Yesterday, June 30, a thunderstorm and hail storm hit Bozeman and really caused some damage.

I took pictures of the storm as it approached from the south. The clouds were really dark and roiling, and had a strange greenish hue to them. The clouds were moving fast, and what had been a still afternoon was suddenly chaotic.

Strong winds preceded the hail storm by a couple of minutes, and the winds bent trees and plants over, broke tree limbs and sent them crashing onto my roof and into the yard and street, and the temperature dropped fifteen degrees or so a few minutes before the hail hit.

The first to hit was golf-ball sized hail; the big stuff hit first, and hard. It was sustained for 8-10 minutes, and the hail bounced high off the lawn and street. The hail pounded cars and broke windows, windshields, house siding, eaves.

Lighter hail followed and piled up against curbs and stairs, and in planters and eaves troughs. It was quite the storm event; I dragged big downed limbs away from the house, but one is still on the roof (our arbor care guys are here next week, and will get it cut down).

Some pictures from the storm. Most are mine, but some have been posted to twitter, facebook, and the newspaper site, and they’re courtesy of Jessie Smania, Suzy Taylor, Scott Brennan, Rebecca Soule, and Joseph Shaw, a doctor at Montana State University.

Al Roker and the Today Show on NBC is in Bozeman, Montana, this morning, at Eagle Mount, in my district and just south of my house! The Today Show spearheads an effort called Lend a Hand, and Al’s on the road to five cities across the nation this week, visiting charitable organizations deserving of the Lend a Hand effort.

I joined an excited crowd of Bozemanites at 4:45 a.m. at Eagle Mount on Goldenstein Lane in Bozeman. It was a mild morning with no rain, and we all watched the sunrise over the Bridgers together, in between Al’s weather forecasts and introductions of the fabulous donations to Eagle Mount!

It was a record-giving day for Lend a Hand! More than $566,000 in donations of land, construction, vehicles, supplies, and four solar energy disks to heat the pool were donated!
Lend a Hand, from the NBC website:

With the hard-hit economy, many Americans are in need of a little help this year.

That’s why TODAY’s Al Roker is packing up the Penske truck once again to hit the road for the annual “Lend a Hand” trip. In its ninth consecutive year, “Lend a Hand” continues its mission to help small charities across the country that work toward improving conditions in their communities. Rokers goodwill road trip kicks off in San Francisco, Calif. The trip continues throughout the week in Bozeman, Mont. (Tuesday), Des Moines Iowa, (Wednesday), Memphis, Tenn. (Thursday), and Rye, N.H. (Friday). This year, one special surprise charity located in a city in need will receive a Lend a Hand donation.

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37817545/ns/today/#ixzz0raoaaoFC
And more on our most excellent Eagle Mount program:

Eagle Mount creates therapeutic recreational opportunities for people of all ages and disabilities. Through Eagle Mount, persons with special needs are challenged to achieve the previously unthinkable in skiing, ice skating, swimming, horseback riding, golfing and more. Children with cancer are given the freedom of normalcy by participating in one of three summer camps. Through the use of nature, activities, equine therapy and just good old outdoor fun, children and adults are offered life-changing opportunities as well as the chance to move beyond their personal disability and “soar like eagles.”

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37817545/ns/today/#ixzz0randBYgM

On this day to honor our US servicemen and women, I honor one of those in my family who’ve served.

My grandfather, H. Earl Haggerty, was a saddlemaker and a veteran of World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and was transferred to the newly-formed Beach Patrol Station, where he was in charge of leather repair in all stations in Oregon and Washington. Fortunately, he had a crew of five to help him. After the threat of Japanese invasion had passed, he was transferred into supervising the loading of ammunition aboard ships bound for Guadalcanal, Bougainville and other war zones. He was discharged with a CPO rating in late 1945 and returned to Great Falls, Montana, where he raised a family and owned the H Bar O Saddlery.

Gramp died last July, and this is my first Memorial Day without him. I’m thinking of you, Gramp, and thanking you for your service, with so many who’ve served.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

Bozeman hosts a celebration of the arts every first full weekend in August. It’s the Sweet Pea Festival, and includes a parade and children’s run, chalk on the walk (sidewalk drawings), the Bite of Bozeman (a foodfest on Main Street), a ball (this year with Jeni Fleming and a swing band), and three days of music, art, dance, culture, and theatre (including performances by MSU’s own Shakespeare in the Parks).

There’s a poster contest each year, and I’ve painted entries in the past. This year, I submitted a watercolor and pen-and-ink entry . My entry for this 2010 festival wasn’t the winner, but I gave it the old college try.

Here’s my entry. I hope you enjoy it, and come to Bozeman in August for the best small-town, rousing arts festival around. We love the Sweet Pea Festival!

BOZEMAN The Gallatin County DUI Task Force and Gallatin County Alcohol & Drug Services presented their seventh annual Swimming Upstream Awards Tuesday evening to outstanding local individuals and businesses who have helped at many levels to rehabilitate people with substance abuse problems instead of sending them to more expensive jail time.

All these award recipients reached out in a big way to provide help to people who made mistakes with drugs and alcohol, and Bozeman and Gallatin County reap the benefits of citizens restored to productive lives, said Glenda Howze, assistant to the county commissioners who was among organizers of the event at the Gallatin County Courthouse.

Awards and categories:

Public service County Commissioner Joe Skinner.
Public policy Rep. JP Pomnichowski (D-Dist. 63).
Criminal justice Jim Anderson, crisis intervention training; Jessica Betley, assistant city attorney, and Nick Guthneck, Bozeman Police Dept.
Public safety Bozeman policemen Ben Green, Nick Guthneck, Hal Richardson, Tracy Senenfelder and Jeremy Tankink; Gary Landers of Elite Towing, and Half Moon Saloon.
Collaboration Drew Ingraham, Montana State University assistant athletic director for marketing; Robert Putzke, MSU police chief, and Tom Stump, MSU auxiliary services director.
Education Brian Bagley, West Yellowstone superintendent of schools, and Three Forks High Schools Family, Career & Community Leaders of America.
Alcohol-free entertainment Nova Caf, Bozeman.
Workplace Rosauers supermarket.
Community involvement Matthew Cyr, Michael Dunham, Rodney Golladay and Dennis Houska.
Mental health Courtnay Duchin, Gallatin Mental Health Center, and John Watson, Mental Health Drop-In Center.
Media BoZone and the Quam Family.
Faith community Bozeman Prison Ministry, Salvation Army.

Dist. Judge John Brown was featured speaker.
Assisting Howze with the recognition program were Jenna Caplette, Gallatin County DUI Task Force coordinator; Shelly Johnson, Gallatin County Alcohol & Drug Services director; KC McLaughlin, of the task force, and Jason Karls, alcohol and drug prevention specialist.
Other participants included Lt. Mark Johnson, Bozeman Police; Marty Kent, Bozeman Police acting chief; Deputy Doug Lieurance, Gallatin County Sheriffs Office; Brandi Okeyo, AAA MountainWest, and Glenn Puffer, MSU associate dean of students.

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Over the last week or so, we’ve had a couple of impressive spring snowstorms. Some pictures:

Montana Conservation Voters has endorsed me in my re-election campaign for the Montana Legislature! I’m honored, and very grateful.

Thanks, MCV!

Vote Pomnichowski, the longest name on the ballot!

There’s a challenger in my race for re-election to the Montana Legislature. My new–and former–Republican opponent, Tom Burnett, filed for office today.

In the interim between legislative sessions, the work goes on. Our Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, Denise Juneau, has been traveling the state and meeting with legislators about our excellent Montana public schools. There are changes at the national level, and from our state Office of Public Instruction. I’m a proud product of Montana public schools, and I’ll always do all I can to ensure that every Montanan has the opportunity for a quality education.

Pictured here are some of the Bozeman delegation (Rep. Brady Wiseman, a candidate for legislature Kathleen Williams, Rep. Mike Phillips, Sen. Bob Hawks, me, and Denise Juneau) a week ago.

Late Thursday night, I learned that my opponent has withdrawn from the race for the legislature for my district, HD 63.