New Year's Eve Bash - Explore Big Sky

montana
schweitzer launches Montana
winter tourism campaign
to include Warren miller, heather mcPhie and kevin Connolly
big sky weekly wire serviCes
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the
Montana Office of Tourism have
launched a marketing campaign
to entice travelers to Montana.
The campaign features renowned
skier and cinematographer Warren
Miller, as well as other Montana
skiers.
“We are honored to have Warren
Miller choose to endorse and
promote Montana’s winter ski
experience,” Schweitzer said in a
statement. “It is also a powerful testament
to the incomparable quality
of skiing that Montana offers.”
The campaign includes stories from
of well-known Montanans who’ve
been inspired and shaped by their
experiences here. The goal is to
help potential visitors see the full
spectrum of experiences, and how
those can transform and influence a
person.
These personalities include Olympic
mogul skier Heather McPhie
and X-Games medalist, author and
photographer Kevin Connolly, as
14 december 16, 2011
well as other photographers, naturalists
and historians.
Skiing and wildlife watching are the
leading motivators for Montana’s
winter travelers. The campaign
will target audiences by working
to build awareness of and intent
to travel to Montana in its ‘secret
season’.
Most of Montana’s 10.5 million
annual visitors travel during the
summer. Visitors spend $2.5 billion
here annually, contribute $180
million in tax revenue and support
more than 28,000 jobs. Visitor
expenditures provide more than
$785 million for Montana workers,
with 30 cents of every visitor dollar
paying wage and salary income for
Montana residents.
The office estimates each Montana
household saves $480 in taxes annually
due to tax revenue generated
through visitor spending.
Montana winter stories: visitmt.
com/montana-stories
Warren Miller media: j.mp/rIIg4y
explorebigsky.com
The Montana Office of Public
Instruction has decided not to seek
a waiver from the Department of
Education from requirements of No
Child Left Behind.
Montana’s Superintendent of Public
Instruction Denise Juneau explained
the decision:
“After careful consideration of the
impacts on Montana schools and the
financial resources that would be
necessary to meet the 'all or nothing'
requirements of the waiver, it is
clear the strings attached to this option
do not make sense for our state."
explorebigsky.com
Big Sky Weekly
Montana won't seek waiver from department of education
By aLLySon hagen
oFFiCe oF PubliC instruCtion
Juneau spent the past several months
seeking input from Montanans regarding
the waiver option, including
representatives of several statewide
education groups.
Education leaders expressed concern
that the waiver plan is a replacement
program for current NCLB requirements,
and would cost the state
millions. Implementing the waiver requirements,
which could be overruled
by Congress, would be shortsighted,
Juneau said.
Juneau, an advocate for rural states,
said Montana will move forward with
its current reform efforts to improve
graduation rates, adopt higher standards
in English and Math, and helping
the lower performing Montana schools.
$50,000 available for community-based history projects
Montana History Foundation announces first ever Preserve Montana Grants
The nonprofit Montana History Foundation is offering $50,000 in grants this
year to organizations and individuals who want to preserve historical assets of
importance to Montana’s history. The Preserve Montana Fund aims to protect the
historic legacy of communities across the state.
Grants will be awarded for projects ranging from $500 – $5,000, and the money
will go toward preserving historic buildings, oral histories and collection/archival
preservation. Deadline is Jan. 11, 2012. Criteria and guidelines available at
mthistory.org, or by contacting (406) 449-3770 or gena@mthistory.org.