2013年9月29日 星期日

Billings Gazette, Mont., Jan Falstad column

Source: Billings Gazette, Mont.自存倉Sept. 29--Stacey LaCrecca and Cassie LaCrecca have opened two stores in one space to focus on boutique clothing and designs.Stacey runs the Better Together Boutique, in the front of the store at 1938 Grand Ave., while Cassie runs the design, do-it-yourself and events center called Better ToGather Events in the back."There are a lot of boutiques here (in Billings). We're trying to offer something new," Stacey said.Cassie has been working for a decade in Chicago in design and events and wanted to move back to Billings to be closer to family. In May, they assumed the Grand Avenue lease from Cellular City, which moved over by Chalet Market on 24th Street West.The LaCreccas completely remodeled the space. Cassie will hold workshops and event planning, like weddings, at the Better ToGather store.Teeing upIn 2009, Billings developer and contractor Ron S. Hill bought the Lake Hills Golf Course at 1930 Clubhouse Way from a Salt Lake City owner. Hill cut the deal two days before a scheduled foreclosure sale. Now Hill has listed the 18-hole golf course for sale for $3.5 million.Hill said he is retiring to help his son, Brendon Hill, develop a 29-lot housing subdivision called Boca Raton just north of the golf course. Lake Hills opened in 1957 and Hill is the second owner. He upgraded the buildings, constructed a 4,000-square-foot shop and dredged the lake, plus other improvements."It is time for the third owner in 57 years to take it to new heights in the Heights and for all of our golfers in the region," he said.Working on Poet'sGreat Harvest Bread Co. at Poly Drive and Wisconsin Avenue is still busy remodeling the former Poet Street Market space next door.The outside foam insulation and Tyvek and the inside drywall work didn't seem to cut down on the Wednesday lunch crowd. People seemed content to duck under the scaffolding to get into lunch.Owners Bryan and Susie Layton, who opened the business in 2006, will have about one-third more space with the Poet's square footage. They purchased the building in June after Poet Street Market closed and they started remodeling at the end of August.The Billings City Council has granted the Laytons a parkingvariance. City rules required 15 off-street parking spaces, but the Laytons successfully argued that seven spaces were enough because there were no parking problems when both their business and Poet's were open."We're finishing up all the drywall," Bryan Layton said. "We're painting pretty soon and we should be done by the middle of October."A couple of college students in Great Falls, who valued whole wheat bread made from natural ingredients, started the franchise in the 1970s. Great Harvest now runs more than 200 U.S. bakeries.Heights church growsNow that the Billings City Council has approved a special review request, the Trinity Church of The Nazarene is finalizing architectural plans to expand."We're not 100 percent certain when we'll start. It should go out for bid in the next couple of weeks," Pastor J.D. Shanahan said.The existing building at 25 Hilltop Road is 2,880 square feet. The church plans on spending between $130,000 and $150,000 to add on about 900 square feet and to remodel another 600 square feet. The expansion south toward Hilltop should take two to three months.By the numbers5: The number of ways a federal government shutdown on Tuesday would affect your life if Congress fails to approve a continuing resomini storageution budget by midnight Monday. According to The Daily Ticker, a shutdown would mean: a big bill for taxpayers because it costs more to implement contingency plans to fund normal operations; fewer and slower mortgage approvals; delays in processing visas and passports; closure of all national parks; and a slowdown in enrollment in Social Security. Social Security checks will be paid out as usual, but enrollment for benefits will slow down due to the furlough of federal workers.9,968: The number of people who bought a 2013 Montana hunting license to kill a wolf. That breaks down to 9,274 resident licenses, both archery and rifle, and 694 for nonresidents. Ten times more nonresidents bought a wolf license this year than in 2012.The license costs Montanans $19 and nonresidents $50 for a season running from Sept. 15 to March 15. The state no longer has a quota on wolf kills. So far, 12 wolves have been harvested, compared to 128 last year by hunters and 97 by trappers, who don't need a separate wolf license. The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks statistics are current as of Sept. 24.Scams du jourEffective Tuesday, a new Montana law takes effect imposing tougher penalties on anyone defrauding the elderly or developmentally disabled. Con artists targeting those groups will face additional civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation if the fraud causes a loss of a job or other income, or substantial loss of retirement property or assets essential to that person's health or welfare."They are lonely. They are willing to talk to anyone. They are the perfect mark," said Alliance Resource Center program manager Sue Bailey of Billings. "It is encouraging that our Legislature realized they need additional consequences specifically for targeting an elderly person because they are more vulnerable than anyone else."The Alliance was formerly called the Yellowstone County Council on Aging.Here's a real case example of elderly fraud in Billings.Susan Johnson said her 92-year-old mother, who lives alone at home, answered her door Monday and talked to a guy claiming to be raising money to fight leukemia. The elderly lady's brother had died of leukemia, so she was receptive."She invited him in and wrote a check for $120. Then he put a sticker on (the outside of) her front door that indicated she was a sucker," Johnson said.Fearful that he or other con artists might target her mother again, Johnson called the Billings police, changed her mother's bank accounts and got family members living nearby to watch her home more carefully.Laugh linesA woman asked a psychiatrist if she's going crazy because when she goes to bed she gets scared, thinking someone is under her bed.The psychiatrist promised to cure her, if she would see him three times a week for a year.After hearing his price, $100 per hour, the woman she said she'd sleep on it.A few months later, they met on a street and the shrink asked her how she was doing."Fine," she replied. "I'm cured.""How?" he said."I took the money I would have paid you and spent a week on a dude ranch where an old cowboy cured me," she said. "And he only wanted a bottle of whiskey."Amazed, the psychiatrist asked what treatment the cowboy had recommended."He told me to cut the legs off my bed," she said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.) Visit the Billings Gazette (Billings, Mont.) at .billingsgazette.com Distributed by MCT Information Services儲存

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