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Official News and Informationfrom the City of Billings Summer 2012
Visit the City's website: http://www.ci.billings.mt.us
Letter from the Editor .......................................1
Citizens Police Academy ...................................2
Summer Construction .......................................2
Parks and Rec News ........................................3-4
MET Summer Fun Pass ......................................4
Billings Parks and Open Spaces ........................5
Arbor Day at Zoo Montana ..............................6
From our Readers ..............................................6
Non-Resident Travels .........................................7
Rose Park Pool Liner ..........................................7
News from the Library ......................................8
Grass Fire Season ...............................................8
Mayor and City Council .....................................8
Inside this issue:
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Ten years ago, I had the fortunate opportunity to serve on the City’s Communications Committee and the first project we were tasked with was creating the CityLink newsletter. I’ve been serving as the Editor ever since, and I hope the Billings area residents have enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it. One of my favorite segments of each newsletter is receiving and reading the ques-tions, suggestions and comments from our readers. Typically, these ar-rive via mail or email. Recently, how-ever, I had the pleasure of receiving a telephone call from a reader and I thought that conversation was worthy of sharing with you, the readers.
Clarice Shrumpf called to ask me for a copy of the CityLink which she hoped would include a story about the explosion that occurred at the Parmly Billings Library in 1987. I assured her that the CityLink wasn’t in existence at that time, but asked a few more questions of her. I found out that her husband is one of the two men who were injured in the blast. I asked her to give me a few days and told her that I would return her call as soon as possible. I called the Billings Ga-
zette, and an archivist explained that all of the old papers were one micro-fiche, which wouldn’t make for a very clean copy. She suggested that I call the Library. I encountered the same issue when speaking with Library staff. However, a Library staff mem-ber recalled seeing a laminated poster board that was discovered during an office reshuffle. She returned my call later that day and excitedly reported that she had the article I was seeking. I was able to borrow the poster board and make a color copy of it for Cla-rice. In the meantime, some media footage was found in the basement of City Hall and a VHS tape was also provided to me to present to Clarice and her husband, Jim Southworth. Jim was hailed as a hero in the article, and I read with interest the story of an explosion which I hadn’t even real-ized had occurred, in a building with which I thought I was quite familiar.
I called and asked for an address to mail these items to Clarice and Jim, and instead was invited to their lovely home for a visit. I spent the better part of an hour enjoying an animated conversation with these two wonder-
Letter from the Editor
The groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the official start of the new Par-mly Billings Library construction project will take place on Thursday, June 28, at 5 p.m. The groundbreaking will take place at the new Library building site, north
of the existing Library building at 510 North Broadway. Come for the ground-breaking, and then head over to Mon-tana Avenue for the Alive After Five event to wrap up a great summer down-town evening!
You are Invited!
Continued on page 6
Summer 20122
Citizens Police Academy
The next Citizens Police Academy is scheduled to be-gin on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. This hands-on class meets on Tuesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. for eight weeks.
Topics of discussion include: Code Enforcement, DUI and Crime Scene Investigations,
K-9, Bomb Squad, S.W.A.T., and Use of Force.
For more information, con-tact Lisa Posada-Griffin at (406) 657-8451, or [email protected]; or Lt. Kevin Iffland at (406) 657-8478, or [email protected]. Seat-ing is limited to 20 participants.
Construction has begun again in the Magic City! Actually, construction is continuing due to the fact that this past winter was relatively light and some con-struction took place through the winter.
The City is trying several methods to keep everyone informed of the work being done this summer. This includes a website, Facebook page, regular meetings with property owners in immediate areas of construc-tion, and articles such as this. Please feel free to check out those sources or contact the City’s Engineering Division via telephone or email if you have questions about the projects underway this summer.
There are many construction projects going on this summer, but some of the most visible projects are:
Street overlay and chip seal projects: The streets that will receive overlay this year are Overland Av-enue (King Avenue West to South 24th Street West), Grant Road (King Avenue West to South 24th Street West), Gabel Road (South 32nd Street West to Hesper Road), Daniel Street (Monad Road to Industrial Av-
enue), Regal Street (Industrial Avenue to Central Av-enue) and a portion of Swords By-Pass. These streets combine for a total of approximately 2.4 miles that will be overlayed. Also this year, approximately 25.2 miles of residential streets will be chip sealed. For a map of the areas receiving overlay and chip seal and for updates on the projects, please visit the City’s website.
Water and Sewer Rehabilitation Projects: The City annually replaces water and sewer lines through-out the system to ensure that services can continue to be provided reliably. The water line projects this summer are in Montana Avenue (North 31st Street to North 13th Street), South 27th Street (State Avenue to 5th Avenue South) and Grand Avenue near Rehberg Lane. Sewer rehabilitation will be in the area gener-ally bounded by 9th Street West to 15th Street West and between Avenue C and Colton Boulevard. Infor-mation on these projects will be updated on the City’s website.
Central Avenue Widening Project: This project is just getting started and will widen Central Avenue between 29th Street West and 32nd Street West. In addition to the wider street, sidewalks will be added along the north side of the road and the corner of 32nd Street West and Central Avenue will be improved to include handicapped accessible features.
Broadwater Trail: A multi-use trail will be con-structed along the north side of Broadwater Avenue between Vermillion and 32nd Street West. This proj-ect should not impact traffic during construction and will be a great connection to Will James School.
You can find information on these and other proj-ects on the City’s website under Engineering. Also, go ahead and “Like” City of Billings Engineering on Facebook, and you will see regular updates of these projects. The City’s Engineering Division can be reached for specific questions and information at (406) 657-8231 or [email protected].
Have a great summer!
Summer Construction
We Want to Hear From YouPlease provide us with input for our next newsletter.
What did you like most about the newsletter?
What would you like to see in upcoming newsletters?
Mail or e-mail your comments to us at:[email protected] City Link P.O. Box 1178Billings, MT 59103
Summer 2012 3
Here is a brief look at what the Parks and Recreation Department has to offer this summer. These classes are filling up quickly and space is limited, so be sure to register early! Check out the details of these fun things to do in the sum-mer flyer on-line at www.prpl.info or in person at the PRPL office at 390 North 23rd Street. Remember that you may now register ON-LINE to save time!
• American Red Cross Swim Lessons• GuardStart – Lifeguarding Tomor-
row• Cardio Water Exercise Classes• Aqua Zumba Exercise Classes• Discovery Scuba Class• PADI Open Water/Pool Scuba
Class• AquaNuts Day Camp• Pioneer Park Playhouse• All Day Adventure Camps• Skate Camp• Skyhawks Summer Sports Camp• SportsPlex Summer Sports Camps• Sports Specific Training Camp• Archery Camp• Martial Arts for Kids and Adults• Rock Climbing & Rappeling• Zumba Atomic for Kids• YogaFit • Exploring the Billings Trail System• Golf Lessons• Tennis• Tumbling in the Parks• Fly Fishing• Youth Air Gun Safety• Learn to Canoe @ Riverfront• Learn to Kayak • Outdoor Day Hikes• Pure Pilates • Nia Exercise• Digital Photography Classes• Stop Bullies Fast Program• Zumba• Photoshop & iMovie on the iPad• Digital Photography Workshop at
the Zoo
New adventure camp series weekly / all day camps for your summer care needs
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (August 6-10) – Monday thru Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
The week will be spent exploring dif-ferent modes of transportation high-lighted in and around the Billings area. Campers will experience a tour of the Logan International Airport, Met Tran-sit and how it works, a look at A Limou-sine Company (maybe even a ride), and a tour of the Billings Operations Center. Also included in this adventure is a his-tory of the Billings Depot Railyard.
History is “Making a Difference” (July 16-20) – Monday thru Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
An enlightening week of exploring the history surrounding Billings and the volunteer services which make a dif-ference in and around the community. Points of interest will include Picto-graph Caves, Moss Mansion, a Histori-cal Trolley ride and presentation around the Billings area, Swords Park, Boothill Cemetery, Pompeys Pillar, Western Her-itage Center, Sweetheart Bakery Tour, volunteering with Billings Food Bank and much, much more.
Connecting Kids with Nature (June 18-22 and July 30-Aug.3) – Monday thru Friday 8 a.m.-5p.m.
An adventure-filled week of activities that offers campers the opportunity to enjoy the animals and outdoor environ-ment in which they live. Explorations will include a visit to the Bluewater Spring Trout Hatchery, scavenger hunt at Lake Elmo, a guided tour of the Four-Dances Nature Area, Beartooth Nature Center and Zoo Montana, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch rope course, Yel-lowstone Valley Animal Shelter, canoe-ing, rock climbing, building sand castles and hiking.
“Save” & Explore our Hidden Trea-sures (June 25-29 & July 23-27) – Mon-day thru Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
During this week campers will expe-rience the many natural resources this part of the country has to offer, as well as the Emergency and Public Safety Services throughout the community. Journeys will include touring Yellow-tail Dam or Buffalo Bill Dam, a Billings refinery, Billings fire stations, Army Re-serve Center, Floating Island Interna-tional, a tree planting with Billings Park Staff, Pacific Recycling, United Blood Services, visits by the Billings SWAT and Bomb Squads, Help Flight Opera-tions, and learning basic First Aid and CPR.
Sports and Media Adventure (July 2-6 & August 13-17) – Monday thru Friday 8a.m.-5p.m.
During this energetic, healthy and activity-filled week, campers will expe-rience a wide variety of sports, athletic games and competitions. Playing soccer,
a basketball competition at North Park, disc golf at Phipps, putting and chipping contest at Par 3, swimming competi-tion at Rose Park Pool, and bowling are just some of the activities. An array of media relations will be explored which will include tours of Q2, the Billings Gazette, Simply Family Magazine and Towne Square Media. The campers will experience creating their own sporting interviews with written, oral and video interviews/commercials.
The Ultimate Outdoor Adventure (July 9-13) – Monday thru Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
This one week only extreme adven-ture offers campers the opportunity to go rappelling on the Rims (with profes-sional trained instructors), scuba diving with Adventure Scuba, have a scavenger hunt at Ah Nei Recreation Area, hiking, canoeing at Riverfront, fishing, archery, white water rafting and an overnight stay in Teepees along the Stillwater
Here is a brief look at what the Parks New adventure camp series “Save” & Explore our Hidden Trea- a basketball competition at North Park,
City of Billings Parks and Recreation Department Summer News
Continued on page 4
Summer 20124
River. There will be additional adult supervision, and all meals will be provided on the over-night trip. Campers will need to bring along a sleeping bag, pillow, and an extra change of clothes. This adventure departs on Thursday morning and re-turns Friday afternoon.
** Drop off and pick up for each of the camps will occur at the North Park Recreation Cen-ter located on the corner of N. 19th St. and 6th Ave. N. Each child will need to bring a lunch, morning and afternoon snack, sunscreen, swim suit, towel, comfortable walking shoes and plenty of water each day.
Swimming Pools, Wading Pools and Spraygrounds
Billings public swimming pools opened June 6. Rose Park Pool and Waterslides, lo-
cated at 21st Street West and Avenue C, is open 12 noon to 8 p.m. daily (weather permitting). Youth admission (5-17) is $2.50, adults 18 and over are $5, and children 4 and under are free with a paid adult. Season swim passes may also be purchased: Family (up to 5 members in same household) $150, Individ-ual Adult (18 and older) $100, and Individual Youth (5-17) $50. South Park Pool, located at 6th Avenue South and South 30th Street, is open 12 noon to 6 p.m. daily. Admission for Youth (5-17) $2, Adult (18 and over) $4, and children 4 and under are free with a paid adult. Season swim passes may also be pur-chased: Family (up to 5 mem-bers in same household) $75, Individual Adult (18 and older) $60, and Individual Youth (7-17) $25. Children 6 and under need adult supervision.
There are two filtrated, chlo-rinated wading pools and four “spraygrounds” located within the Billings City Park System. Spraygrounds opened May
26th and operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wading pools opened June 11 (12 noon – 6 p.m.). The wading pools and spraygrounds are open seven days a week. All wading pools are free for children 8 years and younger. Parents are responsible for the supervision of their children at all times. Locations are as fol-lows:
• Pioneer Park (wading pool) – 3rd Street West and Avenue D
• Hawthorne Park (wading pool) – Janie and Colum-bine Drive
• North Park (sprayground) – 6th Avenue North and North 20th Street
• Terry Park (sprayground) – 5th Street West and Terry Avenue
• Highland Park (spray-ground) – 2nd Avenue South and South 37th Street
• Castle Rock Park (spray-ground) – Wicks Lane and Nutter Blvd
PPRL News continued from page 3
Summer vacation for stu-dents is here. Help bring on the excitement of summer by purchasing a discounted stu-dent bus pass.
Student bus passes will be discounted to $10 a month for June, July and August. These discounted student passes are designed to encourage more students to use the bus over the summer months, saving time and money.
Students can ride the bus to participate in Parks and
Recreation classes, go to the Library, go to Rimrock Mall or check out the skate park downtown. The opportuni-ties are unlimited for students with a discounted student bus pass.
Passes can be purchased from any MET driver, at City Hall downtown (210 North 27th Street), or at the Metro-plex located at 1705 Monad Road. A valid school I.D. is required.
MET Summer Fun Pass
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Summer 2012 5
*Annual Percentage Rate accurate as of publication date and subject to credit approval. Maximum APR is 18%. Other fees may apply. Limited time offer. Rate reflects ¼% discount for checking account (Premium Checking receives an additional ¼%), autopay and direct deposit (maximum rate reduction of 1%).
USED REFINANCENEW
All signs lead to Billings Federal Credit Union.We have a loan to fit your needs.
FIXED RATES
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Stop by Billings Federal Credit Union and visit with one of our auto loan experts today!
760 Wicks Lane • 2522 4th Ave. N • 32nd & King Ave. W
248-1127 www.billingsfcu.org
Parks and open spaces have always played a major role in the livabil-ity of Billings. The City is fortunate to have nearly 10 percent of the lands throughout its boundar-ies preserved for the rec-reation and enjoyment of current and future citizens. Today, Billings’ parks are experienced by over 1 million visitors each year.
In light of Billings’ growing population, the importance of early-life outdoor experience is one of the most impor-tant factors influencing young people’s life-long
appreciation for and pro-tection of nature. Parks, open spaces and natural areas within the com-munity hold scenic, sci-entific, educational, and recreational values. They are wild areas where na-tive plant, animal life and unique landscapes are preserved and pro-tected. These are also areas where man-made landscapes with imported trees, turf, irrigation and facilities provide an oasis for citizens to picnic, play and socialize.
Parks, open spaces and natural areas enrich the quality of life of everyone
who experiences them. For more than a hun-
dred years, PRPL has been creating and main-taining Billings’ public open space and protect-ing the natural environ-ment. Today, the park and open space system consists of 2,580 acres of developed, undeveloped, natural area, green space and greenway parks wo-ven throughout the City. There are 1,183 acres of developed parks which include major parks such as Pioneer, Rose, Cas-tlerock, North and South Parks. There are 176 acres of undeveloped parks
which include Lamp-man, Rimpoint, Sahara, and Rush parks. There are over 800 acres of di-verse natural area parks such as the Rims, Swords, Pow Wow, Riverside and Phipps. PRPL also man-ages 420 acres of lands that are managed as open space for public access and use but are owned by other City departments and state agencies.
With community part-ners, PRPL provides sports parks such as Amend, Stewart and Poly Vista. Additionally, River-front and Coulsen parks provide access to the Yel-
lowstone River, which is a natural resource that is unsurpassed in its recre-ational potential for area residents.
PRPL builds and main-tains facilities which pro-mote healthy life styles and bring people togeth-er. Today, park facilities include six neighbor-hood centers, a profes-sional baseball stadium, two outdoor pools, four spray grounds, two wad-ing pools, two outdoor pools, 40 playgrounds, 24 picnic shelters, one skate park, 26 tennis courts, 25 basketball courts, 20 restrooms, 30 miles of
hard surface multi-use trails and 10 miles of soft surface trails.
It is often heard that communities cannot af-ford to “grow smart” by conserving open space and providing parks and recreation services. But, accumulating evidence indicates that parks, trails and recreation services are not an expense but an investment that produces important community benefits. Parks and rec-reation services are good for a community’s health, stability, beauty, and qual-ity of life.
Billings Parks and Open Spaces
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Summer 20126
From Our ReadersQuestions from an anonymous reader:
The Chief of Police, at a recent com-munity forum, said the crackdown on violators of the cell phone ban while driving was still going on. The Chief said that in a previous 90-day period, more than 200 warnings and citations were issued. How does this compare with citations for other moving viola-tions and motor vehicle violations, such as no driver’s license, no insurance, failure stop at red lights or stop signs, failure to signal for turns, no headlights, brake lights or tail lights, etc.?
Answer: In the first three months of 2012,
there were 7,992 citation and/or warn-ings issued by the Billings Police De-partment. Of those, 139 were given for having no driver’s license, 948 for hav-ing no insurance, 284 for red light vio-
lations, 1,684 for speeding and 591 for cell phone violations.
Question from an anonymous reader:When Zimmerman Trail was extend-
ed all the way to King Ave. there was a great deal of reconstruction between Grand Ave. and Broadwater, through the Peter Yegen Golf Course. Has that street eased traffic congestion on 24th Street West? Would traffic move more expeditiously on 38th if it were four-lane instead of two-lane?
Answer:Zimmerman Trail was connected
to 32nd Street West in the summer of 2006. Since 2006, 24th Street West has seen a normal increase in traffic. How-ever, this does not necessarily mean that 32nd Street West has not been use-ful. In fact, the stretch of 32nd Street
West in front of the golf course has been carrying an amount of approxi-mately 75 percent of the traffic on 24th Street West. So while the traffic on 24th hasn’t necessarily gone down, it is safe to assume that the traffic would be much higher on 24th if even a portion of the traffic on 32nd was forced to use 24th.
32nd Street West has limited drive-ways along the stretch of road between Grand and Broadwater. This produces a road with little “friction” and traffic is able to pass from intersection to in-tersection with little to no delay. The congestion and delay on 32nd Street West comes from the ability of traffic to pass through each intersection. Al-leviating the traffic on 32nd is more dependent on the efficiency of the traf-fic signals working with one another so that vehicles don’t have to stop at ev-
ery intersection. The City currently has plans to upgrade the signal controllers to accomplish just this task. By improv-ing the controllers, more traffic on 32nd should encounter green signal lights in-stead of red tail lights.
Comments from a Billings reader:The CityLink newsletter is such a
wonderful addition! The article cele-brating the accomplishments of certain personnel within the Police department was excellent. In upcoming newsletters, it would be interesting to read articles regarding how the City parks and other recreational areas are used. It would also be nice to see more photos.
Thanks for reading the CityLink and for sending in your great suggestions and comments!
ful, amazing people…sharing stories, comparing acquain-tances and talking about our respective families. They were so grateful that some-one had taken the time to track down an item at their request, but I left their home feeling like I was the one who had been given a gift.
This serendipitous meeting occurred on the 25th anniver-sary of the explosion and at the time that a new Library is being built. I, for one, truly hope that Clarice and Jim will join us for the groundbreak-ing ceremony on Thursday, June 28th. It would be fitting, don’t you think?
Letter continued from page 1
On May 10, the City’s Parks, Recreation and Public Lands (PRPL) Department joined more than 130 volunteers at Zoo Montana in honor of Ar-bor Day. Over 20 companies from around Billings donated their day to the Zoo while 17 companies donated finan-cially to make the day a suc-cess. Hazardous trees were re-moved, trees pruned, irrigation systems installed, flower beds landscaped, trees mulched and fertilized, 16 trees planted, over 85 pine seedlings transplanted, and a large amount of Russian olive removed for a Cotton-wood restoration project.
Mayor Tom Hanel, and DNRC Director, Mary Sex-ton, helped 150 first graders from Laurel’s East Elementary school plant the Official State Arbor Day Tree, a Kentucky Coffeetree. Director Sexton read the State of Montana Ar-
bor Day proclamation and pre-sented the City of Billings with its 28th Tree City USA award.
Upon reciting some very en-tertaining poems about trees, each first grader also got to
plant and take home their very own ponderosa pine seedling.
PRPL’s main task for the day was to install an irrigation system to provide water to the islands in the Zoo parking lot.
Cole McQuillan of PRPL, who headed up the irrigation proj-ect said, “having these islands green and beautiful will pro-vide a wow factor as visitors en-ter the Zoo.”
Zoo Montana Hosts State of Montana Arbor Day
Liz
Summer 2012 7
ery intersection. The City currently has plans to upgrade the signal controllers to accomplish just this task. By improv-ing the controllers, more traffic on 32nd should encounter green signal lights in-stead of red tail lights.
Comments from a Billings reader:The CityLink newsletter is such a
wonderful addition! The article cele-brating the accomplishments of certain personnel within the Police department was excellent. In upcoming newsletters, it would be interesting to read articles regarding how the City parks and other recreational areas are used. It would also be nice to see more photos.
Thanks for reading the CityLink and for sending in your great suggestions and comments!
As a main entry point for visitors to Montana, Billings Logan International Airport participates in a program con-ducted by the University of Montana’s Institute for Tour-ism and Recreation Research (ITRR) to survey arriving pas-sengers.
The ITRR collects visitor data such as where they re-side, how long they plan to stay, whether they visited Billings before, and the reason for their trip to Billings. The ITRR re-leased the following survey re-sults for 2011:
• The average length of stay was 6.21 nights, compared
to 5.14 nights in 2010.• 57 percent of the visitors
were repeat visitors, com-pared to 77 percent in 2010.
• 46 percent of the visitors came primarily for business reasons, while 30 percent came to visit friends, rela-tives or for a family event.
• 17 percent came primarily for vacation, compared to 18 percent in 2010.
• 41 percent of the visitors reported using Internet search engines for their trip planning.
The adjacent chart shows where the largest percentage of surveyed visitors resided:
Nonresident Travelers To Billings In 2011
Nonresident Travelers To Billings In 2011
As a main entry point for visitors to Montana, Billings Logan International Airport participates in a program conducted by the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR) to survey arriving passengers.
The ITRR collects visitor data such as where they reside, how long they plan to stay, whether they visited Billings before, and the reason for their trip to Billings. The ITRR released the following survey results for 2011:
The average length of stay was 6.21 nights, compared to 5.14 nights in 2010. 57 percent of the visitors were repeat visitors, compared to 77 percent in 2010. 46 percent of the visitors came primarily for business reasons, while 30 percent came
to visit friends, relatives or for a family event. 17 percent came primarily for vacation, compared to 18 percent in 2010. 41 percent of the visitors reported using Internet search engines for their trip
planning.The chart below shows where the largest percentage of surveyed visitors resided:
RESIDENCE PERCENTAGECalifornia 12%Colorado 12%
Texas 10%Washington 7%
Arizona 4%Oregon 4%
Canadian ProvincesBritish Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan
CountriesGermany, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, England, Estonia, China,
Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, France, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Dominican Republic
PRPL Replaces Rose Park Pool LinerThe liner in Rose Park pool was replaced this past fall. The
original liner was installed during the 1994 pool renovation proj-ect and had a 10-year warranty. The summer of 2011 completed 18 years of service from the original liner.
The pictures show the original pool shell which had tile lane lines and numerous patches when the old liner was removed and also the completed project. The cost for the new liner was $85,555 and it is warranted for 15 years.
ful, amazing people…sharing stories, comparing acquain-tances and talking about our respective families. They were so grateful that some-one had taken the time to track down an item at their request, but I left their home feeling like I was the one who had been given a gift.
This serendipitous meeting occurred on the 25th anniver-sary of the explosion and at the time that a new Library is being built. I, for one, truly hope that Clarice and Jim will join us for the groundbreak-ing ceremony on Thursday, June 28th. It would be fitting, don’t you think?
Liz
Summer 20128
SUMMER READINGThere’s something for ev-
eryone with Parmly Billings Library’s summer reading pro-gram. Children from newborns to Grade 5 will “DREAM BIG – READ”; teens will “OWN THE NIGHT”; and, adults will be reading “BETWEEN THE COVERS”.
There will be programs and prizes for readers of all ages. Registration for this year’s pro-grams began June 4th, and can be completed through the li-brary’s website at www.billings.lib.mt.us or in person at the Li-brary.
There will be a full slate of programs as always, but due to the ongoing construction at the Library this summer, many of
those programs will take place at other locations, including the Western Heritage Center, Pic-tograph Caves, Yellowstone Art Museum, and more.
Don’t miss the regular pro-gram series starting in July at the Community Library on the campus of the College of Tech-nology, held in partnership with the Huntington Learning Cen-ter. Check the website for all the details.
Join the fun this summer, and READ!
Montana is now enjoying the summer season. For the fire ser-vice, this brings a higher incident of grass and wildland fires. Indi-vidual homes, subdivisions, and in some instances entire com-munities can be devastated by a quick-moving wildland event.
Each year, the Billings Fire
Department puts an emphasis on wildland fire training, and special attention is given to the maintenance and condition of the brush trucks that will be dispatched to mitigate these dangerous situations.
The general public can play a significant role in helping all
of the area fire departments, by paying special attention to fire safety, especially around their property.
Every grass fire starts out small, but has the potential to turn into a raging, fast-moving monster in literally minutes. Generally, people think of ur-
ban wildland fires as only hap-pening on the outskirts of a city. The fact is, many threats exist in our yards, parks, and public lands. Fires that start in these areas all have a quick and direct impact on structures in the sur-rounding areas.
The Billings Fire Depart-
ment recommends making a quick evaluation of your prop-erty to determine what can be done to reduce your risk of fire. Firefighters are partners with the community and citi-zens, and count on you to help reduce fires and keep the com-munity safe.
News from the Parmly Billings Library
Grass and Wildland Fire Season is Upon Us
Mayor Tom Hanel:[email protected]
WARD 1Brent Cromley:[email protected]
Jim Ronquillo:[email protected]
WARD 2Denis Pitman:[email protected]
Angela Cimmino:[email protected]
WARD 3Becky Bird:[email protected]
Rich McFadden:[email protected]
WARD 4Jani McCall:[email protected]
Ed Ulledalen:[email protected]
WARD 5Ken Crouch:[email protected]
Mark Astle:[email protected]
Mailing Address:City of BillingsP.O. Box 1178Billings, MT 59103
Street Address:City of BillingsCity HallP.O. Box 117Billings, MT 59103 210 North 27th StreetBillings, MT 59101
Fax: (406) 657-8390
Mayor and City Council — City of Billings
