Film portrays beauty of the Butte

BUTTE -- In an attempt to change the perspective of some Valley residents of the Butte area just south of Palmer, Butte Community Council and local film producer Jerry Caires have put together a 27-minute video that shows the landscape and interesting people surrounding Bodenburg Butte.

"We want to brag to our next-door neighbors that we are more than just junkyards," said council member Brit Lively while presenting the film at the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting this week. "The yahoos that come here are often under the impression that there are no laws in the Mat-Su and that they can do what they want. We want to change that… you [film viewers] are the ripples that will help create change."

"Bodenburg Butte: Beauty at our Backdoor" visits with local Butte residents and shows breathtaking footage of the Butte's surrounding scenery. Geese fly, glaciers calve, elks dance and man waxes and wanes about what it's like to live with such a gorgeous backdrop.

"What I am really hoping is that we can change the way that people feel about the Butte," Caires said. "The Butte is desperately in need of a new image. The core people we have out there are decent, hardworking people."

Both Lively and Caires worry that the stereotype of unlawful Butte resident hurts the law-abiding people who call the Butte their home. They hope the video will inspire less-respectful Butte residents to take pride in their own backyard.

"We don't want to add a lot of new laws or rules, we just want to get people to respect this natural cathedral," Caires said.

For more information on planned showings of the video, or to purchase a copy, visit the Butte Community Council online at www.buttecc.org.