By Cole Boehler
Montana Tavern Times Publisher These Montana Tavern Association charity dinners are like family reunions: if engaging in charitable endeavors isn't reason enough, you go to see folks you haven't in awhile and to catch up on what's going on in people's lives.
For example, it was good to learn that MTA President Ralph Ferraro's knee replacement is finally taking hold and he's getting around okay; but not so good to hear liquor representative Duard Svee is heading back to the hospital for further work on his replacement and some work on an ankle, as well.
And so it goes.
At the Tri-County Tavern Association dinner at Jorgenson's in Helena July 12, we saw MTA Executive Director Diana Koon and MTA attorney/lobbyist Mark Staples. We saw past presidents Tom Heisler, Darrell Keck, Jim Grubbs, Steve Morris and Harry Klock and a host of other hard-core members we hadn't seen since the state convention last fall, including the "Timber Sisters," Burr and Connie Lively, and "the Barbs"--Barb Foster, Barb Grubbs and Barb Morris.
We met some new friends, too, such as Randy Vogel from Rep. Denny Rehberg's staff, and liquor label honchos Dennis Dawson of Future Brands (Jim Beam) and Dan Moriarty of Sidney Frank (Jaegermeister).
Of course, the open bar was doing a good business and Jorgenson's first-rate bartenders were raking in a pretty fair haul on tips. And that was quite a magnificent slab of tender, flavorful prime rib served up by the Jorgenson's chefs.
The event began outdoors on the center parking lot of the Jorgenson's facility, as the end of a hot day waned toward evening. Two outdoor bars and a big tent made for contented party goers.
When the event moved to the indoor banquet room, "DJ" Dennis White began serving up a steady patter when announcing the winners of the evening's many drawings: "The winner of the fifth seat at the head table is so-and-so, who has the best burgers in the state as well as four new gaming machines. Try their sandwiches and your luck when you're in their neighborhood," etc.
Cash prizes of $50 were given away throughout the festivities, as well as a fancy Ruger rifle won by John Boyle of the Longhorn Saloon in Helena. Our own two $5 raffle tickets yielded nothing, except further funding for the Tri-County organization's activities and charitable causes.
White and his able assistants, Steve Morris, Chris Caldwell and Orville Johnson, clicked through the drawings for the 11 seats at the head table. Those qualifiers pocketed $200 just for being chosen.
Valley Bank of Boulder was tapped for the first two seats, followed by Fleetwood Gaming, Gusto Distributing, Red Fox Supper Club, Mountain West Bank, Lehrkind's Distributing, Young's Market, Suds Hut and Summit Gaming.
The 11th seat was chosen by raffle, and Great Falls' Barb Foster of the Red Door, famous for her uncanny luck at these events, took her place at the far end. Her usual good fortune eluded her this night as she was the seventh one kicked out of their seat.
Down they went, one after another, as the unlucky had their names drawn once again. Meaghan Ives of Mountain West Bank, Chad Bachmeier of Fleetwood and Dan Moriarty of Sidney Frank Importing were the three survivors.
Moriarty pocketed $400 cash for his third place finish, Bachmeier left with $800 and Ives had a cool $2,000 in her purse for her top finish. She was sporting a large grin for the rest of the evening.
Of the more than 200 guests, many then moved their socializing to the Jorgenson's Lounge, others claimed their rooms, while still others enjoyed different venues in town or headed home.
The evening was characterized by a lightness of mood and a joviality that has been somewhat absent at other recent tavern association gatherings and meetings, where attitudes seem to have been weighed down by the burdens of legislative and legal wranglings.
But with the recent session behind them, and court decisions now rendered for better or worse, members of the Montana Tavern Association seem to have retrieved their inevitable optimism and good spirits. That was good to see.
Source: The Montana Tavern Times, August, 2005, published monthly by Continental Communications, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.