Kiedrowski, Carson take top two at CSTA dinner
Pub Date: 5/1/2008
By Roger Porter
Tuesday, May 8 marked the date of the annual Carbon/Stillwater Tavern Association Dinner. It's always a fun event, especially when the weather cooperates, making the trip to the Beartooth Mountains a joy in itself.
But you never know what the Red Lodge weather holds in store since one year it may be sunny and bright without a drop of snow when the following year has you wading through six fresh inches of the
In the past few years this annual event was held at the Rock Creek Resort located about seven miles south of Red Lodge. This year it was moved back into town and conducted at the Bull and Bear.
Slated to start at 6:30 p.m., guests began arriving early and settled down in the lower level bar for a libation or two. While waiting for the official opening, they were able to pass through the arch and view the silent auction items located at the rear of the casino. This year's silent auction offerings were exceptional, far exceeding past years in both quantity and quality.
As the clock struck 6:30, host Jim Johnson issued the call to adjourn to the upper floor banquet room where the drinks were free. I ll leave it to your imagination to guess how long it took for the bar to empty out and the crowd to take to the stairs.
My bad back made it seem like scaling Everest to ascend the stairs, however sheer willpower fueled by the word free did propel me to the top. Since I hadn t had a drink, I didn t worry too much about going up, however the thought of having a few drinks and then navigating the down trip concerned me so I limited myself to 18 beers. (Editor's note: Ahem!)
The physical set up of the banquet was great with numerous round tables for groups and one long table for those who prefer to rub elbows with their friends. While socializing, the evening's guests were treated to the piano rhythms of Edd Tremblay. For those wishing to try their luck, a showdown poker table was in business awarding a calcutta ticket to the winner of each hand.
For the evening a triumvirate consisting of Jim Johnson, Cliff Hempbill and Jimmy Howard shared the emcee duties.
Members of the CSTA were hawking their annual Passport Program event for which entrants paid $5 for a "passport" and were then required to visit every member tavern of the association to have their passport stamped.
Passport holders have from March 1 until Labor Day to turn in completed passports. Once the turn-in is completed two passports will be drawn with the first winning a 42-inch flat-screen TV and the second winning a night at Chico Hot Springs along with a $100 dinner certificate.
Golfers were advised to take note that the annual CSTA golf tourney will take place September 7 at the Peter Yeagan Golf Course in Billings. Dedicated golfers can take in the CSTA tourney, then travel to Great Falls to play in the MTA Coors Marie Durkee tourney which kicks off the state MTA convention on the 8th.
As the dinner hour rolled around Jimmy Howard welcomed the attendees and made introductions of local VIPs together with state Attorney General candidate, John Parker.
To kick off the evening's dining each table received a large bowl of Caesar salad. Next was the parade to the buffet line. The evening's fare was provided by Bruce and Shirley Herman, owners of Cactus Flats Barbecue and Catering.
The dinner's main entree was the perennial Montana favorite prime rib, lovingly cooked over charcoal (not gas) by Bruce. The prime rib was accompanied by horseradish sauce and au jus and was complemented by succulent steamed jumbo shrimp.
Next was a delicious twice-baked potato offered with the evening's vegetable, jalapeño corn. Dinner rolls and butter were also available. Dessert was a dieter's nightmare: chocolate-cinnamon cake with a dollop of whip cream on top.
Table wines for the affair were furnished by Billings distributors intermountain and Briggs. A nice touch for the evening were cloth tablecloths and napkins furnished by the caterers.
And, as at past dinners, "Mike the Flower Man" furnished flowers for the ladies.
As diners devoured the food, the head table crew were busy verifying the tickets in anticipation of the calcutta raffle scheduled to follow dinner.
As the dinner wound down seating for the calcutta raffle began with 10 names drawn and then one from amongst the 10 for each cherished seat.
During the drawing for the first 10 seats the crowd was continually admonished to make a bid to buy a seat. Finally, El Rancho couldn t resist the temptation and sold their seat to Bill Martin for $700. In addition, Tim Carson of Amusement Services had earlier purchased a seat for $500.
Throughout the seating process, liquor baskets were drawn for, and the lucky winners had a stash for sometime to come. "Fifty-fifty" tickets were also being sold with the winner taking home $472.
The seating was finally concluded when the winner of the eleventh seat drawing took their seat. Once seated the elimination began and one by those eliminated left the stage saddened but $150 heavier than when they got there.
Finally there were but three standing and now the drawing for the big money began. First of the Big Three to be eliminated was Bill Martin who paid $700 for his seat and left the head table with third place money of $750. Next to the last to be eliminated was Tim Carson who paid $500 for his seat and left with $1,000 for second place.
And, the winner and still champion: Gordie Kiedrowski, Billings tavern entrepreneur who was instantly $1,500 richer.
The calcutta raffle being the final event on the evening's agenda, the crowd began to disperse until it was announced that Gordie and Tim would each stand for an hour of free drinks. At the end of the hour of open bar the crowd swiftly dwindled with many attempting to navigate the infamous Red Lodge "Barmuda Triangle."
While the CSTA dinners are always a hoot, this year's dinner stands out as one of the best in recent memory.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, May, 2008, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.