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FEBRUARY 2020 THE
COMMUNITY CONSCIENCE
SPORTSMANSHIP AND RESPECTING AUTHORITY IN 2020 My Return to the Black and White Stripes R aising kids can be a challenging endeavor. When Heather and I married in 2013, she agreed to take on not only a husband but also two boys, Andrew, 12, and Chandler, 11. The boys are now 18 and 19 years old and are growing up in a world very different from the one Heather and I knew when we were teenagers. We are far from perfect parents, but we do our best. This article chronicles some of our successes and some of our less than stellar moments. We hope you can learn from some of our failures and find entertainment in the moments we share. A CAUTIONARY TALE It is incredibly easy to get sucked in to the hypercompetitive world of youth sports and completely lose perspective. I, too, have been a victim of losing perspective and, after the fact, was embarrassed by my conduct. It happened in the fall of 2017 at a junior varsity football game in Butte, Montana. On that fall afternoon, I transformed from my somewhat mild-mannered self and into an unrecognizable monster. My son Andrew plays defensive back for Bozeman, and he is responsible for defending a receiver when the ball is thrown. Getting an interception is a big deal for defensive backs. Drew found himself in man-to-man coverage as the Butte quarterback lofted a pass downfield. Drew reached up and came down with the pass and his teammates went nuts! Unfortunately, the opposing receiver was also able to get a hand on the pass as Drew came down. The referees called“simultaneous possession” and awarded the ball to Butte inside the Bozeman 10-yard line. I could not believe my eyes. Surely the legendary Butte fix was in. Not more than 10 minutes after Drew’s first interception, it happened again. Drew came down with another pass, and the officiating crew called “simultaneous possession” as the Butte receiver tackled Drew from behind. I had what can only be considered an out-of-body experience, calling the Butte officiating crew every name I could think of. Much to my embarrassment, I had become “that parent”— the parent who makes everyone else duck under their stadium seats. This was absolutely, positively not my finest hour.
RETURNING TO MY ROOTS On the ride home from Butte, I realized I was out of line and decided to do something about it. I had no business yelling at an officiating crew that way unless I, too, was willing to officiate myself. After a 20- year break from officiating, it was time to get back into the black and white stripes. When I was in college, I used officiating as a means to pay for my living expenses. I believe that we were paid around $20 for subvarsity games and around $35 for varsity games. Games were usually in the evenings on weekends, and while refereeing quite a few high school games, I actually got pretty good at it. I had a varsity schedule in my early 20s, when I was not much older than the players I was officiating. Refereeing was a lot of fun. I had no idea how much things had changed in 20 years. My first games back were at middle schools in Bozeman. Although I handled quite a few high school games, my experience after handling a number of seventh and eighth grade basketball games left me with this question: What on earth has happened to middle school parents in the past 20 years? I do not know if it is the increased pressure from traveling teams or the real possibility that their kid may be cut, but what used to be fun junior high games has turned really ugly. What is different from the criticism I saw 20 years ago is that today’s middle school parents seem to have a genuine disrespect for authority. I cannot be too critical as I, too, have had my embarrassing moment. However, I encourage parents to keep this in mind: When you yell at referees and coaches, you are telling your community that your family does not respect authority.
- Lucas Foust
406-587-3720 • 1
VALENTINE’S LESSONS Talking to Your Adolescent About Relationships With Valentine’s Day approaching, stores are filled with chocolates, stuffed animals, and cards for significant others. Love is in the air! Even though you may not realize it, your kids may also be feeling the pressure. Crushes, dates, and broken hearts are part of their lives, too, but they may struggle to talk with you about it. Thankfully, developmental romantic feelings, let them know you’re there to talk to them about it. Respecting Others
Dr. David Anderson, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute, believes it’s especially important to talk to adolescents about respecting boundaries. “One of the big lessons we want to be sending to kids at any age is that there are two people to consider,” he writes, explaining that adolescents tend to only focus on their own feelings and need to learn to consider how their crush may feel about them. This awareness might prevent them from overstepping someone else’s comfort zone. Respecting Themselves At the same time, kids and teens should know the importance of respecting their own feelings. Setting boundaries can be especially important when your child is confronted
with an unwanted Valentine’s Day card or request for a date and feels pressured to reciprocate. “Boundary setting is imperative to learn during adolescence because it is a time of identity formation,”writes Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell in Psychology Today. “Healthy boundaries allow teens to feel respected, valued, and empowered to build positive relationships in their lives.” It also helps them handle uncomfortable social situations with grace and maturity. Crushes and first dates are a part of growing up, as is learning how to contribute to healthy relationships. Much like a first step or learning to drive, patient, loving parental support makes all the difference.
experts have weighed in on how to approach these important and delicate conversations. No Laughing Matter Judith Myers-Walls, professor emeritus of child development at Purdue, urges parents not to treat their kids’ crushes as silly. We may know these early expressions of love aren’t that serious in the long run, but to an adolescent, the emotions are very powerful. “They are very easily embarrassed about those feelings,”Myers-Walls observes, “so parents and other adults should be respectful and not tease about those issues.” Rather than make kids feel ashamed of these early
LEAP INTO 2020 Facts About the Leap Year
But a leap year doesn’t occur every four years. Adding that extra day still doesn’t quite keep Earth on track, so the calendar skips leap years that occur during century years not divisible by 400. For example, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 won’t be. Who The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are 1 in 1,461. That means that of the roughly seven billion people in the world, only about five million of them are “leaplings.”The number of leaplings currently living in the U.S. is roughly 187,000. Some famous leaplings include motivational speaker Tony Robbins, rapper Ja Rule, and singer Mark Foster of Foster the People. However, the most famous leapling is probably Superman. When you invent a super-being, you might as well give him a super-birthday. Where Anthony, Texas/New Mexico (a single town that straddles the two states’ borders), claims the title “Leap Year Capital of the World.”The city throws one massive birthday party for all leaplings but invites everyone to join the celebration. Two leapling neighbors from Anthony began the tradition in 1988, and it’s blossomed into a festival with thousands of participants every four years. It includes banquets, hot air balloons, a carnival, concerts, parades, and more. When you have four years to plan in between each shindig, there’s time to go big.
Like the Olympics and presidential elections, leap years only occur once every four years, which is why many people look forward to Feb. 29. But there’s a lot that you might not know about this quirk on the calendar. Why To keep the calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit around the sun, an extra day is added to it every four years. Earth takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the sun. Those extra hours add up over time, so another calendar day becomes necessary.
Celebrate this leap year by doing something unusual or new. It’s a special day that doesn’t occur often, so make the most of it by doing something you’ll talk about for another four years.
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Valentine’s Day Treats for Your Kids
DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR LITTLE VALENTINE THIS YEAR
Valentine’s Day isn’t just observed between romantic couples. It’s a day for celebrating the love you feel for people in all areas of your life. And if you have kids, Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate your love for them and let them know how special they are to you. Here are a few ways to make this Feb. 14 the most memorable one yet for your little ones. Gifts and Balloons Surprise your little ones the morning of Feb. 14 by decorating their room with their favorite treats and balloons. Tie their favorite candy bar or a small toy they’ve had their eye on to the bottom of one or more balloon strings. Then, place the balloons around their bedroom for them to find. A Heartfelt Breakfast Take the time to whip up their favorite breakfast and try to add a little bit of Valentine’s Day cheer. If you want to get extra crafty, you can cook bacon, pancakes, eggs, and toast all in the shape of hearts. For extra love, add strawberries or raspberries to complete the Valentine’s Day vibe. Reflections of Love While you’re busy cooking up a feast, your kids will most likely visit the bathroom to get ready for the day. What will they see when they walk in? Their mirror covered in sticky notes in the shape of a heart! You can write words of encouragement, love, and support and set the display up for them the night before. It’s a fantastic way for them to start their day.
Let Your Kids Be in Charge Valentine’s Day lands on a Friday this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate over the weekend. Let your kids plan a day of fun by creating a list of activities they can choose from. Let them decide whether you all spend a few hours together ice skating, watching a movie, going to the park, or visiting an amusement park. To add a little more fun, create a “menu” they can look at and choose what they’ll have for dinner that night.
Enjoy this day of love with all of your special someones this year!
Take a Break!
Inspired by Food Network APPLE CIDER CHICKEN AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS INGREDIENTS
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Salt and pepper to taste 4 boneless chicken breasts 1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp butter, divided 2/3 cup apple cider 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
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1 lb Brussels sprouts, halved
2 gala apples, cut into wedges 1 red onion, cut into wedges
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2 sprigs rosemary
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450 F. 2. On a baking sheet, toss Brussels sprouts, apples, onion, and rosemary sprigs in olive oil, salt, and pepper. 3. Roast vegetable and fruit mixture until tender, about 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway. 4. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary. 5. In an ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter. Add chicken and cook 6 minutes on one side. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. 6. Pour cider onto chicken. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and let it rest on cutting board. 7. Return skillet to stove on medium-high and simmer sauce until reduced by half. 8. Swirl remaining 1 tbsp of butter with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slice chicken and divide among plates with roasted vegetables and serve.
SOLUTION ON PAGE 4
406-587-3720 • 3
Foust Law Office
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
www.lucasfoustlaw.com 406-587-3720 Fax: 406-879-4400
3390 South 30th Avenue Bozeman, MT 59718
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Sportsmanship and Respecting Authority in 2020 PAGE 1 Crushes, Valentine’s Day, and Parenting PAGE 2 Learn All About Leap Year PAGE 2 Your Kids Deserve Valentine’s Day Treatment Too! PAGE 3 Take a Break PAGE 3 Apple Cider Chicken and Brussels Sprouts PAGE 3 A Slippery Crime PAGE 4 SOLUTION
STEALING MISS HELEN ‘Ocean’s 3’ Attempt a High-Stakes Heist O n a hot summer day in late July 2018, three people entered Miss Helen’s home, forcibly removed her, put her in a stroller, and ran toward their getaway vehicle. This might sound like a typical kidnapping story, but Miss Helen is no ordinary person. She is a 16-inch horn shark living at the San Antonio Aquarium.
collection. After being identified, Miss Helen was returned home safely.
The aquarium staff was grateful to have Miss Helen back unharmed, despite her ordeal. “She’s a tough little horn shark, I’ll tell you that,” affirmed Jamie Shank, the assistant husbandry director at the aquarium. No Minor Crime While many animal lovers might disagree, animals are considered personal property, so stealing them is a crime of theft, not kidnapping. The penalties for stealing animals vary depending on each state’s laws, and some states have specific laws regarding animal theft.
as a felony. In the case of Miss Helen, who’s valued by the aquarium at $2,000, the thieves committed a felony. Also, transporting certain animals requires special permits, which led to additional charges against the three thieves.
Fortunately, their fishy behavior didn’t go unnoticed, and someone alerted the aquarium staff. One perpetrator drove away with Miss Helen in tow, but the other two were stopped by aquarium staff, later confessing to their involvement. Thanks to some observant witnesses and aquarium surveillance, police were able to identify the third thief and obtain a warrant to search his house. As it turned out, he had an extensive aquarium in his home and possibly hoped to add Miss Helen to his
The Animal Welfare Act, which was adopted in 1966, is the only federal law that regulates
the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers.
Interestingly, it only applies to warm-blooded animals, so if Miss Helen had needed further protection, she would be left out in the cold.
In Texas, larceny law designates the theft of property valued between $1,500–$20,000
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