K. BADE of Bozeman writes, This building is an invaluable asset to our community, and should be saved even if it takes a commercial enterprise to do it. A look at the historic railroad depot in Livingston and our own Emerson Cultural Center shows that these buildings can be saved even when commercial interests become involved. My grandfather went to school there with Gary Cooper and told stories of Mr. Cooper putting Limburger cheese in the heating ducts. Unfortunately we have to deal with code changes, that in actuality create less safe conditions, because these 'updates' are driven by industries and bureaucracies that exist only for changes and not for safety improvements. Older buildings were built to last.
New buildings have no character or life.
If we are intent on destroying our souls as well as our community, then tearing down the life of Bozeman in our old and historic buildings is the way to go. If a developer wants to stand the cost, that would be up to them. The partnership will develop field demonstration projects and a software program to guide decisions for soft-engineering methods using live plants to reduce stream bank erosion as an alternative to riprap. The winner, selected at random from all those who answer correctly, will win a nifty little Streetmail prize, which should arrive here in Big Sky country in about six to eight weeks. While tucking my new baby into his crib last week, I was struck with a truly novel idea.