StoryCorps Facilitator Weblog » Daniel

We Had A Blast

Daniel — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:31:00 +0000

All good things must come to an end, and Butte, Montana, sure is a good thing. As July came to a close, Mitra Bonshahi transfered her commission to new Facilitator Rachel Falcone, and Facilitator Daniel Littlewood salutes farewell also. Time to get ready to head to Logan, Utah, for the next step on the StoryCorps MobileBooth West tour.

But we couldn’t leave without thanking our gracious hosts, Barb and Johnny, who provided housing for the Facilitators for the entire month. Visit the Uptown Cafe next time you find yourself in Butte, and tell them Mitra sent you. We’re on the move!

Illuminations

Daniel — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 02:56:00 +0000

High above the skyline rise the headframes of mines, dotting the landscape as reminders of Butte’s past.

Thanks to the work of several miners, artists, and community-minded folks, the headframes are iconic at night, too. They are visible for miles thanks to the donated red lighting.

John T. Shea worked for years in the mines as a ropesman and driver, along with a host of other jobs. He is a moving force behind Lighten UP, Butte! which aims to preserve the heritage of Butte’s mines while beautifying the city. He and Barbara Kornet told the story of how the headframes were lit. One of Barb’s favorite memories is of being hundreds of feet up in the air with the old Butte miners, getting a headframe ready for its makeover.

What’s in a Name

Daniel — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 01:47:00 +0000

Stories to tell, nicknames to remember – or is it stories to remember and nicknames to tell. Butte, Montana, is renowned for its practice of giving just about everybody in town a handle. Turns out that there’s actually a book of nicknames that’s been passed around Butte for years, and one of the authors came into the booth on our first day open.

Meet Young Spike Nose, i.e. Kevin Shannon and his daughter Ellen Crain.

Mr. Shannon not only had firsthand knowledge of the nicknames around town, but had about 80 years of Butte history stored in his ol’ noggin. At one time Butte rivaled New York in its ethnic diversity and wealth. Today, not so much, but there’s still plenty of reminders of a glorious past (and a direct NYC kinship – look close and you’ll see an old sign for the Bronx Lounge and Supper Club).

Booths on parade… and billboards to boot

Daniel — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 02:50:00 +0000

There’s no better way to enter a city than with a billboard announcing your arrival. As facilitators Daniel and Mitra drove into Butte, Montana, they caught sight of the billboard below put up by partner station, Montana Public Radio.

And there’s no better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than to have the StoryCorps MobileBooth being towed in Butte’s enormous Fourth of July Parade, a MobileBooth first. Joined by Senior Coordinator Terry Scott, we were the toast of the town. Thanks for loving freedom, Butte, and for loving StoryCorps.

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