Help MSU celebrate and welcome visitors by decorating your business in Blue and Gold the week of November 15-21 in preparation for Cat/Griz weekend.  Paint your own storefront, hang Bobcat flags or signs and/or showcase Bobcat merchandise in the windows.  Windows MUST be painted and decorated no later that 10PM on Wednesday, November 18.  Businesses who decorate will have the chance to win prizes-including basketball tickets, MSU gear, Bobcat cookies and much more.  Volunteers on behalf of MSU will be visiting local businesses on November 20 passing out prizes to those who show exceptional Bobcat Spirit.

Also, don’t forget to participate in the 16th annual Can the Griz Food Drive, an off-field competition between MSU and the UM to see which community can collect the most donations for their local food banks. The competition begins Saturday, November 7th through Saturday, November 21st.   Organizers of the drive ask that nonperishable food donations be taken to collection locations throughout Bozeman to support those in need in Gallatin County. A list of participating locations can be found at www.canthegriz.com.

Bobcat supporters can designate their contribution to MSU by telling the Gallatin Valley Food Bank or collection location host that their donation is for the Can the Griz food drive. Monetary donations may be made directly to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank by texting CAN to 444999. Donations can also be made online at www.gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org. This year, Can the Griz shirts will be available at the MSU Bookstore. Proceeds from the shirts will benefit the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

Join the Bobcat men’s and women’s Basketball teams as they play a double header on Friday, November 20.  The women face The University of Portland at 5:30p.m. and the men play against San Jose State University at 8:05p.m.  

A tiny satellite developed by a handful of space professionals and Montana State University students that will test 3-D printing technology in spacecraft will launch into orbit Tuesday.
 
The satellite, called PrintSat, utilizes 3-D printing technology, which is also known as Additive Manufacturing. The satellite’s mission is to determine if the technology can be used in larger spacecraft to lower manufacturing costs. The launch may be viewed on the Spaceflight Now website.
 
The PrintSat, which is a type of CubeSat and is about the size of a one quart juice box and weighing less than one kilogram, could have big implications for future construction of satellites, said David Klumpar, director of MSU’s Space Science and Engineering Laboratory.
 
While previous satellites have been milled of standardized metal that is cut down and formed, the students and staff that work in MSU’s SSEL started with powdered polymers and a 3-D printer and built-up the satellite in a process called additive manufacturing.
 
Klumpar said NASA has flown spacecraft with a few “bits and pieces of 3-D printed materials, but PrintSat is the first to use 3-D printed polymer technology to build the major structural element of the satellite and its mechanisms. He explained that the 4-inch cube PrintSat will have a sensor on board that measures space radiation as well as an experiment that characterizes a new solar cell technology.

 
“From the data we collect we hope to learn how well this material, and the process used to manufacture the satellite, holds up to the space environment,” Klumpar said. “If the outcome is positive, additive manufacturing could significantly lower the cost and reduce development time of much larger satellites.”

 
Another first is that the rocket that carries the satellite is the first to be launched from Hawaii. Klumpar said the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, has been used for sub-orbital flights, but Tuesday’s launch will be the first time that it has been used to launch a satellite into orbit.

 
According to spaceflightnow.com , the launch managed by the Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space office, the will carry 13 small spacecraft – ranging in size from a juice box to a shoe box --into orbit aboard a Super Strypi launcher, a low-cost three-stage vehicle developed by Sandia National Laboratories with assistance from the University of Hawaii. In addition to MSU’s PrintSat, the mission will include eight small CubeSats developed by Ames Research Center in California that all carry an MSU-built science instrument that will help test whether networks of small satellites could do jobs larger spacecraft do today.

 
Klumpar said the PrintSat is the ninth satellite for which MSU has played a major role. In all, about 500 students have gone through MSU’s SSEL in its 15 years of building satellites. Currently, there are about 20 students enrolled in the MSU program.
 
“(Our first goal) is getting students --from undergraduate through grad level --intimately involved in the hands-on process of designing, building, testing and operating space hardware,” he said.
 
“Secondly, our students play a huge role in taking what they have learned in the classroom and applying it to a real-world, true-to-life sophisticated problem. And thirdly, the end-goal is to have our work in the space environment and orbiting around Earth.”
 
Klumpar said that as a result of their involvement with real satellites, MSU students have an opportunity to practice their high tech careers and hone their learning before graduation.
 
“That puts our students right at the top of the stack of resumes when they apply for a job,” he said.
 
Klumpar had been in Hawaii awaiting the launch with Nathan Fite who worked on the satellite while an MSU graduate student. Fite currently works at Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems in Irvine, Calif.
 
“We have a lot riding on this launch,” Klumpar said. “We have all of our fingers and toes crossed on this one.”

After months of extensive effort and community outreach, the Four Corners Water and Sewer Board can confidently plan for its future as a public entity. On Tuesday, October 6, 2015, the Public Service Commission (PSC) put the final stamp of approval on the purchase of this initiative. The sale guarantees ownership of water and sewage rights, which were formerly owned and managed by Utility Solutions.

“We are very excited to be a permanent part of the future of the Four Corners Area. We look forward to having the water and sewer system under public ownership and providing the best possible service at the lowest possible price," stated Cory Klumb, President of the Four Corners Water and Sewer Board, on behalf of the entire Four Corners Water and Sewer Board. The board is made up of five residents of the district: Cory Klumb, Heather West, Valerie Gravage, Nancy Flikkema, and Ed Schmidt.

This first major milestone of this sale began with a public vote in May, which authorized the district to sell bonds to fund the acquisition. The ballot passed with a nearly unanimous vote of 95% in its favor. Once the vote passed, the District was able to proceed forward with acquiring the funding, and PSC approval was needed to finalize the sale.

Funding for this sale came from a few entities. A major player who aided the Board in securing funding was Steve Troendle, director of community programs for the Montana State Office of Rural Development. “Four Corners Water and Sewer District took a major step in defining the future of their community with the purchase of the water and waste infrastructure. USDA Rural Development strives to assist rural areas in meeting their infrastructure needs and is pleased to partner with the State of Montana, Montana State Revolving Fund and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conversation programs to assist Four Corners with the purchase,” said Troendle.

Another instrumental agency was the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Anna Miller, Financial Bureau Chief for the Conservation and Resources Development Division, said, “The District has worked for a long time to accomplish its goal to serve the people who live in the Four Corners area. I’m so pleased to see their vision become a reality. I’m glad to play a small part in helping the District and thank the District for all their hard work.”

Now that all of the mandated steps have been completed, the Board will work with Utility Solutions to create a seamless transition to ensure that services will continue as smoothly as possible for all residents living in the designated areas.

Four Corners Water and Sewer System
The district boundaries include Durston Road to the north, approximately Lower Rainbow Road to the south, Jackrabbit Lane and U.S. Highway 191 to the east, and roughly the West Gallatin River to the west. The district also includes the noncontiguous subdivisions of Black Bull Run, Middle Creek Parkland, Triple Creek Meadow, and Gallatin Heights.

Questions regarding this sale can be directed to: Susan B. Swimley, Attorney and Counselor at Law

(406) 586-5544

Sola Cafe & Market November-December 2015 Art Show

MACK (Margaret Anne Campbell Kohler) is an award winning painter from Bozeman whose art has been juried into shows from Montana to California. MACK’s art is always bright, whimsical and thought provoking.    Her characters are multi-ethnic and are loosely based on Yup’ic Eskimo masks from her childhood, as well as ethnic influences from around the world and the American West/Northwest. MACK “Characters” are to be viewed by their attributes alone.  It is the best parts of their spirit that adorn their clothing and crowns. This show focuses on the gentle, yet monumental, power of women “Gentle Giants”. MACK paints with vibrant colors to remind us there is always hope for a brighter tomorrow.  Each piece makes a statement, celebrating the beauty of the human spirit and our magnificent planet!

The art show beneficiary is Haven, 20% of all original artwork proceeds will be donated to them. 

Community Health Partners, BridgerCare and Bozeman Public Library are collaborating to share information with anyone interested in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes referred to as Obamacare. There will be trained, certified counselors available for visits in a confidential, private setting to explore what type of coverage is available and how to enroll.

The enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act is the 90 day period when people can select and join in a health insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. For 2016 coverage, the Open Enrollment Period is November 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016. “It's free to set up the account, and it's free to receive our help,” said Beth Renick, “We are required by law to be impartial, and we don't get any financial reward." Be prepared with a current email address, all household members' Social Security numbers, and best estimate of your household income for 2016 if you are planning to enroll.

Sessions will be held on Monday, November 9th from 1-4pm, Thursday, November 19th from 6-8pm, and Saturday November 21st from 10am-1pm in the second floor study rooms at Bozeman Public Library. Appointments are not required, but available, drop-ins are welcome. No one will be turned away.

For more information or to schedule an appointment during the Bozeman Library Affordable Care Act Insurance counseling with a Certified Application Counselor please contact Beth Renick at (406) 922-0879 or email : renickb@chphealth.org<mailto:renickb@chphealth.org>.

Bozeman: Our First Best Place is a cheerful array of oil paintings by artist June Safford and will be on display in the Atrium Gallery at the Bozeman Public Library November 1 through December 30, 2015.   The exhibit, paintings of Bozeman’s familiar and favorite historical buildings, is sponsored by the Bozeman Public Library Foundation.  The Foundation is hosting an Artist Reception, with refreshments, on Friday, November 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m., free and open to the public.  At 6:30 p.m., historic preservationist Derek Strahn will give a presentation on the downtown buildings featured in the paintings, enlightening us on the stories behind these familiar structures.

“Bozeman became a subject for me to paint the day a fellow artist spoke about her impending trip to Tuscany to paint that charming city. I looked around and decided there was charm enough for me and my canvases here in my hometown, Bozeman,” said Safford. Although she was raised in New York, she has lived in Bozeman with her family since 1968. “Images of buildings help make up my psyche, as I was raised in Brooklyn, where there are forests of buildings,” she said.  

Safford taught in public schools for 30 years, but now that she’s retired, the studio in her Bozeman home opts as her favorite classroom. Oil has been her medium of choice; yet, acrylics, water colors and pastels have a great appeal.  “It is Bozeman that has drawn me to try and capture it in oils and watercolors. It is a more vibrant Main Street than exists almost anywhere in the state,” she said.  Safford has a passion for Bozeman and expresses that through her art. Her first pieces depicted architectural structures, but now she is equally interested in windows and activities associated within the buildings. “The artist Edward Hopper’s mingling of buildings and people has also affected me,” said Safford.  “While Hopper chose to highlight the emotion of loneliness, I opt more for vitality.”

Derek Strahn is a historian, high school teacher, radio show personality, and folk/blues musician. He has lived in southwestern Montana since 1976. In 1992 he received a Master of Arts in History from Montana State University-Bozeman and began a nine-year career as a historic preservationist for the City of Bozeman. In June of 2010, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History named Strahn Montana’s Preserve America History Teacher of the Year.

 
The exhibition will be on display during Library hours.  A percentage of sales will go to the Bozeman Public Library Foundation to ensure continuation of cultural programs at the Library for public benefit.  For more information about the exhibit or opening reception, please call Sarah DeOpsomer at 582-2425 or email programs@bozemanlibraryfoundation.org.

The Artists’ Gallery in the Emerson Cultural Center will feature the work of Don Sander and Barb Starner during the month of November.  The show will include a Featured Artist Reception where you can meet the artists and share a glass of wine.

Barb Starner has spent her career as an artist and educator.  She credits her students with motivating her to use dynamic mediums, ranging from collage and alcohol ink to oils, masa paper and richly hued watercolors. Starner finds beauty and inspiration in her surroundings.  Whether in a grand-scale landscape, or an intimate glimpse at the smallest of flowers, she conveys a deep and vibrant appreciation for the beauty of the world around us.

A naturalist, outdoorsman, and history buff, Don fell in love with Montana's landscapes and rich heritage during his first visit in the late seventies.  He moved his family to Churchill, MT not long after.  Becoming a popular landscape painter, he has also won awards for portraiture in juried shows. Don paints the majesty of Montana's landscape, in addition to mountain men and other characters, both real and imagined.

Come see the artwork and meet its makers at the Featured Artist Reception in The Artists’ Gallery, Friday, November 13th, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

One of Montana State University’s research and teaching farms was recently ranked among the 40 best college farms in the nation by College Ranker, an independent online college decision source.

The Arthur H. Post Teaching and Research Farm at MSU was ranked number 28 out of 40 of the best college farms nationwide. The rankings are based on hands-on experience, student involvement, community outreach programs, workshops, classes, lectures, volunteer opportunities and degree plan options.

David Gettel, farm operations manager of the Arthur H. Post Farm, said the farm was honored to be recognized for its many efforts.

“We have an incredibly active farm in terms of research, activities and community engagement,” Gettel said. “The people that are involved in plant breeding, pest management and crop rotation studies are absolutely the best in the nation. It’s not surprising that we are nationally ranked. This farm and the people that are conducting research here are a priceless asset to Montana State University and the state of Montana.”

The Arthur H. Post Farm is one of 12 active teaching and research farms affiliated with MSU, the MSU College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The farm encompasses more than 254 acres of wheat and barley variety trials, cropping systems, pest management studies, and trials for Foundation seeds, or seeds developed by the experiment station for potential commercial production.

Additional institutions that made the list were Penn State University, Dartmouth College, Yale University and Cornell University.

First Choice Home Health is the best home health care agency in Gallatin County, according to the new Medicare star rating system. Consumers now have a new way to compare home health agencies, and the nurses and therapists they invite into their homes for skilled care.

First Choice Home Health, the only locally owned home health agency in Gallatin County, received four out of a possible five stars, which not only puts it above the other agencies in Gallatin County, but above the Montana and national averages for quality of care and patient experience.
First Choice out-ranked the other two Medicare‐certified agencies in Gallatin County, both of which scored Medicare star ratings below the Montana and national averages.

The new star rating system is part of Medicare’s Home Health Compare website that allows consumers to compare care provided by home health agencies, based on results from third party surveys of actual patients, regarding their perception of the care provided. Patients are asked questions about their recent home health care experiences, with topics covering the home health care team’s professionalism, communication, and the likelihood that they would recommend the agency to others. The star rating also incorporates various clinical data, which reflects specific process measures and patient outcomes.

To learn more, visit FirstChoiceMontana.com to learn more.