Twin Bridges, MT

The GRVCCA is redesigning the its brochure and would like your contribution. We need some outstanding photos of people having fun and the fabulous scenery in the Ruby Valley. The brochure will focus on the following topics –


We have a shortage of photos of families, especially kids, having fun participating in the activities listed above.

Our project has a small budget for photography and graphics. Photographers will be paid $25 for each photo selected for publication in the brochure. Photographers don’t need to be Chamber members to submit photographs.

All photographs must –

1. Have been taken on a digital camera, 3mp format minimum. Please no scanned photos.
2. Be full color with NO special effects (sepia, b/w, etc.)
3. Be submitted on a CD rom with the photographer’s name, phone number and address written in permanent ink.

If you’re submitting photos of children that are not your own, please have written permission from the parents. Photos do not need to be current.

The deadline for photo submissions is February 24th. If you have any questions, please contact Debra McNeill at 684-5344.

Get it?  Horizon? Horizon Program?  Tap, Tap…is this thing on?

Just a reminder that the Grant Writing workshop is Monday, February 15, 2010 at the Montana Room at Twin Bridges School.  It starts at 8:30 and ends at 4:30 with lunch provided.  We have 25 people signed up as of today, and cutoff for signup is February 10.  The fee is $10.  Call Heather at 596.2002 if you are interested.

This learning opportunity has been brough to you through Horizons funding and organized by the Horizons Steering Team.  If you are interested in bringing another topic to our area, please let us know.

The Twin Bridges Kid Country Daycare is having a benefit pig roast and auction on Saturday, April 17th. The event will take place in the Square Building at the Madison County Fairgrounds. We’ll have information on the cost and auction details shortly.

In case you didn’t know, Kid Country is a community daycare center and a non-profit. It operates for the benefit of the working parents of the Ruby Valley. The proceeds of the benefit pig roast will be used to cover operating expenses and maintenance of the daycare.

The Twin Bridges Horizons group is in the early planning stages of bringing a Core Four™ Business Planning Course to our area! The tentative dates are the following Mondays from 6 to 9 pm; March 15, 22, 29 and April 5.  We also have a tentative location of the Montana Room at the Twin Bridges School.  This program will be tweaked to fit a for profit or non profit organization, and there is something for everyone.  Please let us know what specific educational needs you have, so we can make sure that you are covered in the course.  Here is a tentative course outline:

 Part Two:  Market Planning

Part Three:  Cash Flow Planning

 Part Four:  Operations Planning

Dear Madison Marathon Runners & Supporters, Happy New Year (one more time!).   I hope you all received my email a couple weeks ago announcing the dates of the 3^rd annual Madison Marathon.  To repeat, so you will definitely put it on your training and running schedule, it is: 

Sunday, July 25, 2010Gravelly Range Road, Beaverhead Deerlodge National ForestStaging Area:  Clover MeadowsStarting Line:  Just south of Black Butte MountainFinishing Line:  Clover MeadowsStarting Time: 9:00 AM

Everything is the same as last year except the date.  I hope the July 25^th date works well with your schedules.  It is one week before the Headwaters Relay and three weeks before the Ed Anaker Bridger Ridge Run.   As race day draws near, you will receive more information on logistics, meeting places, shuttles, etc… We have a Facebook page, too, so please log on and become a ‘fan’ of the Madison Marathon to keep informed.

Aside from announcing the race date, I am sending this email out for two reasons.   First, I want to offer all 1^st and 2^nd annual Madison Marathon runners as well as supporters a discount on entry fees.  There will be no “early sign-up” fees this year.  There will just be the one fee and the sign up will be on active.com.  This year, unlike the past two years, we will not absorb the active.com processing fee.  It will be passed on (sorry, but the race is still losing money).  This means the runners will have to pay the active.com fee of 3 percent or so.  The online entry fees will be:  Full Marathon - $70, Half Marathon - $40, and Team Marathon - $140 plus the active.com fee. But for all of you receiving this email, the fees are:  Full Marathon - $65, Half Marathon - $35, and Team Marathon - $120 with no 3% attached because you will need to send in your fees by check (address below) or come by my office in the First Madison Valley Bank in Ennis to register in person and pay in cash or by check.  This is an admittedly small, but something nonetheless, financial incentive to sign up early and not use active.com.  You have until Memorial Day Weekend to take advantage of this offer.  After that, you have to use active.com and pay the new fees plus the processing fee.  The official fees will be posted on active.com sometime in March or whenever we get around to promoting the marathon.   Second, I am asking for your support to get something done.   I love innovation and great ideas. 

The Madison Marathon was an innovative and great idea and all of you made it happen.  I stumbled across another good idea and it is called Kickstarter.  This is a website that helps people raise small amounts of money from many, many people all around the globe.  The link below will take you to this site.  The objective is very simple.  We need to raise $3,000 to build a website for the Madison Marathon.  I am doing this through the Kickstarter.com website.  Click on the link and you will see what I mean.  Watch the video with yours truly making a pitch.  Then, do whatever you can do to help us build the website.   

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/49458284/the-madison-marathon-the-highest-road-maratho

 I launched this site only last Friday and I have since received five pledges:  one from Ennis, one from Bozeman, one from North Carolina, one from Japan, and one from a mystery person. I have no idea who or from where he or she is.  Such is the power of the internet and innovative ideas.   Take a look and consider helping us get this website built. As for the race, keep in touch and send me your questions on logistics, race day, schedules, ideas, etc…  I am so looking forward to this year’s race.  It will be fantastic. Train well my friends. 

Stay healthy, happy, and get ready to run the 3^rd annual Madison Marathon. Thanks 

Sam Korsmoe

Executive Director

Madison County Economic Development Council Inc.

PO Box 365

Virginia City, MT  59755

We will be having a meeting tomorrow morning, at 8:30 am at The Old Hotel.  We are going to work on our mission statement and the first year’s agenda.  We are also finalizing the Wine Tasting event.  Bring your ideas and enthusiasm and help the TBCA better our community! (The coffee will be hot and delicious).

Bill Casalara is helping patrons of the Twin Bridges Public Library with their computer skills. Contact the library to find out about schedules - 684-5416.

The Ruby Valley Youth Group still has some cookie dough for sale (Baker Jo’s - great stuff!). Here’s the inventory -
Triple Chocolate - 5
Monster (chocolate chips, peanuts, M&M, everything) - 5
Oatmeal Raisin - 2
Snicker Doodle - 4
Peanut Butter - 4
Sugar - 2
Peanut Butter w/Chocolate Chunk - 3
M&M - 3

It costs $12 per tub. You can call Tess Wrzesinski at 684-5355 and she’ll take care of your order.

Kathy Keltner is organizing the kids at Twin Bridges School to collect pennies for the children in Haiti. If you have a stash of pennies (or larger change) that you would like to donate to benefit the children of Haiti, please give it to one of our kids or drop it off at the school. Kathy will be collecting pennies through Friday, January 29th. Way to go Kathy & Kids!!

Twin Bridges Improvement Team

Minutes of Meeting

Friday, January 15, 2010

The Old Hotel 8:30am

Attendees: Pat Bradley, Paula Gilman, Jack Leber, Debbie Hanson, Bill White, Valery Orrin, Lois Smith-Lehwalder, Heather Puckett, Therese Hutchinson, Paula Kinoshita, Cynthia Watson, & Bill Kinoshita

Meeting was opened at 8:30 am with the Minutes of the previous meeting being approved.

An email communication from Patty Walker was shared with the group in regards to the 4Fs, this summer.

Information was shared about the upcoming Adult Education classes, in Sheridan.

Old Business:

    It was shared that the Twin Bridges High School Cheerleaders with Verta Dorseth collected the Christmas decorations and cleaned up the barrels & benches on Main Street. The decorations are being stored at The Shack for use next year. It was agreed to send a Thank you to the cheerleaders and information to the school for their upcoming newsletter.

    We will be checking in with the Town for the additional storage of the barrels until spring.

    Therese Hutchinson will be checking with Aaron Griffin & Wicks Nursery on the status of ordering/paying for the Main Street flowers. It was understood that since the school is using the project as an educational opportunity, they would be able to pick up the bill.

    Restructuring: There was discussion of the importance of restructuring of the current incarnation of the Twin Bridges Improvement Team (TBIT). The group agreed that there is a need to become a Not for Profit 501c3. Under the current situation, the group would not be eligible for that status. It was discussed that the process is lengthy and we need time to prepare the documents properly. It was agreed that Joy Day would be asked to assist with the process as well as Heather Puckett, Paula Gilman, Pat Bradley, & others who have gone through the process, previously. Jack Leber volunteered to speak with Joy.

    The group agreed that in the interim, until we reach the 501c3 status, we would need to form an Association in order to obtain a post office box and a checking account.

    It was discussed and agreed that the group name needed to be changed in order to reflect that it is an open to the public association created for the benefit of the entire community. It was moved, seconded, and passed to rename the group the Twin Bridges Community Association (TBCA).

    It was moved, seconded, & passed that the meetings be held on Friday mornings at 8:30am at The Old Hotel, 101 E. 5^th Ave. Twin Bridges. The dates and days will vary and will be announced. It was agreed that other area businesses & individuals may request to have a meeting held at their location in order to attend and/or garner more interest from the community.

    It was moved, seconded, & passed that we elect a volunteer core of officers for a one (1) year term, effective immediately.

        Paula Kinoshita volunteered to serve as President

    Jack Leber volunteered to serve as Vice President/President Elect- with the understanding that she would serve as the following year’s President.

        Valery Orrin volunteered to serve as Secretary

        Heather Puckett volunteered to serve as Treasurer

It was moved, seconded, & passed to accept the officers as volunteered.

Cynthia Watson volunteered to be the Community Liaison to Twin Bridges

    It was moved, seconded, & passed to spend the appropriate funds to secure a post office box with the Twin Bridges post office. Paula Kinoshita agreed to do this.

    It was moved, seconded, & passed to open a checking account with Ruby Valley National Bank (RVNB) in order to deposit funds & write checks for expenditures. Paula Kinoshita volunteered to do this, with the assistance of Heather Puckett.

    It was moved, seconded, & passed to have three (3) authorized signers for the checking account at RVNB. These signers will be:

1. Cynthia Watson
2. Heather Puckett
3. Paula Kinoshita

Heather Puckett agreed to set up an accounting system for the Association.

It was moved, seconded, & passed to renew the group’s membership in the Greater Ruby Valley Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture for 2010.

The group agreed to spend 45 minutes of the next meeting to set up a Mission Statement and the year’s agenda. It was agreed that we would be using some of Sheridan Main Street Improvement Team’s (SMSIT) Bylaws as an example for our own. Heather volunteered to email copies of SMSIT’s Bylaws to all who attended today’s meeting so individuals could start gathering ideas.

The group agreed to ask a member to attend and speak at a future TBCA meeting in order to share their experience of setting up a 501c3. Jack Leber agreed to organize this.

New Business:

    Annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser: The annual fundraiser will be held on Sunday, February 28^th, 2010 from 1pm to 5pm at The Shack in Twin Bridges.

        Advertising: Jack Leber updated the group on the advertising. It was agreed that the budget for advertising would be approximately $200.00. Jack will finish the flyers and ad copies and get them submitted. Cynthia Watson agreed as Community Liaison to get the posters and flyers out to the surrounding communities. Jack Leber will be organizing the presale of tickets. Tickets will be available for purchase at The Shack, Main Street Market, Prudential Montana Real Estate, & The Old Hotel or available for purchase on the day at the event. It was agreed that the event would be $35.00 per person.

        Entertainment: Therese Hutchinson updated the group on entertainment. It was agreed that there will be two live entertainment acts, this year. Sam Drukman & Melissa (Hutchinson?) will be performing live music for a portion of the event. The group agreed to work out partial trade for payment with the entertainment and Therese Hutchinson agreed to finalize fees and bookings.

    Wine Tasting/Wine Presale: Valery Orrin and Paula Kinoshita will be meeting on Tuesday, January 26^th, 2010 at 8:30am at The Shack to organize the wine tasting & presale portion of the event. The event will focus on Montana made and Pacific Northwest wines. Therese Hutchinson agreed to assist with the presale portion through The Main Street Market. It was reiterated that we would NOT be doing a beer tasting at this year’s event as it has not been a successful portion of past events.

    Food: As there was no volunteer organizer for the food portion of the event, the group at large agreed to bring appetizer items for approximately fifty (50) people. Sign up was as follows:

        Paula Gilman: vegetable platter/dips & breadsticks

        Paula & Bill Kinoshita: cheese platter & fruit

        Cynthia Watson: Greek meatballs

        Debbie Hanson/Lois Smith- Lehwalder: Cocktail Pasties

        Heather Puckett: unknown

    Silent Auction: It was agreed to set up a staggered silent auction as an additional fundraiser for the event. The group agreed to attempt to purchase some items, at wholesale cost, from area merchants. A budget was not set at this time. Valery Orrin agreed to secure items from some of the distributors participating in the event. Paula Kinoshita agreed to contact 3 Rivers Communications to see about securing a donated item from them. Pat Bradley will be organizing the auction on the day of the event.

It was agreed that there would be fifteen (15) minutes allotted at the next meeting to wrap up any unfinished wine tasting business at the next meeting.

Announcements:

    Grant Writing Workshop: The Twin Bridges Horizon’s Project with Janet Cornish is offering a grant writing workshop which will be held on Monday, February 15, 2010 at The Montana Room at the Twin Bridges School from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Registration is open to the public. Cost of the event is $10/person. Scholarships can be provided. Lunch will be provided. To register, contact either Heather Puckett at RVNB or Jack Leber at PMRR. Registration closes Wednesday, February 10, 2010.

    GRVCCA Annual Meeting: This meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at the Philanthropy Building in Sheridan. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30pm with the meeting starting at 6pm. The meeting is open to the public and will be very informational!

    Ruby Valley Buy Local Program: Carol Delisi (Sheridan) & Tracy Pearce (Twin Bridges) through the GRVCCA are organizing a Buy Local Program. The group is in their planning stages and they are looking for more folks with ideas. The planning board is open to the public but the benefits of the program will be for GRVVCA members only. If anyone is interested in getting involved they can contact either Carol or Tracy.

    Small Business Expo: The annual Small Business Expo was announced. The tentative date is Saturday, May 15, 2010 at the round building on the Madison County Fairgrounds. To find out more information, register, or get involved in the event: contact Bob Reimard at Alamo Aviation Art & Framing, in Sheridan.

The next meeting will be on Friday, January 29,
2010 at 8:30am at The Old Hotel.

It was moved, seconded, passed to close the meeting at 10:30am.