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Bulldog girls schedule camp
The Headframe Hoops Girls’ Basketball Camp will be held June 24-27 at Butte High School.
The camp, which is put on by the Bulldog girls’ basketball program, is open to girls entering first through eighth grade. A camp for girls entering fifth through eighth grade will run from 9 a.m. to noon each day. That camp will cost $50 with a pre-register or $70 at the door.
A camp for girls entering first through fourth grade will run from 12:30 to 2:30 each day. Cost is $40 in advance or $50 at the door.
The camp will focus on fundamental instruction from the Bulldog coaching staff. That includes ball handling, shooting, passing, scoring and more. Competitions will also be held.
Register for the camp online or click the link below for a registration for and more information.
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Butte High boys set hoops camp
The Mining City Camp of Champions, put on by the Butte High boys’ basketball program, will be held July 15-17 at East Middle School.
Camps will be held for boys entering first through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade and ninth through 12th grade. The camps will focus on basic fundamentals — ball handling, shooting technique, footwork, passing and agility. Competitions will also be held and awards will be given out.
Cost of the camp for players in first through fifth grade is $70. Cost for the older boys is $80. The cost goes up $10 if you register the day of the camp.
Click the link below for a registration form and more information.
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These 12 ‘Mariah’s Messengers’ are heroes in my book
Leo McCarthy calls them “Mariah’s Messengers.” I call them “heroes.”
Whatever the name, 12 extraordinary young men and women will be honored Monday night as the Mariah Day McCarthy Scholarship is handed out for the 16th time at the Montana Tech Auditorium.
Each recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship. They deserve $1 million. At least.
Early in the morning on Oct. 28, 2007, Mariah was killed when an underage drunk driver ran over her and a two of her friends as they walked to Mariah’s house. Mariah was only 14.
Mariah would have turned 31 years old in March, so none of the 12 scholarship recipients could have possibly known her. Yet, they still carry on her message. They still help keep her beautiful memory alive.
Mariah’s message is to never drink alcohol while underage and never get into a vehicle with someone who has been drinking.
That might sound like an easy way to go through life. But we know better.
I did not know it at the time, but Oct. 28, 2007 was the day I quit drinking alcohol forever. My desire to drink died the second I was told that the young girl killed was the daughter of my good friend Leo.
I went out for a few drinks after getting off work just before midnight on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007. I covered the Montana Tech-Montana Western football game that afternoon for The Montana Standard, and I felt I needed a few drinks to wind down from a very long day.
I felt like I needed a few drinks to unwind after work pretty much every night.
Shortly after I left the newsroom, some of my co-workers heard the call over the scanner. Three girls were badly injured in the hit-an-run assault.
Not yet knowing about the tragedy, I laughed with some friends at Maloney’s Bar while my friend’s life was changed forever. Little did I know that mine would change, too.
That Sunday, I watched as the Boston Red Sox completed a World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies. It should have been one of the best nights of my life.
Instead, I was like a zombie as I watched something I thought was so important before. Instead of focusing on the game, I thought of my friend, and I kept hugging my 4-year-old daughter to the point that I was bugging her.
That Friday, I took my daughter to the Deluxe Sports Bar with me for lunch. As we waited for our steak fingers, Delaney looked at an advertisement for Bud Light in the center of the table.
“Ewe, beer,” she said. “That’s gross.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t want you to ever drink that stuff.”
“I don’t want you to drink it, either,” she said.
“OK,” I said. “It’s a deal.”
That was 16 and a half years ago, and I have not touched a drop since.
While I didn’t recognize it at the time, I needed to stop drinking, too. It turns out that I wasn’t very good at drinking. I had no off switch, and I would do some very stupid things when I drank. One beer was too many and 30 was not enough, and I had a bunch of embarrassing examples of why I should have quit drinking earlier.
At the time, I was a soon-to-be father of two on the fast track toward a divorce. Because I quit drinking, I am a still-married father of three.
My son and youngest daughter have not seen me drink at all, and I am very proud of that fact.
However, I don’t celebrate that much because the timing coincides with the worst day imaginable for my friend, his wife and surviving daughter. Never can I look at Oct. 28 as anything but an awful day.
Whenever someone asks me if I want a beer, I tell them how long it has been since I drank, and they always praise me. It is praise that I do not deserve because quitting drinking turned out to be really easy for me.
That is because I realized that I had every reason in the world to quit drinking. That is because I have had so much positive reinforcement to live up to my end of the deal with my daughter.
My daughter was proud of me, and my wife started to like me again.
No longer would I wake up hungover, wondering if my wife is mad enough to really leave me this time.
With such a strong support group, quitting drinking was no big deal. For me, it was like coasting on a tube down a lazy river.
The 12 heroes who will receive scholarships, however, had to swim upstream. Through white-water rapids.
The world is stacked against our children, almost forcing them into underage drinking.
I saw that first-hand when my daughter was in high school. She was one of “Mariah’s Messengers” in the Class of 2022, and I saw how hard it was for her to live up to those ideals.
After going to Hotel Finlen to take some prom pictures during her senior year, I went for a walk with my dogs. As I got home, I was puzzled to see my daughter’s car parked in front of the house.
I went inside to see her sitting on the couch, in her prom dress, watching television.
“Why aren’t you at the prom,” I asked.
Her answer couldn’t have made me prouder. She came home after dinner because all of her friends were going to a hotel room to drink. So, she came home to wait for the dance to start, then she went to the dance alone.
Drinking is the easy decision for high school students to make. Not drinking is so hard.
That is why I applaud 2024 Mariah’s Challenge Scholarship winners Wyatt Blakeley, Quinn Cox, Bo Demarais, Wyatt Gross, Nathan Heiland, Kenzie Jaksha, Jack Luoma, Selene Morrell, Sullivan Panisko, Karha Rogers, Luke Verlanic and Kadence Frankovich.
Some I have known for years. Others I have never met. Some are star athletes. Others would rather read a book than watch a game.
All are heroes in my book.
Yes, this is the smallest class of Mariah’s Messengers since the scholarship was established. Overall, though, I think we are seeing that Mariah’s Challenge has made a difference. Teenagers today have more pressures and less to do than we did at their age, but they are smarter than us.
Giving into the peer pressure to drink doesn’t mean that they are drinking and driving.
At least I hope that to be true.
As far as the scholarship winners go, I hope they don’t feel discouraged that they are only one of 12. The truth is that the world is full of Mariah’s Messengers, young and old.
While there will not be as many of them on the stage this year, there will still be some young minds watching them. Those minds will pay attention. They will follow the example and someday, too, take their place on the stage. And others will watch them.
There are also some adults who will pay attention and follow their example.
Mariah’s Challenge started from a father’s eulogy of his daughter. Now 16 and a half years later, you cannot put a number the success of the movement. Lives saved by prevention cannot possibly be counted.
But Mariah’s Challenge has saved lives. Yours might be one of them. I know mine is.
That is why I call the 12 Mariah’s Messengers of 2024 — and of the previous 15 classes — heroes.
Those heroes set examples for the future generations, as well as the older ones.
Like with the previous scholarship winners, those 12 will receive a scholarship of $1,000.
They deserve at least $1 million.
— Bill Foley can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week: Aiden Ossello and Ella Moodry
This week’s Leskovar Honda Athletes of the Week are Butte Central Maroons Aiden Ossello and Ella Moodry.
Ossello, a junior baseball player, receives the boys’ honor after leading the young Maroons to their first win on the diamond this season. The first baseman drove in six runs as Central rolled to a 17-9 win over Stevensville at 3 Legends Stadium.
Ossello had himself a week in the Tuesday win, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Ossello also pitches for the Maroons.
Moodry, a senior track star, takes home the girls’ honor for the second time in a month. The award is designed to be spread around, but her week could not be ignored.
On Tuesday, the future Montana Grizzly won the javelin with a mark of 136 feet, 10 inches at the Top 10 meet in Missoula. Two days later, she won a meet with Butte High and Billings Skyview in Butte with a personal record of 137-4. Then she won the javelin at BC’s John Tomich Invitational Saturday with a mark of 135-1.
Moodry also wo the 400-meter race at the Butte-Skyview meet and the 100 at the Tomich.
For the second year, Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warranty, is teaming up with the ButteCast to honor the finest student-athletes from the Mining City in an effort to encourage more children to get up, get out and try all kinds of sports and activities.
Photo of Ossello Courtesy Jalen “Hollywood” Foley.
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KC basketball schedule
Following is the Knights of Columbus Athletic Club’s four-man basketball schedule for the week of April 29.
Monday
6 p.m. — Shaft Shooters vs. Rosary Rattlers
7 p.m. — Cook vs. Poi Time
8 p.m. — Cook vs. City Bois
9 p.m. — City Bois vs. HollowTuesday
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Showtime vs. Maroons
9 p.m. — Shaft Shooters vs. HollowWednesday
7 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Someday Starters
8 p.m. — Washington Generals vs. Parish
9 p.m. — Crib Crew vs. Butte SportsThursday
6 p.m. — Showtime vs. Someday Starters
7 p.m. — Jellyfam vs. Butte Sports
8 p.m. — Parish vs. Poi Time
9 p.m. — Maroons vs. Rosary Rattlers
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Miller, Bridgeman lead Week 3
Perfection escaped the field Thursday night during Week 3 of the Butte Trap Club’s Spring League.
Ryan Miller and Josh Bridgeman each broke 49 out of 50 targets to top individual standings. Kevin O’Dell, Riley Rigby and Rial Gunlikson each shot a 48, while Josh McIntosh, Ian Smith, Justin Lerum and Mark Powers each posted a score of 47.
Rayelynn Brandl’s 46 topped the women’s standings. Mindy McClernan and Rachel Basnaw were second at 42. Lyla Klobucar checked in with a 34.
Dave Vicevich shot a 45 to lead wobble scores. Les Anderson and Kohlten Long were next at 44 followed by Rich Long at 43 and Mark Hislop at 42.
Through three weeks, Cooney’s/Vicevich Law leads team scratch standings at 550. Arc Electric is next at 548, and AMBS is third at 542.
Butte Trap Club – 2024 Spring League – Week 3 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Cooney’s Vicevich Law – 550
Arc Electric – 548
AMBS – 542
Cooney’s Locksmith – 538
FJBCHO – 535
Baker Auto – 534
Superior Title – 523
WET – 508
KR Contracting – 496
Pro Inspection – 485
Sundance Plumbing – 479
Archibald Co. – 479
Locker Plumbing – 470
Timberline Security – 468
D-M Ranch – 467
Pioneer Technical – 458
Pizzer’s Palace – 442
Clay Howery Construction – 440
S&S Plumbing/Hitching Post – 424
Trap – Tastic – 416
12 G Girls – 401
Edward Jones/Walt McIntosh – 368
East Ridge Scrappers – 359
Lisac’s/Jim Lynch State Farm – 352
St James Hospital – 341
Maloney’s – 328
Daddy’s Girls – 245
…..w/Guns – 172
J3 Construction – 123High Individual Scores
Ryan Miller – 49×50
Josh Bridgeman – 49×50
Kevin O’Dell – 48×50
Riley Rigby – 48×50
Rial Gunlikson – 48×50
John McIntosh – 47×50
Ian Smith – 47×50
Justin Lerum – 47×50
Mark Powers – 47×50High Lady Scores
Rayelynn Brandl – 46×50
Mindy McClernan – 42×50
Rachel Basnaw – 42×50
Lyla Klobucar – 34×50High Wobble Trap Scores
Dave Vicevich – 45×50
Les Anderson – 44×50
Kohlten Long – 44×50
Rich Long – 43×50Mark Hislop – 42×50
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No. 184: The Great Butte Explosion
With John Liebel, Lindsay Mulcahy, Jake Hanley
On Jan. 15, 1895, Butte was rocked by a huge explosion and a devastating fire in the warehouse district.
Police officer James Steinborn was walking the beat and made the initial call to report the fire from Box 72, on the corner of Utah and Iron streets, at 9:55 p.m.
Fire Chief Angus Cameron and 15 firemen with a hook-and-ladder wagon and a hose wagon responded. Soon after the men responded to the blaze, the fire triggered massive amounts of illegally-stored dynamite to ignite and explode. That instantly killed 13 of the firemen and three of the four fire horses.
In all, the explosion fire killed 58 men along with the three horses and a dog that eventually died of a broken heart. The explosion could be heard 60 miles away in Willow Creek.
While the 1895 disaster was talked about from time to time, and it was the subject of a PBS documentary, it had largely gone forgotten. This Jan. 15, though, a memorial was dedicated outside Butte-Silver Bow’s Uptown fire station.
A group of dedicated people made sure that this disaster will be forgotten no more. John Liebel, Lindsay Mulcahy and Jake Hanley were among that group.
John and Jake are firefighters in Butte, so they have an unspoken connection with the men who lost their lives. Lindsay is the assistant director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives, so she has a passion to preserve history.
Listen in as they talk about their passion for the project and how they are not yet done honoring the 58 victims of the 1895 disaster.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by Casagranda’s Steakhouse. Eat where the locals eat.
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Even a superhero like Eddi Walker can use a hand sometimes
The Energizer Bunny has nothing on Eddi Walker.
That is what we kept saying as we rode in the Butte-Silver Bow Police Department’s mobile command center vehicle and watched Eddi run on Interstate 90. She just kept going and going and going.
We were part of the Butte team in the Montana Special Olympics Torch Run. We were running the torch from Three Forks to Butte. That is about 60 miles, and every year Eddi runs a good chunk of that by herself.
Even though there is always a handful of runners who run as far as they can, Eddi usually runs more than 20 of those miles.
She takes the first leg from the Wheat Montana Bakery in Three Forks to the top of Cardwell Hill. That is about 17 miles — almost entirely uphill, too.
As we watched her run, Eddi wasn’t breaking any speed records because she was close to 70 at the time. But she kept a steady pace. Like Jason Voorhees chasing a victim through the woods on a spooky night, she just kept going and going and going.
Without question, Eddi is the toughest person I know.
No, she doesn’t have a knockout punch, and she certainly isn’t going to body slam you. She weighs close to nothing.
But Eddi is tough. She is so very tough. She is probably too tough for her own good.
A couple of years ago, Eddi needed surgery to reconstruct one of her shoulders. She couldn’t lift her arm over her head. It must have been hurting all day and all night, and this suffering went on for months.
It probably hurt for years, but Eddi wouldn’t show any signs of pain.
Eventually, Eddi underwent shoulder surgery — but not until she competed in the triathlon she had been training for all year.
The surgeon had to wait until Eddi was ready because excuses are for other people, not Eddi.
Not long after surgery, Eddi was back out on the road running again. And running. And running.
The more remarkable thing about Eddie, though, is how much she gives to others. For so many special functions around town, Eddi is an instrumental part of the team behind the scenes.
Without her and a few others — like Jim McCarthy, Jim Michelotti and Pat Lee — the Butte Sports Hall of Fame would have probably gone away after the untimely death of Pat Kearney, a co-founder and chairman of the great Butte organization, in 2014.
Every year, Eddie makes sure we have food and drinks for both nights of the Hall of Fame inductions. She makes sure we have table cloths, balloons, a red carpet and sponsorship money. Without her, I don’t know how we would get along.
Then, Eddi leaves the event early each night so she can go work at the Silver-Bow Drive-In. She doesn’t even get to enjoy the event that she helps make possible.
She doesn’t go to work at the drive-in because she is that desperate for money. She does it because she is helping her friends Mark and Holly Hansen put on the show.
As usual, Eddi puts the needs of others above her own.
I would say that Eddi is worth her weight in gold when it comes to the Butte Sports Hall of Fame, but she hardly weighs anything at all. She is worth my weight in gold. And your weight. And your overweight neighbor’s weight.
Her contributions don’t stop at the Hall of Fame, either. Not even close.
Eddi also made sure the Veteran’s Day Race, Montana’s oldest road race, stayed alive and well after Kearney’s death. She twice had to redesign the course. She also handles so much of the logistics of the race — like making sure runners have awards and people blocking traffic on the busy streets.
At last year’s race, I really got a glimpse of just how much Eddi gives of herself on Veterans Day.
She marked the course and then headed to Helena to coach her team in the Montana Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament. She stayed in Helena that night and coached a game in the morning.
Then, she drove back to Butte to start and then run the race. After the race, she headed back to Helena to coach her team in another game.
Eddi is behind almost every road race in town — running or biking. So many times, she would be out after dark marking the course. Then she would have to get up at the crack of dawn and do it again because it snowed overnight.
I could spend all day pointing out the good things Eddi does, but you would run out of daylight trying to read it. It would be like trying to list all the times the Dallas Cowboys choked in the playoffs.
She doesn’t do any of this to get her name in the paper on or on the television. She would rather nobody know what she is doing.
Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the great work she does in a column on ButteSports.com, and I thought I was going to have to join the Witness Protection Program.
I really thought Eddi was going to kill me for pointing out just how great she is.
The last 11 months or so have been hell on Eddi. It started when she took a bite out of a pork chop sandwich at the State track meet in Butte. She had an allergic reaction, and her throat started to close.
She made several trips to the hospital before that condition finally stabilized. Then, because Eddi is the most selfless person I ever even heard of, she asked to come on my podcast so she could tell people about the dangers of sesame flower in buns.
It turns out that most bread and bun makers have turned to sesame for whatever reason, and Eddi didn’t want someone to go through what she went through.
Typical Eddi. Her first thoughts were with other people — including people she never met before.
In January, Eddi suffered another reaction, but this time it was even worse. The reactions just kept coming, too. Over and over, she suffered anaphylaxis reactions. The last one got her sent her on a Life Flight to Salt Lake City, where she still is today.
She was diagnosed with leukemia, and she is awaiting more testing to confirm that diagnosis.
Eddi runs the 2023 Veterans Day Race in Butte. Eddi has helped so many people in so many ways. That is why she was flooded with overwhelming support when word spread of her condition. A modest GoFundMe goal of $30,000 was quickly surpassed.
That money is helping pay for Eddi’s medical expenses, along with the costs of staying in Salt Lake until she is in the clear. One of her daughters is staying there with her.
Hopefully, you can dig a little bit and make a donation on Eddi’s GoFundMe because her expenses are rising every day. (Click here to donate.)
If you cannot donate — or you already gave — then please keep Eddi in your hearts and minds as she battles back to health.
Simply put, there is not a better person on the planet than Eddi Walker, and I just cannot imagine this place without her.
But when she comes back to town and laces up her running shoes again — and she will — don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for a while. I will be joining the Witness Protection Program because Eddi just might kill me for once again telling people how great she is.
She will be running after me like Jason Voorhees chasing a victim through the woods on a spooky night.
— Bill Foley, who is way more afraid of Eddi than Jason, can be reached at foles74@gmail.com. Follow him at twitter.com/Foles74. Listen to him on the ButteCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
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Holodnick, Rigby, Gunlikson top field during Week 2 of trap league
Jim Holodnick, Riley Rigby and Rial Gunlikson each posted a perfect score of 50 Thursday to top individual standings during Week 2 of the Butte Trap Club’s Spring League.
Rayelynn Brandl, Kohlten Fultz, Dave Vicevich and John Wombvold each shot a 48, while Mindy McClernan, Mark Hislop, Rich Long, Jayson Kress, Tim Cassidy and Ryan Miller each shot 47.
Brandl edged MClernan for first place in the women’s standings. Colleen Fink shot a 39.
Rigby also shot a 45 to lead wobble shooting, edging Miller and Stephen Frazee by one,
Through two weeks, Cooney’s Vicevich Law leads team scratch standings at 383. Baker Auto is second at 373, followed by Cooney’s Locksmith and Arc Electric at 366.
Teams can still sign up and make up the first two weeks of shooting.
Butte Trap Club – 2024 Spring League – Week 2 Standings
Team Scratch Standings
Cooney’s Vicevich Law – 383
Baker Auto – 373
Cooneys Locksmith – 366
Arc Electric – 366
Superior Title – 360
AMBS – 359
Lisac’s/Jim Lynch State Farm – 352
Sundance Plumbing – 351
St James Hospital – 341
KR Contracting – 333
WET – 330
Timberline Security – 327
S&S Plumbing/Hitching Post – 326
Lockmer Plumbing – 319
Pro Inspection – 311
Pioneer Technical – 305
D-M Ranch – 301
Trap – Tastic – 291
Pizzer’s Palace – 283
Clay Howery Construction – 282
12 G Girls – 267
Daddy’s Girls – 245
Maloney’s – 230
East Ridge Scrappers – 218
FJBCHO – 189
Edward Jones/Walt McIntosh – 181
…..w/Guns – 172
Archibald Co. – 157
J3 Construction – 123High Individual Scores
Jim Holodnick – 50×50
Riley Rigby – 50×50
Rial Gunlikson – 50×50
Rayelynn Brandl – 48×50
Kohlten Fultz – 48×50
Dave Vicevich – 48×50
John Wombold – 48×50
Mindy McClernan – 47×50
Mark Hislop – 47×50
Rich Long – 47×50
Jayson Kress – 47×50
Tim Cassidy – 47×50
Ryan Miller – 47×50High Lady Scores
Rayelynn Brandl – 48×50
Mindy McClernan – 47×50
Colleen Fink – 39×50High Wobble Trap Scores
Riley Rigby – 45×50
Ryan Miller – 44×50
Stephen Frazee – 44×50
Ryan Bossard – 42×5 -
Podcast No. 183: Joe Gilboy
Joe Gilboy could probably be making a lot more money doing something else.
Thankfully, he is not.
Instead, Joe Gilboy is the director of the Southwest Montana Aging and Disability Services in Butte. The agency is committed to seniors and adults with disabilities throughout Southwest Montana.
The agency provides an array of services for the disabled and elderly, helping make their lives just a little bit easier.
On May 3, the organization will hold a Free Fun Fair at the Star Lanes Family Sports Center. The event is held in conjunction with Older Americans Month, a tradition that dates back to 1963.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include a free sack lunch, music, entertainment and activities.
Listen into this podcast as Joe talks about his career working with seniors and disabled adults. Listen to the challenges and rewards of the job. Listen in as he talks about the Free Fun Fair, which is an event you do not want to miss.
Today’s podcast is presented by Leskovar Honda, home of the 20-year, 200,000-mile warnatee.
