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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Jul 14, 2015 |
"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." -- Winston Churchill, U.K. prime minister
"fourOsix" founder Alex "Papu" Rincon to keynote Senator Tester's 15th Small Business Opportunity Workshop July 17 in Missoula http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Early Edge Montana
Visit Montana - Montana Dept. of Tourism
- Oregon Expands High-Quality Preschool for Children from Low-Income Families
Oregon is taking a bold step forward by expanding preschool opportunities for children from families whose incomes are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
Great Falls Development Authority
- Montana Office of Tourism - Travel and Marketing Trends for Montana - July 2015
Summer travel is off to an early start in many areas of the U.S. thanks to warm weather. Montana has already seen an increase in visitor numbers, with new records being set for national park visitation.
- 25 ways to have fun in greater Yellowstone
The 2.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park offer plenty of space to explore, but the communities that surround the park are destinations in their own rights.
- Vintage Porsche (no watercoolers) Rally Planned for 2016 in Montana
The Vintage Porsche Rally will cater to the Porscheholic that likes to go like hell during the day on some of the greatest roads in the county and then belly up to the dirtiest dive bars and pubs at night that Montana has to offer for a pint with like-minded gear heads to swap the days war stories.
Come Home Montana
- Great Falls usinesses find snazzy new homes in historic buildings
Great Falls businesses convert old commercial buildings to stylish, modern offices
Montana Business
- Job training for future opportunities in Montana
Job opportunities are available in central Montana. Lewistown manufacturers are looking for employees to train and hire. Bekhi Spika, with Spika Manufacturing http://www.spikawelding.com/ west of Lewistown, is promoting a course to help applicants develop and improve needed skills.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Web Application Developer - National Center for Appropriate Technology
The position will work extensively with database design, programming, maintenance, and server administration. This is an excellent opportunity for the right person to work with a talented and energetic information technology group.
- Montana Career Opportunities - Senior Software Engineer, National Accounts Specialist, Product Line Manager, Sportswear - Simms
To be a great fit at Simms, you must embrace the fishing culture and follow our practice to work like we fish - with purpose, passion & curiosity. Be prepared to share your latest fishing adventures.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Production Assistant - Rocky Mountain Biologicals, Inc.
RMBIO is a life sciences company manufacturing biological products to support the bio-pharmaceutical and clinical diagnostic industries.
Careers
- Manufacturing Consortium Of Montana, 7/15, Butte, Montana
Please join the Manufacturing Consortium of Montana in welcoming Colt & Luke Anderson and Ross Richardson to hear how UPTOP Clothing http://www.teamuptop.com/ was formed in 2010, lessons learned along the way, how to make the transition from full- time employment to full-time entrepreneur and plans for future.
- Butte Brewing Company open for business
After over 50-years since last operating in Butte, The Butte Brewing Company officially opened for business on July 10th under new ownership.
- Butte Brewing Company open in time for festival
It's been at least 50 years since a Butte Brewing Company operated in town, said colleague Ray Rogers, whose office, the National Center for Health Care Informatics, is located in the equally expansive upstairs -- killer south-facing views included.
- Greg Boyd's House of Fine Instruments in Missoula is world-renowned music store
His customers over the years have included John Fogerty, David Grisman, members of Pearl Jam and Eric Johnson.
- Billings-based Travel Cafe expands in Missoula
Travel Cafe now has offices in four Montana cities: Billings, Missoula, Great Falls and Bozeman.
- Bozeman, Montana based DropTrip, a crowdsourced shipping platform, launches its web-based, mobile friendly platform.
The DropTrip platform is a safe, reliable, and extremely efficient shipping infrastructure based on utilizing excess capacity in vehicles already on the road.
Rural Communities
- Growth in the 'Gig' Economy Fuels Work Force Anxieties
The decades-long shift to these more flexible workplace arrangements, the venture capitalist Nick Hanauer and the labor leader David Rolf argue in the latest issue of Democracy Journal, is a "transformation that promises new efficiencies and greater flexibility for 'employers' and 'employees' alike, but which threatens to undermine the very foundation upon which middle-class America was built."
- A New Look at Apprenticeships as a Path to the Middle Class
With its gleaming classrooms, sports teams and even a pep squad, the Apprentice School that serves the enormous Navy shipyard here bears little resemblance to a traditional vocational education program.
Government
- Child Poverty Rate Climbs by One-Third - One in four rural residents under the age of 18 lives in poverty
The figure is even higher in counties that depended on manufacturing jobs, which eroded during the Great Recession.
Idaho Business
- Report Say 20% Bridges in Montana are Structurally Deficient or Obsolete
And more than half of the roads are consider in poor condition.
- Montana Government Audit: Several state retirement accounts remain unconstitutional
The retirement accounts for sheriffs, highway patrol officers, game wardens and peace officers aren't considered financially sound, according to standard accounting benchmarks.
- How Big Water is trying to stop the National Park Service from cleaning up plastic bottles
"We came to realize we were in a sea of plastic water bottles. The garbage cans at some parks were overflowing."
Oregon Business
- Letter shows Idaho Governor Otter knew of broadband money woes
Gov. Butch Otter knew for months that the federal government had withheld funding for Idaho's now-failed school broadband program, but lawmakers remained in the dark until much later.
- Chinese company wants to buy Boise's Micron Technology Inc. for $23 billion
Two U.S. analysts say the acquisition is a long shot based on a lowball offer, possible security concerns and a pile of regulations the company would have to navigate.
Other Economies
- Oregon matures into world-class wine and food destination - Free Corkage & BYOB - Portland Restaurants
Oregon has been called new American home of Pinot Noir, rivaling Burgundy, France. And the connection makes sense.
Regional Business
- Tech in Nevada
"We've always had to address the question, 'Why are you in Reno?'"
Regional Economic Development
- Nearly every job in America, mapped in incredible detail
These differences form economic identities that shape each city as much as their culture and geography do.
Workforce Development
- Retirees a growing economic force in the West
The baby boom generation is retiring in droves (up to 10,000 each day), and many of these newly-minted retirees are on the move. These movers bring with them their retirement nest eggs and Social Security payments, which can boost local economies.
- Great American Main Street Awards
The Great American Main Street Awards competition is now open to all Nationally Accredited Main Street Programs.
- Local Governments and the Challenge of Rapid Economic Change
While it is common practice for private-sector organizations to be on the lookout for technological innovations that might enhance or upend their businesses, this tradecraft is less common in local governments.
- Tourism, trade issues on tap at regional conference in Big Sky, Montana
As evidence of its success, Bullock said Montana was ranked as the No. 1 state for entrepreneurs; best in the nation for keeping higher education affordable; recognized as a leader in transparency in government spending; experiencing high personal income growth, with low unemployment rates; and near record job growth in the last year.
21st Century Education Initiative - "You Should Care..."
- Starbucks-led coalition commits to hiring 100,000 disconnected youth
The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, which launches Monday, aims to give a leg up to some of the estimated 5.5 million Americans, ages 16 to 24, who aren't employed or in school. Demographers and economists refer to the group as "disconnected youth."
- How States Are Confronting High Long-Term Unemployment
In recent years, workforce agencies have explored a variety of approaches in helping these workers.
Community
- Stanford neuroscience research identifies more effective way to teach abstract math concepts to children
A new study shows that students who use symmetry to learn about numbers tap into critical brain circuits. The approach appears promising in improving math skills in general.
- TED Talk - We Need Schools... Not Factories - Sugata Mitra
We need a pedagogy free from fear and focused on the magic of children's innate quest for information and understanding. -- Sugata Mitra
Funding and Building your Business
- J is for Judith Gap, Montana: They're keeping their tiny high school open
The tiniest high school in all Montana is here in Judith Gap, a town located midway between the Little Belt and Big Snowy mountain ranges. The enrollment in grades 9-12 hovers around six, and as you'll see, they go out of their way - way out of their way - to keep it that high.
Energy and Climate Change
- "fourOsix" founder Alex "Papu" Rincon to keynote Senator Tester's 15th Small Business Opportunity Workshop July 17 in Missoula
Marketing experts Jake Cook and Jane Kober will also address Montana entrepreneurs
- TECHJUNCTION Montana, 7/16, Bozeman, Montana
With a no admission fee "by invitation-only" format, cutting-edge content, interactive labs & exhibits, and other complimentary delegate benefits (coffee, lunch, cocktails; etc.) TechJunction has earned the reputation as "THE technology conference" for IT professionals across the country.
- A Raucous, Teamwork-Teaching Game for 10 Players
Created by one man and shown at BitSummit in Kyoto, Japan this weekend, Pico Park supports up to ten players, and I saw many full-house teams playing and laughing together.
Government Technology
- Saving Energy Isn't the Only Reason Cities Are Using LED Lighting
Beyond boosting energy efficiency, advanced lighting systems can use sensors and software to detect motion and transmit images and audio.
- These Beautiful, Translucent Barriers Quiet Traffic--And Generate Power At The Same Time
This has to be one of the best Dutch ideas yet--roadside noise barriers that also generate solar power. Not only that, they work on cloudy days, and one kilometer (0.62 miles) provides enough electricity to power 50 homes.
Cool Stuff That's Coming
- Audit says Xerox won't complete $84 million Montana Medicaid project on time; Xerox remains confident
At the pace it's going, Xerox Corp. will be six years past its renegotiated deadline by the time it completes an $84 million state contract for a new computer program to manage Medicaid payments, according to an audit of the project.
Transportation
- Can computers replace lawyers? A Silcon Valley company Modria says yes
Imagine working out a divorce without hiring an attorney or stepping into court or disputing the tax assessment on your home completely online.
- Pedal-powered Raht Racer cycle can travel as fast as a car
This hybrid vehicle amplifies pedal power to enable cyclists to travel at car speeds while still getting a workout, and it has a roof to keep you dry in wet weather.
- Future Highways Could Be Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles
Construction firm VolkerWessels calls it a greener alternative to asphalt that is stronger, easier to maintain, and more resistant to temperature extremes than conventional blacktop.
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