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And if there were any people who weren’t offended by Walsh’s user name, don’t worry: here is the first picture on his Photos page:

I am not posting this to add OR detract from what happened last weekend…just figured that if the Trib is going to talk about a particular website that provides a glimpe of what kind of person an alleged killer is, then maybe people ought to actually see the website and pictures for themselves.

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Wish A Friend A Great Day (in Great Falls!)

<a href="http://www.greaterfalls.com/index.php/myspace/"><img src="http://www.greaterfalls.com/myspace/greatday.gif" title="MySpace Comments from GreaterFalls.com" border=1/></a><br /><a href='http://www.greaterfalls.com/index.php/myspace/'>MySpace Comments for Great Falls!</a>

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HUMANE SOCIETY OFFERS MICROCHIP CLINIC
The Humane Society of Cascade County will offer a microchip clinic for pets this Saturday, June 2, 2007, from 1-4pm at the Westgate Mall. Drs. Micki Lague and Rick Helms will inject the mostly-painless id chips under an animal’s skin for $25 which includes a lifetime registration. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society operations. There is a limit of 500 pets for the first clinic.

Microchips are approximately the size of a grain of rice and are injected in the scruff of the neck. The owners information will be registered with the microchip company, and should your pet become lost, virtually any vet or shelter with a scanner can retrieve your information. It is a much more reliable way to find your lost pet than relying on collars and tags, which are easily lost.

Another chip clinic will be sponsored at Bark at the Park on June 30 by the Electric City Kennel Club, with proceeds also going to the HSCC.

I’ll vouch for the “Bark In The Park” — I stopped by last year, and it was great fun. Also: Humane Society of Cascade County site, and a list of upcoming events.

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It’s time for the second issue! That’s right - the first one was enough of a success to justify a sophomore edition, according to our fearless editor/publisher, so we’re gearing up to do it again - and this issue will be twice the size of the first!

This is where you come in: if you have an idea for a story that you would like to see in the next edition, let me know. Yes, we have plenty of stuff to write about, but if there’s something that you’re just itching to see published and discussed, let’s hear it. Second, if you would like to advertise your business - or post a classified ad or announcement (graduation, love, etc) - let me know - believe me, the rates are well worth your time.

So if you have an idea for a story, or want information about posting an ad, leave me a comment here or e-mail me at david AT greaterfalls.com (or e-mail Greg at fallsblog AT yahoo.com).

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The e-mail continued:

Questions… What’s the job scene like in Great Falls? I’m kind of a Jill of all trades, having done accounting, payroll and worked for attorneys. I also have a knack for writing. (My husband) is a machinist (uncertified) and has been for 10 years. Do you think we’ll have trouble finding work there?
As for weather, how cold and snowy are the winters, and how hot are the summers? Where we are right now in the mountains of Arizona we get heavy, heavy snow in the winter and it does occasionally dip below zero. I’m anticipating that Great Falls is probably less snowy but colder than here. Tornadoes or severe weather—are those issues there? How about smog in Great Falls? I know some of the cities that are located in valleys have trouble with pollution, but not sure about Great Falls. What is the crime rate like? I’m so, so very tired of being surrounded by meth heads who steal everything that isn’t nailed down. That will be a problem to some extent anywhere we go, but some places are definitely worse than others for that sort of thing.
Is property affordable around Great Falls? We’re looking to rent for a few months while we get settled and buy property on which to set a modular (if you know of any pet-friendly rentals, please do share) and would like a place a little bit out of town where we can have horses and room to breathe. What advantages/disadvantages does Great Falls have over some of the other cities in Montana like Billings or Helena? Any other thoughts or advice regarding the area?
Sorry for the barrage of questions… as you can tell, we’re pretty darn clueless.
Thanks,
~K~

Wow - lots of things to consider in there! I replied to her and gave her some brief answers (as best I could), and of course included the standard, “…when you get to Great Falls, give me a call and lunch is on me!” I always tell out-of-towners that, if I learn that they will be visiting.
In this case, I wasn’t sure if I would hear from “K”, but sure enough she called me yesterday evening from her hotel in town, and we headed over to Jaker’s for dinner. I had hoped to give her a windshield tour of the town, but it was dark by the time we finished eating, so I told her what to look for as she cruised around for the next two days, though, and also told her to call Ronda (the realtor who worked a miracle for me in 2002) to begin research on places to live.
I don’t know if “K” and her husband will wind up in Montana, but I sure did my best to convince her!

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Craig hosted an hour-long discussion with me and Rob (aka Wulfgar!), and we were joined by callers GiftShoppeGuy (one of Great Falls’ own!), Moorcat, and Shane Mason. The topics ranged from the history of the Montana blogosphere, the influence of milblogs, the community aspects of blogging (esp as it relates to Montana), the role of MySpace and LiveJournal in the blogosphere, the unique nature of Montana blogging, and even some references to prehistoric times (BBS, Fidonet, etc). It was a good hour of interesting conversation, although I’m probably biased There was also general agreement that the Great Falls blog community is pretty healthy - GiftShoppeGuy had some good insights - and attributed it in part to the influence of Malmstrom Air Force Base and the steady influx of new people from around the country.

Craig, Rob, and callers - thank you much - it was fun!

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