The Arts Council of Big Sky is adding one more event to this summer’s Music in the Mountains free summer concert series. This one, however, will have a different—and louder—flavor than the rest of the music presented so far.


On Thursday, September 14, the Arts Council will present Metal in the Mountains, a free end-of-summer festival featuring three local heavy metal bands. The event includes Big Sky’s Scavenger as the headliner, with support from Belgrade’s Liquid Gnar and Big Sky’s own Stoneman’s Way, and will take place in Len Hill Park.

“We’ve been planning this for a few months and are super excited to announce this lineup to our Music in the Mountains series,” said Brian Hurlbut, the Arts Council’s Executive Director. “It will be great to showcase the area’s burgeoning heavy metal scene to a Big Sky audience.”

This year marks Scavenger’s 10-year anniversary since their first show at the Broken Spoke Bar in Big Sky. The riff-heavy metal band has played more than 150 shows since then at venues around Montana and beyond, showcasing their original material. Their first album, Cliff Manor, was released in 2018, and the quartet will release its second album later this year. The band members—which include Timmy Bowers on drums/vocals, Ben Blodgett on bass/vocals, Joey Mathis on guitar, and Brent Philippi on guitar/vocals—have been part of the Big Sky community for decades.

“We’ve seen many shows in the park and it’s very validating to us all to get to showcase our music on that same platform,” said Philippi. “We are aware people look at metal music differently, but we’re committed to staying true to ourselves artistically while at the same time changing a few minds when it comes to heavy metal music.”

Liquid Gnar is based out of Belgrade and recently won the Belgrade High School Battle of the Bands competition, which included groups from all over Gallatin Valley. The band is also performing at this year’s Rockin’ the Rivers Festival in Three Forks on August 12. The group’s latest single is Eye of the Sun.

Stoneman’s Way is a punk-influenced rock band based in Big Sky and Bozeman that released their debut album, Get It Right, earlier this year. The band frequently plays at venues around the area.

The park will open at 5 p.m., with Stoneman’s Way kicking things off at 5:30. Liquid Gnar will take the stage at 6:30, and Scavenger will start at 8 p.m. Like all Music in the Mountains concerts, the event is free, family friendly and there will be food and beverage trucks available. This event is presented by the Arts Council and the Rocks Tasting Room and Liquor Store with additional support from Big Sky Build, Herbaceous, and Liquid Death.

THREE FORKS – A small portion of the Jefferson River will be closed to all recreation while construction of a new bridge on Meridian Road continues.

The closure will extend from Drouillard Fishing Access Site up to Sappington Bridge Fishing Access Site beginning Tuesday, Aug. 22. The closure will be lifted Saturday, Aug. 26.

For updated information on restrictions and closures of waterbodies and lands managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, visit fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions.

HELENA – Ever get in a traffic jam at a boat ramp? How about arriving at a boat campsite after a long float and discovering trash left behind by the previous campers?

Many of us river recreators, both resident and nonresident, have experienced behaviors we wished we hadn’t. With this in mind, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, along with several conservation partners, created a series of videos demonstrating mindful behaviors while recreating on Montana’s rivers.

Partners for the river recreation videos include the Flathead National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, Flathead Rivers Alliance, the River Management Society and Montana PBS.

These videos are the first step of a larger more inclusive effort to encourage better behavior while recreating on all Montana public lands. The effort is called Montana Mindset.

Montana Mindset messaging will address outdoor recreation ethics and etiquette with the intention of providing a better outdoor experience for everyone. It will also address public safety and environmental impacts on outdoor landscapes.

“With more people appreciating Montana’s outdoor opportunities, we all need to do our part to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone,” said FWP Director Dustin Temple. “Montana Mindset will provide tips and examples of sharing the resource sensibly.”

In addition to encouraging a Montana Mindset while recreating, FWP will share messaging on the “how-tos” of participating in outdoor activities for those who are looking to expand their adventures.

Outdoor recreationists can look for Montana Mindset information throughout the year on the FWP website and social media channels, as well as those of our partners.

The Downtown Bozeman Association and Cancer Support Community Montana along with our gracious Sponsors hosted the 23rd Annual “Cruisin’ on Main” Car Show on Sunday, August 20th. The show ran from 9 AM – 2 PM and was located on Main Street between Willson and Rouse Avenues in Downtown Bozeman.
 
Despite the rain, we had over 220 entries this year and awards in 15 categories as well as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in People’s Choice and Best in Show. Without further ado… the 2023 winners are:
 
1st Place by Class:
 
Ford – 1969 Ford Bronco; Doug & Jenny Watson (#2050)
Chevy – 1956 Chevy Bel Air; Barry Farre (#3005)
Mopar – 1969 Plymouth Sports Suburban, Fury III; Mary Anderson (#1003)
GM Product – 1966 Pontiac GTO; Jeff Farve (#3012)
Original/Survivor – 1950 GMC FC152; James Martin (#1079)
Antique (pre-1940’s) – 1914 Willies/Knight/Overland Town Car Convertible; Valerie Otto (#1092)
Street Rod/Custom – 1958 Cadillac Coupe; Jason Clevland (#3045)
Muscle Car & Resto Mod – 1966 Chavy Chevelle SS; Nathan Hammom (#3032)
Best Hot Rod & Rat Rod – 1931 Ford Model A; Brent Mach (#4025)
Truck – 1941 Ford Pick-Up; Jared Kaplan (#1065)
Special Interest – 1955 Beetle Raptor; Wendy Stocte (#3026)
Import – 1964 Porsche 356SC; Dennis Guentzel (#1048)
2000 to Current – 2020 Ford Mustang GT350 Heritage; Marc Lorenz (#1074)
Motorcycle – 1999 Harley Davidson; Ryan Trenton (#3019)
Adventure Vehicle – 1983 Jeep Wagoneer; Matt Miller (#3010)
 
Peoples Choice:
 
              1st Place – 1966 Volkswagen Microbio; Tripp Frandesn (#1044)
              2nd Place – 1957 Chevy Bel Air; Amy Rowan (#2002)
              3rd Place – 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix; Max Martin (#1080)
 
Best in Show:
 
              1st Place – 1983 Jeep Wagoneer; Matt Miller (#3010)
 
For more information about the “Cruisin’ on Main” Car Show, please visit www.downtownbozeman.org/carshow or contact Downtown Bozeman Association at 406-586-4008 and Cancer Support Community at 406-582-1600.

Bozeman — Warriors & Quiet Waters Foundation will host its annual Warrior Taste Fest fundraiser — an event that will raise over $600,000 to support post-9/11 combat veterans.
 
Warrior Taste Fest, which will take place at Haynes Pavilion at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, plans to host up to 1000 people on Friday, September 8 for tastings of food, beer, and cocktails from over 30 of Montana’s best restaurants, breweries, and distilleries. While guests eat and drink, they can enjoy the work of 12 renowned artists as they quick-finish paintings and sculptures that will be up for bid during the live auction.

Artists Matt McKenna, Whitney Hall, Jennifer Johnson, Rob Akey, Amber Blazina, Todd Connor, David Graham, Joe Kronenberg, Steve Lillegard, Amanda Markel, Greg Scheibel, and Shirle Wempner will all be quick finishing their art for the live auction.
 
“Recent data from the VA indicates that our veterans face a suicide rate 1.5 times higher than the general populace, with suicide being their second leading cause of death. Though combat is behind them, the battles veterans face persist – in some cases for their lifetime,” said Brian Gilman, CEO of Warriors & Quiet Waters. “By attending Warrior Taste Fest, you champion our mission to enable veterans to thrive. Together, we can fortify America with thriving veterans. Your active support goes beyond mere gratitude – it’s essential.”

The event will start at 5:30 p.m. for Early Entry ticket holders to meet the artists, hear live music, and more.  Doors open for General Admission ticket holders at 6 p.m. The live auction and programming will run until 9:45 p.m.
 
Tickets for Warrior Taste Fest are on sale now and more information can be found on Warriors & Quiet Waters’ website, wqwf.org. All proceeds will support post-9/11 combat veterans.
 

BOZEMAN – The Bozeman City Commission voted unanimously on two actions to support 155 units of workforce housing in Bozeman. The Lumberyard project combines 155 units of workforce housing with 285 units of market-rate rentals in a mixed-income project. The workforce units will be restricted for at least 50 years at rents deemed affordable for households making 60% of the area median income (AMI) or $1,420 a month for a two-bedroom unit at today’s AMI.

The Bozeman City Commission voted to provide up to $7.5 million in reimbursement for eligible costs of public infrastructure using tax increment financing (TIF). With TIF, a developer finances all the cost of new public infrastructure that is necessary for a project and is reimbursed with new tax revenue generated by the project. The assistance makes projects feasible that would not be feasible but for TIF assistance – like workforce housing projects.

Bozeman’s City Commission also provided a $1 million grant to the newly created Gallatin Community Housing Impact Fund managed by NeighborWorks Montana (NWMT). The Fund will provide gap financing that makes workforce housing projects feasible throughout Gallatin County. The grant agreement requires that at least $1 million from the Fund must be invested in projects within the Bozeman city limits. NWMT provided a commitment letter to Reuter Walton Development for $2.5 million contingent on closing City and investor dollars into the fund. The gap financing from the Fund, combined with the commitment of TIF funds from the City will make the 155-unit workforce housing project feasible.

Bozeman-based Virga Capital is the developer of The Lumberyard project and is financing the public infrastructure and constructing the market-rate housing. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the City of Bozeman and Reuter Walton Development on delivering desperately needed workforce housing,” said Rob Lateiner, CEO of Virga Capital. “Without the City of Bozeman’s leadership in providing tax increment financing assistance, this project would not be possible.”

Reuter Walton Development is building the 155 units of rent-restricted workforce housing utilizing low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC). “The Gallatin Community Housing Impact Fund is making our 155-unit affordable housing project feasible,” said Nick Walton, founder, and CEO of Reuter Walton Development. “LIHTC is an underutilized source of funds in the Bozeman market because projects are often infeasible due to high construction costs. With the City’s seed investment in the Fund, we can pair federal and local resources to provide essential affordable housing for the Community.”

NeighborWorks Montana is managing the Gallatin Community Housing Impact Fund. Other committed investors in the Fund include First Security Bank, Stockman Bank, Opportunity Bank, American Bank, Bank of Bozeman, and Clearwater Credit Union.

Those seeking more information on the project can reach out to David Fine at dfine@bozeman.net. 

On August 18, 2023, at 10:00 am Gallatin County 911 was contacted regarding an injured trail runner on the Blackmore Mountain Trail. The runner had hyperextended their knee and had limited mobility and loss of feeling in their foot.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley Section and Heli Team, as well as AMR medical personnel responded to the Blackmore Mountain Trailhead. Search and Rescue volunteers deployed a one wheeled litter up the trail to meet with the injured runner.  Volunteers located the patient about 5 miles up the trail where they assessed their injuries and assisted the runner in getting back to the trailhead.

Sheriff Springer would like to remind backcountry enthusiasts to be prepared when recreating in the backcountry. Having the ability to communicate with rescuers cuts down the amount of time it can take to get medical attention when things go bad.

Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.