| Homelessness in Borderland, By LAUREL BEAGER, Editor
The answers from third and fourth graders at Falls Elementary School Tuesday were revealing. “No food," said one student. “No baths," said another, while other students added their ideas to the conversation led by Lesley Kruse, Kootasca Community Action coordinating of housing, and LeeAnn Meer, Kootasca director of community action. The students put their words into action by creating posters about the homelessness. Using colorful pencils, markers and crayons, some of the posters listed their perceptions of the difficulties of being homeless, while other students described items that they would go without if homeless. One boy suggested that a friend's poster would be more effective if the tail on a dog depicted in orange crayon walking away from the stick-house “was between it's legs to show he's nervous" about being homeless.
As housing bubble deflates, rent stays high
Terry Jacobs remembers the 1970s, when she paid $75 a month for a three-bedroom apartment in south Bozeman for herself and two daughters. ERIK PETERSEN/CHRONICLE Terry Jacobs talks about the difficulties of paying rent in Bozeman from her apartment kitchen. Jacobs said the $7 an hour she makes at her job doesn't leave enough for all her bills. Over the past four decades, the 59-year-old IHOP hostess has watched the valley change and rent prices soar.Today, her $7 an hour pay doesn't come close to what she needs rent a place in the Gallatin Valley, where a one-bedroom apartment averages $575 a month."That's just too high," she said.Montana's soaring home prices have spilled over into the rental market, sending monthly rents higher all across the state, said Scott Rickard, an economist at Montana State University-Billings.
High-rising fuel prices not likely to deter travel
Be prepared for long lines at the airport this Thanksgiving weekend. Despite high fuel prices, travel experts expect travel on the road and by air to be up this season. "Come prepared. Have patience," said Janet Nelson, owner of Jade Travel. "It's the busiest travel weekend of the year." .
Weather: P/CLOUDY
On the back wall of a bar on Raeford Road, behind a pool table, hangs an American flag with note cards placed carefully along the white stripes. Each card bears the name of a soldier who used to be a regular but is now in Iraq or Afghanistan. The bar, Bourbon Street East, opened about 18 months ago. Since then, there has never been a time when all of Fort Bragg’s soldiers were home at once. These days, though, the post is about as close to empty as it has ever been. Half of Fort Bragg’s 48,000 troops are overseas. All four 82nd Airborne Division brigade combat teams are gone. And that’s a huge subtraction from Fayetteville’s social scene. Soldiers have been a big part of the city’s nightlife since the post boomed in World War II.
Expected snow blankets area
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