The Amplifier - v. 3, no. 7

In this issue...M-Day, Library Museum Hall, Junior Prom, Copper Guard, Mineral Club, Ski Club, Bob Wylie, Student Wives Club, Mr. Grover J. Holt, World War I

The Amplifier - v. 4, no. 7

In this issue...Ski Club, Moshe Sheinkin, Dale E. Pickney, Coach Forest 'Frosty' Cox, Air Force, Masquerade Ball, Silver Bow Creek, Butte, Montana

The Amplifier - v. 4, no. 13

In this issue...Wesley Salonen, M-Club, the Anaconda Company, Coach Ed Simonich, Mining Association of Montana, Copper Guards, Engineering Day

The Amplifier - v. 4, no. 14

In this issue...Theta Tau, mining symposium, Mill Buiding, Washoe Theatre, Mineral Club, U.S. Air Force, American Cancer Society, Mt. Con Mine, The Anaconda Company

Legislative Legacy: Big Changes in Legislative Article of 1972 Constitution -- Jerry Loendorf, Arlyne Reichert & Rich Bechtel “In the Crucible of Change”

The fulcrum upon which were leveraged many of the dramatic progressive changes in Montana that are documented "In the Crucible of Change" series was the lead up to, preparation, writing and adoption of the 1972 Montana Constitution. As Montana citizens exhibited their concern over the dysfunctional state government in MT under its 1889 Constitution, one of the areas that stood out as needing serious change was the Montana Legislature. Meeting for only sixty calendar days every two years, the Legislature regularly tried to carry off the subterfuge of stopping the wall clock at 11:59 PM on the sixtieth day and placing a shroud over it so they could continue to conduct business as if it were still the 60th day. Lawyers hired by the Anaconda Company drafted most bills that legislators wanted to have introduced. Malapportionment, especially in the State Senate where each county had one Senator regardless of their population, created a situation where Petroleum County with 800 residents had one senator while neighboring Yellowstone County with 80,000 people also had one senator -- a 100-1 differential in representation. Reapportionment imposed by rulings of the US Supreme Court in the mid-1960s created great furor in rural Montana to go along with the previous dissatisfaction of the urban centers. Stories of Anaconda Company “thumbs up – thumbs down” control of the votes were prevalent. Committee meeting and votes were done behind closed doors and recorded votes were non-existent except for the nearly meaningless final tally. People were in the dark about the creation of laws that affected their daily lives. It was clear that change in the Legislature had to take the form of change in the Constitution and, because it was not likely that the Legislature would advance Constitutional amendments on the subject, a convention seemed the only remedy. Once that Convention was called and went to work, it became apparent that the Legislative Article provided both opportunity for change and danger that too dramatic a change might sink the whole new document. The activities of the Legislative Committee and the whole Convention when acting upon Legislative issues provides one of the more compelling stories of change. The story of the Legislative Article of the Montana Constitution is discussed in this episode by three major players who were directly involved in the effort: Jerry Loendorf, Arlyne Reichert and Rich Bechtel. Their recollections of the activities surrounding the entire Constitutional Convention and specifically the Legislative Article provide an insider’s perspective of the development of the entire Constitution and the Legislative portion which was of such a high degree of interest to the people of Montana during the important period of progressive change documented “In the Crucible of Change.” Jerry Loendorf, who served as Chair of the Legislative Committee at the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, received a BA from Carroll College in 1961 and a JD from the University of Montana Law School in 1964. Upon graduation he served two years as a law clerk for the Montana Supreme Court after which he was for 34 years a partner in the law firm of Harrison, Loendorf & Posten, Duncan. In addition to being a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Jerry served on the Board of Labor Appeals from 2000 to 2004. He was designated a Montana Special Assistant Attorney General to represent the state in federal court on the challenge to the results of the ratification election of Montana's Constitution in 1972. Jerry served on the Carroll College Board of Directors in the late 1960s and then again as a member of the Board of Trustees of Carroll College from 2001 to 2009. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Development Council since 1970 and was on the board of the Helena YMCA from 1981 to 1987. He also served on the board of the Good Samaritan Ministries from 2009 to 2014. On the business side, Jerry was on the Board of Directors of Valley Bank to Helena from 1980 to 2005. He is a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Montana, the First Judicial District Bar Association, and the Montana Trial Lawyers Association. Carroll College awarded Jerry the Warren Nelson Award 1994 and the Insignias Award in 2007. At Carroll College, Jerry has funded the following three scholarship endowments: George C and Helen T Loendorf, Gary Turcott, and Fr. William Greytek. Arlyne Reichert, Great Falls Delegate to the Constitutional Convention and former State Legislator, was born in Buffalo, NY in 1926 and attended University of Buffalo in conjunction with Cadet Nurses Training during WWII. She married a Montanan in Great Falls in 1945 and was widowed in 1968. She is mother of five, grandmother of seven, great-grandmother of four. Arlyne was employed by McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls for 23 years, serving as Technical Editor of Transplantation Journal in 1967, retiring as Assistant Director in 1989. In addition to being a state legislator (1979 Session) and a delegate to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention, she has filled many public roles, including Cascade County Study Commissioner (1974), MT Comprehensive Health Council, US Civil Rights Commission MT Advisory Committee, MT Capitol Restoration Committee, and Great Falls Public Library Trustee. Arlyne has engaged in many non-profit activities including League of Women Voters (State & Local Board Officer – from where her interest in the MT Constitutional change developed), Great Falls Public Radio Association (President & Founder), American Cancer Society (President Great Falls Chapter), Chair of MT Rhodes Scholarship Committee, and Council Member of the National Civic League. She also served a while as a Television Legislative Reporter. Arlyne has been recipient of numerous awards, the National Distinguished Citizens Award from the National Municipal League, two Women of Achievement Awards from Business & Professional Women, the Salute to Women Award by YWCA, Heritage Preservation Award from Cascade County Historical Society and the State of Montana, and the Heroes Award from Humanities Montana. She remains active, serving as Secretary-Treasurer of Preservation Cascade, Inc., and as Board Member of the McLaughlin Research Institute. Her current passion is applied to the preservation/saving of the historic 10th Street Bridge that crosses the Missouri River in Great Falls. Rich Bechtel of Helena was born in Napa, California in 1945 and grew up as an Air Force brat living in such places as Bitberg, Germany, Tripoli, Libya, and Sevilla, Spain. He graduated from Glasgow High School and the University of Montana. Rich was a graduate assistant for noted Montana History professor Professor K. Ross Toole, but dropped out of graduate school to pursue a real life in Montana politics and government. Rich has had a long, varied and colorful career in the public arena. He currently is the Director of the Office of Taxpayer Assistance & Public Outreach for MT’s Department of Revenue. He previously held two positions with the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC (Sr. Legislative Representative [1989-91] and Sr. Legislative Representative for Wildlife Policy [2004-2006]). While in Washington DC, he also was Assistant for Senator Lee Metcalf (D-MT), 1974-1976; Federal-State Coordinator for State of Montana, 1976-1989; Director of the Western Governors’ Association Washington Office, 1991-2000; and Director of Federal Affairs for Governor Kitzhaber of Oregon, 2001- 2003. Earlier in Montana Government, between 1971 and 1974, Rich was Research Analyst for MT Blue Ribbon Commission on Postsecondary Education, Legislative Consultant and Bill Drafter for MT Legislative Council, Research Analyst for the MT Constitutional Convention Commission where he provided original research on legislatures, as well as Researcher/Staff for the MT Constitutional Convention Legislative Committee, from where he drafted the various provisions of the Legislative Article and the majority and minority reports on behalf of the Committee members. Rich has represented Montana’s Governor on a trade and cultural mission to Republic of China and participated in US-German Acid Rain Committee sessions in Germany and with European Economic Community environmental officials in Belgium. He is married to Yvonne Seng (Ph.D.) - T’ai Chi apprentice; author and birder.

The Amplifier - v. 6, no. 5

In this issue...Civil Service Commission, Dr. R. Byron Bird, Y.M.C.A., Library-Museum Hall, international Club, U.S. Air Force, Butte Civic Center Orchestra

The Amplifier - v. 6, no. 14

In this issue...Copper Lounge, Union Pacific Railway, Air Force, Circle K Club, Petroleum Engineers, Montana Power Company, Historical Geology Field Trip, Lime Spur Quarry

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 4

In this issue...Maimstrom Air Force Base, Newman Club, Coach Ed Simonich, Harvest Ball, glaciers, New York Stock Exchange, Montana Power, Christmas, Bill Tiddy

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 7

In this issue...Len Waters, Circle K Club, Max Kert, Air Force, Stanley Eugene Bosch, Wesley Club, Engineer's week, toboggan party, Butte Central, Anaconda High School

The Amplifier - v. 7, no. 8

in this issue...Sweetheart Swirl Dance, R J Trio, Air Force Base, Civil Rights, Bill Barry's Boxing Club, International Club, Donald E. Mahagin, Main Hall

The Amplifier - v. 9, no. 7

In this issue...United States Air Force Academy, ASARCO, Butte Civic Orchestra, International club, IT Club, Montana Oil and Gas Conservation Commision

An assessment of differences in pediatric dental services provided for a Medicaid population when compared to a federally subsidized (military) clinic

Reimbursement for dental services performed for children receiving Medicaid is reimbursed per service while dental treatment for military dependents provided at a military installation is neither directly reimbursable to those providing the care nor billed to those receiving the care. The purpose of this study was to compare pediatric dental services provided for a Medicaid population to a federally subsidized military facility to compare treatment choices and subsequent costs of care. It was hypothesized that differences in dental procedures for Medicaid and military dependent children would exist based upon treatment philosophy and payment method. A total of 240 records were reviewed for this study, consisting of 120 Medicaid patients at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and 120 military dependents at Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC), Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Demographic data and treatment information were abstracted for children receiving dental treatment under general anesthesia between 2002 and 2006. Data was analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Fisher's exact test. The Medicaid recipients treated at UTHSCSA were younger than patients at WHMC (40.2 vs. 49.8 months, p<.001). The university also treated significantly more Hispanic children than WHMC (78.3% vs. 30.0%, p<.001). Children at UTHSCSA had a mean of 9.5 decayed teeth and were treated with 2.3 composite fillings, 0 amalgam fillings, 5.6 stainless steel crowns, 1.1 pulp therapies, 1.6 extractions, and 1.0 sealant. Children at WHMC had a mean of 8.7 decayed teeth and were treated with 1.4 composite fillings, 0.9 amalgam fillings, 5.6 stainless steel crowns, 1.7 pulp therapies, 0.9 extractions, and 2.1 sealants. The means of decayed teeth, total fillings, and stainless steel crowns were not statistically different. UTHSCSA provided more composite fillings (p<.001), fewer amalgam fillings (p<.001), fewer pulp therapies (p <.001), more extractions (p=.01), and fewer sealants (p<.001) when compared to WHMC. Age and gender did not effect decay rates, but those of Hispanic ethnicity did experience more decay than non-Hispanics (9.5 vs. 8.6, p=.02). Based upon Texas Medicaid reimbursement rates from 2006, the cost for dental treatment at both sites was approximately $650 per child. The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that Medicaid providers provide less conservative therapies, which would be more costly, care when compared to a military treatment center. ^

Association of self-reported physical activity and performance in the physical fitness assessment among Airmen

The U.S. Air Force, as with the other branches of military services, has physical fitness standards imposed on their personnel. These standards ensure a healthy and fit combat force. To meet these standards, Airmen have to maintain a certain level of physical activity in their lifestyle. Objective. This was a cross sectional (prevalence) study to evaluate the association of Airmen's self-reported physical activity and their performance in the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment in 2007. Methods. The self-reported physical activity data were obtained from the Air Force Web Health Assessment (AF WEB HA), a web-based health questionnaire completed by the Airmen during their annual Preventive Health Assessment. The physical activity levels were categorized as having met or not having met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) physical activity recommendations. Physical Fitness scores were collected from the Air Force Fitness Management System (AFFMS), a repository of physical fitness test data. Results. There were 49,029 Airmen who answered the AF WEB HA in 2007 and also took their physical fitness test. 94.4% (n = 46,304) of Airmen met the recommended physical activity guidelines and 79.9% (n = 39,178) passed the fitness test. Total Airmen who both met the physical activity recommendations and passed the fitness test was 75.6% (n = 37,088). Airmen who did not meet the activity recommendations and also failed the fitness test totaled 635 or 1.3% of the study group. The Mantel-Haenszel Chi-Square analysis of the data on the activity levels and the physical fitness test relationship was the following χ2 = 18.52, df 1, and p = <0.0001. The Odds Ratio (OR) was 1.22 (95% CI 1.12, 1.34). Conclusion. The study determined that there was a positive association between Airmen's self-reported physical activity and their performance in the physical fitness assessment.^

Smokeless tobacco use in 2005 US Military population

U.S. Military personnel are more likely to use smokeless tobacco than civilians. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between smokeless tobacco use and sociodemographic, behavioral, and occupational variables, using data from the 2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel. The DoD survey was comprised of representative active duty U.S. military members (N=16,146). In adjusted multivariate logistic regression models, this study found smokeless tobacco use to be more prevalent in younger age, males, whites, and enlisted-rank members. By service, higher rates were reported among members of the Army and Marine Corps than among the Air Force and Navy members. Smokeless tobacco use among those who also smoke or drink heavily was also much higher than among those who did not report smoking or heavy alcohol use. Results also showed increased prevalence of smokeless tobacco use among those who reported moderate or high impulsive behavior and among those who recently deployed. These findings contribute to improving the understanding of factors related to smokeless tobacco use in the military and may help design strategies to reduce the use of this potentially toxic substance and improve health for military members.^

The association between mental health and cigarette smoking in active duty military members

Previous research has shown an association between mental health status and cigarette smoking. This study examined four specific mental health predictors and the outcome variable any smoking, defined as smoking one or more cigarettes in the past 30 days. The population included active duty military members serving in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The data was collected during the 2005 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel, a component of the Defense Lifestyle Assessment Program. The sample size included 13,603 subjects. This cross sectional prevalence study consisted of descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis of the four mental health predictors and the any smoking outcome variable. Multivariate adjustment showed an association between the four mental health predictors and any smoking. This association is consistent with previous literature and can help guide public health officials in the development of smoking prevention and cessation programs.^