Lively Times was created in 1993 by co-publishers Susan Bearse and Kristi Niemeyer as a way of finding out what was happening beyond our hometown of Charlo. Since both of us had spent many years in the weekly newspaper business, we decided to build our own paper and forge our own business. We launched the online version in 2001.
Each month, we gather information, sell ads and construct the most comprehensive arts and entertainment paper and online events calendar in the state – and all from our nifty headquarters near the tiny town of Charlo. To the east, the Mission Mountains loom and to the west, Ninepipes Reservoir is year-around home to a wonderful profusion of waterfowl and an occasional grizzly bear.
From our serene little office, we strive to connect Montana's thriving arts & entertainment community. We're happy we've survived and thrived and we're proud to be one of the few independent papers left in the state. We've had heaps of help: a trusty and very talented staff and loyal readers and advertisers.
Our Staff
Kristi Niemeyer -
Kristi is co-publisher and editor (which means she bosses words around and oversees stories and page design).
Susan Bearse -
As business manager and co-publisher, Sue makes the business end of Lively Times run smoothly. She's also our chief ad designer and dog trainer.
Judy Shafter - judy@livelytimes.com Judy lassoes information and advertising for Bozeman, Butte, Helena and Missoula. In her spare time, she organizes the annual Charlo Fine Arts Camp and helps the color-afflicted among us spruce up their homes and businesses.
Brenda Steiner -
During those hectic production weeks, Brenda tracks down missing details, refines ads and answers countless phone calls in the liveliest possible way. She also sells ads and gathers information for Great Falls, Billings and Spokane.
Mariss McTucker -mariss@livelytimes.com With us since our very first issue, Mariss has been a stalwart friend and consummate proofreader. If there are few typographical errors on our pages, it's because Mariss is ever vigilant. Mariss tracks down information and sells ads for the Flathead, Mission and Bitterroot valleys, Livingston, and the Idaho panhandle. She's also a fine songwriter and musician and writes most of our CD reviews.
Kathy Senkler -kathy@livelytimes.com
Another longtime Charlo-ite, Kathy has a knack for helping each of us do what we do. She also rounds up wayward tidbits of information and gathers books for us to profile in LT and the Montana Arts Council’s newspaper, State of the Arts.
Candi Gallagher Our most part-time employee (who has her own full-time accounting business) accomplishes one of our most mind-boggling tasks: With the fleetest of fingers and an accurate eye, she enters thousands of events in our database.
Mollie & Kids -
Our resident yellow lab, Mollie, and two of her offspring, Sadie and Jasper, are regulars at Lively Times. Frequent visitors include Bentley, a gregarious black lab, and Zorro, the office lapdog.
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Lively Times was created in 1993 by co-publishers Susan Bearse and Kristi Niemeyer as a way of finding out what was happening beyond our hometown of Charlo. Since both of us had spent many years in the weekly newspaper business, we decided to build our own paper and forge our own business. We launched the online version in 2001.