watching a Notre Dame game with him. She says she rolled over on the floor and told her father that she was going to attend Notre Dame.

She also remembers being very focused on that goal, figuring out how best to prepare herself to be accepted at the prestigious university. The preparation paid off, and when she went to Indiana, she found that Notre Dame was a lot like home, with a relatively small population and a strong sense of community.

She graduated with a degree in political science and a supplemental major in computer applications. Why political science?

“I really thought I was going to work in government,” she says. “I love international relations. I actually interned for Conrad Burns when he was a senator. I studied abroad and worked in Parliament. But I decided to pivot to computers right out of school and became a programmer, in large part because I love government and was fascinated by it, but I really hate politics. I’m not wired that way.”

After graduating in 2000, she moved back home to work for the Montana State Fund, a workers’ compensation insurer, as a programmer-analyst. For her next job, she moved to Chicago to work as a tax consultant for Deloitte, a business-services company, and then to another consulting job with STA Group, a similar business in Chicago.

While working in Chicago, she was also in school again, eventually earning a master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Transitioning to a marketing career, she worked first for Sara Lee, still in the Chicago area. Next, partly to get a little closer to Montana, she worked for WhiteWave Foods in Denver, where she eventually specialized in digital marketing.

That set her up for the job that brought her back to Montana, when KOA hired her as its first director of digital marketing in 2011. One of her immediate jobs was overhauling and updating the KOA website, and she proudly mentions that KOA.com logged 30 million visits last year.

In addition to her work on the website, Toby also focused on digital marketing and planning. At the time, she says, she had no idea where her job with KOA would take her. At one point she even considered moving back to Chicago. But then she had a conversation with her predecessor, Pat Hittmeier, who confided in her that he was thinking she might be KOA’s next CEO.

“We were great partners,” she says. “I loved working with Pat. He’d been with the company for 38 years when he retired. He knew so much about franchising, in particular, and operations. And I knew marketing, so we could balance each other out really

ASPEN BRANCHES REMOVED FROM THE LAND WHEN CONSTRUCTION BEGAN WERE USED TO CREATE THIS SIGNATURE LIGHT FIXTURE IN KOA'S CORPORATE OFFICE LOBBY. ART FROM MORE THAN A DOZEN INDIGENOUS ARTISTS LINE THE WALLS OF THE VAST BUILDING.

TOBY & PAT HITTMEIER

Unleash your adventurous spirit with KOA. Whether you’re camping under the stars, unwinding in your RV, relaxing in a cozy cabin, or glamping in style, KOA offers accommodations and amenities for every type of camper. With 500+ locations across the U.S. and Canada, your next adventure is just around the corner.

Book now at KOA.com or download the KOA App.

she said. For several months, she concentrated heavily on lobbying at the state and federal level, trying to convince government officials that campgrounds, where social distancing was the norm, should be reopened quickly. It was another perfect role for her — working with governmental agencies and officials without getting involved in politics.

By June of 2020, all KOA campgrounds in the United States were open again, though it took a little longer to reach that point in Canada. Since then, Toby’s has been presiding over an era of steady growth, and a steady expansion of “brand segments.”

“Everything we do really comes back to data and research,” Toby says, and a lot of research went into one of KOA’s major projects, an initiative called Campgrounds of the Future. Research for the project began in 2018, looking at trends in technology, sustainability and how people were engaging with varied forms of travel, with all those factors giving a look at what the camping industry would look like in 2030.

“That was my baby, that was really my project,” Toby says. One concept that came out of that initiative was incorporating pet sites at KOA campgrounds. That led to “paw pens,” fenced-off areas next to RV pads, or to fences that ran around an entire RV site. Another concept was “elevated RV sites,” where RVs park on the ground, but campers then walk up to an elevated deck.

Various KOA franchisees also started incorporating solar collectors on-site, and others, including Terramor, included workforce housing in their plans. In Key West, Florida, where a KOA campground was destroyed by a hurricane in 2017, the company rebuilt based on Campgrounds of the Future concepts. When the campground reopened a couple of years ago, it featured bioswales, landscape features that collect polluted stormwater runoff, allowing it to soak into the ground and filter out the pollution.

The Key West campground also has electric-vehicle chargers and

offers a blended hotel and campground experience. It has 44 hotel units, making it possible for people staying in RVs to camp with friends who don’t have RVs but are free to use all of KOA’s on-site amenities.

Elsewhere around the country, KOA has been adding new features and new accommodations to traditional campgrounds, including tree houses, yurts, repurposed cabooses and canvas tents with bathrooms. For all campers, but younger ones in particular —71 percent of campers in 2022 were Gen-Z and Millennials — KOA has been keen on providing high-quality, high-speed Wi-Fi connections at its campgrounds.

But for all the emphasis on new forms of camping, Toby says KOA can’t lose sight of the fact that

RV users still make up 85 percent of their customers. “That’s definitely our bread and butter,” she says.

KOA currently has about 515 sites in the U.S. and Canada, 50 of them owned outright by KOA and the rest owned and operated by franchisees. In the past few years, the company bought back the Billings KOA — the original campground, which KOA founder Dave Drum opened in 1962 — as well as two campgrounds in West Yellowstone and one south of Livingston.

A coincidental perk of working for KOA is that Elkhart, Indiana, just down the road from South Bend, home to Notre Dame, has become known as the RV Capital of the World. There, 45 manufacturers produce 85 percent of the RV units in the United States.

As a result, Toby has made occasional work-related trips to Elkhart, allowing her to stay in touch with her alma mater.

“I’ve gotten some behind-the-scenes tours of the football stadium and various things, all through the RV connections I have,” she says. Last spring, she spoke on campus at Notre Dame’s IDEA Week about how KOA has modernized and is innovating their industry in partnership with RV manufacturers in the region. “It’s just really serendipitous that it’s all come full circle,” she says.

Since moving here in 2011, Toby has also become a big booster of Billings and the surrounding region.

“When I was trying to get home, I was really targeting Bozeman and Helena, because that’s what I knew, because I was from western Montana,” she says. “Billings was very new to me.” She serves on the executive committee of the Billings Chamber of Commerce and the board of trustees for Rocky Mountain College, and she has encouraged other members of the KOA leadership team to get similarly active in the community.

She and her husband, D.J. Clark, have four children between the ages of 13 and 2, and they live on the West End, a seven-minute drive from KOA’s new headquarters. That stunning building, which is full of works from Indigenous artists from the Western U.S. and is LEED Gold certified, opened last full off 32nd Street West, overlooking the

Center, a high-tech business

engineer, is a principal

KOA, FOR A LONG TIME, HAS REALLY FLOWN UNDER THE RADAR IN BILLINGS. WE CONSISTENTLY HEAR THAT PEOPLE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW KOA WAS HEADQUARTERED HERE. —

Toby O’Rourke

Meet SARA SARA SARA Creeden Creeden Creeden

OWNER OF ART’S PAPER & PAINT

Sara, can you tell us about your background and your painting experience?

I grew up entrenched in a creative family and my mom indulged my need for art supplies and creative time. Much to her dismay, I went on to get my Fine Arts degree with a focus on printmaking and painting. I have a deep love for all things art supply. Art’s Paper & Paint embodies this heritage of creativity. The business plan was written with my mom’s entrepreneurial spirit at heart and I named the store after my Grandpa Art.

Stewart, an engineering company located just down a short hill from KOA.

Toby is also proud of the KOA Foundation, launched a couple of years ago and funded by 1 percent of KOA’s pre-tax profits. The foundation has provided money to Care Camps, which supports oncology camps for children across the country, as well as a program to introduce inner-city kids in New York to camping. Locally, the foundation has donated money to organizations such as ZooMontana, Billings Public Schools, Billings Symphony, and Montana Special Olympics.

One personal goal of Toby’s is to raise KOA’s profile in the community.

“KOA, for a long time, has really flown under the radar in Billings,” she says. “We consistently hear that people didn’t even know KOA was headquartered here.” In fact, she adds, when employees tell others they work for KOA, most people assume they work at the campground along the Yellowstone River.

Toby says KOA also wants to support the expansion of amenities and experiences that will attract people to Billings and persuade young people to stay here. ZooMontana, recreational facilities, and the city’s growing trail system are examples of things she wants to see more of.

“We think there’s tons of potential to continue to evolve and do more,” she says. “Our whole mission is centered around getting people outside, and we want to be big supporters of that. Those are the things I would love to see develop, not just because I work for KOA but because I live here and I’m a mom of four kids.” ✻

What makes Art’s Paper & Paint unique?

The focus at Art’s Paper & Paint is on quality. Before opening the store, I was frustrated with the selection of materials available locally and had to make trips out of state to find the supplies I wanted. Now, artist-quality paints fill our shelves along with a broad selection of brushes, papers, inks, canvas, clays, tutorials, and more. Creators can touch, compare and even test products. There isn’t a store like Art’s for at least a half-day drive.

What kind of experience can customers expect when they visit your store?

Walking in the door, expect an abundance of color! You’re going to see handmade papers, an abundance of art books, drawing and painting supplies, and much more. I work hard to make sure there is a wide variety of products to choose from across many mediums. If you are unsure of which product suits your needs, I am getting closer to becoming a walking art encyclopedia and can help you choose just the right thing.

The Buzz in Billings

Joni Karen Deb Kris

FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP and

FISHING FISHING FISHING

RIMROCK RIVER SISTERS ARE ALWAYS UP FOR FUN ON THE FLY

written by CYDNEY HOEFLE photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

“SET!” JONI THOMPSON, 65, remembers her young son yelling at her as she looks back on one of the first days she and her son, Ryan, fished together. The young boy was urging her to pull up her line. “Mom, what are you doing? You got a fish. Set!”

Joni and Ryan were fly fishing on a stream in Colorado. Being novice anglers didn’t bother the two. It was another experience that Joni, as a single mom, wanted Ryan to experience. He took it seriously and ultimately became a fishing guide, now spending summers guiding along Montana’s pristine rivers.

But on that day, over 20 years ago, Joni recalls not even thinking about the fish at the end of her line. Her attention had been captured by the beautiful bald eagle that was gliding by in a clear and cloudless sky.

As she tells her story, her friends laugh in appreciation, recalling their own memories of being outdoors, enjoying and appreciating the beauty, the quiet and the sounds of nature.

“It’s so peaceful,” Joni says. “There’s a natural rhythm with nature that just occurs when you’re fishing.”

something she’s passionate about. “I started fishing when fishing meant a bamboo rod and worms,” she says with a laugh. “I loved it, but when I was introduced to fly fishing – well, I found my passion.”

Karen, along with friend and fellow fisher woman Kris Spanjian, are both founding members of the recently formed Rimrock River Sisters, a Billings women’s group that’s a spinoff from Magic City Fly Fishermen and Trout Unlimited. Joni and another fly fishing friend, Deb Mattern, just joined.

Their mission is simple: Gather with like-minded women who either love to fly fish or would love to learn.

IT’S SO PEACEFUL, THERE’S A NATURAL RHYTHM WITH NATURE THAT JUST OCCURS WHEN YOU’RE FISHING.

— JONI THOMPSON

It’s been proven that nature can provide natural stress relief. Being outdoors boosts endorphin levels and dopamine, both of which promote happiness. Time outside can also lower heart rate and blood pressure.

But for these four friends, it’s not just the medical benefits of fly fishing, or how their body is reacting internally, it’s the art of fly fishing and the excitement of catching and landing a fish.

“I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed by the beauty of being on a river,” Karen Page, 87, adds. “Even as often as I fish, I still get that feeling of awe just being on a river and challenging myself to catch a fish.”

Karen has been fishing for the better part of the last 40 years. It’s

“There’s something incredible about fly fishing,” Kris, 65, says. “You mimic the fish’s food, entice it to eat, feel it dancing, and then pull on the line and the rod, reel it in and then release it back to the wild.”

The others nod in agreement. Kris was an anesthesiologist and spent much of her medical career in the intensive care unit at St. Vincent Healthcare. For her, fly fishing became a way to release the stress she endured at work.

“It’s a close connection with a living, wild thing,” she says. “It reminds you that we are all a part of this wild world.”

It wasn’t a stressful career that caused Joni to search for solace in fly fishing, but a distraction from her health issues. Joni was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 2023. Her prognosis is good, but during treatment she often wondered if she’d ever regain her active lifestyle.

“I remember just sitting there thinking, ‘My life is over,’” Joni says. “’What can I do now?’” It was about the same time that she heard about “Casting for Recovery,” a support group that provides healing outdoor retreats for women with breast cancer. When she was accepted, she suddenly had something to look forward

to that wasn’t medically related.

the craft of fly fishing and enjoy it as much as we do.”

Attending the retreat sparked an interest in becoming more competent with her skills, which was topped when her son outfitted her for Mother’s Day with the gear she needed. She was set to learn the sport.

“It’s been a life saver for me,” she says.

“It’s true,” Kris agrees. “People can be in a low place, but when they have to concentrate on something — a technique, a goal or an effort, the stuff that’s been clogging up their head and stealing all their attention goes away. For many, it’s one of the only ways they release all of that.”

Also a breast cancer survivor, Deb, 72, is 28 years post cancer. But for her fly fishing is more than a common pastime with other survivors and her friends. She just enjoys being outdoors and improving her skills. That’s one reason she’s part of Rimrock River Sisters.

“I have so enjoyed fishing,” she says. “I want other women to learn

“Our ultimate goal is to have fun,” Joni says. “If we aren’t having fun, what’s the point?”

As the women share their fishing stories, they also chat about some of the upcoming events taking place this summer with the newly formed organization. Rimrock River Sisters is planning sessions including basic fly fishing to tying flies, hoping to appeal to all levels and ages of women, exposing them to what will hopefully become a lifelong hobby.

“It’s more than just fishing,” Deb says. “We are making friends and doing things together. Fishing gets us outside and having fun.”

Karen adds, “It’s not always about catching a fish. There’s so much more to it.”

“That’s B.S.,” Kris pipes in. “I really, really like catching fish!”

The other three join in her laughter.

CYDNEY HOEFLE, writer

PROFESSIONAL ARCHERY’S Power Couple Power Couple

OLYMPIAN BRADY & WORLD CHAMPION TOJA ELLISON ARE HITTING THE WORLD STAGE, JUGGLING PARENTHOOD ALONG

THE WAY

written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN & TOJA ELLISON

NESTLED IN THE HILLS southwest of Billings sits an Eden of archery for professional archers Toja and Brady Ellison.

“Look for the really long house,” Toja will tell you as she gives directions to their place. Outside, you’ll find targets peppered all over their land. Inside, the couple has an indoor practice facility they use daily to keep their form top notch for the next national or world competition.

“It’s muscle memory. It’s technique. It’s form. It’s the equipment. It’s trying to get better,” Toja says. “You have to do the same thing over and over and over again and if you do, you are going to hit the same spot, right? That’s what you want.”

Thanks to more than a dozen sponsors like Hoyt Archery and TRU Ball Archery, Toja and Brady are able to train full time.

“We do this as a team,” Toja says. “That’s why we can do this.”

Stepping into Toja’s world, you get a glimpse of the chaos that comes with being a mom, a professional archer and the wife of a professional archer. The couple have two boys, Ty, 3 and Bo, 6 months. Juggling seems to come naturally to this 30-year-old Slovenian national.

ing during nap time, shooting roughly 150 arrows each day.

On the morning of our visit, the family was a little bleary-eyed having flown in on a red eye flight from Florida, landing just hours earlier. Toja and Brady had spent the weekend competing in the 2024 Gator Cup. It was an Olympic qualifier for Brady, who in one day of competition punched his ticket to his fifth Olympic games. That means come July, this young family will be Paris-bound as Brady continues his hunt for gold. He’s medaled three times at the Olympics — a team silver in the 2012 London games, a team silver and an individual bronze in the 2016 Rio games but never the coveted gold.

THESE GAMES FEEL SO MUCH DIFFERENT TO ME. I’M SUPER CALM AND SUPER RELAXED GOING INTO THE OLYMPICS. I FEEL THE MOST CALM ABOUT IT.

— Brady Ellison, U.S. Olympic Archer

“Our family dynamic is not all about archery anymore. Before we would just shoot and shoot and shoot. Now, it’s children and being able to manage that,” Toja says. “We don’t do daycare. We don’t do babysitters. We have grandparents that help a little bit, but nobody lives here. Day to day, we are doing this by ourselves.”

Brady starts his workday at around 9 a.m. and works until he’s able to shoot about 300 arrows. Toja juggles motherhood, practic-

“Here we go again!” Toja says with a laugh. “He was able to lock his spot for the games a day early so he didn’t even have to shoot the last day and he would still go to the games. I am so proud of him.”

So how does a Slovenian girl end up in love with an American archer and landing thousands of miles from Ljubljana, Slovenia, where she grew up? Toja believes it was due to a single arrow that flew from her bow when she was just 13 years old.

“I got a staph infection in my back. The bacteria got stuck in my bone and literally ate away my disc and completely hollowed two of my vertebrae,” Toja says, adding that she’s since healed. Though she doesn’t have a disc, she doesn’t have any issues with her back. At the time, she was a gymnast, but doctors warned her that she needed to quit the high-impact sport. Knowing she couldn’t sit idle, a friend asked if she wanted to come along as she practiced with her new archery bow.

“I went with her and shot that first arrow,” Toja says. “It was love at first arrow.”

She asked for a bow for Christmas, she says, and “my love for archery just grew.”

By the time she was 14, she was already traveling for competition. Her first major tournament was in Great Britain for the World Ar-

IN 2023, TOJA ELLISON WAS RANKED

THIRD IN THE WORLD

FOR WOMEN’S COMPOUND ARCHERY

chery Field Championships.

“It’s in the forest and you are shooting targets up and down and at different distances. It’s my favorite,” she says.

That first tournament came with a harsh lesson.

“There were only four of us competing. I came in fourth,” Toja says, adding that the tournament changed her forever. “I said I will never be last again because I didn’t work hard. I came home and changed schools, which allowed me to have shorter school days so I had more time in the afternoon to shoot.” She’s quick to add, “I’ve worked very hard ever since.”

Competing for Slovenia, Toja seemed to have an open ticket to any world competition. So, when the World Cup landed in Medellin, Colombia, in 2014, she says, “I was the only one in Slovenia that qualified to go to the World Cup. I was 20 at the time. I went by myself, completely by myself.”

That’s when she says she crossed paths with an ornery American who was there competing as well.

“I knew who Brady was,” she says. “Everyone in archery knew who Brady was but I wasn’t that fan girl. I just am not that type of person. I knew he was the best in the world.”

NOT ONLY HAS TOJA COMPETED WHILE PREGNANT, BUT LATELY SHE HAS BEEN AT COMPETITIONS WITH HER TWO SONS IN TOW, NURSING HER 6-MONTH-OLD IN BETWEEN EVENTS.

When asked if they fell for each other immediately, both chuckle.

“I knew I liked her,” Brady says. “I was a little anti-woman at the time.”

“He had a hard time trusting women and I came in like a love bomb ready to love,” Toja says with a laugh. “Now, here we are 10 years later. We are the best team, in archery and in life.”

The fact that it all came down to that first arrow isn’t lost on Toja.

“If I think about it now, I wouldn’t have the husband that I have. I wouldn’t have the children that I have,” Toja says. “Everything is the way it is because of that arrow that I shot and I am so thankful.”

In June, Toja and Brady traveled to Indiana for the U.S. Field Nationals. It was a competition she’d been training hard for and looking forward to. She took second place in the women’s compound division. Brady took first in the men’s recurve division. Within days, they were on a plane to Turkey for the World Cup.

“One Ellison on the podium is a good week,” Toja says with a smile. “It doesn’t matter which Ellison.”

Going into the Olympics, at 35 Brady is still at the top of his game. Since 2010, he’s never fallen out of the top 10 when it comes to

BRADY AND TOJA SHOOT DIFFERENT STYLES OF BOWS.

Brady uses a recurve bow, which requires more strength to pull and is simpler in design. Toja shoots a compound bow, which is made up of a complex pulley and release system. At the present time, the Olympics features only recurve archery.

men’s world rankings for recurve archery. He’s earned well over 120 medals on the world stage and can’t wait for Paris.

“These games feel so much different to me. I’m super calm and super relaxed going into the Olympics. I feel the most calm I’ve felt,” Brady says.

Meantime, Toja, who still competes for Slovenia, is hoping to earn a gold at the World Field Championships in Lac La Biche, Canada, this September. She landed a gold medal in 2014 but in the last two games, she took silver.

“I was always so close to that gold,” Toja says. “I walked off and I

just said, I won silver. I did not lose gold. I just won silver.” When asked if she was on the hunt to gain another gold, she simply says, “Yes. I am going to do my best to be my best.”

When asked what she hopes to be remembered for in life, it’s not archery.

“When I die and put a line underneath my life, I want to be better than where I started in all shapes and forms — better friend, better daughter, better mom, better wife,” she says.

She knows there will come a time when her two boys will be put ahead of her passion with archery.

“I’m literally there for those two humans — how they are going to end up and what they are going to do in life. It’s important to me,” Toja says. “There will probably be a point in time when I step away from archery because I want to give them an opportunity to find what is theirs.”

That time, she says, hasn’t yet come.

“Archery is mine. I am the only one who can walk away from it,” Toja says. “Archery can’t walk away from me. But I can walk away from it and I am not quite ready to do that yet.” ✻

TOJA, BO, BRADY & TY

the When

PIECES ALIGN PIECES ALIGN

THE NEXT GENERATION ADDS NEW SPIN TO THE BASE CAMP

written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

FOR YEARS, the two sisters have chosen different paths. But last spring, Cody and Lauren Brown merged trajectories as the new owners of the Base Camp, the business their father Scott Brown started nearly 50 years ago.

It’s not unusual for a family business to pass from one generation to the next. But, in this case, the transition came as a surprise to the entire family.

“There was never an assumption that we would take over,” Lauren says. “Neither of us even worked in the stores growing up.”

“Our parents were always encouraging us to follow our passions,” Cody adds. “So, we created our own pathways.”

And those pathways took the sisters — both in their early 40s now — in two very different directions. Lauren remained rooted in Montana, moving to Bozeman, where she ran her own photography business for the past 20 years. Cody zigzagged across the globe, teaching English in China, running a café in Ecuador and dabbling in clothing design and later fair-trade textiles. More recently, she was living in Honolulu, working for a building and design firm.

“In both of our work lives and our family lives, it totally made sense,” Lauren says. “With the two of us, we thought, we can really take this on.”

The decision that Cody describes as “surreal” and “serendipitous” caught their parents off-guard as well. The Browns were gathered for a family vacation in Whitefish when the girls proposed their idea. Scott and Deb (Scott’s wife and the girls’ mother) were excited at the prospect. They knew that their daughters trusted and supported each other, yet they also knew there was much to consider.

OUR PARENTS WERE ALWAYS ENCOURAGING US TO FOLLOW OUR PASSIONS. SO, WE CREATED OUR OWN PATHWAYS.

— LAUREN BROWN

And so, it came as a surprise — even to themselves — when they decided to leave those careers and take ownership of the Base Camp stores in Billings and Helena.

Scott and Deb knew their daughters have all the qualities to handle an outdoor retail business. They also knew they are unafraid and like challenges. Now, a year after assuming ownership of the Base Camp, the sisters view the move as a “homecoming” of sorts.

“It was a natural way of giving back to our parents what they gave to us,” Cody says.

And that “homecoming” has been nearly 50 years in the making. Scott Brown opened the first Base Camp store in 1975 in a two-story building on Last Chance Gulch in Helena. That was years before the girls were born and even before Scott had met Deb.

Lauren remembers, as a child, playing under the steps at that

Cody, Scott, Lauren and Deb Brown

store. She also remembers hanging out there after school. Perhaps more memorable were the devoted staff who became almost like family.

True to Scott and Deb’s passion, the couple raised their daughters on outdoor adventures — from paddling rivers to bagging peaks to snowboarding steep mountain faces. The Browns moved back to Billings in 1990 to open the second the Base Camp store in what had been a bridal shop.

“We’re Billings folks,” Lauren says, explaining that their grandfather and great-grandfather had worked as attorneys in the Magic City.

“I have memories of tearing out the mauve carpet in that building,” Lauren says. “It was a family affair.”

Growing up with such memories, the girls had mixed emotions when Scott announced last year that he was ready to sell the business and retire. They were glad that their parents were able to slow down and enjoy life, but it was hard for them to imagine someone else running the stores.

“It was a little bittersweet,” Lauren says.

Perhaps it was that wistful feeling that prompted them to rethink the opportunity in front of them. Scott had several interested buyers in the works when they stunned him with their 11th-hour proposal. Once the deal was made, however, it was the girls’ turn for a surprise: they were overwhelmed by the supportive emails, phone calls and comments they received from friends and strangers alike.

“It was so touching,” Cody says. “I didn’t really know how important it was to people. The community loved that it will still be owned by family.”

The sisters’ distinct personalities may well prove to their advantage. Lauren

is drawn to graphic design and marketing. She considers herself to be a “very visual” person. Cody describes her sister as broad-thinking and forward-thinking.

Complementing those traits, Cody enjoys digging into the nuts and bolts of retail and fine-tuning operations. Lauren marvels at Cody’s penchant for spread sheets. Yet the sisters share at least two important qualities: they share a deep bond forged by sisterhood as well as a bold entrepreneurial spirit.

“We want the same things,” Cody says.

“We want to serve our communities. We love things that are beautiful — we got that from our mom.”

phernalia for the pooch and plenty of gear to buy or rent.

“It’s not just outdoor gear,” Cody says. “It’s everything for the outdoor lifestyle.”

Hiking the Beartooths or strolling the Rims, we've got you covered

IT’S NOT JUST OUTDOOR GEAR, IT’S EVERYTHING FOR THE OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE.

The Brown sisters have no plans to fix what isn’t broken. Yet, with growth on their minds, they’re striving to project a freshness that will not only draw a younger demographic but will continue to cater to their loyal clientele.

— CODY BROWN

A stop by the Base Camp confirms that shared bent. The store’s varied displays — a raspberry-colored Kuhl jumpsuit, Cotopaxi packs that jump with color and fun National Park printed scarves — speak of the sisters’ and their staff’s knack for selecting inventory.

“Everything’s been thoughtfully curated,” Lauren says. “We’re way more than just shorts and fleece.”

Shoppers will also find an entire wall devoted to packs, a kids’ section with vibrant hats and outdoor-themed picture books, para-

“We’re trying to find the right pivot,” Cody says.

And as they do, they look for new ways to reach out.

“My dad is very much the voice and the face of the store,” Lauren says. “We want to fill his shoes but in the most respectful way.”

“People just recognize his voice,” Cody adds. “So that’s been super challenging because we’re not his voice. And we’re not planning on being the face of the Base Camp like he was.”

With their focus on the future, the sis-

ters are streamlining operations with new software and have plans to introduce new options: limited online shopping, starting with gift cards and the Base Camp swag, and possibly a customer rewards program.

The move to modernize is major, “kind of like building out a third business,” Lauren says.

While technology and Google calls have allowed them to oversee both stores from centrally located Bozeman, Lauren and Cody are keenly aware that onsite visits are part of the personal touch they so value. Likewise, they know the importance of maintaining strong ties with their communities and are working on growing outreach through local events like the Women’s Run and Yellowstone Valley Gives.

With the stores’ 50th anniversary only a year away, the sisters reflect on their first year at the helm.

“It’s been a really great and challenging journey,” Lauren says. “We have a lot of new discoveries every day,” Cody adds. “It’s been really great.” ✻

glampingcamping

with Adjustable Wire Brim, $89, from Cricket Clothing Co.

must-haves

looking great in the great outdoors

WHETHER camping in a tent or opting for a more luxurious glamping experience, practicality and comfort are key, but that doesn't mean you can't add a touch of outdoor style to your wardrobe. ✻

Life Is Good Fish Cap, $28.50, from Shipton's Big R

Carhart Knit Beanie, $19.99, from Shipton's Big R

Wallaroo Packable Hat, $65, from Neecee's

Life Is Good Heart Landscape T-shirt,

Life Is Good Laugh A Lot T-shirt,

Stanley Nesting Stainless Steel Shot Glass Set with Carrying Case, $24.95, from The Base Camp

Consuela 32 oz Tumbler, $55, from Neecee's

Yeti 18 oz Bottle, $30, from Shipton's Big R

Consuela 10 oz Tumbler, $30, from Neecee's

Tribal Sport Moisture Wicking Performance Top, $99, from Neecee's

$29.50

$29.50, from Shipton's Big R

Stag Cowhide & Mesh Gloves, $11.99, from Shipton's Big R

these are skorts

Charlie B Rainbow Pull-On Stretch Skort, $85, from Neecee's

Charlie B Denim Frey Hem Pull-On Stretch Skort, $85, from Neecee's

$150, from Neecee's

Osprey Tempest Velocity 20 Pack, $180, from The Base Camp

Rebecca Minkoff

Large Tote, $248, Black Scarf, $29, from Cricket Clothing Co.

Kavu Canvas Fanny Pack, $25, from Shipton's Big R

necklaces are made in

montana

a blanket that folds up into a pillow

Patagonia Houdini Featherweight Jacket, $109, from The Base Camp

Cool Water of Montana "In Love with MT" Necklace, $49, from Neecee's

Brighton Montecito Watch with Reversible Band, $148, from Neecee's

Keran Hart Denim Jacket, $109, from Cricket Clothing Co.

Johnny Was Reversible Travel Blanket, $148, from Neecee's

"Love MT" Genuine Montana Sapphire Necklace, $199, from Neecee's

BUCK UP BUCK UP BUCK UP

THE NEXT ADVENTURE MIGHT JUST BE AROUND THE CORNER

WE WERE WALKING, oh so slowly, toward a glacier in Alaska. For weeks, we had been planning this hike, and the weather was typical August weather: drizzly and cool, with a little nip of rotting leaves to scour our noses. We had the right gear, we were on a well-beaten path and I wore my official tour guide hat.

The hat, purchased in desperation when a lousy haircut was followed by an even worse perm, with highfalutin family members on a plane headed our way, is family lore. They call it the tour guide hat because no matter how hard they try, my group cannot lose me. It is red, black and blue fleece with cutout flowers strewn across its beret top. It serves as both a conversation starter and stopper, depending on your adherence to function over fashion, an Alaskan living standard.

So, there we were, taking our long-awaited hike, me bounding along, excited for my California friend to hike on a glacier. She was a woman committed to fashion over function, with full makeup, new nails, spiffy new hiking shoes (which looked like soft driving shoes, but she assured me that the salesperson had assured her that they were up to the task of hiking), and a rain jacket that had been bedazzled to look like it had rain drops on it. I assured her the bedazzling would not be necessary, and it wasn’t.

Behind me, I heard her footsteps slow, which didn’t seem possible, because we moved with less momentum than the glacier we were approaching, and then I heard her cry out — loudly — like a skinned-knee 3-year-old who, in actuality, did need the nap they refused to take. My heart stopped. I ran back to her, and she was wiping a smear of mud off her hand.

“Are you OK?” I asked while checking her for blood and damage.

“I don’t think so.”

Oh no, oh no, oh no! There were people around, but we were still a long way from real help. I don’t panic in times like this. I wait until the situation is stabilized, with someone else in charge. Still, I panicked just a little.

“What happened, where does it hurt? Show me your pain!”

“I felt nervous, so I reached out to the cliff beside the trail, and now my hand is DIRTY!”

“Did you slip?”

“NO,” she said, with tears streaming.

“Do you need a tissue?” (My tour guide hat came with a handy pack of extra gloves, an emergency blanket and other essentials. There would have to be something to wipe her hand with in there.)

“NO! I want to go back to the van. I didn’t think we’d be hiking where there was DIRT.”

OK, so that adventure ended, and the next day, we went on a very safe, enclosed cruise to see sea life and glaciers (without dirt). There was an actual badge-wearing tour guide, and the boat included a fully stocked bar (for her) and a hot chocolate station (for me).

She got seasick. So did my gorgeous 17-year-old daughter. The boat crew, all young men living their college adventures in Alaska, brought my daughter 7-Up, Gatorade, Jello, a new hat and a sweatshirt (complete with a phone number in the pocket) and, walking right past our greener-than-a-Grinch Californian friend, wrapped her in not one, but two heated blankets.

When my dear green friend asked for a blanket, the young man patted her on the elbow and said, “Oh, buck up.” And, of course, because a line like that cannot be brushed aside, that became our mantra for the trip. And the next adventure, and the one after that, too. “Oh, buck up.”

Life has taken me on some adventures. From Alaska to Montana, Fort Benton to L.A., alone in the woods, to alone on a stage with 10,000 people waiting for words of inspiration. I have gotten to buck up to eat the trail mix I spilled on the ground and buck up and do the presentation even though I had full-on food poisoning. I carry a snake bite kit for good reason, almost lost my husband to his “Fall With Jesus” (read “Seasoned,” available on Amazon, to live that story), and I have started, run, sold, laughed and cried, over business ventures. Buck up is a way of life around here, and even though I am often sick of the concept, I do it again, and again and again. Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have a story to tell or the capacity to try the next adventure.

When we owned In Good Glazes, a ceramic studio here in town, we noticed that women over 60 were often scared, yes scared, to paint a cup. They were afraid to fail or do something they never did before. Some wouldn’t pick up a brush, spending their time critiquing the work of others, which was never really welcome.

For those who would buck up, we had ways to make them feel better about the challenge (start with your initials on the bottom or blow paint bubbles), and when they would pick up their fired and glazed piece, their eyes would light up because they accomplished something new and seemingly impossible. They bucked up, and magic happened.

KAREN GROSZ

My California friend feels somewhat the same. We laugh about hiking in the dirt, which she has not done again and I do every morning, and reminisce about how scared she was and how very alive it made her feel the whole time she was with me in Alaska. That adventure helped her to know herself, and she has an Alaska-sized adventure story to tell at pool parties.

Adventure does that for you. It helps you to test your limits and to exceed them. It allows you to do things you would never ever do, but you do it anyway, just so you can mark it off your bucket list. Adventure fills your soul, adds to your photo gallery, and introduces you to new places, new faces, and new reasons for saying, “I did that, and I don’t have to do it again,” which is how I feel about whitewater rafting. Done and done, thank you very much.

The beauty of adventure is that it comes in all shapes and sizes, with prices ranging from less than zero to millions more. It might be wearing the dress, or it might be jumping off a cliff. Adventure can be learning to play guitar, which I am doing again (because I’ve failed at that so many times, but this time is going to be it. I will play well enough to strum in public, by damn). It can be writing the book, telling the truth, running the race, or taking the test you’re afraid to take.

Watching them, I knew I didn’t want to be scared of everything as I aged. I wanted to bravely chase passion and one adventure and then the next. Sometimes, that is easier said than done, but I am seldom afraid to buck up and live an adventure. (Unless it is illegal, immoral, or could involve a dramatic fall like the one I wrote about in “Seasoned,” of course.)

So, that is what I want you to do today, this summer, this life. Buck up. You deserve to feel the feeling of the crowd cheering, the cup sparkling, the readers reading your words or the joy of conquering the miles crunching beneath your feet. Your adventure can begin today. You can book the trip, make the call, say the words. You can, and I think you should, buck up because you deserve the photo, the story, the absolutely glorious feeling of leaning into an adventure and making it your story. ✻

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.

By Karen Grosz

Business Business Business Down to Down to

with Britt

HELPING SOLVE YOUR WORKPLACE WOES

Dear Britt,

I don’t mind being one of the only women at work, I love my job and everyone is nice, but, I get the feeling I’m seen differently and not treated as a full equal. Also, despite having the same titles, I’m the default note-taker and office party planner, just because I’m the only woman on my team. I’m not claiming I work with chauvinists, but there are gender dynamics at play and I don’t know what to do. Any advice?

Your gut feeling is correct. While women report less hostile sexism in the workplace, there is another insidious force that holds many women back. Benevolent sexism is the idea that women are more fragile and need protecting by men. According to researchers Peter Glick and Susan Fiske, who study this pervasive tendency, benevolent sexism can look like sugarcoating critical feedback so as not to hurt a woman’s feelings. Subconsciously a boss may be afraid that upsetting a female employee will cause her to cry (men and women actually cry at the same rates at work). It’s also common for a woman to be given less challenging assignments because male superiors think it may be too much for her to handle. But, we all know that challenging tasks and critical feedback are what

help us progress in our careers.

The other frightening finding from researchers is that likeability and success are negatively correlated for women. Women often agree to planning parties and cleaning out the lunchroom fridge because we can sense the need to balance being liked with our desire for advancement. The traditional traits that we associate with men, like decisiveness and power, are the exact qualities that can get a target on a woman’s back for being “out for herself” or unapproachable.

...I GET THE FEELING I’M SEEN DIFFERENTLY AND NOT TREATED AS A FULL EQUAL.

What’s a girl to do? First, we have to talk about this: at work, at home, everywhere. Women’s careers suffer when quietly dismissed, not awarded challenges, or not given feedback. And if our careers suffer, our families suffer. We have to question when we think we are being treated with a gendered approach. Start the conversation with, “It seems.” For example, “It seems I’m the only one who takes notes at our morning meetings. Who is going to take the notes next week?”

Second, we need to connect with our colleagues and see their humanity. Many of these actions are inexcusable but well intended. Form trusting relationships that allow for open and challenging dialogue. If you are ever advised that you are competent but lack warmth, be on high alert: it’s benevolent sexism. Last, we need allies. Men also need to understand the harms of benevolent sexism and speak up when they see it. You are not alone. Thanks for this great question. We have to keep educating ourselves and others. ✻

You can share your question with us by emailing brittany@brittanycooper.com

BRITTANY COOPER, writer

Brittany Cooper is a relentless optimist and collector of beautiful moments. Her superpower is making others feel seen. She is a lifelong Montanan and relishes living in the Beartooths with her husband and daughters. Take a short quiz at brittanycooper.com to discover your leadership and influence style.

Sky UNDER THE

Big BlossomingSky Blossoming

YOKIE JOHNSON BRINGS A NEW FLAVOR TO FISHTAIL

written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

YOKIE JOHNSON radiates the essence of flowers, embodying beauty, change and growth. Most days, you will find her working her magic at MontAsia in Fishtail, a restaurant located in the old Cowboy Bar and Supper Club, that she runs with her husband, Lee. Their cuisine is getting noticed. Recently, they received a nod from the James Beard Foundation when Lee was nominated as a semi-finalist for Best Chef: Mountain.

Even still, Lee deflects and credits his wife for their success.

“Yokie is a ball of positive energy — she’s so sweet, pure, good and hopeful,” Lee says.

Those qualities have allowed her to blossom in life while traveling from her childhood home of Melaka, Malaysia, to Big Sky country, completing a master’s degree, working at the Stillwater mine as an engineer and starting MontAsia while battling cancer.

At each juncture, challenges emerged requiring strength and ingenuity. Her given name is Yoke Pei, “but I don’t really use that,” she says. She prefers Yokie, the Chinese word for jade, a stone that is believed to bring love compassion, and self-love. It also holds the powers of confidence, acceptance and health.

In January 1997, Johnson journeyed halfway around the world to establish roots in Montana. Her Malay high school “helped send me to school,” Yokie says. “Most of the students picked the UK or Australia, so I picked the furthest I could go, the United States,” applying at MSU Bozeman and Purdue University.

Although the Catholic school she attended paid for her airfare and tuition to Big Sky country, with her parents helping in a small way, she still needed money for living expenses. While enrolled in chemical engineering studies she was restricted to being employed only 30 hours per week to retain her financial aid, so she worked the maximum hours cleaning the student union building. She managed to supplement her income with an additional job at a Chinese restaurant that paid her under the table.

Johnson worked the night shift at the university where she was often asked to set up the ballroom for events. “There was nobody there to help me,” she laments, but then she met Lee, who was the sous chef in the kitchen. “He was the first one to offer help. He would help me set up after his shift.”

Through her stomach, he continued to reach her heart.

“I was always hungry. I didn’t have any money and he made me a duck sandwich,” she says. Living in the dorms introduced her to unfamiliar American food practices. “I did not eat cereal with milk. I would put in hot water,” she says, which often brought “weird looks” from her dorm mates. But “I loved it, the culture shock. There was all this candy and soda I could drink.”

The weather also tripped her up. “I had not seen snow,” she says with a laugh. “I had butt pads because I fell a lot. I didn’t know how to walk on snow and ice.” Not having the correct clothing and footwear only made it more difficult to navigate around campus.

With the Malaysian economy in a recession, Johnson’s parents were reluctant about continuing her education in the United States, but after attending a recruiting seminar, she found a job selling Bibles.

To attend the training for her new job in Nashville, she needed transportation and also needed to learn how to drive. “I bought a car for $100, a Chevy. A long car, a boat,” she says. She passed her driving exam and headed south. “I got a life-sized doll so it looked like I was not traveling alone.”

She played by the rules to get by, but “got into trouble a lot.” She purchased a radio at Walmart and returned it within the designated time for a legal refund. Then she would buy the product again and take it back. She bought a color TV with the same methodology. “I would buy it again until Walmart banned me,” she says with a laugh.

HALF THE MENU OFFERS DISHES INSPIRED BY MALAYSIA, INCLUDING CHICKEN CURRY AND KUNG PAO, WHILE BIG SKY FARE INCLUDES A SMASH BURGER AND SIRLOIN STEAK.

Through the years she continued to date Lee as he pursued his teaching credentials. She finally had the means and opportunity to feed him instead.

“I invited him to my apartment in 2000 and made him dinner. I made shrimp with the shell on” and because chickens are small in Malaysia, “I thought a game hen was a chicken,” she says with a laugh. This was the same year she entered the graduate program for chemical engineering.

She married Lee in the Bozeman courthouse on Aug. 8, 2002, picking the eighth month and eighth day as a fortuitous time to tie the knot. In Chinese culture, the number 8 foretells good luck. A celebration in Malaysia took place the following spring.

Their daughter, Rose, came into the world in 2008. Two years later, Johnson’s mother in Malaysia took ill. Her husband and daughter traveled to Malaysia to help in her care as Yokie couldn’t leave the states because of immigration restrictions. In 2014, she was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in a ceremony at Mammoth Hot Springs.

“Montana was the only state I knew. I was in school for many years here. My friends were here. I fell in love here. Cooke City was a familiar place,” Yokie says.

In 2017 Johnson noticed an oddity on her breast. Because she was not yet 40 years old, she delayed getting a mammogram because insurance didn't cover the cost. Months later, a breast biopsy identified a tumor. Surgery removed involved lymph nodes while leaving one to be treated with chemotherapy. In 2018, she had a double mastectomy and began chemotherapy.

“If I would go back in time, I would really push myself to go get a mammogram,” she says today.

With impending chemo treatments, Lee gave up his job as the ProStart coordinator for the Montana Restaurant Association to insure she made her appointments.

The treatment “ruined some of my nerves,” she says. “I felt miserable with sores in my mouth. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I was nauseous.” Her treatments continue to today, six years later.

Because acne left her skin hyperpigmented, she has painted her body with tattoos of flowers and snakes. Her shoulder bears a burst of colorful roses in honor of her daughter, Rose.

Around the time of her cancer challenges, she kindled a desire to own a restaurant. The

couple found a small kiosk in Cooke City and started MontAsia with al fresco seating. While she continued to work at the Stillwater mine, her husband cooked the Malaysian and Chinese food he learned from her mother and grandmother, and integrated the food he knew as a fifth-generation Montanan. Yokie helped on her days off. For four summers, the three of them operated the business by day, living in their van at night, along with their poodle, Vinnie.

In 2022, the Cowboy Bar, established in the 1900s in Fishtail, came up for sale. Although the Johnsons wanted to be in Red Lodge, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity of buying a place for their venture.

Although the pool table remains in the back of the restaurant and the old wood bar dominates the room, the animal mounts and salad bar are gone, replaced with paper crafted animals such as a dragon, a lion and a cat. Half the menu offers dishes inspired by Malaysia, including chicken curry and kung pao, while Big Sky fare includes a smash burger and sirloin steak. They also serve yak curry, with meat produced from the Painted KC Ranch.

At MontAsia, Yokie works all of the house while her husband controls the back of the house. Her 17-year-old daughter steps in to help when she’s not at her dance classes or performances and not working on the lessons from her father’s home schooling.

When asked what Lee means to her, she responds, “Everything.” For his part, Lee says, “Now after 20 plus years of marriage, it becomes impossible to describe how I feel about her, she’s my everything.”

Over the years, the couple has sprouted and nurtured new ideas. “A lot of times, we have ideas that only work because the other person figured out how to make it happen,” she says.

As the Johnsons remain open to new adventures, they know they will do it while nourishing others from near and far, growing as a family and letting Yokie do what she does best, blossom. ✻

It’s a great time to become a YAM Member!

With exclusive benefits and special invitations, YAM members enjoy access to a year’s worth of arts opportunities! A YAM membership is a tax-deductible donation to our ongoing operational expenses, education programs, and the stewardship of our permanent collection. Join today to support the arts!

FIRE UP YOUR APPETITE FOR THESE OUTDOOR EATS

Campfire Cuisine Campfire Cuisine Campfire Cuisine

FIRE UP YOUR APPETITE FOR THESE OUTDOOR EATS

SHOW OF HANDS. Who had their first camping experience with the Girl Scouts?

Learning about dinner wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked on the coals or even on a stick — that’s how camping memories are made.

As we went searching for a little campfire cuisine, who better to ask than the Girl Scouts? Thanks to Briana Rickman with Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming, I can share some of the delicious fare found in their book, “Wild Iron Chef, Fun Camp Recipes.”

So grab your box of aluminum foil for Pork Chop Dinner and some Campfire Pizza. Set aside some sticks or skewers for Hiker’s Knapsack. And be sure to store a stock pot that’s fire friendly or can be put on a cook stove for our One Pot Meal variations. Of course,

we can’t forget dessert, so there’s also a few finger-licking options like Banana Boats, Campfire Cones and Apples in Foil. All the recipes are sure to make our summer campfires fun and most of all, memorable.

Thank you, Girl Scouts!

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.

pork chop foil dinner

RECIPE SERVES 1

Pork chop

Frozen potatoes or 1 small sliced potato

Fresh, frozen or canned green beans

Water or cream soup

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS: Place seasoned pork chop on foil Add: ½ cup frozen potatoes or 1 small sliced potato, ½ cup of green beans and 1 tablespoon of water or cream soup. Wrap and bake on coals 30 minutes, turning once during the cook time.

campfire pizza

2 garlic French bread loaves

2 jars pizza sauce

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

1 package pepperoni slices

Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS: Slather sauce on one side of the bread loaf. Add cheese and desired toppings and seasoning. Close bread loaf and wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil. Consider lining with parchment paper to prevent your toppings from sticking to the foil. Place on fire and cook for 10 minutes, flipping and then cooking an additional 10 minutes. Flip one more time for five minutes of cook time, checking occasionally. Let the foil cool before cutting open and cutting into single serve slices.

hiker’s knapsack (dinner on a stick)

Thin slices of ham

Thin slices of cheese

Half slices of pineapple

Buns

DIRECTIONS: over a slice of cheese and a piece of pineapple. Fasten edges with toothpicks. Toast on a fork until both sides of ham are golden brown and cheese is melted. Serve on buttered bun.

One Pot Meals One Pot Meals Meals

SERVES 12; feel free to half recipe for smaller groups

BASE INGREDIENTS

☛ 3 lbs. hamburger (brown and drain). Pre-cook & keep cool.

☛ 2 chopped onions

☛ 1 chopped green pepper

hunter’s stew

Base ingredients

6 cans vegetable soup OR 4 16-oz. cans mixed veg.

DIRECTIONS: Mix in a pot, place over the coals or on the camp stove. Heat through, stirring occasionally

sweet ‘n sour beef

Base Ingredients

4 c. pineapple juice

6 T. cornstarch dissolved in 3 T. lemon juice & 3 T. water

DIRECTIONS: Mix in a pot and cook over coals or cookstove, stirring until thickened. Serve on chow mein noodles.

campfire cones

Waffle ice cream cones

Mini marshmallows

Small Reese cups

Chocolate chips

Rolos candies

Frozen berries

bananas

DIRECTIONS: Fill cones with desired toppings. Wrap cones with foil and place near coals for 10 minutes rotating after 5 minutes.

apples in foil

Apples

Red Hots candy

Mini marshmallows

Butter Cinnamon

Sugar

DIRECTIONS: Core apples and fill with Red Hots, marshmallows, butter, cinnamon and sugar. Wrap in foil and bake on coals 20 to 30 minutes. Turn occasionally.

banana boats

Bananas

Mini chocolate chips

Mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS: Slit the inside curve of an unpeeled banana. Press in chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap in foil. Set in coals to heat.

home and2garden7

BUILDING dreams2 dreams2

RIDGELINE DEVELOPMENT TRIES TO PROVIDE CLASSIC DESIGN AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHEN KELLY COLEMAN looked over the 65 acres that once made up the Dyk family ranch in the heart of Billings’ growing West End, she saw something unique. Her company, P3 Coleman, had become known for development that catered to highend luxury homes.

dreams2 dreams2

This time, as she looked at the rough landscape, she saw a mixeduse community that blended single-family, multi-family and commercial development all in one subdivision. She wanted homes with a price tag that could better serve young professionals, downsizing Baby Boomers and everyone in between. The result is the Ridgeline community near the corner of 48th Street West and King Avenue.

“I think about our young people,” Kelly says. “What’s out there and what they can afford in a starter home is non-existent.”

That’s why when Todd Brown of Brown Builders came to her proposing a partnership to help provide houses with more attainable pricing, for the first time in her life, she said yes to having a partner in the development process.

This will be Kelly’s sixth development, but the first more affordable housing development she’s done. She wanted to create a quality home that could appreciate, giving young buyers the equity that they could use to purchase their next home.

“What can I do to be a part of enhancing the city so young people will either come home or stay here and raise their families?” Kelly says.

The development will feature a mix of duplex, tri-plex and fourplex homes with five acres of open parks and neighboring walkways at the center of the community. In time, the commercial

space might even play home to a small grocery store. It’s Kelly’s way of building community within community.

“I like the natural green space. I like families to be able to walk or bike. This time, I am going to build a dog park in the corner,” Kelly says. “In our subdivisions, I love hearing when someone asks, ‘Can we hold soccer practice here?’ By all means, please do and do it all the time!”

WE ARE PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS CB PROJECT

We specialize in providing optimum comfort for the homeowners.

Todd Eames with Metro Realtors says there has been showing after showing in the development and these homes, for the most part, are still in the construction phase. The showings are frequent, he says, because the development is hitting a sweet spot with price.

“I think it checks boxes for many age groups,” he says. “We are seeing the growth right now and have been over the last 10 years.”

That growth is putting a bit of a squeeze on the number of homes available with a more desirable asking price. In early June, there were 117 active listings in Billings in the $350,000 to $450,000 range. If you consider that 10 to 15 percent of those homes are aging or have flaws that might be hard to finance, Todd says, “Our inventory is really, really low.”

And, if you look at the 59106 zip code where Ridgeline is based, there were 15 active listings in that price range in mid-June, and half of the listings in Ridgeline.

“I have two kids and I had to build my son a house for him to be able to afford it,” says Shane Fuchs of Rimrock Builders. “We’re watching my kids, wondering how they are going to be able to afford a house.”

He’s one of three builders planning homes in the development. He’s close to breaking ground on his share. By the end of construction, he’ll have 24 townhomes offering 1,400 square feet of living with distinct touches.

“We are just trying to produce the quality at this price range that we do in our custom homes,” Shane says. “We have custom-built cabinets going into each home. We only have four different plans, but you can tweak the inside a little bit for personal taste.”

Builder Michael Christensen is planning 20 homes, and the rest will be built by CB Built, owned by Conner and Ashley Bokma.

“We created some unique spaces in our homes,” Conner says. “Typically, in a town home, you don’t have a walk-in pantry. You don’t have a dedicated laundry room. You don’t have a massive master closet like we have and a landing space with an opportunity for a desk or reading nook.”

Stepping into his newly crafted townhome on Talking Tree Drive, you get the feel of modern luxury. From the front door and its wide entry to the unique accents like the metal railings, a beamed fireplace, built in benches, a 4-by-8-foot kitchen island plus a sliding door leading out to the covered patio, “We tried to be very

RENDERING OF RIMROCK BUILDER'S FUTURE HOMES

THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN BILLINGS IN MAY OF 2024 WAS $367,500, WHICH IS AN ALLTIME HIGH FOR ANY MONTH, ANY YEAR. THAT’S UP $23,000 FROM APRIL.

— Todd Eames, Metro Realtors

CONNER AND ASHLEY BOKMA

THE DEVELOPMENT WILL FEATURE A MIX OF DUPLEX, TRI-PLEX AND FOUR-PLEX HOMES WITH FIVE ACRES OF OPEN PARKS AND NEIGHBORING WALKWAYS AT THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY.

THE CB BUILT TOWNHOMES OFFER THREE BEDROOMS AND TWO AND A HALF BATHS IN 2,100 SQUARE FEET OF LIVING SPACE.

thoughtful of every square inch,” Conner says.

The CB Built townhomes offer three bedrooms and two and a half baths in 2,100 square feet of living space. Although each homeowner shares a common wall with a neighbor, an air gap was built into the plan for noise reduction.

The development is classified as high-density, but step outside and it doesn’t feel cramped, Conner says.

“We do have space between each building, so you don’t feel like you are on top of each other,” Conner says. “It’s very comfortable and feels open.

The design inside was crafted to feel a little more spacious as well.

“The open concept is definitely the goal,” Ashley Bokma says. “And we’ve kept it modern to where it doesn’t feel like a starter home. Even the lighting choices are a little more than builder grade.”

“We are doing different things in each one,” Kelly says. “There’s not a ton of variation but cabinet colors could be different. The tile backsplash could be different. The fireplaces will all be painted a different color.”

Designer Ragan Yetley with Beyond the Box worked with the Bokmas on all their home’s cabinetry. Together they chose a slab door cabinet that was high on impact with its clean lines and low-maintenance finish.

“This cabinet line allows us to help homeowners pick stunning cabinets without blowing the budget,” Ragan says. Over and above the interior design, however, Ragan says it’s clear this project was about more than just building houses.

“The focus is on creating a community,” Ragan says, “one that offers a new standard of living by balancing affordability with luxury and functionality.” ✻

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