HELENA – At its Feb. 4 meeting, the Fish and Wildlife Commission identified a new season structure for mountain lions and asked Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to solicit public comment on specifics of the proposal. The proposal is out for comment through March 18, and FWP has scheduled two online meetings to provide information and answer questions. The Zoom meetings will be held on March 14 and 15, from 6 to 8 p.m.

This season structure under consideration would allocate harvest between unlimited licenses that will end when a quota is reached and special limited licenses. The special limited license would allow a hunter to hunt throughout the season without limitation by quota.

BOZEMAN — In recognition of its efforts to help student veterans succeed, Montana State University has been named a Top Ten Military Friendly School by the website MilitaryFriendly.com, ranking third in the nation among peer institutions.

The honor is MSU’s highest ever from the organization. It comes after MSU was ranked ninth last year, earned a gold ranking in 2020, and earned a silver ranking in 2016. Now in its 21st year, the Military Friendly Schools list is considered one of the premier nationwide rankings that veterans and their families look to when considering higher education, according to Joseph Schumacher, director of MSU Veteran Services.

Schumacher said ranking No. 3 in the nation this year is a testament to a “huge team effort” at Montana State to provide support and resources to student veterans.

“There are so many gems on our campus – so many people and programs doing incredible things,” Schumacher said. “Once we connect students with these resources, and they utilize them, we see success.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and survey information universities submitted. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-23 survey, and 665 schools earned a designation as gold, silver or bronze.

The level of the awards – whether Top 10, gold, silver or bronze – was determined by universities’ survey results and their ability to meet benchmarks for keeping students in school, graduation rates, job placement and rates of loan repayment and default for all students and, specifically, student veterans. 

MSU Veteran Services offers multiple ways to help student veterans succeed. Among them are a veteran mentor program; a dedicated veteran counselor who, in partnership with MSU Counseling and Psychological Services, offers free and confidential counseling to veteran students; emergency transition services, including assistance with housing, childcare and food security; and free tutoring and advising.

In November, MSU celebrated the opening of its new Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center in the repurposed Romney Hall. The new facility is more than three times as large as the previous location and provides dedicated space in the heart of the Montana State campus along with trained staff to help veteran students.

Schumacher called the new space a “huge commitment” from MSU and the state of Montana. The Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center, as part of extensive renovations to Romney Hall, was made possible by $25 million in funding from the Montana Legislature and private donations, including $1 million from the Gianforte Family Foundation.

“Here at MSU you see the words ‘military friendly’ put into action through the allocation of resources and prioritization of services to help veteran students succeed,” Schumacher said. “We are grateful to the university and to the state of Montana for the new Travis Atkins Veteran Support Center and for seeing this service to student veterans as valuable and important.”

In addition, Schumacher said that MSU President Waded Cruzado’s longstanding commitment to student veterans is notable.

“From the moment she arrived on campus, President Cruzado advocated for additional resources and space for the growing student veteran population,” Schumacher said. “We would not have the Travis W. Atkins Veteran Support Center without her leadership and support.”

Schumacher added that the team at MSU is excited about its work with student veterans, and the ranking from MilitaryFriendly.com is a great way to bring attention to that work.

“We hope folks see this as an opportunity to come here and be part of our community,” he said.

Passive income streams, unlike side hustles, are a great way to invest little time and effort and the beginning and then allow your products or services to continue making money for you. Passive income streams have gained importance over the past 2 years since most people struggled with the worldwide economic crises due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. Passive income is an excellent way to tide over the time if you suddenly become unemployed or have to take a cut on your paycheck per month. If you have a steady source of income, adding a passive income on the side can help you increase your earnings (leading to higher savings). Irrespective, having a passive income gives you additional security during harsh times when the overall income is low.

Most people start a passive income to sweeten their retirement plans, buy a house or real estate investment, and other such goals. If you consider moving to a country like the US or Canada, you could transfer the funds from the passive income streams and efficiently prepare for your fresh start. To immigrate, it is best to gain expert guidance from Canadian Immigration Total Law and get the paperwork started. Having the funds, paperwork, immigration documentation, and legalities taken care of beforehand would be a massive help in the future.

Without further ado, let us look at some of the best passive income ideas for 2022. You should remember this list is not exhaustive, and several other options are available. However, it is ideal to do your research before jumping in.

Short Term Home Rental:
If you have rooms to spare in your current house or any other property, you could think of renting out the home for short periods. With tourism opening up again, most families and large groups prefer home-stay and holiday home rental options to large resorts and hotels. This shift is mainly a means to stay safe while traveling and avoid close contact with too many people.

The best way to start a short-term home rental is to get the house painted and fixed, get the assistance of a housing disrepair solicitor to help with the legalities, and add a few new décor touches. Once the house is ready, there are several reputable, popular online listings to list the pictures and rent of your holiday home. Doing this will take minimal effort and is primarily a one-time investment. As you lease your home for short-term rentals, the money will get added directly to your bank account.

Create an Online Course:
Creating an online tutorial, written, or video course is another popular passive income idea. Skill-based courses listed on popular sites tend to rake in a lot of money.
If you have a skill or two or language experience and can make video tutorials, you can relax and let the money flow. There is the initial investment of time (while making the course), but once it becomes popular and gets good reviews, the online sites pay you per person signing on to learn. You can also market the course (with links) on your social media sites and ask friends and family members to share the course to gain some recognition.

Sell Photographs Online:
If you have a ton of photos or like to make images from online sites, you could sell them to Getty Images or Shutterstock. Once you are approved by the respective platforms, you will have to license your images. The licensing helps by ensuring you get a cut from whoever downloads the photographs. These online photography platforms will pay you each time someone downloads the pictures you have posted.

You will need to ensure the photos are of good quality and cater to a specific audience. Since most users will be paying for them, the emphasis should be on excellent quality photography. By licensing the images, you can scale your new passive income to include several other photos too.

Create an App:
While creating an app sounds like a complicated process, there are several ways to get it made for you and not pay too much for it. Posting the app on Google Play and App Stores with in-app purchases will help the passive income keep rolling without you having to interfere in it much.

Once the apps gain popularity, you could use the income to create newer ventures, apps, designs, games, and more. The only downside to app-making is that the market is already quite saturated, and to make a reasonably good amount, you would need to have some unique app ideas.

Gallatin County has identified areas of concern and developed preliminary recommendations for the Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan. The greater triangle area generally lies between Four Corners, Belgrade, and Bozeman and extends south to Gallatin Gateway. It includes the areas of Gallatin County where development is likely to occur in the future. Over 80 recommendations have been developed to address identified areas of concern and improve the transportation system over the 20-year planning horizon. The preliminary recommendations were identified through previous public involvement efforts in May and June of 2021 as well as a detailed analysis of existing and projected conditions. Recommendations consist of roadway facility upgrades to accommodate existing and future travel demands as well as non-motorized facility upgrades to improve connectivity and mobility.

The county is hosting an online open house to provide information to interested parties about the identified areas of concern and gather feedback on the preliminary recommendations. Due to health and safety concerns, the open house will be hosted virtually on the plan website with a variety of interactive content. The open house will be active for 30 days. Please participate at your convenience.

WHAT: Greater Triangle Area Online Public Open House

WHEN: March 1, 2022 – April 1, 2022

WHERE: www.triangletransportationplan.com/publicmeeting2

​In addition to the virtual open house, the county will also host a live virtual presentation on March 15. The draft Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan will be released at that time. The presentation will briefly cover the contents of the plan, provide an overview of the identified recommendations, and offer an opportunity for public comment. The presentation will be recorded and posted to the plan website for those who are unable to attend live.

WHAT: Greater Triangle Area Virtual Presentation

WHEN: March 15, 2022 at 12 PM

TO REGISTER: www.triangletransportationplan.com/publicmeeting2

Pre-registration is required to attend.

Community input is a very important part of the process. The public is encouraged to participate in the open house and attend the virtual presentation to share their concerns, thoughts, and ideas with the project team. This study is intended to be a collaborative effort between the county, stakeholders, and the public. As such, all input gathered from the open house will be considered by the planning team and be used to refine the recommendations and the overarching Greater Triangle Area Transportation Plan.

Comments can be submitted at any time to the project manager, Scott Randall, via email at srandall@rpa-hln.com, by phone at 406-447-5005, or by mail at 3147 Saddle Drive, Helena, MT 59601. For more information about the project, visit www.triangletransportationplan.com.

BOZEMAN — The Montana Society of Engineers is once again inviting nominations for the Montana Professional Engineers Hall of Fame, which celebrates outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and to the public welfare of Montana.

Recipients are honored with a commemorative plaque residing at Montana State University in Roberts Hall, the original home of the MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering. Active, retired or deceased engineers are eligible for the award, which is traditionally given annually at the Joint Engineers Banquet in November. Nominations will be accepted through March 31.

According to Dan McCauley, who was inducted in 2017 and is a Montana Society of Engineers volunteer who coordinates the selection process, there are many Montana engineers who are worthy of the award, and the Montana Society of Engineers needs help finding them.

Last year's recipient was Robert Peccia, who earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering from MSU in 1965 and went on to design an innovative municipal drinking water treatment system for the town of Fort Benton, among other projects. In 2020 the honoree was William Wenzel, who led an accomplished civil engineering career based in Great Falls. The prior year, the inductees were Albert Kersich, a Red Lodge native who helped design MSU's Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, and John Morrison Jr., a Helena native who led one of Montana's largest civil engineering firms as it took on major projects overseas. McCauley, who earned his bachelor's in civil engineering at MSU in 1980, was honored for contributing to projects such as wastewater treatment plants and bridges in dozens of Montana communities.

Since the award was first given in 2002, about half the recipients have had a connection to MSU, McCauley noted. But the only requirements are that nominees have been professionally licensed in Montana and have had a direct impact on the state.

The Montana Professional Engineers Hall of Fame, which currently includes 24 honorees, was created by the late Doug Brekke to celebrate engineers who have dedicated their knowledge and skill to bettering society. Brekke, a Montana native who lived in Big Timber when he died in 2017, earned a bachelor's in electrical engineering from MSU in 1987 and founded an electronics business called Black Box Design.

The nomination form and additional information can be found at mtengineers.org/montana-pe-hall-of-fame.

BOZEMAN — Montana State University suggests that students budget $1,450 annually on books and supplies, but the MSU library and MSU Bookstore are working to reduce those costs and help make education more affordable for all students.

Nationally, textbook costs have risen in recent decades, and textbooks and course materials remain one of the of the most significant costs after tuition for students attending college.

MSU’s efforts are paying dividends. Since the library rolled out an initiative about two years ago to support and encourage faculty to use open educational resources, 33 MSU faculty members have switched to existing open educational resources in their classes, according to Christina Trunnell, reference and instruction librarian with the MSU Library. Trunnell said that, collectively, that has saved more than 9,500 MSU students more than $1.1 million in textbook costs. She estimates that by the end of the fiscal year in June, the savings will have grown to $2 million.

“That’s significant because it’s such a small percentage of MSU faculty,” she added. “Even a small number can result in large savings.”

Open educational resources, or OER, include teaching, learning and research resources that are in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their use and re-purposing by others. Put simply, that means they’re free for students, and open education is intended to provide the best resources for students to be successful in their courses while also being affordable. 

“Open educational resources have the potential to have a huge impact on students, and that’s why we’re doing this work,” Trunnell said. “It’s very exciting.”

Trunnell added that it’s not uncommon for students to report that they choose not to purchase a textbook due to the cost. In addition, some students say they choose not to take a course they need due to the high cost of a textbook.

“Not purchasing a textbook can lead to students receiving a poor grade, dropping or withdrawing from a course, taking fewer courses or even skipping courses required for their degree or program,” Trunnell said.

“This can end up costing students additional money in the long run,” she continued, noting that students can wind up paying to retake courses needed for their degrees or increasing the time it takes to graduate, adding to the overall cost and their ability to complete a college education.

The library has an open call for grants that help faculty adapt course materials to use OER. Library staff provide copyright and accessibility consultation for faculty who are pursuing open educational resources and offer workshops on OER, including how to find them and understanding open licenses. The library also recognizes faculty excellence in this area with the MSU Excellence in Open Education Award, which is given annually at Spring Convocation.

Efforts are centered in education, Trunnell said. She noted that common hesitations among faculty about using OER relate to concerns about quality.

“Because they are not physical texts, a common perception is that they are of lower quality, but open educational resources go through the same peer-review and vetting processes that traditional textbooks do,” Trunnell said.

Trunnell noted that 17 faculty members have written and published — or are in the process of writing and publishing — new, customized open education textbooks and other materials.

“These publications are being shared in international repositories so that their work can be used and shared in classrooms worldwide,” Trunnell said. “They also become part of our national peer-reviewed open publishing repository.”

Jane Klassen, an instructor in the MSU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, first considered using open educational resources for one of her fall 2020 upper-level chemistry classes because she felt the textbook the class had been using was too expensive – about $200 – and also that parts of the textbook, even new editions, were dated.

“It just didn’t make sense for students to spend so much for a textbook that I didn’t particularly like,” Klassen said. “But I was also unsure about using an (open educational resources) text, because I was skeptical of the quality of OER texts.”

Klassen decided to try the OER materials and said she’s glad she did.

“I have now used the OER text for three semesters, and I really like the textbook and that the students have free access to the online version,” Klassen said. “I have printed out a hard copy at MSU (University Printing), and I always let students know that is an option for them, as well, which costs around $60. I have found the OER text to be a very good presentation of the material for the class. The graphics are good, and the content is good.”

By using OER, as well as materials from the MSU Library’s collection, Klassen eliminated both the textbook and the lab manual costs for her students. That saved the students in the class up to $9,500 that semester collectively, Klassen estimated.

Klassen added she appreciates that students have access to OER forever, even after the class ends.

“Topics do come up again, and the students never have to decide whether to keep the OER textbook or sell it back (or stop their subscription) once class is finished,” she said.

In surveys taken after the conclusion of classes that used open educational resources, MSU students praised the convenience of not carrying around physical volumes and the quality of the OER materials.

Kenning Arlitsch, dean of the MSU Library, said the library’s efforts align with MSU’s goals.

“The OER efforts highlight the library’s commitment to helping the university achieve its goals for student retention and graduation, as well as helping to lower the costs of education,” Arlitsch said.

In addition to the library’s efforts, the on-campus MSU Bookstore works to keep course material costs for students as low as possible, whether it be digital versions, rented versions or used copies of textbooks.

“The No. 1 thing to know about the MSU Bookstore is that textbooks are not a revenue center for us,” said Chad Schreier, president and CEO of the bookstore, which is a nonprofit business operating at MSU. “Our team comes in every day with a goal of reducing the costs of textbooks for students. Those savings add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars in price reductions every year.”

Schreier said that in a recent shopping cart comparison, MSU Bookstore textbook prices averaged 19% lower than its nearest for-profit competition.

The bookstore also uses its revenues from the sale of MSU-branded gear and other merchandise to offset the cost of textbooks for students. Bookstore staff members also work with faculty to provide an “affordability index” as they select course materials, allowing faculty to know what the associated cost will be for students. The bookstore also works with the library on OER.

“We are excited about OER as part of the course materials options for MSU students,” Schreier said.

Schreier said the bookstore was formed as a nonprofit in 1931, which was then the traditional model for campus bookstores, and is owned by its shareholders, with all current students and faculty members serving as those shareholders. But, he said, as education models changed over the years, many universities began to view bookstores as sources of revenue.

“Thanks to some really great foresight from a lot of people before me, that did not happen here at MSU,” Schreier said. “We maintained our business structure as we are, which is now unique. We’re very proud of our history and of our work to keep costs down for students.”

Schreier believes that the combined resources of the MSU Library and the MSU Bookstore can make MSU an even more affordable place to earn a degree.

“It’s great to have a partner like the MSU Library that complements the MSU Bookstore’s ongoing efforts of discounting prices, selling branded merchandise, conducting book buybacks for used book options, textbook rentals and e-book options,” Schreier said. “It’s great for our students to have so many options available to them.”

More information from the MSU Library about open educational resources is available at guides.lib.montana.edu/oer/overview. To learn more about the MSU Bookstore, visit msubookstore.org/.

Finding bees on your property sounds like any homeowner’s nightmare. This is largely because a lot of people have an understandable fear of bees. And while bees are less aggressive and likely to sting, than some people might think, they are still quite an undesirable houseguest.

So in this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about live bee removal, the process, as well as what to do afterward.

So, what is live bee removal?

Well, as the name tells us, live bee removal is the safe and humane removal of live bees, without using any toxic pesticides or harmful chemicals that might kill the bees. Since bees are growing fewer and fewer each year, you shouldn’t kill them unless you absolutely have to.

This is why live bee removal focuses on removing and relocating the beehive, and with it the bees, without causing actual harm to any of them. Usually, after a live bee removal procedure, the bees will be moved to a local apiary, where they can continue their pollination journey on this planet.

A live bee removal company will also handle repairs.

One of the biggest reasons why homeowners don’t want bees on their property (or any other wild creature, for that matter) is that bees can leave behind quite a bit of damage. Thankfully, most live bee removal experts also focus on repairing the damage left behind by bees.

You might not know this, but honeybees can be quite dangerous to your home, if they’re building their hive there. They can destroy stucco, drywall, and even roofing, so yes, quite a bit of repair will be necessary.

Not only does the damage need to be fixed, but the live bee removal expert will also need to examine the property to ensure that future infestations aren’t an issue. This involves removing attraction or entry points.

You need to be careful in picking the right company.

Make sure you do your research about the wildlife removal company beforehand. This includes asking questions about their process, licenses, insurance, and anything else you might want to know.

Deciding to hire a pro at allstaranimaltrapping.com can really make all the difference for your home, regardless of its bees you’re looking to get rid of, or any other wild animal.

Don’t try to remove the bees yourself.

First of all, what makes you think you’re qualified to remove a full-fledged beehive from your property? Unless you have ample bee knowledge, you should not attempt to remove the bees from your property on your own, as this poses a serious threat to your wellbeing.

It’d be preferable to hire an expert who at least knows the difference between honey bees and carpenter bees. However, that shouldn’t mean you don’t do your own research. Learning more about bees (as well as their removal) is great exercise, in general, but can also increase your chances of keeping bees away, so visit getridofpests.com to learn more about honey bee removal.

What can a professional do for prevention?

The number one reason why one bee infestation is likely to attract another is the simple fact that the bees are attracted to the pheromones left behind by the beehive you’ve just removed.

This is yet another reason why it’s not advisable to attempt to remove the bees yourself, as you will not be able to adequately eliminate the pheromones. So even if you do manage to remove the hive yourself, you’ve still got the very real possibility of a future infestation to deal with.

How does live bee removal happen, exactly?

There are a number of ways in which a wildlife removal company will get rid of the bees (safely) from your property. The chosen method will depend largely on your own particular situation, as well as how advanced the invasion is.

For instance, a professional live bee trapper can choose between multiple methods, like swarm trapping, swarm removal or capture, or colony removal. Obviously, this also depends on the type of invasion you’ve got - whether you’re dealing with a swarm or a colony.

Some live bee removal methods focus more on prevention and minimizing the damage than others, but all are better than extermination.

Traffic impacts are anticipated on Jackrabbit Lane and Amsterdam Road in Belgrade on Wednesday afternoon as a trucker convoy is expected to make a stop. Drivers are encouraged to plan alternate routes and avoid the area starting around 4 PM to decrease traffic impacts.

The U.S. Freedom Convoy, composed of semi-trucks, passenger cars and trucks, and motorcycles, will be making its way across the country this week on Interstate 90 on the way to Washington D.C. and is expected to stop in Belgrade on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 2.

Convoy vehicles driving eastbound on I-90 are expected to exit into Belgrade at exit 298 at Amsterdam Road and head to the Flying J at the intersection of Amsterdam Road and Jackrabbit Lane. Following their stop, they will be directed to return to I-90 eastbound at Jackrabbit Lane.

Jackrabbit Lane at the interchange will be closed to through traffic as convoy vehicles move through the area.

Drivers heading both north and south on Jackrabbit Lane near the I-90 interchange can expect significant delays. There may be times when traffic is also impassable on Amsterdam Road between the off ramp and Flying J.

While the exact timeframe of how long traffic will be impacted is unknown, we anticipate the heaviest delays will be between 4 and 6 PM.

Law enforcement will be in the area directing traffic to help alleviate impacts to drivers as best as possible. Signs will also be placed to help drivers find alternate routes.

We encourage drivers to utilize the following roads to avoid the interchange:
I-90 exit 299 at Airway Boulevard
Valley Center Road
Thorpe Road
Frontage Road

For people interested in watching the U.S. Freedom convoy in Belgrade this afternoon (March 2), we have a few requests:

• Arrive early as there could be significant traffic in the area starting well before 4 PM.
• We ask that supporters begin to arrive absolutely no later than 3:30 PM.
• Please park safely in legal parking areas.
• Please DO NOT park alongside Interstate 90 or on any on-ramps or off-ramps at the exits.
• Please be respectful of private property and DO NOT block driveways or business accesses.
• Please follow all traffic and pedestrian laws.
• Please be patient and respectful of others in the area!

Convoy vehicles driving eastbound on I-90 are expected to exit into Belgrade at exit 298 at Amsterdam Road and head to the Flying J at the intersection of Amsterdam Road and Jackrabbit Lane. Following their stop, they will be directed to return to I-90 eastbound at Jackrabbit Lane.

It is anticipated that only trucks seeking services will exit at Belgrade and trucks not needing services are encouraged to continue east on I-90. We ask citizens to take this into consideration if when selecting a place to view the convoy.

Jackrabbit Lane at the interchange could be closed to through traffic for a period of time as convoy vehicles move through the area. We will work to keep traffic flowing as normally as possible.

Drivers heading both north and south on Jackrabbit Lane near the I-90 interchange may experience significant delays. There may be times when traffic is also impassable on Amsterdam Road between the off-ramp and Flying J.

While the exact timeframe of how long traffic will be impacted is unknown, we anticipate the heaviest delays will be between 4 and 6 PM.

Law enforcement will be in the area and may be directing traffic to help alleviate impacts to drivers as best as possible. Signs will also be placed to help drivers find alternate routes.

We encourage drivers to plan ahead and utilize the following roads to avoid the interchange:

• I-90 exit 299 at Airway Boulevard
• Valley Center Road
• Thorpe Road
• Frontage Road

We appreciate the public’s help in ensuring this event is safe for all involved.

Livingston, Montana-based poet Marc Beaudin, a former Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Foundation artist-in-residence, announces the release of an album of poetry and jazz titled, From Coltrane to Coal Train: An Eco-Jazz Suite. The recording, comprised of nine tracks, will be available on compact disc, as well as digital download and streaming on various platforms.

The album of interconnected poems exploring themes of environmental activism, climate change, and the music and message of jazz legend John Coltrane, features music by members of the band Morphine, and the related groups Orchestra Morphine, Vapors of Morphine, and Twinemen. Dana Colley plays saxophones, bass clarinet, upright arco, and flute. Billy Conway provides drums, percussion, bass, guitar, and vibraphone. Laurie Sargent performs vocals, bass, and keyboards.

The idea for the suite grew out of “Jazz/Poetry Thing,” a 2017 performance at The Attic in Livingston by Beaudin and Colley, along with Billings poet Dave Caserio, harmonica player Buff Brown and bassist Parker Brown. Plans for another live show featuring the poems of From Coltrane to Coal Train were put on hold, first due to Conway’s cancer diagnosis, and then by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Eventually, the musicians were able to create and record the music playing along to scratch tracks of Beaudin’s poetry, who then performed the final vocals to match the music—a collaboration that spanned months of back-and-forth between the East Coast and the Rocky Mountain West.


“The spark for this project comes from the idea that John Coltrane, with groundbreaking recordings such as A Love Supreme and Expression, represents the highest level of beauty and goodness that humans can reach,” says Beaudin. “And the coal train that cuts our town in half several times a day, represents the lowest.”

The poems explore various aspects of our current environmental and climate trauma, as well as looking to the power of art to show us a path beyond the degradation.

Beaudin is the author of Life List: Poems, a Montana Book Award honor book winner, and the hitchhiking memoir Vagabond Song: Neo-Haibun from the Peregrine Journals. His work has been widely anthologized in publications dedicated to environmental and social justice. He also is a theatre director and designer, as well as co-owner of Livingston’s Elk River Books.

Colley and Conway, along with Mark Sandman, were members of the “low rock” band Morphine that took the alternative/indie scene of the 1990s by storm, releasing five studio albums of moody, jazz and blues-based songs like “Cure for Pain” and “Honey White,” before Sandman’s tragic death while headlining an Italian music festival. Since then, they have worked, along with Sargent, on various projects that grew out of Morphine, including Orchestra Morphine and Twinemen.

Sadly, Conway’s illness led to his death in December of 2021. The recording session for From Coltrane to Coal Train would prove to be the last time he and Colley ever played music together. The album serves as a tribute to Conway’s unquenchable spirit, talent and generosity as a musician and as a friend.

The CD, which includes a booklet of the poems and photography by Beaudin, as well as digital downloads and a limited edition, facsimile manuscript documenting the evolution of the poems, are available through a Kickstarter campaign being launched to raise the necessary funds. More information can be found at Beaudin’s website, CrowVoice.com.

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It promotes the idea that each individual is unique and has individual differences. Diversity meaning can differ in different areas, but the main idea is always to show respect and acceptance to people.

The concept of diversity goes along with questions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age. And also physical abilities, religious and political beliefs, etc. Each topic of this list has been more and more researched for the last couple of years. Essay examples can be found in many languages. There are diversity essays, scientific works, and research papers on the topic. Students learn these concepts at university and college. Advanced schools have interpreted these concepts to make even small children understand.

In the modern world, every individual seeks acceptance and respect at every place. Whether it's their own home with family and relatives or office with foreign people. In most cases, our close circle of family, relatives, and friends is a place where all people have similar visions, respect similar ideas, and believe in similar things. But what to do if your office environment seems to be unhealthy in questions of diversity? Is this an individual problem or a big issue to discuss?

Why Is This A Common Problem?
Discrimination at work is an infringement of the rights of an employee. The actions of the employer are not related to the business qualities of the employee. This issue can affect whole groups of people and prevent them from making what they love because some stereotypes appeared.

Why Is This A Global Issue?
There are many types of discrimination, forms of discrimination, and expressions of it. To create a genuinely diverse team and build mechanisms to prevent discrimination, people need to have the right education on the topic.

Discrimination At Work
Discrimination is the treatment or prejudice of a person based on any characteristics. One can be discriminated by age, gender, ethnicity, skin color, any preferences that differ from the office atmosphere. Discrimination in the workplace is not always a straight action. Discrimination is also the lack of action or reaction to harassment or any other unsuitable behavior.

The work environment must be safe and friendly. No discrimination should be allowed because it can affect people's health, their professional and personal life, and impact organizational culture and productivity.

Sexism
Gender-based discrimination can affect everyone, both men and women. In modern patriarchal society, a woman is much more likely to encounter various manifestations of sexism. There are many faces of sexism. The most common one is related to mother status. Employers and recruiters often ask about future pregnancies or children before accepting a woman for a position. Another example is called the glass ceiling, and it refers to the career of a woman. This term means an unacknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession.

Fighting sexism at work is challenging, primarily because it is hidden. An employer will never admit to denying a woman a promotion just because of gender. Or will not voice the actual reason why she did not get the vacancy.

Stereotyping: how it differs from discrimination?
Stereotyping is quite a common issue, and it manifests itself in a variety of forms. It affects various aspects of work, from hiring and dismissal to wages. What is stereotyping, and how does it differ from discrimination?

Discrimination is based on a stereotypical attitude towards a particular person. For instance, many employers believe that men are better managers and women are more suitable for creative work. Another example is related to ethnicity or skin color: there is a stereotype that Japanese are workaholics and African Americans are likely to join organized crime. There are many more, and they affect all people worldwide, creating unequal conditions.

Conclusion
The best practice to avoid discrimination is to take action in any possibly discriminated area. Make the work processes transparent and accessible. Make announcements about the opportunity to move up the career ladder public to all. Create clear criteria for applicants. Interview the employees on the topic or create an anonymous survey. Take care of verbal communication in the office - make sure no one is offended even by the slightest joke.

Remember - the prohibition of discrimination in the workplace is designed to provide everyone with equal opportunities and a comforting atmosphere.