MONTANA

June 2015

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and Better

All Aboard!
Book collectors lifelong pursuit
Prairie County turns 100

INSIDE
Savvy Senior.............................................Page 3
Opinion.....................................................Page 4
Book..........................................................Page 5
Big Sky Birding........................................Page 16

Volunteering..............................................Page 19
Calendar....................................................Page 20
On the Menu.............................................Page 21
Strange but True........................................Page 22

News Lite
Illinois couple welcomes
their 100th grandchild

together they rent a church hall and it takes 50 pounds of ham or

ten turkeys to feed everyone.

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) A western Illinois couple recently celebrated the birth of their 100th grandchild.
Leo and Ruth Zanger of Quincy have 53 grandchildren, 46
great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
The birth of great-grandson Jaxton Leo on April 8 made the
number 100.
Leo Zanger tells The Quincy Herald-Whig that the good Lord
has just kept sending them. He says his family could start our
own town. Ruth Zanger says theres always room for one
more.
The Zangers have been married 59 years and have 12 children.
The youngest, 31-year-old Joe, was already an uncle 10 times
when he was born.
Most of the family lives in the Quincy area. When they get

Mom, I need a ride home:

Bus driver arrested at school prom

BERKLEY, Mich. (AP) Dozens of students from a Detroitarea school rode a party bus to the prom. But when the night ended, they were left at the curb.
Police discovered that the bus driver was wanted for violating
probation in an assault case.
Officers learned about the arrest warrant while checking his
drivers license. It was one of a few strange twists at the Berkley
High School prom. An ambulance was called to a banquet hall in
Warren after two students became very ill.
Berkley school district spokeswoman Jessica Stilger says students who lost their ride found other ways to get home.

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Jim Miller, creator of the syndicated Savvy

Senior information column, is a longtime
advocate of senior issues. He has been featured in
Time magazine; is author of The Savvy Senior:
The Ultimate Guide to Health, Family and
Finances for Senior Citizens; and is a regular
contributor to the NBC Today show.

Choosing a Home Blood Pressure Monitor

Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you offer me any tips on choosing a home blood pressure
monitor? I just found out I have high blood pressure, and my doctor told me I need a monitor for the house so I can keep an eye on
it.
Shopping Around

Dear Shopping,
Almost everyone with high blood pressure or prehypertension
should have a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring
can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure in a comfortable
setting. Plus, if youre taking medication it will make certain its
working, and alert you to a health problem if it arises. Here are
some tips to help you choose a good monitor.

Types of monitors

The two most popular types of home blood pressure monitors

on the market today are (electric and/or battery powered) automatic arm monitors, and automatic wrist monitors.

With an automatic arm monitor, you simply wrap the cuff

around your bicep and with the push of one button the cuff inflates
and deflates automatically giving you your blood pressure reading
on the display window in a matter of seconds.

Wrist monitors work similarly, except they attach to the wrist.

Wrist monitors are also smaller in size and a bit more comfortable
to use than the arm monitors, but they tend to be a little less accurate.

To help you choose the best monitor for you, here are several
things you need to check into:
Fit:Using a cuff thats the wrong size can result in a bad reading. Most arm models have two sizes or an adjustable cuff that fits
most people. Make sure your choice fits the circumference of your
upper arm.
Accuracy:Check the packaging to make sure the monitor has
been independently tested and validated for accuracy and reliability. You can see a list of validated monitors atdableducational.org.
Ease of use:Be sure the display on the monitor is easy to read
and understand, and that the buttons are big enough. The directions for applying the cuff and operating the monitor should be
clear.
Extra features:Many monitors come with additional features
such as irregular heartbeat detection that checks for arrhythmias
and other abnormalities; a risk category indicator that tells you
whether your blood pressure is in the high range; a data-averaging
function that allows you to take multiple readings and get an overall average; multiple user memory that allows two or more users
to save previous readings; and computer connections so you can

download the data to your computer.

Portability:If you plan to take your monitor with you while
traveling, look for one with a carrying case.

Where to shop

You can find blood pressure monitors at pharmacies, medical

supply stores or online, and you dont need a prescription to buy
one.

The price will typically range anywhere from $30 to $120 or

more. Unfortunately, original Medicare does not pay for home
blood pressure monitors unless youre receiving dialysis at home.
But if you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a private health
insurance policy its worth checking into, because some plans may
provide coverage.

Some of the best arm monitors as recently recommended by

Consumer Reports include the Rite Aid Deluxe Automatic
BP3AR1-4DRITE; iHealth Dock BP3 (requires an Apple iOS
device); Omron 10 Series BP786; A&D Medical UA767F; and the
ReliOn BP200. And the top recommended wrist monitor is the
Omron 7 Series BP652.

After you buy a monitor, its a good idea to take it to your doctors office so they can check its accuracy and teach you the proper techniques of how and when to use it.

For more information on how to measure your blood pressure

accurately at home, see the American Heart Association Blood
Pressure Monitoring tutorial page athomeBPmonitoring.org.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443,
Norman, OK 73070, or visitSavvySenior.org.

Great News for Seniors 62 yrs of Age & Older!

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Accepting Applications for Independent Seniors

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June 2015

Opinion

Heres to you, Prairie County

the county is that vast openness that comes
with its population-to-square mile ratio.
Any part of Montana is a place where you
can breathe free, but you can really breathe
free in Prairie County.
In addition, the county is home to the
Terry badlands, easily the most spectacular
badlands in the state. My then-young son
and I took many a hike through its deep
gorges and towering ramparts, looking for
famous Terry agates and enjoying the vast,
savage beauty and empty silence of the
place.
The county was also home to Evelyn
Cameron, a well-to-do English woman

Letters Policy
Montana Best Times welcomes letters to the editor expressing opinions on any issue
of a public interest to our readership. But in order to be published, the letters must:
Include the writers first and last name, home address and daytime phone number. Addresses and phone numbers may be used for verification, but only the name
and hometown will be published.
Be kept short and, if possible deal with one topic. Montana Best Times reserves
the right to edit for length, taste and libel considerations.
The address for emailed letters is montanabesttimes@livent.net.

June 2015

MONTANA

This months issue of Montana Best

Times carries a story by Terry Tribune Editor Christa VanDyke about Prairie County
celebrating 100 years of history. Its inhabitants plan to mark the event this summer.
Prairie County, located in central eastern
Montana, is 1,743 square miles in size
roughly the area of Delaware yet it has
only 1,179 people. That means each person
gets almost 1.5 square miles to themselves.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Prairie
County. My family and I used to live there
when I had VanDykes job at the Tribune
back in the early 1990s.
One of the reasons for my feeling about

who came to Montana with her husband

and settled in Prairie County in the late
1800s, becoming an accomplished frontier
photographer whose pictures stun modern
viewers.
But by far the best part about Prairie
County is its people ranchers, beet
farmers, small business people. You probably wont find a more generous and friendly bunch in the state.
So when I learned of the countys 100year mark, I had to pause and say: Heres
to you, Prairie County.
Dwight Harriman
Montana Best Times Editor

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and Better

P.O. Box 2000, 401 S. Main St., Livingston MT 59047

Tel. (406) 222-2000 or toll-free (800) 345-8412 Fax: (406) 222-8580
E-mail: montanabesttimes@livent.net Subscription rate: $25/yr.
Published monthly by Yellowstone Newspapers, Livingston, Montana
Dwight Harriman, Editor Tom Parisella, Designer

Bookshelf

Taming Big Sky Country: The

History of Montana Transportation
from Trails to Interstates
By Jon Axline
The History Press 2015
Softcover $19.99
144 pages 6 x 9
ISBN: 978-1-62619-852-4

Learn all about the

Treasure States
timeless trails

By Montana Best Times Staff

Last month Montana Best Times published a
review of Motoring West, Volume 1: Automobile
Pioneers, 1990-1909. This month, Bookshelf
focuses in on Montana Transportation with the new book by
Montana Department of Transportation historian Jon Axline
called Taming Big Sky Country: The History of Montana
Transportation from Trails to Interstates.
Cruising down Montanas scenic and breathtaking highways,
its easy to forget that traveling from here to there once was a
genuine adventure, a news release from publisher The History
Press says. The states major routes evolved from ancient
Native American trails into four-lane expressways in a little
over a century.
That story is one of difficult, groundbreaking and sometimes
poor engineering decisions, as well as a desire to make a journey faster, safer and more comfortable. It all started in 1860,
when John Mullan hacked a wagon road over the formidable

Rocky Mountains to Fort Benton. It continued until the last

section of interstate highway opened to traffic in 1988, the
release said.
Axline charts a road trip through the colorful and inspiring
history of trails, roads and superhighways in Big Sky Country.
He has been the historian at the MDOT since 1990. When not
sweating over the states historic roads and bridges, he conducts cultural resource surveys and writes the MDTs roadside
historical and geological interpretive markers.
Axline is a regular contributor to Montana: The Magazine of
Western History and Montana Magazine. He is also author of
Conveniences Sorely Needed: Montanas Historic Highway
Bridges and editor of Montanas Highway Markers. He
lives in Helena with his wife and three and a half Welsh Pembroke corgis.
June 2015

All Aboard!

Tracking one mans contagious passion for model railroading

MT Best Times photos by Britt Eben

Dick Chapple lowers a bridge over the canyon along the Rural Montana Branch lines, while his wife, Alice, waits behind
him. Chapple made the bridges on this line hinged so he and his visitors wouldnt have to duck underneath them.

By Britt Even

Montana Best Times

HARDIN As he steps out of his back

door and over a set of train tracks, a passing
coal train blasts its horn in the distance.
Hecontinues around the southwest corner
of his house and steps into the storage yard
of the Montana Eastern Railroad.
The entire line, installed in 2004, runs
exclusively in the backyard of Hardin resident and self-proclaimed railroad enthusiast
DickChapple.

Childhood fascination

Chapple, 74, hails from Hibbing, Minnesota, where his fascination with trains began
in early childhood at his grandfather HowardChapples house.
My granddad was a wealthy person (in
Hibbing) he was really influential, said

Chapple. The main street in that town was

namedafter him.
He was just a lot of fun. He, to me, is
what a real grandpa was.
His grandfathers house was nestled right
up against a railroad track and the young
Chapple would practice his numbers by
countingtrain cars as they rushed by.
There were usually about 120 cars, he
said.
Chapples grandfather on his mothers
side, William Geary, worked as an engineer
on the SP&S Railroad, doing the Wishram,Washington, to Vancouver, Washington, turn.
I got to ride with him once. Oh, that was
cool, said Chapple.
I think thats probably how my interest
in trains came to be almost since I was
born. When you get hit with something that
early, itsgonna stick.

Chapple remembers at the age of 4 watching his cousins Lionel train run around in
circles.
I especially liked watching the red
caboose disappear under the bed and come
back out again, he said. I really like
cabooses. Ivegot a collection of cabooses
that wont quit. Ive got cabooses everywhere.

Impressive collection

Chapple has amassed an impressive collection of whats called large-scale model

trains, limited only by the amount of his
availablestorage space.
I did have trains of every size, and I
started trimming down and getting rid of
some because, good grief, I needed to focus
and getsome room back, he said. I just
wish I had more room.

On the cover: Conductor Chapple navigates a series of curves along his Montana Eastern Railroad. The train is powered by
two Plum Cove Generic Electric Boxcabs, remarkably powerful, each with two 24-volt engines hung on the axles.
June 2015

I throw a lot of caricature

into it.

Dick Chapple

Chapple tells a story about when he got such a good deal on a

set of trains that he drove out to Florida to get them.
I told everyone, Thats the farthest Ive ever gone to a garage
sale, he laughed.
He and his sister raced out to Florida to pick up the items.
We drove straight out there and it took all day to load up
trains, he said.
He filled his motor home and a large rented Uhaul trailer.
And then I had to find a place to put it, he said. The mandate
is, the cars gotta fit in the garage.
Thats right, piped up Chapples wife, Alice. My car has got
to have a place.
But I also spent 20 years in the grocery business, and know
how to pack things, Dick Chapple said. I packed every inch I
could find.Theres hundreds and hundreds of trains out there.

A basement transformed

Chapple transformed his basement into the Rural Montana

Branch Lines. A sign above the stairs greets visitors with the
words,Caution: Lower Elevation Ahead, and a picture of a train
going off a bridge.
Chapple waits at the bottom of the steps with ticket in hand and
an authentic 1920s railroad punch.
Im not as fast as that guy on the Polar Express, he said.
He punches the ticket and hands it over. The boot shape of the
punchmatches the
cowboy boot
water mark.
Directly ahead,
Chapples imagination comes to
life.
Tracks surround
the room on a
shelf about 4 feet
off the ground,
filled with trains
of varying
lengths. The walls
are painted sky
blue,complete
with hand-painted
clouds and brightly colored buildings. Blue cloth
hangs from the
bottom of the
shelf, behind
which stacks
ofboxed train cars
Dick Chapple punches tickets for a visitor reside.
waiting to ride the Rural Montana Branch
I like to develLines, located in his basement. Chapple op stories behind
has tickets for both his indoor model line the railroads
and his outdoor riding scale railroad.
that makes it more

Teapot Junction sits along a curve of the Rural Montana Branch

Lines, a town named after a friend of the Chapples, who collected
teapots. The two teapots sitting out in front were a gift from their
friend.
interesting. Its more fun when theres a story behind it, saidChapple.
I called it the Rural Montana Branch lines, under the idea that it
was a cooperation of ranchers and farmers that had seen all therailroads abandon lines and they decided to get together and acquire
those abandoned lines and start their own service and then tie in
withthe main lines, he said.
Chapple relates the stories behind each of the towns. There is
Ubet, a name he made up only to discover it was a real town
oncelocated in Judith Basin County. Next are Teapot Junction and
Junksville, both named after friends.
Ive got a town down here named Far Enough, cause they got
that far and it was far enough, said Chapple. Believe it or not,
there is atown in Montana named Far Enough, he added, because
they got that far and it was far enough.
White shelves above the tracks display individual cars lined up
like soldiers on parade, next to boxes of neatly stacked magazines.Farther along the line, the buildings become 3D and mountains appear. Tiny people are stationed strategically throughout the
displayalongside toy tigers, dinosaurs, gorillas, airplanes and
numerous other eclectic residents, including Wall-E, and even a
couple of Minions.
The kids really like it, he said.
McDonalds is a great place to get toys, Alice added.
I throw a lot of caricature into it, said Chapple of his train world.
While some go for absolute realism, which he appreciates, Chapple likes to preserve the childlike enjoyment of his hobby.
I think its important to be childlike. Be an adult, but be childlike. Its just fun, he said.

Man of many talents

When youre doing model railroading, youve got to think of all
kinds of tricks because you are way too compact, said Chapple. As
a model railroader, Chapple has to be a man of many talents. He
built the entire layout himself, with help from friends. He usescardboard, plastic foam and mostly recycled items.
See All Aboard, Page 13
June 2015

A passion for
objects creates
lifelong pursuit
for collector

By Deb Hill

Montana Best Times

LEWISTOWN You know, the term collector is just a

euphemism for hoarder, Jim Dullenty announced. I think thats
true because one member of my family actually is a hoarder.
Dullenty was explaining the urge to collect, something he has
done avidly since high school. Now 74, Dullenty has not only been
collecting everything from books to marbles to antiques nearly all his life, but one of his collections developed into a career selling rare books.
These days, however, Dullenty finds himself in the difficult position of trying to dispose of objects hes spent a lifetime acquiring
and cherishing.

The birth of a collector

As a kid, I collected some things, Dullenty recalled. I had a

great marble collection, but I wasnt very good at shooting marbles.
I couldnt play marbles for all the tea in China. But I was a pretty
good trader, so I would trade the cheap drugstore marbles my dad
gave me for better ones. I ended up with a beautiful collection.
Dullenty said he doesnt know what happened to his original marble collection, lost over the years, but recently he began collecting
them again and now has a good start, including 53 of the very oldest
clay marbles.
I also had a good book collection when I was young, because I
liked to read, Dullenty said. We could buy books through the
school. But my true love of collecting books began when I was 17.
That year my dad died and my mother moved us from the Bitterroot
Valley to Havre. My best friend there had 40 or 50 Western history
books. He gave me a copy of Dan Cushmans Stay Away Joe. I
thought it was so wonderful that I wanted to read more Western history, and that got me started on a lifetime of collecting books.

Collecting as a business

Dullenty eventually turned his passion for rare books into a bookstore in Hamilton, and eventually became an online bookseller as
well. This was hard on the avid collector, since some of the very
books he coveted he ended up selling as part of his business.
My journalism professor at the University of Montana was
Dorothy M. Johnson, Dullenty said. Many people recognize her
as the author of Western history books. More of her books have
been turned into Western movies than anyone else. She was a big
factor in getting me started writing Western history. And one day,
over coffee in the student union, she gave me a signed copy of her
June 2015

MT Best Times photos Deb Hill

Lewistown collector Jim Dullenty stands amid a small selection

of the Western history books still in his collection books he
has collected throughout his lifetime and which he is now selling.
book, The Hanging Tree.
Sadly, Dullenty said, that was one of the first books he had to sell
when he opened his bookstore.
It sold right away. I was just sick about it, he said, but I had no
choice. If you have something that will sell for quite a lot, and you
are running a business, you have to sell. I think I got about $100 for
it.
Another rare find, Dullenty recalls, was inside the back cover of a
coffee table book on farming.
The book was worthless, but inside I found a Vicksburg newspaper printed on oil cloth, dating from the Civil War and detailing the
siege of Vicksburg, Dullenty said. I thought it was probably worth
$100, so I put it up for sale and two hours later, it was gone. Then I
bragged to a friend about my business acumen, and she said, You
crazy fool, that was probably worth $1,000.
With those few exceptions, though, buying and selling rare books
was a great way, Dullenty said, to turn collecting into a means to
support himself. Purchasing new stock for the store took him to
used bookstores across the West, and back East, as well.
I dont think anything was more wonderful for me. I got to go to
New York a couple of times a year, Dullenty said. The booksellers
back there didnt have much interest in Western books, and I could
usually get some great ones for not very much. As a collector, part
of the fun and what keeps you going is when you find something at
a very low price you know is quite valuable. I would find them, read
them and then sell them. But sometimes Id wish I had them back
after they sold.

I guess its kind of an addiction. I havent really stopped.

Jim Dullenty

He added, You never know when you are going to find something good. All collectors have stories about the good finds,
although most will never tell you about the mistakes.

Old collectors never die

After he closed the bookstore and moved to Lewistown, along

with his 1,600 remaining volumes, Dullenty said he had plans to
divest himself of the collection he had so carefully accumulated
over the years.
Im 74. Its time to whittle the collection down, Dullenty said.
Im doing it by having book sales locally. I had a big one in 2010,
and since then Ive had smaller ones a couple of times a year. Now I
think Im down to 1,000 books or so.
Dullenty said it is difficult to offer his cherished books for sale,
but it is made slightly easier by the joy each new book owner experiences, a joy Dullenty can understand.
Ultimately, all his books will be sold, with the exception of one.
All these books have value to me, but there is only one that,
when I go over the great divide, my executor will still find here,
Dullenty said. Its a copy of Jack Londons The Seawolf, and it
has the painter Charlie Russells signature in it.
The story of how Dullenty got the book involves his aunts cousin, who was 10 or 12 years old at the time, and who lived near Charlie Russell in Great Falls.
Russell almost never signed books, his or others, Dullenty said.
My aunts cousin decided he wanted Russells autograph, so he
grabbed a book out of the family bookcase and took it up the road
where he asked Charlie Russell to sign it. Russell did, probably
because it was a child asking. My aunt gave me the book, and I
wont part with it.
On the other hand, its entirely possible the executor of Dullentys
estate may find more than 1,000 books remaining.
I keep buying them, Dullenty explained, even though I know I
am supposed to be selling them off. When I see one I know to be
rare or valuable, I cant pass it by. Recently one of the board members of the Charlie Russell museum in Great Falls passed away, and
I ended up buying a signed copy of a book he had about Charlie
Russell.
Dullenty has also channeled his urge to collect into other avenues.
Ive sort of started to collect antiques and such, Dullenty said,
showing off a small box filled with lead toy soldiers, an antique letter opener, a tiny metalwork coin purse, a matchbook stamped with
a campaign slogan and a diary written in Virginia City in the 1890s.
I have about 20 boxes of stuff like this, he admitted. The way I

Dullenty shows one of the favorite books in his collection, one

he wrote himself about the outlaw Harry Tracy. Dullenty is
finding disposal of his collection to be difficult as he continues
to buy books even while attempting to pare his collection down.
found almost all of these items was at garage sales. Some things
people give me because they hear I collect.
He added, I guess its kind of an addiction. I havent really
stopped.
Deb Hill may be reached at editor@lewistownnews.com or (406)
535-3401.

News Lite
Unusual approach to sea lion problem

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) An Oregon community is

bringing in some unusual help to try to fix their sea lion problem.
Theyre hoping a fake killer whale from Bellingham, Washington, will do the trick.
KING-TV reports that Terry Buzzard of Island Mariner Cruises
has used the life-size mock orca to promote his business during

parades and events. He heard about Astorias sea lion problems

and offered to help.
Hundreds of sea lions have taken over the docks in Astoria,
preventing boat owners from using their slips. Buzzard says he
doesnt know if the fake orca will scare away the sea lions. The
Port of Astoria has tried using electrified mats, but those arent
working. Theyve also considered fences. At worst, Buzzard says
the fake orca will be an amusing distraction for the humans.
June 2015

Prairie County celebrates

100 years
By Christa VanDyke
Montana Best Times

TERRY This year, Prairie County gateway to the

Terry Badlands, and home to world-renowned pioneer photographer Evelyn Cameron and the historic Powder River
Depot site at the confluence of the Powder and Yellowstone
rivers in eastern Montana will mark 100 years.
The county seat is located in the only incorporated town
in the county, Terry, named after General Alfred H. Terry, a
Union officer in the Civil War who commanded an 1876
expedition in connection with Custers campaign against the
American Indians.
Conveniently situated along Interstate 94 and the Yellowstone River half-way between Miles City and Glendive, the
small town of Terry offers an old-fashioned sense of western
hospitality and charm.

Terry set to celebrate

Prairie County will celebrate its 100-year history with an

old-time Fourth of July celebration on Saturday, July 4 at
the Prairie County Fairgrounds in Terry.
The event will take place in conjunction with the Terry
Roping Clubs annual Fourth of July Rodeo which has added old-time events this year in honor of the countys rich
Western heritage.
The day will kick off with a Kids Rodeo at 9 a.m. and the
Grand Entry at 1 p.m., followed by a barbecued beef dinner
hosted by the county. The day will be filled with good ol
fashioned fun, which will include centennial displays, a vintage car show, quilt show and raffle, live entertainment until
midnight and a spectacular fireworks display all taking
place at the picturesque Prairie County Fairgrounds with
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Smith, Terry, Montana
fantastic views of the Terry BadAbove: The Terry Badlands Scenic View offers breathtaking panlands.
oramic views of the Yellowstone River Valley and features the magnifCommemorative
icent Calypso Trail. Left: The commemorative centennial belt buckle.
Prairie County Centennial belt buckles
Prairie County history
boasting the distinguished
45 county plate number
On Feb. 5, 1915, Prairie County was officially recognized by the
are available through the
Montana State Legislature and established as a county. Carved out
Prairie County Museum and of the two largest counties in Montana Custer and Dawson
Evelyn Cameron Gallery. The and a small part of Fallon County, Prairie derived its name from the
buckles are individually numlevel benchlands above the Yellowstone Valley settled by progresbered on the back with buckles #1 and
sive farmers with modern homes.
#45 being raffled off. The winner will be drawn at the Prairie CounMaking history, the vote on Prairie County was the first election
ty Fair Aug. 8 and 9.
in which women had the opportunity to cast a vote for officers in
Those interested in ordering a buckle may contact the museum at
the State of Montana.
(406) 635-4040 or visit the facility, which is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Although there were over a dozen small towns once located in
on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; and 1 to 4 p.m. on
Prairie County, the two most notable besides Terry are Fallon and
weekends.
Mildred.
June 2015

10

Photo courtesy of Tamara Choat, Powder River Meat Co., Terry, Montana

Early this year, a herd of over 500 mostly Katadin sheep were driven by brothers Les and Danny Thomason through Terry
past the historic Kempton Hotel.
Named for Benjamin OFallon an Indian agent, Army officer
and nephew of explorer Capt. William Clark Fallon is one of the
oldest towns along the Yellowstone River. It was a station on the

Northern Pacific Railroad and the shipping point for the XIT ranch.
Twenty miles southeast of Terry, Mildred is located along OFallon
Creek and was named for a daughter of a Milwaukee Railroad official.
Along with the railroad, wool, cattle and horse shipments were
also a big industry in Prairie County. It was not uncommon for a
million pounds of wool per year to be shipped out of the town.
Much of Prairie Countys history is recorded through the diaries
and photographs of historic Montana photographer Evelyn Cameron. Born in England to wealth and privilege, Evelyn moved with
her husband to Montana in 1893. The landscapes and culture, and
the lives of ranchers, sheepherders and families living in eastern
Montana were captured in her photographs from the time she
moved to Montana until her death in 1928.

Prairie County today

Courtesy of Evelyn Cameron Heritage Inc., www.evelyncameron.com

Frontier photographer Evelyn Cameron is pictured on a petrified tree in the badlands displaying a copy of The Bystander
magazine, which was conducting a contest for photographs of
the magazine being read in the most unusual locations.

Today, Prairie County is still a strong agricultural-based community, home to several 100-year ranches and farms that remain family
owned. The Burlington Northern Railroad runs through Fallon and
Terry following the Yellowstone River and also runs through Mildred following OFallon Creek.
The Prairie County Chamber of Commerces Main Street program has helped keep the little town of Terry hopping. Terry has a
wealth of mom and pop shops that provide all the staples and services a community needs, as well as a fully stocked hardware store,
unique gift and hobby shop, high-fashion clothing store, quilt shop
and butcher shop to boot.
June 2015

11

Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Smith, Terry, Montana

Pictured is Sheridan Butte, overlooking the confluence of the Powder and Yellowstone rivers.
The Chamber also sponsors the annual Terry Yippee Day celebration
and street dance held the last Saturday in July which this year will also
include an Artist Event to benefit Evelyn Cameron Heritage Inc.

Take a journey through the past

Interested in a walking tour? The Volksmarch self-guided 5K walking

tour of Terry starts at the Kempton Hotel, Montanas longest continuously operated hotel, and meanders through Terrys tree-lined streets,
past its most historic homes, businesses and buildings.
The Terry Badlands Scenic View has been called the rival of the Garden of the Gods by many tourists, offering breathtaking views of the
Yellowstone River Valley and featuring the magnificent Calypso Trail.
The trail is a 5.5-mile primitive road that provides access to the Terry
Badlands Wilderness Study Area. The road gets its name from Calypso,
a now defunct railroad stop on the Milwaukee Railroad that was active
over 100 years ago. The Calypso Trail also served as a freight road,
travel route and alleged boot-leg trail.
Many geocaches are placed along Calypso Trail as well as in the
Prairie County Museum for those interested in Geocaching.

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Enjoy Prairie County

Whether its hunting agates, fishing the mighty Yellowstone or hiking

the badlands, Prairie County citizens and visitors alike have been enjoying its beauty for over a century. Visit the chambers www.vistitterry.
com website to see more photos and history of the 100-year-old county.
Dale Galland, Prairie County Chamber of Commerce president and
owner of Prairie Unique, said, The Prairie County Chamber of Commerce invites everyone to enjoy the unspoiled beauty, scenery and history of the past in the present-day friendly and relaxed atmosphere of
small-town America.
Christa VanDyke may be reached at tribune@midrivers.com or (406)
636-5513.
June 2015
12

NMLS #583044

Your local
Montana Bank
helping local
Seniors.

MEMBER:

1455 W. Oak Street, Bozeman, MT

All Aboard, from Page 7

I never throw anything away unless I ask
him first, said Alice.
Model railroading is probably one of the
finest hobbies because of that, Chapple
said. You have carpentry work, geography,
history,just being able to build models (and)
being able to transform objects into something thats useable.
He added, We have visitors come from
time to time to see my layout here in the
basement.
Weve had school groups and Boy
Scouts and 4H, said Alice. And people,
with their grandkids visiting, will bring
them over.
I started a lot of people in model railroading over the years and helped them
build train layouts, Dick Chapple said.

Into the community

His basement layout is permanent, but

Chapple also has mobile layouts he takes
into the community. He sets them up in
variousbusinesses in Hardin during holidays and for local events.
I have enough trains to start with the
early period, like the 1860s, and then on
up to the newest thats running now, said
Chapple.
He once had a display set up for three
consecutive months.
Every few days, Id change it up,
bringing it up to the modern, he said.
That was fun.
He has had Halloween displays complete with ghosts flying around, snowy
Christmas trains and even collaborated
with the local artteacher having the students design and make teepees to run his
trains around for Little Big Horn Days in
the summer.
Im always looking for a place to set
(my trains) up, he said.

Backyard line

In the summer of 2004, Chapple began to

lay the track for his own personal backyard
line, in 1.5-inch scale. He documented the
entireprocess and compiled it all into a
book for his friends and family.
Its a hot August day and I have just finished building my first 20 foot section of
track, he wrote in his first entry. Wow, Im
checkingmy sanity wondering what I got
myself into!! Only 225 feet more to go.
Yikes!!!
I called it the Montana Eastern Railroad,
because there used to be a Montana Western
Railroad years and years ago, and I
thought,well, Ill call mine Montana Eastern Railroad, you know its fictitious,
Chapple said.
Or so he thought. Four years after he built
his riding scale train, he purchased a box of
historical railroading magazines from a man
at atrain show.
I probably have one of the largest magazine libraries in the state for model trains,
and trains, said Chapple.
The first thing I do is put them in chronological order and then list them, and then
list the ones that are missing, he said.
Chapple came across one that said Montana Eastern Railroad.
And I thought, What, there really was?
Come to find out, there was, he said. The
line was abandoned in 1972, so it doesnt
runanymore, but that was pretty cool.
One might say its been downsized and
relocated to the Chapples backyard.

One-of-a-kind get-togethers
The Chapple family get-togethers and
birthdays are one-of-a-kind.
We have train parties, said Alice.
They head to the backyard, fire up the

Dick Chapple lifts the veil to reveal

more of his large-scale model train collection. Hundreds of trains are stored
under the track of the Rural Montana
Branch Lines.
barbecue and ride the train. Alice said
Dicks birthday was coming up, and she had
invited theirfriends.
They asked, Is it a regular party, or a
train party? she said.
Chapples book is filled with pictures of
friends and family riding the Montana Eastern Railroad.
Its all encompassing, said Alice.
It could be said a model railroader is part
carpenter, part historian, part geographer,
part fine craftsman, part artist, part magician
and all storyteller.
Its no fun alone, said Chapple, The
fun is in sharing it.
And share he does.
Britt Eben may be reached at news@
bighorncountynews.com or phone at (406)
665-1008.

News Lite
Found canister contains 21-year-old message

IONIA, Mich. (AP) It isnt quite a message in a bottle, but

an Ohio man says he found a 21-year-old message secreted in a
camera film case that had traveled some 40 miles down the Grand
River in western Michigan.
Terry Smith tells WILX-TV that he found the case with the
messages inside while hunting for mushrooms in Ionia, Michigan. According to Smith, the case contained three pieces of paper
written by two 12-year-old girls in Lansing in 1994.
Its in pretty good condition really. I mean, it was water
stained, it was damp when I took it out of the bottle. But, its in

really good condition for being 21 years old, Smith said.

Two of the documents show drawings of the girls, while the
third is a letter to the finder of the film case.
Leah Sedelmaier, one of the authors of the note, was contacted
by Smith and WILX. Although she doesnt remember putting
together the note, shes said shes shocked someone found it.
We used to play in this creek thats back here in the neighborhood; and, we used to make rafts and have races with them. I totally believe we wouldve done something like that, Sedelmaier said.
Sedelmaier said she has since reconnected with her co-author
and childhood friend to try and piece together their memories
from that day.
June 2015
13

Caroll
Spinney
has been man in
Big Bird
suit for 46 years
By William Hageman
Chicago Tribune/TNS
Never the conformist, Big Bird flew west
for the winter. Or at least a chunk of it.
The snow back home was 3 feet deep
when we left, Caroll Spinney was saying
by phone from Hawaii, where he and his
wife, Debra, were soaking up the sun,
thousands of miles from their Connecticut
home.
For nearly 46 years, Spinney has been
Big Bird on Sesame Street. And Oscar
the Grouch. Enclosed in an 8-foot feathered
costume or crouched in a trash can doesnt
translate into a lot of TV face time. So
Spinney has worked in relative anonymity.
His face and his story, though, will be
much more familiar, now that the documentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story has been released.
Spinney, 81, took a break from his vacation to talk about life, family, parenting,
the early days of Sesame Street and
more. Heres an edited transcript of the
conversation:
Q: How often do you suit up these
days?
A: We only tape a certain part of the
year and we dont make as many shows as
we used to. We often do it in the fall; this
year were doing it in the spring.
Q: Is it true the body suit for Big Bird
is only 10 pounds? And the legs, youre
shown in the film wearing them around
like most people would wear a pair of
June 2015

14

Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film/TNS

Caroll Spinney is pictured in the documentary, I Am Big Bird: The

Caroll Spinney Story, a Tribeca Film release.

comfortable jeans.
A: (The body) sits on suspenders on my
shoulders so I dont notice the weight. ...
The head is another story. It weighs 4
pounds and I have to hold it up with my
hand. That can get tiring. The legs, theyre
not bad. I used to have a pair of shoes
thatd kill me in there. Then I got some
SAS shoes, and theyre very comfortable.
... Also, the (feet) make me 4 inches taller
so I feel important on the set.
Q: How many costumes are there?
A: We still use the same head we used in
the 70s, even probably back to 69. It just
gets refeathered. I wish I held up as well.
Q: How do you think the film turned
out?
A: Deb and I watched it together; we
first saw it on our own screen at home. Its
very well done. The next time we saw it
was in a good-sized theater in Toronto, on
a 60-foot-wide screen. We were sitting
with people, and there were times when
we heard some whimpering. People needed Kleenex. Its really wonderful.
Q: When they approached you about
doing the film, were you on board right
away?
A: The young men who created (the production company) Copper Pot Pictures had
done one documentary. Someone said,
Why not do something on Caroll Spinney? ... Whos he? Which is typical.
Big Bird is famous; Im not. I get asked
that a lot, Does that bother you? I say no,
thats one of the good things about him. I

have the satisfaction of being Big Bird,

making a good living. So I think it worked
out very well. Now I realize thats going to
change. Twice in airports people have
come up to me, Youre Caroll Spinney!
Q: Going back to the early days, Jim
Henson came up with the idea of Oscar
and Big Bird, but you brought them to
life. How much of the final character
was you, how much was Jim? There was
a change in the first couple of years.
A: Oscar (whom he voices and operates
as a puppeteer) is pretty much the way Jim
pictured him. In the film, theres a (director) who didnt think I was nasty enough. I
did. I never agreed with him. Big Bird
changed greatly. Jims initial thing, (Big
Bird) was a big, goofy guy. As we were
doing the show (early on), I thought itd
be better if Big Bird was not a goofy guy
but a kid, learning the alphabet and so on.
Thats why I changed his character.
Q: In that first year, you were literally
steps away from quitting.
A: Yeah. There was a two-story flight of
stairs Jim had in his place . . . You opened
the front door, there was no foyer, just
stairs. And I was headed up those stairs. At
the first flight was the workshop where
Kermit Love, the puppet builder, saw me
going up, looking grave. Where are you
going? Im up to quit. ... Why? The pay
was terrible. I lived many miles from New
York and couldnt leave it. So it was not
easy to stay. I was sleeping on peoples
couches and such.

Q: But you were talked out of it. And

things turned around.
A: It seems strange ... Big Bird got
internationally known in a year ... I had an
offer from a TV station in Boston to do my
own show. Im glad I didnt. That show
wouldnt have lasted. Also what helped
was Big Bird on the cover of Time magazine. I saw that (and thought), Wow, I
think Ive arrived.
Q: In creating Big Birds personality,
did you draw on anything from your
childhood?
A: I think so. I was a kid who just wanted to be liked. I was pushed around and
teased. Having the name Caroll and being
a small guy, I didnt have a good time at
school. Bullies do exist. And hearing
things like, Caroll, still playing with your
dolls? (a reference to his puppets). It
wasnt fun. But I guess I had the last laugh.
Q: In the film, (Sesame Street costar) Bob McGrath says you learned to
speak directly to the hearts of kids from
2 or 3 on up to adults. Do you ever just
sit and think about the people youve
influenced?
A: When you think weve been on 45
years ... I never realized that within the
first year between 9 and 12 million children were watching each day. Now were
in so many countries. Ive talked to people
from other lands whove told me how
much Big Bird meant in their lives. So 10
million a day over 45 years, hundreds of
millions of children, and weve been part
of their lives. I couldnt have made a better move and not quit.
Q: You have three children and four
grandkids. If anyone can qualify as a
parenting expert, its you.
A: Theres a lot of drama when you
have children. Our oldest (grandchild) is

26, the youngest is 8. Or 9 or 10. He

keeps growing so quickly.
Q: Where do most parents make
mistakes?
A: I think its really good for parents
to aid and abet (their children) when
they show some talent in some direction, even if its not in the direction
you thought they should go. When I
was 13, 14, I had a friend. He was a
very good artist, but his parents kept
giving away his drawings. He was so
discouraged. ... (Some time later) I saw
him again and he said he didnt draw
anymore because they just kept giving
away his drawings.
Q: Any other advice?
A: Make sure there is some discipline in their life. Not corporal punishment. But support them and be merciful. Its not easy being a kid.
Q: Is there one quality above others that parents should instill in their
kids?
A: Some things come naturally, like
loyalty. Perseverance. Young people
Photo courtesy Tribeca Film/TNS
say, I want to make it as a puppeteer, Above: The poster of the documentary, I Am
how do I do that? I say dont be disBig Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, which
couraged. ... Whatever a child wants
opened in theaters May 15. Below left: A
to do, stick to it and dont forget your snapshot from the documentary.
goals. I guess thats more for the kids.
Q: When you take off the cosfaces at kids in the store? You know, to
tume, do you put Big Bird away? If
try to make them laugh?
youre out buying groceries and you see
A: Yeah, I do that. I have a little bunny
some kid misbehaving, does Big Bird
rabbit puppet. Its just so perfect. I found it
ever tell the kid, Hey, knock it off?
in Austria, in a little shop, its just the
A: I dont think a person needs a stranger sweetest little thing. Fits in my pocket. It
to say, Dont do that. Ive seen some bad
works perfectly. Its the biggest icebreaker.
behaviors. One child in a grocery in New
You dont have to be a puppeteer. Just
York City, the grandfather was a pussycat,
experiment in front of a mirror, see how it
seemed to be a really nice person. But the
looks. Thats what Jim Henson used to do.
kid was so spoiled. I want that, I want
He told me the first day, lets go look in a
that. The grandfather says, Im sorry, Im mirror. Theres nothing better than watchsorry. I thought, that ing a puppet. I enjoy breaking the ice with
child was allowed to
children. Theres no better way to do it
become that child. If
than with your arm, and with joy.
hes that bad at 7,
Q: The film shows how much you and
what will he be like at Debra like to travel. Is there someplace
37?
you really want to visit but havent?
Q: What about
A: Norway. She has never seen the
TV viewing?
northern lights.
A: I dont think all
Q: What else do you like to do?
television is good
A: River cruises in Europe. . . . Theyre
(for kids). Some of
fantastic. Almost every city along the river
the stuff is so adult.
has a castle. The homes are so charming.
Im not sure you
And the food on these boats. Im allergic
want your 9-year-old to wheat, but they make me bread and gragirls to see those val- vy. So good.
ues. I just hate to see
For more on I Am Big Bird, go to
childhood rushed.
www.iambigbird.com. To view the films
Q: A silly questrailer, check out this YouTube video.
tion. Do you make
http://tinyurl.com/m9bz693.
June 2015

15

y
k
S
g
Bi
Birding
Terry McEneaney is ornithologist emeritus for Yellowstone National Park, and is the author of three books: Birding Montana, Birds of
Yellowstone, and The Uncommon Loon. He has been watching birds for 50 years and is one of Montanas most experienced birders.

Unraveling the

Mystery

of
Yellowstones
Hairless Marmots
EDITORS NOTE: Montana Best Times
has been featuring some of the fascinating
adventures Terry McEneaney had when he
was Yellowstone National Parks ornithologist.
However, this month McEneaney features
something a little different, because while
he was in the park, he saw a lot of interesting things besides birds. We thought our
readers might be interested in one of those
stories Yellowstones odd hairless marmots.
This story is a departure from my personal experiences and
adventures with Yellowstone birds. Just recently, I happened to
stumble on a rare picture in my files of hairless marmots that I
thought would be of interest to the public. Most people have never heard of Yellowstone hairless marmots, let alone seen rare
pictures of them. So I thought it only fitting that I share with you
my experience and personal photo by unraveling the mystery of
these animals.

About marmots

The Yellow-bellied Marmot is a medium-sized mammal

belonging to the order Rodentia, and comprises a group of related individuals in the family Scuiridae. Marmots are primarily
vegetarians. Included in this family are all species of marmots/
woodchucks, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. The generic term
marmot is of European alps Romansch (bordering Italy) origin
meaning mountain mouse, while the specific name flaviventris means yellow-bellied, even though the belly hairs are in
June 2015

16

Photos by Terry McEneaney

Three Hairless Marmots are pictured on old pressuretreated boardwalk at Old Faithful geyser. Note all three individuals have a mane on their heads and tuft on their tails like
a lion, and skin resembling that of a sunburned rat.
fact rusty or gold in color.
Marmots and ground squirrels do hibernate, but denning hibernation for these individuals can start very early, such as early
August in Yellowstone with spring emergence from dens as early
as late March/early April. Hibernation is misconstrued as an adaptation of individual mammals to cold temperatures, when in fact it
is more of a physiological response to variable food supplies.
Hibernating mammals such as marmots go through two unique
sleep phases: the deep torpor or hypothermia deep sleep phase
and the euthermia, or weak sleep recovery phase involving periodical arousal. This periodic arousal can be caused by increased
or early warm temperatures and/or the absence of snow from den
entrances. If these individuals wake up and find plenty of nutritious food available, they have no problem surviving, but if food
is scare upon emergence, they totally rely on fat reserves to get
them through these problem periods.

The hairless marmot

A hairless marmot is not a new species known to science.

Some people not experienced with this odd morph of marmot
refer to them as bald marmots, but in fact they have hair on
their head and therefore are not bald at all. To me they look like
a combination of the skin of a sunburned rat and the hair of a lion
with a mane on the head and a tuft of hair on the tail. I refer to
them as hairless marmots because parts of their body are hairless, as can be seen in the picture of individual marmots accompanying this article.

A hairless marmot is in fact a Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris) with a strange looking hair condition. What
causes this loss of hair is open to numerous theories and wild
conjectures.

What causes hair condition?

The most frequently talked about theories were simply word of

mouth in origin, with no basis of fact. The most talked about theory involved tourists/visitors feeding junk food to the marmots,
causing this unusual loss of body hair. Another theory popularized was the Old Faithful boardwalk contained pressure-treated
wood, causing the hair loss. Some believed the feeding of the Old
Faithful marmots in combination with the contaminated boardwalks were the cause of this hair loss in marmots. But where was
the evidence?
The first records of the presence of Yellowstone hairless marmots occurred in the spring/summer of 1984 from the north end
of the boardwalk at Old Faithful geyser. These odd individuals
were reported for five straight years with last field records in the
summer of 1988.
On April 1, 1987, I personally collected some marmot specimens as part of a study and sent them to the Madison Wildlife
Health Lab to determine the cause of this unusual hair loss in Yellowstone marmots. The only results that came back from the lab
that grabbed ones attention was the fact that traces of arsenic
were detected in the hair follicles of the marmots. It was a known
fact at the time that some pressure-treated wood contained chromated copper arsenate, and Yellowstone NP did use this type of
wood product in the building of boardwalks in the past. But arsenic is also available in natural abundance, as are many other dangerous chemicals found in Yellowstone (e.g. mercury, etc.) due to
the preponderance of geothermal features. Additionally, there is
the heated ground associated with the geothermal features compounding the discussion.
Surprisingly, the literature shows marmots do lose body hair
upon emergence in late winter/early spring. Also, based on some
environmental conditions, marmots can lose loose skin in a condition called stratum corneum desquamation. And in some unusual cases after post hibernation emergence they can lose vast
amounts of hair, making them look nearly buck naked, with the
hairs eventually growing back to normal length over the summer.

Shown is the normal pelage of a Yellow-bellied Marmot

emerging from hibernation.
Did the illegal feeding of junk food to the marmots at the Old
Faithful boardwalk have anything to do with their hair loss?
Probably not, but it did contribute to them surviving late winter
emergence. People did have impacts it just wasnt natural. Was
it a good idea to stop feeding wildlife? Yes. But it was difficult
for visitors, since they are used to feeding wildlife.
Be that as it may, hairless marmots have not been seen in Yellowstone since 1988. Why not? Regarding the Old Faithful geyser boardwalk, was it the arsenic that caused the demise of the
hairless marmots? Probably not. More likely it was what we call
the Murder on the Orient Express effect, in that everyone did
it. It was this combination of: the 1988 Yellowstone drought, the
1988 wildfires, the removal of valuable cover when the Old
Faithful boardwalk was replaced with recycled materials, the
heat of the ground around Old Faithful, and the removal of an
artificial (visitor) food supply all contributed to the reason we do
not see the rare hairless marmots at Old Faithful with any regularity.
But I wanted to share with you this rare photo I found in my
files unraveling the mystery of Yellowstone Hairless Marmots.

More short stories from Lucky Feathers: Adventures and Experiences of a Yellowstone Ornithologist, will be featured in forthcoming issues
of Montana Best Times. In the meantime, enjoy Montana birds! And the Best of Big Sky Birding to you!
Bird watching questions may be sent to Terry McEneaney by writing to 1215 Lolo St., Missoula, MT 59802; emailing terry@ravenidiot.com; or visiting
www.yellowstonewildlifeguides.com or www.ravenidiot.com. If questions are mailed, include a phone number at which you can be reached.

John Wayne Day in Texas honors actors 108th birthday

By The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas Wearing a brown plaid coat worn by John

Wayne in 1945s Flame of Barbary Coast, Republican Lt. Gov.
Dan Patrick has declared a day in honor of the quintessential
screen cowboy.
An avid collector of movie memorabilia, Patrick wore the coat
as he presided over the Senate May 26.
He declared it John Wayne Day in Texas to mark the Holly-

wood legends 108th birthday John Wayne was born May 26,
1907 and named the actor an honorary Texan.
There were proclamations from the House, Senate and Gov.
Greg Abbott. Senators told Waynes visiting children and grandchildren of their love for movies including True Grit, The
Searchers, and Rio Bravo.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, whose district is near the set of Waynes
1960 movie The Alamo, quoted her favorite Wayne-ism: Talk
low, talk slow, and dont say too much.
June 2015

17

For Silver Skaters, age is merely a number

By Erica Curless

The Spokesman-Review (Spokane,
Wash.)/TNS
Hockey has no age limit. Its a lifelong
sport, so say the women in the newly
formed Silver Skaters a division of
Spokane Womens Hockey League for
women age 50 and older ... much older.
Olga Pasher is 75. Sharon Meyer is 72.
Nancy Kellner is 69. Deb Kyle is 63. The
other gals are youngsters in their 50s.
Yet those numbers are as irrelevant as
the notion that hockey is about blood, broken teeth and fights.
People have a really strange notion of
who plays hockey, said Kyle, a recently
retired college instructor, while helping pin
a black Silver Skaters patch on one of her
teammates oversized jersey.
The Silver Skaters are all about camaraderie, the finesse of skating and playing on
a team for fun regardless of their ability to
slap the puck into the goal. Besides, checking slamming your body into your
opponent to get the puck from them
isnt allowed in womens leagues.
Women my age did not have team
sports when we were young, said Kellner,
who turns 70 this year and attended high
school long before Title IX established
girls sport teams in 1972. This is good for
us. Were learning to play as a team.
Kellner came up with the idea for the
Silver Skaters after registering women for
the leagues new season. She realized there
were enough older skaters to make a team.
Then came the idea for a 50-plus womens
jamboree where the Silver Skaters invited
other skaters from across the region and
Canada.
Spokanes first Silver Skaters Jamboree
is Saturday and Sunday at the Eagles IceA-Rena. Because of schedules, weather
and short notice, it appears only players
from Grand Forks, British Columbia, are
attending. Kellner hopes that the jamboree
grows to include women from Montana,
Alberta and other towns in Washington
next year. She would also like to see more
women, young and old, take up the sport.
Many of the Silver Skaters didnt start
until they were older. Some started because
their husbands played. Others, like Kellner,
had children who became interested in the
sport. Some received peer pressure from
friends who were already playing.
Sharon Meyer started at 57, when her
June 2015

18

with whiskey, Fireball and other pre-game

spirits of courage as they put on their
shoulder, knee and elbow pads and tape
their colorful stockings in place.
Kyle pulls red jerseys from a big bag
and calls out numbers.
Im 9, Meyer shouts, catching the jersey. Nine. Thats
how many grandchildren I have.
She returns to lacing her skates. Then
she takes off her
gold hoop earnings
and puts them in the
case that holds her
mouth guard.
Jacque Early, 52,
swings her silvery
gray purse over her
shoulder as she
holds her helmet
with full face guard
in the other hand.
Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review/TNS
This isnt a
Silver Skaters member Ellen Schwannecke, 50, sits on the
bench waiting her turn to join teammates on the ice during a purse, she jokes.
Spokane Womens Hockey League game at Eagles Ice Arena This is a big bag of
whoop ass.
in Spokane, Washington, Jan. 9.
Jean Tarr, 54,
shows off her hotPlayers still fall. Sometimes they cant stop
flash gloves, thick protective gloves with
and crash into one another. Ankles twist.
holes worn in the fingers.
The fights are just part of the show,
These women obviously enjoy themKyle said about the bloody dog piles for
selves. The laughing lasts as they sit in the
which the sport is infamous. Were much
box and as they skate out onto the ice for
more into the game.
quick 1-to-2 minute bursts of game time
Besides, she said, the womens league
before they switch off with other players.
scrambles the teams each year so that perAt 75, Pasher is the mom of the team.
son who was your nemesis last year is
She hasnt played in several years but is
likely to be your teammate this year.
back on the ice getting ready for the jamNobody wants to make an enemy of
boree.
Raised in Alberta, Pasher skated a
friends, she said.
lot as a kid but, even in Canada girls didnt
Because ice access is expensive and
play hockey.
time is limited, the Silver Skaters dont
She remembers moving to Spokane in
practice. They all just skate during the regular leagues Friday night rec games. Some the 60s and working with a couple women
to start a female hockey team. She
also skate on co-ed teams.
The womens games are slower and low- laughed, recalling that they wore figure
skates with toe picks, wool sweaters and
er-scoring than the mens games and the
tight jeans. They had helmets but no pads
puck is easy to track. Yet there is lots of
or other safety equipment. Yet that didnt
action and even more laughs.
stop them from learning the game and
My husband always comments that
growing it into what is now a womens
You guys smile too much and laugh on
league with more than 50 active members,
the ice, Kyle said.
of which about 15 are part of the Silver
Kellner is always reminding the women
to stop apologizing: There is no sorry in Skaters.
Its addictive, Pasher said before headhockey.
ing
out to skate a few laps for warmup.
As the women get ready for a recent FriYou cant get out of it.
day night game, they sip from flasks filled
coworker at Spokane Community College
encouraged her to join.
I was hooked, Meyer said, adding that
skating is a good weight-bearing exercise
and that its easy on the joints because of
the gliding.
Yet, like most things, its not totally safe.

RSVP

Below is a list of volunteer openings available through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) in
communities across southern Montana. To learn more about RSVP, call (800) 424-8867 or TTY (800) 833-3722
or log on to www. seniorcorps.org.

Custer and Rosebud counties

- American Legion: Will need volunteer

ticket takers this summer.
- Clinic Ambassador: Need volunteer to
greet patients and visitors, providing directions and more, two locations.
- Custer County Food Bank: Volunteer
assistants needed for 8 a.m-1:30 p.m.,
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to
process donations, stock shelves and more.
- Grammas Ice Cream Shoppe: RSVP
will need help selling ice cream at the Eastern Montana Fair August 19-22.
- Historic Miles City Academy: Urgently
need volunteers at the thrift store.
- Holy Rosary: Volunteer receptionist
needed at front desk.
- MCC: Popcorn maker starting in September on Tuesdays.
- Soup Kitchen: Volunteers needed to
greet (seated position), serve and/or prepare
food.
- St. Vincent DePaul: Volunteers to assist
in several different capacities.
- VA Activities: Urgent need for someone
to help with activities.
- VA Community Living Center: Volunteer with people skills needed to interview
CLC residents on a monthly basis. Must be
able to objectively ask questions, work on a
laptop while doing so, and be accurate.
Select your own hours. People skills and
accuracy are important.
- WaterWorks Art Museum: Volunteer
receptionists needed, 2-hour shifts Tuesdays-Sundays; a volunteer also needed in
cataloging the art collection, one to assist
with historic research of the permanent art
collection, and a volunteer to assist in summer kids classes.
If you are interested in these or other volunteer opportunities please contact: Betty
Vail, RSVP Director; 210 Winchester Ave.
#225, MT 59301; phone (406) 234-0505;
email: rsvp05@midrivers.com.

Dawson County

- Local Farm to Table Store: Someone to

help in and during store hours, 11 a.m.-6
p.m.
-Makoshika Visitors Center: Volunteers
needed to assist on Mondays and Tuesdays.Training provided.
- If you have a need for or a special interest or desire to volunteer somewhere in the
community, please contact: Patty Atwell,
RSVP Director, 604 Grant, Glendive, MT
59330; phone (406) 377-4716; email:
rsvp@midrivers.com.

Fergus and Judith Basin

counties

- Art Center: In need of volunteers on

Saturdays.
- Community Cupboard (Food Bank):

Volunteers are needed to help any week

mornings as well as with deliveries.
- Council on Aging: Volunteers needed to
assist at the Senior Center (Grubstakes) and
with home delivered meals and senior
transportation.
- Library: Volunteer help always appreciated.
- ROWL (Recycle Our Waste Lewistown): Recruiting volunteers for the 3rd
Saturday of the month to help sorting, baling and loading recyclables
- Treasure Depot: Thrift store needs volunteers to sort, hang clothes and put other
items on display for sale.
- Always have various needs for your
skills and volunteer services in our community.
- Current RSVP volunteers are encouraged to turn in your hours each month;
your contribution to the community is
greatly appreciated!
Contact: RSVP Volunteer Coordinator
Sara Wald, 404 W. Broadway, Wells Fargo
Bank building, (upstairs), Lewistown, MT
59457; phone (406) 535-0077; email: rsvplew@midrivers.com.

Gallatin County

- American Cancer Society-Road to

Recovery: Drivers needed for patients
receiving treatments from their home to the
hospital
- American Red Cross Blood Drive: Two
volunteer opportunities available: an
ambassador needed to welcome, greet,
thank and provide overview for blood
donors; and phone team volunteers needed
to remind, recruit or thank blood donors.
Excellent customer service skills needed,
training will be provided, flexible schedule.
- Befrienders: Befriend a senior; visit on
a regular weekly basis.
- Belgrade Senior Center: Meals on
Wheels needs regular and substitute drivers
Monday-Friday, to deliver meals to seniors
before noon.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Be a positive
role model for only a few hours each week.
- Bozeman and Belgrade Sacks Thrift
Stores: Need volunteers 2- to 3-hour shifts
on any day,Monday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-6
p.m.
- Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volunteers needed for the information desks in
the Atrium and the Perk,8 a.m.-noon,and
noon-4 p.m.
- Bozeman Senior Center Foot Clinic:
Retired or nearly retired nurses are urgently
needed, 2 days a month, either 4- or 8-hour
shifts.
- Galavan: Volunteer drivers neededMonday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. CDL
required and Galavan will assist you in
obtaining one. Volunteers also needed to
make reminder calls and confirm rides for

the following day.

- Gallatin Rest Home: Volunteers wanted
for visiting the residents, sharing your
knowledge of a craft, playing cards or reading to a resident.
- Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteers
needed to deliver commodities to seniors in
their homes once a month. Deliveries in
Belgrade are especially needed.
- HRDC Housing Department Ready to
Rent: Curriculum for families and individuals who have rental barriers such as lack of
poor rental history, property upkeep, renter
responsibilities, landlord/tenant communication and financial priorities.
- Habitat for Humanity Restore: Belgrade
store needs volunteers for general help,
sorting donations and assisting customers.
- Heart of The Valley: Compassionate
volunteers especially needed to love, play
with and cuddle cats.
- Help Center: Computer literate volunteer interested in entering data into a social
services database. Also volunteers needed
to make phone calls to different agencies/
programs to make sure database is up to
date and make safety calls to home bound
seniors.
- Jessie Wilber Gallery at The Emerson:
Volunteers needed on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays to greet people at the
main desk, answer questions and keep track
of the number of visitors.
- Museum of the Rockies: Variety of
opportunities available such as helping in
the gift shop and more.
- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to quilt,
knit, crochet and embroider hats for chemo
patients, baby blankets and other handmade
goods once a week (can work from home).
Items are on sale in our store in the RSVP
office at the Senior Center or on Saturday
Farmers Markets until September 13.
*Donated yarn needed for the quilting,
knitting and crocheting projects.
-Three Forks Food Bank:Volunteer
needed on Mondays and/orThursdaysto
help with administrative duties, including
answer phones and questions, some paper
and computer work. They will train.
- Your unique skills and interests are
needed, without making a long-term commitment, in a variety of ongoing, special,
one-time events.
Contact: Debi Casagranda, RSVP Program Coordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman,
MT 59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax
(406) 582 8499; email: dcasagranda@
thehrdc.org

Musselshell, Golden Valley

and Petroleum counties

- Food Bank: Distribute food commodities

to seniors and others in the community;
help unload the truck as needed.
See RSVP, Page 20
June 2015
19

 Thursday, June 4
American Legion Baseball, Laurel

Dodgers vs Lewistown, 6 p.m., Thomson

Park, Laurel
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
Interpretive Programs, Thursdays and
Fridays, 8 p.m., through September 5,
Whitehall

 Friday, June 5
Lower Yellowstone Amateur Radio Club,
through June 7, Fairgrounds, Glendive
The Brewery Follies, weekends through
August 30, Virginia City
Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 3
p.m. through June 14, Blue Slipper
Theatre, 113 E. Callender St., Livingston

 Saturday, June 6
Farmers Market, Saturdays through Oct.
10, Glendive
Nevada City Living History Weekends,
10 a.m.-6 p.m., through Sept. 27, Lantern
Tours start at 9:30 p.m., Nevada City
Beartooth Ball Passport to Paris, Red
Lodge

 Tuesday, June 9
ABC City League Tournament, through
June 13, Glendive

 Thursday, June 11
Livingston Craft Beer Week, through
June 16, Katabatic and Neptunes
breweries, Livingston

 Saturday, June 13
Buzzard Day, Makoshika State Park,
Glendive

June 2015
Calendar
Bump-N-Run, Fairgrounds, Glendive
Governors Cup, races start at 6 a.m.,

registration fees vary by race, Helena

Pioneer Power Day Threshing Bee,

Lewistown

 Wednesday, June 17
Gordon Lightfoot, 7:30 p.m., Alberta
Bair Theater, Billings

 Friday, June 19

Reception: Best of the Sweet Grass,

Sweet Grass County Artists, Two Rivers

Gallery, Big Timber
The Montana Festival of the Horse,
through June 21, Billings
Gardiner NRA Rodeo, through June 20,
Gardiner
Monty Pythons Spamalot, weekends
through July 12, Shane Center, Livingston

 Saturday, June 20
Anaconda Bicycle Festival, through June
21, start times and registration fees vary by
race, Anaconda
Billings Biggest Garage Sale, 7 a.m.-3
p.m., Metra Park, Billings
Adventure Cycling: Montana Big Sky
Country, through June 27, Bozeman
Longest Day of Trails, guided bike rides,
Bozeman
Abate Poker Run, Fairgrounds, Glendive
Brothel Days, through June 21, Virginia
City

RSVP, from Page 19

- Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver

meals to the housebound in the community,
just one day a week, an hour and a half,
meal provided.
- MVH Museum: Volunteers needed to in
many capacities such as guides, maintenance, yard work, historic preservation,
board meetings, record keeping and fundraising.
- Nursing Home: Pianoplayers and singers neededon Fridays to entertain residents,
alsoassistant needed in activities for residents to enrich supported lifestyle.
- Senior Bus: Volunteers to pickup folks
who are unable to drive themselves.
- Senior Center: Volunteers are needed to
provide meals, clean up in the dining room
and/or keep records; meal provided.
- RSVP offers maximum flexibility and
June 2015

20

choice to its volunteers as it matches the

personal interests and skills of older Americans with opportunities to serve their communities. You choose how and where to
serve. Volunteering is an opportunity to
learn new skills, make friends and connect
with your community.
Contact: Shelley Halvorson, South Central MT RSVP, 315 1/2 Main St., Ste. #1,
Roundup, MT 59072; phone (406) 3231403; fax (406) 323-4403; email:
rdprsvp2@midrivers.com ; Facebook:
South Central MT RSVP.

Park County

- Big Brothers Big Sisters: Mentor and

positive role models to a boy or girl needed, one hour a week.

 Monday, June 22

Babe Ruth City League Tournament,

through June 27, Glendive

 Thursday, June 25
Music on Main, Thursdays through Aug.
13, Bozeman
A Symphony of Wine, Bozeman
Little Big Horn Days, through June 28,
Hardin

 Friday, June 26
Big Timber Rodeo, through June 27, Big
Timber

Badlands Drifters Cars in the Park,

through June 27, Glendive

Farmers Market, Fridays through Sept.

25, Red Lodge

 Saturday, June 27

Sweet Grass Festival with Kyle Park,

8:30 p.m., Big Timber

Bluegrass Festival, noon, Pine Creek

United Methodist Church, East River

Road, Pine Creek

 Sunday, June 28
St. Timothys Summer Music Festival, 4
p.m., through August 23, Georgetown
Lake, Philipsburg

 Thursday, July 2
28th Annual Festival of the Arts, through
July 4, Rotary Park, Livingston

Roundup Rodeo Parade, 2 p.m.,

downtown Livingston

Roundup Rodeo, through July 4, Park

County Rodeo Grounds, Livingston

- Fix-It-Brigade: Needs volunteers of all

ages and skill levels for 2 hour tasks on your
schedule to help seniors or veterans with
small home repairs and chores, such as
changing a light bulb, mending a fence,
cleaning up a yard.
- Livingston Downtown Builders Association: Needs drivers able to drive a double
clutch vehicle, and docents for the Yellow
Bus Tours this summer, Thursdays, Fridays,
Saturdays, 1 and 2 p.m., training provided.
- Livingston Health and Rehab: Activity
volunteers needed weekends for bingo callers and movie showings; Monday-Friday
9-11 a.m. for coffee and reading the local
news; Tuesdays and Thursdays 7 p.m. movie
night.
See RSVP, Page 22

On The Menu

With Jim Durfey

It may be good ... but can

it pass the Leftover Test?

f a home chef prepares a meal that all the dinner guests

rave about, thats great. But if there are leftovers that
find a permanent home in the fridge, that isnt so good.
When you cook a dish that is a hit when its first
brought to the table and then disappears quickly after the
leftovers are in the fridge, thats when you know youre
headed for the Cooking Hall of Fame.
The two recipes below have been used by your Best Times
recipe contributor to make dishes that pass the Leftover Test.
When frittata leftovers end up the fridge, they vanish in
less than 24 hours. Sometimes I think there must be a tyrannosaurus rex living in the basement of the Durfey shack.
When my wife and I are at work, it makes its way to the
main floor of the house and devours every morsel of the frittatas.
Although frittatas are often served as a breakfast item, my

Breakfast Frittatas
10 small potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup ham diced or 6 slices bacon
6 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 c. grated cheese
Salt, pepper and herbs to taste

Wash potatoes. Leave skins on. Boil potatoes about 20

minutes or until fully cooked. Allow to cool. Slice and place
in bottom of large, greased baking dish. Cook onion in oil if
using ham. If using bacon, cook bacon first to your liking.
Add onions and saute in bacon grease. Layer onions and meat
over potatoes. Beat eggs, milk and cheese together with herbs.
Pour egg mixture over potatoes, onions and meat. Press down
until all potatoes, onions and meat pieces are covered by egg
mixture. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until eggs have set
and top is golden.
Note: The last time I made frittatas, chives and tarragon
were available in the garden, so I used those herbs.

Basil/Avocado Pesto

wife and I dont eat a substantial

breakfast. We prefer to eat our frittatas
at the evening meal. But if you have
summer guests and youre taking them for a long hike in
Yellowstone National Park or in Makoshika State Park, for
example, a breakfast that features frittatas is the perfect way
to start out the day.
The basil/avocado pesto also seems to be able to disappear
at will. Pestos are finding their way into all sorts of food
dishes these days. They star as a pizza sauce, a sandwich
spread, an ingredient in fish tacos and, of course, a dip for
chips. Your dinner guests will never guess that this type of
pesto is much lower in fat than typical pestos. It packs lots
of flavor even without all the extra fat.
Dont skimp on the lemon juice. If you give the pesto a
nice citrus punch, the flavor will be divine.

2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. walnuts
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. water, plus more if necessary
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt, to taste

Add basil, avocado, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice and lemon

zest to food processor. Pulse for 20 seconds or until pesto is
chopped. Add in water and process again until completely
smooth. You may need to add more water to get it to your
desired consistency; I like mine a little on the thicker side.
Transfer to a bowl and stir in cheese.
Store in an airtight container or sealed mason jar and
refrigerate. Pesto is best if used within a few days,
otherwise you can freeze it for several months.
NOTES: A half cup spinach may be added for extra
nutrition. Pine nuts may be used
instead of walnuts, but
they pack more
saturated fat. Asiago
cheese gives the pesto
more of a bite.

1 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 large ripe avocado
June 2015

21

billion people (1,000,000,000), then two

billion by 1930. What happened in 2011?
By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D.

Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com

Why does Limburger cheese

stink so much?

Q. Whether or not its the smelliest

cheese in the world can be debated. But
what is it that gives Limburger cheese
such a powerful stink?
A. It was 1867 when the first such
cheese was created in the cellar of Rudolph
Benkerts in the former Duchy of Limburg
(now split up into the Netherlands,
Germany and Belgium), says Ian Crofton
in A Curious History of Food and Drink.
The notorious smell of this semi-hard
white goats cheese is generated by the
microorganism used in the fermentation
process, Brevibacterium linens. Oddly,
this same bacterium also causes human
foot odor. A 2006 study revealed that the
malaria-spreading mosquito is equally
attracted to the smell of Limburger and the
smell of human feet.
Q. When can kids having lots of
active, fast-paced fun be harnessed to
generate electricity that can power a
light to read or do homework?
A. When they are supplied with Soccket
balls and Pulse jump ropes made by the
New York-based company Uncharted Play
(UP), whose focus is to get them into the
hands of kids in underdeveloped countries,
says Jim Sullivan in Discover magazine.
Play is movement and requires plenty of
energy; kinetic energy can be transferred
into electricity, the same way a self-

winding watch uses the movement of the

wearer to wind itself up.
Soccket is a soccer ball and rolling
power plant in one, converting every
corner kick or header into battery-stored
power via an internal DC generator ... Then
small appliances can be plugged into it
(such as the LED lamp included with each
ball) using a typical USB adapter. Just 30
minutes of play produces three hours of
power, while six to eight hours can
generate a full charge of 72 hours.
In Muslim countries, where boys and
girls are not allowed to play together, the
company noticed that the boys were
excited about playing Soccket soccer,
while many of the girls were off to the side
jumping rope, says Nicole Brown, UP vice
president of marketing. Enter Pulse, a jump
rope with each handle containing an
energy-harnessing mechanism. The rope
doubles Socckets output so that just 15
minutes of play converts into six hours of
energy. Adds Sullivan: Pulse was also
designed to be compatible with iPhones,
which can be charged with an adapter that
plugs directly into both of the jump ropes
handles.
Next up: UP hopes to develop a
skateboard with power-generating wheels.

A. According to experts, that was the

year the worlds population hit seven
billion, as reported in 5000 Awesome
Facts by National Geographic for Kids.
If that number doesnt sound very big,
consider that it would take a person an
estimated 200 years to count to seven
billion out loud! Looking at the balance of
things, about every second five people are
born and two people die. As these numbers
add up, well probably reach nine billion
by 2045.
Todays seven billion people reside in
194 countries and speak some 7,000
languages. Slightly more are male than
female, with a median age of 28 years.
Typically most are right-handed.
Remarkably, seven billion text messages
are sent every 30 hours in the U.S. alone.
Looking at the sweep of time, a total 100
billion humans have lived on Earth, and of
all these, only 7 percent are living today.
Lucky us!

Q. Somewhere around the year 1800,

the worlds population reached one

Q. How are astronauts affected by

spending a year in the zero gravity of
space?
A. The sustained body weightlessness
may bring on weakening of the calf
muscles, quadriceps, and neck and back
muscles that must generally work against
the force of gravity, says Jeffrey Kluger in
Time magazine. Bones may lose
minerals and weaken, and as calcium is
flushed from the body it may become
concentrated into kidney stones. Plus, skin
thins and loses elasticity, at times
becoming more sensitive and giving way
to infections and slower healing.
The eyes also can be affected as
unweighted fluids shift upward, putting
pressure on the optic nerve and eyeball
and leading to a loss of visual acuity. Ear
problems can bring on motion sickness

including mailings and fundraising events

that require volunteers.
- RSVP Handcrafters: Volunteers to knit
and crochet caps and scarves for each child
at Head Start, also as gifts for children of
prenatal classes, and baby hats and afghans
for the hospital newborns; Thursdays, 1-2
p.m. at the Senior Center.
- Senior Center: Need volunteers, Thursdays, 1 p.m., to cut unsold clothing into
rags to be sold for proceeds to the center.

- Stafford Animal Shelter: Kindhearted

volunteers needed to socialize cats and kittens, and to walk the dogs.
- Transportation: Volunteer drivers needed to help patients keep doctor appointments; some gas mileage assistance may be
provided.
Contact: Deb Downs, Program Coordinator, 111 So. 2nd St., Livingston, MT
59047; phone (406) 222-2281; email: debdowns@rsvpmt.org

RSVP, from Page 20

- Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen:Volunteers needed to prepare meals.
- Main Streeter Thrift Store: Someone
who enjoys working with the public. Come
help greet customers, ring up purchases,
label and hang clothes and accept donations.
- Meals on Wheels: Always need substitute drivers to deliver meals to seniors in
their home.
- RSVP: Has many one-time events,
June 2015

22

and disorientation until the body adapts, then

these symptoms may recur during reacclimation to gravity back on Earth. Add in tight
schedules and ambient noise and sleep may be
disrupted, resulting in as little as six good
hours a night and bringing on anxiety and
reduced alertness.
At the heart of the matter, of course, is a
potentially weakening ticker as it no longer
has to work against gravity to pump fluids to
the upper extremities.
Damage-limiting countermeasures include
exercising for two hours a day, eating a wellregulated diet, wearing lower body pressurerestoring garments and finally, maintaining
regular communication with folks back home.

Q. Which solar systems are more likely

to harbor extraterrestrials? Think geometry here, and call this one the circle of
life.
A. Having lots of planets helps the chances,
since the more planets a star has, the more circular their orbits are apt to be, says Ken Croswell in Scientific American magazine.
With circular orbits, the planets dont interfere
with one another; moreover, they dont move
too close to their star and thus burn up or
move too far away and freeze.
Our own solar system fits this pattern, with
eight (or nine) planets moving around the sun
in fairly circular paths. For example, Earths

orbit has an eccentricity of just 1.7 percent

(eccentricity ranges from 0 percent for a
perfect circle and approaches 100 percent for
extreme ellipses). Mercury and Pluto, on the
other hand, pursue oval-shaped orbits, with
21 percent and 25 percent eccentricities. Yet
these are tame compared with many other
stars where the planets have eccentricities
exceeding 60 percent, 70 percent, even 80
percent.
Thus intelligent beings are more likely to
prosper on planets with circular orbits, Croswell concludes. Such beings would see
many other worlds orbiting their star, just as
we do and may even bicker over which
ones are truly planets.

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Crossword

Across

1 Strips near the water

7 One giving you a
pointer?
15 Tire tube, e.g.
16 New York racing
venue
17 Sycophantic
18 Skiing maneuver
19 Strands in a tree
20 Wincing words
21 Ques.
22 Jerry who was head
coach of the Utah Jazz
for 23 seasons
24 Over the limit, on the
rd.
25 Verduns river
28 Dominate, in slang
29 Mighty efforts
31 What one might need
to leave
33 Buff
34 Shuttle sites
35 The Simpsons
shower
36 Drops
37 Cuban genre also
called the contradanza

40 Belgian-born artist
with the 2012 Grammywinning album Making
Mirrors
41 Slangy No reason
42 Flattened, as a flat
43 Kid with a trombone
44 Start of a wistful
remark
46 ID checker
47 Tiger Electronics
Poo-Chi, for one
50 Give nothing away
53 Pal of Beegle Beagle
54 60s defense secretary McNamara
55 Entering with care
56 Right, in a way
57 Smooths
58 Liquidated?

1943 Big Three meeting

8 Lane on Broadway
9 Theban ruler in Antigone
10 Standing __
11 Novel ending
12 It might make you
comfortable
13 Not a good way to
run
14 Short prayer?

23 It may be insured
26 Giving nothing away
27 Draw out
29 Cars studio
30 Building a healthier
world sloganeer
32 Virtual chats
33 Time keeper?
35 Trouble
36 Sisterly
37 Christiaan who
invented the pendulum

clock
38 Rise again
39 Modified
40 Indulges and then
some
41 Most of his works
were for solo piano
44 Bit of grandmotherly
advice
45 Ejection interjection
48 Tyke of vintage TV
49 Quite a run
51 A temporary insanity curable by marriage,
per Ambrose Bierce
52 Explorer Tasman

Down

1 Lets go
2 ZzzQuil alternative
3 Eagle touchdown site
4 __-la-loi: outlaw
5 Art with no lines
6 Theocritus works
7 It carried FDR to a
June 2015

23

Now Im hearing everyone better! Im

more confident with my business clients,
and I enjoy talking on the phone with my
grandchildren. Thank you, Miracle-Ear!

TEsT-dRIVE

offER
Alzheimers Disease and TEsT-dRIVE
Dementia

THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY

ARE
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According to a new study by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the

National Institute on Aging, men and women with hearing loss are much more likely to
develop dementia and Alzheimers disease. People with severe hearing loss, the study
reports,
were 5to
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You have
todementia than those with normal hearing.

HEAR IT

BELIEVE IT!

Have you noticed a change in your

Buying a quality hearing solution is a big decision.
You need to test drive it first.ability
See how it suitsto
your remember?

Buying a quality hearing solution is a big decision. You need to test

See how it suits your lifestyle. Determine for yourself if its comforta
looking and natural sounding.

lifestyle. Determine for yourself if its comfortable,

Thats the whole idea behind the MiracleTest-Drive
offer: of
natural looking
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natural
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The more hearing loss you have, the greater
the likelihood

developing dementia or Alzheimers disease. Hearing aids could delay or

Thats
the
whole idea
prevent dementia by improving the patients hearing.
behind
the
Miracle-Ear
2011 Study
by Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine and the National institued of Aging.
Test-Drive
offer:
puSh
1

Call to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient loca

Try one of our Miracle-Ear hearing solutions in our office and H

difference immediately.

If youre delighted with the improvement in your hearing and

your hearing solution, you can do so at GREAT SAVINGS!

FREE PUBLIC SERVICE

4

Next, wear our nearly invisible hearing aids for a full 30 days. W

button
1 Call to
schedule an appointment at one of our convereceiver in the canal
them out in all kinds of settings: in restaurants, watching TV, whi
Use
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fully
Located directly in your eartelephone, or at a movie.
nient locations.
automatic
If, after 30 days, you are not totally happy and enjoying the so
5 and
2 Try one
of our Miracle-Ear hearing solutions in our for natural sound quality
again, return the hearing aids for a full refund.*
settings, or
performance.
office and HEAR the difference immediately
*If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 d
choose manual
completion of fitting, in satisfactory condition. Fitting fees may apply. See store for details.
3 Ifcontrol
youre delighted
when with the improvement in your hearing and wish to keep your hearing solution,
you can
you want
it. do so at GREAT SAVINGS!
buy one,
4
Next,
wear our nearly
hearing aids for a full 30 days. Wear them out in all
Your
hearing
will invisible
be electronically
get one
S orITat TIME
kinds
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the telephone,
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tested*
andinyou
will be
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YES NO
5hearing
If, after 30
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notnormal
totally happy
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compares
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Do you feel that people
mumble
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Save on our ne
Digital
ME-4
Miracle-Ear
RIC
return
hearing
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for aexamined
full
refund.* mini
Yourtheears
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video
Hearing
Aidothers need to? digital hearing so
Do you turn the TV up
louder than
with ClearVation

3-Weeks Only! All of the tests are FREE!

995

50

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*Offer
ME-4 model. Limit one aid at
*Good only at participating M
otoscope*
to determine
if your
*If
you are not completely
satisified, the aids
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returned for a full refund within
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frustrated whenyou ask them
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the promotional price. Limit 1 coupon per
locations. One coupon per pu
a
SMarter
way
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the
completion
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fitting,
in
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condition.
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may
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See
store
for
details.
repeat themselves?
purchase. May not be combined with other
valid on ME-1 and ME-2 soluti
problem may just be excess wax.
offers and does not apply to prior sales. See
be combined with other offers
Designed to learn and remember your
Do you have
understanding
the voices of woman
storetrouble
for details.
Offer expires xx/xx/xx.
expires xx/xx/xx.
In-store
demonstration
of the newest
listening
preferences
in
all
situations.
STop by ANy oNE of ouR locATIoNS
ANd
TAkE
and samll children when
they are speaking?

Miracle-Ear technology*
so you can hear the
improvement yourself!

Stop offERS!
by any one of our locationS and
AdVANTAGE of ThESE SpEcIAlS
Is it hard to follow the
conversation in noisy places like

advantage of theSe Special offer

parties, crowded restaurants or family get-togethers?

<City>

<Store Name>
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<xxx-xxx-xxxx>

<xxx-xxx-xxxx>

Schedule Your FREE Hearing Test and In-Store Demonstration

Now Im hearing everyone better! Im

**
more confident with my business clients,
and I enjoy talking
with myBOZEMAN OFFICE
SERVICE CENTERS
BILLINGS on
OFFICEthe phone
702 N. 19th Ave. Suite 1-C
Glendive
14th St. West
grandchildren.1527
Thank
you, Miracle-Ear!
Billings, MT 59102
406-259-7983

Wolf Point
800-340-3720

Bozeman, MT 59718
406-586-5841

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MILES CITY <Address>
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18 N.<xxx-xxx-xxxx>
8th Street Suite #8
Miles City, MT 59301
800-340-3720

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<xxx-xxx-xxxx>

Steven Howell NBC-HIS

National Board Certified in Hearing Instruments Science 30 years Experience in the Hearing Aid Industry

TEsT-dRIVE offER

*If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 45 days of the completion
condition. Fitting fees may apply. See store for details. Hearing aids do not restore natural hearing. Individual exper

Our hearing test and video otoscopic inspection are always free. Hearing test is an audiometric test to determine proper amplification needs only. These are not medical exams or diagnose nor are they intended to replace a physicians care. If you
of hearing
loss, accuracy
of evaluation,
proper fees
fit and may
abilityapply.
to adaptSee
to amplification.
*If youa medical
are notproblem,
completely
satisfied,
may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion ofseverity
fitting,
in satisfactory
condition.
Fitting
store for
suspect
please seek
treatmentthe
fromaids
your doctor.
2015 Miracle-Ear, Inc. 14451FCMS
2013 Miracle-Ear, Inc.

details. Hearing aids do not restore natural hearing. Individual experiences vary depending on severity of hearing loss, accuracy of evaluation, proper fit and ability to adapt to amplification. 2013 Miracle_ear, Inc. 14876ROPA/HP4C