My Page: Anne Medley
New West Blog
Interior Secretary Salazar Offends Native American PlaintiffAs the government continues to bail out banks and other institutions across the country, Blackfeet tribe member Elouise Cobell is wondering why Native Americans still haven’t been paid for natural resources and other royalties overseen by the Interior Department since 1887, the AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick reports.
Cobell, the lead plaintiff in a 12-year-old, class-action Indian trust case against the U.S. government, reacted to comments made by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar this week that an upcoming federal appeal might settle matters between the two parties.
“I don’t want words that say ‘let’s resolve it,’” Cobell said. “I don’t want us Indian people to be ignored any more.”
Calling Salazar’s comments “an insult to Indian people,” Cobell called for the Department of Justice, the Office of Management and Budget and other government parts to talk directly with the plaintiffs.
To read the full AP story, click here.
[more]
Featured Photo Essay
Every Woman Matters
For many women with disabilities, breast cancer screenings are far from routine. From difficulty climbing onto traditional exam tables to trouble positioning wheelchairs for mammograms, women with disabilities struggle to obtain appropriate health care.
This Friday a multimedia exhibit at Begleiter Photography Studio in Missoula aims to increase awareness about the importance of breast cancer screening among women with disabilities.
The event “Every Woman Matters: Portraits of Montana Women Living with Disabilities” launches the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Right to Know” campaign in Montana.
Large-scale, black and white portraits of Montana women—some breast cancer survivors— taken by photographer Steven Begleiter will be showcased, along with a video project produced by University of Montana journalism students and School of Journalism Assistant Professor Jeremy Lurgio.
To view several of Begleiter’s portraits, click here or on the image above.
“Every Woman Matters” takes place Friday from 6-9pm at Begleiter Photography Studio, 223 W. Front Street.
[more]
New West Blog
Montana Opens Door for Horse SlaughterOld, sick or lame horses may no longer be shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter if a bill passed by the Montana House of Representatives on Wednesday clears the Senate.
Since the closure of the last three remaining horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. in 2007, many ranchers and horse owners have struggled to find economic ways to dispose of their ailing animals, Montana reporter Matt Gouras reports for the AP.
The aptly named Republican Rep. Ed Butcher, a horse owner himself, sponsored the bill that would lead to the construction of a horse slaughterhouse in Montana. In increasingly tough economic times, Butcher noted that animal cruelty and horse abandonment cases are rising as ranchers and horse owners find they can no longer afford to care for their animals. A U.S. slaughterhouse, Butcher says, would be “a humane way to address the problem.”
Opponents aren’t so sure. Nancy Perry, the Humane Society’s vice-president of government affairs, says horses are more likely to escape kill boxes in traditional slaughterhouses. And Rep. Sue Malek, D-Missoula wants horses treated more justly and responsibly by their owners.
To read the full AP story, click here.
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New West Blog
Coal Train Derails Near SuperiorThis in from KPAX:
A 124-car train carrying coal from Wyoming to Washington derailed late Monday night 10 miles east of Superior.
Linda Frost of Montana Rail Link says 23 cars came off the tracks but leaked no hazardous materials. MRL cleanup efforts are underway, but the MRL mainline will be closed until further notice.
Click here for the full story from KPAX.
[more]
City News
The Purrrfect Number: Council Weighs Restricting Cat Ownership in Missoula
The City Council got an earful Monday night on how the city might help cats and dogs get along better in Missoula. Not with each other -- with Missoulians.
More than 40 people filled Council chambers, in part, to hear Ed Franceschina, Missoula County Animal Control supervisor, discuss a proposal to limit the number of cats per household within the city limits to five.
Also on the docket was a proposed amendment to the city dog ordinance that would require dogs be leashed for 200 yards from all trailheads, then be on so-called "voice restraint," a proposal meant to reduce trailhead conflicts.
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Featured Image
“Llama for Obama,” Moscow, ID by Jenni Robinson
"Llama for Obama" photographed in Moscow, Idaho by Jenni Robinson
The Missoula Children’s Theatre’s production of the classic rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber opened on October 24 in Missoula to sold-out crowds.
In his third production of the musical, director Jim Caron continues to explore the intricacies of the piece while managing a cast of 95, the largest ever assembled under the MCT roof in downtown Missoula.
New West photographer Graham Coppes spent time with the cast and crew of Jesus Christ Superstar capturing a behind-the-scenes look at this emotional, and often controversial, musical.
The Missoula Children’s Theatre production of Jesus Christ Superstar runs through November 9. Tickets can be purchased online or at the MCT box office downtown.
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The 2008 Montana Festival of the Book takes place Oct. 23-25 in Missoula, featuring some of the finest writers of the West.
This year's Festival includes a new event called "The Favorite Poem Project," a community-based reading originally developed by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky to demonstrate the civic presence of poetry. The concept is simple: individuals from the local community share their favorite poem, taking a minute to say how it has been meaningful in their lives.
In this video, William Marcus, director of the UM Broadcast Media Center, reads his favorite poem.
The Missoula Favorite Poem reading takes place Saturday, Oct 25th at 2:30 in the Main Street Library and will include Mayor John Engen and Montana poet laureate Greg Pape.
Watch previous poetry readings by Mayor John Engen, Amber Greymorning, Mark Sherouse, Finn Phillips and Courtney Lowery.
[more]
The 2008 Montana Festival of the Book takes place Oct. 23-25 in Missoula, featuring some of the finest writers of the West.
This year's Festival includes a new event called "The Favorite Poem Project," a community-based reading originally developed by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky to demonstrate the civic presence of poetry. The concept is simple: individuals from the local community share their favorite poem, taking a minute to say how it has been meaningful in their lives.
In this video, NewWest.Net Editor in Chief Courtney Lowery discusses her favorite poem.
The Missoula Favorite Poem reading takes place Saturday, Oct 25th at 2:30 in the Main Street Library and will include Mayor John Engen and Montana poet laureate Greg Pape.
Watch previous poetry readings by Mayor John Engen, Amber Greymorning, Mark Sherouse and Finn Phillips.
[more]
The 2008 Montana Festival of the Book takes place Oct. 23-25 in Missoula, featuring some of the finest writers of the West.
This year's Festival includes a new event called "The Favorite Poem Project," a community-based reading originally developed by former poet laureate Robert Pinsky to demonstrate the civic presence of poetry. The concept is simple: individuals from the local community share their favorite poem, taking a minute to say how it has been meaningful in their lives.
In this video, Finn Phillips, 8, reads his favorite haikus.
The Missoula Favorite Poem reading takes place Saturday, Oct 25th at 2:30 in the Main Street Library and will include Mayor John Engen and Montana poet laureate Greg Pape.
Watch previous poetry readings by Mayor John Engen, Amber Greymorning and Mark Sherouse.
[more]
