A New Angle

Justin's monthly conversations with Bryce Ward continue. In this edition the two talk about voting - why do we do it and do we want more people to do it? They also add two new segments: a listener question and predictions.

Some election-relevant bonus content for you today! Shared State is a new podcast collaboratively produced by Montana Public Radio, Yellowstone Public Radio and Montana Free Press. It's an important exploration of the critical issues facing Montanans during the 2020 election. Editor Nick Mott and Host Sarah Aronson join Justin to introduce Epsiode 7. More on Shared State: If you've turned on the TV in Montana recently, you've probably been bombarded with advertisements propping up or tearing down candidates for political office. Each contender claims they're the best choice to uphold "Montana values."But what does that mean? Who is that promise for? And how do those unspoken values shape Montana's politics? In the new podcast Shared State, Montana Free Press, Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio will bring listeners along for a deeper look at the most important issues on the ballot. The nine-episode series debuts Sept. 8, 2020 and will culminate just before Election Day.Listen on air Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on Montana Public Radio or Thursdays at 6 p.m. on Yellowstone Public Radio.

October is Co-op Month, so to learn all about cooperative business structures, we speak with Jack Lawson of Clearwater Credit Union, Jason Williams of Blackfoot and Mark Hayden of Missoula Electric Cooperative. These three co-ops are creating value for customers and members, while making important contributions to our community.

Conrad Anker is a legendary mountaineer and leader in the outdoor community. For nearly 30 years Conrad led the North Face athlete team and his resume of climbing achievements is largely unmatched, both in terms of difficulty and longevity. Conrad is also a mentor, philanthropist and activist – all important passion areas for him that we talk about today. With the election underway, Conrad and his colleagues at Protect Our Winters and upping the volume on the climate crisis. Conrad’s had a front row seat to climate change in his many years traveling to wild landscapes significantly altered by warmer temperatures, more extreme weather, and many other factors. Conrad is also a Montanan. He and his family live in Bozeman and are actively engaged in the environmental politics of our state. He wants people to vote and he wants people to think about the climate when they do. Protect Our Winters: https://protectourwinters.org/ PC: Jimmy Chin

Darcy Chenoweth is a doer of many things. She’s an artist, an activist, a mom, a wife, a teacher, a climber, a skier, a nurse…the list goes on and on. We cover a ton of ground in this conversation and I hope it inspires you as much as it did me. We’re all just trying to do our best here in this world and Darcy gives us some great wisdom about her effort.

This week we've got another great story of creativity and hustle happening right here in Western Montana. Oriana Turley is a registered nurse who grew sick and tired of working in crummy clothing that didn’t fit, didn’t last and wasn’t sourced from an ethical supply chain. So she decided to do something about it. Medicine Mountain Scrub Company is bringing to market a line of scrubs designed to maximize comfort and performance in a product you can feel good about. Oriana’s journey to entrepreneurship is one we can all learn a lot from. Medicine Mountain is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign and from the sounds of it, folks are lining up to get their hands on these scrubs. Check out the Kickstarter campaign at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/orianaturley/sustainable-scrubs-for-women-in-medicine

Scott Burke is President and CEO of First Security Bank and a pillar of leadership and integrity in our community. This year the College of Business honors Scott with the 2020 Outstanding Alumni Award. It is well earned. Scott’s contributions to economic development and community health in Western Montana are an inspiration. It was great to learn more about Scott and and the values he brings to First Security Bank and the many other organizations he supports.

Justin's monthly conversations with Bryce Ward continue. This time the duo brings Dr. John Sommers-Flanagan into the conversation. John is Professor of Counselor Education at the University of Montana's Phyllis J. Washington College of Education. He's also a practicing clinician, host of the Practically Perfect Parenting Podcast and co-teaches a class called "The Art and Science of Happiness." We could all use a little more happiness these days, and John outlines some simple steps each of us can take to get some.

Banu Ozkazanc-Pan is Professor of the Practice in Engineering at Brown University. She also directs the Venture Capital Inclusion Lab, a research organization working to educate VC’s and policy makers on inclusion. She does cutting edge research in this area and in 2019 testified before congress about her findings. It was great to chat with Banu, learn more about her work, and how some of the forces she’s illuminating are affecting rural areas like Montana.

Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier, Missoula City Councilman Jordan Hess and President of the Rail Passengers Association Jim Matthews join A New Angle and present a compelling case to bring passenger rail service back to southern Montana. For more information visit: https://montanapassengerrailsummit.org/ And consider registering for the Montana Passenger Rail Summit on 9/17.

Missoula-based Peter Stark writes powerfully about adventure, expedition and history. His books include At the Mercy of the River, Last Breath, The Last Empty Places, as well as New York Times best-sellers Astoria and Young Washington. Peter's writing has also appeared in many prominent magazines, including The New Yorker, Outside and the Smithsonian. In this conversation we discuss what makes for an interesting adventure, what sort of adventures are best to write about, and his experience writing Young Washington.

Justin's monthly conversations with Bryce Ward continue. In this installment they discuss potential solutions to our current state of political polarization.

Dr. Brent Ruby is one of Missoula's most colorful characters. Not only is Brent a world-class scientist and Director of UM's Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism, but he's also the author of a wonderful new children's book. "Wrango & Banjo: On the Fireline" is a heartwarming tale of Brent's two dogs and their adventures leading a wildland fire crew. Learn more at wrangoandbanjo.com And you can check out the Kickstarter campaign for the book here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrangoandbanjo/wrango-and-banjo-on-the-fireline

Back in early March I connected with former Beartooth District Ranger Traute Parrie to learn more about the book project she and renowned naturalist Jesse Logan were putting together – Voices of Yellowstone’s Capstone – A Narrative Atlas of the Beartooth-Absaroka Wilderness. The book is beautiful and tells a rich, multidimensional history of this critical piece of Montana. Missoula adventure writer and photographer Aaron Teasdale contributed a moving chapter to this amazing volume and joins us in the conversation.

Today we bring you a conversation with three amazing women working together on an exciting and important program at the University of Montana - The Women’s Leadership Initiative. WLI’s purpose is to accelerate women’s careers of impact. It was initiated by former UM president Royce Engstrom in 2015 and was relaunched by President Seth Bodnar, with the generous support of Clearwater Credit Union and private contributions from folks like Denise Grills. In this conversation, we speak with Denise about why she invested in WLI. Denise is joined by UM Psychology Professor and Department Chair Chris Fiore, a key faculty advisor to the program, as well as Glenda Bradshaw, board member of Clearwater and owner of Clyde Coffee.