New carnival royalty announced

The Daily Inter Lake

The 50th annual Whitefish Winter Carnival is off and running with the crowning of the first round of royalty.

Ross Strauser was named prime minister and Janet McIntyre was named Duchess of Lark at the annual Merry Maker gathering on Saturday night.

Strauser is a well-known broadcaster in the Flathead Valley. The Wolf Point native worked in several radio markets from Minnesota to Montana, settling in Whitefish in 1989. For 17 years he was employed as a broadcaster, program director and production director.

In 1990, Strauser and his wife, Sue, started Reel Montana Inc., specializing in audio and video production. The company still thrives in Whitefish as a professional audio production and voice-over studio for local, regional and national markets.

In October 2006 Strauser pursued his own venture, WhitefishRadio.com - The Big Fish, Montana's only all-Internet radio station.

Strauser said the radio station has given him the opportunity to support a wide variety of local nonprofit organizations, including Whitefish Winter Carnival, Alpine Theatre Project, Whitefish PTA, Glacier Symphony & Chorale, North Valley Music School, Relay For Life, Stumptown Art Studio, Humane Society of Northwest Montana, Whitefish Care, Conrad Mansion and many others.

Strauser was honored with a public service award at the 50th anniversary of the Montana Broadcasters Association. He keeps the family royalty tradition alive, following in the footsteps of his father-in-law Mike Dowaliby (prime minister and king), brother-in-law Mark Dowaliby (prime minister), and nephew Shane Dowaliby (Prince Frey).

McIntyre was born in Oregon and raised in Idaho and has lived in six Western states.

After graduating from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., with a teaching credential, she began a 15-year career as a flight attendant. She and her husband, Curt, a Whitefish native, returned to Whitefish in 2003 when the older of their two children began kindergarten.

In 2004, McIntyre opened Naturally Clean, the first environmentally friendly dry cleaning plant in Montana.

She sold her share of the business to her partner in 2008 to spend more time with her family and volunteering. In addition to volunteering in the schools, church, and with the PTA, she currently serves on the board of directors of North Valley Music School.

She's a lifelong skier and outdoors enthusiast. McIntyre also follows in royal footsteps. Her father-in-law, Dr. Bruce McIntyre, was King Ullr VI.