By EBS Staff
Big Sky Resort opens Thanksgiving Day
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch from Nov. 24-25, as of EBS press time Nov. 22. The forecast could mean big news for Big Sky Resort, set to run chairlifts, officially, to start the 2015-2016 ski season on Thanksgiving Day.
With a 30-plus inch base blanketing the upper slopes of Lone Mountain, opening day looks promising, but what opens will “depend on the timing and intensity of this storm,” according to Big Sky Resort Ski Patrol Director Bob Dixon.
Due to an early November storm, Big Sky opened for one day on Nov. 7, to throngs of skiers and snowboarders eager to track down snow on Mr. K and Upper Morningstar, accessed by the Swift Current, Explorer and Lone Peak Triple chairlifts, respectively.
Whether the coming storm drops a foot of snow as predicted or not, Big Sky Resort Public Relations Manager Sheila D’Amico says the resort is ready for another successful winter.
“We’re excited to jump into a new winter season after the fun early-open day we had at the beginning of November,” D’Amico said. “Mother Nature has blessed us with some great storms, giving us a strong opening day.”
Dubbed the “Biggest Skiing in America,” Big Sky Resort boasts more than 5,800 acres and 300 named runs sprawling across four connected mountains. The resort has a vertical drop of 4,350 feet.
BSSD students to participate in global technology week
The Big Sky School District will be participating Dec. 7-10 in a worldwide learning event called Hour of Code.
In celebration of Computer Science Week, from Dec. 7-13, the nonprofit code.org is hoping tens of millions of students will take a one-hour introduction to computer science, according to the website. Last year even President Obama got involved, writing his first line of code during the campaign.
Ophir Elementary fourth grade teacher Jeremy Harder has seen firsthand how his students are empowered by devices, as part of the district’s 1:1 technology program that rolled out last school year.
“I’m seeing kids that historically had difficulty turning assignments in on time, are now turning them in every week, on time,” said Harder, noting these skills are great for career readiness and all apps and extensions are written with code.
“Some students are able to write code and create their own little math game,” he said. “Hour of Code is a great model to take very elementary, basic coding and see … something happening digitally.”
Rotary Club accepting ‘Santa letters’ for annual giving tree
ROTARY CLUB OF BIG SKY
The holidays can be a challenging time for some families and the Rotary Club of Big Sky is currently accepting “Santa letters” from those in need of providing presents for their children and Christmas dinners for their families.
Santa letter forms are available at First Security Bank, American Bank, Big Sky Western Bank, Big Sky Food Bank and the Country Market. Fill out the confidential forms and return them in the provided self-addressed stamped envelope.
Rotary Club of Big Sky will collect the letters and decorate the Christmas Giving Tree, located in the Big Sky Post Office lobby, with each child’s wish for a gift. Community members are encouraged to fulfill those wishes.
Wrapped gifts, along with a Christmas dinner basket, will be delivered on the evening of Dec. 18.
Gallatin County limits plastic recycling
The Gallatin County Solid Management Waste District voted unanimously on Nov. 18 to stop accepting plastics numbered 3-7 in its recycling bins, as first reported by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
Plastics marked No. 1 and 2 will now be the only types accepted at the 17 recycling drop-off sites in the county. These plastics that are still accepted account for approximately 80 percent of the county’s recycled waste and market factors drove the decision to send the rest of the district’s plastic to the landfill.
“Most plastics are shipped to mills overseas where there is a market for these materials,” wrote Robert Pudner in an email obtained by EBS. Pudner is the outreach educator for the Gallatin County Solid Management Waste District.
“However, recent changes to import regulations in these countries have destroyed the demand for plastics 3-7 from the U.S.,” Pudner wrote, noting there are many decisions consumers can make to limit plastic packaging use, including buying in bulk and avoiding single-use containers.
