Great Falls Community Guide 2014 100 1st Ave. N. | Great Falls, MT 59401 406.761.4434 | greatfallschamber.org Table of Contents Welcome Community About the Chamber............................. 2 Churches........................................30-31 City overview....................................... 3 Groups, organizations...................34-35 Online resources .................................. 4 Media................................................. 36 Great Falls history.............................. 5-6 Map Living here Great Falls area .............................32-33 Residency requirements....................... 7 New resident essentials ....................... 8 Recreation Weather............................................... 9 Area recreation.............................37--41 Montana basics.................................. 10 City parks......................................42-43 Commerce State, national parks.....................44-45 Shopping............................................ 11 Spectator sports, leagues .............46-47 Dining out.....................................12-13 Kids groups ........................................ 48 Hotels................................................. 14 Rec centers, athletic clubs.................. 49 Economy Culture Agriculture......................................... 16 Cultural events..............................50-52 Employment ...................................... 17 Nightlife........................................53-54 County demographics ....................... 18 Museums.......................................55-57 Military............................................... 19 Education Business resources.........................20-21 Public, private schools, Government higher education...........................58-60 Contacts ........................................23-24 Transportation Health care Airport, buses, etc .............................61 Hospitals, clinics ...........................25-27 Senior care.......................................... 28 Major events McLaughlin Research Center............. 29 Calendar .......................................62-64 Copyright © 2014 by Great Falls Tribune. Published by the Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT. greatfallstribune.com. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced, stored or transitted in any form or by any means without written prior permission of the publisher. Lead editor: Amie Thompson Copy editor: Amber L. Beckner Cover & section designer: Scott Sanford COVER PHOTO: A long exposure records traffic moving along Central Avenue in downtown Great Falls, located on the banks of the Missouri River, is Montana’s third Great Falls. TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER largest city. TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER r Key to Comf You ort in Great Falls 1411 10th Ave. South Great Falls, MT 406.761.4600Phone 406.761.7603 800.442.4667USand Canada townhouseinngreatfalls.com MT-0000318766 greatfallschamber.org1 Welcome The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Passenger Depot built in 1915 by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, is part of the Great Falls skyline. TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Members are the Chamber’s Sue Warren, Chair Benefis Extended Care [email protected] Steve Grooms, 1st Vice Chair heart, soul and strength 1st Liberty Federal Credit Union [email protected] Our member businesses know and understand that development, community events and more – the Cara Piccono, 2nd Vice Chair PayneWest by pulling together and working toward Chamber is advocating for business needs. [email protected] common goals that benefit our business Watch for our new monthly newsletter Ross Norman, Treasurer community, we can and do make a from our Business Advocacy Committee Anderson ZurMuehlen difference. Our Chamber has been working that will highlight strategic discussion [email protected] for the Great Falls business community since with the city and county commission David Weissman, Past Chair 1886 – an amazing evolution of time in our meetings. This will help all of us stay Subs Inc. dba Subway community. abreast of the issues that may impact [email protected] As we embark on the opportunities for you, your business or industry. We will Erling Juel business in Great Falls in 2014, I want to continue this newsletter through the 2015 TD&H Engineering highlight some key accomplishments as legislative session so you have ready access [email protected] well as enhancements that will support our to important information at the state level. Pat Kons member businesses in the new year. Member business leaders and staff are Pacific Steel & Recycling Sue Warren [email protected] • Website: The new Chamber website will key volunteers on our board of directors, Chamber Board Chair Steve Malicott, President/CEO be unveiled early this year. Members have as committee chairs and members. These volunteers provide the leadership and Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce the opportunity to post coupons, job [email protected] opportunities and events. strategic direction for the Chamber. It is critically important to us that you know that the Great Falls CHAMBER STAFF: • Online training: At a very reasonable cost, member Area Chamber of Commerce is YOUR Chamber. The businesses can provide “in-house training” on multiple Percy Steve Malicott realized successes are a credit to the work of the members. President/CEO subjects from customer service to software application Member businesses know and understand that by pulling [email protected] training. This also tracks employee training progress together and working toward aligned strategies we Tom Alfrey and maintains records for training evaluation in other accomplish our goals for the business community. Vice President areas of interest. The Chamber does make a difference – and if there [email protected] • Tools for business success: Help your business address weren’t a Chamber, then certainly businesses would Roxy Perez regulatory requirements, develop and complete forms need to develop infrastructure for a common voice. The Office Manager for taxes and answer many questions for business first chambers of commerce were created in 1599. If [email protected] entrepreneurs. your business is not a Chamber member, I extend an Joann Gogo invitation to you to join. We have a great deal of business Membership Director • Committee access and advocacy: From core business [email protected] member support and advocacy on regulatory, diversity in our Chamber, and your input is value added moving into the future. Barb Carbis public policy and legislative concerns to economic Information Coordinator development, agriculture, tourism, downtown For more information on membership, please call [email protected] 761-4434. 2 Welcome greatfallschamber.org Regional hub benefits from diverse economy Great Falls’ economy is diverse, its sector in the area as construction State Fair. anchored by agriculture, medical, wrapped up in 2013 on a new The Great retail and military industries. The city powerhouse built at Rainbow Dam, Falls Voyagers is the medical hub of the region, with one of the five hydroelectric dams on play at Centene a major hospital and clinic, as well as the Missouri. Interest in oil and gas Stadium, home surgery centers and a pair of cancer development in northcentral Montana to the rookie- centers. has been sparked by high oil prices league baseball Great Falls also is a retail trade and the success developers have had team affiliated center that serves thousands of square recovering oil in the Bakken formation with the Chicago miles of farm and ranch land. A in western North Dakota and eastern White Sox. The malting barley plant adds value to our Montana. A similar formation exists stadium also sees agricultural product, and the Pasta in northcentral Montana called the action from the Montana plant sells about half its Alberta Bakken. city’s American pasta products to Japan. The plant uses In August 2013, NorthWestern Legion baseball Montana wheat. Energy dedicated its new 40-megawatt club and other The city saw both job growth and wind farm, Spion Kop, east of Great youth ball new construction in 2013. Canadian- Falls. In 2012, NaturEner USA built squads. based ADF International hired more a wind farm north of Great Falls that There also than 60 employees at its $24 million produces enough energy to power are several Capt. Lindsay Jaszkowiak, 819th RED HORSE Squadron steel fabrication plant on Great Falls’ 60,000 homes. The Montana Alberta great places to project officer, greets her daughter at Malmstrom Air Force Base. north end. The company plans to Tie Line electric transmission project golf, including Jaszkowiak returned to Malmstrom Oct. 24, 2013 after her nearly increase that to 300 workers within connecting Great Falls and Lethbridge, two city-owned seven-month deployment. U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. R.J. Biermann three years. Alberta, was completed in 2013, courses. And the Right along Great Falls’ River’s Edge “The Great Falls economy has been allowing new wind farms a way to many parks, pools and recreation Tr ail, at Broadwater Bay, a city boat fairly steady through good times and transmit the energy they generate. center provide plenty of opportunities dock offers access to limitless fun on bad, which is one of its strengths,” said Healthy tourism growth in 2012 to exercise, sing, act or get involved in the Missouri River. Brett Doney, president