Shining a Light in the Darkness

THURSDAYTHURSDAY lonepeaklookout.com SeptemberJuly 19, 2018 17, 2020 FREEFREE VolumeVolume 3, Issue1, Issue 40 33 BigBig Sky, Sky, LONELONE PEAKPEAK LOOKOUTLOOKOUT MontanaMontana Shining a light in Hot dog! Oscar Mayer Weinermobile the darkness visits Big Sky ANNUAL FUNDRAISING WALK SPREADS AWARENESS AND HOPE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION Steen and Russell Mitchell pictured in front of the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile when it visited Big Sky. The Wienermobile has a history dating back to 1936. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROL COLLINS By JANA BOUNDS As the aunt of 2019 hotdogger [email protected] Pam “Honey Baked Pam” Callanan, Collins got on arol Collins has the phone and rang Maggie some connections “Mustard Mags” Thomas, a to some big dogs – recent grad of Oscar Mayer Hot the folks behind a Dog High, and invited her to Bella McLain celebrated her 18th birthday by walking with her friend Gabriella Getz in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention “Out of the Cbig hot dog. Noting that recent Big Sky. Darkness” walk. PHOTO BY JANA BOUNDS news has been a bit of a soggy Before long, a 27-foot-long bun, she thought it might be hot dog started winding its way By JANA BOUNDS suicide rate 20% by 2025. dear family friend, so I came They walk in solidarity, in nice to invite the Oscar Mayer south on Highway 191. Mustard [email protected] According to the AFSP to walk with all of his family. I community, in support. It is Wienermobile to visit Big Sky Mags said that part of the website, each year, suicide came to walk for him last year, important to show up for all as a break from the pandemic, coursework at Hot Dog High is ella McLain joined claims more lives than war, too,” Getz said. those impacted, they said. politics and fires. her friend Gabriella murder, and natural disasters McLain believes there are Scott Hamburg will be WEINERMOBILE | A2 Getz and celebrated combined. However, suicide misconceptions around mental donating money to the her 18th birthday by prevention doesn't receive illness in general. organization and walking to lacing-upB her tennis shoes and anywhere near the funding as honor his beloved nephew. walking with around 150 people “We are trying to normalize other leading causes of death. getting help and normalize that Five years ago his nephew as part of the “Out of the dropped him off at Bozeman Lost without Darkness” Bozeman experience McLain and Getz have this does affect a lot of people both lost people they care – especially in Montana,” Getz International Airport and died with the American Foundation the next day. The two were for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). about and already have a said, referring to Montana’s thorough understanding of dire distinction of being ranked incredibly close, so the loss translation The group donned brightly the complexities of suicide third in the nation for the haunts him. The guilt has thus colored beads, and left hand far been unshakable. painted rocks with messages of - including societal stigmas highest suicide rate. “I think Lack of Spanish information hope around Bozeman. Teams around mental health. once we are okay with that I “Awareness is the biggest thing and individuals are fundraising “I’m here for a man named think we can help prevent it – if people were aware of how hurts Latino community to assist the organization’s bold James who passed away last year more and make sure people prevalent it actually is and how goal to reduce the national due to suicide. He was a really know it is a big deal and we people feel about themselves, we By SAMANTHA SUAZO Latino population is growing should be talking about it.” would be in much better shape,” by 50% in Montana and De ranza De La Torre La Torre says businesses SUICIDE | A2 arrived in Big Sky and government services four years ago would do well to have more completely unable bilingual staff. “I would 100% Carbon County, Ato speak English. Google recommend that all businesses Translate and her English- here at Big Sky have someone speaking husband were De bilingual because we are a aiming to be age- La Torre’s only methods community that is growing friendly, aligns with of communication. Until every day.” recently, she worked at the Professor Bridget Kavane, Big Sky Post Office where she who teaches Latino Studies at national network was able to provide translation Montana State University, says Montana is the oldest state west of the Mississippi, and for others. “I interacted with the inability to communicate demographic projections show the state growing collectively Initiative works to increase mobility Spanish speaking people at impacts all aspects of Latino older as more Montanans enter their senior years. The my job daily. I saw at least life. “Sometimes Latinos don't economic, cultural, and personal impacts of that trend and decrease social isolation three to four people who came know about the access they present the state and its residents with new challenges and, speaking Spanish here every can get to hospital services with those challenges, opportunities. By JULIANA SUKUT, dation program director, said. day,” she said. and dental care even without Graying Pains is a series of weekly stories and Billings Gazette Carbon County has been De La Torre says the lack health insurance,” Kavane said. broadcasts exploring those challenges and opportunities working to increase mobility of information in Spanish She said that CHP Community in communities statewide. By investigating how other arbon County is for senior citizens and decrease hurts the ability of Latinos Health Partners in Bozeman mostly rural. Coupled communities have responded to the issues raised by aging, social isolation after it joined a to integrate with and has Spanish speaking staff and with its older popula- Graying Pains hopes to point the way toward policies nationwide age-friendly initia- navigate through the Big Sky are ready to offer guidance. and innovations that can help Montana, and Montanans, tion, and considering tive. Cthe current pandemic, social community. “Even though “You can go there, and you improve with age. isolation worries Therese Picas- The county is one of two local- there are many Latinos will be served; they have done The series is produced by the Montana Fourth Estate so-Edwards. ities in Montana working with here, many times we are not a tremendous job making sure Project, a collaboration among 13 Montana newsrooms and AARP’s Age-Friendly Network, included because of that that the Latino community "[Seniors] just didn't feel that the University of Montana School of Journalism coordinated a network of more than 450 language barrier that we feels welcome. They help with they are in the county-wide communities in the U.S. that by Montana Free Press under the auspices of the Montana have,” Pew Research says the vaccines, dental care, and loop," Picasso-Edwards, the Red have pledged to improve policy Newspaper Association and the Solutions Journalism Lodge Area Community Foun- Network. See montanafourthestate.org for the collected GREYING PAINS | A6 TRANSLatION | A3 Graying Pains stories and more information. LONE PEAK LOOKOUT A2 September 17, 2020 SUICIDE from A1 he said. “It perplexes me that no light. [It was a] wonderful mental illness is such a taboo day remembering those we still, that people don’t want to know and those we didn’t, that delve into it. You get a cold, you touched so many people,” she go get a Zpack, when you have wrote on Facebook. mental illness who do you reach The walk is usually done as a out Bigto? Sky,The awareness should be huge group – winding through on Montanaus – to see the signs, which town – in an act of solidarity LONELONE PEAK PEAK LOOKOUT LOOKOUT I missed. I’m still dealing with and a message of hope for those that.” who are hurting. COVID–19 Such is the complex nature changed things this year. The of suicide – the myriad one big walk could not happen Established in 1982 causes, the warning signs – groups were more focused. BIG SKY, MONTANA that go unnoticed, the tough Smaller journeys were taken by conversations that need to family and friend groups, but Editor: Cori Koenig happen and sometimes do not. love still radiated. The endless what-ifs for people “More people should come Publishers: Susanne Hill & Erin Leonard left to mourn. out next year. Don’t feel scared Each rock represented one of the 239 people who died in Montana by suicide in 2019. Each color represents the age group. Walkers left the rocks on trails Advertising/Sales Rep.: Susanne Hill • 406.596.0661, Karen Macklin, who was about coming. It’s a really good part of the Big Sky contingent day and it’s really nice to see throughout Bozeman as signs of hope, encouragement and love. PHOTO BY JANA BOUNDS [email protected] participating in the walk, said the people and support them Erin Leonard • 406.570.0254, [email protected] she believes the community has and show them there are other lost about one person to suicide people who have been affected “Everyone battles demons, but “Hope is a lifeline, something Reporter: Jana Bounds, [email protected] per year for the last couple by this, too,” Getz said. to what extent we may never that each of us has the ability Staff Writer/Customer Service: Keely Larson of decades. A Big Sky local know. So, be kind and be willing to give someone who is Big Sky Chamber of to provide help and hope. Lend struggling,” she said. [email protected], 406.465.2937 tragically died recently.

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