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Things I Have Learned: Ignore Compliments from Car Dealers and Real Estate Agents
In The Art of Happiness, Howard Cutler had the opportunity to ask the Dalai Lama questions on life, many of which we seek to have answered. One of the most memorable statements in this book, was the Dalai Lama's suggestion that most people assume they know how life works.
Living life is like a skill, the longer you've lived the better you become. Hopefully. Here is what I've learned (thank you Esquire magazine for inventing the concept of this list).
Never erase a cell-phone entry – Doug Horton, a clergyman obsessed with worldwide religious unity, once wrote, "when seeking revenge, dig two graves. One for yourself." If you think that you are getting back at your now ex-bff by deleting their number from your phone, think again. You're actually more afraid you're gonna call it or forbid, text drunk. So much worse is changing your number. Do yourself a great, big favor, save the money, keep your number. Simply assign a silent ring to it. Three months from now, pat yourself on the back for having the willpower to not giving in to your ego.
Ignore compliments from car dealers and real estate agents – when people want something they are nice, and smooth talking salespeople can be awfully nice, especially when they work on commission. There are no favors, discounts, "just for yous," or other special treatments when it comes to buying a house or a car. You either have the money or you don't. It helps when you know exactly what you want. The ball is in your court here. If you're not getting what you want, walk away. They'll follow. It is perfectly acceptable however, for you to compliment car dealers and realtors on how right they were about you.
Get estimates in writing – critical, only if you hate throwing money away. Everyone makes mistakes and during these especially difficult economic times, it is quite easy for a vendor/contractor to accidentally quote lower than (s)he should simply to get the business. Get it in writing before beginning work. And if you are the vendor/contractor, never, ever begin work until you have gotten something in writing and any necessary deposit payments have cleared the bank–and the funds are in your account. This is business 101.
Smile when entering a crowded room – tap into the insatiable mindset of human curiosity by giving them something to think about. A smile conveys a wide range of emotions and satisfaction is infinitely more desirous than irritation. Be that person people wonder about. The one who's always smiling. The reward is always a new contact be it business or pleasure. And everyone loves doing business with someone who smiles.
E-mails can be kept forever – never send someone an email in a fit of rage. Ever. As tempting as it may seem to tell them off, do so in a Word document instead. Date it, save it and put it in a folder called "WhatIHaveLearned." The following day, expect tremendous relief for not having sent a wrath-induced message. Guaranteed. And FYI: delete simply means from your computer. It does not mean expunge from the mail server. Lawsuits have been won based on emails.
A sure-fire way to be disappointed is to have expectations. E.g.: asking, how do I look? – be careful what you ask for. Seeking a pat on the back can easily become a swift kick in the ass and a surreptitious attempt at seeking outside approval is an attempt fraught with immanent displeasure. Compliments are earned and unless you are buying a house or a car, expect none. If you deserve it, you will get it — sincerely.
Share a hotel room only with someone you, "are having" or "intend to have" sex with – forget about saving money, you're not. It simply is not worth it. The potential lost sleep alone is incentive enough. Besides, no one should subject themselves intentionally to anyone's bad habits in a confined space for the sake of saving money. Do yourself a favor, cut something else out of your budget. Get your own room.
In 20 years, you will forget why you said "no" and regret that you didn't say "yes." – too bad the saying "you only live once" has become so cliche. Here's something else that has become cliche, "if money were no object what would you be doing?" Grant yourself the opportunity to have adventures, make stories, live your own life. Don't fall prey to "safe harbor syndrome." Complacency can be a killer and no one truly wants to die of boredom. Want to write a novel? Pick up a pen and start. Write your own "Things I Have Learned" list instead of reading mine.
Listen to your intuition. It has [insert age here – as long as it is 30 and above] years of experience – your initial reaction is usually right. Once you start second guessing yourself, you fall into the scenario of self doubt. If you've been paying attention for the past 30 or more years, rest assured that your emotions are sufficiently trained. Use it as a guide to serve your decision making process. A gut reaction is your intuition talking. Listen to it.
K.M.S (Keep Mouth Shut) – when it comes to negotiation, saying less could actually be more efficient. Imagine changing a convinced buyer's mind after you volunteered some additional information? Unless someone asks you specifically, just keep your mouth shut. If you did it, fess up. If you didn't, shut up. Showing your ignorance by blurting out that you're an imbecile will only make you have to apologize later. If you really feel that way, then don't apologize. And there is too, such a thing as a dumb question, especially when uttered out of an unprepared mouth.
I don't know about you, Chaeya but I agree with Stefan. The whole hotel room thing is just weird.
"Share a hotel room only with someone you, "are having" or "intend to have" sex with" — WTHeckness is thisness? But then, I was never much for rules.
Things that I have learned.
*Always be kind and respectful. Say 'Please' and 'Thank you', and mean it. People will respect you more if you do.
*If you're sending out business letters. check your spelling and that you have used the right words. If their are problems with you're use of language, it make you looks like you dont care.
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BuzzFeed, Vimeo & Live in the Grey Executives Dish Career Kinships, Success & Pizza Socks - Posted May 14, 2013
Have you ever had colleagues who became friends? How about friends who became colleagues? We all have, right? Welcome to living in the grey. Last night at the Delta T4X Pop-Up Lounge in downtown Manhattan, the founders of Live in the Grey, a new online comm... [MediaJobsDaily]

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WLA 48, North Fondy 30
The Vikings won six matches by forfeit to overcome the Orioles' 4-2 advantage in wrestled matches. WLA 120-pounder Austin Wright won one of the featured match of the night by pinning Michael Lozano in 4:23. Mitchell White (145) gave WLA its other wrestled victory.
North Fondy's four wins all came by pin. Noah Giebel needed 5:26 to claim his 126 match, while Justin Pooler needed just 38 seconds at 138. David Masteller (152) and Nathan Kilian (160) also had first-period pins for the Orioles. ...


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F-35B 'Rephasing' Possible According to Lockheed CEO
Sep 12
Air Force, Marine Corps, News F-35, F-35B, f35, F35 fighter jet, F35B, Lockheed Martin F-35, Lockheed Martin F35 5 Comments
Lockheed Martin continues to struggle with some parts reliability issues affecting the Harrier replacement so short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing (Stovl) F-35 testing will force slippage in the 2012 in-service date for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president for F-35 program integration, states that 251 Stovl flights are expected by the end of this year. And at the end of August, 122 were executed of 153 that should have been conducted by that time. "Where we are short is in some specific testing, mostly in Stovl vertical landing unique test points," said Burbage.
During a teleconference this month with investors, Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens to acknowledge a potential "re-phasing" for the Stovl flight-test plan. Acknowledging the restructuring to the program announced this year, Stevens adds that "the early corrective actions . . . are showing some beneficial outcomes [but] my sense is that it is not going to be enough." The multinational Joint Strike Fighter will eventually comprise the lion's share of the company's profits.
The Marine Corps, however, stands by its plans to declare initial operational capability (IOC) with a Block II F-35 in 2012. The U.S. Air Force and Navy are expecting to declare their aircraft operational in 2016.
However, further delays in Stovl testing could have a dangerous ripple effect on the program. There is little margin to ensure that enough of the flight-testing envelope and software work will be ready to allow pilots to begin training in time for a 2012 IOC. Officials at the training center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, say they expect their first Block II aircraft to arrive in spring 2012.
Much of this ongoing delay is a result of parts reliability problems for BF-01, the only Stovl test aircraft instrumented to conduct vertical landing trials. BF-01 is needed to clear the envelope for vertical landing, after which other Stovl aircraft can contribute to more flight testing. Five vertical landings were executed in August. Ten have been done since the first one in March. Also, last month 26 Stovl flights were conducted, the most in any month to date, Burbage says.
About 80% of the parts on the aircraft have completed qualification requirements. Of those, 100% passed for safety-of-flight; half were deemed suitable for the life of the aircraft. The remainder must be redesigned.
Burbage says the target-sortie-generation rate for each test aircraft is 13 flights per month. Last month, each aircraft averaged six.
While each parts supplier is responsible for designing parts to withstand the stresses of vertical flight for the life of the aircraft, it is the prime contractor's responsibility to ensure that the aircraft as a whole meets its requirements. There are "some parts that just fail when you get them on the aircraft until you understand the root cause," Burbage says, noting that experts are still characterizing the thermal and acoustic environment for these specific items during vertical landings.
Meanwhile, government officials are conducting a thorough independent technical baseline review for the entire program, which includes the conventional-takeoff-and-landing and carrier variant aircraft. This is due to the Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board in November.
Burbage says it is likely to include alternate paths for the program depending upon varying levels of funding. Government officials are also building the first cost estimate for the aircraft, including the operating price.
Of 394 flights planned for the three variants for the year, 233 had been flown by the end of August. Burbage says 2,361 test points were complete by that time; a total of 3,772 are expected by the end of the year.
As a result of the restructuring earlier this year, Lockheed Martin is required to stand up an additional facility for testing software to ensure this portion of the F-35 program stays on schedule. Burbage says the equipment for this laboratory will be delivered in mid 2011 and be ready to conduct testing by fourth-quarter 2011.


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In Seattle Magazine's ongoing Many Faces of Seattle Neighborhoods, today we draw our attention to the zip code 98118. It's a zip that encompasses the Rainier Valley, Seward Park and Columbia City. Periodically, I'll be plucking a zip code and highlighting the best restaurants in the area — or at least ones that are deserving of your attention for whatever reason.
Let's start with pizza. I adore Flying Squirrel for its old school approach to a neighborhood pizzeria. There's not a lot of flash to this place, but the pizza is top notch, there's some good salads, the music is usually kickin' (they play mix tapes from their employees and customers!) and the staff is super friendly. It's just a really fun place to be. The original Tutta Bella, opened in 2004, has a home in Columbia City. Even if it's not the best pizza you've ever had, it's totally charming. My fondest memory of this place is being poured a glass of wine while waiting in a long line to get a table. Years ago, that was the best thing that had ever happened to me while I waited for food, and probably still is. Wish more places did this. Today, there's a bar area that doubles as a coffee shop in the morning (and the coffee is legit).
Other solid coffee options include Empire Espresso, which doubles as a great waffle destination, and Tin Umbrella Coffee, a specialty roaster in Hillman City. Any coffee shop that opens an hour early to get you through Daylight Saving is a keeper.
Columbia City Bakery dishes out some of the best pastries and bread in the city. Ask any restaurant what bread they prefer to use, and the majority will likely tell you Columbia City. The place is so popular, they've put a cap on the number of restaurants they service.
La Medusa is a pillar of Columbia City, perhaps the neighborhood's most braggable restaurant. The ever-changing, market-driven Sicilian menu makes this place a gem, as does the general loveliness of the space. There's also Geraldine's Counter, which is nearly impossible to get into for weekend brunch (and they serve breakfast all day. Heaven.). Down the block is The Royal Room, which I have a soft spot for — not because of the food, which is fine, but for the bands that play there. It's got a great vibe to it. I highly recommend taking in a show (many have no cover charge), while downing some pints of beer and chatting up the other concert-goers.
Also notable: Lottie's Lounge (great neighborhood bar), Tammy's Deli (the best banh mi), Mawadda Café (for Mediterranean food), Kezira (for killer Ethiopian dishes), Tacos el Asadero (the taco truck to beat all taco trucks), Rookies (a cool little sports bar), Rainier BBQ (Anthony Bourdain calls it a "shrine of Vietnamese cooking." Get the fried chicken.) and King Donut (a teriyaki/doughnut shop that's also a laundromat).
Did I leave off your favorite spot? Shout it in the comments.


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Sun and Microsoft Launch Interoperability Center
Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have opened an interoperability center at the Microsoft campus in Redmond.
The objective is to optimize Microsoft operating systems and applications for deployment on Sun Fire x64 servers and memory impractical test, but also to collaborate on virtualization, collaboration and identity software, and Java technology. "The new Sun/Microsoft Interoperability Center will help provide our joint customers with a testbed for running key Microsoft applications on Sun's x64 servers and help ensure more seamless integration between the technologies," said Lisa Sieker, vice president of Systems Marketing, Sun Microsystems. As one of the first results of the latest drive towards closer co-operation the companies presented the Sun Infrastructure Solution für Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 at the same time promising customers who are willing to savings on total cost of ownership (TCO) thanks to lower memory requirements, energy consumption and cooling for their email servers.
Another focus of the center's interoperability drive will be virtualization. Sun and Microsoft are looking to co-operate on cross platform server virtualization, more specifically on the Windows Hyper-V and Sun xVM software solutions. The "Sun Ray" thin client will also offer a virtual Windows desktop in future. With respect to Sun's Java technology there are plans to certify Java platforms in the Enterprise and Standard Editions including the Java Runtime Environment for Microsoft operating systems and applications.
Sun has been selling Microsoft servers since the fall of 2007 and has run test environments on the Microsoft Campus in Washington state for three years. The companies regard the center as extension of their cooperation after burying the hatchet back in 2004 and agreeing to collaborate.
Issue 23: Raspberry Pi Adventures/Special Editions
Buy this issue as a PDF
Photon Controller Goes Open Source
VMware bids for a stake in the container industry with a bold effort to integrate containers with its classic virtualization system.
New Point-and-Click Exploit Kit Appears in the Wild
3ROS attack tool lowers the technical bar so anyone can be an intruder.
Firefox Finally Gets Tracking Protection
Mozilla's latest browser offers powerful new privacy feature
New Password Looter Tool Steals Passwords from a Password Manager
If attackers are on your system, saving your passwords in a password vault is no protection.
Over a Million Websites Are Still Using SHA-1
Faulty hash algorithm persists, despite efforts by experts to raise awareness.
Dyreza Malware is Back
Powerful man-in-the-middle attack is now targeting online shopping.
Kernel Developer Matthew Garrett Forks the Linux Kernel
Another high-profile coder says the kernel team needs a kinder, gentler culture.
Bugzilla Bug
Bug database has a bug of its own that could allow an intruder to create an unauthorized account.
US Launches New Strategy for Broadband Access
Report focuses federal resources on achieving universal Internet access.
RC4 Finally Gets the Fork
Leading browser makers say "no" to porous encryption algorithm


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Currently viewing the tag: "Gewurtztraminer"
Uncork This – Young & Wyse Amber 2010
By mikethehobbyist On March 11, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In DRINKS, WINE
This wine is a blend of Viognier, Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Gris so you know the aromatics are going to be huge – a big nose of peach, tangerine, myer lemon, rose petal, lychee and a hint of honey immediately impresses. On the palate this wine is bone dry with a crisp, refreshing acidity; great balance. Flavours of stone fruit, citrus and green apple with a clean streak of minerals leave you with a long fresh aftertaste. You'll taste this one for a long time after it's gone.
We had this with panko crusted cod fillets – wich was delicious – but we immediately thought the big aromatics on this would play well with something with a bit of heat. Thai or earthy Mexican dishes would be an ideal match.
8.8/10.0 $24.00
Tagged with: Amber • British Columbia • Gewurtztraminer • Mike • Okanagan • Osoyoos • Pino Gris • Viognier • White • Wine • Young & Wyse
Uncork This – Wild Goose Vineyards Autumn Gold 2010
By mikethehobbyist On January 26, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In DRINKS, WINE
Wild Goose has long been one of our favourite BC wineries and has for years produced some of the most consistently stunning Alsatian style whites being made in the Okanagan. Autumn Gold was the wine that introduced us to Wild Goose years ago – long before we fell in love with their epicly delicious Rieslings. A blend of Riesling, Gewurtztraminer and Pinot Blanc, Autumn Gold puts a BC spin on a classic Alsatian blend.
On the nose you get the big aromatic notes you expect from a good Alsatian blend: honeysuckle, orange blossom, tropical fruit and lime. On the palate, flavours of pear, spiced apple, pineapple and lime zest predominate with a nice mineral note that lingers on the finish. Fresh acidity and a touch of sweetness that also carries through the long finish on this wine.
We had this with sushi, but it would pair well with almost any seafood dishes and spicy asian fare. Of course, this would also be excellent with a nice Alsatian onion tart or a cheese fondue – which is to say, it is a very versatile and food friendly white.
8.7/10 $18.99
Tagged with: BC • Gewurtztraminer • Mike • Okanagan • Okanagan Falls • Pinot Blanc • Riesling • White • Wild Goose • Wine
The HobbyistsCelebrating hobbies, obsessions, passions and the things that get you through (and distract you from) your work day.
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The author is a staff reporter for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.]]>
Larson told her about a unique pair of dinosaur skeletons that were complete. Discovered six years earlier in eastern Montana, the bones were articulated from nose to tail. Even more startling, Larson said, was the fact that the two appeared to have killed each other. "I drove to Fort Peck the next day," Montana says, "and asked to see the dinosaurs at CK Preparations," the commercial fossil preparator housing the pair. "I'd never seen anything like it. I could not believe they were just sitting in a storage shed." She abandoned her copyright project and began trying to figure out why no one had purchased the jaw-dropping fossils, priced at nearly $9 million, and why no paleontologists had published papers on them. "I interviewed paleontologists in six different states. I thought maybe the bones were just overpriced, but it turned out that the story was deeper than that." She spent the next eight months digging into it and then writing about her discoveries, which went to the heart of a long-standing controversy between commercial fossil hunters and academics.
This summer, Montana is working with paleontologists in Alaska's Denali National Park, where evidence of dinosaurs was discovered in 2005. Duck-billed hadrosaurs, meat-eating theropods and others traveled across a big mudflat, she says, leaving hundreds of footprints, clawmarks and skin impressions -- but so far, not a single bone. Paleontologist Anthony Fiorillo and other scientists think that finding bones may be just a matter of time, though.
"It's so hard to access (new fossil sites)," says Montana. "We backpack in, knee-deep in muskeg and mosquitos, and it takes three hours to go a mile." She's helping advise the park on how to protect and manage its paleontological resources. "The public wants to see the tracks," she says, "but the backcountry rangers want to keep the impact low, and researchers want to keep people away so they can study it."
In 2012, Montana published her thesis on the scientific struggle over the "Dueling Dinosaurs." Now, High Country News has the privilege of bringing you an updated version of the amazing story she unearthed.]]>
Meanwhile, in Montana, the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the wolf harvest quota for the 2010 hunting season would rise to 186, up from 75 last year. The quota does not include the increasing number of wolves shot for bad behavior -- 145 in 2009. Since the estimated number of wolves in Montana is only 525, the state will soon see a reduction in the wolf population if the hunt goes as planned. When the public was asked to comment on the proposal to increase the total harvest, 1,500 comments flooded in -- a clear sign that wolves remain a hot issue.
Federal District Court Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Mont., is feeling that heat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to de-list wolves in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Washington and Oregon before Wyoming adopts an approved wolf management plan has been challenged by Defenders of Wildlife, among other groups. The stress level in Molloy's courtroom on the day he heard oral arguments was so high that one lawyer fainted, and the proceedings were suspended until she could be revived. A decision is expected this fall, so the question of hunting quotas may become moot if wolves are re-listed as an endangered species in all states where they live or roam.
Meanwhile, I continue to marvel at our ability to ignore facts about wolves while jumping on one bandwagon or another. A case in point: It was coyotes and not wolves that killed 23 lambs on a Bitterroot Valley ranch last month. The news article appeared in only one local newspaper and drew no comment from readers. Coyotes seem to have no champions on the environmentalist side of the issue, and ranchers take coyote depredation in stride, viewing it simply as a cost of doing business.
But earlier, a report of a wolf pack killing four miniature horses and chewing on an irrigation hose resulted in the pack being summarily executed. Last year, Montana's Livestock Loss Reduction and Mitigation Board paid out $142,000 to ranchers who filed for wolf depredation losses -- headline news! -- while no reparations were made for losses from coyotes, domestic dogs, mountain lions or eagles. In addition, the 56,000 sheep that died from non-predator causes went mostly unnoticed by the public.
It's obvious that wolves are not the only culprits here. The Associated Press reported that invasive weeds cause $415,000 in livestock production losses, plus undetermined reductions in wild game populations each year on Montana's Rocky Mountain Front alone. That information doesn't seem to bother either ranchers or hunters, nor has it corralled any new money for weed eradication.
Because many hunters remain convinced that wolves hurt hunting success, Montana State University studied elk to discover why populations decline in some areas and increase in others. The findings were perhaps surprising: Elk were more bothered by human activities -- including hunting and residential activity -- than by wolves.
In any case, vehicles bump off more wild game than predators do. But I haven't heard of any plans to eradicate cars or drivers.
I find that my sympathies are divided. In late winter, I walk daily on a lane that skirts a calving pasture on a local ranch. I've seen wolves crossing through the herd without even looking at the calves or cows; they're concentrating on pocket gophers and meadow voles for breakfast. The cows likewise ignore the wolves. The ranch manager worries that one day the wolves will sample a cute little black calf instead of their usual prey. I share his concern, but I also don't want to see another wolf killed.
When I watch wolves in the wild as they go about the tough business of survival, I know that they belong here. They should never again be exterminated, as they were in the 1930s. No matter how difficult the process, I hope wildlife managers, hunters, ranchers and environmentalists find a balance so that we can continue to live together.
Wendy Beye is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). She is an airplane pilot in western Montana who has tracked wolves since they first crossed the border between Canada and Montana in the 1980s.]]>
In 18 years in the Senate, he has failed to push through any major policy-oriented bills. He's tainted by scandal, having accepted about $150,000 from clients of sleazy lobbyist Jack Abramoff — more than any other member of Congress. And he has voted against environmental interests 96 percent of the time, according to the League of Conservation Voters.
Meanwhile, there is a Montana senator who's a master of tapping the federal treasury. He's worked his way into key seats on appropriations committees, and brought an estimated $2 billion home to Montanans, at the rate of $200 million per year recently. That money has helped to bring new technologies into rural areas, build tribal housing, assist low-income students, and construct a hypersonic wind tunnel in Butte to develop faster aircraft, among other things.
Both senators are up for re-election in November. And both are Republican Conrad Burns.
At Montana State University, political science professor Jerry Calvert sums up the senator's appeal to many Montanans: "Burns' whole pitch is, 'I bring home the pork.' "
But the recent scandals, combined with a leftward shift in Montana politics, have made Burns one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the U.S. Congress. Democrats need to gain six seats to win control of the Senate. In 2004, Democrats won the Montana governorship and control of the state Legislature. And they've come up with a strong challenger: Jon Tester, a third-generation farmer who's president of the state Senate. Tester sports a crew cut and a down-home grassroots style, and the populist policies he's embraced include clean energy and expanded health-care coverage.
Early-summer polling put Tester ahead by seven points. But recent numbers show the race has tightened to a dead heat. Voters in the political middle, who will decide this race, appear to be struggling with a fundamental question: Should they vote for policies and ethical standards, or just go after the dollars?
Gary Strobel, a professor of plant sciences at MSU, says, "There has been no person in Congress in the history of Montana that has done more for this university than Conrad Burns." But many of the faculty, and other people who benefit from Burns' funding ability, are Democrats. And that, as Strobel says, presents "a terrible conundrum."
Throughout Burns' time in office, Montanans have received at least a $1.43 return on every dollar of federal taxes they have paid, according to the Washington D.C.-based Tax Foundation. At the university and associated science centers, Burns has gotten money to erect buildings and do research on trout diseases, clean-energy technology, biomedical advances, barley and cattle breeding, improvements in mining, and on and on.
Burns was also key in setting up a local NASA Techlink Center that has helped more than 150 companies commercialize federally developed technologies and research. He's the go-to guy in other centers that assist entrepreneurs, and he's funded public television.
The federal money creates "a very complex web" throughout the economy, and "there's tremendous public benefit," says Strobel, whose office is in one of the buildings Burns helped create. Some university officials and faculty openly support Burns, yet last winter, when the university held a dinner in his honor, many faculty members who get funding from him didn't even show up. Strobel, an admirer of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, admits, "I'm really tossed" — torn between voting for Burns or Tester.
"A lot of people at MSU are as conflicted as I am," says another researcher, also a political liberal, whose program has received millions from Burns. Like many at the university, he'll talk politics only off the record. "This comes down to a classic case of idealism versus pragmatism," he says. If Montanans send Tester to the Senate, they may never regain their financial leverage. "(Tester) would be a fully above-board politician. But he would be pretty ineffective at bringing in appropriations for many, many years. He's suggested, 'I can do that,' but that's naive." Burns, a former livestock auctioneer, knows how to play the game, trading favors with other senators to win support for his pork.
Even some environmentalists are uncertain, though they'll only say so off the record. Despite his poor conservation rating, Burns has helped deliver more than $34 million to land and river restoration projects, where ranchers collaborate with groups like The Nature Conservancy.
Still, Theresa Keaveny, head of Montana Conservation Voters, believes environmentalists need to focus on Burns' pattern of voting for the interests of oil drillers, radioactive-waste companies and other potential polluters. There would be less need for restoration, she says, if Burns "voted to protect those areas to begin with. He's missing the boat on many opportunities to prevent (environmental degradation)."
By late August, Burns was ahead of Tester in one predictable area: campaign money. Burns had raised about $7 million, while Tester had come up with about $2 million.
Steve Kirchhoff, a Democrat on the Bozeman city commission, rattles off the community projects Burns has funded, including library construction, a parking garage, a parking lot for a popular rock-climbing spot, restoration of a historic mansion, and a new interchange on Interstate 90. But Kirchhoff has decided to vote for Tester. "I'm not ungrateful for that (funding)," he says, "but I'm going to be looking the other way when I vote."
The author is HCN's Northern Rockies editor.]]>
But earlier this month, Dood learned he wouldn't see the bison plan through to the end because Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is eliminating his position. His supervisor has taken over the bison planning process, and Dood has been offered another job, and likely a pay cut, managing brucellosis, a disease affecting bison, cattle and elk.
Dood, who has been with FWP since 1975, is a victim of budget cuts, according to FWP spokesman Ron Aasheim. "This isn't about a change in plans on bison, or a suggestion that we're less committed to doing what's right," Aasheim said.Similar to many fish and game departments in the West, FWP's budget has been in turmoil because revenue from hunter and angler-funded license fees are not keeping up with expenses. (Though, earlier this year the Montana legislature did provide some relief by approving license fee increases for FWP.) In 2013 the Montana legislature mandated a four percent personnel cut for executive branch agencies. As a result, FWP must eliminate the equivalent of about 20 full time positions; the agency is now finalizing where to make those cuts.
Yet some critics of the demotion are wondering whether it's not just budget cuts, but politics at play. The news of Dood's departure comes just before the release of a draft environmental impact statement for a controversial statewide bison plan. Currently, the only unfenced bison in Montana roam Yellowstone National Park. While Yellowstone bison are going through their own planning process, the goal of the statewide plan is to determine if bison, managed as wildlife, not livestock, can be restored elsewhere in Montana. (Yellowstone bison deemed disease-free could be used to start the new herd.)
The environmental impact statement is an opportunity for the public to comment on four options for reintroducing a herd, possibly to an area large enough to accommodate 500-1,000 bison. A fifth option would be to take no action on reintroducing bison. So far, the alternatives don't say much about specific locations, but tribal lands or the 1.1 million-acre Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge have been discussed.
For decades, Montana's bison have been a lightening rod for controversy. Ranchers and their political allies worry that if Montana establishes a new bison herd, the animals could spread disease to livestock, destroy fences and compete with cattle for grass on public land. "I think the higher-ups were uncomfortable pushing the bison issue," said Glenn Hockett, president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association, a Bozeman-based hunter's conservation group. "They just got rid of their best guy," he added. "How can they say, 'Oh yeah, we're serious (about restoring bison) but we're going to get rid of our slugger' ?"
In a recent display of political opposition to bison restoration, northeastern Montana state senator John Brenden sponsored a failed 2015 bill that would have required the state to consult with county commissioners before relocating the wooly ungulates to their counties. During the bill's hearing, Brenden, who also chairs the state Senate Fish and Game Committee, threatened that landowners would protest bison restoration by pulling their property out of a popular FWP program that allows hunters access to private land.
"You push me and some of these other folks too far and we're going to push back," Brenden said during the February hearing.
Dood's job transfer is "absolutely not" a response to political pressure from Brenden and others who do not want to see bison restoration in eastern Montana, Aasheim told HCN.
With the draft impact statement for the statewide bison plan containing a wide range of options, the future of Montana's bison remains uncertain. But Stillwater County rancher Noel Keogh, who has known Dood since 1979, is sure of this: Even if the ranching community didn't always like what Dood had to say about bison restoration, he was a straight shooter.
"I feel very strongly if you wanted anything successful to come out of this, you'd want someone who can stand up and tell the truth and talk to people, and that's one thing that Arnold could do," Keogh said. "I think if there was anyone in the state that could settle this bison management issue it was Arnold Dood."
FWP plans to publish its environmental impact statement for public comment in June.
Sarah Jane Keller is a High Country News contributor based in Bozeman, Montana. Follow @shogrene]]>
At the age of 6, Bryce Andrews sat at his family's kitchen table in Seattle, listening to rancher Pat Zentz talk about building sculptures and pulling spotted knapweed. Art and agriculture went together, the boy assumed. The next year, curators at the University of Washington's art museum installed "The Myth of the West," an exhibit his father organized, while young Andrews stood wide-eyed before Albert Bierstadt's painting Yellowstone Falls, then turned and practiced his quick draw facing Warhol's Double Elvis. That same year, his family visited the Zentz Ranch in Montana, in a pilgrimage that would become an annual event. Sixteen years later, Andrews himself began living the myth of the West, when he became an assistant livestock manager on a different ranch.
Andrews' first book, his award-winning 2014 memoir, Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West, begins with his journey from the "damp claustrophobia" of Seattle to the 20,000-acre Sun Ranch in remote southwest Montana. "I had practiced this departure many times," he notes. "I was headed away from my youth." The Madison Valley opens before him, peaks rising like "glinting canine teeth," the Madison River drawing "a golden line through the heart of the valley," which is home to two small towns, Ennis and Cameron. Intrigued by the ranch owner's mission to reconcile the needs of wildlife, livestock and the land, Andrews gives narrative weight to all the members of this community, not just people and cattle, but wolves and grizzlies as well. "One of our great failures," he believes, "is that we do not allow animals to be individuals. When gritty struggles play out on the landscape, it matters which wolves, which people, and which cattle."
But not everyone in the community views wolves as individuals, and gritty struggles soon erupt. "The choices made at Sun Ranch about living with wolves," says Andrews, "boiled over onto the rest of the landscape. If one ranch has wolves, that policy impacts neighbors."
The Sun Ranch was a transformative experience, a proving ground that began shaping a three-pronged life as writer, rancher and conservationist. Afterward, Andrews continued working at the confluence of agriculture and conservation, managing multiple ranches in Montana, co-founding the Oxbow Cattle Company (a grass-fed beef ranch near Missoula) and consulting on land stewardship. When not on horseback, he wrote, and finally, in 2014, he sold his half of the grass-fed beef operation to concentrate more fully on writing and consulting.
The co-existence of aesthetics and manual labor is a major theme in Andrews' life. Figuring out how something works, whether a landscape or a novel, is a hands-on process. "Right now, I'm framing my first gable roof over a little wood-fired pizza oven," he says, "and writing a collection of linked short stories about drought, ranching, neighbors and the contemporary West."
Drawn to places where people are practicing agriculture in the context of wilderness, he is fascinated by the delicate balance that lets people ranch and farm among wild creatures, in wild landscapes. He and his girlfriend recently spent a month in Costa Rica in the largest remnant of old-growth coastal rainforest north of the Amazon, working with scientists at a remote research station at Osa Conservation. The nonprofit group's vision closely aligns with Andrews' own: the desire to see communities thrive through increasing engagement with the natural world.
"The Osa Peninsula is as different from Montana as any place I could imagine, but it's like you picked up the resource issues of Montana, and dropped them into a jungle. We talked about cattle ranching, co-existing with jaguars, banana farming, oil palm farming, water and subdivisions." All undeveloped land, he believes, is forgiving, resilient land. "A rancher can make a decision that turns out not to be the best, but if the ecosystem is intact, the land will recover. Spring will come around. The Montana landscape, like Costa Rica's, is infinitely complex and interesting. I want my writing to be a little bit like that, too."
Andrews also wants to move deeper into the world of art and community, not to join the ranks of the new agrarians, but to help inspire young people to be creative thinkers in the context of practical work. "Perhaps someday," he says, referring to an idea currently simmering on his back burner, "there'll be a ranch-based apprenticeship program combining agriculture with a curriculum in ethics, aesthetics, science and writing."
Page Lambert's writing is found inside sculptures at the Denver Art Museum, online at Huffington Post, and within dozens of anthologies. She leads outdoor adventures and writes the blog, All Things Literary/All Things Natural.]]>
Jeff Milchen directs the nonprofit ReclaimDemocracy.org, in Bozeman, Montana.]]>
My little 4-cylinder truck labored under the load, beetling along the Hi-Line out of Montana, looking like a cross between the Beverly Hillbillies and the Road Warrior. It was a tough go for that truck, 20 years old itself, but it was nothing compared to the weight that hung in my heart.
Having grown up in the East, I'd fallen in love with the West, unknowingly, as it turned out: fallen in love with every last stereotype and square inch of wide-open space and sky. I had honest-to-goodness horse crap on my honest-to-goodness cowboy boots (I myself am a fraud) and I didn't ever want it rubbed or washed off. The West gets into you this way, takes hold of you like that -- so deep and dirty and honest and clean that you can't picture yourself anywhere else. I know I can't. Still can't. And I'm already here: gone.
Traveling into North Dakota, on into Wisconsin and eventually to the U.P. of Michigan, into trees that looked like some high school kid had swallowed a handful of mushrooms and gone after the forests with a fistful of highlighters, I had time to think about all I was leaving behind and why it affected me so. I'd come to love the place, surely, but I wanted to know why.
What was it about the West that had me so torn-up about leaving? I'd said goodbye to friends -- and that was a loss I was mourning -- but that's not what I was thinking about as the Rockies fell away in my rearview mirror, as the sun set where it's supposed to and I wasn't there underneath it looking up. It was the loss of a landscape I was feeling, an end, pointed even as I was in the direction of perpetual beginnings.
It wasn't until I hit Fenton, Mich., that I knew. I pulled into the Holiday Inn Express parking lot, a desert of tar with not a stitch of worthwhile horizon to be seen. This after camping for the previous week -- no tent, just a sleeping bag under a pot-lid of sky shot through with so many stars it was more white than black. With a coat-collar swear I huffed my road weariness across the blacktop and knew for a fact that there wasn't a patch of grass within 1,000 miles that had felt my tread. I had no relationship to anything I could see -- and that's when I knew.
We are creatures of intimacy. That's what every relationship is about, even the sexual ones, even the bad ones. We all want to be loved and we all want to love. Intimacy is knowing someone, knowing them well, and knowing a place, a landscape, is no different. It's analogous to home. We are sheltered by knowledge; knowledge provides safety. And I had come to know a place -- imperfectly, poorly in many regards -- but with real appreciation and dare I say devotion. Place, in many ways, defines us.
I couldn't call myself a Westerner, not with a capital W, not with a straight face, and not to the ranchers I knew. But I knew, too, that you didn't have to be a fifth-generation cowpoke or full-blood Native American to love the land and know it and call it your own.
I knew Argenta, B.C., because I knew every deer trail that linked every deer trail that linked every home in that off-the-grid hippie refuge of a glorious place.
I knew Potomac, Mont., because I knew at every hour of the day the exact shade and slant of light against the two big ponderosa pines that stood outside my cabin, knew the trees at 6 p.m., 6 a.m. and midnight.
And I knew Bend, Ore., because sober or drunk I could fall off my bike and recognize the volcanic dust ground into my arm. That's what landscape is. That's what knowing a place is. It's not just loving it. It's not just liking it. It's being able to predict when the osprey that nests over the river will be back. And getting it right.
Charles Finn is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). The editor of the High Desert Journal, he now lives on the East Coast.]]>
A study of successful hunters, published this August in the peer-reviewed online journal PLOS ONE, found that "only the presence of guides increased the odds of killing larger prey." Age, personal fitness and the use of camouflage apparel made little difference in taking down a trophy.
The study examined roughly 4,300 online photos of men from western Canadian outdoors forums and outfitter websites, using evident physical characteristics – such as graying hair and paunchy bellies – to determine relative age and fitness. The methods limited the information the researchers could collect, but also guarded against hunters' habits of exaggeration when it comes to talking up exploits.
"A photograph can't lie," says Rosie Child, an undergraduate student who coauthored the paper with her adviser, Chris Darimont, who studies conservation.
Though the study only addresses big-game trophy hunters, it does suggest that while humans have staked themselves atop the food chain as "super-predators," we're not using typical adaptations of other species, such as fitness, strength, or stealth, to successfully hunt prey. And while other animals may guard knowledge of bountiful hunting grounds as a specialized advantage among individuals, in the case of humans and paid guides, there's a strong (read: financial) incentive to share information with others. North American hunters "have overcome many of the physical, but not knowledge-based, challenges of hunting," according to the authors.
Perhaps the most surprising finding is the futility of camouflage – at least for big game. "Even though 80 percent of the hunters that we found were wearing camouflage clothing, they weren't any more likely to be posing with a trophy animal than those without camouflage clothing," Child says. "It didn't make a difference, and being physically fit didn't increase a hunter's chance of getting a trophy animal (either)."
Even though the study suggests that outfitter expertise is the best way to bag game, a quick look at guide numbers in Western states and at gear sales at key retailers suggests that many people don't quite realize this.
In Wyoming, the number of licensed hunting outfitters dipped to its lowest mark in 25 years in 2013 (332 compared with a high of 382 outfitters in 1991 and 1992), but that fluctuation isn't far from the average and may reflect post-recession impacts on trips for out-of-state hunters. Success rates for client deer hunters have hovered around 70 percent or greater, based on figures from the state Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides.
Montana has about 300 active hunting guides, many of whom are aging and "looking for an exit and retirement strategy," as overall hunting numbers decline, says Mac Minard, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. For those guides that remain, high-end, trophy hunting trips are the most in demand. "I think people have less time, and perhaps less skills and less interest, I suppose, and they're willing to spend more money for a high-quality experience," Minard says.
Meanwhile, rapidly expanding big-box outdoors retailers, including Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman's Warehouse, all heavily market camo – and its benefits – for trophy hunters and other big-game seekers. If the clothing isn't working in the field, it's certainly not affecting their sales. Nebraska-based Cabela's, known for its in-store mountains seeded with taxidermied wildlife, generates about $3 billion in annual revenue and operates 59 stores, with plans for steady growth of 13 to 15 new openings per year. Bass Pro Shops, headquartered in Missouri, is also aggressively expanding, building 20 new stores by 2015; an increase in locations by more than a third. The recent opening of a Cabela's megastore in north Denver was also credited with boosting local sales taxes and attracting other retailers to a new shopping area.
Cabela's even offers its own exclusive, temperature-activated ColorPhase camo clothing, which can morph from brown to green to help hunters stay cloaked on sunny or cloudy days, in spring or fall. That may look and sound cool, but it won't provide an edge for hunters, at least according to Child and Darimont. So sportsmen may want to hold off on buying that $80 insulated hoodie – and instead offer their guide an extra-fat tip.
Joshua Zaffos is a contributing editor at High Country News. Follow @jzaffos]]>
"The culture in the Salt Lake Valley is a plus
for anybody who is not avant-garde, urban or cutting-edge."
—Respondent in a survey of Utah executives. The
study found that Utah's low rate of unemployment could be a
problem for economic growth.
THE SCENE: A mountain meadow full of untouched sugary snow.
ENTER (stage left): A cross-country skier. Steam rises around her face. The only sound is the pounding of her heart.
ENTER (stage right): A snarling snowmobile, ridden by an adrenaline-charged young man.
The skier gives the sledder the finger for wrecking her backcountry experience; the snowmobiler glares back, knowing she poses a threat to his freedom to ride.
This scene is playing out all over the mountain West this winter. More people are enjoying the backcountry snow now than ever before: 11.9 million ride snowmobiles and 12.3 million cross-country ski or snowshoe, four times more than 20 years ago. As a result, public land that once would have remained people-free from November to May has become a crowded battleground.
In Utah, spandex-clad two-plankers are irked at the U.S. Forest Service for opening about half of a 10,000-acre swath of Logan Canyon to sledheads. The area had previously been nonmotorized. Some claim the Forest Service is biased, pointing to the fact that 70 percent of public land in the West's snowy states is already open to snowmobiles.
And sledheads up on the Montana-Idaho line don't want to give up any of that land. They're fretting about potential wilderness designation for Mount Jefferson, a popular snowmobiling area. U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, and local county commissioners have joined the motorized cause. They worry that cutting off access will hurt the local economy; environmentalists counter that there are plenty of other places for sledders to play.
Then there's Yellowstone National Park — ground zero in this fight. The park's draft plan would allow 720 snowmobiles into the park each day, close to the average number that buzzed through the park's gates in December (up 19 percent from 2005). But that concerns the Environmental Protection Agency, which wants the Park Service to pay closer attention to potential impacts on air quality and human health from the noise and copious exhaust the machines cough up. Skier visits to the park are down 42 percent from last year so far.
It's not
just the exhaust that can hurt people. A snowmobiler collided with
a snowboarder near Aspen, Colo., in January, severely injuring the
snowboarder. Near Bozeman, Mont., a day earlier, a Utah woman
riding a snowmobile crashed and was killed. Perhaps that's
what Ski-Doo's 2006 motto, "Sharpening the edge of
excitement," referred to.
Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth retired Jan. 12 from
the post he held for six years. Gail Kimbell, the first
woman ever to lead the agency, will replace him. Kimbell served as
supervisor of forests in Colorado, Wyoming and Alaska.
Environmentalists are not cheering: Kimbell helped create President
Bush's controversial Healthy Forests program.
It's looking as if 2008 may be the year the West
emerges as a big player in national politics. On Jan. 22,
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, D, threw his
"sombrero" (as the New York Post's headline
condescendingly put it) into the presidential ring. Just 11 days
earlier, national Democrats chose Denver over New York to hold the
party's 2008 convention. There's more: Nevada will hold
the second caucus in the nation; New Mexico, Arizona and Utah will
hold presidential primaries on Feb. 5, giving them more influence
in the nominating process. Republican early favorites include Sen.
John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a
member of the Mormon Church.
The 700-mile fence proposed for the southern border will cost a bundle of cash — as much as $49 billion, says the Congressional Research Service — if it ever gets built; Democrats in Congress, now holding the reins of power, aren't too excited about it.
Total number of wolverines trapped in Montana, 2002.
$18/$98 Average pelt price for an Oregon river
otter in 1954 and 2005.
Average pelt price for a Montana bobcat in 1999 and 2005.
580,000 Number of pelts produced by Utah's
70 mink farms annually.
$8,999 Sale
price of a full-length bobcat coat with shawl collar from Henig
Furs. (Red fox vest, beaver sheared knitted jacket, coyote jacket:
$1,999 each.)
20 Estimated number of
pelts to make a full-length bobcat jacket.
$1,199.99 Cost of nutria bomber jacket, on
special at furoutlet.com.
176 Feral
cats accidentally captured by Idaho trappers 2004-2005.
400 Number of renowned fashion designers showing
fur fashions, coats and fur-trimmed merchandise, compared to 42 in
12 Percent of Americans who own fur clothing.
Sources: Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks; Oregon Furbearer Harvest and Pursuit Season Proposals; National Agricultural Statistics Service; National Trappers Association; Responsive Management study: American Attitudes Toward Scientific Wildlife Management and Human Use of Fish and Wildlife; Fur Information Council of America; Idaho Fish and Game Report.)]]>
In the past four decades, six tribal reservations in Montana have successfully negotiated water compacts with the state. A 1979 act and subsequent court decision required the state and resident tribes to clearly define tribal water rights, but the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, which share a reservation and a tribal government, have yet to get such a compact. This is their last chance to do so; the 1979 law set a deadline of July 1, 2015, after which it requires tribes to settle the question on a case-by-case basis by suing competing water users.
Though the last-chance iteration of their contract is a complex 1,000-page-long document, the issue is simple: Without clear water rights, tribes and their neighbors face uncertainty about whether the water they're using now is legally theirs and whether they'll face expensive lawsuits to keep that water in the future.
If the tribes and surrounding communities don't obtain clear water rights, their property values will also likely decrease. For these reasons, the compact is widely supported. But for a decade, extremist rhetoric has been hijacking the conversation about the compact, stirring up a century-old legacy of misunderstanding and fear of Indian self-determination. And that rhetoric has ramped up as the compact nears completion.
"While the state is trying to negotiate the best possible settlement for the state of Montana, people are questioning the very basis of the (tribes') right to have water rights," says Barbara Chillcott, legal director for the environmental advocacy group Clark Fork Coalition.
For example, Republican Sen. Scott Sales began at the February hearing, addressing Vernon Finley, chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' council, saying, "you stated that you represent a sovereign nation, [but] you're dependent on the United States government. And my understanding of the term 'sovereign'—and not just my understanding; the dictionary's understanding—is that a sovereign nation requires independence…I was hoping maybe you could offer an explanation how this could be."
Finley explained that case and federal law have recognized tribal sovereignty for almost two centuries and that receiving needed economic aid from the federal government—not to mention the history of oppression that created that need—does not change that. This question of the tribe's fundamental legitimacy has appeared again and again this legislative session, as if tribal self-determination itself, and not a specific set of water rights, were somehow under debate.
In addition to environmental advocates and water groups, agricultural groups including Farmers and Ranchers for Montana, Montana Stockgrowers Association, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, and the Montana Agricultural Business Association officially support the compact, as well as legislators both Republican and Democrat. A smaller faction of conservative legislators and advocacy groups, such as Montana Land and Water Alliance, oppose it. That group's blog has published opposition arguments questioning the tribe's ability to manage water rights.
As part of their challenge to basic tribal sovereignty, compact opponents are also attempting to overturn a long-standing treaty interpretation of fishing rights.
The compact would give the tribes rights to water not just from sources on the reservation, but from outside its boundaries as well. This can be traced to an 1855 treaty that gives the tribes rights to fish in areas surrounding the Flathead Reservation. Past case law interprets this to include the rights not just to fish, but to the water as well. But opponents of the agreement are debating it anyway, claiming that the original treaty only gave tribes the right to fish, not use water.
"Case law supports the off-reservation piece," the Clark Fork Coalition's Chillcott said. "If the tribes have to litigate it, they'll probably win. The state of Montana wants to deal with the uncertainty." The compact, she said, is a compromise between the state of Montana and tribes, while case law has erred on the side of tribes.
The bill has passed the judiciary committee and the Senate floor. It is awaiting the House, where it is likely to pass with little debate on the hydrologic and economic details of the complex document. Instead, expect more suspicion and confusion about the very basis of Indian self-determination—from both legislators and the general public. That confusion and rhetoric will continue to color the debate, but isn't likely to stop the compact from passing; it may be a small price to pay for a long-awaited compromise.
Kindra McQuillan is an editorial intern with High Country News.
Follow @KindraMcQuillan]]>
Despite mandatory state-run education classes, though, trappers have been catching a lot more than wolves -- mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, eagles, fishers, deer, moose, even family pets. Hikers and skiers have encountered wolf traps on public lands close to trails. In January, a National Park Service employee accidentally stepped into one, just outside Glacier National Park; the next month, a dog got three of its legs caught in two different traps at once south of Livingston, Mont. Below are some figures from Idaho's 2011-2012 wolf trapping season. (Complete data from the current season aren't yet available for either state.)
123 Total wolves trapped
143 Number of people who reported setting traps for wolves *
557; 111 Greatest number of wolf snares set in one night in one game-management unit; foothold traps set *
45; 33 White-tailed deer caught; released alive *
45; 1 Coyotes caught; released alive *
9; 3 Mountain lions caught; released alive *
9; 7 Domestic pets caught; released alive *
39; 22 Other non-target animals caught, including bobcats, geese, skunks, raccoons, golden eagles and ravens; released alive *
$37,115 to $1,256,966 Estimated monetary value of one Northern Rockies wolf **
$38.25; $333.50 Cost for license and tag to trap one wolf for Idaho residents; for nonresidents
* Based on responses to a survey sent to 460 people who took Idaho's wolf trapper education class and purchased a 2011-2012 trapping license.
** according to 2011 Duke University study
Sources: Idaho Fish and Game Department, Duke University.]]>
I'm talking about Bozeman, Montana – and how the conventional wisdom is only part of the story. In the 19 years I've lived in Bozeman, I've watched my town gain an international reputation as some kind of paradise. Click on any award-giver in the first paragraph – along with the American Planning Association, CNN Money, Fodor's Travel, National Geographic Adventure magazine, and the American Cities Business Journals – to get a sense of the distant experts expressing quick and easy attitude about my town.
Of course there's a lot to like about Bozeman – a Western university town in a scenic valley rimmed by mountains, near ski slopes and fishable rivers. We have a nice downtown, a small airport that's surprisingly well-connected, few traffic jams, and tech entrepreneurs mixing with conservationists and hipsters -- and a few actual cowboys.
On top of that, our homegrown entertainment includes a group of local women who create edgy comedy routines – check Broad Comedy on YouTube, singing "I Didn't F*ck It Up" or imitating inner-city rappers in "Soccer Mom Ho." You can even buy a Bozeman T-shirt letting the world know that you're a supporter of our very own Green Coalition of Gay Loggers for Jesus.
But any town has drawbacks, whether we're talking Paradise, Utah, or Paradise, Calif., or Paradise, Nev., or the various versions of San Francisco and Aspen and so on. That's why many local governments have adopted a new "Code of the West" officially warning any paradise-seeking immigrants of the problems they'll encounter when they move in, such as – egads! – rough roads, dangerous wildfires and the aroma of cattle.
The hyped-up Top 10 lists don't admit the drawbacks of my town. They just encourage paradise-seekers to move in – and thousands of people have apparently followed the advice by moving to Bozeman since I got here.
So, tongue in cheek, here's my rebellion against the hype: The Top 10 Reasons Not To Move To Bozeman.
(1) Begin with the town's name – it's lame. John M. Bozeman was a grandiose hustler who helped establish the town in 1864, while he was promoting the "Bozeman Trail," a dangerous shortcut for white settlers traveling through Wyoming and Idaho to Montana gold camps. John M. Bozeman hoped that his new town would "swallow up all the tenderfeet ... from the east, with their golden fleeces to be taken care of," one immigrant reported. But the whole Bozeman Trail quickly became a fiasco, as tribes including the Lakota Sioux, the Northern Cheyenne and the Northern Arapaho resisted the intrusion on their turf; within only four years or so, Native warriors wiped out 81 U.S. Army soldiers in the infamous Fetterman massacre and shut down the trail for good. As for John M. Bozeman himself, he had abandoned his wife and three young daughters in Georgia when he headed west to seek his fortune – setting the pattern for all the schemers and lone wolves who've come to this town since then.
John M. Bozeman had some good qualities (handsome, muscular, a crack shot). But fundamentally he was "a reckless man (who) never could see danger anywhere," according to one of his own friends back in the 1860s. He dressed like a dandy, in "the black beaver-cloth cutaway coat and striped dress trousers favored by gamblers," according to historians and friends, and made his living as "a speculator" who "farmed a bit, got in a few fights, gambled a lot, dreamed up business schemes, and was out of town for long periods of time."
John M. Bozeman's ventures included investing in a hotel and a river ferry, and delivering mail himself between Bozeman and the Virginia City mining camp, for 50 cents per piece (more than $18 in today's dollars) – apparently shameless price gouging. "His conscience was very elastic," a friend reported, and "to beat a man out of his wages or to neglect paying a bill or jumping a claim were matters of very little moment with him. ... His faults were produced by his education, or the lack of it rather, and the social system of the South, where labor was a disgrace to a white man. (He) had no use for money except to bet with, and the most congenial place to him on earth was the saloon, with a few boon companions at a table, playing a game of draw."
And John M. Bozeman only lasted a few years in Bozeman. At the age of 32, he was murdered – either by more hostile natives or by the jealous husband of a woman he was having an affair with. It was "the universal suspicion on the part of the husbands of the few women in town" that John Bozeman was a philanderer chasing the local married women, in the words of one historian. After he was killed, his estate wasn't worth as much as his outstanding bills.
(2) The weather. Yes, when you mention Montana, most people understand the weather is often bad here – as in, cold. And thanks to global warming, the cold spells seem to be getting a bit warmer and less prolonged. But still. I've had to deal with more than a foot of heavy wet snow that fell in my yard one day in mid-June several years ago, collapsing many of my leafed-out deciduous trees and crushing the mirage of summer.
The most recent seriously cold spell, a snowstorm in early December, generated these daily low temperatures, measured at the Montana State University campus near my house (with the late sunrise this time of year, these were the below-zero temperatures you would've faced, if you were in Bozeman commuting to work first thing in the morning):
Dec. 3 - 2 below zero F
Dec. 4 - 9 below zero
Dec. 5 - 14.2 below zero
Dec. 6 - 16.1 below zero
Dec. 7 - 19.3 below zero
Dec. 8 - 19.4 below zero
Dec. 9 - 10 below zero
Three of these days, the high temperature in late afternoon didn't even break zero. This all came down a couple of weeks before the official beginning of winter.
(3) The movie theaters. Movies can be intellectually and emotionally stimulating, a great cultural fix and an enjoyment -- but lately they're in short supply in Bozeman. When I moved here, we had two historic downtown movie theaters and a multiplex with about a half-dozen additional screens. Then another national theater chain opened a second multiplex, adding more than a half-dozen additional screens. At that point, a wide range of new movies showed in Bozeman, beyond the standard blockbusters aimed at teen-agers and families with young kids. But since then, both downtown theaters have stopped showing movies, and one multiplex closed.
So now we're down to only the newer multiplex, which is run by the biggest national chain, Tennessee-based Regal Entertainment Group – part of billionaire Philip Anschutz's empire. Anschutz is a politically active conservative Christian, opposing gay rights and backing various right-wing causes, and Regal Entertainment not only seems to have his conservative philosophy, the company also seems ignorant of basic facts like, Bozeman has more than 38,000 residents, and tens of thousands more live just outside city limits. Many of the locals are intelligent adults making careers not only in the university, but also in dozens of local high-tech companies, Montana's biggest ski resort (Big Sky), Yellowstone National Park (also nearby), or doing their own creative work in art, writing, photography, music, dance including more than one local ballet company, the local opera company, the local Shakespeare company, and so on.
As I write this blog post, these very good new movies have not yet shown in Bozeman's multiplex, even though they've been showing elsewhere around the West for weeks or months: 12 Years a Slave (a true story of 19th century slavery in this country, by the famous director Steve McQueen), All is Lost (Robert Redford suffering a solo shipwreck), Inside Llewyn Davis (the new Coen brothers flick), Dallas Buyers Club (Matthew McConaughey playing an early AIDS victim), Nebraska (same director as previous hits Sideways and The Descendants), Philomena (another British gem starring Judi Dench), Blue is the Warmest Color, Kill Your Darlings, Blue Jasmine (directed by Woody Allen, starring Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin), The Great Beauty, and Wadjda (a Saudi Arabian girl struggles for her rights).
Many of those movies have already won awards and will soon be nominated for Academy Awards, but somehow they're not appropriate for Bozeman? Or they can be shown here long after most other audiences have seen them? Give Bozeman a break, Regal Entertainment Group, or more like, give us what we're due.
I better acknowledge, two nights per month, a small nonprofit group called the Bozeman Film Festival brings some of the ignored-by-Regal movies to an auditorium in a former school that's now the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture. The auditorium has been lovingly restored and improved to be a theater, but the screen is small and the sound can be difficult to decipher. That's a noble effort – thanks very much, Bozeman Film Festival and Emerson Center – but it's not a substitute for a state-of-the-art movie theater providing longer runs in better conditions.
(4) Lack of cultural or ethnic diversity. There is none in Bozeman, unless you imagine that white ice climbers are way different from white skiers who are way different from white fly fishermen. In the whole county, 95.5 percent of the residents are white, reporting no mixed blood at all. Hispanics make up roughly 3 percent, Natives about 1 percent, blacks less than half-a-percent. So for this kind of diversity, Bozeman is very boring. Pretty much anywhere I travel, other than Wyoming, I'm always struck by how much more diverse – and interesting – other communities are.
(5) Isolation. Bozeman is a long distance from any real urban area – the nearest is the Salt Lake City metro area, roughly 430 miles away. This has to do with fact that Montana is the only state that doesn't even border a state that has a city of one million. To get to Salt Lake City, you have to drive through hundreds of miles of Idaho. To get to Seattle, you also have to drive through Idaho, and to get to Denver, you have to drive across all of Wyoming. And so on. So when you want a city fix, it takes some doing.
(6) Wildfires. I used to tell friends who might like to visit Bozeman, the best time to come is during July and August, when the weather is most reliably good. But largely due to climate change, those months are now wildfire season, with a high risk of smoke filling the air, blocking views of the mountains and causing headaches and other health complaints. Now I tell friends who want to come during the warm weather, it's a gamble – they might experience air quality similar to inland Los Angeles.
(7) Occasional bad land-use planning. The city and county planners based in Bozeman, and their supporters, have good intentions and would probably do more to protect the landscape and the current residents who like things as they are, but they're constrained by local politics. They also, like all of us, make mistakes within what the politics allow.
As a result, we have a great deal of random sprawl – residential developments popping up on agricultural land outside the city, straining taxpayer-funded public services including law enforcement and road maintenance. And in the city, we have a large car wash that was allowed to wedge itself into a modern smart-growth neighborhood of houses, apartments and office buildings on North 15th Avenue, where there are no other commercial enterprises – as if the neighborhood residents would like to walk to a car wash instead of to a coffee shop or a cafe or small grocery. It's apparently a fine car wash, but does it belong in this neighborhood?
Meanwhile, at the central sports-field complex, we have an array of super bright lights on tall poles whose bothersome glare extends for miles – the opposite of the "Dark Skies" movement taking hold elsewhere in the West. Banks are being allowed to build new branches around the city's fringes, like the one going in now, all by itself, in a streamside field on Kagy Boulevard, where horses grazed until recently (shown in a photo around #1 in this blog post) – as if we need more banks in a town already saturated with them (an indication of the affluence here).
In arguably its biggest mistake, last August the city government had to pay $2 million to settle a dispute with a wealthy developer who felt burned by a city manager's land-use decision. There are other obvious planning and land-use debacles, but this writing is long enough.
(8) Microbrewery suppression. Montana now has nearly 40 craft brewers – ranking in the top three states in breweries per-capita – making wonderful beers and ales, like Moose Drool and Cold Smoke (as in, windblown snow). But Montana microbreweries are suppressed by the hard-liquor saloons that are organized as the Montana Tavern Association, making it unduly difficult to drink a fresh draft microbrew.
It works like this: Under state law, the hard-liquor saloons must have state licenses. The state also limits the number of those licenses, so bidding wars erupt and a license can now cost more than $100,000. Microbreweries don't have to buy those licenses. The Tavern Association thinks that isn't fair, so it pressures the Montana Legislature to pass laws ordering that microbreweries can only serve their product in "tasting rooms" for limited hours – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. "Microbreweries here operate under some of the most restrictive regulations in the country," says the head of the Montana Brewers Association. As a result, when I venture into any of the good microbreweries in the Bozeman area, last call is 8 p.m.
(9) Restaurants. Maybe due to the lack of cultural and ethnic diversity, Bozeman has no restaurants specializing in Indian food, none specializing in Ethiopian or other varieties of African food, no Peruvian or Brazilian or Spanish cuisine, and so on. We have some good restaurants, including sushi, Thai, and a co-op that serves from steamer trays, but overall Bozeman's fare tends to be middle-of-the-road. Maybe more important, Bozeman also has no restaurant open 24/7, and the coffee shops don't stay open late, so night owls seeking community, you're out of luck here.
(10) The supervolcano near Bozeman. It underlies Yellowstone National Park, generating the heat for all the geysers and hotpots, and as anyone who's watched the supervolcano documentaries on the Discovery Channel and PBS, it could erupt anytime. And when it does generate its next eruption – actually the term is supereruption, and some experts say this is "overdue" – it will obliterate Bozeman, along with ruining the whole planet's atmosphere. So despite the influx of wealthy people driving up the prices of Bozeman real estate, our property values are really iffy, long-term.
I could list more than these Top 10 Reasons Not To Move To Bozeman, but like I said, this is long enough. And like I also said, I'm writing this tongue-in-cheek, because I do like living in Bozeman, despite the drawbacks. But those who are thinking of moving here, keep this list in mind. And fellow Bozemanites, if you'd like to chime in, please do.
Ray Ring is a senior editor of High Country News, and he is based in Bozeman. The descriptions of John M. Bozeman for this post were found in Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley: A history, by Phyllis Smith, and John M. Bozeman: Montana Trailmaker, by Merrill G. Burlingame. The list of new movies that haven't shown in Bozeman's multiplex theater is derived from months of the multiplex's ads in the local newspaper.]]>


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This step-by-step process should be followed in order. It may take more than one day to complete the process. See the Matriculation Guide for details including exemption and refusal criteria.
Step-By-Step Registration Guide
New Student
1. Attend
orientation and Tour
2. Submit Application for Admission and obtain ID Card Students attending an orientation will submit their applications through CCCAPPLY. Allow 1 hour before trying to obtain your student ID card at the Lesher Student Services Center, Admissions and Records office, 2nd floor. (Picture ID is required at the time you request this College ID).
3. Complete
Assessment Process
4. Meet with a
5. Submit Schedule
Request Form
6. Pay Fees at the Student Fees office. Student Fees office is located in the Lesher Student Services Center, 3rd floor
Students who are returning to Merced College after an absence of one semester or more are considered returning students.
1. Submit Application for Admission to update previous admission information – Picture ID required.(2nd Floor, Lesher Student Services Center)
2. Meet with a Counselor - Bring Merced College ID or other Picture ID and any other school transcripts (2nd Floor, Guidance, Lesher Student Services Center)
3. Submit a Schedule Request Form at the Admissions and Records Registration Window (2nd Floor, Lesher Student Services Center)
4. Pay Fees at the Student Fees office (3rd Floor, Lesher Student Services Center)
Continuing Student
Registration options
1. Register by Web: As a continuing student, you may register by web (https://MC4Me.mccd.edu). You will be allowed to register for all classes for which:
You have successfully completed the prerequisite(s) at Merced College, OR
You are currently enrolled in the required prerequisite(s) at Merced College.
2. Register in Person: As a continuing student, you may follow the traditional form of registration with the exception that no counselor's signature is required unless:


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Waste Containment Facility Planning and Design
Construction Management and Quality Assurance
Water and Natural Resources Conservation and Restoration
Site Investigation and Remediation
B.S., Civil Engineering, McGill University, 1985
B.A., Biology, Queen's University, 1979
David Bonnett, P.E., is a senior practitioner in construction management and geotechnical engineering and an Associate of the firm in Massachusetts. He has more than 25 years of construction and design experience. His practice focuses on all aspects of water and natural resources engineering and waste containment facility planning, design, and construction, including environmental design, permitting, and construction oversight.
David has significant experience with construction quality assurance (CQA) and construction management (CM) for the installation of geosynthetics and soil liners for waste management facilities and for remedial construction activities for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) closures, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites.
David's design and construction expertise includes in situ containment systems and the installation of a wide variety of appurtenances associated with leachate detection/collection systems and landfill gas collection/extraction systems. He also has experience with the construction of mechanically stabilized earthen (MSE) berms, interceptor trenches/vertical barriers, and a variety of remediation technologies.
David has been involved in water resources-related engineering designs using low impact development (LID) concepts and is familiar with the biotechnologies and restoration of wetlands. As part of his design approach, he has evaluated the use of bio-swales, retention basins, porous pavement and blocks, buffer zone plantings, and rain gardens to mitigate the impacts of stormwater flows.
As part of his construction management practice, David has been the liaison between client, contractor, and regulatory agencies, and has overseen the development of technical specifications, CQA plans, construction bid documents, design and construction drawings. Additionally, he has conducted field audits, helped to identify potential construction problems, and assisted with solutions implementation. He has conducted numerous design and constructability reviews for waste management facilities and construction claim support. He has provided litigation support on numerous construction claims.
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|Blurbarian Since
|September 2013
|Stuart Brown
|Lowestoft, UK
|My Bio
|Stuart Brown a Christian, devoted husband, father, son and brother was sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. From his first night in prison he kept a diary. Spread across two volumes these books reveal one man's experience of prison. Stuart's diary entries and letters from prison and his stories of prison life are raw, emotional and deeply moving. His Christian faith shines bright throughout this true story.
|Everyone needs to know about these authors and artists...
Also available as an ebook (ibooks for ipad format only)
search Another Day, Another Door in the Blurb ebook store.


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Best Cheap Batteries
Batteries are one of those can't-live-without artifacts of modern life. What with all the wireless gadgets we possess, it's quite possible that you're burning though a few dozen batteries a year. Replacement costs add up quickly, which puts a premium on finding the best (as in, longest-lasting and most reliable) and cheapest battery around. Frugal consumers may be tempted to buy the no-name dollar-store variety, but experts insist that's a bad choice. Super-cheap batteries are destined to disappoint -- they have short life spans and some are prone to leaking. Stepping up a notch to a name-brand battery costs a bit more upfront but saves money in the long-run and delivers significantly better performance. We found several good cheap batteries that should keep your electrical gadgets fully powered up without draining too much from your wallet.
Sanyo Eneloop Pre-Charged Rechargeables
(From $9.50)
Best Cheap AAA NiMH. The newest generation of Sanyo Eneloop pre-charged rechargeable NiMH batteries wins the top spot for its low rate of self-discharge, long life while in use,...
Read Review and Compare Prices »
Duracell CopperTop Alkaline
(From $10.00)
Best Cheap AA. These slow-drain disposable alkaline batteries enjoy a reputation for long service in low-capacity devices and hold their own in applications with heavier demands,...
Read Review and Compare Prices »
Sony Rechargeable 900 mAh
(From $8.60)
Good Cheap AAA NiMH. Another rechargeable NiMH battery, this AAA version with 900 milliampere hours is well-liked by the majority of users, who say it holds a charge longer than...
Read Review and Compare Prices »
Rayovac Alkaline
(From $10.00)
Good Cheap AA. This is a decent, basic alkaline battery that wins points for low price and decent durability. Many users say it lasts as long as the big names in the market, and it...
Read Review and Compare Prices »
Energizer Rechargeable D
(From $10.00)
This D battery is supposed to work for high-drain devices, such as electronic toys and stereo equipment, but disappointed consumers report they die quickly after recharging.
Read Review and Compare Prices »
Cheap Batteries Buying Guide
The variety of battery types is staggering. There are tiny round-cell batteries for watches, the ubiquitous small cylinders for devices such as TV remotes and game controllers, mid-size square or rectangular batteries for computers and power tools, large batteries for cars, and lots more in between.
To keep things from getting too confusing, this buying guide focuses on cheap batteries for the consumer market; that is, cheap alkaline and cheap NiMH batteries used for things such as clocks, toys, MP3 players, digital cameras, flashlights, remote controls, GPS systems, wireless keyboards and computer mice.
The brand-name battery powerhouses include Duracell, Energizer, Sanyo, Sony, and Panasonic, and the generic bigwigs are Camelion, Rayovac, Rhino, and Kirkland Signature (Costco house brand). On a per unit basis, the price difference between brand-name and generic batteries can be substantial. For instance, a 12-pack of AA alkaline batteries from Energizer starts at less than $11 compared to less than $7 for a 12-pack by Rayovac; a Kirkland Signature 48-pack goes for $13.63. Ditto for rechargeable NiMH batteries; a four-pack of AA 2700mAh batteries from Sanyo costs nearly $17 compared to $13 for a pack with similar specs from Powerex. The disparity in performance between the top and second-tier brands is often noticeable but rarely extreme. It's the very bottom-of-the-barrel batteries, the kind you can buy in bulk for a dollar, that lag so very far behind.
While researching the best cheap batteries, we found that consumers care most about reliability and durability. For alkaline batteries that means holding a charge between infrequent uses and/or providing power for a decent length of time when used continuously. With rechargeable NiMH batteries, consumers expect sufficient power for periods of intense activity and/or power when needed on devices used regularly. Although consumers are turned off by batteries with limited longevity, sometimes the batteries' failure has more to do with the device it's attached to; in other words, the battery may not be appropriate for the application.
Our picks for best cheap batteries include two rechargeable NiMH and two alkaline batteries. At the top of the list are Sanyo Eneloop AAA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries 800mAh (starting at $9.50/4-pack), which consumers say beat out the competition in terms of holding a charge through heavy use. Second in the NiMH category are Sony Rechargeable AAA 900 mAh NiMH Batteries (starting at $8.60/4-pack), also for longevity despite a few contrary reports by users. In the alkaline battery segment, our top pick is the Duracell CopperTop Alkaline AA (starting at $10/20-pack), hailed by consumers as dependable and long-lasting. We also like the Rayovac AA Alkaline (starting at $10/30-pack) batteries for their overall value. Although we've singled out the AAA or AA version of the cheap batteries on our list, research indicates that both sizes deliver similar performance.
Apart from the advice offered above to steer clear of the no-name, old-technology batteries often labeled "heavy duty" or "general purpose," we have some concerns about the Energizer Rechargeable D Batteries (starting at $10/2-pack); consumers gripe about their limited capacity and short active life before needing a recharge.
(Note: Batteries come packaged in multiples -- sometimes a four-pack, sometimes a 10-pack, sometimes a 40-pack, etc.); the greater number of units, the lower the per unit cost. Different vendors carry different-size packages.)


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Book your room at Anaheim Fairfield Inn by Marriott
Standard Room, 2 Queen BedsMax Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children)
Standard Room, 2 Queen Beds, City View (Themed)Max Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 4 infants)
Premium Room, Resort View (Themed)Max Occupancy: 5 guests (up to 4 children, 4 infants)
Standard Room, 1 King BedMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children)
Room, 1 King Bed, Resort ViewMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Get an overview of this hotelAnaheim hotel across from Disneyland® Resort
With a stay at Anaheim Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Anaheim (Disneyland - Anaheim), you'll be convenient to Anaheim GardenWalk and Anaheim Convention Center.
This hotel is close to Disney California Adventure® Park and Disneyland®.
Make yourself at home in one of the 467 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Your room comes with a pillowtop bed, and all rooms are furnished with sofa beds. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming provides entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.
Enjoy recreational amenities such as an outdoor pool and a spa tub. Additional amenities include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and an arcade/game room.
Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner, or grab a snack at a coffee shop/café.
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, a 24-hour business center, and a computer station. Planning an event in Anaheim? This hotel has facilities measuring 1368 square feet (127 square meters), including a meeting room. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Anaheim Fairfield Inn by Marriott is directly across the street from Disneyland® Park and Disney's California Adventure® Park and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the Anaheim Convention Center.
Guests looking for refreshment or a bite to eat should visit the third floor which features The Market where a Seattle's Best Coffee and Pizza Hut Express offer several dining options. There is also a game room for entertainment.
Guests can take advantage of complimentary computer stations in the hotel lobby or the free WiFi access. Luggage storage and a 24-hour business center are available. Recreation options include a year-round heated outdoor pool and spa tub. Limited parking is available. Guests can purchase Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper passes at the hotel.
Self and valet parking is available on site for a surcharge. This hotel provides designated smoking areas; fines apply for smoking outside of designated areas.
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Arcade/game room
- 24-hour front desk
- Express check-out
- ATM/banking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Number of floors - 9
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Coffee shop or café
- Express check-in
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Computer station
- Designated smoking areas (fines apply)
- Laundry facilities
- Total number of rooms - 467
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Luggage storage
- Restaurant
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Conference space size (meters) - 127
- 24-hour business center
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Shopping on site
- Spa tub
- Outdoor pool
- Concierge services
- Designated smoking areas
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- One meeting room
- Multilingual staff
- Conference space size (feet) - 1368
- Year Built 1989
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Television in common areas
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Arcade/game room
- Sofa bed
- Refrigerator
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Self parking (surcharge), Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Phone
- Free local calls
- In-room safe
- Premium TV channels
- Pay movies
- Premium bedding
- Climate control
- Air conditioning
- Free newspaper
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Cable TV service
- Iron/ironing board
- Sofa bed
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Access via exterior corridors
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Daily housekeeping
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Desk
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Pillowtop mattress
Where to Eat
The Market - A third-floor dining area featuring a Seattle's Best Coffee and a Pizza Hut Express during breakfast and dinner hours.
Please note that this property does not offer a complimentary continental breakfast.
Nearby Things to Do
The hotel has a heated year-round outdoor pool and spa tub located in a landscaped courtyard, as well as a game room located on the third floor. Two public golf courses are within 9.5 miles.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Surfing/boogie boarding nearby
- Boat tours nearby
- Golfing nearby
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessibility equipment for the deaf
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible path of travel
- Braille or raised signage
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at Midnight
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Check-out time is Noon
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
No rollaway/extra beds available
- Deposit: USD 50.00 per stay
Hotel Name
We should mention
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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2015 Eagles Vs Lions Tickets
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text: × Going Hawk Wild at The Third Rail Mike talks to Danny Shapiro from The Third Rail Tavern about the ever-bustling Hawks festivities. http://tribwgnam.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/mm-0625-2013-thethirdrail.mp3 Chicago Blackhawks fan and bartender Rick Moschel fires up the crowd before the start of game 3 of the Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals at Third Rail Tavern, at 1133 W. Madison St., in Chicago, on Tuesday June 4, 2013. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)