A simple step to sustainability, because Montanans care.

Thank you for supporting the efforts of the Valley of the Flowers Project, a new non-profit with a mission to help communities become sustainable. Please purchase a $5.00 50/50 Raffle ticket , and have a chance to win a $2,500 if 1000 tickets are sold. Drawing 4/22 at the MSU Earth day event.

Rosauer’s. Heebs, and half dozen other local stores give customers a $.05 (or .$.10) refund when they use a reusable bag, and, now with BYO Bag for Change,you can donate your bag refund to local sustainability efforts. Ask your cashier to add your nickel to the BYO Bag grant recipient.

The grantees are: Story Mill Parks food forest by Broken Ground Permaculture and TransitionTowns Bozeman; Montana Outdoor Science School’s programs in local schools; Big Sky Youth Empowerment’s Summer of Service programs and permanent recycling bins in Bogert park by the Valley of the Flowers Project and Bogert Farmer’s Market.

Montanans are setting the example of how to be better stewards of our planet without a tax or ban, because we care. The educational kiosks will help customers learn about negative environmental effects of single-use plastics : from the deaths of millions of animals, to 5 large gyres in our world’s oceans, to plastic bits called “nurdles" on every beach in the world, to biomagnification up the food chain into our own bodies.

The motivation to raise funds for community building programs, plus doing the right thing for the sake of future generations is a win-win. Using a reusable bag just once saves enough energy to light an LED lightbulb for a week. Just like the bees making honey, every tiny contribution is important. When lots of people take the time and effort to take the best care possible of our last best place, it really will add up to make a big difference.

Visit valleyoftheflowersproject.org (a 501c3 sponsored by CORA), or find us on Facebook.

The Emerson is currently enrolling for  Spring & Summer sessions of Art Education classes. We have an extremely diverse schedule of classes for both children and adults. A sample of adult classes includes Pottery for Beginners - Advanced students, Acrylic Painting, Casting Basics and Figure & Portrait Drawing. A sample of kid’s classes includes PIR DAYS April 9 & 10, Kids Printmaking, Creating with Clay, Clay N Play and ArtXplore.

The Red Ants Pants Foundation announced today the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Ryan Bingham will be taking the stage at the Fifth Annual Red Ants Pants Music Festival. A host of yet-to-be-named music legends, including two additional Grammy award-winning artists, and several buzzworthy rising newcomers will round out this year’s lineup and are scheduled to be announced on Saturday April 4th, 2015 at a Lineup Release Party in White Sulphur Springs. Details about the event and live streaming of the lineup announcement will be available on the music festival's Facebook page. A limited release of 500 early bird tickets will go on sale online and at the Red Ants Pants Store at a discounted price of $110 at 7pm MST April 4th, 2015. Held in a cow pasture on the Jackson Ranches, and surrounded by the Big Belt, Little Belt, and Castle Mountain ranges, the festival will bring in more than two dozen different artists performing on separate stages. The weekend-long, grassroots, honky-tonkin' music festival brings in millions of dollars to the rural economy and is now in its 5th year. “The momentum keeps growing every year as the festival has become a bucket list item for musicians and fans around the world. It’s all about bringing good hard-working folks together to enjoy some incredible music in one of the most beautiful places around,” said Sarah Calhoun, Red Ants Pants Music Festival founder and producer. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band remains a country music icon known for multiple top ten hits such as “Fishin’ in the Dark,” a string of multi-platinum and gold records along with having their recording of “Mr. Bojangles” inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2010.

Ryan Bingham has been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire and the Washington Post. In 2010 Bingham’s song “The Weary Kind” for the Crazy Heart Soundtrack earned him a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe and Americana Artist of the Year Award. (High-resolution photos available below) This is the fifth year of the music festival which benefits the Red Ants Pants Foundation, a nonprofit organization in support of women's leadership, working farms and ranches, and rural communities. The Foundation also announced today it is now accepting applications for its Community Grant Cycle funded by the Red Ants Pants Music Festival. Grant applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for projects throughout the region that further the Foundation's mission of developing and expanding leadership roles for women, preserving and supporting working family farms and ranches, and enriching and promoting rural communities. Last summer, 13 grants were awarded. The application cycle is open now and will continue until April 30th. Applications and the list of the 2014 grant recipients are available on the Red Ants Pants Foundation website. The Foundation would like to thank everyone for the continued support of these projects and the Red Ants Pants Music Festival, which provides the funding for the grant cycle.

MORE INFORMATION 500 early bird tickets will go on sale online and at the Red Ants Pants store in White Sulphur Springs on Saturday April 4th, 2015 at 7pm at the discounted price of $110. Early bird tickets will be sold first come first serve. A three-day weekend pass is $125 in advance and $140 at the gate. One day passes are $50 in advance and $55 at the gate. Camping is $20 per person for the weekend. Camping passes are available only at the gate, but there will be plenty of room for everyone. Kids 12 and under are free for festival and camping when accompanied by an adult.

One of the objectives of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War is to thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war (POW), or listed as missing in action (MIA), for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans.

Speaking on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 788, and for the men and women who served during that conflict, I want to express our gratitude to members of this community for thanking us again and again for our service and supporting this generation of veterans.

There was a time when soldiers returning from Vietnam were advised to change into civilian clothes on their flights home so that they would not  be confronted at airports by protesters carrying signs with anti-war slogans and called baby killers, psychos, drug addicts, and war mongers.

That was then.

Today, our soldiers are welcomed home at airports across the country and most recently at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport to show thanks to the men and women of the Montana National Guard 143rd Military Police Company returning home from a tour in Afghanistan.

In 1978, the Vietnam Veterans of America was congressionally chartered and exclusively dedicated to Vietnam-era veterans and their families.

Our Special Programs include seeking full access to quality health care for veterans, identifying the full range of disabling injuries and illnesses incurred during military service, supporting the next generation of America’s war veterans, and serving our communities.

During the next few weeks, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 788 will be planning the 6th Annual Veteran Stand Down that will be held at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on June 13, 2015.

The Stand Down is a one day event that provides services to homeless Veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits and counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment and substance abuse treatment.

In the months ahead, the Vietnam Veterans of America in partnership with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, will continue promoting a Veterans Cemetery at Sunset Hills Cemetery that has become a focal point for special events like Wreaths Across America and Memorial Day that honor those who have served.

The motto of the Vietnam Veterans of America reads:  “Never again shall one generation of Americans abandon another.”


Rick Gale, USMC, is in the center of the photo.  Photo was taken in 1968 during the Tet Offensive.  I was 18 at the time.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Kids in Montana will stand up to Big Tobacco on March 18 as they join thousands of young people nationwide for the 20th annual Kick Butts Day. More than 1,000 events are planned nationwide for this day of youth activism, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. (See below for a list of local events.)
 
On Kick Butts Day, kids encourage their peers to stay tobacco-free, demand that tobacco companies stop marketing deadly, addictive products to them and encourage elected officials to do more to reduce youth tobacco use.
                                                                                                                         
This year, Kick Butts Day is focusing attention on how the tobacco industry still spends huge sums on marketing and is adopting new strategies to reach young customers. Nationwide, tobacco companies spend $8.8 billion a year – one million dollars every hour – to market tobacco products. In Montana, tobacco companies spend $27.1 million annually on marketing efforts. The industry’s tactics that entice kids include:

·         Splashy ads in magazines with large youth readership, such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine and Rolling Stone.

·         Widespread advertising and price discounts in stores, which make tobacco products appealing and affordable to kids.

·         New, sweet-flavored tobacco products such as small cigars and electronic cigarettes. The latest surveys show that youth use of e-cigarettes has skyrocketed.

 
In addition to organizing events, kids are standing up to the tobacco industry on social media through the #NotAReplacement selfie campaign. The tobacco industry’s own documents reveal that they have long targeted kids as “replacement smokers” for the more than 480,000 people their products kill each year in the United States. Kids are taking selfies to say they’re not a replacement and sharing the photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the #NotAReplacement hashtag. (view the #NotAReplacement selfie gallery)
 

“On Kick Butts Day, kids stand up and reject Big Tobacco’s manipulative marketing,” said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “We can make the next generation tobacco-free and end the tobacco epidemic for good. Elected officials can help reach that goal by standing with kids and supporting proven strategies to prevent youth tobacco use, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free laws and prevention programs.”
 
In Montana, tobacco use claims 1,600 lives and costs $440 million in health care bills each year. Currently, a disturbing 15.2 percent of Montana’s high school students smoke.
 
On Kick Butts Day, kids engage in creative events that range from small classroom activities about the harmful ingredients in cigarettes to large rallies at state capitols.
 
In Montana, activities include:
 
The Dawson County Health Department and students from the Washington Middle School Teens in Partnership (TIP) will encourage those driving to work to honk and wave for tobacco prevention at the Badlands Federal Credit Union. Mascots “Mo the Moose” and “Ciggy Butts” will wave at cars as students hold signs explaining the dangers of tobacco use. Time: 7:30 AM. Location: 302 W. Towne Street, Glendive. Contact: Laureen Murphree (406) 377-5213.
 
Students from the Students Taking Action Not Drugs (STAND) chapters at Glacier High School and Flathead High School will spread the word about the dangers of tobacco to students at Kalispell Middle School by posting #NotAReplacement selfie statements to Instagram. Time: 8 AM. Location: 205 Northwest Lane, Kalispell. Contact: Genia Tartaglino (406) 250-0054.
 
Healthy Gallatin and students from the Monforton Middle School Leadership Class/reACT will celebrate the conclusion of a month-long online scavenger hunt aimed at youth throughout Gallatin County. The scavenger hunt features point-of-sale tobacco marketing uploaded to Instagram for the chance to win an iTunes gift card. Time: 12 PM. Location: 215 W. Mendenhall Street, Bozeman. Contact: Jennifer MacFarlane (406) 582-3189.
 
On March 19, students from the Malta High School reACT! Team will host a Kick Butts Day kickball tournament at the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line in Malta. Following the tournament, the students will conduct an educational presentation on the ingredients in cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Time: 3:30 PM. Location: 101 South 7th Street W., Malta. Contact: Sonia Young (406) 654-2378.
 
On March 20, Dixon School District students will host an educational carnival about the dangers of tobacco use, featuring educational booths Mr. Grossmouth, tar jar and blackened breathing lungs. The students will also host a poster contest and commit to staying tobacco-free. Time: 12:55 PM. Location: 411 B Street, Dixon. Contact: Marie Michaels (406) 246-3566.
 
Events are on March 18 unless otherwise indicated. For a full list of Kick Butts Day activities in Montana, visit www.kickbuttsday.org/map. Additional information about tobacco, including state-by-state statistics, can be found at www.tobaccofreekids.org.

Pinky and the Floyd is pleased to present their 5th annual theater performance;

a much anticipated concert-turned-‘Bozeman Tradition’ by what has been called “...the Reigning Pink Floyd Tribute Band of the Northwest...” This year’s production will feature in its entirety Pink Floyd’s 1994 studio release, The Division Bell, a certified gold, platinum, double platinum and triple platinum album celebrating and exploring themes of communication, and featuring such No.1 hits as “What Do You Want From Me?” and “Keep Talking.”

 

Often described as the definitive line between the old and new school fans, The Division Bell was instrumental in ushering in a new and fiercely loyal generation of Pink Floyd fans. With surreptitious references to previous albums (The Wall), bringing back to the table a continued discussion of political unease and/or celebration (the fall of the Berlin

Wall) helped solidify the band’s continued relevance in this arena. However The Division Bell’s running theme of communication (even the album artwork “speaks” to this) while it’s refrain may be idealistic (“talking can solve any problem”), it also not-so-subtly cuts- to-the-quick regarding long-standing hostility between Rogers and Gilmore, creating contrast with tension in an otherwise beautifully-orchestrated musical landscape for which The Division Bell is famously known.

If you’ve seen any of Pinky’s previous four theater productions you know that this is an experience not replicated by anyone else in the region; each year’s production topping the previous and gathering scores of fans every time. What started as a 5- piece band has steadily grown in size and audience to a 9-piece ensemble, culling from some of the best musical and technical talent in Montana, and reaching crowds of 5,000 plus. As usual Pinky has some tricks up their sleeve this year including special guests, live video- mixing, laser light show, and other on-stage antics and set designs that you’ll just have to

be there to witness! And for all of you “old school” fans—don’t worry—the 2nd set will quell your fix for all those songs you just have to hear.

And while we’re on the subject, the new Willson Auditorium is something to be celebrated all on its own! After years of planning and design, eight months of construction and an impressive community-based capital campaign, The Willson Auditorium cut the ribbon last month on a beautiful, state-of-the-art $3.5-million renovation that will serve the arts & culture in the greater Gallatin Valley and beyond for

years to come. Pinky and the Floyd are honored to be the 1st official “amplified” show in this newly renovated venue which includes much improved acoustics, refurbished seating, handicap accessibility, an enclosed sound booth and improvements to the lobby including concessions and a ticket booth. You can be sure that the new lighting

capabilities will get a proper chance to stretch out at Pinky’s performance on April 18th.

Whether or not you’re a Pink Floyd fan, maybe you just love live music, maybe you just want to see the new Willson Auditorium, and even if you already have plans that night— cancel them. This is a performance you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!

_______

Tickets $20 advance, $25 at the door. Available for purchase 18 March 2015 only at Cactus Records, downtown Bozeman (406-587-0245) or online at: https:// cactusrecords.net/tickets/

Doors open at 7:00pm. Showtime at 8:00pm. The Willson Auditorium, 414 W. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715. ALL AGES.

PINKY Pre-Party. 6pm-10:30pm. Bar provided by Sidecar Bar Service (exact location TBA). No cover charge, no-host bar. 21+ only (I.D. required).

OUTSIDE, America’s leading active lifestyle brand, has selected American Prairie Reserve as an honoree of its annual Best of Travel awards. From newly- revealed travel territories to the best deals, OUTSIDE’s Best of Travel 2015 celebrates the destinations and travel providers that inspire people to participate in an active lifestyle. American Prairie Reserve was honored as Best of the Wild West. The entire list of winners appears in OUTSIDE’s April issue (on newsstands March 17), and currently online at http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure- travel/travel-awards/30-Trips-to-Take-This-Year.html.

This year, OUTSIDE’s adventure travel veterans scoured the globe to identify the coolest mountains to climb, food to eat, rivers to float, guides to hire, beaches to lounge on, and lodges to luxuriate in. The result is 30 breathtaking options — from the guides to show you around, to the cameras to capture it all, to the places to stay, to the best place to grab a snack at a food truck along the way.

“Since 2001, the nonprofit American Prairie Reserve has been working to restore the northern great plains to the pristine condition Lewis and Clark found them in more than 200 years ago,” the article states. “The resulting reserve, in northeast Montana, is now 305,000 acres. The aim is to reach 3.5 million by 2030, creating a U.S. Serengeti and the largest wildlife park in the lower 48, where herds of elk, mule deer, and bison thrive. But don’t wait to go. You can sleep under the stars now at the 11-
site Buffalo Camp ($10), four miles north of the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, and take a DIY mountain-biking safari on old ranch roads, passing grazing bison and scanning the skies for American kestrels, Sprague’s pipits, and Swainson’s hawks. Or paddle the Missouri River past pioneer homesteads and historic tepees to Kestrel Camp, a set of five luxurious yurts, each with AC, a hot shower, and a veranda for sundowners (from $4,800 for six days).”

The complete list of Best of Travel winners will be featured in the April issue of OUTSIDE, available March 17, and already is listed online at http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/travel- awards/30-Trips-to-Take-This-Year.html. Continue the conversation with #OutsideTravel2015.

About American Prairie Reserve:
Founded in 2001, American Prairie Reserve aims to create and manage a prairie-based wildlife reserve that, when combined with public lands already devoted to wildlife, will protect a unique natural habitat, provide lasting economic benefits, and improve public access to and enjoyment of the prairie landscape. The Reserve, located in northeastern Montana, currently spans 305,000 acres of public and private land that is open to modern day explorers for camping and recreation, providing tangible economic benefits to the surrounding areas. The landscape is one of the most intact prairies left in North America and is home to hundreds of species, including elk, pronghorn, sage grouse, prairie dogs, and a growing bison herd. For more information and to request a visitor map, please visit americanprairie.org.

About OUTSIDE:

OUTSIDE is America’s leading active lifestyle brand. Since 1977, OUTSIDE has covered travel, sports, adventure, health, and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world Outside. The OUTSIDE family includes OUTSIDE magazine, the only magazine to win three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, The Outside Buyer’s Guides, Outside Online, Outside Television, Outside Events, Outside+ tablet edition, Outside Books, and now Outside GO, a revolutionary, 21st-century adventure-travel company.

Montana Wilderness School (MWS), a recently established 501(c)3 non-profit outdoor education program focusing on Montana youth, is launching a 30-day Indiegogo.com crowdfunding campaign on April 2nd to raise funds for student scholarships. The fundraising campaign will kick off with a launch party at 406 Brewery and Wild Rye Distilling in Bozeman.
 
Crowdfunding Campaign Launch Party
Join MWS for the launch party at 406 Brewery and Wild Rye Distilling in Bozeman, MT. The event is free and open to the public, families and children welcome.  406 Brewery will donate $1 of every pint sold towards the scholarship fund from 6-8pm. Wild Rye Distilling is concocting some drink specials to celebrate the event. Music by Cottonwood Line from 6-8 pm. Items from local businesses and retailers will be raffled off, including a Wilderness First Aid Course from Aerie Backcountry Medicine and a pair of new shoes or boots from Oboz.  Come support MWS’ scholarship campaign!
 
MWS Indiegogo.com Scholarship Campaign
The funding platform is Indiegogo (for nonprofits) and can be found at: www.indiegogo.com/projects/montana-wilderness-school.  It will not go live until April 2nd.  All proceeds from the campaign will go directly into an endowment fund helping support low income Montana teenagers with the opportunity to attend one of four multi-week backcountry expeditions that MWS will run this coming summer.
 
About Montana Wilderness School
 
The Montana Wilderness School is a 501(c)3 non-profit public charity organization based in Bozeman, Montana.  The mission is to provide empowering wilderness courses to youth that foster personal growth and cultivate a conservation ethic through connecting with remote landscapes and wild places.
 
MWS is currently enrolling 16-18 year old students for their expeditions this summer, offering 4 exciting and empowering expeditions all with their own flavor and dynamic based on these goals and values:

Building and supporting a rich and diverse community
Personal Growth and Character Development
A goal-oriented multi-week backcountry expedition in Montana
Technical skill competency in backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, packrafting, and canoeing (specific to each course)
Wilderness First Aid Certification (included in every course thru Aerie Backcountry Medicine)
Public land stewardship
Montana-specific conservation issues identification and analysis
 
 
For more information about the Montana Wilderness School, the Indiegogo.com crowdfunding launch party, or the Indiegogo.com campaign, please contact the directors:  Gar Duke or Josh Olsen.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, cosmologist, author and one of the most recognized science communicators in America today.

On March 4, on his first visit to Montana, he gave an evening lecture at Montana State University. The sold-out event – the largest audience Tyson has addressed in person -- was hosted by the MSU Leadership Institute.

Tyson grew up in New York City and became fascinated by astronomy after visiting the Hayden Planetarium at age 9. He is currently director of that planetarium, and his ability to explain science in dynamic ways has made him a popular figure in American media.

Tyson is host of the popular program, “Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey.” He hosted PBS’ “Nova ScienceNow,” wrote for Natural History magazine and is a frequent guest on “CBS This Morning.” Tyson recently announced that he will have his own talk show on the National Geographic Channel, titled “Star Talk.” He has also appeared on numerous talk shows such as “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and “Real Time with Bill Maher,” as well as hit TV series such as “The Big Bang Theory” and “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

A native of the Bronx, Tyson has a doctorate in astrophysics from Columbia University. His research is on star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of the Milky Way. He was appointed to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry and the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission by former President George W. Bush. He has been awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by NASA.

“We seek to bring high-profile, world-renowned experts to Montana State University, and Dr. Tyson’s thought-provoking lectures sell out to audiences throughout the country,” said Carmen McSpadden, director of the MSU Leadership Institute. “Our students have worked diligently for the last two years to host Dr. Tyson, and it could not have happened without their efforts, our generous sponsors and students and public who purchased tickets.”

Tyson’s lecture was sponsored by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, Montana PBS, the MSU Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Leadership Institute, Office of Research and Economic Development, College of Engineering and the Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU).

In the afternoon before his lecture, Tyson briefly answered some questions.

Out of all the astrophysical events in the history of the universe, what would you have most liked to witness?

The obvious one is the Big Bang.

Second to that, it would be the formation of our own moon. All evidence points to that being the product of a collision between a Mars-sized protoplanet and Earth. This Mars-sized protoplanet sideswiped Earth. It would have been a tremendous collision, scattering planet guts everywhere, coalescing over the ensuing months to form the moon. The moon would have formed very close to Earth. It would be about 20 times closer than now. The moon would have been huge in the sky. There would be huge tides.

My third choice would be to watch the extinction of the dinosaurs with the comet impact.
 

Since you grew up in New York City, what is the first star you saw in the night sky?

Generally, if it’s the first star you notice, it’s not going to be a star. It’s going to be a planet. For me, it would have been Venus in the evening sky as a kid in the Bronx in New York.

Stars don’t manifest in the night sky in the big city, certainly not most stars. But planets, when they get bright, they outshine all the other stars. So often when people wish upon a star … almost every wish in those cases was wished on a planet, and that’s why your wishes don’t come true. I’m pretty sure about that.


You are involved in so many things.  How do you divide your time?

There is strong overlap.

There’s a famous saying that you have one kid. Then you go to someone else who has two kids and say, “I have one kid. Should I have another kid?” The other person says, “Well, is the kid you now have taking up 100 percent of your time?” The answer is yes, so the second kid can’t take up more than that.

You have said you are a servant of the public’s appetite for science. What is the public most hungry for within science?

I think some people are hungry, and they don’t know they are hungry. It’s up to me as an educator to offer them a (sampler platter). If they don’t know, I will offer some things. Then I see which one they pick.

There are some repeating themes that people care about, like are we alone in the universe? What was around before the Big Bang? …It’s interesting how often catastrophic questions get asked. People want to know when they are going to die if it’s by some cosmic force.

I wrote a whole book called “Death by Black Hole.” People just love that, and kids love it. I thought, well that’s really creepy if kids like stuff like that, but kids also like T. rex better than vegetarian dinosaurs. I conclude that kids like things that can eat them.

You have danced in the past. If you were a competitor on the TV show “Dancing with the Stars,” and it was audience choice night, what song and dance style would they choose for you?

I like Van Morrison’s music and one by Joe Cocker, “Feelin’ Alright.” The songs are not exactly mainstream, but they are not so completely obscure that you are showing off. … I would happily be choreographed by whomever. They are professionals who do that.

As Tyson played Cocker’s “Feelin’ Alright” and Morrison’s “Moondance” on his laptop, he continued, saying:

My real answer is I wouldn’t be interested in going on “Dancing with the Stars.” I danced long ago and I’m finished dancing. When I was dancing, no one asked me to give talks. Now I’m giving talks. If I now started dancing, then I wouldn’t be doing what it is that people ask me to give talks about. I wouldn’t be doing the thing that made me interesting enough to be on “Dancing with the Stars.”

Since your daughter’s name was inspired by the universe, how did you choose your son’s name? (Tyson’s daughter, Miranda, was named for one of the five major moons of Uranus. His son is Travis.)

It was the county where my wife and I first met, Travis County in Texas. We met at the University of Texas. My wife was getting her Ph.D. in mathematical physics.

Which award means the most to you besides Sexiest Astrophysicist (awarded by People magazine in 2000)?

It may be that I was inducted to the Bronx Hall of Fame. In New York City, it’s hard for anything to feel hometown because the town is so large with 8 million people. Hardly anything you do is received the way it would happen in a small town where everyone knows everybody.

I had underestimated the warmth that that would bring to me, knowing that I was a native of the Bronx … It has a quaintness that I didn’t think was possible in a city such as New York.

Montana State University graduate Maurice Hilleman, who saved the lives of millions by developing a wide array of vaccines, will be inducted into Gallery of Outstanding Montanans in Helena at the State Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, March 5.

Hilleman will be honored along with Helen Piotopowaka Clarke, an educator and Indian rights activist, in a ceremony at 11 a.m.

A Miles City native, Hilleman graduated atop his class at what was then Montana State College in 1941 with dual degrees in chemistry and microbiology. His name often accompanies those of Jonas Salk and Louis Pasteur as pioneers who fundamentally changed the game in human health. The abstract on a National Institutes of Health obituary for Hilleman, who died in 2005, describes him this way: “Microbe hunter, pioneering virologist, and the world's leading vaccinologist.”

Over his career he developed dozens of vaccines. According to Paul Offit, who wrote the Hilleman biography “Vaccinated: One Man’s Quest to Defeat the World’s Deadliest Diseases,” history will remember Hilleman as the man who saved more lives than any other 20th century scientist.

Among Hilleman’s scientific achievements:
A hepatitis B vaccine that was the first vaccine to prevent a cancer in humans (liver cancer, or hepatoma).
A measles-mumps-and-rubella combination vaccine that marked the first time vaccines for different viruses were successfully combined in a single shot.
Vaccines for meningitis and pneumonia.
A mumps vaccine that came after Hilleman isolated the virus by swabbing the back of his daughter Jeryl Lynn's throat when she was stricken with the disease (50 years later it is still the basis for most mumps vaccines).
A more complete understanding of the ways different strains of the flu change slightly from year to year, which led to the practice of developing an annual seasonal flu vaccine.
The first successful prediction of a coming influenza pandemic and development of a vaccine that thwarted it, possibly saving close to a million people in 1957.  
Maggie Ordon, curator of history at the Montana Historical Society, said nominations suggesting Hilleman should be included in the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans came from all across the state, with a particular concentration from residents of Miles City, where Hilleman is considered a favorite son.
Hilleman grew up in modest circumstances on his uncle’s farm just across the Tongue River from Miles City. Without the means to pay for college and considering an offer to work at the local J.C. Penney store, a scholarship to attend Montana State College launched Hilleman on the first step of his illustrious career.

A panel of experts in Montana history chooses those Montanans who will be honored. Two are inducted each year.

“The gallery was created in 1979 to honor Montanans who have made contributions of state or national significance to their selected fields while epitomizing the unique spirit and character that defines Montana,” Ordon said.

Both Clarke and Hilleman are fitting inductees, Ordon added. As Gallery of Outstanding Montanans inductees numbers 40 and 41, plaques honoring their achievements will hang in the Capitol’s west wing until 2023.

Mark Jutila, head of MSU’s Microbiology and Immunology Department, will accept the award for Hilleman.