NWE bill pay moves to Flat

By The Montana Standard Staff - 11/29/2008

NorthWestern Energy will retool its bill-payment window at 400 Oxford, just off South Montana Street, into a full-service customer payment office.

Customers will be able to pay their utility bills, talk personally with a customer service representative, sign up for new service or change their current service. The office will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Starting Dec. 1, payments will no longer be received at NorthWestern's general office on East Broadway Street. All customers seeking to pay their bill should go to the new Oxford Street address.

Vice President of Customer Care and Communications Bobbi Schroeppel said the new office will be a pilot program to "study the feasibility and viability of opening payment offices in other towns." Schroeppel noted that if customers value the new office "it is possible that in the future we will re-establish payment offices in other locations." Venus Rising reopens Venus Rising's grand opening in their new location, in the lower level of the Metal's Bank Building, Park and Main, will take place during the Uptown Christmas Stroll Dec. 5.

The Butte-Silver Bow Arts Foundation said George Groesbeck Jr. and Michael McDaniel will perform at the new locale from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Coffee and baked goods will be available.

Bob Wire pens Butte tune On the heels of Tim Montana going on David Letterman with his tune "Butte, America," another song celebrating — er, spotlighting — the Mining City is making the rounds.

Longtime Missoula musician Bob Wire has penned "Go Butte!" The chorus: "California had the 49ers Butte had 100,000 whores and miners It used to be the richest hill on Earth But everyone knows what a hole is worth." The song also includes this interesting line: "You wanna see something that's really scary How about a 90-foot Virgin Mary?" To hear for yourself visit http://www.bobwiremusic.com/music.html and download the tune for free.

Business reporter Tim Trainor reporter may be reached by phone at 496-5519 or by e-mail at tim.trainor@lee.net.