The Downtown Bozeman Association Releases Details and Survey Results from the Recent Member Forum and Survey Sent in Regards to Music on Main.

The Downtown Bozeman Association (DBA) has recently held a forum and sent a survey to its members in hopes of gaining valuable feedback about its Music on Main concerts series held 8 Thursday evening through the summer.  As the event continues to grow over the years, so does the importance of taking measures to continue making it a safe and fun event for all attendees.  

The DBA is a 501c6 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Downtown Bozeman as a center of business, culture, and entertainment and to conduct and promote activities and events that build a strong local economy and contribute to the well-being, growth and vitality of downtown Bozeman.   In order to uphold its mission through the events and programs it host, the DBA budget is broken into two funding categories: membership and events.  Membership income directly pays for membership benefits and programs like the popular Downtown Dollar program, the Downtown Bozeman Partnership website, email marketing, many printed and electronic directories, and more.  While all DBA-hosted events are self-sustainable and are 100% supported through either event “participation fees” or “sponsorships,” DBA members are given the choice of which events you they would like to support, which in turn are the events that directly benefit their businesses.  Every event is intended to support the businesses that support it, which helps to sustain the event’s own future. 

Below is a brief history of Music on Main, including location changes and growth in security and safety measures over the years.

Music on Main began in 2000 as a small concert held in a back alley-way in downtown.  In 2001, the DBA was approached to take “ownership” of the already growing event and moved it to South Bozeman Avenue where it continued during Bozeman’s transition to the adoption of a statewide open container law and grew in attendance from tens of people to several hundred.

In 2004, after being developed by city staff and approved by the commission, an “open container waiver permit” was available for events like Music on Main or other events on “city-owned” parks and streets.  So this was the first year the DBA requested an “open container waiver” from the City of Bozeman which allows open containers within a certain area during a certain time.  The first waiver obtained included all of Main Street and the side street of South Bozeman during the event hours from 6 to 9pm.

The event quickly grew from a several hundred in attendance to upwards of 1-2,000, and after three more years on South Bozeman, the need for additional security and safety measures also grew.  So in 2007, the devoted event sponsors as well as city staff and Bozeman police officers all met to decide the future of the event.  It was decided amongst this group to move Music on Main to Main Street within a two block area to allow for growth but also keep a condensed area of the event to make it easier to monitor and patrol.  Several policies and procedures were also developed including: 8 staff members with one at each of the 8 entrances, several roaming staff members, expansion of the “kid’s area” for a family-friendly atmosphere, weekly colored wristbands to be given out to all licensed establishments to use during the event to help prevent underage drinking, signage about the open container waiver policy to be posted at all licensed beverage servers as well as around the event area.  Also, no glass, cans, dogs, coolers or backpacks were allowed in the event area. The group also recognized that due to the nature of having an event on a public street with additional entrances besides the sidewalk entrances, some of these policies would be difficult to enforce, so the DBA worked closely with the Bozeman Police and Fire Department to make sure we had backup and additional patrol within the event area. 

In 2011, the City of Bozeman received complaints from community members living in the adjacent neighborhoods to Downtown Bozeman about disruptions from people leaving downtown in the several hours after the event.  The Bozeman Police Department requested the same group of sponsors, licensed beverage servers, and city representatives get together once again to discuss the possibility of adding additional security for the hours after the event.  All establishments within the event area who were open during these “after-hours” agreed to pay into a security fund totaling an estimated $4,000 each year to fund additional officers from 10pm to 2am.  The DBA agreed to coordinate the collection of these funds and pay the Bozeman Police Department directly.  The same group of licensed establishments, event sponsors, Bozeman police officers, and city representatives continue to meet prior to the event series each year to discuss the importance of the policies we have in place and to review our game plan for the upcoming year. 

In 2014, there continued to be significant growth with several of the events seeing crowds upwards of 5,000 attendees.  The DBA and the event sponsors continue to take the policies that have been set and enhanced over the years very seriously and attempt to run a well-conducted, safe, and fun event but also recognize the need to continue expanding efforts and listening to DBA members and the community to throw a successful event which is fun and safe for all attendees. So when a concerned business owner approached the DBA staff and board about concerns he had with possible over-consumption of alcohol, the DBA decided to hold a member forum as well as send a survey to all DBA members, city staff, and event sponsors to allow the voices of the members to be heard.

Over 30 city representatives, business owners, and managers attended the forum held on August 27 at 2pm in the Bozeman Public Library Conference Room.  Babs Noelle, President of the DBA Board, gave a 10 minute introduction including the mission of the DBA, the history and budget of the event, and a shortened review of the survey results.  She then moderated the forum explaining that all DBA members were welcome to speak for a maximum of 3 minutes to allow time for everyone to be heard.  Thirteen individuals spoke in regards to their opinion on the event as well as suggestions for the future.  Of the 13 speakers, one was an officer with the Bozeman Police Department relaying some of the concerns about the issues with attendees several hours after the event and mentioning the importance of a “controlled area” for the event to monitor the activities within.  Nine who spoke were very complimentary of the event and explained the importance of having a thriving downtown community, including welcoming our younger demographic to our city core while also creating revenue for the downtown business community.  One person spoke about the concerns they had heard from community members and employees but had not attended the event in several years.  While the remaining two were adamantly against the event and the over-consumption of alcohol they feel is happening at the event resulting in problems after the event.  The forum overall was very positive, and the DBA Board felt they were provided valuable feedback from the speakers and attendees to use moving forward.

The survey sent to the DBA’s 337 members as well as the City Commissioners, additional city representatives, and event sponsors also provided valuable feedback.  Of the 81 respondents to the survey, 42% are retailers, 26.5% are restaurants or bars, 20% are service businesses with the remaining percentage comprising ”other” types of businesses.   

Of the businesses open during the Music on Main event hours, over 50% enjoyed either typical or higher than usual sales, brand awareness, “come backs,” and sidewalk or walk-in traffic on Music on Main nights as compared to other nights.  While less than 15% reported lower than usual sales, brand awareness, “come backs,” and sidewalk or walk-in traffic on Music on Main nights as compared to other nights.  

43% of the respondents reported unusual issues they believed to be related to Music on Main events.  Of those 36 respondents, 8 reported items they considered chronic (primarily being trash, inebriation of patrons coming into their establishments after the event, and cars remaining in lots overnight).  The remainder said any problem they had was one-time, no different than any other summer night, or something they considered, on balance, to be quite tolerable.

As for general comments or feedback: 3 of the 81 survey respondents (less than 4%) would like to see the event retooled pretty comprehensively, 11 of the 81 respondents (about 14%) saw the event as needing minor tweaking (including having beer gardens or changing the open container waiver policies, changing the music, adding security measures etc…), and the remaining respondents were complimentary of the event and/or mentioning the importance of revenue generated by the event and the added vitality of events and activities in general.

The DBA Board will analyze all the data from the survey and from the member forum, as well as continue to encourage DBA member businesses to share information directly with the DBA Board and staff.  All that input will determine how the DBA Board will approach the crafting of any changes deemed necessary to keep this popular community event running smoothly, thereby adding to the vitality of Downtown Bozeman.  The DBA Board seeks to have the Music on Main event series serve well a majority of its member businesses, and thus the Downtown Bozeman community. The DBA Board will continue to keep the DBA membership and the Bozeman community updated on any changes that will be implemented. ​

Students and fans who will gather in Bobcat Stadium for the Sept. 20 football game between Montana State University and Eastern Washington will experience MSU’s first game-day high-altitude balloon launch from inside the stadium.
 
The launch, taking place 20 minutes before kickoff, will lift a custom-made “Go CATS” banner high above the Gallatin Valley while special high-definition cameras capture spectacular images from “near-space.”
 
One of those images will be displayed during halftime on the Bobcat Stadium’s Jumbotron. Throughout the game, students and fans will be able to view the other images and track the balloon’s journey at http://lookup.montana.edu.
 
The latex weather balloon is expected to reach 85,000 feet and then float east. The entire trip could take anywhere from two to four hours, said Angela Des Jardins, director of NASA’s Montana Space Grant Consortium.  Besides sharing images from the edge of space, the flight will demonstrate the benefits of a valve and computer system designed and developed by MSU students. The students can command the valve to release helium from the balloon, allowing it to stay aloft as long as the students want.
 
Once the MSU students see that the balloon is floating over an easily accessible location between Livingston and central Montana, they will command a tethered dart to pop it, Des Jardins said. They will then drive to its landing spot to retrieve the balloon and the scientific instruments it is carrying.
 
Participants in a Montana Space Grant Consortium contest will seek and retrieve the 16-by 84-inch “Go CATS” banner that will drop off earlier in the flight to avoid tangling with the descending balloon. Contest information will be updated continually at @MTSpaceGrant on Twitter.
 
Balloon flights are the highlight of the BOREALIS program at MSU, Des Jardins said. As a component of the NASA Montana Space Grant Consortium, BOREALIS works to strengthen aerospace research and education in Montana.
 
BOREALIS provides students the unique opportunity to work, fully hands on, to design, build, test, fly and analyze personalized and collaborative high altitude experiments, Des Jardins said. Students fly equipment designed to record and analyze their scientific inquiries in carefully constructed payloads that travel up to altitudes of 100,000 feet.
 
Students take great pride in the educational opportunities provided through BOREALIS, Des Jardins said.
 
Nichole Murray of Bozeman, a senior in mechanical engineering, said, “It is a very unique learning environment. It opens the door that says it’s OK to fail. It’s the idea of being able to learn from your failures and become better…. To expand and make yourself a better student…To push yourself farther than you thought you could.
 
“I hope that students and fans have the chance to experience the same fascination, excitement and wonder that I do with each launch that I participate in, since there is always something to learn, to observe or to question,” Murray added.
 

In the wake of the withdrawal of Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont) from November’s election following charges of plagiarism, the Montana Democratic Party in August chose another Butte Democrat to fill his shoes, freshman Montana legislator Rep. Amanda Curtis.

Curtis, who is also a high school teacher in Butte, and Steve Daines of Bozeman, who currently holds Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, face off in November for the Senate seat vacated by Max Baucus earlier this year after his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China. As of press time, the race is a David vs. Goliath affair of sorts, with Daines leading Curtis in the polls by over 20 points. Democrats have held the Senate seat for more than a century, but the race was already seen as a tough one for Democrats to hold onto this time around, even before the plagiarism allegations against Walsh were published by The New York Times in July.

After Walsh dropped out of the race, Democrats scrambled to pick a new candidate. Rep. Franke Wilmer (D-Bozeman) Bozeman expressed an interest in running against Daines, but decided to instead to keep her focus on state politics. Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s name surfaced, but no interest in the seat from his camp emerged. In a first-of-its-kind convention for Montana Democrats in Helena on Saturday, Aug. 16, the 129 attending party delegates from across the Treasure State really had only two choices: the 34-year-old Amanda Curtis, who earlier that week received backing from some of Montana’s largest unions, and Wilsall area rancher Dirk Adams, who in June lost the primary race to Walsh.

At Saturday’s convention Curtis made her pitch to working-class Montana voters, portraying Daines as a corporate candidate more interested in serving the interests of the wealthy, rather than Montana as a whole.

“This is the worst job market in a generation, but the stock market is doing just fine,” Curtis told convention delegates. “Wall Street is doing great. The recovery has not reached the rest of us...if we win here in Montana, outspent and outgunned in a race where we were left for dead, it will send a message to Washington, D.C., that we want change.”

After the delegates’ votes were cast and counted, Curtis bested Adams by an 82-46 vote margin, but with less than 10 weeks until Election Day, Curtis certainly has an uphill battle ahead of her, not the least of which is name recognition.

“The ability to brand anything, a candidate...a product...is really tough in three months,” Ravalli County convention delegate Lee Tickell told the Associated Press. “But it can be done, if we come out of here with enthusiasm.”

If enthusiasm can be equated with money, Curtis is off to a good start. Within 10 days being chosen as the candidate to replace Walsh, Curtis had already raised $180,000. That’s small potatoes compared to Daines’ $1.7 million warchest, and Curtis is not expected to draw much money from large donors outside the state unless the race tightens, but it is a good start. She has received backing from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's Democracy for America organization, and an endorsement from Montana’s other U.S. Senator, Jon Tester, who told CNN News that “Amanda's energy and enthusiasm will be a refreshing change, and will bring attention to issues facing working families, like education and access to our public lands.”

Younger Montana Democrats are the demographic most familiar with Curtis, whose issues include student loan reform and human rights. It’s this younger voting base which Democrats hope to invigorate in this off-Presidential election year.

Using an avenue more likely to be navigated by this younger generation, Curtis kept a daily YouTube diary of the 2013 Montana Legislative Session she served in, a diary which reveals much about the candidate’s beliefs and background. Within hours after she was chosen to run against Daines by party delegates in Helena, the Montana Republican Party published a not-so-complimentary compilation of clips from her diary on YouTube entitled “Meet Amanda Curtis.”  The GOP’s video montage had received over 142,000 hits as of Aug. 30. It focuses on Curtis’s statements regarding topics including gun control (she favors expanded background checks) and Medicaid (she wants to see the program expanded in the Treasure State). It hints at her labor union background (she states she is an “anarchist at heart” in one clip), and one clip seems aimed at questioning Curtis’s “family values.” In another segment, Curtis says she has to stop herself from walking across the aisle and punching another state legislator after his anti-gay statements on the floor. Montana Republican Party Chair Will Deschamps told the AP that “All you have to do is listen to her words.” But Curtis stands by her legislative video diary, accusing the Montana Republican Party of publishing an assembly of clips out of context, and urging everyone to watch her diary as a whole.

“Of course that's the first thing that they're going to do,” Curtis told the AP regarding the GOP’s YouTube release. “The great thing about those videos [in their entirety] is folks can go and see exactly what context I said any statement that they're curious about.” It remains to be seen whether those YouTube videos will help get Amanda Curtis’s name out there, but it’s certain that name recognition is a priority in her campaign.

Now available is a license to ski. Actually it’s a license plate. Big Sky Resort teamed up with Big Sky Ski Education Foundation (BSSEF) to bring the Biggest Skiing in America® license plate to Montana residents. The Montana license plate features a photo of the iconic Lone Peak at Big Sky Resort.

The proceeds from the sale of the custom Biggest Skiing in America® license plate will benefit Big Sky Ski Education Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer-based organization offering competitive ski programs to Big Sky and the surrounding communities.

“We hope to raise $10,000 to $15,000 (500-750 plates) yearly with the donations from the plate. It is going to take a lot of support from local residents and others throughout the state,” said Jeremy Ueland, Program Director and Head Coach of Big Sky Ski Education Foundation. “BSSEF is excited to have this plate released and have a custom plate unique to the Big Sky area.”

There have been many BSSEF alumni make it to various levels of competition from regional events, national events and World Cup. The most notable athlete who skied for BSSEF was Keely Kelleher who is a former United States Ski Team member and 2010 National Super G winner.

“BSSEF is a great program at our resort to be associated with and with this plate, people can express their love of ski programs we all grew up in,” stated Brandon Bang, Sales and Marketing Director at Big Sky Resort. “We’re just honored to have Lone Peak on there.”

Visit Big Sky Ski Education Foundation at www.bssef.com or www.bigskyresort.com for more information.

Dakota Prukop made his public debut at Cat Chat last Wednesday night (8/27/14) and I was able to ask him a few  questions about the upcoming Bobcat Football Season.

2014©KenThorsen


Jack Thorsen: What do you think the most challenging aspect of being the starting quarterback for the Bobcats will be? 


Dakota Prukop:  I think it's most challenging thing will be that I want to be able to make that play every time.

JT: What goals have you set for this season? 


DP: Win a conference championship or even a national championship. 


JT: Can you describe the Montana State offense in just one word.

DP: Explosive !!!

Come see how explosive the Bobcat offense is at the first home game of the season, the Gold Rush Game Saturday, September 6th 7n pm against Black Hills State.

On Friday, October 3, 2014, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley will host the 8th annual Cardboard Box City in Bogert Park. This community education event is a great opportunity for kids and families to help build awareness and raise funds for homeless families in our community.

Despite the booming economy, Bozeman continues to be a challenging place to live for those on the margin. In fact, of the families who have gone through the Family Promise program in the last six months, almost all of them held full-time jobs. But, with minimum wage in Montana at $7.90 per hour, and rents in Bozeman hovering around $850 for a one-bedroom, just finding affordable housing can seem like an impossible task -- not to mention paying for food, childcare, and medical expenses.

What does this mean for Family Promise? It means that the services we provide are more important than ever. Family Promise of Gallatin Valley is a nonprofit in Bozeman that assists homeless families to regain their independence. Since we opened our doors in 2006, 80% of the families completing the Family Promise program have successfully attained stable housing and employment.

Participants of our annual Cardboard Box City event who collect pledges of $100 or more secure themselves the opportunity to set up and decorate a cardboard box home for the night. Starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, October 3, participants can set up their boxes and enjoy a pizza dinner, music, prizes and lots of fun! They then spend the evening under the stars.

Individuals of all ages, families, youth groups, sororities, fraternities, civic and faith organizations are all welcome. Visit www.familypromisegv.org to register today!  Call 582-7388 with any questions. Volunteers are also needed.  Join us Friday, October 3, 2014 to end homelessness, one family at a time.

Trails are a big part of why living in Bozeman is so great. Friends make it even better. So who’s your trail buddy? Who do you call for early morning or after work walks on Peet’s Hill or Drinking Horse Mountain. Who’s your go-to trail running friend?  Our furry friends need companions too! Who is your dog’s favorite trail companion?

The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT), has been building, maintaining, and enhancing trails on the Main Street to the Mountains trail network since 1990.  By building trails, GVLT is connecting people and building community. Share your trail buddy story (and/ or your dog’s trail buddy story) for a chance to win truly amazing prizes!

Here’s how to enter:
    •    Submit a photo of you and your trail buddy on the trails (or your dog and its trail buddy) to info@gvlt.org or post on the GVLT Facebook page, www.facebook.com/gallatinvalleylandtrust.
    •    Humans-Include a brief explanation of why you love your trail buddy and your favorite town trail. Dogs-Have your human include a brief explanation of why you love your trail buddy and your favorite town trail.
Submissions are due September 30th and winners will be announced October 3rd. Human winners will receive a free pair of Oboz footwear and Dee-O-Gee gift card. Dog winners will receive a bed and toy package from West Paw Design, dog treats from Dee-O-Gee, and a 5 lb. bag of lamb bones from Willow Springs Ranch.
Rules: Entries must be from the residents of the Gallatin Valley. Trail buddy entries can’t be groups of three or more, just pairs. You can enter just your buddy , your dog’s buddy, or both!

Visit www.facebook.com/gallatinvalleylandtrust or www.gvlt.org to learn more. Thank You to Oboz Footwear, West Paw Design, Dee-O-Gee, Willow Springs Ranch, Run Dog Run, and the Moose Radio for supporting this contest!

Please contact EJ Porth for more information. ej@gvlt.org or 406-587-8404 ext. 8

Tate Academy, the educational wing of The Ellen Theatre, announces the fall schedule which includes programs for young performers and adults in both acting and musical theatre. The goal of the workshops is to provide students with solid, technique-based theatre arts training, lead by professional teachers and artists. All classes take place at The Ellen Theatre.

The Fundamentals of Acting workshop focuses on creating three-dimensional characters and building a solid acting foundation. Exploring both voice and physicality, students participate in theatre games, guided improvisation and scene work to develop and hone acting technique. The Musical Theatre Workshop is designed for all students, from absolute beginners to experienced young performers. For those new to theatrical training, the course will serve
as an introduction to the world of musical theatre. For students who have had previous experience, it will offer them the opportunity to build upon those skills and further refine their talents. All students will gain self-esteem and confidence, while expanding their knowledge of theatre.

These workshops are not a competition. A nurturing but professional atmosphere will be fostered as students are shown the benefits of working together in the performing arts. Honing individual skills while working as a creative team will produce not only the best results on stage, but more than likely new friends along the way.

The fall session begins September 15th and runs until November 6th. Fundamentals of Acting for grades 4 through 7 meets Mondays from 4:00 PM to 5:45 PMand the fee is $145.00. For grades 8 through 12, Fundamentals of Acting costs $165.00 and is held on Tuesdays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Musical Theatre Workshops are held Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 5:45 PM for grades 4 through 7 at a cost of $155. For grades 8 through 12, the fee is $175 and the class meets Thursdays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

There are two adult classes. Adult acting workshop is scheduled for Thursday evenings
from September 18 – October 16 at a cost of $90. The second is for Musical Theatre, also on Thursday evenings, and costs $95 for classes slated from October 23 o November 20th.

For more information about discounts for multiple family members and for attending multiple workshops, please visit the ticketing page attheellentheatre.com or simply call The Tate office at 585-6918.

Bozeman’s Coop gallery, The Artists’ Gallery, located in the Emerson Cultural Center will be featuring the art work of three diverse artists during the month of September. Dede Chrisman is a ceramic artist, Ann Wilbert creates jewelry with fused glass beads, and Tom Wolfe works in forged metal,
 
Chrisman began her relationship with clay thirty years ago. She finds working in clay as a way to journal. The responses she has while experiencing the environment are transferred into images in clay when in her studio. The Yellowstone geysers are reflected in her multi-fired bowls with the blue centers of the bowl surrounded by textured or crusty edges. Currently her work is influenced by a canoe trip on the Missouri River where she observed the cliff swallow nests and random trails the fallen rocks have left. She primarily uses a slab technique for clay, sometimes combining thrown components with the slab.
 
It may not seem like making small glass beads could possibly captivate a person for years, but such is the case for Wilbert. She finds that there are infinite possibilities with each attempt she makes at producing her lampwork beads. Although she feels she may never be a master of this art form she tries to capture something unique in each bead she creates.
 
Wolfe is inspired by the limitless possibilities of what can be done with iron, anvil, forge and tireless toil.  He creates functional metal work for the home and garden. His long-term fascination with the changes that can be wrought in the shape of steel when heated to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit keeps him coming back to the forge. After spending 30 years as the head of MSU’s horseshoeing program he has turned to making functional metal art while still using traditional blacksmithing techniques.
 
The Bozeman Artwalk will take place on Friday, September 12th.  Start your Artwalk at the Artists’ Gallery at 5:00 – then proceed to Main Street when the galleries there begin their Artwalk at 6:00. Come and meet the artists with a glass of wine.

Coffee lovers and artists of all ages are invited to submit drawings, paintings, collage and photos with coffee as their theme, or using coffee as a medium. To submit, email a photo of 1-4 artworks and your name, phone and email address no later than Sept. 1 to communityartbozeman@gmail.com. Artists will be notified of acceptance by email. Acceptance is based on space available and appropriateness to the coffee theme. The coffee artwork will be shown at Wild Joe’s coffeehouse, 18 West Main, with an opening reception during the Downtown Bozeman Artwalk on Friday, Sept. 12. For more information, find Community Art Bozeman on facebook or visit https://communityartbozeman.wordpress.com/