Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

Marcus Visits For FMDH Foundation

There was a theme song that a small group of fans appreciated. The FMDH Foundation brought in the host of the popular PBS Montana "Backroads of Montana" program, William Marcus. And Marcus told the group that filled the Cottonwood for dinner on Friday, March 13, that this would be a big year.

He announced that he would retire at the end of June this year, but he would continue to host "Backroads of Montana" after his retirement. Marcus added that it had been a long time since he had visited this part of the state and it made his invitation to host the dinner for the local hospital foundation a little bit more special.

"This is an important partnership – it's how we as a community support something important in your own community," he said. "I appreciate the work that the foundation does for the hospital."

Ticket sales to the dinner helped raised funds for equipment and medical projects. Mary Kate McIntyre said that the event was sponsored by Thrivent Financial and Zerbes Brothers. Over 50 people from the community came to see their favorite host.

Marcus said that it was a good way to tell those stories that show Montana's character. Showing the honesty, forthrightness and generosity found around the state. He said that public broadcasting was a lot of news and front line issues, but this show helps show some of the brighter side of the state.

"I have traveled the state and met a lot of people," Marcus said.

He showed several clips of different segments that portrayed colorful characters. The narration often adding the sound and video put together to highlight, one of the clips recording a man stating, "Montana is just a small town with very long streets."

He explained that the show started in 1991 when the suggestion to do a show like "The Road Show" came up. He said that the show has been popular and continuing for 24 years now.

A favorite clip on the very small town of Polaris, "population of 2," came on and got lots of laugh from the audience. Marcus said that it was one of his absolute favorite pieces. The segment showing a very alive elderly man running a small bar without running water in the middle of nowhere.

After the clip he explained that after the show the bar closed because of issues with the state health department. The character passed away a few years after.

Marcus said that many of the stories come from viewers. He said that other story ideas came from small newspapers around the state that might report on small stories. One of those stories was a clip on a local Girl Scout troop planting trees. When they arrived to film the girls, they found a group of elderly women who had planted their tree 70 years before. They visited their tree and helped the young girls plant their tree.

The audience was captivated at the Cottonwood as clips were shown. Not a voice could be heard as the crowd was mesmerized by the stories of Backroads of Montana. There were a few obvious fans, one who knew one of the clips from a segment.

Another in the audience grew excited when a piece about the Great Falls jazz club from the past was featured, the Ozark Club. A club in the state that welcomed jazz and "colored folks" from around the state at a time when such acceptance wasn't happening everywhere. The audience member remembered visiting the club over 50 years ago. She said her mother was disappointed that she couldn't join them, as she stayed behind to babysit her grandchild.

"I'm most proud of the stories we have preserved," Marcus said as the event came to a close. "As long as you keep watching we'll keep covering them on Backroads of Montana."

Something he said to look forward to was the 40th show coming in May.

 

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