From Squalor to Hauler

From Trailer to Trails, New Life for Rescued Huskies

OLNEY – Jeff Ulsamer knelt next to Sunshine, a beautiful black husky with ice-blue eyes, and massaged her ears while reassuring the terrified animal. Attached to a dog sled for only her third time, Sunshine was the lone dog in a yard of more than 100 other canines that was silent.

Ulsamer rescued Sunshine and two other huskies from the Flathead County Animal Shelter only days before. He thought they could have a better life at his Olney home and business, Dog Sled Adventures, than they did in the shelter.

“They do okay with the other dogs; the people are what they have problems with,” Ulsamer said. “It’s going to take that dog a while to come out of her shell, if she ever does.”

Clip of the Week

The Evolution, History and Politics of Wild Horses, Part III

Editor’s Note: High Plains Films, the Missoula-based non-profit documentary shop responsible for such films as Libby, Montana and Brave New West is offering a film clip each week here on our pages. This week, High Plains Films is showcasing the third in a series of clips from the one-hour their one-hour documentary, El Caballo: The Wild Horses of North America. Click on the video to watch and see Doug Hawes-Davis’ description below.

Dan Flores, professor of history at the University of Montana, talks about the decimation of wild horses across the American West during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. Before working on the film, we really knew very little about the subject, but once we were involved we found it a fascinating story of evolution, history, ecology and environmental policy. The film is edited by Dru Carr. It is directed and produced by Doug Hawes-Davis. The original score by Ned Mudd, most of which is available for free download at www.highplainsfilms.org.

High Plains Films

Clip of the Week: ‘The Dust’ in Libby, Montana, Part V

In this scene from our feature documentary, "Libby, Montana," former mine-worker, Bob Wilkins, talks about the irony of the cover-up in Libby and former Plant Manager, Earl Lovick, answers questions about the company's moral obligation to inform mine and mill workers about the health risks present there. Dru Carr and I shot the interview with Bob Wilkins in 2000. The scene from the closing of the mine is from a Libby home movie recorded in 1990. Earl Lovick's commentary is from a deposition recorded during a civil case against WR Grace in the 1990s. Lovick died in 1996.

High Plains Films Clip of the Week

The Dust in Libby, Montana, Part IV

In this scene from our feature documentary, "Libby, Montana," EPA Emergency On-Scene Coordinator, Paul Peronard, speaks with a geologist about the hazards of Libby vermiculite. Later in the scene, former plant manager, Earl Lovick, answers questions about what WR Grace knew about these hazards and whether or not they had a responsibility to inform mine and mill workers about the health risks. Dru Carr and I documented the interaction with Paul and the geologist at the Libby EPA office in 2001. Earl Lovick's commentary is from a deposition recorded during a civil case against WR Grace in the 1990s. Lovick died in 1996.



For more information about the film, trailers, audio downloads, external links, reviews, blogs and more please visit either the official site for the film at High Plains site here or on the PBS site here.

Editor's Note: Look for the High Plains Films clip of the week every Friday on our pages. This month, as the W.R. Grace trial grinds on in Missoula (click here for coverage), the clips come from the High Plains feature documentary Libby, Montana, which explores the company's contamination of the community.

Bookmark www.newwest.net/highplainsfilms for archives.

High Plains Films

Clip of the Week: ‘The Dust’ in Libby, Montana, Part III

This is the third installment in our series of clips from the feature documentary, LIBBY, MONTANA. Bob Wilkins, who was the local union rep for mine workers, talks about how he discovered there was asbestos in the dust at the mine and mill operations. Wilkins died of asbestos related disease in 2002. Dru Carr and I shot the interview with Bob in 2000. Earl Lovick was the plant manager for many years. His commentary here is from a videotaped deposition recorded during a civil case against WR Grace in the 1990s. Lovick died in 1996.

High Plains Films Clip of the Week

Clip of the Week: ‘The Dust’ in Libby, Montana, Part II

Editor's Note: This marks the second installment of the High Plains Films clip of the week -- a new feature here at NewWest.Net in which each Friday on our pages, High Plains Films will be sharing a noteworthy film clip. This month, as the W.R. Grace trial grinds on in Missoula (click here for coverage), the clips will come from the High Plains feature documentary Libby, Montana, which explores the company's contamination of the community. Below, filmmaker Doug Hawes-Davis explains the following clip:

In this short scene from our feature documentary, LIBBY, MONTANA, former WR Grace plant manager, Earl Lovick, talks about his knowledge of the hazards of the dust produced at the Libby mill. His commentary here is from a videotaped deposition recorded during a civil case against WR Grace in the 1990s. Lovick died in 1996.

For more information about the film, trailers, audio downloads, external links, reviews, blogs and more please visit either the official site for the film at High Plains site here or on the PBS site here.

High Plains Films Clip of the Week

Clip of the Week: ‘The Dust’ in Libby, Montana

Editor's Note: This marks the first installment of the High Plains Films clip of the week -- a new feature here at NewWest.Net in which each Friday on our pages, High Plains Films will be sharing a noteworthy film clip. This month, as the W.R. Grace trial grinds on in Missoula (click here for coverage), the clips will come from the High Plains feature documentary Libby, Montana, which explores the company's contamination of the community. Below, filmmaker Doug Hawes-Davis explains the following clip:

In this short scene from our feature documentary, Libby, Montana, three former W.R. Grace employees talk about what it was like to work for the company in Libby. Les Skramstad worked in the mill only two years, but died of mesothelioma in 2007. Bob Wilkins was the local union rep for mine workers. He died of asbestos related disease in 2002. Dru Carr and I shot the interviews with Les and Bob in 2000. Earl Lovick was the plant manager for many years. His commentary here is from a videotaped deposition recorded during a civil case against WR Grace in the 1990s. Lovick died in 1996.

For more information about the film, trailers, audio downloads, external links, reviews, blogs and more please visit either the official site for the film at High Plains site here or on the PBS site here.


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