Monday, Oct. 31st, 2022

Heading to Bozeman? Check Out These Must-Visit Spots!


The university city of Bozeman, Montana, offers a diverse range of sights, entertainments, and historical spots to visit; it's richly steeped in history, and its beautiful scenery is the reason that films including A River Runs Through It and Amazing Grace were shot here.

If you're planning a trip to the seat of Gallatin County, and are wondering which locations should be on your must-visit list, then relax, as we've done the work for you! Here are the spots and sights that you should put on your itinerary.

Explore Yellowstone

Joining a day tour that begins in Bozeman and heads into Yellowstone via the dramatic Gallatin Canyon is a spectacular way to kick off your trip!

During the excursion, you'll hear all about the park's ecology, geology, and history and have the opportunity to view a diverse range of wildlife and landscape features. Marvel at Yellowstone highlights such as the park's very own Grand Canyon and Old Faithful before returning to Bozeman after your adventures. And if all that wildlife spotting has left you hungry for dinner…

Montana Aleworks

The Montana Ale Works offers a creative gourmet-yet-relaxed dining experience that's as delicious as it is stylish. All the dishes on the menu are handcrafted from scratch daily using fresh, locally sourced, and seasonal ingredients, and there is a range of drinks on tap that have arrived straight from the state's best craft breweries and distilleries.

The atmosphere here is vibrant and fresh: the decor, restaurant furniture, and artwork all combine to create a space that's as intimate and cozy as it is contemporary. And if you want a taster of the menu? Think bacon-wrapped sirloin steak with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies, truffled parmesan frites, grilled fish tacos served with black beans and slaw, and bison patty melt sandwich with caramelized onions on toasted rye. Hungry yet?

Museum of the Rockies

Located within Montana State University, the Museum of the Rockies is a fascinating exploration of the natural and human history of the Rocky Mountain region. It also houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the whole of the US, which the kids, especially, will love - particularly the T-Rex skull, the biggest that's been discovered worldwide to date.

The living history house is also impressive, and the sections on indigenous and settler history relating to the area are fascinating, too.

Guided Kayak Excursion

Ready for more adventure? If you want something a little different, then this fully guided kayak trip that sets off from Bozeman is just the ticket! You'll be told all about the history and wildlife of the area and taken to some of the most scenic spots on the Madison River.

The experience is designed to be relaxing and informative, offering a unique way to view the area's stunning landscape. As a stress-free family day out while in town, it's hard to beat.

American Computer and Robotics Museum

Currently ranked on TripAdvisor as one of Bozeman's very best attractions, the American Computer and Robotics Museum’s impressive exhibits are a testament to human innovation and creativity.

From the earliest computers to AI-enriched machines, quantum computing, the space race, and the cracking of the Enigma code, visitors will be fascinated by the museum's scope. It's recommended that you allow around two hours for your trip to best appreciate everything the museum offers.

Downtown Bozeman

Take a trip to Bozeman's charming main street to view some of the city's most beautiful historic buildings, a range of artisan shops, cute places to eat, and craft breweries. Preserving the historical elements of the city is important to Bozeman, and this care is evident in the stunning condition of even the oldest of the buildings downtown. When night falls, the atmosphere is vibrant, as bars, restaurants, and casual eateries come alive, such as…

The Bozeman Tap Room

For those wanting to relax after a day of hiking (or hitting all those gorgeous shops!), the Bozeman Tap Room is just the place! As well as a huge selection of regional and international beers, the bar also offers a wide variety of wines and champagnes and a selection of easy-eating bar snacks.

This venue prides itself on the mountain culture it's a part of, and the bar area's TV screens regularly play sports such as snowboarding, skiing, and extreme mountain sports, which you can enjoy watching as you sip one of the establishment's craft beers.

Bridger Bowl

And if watching mountain sports puts you in the mood to try some out yourself, then why not head over to Bridger Bowl, one of Bozeman's community skiing and snowboarding areas?

This friendly ski resort offers plenty of different trails for all levels and abilities; and if you're totally new to mountain sports? Take advantage of the on-site skiing lessons to get started!

Exploring Bozeman

Bozeman is a gorgeous city and acts as a natural gateway for those keen to use it as a base from which to explore Yellowstone. The town itself, though, boasts such a multitude of attractions, restaurants, and boutique shops that setting aside time to explore Bozeman, as well as Yellowstone, is something that you won't regret.

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Friday, Oct. 28th, 2022

Gallatin County Elections Offers Options to Voters Who Haven’t Received Absentee Ballots

 

Some of our Gallatin County voters have reported not receiving their absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 general election. The Gallatin County Elections Office has a variety of ways to get those voters replacement ballots to ensure they are able to vote in the upcoming election.

We understand this is frustrating for voters who haven’t received their ballots. Our office is working diligently to navigate through these mail delivery issues to ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots in the general election.

Get a new ballot – Come in Person

Voters can request a replacement ballot if their first ballot was not received, spoiled, damaged or destroyed. This request may only be used if the voter has not yet returned the voted ballot to the elections office. 

To receive a replacement ballot, fill out this form and bring it to the Gallatin County Elections Office (second floor of the Gallatin County Courthouse at 311 W. Main St. in Bozeman). Voters can request that our office re-mail their ballot, but with slow mail delivery time and the upcoming ballot-return deadline (received in our office by 8 p.m. Nov. 8) in-person visits are recommended.

To request a ballot be re-mailed, email a physically printed and signed copy of the form to gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov. Digital signatures will not be accepted.

Designate someone to pick up your replacement ballot

If you are unable to pick up a replacement ballot, or concerned it may not be delivered in time, you can also designate someone to pick it up on your behalf. That person can then deliver your ballot or send your ballot via expedited shipping to you.

Print out this replacement ballot form and fill out using black or blue ink. At the bottom of the form, include the name of the person who you authorize to pick up your ballot for you and sign as Elector.

Give the completed and signed form to your designee. You may also scan or take a picture of your completed form and email to your designee to bring into our office for pickup.

Vote at your polling place on Election Day

Registered absentee voters can go to their polling place on Election Day and vote with a provisional ballot. Find your polling place location atwww.MyVoterPageMT.com.

Polling places will be open on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 7 AM to 8 PM, with the exception of Bridger Canyon Fire Station, which will be open noon to 8 PM. 

Contact us

If you have further questions, please come to our office, give us a call at 406-582-3060, or email us at gallatin.elections@gallatin.mt.gov. We are open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Election Day, our office will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit our website www.gallatinvotes.com

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Montana State research to help communities prepare for wildfire impacts to municipal water

BOZEMAN — Even after the smoke clears, communities can be impacted by wildfire when scorched mountainsides are flushed with rain, washing sediment, ash and other contaminants into streams and reservoirs that supply drinking water.

In light of the severity and frequency of wildfires across much of the U.S., a Montana State University researcher and collaborators are working to help communities better safeguard water resources against wildfires as part of a three-year, $4 million transdisciplinary project led by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station.

“We want to provide municipalities and others in the drinking water community with really clear, science-based guidance for how they can invest their money and resources to prepare for future wildfires,” said Amanda Hohner, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

Hohner, a drinking water treatment engineer, will use $725,000 of the funding for research focused on understanding the water infrastructure and treatment processes currently used by communities, how those systems may be vulnerable to potential wildfire impacts and what changes water managers could make to be better prepared.

In collaboration with Hohner, other partners, including researchers at Oregon State and Washington State universities, will conduct field studies to monitor burned headwaters and understand how recent fires have affected watersheds in the Pacific Northwest and develop models showing how future wildfires could affect municipal water supplies. The project includes a socioeconomic analysis of the costs of wildfires to community water supplies and the investments that are most likely to pay off in the future. The research results will be widely applicable to Montana, where many communities rely on surface water supplies in forested watersheds that are vulnerable to fire, Hohner said.

“This is a collaborative effort involving a wide range of expertise to tackle a complex topic,” said Hohner, noting that the team includes hydrologists, foresters, ecologists and environmental economists at the partnering institutions. “It’s exciting to be working with a team of researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise to address this problem.”

Since the project kicked off last spring, the team hosted a virtual workshop with stakeholders involved in watershed and drinking water management. “We really want to engage stakeholders, including municipalities and state and federal agencies, so that our work is aimed at addressing the challenges they face,” she said.

The motivation for the project came in the wake of the 2020 wildfire season that saw fires rage across the Pacific Northwest, with many cities and towns experiencing problems with drinking water supplies afterward. Fires consume vegetation that anchors soil and helps the ground absorb rain and snow. The absence of that vegetation leads to more rapid runoff filled with sediment and debris as well as ash and charcoal. Because most municipal water systems aren’t designed to handle extreme post-fire runoff and erosion, the large flush of sediment and debris can damage and clog water intake pipes and overwhelm treatment processes and filtration systems that normally remove smaller quantities of sediment and contaminants, according to Hohner.

In her MSU lab, Hohner will test different water treatment processes using samples collected from surface waters impacted by wildfires to assess which technologies are most effective at removing the fine ash and organic carbon that commonly spike in concentration after a rainstorm hits a burned area. The funding will provide opportunities for several undergraduate and graduate students to be involved in the work, Hohner said.

Combined with the work of the rest of the team, Hohner’s research will result in specific and comprehensive recommendations for how water managers could upgrade infrastructure to better manage future wildfire risk, she said. That could include adding different treatment technologies, adjusting daily operations schedules and expanding filter systems to better handle sediment and ash runoff. Additionally, the research is exploring how different types of water supplies are affected and the benefits of diversifying water sources to include groundwater, reservoirs and watersheds not as prone to wildfires, as well as adding capacity and flexibility to the system through water storage and other infrastructure.

Bozeman and Helena are among the communities in the state that source their municipal water from streams in forested areas that could burn, she noted. Because many other, smaller towns may not have the resources to invest in water system upgrades, one goal of the project is to help quantify the kind of assistance those communities may need from federal agencies and other partners.

“Unfortunately, the wildfire problem isn’t going away anytime soon,” Hohner said. “This research is one part of helping provide communities resources to be more resilient.”

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Thursday, Oct. 27th, 2022

Multi-Jurisdictional Team Works to Address Domestic Violence in Gallatin County

Gallatin County DVRT Tackles Domestic Violence Issues in Our Community

Read the paper in Gallatin County often enough and it’s plain to see that domestic violence is a problem in our community: Stories of strangulation and other violent acts appear regularly. In the past few weeks alone, there were three high-lethality cases reported in local media – and those are just the cases where law enforcement has intervened.

That’s why the Domestic Violence Respose Team was created in 2012. It’s a group of law enforcement, attorneys, advocates, and more, in our county, trying to work together to address the violence that stems from one partner exerting power and control over the other partner – violence that’s on the rise in our community, according to local experts on the task force.

“Domestic violence cases are complicated to investigate and even more difficult to prosecute due to the intimacy between survivor and suspect. That is why these cases, more than others, require such a collaborative team effort to hold offenders accountable and keep survivors safe,” said Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer. “The predominance of homicide cases in Gallatin County are domestic related homicides. There really is no such thing as too much effort as this is truly a life safety issue.”

One in five people are survivors of domestic violence nationwide — in Gallatin County alone that’s more than 24,000 of our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and loved ones.

And each one of those survivors has family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and classmates who have likely seen the ramifications of that abuse. Domestic violence is an issue that affects us all.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and a time to bring this topic out of the shadows and into the forefront of our community conversation. And while this month might be wrapping up, domestic violence is an issue that deserves awareness all year long.

What Domestic Violence Looks Like

Domestic violence has one core component – it’s about power and control. It describes physical violence, sexual violence, economic abuse, spiritual abuse, stalking, or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse.

Physical violence can be pushing, kicking, hitting, strangling, and at its worst, killing.

Psychological harm can be threats, manipulation, stalking, name-calling, criticism, blaming, and unpredictable behavior, among many others.

Economic abuse can look like denying access to bank accounts or other sources of money.

These forms of abuse do not discriminate. Anyone can experience domestic violence no matter their age, gender, race, sexuality, or socio-economic status.

Here in Gallatin County, statistics from a local domestic violence organization and from our area law enforcement provide a snapshot of how often survivors are reaching out for help locally.

Haven, a nonprofit that provides shelter, legal advocacy, a 24-hour support line, and other resources to survivors, saw a 12 percent increase in the number of people it served last year from the year before. Haven also saw a 9 percent increase in bed nights at its emergency shelter. Local law enforcement has also seen increases in the number of domestic violence-related calls they respond to.

In 2019, there were 573 calls related to domestic violence responded to among the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, and Bozeman, Belgrade, Montana State University and Manhattan police departments. That number jumped over 41 percent in 2021, with 810 domestic violence calls responded to by those agencies.

“The number of survivors seeking support right now is far outpacing the growth we’re experiencing as a community,” Haven Executive Director Erica Aytes Coyle told KBZK-TV in August.

Gallatin County Domestic Violence Response Team

A local multi-jurisdictional team of professionals has been tackling this issue head on in Gallatin County for over a decade.

The Gallatin County Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) meets monthly with the goal to ensure that each agency and each practitioner, 911 operators and patrol officers, courts and probation officers, is on the same page in maximizing both the safety and well-being for survivors, and the accountability for offenders.

The purpose of DVRT is to educate the community, improve community-wide system response and collaboration, and influence statewide policy regarding domestic and sexual violence.

The team is made up of representatives from the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office, Gallatin County Victim Services, Gallatin County Court Services, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, Montana State University Police Department, Hearts and Homes; Gallatin County Court Services, Bozeman City Attorney’s Office, MSU VOICE Center, Gallatin County Child Protection Services, and Haven.

“It’s only by working together that we can see the gaps in how our community responds to domestic violence, and in how we can all work together to save lives and support survivors,” said Bailey Brubaker, the Haven staffer who’s been facilitating the Domestic Violence Response Team since January. “We’ve got a few things in the works for the coming year. It’s exciting to be part of the momentum we’re gaining.”

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond, we encourage our residents to educate themselves on domestic violence, talk about it, bring this topic into the light, and work together to end this issue in our community.

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Montana State University Extension publishes results of statewide needs assessment

BOZEMAN — Montana State University Extension is using the results of a statewide needs assessment to help prioritize programming, inform strategic investments, consider new collaborations and partner with communities and stakeholders to address needs and issues facing the state.

“The results of this needs assessment are already being used by our MSU Extension faculty and staff as they continue to offer programs and resources,” said Carrie Ashe, MSU Extension associate director. “We are excited to see the responses as we use this information to help plan and prioritize local and statewide programming and invest in continuing to meet the needs of local communities.”

Nearly 2,500 Montanans from all counties and reservations completed the needs assessment survey. More than 800 others participated in listening sessions and interviews coordinated by MSU Extension county and tribal agents. Participants included people who use MSU Extension programs, as well as non-users.

Survey participants identified water quality as an extremely important issue, and the responses showed that people were most interested in attending home gardening programs. Overall, needs were determined by combining measures of importance and dissatisfaction on a variety of issues.

The top 10 identified community needs were:

  1. Affordable housing options
  2. Affordable food options
  3. Counseling or mental health services
  4. Development of life skills for youth
  5. Youth career readiness
  6. Rural community vitality
  7. Child care options
  8. Health care services
  9. Safe/accessible community infrastructure
  10. Agricultural profitability

Participants were most likely to prefer receiving information from MSU Extension through in-person workshops; other preferences included websites and online classes.

Local MSU Extension offices that conducted listening sessions and interviews compiled a report representing statewide themes from those local results. It can be found at msuextension.org/NeedsAssessment.html

MSU Extension released the results of the needs assessment during its annual fall conference, held Oct. 17-19 in Bozeman. The results were presented to more than 100 faculty and staff who serve across the state.

Ashe said the mission of MSU Extension is to provide unbiased, research-based information and education to Montanans.

“One of the fundamental practices of MSU Extension is meeting locally identified and statewide needs,” Ashe said. “At MSU Extension’s core are the needs of the people and places of the state.”

For more information or to view the full needs assessment report, visit msuextension.org/NeedsAssessment.html or contact Ashe at carrie.ashe@montana.edu or 406-994-3293.

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Hunting for all mountain lions to close in lion management unit 422


HELENA
– By order of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, the hunting of all mountain lions will close in management unit 422 one-half hour after sunset on Thursday, Oct. 27.

This hunting district will re-open for the hunting of all mountain lion for the winter season beginning Dec. 1. 

For more information, visit FWP's website at fwp.mt.gov/hunt/by-species to check the current quota status, or call the toll-free number at 1-800-385-7826.

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Wednesday, Oct. 26th, 2022

Smart Business Moves For 2023

Are you in search of effective techniques for saving money in the face of a seriously weak economy? If so, you are not alone. Owners and entrepreneurs are looking for ways to get their company finances in order and on the right track before 2023 arrives, and it becomes potentially harder to turn a profit. In fact, now is the best time to act because it appears that the nation's financial situation will get worse before it gets better.

What can you do? In addition to investigating possibilities for outsourcing a few core operational functions, explore other areas where you can make a few cuts, changes, or quick fixes to minimize expenses and boost the bottom line. Commercial fleets can gain a competitive advantage by transitioning to electric vehicles. Other worthwhile tactics in the war against rising expenses include:

• Decreasing the amount of inventory you hold in order to minimize carrying costs
• Exploring the efficacy of direct mail advertising as a way to generate more business
• Purchasing supplies and equipment as soon as possible to avoid near-term price increases
• Opening an investment account for your company to put idle cash to work

Consider the following ideas that can help any company owner or manager get ready for whatever 2023 holds.

Use EVs For Commercial Fleets

For fleet managers, whether their companies have one, two, or hundreds of vehicles, transitioning away from combustion and towards electrical power is a profitable decision. Supervisors of commercial fleets always have cost on their minds, which is why they often begin exploring the concept of purchasing EVs (electric vehicles). The good news for company owners is that the benefits of electric cars outweigh the negatives across the board.

Not only is the typical EV a cleaner running machine, but the technology delivers long-term sustainability. One reason so many companies opt to switch to electric power is the fuel efficiency factor. In fact, commercial cars, vans, and small trucks that use electric power offer a high degree of cost-effectiveness. That translates to lower operating expenses for businesses that use EVs as their fleet vehicles of choice. The good news is that it's easy to begin the process of replacing combustion fleet cars and vans with electric ones on an incremental basis, which avoids the need for high up-front costs as the process begins.

Identify Outsourcing Possibilities

The majority of managers dislike the idea of giving control over a core function to a third party. Unfortunately, the modern world is a complex one, and almost no one can do every job alone or even with a small team. That's why it's so critical for owners to learn the fine art of letting someone else step in and take some responsibilities on occasion. Review your entire organizational plan with an eye toward identifying at least one function that can be outsourced. Be careful to study both short-term and long-term expenses because some service providers might appear to be a costly alternative but pay off in the long run.

Knowing what you are great at, and where you need help, is a great way to build leadership skills as well. One example is how outsourcing can positively impact the customer experience. People that take to e-commerce as their main shopping strategy are always looking for ways to improve the online shopping experience and if your website and user-friendly efforts are not up to par, they will bop on over to your competition. If this is not something you are great at, outsource the task. The result will be a higher performing aspect of your business, greater customer satisfaction, and less stress on you since you won’t have to be bogged down with trying to complete something that you struggle with.

Reduce Inventory Stockpiles

Inventory can be one of the stealth expenses in any organization, particularly ones that store merchandise for future sale. Entrepreneurs tend to think of goods on hand as a great convenience, and that's often the case. However, remember that it costs money to store, maintain, insure, and protect inventoried items. For medium and large companies, the ongoing expense of holding goods in warehouses or on-site can be significant. Consider developing more precise reorder points for all your for-sale goods. That way, you'll always be carrying as little inventory as possible. Adjusting order timing means paying less for insurance, security, and spoilage.

Purchase Supplies in Advance

Explore the idea of making next year's supply and equipment purchases now, before the year-end price increases take effect. As 2023 approaches and inflation continues to reach record levels, it's possible to save a significant amount of money just by acting fast and acquiring machinery, appliances, devices, equipment, and similar items as soon as possible. Buying in bulk or bundling different items from one seller are two of the most effective ways to get the lowest prices on needed supplies. Let sellers know that you are searching for discounts and are willing to purchase a larger-than-normal quantity all at once. They might be willing to negotiate and help you save even more.

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Tuesday, Oct. 25th, 2022

6 Ways that Muscles Misbehave


The following is adapted from Ending Pain.


Most of us don’t understand pain, but we all experience it. The Western medical system generally sees pain as a sign of something broken that needs fixing—as a manifestation of injury or disease, an inevitable consequence of damaged tissues. This pathology model of pain is both thoroughly inculcated into popular thinking and, unfortunately, wrong in most cases. 

Actually, most pain can be traced to hidden sources of muscular disturbance known as “myofascial trigger points.” Briefly, trigger points in muscles generate “danger signals” that are sent to the central nervous system, which evaluates the signals to assess the threat level. Based on that assessment, the brain may choose to “output” what we know and feel as pain. 

When muscles develop trigger points, they can misbehave in a variety of uncomfortable, painful, and disruptive ways. Unless practitioners understand that these patterns of dysfunction are commonly caused by trigger points rather than injury or disease, they are likely to pursue inappropriate treatments that make the situation worse. 

Here are six common ways muscles misbehave, which are often misdiagnosed. 

1. Strength Deficits
Many patients come to our clinic having been assessed by a physical therapist or other medical professionals as having a “strength deficit.” In these cases, the patient has failed a strength machine evaluation, and the doctor will assign them strengthening exercises for whichever muscles tested weak. But often, these muscles aren’t truly weak at all; they have developed trigger points that lead to dysfunction.

Once a muscle becomes overloaded and develops trigger points, some percentage of its fibers are essentially taken offline and locked in a contracture; they become taut fibers. When a motor signal is sent to the muscle, many of its fibers cannot respond because they are already contracted. 

These taut fibers send danger signals to the spinal cord, which can cause active pain referral. As a result, when the patient tries to engage the muscle, they are likely to feel pain as the muscle bunches up. In addition, once the CNS receives those danger signals during a muscular contraction, it can inhibit that muscle and engage its antagonist as a way to provide safety. 

Before we can ask the muscle to take on more work, we have to help the muscle fibers become healthy. Otherwise, if you put additional demands with resistance training on muscles that have trigger points, that’s a formula for more overload, and they are likely to get worse. This happens often and is a primary cause of failed therapy. 

2. Resistance to Stretch
Another sign that trigger points are present in a muscle or muscular system is limited or compromised range of motion in the corresponding joint or joints. This phenomenon is often present in so-called frozen shoulder syndrome.

Resistance to stretch is an easy phenomenon to reproduce in a muscle with trigger points. As the muscle lengthens, the taut fibers attempt to lengthen as well, pulling apart the area of the sarcomeres in contracture. This mechanical disturbance of the trigger point will tend to irritate the contracted tissues, increasing their signaling to the spinal cord. Discomfort will increase, and the patient may notice pain in the stretching fibers as well as the referral zone of the muscle. 

As soon as there is a pain response, the CNS tends to go into protective mode by locking things down with muscular engagement. For the CNS, reduced motion equals increased stability and safety, and taut fibers from trigger points are a useful way to provide additional stability without excessive energy demands.

Stretching a muscle with trigger points is a reliable way to produce its pain referral pattern and assess which muscles are responsible for a pain pattern. It is not, however, a good first step in treatment. In cases where range of motion is limited and the muscles are resistant to stretch, it’s a mistake to try to lengthen muscles before therapeutic and rehabilitative work on the tissues. 

3. Grabbing, Shaking, Twitching
If trigger points are present in the muscle or its antagonist, you may notice that the muscle periodically “grabs,” resisting lengthening or shortening. You must move the joint slowly, paying close attention, or you might miss it. You might also notice a muscle twitching at rest or feeling shaky and unstable when the client attempts to engage it. This is a strong sign that taut fibers are sending disturbing signals to the spinal cord, confusing the system about how to respond.

Muscle spasms may accompany trigger point dysfunction. Some muscles spasm when you try to shorten their fibers if they have embedded taut fibers. You may have experienced this phenomenon in the form of a charley horse in the hamstrings or calves. Once the spasm starts, you basically have to wait until it subsides. They aren’t necessarily painful, but they compromise the muscle’s ability to both lengthen and shorten. 

4. Poor Balance and Coordination
Poor balance might also be an indicator that trigger points have developed in the body. Good balance, as in standing on one foot, requires a constant, fluid interplay between muscles on both sides of a joint. Balance poses such as tree pose in yoga aren’t static experiences—the muscles controlling the ankle and foot must perform continual micro-corrections to maintain stability. If these movements become too large, the person will wobble and shake.

Trigger points can negatively affect one’s balance and coordination by sending erroneous signals to the CNS regarding muscle tension and length. This process can disturb the coordination between agonist and antagonist muscles, resulting in poor balance. Related signs include dropping things, poor fine motor control reduced ability to play musical instruments, poor performance in sports, and similar problems.

5. Muscle Inhibition
The manual therapy field has a concept called muscle inhibition that is based on the observation that muscles sometimes don’t engage when or as fully as they should. It can also describe a situation when muscles that should contract simultaneously fire in succession, causing imbalance in the joints and even in the position of bones. 

To better understand this phenomenon, let’s look at a prime example. A muscle that commonly becomes inhibited is vastus medialis, the medial short quadricep head. The quadriceps have oblique attachments to the tendon that controls the kneecap. The branch on the outside of the leg (vastus lateralis) is a larger, more powerful muscle than the inside quadricep (vastus medialis). When a patient develops pain and swelling around the knee, it is common to observe that the vastus medialis doesn’t contract right away as the patient tries to extend their knee, causing the patella to divert in a lateral direction. This is sometimes called inhibition of the vastus medialis. 

In the case of an inhibited vastus medialis, the patient will likely feel pain around their knee, but the root cause is often trigger points in other, more distant muscles. In some cases the body seems to let one side of a functional antagonist relationship dominate when dysfunction develops.

6. Shortening Dysfunction and How It Blocks Stretch
Healthy muscles can be stretched or shortened without causing pain or other discomfort. Most people are familiar with stretching and know that certain muscles will feel uncomfortable if you attempt to stretch them beyond a certain point. Very few people realize that muscles can become dysfunctional when shortened. In fact, shortening dysfunction is an even more significant issue than stretching dysfunction and can occur with either passive or active shortening.

Active shortening occurs when you engage a muscle. If you use your biceps and brachialis to bend your elbow, those muscles are contracting actively and the overall length of the fibers becomes shorter than they were with the elbow straight. If you rest your arm in a bent position, such as during sleep, you are no longer actively contracting those muscles. At that point, we say that biceps and brachialis are being passively shortened.

Normally, muscles become softer when in passive shortening, so a telltale sign of shortening dysfunction is the muscle hardening as it is shortened. This indicates that a type of automatic spasm or contraction is happening within the muscle without a motor signal from the spine telling the fibers to engage. This condition can sometimes be painful, and even if not, it can stop the joint from bending any further, meaning that it inhibits the stretch of the muscle’s antagonists.

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
When muscles develop trigger points, they can misbehave in a variety of ways that confuse medical practitioners, who assume an injury at the site of the pain. Often, trigger points can masquerade as more serious conditions, leading physicians to misdiagnose the source of the pain. 

When I became a bodyworker, I began to realize that pain is almost universal. Most of my clients were seeking relief for their chronic or acute pain, having been failed or dismissed by medical doctors and other professionals.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The proper treatment of trigger points offers an effective solution to common muscle misbehavior.

For more advice on muscle behavior, you can find Ending Pain on Amazon.

Chuck Duff is a Renaissance man who loves challenging the status quo. He studied Buddhism and psychology at University of Chicago, then moved to a career in software research and innovation. He is a serious guitarist and a trained chef. His daughter is a talented dancer and photographer. His own back pain led him to research pain science and develop CTB, a novel integration of Thai bodywork and trigger point therapy. He taught at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and founded the Coaching The Body Institute in 2001. He remains pain free by practicing what he preaches. More at coachingthebody.com.

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Grizzly bear conflicts continue in southwestern Montana 

BOZEMAN – Bear specialists and game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks have responded recently to several separate conflicts involving grizzly bears in southwestern Montana.  

No people were injured in these conflicts. However, one grizzly bear was euthanized, and several others were relocated.  

Defensive encounter 
On Oct. 14, two hunters were walking along Eldridge Trail south of Taylor Creek in the Madison Range. They heard brush breaking and saw a grizzly bear charging at them. Both hunters fired multiple handgun rounds at the bear, and it left without any signs of injury. The hunters were not injured.  

The bear’s charge was likely the result of a surprise, defensive encounter because of the wind direction, the bear’s proximity to the hunters and because the female bear was accompanied by two cubs.  

The next day, FWP staff flew the area extensively and did not find an injured bear. During a ground search, FWP and U.S. Forest Service law enforcement staff found bear tracks and handgun casings from the two hunters, but they did not find blood, hair or any other evidence the bear was injured.  

This incident is still under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).  

Gardiner bears relocated 
A female grizzly bear and two cubs were recently captured and relocated from Gardiner. 

The bears were first reported to FWP on Oct. 10 after eating from apple trees in town and grazing on grass and dandelions on the football field at Gardiner High School in the evenings. Staff from FWP and Yellowstone National Park hazed the bears out of town at night five times over several days with paintballs, cracker rounds and rubber bullets. The bears eventually moved to another part of town, where they continued eating apples at night. Over time, the bears continued to return and eat apples more often during daylight hours, reducing opportunities to safely haze the bears due to daytime public safety concerns.  

On the morning of Oct. 17, the bears were reported feeding at apple trees near a school bus stop, which prevented kids from being able to get on the bus. 

As a preventative measure, FWP trapped all three bears that evening. The bears were in good health, and there was no evidence they had gained access to unsecured garbage. In consultation with the USFWS, FWP bear specialists outfitted the sow with a GPS collar and relocated the bears to a site previously approved by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. 

Big Sky grizzly euthanized 
An adult female grizzly bear was euthanized on Oct. 21 after several conflicts with people in Big Sky.  

The female and two cubs frequented homesites in Big Sky for several weeks leading up to the day they were captured. The bears were also seen at Ophir Elementary School during daylight and evening hours. Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputies and private landowners made multiple attempts to haze the bears out of town with vehicles and rubber bullets, but the bears kept returning to the area.  

At about 11 a.m. on Oct. 19, the bears approached a group of people on private property, forcing the people to go into a building. A landowner approached the bears in a vehicle, attempting to haze them away, and the female bear charged at them. The bears then left for a short time and returned to the property again.  

FWP was notified of the encounter and trapped the bears on the property. The 25-year-old sow was found to have poor body condition, with low fat reserves and heavily worn teeth. In consultation with the USFWS, FWP euthanized the sow due to human safety concerns; the bear’s poor health, habituated behavior, and aggressive response to hazing; and property damage. 

The sow was 25 years old and had been captured previously as a non-conflict bear during annual population monitoring research. The cubs were relocated to a commission-approved release site. 

Grizzly bear mortality on Highway 191 
On Oct. 23, an FWP game warden responded to a report of an older male grizzly bear that was struck by a vehicle and killed on U.S. Highway 191 near West Yellowstone.  

Be Bear Aware 
Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year. Unsecured attractants—such as fruit trees, garbage and bird feeders—can lead to human safety risks and property damage.  

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:  
• Remove fruit on and around fruit trees. 
• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
• Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.  
• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.  
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make casual noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.  
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.  
• Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.  
• If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.  
Bears are active during the general hunting season into late fall. Hunting in places that have or may have grizzly bears—which includes areas of Montana west of Billings—requires special precautions:  
• Carefully read signs at trailheads and observe area closures that may be in effect. 
• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.  
• Look for bear sign and be cautious around creeks and areas with limited visibility.  
• Hunt with a group of people. Making localized noise can alert bears to your presence.  
• Be aware that elk calls and cover scents can attract bears.  
• Bring the equipment and people needed to help field dress game and remove the meat from the kill site as soon as possible. 
• If you need to leave part of the meat in the field during processing, hang it at least 10 feet off the ground, 4 feet from any vertical support, and at least 150 yards from the gut pile. Leave it where it can be observed from a distance of at least 200 yards.  
• Upon your return, observe the meat with binoculars. If it has been disturbed or if a bear is in the area, leave and call FWP. 

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the USFWS, working closely in Montana with FWP, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, Wildlife Services, and Native American tribes. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.  

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.  

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General hunting season opens with mixed hunter success in southwestern Montana

BOZEMAN – Hunter numbers were below average and hunter success was mixed in southwestern Montana over the opening weekend of the general deer and elk hunting season. 

Wildlife biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in southwestern Montana operated six game check stations over the weekend and met with 1,732 hunters. Biologists use check stations to collect data on hunter participation and success, as well as the species, sex and age class of the animals harvested. This supplements data collected through hunter harvest phone surveys each year. 

Steady rain, snow and fog limited visibility for hunters in many areas, likely contributing to reduced harvest compared to averages. 
The Alder check station saw 335 hunters, which was 18 percent fewer than the long-term average for opening weekend. About 10 percent of hunters harvested an animal, which is below the long-term average of 12 percent. Elk harvest was 55 percent lower than average. Poor visibility and wet conditions likely contributed to reduced elk harvest here.  

The number of hunters and harvested elk at the Cameron check station were also below average for opening weekend. The check station saw 414 hunters during opening weekend, compared to 579 last year and a long-term average of 495. Hunter success this year was about 10 percent.  

FWP staff at the Gallatin check station met with 127 hunters, about 11 percent of whom were successful. The number of hunters here was below average, but the percentage of hunters who harvested deer or elk was above average. 

The Divide check station saw 330 hunters, with a success rate of more than 10 percent. This was about 18 percent fewer hunters than last year, and 10 percent fewer than the long-term average. However, hunter success here was 13 percent higher than last year and 6 percent below the long-term average.  

Biologists also operated check stations near Canyon Ferry and Gardiner. In total for the region, biologists checked 14 white-tailed deer, 53 mule deer and 83 elk. 
These figures do not account for different hunting season regulations over the years, which have varied from liberal to restrictive for elk and mule deer, depending on population status.  

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