Livingston Out Loud: who says dissension, discussion, and dysfunction can't be fun?

Wrap fever
It's no secret that Livingston loves art, but when Caron Cooper arrived at work at Clara's Closet on Monday morning she was suprised to find that someone had wrapped the thrift store's van in cellophane.

Following so closely on the heels of Christo's artful work on Livingston landmarks (Volume 1: Issue 2), the wrapping of the van seemed to be more an act of inspiration than vandalism. Cooper, the Director of the Red Cross thrift store, is more intrigued than upset. She has offered a $10 store credit for information about the wrap artist and has no intention of involving the authorities in the case.

Medium-sized sky
The numbers are in, and what many have feared is turning out to be true. The Big Sky is shrinking. While developer David Lipson of Las Vegas is trying to put a trademark lock on the state's other popular moniker as "The Last Best Place," the "Big Sky" slogan may also be a thing of the past.

Measurements taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that the Big Sky, once believed to be "millions of cubic meters of blue atmosphere with the occasional bunching of charming clouds" is shrinking at the rate of 14,000 cubic meters per year. "At that rate, we are talking about a Medium Sky at best," declared a spokesperson for NOAA, "and the possibility of a Small Sky within the next decade."

The Montana Board of Realtors, one of many groups in the state who rely on the appeal of The Big Sky to conduct their business, is planning ahead. They are currently considering alternate slogans, such as "The Intimate Sky" or "The Cozy Sky" in an effort to put a positive spin on the shrinking atmosphere over Montana.

Meanwhile, researchers are hard at work trying to determine why the sky is shrinking. Smart growth advocates think it might be the proliferation of big box stores with their tendency to take up huge chunks of the atmosphere, while others are looking for links with the recent alien visitations in the area.

News shorts or briefs (which do you prefer?)
City to outsource administrative jobs In keeping with recent trends, Livingston has decided to send its City Manager job and other administrative functions to Bangalore, India. With the internet and video-conferencing capabilities, the City Commission believes it can save thousands of dollars in salary and other expenses by placing the administration of Livingston in the hands of one of the many capable call centers in Bangalore and other locations in India. Registered voters will get a chance to choose from various options in November elections. Subscriptions to 24/7 citizen support for a flat fee, or a per call charge during regular business hours are among the choices. If the plan proves successful, a city commissioner is rumored to be ready to propose that the business of Livingston art galleries eventually be outsourced to China to free up parking in the downtown area and to ease the iron grip that the galleries have over the town's cultural and political life. "Buy Local" advocate puts it all on the line Jeremy Johnston is so passionate about keeping Park County dollars in the county that he is literally putting his heart and mind into it. When Johnston found out that he needed both a coronary bypass and a brain shunt, he decided to keep his business in Livingston. "We are constantly taking our money out of this county in the false belief that we can get a better deal or a better product in centers like Bozeman, Billings, Salt Lake, Denver, or Seattle. Brain surgery is a very lucrative business, and I felt that it was important to our community that I spend my money and my health insurance dollars right here in Livingston," he said. It didn't matter that there are no heart and brain surgeons in Livingston; Johnston was determined to Try Livingston First. When local veterinarians refused to take his case, he turned to some of the country's premier taxidermists who live and work in Park County. He felt that he was both "providing income to locals, and helping our own businesses learn the skills required to meet local market needs." Although Johnston refuses to name the local businessmen who performed his surgeries because he fears meddling by the American Medical Association, he reports that he is "very satisfied with the results." In spite of the occasional headache, Buy Local advocate Jeremy Johnston feels that getting his brain surgery from a local business has "benefited everyone."	Wrap fever It's no secret that Livingston loves art, but when Caron Cooper arrived at work at Clara's Closet on Monday morning she was suprised to find that someone had wrapped the thrift store's van in cellophane. Following so closely on the heels of Christo's artful work on Livingston landmarks (Volume 1: Issue 2), the wrapping of the van seemed to be more an act of inspiration than vandalism. Cooper, the Director of the Red Cross thrift store, is more intrigued than upset. She has offered a $10 store credit for information about the wrap artist and has no intention of involving the authorities in the case. Medium-sized sky The numbers are in, and what many have feared is turning out to be true. The Big Sky is shrinking. While developer David Lipson of Las Vegas is trying to put a trademark lock on the state's other popular moniker as "The Last Best Place," the "Big Sky" slogan may also be a thing of the past. Measurements taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that the Big Sky, once believed to be "millions of cubic meters of blue atmosphere with the occasional bunching of charming clouds" is shrinking at the rate of 14,000 cubic meters per year. "At that rate, we are talking about a Medium Sky at best," declared a spokesperson for NOAA, "and the possibility of a Small Sky within the next decade." The Montana Board of Realtors, one of many groups in the state who rely on the appeal of The Big Sky to conduct their business, is planning ahead. They are currently considering alternate slogans, such as "The Intimate Sky" or "The Cozy Sky" in an effort to put a positive spin on the shrinking atmosphere over Montana. Meanwhile, researchers are hard at work trying to determine why the sky is shrinking. Smart growth advocates think it might be the proliferation of big box stores with their tendency to take up huge chunks of the atmosphere, while others are looking for links with the recent alien visitations in the area. It's possible that big box stores like this new one in Paradise Valley are taking up more than their fair share of sky.
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