It's a beautiful day in Bozeman Montana.  Early morning snow has given way to sunshine and blue skies with a freash white blanket on the mountains.

Just to let you all know, Carolyn Campbell, a broker here in Bozeman is the go to gal for anyone looking for land in Spain Bridge Meadows.  This is a lovely rural neighborhood in the Springhill area with the Bridger Mountains rising up behind it.  These are small acreage homesites with lots of open space weaving through the pastural setting.

Have a wonderful day!

Peg Potter

Your Bozeman Broker Contact

406.570.8828

A BRIGHT IDEA
Filmmaker Ken Burns gives Bozeman sneak preview of new documentary ‘National Parks: America's Best Idea'


   Most Montanans figure they know all about Yellowstone Park, yet on Thursday night filmmaker Ken Burns showed he's still a master storyteller who can surprise even a Bozeman audience with the history of America's first national park.
By GAIL SCHONTZLER
• Chronicle Staff Writer


   An audience of about 700 at Bozeman's Emerson Theatre stood to applaud and cheer after seeing a 50-minute sneak preview of the new 12-hour Burns documentary "The National Parks - America's Greatest Idea." It will air this fall over six nights.
   In addition to stunning photography of geysers and bison, the series focuses on stories about people who were passionate about Yellowstone.
   It tells the story, for example, of President Teddy Roosevelt's 1903 visit. Excited as a boy, Roosevelt hiked and rode on horseback all over Yellowstone, loved seeing the animals and was dying to shoot a mountain lion, but was persuaded that would be bad politics. The president settled for killing a mouse, which he promptly stuffed as a scientific specimen.
   For 30 years Burns, 55, has been making award-winning documentaries for public television, from "The Civil War" to "Jazz," "Baseball" and "The War."
   Burns told the audience his films are all part of a struggle "to figure out how our country works: Who are we? Who are the strange and complicated people who call themselves Americans?"
   For 200 years America has grappled with race and space, Burns said, citing the "monumental hypocrisy" of Thomas Jefferson writing that "All men are created equal" while owning more than 100 slaves.
   "Only in the last two days," Burns said, with the inauguration of the first African-American president, has America righted that. Burns attended President Obama's inauguration, which he called, along with the birth of his daughters, one of the "greatest events of my life."
   Nearly 10 years ago his friend and collaborator, writer Dayton Duncan, suggested a series on national parks. Burns quickly said yes.
   It was writer Wallace Stegner who called national parks America's greatest idea, said Duncan, 59. Asked if that wasn't ignoring America's democratic ideas, Duncan said the film has a historian who argues that America's greatest idea is Jefferson's idea of equality.
   "I argue (national parks) are our greatest idea after we became a nation," Duncan said. "The national parks idea is actually an extension of the Declaration of Independence - applied to this glorious land.
   "By virtue of being an American, no matter if you're rich or poor, no matter what color you are, you are an owner of the most spectacular places," Duncan said.
   Paul Schullery of Bozeman, now retired after a long National Park Service career in Yellowstone, was an advisor and interviewee on the series.
   "They're frankly brilliant," Schullery said of the filmmakers. "They remind us that national parks ... represent the heart and soul of America."
   People in the National Park Service are excited about the series, Schullery said. Many studies have found that fewer kids are getting outside, hunting and fishing license sales have slipped. Schullery said he hopes the series might reverse those trends.
   Thursday's screening was a fundraiser for the Montana Historical Society, which shared hundreds of photographs with the filmmakers.
   "We think we have the best jobs in the country," Burns said in an interview before the screening. He recalled spending part of his honeymoon in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.
   There are two great paradoxes about the national parks, Burns said.
   "They were meant to provide access to everybody, but also to preserve them for future," Burns said, adding that anyone who has ever been in a traffic jam in Yellowstone understands that contradiction.
   The second paradox, he said, is "when we're in the presence of these magnificent places that we've been fortunate enough to save, we're reminded of our insignificance. At the same time, we feel bigger and feel a connection to everybody else."
   He said his upcoming projects include the history of Prohibition, the Dust Bowl, profiles of Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, a series on Vietnam, and an addition to "Baseball," called "The 10th Inning."
   "When the Red Sox won (the World Series), I knew Ken would be doing that," Duncan said and laughed.
   Asked what advice he'd offer to young filmmakers at Montana State University, Burns said there is no single career path or "rut" to becoming a documentary maker. "You have to forge your own way," he said. "Just persevere. In documentary work, nothing is handed to you."

$3.9 million dollars was just donated by Robert Lang, who owns the Sun Ranch in Madison County, Montana. The $3.9 million was donated to help secure large portions land for conservation easements in the Madison Valley. The donation was made to the Trust for Public Land, which is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to securing open lands, park space and other natural places.

Click on the link below for the more on this article:

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/08/13/news/000donation.txt

Starting October 9th Allegiant Air will start flying discounted flights from Bozeman,MT to Las Vegas. Currently Allegiant Air serves Billings, Great Falls & Missoula. You could be fly fishing one day and on the same day be heading to the Vegas, all on a budget!

Click on the following link to read the entire article from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/08/12/breaking_news/09allegient.txt

If you are in the Bozeman, Montana area this weekend, make sure to check out the 31st annual Sweet Pea Festival. The Sweet Pea Festival is dedicated to "promoting and cultivating the arts." Check out the following website for all your Sweet Pea information.

http://www.sweetpeafestival.org/

Along with the Sweet Pea Festival, we will be holding one of the most exciting real estate projects Bozeman, Montana has to offer open, both Saturday & Sunday from 12pm-4pm. For information on The Village Downtown, check out, http://pegpotter.featuredwebsite.com/the-village-downtown.as . Hope to see you there!

Bozeman is a breath of fresh air and for me the only place to live! Small town America at its finest with the conveniences of a big city in a small intimate setting,  great food, good air service including a jet center for private jet owners, great recreation including fly fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, and more, 1 ½ hours to Yellowstone National Park, art and music festivals,  and the home of Montana State University.  Considering a move?  Take a look. 

Enjoy the following article

Peg Potter

wwww.pegpotter.com

Bozeman,MT ranked #2 on "dream town" list

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2008/07/25/news/30bozeman%20dream%20town.txt

Housing market holding strong

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON - IR State Bureau - 07/11/08

Helena Ir.com

Montana's housing market is much stronger than it is nationally because of the state's strong economy and the refusal of most lenders here to issue subprime mortgages, state Revenue Director Dan Bucks said Thursday.

Speaking to a legislative interim subcommittee, Bucks cited federal statistics showing that Montana housing prices were up by an average of 4.7 percent for the year ending March 31, while national housing prices dropped by an average of 3.1 percent. Montana's housing price increase ranked third highest behind Wyoming and Utah, he said.

He attributed this trend to the fact that Montana's economy is stronger than the national economy and the state's unemployment rate is below the national average.

Bucks also heaped praise on Montana's mortgage finance industry officials for their actions that have mostly shielded this state from the subprime mortgage crisis that's led to mortgage defaults and home foreclosures in some parts of the country.

"We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Montana-based mortgage finance industry," Bucks said.

People in this industry here "said no to the junk money" when Wall Street called, he said, and mortgage originators here said no when some prospective homebuyers wanted subprime mortgages.

 "Because they said no to this funny money, we have been spared from what's going on nationally," Bucks said.

The price of homes in Montana is critical at this time because the Revenue Department is completing its latest cyclical reappraisal of residential property. Bucks said the agency will deliver the completed reappraisal to a legislative committee in November.

The reappraisal establishes the market value for homes for tax purposes. That value - multiplied times the local and state mill levies and tax rate - ultimately determines how much in property taxes a homeowner owes.

Although Gov. Brian Schweitzer said there will be, on average, no statewide property tax increase resulting from reappraisal, results will vary widely by county and by area, if the past is any indication. There usually are wide variations in the percentages of increases and decreases in new home values across the state and by county.

It will be up to the 2009 Legislature to decide on how to modify the reappraisal results to reduce the impact on taxpayers. After recent past reappraisals, lawmakers have lowered the tax rate used to calculate property taxes and exempted a portion of the new property value from taxes.

Another option would be to simply postpone the reappraisal for several years, said Sen. Jim Elliott, D-Trout Creek, who is chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee.

Bucks told the subcommittee that the benchmark date for setting the property values for home reappraisals was supposed to be Jan. 1, 2008, but he extended it by six months to examine home sale information through June 30.

That will enable the department to examine late-breaking trends - upward and downward - in Montana housing sales, he said. Residential appraisals are determined largely based on the sales of comparable homes in an area.

To help learn about local housing trends across the state, Bucks said top Revenue Department officials held meetings in 18 cities with real estate agents, appraisers, mortgage finance officials, contractors and local planning officials.

Beki Glyde Brandborg, who facilitated the meetings, summed them up for legislators. She said that while housing prices vary by the area, residential property values generally had "appreciated considerably but leveled off in 2007 to more realistic numbers."

"Prices are stabilizing, not shooting up or down significantly," Brandborg said, calling it "a return to consistency."

Brandborg said other trends that emerged from the meeting included:

- The sales volume for Montana homes has slowed down.

- Fewer out-of-state residents are buying homes in Montana, particularly the "higher-end homes." One reason is they are having trouble selling their homes in other states, and some are choosing to buy new homes in other states.

- A "very low inventory" of lower-priced homes exists, but demand remains high. She said the need for affordable housing is universal across the state, with available homes in this category selling quickly. Yet very little new affordable housing is being built in Montana.

- Values of medium-priced homes are holding well, while there is a holding pattern for high-end homes. Significantly fewer speculative homes are being built.

- Home builders remain busy in Montana's largest cities.

- As gasoline prices escalate, home buyers have less desire to commute from outlying areas. That is leading to more "in-fill" homes in urban areas and a revitalization of city centers.

Click here to visit the Revenue and Transportation Subcommittee on HB 488 - Study of Property Taxes and Periodic Reappraisal Web site.

If walking & biking to work is a life style that you have been looking for, what about living close enough to do both those. Check out the Village Downtown, Bozeman, MT. This new community offers downtown living in Bozeman's historic district. Lofts,Town Homes & Single Family home sites are now available for you. Check out the following web link to see how great this new community is!

http://pegpotter.featuredwebsite.com/the-village-downtown.asp

BIKING BOZEMAN

Residents find reason to switch to pedal power
By JODI HAUSEN Chronicle Staff Writer
Bozeman Daily Chronicle

   Inhaling a whiff of lilacs on the morning commute isn't the only benefit of riding a bike to work and Bozemanites seem to be picking up on the trend.
   "Not only are more people doing it, but it's growing into a culture," said John Friedrich, a mechanic at Bangtail Bikes.
   Friedrich estimates that the small shop on Main Street has seen bike and accessory sales for commuters increase from about 5 percent of all sales last year to more than 30 percent this year.
   Though actual numbers of bicycle commuters are hard to come by, Bozeman bicycle shop mechanics agree that pedaling to work is a growing movement.
   "A lot of people are pulling out the old 10-speeds and tuning them up and recycling them for commuter bikes," said Ben Donatelle, a mechanic at Summit Bike and Ski Shop.
   Based on the number of dust-covered bikes they are refurbishing, the numbers increase by at least one or two every day, his co-worker, Ben Dodge, said.
   "Most of those bikes are older than me," said Dodge, a 25-year-old bike mechanic.
   At Chalet Sports on Main Street, Brian Wolgamott estimated that they are setting up about three commuters weekly. That set-up usually includes adding lights, fenders and storage racks.
   Andy Kemp, 30, lives on Kagy Boulevard and Tracy Avenue and commutes about a halfmile to work as the news director at KTVM television on South Wallace Avenue and Olive Street. He said it takes him 10 minutes or less on mostly trails. He was at Chalet getting a rear rack installed on his Elektra Rat Rod - a retro-style bike painted black with white and red flames. On the cross bar, a sticker indicates one reason he rides - $0.00 10 - 9 , it said in bold white numbers on a black background.
   Kemp moved to Bozeman from Atlanta, Ga., about six months ago and specifically chose Bozeman because it is easy to ride everywhere.
   "Having this as an option is just great," he said. "You could (bicycle) commute in Atlanta, but you take your life in your hands."
   Shane Metolyak, 33, lives on the west side of Bozeman and rarely uses his gasolinepowered vehicle, he said.
   "People say it's not safe (to bicycle to work), but it is if you follow the laws," he said.
   Metolyak has a nine-mile, round-trip commute but also rides to go grocery shopping and for other errands. He points out that bicycles are considered vehicles and are subject to the same traffic laws as motorized ones. He also recognizes that many cyclists are not aware or simply don't obey those rules of the road - a situation that can be dangerous and create animosity between motorists and pedalers.
   "I think motorists get upset when we act inconsistently, so I think if people would see more and more bicycle commuters out there obeying the laws, people would see it as a more viable means of transportation," he said.
   Though the savings in gas are impetus enough, Metolyak said he's probably not saving much because he's continually buying "new toys" for his bike. He recently bought a $300 trailer that he's even used to haul wood to a bicycle trail.
   "I just like riding bikes," he said. "If you want to ride, Bozeman is very conducive to it. I don't think I save a lot of money." But, he adds, "I lost track of the last time I bought gas - May, maybe?"
   Apparently, many are drawn to pedal power by the increasingly unaffordable price of gasoline, but some have other reasons.
   Elizabeth Bird, 51, said bicycle commuting accomplishes several goals. Bird is a member of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board, a cancer survivor and a grants specialist at Montana State University. She bicycle commutes three to four times weekly, mostly on the Galligator Trail.
   It's good exercise, saves in gas expenditures and saves the environment in the cost of burning fossil fuels, she said.
   Bird said her committee mailed surveys in September to poll people about their walking and cycling habits. She said between 3,000 and 4,000 of them have been returned. Now the group is analyzing the data to determine where more bicycle and walking infrastructure is needed - things like bike racks, trails, curb cuts and bicycle lanes.
   Back at Bangtail, Friedrich said he commutes only a half mile each day but sees about eight others on his ride each day. "And they don't seem to be out on a pleasure ride," he said.
   And it's getting easier to do.
   Friedrich is a contributor to a locally produced free newsletter called "the Practical Pedal." In it are articles and advertisements geared towards, well, gear and the practicality of using a bicycle as a primary source of transportation.
   Friedrich said commuter bikes were the overriding theme at Interbike - an industry trade show held in Las Vegas in the fall each year.
   "Commuter bikes are becoming more fashionable in everyday life," he said.
   Several companies make bicycles specifically designed for traveling to and from work or on errands. Typical accessories such as racks, fenders and lights come standard on many. Commuter bikes also are designed for comfort, safety and efficiency with road-sized tires for speed, small wheel-bases for maneuverability and upright seating for comfort and visibility. And if one already has a bike that needs retrofitting with practical pedaling accessories, mechanics say it can be done for as low as $100.
   "There are so many types of commuter bikes these days," Donatelle said. "And the airconditioning is automatic."
   Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle. com or 582-2630.

BIO MUSIC

Ten Foot Tall and 80 Proof powered on veggie oil for Music on Main
By JESSICA MAYRER Chronicle Staff Writer
Bozeman Daily Chronicle

   When 10 Foot Tall and 80 Proof cranks out its "Honk-A-Billy" music this Thursday at Music on Main, the amplifiers, lights and instruments will be powered entirely by locally grown vegetable oil.
   "It's completely off the grid, and it's completely made in Gallatin County," said Preston "Professor" White, a piano and mandolin player for the band.
   Joel Lindstrom from Leonardo Technologies harvested 4,000 pounds of camelina seed grown on Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch, crushed it and produced 50 gallons of oil. The oil goes into a portable generator and produces energy.
   Using the 50 gallons of oil made in this trial batch, Lindstrom has demonstrated how camelina may be used to fuel engines and amplifiers around western Montana. <script type="text/javascript"></script>
   He used the oil to power the Northern Rockies Bioneer Conference at the Emerson Cultural Center in October, providing energy during four days of music, performances and speeches with 20 gallons of seed oil.
   Ten Foot Tall encountered Lindstrom at a sustainable energy conference in Big Sky. During the conference they performed using Lindstrom's souped-up generator, which has been adapted to run on seed juice.
   Ten Foot Tall and 80 Proof play bars and private parties all over the state, and, White said, they'd like to offer vegetable oil as an option to traditional electricity.
   Camelina grows well in cold climates and doesn't require much water or herbicide to grow, so it's more efficient than other vegetable oils, Lindstrom said.
   "Camelina is far greater of a biofuel than corn-based ethanol," he said. "We're not taking food out of anyone's mouth when we grow camelina."
   Ultimately, Lindstrom and Leonardo Technologies, which works with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop alternative fuels, would like to see farmers grow camelina and turn it into oil to fuel farm equipment, while using the byproduct to feed livestock, he said. "That's the long-term picture," he said. In the meantime, he's looking at powering other events. "We're looking at getting involved with Sweat Pea," he said. In Europe, it's not unusual to see cars run on camelina. "It's 100 percent viable," Lindstrom said. But educating folks about how to grow the seed and modify engines to process it is necessary if camelina is to catch on, he said. "There's just a lot of work that needs to be done," he said. "It can't power the world," he said. "But it can be a substantial piece of the energy puzzle." <script type="text/javascript"></script>
Jessica Mayrer can be reached at jmayrer@ dailychronicle.com or 582-2635.