June/July 2007

Hello again,

This is our June report on activities of the Center for June and July. We hope you are enjoying your summer.

From all of us at the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West, The University of Montana

"Who do you think you are? Barney Oldfield?" 
provided by William Farr

Bern "Barney" Oldfield was a famed automobile racer who started competing with a Henry Ford car at the beginning of the 20th century.  On Memorial Day weekend in New York in 1903, Oldfield drove 60 miles an hour-speeding his way down a mile track in one minute flat. This was the beginning of a national career with Oldfield crisscrossing the country, challenging locals in match races and participating in timed runs.

In 1910, after purchasing a Benz, he upped his speed record to 70.159 mph in what people termed his "Blitzen Benz." He followed this feat by teaming up with the famous pilot, Lincoln Beacher, and the two of them would "wow" the locals with match races, Barney Oldfield racing the airplane. Such "barnstorming" was popular and the two staged at least 35 shows, including Missoula, Mont., on July 11, 1915.

Barney Oldfield's career included the movies as well as stage performances, including Barney Oldfield's Race for Life (1913).As a result of this famed career, people would frequently use the expression, "Who do you think you are?  Barney Oldfield?"

Pictured is Barney Oldfield racing at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, with Mount Sentinel in the background, before the amazed Missoula public in approximately 1914.

On May 24^th, in Seattle, Wash., former Congressman Pat Williams was guest speaker at the annual dinner of Seattle's City Year.  City Year is a part of the AmeriCorps' Youth Conservation Corps program, which was first encouraged by Williams through legislation in the late 1980s.

On May 24^th, in Missoula, Mont., Senior Fellow Daniel Kemmis spoke to the Missoula Midtown Association - a business and professional group pushing revitalization of the Midtown commercial neighborhood of Missoula. Kemmis is a member of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency Board and spoke on the benefits of public-private cooperation in city redevelopment.

On May 22^nd, in Bozeman, Mont., Senior Fellow Bob Brown interviewed former Constitutional Convention delegate, member of the cabinet of Gov. Tom Judge, and longtime State Sen. Dorothy Eck as part of his series of recorded interviews of historically important Montanans for the Mansfield Library Historical Archives.

On May 18^th, at Jackson Lake Lodge, Wyo., Swanson spoke at the annual meeting of the Yellowstone Business Partnership, with membership representing over 200 businesses and other organizations from a three-state region. The conference was entitled "Making Room" and Larry's presentation examined growth and change in 25-county region surrounding Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

On May 18^th, in Phoenix, Ariz., Williams addressed the closing session of a two-day workshop sponsored by Western Progress, a new public policy institute serving the eight Rocky Mountain states.  Williams' remarks were titled "It's the Rockies Turn - Again."

On May 11-13^th, near Helena, Mont., Williams hosted members of the Emerging Leaders Conference at the Feathered Pipe Ranch. The conference is sponsored by the Montana Progressive Policy Institute and convenes quarterly.

On May 11^th, in Bozeman, Mont., Brown (a former President of the Montana State Senate), along with former House Speaker John Vincent, presented their perspectives on the recently adjourned 2007 legislative session at a public meeting sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

On May 10^th, in Whitefish, Mont., Brown was guest speaker at the Whitefish Kiwanis Club, relating his experiences as an exchange professor at Nankai University in Tianjin, China.

On May 3^rd, at UM's Leopold Wilderness Institute in Missoula, Mont., Williams, along with Dean Perry Brown of UM's College of Forestry and Conservation, led discussions about the Institute's history and future possibilities. Williams legislatively led the creation of the Leopold Institute during his service in the U.S. House of Representatives.

On May 1^st, in Missoula, Mont., Swanson spoke at a committee meeting of the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, discussing growth and change in the Missoula Valley and challenges and opportunities for the future.

On April 24^th, in Polson, Mont., Swanson spoke to the Polson area Rotary Club, discussing growth trends in Lake County and the larger region.

On April 20^th, in Bozeman, Mont., Williams presented the keynote address "This West" at an awards dinner of the Sonoran Institute. The dinner was in recognition of award-winning development and design projects in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

On April 19^th, in Ashville, N. C., Williams was honored for his nine years as a member of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB).  AGB is the nation's premier association of governing and advisory boards of post-secondary education institutions, including each of Montana 's public universities and colleges.

On April 12^th, in Lincoln, Neb., Swanson gave the second annual Grasslands Foundation Lecture at the University of Nebraska and its Great Plains Art Museum. His presentation was entitled "Can the Path be Altered: Salvaging and Renewing Rural Communities in the Plains."The following day he participated in a panel discussion at the University of Nebraska with others working in Nebraska rural development. His lecture was sponsored by the Grassland Foundation, Center for Great Plains Studies, UNL Rural Initiatives program, RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, UNL Economics Department, UNL Center for Grassland Studies, UNL School of Natural Resources, and the Prairie Plains Resource Institute.

On April 6^th, in Bozeman, Swanson spoke at a breakfast forum hosted by the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce and MSU College of Technology entitled "Bozeman Area Economic Growth and Workforce Challenges." 

On April 3-5^th, in Fort Collins, Colo., Kemmis participated in and spoke at a conference at Colorado State University entitled, "People and Land in a New Century: A Blueprint for Conservation that Works." Kemmis is authoring a chapter to a book on the same title based upon the conference.

On April 3^rd, in Billings, Swanson spoke and participated in a community forum hosted by Celebrate Billings entitled "Business and Education: Working Together for Billings' Future." The forum focused on workforce development needs in Billings and its region and featured presentations by Swanson, Wes Jurey of the Arlington, Texas, Chamber of Commerce, and Jack Copps, Superintendent of Billings Public Schools.

The 5^th Annual Hammond Lecture in Western/Environmental History, Aldo Leopold: A Critical Look at an Essential Man, was presented by Professor William deBuys to an audience of 130 people on April 19 at The University of Montana. The event was co-sponsored by the Hammond Endowment in the Department of History and the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. Professor deBuys, author of Enchantment and Exploitation and the Pulitzer finalist, River of Traps, focused on the lessons to be learned - both negatively and positively - in Leopold's life's work while emphasizing Leopold's monumental achievement in the development of contemporary American ideas about nature and the environment.

Center director Larry Swanson and Center associate Doug Lawrence recently completed a comprehensive economic assessment of a 25-county area around Yellowstone National Park for the Yellowstone Business Partnership. The report may be accessed at <http://crmw.org/read/YellowstoneBusinessPartnership.asp>.

Daniel Berger, Headwaters News' assistant editor, will be leaving his position June 1 to pursue a graduate degree in New Media in New York state, studying and learning emerging technologies in the changing journalism industry. Berger started with Headwaters News in 2002 and held his position as assistant editor for one year. He returned to the position in 2005. "I hate to leave Headwaters and the West," he said. "But this kind of experience and knowledge will hopefully make me a more well-rounded journalist, able to better tackle new issues and technologies." He can continue to be reached at danpberger@yahoo.com.

regional trends

Education Matters

According to the U.S. Census Bureau persons with progressively higher educations generally attain progressively higher earnings. Persons with professional or doctoral degrees from universities have the highest average earnings - $91,000 annually for those with doctoral degrees and almost $113,000 for those with professional degrees like medical and law degrees. Persons with college bachelor degrees only average almost $53,000 annually while those with no college degrees at all average less than $37,000 in all categories. High school dropouts average about $17,000 a year. Click here for more

center in the news 

Businesses have slogan for midtown, look for plan - Missoulian, May 25, 2007

Gazette Opinion: Growing economy makes '07 great year for grads - Billings Gazette, May 20, 2007

Missoula workers remain in flux - Missoulian, May 20, 2007

Educating the economy - Boise Weekly, May 16, 2007

Pat Williams on What is Right with New Development - New West Network, April 22, 2007

Dim forecast ... glimmer of hope - Columbus Telegram, April 16, 2007

Nebraska has opportunity in new economy - Lincoln Journal-Star Opinion, April 16, 2007

McCook can market itself better - McCook Daily Gazette, April 13, 2007

Seeking 'footloose': Building on telecom connections can help renew Nebraska towns, economist says - Omaha World-Herald, April 13, 2007

Economist talks about hope for rural survival - Lincoln Journal-Star, April 12, 2007

Census: 'Urban counties' continuing to grow - Great Falls Tribune, April 10, 2007

Urban areas pace state growth - Billings Gazette, April 10, 2007

Montana voters looked at nationally - Yahoo News, April 9, 2007

Speaker say communities must act to reverse population decrease - Lincoln Journal-Star, April 6, 2007

Gazette Opinion: Economy depends on education - Billings Gazette, April 5, 2007

Education vital for economy - Billings Gazette, April 4, 2007

upcoming events

On June 1^st, in Missoula, Mont., Center Director Larry Swanson gave a presentation at the Missoula-based Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources (IJNR) "High Country Institute" - a "learning expedition" for reporters, editors and news producers aimed at deepening their understanding of growth and development issues in the West. Swanson discussed population and economic change in the Rocky Mountain West.

On June 7^th, in Missoula, Mont., Swanson will speak at the Missoula Organization of Realtors' "Community Through Business Forum," describing and discussing recent growth trends in the Missoula area.

On June 12^th, in Orofino, Idaho, Senior Fellow Daniel Kemmis will represent the Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) at an event where the Idaho Community Foundation will announce grants from NWAF's donor-advised funds to the communities of Orofino, Kamiah and Elk River. Kemmis is a member of the NWAF Board of Directors, and Chair of its Strategic Planning Committee.

On June 13^th, in Missoula, Mont., Senior Fellow Bob Brown will present his thoughts on the Middle East from the perspective of his experiences last year in Israel to the Missoula Sunrise Rotary Club.

On June 16^th, in Helena, Mont., Brown and fellow former legislator Dorothy Bradley will be speakers at the 35^th reunion of the delegates to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. Brown and Bradley were members of the Montana Legislature before the 1972 convention, during the constitution's implementation, and in the decade following its implementation.

On June 25^th, at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Wash., Swanson will speak to attendees of the Oregon Bankers Association annual meeting. His presentation will examine past and emerging growth trends in the larger region.

On June 25-27^th, in Gallatin Gateway, Mont., Kemmis will participate in a symposium in on "Environmental Stewardship" sponsored by the Bozeman-based Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment. The symposium will focus on the role of religious leaders in environmental stewardship. 

On July 13-15^th, in Missoula, Mont., Kemmis will participate in a conference entitled "Innovative Ideas for a New West: New Practices for Growing Communities of the Intermountain West." He will deliver a keynote address to the conference sponsored by the Colorado-based Sopris Foundation.

On July 14^th, in Missoula, Mont., Senior Fellow Pat Williams will address a conference of the Attorneys Liabilities Protection Society (ALPS). His remarks are titled "What Are Our Students Missing?"

On July 16^th in Helena, Mont., Swanson will speak at the Pacific Northwest Economic Development Conference. The annual conference is attended by economic development practitioners from the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. and Canada, including representatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Oregon. Swanson's presentation is entitled, "Positioning for Growth and Change: An American Perspective."

On July 25^th, in Norfolk, Neb., Swanson will speak at the annual meeting of the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development Corporation, discussing key factors affecting future growth and development in the larger Plains region. 

recent quotes from the region 
as provided by Headwaters News

"No one said, 'Wow, we did it, and the wildlife look great.'"

T.O. Smith, a planner with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, about the example set by energy development in Wyoming.
-  Casper Star-Tribune (AP)
03/30/2007

"In other words, if they are not managing water properly in the U.S. and they run out, it is no answer to simply divert Canadian water."

"It would be like Congress telling FEMA after a major hurricane to suck it up and pay for it out of its annual budget."

"We need to be telling people . that just because you built something here, we're not going to die for it."

"Mining in the 21st century should not be governed by a 19th-century law."

"If you live in Georgia and want to see a grizzly bear, you come to Idaho or Montana or Wyoming."