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| MATR Newsletter - Fri Mar 7, 2008 |
"In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular." -- Laurence J. Peter
Are you or anyone you know interested in helping to save/start a regional airline? "Does it Really Have to be Farewell to Big Sky Airlines in Montana? What can be done?" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute - Leadership - From the Top Down
What has really impressed me about both Governors Barbour and Daniels is that they are not only both providing strong, visionary leadership for their state, but they also are the chief "salesmen" for their states.
Idaho National Laboratory
- Rocky Mountain Rider - a galloping success in Hamilton, Montana
“If you want to live in Montana and don’t have an inheritance to rely on, sometimes you have to be creative.”
- Mountain Meadow Herbs Rides Wave of Interest in Natural Remedies
“Adversity in life led to a gift that happened to be profitable.”
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Idaho National Laboratory Site to Provide Waste Treatment For Other Department of Energy Sites
Plan won’t impact DOE commitment to removing all stored waste from Idaho Site
Funding and Building your Business
- Desperate Entrepreneurs: What kinds of entrepreneurship really benefit rural communities
A recent study led by Mark Partridge of Ohio State University discloses that rural entrepreneurship has not been the economic engine it's often cracked up to be.
- Think globally, live locally. Who's Your City?
"We need to admit to the fact that along with making our communities more innovative and productive," he said, "we are generating enormous social and geographic inequality."
Education
- Bill Payne Of Frontier Angels Leads Startup Valuation Seminar, 4/24, Whitefish, Montana
The seminar is an excellent class on learning how to value a startup business. Lead by Bill Payne, http://www.billpayne.com, a seasoned angel and instructor, the faculty will include other state and regional experts.
- What to look for when hiring a receptionist for your office
Before you craft a job description for your receptionist position, list the most vital responsibilities this employee will have.
- Private-Sector CIOs Predict Tech Hiring Increase
"Companies are investing in new initiatives and technologies such as server and network virtualization; Voice over Internet Protocol; and feature-rich, Web 2.0-type Web sites."
- Starting up: Passion, teamwork, time management, wisdom comprise a recipe for success
A successful business needs to be driven by the passion to solve a problem in a way that others are willing to pay for.
- Why Am I Passing?
Over the years - I've come up with a set of filters to quickly turn down deals.
Montana Meth Project
- U.S. Universities Join Saudis in Partnerships
Despite its enormous oil wealth, Saudi Arabia lacks world-class research universities. In the last few years, as the Persian Gulf nations have begun to worry about the eventual need to convert from an oil-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, they have started offering lavish inducements to American universities to bring their expertise to the region.
- High Schools Add Classes Scripted by Corporations
Lockheed, Intel Fund Engineering Courses; Creating a Work Force
University Business Plan Competitions
- Anti-meth effort comes to Wyoming. Tom Siebel advocates nation-wide program
"There is no doubt in my mind that his program has saved hundreds and hundreds of lives in our state and has the ability to save thousands of lives nationwide." Montana Attorney General, Mike McGrath
Connectivity & Communications
- College entrepreneurs to compete at Boise venture event
The winning teams will take away more than $54,000 in startup capital and awards. The event is open to the public.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Apple tweaks iPhone for business uses, seeking competitive edge
Apple Inc. wants the iPhone to become a corporate e-mail gadget — and a portable video game machine. It's also teaming with a prominent venture capital firm to offer a substantial kitty — $100 million — to lure developers to the iPhone.
- When hard drives fail: My experience shows you need to have a plan
It happened two weeks ago, that dreaded moment when you realize your PC hard drive is dead and you don't have much choice but start all over.
Developing Funding Opportunities in Montana
- Technology Review Identifies Ten Emerging Technologies Poised to Change the World
Cellulolytic enzymes. Frances Arnold, a professor of chemical engineering and biochemistry at Caltech, is taking on one of the biggest challenges of the biofuel industry: designing better enzymes for breaking down the cellulose in biomass.
Montana Business
- Strategic IP due diligence tips for angel investors
Angel investors tend to have solid business backgrounds and are able to analyze the business plan for a candidate company thoroughly, but most angels have little understanding of how intellectual property rights can undermine their investment.
Montana Economic Development
- Montana rancher finds market for 'free' beef - Montana Ranch Brand
"We're raising the product for the consumers," Larry Descheemaeker said. "It's all natural, no antibiotics, no hormones, nothing extra in the food. And it's source-verified."
- Western Montana InBusiness March 2008 - This time of year, people want a change of scenery
"All things travel."
- Chef Paul Myer of 515 Restaurant in Missoula, Montana vying for National Honor from the James Beard Foundation
A win for Paul means a win for Montana as he adds that it "just proves to the big cities, that we can do it here in small town Montana".
- Does it Really Have to be Farewell to Big Sky Airlines in Montana? What can be done?
Montana’s members of Congress have taken up the battle and called for the players to continue service.
- Glendive, Montana food project is model that sets the standards for local food systems.
“The idea is that we shouldn’t be paying out-of-state companies for products that can be grown or produced in Montana.”
Regional Economic Development
- German Company, Fuhrlander AG to Build Wind Turbine Plant near Butte, Montana
The company selected Montana for its North American manufacturing facility because of recent incentives adopted by the state, and plans for wind farm development in the region. It also said a favorable political environment, including Schweitzer's push for wind power, helped.
- Hearing on Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. high-voltage power line study set for March 13 in Conrad
The MATL line would wheel electricity between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alta., through Glacier, Pondera, Chouteau, Teton and Cascade counties.
- Branding Helena “The West’s Learning Center for the Arts”
A fall kickoff is eyed for formally launching the “The West’s Learning Center for the Arts” brand for Helena in an effort to extend the tourist season, draw more visitors to town and create additional economic development.
- What is Fuhrländer AG?
“They’ve been putting wind turbines in the ground since 1982,” said Deb Pasternak, with operations and sales for Loral Energy Systems, the North American distributor for Fuhrländer AG. “They’re considered one of the top, if not the top, maintenance organizations in Europe.”
- Gallatin Valley Land Trust’s Bridge to a Better Future
We burned bridges before us. We’ll never again face the temptations of despoiling what we treasure—our privacy, wildlife, and the esteem of our neighbors. The market process offers this flexibility. And we’re glad. Aren’t you?
- "Montana Climate Change Action Plan: Final Report of the Governor's Climate Change Advisory Committee." Survey Results
The survey, which is not a scientific poll, was intended to collect public comment and to invite the public to rank the recommendations.
Government Technology
- Google Earth Offers 3-D Modeling for Smaller Cities
Cities in 3D will allow localities to share with Google the data sets of any buildings within a city, and Google will render them into 3-D models.
- Initiative breeds 'magic' by linking funds, entrepreneurs and laboratory technology
"You bring entrepreneurs together with researchers and technical people and sometimes that magic happens."
- Managing the brainpower shortage
According to a recent study by the Conference Board, 64 million workers – or approximately 40 percent of America’s labor force – will be eligible for retirement by 2010.
- Grassroots & Groundwork 2008 scholarships
If you are from a community of 50,000 or fewer residents, a tribal reservation, or a nonprofit with an organization or program budget of less than $500,000 annually, you may be eligible for one or both scholarships.
Idaho Business
- Eastern Montana Enterprise Systems Services Centers (ESSC) Site Selection Picks Miles City for Computer Center
State Chief Information Officer Dick Clark has determined that the Miles City alternative best meets the needs of the State and satisfies the Department's obligations under the law.
- Governor Schweitzer says Montana’s noncompliance on Real ID will not affect residents
Schweitzer said Thursday he is sure something will be worked out with Homeland Security that will not require Montana to run afoul of a state law opposing the federal Real ID law.
Oregon Economic Development
- Idaho Office of Science & Technology March 2008
Hundreds of technology companies are showcased in a new double-sided Innovation Idaho poster, a joint project of Idaho TechConnect, the Idaho Department of Commerce, and Virginia Tech University research professor Dr. Heike Mayer.
Washington State Business
- Creating Jobs Creates Sustainable Cities
Portland city officials are warming up to the idea that jobs are key to sustainable cities, and have proposed a plan to try to lure sustainable businesses to the city.
Wyoming Business
- Spokane - Good news, bad numbers
If Richard Florida is right, and in the 21st century jobs will follow workers, then Spokane is sitting pretty alongside its picturesque falls. This is the kind of place creative workers will want to live.
- Mindsite to offer help on mental health issues
Mental health is a highly confusing subject for consumers, one that he believes is not addressed well on the Internet.
Careers
- Forum to promote Wyoming's wind potential on March 6 in Gillette
"There is a huge market for wind right now in places like Arizona and southern Nevada and Southern California, especially with the emphasis on clean energy and the opposition to coal-fueled energy."
- A New Job Track for Single Mothers in Wyoming - Climb Wyoming
The CLIMB Wyoming programs train and place single mothers in higher paying jobs.
Non-Profit News
- Tech workers leave start-ups for larger firms.
"I know there's a downturn coming," Mr. Kher says. "I didn't want to take any more risk."
Energy
- Flickr launches a site for nonprofit photo sharing
To start the ball moving, Flickr has teamed up with non-profit organizer TechSoup to donate 10,000 one-year Flickr Pro memberships (which normally cost $25 a pop) to nonprofits and public libraries to let them upload as many shots as they want to the popular photo hosting community.
Transportation
- Montana wants the University System to lower campus energy bills. Businesses offer prizes for dorms to compete to lower consumption
Of all the state-funded entities in Montana, the university system is the biggest consumer of electricity and natural gas.
- Biomass a viable alternative fuel
Biomass can come from a lot of different places.
Montana Education Excellence
- Wyo. carrier says no timeline for starting Montana air service routes. Doesn't have enough aircraft
Montana Representative Rehberg said the situation is "unacceptable" and represents a failure of the DOT and Great Lakes to better coordinate.
Community
- Panel of journalists advocate environmental reporting
“There has been a 25-year history of climate denial,” said panelist Frank Allen, president of the Missoula-based Institutes for Journalism & Natural Resources and former environment editor for The Wall Street Journal.
- The potential $75,000 disaster
Here’s the $75,000 question: If UM can’t get donors to cough up the cash, does Elton John still play? Because if this show gets canceled, the ensuing uproar will make last September’s ticket fiasco seem like a toddler’s tantrum.
- Sweetgrass, Montana County High School finds above average academic success. School earns national recognition from the Siemens Foundation for excellence in math and science.
Superintendent Alvin Buerkle says, "We know they do a great job- but not everybody pays attention to AP test scores and so this was sort of a way to just recognize that. We do have a high percentage of kids who get that three, four, and five on those tests- and so that's a recognition of the work they do." Novotny also tells us that on average 60% of their AP students are female.
- University of Montana leads in athletics, Montana State University leads in research
Such comparisons between the University of Montana and Montana State University can be drawn from reports on athletics, research and diversity being presented this week to the Montana Board of Regents.
- Montana University scholarship program to aid slain soldiers' children. “Grateful Nation”
Once a child has chosen a Montana campus to attend, that campus will work closely with the student and his or her family to assure college costs will be met.
- Montana University system / Rein in energy, loan entities, regents told
“I urge you to consider energy conservation as a crucial component in your deliberations of long-range planning programs,” Ewer said. “While no money is a sure thing - that's a legislative prerogative - the support (of) the Schweitzer administration in the budget for long-range building will be based much on ‘20 by 10,' ” he said, using the formal name of the governor's initiative.
- Montana Regents meeting / Schweitzer urges honing two-year education
“Build it around a concept to have the ability to retrain adults for emerging jobs - but I don't know what you call it,” he said. “Let's look at other examples around the world that have a system to train people in a short period of time.”
- Is Your City a Great City? Residents share ideas for downtown Missoula
The Project for Public Spaces offers this checklist to help determine if your city is a "great" city.
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