with a motherly attitude. Breaking the glass ceiling of Montana’s top executive office was a great challenge. Working with a frugal government budget, much of her tenure focused on economic activity and industrial development. She joined the movement, “Shovels of Solidarity,” as it passed through Missoula and headed to Nevada. Eureka native Bill Gwynn gave mill owner, Jim Hurst, the idea to start the protest as the U.S. Forest Service refused to allow a washed-out bridge to be rebuilt. As a result, a local woman couldn’t access her private land. Gwynn, my sister’s husband, told Hurst, my lumber mill partner, that we should take our shovels down “and help that woman build that bridge.” Thousands of shovels were loaded on a huge highway truck, and the “world’s longest picnic trailer” was built on wheels. The local VFW post loaded up a school bus of interested folks and they were joined by a colorful old truck from Kalispell with blazing horns and waving flags. Then Gov. Judy Martz signed a gold-painted shovel to add to the entourage. They were greeted with a big party when they arrived in Jarbidge, Nevada. The greeters included senators, congressmen, and state and county officials who had gathered to protest federal land access restrictions. The mill in Eureka is long gone now, thanks to a lack of access to U.S. Forest Service timber. The beautiful bronze depiction of Judy was created by Gareth Curtiss, the same artist who created a similar piece depicting longtime U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and his wife, Maureen. While governor, Judy was proud to unveil the beautiful Mansfield bronze statue 20 years before the dedication of her own statue. Judy was also a popular Olympic speed skater, and her husband, Harry, operated a large garbage collection business in Butte, Montana. In the years before running for office, she had served on staff for Sen. Conrad Burns, and her many other activities included helping develop the High Altitude Speed Skating Center for Olympic class training in Butte. Mike Cuffe came to know Judy when she was campaigning alongside soon-to-be Montana Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, Carla Grey. Mike and his lumber mill partner, Jim Hurst, gave her a tour of their operation and logging sites in the Tobacco Valley. Their friendship grew over the years. Mike would often attend Grizzly football games with Judy and her husband, and the group even went on a trip to watch the Grizzlies play Randy Moss and Marshall University in West Virginia. It was on that trip that Judy shared with Mike her great frustration at how the press treated her. Nevertheless, she kept on pushing forward with a brilliant smile on her face and her head leading the way. Judy’s ability to have grace under fire set an example of resilience for Mike and all those who knew her. Directors Digest | 21
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw