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| MATR Newsletter - Tue Jan 9, 2007 |
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"The highest priority of our state budget always has been and continues to be education," Otter said. "That's why I'm focusing what limited ongoing revenue is available on the highest priorities for both public schools and higher education." Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.
Many thanks to Jack for his kind and supportive words for the efforts of MATR - "IT Jobs Going Rural by Jack Schultz" http://www.matr.net/ar ... .html
Boomtown Institute
Come Home Montana
- You Aren’t From Around Here, Are You?
Many urban dwellers have a tough time understanding how rural folks have learned to help each other and to reach out to those in need.
- The Agurban from Boomtown Institute - Happy New Year! WOW 2007!
Last year’s top ten trends was embraced by many of you, so we are doing a new top ten trends for this new year.
Developing a more Entrepreneurial Montana
- Big Sky Appeal: Why live in Billings?
Both came from out-of-state without much first-hand knowledge of Montana. One was enticed by a great job offer. The other took a job that allowed her to live anywhere, then chose Billings. Both moved here in 2006.
- Montana Career Opportunity - Accounting / Payroll Specialist - JORE Corporation / Rocky Mountain Twist
Jore Corporation is a leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of innovative power tool accessories and hand tools for the do-it-yourself and professional craftsman markets.
Developing Tech Jobs in Rural Communities
- Successful entrepreneurs aren't necessarily 'A' students
Research by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. involving more than 5,000 entrepreneurs indicates that successful entrepreneurs are generally not top students in scholastic endeavors. Like any rule there are exceptions. But often this adage bears out.
Montana Education Excellence
- IT Jobs Going Rural by Jack Schultz
Russ Fletcher runs one of the best newsletters http://www.matr.net/ in the country focused upon the area of economic development.
- Too prosperous, Massachusetts is losing its labor force
"Massachusetts at its best has all these great universities and talented people. But the challenge is creating an environment where young people can have reasonable housing and reasonable transportation," says Mr. Egerman. It's particularly hard to recruit young people looking for their first or second job, he says. Potential hires balk at the long commutes or dorm-size apartments. Some of those who do take the job stay only a couple of years.
Education
- Robotics competition blends math, science and sportsmanship
“It’s engineering, science and math, but it’s very creative,”
- Computer science scholarships available
Thanks to a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Rocky Mountain College is able to offer significant scholarships to students majoring in computer science.
- Montana State University College of Business Scores in the 90th Percentile on National Exam
The Montana State University College of Business is now administering a new test that compares its students to students across the nation, and so far, College of Business students are measuring up quite well.
2007 Montana Legislature
- State Scholars Initiative December 2006 Newsletter
The addition of these states brings the total number of SSI states up to 24 – meaning that almost half the states in the union are motivating students to become a Scholar today, and a success tomorrow.
- 5 Years of "No Child Left Behind"
It faces a tough future as Congress prepares to reauthorize it — a group of 100 education, religion and civil rights leaders today announces an effort calling for "major changes."
Montana Business
- Attention Montana Residents- We'd like to ask you for a Letter of support for Full Time Kindergarten (SB123)
We are especially looking for letters from business people that touch on areas of interest in terms of preparing a ready workforce and how that must start early.
Montana Economic Development
- Small investors explain why they want a piece of Big Mountain
Local investors who were bought out in Winter Sports Inc.'s recent reverse stock-split want recognition for all the volunteer work and other financial contributions they, their parents or their grandparents made to get a ski hill in Whitefish.
- Flathead Valley, Montana : Scarce development land drives prices
The scarcity of land to develop is a big reason property prices in northwest Montana jumped about 16% last year.
- TechRanch recognizes two startup businesses - Connexa Softools and Ideal Bite
"We're focused on the very early stage startups," O'Donnell said. "And they're beyond that stage."
Funding and Building your Business
- Builiding a Montana community by design
A master plan for the 2,599-lot community of Rolling Glen Ranch Planned Unit Development, spread over 1,724 acres, just landed on the Broadwater County planner’s desk at the end of November.
- NxLevel For Entrepreneurs Feb. 8th - Apr. 26th, Missoula
Sign up to take your business to the NxLevel! This is a hands-on class for business owners and managers. It covers all aspects of your business - finance, marketing, and strategy.
Legislative Newsletters
- 10 Steps to Protect Your Great Idea
10. Believe in your ideas and persevere—it takes some time and effort to do all this right. Be realistic about your goals and good luck.
- Finance your fantasy startup
It's time to put your money where your mouth is, going from a great idea to reality may be easier than you think.
Economic Gardening
- Senator Jon Tester announces Montana staff positions
Sen. Jon Tester today announced several more members of his Montana staff. All will work out of Tester's field offices across the state.
Regional Economic Development
- Economic 'garden' set to sprout?
It's the idea that successful communities cultivate or grow their own businesses, rather than relying on a few big national or international firms for new jobs. Homegrown companies develop deep roots, the thinking goes, and so become interwoven into the fabric of the community to everyone's betterment.
Idaho Business
- Reporters and Editors are Invited to Apply for 2007 "Medicine in the Media" Course
The course examines the challenges and opportunities inherent in communicating the results of medical research to the public. Stressing an evidence-based approach and re-examining intuitive beliefs about medicine, the course will prepare participants for the crucial task of evaluating research findings including statistics, selecting stories that hold meaningful messages for the public, and placing them in the appropriate context.
- Working Together - Aligning State Systems and Policies for Individual and Regional Prosperity
To produce workers with these skills, states will need to do the following:
Washington State Business
- Idaho Governor's speech reflects business-friendly leadership
"The highest priority of our state budget always has been and continues to be education," Otter said. "That's why I'm focusing what limited ongoing revenue is available on the highest priorities for both public schools and higher education."
Wyoming Business
- Calypso raises $42.2 million for its technology to pinpoint cancer
It plans to use the money to launch its technology for those undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer, with future development slated for breast, lung, head and neck cancers.
- Sustainability Strategies from Seattle and other Washington State communities.
The National Trust Main Street Center profiles community sustainability strategies from Seattle and other Washington State communities.
- Daylight in Boeing’s Shadow. Renton, Washington Rebounds from Loss of Boeing
A company town near Seattle leveraged former Boeing property to attract new residential and commercial development, and is even luring the city's sports teams and the Seattle branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.
- Wiki startup Wetpaint raises $9.5 million more. 150,000 sites use service; 'tip of iceberg'
The quick adoption of the consumer wiki service has now won the 20-person startup support from a Silicon Valley powerhouse.
Incubators and R&D
- Living the Wyoming way
'We need a way to help newcomers understand Wyoming and understand what makes us special and unique.'"
- Report Finds Technology Industry Boosts Wyoming Economy
The state's technology leaders realize that the state's technology industry is key to achieving the vision of stabilizing and advancing Wyoming's economy. Yet they recognize that growth in Wyoming technology is a long-term investment.
The Creative and Cultural Economy
- University of Idaho professors experiment with nanotechnology
Work on the nanosprings is being paid for with a $1.6 million, five-year grant from the university to seven interdisciplinary faculty members led by McIlroy, an $870,000, five-year grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, and money from the Idaho Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
- NASA awards Montana State University for speedy reporting from 100-hour experiment
While most Montanans were sleeping, a Montana State University antenna was gathering information last month from a satellite the size of a shoe box.
Energy
- The Montana State of the Arts newspaper
- Reviving small towns. America the creative
Can statues of killer-bees and storytelling festivals stop the country's smallest towns from withering away?
Connectivity & Communications
- Scientists hope bacteria are key to limitless energy supply
"If you could find (a bacterium) that converts carbon to gas at an acceptable rate -- if you achieve that you have a long-term sustainable source of gas," it's simply a marginal analysis."
Commuter Rail Development
- The Wikipedia way to better intelligence
Advanced technology and Web-savvy citizenry now make it possible for open-source information gathering to rival, if not surpass, the clandestine intelligence produced by government agencies.
- Blog Draws Visitors With Useful Tech Tips
"She focuses on information that'll make her readers' lives more productive,"
- If your car's ailing, websites can help
Car owners are using the Internet to investigate and share their cars' ailments, and, in some cases, prod manufacturers into addressing problems that might otherwise be dismissed as isolated incidents.
- Geek to Live: Automatically back up your hard drive
When was the last time you backed up the important files on your computer? Last year when your best friend called in tears after the Blue Screen of Death ate her thesis?
- The sultans of stream
Liquid Compass "powers" more than 500 Internet radio stations in the U.S.
- The Dimensions of a Digital Community
A good definition of a digital community should provide a vision for the reinvention of our communities for the 21st century. And it should certainly embrace much more than anywhere, anytime connectivity or improved efficiencies for mobile workers.
Leadership Montana
- Small Bay Area Commuter Train Hopes To Revolutionize Passenger Rail
Lightweight, electronic cars could save money, increase speed and seating capacity
- Casper, Wyoming City Council looks at high speed rail
The $4.4 million study would look at connecting Casper and Cheyenne to a special rail line extending through Denver along Colorado's Front Range all the way to Albuquerque, N.M.
City Club Missoula
- Who Rises to Power in American Business?
The new book Paths to Power: How Insiders and Outsiders Shaped American Business Leadership explores the demographics of leadership in the U.S. over time and offers lessons for the next generations. What doors are opening? Which remain closed?
- City Club Missoula - Rock Creek Development, 1/19, Missoula
Development along Rock Creek will be the topic of the next City Club Missoula
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