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Go Skiing for Downtown Bozeman on Sunday, April 5th
Bridger Bowl will be conducting a special fundraising event on April 5th, the last regularly scheduled day of the 2008-09 season. In an effort to raise money to assist Bozeman residents and employers impacted by last month's tragic explosion, Bridger Bowl will be donating 50% of all lift ticket revenue from that day to the HRDC Downtown Relief Fund. Season Pass holders are encouraged to make a tax-deductible contribution as well. Checks should be made payable to: "HRDC-Downtown Relief Fund".
Downtown represents the heart and soul of the Bozeman community and its long-term economic vitality is very important to the whole region. As Bozeman's nonprofit community ski area, we have depended on downtown supporters for all of our 54 years of service and look forward to organizing this fundraising opportunity on behalf of our local ski community.
If you are looking for a fun way to support downtown, ski Bridger Bowl on Sunday, April 5th. Operating hours are from 9 am - 4pm. Half-day rates begin at 12:30 pm. We will have food and beverages on the deck (weather permitting) with live music at the Deer Park Chalet from noon til 3:00 pm.
Let's make this a great community day for Bozeman ... at Bridger Bowl, on Sunday April 5th!
(AP Photo/Mike Albans)
NTSB investigators, local police and members of the sheriff department investigate the scene of fatal plane crash outside the Butte Airport in Butte, Mont., on Sunday, March 22, 2009. A small plane, possibly carrying children on a ski trip, crashed Sunday as it approached the Butte airport, killing 14 to 17 people aboard, according to a federal official. The single engine turboprop nose-dived into a cemetery 500 feet (150 meters) from its destination. BUTTE, Mont. (Map, News) - Investigators will examine whether a single-engine turboprop plane was overloaded when it nose-dived into a cemetery and killed 14 people on board who were heading to a retreat for the ultrarich for a ski trip, a federal official said Monday.
The plane was likely designed to carry a total of 11 people, including two pilots, Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at a news conference. Officials said seven adults and seven children were killed in the crash Sunday; a relative said there were two 4-year-olds and the other children were ages 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9.
"It will take us a while to understand," Rosenker said. "We have to get the weights of all the passengers, we have to get the weight of the fuel, all of the luggage."
Rosenker said it was possible that a very small child would be on the lap of an adult.
We are going to have to try to understand how and why there were an additional three people (over the assumed configuration) on the aircraft," Rosenker said. Some luggage was retrievable for weight and measurement analysis, he said.
Relatives of the victims said they had been traveling to the Yellowstone Club for a skiing vacation. The club, near Yellowstone National Park, is a millionaires-only resort that counts former Vice President Dan Quayle and Microsoft founder Bill Gates among its 340 members.
"We were going on a vacation with all the grandkids," said Irving M. "Bud" Feldkamp, who lost two daughters and their families in the crash. "They were all excited about skiing."
Feldkamp leased the airplane that crashed. He said he, his wife and another daughter had driven to Montana for the vacation.
"We were at the entrance to the Yellowstone Club when I got a cell phone call" from my nephew, Feldkamp said. "He saw it on CNN. He said, 'Nobody survived.' And we knew it was our plane."
Feldkamp spoke with The Associated Press shortly after he and other relatives of the victims spent about 45 minutes at the crash site.
Feldkamp said the victims were Erin and Amy Jacobson of St. Helena, Calif., and their children, 4-year-old Taylor; 3-year-old Ava, and 1-year-old Jude; Michael and Vanessa Pullen of Lodi, Calif., and their children, 9-year-old Sydney and 7-year-old Christopher; Brent and Kristen Ching of Durham, Calif., and their children, 5-year-old Heyley and 4-year-old Caleb; and the pilot, Buddy Summerfield.
Feldkamp said Amy Jacobson and Vanessa Pullen were his daughters, and that Brent Ching was the son of club member Bob Ching.
On Monday, snow fell gently as investigators gathered before dawn at the scene of the crash in Holy Cross Cemetery.
The turboprop plane left Oroville, Calif., headed for Bozeman, Mont., but changed course to Butte, where it crashed about 500 feet short of Bert Mooney Airport. The pilot gave no indication to air traffic controllers that the aircraft was experiencing difficulty when the pilot asked to divert to an airport in Butte, Rosenker said in an e-mail earlier in the day.
Rosenker said there was "no indication of any trouble when the diversion was requested to ATC (air traffic control)."
Officials said the plane didn't have a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder that investigators use to help determine the cause of an accident, and the craft wasn't certified to carry commercial passengers. Like thousands of small airports across the country, the Butte airport doesn't have radar control.
It was the worst plane crash in America since a commuter plane last month fell on a house in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y., killing all 49 passengers and a man in the home. Before the Buffalo crash there hadn't been an accident involving a commercial airliner in the U.S. in which there were fatalities in more than two years.
A witness said the plane jerked to the left before nose-diving into a cemetery.
Kenny Gulick, 14, told CBS's "The Early Show" on Monday that he thought he was watching a stunt plane because the pilot was making so many turns.
"He jerked the plane to the left too quickly and lost control of it, but that's just my guess," said Gulick. "And all of a sudden it went into a nosedive. I noticed the pilot trying to pull up but he was extremely low to the ground and he didn't pull up in time."
With no radar at the Butte airport, a pilot approaching would normally switch to a radio frequency used by aircraft coming in and out of Butte to find out if there were any other aircraft in the area. Then the pilot would use visual flight rules and follow the procedures for landing at that airport.
The plane was registered to Eagle Cap Leasing Inc. in Enterprise, Ore., said FAA spokesman Mike Fergus. Bud Feldkamp is president of the company, and of Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California.
The plane was a Pilatus PC-12. In Switzerland, Markus Kaelin, executive assistant to the chairman of Pilatus Aircraft, said the company had no comment.
Steve Guidoni, of Butte, was driving by with his wife when he saw the crash. "It just went straight into the ground. I went over there to try to help. I thought maybe I would pull someone out of the fire."
Guidoni said he saw luggage and seat cushions lying around, but no bodies. He said the biggest piece of the plane was the size of a kitchen table. "You wouldn't even know a plane was there," he said.
Nick Dipasquale, 19, was working at a gas station across the street. "I heard a loud bang," he said. "It sounded like someone ran into the building."
The plane took off from Brown Field Municipal Airport in San Diego on Saturday evening and flew to Redlands, Calif., about 100 miles north, said Rachel Laing, a spokeswoman for the city of San Diego.
It then left Sunday morning for Vacaville, Calif., according to Flight Aware, a Web-based service that tracks air traffic. From there it flew to Oroville, Calif., and on to Butte.
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Updated: March 13, 2009 06:41 AM MDT
The cause of the explosion and fire that rocked downtown Bozeman last week is expected to be released Friday morning.
Officials had planned to provide the public with the results of the investigation on Thursday, but Bozeman City Manager Chris Kukulski said that they need to get the okay from a Gallatin County District Judge.
"All the information gathered in the investigation is considered confidential criminal justice information, which by law we are prohibited from releasing without a court order. We are anticipating that order being signed (Friday) morning."
Kukulski said that although the city thinks it needs a court order to release the cause of the blast, that does not mean criminal charges are being filed.
Last week's explosion leveled three buildings along East Main Street, destroyed six businesses and claimed the life of Tara Bowman, 36.
A press conference to announce the investigation's findings is scheduled for 10:00 Friday morning
A CONSUMER GUIDE TO THE FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER FEDERAL INCOME TAX CREDIT
As Modified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
February 2009
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FEATURE |
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FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER FEDERAL INCOME TAX CREDIT: EFFECTIVE FOR PURCHASES ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2009 AND BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 2009 |
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Amount of Credit |
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The amount of the homebuyer federal income tax credit is the lesser of 10% of the cost of the home bought or $8,000. |
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Eligible Property |
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Any single-family residence (including a condo, co-op, or townhouse) may be an eligible property under the homebuyer income tax credit, provided it will be used as the homebuyer's principal residence. |
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Refundable |
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This homebuyer income tax credit reduces income tax liability. The $8,000 tax credit is a clean refundable credit, unlike the one that was passed last summer, which required a repayment. If you qualify as a first-time buyer (i.e., haven't been a homeowner in the past 3 years), then you can claim the $8,000 to reduce your tax burden. If the $8,000 is greater than the tax you owe, then you will get a refund check for the difference. Example: you owe $2,000 in taxes on April 15, 2010. But if you bought a home before the stimulus expiration on Dec. 1, 2009, then you will get a tax refund check for $6,000 from the IRS.* |
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Income Limit |
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In order to be eligible for the homebuyer income tax credit in full, the homebuyer can have an annual adjusted gross income of no more than $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return). A homebuyer with an annual adjusted gross income above that level and up to $95,000 ($170,000 on a joint return) is eligible for a reduced tax credit. |
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First-time Homebuyer Only |
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The homebuyer income tax credit is designed for first-time homebuyers, which means the homebuyer (and/or the homebuyer's spouse) can not have owned a principal residence in the 3 years prior to purchase of the eligible property. |
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Revenue Bond Financing |
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Repayment |
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There is no repayment of the homebuyer income tax credit by the homebuyer. |
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Recapture |
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However, if the eligible property is resold within three years of purchase, the entire amount of homebuyer income tax credit is recaptured on the sale. |
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Effective Date |
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The First-Time Homebuyer Federal Income Tax Credit is effective for purchases on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009. This guide reflects a modification from the First-Time Homebuyer Federal Income Tax Credit, which remains in effect for homes purchased by eligible homebuyers between April 9, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2008. |
* Seek advice from a professional tax advisor for specific tax calculations and timing for claiming the tax credit.
SOURCE: Based on information provided by the National Association of Realtors. For modifications from prior tax credit announced in April 2008, click here.
I'm sure you've heard the good news about the new tax credit:
The new legislation bumps up the maximum credit amount from $7,500 to $8,000 for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009. The new law also extends the credit through the end of November 2009. The credit ONLY has to be repaid if the house is sold within three years of purchase.
BUT, there are some major changes coming up starting March 9th that are going to HURT some clients. Any conventional loan that needs mortgage insurance (anything above 80% LTV--buyers with less than 20% down)
The good news is that this does not apply to FHA, VA or RD, so those options may still be available to those of you affected by the above changes.
The bottom line is, if you have buyers who are "pre-approved", make sure they get the approval updated to make sure they still qualify. For example, a mortgage broker has a client whose price range will drop by $75,000 when these guidelines go into effect. If that's not a reason to jump off the fence and buy, I don't know what is. Mortgage insurance certificates have to be ordered by this date--transactions don't have to close by then--but they do have to have a property address and have their loan in the process.
Sue Frye
Era Landmark Real Estate
Phone: 406-556-5056
Email: suefrye@suefrye.com
Website: http://www.suefrye.com
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