Big Sky Blog

Carroll College in Helena is looking for some student bloggers:

The Carroll Admission office is looking for 3-5 Carroll students who are interested in blogging their campus thoughts for prospective students looking at Carroll as a college option. This will be a one-way blog, so you won’t be getting any feedback from other users, but you will in fact be blogging about your experiences on campus. We’d like to give our prospective students an honest (and positive) snapshot of campus life through your eyes. You can journal about the mundane, the extraordinary, and everything in between.

Emphasis mine. While I appreciate that they are doing it, it’s a bit sad to see them only “halfway” doing it.

Some good stuff in the Police Blotter published in the Flathead Beacon; among my favorites:

8:55 a.m. Cows stood in the road on MT Highway 83.
10:30 a.m. A suspicious man rode down Holt Stage on a skateboard while cradling a baby.
6:30 p.m. A naked man was spotted standing on the road next to his vehicle in Bigfork.

Never imagined the escaped Arizona convicts would wind up in Montana: MT residents discuss sighting of alleged AZ fugitive

Adam Richman of “Man versus Food” stopped in Butte recently to attempt the Jumboli Stromboli. Any other MT locations he should visit?

Bozeman school using Facebook to try to win $500K.

Billings prepares to host John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan.

Grizzly bears spotted near Brady.

Helena is making lots of waves, not just in Montana, but across the nation, because of a proposed sex-ed curriculum. Usually when Montana makes national news, it’s because of “lone rangers” or severe winter weather, but this time MSNBC and Fox News are covering the Helena beat, and Helena schools superintendent Bruce Messinger was on the Laura Ingraham radio show on Thursday defending the proposal.

Here is a part of the curriculum that is causing such outrage:

It lays out sex education topics for each grade, K through 12. In the first grade, children would be taught that human beings can love people of the same gender; in second grade, kids are taught not to make fun of people by calling them “gay” or “queer.”
By fifth grade, they are taught there are several types of intercourse, and by the sixth grade, the draft document states that students should, “Understand that sexual intercourse includes but is not limited to vaginal, oral, or anal penetration; using the penis, fingers, tongue or objects.”

Click here to read the entire proposed curriculum.

About 500 people turned out for the school board meeting this week – and for a Montana town, that’s a LOT of people.

Not a huge fan of Jewel, but still pretty cool that she wrote and performed “The Missoula Song.” Wonder what she could have done with, say, Two Dot or Wolf Point or Bigfork?

From KXLF in Butte comes a story about the “Jumboli Stromboli” – an 80-ounce monster at Trimbo’s in Butte.

It’s a challenge worthy of the Travel Channel’s “Man Vs. Food” – a five-pound Jumboli Stromboli from Trimbo’s Pizza in Butte. It’s been around for two years and so far, no one has ever finished eating one, but three guys gave it a try Wednesday night.
The rules of the Jumboli Stromboli: one person must consume the entire stromboli in one hour, and competitors are not allowed to leave the table, but they can get up and stretch.

What other Montana restaurants offer up challenges that are worthy of “Man Vs Food?”

The bad news: Billings got hit by a tornado on Sunday evening.
The good news: initial reports indicate that there are no serious injuries.
Even though we don’t live in “Tornado Alley,” Montana can still throw some punches, weather-wise.

Awww, how cute. Randy tipped me off that the city of Chicago is trying to whip up its citizenry in a “battle” against Montana.  Apparently, the state of Montana has launched an ad campaign in Chicago urging residents to behold the majesty of the Treasure State, and the Chicago Tribune isn’t taking to kindly to it; here’s some excerpts from the paper’s challenge:

Chicagoans, the time has come to defend our civic honor against a large enemy: Montana.
They are trash-talking us, Chicago! Montana is thrusting its mountainous finger right in our Midwest faces, taunting us with its magnificent scenery and world-class outdoor recreation.
Are we going to take it, Chicago? Are we just going to let Montana kick Lake Michigan sand in our faces?
Join me, friends: Let’s tell Montana to fly-fish this.
The Chicago Tribune hereby announces “Take THAT, Montana,” a photo campaign in which we are asking readers to assert their civic pride.
Post your best photos of Chicago-area nature to chicagotribune.com/nature: woodlands, wildflowers, lakes, birds, deer, butterflies — anything that proves that we’re in the outdoor beauty game too.
Let’s show our civic pride, people, and show Montana — and each other — what we’ve got.
It’s on. Bring it, MT. We are going to make you IL.

It’s all in good humor, of course, and I have no problem with Chicago trying to generate some civic pride in their community.
But…really? As if ANY place could top Montana in natural beauty and scenic wonder, much less a major metropolitan area!

Montana unveiled “Gold Star Family” license plates this week, and at the ceremony, the Helena High School Ambiance Choir performed – simply beautiful.

Bozeman & Belgrade, Montana will be throwing a Welcome Party for the “Ride 4 Lance” campaign under the tent at Yellowstone Harley Davidson, in Belgrade, on June 22 starting at 5 pm to welcome the riders. The event will pay tribute to all military with entertainment, music, flyover, fireworks, and story telling surrounded by the Bridger, Tobacco Root, and Spanish Peak Mountains. The Bozeman Lion’s Club will be serving food, beer, and wine. Come and bring the family for this special and unique event while supporting our military!

To learn more, visit the Ride4Lance website.