Bison Graduates

Great Falls High School held the 2005 graduation ceremony the other day: 330 newly-minted graduates crossed the stage. Among the achievements of the Class of 2005: “…two National Merit Scholars, the state’s best AA newspaper, four All-State band members, top honors at the state thespian contest and top soccer, basketball and volleyball players.” Eleven of the students graduated with straight A’s — good job!

And in related news, I discovered that the science department maintains a website: BisonScience. And more: one of the teachers maintains a blog (WordPress!) for his class — very cool!

May 30, 2005 | Filed Under kids, civics | Leave a Comment 

School’s (Almost) Out

The school year is almost over, and Paris Gibson Middle School is almost No More. The school board is still trying to figure out what to do with the building, apparently. Which reminds me: someone wrote a letter to the Great Falls Tribune the other day suggesting that North Middle School be renamed in honor of Paris Gibson AND the soon-to-be-closed middle school named for him. After all, “North” is not a very imaginative name for a school; it simply states where it is in relation to downtown. Same with East Middle School. I think that’s a good idea; perhaps it can be integrated with the existing name: North Paris Gibson Middle School, or maybe North Paris Middle School, etc. What do you think?

May 28, 2005 | Filed Under kids, events | Leave a Comment 

“Starshine”

I first noticed “Starshine” when her Letter To The Editor was published in the Great Falls Tribune back in January. Her letter protested George Bush and encouraged people to not purchase gasoline on a certain day. The odd thing is that the Tribune published her letter on two consecutive days. And now she’s been published again, this time praising Senator Baucus for his work in protecting the Rocky Mountain Front. My question: at what point in her life did she adopt the name “Starshine?” Or is it indeed her given name?

May 28, 2005 | Filed Under civics, media | Leave a Comment 

“Welcome To Great Falls!”

One of my favorite sights in Great Falls, and one that I drive by every day, is the “Welcome To Great Falls” near the intersection of 10th Avenue South and Fox Farm Road. The sign is surrounded by trees, lush grass, and rocks, and was one of the first things that I ever saw when I arrived in 2002. There’s a “twin” over on the east side of 10th Avenue South, too, which is just as welcoming. And now, both of these areas have been spruced up, thanks to a group of energetic young folks sponsored by the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce:

“The 38 members of the 2004-05 Leadership Great Falls class spent the past nine months digging into the inner workings of their community. They also spent the end of last week digging in to make the community a better place, literally.

The class spent two days sprucing up the “Welcome to Great Falls” landscapes on the west and east ends of 10th Avenue South. They painted signs, pulled weeds, planted shrubs, cut sod, mulched and added river rock.”

I appreciate their hard work — it certainly makes ME feel welcome every time I drive by!

May 24, 2005 | Filed Under outdoors, civics | Leave a Comment 

You’ve Seen The Rest…

…now see The Best! I’m not entirely sure what criteria were used to make this judment, but apparently Joan Cook is — and I quote — “Montana’s best attorney.” Well, since I haven’t seen any other Montana lawyers make such a claim, I’ll take this statement at face value. And besides, with Angus as the law firm’s mascot, I sure wouldn’t want to counter her claim.

May 23, 2005 | Filed Under business, politics | 1 Comment 

Giant Springs State Park

giant springs After Keri told me how great it was, I finally (FINALLY!) visited Giant Springs State Park today…and now I’m kicking myself for not having visited much sooner! It is the largest freshwater spring in America — neat! — and located on the NE side of Great Falls, just past the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. It was great: geese a-plenty (not this kind!) (lots of babies!), a few bunnies, some ducks, stunning greenery and trees, amazing springs, and even a fish factory — very cool. And the shortest river in the world, the Roe River — very cute. Walked about a mile or two along the river and took one of the mini-trails with a great view back to the park (still trying to figure out what this plant is). Wow. If you haven’t visited yet, be sure to add it to your list of Places To Go.

May 20, 2005 | Filed Under outdoors | 3 Comments 

Great Falls Fans

Drove by the Carmike theatre at about 9:00pm this evening, and was only slightly surprised to see a line of Star Wars fans waiting for the midnight premiere. Perhaps 50 or so folks, mostly between 16-25 years old, about 70% male. Some had mock lightsabers, but I didn’t notice any costumes.

May 19, 2005 | Filed Under events | Leave a Comment 

Thar Be Geese Here!

One of the highlights of May is seeing the little baby Canada geese along the Missouri River. Their parents march them back-n-forth across River Road, and drivers are almost unfailingly courteous as they patiently wait for all of the goslings to complete the treacherous journey. Of course, having Ma & Pa Goose staring you down from the middle of the road can be a bit intimidating. Using my admittedly less-than-stellar phone-camera, I snapped some pix today on the way home from work. Enjoy!

May 18, 2005 | Filed Under outdoors, animals | 1 Comment 

Bison Parade!

how cute! I’m sure most of you remember the Cow Parade several years ago: life-size (or more!) cows made of various materials were decorated by artists and placed on display in various cities. I purchased a few of the tiny collectibles! The Cow Parade is still going, by the way.

Well, now comes the Montana version: the Bison Parade! Actually, it’s called the Buffalo Hunt. Many decorated bison will be on display in various venues, and will eventually be sold at auction to benefit the C.M. Russell Museum. You can view them all in this GF Tribune gallery. The next public viewing will be in a parade at 5:30 p.m. on June 2 on Central Avenue. Then they will be displayed throughout the city at various locations until Sept. 10 (including at the Montana State Fair!), which is when they will be sold at auction at Montana ExpoPark.

May 16, 2005 | Filed Under history, events | 2 Comments 

Cool Beans

Cool Beans Coffee Pub, 512 Central Avenue, 406/454-8860

If you’re strolling around downtown Great Falls and want to relax and enjoy a great cup of coffee (or espresso, or capuccino, etc), then stop in to Cool Beans Coffee Pub. Very nice atmosphere, with some nifty artwork on the walls, comfy couches to lounge in, and plenty of treats to enjoy with your coffee. Bonus: a very cool website, including a few things that are great about Great Falls!

May 15, 2005 | Filed Under restaurants | Leave a Comment 

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