A Trek to the Parks
by Chuck Shenk
We just returned from our almost-annual trek to the parks. We went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks this year, and why not? They're conveniently located right next door and can be relatively inexpensive to visit. And, I have the Old Fogey Pass that gets my wife and me in free. There are many campgrounds, but we tend to splurge for a cabin. For around 70 bucks there are rustic cabins at Yellowstone Lake Lodge (emphasis on "rustic"). Liver-Eating Johnson's place was more palatial than these cabins. You can touch the hot water heater from your bed. In fact, you can touch almost everything in the cabin from the bed, which is quite convenient, actually. Need to adjust the thermostat in the middle of the night? No problem. Just reach out in the dark and twist the first knob you encounter. If you have a horde of kids, though, you might need to shell out for a bigger place.
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Cranioklepty
Two hundred years ago, the composer Joseph Haydn died. Shortly thereafter, grave robbers dug up his grave, removed his head, and sealed the grave back up. The flesh was cut away from his skull, the brains removed, and the skull bleached for study.
This is where the story begins in Cranioklepty: Grave Robbing and the Search for Genius, by Colin Dickey. Over the next 300 pages, Dickey regales us with the true stories of famous people whose graves were exhumed to steal their heads, all in the name of the fad pseudoscience of the day: phrenology.
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ELECTION 2009: Has Bearcreek Gone to the Dogs?
Not only to the dogs, but to other animals as well. The 2008 census listed 83 residents in Bearcreek, the most since 1950, and an increase of 55% over the 1990 count. Bearcreek was noted as the fastest-growing town in Montana. Had they counted the critters, Bearcreek would have exploded to a 100% increase over 1990.
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ELECTION 2009: Red Lodge Mayor
by Gary Robson
As we prepare to hit the polls next month, we have few candidates to consider. We won't be voting for county, state, or Federal officials. City council members are mid-term. Many citizens don't vote in years like this.
But the mayoral election is an important one. Even though a mayor can't vote--except as a tie-breaker--the mayor puts a face and a personality on the town. Mayoral mandates are important, and the mayor wields much behind-the-scenes power.
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Halloween 2009
by Gary Robson
Our dedicated and loyal Local Rag staff dedicated some time to visiting some Halloween parties in Red Lodge and taking pictures. All in the name of research, of course!
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Have a Safe and Happy Samhain
by Peadar MacDavid
Are you, like us Druids, dreading another Halloween, with hordes of pesky children, dressed as pirates or Snow White extorting candy in the name of their god, Trick or Treat? We offer an inspiring alternative in our Sacred Holy Night of Samhain (pronounced SOW-en). If our white-robed emissaries have not yet knocked on your door to offer Druidism tracts, and brought the message of our holy rites, we invite you to experience the joys of a proper Samhain with bonfires and mead.
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Pictures from the 2009 Feast for the Beasts
The Feast for the Beasts is the Beartooth Nature Center's annual fundraiser. Here are some pictures from this year's event, which was Saturday, October 3, 2009.
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Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse
by Doug Robson
Zombies: mankind's bane since the first human resurrection. These undead horrors seem perfectly harmless at first glace; they just shuffle around all slow-like, they're not smart enough to operate a plank of wood--let alone something as complex as a gun--and they have the intelligence of a banana slug. These points are true, but that doesn't mean they're just something to ignore completely. They have their own special apocalypse for a reason; a couple, in fact. They travel in hordes, they never tire, and they fear nothing. Many shrug off zombies as an overplayed horror movie gimmick. You know what happens to those people? They get bitten, turn into zombies, and get blasted in half by people smart enough to prepare. I'm here to tell you how to prepare. Specifically, I'm here to tell you how to fortify your house, and what tools you should keep equipped.
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Resort tax for marketing Red Lodge
by Gary Robson
When you go to the polls next month, you'll see a proposal to use resort tax money for marketing Red Lodge. The Local Rag would like to correct two misunderstandings about this measure, and encourage you to vote YES for marketing Red Lodge!
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Sewage Treatment Solar Panels, Take 2
A new proposal for a cost-saving and energy-efficient addition to the sewage treatment facility was presented at the Red Lodge City Council meeting on September 22nd. The Council will need to decide at its meeting on Tuesday, October 13. Here are some answers to some important questions that Red Lodge residents may have about the plan, written by the Climate Protection Group and Carbon County Resource Council.
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The Beartooth Children's Center
Childcare is an often overlooked and undervalued component of a healthy community, of healthy families and for healthy children. Quality childcare allows for a family's consistent, meaningful employment or education. This improves the economic health of a community as employers have reliable help upon which they can call. Imagine how many businesses in Red Lodge would be affected if parents could not leave their children with people that they can trust on a consistent basis.
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The Bull Pen: An Ambitious Project for the Next Rally Weekend
Red Lodge has had some fairly ambitious events in the past, drawing thousands of people for rodeos, motorcycle rallies, concerts, and festivals. Nothing, however, has been as ambitious as next year's Bull Pen Concert series, going on during the Beartooth Rally in July of next year.
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Beer Snob:
It's Not About the Beer?
by Gary Robson
Kathy and I just attended one of the coolest events a beer geek could possibly attend. The inaugural Denver Rare Beer Tasting featured two dozen breweries pouring their rarest, most unique beers, and yet I titled this article, "It's not about the beer."
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by John Overton
Well, I probably don't have to remind you that this is the last month until February during which we can cook and eat like relatively normal human beings.
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The Scene, by Jeanne:
The Pollard's Second Annual Concert Series, Featuring Michael Beaumont
by Jeanne Thomas
Sunday, October 18 at 3:00 pm, the historic Pollard Hotel will celebrate the beginning of its second annual concert series in Red Lodge. The opening concert will be held in the Spur Room at the Hotel, and will feature classical guitarist Michael Beaumont. Tickets will be ten dollars. Complimentary appetizers will be served afterwards. This will be a unique opportunity to meet and converse with this accomplished musician.
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by Gene Rodman
I'm always window shopping on eBay, looking for some great deals on lenses. If I had unlimited funds I know what lenses I'd like to have; they are written on a board over my desk. I've researched what I need for the kind of photography I do, but I find most people don't know what to look for when looking for a lens for their camera. What do all the numbers and letters mean on the description of the lens?
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by Jody De Carlo
The summer season is winding down, and so is our tattoo season. Despite their economic woes, people still manage to come up with the money for a new tattoo or piercing. Small, local shows were a bit slower than usual, but other areas not affected by job losses and home foreclosures, were the same as previous years. Two reasons for this are our reputation or large clientele base, and another reason is that body art is addicting.
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by Deb Muth
Question: What is the fastest and least expensive way to slow climate change? Answer: Use less energy.
Most of us could reduce our energy consumption by 25% or more and do the Earth a big favor by trimming at home. So what is holding us back?
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About Town:
Operation Christmas Child
by Corey Thompson
You've heard of the idiom, "living on a shoestring." For example, "those newlyweds are so poor that they're living on a shoestring budget." This is an old English expression that means that someone is living on a very small margin (as thin as a shoestring).
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Off the Reel:
We Got a German Here Wants to Die For His Country. Oblige Him.
by Doug Robson
Inglorious Basterds was done by writer/actor/director extraordinaire Quentin Tarantino, known for writing/directing such films as Grindhouse, Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2, Reservoir Dogs, and one of my favorite movies of all time, Pulp Fiction. I will get one thing out of the way right away--Tarantino does not stray away from profanity, blood, and (in many cases) nudity. This movie drops a few F-Bombs, and it definitely has blood. Not a lot of gore, but a good bit of blood. Oh, and it has no nudity, it's safe in that regard.
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