Montana Law Enforcement planning increased patrols in the Bozeman area over the holiday weekend.  Residents encouraged to plan for a sober ride home.

·         Local law enforcement and the Montana Highway Patrol are increasing their presence and patrols during the Labor Day weekend
·         Montana has the highest share of alcohol-related traffic deaths in the U.S. at 45%. In 2021, 63% of all fatalities were the result of impaired driving
·         To ensure the safety of communities across Montana, law enforcement encourages residents to make a plan to get a sober ride home before they start drinking and celebrating during the Labor Day weekend
·         Labor Day marks the end of the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period where most traffic fatalities occur in Montana and nationwide
 
BOZEMAN – As Labor Day weekend approaches, Bozeman area law enforcement agencies and the Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) are encouraging Montanans to plan a sober ride home before they celebrate. Labor Day weekend is the final three days of the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period where most traffic fatalities occur. MHP will be increasing patrols across the state and making DUI arrests to ensure every Montanan gets home safely this holiday weekend. MHP and the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) are committed to reducing fatalities and severe injuries on Montana’s roadways.

According to MDT, if drivers have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher, they could receive a DUI charge and other serious consequences, including having their driver’s license revoked, being required to take mandatory classes, and receiving possible jail time, as well as up to $10,000 in fines and legal fees.

 
We want everyone to enjoy the holiday weekend, so make sure you plan for a sober ride home.  Labor Day weekend is full of travel and end-of-summer get-togethers. To make sure we’re all able to have fun safely, start your weekend by making a plan. Whether you’re hanging by the river or going to a BBQ, always use a sober ride.

 
MHP is on high alert during the holiday weekend because of Montana’s sobering statistics:
·         Montana has the highest fatality rates in the nation for the number of deaths caused by impaired drivers per vehicle mile traveled
·         The state has the highest share of alcohol-related traffic deaths at 45% (2021)
·         63% of all traffic fatalities in Montana are the result of impaired driving (2021)
·         1,268 people were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver from 2012-2021
 
By designating a sober driver or using a rideshare or taxi service, you’re making our community safer. Make sure you celebrate responsibly as you gather with friends and family for the end of summer. Together we can keep our community safe.
 
Montana Department of Transportation — Vision Zero
This is a Vision Zero message from the Montana Department of Transportation. This and other enforcement and educational campaigns are strategies to reach Vision Zero — zero deaths and zero serious injuries on Montana roadways. For more information about Vision Zero, contact Janet Kenny, Montana Department of Transportation, at 406-444-7417 or jakenny@mt.gov.   

Symphony Presents Series, family programming, and "Current Commotion" – an experimental music series that allows the Bozeman Symphony to be on the cutting edge of the industry. The Bozeman Symphony also presents community outreach performances

BOZEMAN – Peak Ski Company revealed its expanded and enhanced 2023/2024 line of six all-mountain skis today, all of which have received critical acclaim by some of the most respected gear guide publications in the industry. Based on customer feedback, Peak’s 2023/24 skis are available in more lengths and all include Peak’s proprietary Keyhole Technology™. An innovative design feature, Keyhole Technology™ is a unique below-the-surface cutaway that is central to Peak skis’ unique performance.

“Ultimately, Bode’s and my goal was to develop high performance skis for literally all ability levels and, relative to that goal, we’ve really been encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response from our customers,” said Andy Wirth, co-founder and CEO of Peak Ski Company. “Additionally, we understand that the soon-to-be published reviews from the industry’s leading media outlets see it the same way, which is all quite gratifying, but we’re truly just getting started.”

“Using my 25 years of experience as a professional ski racer, Andy, the Peak team and I set out on a mission to develop skis that advance the sport by changing the way people ski. Our intense focus on performance and precision coupled with are several innovative design features, including Keyhole Technology™ makes skiing fundamentally easier and allows skiers to quickly gain confidence on their skis,” said Bode Miller, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Peak Ski Company. “This year’s lineup builds on the success from that mission.”

The 2023/2024 models include:

Peak 88 by Bode: 30% off-trail, 70% on-trail. A go-to tool for groomer skiers, but arcs fall line turns off-trail too. Available in 160, 168, 176, 184 cm.


Peak 98 by Bode: 50% off-trail, 50% on-trail. An all-mountain quiver killer that is versatile on- and off-trail, in powder, crud, chalk, or corn, it’s nimble and floaty enough for all but the deepest of resort days. Available in 160 (new), 168, 178, 184, 190 (new) cm. 



Peak 104 by Bode: 70% off-trail, 30% on-trail. An East Coast powder ski and an all-mountain ski out West with a surf-like feel. It can rip corduroy but performs at its best off-trail. Available in 160 (new), 168, 178, 184, 190 (new) cm.



Peak 110 by Bode: 80% off-trail, 20% on-trail. A powder ski designed for the deepest days but allows skiers to rip turns in-bounds, too. Available in 168 (new), 178, 188 cm.

Peak 98 by Dav and Peak 104 by Dav
With the addition of Chris Davenport to the Peak Ski Company executive leadership team, the original Peak 98SCs and Peak 104SCs have transitioned to the Peak 98 by Dav and Peak 104 by Dav. The rebranding reflects the true “ski everything everywhere” character of these adventure skis epitomized by Dav. They share the same rocker profile as the 98 and 104 by Bode, but are lighter weight and perfect for inbound hikes, the backcountry, or smaller skiers looking for a softer flex.

Keyhole Technology™
All Peak Skis feature Keyhole Technology, a unique oval cutaway in the top layer of aluminum-titanium alloy that allows skiers an easier turn initiation and the ability to alter turn shapes at will. Peak is the first company to offer skis that are perfectly balanced for every user in all lengths, with proper flex and accessible power built into each ski.

Peak Ski Company launched in spring 2022 by co-founders Bode Miller and Andy Wirth and is the first, at-scale, direct-to-consumer ski company in the United States. All 2023/2024 models of Peak Skis are available to reserve now for $1,090. Learn more and purchase at www.peakskis.com.

About Peak Ski Company, LLC 
Proudly born of the mountains of Southwestern Montana and from the vision of its co-founders, Andy Wirth and Bode Miller, Peak Ski Company is rooted in innovation. A direct-to-consumer, high performance ski and brand platform, Peak Ski Company’s 2022/23 line of six skis have already been declared among the best skis available on the market based on the ingenuity and experience of the product design and development team led by legendary alpine ski racer, Bode Miller. Learn more at www.peakskis.com.

The Bozeman Fall MADE fair kicks off the holiday shopping early, and we are looking forward to connecting artists with the Gallatin Valley community again! Explore the curated collection of over 195 local and regional artists. You'll find everything from affordable, functional artwork to fine heirloom pieces at the show. Make a day of it with your friends! Grab a coffee and some yummy food from the outdoor vendors and enjoy strolling the aisles and supporting your local artists. 

Visit our website for additional details and pre-shop the amazing participating artists.

Support a good cause and get a head start on your holiday shopping at the Bozeman Fall MADE fair! Purchase a Friday Night $10 VIP Pass, valid 5 pm- 8 pm, or an Early Bird $5 Pass, valid from 9 am-10 am, an hour before the show opens. Get a solid head start shopping and check out the best selection. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit Random Acts of Silliness, a theater and visual arts organization inspiring laughter and play in the Gallatin Valley. They build community by sparking whimsy and creativity in the young - and young at heart - through quirky and engaging art installations, theater productions, and random acts of silliness.  Their work weaves together playfulness, magic, surprise, and rich storytelling. They value and support artists, sustainability, and equal access to the arts. 

Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

In 2022, handMADE Montana raised over $18,000 for local non-profits from the proceeds of the VIP and Early Bird passes at the Bozeman, Missoula, and Helena MADE fairs.

We will again invite wholesale buyers from around the state to connect with our unique and talented artisans. Over half of our curated collection of artists can do wholesale and offer their unique products for retail spaces. We encourage buyers to discover new makers and fan favorites and tell their stories in their shops this holiday season. Buyers are encouraged to shop during Friday 5 pm-8 pm during VIP hours when the aisles aren’t as busy, and they can have a proper meet and greet with the artists! 

The MADE fair is a modern art & handcrafted market featuring local & regional artists and makers. Our events are a curated collection of skilled artisans and a handful of non-profits. The MADE fair’s mission is to increase awareness of handmade goods as an alternative to mass-produced items and to support local and regional small craft businesses by providing a place to sell their goods. We provide opportunities to artists of all levels—from hobbyists to seasoned professionals. 

HandMADE Montana presents the MADE fairs.

Event Details

Date:  October 6-7

FRIDAY: 5 pm-8 pm : $10 VIP PASS

SATURDAY: 9 am-10 am $5 EARLY BIRD PASS

10 am -4 pm: FREE ENTRY

Location: Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman, Montana 

Cost: Free Entry/Parking*

Please bring a non-perishable food item to help support the Gallatin Valley Food Bank.

*VIP passes can be purchased online. There is a limited number available.tickettailor.com/events/handmademontana/867588

The Main Street to the Mountains trail system is welcoming improved recreation options with a ribbon-cutting event on August 25. The new quarter-mile Homestead Connector Trail provides an additional north-south looped access for public use and encourages users to recreate only on dedicated trails, reinforcing no trespassing restrictions around the historic homestead to support the preservation of the site. This addition connects into the 6.1 miles of trails within the Bozeman Health-owned lands known locally as Highland Glen for the thousands of trail users who enjoy public access to this privately owned property each year.

“The Highland Glen trail system is a community gem,” notes GVLT CEO Chet Work. “Even though it is right in town, the natural feeling of the glen transports users into a true outdoor recreation experience. The Homestead Connector Trail is yet another connection to make the trails more user-friendly and convenient for the most amount of people. We’re grateful for the support and partnership of Bozeman Health in expanding these trails for our community.”

“Walking outside, especially on beautiful green trails, can improve both mental and physical health.  Exercising and recreating outside is known to decrease risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as strengthen bones and muscles; time outside helps to reduce stress and benefits mental and emotional health as well,” said Dr. Kathryn Bertany, Bozeman Health CEO. “Bozeman Health is grateful to our community partners who help us to provide accessible outdoor spaces for physical activity for all.”

“Highland Glen is beloved by many in our community, so to see this new quarter-mile path open up is truly exciting,” Bozeman Deputy Mayor Cunningham stated. “This additional segment adds variety to the trail use options for walkers, runners and snowshoers, while allowing them to enjoy more of this beautiful property. I've run this trail segment many times, and it's a blast.”

This new connector trail will offer walkers, runners, hikers, and bikers a new way to loop from the southern to the northern end of the property without backtracking and creates a more direct path to the Glen’s eastern trails from the Haggerty entrance. It also provides dedicated, maintained trail access for users that have desired a shorter route to the eastern trails. Some users have been trespassing through the homestead in order to reach the rim trail. Bozeman Health is grateful to GVLT for coming up with this innovative approach to maintain and increase the recreation experience while also reducing unauthorized use around the homestead’s historic structures and fences.

Ten years of partnership are also being celebrated today. Bozeman Health generously partnered with GVLT and the City of Bozeman in 2013 to allow for public access on their 450-acre property. With the help of volunteers, GVLT designed and constructed the 4.5 miles of trails that exist today and connect in with the larger Main Street to the Mountains trail system. The Bridger Ski Foundation grooms the trails in Highland Glen in the winter. The trails provide a welcome natural respite from the bustling Bozeman core. While the single-track trails are great for bike rides, trail runs and quiet walks, the community is encouraged to respect the existing agricultural use on the property and extensive wildlife by leashing their dogs, cleaning up dog waste, and being courteous to other users.

The Homestead Connector Trail cost approximately $9,000 to create. Funding for this project was provided by GVLT through a grant from Athletic Brewing.

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About Gallatin Valley Land Trust

Gallatin Valley Land Trust connects people, communities, and open lands through conservation of working farms and ranches, healthy rivers, and wildlife habitat, and the creation of trails in the Montana headwaters of the Missouri and Upper Yellowstone Rivers. For more information, visit www.gvlt.org.

About Bozeman Health

Bozeman Health is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving an eight-county region in Southwest Montana. As a nonprofit organization, governed by a volunteer community board of directors, we are the largest private employer in Gallatin County, with more than 2,400 employees, including 250 medical providers representing 40 clinical specialties. It is our privilege to deliver expert, compassionate health and wellness services across the care continuum, designed to meet the diverse healthcare needs of the communities we serve. Learn more about Bozeman Health at BozemanHealth.org.

 
BOZEMAN – Family Promise of Gallatin Valley received $1 million from the state’s ARPA Health Advisory Commission to expand its early learning childcare center services. Rising Stars Early Learning Center is now open Monday – Thursday from 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm and Saturday from 9:00am – 4:00 pm. In total, Rising Stars provides high quality, licensed, STEM based childcare to over 100 children, ages 4 weeks to 5 years.

According to the Director of Rising Stars ELC, Holly Smedley, “We are proud to pilot an innovative and inclusive program offering affordable early learning opportunities to Bozeman’s workforce. Providing flexible, reliable, and stable childcare will allow families to have a sense of security within their careers and their households. Expanding our services allows us to support families in a holistic manner, regardless of income or work schedules.”

 
Rising Stars Early Learning Center is focused on offering a Safe, Trusting, Accepting, Respectful, and Secure learning environment for all children and their families. All children are taught with the Creative Curriculum, focusing on being innovative, responsive, supportive, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate. Each student is provided two nutritious meals and snacks. All necessities are provided by the center such as diapers, wipes, formula, and more.

 
According to the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, licensed childcare capacity meets only 56% of the potential demand, which leaves many families with illegal or unsafe options for childcare, or no options at all. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, childcare is considered to be affordable when it costs no more than 7% of a household’s income. In Montana, the average cost of infant and childcare is between $8,365 per child to $9,518 per child. According to the Child Care and the Community 2021 Gallatin County report, a typical family spends over 25% of their income on childcare for one infant and one toddler—a percentage that is over three times higher than what is considered affordable.  

 
To apply or learn more about Family Promise’s Rising Stars ELC, visit familypromisegv.org.

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.