Yeah, yeah, yeah, big government, no new taxes, thousand points of light, screw Bachmann, etc.  I get it.  Big government is far off and seemingly intangible, but LOCAL government is real, it's next door, it's downtown, it's everywhere around you.

The Bozeman Mayor and City Commissioners are very accessible people who listen closely to those who have appointed them.  And you, yes YOU have a voice in our upcoming election.  If you're interested in hearing from those who are up for election visit the upcoming Candidate's Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.

Where: City Commission room of City Hall
When: 6:45pm on Oct. 22nd
What: 

CANDIDATES' FORUM

1. The moderator welcomes the candidates and the audience. She will identify the candidates by name and according to the office and term sought.
2. The moderator explains the evening's format and rules.        

FORMAT

1. Each candidate will have up to 1½ minutes to introduce him/herselfand explain his/her qualifications and why he/she would like to be elected.
2. Each candidate will answer one question that has been provided in advance. This will be timed at 2 minutes.
3. The forum will be opened to questions from the audience.  Questions can be directed to one candidate or more. Each candidate will have a chance to answer, however, whether or not identified by the questioner.
4. Each candidate will have 2 minutes for a closing statement. 

RULES

1. The timer will let each candidate know when he or she has one-half minute remaining, and no time remaining. Candidates will be asked to finish promptly when the time is up.
2. While candidates will not be so closely timed in answering questions from the audience, the moderator will remind candidates of time constraints if answers get long.
3. The moderator will ask members of the audience to pose questionswithout comments-i.e., editorializing. The forum is designed to hear candidates' views and not the audience's.
4. The audience will have the option to ask questions verbally themselves or they can write their questions on cards for the moderator to ask.  The first part of the forum will be verbal questions and the latter part will use the written questions.
5. If a member of the audience asks that a question be answered yes or no,the candidates will be allowed to qualify or explain their answers. The forum is meant to help voters understand the candidates' positions, not force candidates to select answers they don't feel comfortable about.
6. If questions or answers become repetitive or courtesy is not shown, the moderator will intervene.

And remember to put your leg over your bicycle, head to your local polling place and ROCK THE VOTE ON NOVEMBER 5TH!

2012 Bike Week Schedule

Coffee Stops

May 14-18, 2012, 7-9 AM Free drip coffee and refreshments for bicycle commuters at these fine Bozeman Establishments:

Monday (May 14) Rockford Coffee by Team Rockford/Clif and the Bozeman Police Dept. (corner of Rouse/ E. Main)

Tuesday (May 15) Sola Café by Gallatin Alpine Sports (GAS) and Oracle (290 E. Kagy)

Wednesday (May 16) Costco –by Master’s Velo (refreshments: New Day Bakery food and Crema Roasting) (2505 Catron St) *For recommended bike routes to Costco- see facebook.com/bozemanbikeboard

Thursday (May 17) Lil Sherpa Java – by the Dirt Concern (111 E. Mendenhall)

Friday (May 18) Community Food Coop by Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club (908 W Main)

Bike From Work Party

Friday May 18 5-8 pm Lindley Park Center (1102 E Curtiss St) Pasta Dinner (to first 75 arrivees) & Beverages (suggested $5 – 20 donation)/ Raffle Prizes/ Live Music/Bike Activities

Kid's Events

Thursday May 3 (4:30-6:30pm): Bozeman School District K-5 Bike Rodeo - Emily Dickinson School (2435 Annie St). For details contact Julie.smith@bsd7.org or Sharon Navas at 522-6650

Wednesday May 16: Bike to School day – Contact your school for details

Thursday May 17 (4-6pm): Bike and Board Rodeo (for Middle school students, ages 10-14) Chief Joseph Middle School (4255 Kimberwicke St). For details contact Amanda at 522-6312 or Amanda.ferrat@bsd7.org

Bike Commuter Challenge

Join Bozeman’s Bike to Work Challenge by creating a team at your workplace.  Any team member who bikes to work any day from May 7th – 17th can win prizes.  See RideShareMT.com for details. 

Bicycle Shop Specials

Thursday May 10 (4-7pm):

• REI (2220 Tschache St) -  Bike maintenance and food from Baja Fresh (accessory give-aways –tire levers, patch kits or water bottles) and 20% off coupons (free)

Tuesday May 15 (7pm):

• Summit Bike & Ski (26 South Grand) - Basic bike tune-up/maintenance class (free)

Thursday May 17 (6:30pm): 

• Bangtail Bikes (137 East Main) -  Bike maintenance clinic (free)

Now through May 18:

• Bozeman Bike Peddler (101 East Oak) - Trade in ANY used bike and get a minimum of $50 off a new bike 

May 12-18:

• Chalet Sports (108 West Main) - 20% off of all commuter accessories (Panniers, fenders, bells, bike outerware...)  
• Owenhouse Bicycling and Fitness (25 South Black) - 20% off on helmets, 10% off on Burley trailers
• Roundhouse Sports (1422 West Main) - discounting a full maintenance bike tune up from $60 to $39.95, or a safety check up from $30 to $19.95, and 10% off bike accessories (one time purchase)

 

 

Gallatin Valley Bike Club 2012 Bike Swap

Gallatin County Fairgrounds

 

Drop off: Friday, April 20th 4 - 7pm

Sale: Saturday, April 21st

Members only 8 - 9am

Public 9am - 11:45am

Discount period 12 - 1pm

 Pickup: 1 - 2:30pm

Fee: $1 per item to list + 15% of sale (cash check only)

Sourdough Canyon Trailhead to Close for Improvements

Pending final approvals, the Sourdough Canyon Trailhead will be closed October 11 - 21 while Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) completes a series of vital enhancements that will improve public safety, recreational uses, and wildlife habitat. This work includes expanding the available parking, installing a turn-around for emergency and larger vehicles, straightening the access road, and restoring a section of Sourdough Creek.

Since the property was donated to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust by Michael Delaney and Ileana Indreland in 2007, GVLT has been working with a diverse group of stakeholders and partners to design improvements to one of Bozeman’s most popular year-round trailheads. Last fall, GVLT installed a permanent vault toilet and approximately 15 new parking spaces. The work scheduled for next week will further expand the parking, improve the safety of the road, and help reduce sedimentation into Sourdough Creek by moving the road away from the creek corridor.

This project is funded by generous contributions from the Gallatin Resource Advisory Committee, Montana Import Group, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, National Forest Foundation, Patagonia, REI, and dozens of individuals. The work is being completed in partnership with Gallatin County, the City of Bozeman, the Gallatin National Forest, and several private landowners.

Please obey all posted closures during this time. For updates, please visit http://www.gvlt.org or contact us at info@gvlt.org or 587-8404.

Kelly Pohl
Program Director
Gallatin Valley Land Trust25 N Willson Ave, Suite E
Bozeman, MT 59715

@tymorrisonheath put out the call for cargo cyclists to load up his possessions by bicycle and move them from near Koch and 11th out across the interstate to some storage units on Rouse.  The Bozeman Fix cargo hauling crew showed up ready to move.  On the scene was the Bozeman Daily Chronicle's Jodi Hausen who shot this short video:

If the video doesn't load, see it in the left-sidebar of the on the Chronicle's website article Bozeman's bike week kicks off with kid's rodeo.

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A new alternative-press-ezine-blog-newspaper sorta thingy called the Bozeman Magpie sprung up into the ethers recently and has been covering everything from summer ski sessions to the best of Bozeman.  Today they posted a story of some of our own here at The Fix with a story about the Back to School Alleycat race held recently.

The folks at the Magpie have a thing for prose and the photography ain't bad either so quit reading this dirtbag blog and go edjumacate yourself and read their article about the Bozeman Alleycat Races 

 Photo by John Parker (stolen with complete and utter disregard for copyright)

Bozeman is celebrating Bike to Work Week in typical Bozeman style, with many of our beloved small businesses sponsoring B2WW stops. To kick off B2WW, the Bozeman Bike Kitchen is having a ReCYCLE DRIVE on Saturday May 15th from 10am to 2pm.

The Bozeman Bike Kitchen is a community cycling cooperative dedicated to making practical cycling accessible to members of the Bozeman community by providing shop space and mechanical support to the Bozeman area on a donation/volunteer basis. They also provide donated bicycles to individuals in need as identified by local charitable organizations such as The Gallatin Valley Food Bank and the Bozeman Human Resources Development Council.

If you have an old, unused, but quality bicycle laying around that could be a serviceable means of transportation for a member of the community, you can donate it to the BBK, and they will re-purpose it and allocate it to one in need of a cost effective, sustainable means of getting around.

In addition to the ReCYCLE Drive, the Bozeman Bike Kitchen is also hosting a B2WW stop, along with Bangtail Bike and Ski and International Coffee Traders.

Like bikes? Like riding bikes? Ride your bike to work, and celebrate next week by telling all of your friends to do the same.

Get the Bike Love and Live the Bike Life.

Over the course of the winter you'll notice a few new virtual pens being placed to the e-paper that is The Bozeman Fix. A handful of new authors have been delegated to bring Bozemanites fresh perspectives on the Bozeman bicycling scene.

The administration at The Fix are soliciting for other authors as well. If you're an active cyclist in Bozeman and you think the writing and photography you would offer to this blog fits within the scope of work already here get in touch with us.

Stay tuned to this here informational ressource for all-things Bozeman, bikes, beer, and bacon.