Sept.30 - Oct.13, 2016 Volume 7 // Issue #20 Yellowstone fire season biggest since '88 Election 2016: Gubernatorial, presidential races heat up Big Sky educators explore farm to school options Bozeman solar project catches rays Plus: LPHS homecoming schedule #explorebigsky explorebigsky explorebigsky @explorebigsky ON THE COVER: The beautiful and fleeting autumn in Big Sky, as seen on Sept. 26. PHOTO BY KENE SPERRY TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1: News Sept. 30 – Oct. 13, 2016 Volume 7, Issue No. 20 Opinion.............................................................................4 Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana Local..................................................................................7 PUBLISHER Eric Ladd Election Coverage........................................................12 EDITORIAL Regional.........................................................................15 EDITOR / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MEDIA Joseph T. O’Connor Section 2: Environment, Sports, & Health SENIOR EDITOR/ Yellowstone fire season DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Environment..................................................................17 Tyler Allen Environment..................................................................17 biggest since '88 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amanda Eggert Sports.............................................................................19 CREATIVE Business profile...........................................................25 SENIOR DESIGNER Election 2016: Taylor-Ann Smith Health.............................................................................27 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Gubernatorial, presidential Carie Birkmeier Section 3: Inside Yellowstone, Outdoors, & Dining races heat up VIDEO DIRECTOR Wes Overvold Yellowstone....................................................................33 VIDEO EDITOR Ryan Weaver Outdoors..........................................................................35 SALES AND OPERATIONS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Dining..............................................................................43 Megan Paulson Fun....................................................................................47 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING E.J. Daws Section 4: Events & Entertainment.........................49 LPHS homecoming schedule EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Alexis Deaton MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Ersin Ozer MARKETING COORDINATOR Amy Delgrande OPENING SHOT DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Doug Hare CONTRIBUTORS Rich Addicks, Marianne Baumberger, Jill Bough, Matthew Brown, Alan Bublitz, Bella Butler, Pamela Caughey, Jackie Rainford Corcoran, Jeff Daniels, Megan Fenwick, Sarah Gianelli, Ruby Hernandez, Justin Howells, Glenniss Indreland, Jim Klug, Ted Kooser, Tyson Krinke, Derek Lennon, James MacPherson, Faith Malpeli, Scott Mechura, Anne Marie Mistretta, Brandon Niles, Nick Norwood, Colter Nuanez, Tara Silha, Kene Sperry, Patrick Straub, Katie Thomas, Matt Volz, Mark Wehrman, , Todd Wilkinson, Jessianne Wright, Ciara Wolfe, EDITORIAL POLICY Outlaw Partners, LLC is the sole owner of Explore Big Sky. EBS reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or its editors. EBS will not publish anything discriminatory or in bad taste. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters, and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to [email protected] ADVERTISING DEADLINE For the Oct. 14 issue: Oct. 5, 2016 Cedar Mountain is an easy mountain to spot but difficult to access. Tucked into Cedar’s massive terrain you’ll find the aquamarine Cedar Lake, an ideal spot for hiking, camping, fishing and exploring. 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Chamber board appoints Closure of Yellowstone River Advocates say hunts, interim CEO results in economic loss for slaughter threaten BIG SKY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Park County Yellowstone bison The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce board of UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA NEWS BY MATT VOLZ directors appointed chamber member and board ASSOCIATED PRESS director Britt Ide to serve as interim CEO during MISSOULA – The recent closure of the the chamber’s search for a new leader, following Yellowstone River due to a parasite outbreak HELENA (AP) – Wildlife advocacy groups are Kitty Clemens’ resignation. resulted in an economic loss to businesses in suing to force the U.S. government to study Park County of $360,000 to nearly $524,000, whether the hunting and slaughter of bison that A fifth generation Montanan, Ide has more than according to preliminary estimates from the wander outside of Yellowstone National Park 25 years of experience as an engineering, legal, Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at threaten the animal’s survival. business and nonprofit leader. As president the University of Montana. of Ide Energy & Strategy, Ide consults on policy, strategy and facilitation for businesses, Sections of the Yellowstone River were closed Buffalo Field Campaign, Western Watersheds government agencies and boards. on Aug. 19 by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Project and Friends of Animals filed the lawsuit Parks because of a parasite outbreak that killed against the Interior Department and the U.S. Fish Ide was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock to thousands of whitefish. and Wildlife Service on Sept. 26 in U.S. District Montana’s Clean Power Plan Advisory Council, Court in the District of Columbia. and also serves on the Infrastructure Advisory Closure of segments of the drainage to all water- Council for NorthWestern Energy. based activities directly impacted spending The groups are asking a judge to order federal behavior by visitors to counties affected by wildlife officials to study whether the Yellowstone Ide’s prior business experience includes the closure, thus reducing revenue to river- bison should be listed as a threatened or leadership positions at Boise Cascade Company, endangered species. They say the Yellowstone Albertsons Companies Inc., Healthwise Inc. dependent business such as outfitters and guides, fly shops, rafting companies, river shuttle bison population is too small, lacks genetic and Idaho Power Company. Her nonprofit board diversity and is confined within a small portion of service includes the Idaho Nonprofit Center and companies and myriad spin-off businesses in its historical range. the Responsible Business Initiative at Boise State lodging, food and beverage services, and area University. attractions. There are approximately 4,900 Yellowstone “I look forward to this interim role to lead the The estimated economic losses are the equivalent bison. Yellowstone officials have said culling the fabulous chamber staff during this time of of five to eight full-time jobs. population does not put the population at risk. transition with our many initiatives including transportation, workforce housing and tourism “We used nonresident visitor spending data based enhancement,” Ide said. “This is a welcome on previous surveys conducted by the Institute opportunity to dive into chamber operations for Tourism and Recreation Research for these Missoula to require to help me improve my continued board numbers,” said ITRR economist Jeremy Sage. service going forward. I’m passionate about our background checks for community and helping businesses thrive here.” The Upper Yellowstone River is the most fished private gun sales river drainage in Montana by residents and MISSOULA (AP) – A Montana city will soon require “We are delighted to have Britt step into this role nonresident visitors to the state, amassing more background checks for any private gun sales that occur to keep our operations vibrant, and to allow us to than 374,000 angler days in 2013 (the most recent within its borders. carefully select the next leader that will take the angling pressure data available from FWP), and chamber forward as our community continues its accounting for nearly 11 percent of all angler days The Missoula City Council voted 8-4 on Sept. 26 to dramatic growth,” said Board Chairman David in the state. O’Connor. require background checks for most private sales or trades within city limits. It makes exceptions for family transfers, hunting and emergency self-defense. Jackson Hole voters shoot down market-incentivized “Let’s the raise the bar for ourselves,” said Council- workforce housing ordinance woman Marilyn Marler, speaking to her fellow gun owners. If criminals get a gun, she said, “they won’t EBS STAFF Had the ordinance passed, a developer building get one from me.” 50,000 square feet of deed-restricted affordable Voters in Jackson on Sept. 20 voted against an housing would have been able to build 100,000 Missoula is the first city in Montana to require a back- ordinance that would