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Delivering Big Sky’s best restaurants to your home, office, hotel or condo! ORDER ONLINE OR OVER THE PHONE ( 8 8 8 ) 303.3463 D I N E I N M T . C O M 6 dec. 14 - 27, 2012 • CHINA CAFÉ • LOTUS PAD • BWOM BISTRO • BROKEN SPOKE • WRAP SHACK • MILKIE’S PIZZA OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK SUN-THURS 5-9 P.M. FRI-SAT 5-10 P.M. explorebigsky.com CoMMunity bIG SKY – The big Sky Community food bank on Nov. 29 got a boost in the form of $100,000. During the food bank’s open house, big Sky residents Dr. George and Kymberly Rapier donated the money to the new facility, which has been distributing food twice a week since opening in early November. More than 200 guests attended the event, and food bank co-founder Anne Marie Mistretta called it “a true show of community support.” “It was awesome,” said Mistretta, appreciative and to the point. The donation will help the food bank pay for rent and purchase food through the Gallatin Valley food bank. The facility distributed nearly 40 Thanksgiving meals, including turkeys, and has also had shoppers at its Tuesday and friday distributions. More than 50 volunteers have already Big Sky Weekly rapiers donate $100,000 to food bank Photo by kaela sChoMMer been involved, including 10 students from Ophir and Lone Peak High School. Since the mid-October, 800 pounds of food have been donated to the food bank, and a total of $150,000. Once organizers finish remodeling the space, which is in the big Horn Center below the bugaboo, distribution will move inside. until then, food will be distributed out of a refrigerated truck Tuesdays (3 – 7 p.m.) and fridays (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.). Donations can be dropped at the food bank during those hours, or at Lone Peak brewery. – E.S.
CoMMunity Morningstar launches capital campaign hosts holiday gift-wrapping table by eMily stifler big sky weekly managing editor bIG SKY – Morningstar Learning Center launched a capital campaign Dec. 1 that aims to match a $100,000 donation contingent on the nonprofit childcare center doing just that. The Rapier family foundation put the initial $100,000 on the table in early November, challenging the Morningstar board and the big Sky community to match it. The Rapier’s donation is earmarked to pay off the remaining principal on the childcare facility’s mortgage; the second $100,000 would help cover operational costs, tuition decreases and increased teacher benefits. “The Rapiers have asked Morningstar to challenge big Sky,” said board member Tracy Jacobsen. “They want to see big Sky come together and support [this organization].” Through this challenge, the Rapiers are encouraging other people to help and give, said Kym Rapier. She’s seen this style of fundraising help build momentum for capital campaigns in the past, she said, noting that the foundation has done ‘challenges’ numerous times wolf hunting closed north of yellowstone GARDINER – Montana wildlife commissioners closed the wolf hunting season in some areas around Yellowstone National Park on Monday, Dec. 10 after several collared animals were killed. Many of the park’s wolves are fitted with radio collars to track the animals’ movements. At least seven Yellowstone wolves have been shot – including five with tracking collars – since the gray wolf seasons opened in Montana, wyoming and Idaho. The closures include areas north of the park around Gardiner and prohibit hunting or trapping of the animals. The first gray wolf trapping season in Montana starts Saturday, Dec. 15. State officials lifted quotas for wolves this year as a reaction to attacks on livestock and lower elk numbers in some areas, blamed on the predators. fish, wildlife and Parks Commission chairman bob Ream indicated the closure may not be permanent, but is a reaction to the high number of collared animals killed. Conservation groups have lobbied the state unsuccessfully to put a buffer zone around the park in hopes of protecting the Yellowstone wolf population. while hunting and trapping are prohibited within the park, shooting a collared animal that roams across the park boundary is legal. This is the second gray wolf hunting season in Montana since the animals lost federal protection last year. Photo Courtesy of Morningstar learning Center before in San Antonio, Texas, where the Rapiers lived prior to moving to big Sky earlier this year. To kick off the capital campaign, Morningstar is hosting a holiday gift-wrapping table in the big Sky Post Office lobby on Saturdays and wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through December. The present wrapping – which is in exchange for donations – “is not an effort to make $50,000 or even $10,000,” Jacobsen said. Instead, it’s a way to draw attention to the campaign and its branding platform: a stack of books, each one symbolizing $10,000 raised. The board is also planning to host a fundraising event, and Jacobsen mentioned reaching out to every business owner that’s ever had an employee with a child enrolled at Morningstar. “This is such a need. People have to have childcare,” she said. “Not only that, but stats show children that go to preschool are automatically higher on the bar when it comes to the alphabet and numbers.” The only licensed childcare facility in big Sky, Morningstar opened in April 2006 and purchased its current building at 659 Spruce Cone Drive in September 2011. Although the center struggled during the economic downturn, “we’ve come a long way,” Jacobsen said. “we have a new board, and we’re focusing on our objectives and goals.” In addition to paying off the mortgage completely, these goals include Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president David Allen wrote the following letter to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission Chairman Robert Ream. The letter was edited for brevity. we understand that Defenders of wildlife and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition are running a campaign against Montana fwP for allowing hunting and trapping of wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park. These hunts are legal, necessary and scientifically sustainable. There is no science or rationale to support a special "no hunt" zone outside YNP. further, we are not aware of any science or rationale to support the attempts of these groups to create a distinction between "Yellowstone wolves" and wolves that exist within the tri-state region of Montana, wyoming and Idaho. The attempt to establish a “buffer zone” for YNP wolves is in direct contrast to the original goal for the wolf reintroduction in the northern Rockies. Never was it planned that "Yellowstone wolves" would be granted amnesty from management once outside the park. These groups should be celebrating a successful recovery of the wolf population. A substantial number of wolves throughout the three states have come from Yellowstone. Are they to be given special protection status as well? Hundreds of animals including elk, deer, bighorn sheep, black bears and mountain lions are fitted with radio collars for scientific purposes and roam the wilds in and around the park, but they aren’t excluded from hunting seasons outside the park. when harvested, the collars are returned to the management agency and the data is utilized. During the recent lawsuits over delisting wolves in the northern Rockies, Defenders, GYC and others pro- explorebigsky.com explorebigsky.com Big Sky Weekly implementing a state food program, decreasing tuition, providing health and other benefits for employees, and hiring an executive director. The center’s capacity is 43 children, which includes infants, toddlers and preschoolers. between 40 and 50 families use the facility, according to administrator Lindsie Hurlbut, one of 12 staff. As a nonprofit, Morningstar is funded largely by grants and donations. That poses a challenge when trying to retain staff. Starting wage for a teacher at Morningstar is $10 an hour, with no benefits or sick leave. “The standard of living is so high here, because rent and food is so expensive,” Jacobsen said. Even with these challenges, Jacobsen says, “It’s an amazing asset for the children of this community, [the children] that are going to be running this community some day.” The Rapiers have donated nearly $1 million to southwest Montana area nonprofits this year. letter: rMef on yellowstone Park wolves claimed state borders did not matter when considering wolf populations and management. They claimed this so they could keep Montana, Idaho and wyoming tied together in the lawsuit. Now, all of sudden, the YNP border is relevant and any wolf near it but outside of the park should be protected. These groups simply wish to continue to protest statebased management of wolves, thus keeping a "wolf controversy alive" for the express purpose of soliciting for more donations. The reality is Montana, wyoming and Idaho are required to manage wolves within a specific set of mandates. If those are not adhered to, the states risk having their wolf population placed back on the Endangered Species List. As it stands today, wolf numbers are well above objective and in need of reduction. The substantial reduction of the northern Yellowstone elk herd requires wolves to travel farther for prey. we wish those who claim to "defend wildlife" felt empathy for the thousands of elk lost from the northern Yellowstone elk herd, not to mention the related economic losses. we urge you not to alter or reduce the ability to continue the legal and ethical management, including hunting and trapping, of wolves surrounding the Yellowstone National Park border. further, we urge our members to communicate their position on this important issue with you. Thank you for your consideration. -David Allen, RMEF President/CEO dec. 14 - 27, 2012 7
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