The road to Makoshika

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and BetterMO

NT

AN

A July 2015

Fishing guide builds memories

Dog Town

Hes a rock star

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July 2015 2

Savvy Senior ............................................Page 3

Opinion ....................................................Page 4

Book .........................................................Page 5

Volunteering .............................................Page 19

Calendar ...................................................Page 21

Strange but True .......................................Page 22

INSIDE

News Lite

California hospital sees trio of triplets born in June

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) Doctors at a central California hospi-tal have seen a trio of triplets born this month and expect the streak to continue.

The Fresno Bee reported that one set of triplets was born at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno the week of June 7, followed by another set June 18 and the third set three days lat-er.

Dr. Steven Elliott says he cant remember in his 30 years as a neonatologist when he has had a trio of triplets under his care. He says all nine babies were born by cesarean section and are doing well.

The newspaper reports that another mother whos expecting triplets in late August is receiving care at the Fresno hospital.

Triplets occur in about 120 of every 100,000 live births in the country.

Syracuse Ironman event hands out medals featuring wrong city

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) The medals awarded to winners in last weekends Ironman event in Syracuse are engraved with an outline of the Rochester skyline.

The Post-Standard of Syracuse reports that the medals for the June 21 Ironman 70.3 Syracuse feature a scene that depicts an arched suspension bridge over the Genesee River, which runs through downtown Rochester. And the skyscrapers on the medal match those in Rochester.

A spokesman for the Ironman didnt have an immediate expla-nation for the error.

The race started with a 1.2-mile swim in Jamesville Reservoir, then a 56-mile bike course that wound through Syracuses High-land Forest and parts of Onondaga, Madison and Cortland coun-ties. The event ended with 13.1-mile run in and out of Jamesville Beach County Park.

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Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some basic simplified cellphones for

seniors with hearing impairment? My 82-year-old father needs to get a new cellphone for occasional calls or emergencies, but he needs something thats easy to use and one that he can hear on.

Looking Around

Dear Looking, There are several simplified cellphones on the market today

that are specifically designed for seniors, or for people who just like things simple. These are basic cellphones primarily used for talk and text that come with big buttons, easy to navigate menus, SOS emergency buttons, enhanced sound and are hear-ing aid compatible too. Here are some top options. Senior-friendly phones If your dad isnt locked into a cellphone contract, there are

three senior-friendly options to consider, all from no-contract cellphone companies. One of the best is GreatCalls Jitterbug5 (greatcall.com, 800-

918-8543). This custom designed Samsung flip-phone offers a backlit keypad with big buttons, large text on a brightly colored screen, and YES and NO buttons to access the phones menu of options versus confusing icons. It also offers voice dialing, a powerful speakerphone, a built-

in camera, and a variety of optional health and safety features like the 5Star medical alert button that would let your dad call for help and speak to a certified agent 24/7 that could iden-tify his location and dispatch help as needed. Urgent Care, which provides access to registered nurses and doctors for advice and diagnoses. And GreatCall Link, which keeps fam-ily members informed through your dads phone activities. The Jitterbug5 sells for $99 with a one-time $35 activation

fee, no-contract, and calling plans that start at $15 per month. If youre looking for something a little less expensive, the

Doro PhoneEasy 626 sold through Consumer Cellular (con-sumercellular.com, 888-345-5509) is a new option. This flip phone offers a backlit, separated keypad that can

speak the numbers as you push them, which is a nice feature for

seniors with vision problems. It also has a big easy to read col-or display screen that offers large text with different color themes. Other handy features include two speed dial buttons, shortcut

buttons to texting and the camera, a powerful two-way speaker-phone, and an ICE (in case of emergency) button on the back of the phone that will automatically dial one preprogramed num-ber. The Doro 626 sells for $50 with service plans starting at $10

per month, and no long-term contract. They even offer dis-counts to AARP members. Another budget-friendly cellphone you should look into is the

Snapfon for seniors (snapfon.com, 800-937-1532), which costs only $10, with a $35 activation fee, no-contract, and monthly service plans that start at $10. This is a bar-style phone that provides big buttons, a color

screen, enhanced volume with a speaker phone, a speaking key-pad, and an SOS emergency alert button on the back of the phone that can sound an alert when pushed and held down for five seconds. It then sends a text message to as many as five emergency contacts and calls those contacts in order until the call is answered. Or, for an additional $15 per month you can subscribe to their SOS monitoring service that will dispatch help as needed. Shared plan options If you want to get your dad a simple cellphone through your

cellphone provider, most carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile still offer a few basic cellphones that are inex-pensive and hearing aid compatible. If youre an AT&T customer the option is the LG A380. For

Verizon users, theres the Samsung Gusto 3 and LG Revere 3. If youre a Sprint customer theres the Kyocera Kona and Alcatel OneTouch Retro. And for T-Mobile users theres the LG 450.

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

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.

July 2015 3

Looking for simplified cellphone for your hearing impaired senior? Here are tips

July 2015 4

Opinion

Time to check out states often little-known gems

A Monthly Publication for Folks 50 and BetterMONTANA

Dwight Harriman, Editor Tom Parisella, Designer

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

Letters Policy MontanaBestTimeswelcomesletterstotheeditorexpressingopinionsonanyissueofapublicinteresttoourreadership.Butinordertobepublished,thelettersmust: Includethewritersfirstandlastname,homeaddressanddaytimephonenum-ber. Addressesandphonenumbersmaybeusedforverification,butonlythenameandhometownwillbepublished. Bekeptshortand,ifpossibledealwithonetopic.MontanaBestTimesreservestherighttoeditforlength,tasteandlibelconsiderations. Theaddressforemailedlettersismontanabesttimes@livent.net.

This months issue of Montana Best Times contains two stories about Mon-tana state parks the Greycliff Prairie Dog Town just east of Big Timber and Makoshika near Glendive. As the height of the summer season approaches, its a good time to think about getting out into the states often lit-tle known gems its state parks. You could start with Makoshika, the states largest at 11,000 acres, a place filled with the harsh beauty of Montanas badlands and, we might add, dinosaur bones; or,

you could visit tiny Greycliff Prairie Dog Town, at 98 acres probably one of the states smallest. This range reflects the diversity of all 55 yes, there are that many of Mon-tanas state parks. The parks range from the historical (Bannack State Park near Dillon), to the natural (Giant Springs State Park near Great Falls), to the cultur-al (Chief Plenty Coups State Park near Pryor), to the water-based (Tongue River Reservoir State Park) near Decker; from the nationally famous, like Lewis and

Clark Caverns State Park, to the obscure, like Brush Lake State Park in the far northeastern corner of Montana. To find a state park near you to visit this summer, visit the very user friendly state website, http://stateparks.mt.gov. You dont have to see the big guys like Yellowstone or Glacier National Park this summer to get out and have fun. Chances are theres an undiscovered state park right in your own back yard.

Dwight HarrimanMontana Best Times Editor

By Montana Best Times Staff

The early days of our Yellowstone National Park are a source of endless fascination, and one of their most intrigu-ing aspects of those days is the companies that took early vis-itors into the park.

A brand-new book, Yellowstone Summers: Touring with the Wylie Camping Company in Americas First National Park, by Jane Galloway Demaray, tells the story of one of the most legendary of those companies the Wylie Camping Company.

Yellowstone Summers describes how the unswerving efforts of the companys owner helped develop, define and pre-serve tourism in Yellowstone Park, according to a news release from the books publisher, Washington State University.

Congress established Americas first national park in 1872, and its vast wonders mesmerized early sightseers. One of them, William Wallace Wylie, visited in July 1880. The school super-intendent was immediately smitten and he returned to Boze-man, Montana, and arranged his first tour group a few weeks later, the release says.

Wylies initial endeavor evolved into a full-fledged business, and from 1896 to 1905 the Wylie Camping Company fed, shel-tered and guided thousands through relaxed weeklong tours of geysers, hot pools, waterfalls and trails.

Previously only for the rich, vacations were a burgeoning trend among the Victorian middle class. Wylie wisely kept accommodations simple and affordable canvas tents clus-tered around a fire pit where guests gathered to sing, swap sto-ries and enjoy other impromptu entertainment. But he also offered luxuries like fine mattress beds, covered buggies and delicious meals in special dining tents. Today, that fusion of glamour and camping is often called glamping, the release says. During Yellowstones stagecoach era, the combination was known as The Wylie Way.

Drawn partly from an unpublished manuscript written by Wylie himself, the books anecdotes include observations of wildlife, the arrest of a bison poacher, and an altercation with

the parks game warden, Buffalo Jones. There were also hungry bears, runaway horses, and cantankerous stage coach drivers.

Ever a teacher at heart, Wylie hired staff who utilized Yel-lowstone as an outdoor classroom, a precursor for the emphasis on education that now exists in many parks.

Operating the Wylie Camping Company was a formidable task, and the book also details the difficulties Wylie faced as he contended with park superintendents, railroad officials, Wash-ington, D.C., legislators, and various other political personali-ties. Without his persistence, Yellowstones leisure industry might have been closed to competition and be very different today, according to WSU Press.

Author Jane Galloway Demaray has a personal connection to Yellowstone Summers William Wallace Wylie was her great-great uncle. She first read his autobiography over 20 years ago at her grandmothers home in Bozeman and immedi-ately realized it deserved to be more than a family account. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Demaray current-ly serves on the personal staff of the Montana Secretary of State.

Yellowstone Summers: Touring with the Wylie Camping Company in Americas First National Park is available from WSU Press by calling (800) 354-7360 or visiting wsupress.wsu.edu, as well as through bookstores nationwide.

Bookshelf

July 2015 5

Yellowstone Summers: Touring with the Wylie Camping Company in Americas First National Park By Jane Galloway Demaray Washington State University Press, April 2015 Softcover 6 x 9 $24.95 230 pages ISBN: 978-0-87422-327-9

Visiting Yellowstone the Wylie Way

By Jason Stuart Montana Best Times

GLENDIVE Tom Shoushs road to becoming a Montana State Parks ranger wasnt a straightforward one, but at 16 years and counting, its a road hes still walking.

Shoush has spent his entire career as a ranger at Makoshika State Park. He will mark his 16th year at the park this fall.

But its a long way from where he started. Shoush was on an entirely differ-ent path in an entirely different place until a road trip and a subsequent work injury set him on an entirely new jour-ney.

Early love of natureShoush was born and raised in Minne-

sota, growing up in the suburbs of the

Twin Cities. Nature and the outdoors were a big

part of his upbringing. His home was located on a protected cattail marsh and his father was a Boy Scout leader and former Eagle Scout.

So I was raised with a great love of nature and the scout sense of life, Shoush said.

Making a career out of his love of nature wasnt in the immediate offing when Shoush reached adulthood, howev-er. Reflecting on the background he came from, Shoush didnt go to college imme-diately after high school and joined the working week in a blue-collar job.

Injury leads to refocusThen years later, life took a turn.He sustained an on-the-job injury that

forced him to refocus my efforts and aspirations, Shoush said.

But where to start? Rather than his native Minnesota,

Shoush turned to Montana. He had taken an extensive road trip through the West in the early 1990s and Montana both its land and people left a profound impression on him.

For whatever reason, Montana just felt comfortable, Shoush said. Mon-tana had that same sense of connection with nature.

So after his injury, Shoush enrolled at Montana State University. Already near-ing 40 at the time, he became the first member of his family to go to college.

Tapping his love for nature, Shoush pursued a degree in fish and wildlife sci-ence to gain a better understanding of

July 2015 6

The road to MakoshikaEastern Montana park ranger shares love for the outdoors

MT Best Times photos by Jason StuartAbove and on the cover: Tom Shoush, a Makoshika State Park ranger, looks out over the parks badlands while on duty June 11. Makoshika, which is more than 11,000 acres in size, is located near Glendive in eastern Montana.

nature, he said, and earned a Bachelor of Science in 1999.

I chose that degree because my love of nature to that point had been naive it was just wonderment, Shoush said.

So at age 40, Shoush started his new career. After an initial internship with Montana State Parks at Lewis and Clark Caverns, he was recommended for and hired as the park ranger for Makoshika State Park in November 1999, where he has been ever since.

Makoshika grows on youThats not to say he was initially exu-

berant about the idea of being stationed at Makoshika. Living in the vast, empty expanses of eastern Montana was not the ideal Shoush had in mind when he made the move to the state.

When I came here, I was a little unsure about the duty station, he said. This seemed like a foreign land. It didnt fit that vision and dream I had all those years.

But the area grew on Shoush, who said he has since developed a great love and appreciation for it.

He added that for most people, the Northern Plains just doesnt immediately catch the eye the way the mountains of western Montana do. But the beauty and

grandeur is there, Shoush points out it just looks different, and you need to look a little harder to uncover it.

The plains ecosystem has incredible beauty you just have to spend some time around here to appreciate it, he said.

The badlands of Makoshika are defi-nitely eye-catching, however, and in his years there, Shoush has come to have a deep and abiding affection for the place, which he recommends that all Montan-ans visit.

Its like an island, he said of Mako-shika. It rises up out of the Great Plains with a uniqueness thats only found in a couple of places. You come across an area that almost seems like it shouldnt be there. Its a tremendous outcropping of wonderment and natural beauty.

And for people like Shoush who love to lose themselves in nature, Makoshika is a perfect place to do so.

It gives you a sense of immensity you feel small, he said of spending time in the badlands. The immensity becomes apparent.

Rewards of the jobIn all his years at Makoshika, Shoush

has interacted with literally tens of thou-sands of visitors. He said his greatest

satisfaction in his job is to learn he helped inspire someone during their visit.

However, he said what is equally rewarding is the thought he might have had a positive impact on a visitor, even if he never actually knows it.

The greatest reward for me in this job is not knowing how Ive positively impacted people, Shoush said. Even though Im not aware of it, I have to believe (the people he has heard back from) are just a couple of many, many people who had a positive experience thats carried forward for their whole life, and thats very rewarding.

And if you are a Montanan reading this article right now, Shoush hopes you visit Makoshika someday soon and find inspi-ration with him. Or if not Makoshika, then at one of the other bracelet of gems, in Shoushs words, that make up Montana State Parks.

After all, in this state, people who love nature have a lot going for them.

From the temperate rain forests and the mountains to the Great Plains and badlands, Shoush said, Montanans have much to be proud of and much to be protective of.

Reach Jason Stuart at rrreporter@rangerreview.com.

July 2015 7

Shoush gives a tour at the Makoshika State Park visitors center to a group of students from Fairview Elementary School in Fair-view, North Dakota. In the foreground at right is a triceratops skull discovered at Makoshika.

By Justin Post Montana Best Times

LIVINGSTON A spiral staircase winds down into the first floor of Dale Siegles home, where a shag, lava-car-peted room features a pool table and bar topped with smooth travertine.

Upstairs, large picture windows look down on Livingston and the Yellowstone River, where Siegle has worked as a fish-ing guide since the mid-1980s.

Siegles home is impeccably neat and everything has its place, including his pride and joy parked outside the back door: The Mackenzie River drift boat he purchased in 1982 shortly after floating the Yellowstone River for the first time.

The boat is a 16-foot-long burly blue and white model that looks like it could survive a trip over Niagara Falls.

Siegle hasnt considered replacing the boat. Why would he? Siegles quick to point out that the boat is not only func-

tional its also been a sturdy and trust-worthy drifter.

Its durable as heck and theres a lot of room, he said. You feel safer with the high sideboards and its stable. Heres my philosophy: The fish dont care.

Early days on the riverSiegle, 64, has spent a lifetime fishing

Montana rivers. The Glendive native grew up chucking bait for catfish and paddlefish, but moved to Livingston in the late 1970s to manage the Livingston Job Service office, including in 1986 when Burlington Northern closed its shops in Livingston.

I was the guy running the Job Service with 13 percent unemployment, Siegle said.

Siegle still has a vivid memory of his first float trip on the Yellowstone River in the early 1980s near Livingston.

Siegle was invited to float the river on the drift boat of Livingston attorney Bruce Becker the current Park County attorney and eagerly accepted the offer.

There were four of us in the boat and we limited out, Siegle remembers of that day more than 30 years ago when he, Becker, John Hayes and Karl Knuchel hit the Yellowstone.

Siegle earned the nickname Tarpon Dale, for his propensity to set the hook with all his might and gusto, as one might expect when hooking into a hulk-ing tarpon.

He would literally almost pull the fish out of the water, Becker remembers.

Becoming a guideSiegles passion for fishing Montana

streams, and especially the Yellowstone River, swelled in the years to follow that first day on the river.

July 2015 8

Fishing guide builds memories

MT Best Times photo by Hunter DAntuonoFishing guide Dale Siegle is pictured June 4 at his Livingston home next to the Mackenzie River drift boat he purchased in 1982.

The sport soon enveloped his life like a Mothers Day caddis hatch.

Beckers uncle Harold Shanstrom, who is known as one of the first guides who worked in the Livingston area, convinced Siegle he should try his hand behind the oars with clients in his boat.

Siegle obtained his Montana guiding license, #363, in 1982 and took on clients referred to him by Shanstrom, who guided for the Dan Bailey fly fishing shop.

Its been a part-time gig for Siegle, who mostly takes clients on the Yellowstone River but is also licensed to guide in Yel-

lowstone National Park.Hes guided the likes of Sandra Day OConnor, the first

woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, but said he views his clients as equally important regardless of whether theyre an executive with General Motors in Detroit or a teenager flinging flies for the first time.

The most important (client) is the next one, Siegle said. To me, its about building memories.

Justin Post may be reached at jpost@livent.net or (406) 222-2000.

July 2015 9

Above: Dale Siegle, from left, John Hayes and Bruce Becker hold a string of trout they caught on a Yellowstone River fishing trip more than 30 years ago. Photo courtesy of Dale Siegle Right: Siegle talks June 4 in his home about his times out on the Yellowstone. MT Best Times photo by Hunter DAntuono

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By Olivia Keith Montana Best Times

BIG TIMBER Located 9 miles east of Big Timber is a small town. Its inhabit-ants are busybodies, so trying to snag a photo with them is next to impossible without a bit of patience. They keep their homes incredibly clean and organized, and always make sure everyone is accounted for at any given time. Theyre exceptional-ly timid toward strangers, but thats proba-bly because theyre not human.

Theyre prairie dogs.

Just off I-90This busy community is Greycliff Prai-

rie Dog Town State Park. The Montana State Park spans 98 acres and is found mere seconds from Interstate-90.

Its convenient location attracts nearly 1,200 visitors a month in the summer, and 80 to 100 visitors during winter months.

Jenny Alexander, manager of Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park and Cooney State Park 88 miles to the southwest, said management of the prairie dog park requires minimal effort.

We manage it as a primitive park, which basically means its minimal resources, Alexander said. Its so people can come here on a self-serve basis and enjoy the dogs.

Alexander has been managing the prai-

rie dog park for two years now and enjoys every minute of it.

Its a neat area for people to come and see prairie dogs in their natural setting, she said. I think its a quiet spot for peo-ple to actually see them and its not too far off the interstate.

A park is bornIn the late 1970s, photographer Edward

Boehm, of Livingston, teamed up with Montana State Parks, the Nature Conser-vancy and the Montana Department of Transportation to set aside the 98-acre spot. Now, the area is cared for by Alex-ander, another maintenance worker and a warden. Together, they fix the park

July 2015 10

Dog Town

Prairie Dog Town Park is a unique, furry piece of state park system

MT Best Times photos by Olivia KeithA black-tailed prairie dog keeps a careful watch on visitors at the Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park, recently.

benches, picnic area and update the infor-mation kiosk.

During Alexanders routine checkup of the area, she picked up garbage and litter left behind by visitors and checked the vis-itor counter.

Occasionally, Montana State Parks will team up with Sweet Grass County to take care of the weeds in the area.

Prairie dog specsA small brown head pokes up out of a

burrow. The prairie dog looks right, then left, then quickly right again before slowly inching out. A tail wag and some barks is all it takes to let his friends know the coast is clear.

Greycliff Prairie Dog State Park is home to many small communities of the black-tailed prairie dog, which is located in the Great Plains. This species, a member of the rodent family, can grow up to a height of 16 inches when they stand on their back legs, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Prairie dogs serve as a source of food for various predators, including black-footed ferrets, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

They have incredibly well-kept living quarters. Prairie dogs build a front and a back door, and have burrows that are 14 feet deep and with multiple little rooms. They have a main living room area and a second one rests right on top of it in case their main area is wet, according to Alexan-der. They even have a bathroom chamber.

Their communities are built in ecosys-tems with minimal vegetation so they can see their surroundings easily, which makes the 98-acre spot at Greycliff perfect for the dogs.

Whoa!For Montanans, entering the park is free

the cost is included on your license plate registration. For nonresidents, there is a small fee.

A trip to the Greycliff Prairie Dog Town is definitely a must.

Its one piece of the whole Montana

state parks, Alexander said.While Alexander was cleaning, two

women from Mexico drove into the park. Its incredible, Carla Verea, of Mexico

City, said of the park. Verea and her co-worker Francisca Rive-

ro-Lake were taking a road trip following the Colorado River for a story and photo project, and on a whim decided to travel further north. The sighting of the prairie dog town was shocking to the two women. Where they are from, prairie dogs, as well as other animals, have left due to the lack of water and the disappearance of the Col-orado River.

Verea was excited when she saw the sign pointing to the park.

We said, Whoa, prairie dogs are here! The ecosystem is not lost because they still have water and everything protected, she said as she gazed in awe at the little town.

Francisca, like Verea, was delightfully surprised with their discovery.

Just the whole idea of preserving the area its fantastic, she said.

Swing bySo Montanans, next time you find your-

self traveling on I-90 between Big Timber and Billings, swing by the park and walk around for a bit. Its furry creatures may be wary of the presence of humans, but this natural park is a sight to behold and shouldnt be missed.

And if you stay still for long enough, youll see dozens of prairie dogs going about their daily chores.

Olivia Keith may be reached at news@bigtimberpioneer.net or (406) 932-5298.

July 2015 11

Left: A black-tailed prairie dog hesitates near its front door, its curiosity of visitors getting the best of it. This prairie dog species is prevalent in Montana and lives in larger communities called towns.Above: A group of prairie dogs poke their heads out of their burrow at the Grey-cliff Prairie Dog Town State Park, locat-ed 9 miles east of Big Timber.

Jenny Alexander, manager of the Cooney and Greycliff Prairie Dog Town state parks, does her routine cleanup at the prairie dog town. During the summer, an average of 1,200 people per month visit the park.

By Eleanor Guerrero Montana Best Times

DEAN Marty Flanagan surveyed his familys ranch house in Dean on a recent sunny afternoon. All the rooms as well as lawn and garage were filled with one of his passions: his collection of rocks and fossils.

Im a fourth-generation Montanan, Fla-nagan said proudly.

Flanagan, who lives on a ranch outside of Dean, a tiny community 30 miles southwest of Columbus, grew up by Trout Creek in Stillwater and at Lion Heart Ranch below the Boulder River. He went to school in Big Timber.

On his ranch, he follows old migration trails walked by early man and before that, by dinosaurs.

They used to come right down the front of the Rockies large dinosaurs traveling

up and down the east face, he said with a sweep of his hand over the land.

As he talks, you can feel the drama, as if the great beasts were making dust down the road.

Some of the people here were really ancient, he said, pointing to a high butte directly across from his front door.

He believes early indigenous people did vision quests there.

They found an old medicine bag up there and it had whales on it! he exclaimed.

Rocks, fossils and archaeological items are his passion.

He often visits his neighbors to see their finds and ask if they are willing to part with them. He has increased his collection this way, Flanagan explained, pointing to a huge mortar bowl in his living room. He doesnt know where it was collected, since the own-

er was no longer living. He can only won-der.

Each piece has a story, he said. Flanagan finds that the joy of discovery

only makes him more eager to see what is over the next ridge.

Tree manFlanagan also has another unique interest:

preserving the genetics of Champion trees. He is the western district representative

for the Champion Tree project and works in his spare time to find the oldest, largest trees of various species throughout Montana.

Im a champion and so are you! he smiled.

For his living, Flanagan digs up trees on his land and sells them to various nurseries and sites. It made him start thinking about how he could contribute more to the land.

July 2015 12

Rock starFossil hunter loves finding treasures on his land

MT Best Times photos by Eleanor GuerreroMarty Flanagan is pictured in front of a tiny part of his vast collection of fossils, rocks and artifacts on his ranch, recently. In the room through the door behind him, he shapes and polishes minerals and rocks.

I was sitting at home and saw this thing on TV about a guy in Michigan who worked to preserve the genetics of the oldest, biggest trees, he said, and he knew that was what he wanted to do.

The nonprofit Champion Tree project was founded by David Milarch and his son Jared, who are shade tree nurserymen based in Copemish, Michigan. In 1996, they set out to clone and create a genetic archive of each of the nations largest trees, which includes some 850 different species.

The archive has grown into a national interest with records kept by American Forests. American Forests is the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country, celebrating its 75th anni-versary this year. Flanagan said there are also international records.

The largest of each states tree species is known as a champion. Largeness is determined by a point system using a formula that includes the trees circumference, height and crown spread. The trees measured are often hundreds of years old.

Flanagan is a one-man show in Montana, running around from county to county, looking for the widest, oldest and hardiest trees from which to take samples cuttings and seeds to save their genetics.

For the next step, Flanagan brings samples to the federal Plant Materials Center in Bridger. There, they start the growth of these potential giants, carefully nurturing them into little saplings their first

crucial nine to 12 weeks. From Bridger, the plants are picked up and taken to the Special K

Ranch in Stillwater County, where they are grown for up to two years until they are ready for transplant. At that point, Flanagan takes the trees for delivery all over the region, where they can be nurtured into the next generations giants.

I feel that gives me a legacy in the future, he said, thinking of his children.

Flanagan said he welcomes help finding Champion trees.

SurvivorFossils and Champion trees keep Flanagan occupied. He said he is

17 years sober and a cancer survivor. He has seen his demons and survived.

I have to keep busy, he resolved. He said the urge to drink mys-teriously left him.

I could see all the hurt and pain going with it, he said. All of a sudden, I got sick and scared.

He was helped by one kind woman. I knew 20 years before I had to stop drinking but it wasnt until

then I simply did it, Flanagan said.His first year sober, he whittled sticks constantly. It kept me out of the bars, he said.

Rock manFlanagan replaced his desire for alcohol with his passions for trees

and rocks. He strides the ground around his ranch, always on the lookout for special rocks and other finds.

It started when I was 3, he said. A sheepherder from the moun-tains gave my mother a fossil. She was so delighted; I knew that I wanted to do that for her as well.

Flanagan collects whatever strikes his interest: ancient mortars and pestles, fire holes in rocks, fossils, obsidian rocks and blades, color-ful minerals, various agates and cherts. Chert is a fine-grained, silica-rich microcrystalline quartz, a sedimentary rock that often contains small fossils.

Flanagan makes the agates into beautiful pendants. I sell some of them, but Im not really set up to do it on a big

scale yet, he said, looking at his vast collection. The rocks and minerals spiral out all over the lawn and up and

around yard features. He hopes one day to have them all ready to go.

In the meantime, he collects and he polishes. He runs strictly on intuition.

Sometimes, I get a feeling to search an area, he said. Recently, he found a huge rock set inside an ancient circle of a for-

mer dwelling or ritual site. There were markings showing that the circle of poles or posts existed.

Who were these people? he wonders. He tries to imagine how they lived, what they worshiped, what

drove them to place that particular rock in that particular place. Like the first archaeologists, he is driven by pure curiosity and spirit to meld with these ancestors on his land.

Flanagans love for his vocations is tangible. His eyes are always scanning his land for interesting rocks and investigating new regions for old trees. It is in his search that he has found himself.

To reach Flanagan about Champion Trees, call him at (406) 328-7733.

Eleanor Guerrero may be reached at sports@carboncountynews.com or (406) 446-2222.

July 2015 13

Above: Colorful flints show off their glassy splendor.Below: Flanagan points to holes in some of the rocks hes found. He ponders the reason why a couple of other rocks in the photo were worked with incisions.

July 2015 14

BoomerU :

Senior sailors complete 26,000-mile odyssey

Photo courtesy Charlie and Cathy Simon/TNS

Spokane, Washington, residents Charlie and Cathy Simon com

pleted their 14-month, 26,000-mile circumnavigation of the

globe on their sailboat, Celebrate, when they arrived April 11 i

n Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia, West Indies.

So thats what the retired Spokane couple did. They named their semi-custom ocean-going Taswell 58 sail-boat Celebrate and headed out in January 2014 on a 15-month, 26,000-mile journey that took them to five continents, 16 countries and across three major oceans and many seas.

Before the big bon voyage, the Simons threw a birthday party in St. Lucia, attended by a few Spokane

friends and the other sailors who were also participating in the World Cruising Club World ARC 2014-15 Rally.

These are mega memories weve had, said Cathy Simon in a recent cellphone call from aboard Celebrate near the British Virgin Islands. It was just a grand adventure. Youve got to put those adventures in life.

The Simons were the oldest sailors

By Erica Curless The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)/ TNS

SPOKANE, Wash., Charlie and Cathy Simon completed their global circumnavigation April 11 when they arrived in Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia, West Indies.

Charlie Simon couldnt imagine a better way to turn 60 than to sail around the world with his wife.

Boomer Adventure:

in the group of 40 boats that started out together. Only 18 boats completed the full circumnavigation in April, which isnt rare as sailors decide to stay longer in one des-tination or opt for a shorter route. Many people take years to do the world circum-navigation. The Simons did it quickly all on their own with no hired crew or cap-tain, only an occasional deckhand when friends would come aboard for a leg or two and help. The couple joked that at their age, they dont have the luxury of endless time.

The World Cruising Clubs first ocean crossing rally was in 1986. Today, accord-ing to its website, more than 450 boats and 1,200 people attend one of its nine rallies each year, ranging from the round-the-world adventures to social cruises and island hopping.

Charlie Simons love for sailing is genetic. His father taught him to sail at age 5. His great-grandfather was a shipper. Cathy Simon began sailing when she met Charlie. They married 36 years ago when they were both working in the San Fran-cisco Bay area. Charlie Simon co-founded three technology companies and Cathy Simon worked in banking. Their main sailing club remains in San Francisco.

Although Charlie Simon is known as the passionate sailor, it was Cathys idea to do the circumnavigation. Why not? The cou-ple bought a new boat for their 25th anni-versary and sailed to Alaska. Then they sailed the Pacific Coast to Mexico and then through the Panama Canal and to the East Coast. Following summer around the globe on the warm trade winds didnt seem impossible or even all that difficult especially if they had support from the World Cruising Club, which sets up the routes, plans port parties, and tracks all the ships and keeps in communication in case of an emergency or breakdown. During the previous rally, a boat was lost in the Indian Ocean but the crew survived.

Its like any sport, Cathy Simon said. You want to reach the epitome of it.

Running a sailboat is a 24-hour a day job. The Simons take 6-hour watches and utilize an electronic Watch Command-er a small device that alerts the on-duty captain every 15 minutes to do checks inside and outside the boat, including checking the gauges and navi-gation system to scanning the horizon for other boats. A majority of smaller fishing boats dont have automatic identification systems that would show up on the elec-tronic screens. Another big duty is listen-

ing for noises.Almost everything that goes wrong has

a sound that goes with it, Charlie Simon said, adding that even a slight wind change will cause the sail to flutter in a different way.

If the watch commander isnt reset, an alarm sounds throughout the whole boat to alert others that the captain may be asleep or having trouble.

On a sailboat, things break all the time, Simon said. Its just routine, noth-ing extraordinary.

Every boat carries spare parts and also has a water maker to convert salty sea water into drinking water.

Besides the 6-hour shifts, the Simons also split duties. He does the cooking and the mechanical work and she cleans. Yet Cathy Simon is an educated sailor, com-pleting a captains course before the trip to learn all the mechanics, from changing the oil to working the sail and monitoring the systems.

While sailing, the Simons have a strict

July 2015 15

Photo courtesy Charlie Simon/TNSThe Simons sailboat, Celebrate, is pictured at anchor in Fiji.

July 2015 16

no-alcohol policy because they have to be fully functioning at all times. The parties at the ports along the way always include cocktails, good food and dancing.

High seas adventureWe had a rolly night, with winds

behind pushing us down seas of 2-4 meters, the Simons posted to the rallys log blog on Jan. 16, 2014, the sixth day of their trip.

After the trips first leg, a nine-day, 1,110-mile passage from St. Lucia to Lem-on Cays in Panama, the Simons reflected in the log on the highlights: the sendoff with their friends, the snapping of their whisker pole at the mast fitting that launched the 12-foot pole across the deck, and the day a flying fish landed on the deck with a flapping thump.

Beautiful full moon during the passage, so bright and clear you could almost read, read one log entry, followed by, After the moon set, the sky was so dark that the stars were unbelievable. Cathy was first to identify Orion.

Although the Simons love sailing, they also enjoyed reaching land and taking a break anything from a few days to nearly a month depending on the weather and hurricane predictions. Charlie Simons

favorite stop was Vanuatu, where he walked to the Mount Yasur Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. You can walk up as close as you can, he said. Its really interesting to see the pow-er of the Earth.

In March, about eight months after the Simons visit, Cyclone Pam devastated the South Pacific Island nation.

Cathy Simon was surprised by Cape Town, South Africa, which was cosmopol-itan and rich with shopping opportunities and wineries.

After completing their voyage April 11 when docking at Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia, the Simons attended a large finale party with the other rally sailors who com-pleted the trip.

One of the couples final logs on March 26 read, A huge pod of Dolphins with babies jumping all around the boat stayed with us for quite a while. It was so enter-taining.

What lies aheadThe couple is sailing back to the United

States, to port in the Chesapeake Bay. They will spend the summer on the East Coast and then spend December in Spo-kane before wintering in Mexico. For now, the Simons havent figured out their next

adventure. Charlie Simon is excited to do several speaking engagements about their journey.

Always interested in philanthropy they were recipients of the City of Spokanes Individual Benefactor Award in 2010 the Simons said their world trip provided them with a global connection and perspective.

We have to help our next door neigh-bors, Charlie Simon said, adding that they, along with the World Cruising Club, donat-ed to the people of Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam. Our neighbors are the world. Were just one big neighborhood. Its easier to see that now from our vantage.

Photo courtesy Charlie Simon/TNSPictured is the Simons world route as captured by their satellite tracking system.

To read the Simons daily

logs from their voyage

aboard Celebrate, go to www.

worldcruising.com/

dailylogs.aspx#

To learn more about the

World Cruising Club, go to

www.worldcruising.com

July 2015 17

The summers best movies for

By Bill Newcott AARP Media/TNS

Summer will always be the season for kid-centric films but theres still room at the multiplex for grownup movies. Whats more, even some of this years biggest blockbusters offer surprising treats for adults in the audience.

Here are the movies were most looking forward to through Labor Day.

June 5: Love & MercyA feel-good playlist of Beach Boys clas-

sics contrasts with the dark story of the bands troubled songwriter Brian Wilson. Paul Dano is uncanny as the young Brian; as older Brian, under the control of a parasitical therapist (Paul Giamatti), John Cusack is heartbreakingly childlike.

June 12: Jurassic WorldAnyone who was at the movies in 1993

will remember Jurassic Parks rocky start, what with the carnivores chomping down on the staff and all. But now, 22 years later, the park is up and running just great. What could go wrong? Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Judy Greer are about to find out.

June 19: Inside OutWith films like Up and Wall-E, Dis-

ney/Pixar has proven time and again just how grownup animated films can be. A young girl is at the center of Inside Out, but the main characters are her emotions: A squabbling team inside her brain who help get her through daily life: Joy (Amy Poe-hler), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Anger (Lewis Black, natch).

June 19: Infinitely Polar Bear

Mark Ruffalo draws tears and laughter as a manic-depressive dad whos convinced he can win back his wife (Zoe Saldana) if only

he can prove hes capable of caring for their two daughters.

June 26: Big GameWould-be assassins have brought down

Air Force One, forcing the president to fend off murderous villains in an Arctic wilder-ness. Of course, Samuel L. Jackson plays the prez, so were pretty much feeling sorry for the bad guys.

July 1: Terminator: GenisysWhen Arnold Schwarzenegger said Ill

be back! in The Terminator more than 30 years ago, we really didnt think he meant now. But here he is doing battle not only with a new batch of bad guys but also with his own 1984 clone, sweet clone.

July 10: What We Did on Our Holiday

A loving dad (the always wonderful Billy Connolly) copes with the crumbling mar-riage of his son (David Tennant) and his wife (Rosamund Pike, who still has us creeped out by the psycho she played in Gone Girl).

July 10: Self/LessDying New York real estate mogul Ben

Kingsley has his consciousness transferred into the body of a young man (Ryan Reyn-olds). But is there enough room in there for the two of them? From visionary director Tarsem Singh (The Fall and Mirror Mir-ror).

grownups

Photo courtesy Sundance Institute/TNSRobert Redford and Nick Nolte in A Walk in the Woods.

July 17: Mr. HolmesA favorite at the Movies for Grownups

Film Festival in Miami, this imaginative mystery stars Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes, long retired to a rural British vil-lage. He remains haunted by one unsolved mystery, and with the help of the young son of his housekeeper (Laura Linney), Holmes summons every remaining fragment of his once peerless mind to crack it.

July 24: Irrational ManWoody Allen is notoriously tight-lipped

about his upcoming films. Heres all we know from the studio: A tormented philos-ophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) finds a will to live when he commits an existential act. Were also told its a mystery. And with Emma Stone and Parker Posey along, were totally sold.

July 24: PixelsOur kids may have mastered their ultra-

realistic video games but when Earth is attacked by highly pixilated 1970s arcade characters including Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, only a crack team of old-school gam-ers (Peter Dinklage, Adam Sandler and Josh Gad) can save us. Directed by Chris Colum-bus (Home Alone, The Goonies).

July 29: VacationRusty Griswold (Ed Helms) decides to

succeed where his father, Clark, failed more than 30 years ago (in 1983s National Lampoons Vacation) and take a fun family trip to Walley World. Chevy Chase and Beverly DAngelo return as Clark and Ellen, and Leslie Mann (This Is 40) plays Rustys sister, Audrey. We really, really

want this to be funny.

July 31: Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

We could always rest easy that Tom Cruises Impossible Mission Force (IMF) was on our side but what if there was another IMF that was just as effective but made up of bad guys? Tom Terrific and his team (Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson) go head-to-head with their worst nightmare.

Aug. 7: Ricki and the FlashMeryl Streep stars as a veteran rocker

who realizes too late that she should have paid less attention to sex, drugs and rock n roll, and more to her all-but-abandoned children (one of whom is played by her real-life daughter Mamie Gummer). Rick Springfield costars as Streeps main squeeze.

Aug. 14: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Guy Ritchies reboot of the 1960s TV show is set smack in the middle of the series original setting: Cold War America. As new versions of Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Ham-mer) venture out to defeat a shadowy inter-national nuclear conspiracy, is it too much to ask for cameos from Robert Vaughn and David McCallum?

Aug. 14: Straight Outta Compton

The emergence of N.W.A. as pioneers of

1980s West Coast hip-hop gets big-screen treatment, with Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, OShea Jackson Jr. as Ice Cube and Aldis Hodge as MC Ren. Paul Giamatti plays Jer-ry Heller, the record producer who made the guys mainstream.

Aug. 21: Learning to DriveIn this grownup romance, Patricia Clark-

son stars as a Manhattan woman who, with her marriage on the rocks, decides to take driving lessons. She finds herself behind the wheel and next to a Sikh driving instructor (Ben Kingsley) whos about to enter an arranged marriage with a woman he has never met.

Sept. 2: A Walk in the WoodsThe screen version of Bill Brysons best-

selling memoir follows the author (Robert Redford) as he sets out to hike the Appala-chian Trail with one of his oldest friends (Nick Nolte). Unfortunately, Brysons hard-drinking, overweight buddy is anything but fit for the journey.

July 2015 18

Photo courtesy of Focus Features/TNSRyan Reynolds stars in Self/Less.

Above left: Meryl Streep stars as Ricki in Ricki and the Flash. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment/TNSAbove right: Michelle Monaghan, Adam Sandler, Josh Gad and Peter Dinklage in Pixels. Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures/TNS

July 2015 19

Custer & Rosebud counties- American Legion: Will need volunteer

ticket takers this summer.- Clinic Ambassador: Need volunteer to

greet patients and visitors, providing direc-tions and more, two locations.- Custer County Food Bank: Volunteer

assistants needed for 8 a.m-1:30 p.m., Mon-days, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, to process donations, stock shelves and more.- Custer County Sheriff Department: Will

be fingerprinting on Tuesday and Thursdays 3-5 p.m., summer only. - 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 need-

ed at front desk.- MCC: Popcorn maker starting in Septem-

ber 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 catalog-ing the art collection, one to assist with his-toric research of the permanent art collec-tion, and a volunteer to assist in summer kids classes.If you are interested in these or other volun-

teer 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 Tues-days. 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 & Judith Basin counties- Art Center: In need of volunteers on Sat-

urdays.- Community Cupboard (Food Bank): Vol-

unteers are needed to help any week morn-ings as well as with deliveries.- Council on Aging: Volunteers needed to

assist at the Senior Center (Grubstakes) and with home delivered meals and senior trans-portation. - Library: Volunteer help always appreciat-

ed. - 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 volun-

teers 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 con-tribution to the community is greatly appre-ciated!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 ambas-sador needed to welcome, greet, thank and provide overview for blood donors; and phone team volunteers needed to remind, recruit or thank blood donors. Excellent cus-tomer 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 2-3 hour shifts on any day, MondaySaturday 9:30 a.m.6 p.m.- Bozeman Deaconess Hospital: Volunteers

needed for the information desks in the Atri-um and the Perk, 8 a.m.-noon, 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 needed Mon-day-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 read-ing to a resident.- Gallatin Valley Food Bank: Volunteers

needed to deliver commodities to seniors in their homes once a month. Deliveries in Bel-grade are especially needed.- HRDC Housing Department Ready to

Rent: Curriculum for families and individu-als who have rental barriers such as lack of poor rental history, property upkeep, renter responsibilities, landlord/tenant communica-tion and financial priorities. - Habitat for Humanity Restore: Belgrade

store needs volunteers for general help, sort-ing donations and assisting customers.- Heart of The Valley: Compassionate vol-

unteers especially needed to love, play with and cuddle cats.- Help Center: Computer literate volunteer

interested in entering data into a social ser-vices database. Also volunteers needed to make phone calls to different agencies/pro-grams 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, Thurs-days, 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 oppor-

tunities 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 Sept. 13. Donated yarn needed for the quilting, knitting and crocheting projects.- Three Forks Food Bank: Volunteer needed

on Mondays and/or Thursdays to help with administrative duties, including answer phones and questions, some paper and com-puter work. They will train.- Your unique skills and interests are need-

ed, without making a long-term commit-ment, in a variety of ongoing, special, one-time events.Contact: Debi Casagranda, RSVP Pro-

gram Coordinator, 807 N. Tracy, Bozeman, MT 59715; phone (406) 587-5444; fax (406) 582 8499; email: dcasagranda@thehrdc.org

See RSVP, Page 20

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 1-800-942-2677 or log on to www. seniorcorps.org.

RSVP

Musselshell, Golden Valley & Petroleum counties - 4-H Fair: Volunteers needed to monitor indoor exhibits in the 4-H

building during the annual 4-H fair July 24th and 25th.- Drama Camp: Volunteers needed to assist in all aspects of produc-

ing a play for grades 1-12. - Food Bank: Distribute food commodities to seniors and others in

the community; help unload the truck as needed. - Meals on Wheels Program: Deliver meals to the housebound in

the community, just one day a week, an hour and a half, meal provid-ed.- MVH Museum: Volunteers needed to in many capacities such as

guides, maintenance, yard work, historic preservation, board meet-ings, record keeping and fundraising.- Nursing Home: Piano players and singers needed on Fridays to

entertain residents, also assistant 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 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) 323-1403; 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. - 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 Depot: Needs volunteers with people skills as museum

greeter and gift shop attendant with basic math skills through Sep-tember 13. Training is provided and schedules are flexible. - Livingston Downtown Builders Association: Needs drivers able to

drive a double clutch vehicle, and tour guides for the Yellow Bus Tours this summer, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 1and 2 p.m., training provided. - Loaves and Fishes: Volunteers needed to prepare meals. - Main Streeter Thrift Store: Someone who enjoys working with

the public, 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, including mailings and fund-

raising 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 pre-natal classes, and baby hats and afghans for the hospital newborns; Thursdays, 1-2 p.m. at the Senior Center.- Senior Center: Need volunteers, Tuesdays, 1 p.m., to cut unsold

clothing into rags to be sold for proceeds to the center. - Stafford Animal Shelter: Kindhearted volunteers needed to social-

ize 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., Liv-

ingston, MT 59047; phone (406) 222-2281; email: debdowns@rsvp-mt.org

July 2015 20

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Utah school creates texting lane SALT LAKE CITY (AP) One Utah university is giving stu-

dents glued to their cellphones a place to call their own: a desig-nated lane for texting while walking.

Utah Valley University spokeswoman Melinda Colton said the bright green lane painted on the stairs to the gym was intended as a lighthearted way to brighten up the space and get students attention.

And it worked, as a picture posted online created widespread buzz on social media this week.

Twenty-two-year-old student Chelsea Meza says the idea touches on a cultural reality in an age of ubiquitous cellphones. She says some texting students have used it.

Nearly mile-long pie in Milan ROME (AP) The wait was on the long side for the pizza --

18 hours but this was an extraordinary pie: 1.59545 kilome-ters, or nearly a mile long.

More than 60 of Italys best pizza-makers worked through the night to create the pizza at Milans world fair, Expo 2015. Their toil was rewarded with a proclamation by Guinness World Records judge June 20 that it was the worlds longest pizza. Expo organizers said the record-setting pie, made with 1.5 tons of moz-zarella and 2 tons of tomato sauce, weighed some 5 tons in all.

The creation topped the record of a 1.1415-kilometer-long piz-za made in Spain.

Fair-goers could eat slices of the Milan pizza for free.

News Lite

Wednesday, July 1 The Abba Show, 8 p.m., Alberta Bair Theater, Billings Livingston Roundups free slack rodeo, 3 p.m., Livingston Farmers Market, 4:30-7:30 p.m., Wednesdays through July 29, Miles Park, Livingston

Thursday, July 2 Music on Main, Thursdays through August 13, Bozeman Northern Cheyenne 4th of July PowWow, through July 5, Lame Deer 28th Annual Depot Festival of the Arts, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., through July 4, Rotary Park, Livingston Roundup Rodeo Parade, 2 p.m., downtown Livingston Roundup Rodeo, through July 4, Park County Rodeo Grounds, Livingston Home of Champions Rodeo and Parade, through July 4, Red Lodge Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park Interpretive Programs, Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m., through September 5, Whitehall

Friday, July 3 Fourth of July Celebration, through July 4, Laurel Monty Pythons Spamalot, weekends through July 12, Shane Center, Livingston Farmers Market, Fridays through September 25, Red Lodge Roundup Independence Days Extravaganza, through July 5, Roundup The Brewery Follies, weekends through August 30, Virginia City Living History Weekends, through July 26, Virginia City

Saturday, July 4 Farmers Market, Saturdays through October 10, Glendive Parade-VFW Trailer for Veterans up front, Glendive Bump-n-Run, Fairgrounds, Glendive Custer County Historic Preservation Commissioned Mural Dedication, Riverside Park, Miles City NiedgeFest, 4 p.m.-midnight, Riverside Park, Miles City Peoples parade, 11 a.m., Celebration with live music, vendors, barbecue, Riverside Park, Miles City VFW Fireworks Display, dusk, Natural Oasis Beach, Miles City

Nevada City Living History Weekends, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., through September 27, Lantern Tours start at 9:30 p.m., Nevada City

Sunday, July 5 St. Timothys Summer Music Festival, 4 p.m., Sundays through August 23, Georgetown Lake, Philipsburg

Tuesday, July 7 Farmers Market, Tuesdays through September 22, Bogert Park, Bozeman

Friday, July 10 The Montana Folk Festival, through July 12, music starts at 6 p.m. Friday, Butte Yellowstone River Boat Float, through July 12, Livingston to Laurel

Wednesday, July 15 Gallatin County Fair, through July 19, Gallatin County Fairgrounds, Bozeman

Thursday, July 16 Rosebud-Treasure County Fair, through July 19, Forsyth Independent Press 100 Celebration, Forsyth

Friday, July 17 All About the Farm and Ranch Fine Art Show, 5-7 p.m., Two Rivers Gallery, Big Timber Summerfest Along the Yellowstone, through July 19, Sacajawea Park, Livingston

Saturday, July 18 Bannack Days, through July 19, events begin at 7 a.m., Bannack Sunset over the Yellowstone Bell Street Dinner, 6 p.m. social hour, 7 p.m. gourmet dinner, Glendive

Wednesday, July 22 Central Montana Horse Show, Fair and Rodeo, through July 25, Lewistown

Thursday, July 23 Evel Knievel Days, through July 25, all day events, Butte Red Ants Pants Music Festival, through July 26, White Sulphur Springs

Friday, July 24 Diamond Rio and Restless Heart, Lewistown Livingston Art Walk, downtown, Livingston Cruisen Red Lodge Car and Bike Show, through July 26, Red Lodge

Saturday, July 25 Professional Bull Riders, Park County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena, Livingston

Wednesday, July 29 Park County Fair, through August 1, Park County Fairgrounds, Livingston

Friday, July 31 Fiddlers Picnic, through August 2, Livingston Pig Wrestling Contest, Park County Fairgrounds, Livingston MaltFest with concert and Street Dance, Main Street, Miles City Smoking Waters Mountain Man Rendezvous, through August 9, West Yellowstone

July 2015 21

July Calendar2015

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Q. What would the world be like without any chickens all 22 billion (22,000,000,000) of them?

A. Chickenless, we humans would face a starving world, says molecular biologist Olivier Hanotte, as reported to Andrew Lawler in New Scientist magazine. Close to one-third of the worlds meat supply and nearly all of its eggs would vanish, Lawler adds. The chicken-human bond is ancient, forming roughly 3,000 years ago in the Pacific islands. To the ancient Greeks, the bird was sacred to their god of healing, and today chickens have become staggeringly abundant, outnumbering all the pigs and cows on the planet combined. There are now about three chickens for every person on the planet. Humans gobble about 100,000,000 tonnes of chicken meat and over 1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) eggs annually. On a single day this year, Superbowl Sunday, Americans ate an estimated 1.25 billion chicken wings.

Much of this is relatively recent: In 1950, Americans ate twice as much red meat as chicken; today, these numbers are reversed. This change is not necessarily a bad thing actually, the chicken is a sort of environmental hero. Beef, which makes up about a quarter of the meat eaten in the U.S., would be a disastrous replacement. Kilogram for kilogram, we would need to find over 1,000 percent more land for beef than is used to produce chickens.

Q. Are you old enough to remember the Rubik cube, that aggravatingly difficult puzzle of variable-colored moving cubes. You math lovers might wonder, when you play with it, how many different color arrangements are there?

A. In 1974, Hungarian professor Erno Rubik invented the puzzle, which consists of a large cube, divided into 27 smaller

cubes, or cubies, each one-third the size, says Ian Stewart in Professor Stewarts Incredible Numbers. When you rotate the faces of the cube as allowed, the number of permissible color arrangements becomes truly enormous: 43,252,003,274,489,856,000!

If each of the 7 billion people in the entire human race could obtain one arrangement every second, it would take about 200 years to run through them all.

Dont even ask how to figure the number, since it involves 8! (thats 8 factorial, or 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1) times 3 to the 8th power. Incredible numbers indeed, Professor Stewart!

Q. If we humans embark on an interplanetary voyage to Mars by 2050, as is currently hoped, what things might be in store for the astronauts?

A. After completing a five-month stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Thomas Marshburn had this to say, Going into outer space is the most dramatic thing that can happen to your body other than being born, reports Bruce Bower in Science News magazine. The flight to Mars will require teamwork extreme teamwork with the half-dozen or so crew members needing to work together to cope with the constant noise and activity in an artificial environment devoid of natural light, where sleep can easily be disrupted.

Feelings of isolation can also be a major difficulty, as the astronauts will be out of computer contact with family members, but virtual families might come to the rescue: NASA researchers are working to develop head gear that will place crew members in virtual, 3D re-creations of their family homes, where they will visit simulated versions of their spouses, children and other loved ones.

Yet space travel has a striking transcendent upside. After spending four

months on MIR in 1997, US astronaut Jerry Linenger in his book Off the Planet described returning home with increased self confidence, greater appreciation of lifes pleasures and a newfound sense of Earth and its human inhabitants as a unified entity. Other returned US and Russian astronauts expressed similar feelings, including a better grasp of Earths beauty. According to Vancouver psychologist Peter Suedfeld, they also reported a heightened concern for the collective interests of people around the world, world peace and a god that exists beyond specific religions.

Q. Cancers of the breast, prostate, lungs and colon take their tragic toll on humankind. But why dont we ever hear about heart cancer?

A. Because unlike cells in other organs that can divide uncontrollably to produce tumors, those of the heart dont split and multiply, reported Time magazine. Heart cells divide only during fetal development, and then around birth, the switch that controls whether they divide turns off and remains off. Predominantly muscle cells, they continue to expand as body size increases but they dont multiply.

So when it comes to cancer, the fact that heart cells dont divide is good news but on the down side, this means that after a heart attack, these tissues cannot regenerate.

Q. Why do we gesture as we talk?

A. Gestures not only help us transmit our thoughts to others but they help us formulate those thoughts, says psychologist David McNeill as reported by Arika Okrent in Mental Floss magazine. So profound are gestures that people use them even if theyve never seen them before: people who have been blind since birth do gesturing. And people gesture to someone on the phone even though the other person

July 2015 22

By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, Ph.D.Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com

chickens of the worldThank you,22 billion

on the phone cant see them do so. When speech is disrupted by stuttering for example--so is gesturing, Okrent adds.

When theres a mismatch between gestures and speech, it can be a valuable tipoff as to the underlying mental processes. For example, as psychologist Susan Goldin-Meadow discovered in her research, when children until about age 7 are given a tall glass and a shorter, wider one with the same amount of water, they think that the shorter glass contains less water. When asked to

explain their reasoning, some children will say, This one is short-er, while gesturing that the glass is wider ..., showing they sub-consciously grasp that both dimensions are important. Teachers who can spot these mismatches can tell when a student is ready to understand the relationship between height, width and volume.

Q. When the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued its new Brontosaurus stamp in 1989, it came under criticism from the Smithsonian Institute and others. What was the issue?

A. The Institute accused the USPS of favoring cartoon nomen-clature to scientific nomenclature in rejecting the correct name Apatosaurus (deceptive lizard)--dating back to the 1970s--for Brontosaurus (thunder lizard), says Michael Balter in Science magazine. Recently, paleontologist Emanuel Tschopp weighed in on the matter with his dinosaur-sized study, the most compre-hensive one to date of the family tree Diplodocidae, to which both of these monstrous beasts belong. In examining 80 skeletons and 477 skeletal features, Tschopp found that USPS got it right: these plant-eating dinos with their distinctive long necks and tails differed from Apatosaurus in at least a dozen key characters across the skeleton and possessed some features that Apatosau-rus lacked. His conclusion: These differences are enough for Brontosaurus to have its own name.

As paleobiologist Philip Mannion sums it up: Brontosaurus has a prominent place in the public imagination. It can only be a good thing that it is back with us... It shows that science develops through time and that its possible to change our minds, even about long-held views.

Across1 NASA program for aspiring explorers10 Subject of a 1964 Time article subtitled Pictures That Attack the Eye15 Crowded locale16 Nikon competitor17 Empty entirely18 Western formation19 Furniture wood20 Clergymans deg.22 Building __23 Peer Gynt widow24 Runner-up before RMN26 Short-tailed weasel28 Singer with the 2002 debut hit Complicated31 Dow 30 company34 Focus of many a botanical festival35 Ottoman bigwig36 Farm newborn37 When many retire38 Great

39 Hogwarts redhead40 1979 sci-fi classic41 Gibsons Lethal Weapon role42 Constitution nickname45 Sign of anxiety46 Allowance holder, perhaps47 Place to see sea monsters, once50 Quin __?51 Announcer Hall53 Dead Sea stronghold55 Pay57 Cepheus neighbor59 Floor in the Louvre60 Quiet break61 Corning creation62 Hog support?

Down1 1978 Toyota debut2 Looks closely3 Tots song starter4 Decorators target5 Lesotho, for instance

6 Comparatively still7 Exist8 Essence9 Like the ancient Olympic Games10 Blakes eye11 15th-century pope12 Drive on the way to Hollywood?13 Stinker, in more ways than one14 Old Testament

pronoun21 Backup site25 One whos easy to take27 NBA honor28 Tide alternative29 Tambur relatives30 Most spiders have eight31 High style32 Place to make a splash

33 Sichuan native37 Separate38 __ Honor40 Name from the Hebrew for lion41 Alters on a desktop, maybe43 2002 film with a mammoth co-star44 Table linen fabric47 Fanaticism48 Dress49 Cut off50 Short distance52 Square root of neun54 Recipe direction56 60s-70s soul singer Joe58 Ink __

Crossword

July 2015 23

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