GREAT FALLS — We’ve probably all heard the phrase “There’s never anything to do around here.” It's simply not true - you just need to know where to look.
One option is the Community Calendar (link) on the KRTV website, and now there is another option called The Electron (link).
David Saslav is the founder and creator of the new online source for events happening in the Great Falls area.
“I came up with the idea having heard too many people say that there isn't anything going on in this town that started to rise with the sort of this the end of publication of the 'Hot Ticket,'” said Saslav. The “Hot Ticket” was a weekly insert of area happenings published by the Great Falls Tribune.
Late last year, Saslav brought the idea to the board ofKGPR, the Montana Public Radio Station in Great Falls, feeling the station website serving as an ideal place for the free service.
“I certainly didn't want it to be on social media because that was going to preclude a lot of people from using it,” said Saslav. “I didn't want it to be anywhere where you had to actually have a paid membership. There are a lot of options where you can pay to play in this game.”
“This shows you that Great Falls is thriving. It's not some dull, dying industrial town,” said Richard Liebert, the president of the Great Falls Public Radio Association. “We want to break that notion because there's plenty of things to do.”
Right now, events are classified into 23 categories, a list that could grow. Also open for expansion is the list of 29 venues that have used the site since it launched in January.
Saslav says The Electron makes it easy for users to find events and easy for promoters to submit events.
“I try to make it a few clicks and a submit button,” said Saslav. “I get alerted in real time when something new has been submitted as an event and I can approve it within seconds if I see it, and typically doesn't take me more than a few minutes to notice it and approve it and get it published.”
Saslav says the site doesn’t publish political or religious happenings. He says the site also doesn’t post sporting events.
"They have extensive calendaring and event ticketing all kind of merged together,” said Saslav. “So, I don’t try to keep up with all those games.”
Since it began, “The Electron” has posted more than 450 events.
KGPR is celebrating its 40th year of broadcasting and was recently recognized with a city proclamation.
“The Electron” is just one more way of the station achieving its mission.
“This is another way to get the public engaged and entertain and inspire the community,” said Liebert.
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