Group fghts for cinema’s return to valley
by John Dowd
It could be argued that movies are as American as apple pie, and as much a part of the American experience as a cheeseburger and a coke. Though nearly none of these originated here, all are made uniquely American by the history and culture of the United States and the people that live here.
Film is still a great American passtime, and for those here in the Valley that want to go to a theatre and see a movie, they need to travel as far as Missoula to do it. However, there is a group within the Bitterroot Valley that wants to change that, and bring that classic form of entertainment back.
Hamilton Community Cinema has a fve-member board who have come together to form a nonproft with the goal of bettering cinema culture and access in the area. Two of the fve board members, Chapter One Book Store owners Marisa Neyenhuis and Katrina Mendrey, spoke to the Star about the group’s mission.
According to them, the idea came from the now-defunct Roxy Theater, and its struggles over the last several years. It can be expensive these days to keep the doors of a movie theater open, with updated projectors costing nearly $100,000 before installation, along with license fees and more. However, board members Brooke Angst with SAFE, Heather Barber with the Bitterroot Water Partnership, Amy Liss with MissLiss Designs and the two Chapter One owners, all got together with the dream of eventually purchasing the Roxy, located on 2nd Street in Hamilton, or partnering with it or another facility to create a local movie theater.
Together, they formed a nonprofit in April 2025, and were awarded nonproft status in November of this year. The group also has an extensive advisory committee, composed of 15 members, including community members, business owners and people involved with local arts, among others. Their mission website reads:
“Cinema has the power to bring people together, inspire empathy and unify community. The Roxy Theater has a long history of bringing together the Bitterroot Valley through the transformative power of cinema. We are building on that legacy,” and, “Our vision as a community led organization is to bring cinema back to downtown Hamilton for the next generation of Bitterroot residents and visitors.”
When asked why they are so passionate, Neyenhuis and Mendrey said there are a lot of reasons, but a big part is economic. There is potentially a
lot of money that could stay in the valley.
“We just think it’s good to have this kind of entertainment in this community,” said Mendrey.
That is backed up by local statistics. According to Esri data, which looked at credit card expenditures between Stevensville and Darby spent only on movie ticket sales, the number amounts to more than $278,000 over the last year. That does not include food, shopping, accommodations, gas for travel and more.
The group’s mission statement reads:
“As a community-led non-proft organization, we are working to purchase, renovate, and open a downtown Hamilton movie theater for a new generation. The space will also serve as a location for cinema, live music and theater performances. Once opened, the theater will generate revenue to support cinema operations and educational programming.”
They hope, by getting a theatre open, they will be able to give Bitterrooters another option to “seek out entertainment closer to home,” said Neyenhuis.
To this end, they have been hosting pop-up flms, mostly at the Bedford Building, but in other locations as well. They have premiered movies like “ET,” “Ratatouille,” “A River Runs Through It” and more. By the end of 2025 they will have shown 10 pop-up flms, and they have more coming for 2026. The group has a calendar on their website for movies, showing times and locations.
For the upcoming Christmas and holiday season, they are going to be hosting several holiday movie showings. These will include “A Muppets Christmas Carol,” to show Dec. 6 at 4 p.m., and “Love Actually,” showing on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. Both will be at the Bedford Building.
Each pop-up flm costs the group around $1,000 for licensing, renting the space and the food and drinks they provide. Movies are by donation and concessions are available. Ac cording to Mendrey, these “pop ups are a way for us to raise awareness,” and also for raising money.
The group is thankful to sponsors that help support the showings, but they need to raise a lot of money to
make the project viable. Currently, they are working to show fnancial viability and become competitive for grants. Fortunately, “the community support has been pretty inspiring,” said Mendrey. As to why they are coming together to bring cinema back to the valley,
Hamilton Community Cinema board members Brooke Angst, Marisa Neyenhuis, Amy Liss, Heather Barber and Katrina Mendrey. Photo courtesy Hamilton Community Cinema.
Open letter to Governor and legislators opposing mine
by Andy Roubik
President Bitterroot River Protection Association
The reasons to oppose the development of the proposed Sheep Creek Mine in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River are manifold. It is well documented that Rare Earth Element mining has signifcant environmental and health impacts, including land and air pollution, severe erosion, biodiversity loss, and contamination of water resources with toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and radioactive materials and in this particular case asbestos contamination is also a real possibility. These impacts pose risks to our community through respiratory illnesses, skin conditions, and exposure to carcinogens, while also damaging ecosystems and causing long-term land and water degradation on a massive scale. This is not something that should be FAST TRACKED. This is something that needs in-depth review with full public participation. It has also been well documented that REE mining processes pose a serious
threat to groundwater and to surface water. In this case that includes Sheep Creek and Johnson Creek, the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, the waters contained in Painted Rocks Reservoir and the mainstem of the Bitterroot River from Darby to Missoula According to the Harvard International Review, there are two primary methods for REE mining, both of which release toxic chemicals into the environment. Both methods produce mountains of toxic waste, with high risk of environmental and health hazards. For every ton of rare earth produced, the mining process yields 13kg of dust, 9,600-12,000 cubic meters of waste gas, 75 cubic meters of wastewater, and one ton of radioactive residue. This stems from the fact that rare earth element ores have metals that, when mixed with leaching pond chemicals, contaminate air, water, and soil. Most worrying is that rare earth ores are often laced with radioactive thorium and uranium, which result in especially detrimental health efects. Overall, for every ton of rare earth, 2,000 tons of toxic waste are produced.
According to the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, regional ecosystems can be signifcantly altered by the presence of mines, both physically and chemically. Site preparation, access roads, and ancillary facilities lead to direct – and often absolute –destruction of the proximate environment, while pollution from mine processes and storage of residual tailings can lead to widespread chemical imbalances and toxic contamination.
US Critical Materials says don’t worry because the thorium content in the ore is low enough that no permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be required. However, this claim is based on a small number of handpicked samples from a few sites on claims spread over 4,500 acres. This sampling in no way guarantees that a vein of ore particularly rich in thorium will not be uncovered in the mining process.
To top things of, it is well documented that a signifcant amount of the mineral actinolite is intimately associated with the minerals USCM would be targeting. Actinolite can be asbestiform in a class known as amphibole
masses of radiating fbers surrounding other crystals.”
killed hundreds of people in and around Libby, is an amphibole asbestos. Dust containing amphibole asbestos can travel far and wide and is very difcult to ever clean up. Prevention is the only solution. Exploratory drilling is a dusty business. US Critical Materials says they are working with an Idaho lab to develop an environmentally safe way to process and extract the REEs from the ore, but they have not said a word about an environmentally safe way to mine the ore.
Tailings ponds require complex management. Poor construction or catastrophic failure can lead to long-term and widespread environmental damage and contamination of surface or groundwater. The steep mountainsides in the Sheep Creek area and the severe winter conditions that blanket the mountainsides at that altitude make it a particularly precarious place to conduct such operations.
Large-scale mining activities like this also cause severe erosion, deforestation, and habitat destruction, disrupting ecosystems and leading to biodiversity loss. We know that endangered species use the area. It is known to serve as a migration route for Grizzly Bears, and Bull Trout occupy the upper reaches of the West Fork.
economy. Add to this the hazard and wear and tear on our roadways and the subsequent maintenance costs of hauling heavy loads of ore from the mining site right through the entire valley to the nearest railroad station in Missoula. Will the mining company be sharing in any of these costs?
The benefts to the valley and to the state of Montana are virtually non-existent. It would turn Ravalli County into a “Sacrifce Zone” with a small portion of the revenues going to a small out-of-state company and the majority (75%) going to a Canadian company primarily owned (50.55%) by a foreign company registered in the Virgin Islands whose principal physical assets are based in Austria. This deal is a classic example of the kind of colonial development that has ravaged Africa for over a century and would basically turn Montana into a “third-world state” where the natural resources are ripped of for the beneft of foreign entities.
The truth is that sacrifcing our pristine watersheds to new mining projects is not even necessary to meet the needs of our nation for REEs. There are proven and successful alternatives in Montana and elsewhere already in the works that would actually beneft our county, our state and the nation. And they could predictably meet our nation’s needs.
Tremolite, closely related to actinolite which has
These are all very real potential impacts. And if we look at what’s at stake, we are putting all of Ravalli County’s major economic drivers at risk. The agricultural industry and our tourism and recreation industry, two of the biggest revenue producers in the county, are being put at risk. They both depend upon a good and clean water supply. The Bitterroot River used to run dry in late summer.
Two examples in Montana are the Rare Earth and Critical Minerals Extraction Demonstration project in Butte extracting REEs from the Berkely Pit https://montanafreepress. org/2024/04/10/montanato-congress-berkeley-pit-aunique-opportunity-for-rareearth-elements/ and Montana Critical Metals (MCM) using breakthrough technologies to extract CMs and REEs from coal fy ash at Colstrip. https://www.prnewswire. com/news-releases/montanacritical-metals-gains-accessto-new-rare-earth-discoveryin-montana-302549874.html
These projects and others like them across the nation can not only provide the critical minerals and REEs we need but at the same time actually help in cleaning up stockpiles of toxic waste materials currently stored at old and active mines across the state and the country.
There is no reason to develop the Sheep Creek mine and there is every reason not to. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this project should not be “Fast Tracked.” If the project moves forward at all it absolutely requires in depth review of its potential impacts and full participation of the public in that process.
Let’s not turn the Bitterroot valley into a “Sacrifce Zone” and Montana into a third-world state.
to the valley’s
C o u n t r y
C h r i s t m a s &
* T h e C h r i s t m a s S
* T ’ w a s t h e N i g h t
It feels weird that this is my last event as President of the Stevensville Civic Club, and as a board member. I have been on the board for more than five years. One and a half as Vice President (VP), and then three and a half as President. From working on the Trout Spout Splash Pad project, to Creamery Picnic and our other annual events (and the new things we have tried), I have loved it. Seeing our community enjoy these events is a great feeling. I would continue to do it if I could, and as long as the community would have me. Changes in my day job have gotten busier, and with my kids getting older, there are some things we want to do before they leave home.
I have been lucky to be part of our current board for the last few years. They are some great people who love this community and serving it. Our events have grown, we have been able to help groups in our community and I look forward to what the next board brings. Our family is not going anywhere. We will still be around, and we will still help and volunteer, just not quite as much as we have in the past.
Being on the board is an elected position. I was honored when I got nominated, and even more so when I was elected in the last five board elections. But it is time for me to step down. I have seen the names of those interested in joining the board, and potentially being the next president; the Club will be in good hands.
Speaking on the Parade of Lights and Country Christmas
events, Sean Doyle included some additional information:
The lights flip on at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, signifying the start of the parade. There is no registration for the parade. Interested parties can just show up at Lewis and Clark Park at 5:30 p.m. After the parade, The Christmas Story, followed by T’was the Night Before Christmas will be read at the stage.
Carriages will run until 9 p.m. or until the crowd dies down. One will go up and down Main Street, from CJ’s Den to Cenex, and the other will run from CJ’s Den to St. Marys and back. There may be a few businesses holding special evening events to go with the night.
Bitterroot Quilters Guild awards grants
Bitterroot Quilters Guild made two grant presentations at their general meeting on November 19. Dixie Dies, Pam Harris and Marla Hennequin accepted a $600 donation for Bitterroot Special Olympics. Michelle Craig accepted a $600 donation for Ravalli Head Start. Long time members Joyce Hooper and Carole Steigerwalt manage the Grants for the Guild.
Bitterroot Quilters Guild is a non-profit organization that contributes hundreds of donated quilts annually to organizations in the Bitterroot Valley like Ravalli County First Responders, SAFE, Head Start,
presents an annual scholarship to a high school senior, as well as grants to deserving organizations. To fund these activities, the Guild sponsors a Boutique at the Ravalli County Fair, selling items created by the members.
Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month, March through December at the Daly Leach Community Room, Hamilton, at 6 pm. All are welcome. Membership in the Guild is open to quilters from beginner through advanced; any interested individuals are encouraged to attend. To keep abreast of activities, visit the Bitterroot Quilters
Men in women’s restrooms?
I find it astonishing that I must pen this letter. When I returned home almost two decades ago after a 30-year career in the U.S. Army, I was heartened to find that here in Montana being a good neighbor remained far more important than your party affiliation and that honesty still mattered. But sadly, the hyper-partisan poison afflicting national politics has found its way here. So I find myself having to combat a “big lie” propaganda campaign that counts on voters blindly accepting incredible distortions of my record.
by David Bedey
If you watch streaming television, then you have probably seen anonymous advertisements running several times a day that accuse me of voting to allow men in women’s bathrooms. This claim is both false and grossly misleading.
I’ll take on the blatant lie first. The record shows I voted FOR the so-called “bathroom bill” (HB 121), which was meant to protect women’s privacy in public restrooms, changing rooms, and sleeping quarters.
That said, I did oppose a legislative rule that only would have barred men from a single women’s restroom in Montana. That re -
stroom is in the State Capitol where it is reserved for female legislators and is not open to the public. Why did I oppose the rule? Because this restroom already has privacy locks on its doors. More importantly, the rule did not apply to the public restrooms throughout the Capitol. If the rule had passed, transgender legislators would have undoubtedly made use of the public restrooms. How does that protect the privacy of women visiting the State Capitol? This rule was a political gimmick. Its sole purpose was to provoke a confrontation. Activists on both sides of the aisle would have had their day before the cameras. Attention would have been drawn away from important issues facing Montana, such as property tax reform. I didn’t go to Helena to engage in such childish nonsense.
Gender dysphoria is an issue that should be approached with facts, not vitriol. And we must protect the health of children and the hard-earned rights of women.
Christian Church
A review of my speeches on the House floor shows that I am one of the few Republican legislators willing to engage in serious debate on this issue. Whatever your position might be on the transgender issue, I ask that you stand against the liars. Lies spread by shadowy or anonymous propagandists pollute our politics. This is not the Mon -
ISCIPLES OF HRIST
328 Fairgrounds Rd.
Open Bible Study Every Sunday 11 a.m.
David Bedey is a representative of the Montana House for
A SINCERE THANK YOU FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION POSTS OF THE BITTERROOT VALLEY
We want to thank both the guests who attended our Inaugural Veterans Day Dinner and to particularly acknowledge the many individuals and businesses who supported the event. As we noted in a previous STAR article, being able to successfully hold this event was almost magical for those of us on the planning committee. It seemed like all of our MANY concerns and doubts just seemed to melt away as we approached the November 11th date. Although there were a few bumps and problems the night of the event, the feedback we have received has been extremely positive. When veterans tell us that this was a very emotional but positive experience, we must have done something right.
While we would like to list each-and-every person & business that helped us in some way not only from fnancial contributions but to include door prize donations, there is always a risk that you omit someone. Thus, we would like to instead just list a few of the major donors but assure those not mentioned that we do want you to know that your support was part of the magic mentioned previously.
The folks at the Fairgrounds Event Center were unbelievably supportive in providing advice and helping us when needed. Farmers State Bank provided not only extremely generous fnancial support but jumped in to help us sell tickets.
The Trapper Creek Job Corps Culinary Arts Program supervisor and students were just unbelievable. Folks, they served a warm, delicious meal to 600 attendees in under 45 minutes.
Seven, small valley bakers provided cupcake and cookie donations. That can be viewed as “icing on the cake” for the main meal.
Tony Hudson for lending us the huge American Flags which decorated the walls along with lending serving equipment to allow multiple serving lines.
Summit Beverage Company for having an employee personally deliver multiple cases of wine in his personal vehicle when an ordering problem was identifed
The Bitterroot Community Band for their selection of music to ft the occasion and to also provide part of that emotional experience.
Super 1 Hamilton for their generous support and willingness to step up when a crisis the evening of the event arose.
Again, we wish we could personally list each of you but hope to follow up in the near future with a thank you letter and Certifcate of Appreciation.
Finally, we have already started planning for the 2nd Annual Bitterroot Valley Veterans Day Dinner for next
on November 11th.
Support for Bedey
I am neither a registered Republican nor a Democrat, however I’d like to share an outsider’s perspective on the upcoming race for Senate District 43.
David Bedey’s candidacy announcement began with an expression of his honor to have served the people in the State House, and went on to detail his background and philosophy of service.
Kathy Love began her letter with warnings of ‘fake Republicans’ and ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing.’ She then went on to repeat that notion again and again… and again.
For someone with the surname ‘Love’ that sure is a lot of hate.
Nathan Boddy Hamilton
What we owe our children in a world moving faster than their minds can g row
Every so often I fnd myself thinking about the world we are building for our children, and whether the pace of our inventions has outrun the pace of their maturity. We are raising young people in a civilization that moves so fast it barely gives an adult time to breathe, much less a child. Technology grows more clever by the hour. Wisdom, on the other hand, grows only as fast as the human heart can handle truth, responsibility, discomfort, and patience. That part has never changed. Children today know how to operate machines that their grandparents could not have imagined, but many struggle with the basic inner muscles that make a life work: attention, resilience, discipline, humility, and judgment. These things cannot be digitized. They come only from experience—the long, slow apprenticeship into adulthood that every generation before ours understood instinctively. What has changed is not the child, but the conditions of childhood. Screens multiply faster than instincts develop. Entertainment replaces imagination. Processed food replaces real nutrition. And convenience becomes a kind of counterfeit virtue—something that feels helpful in the moment but weakens the foundation over time. We protect children from everything except the very things that used to prepare them for life. There was a time when the natural world shaped a young person. Livestock taught responsibility. Chores taught discipline. Handwriting taught memory. Books taught patience. Boredom taught creativity. Hard days taught humility.
But modern life has tried to replace all these things with systems, apps, and digital scafolding—as if complexity could stand in for maturity.
We build layers of order to compensate for the character we no longer insist children develop. Then we build layers on top of those layers, until the whole structure becomes so heavy that even adults struggle to live beneath it. We call this progress. I’m not sure that’s the right word.
A society cannot outsource its character.
A school cannot download its wisdom.
A child cannot automate his ma-
Opinion
turity.
Yet that is the direction we seem to be headed: a world where young people navigate temptations their elders cannot resist, and a culture where childhood becomes a race of constant stimulation rather than steady formation. No human being grows well under that weight. If we want children who are ready to lead—ready to endure, to sacrifce, to build, and to think for themselves—then we must return to the basics that worked because they ft human nature. Books. Handwriting. Teacher autonomy. Real food. Recess. Quiet. Imagination. Slow mastery. Fewer shortcuts. More responsibility. A world big enough to grow inside of, not a digital box that shrinks the longer they stay in it.
Tony Hudson Stevensville
Re: Love/Bedey candidate s tatements
This is my observation of the candidates based on the message each penned for the edition of 19 November. The diference between the two candidates is striking and convincing.
Bedey presents a detailed background of himself and his accomplishments. Love presents her classic “nothing of value” repetition of far-right falsehoods and ad hominem attacks on Bedey. Love is an advocate for the policies and position of the far right that have now been found wanting by both a Montana District Court and the Montana Supreme Court.
Bedey has decades of experience in service both as a Military Ofcer in the US Army and as a representative for his constituents both on the Hamilton school board and for 3 terms as a member of the MT House of Representative, where he has succeeded in getting 50 pieces of legislation into law. He has been active in developing key policies for property tax reform and education. Love has been in the legislature for only one session, and has accomplished little, but she now thinks she is qualifed to be a State Senator. She would do far more for Ravalli County if she went back to her frearms training business.
Bedey ensures he knows his constituents because he goes to virtually every home in his district to engage in civil discussion about their needs and wants and the policies he advocates. Bedey’s constituents display his campaign signs because they know he will represent them. Love has provided free rafe tickets for a frearm to get people to display her signs. Bedey does many presentations to groups of constituents in meet-and-greets. Where we have seen Love in public she says little more than is in her statements in the 19 Nov paper. Love has been a legislator for almost two years. We live in her district and have never had a single contact from her (written, phone or email) that was any more than the result of a photo op or campaign advertising.
Bedey stands on principle and does not bend to political whim from autocrats such as Love and her mentor Manzella and their hand-picked State GOP Chairman who has been convicted of election fnance violations. Love does not even understand the Lincoln quote near the end of
her comments. When Lincoln said to stand frm with your feet in the right place, he had the intellect to determine what the right place was. Lincoln also wanted diverse opinions in his administration, as does Trump. What Lincoln did and Trump does demand of their administration is superior performance. That intellect and performance is missing from the actions and policies of the clique to which Love owes her allegiance. She would ft in very well with the autocratic structure and hypocritical behavior of the radical leftists who demand obedience to top-down orders, many of which they themselves ignore as they pursue their self-serving goals of increased power and wealth.
It is very clear that there is only one qualifed, experienced, service-oriented candidate for the Republicans to be elected as the Senator for the people of Senate District 43. That candidate is David Bedey. Vote Bedey; he is the right choice to serve the people of SD43.
Dr. Marc L. Sabin, ScD Corvallis
Surprised, b ut not really
I was quite surprised last week to see that Senators Daines and Sheehy and Representatives Zinke and Downing all voted for the release of the Epstein fles. I thought that they had “found religion,” but I should have known the only religion they believe in is MAGA and Trump! President Trump said vote in the afrmative and they said “yes, sir!” What a sad state of afairs when our elected representatives do not care about their constituents and only care about their “Dear Leader.”
I do not want to belabor the Epstein afair, but it just serves as an example of how subservient our elected statewide ofcials are to one man in the White House. NO COURAGE! I only hope that President Trump gives them the same marching orders to vote in favor of supporting the current Afordable Care Act! Again, it is surprising to see how little our elected representatives care about the health and well-being of their constituents here in Montana! We shall see! Let me mention that there will be an informational meeting for “Bitterroot Indivisibles” on Thursday, December 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Grange Hall south of Hamilton. The “Indivisibles” sponsored the NO KINGS march. They are inviting like-minded individuals to hear about their program and sign up to help with future events. Thanks! Tom Tunny Hamilton
So much for ‘Montana F amily Values’
Thank you Bitterroot Star for the shocking contrast between freshman, frst term Kathy Love and experienced legislator HD86 Rep. David Bedey in your Nov. 19 edition. The diference was striking. Bedey’s experience versus Love’s exaggeration. Love showed her true colors: instead of telling us what she had accomplished as a frst term legislator, (nothing!) she denigrated and tried to destroy one of the best legislators we have in the valley who has worked hard to keep Montana the last best
place – David Bedey.
Know why she wrote an article bashing Bedey? Because he produced. She didn’t. Jealousy made her show the truth about herself. The comparison between the two of them is telling: Bedey works for the people, Love works only for herself.
Bedey passed 16 of his 18 bills, all which benefted the people of Montana. Love? She just did phony photo ops for her Facebook pages with the AG at the Corvallis Fire House.
Yeah…You didn’t hear about the state’s Attorney General coming to Corvallis did you? NOPE! He didn’t intend to speak to the people of the valley. He just did a photo op for her and later she went to Helena to do a photo op with him. That’s Kathy Love – the photo-op queen of Ravalli County! All show – no substance. Her shining star? Kathy Love, State Representative for Ravalli County, voted to defund your child’s school and raise her pay! Americans for Prosperity released the shocking news: Kathy Love HD85, voted to defund your child’s school — and give herself a raise in her frst term in the legislature. https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/ bill/2/LC0262?open_tab=bill HB252Is this what you voted for in 2024?
While Bitterroot kids are trying to learn math in classrooms, and teachers scrape together supplies out of their own pockets, she marched into Helena and cast a vote to gut the public schools. It was not to fx the system, nor to reform it. Just to condemn it. She didn’t even bother going to speak to anyone in the school systems – no…not to the superintendents/principals/teachers or parents who depend on the public schools. Why did she do this action? The John Birch Society, of which she is a follower, directed her to do so in this action page: https://jbs.org/alert/ defund-public-schools/ You know, the same public schools that educated generations of Montanans, from ranch towns to reservations. The schools that feed kids, protect vulnerable students, and keep our community alive. She calls it “liberty.” I call it what it is: sabotage and slavery to the JBS and the Freedom Caucus in Helena. It’s about treating your kids like political pawns in a game of pretending that she is concerned about you and your family.
If she really cared about families, she’d be fghting for stronger schools, higher standards, and more parental involvement — not emptying out classrooms to score points with the John Birch Society.
This brings up the question – will you vote for her in the future?
Kathy has announced her run to be a senator for SD43 – Corvallis, Darby, Connor, Sula, West Fork, and parts of Hamilton – with only four months training as a Representative.
She did so much damage while in this House session, that in the Senate with fewer people to stop her, she will be free to take away gun rights, increase taxes, and do other damage to the people of Montana.
Montana deserves leaders who invest in the future, not ones who defund it.
Love doesn’t LOVE Montana. Dump her at the next election!
Helen Sabin Corvallis
Sports
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Western B All-State, All-Conference
T he Western B All-State and All-Conference teams have been announced for football. Florence is in the 6B Conference in the Western B Division. The Falcons finished the season with a 6-4 record, and made it to the Quarterfinals of the Class B Playoffs.
It was a unique year for Florence. They lost their starting quarterback in their first game of the season against Three Forks, and they lost four close games: twice to Three Forks (the Class B State Runner-up), then once to Manhattan (the Class B State Champion), and to Frenchtown (the Class A State Champion). They also went 5-0 in their conference and were the 6B Conference champions.
Because of all of this success, the Falcons are well represented on the Western B All-Conference and AllState teams.
The following Florence players were honored for 2025:
Senior Bridger Alexander was All-State, First Team All-Conference Offense (TE), and First Team All-Conference Defense (DE).
Senior Brody Duchien was AllState, First Team All-Conference
Offense (QB), and First Team All-Conference Defense (DB).
Senior Levi Winters was All-State, First Team All-Conference Offense (WR), First Team All-Conference Defense (DB), and First Team All-Conference Special Teams as a punter.
Junior Christian Englund was All-State, First Team All-Conference Offense (OL), and First Team All-Conference Defense (LB).
Senior Chase Wagner was First Team All-Conference on Offense (WR), and First Team All-Conference on Defense (DB).
Junior Lee Blair was First Team All-Conference on Offense (OL), and First Team All-Conference on Defense (DL).
Junior Tash Murray was First Team All-Conference on Defense (LB), and Second Team All-Conference on Offense (WR).
Senior Mattix Chase was Second Team All-Conference on Offense
(RB), and Second Team All-Conference on Defense (DE).
Junior Johnny Williams was Second Team All-Conference on
Offense (OL). Sophomore Nolan Lippy was Second Team All-Conference on Defense (DL).
Southwest A All-State, All-Conference
The All-Conference and All-State teams were announced for football for Southwestern A, which includes Hamilton, Corvallis, and Stevensville.
Hamilton fnished the season with an 8-2 record. They took second in the conference and made it to the Class A State Quarterfnals. Their two losses were to Class A State Champion Frenchtown and State Runner-up Billings Central. Because of this success the Broncs are well represented on the AllState and All-Conference teams.
The following Hamilton players were honored for 2025: Junior Jude Widmer was named the Southwest Ofensive MVP at RB, All-State, All-Conference First Team on Ofense (RB), and Second Team All-Con-
ference on Defense (LB).
Senior Everett Stumpf was All-State, First Team All-Conference on Ofense (OL), and First Team All-Conference on Defense (DL).
Senior Jackson Lubke was All-State, First Team All-Conference on Ofense (WR), and First Team All-Conference on Defense (DB).
Sophomore Cooper Weston was All-State, First Team All-Conference on Ofense (QB), and Second Team All-Conference on Defense (LB).
Junior Kaeden Gum was All-State, First Team All-Conference on Ofense (WR), and Second Team All-Conference on Defense (LB).
At right, Corvallis’s Ayden Spencer
was named AllState, First Team All-Conference on Offense, and Second Team All-Conference on Defense.
Junior Brayden Duce was First Team All-Conference on Ofense (OL), and Second Team All Conference on Defense (DL)
Junior Easton Hollis was Second Team All-Conference on Ofense (WR) and Second Team All-Conference on Defense (DB).
Senior Mayson Compton was Honorable Mention All-Conference on Ofense (OL).
Senior Jake McCarthy was Honorable Mention All-Conference on Defense (DB).
Corvallis fnished the season with a 1-7 record. Junior Ayden Spencer was named All-State, First Team All-Conference on Ofense (WR), and Second Team All-Conference on Defense (DB).
Sophomore Aidan Emerson was First Team All-Conference on Defense (DL), and Second Team All-Conference on Ofense (OL).
Sophomore Marshall Jessop was Second Team All-Conference on Defense (LB).
Senior Reese Tucker was Honorable Mention All-Conference on Ofense (QB).
Maurice Craun was Honorable Mention All-Conference on Ofense (WR).
Stevensville was 1-8 on the season.
Junior wide receiver Josh Pfster was named to Honorable Mention on Ofense.
8-Man Football All-State, All-Conference
The All-Conference and AllState teams for 8-Man football have been announced for the 13C conference, which includes Darby and Victor.
Darby finished the season with a 7-3 record and made the 8-Man State Playoffs for the first time in years. Because of this success, many Darby players earned a spot on the All-Conference and All-State teams.
Darby Senior QB McCoy Townsend was named the 13C Conference Offensive MVP, All-State, First Team All-Conference on Offense, and First Team All-Conference on Defense.
Junior Jordan Browning was named First Team All-Conference for Defense and Second Team
All-Conference on Offense.
Junior Colter Bennett was named Second Team All-Conference on Defense and Second Team All-Conference on Offense.
Junior Oliver Long was named Second Team All-Conference on Defense and Second Team All-Conference on Offense.
Freshman Regan Christopherson was named Second Team All-Conference on Defense.
Junior Tanner Shavers was named Second Team All-Conference on Offense.
Darby’s McCoy Townsend was named the 13C Conference Offensive MVP, All-State, First Team All-Conference on Offense, and First Team All-Conference on Defense.
Photo by Scott Sacry.
Florence’s Christian Englund (#54) and Levi Winters (#9) were both named All-State, First Team All-Conference on Defense, and First Team All-Conference on Offense. Winters was also First Team All-Conference on Special Teams as a Punter. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Above, Hamilton’s Jude Widmer was named the Southwest A’s Offensive MVP at RB, All-State, All-Conference First Team on Offense, and Second Team All-Conference on Defense.
(#0)
Photos by Scott Sacry.
Hamilton’s Cooper Weston (#5) and Kaeden Gum (#15) were both named All-State, First Team All-Conference on Offense, and Second Team All-Conference on Defense. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Shirley Dowling
Our beloved, vibrant and resilient Shirley Rose Dowling passed away in her home at the age of 91 on Thursday, November 20, 2025. She was surrounded by the constant presence of her loving family and honored through the compassionate care provided by the Bitterroot Health Hospice team.
Shirley was born in Hamilton on January 18, 1934 to Rhoda Marie Ward and Sidney O. Evans. She was proud to be a descendent of pioneer settlers in
southwestern Montana. Shirley was raised in Hamilton, where she developed a deep love and talent for painting the natural beauty of the Bitterroot Valley. At the age of fve, she met Donald B. Dowling in Hamilton’s kindergarten class. They loved telling the story of how they frst began holding hands under the school table. Donald and Shirley were married soon after they graduated from Hamilton High School in 1952. Together, they attended the University of Montana where Shirley studied business while honing her skills as a performer in a Missoula based Ragtime piano band. Don and Shirley spent their newlywed summers living and working in the Selway Wilderness at the remote Moose Creek Ranger Station. They enjoyed life in a mountain cabin, perfected the art of cooking on a woodstove and later raised their family to appreciate nature. Her favorite wilderness mule, “Cookie”, was a standout among many pets who loved Shirley. With a wry smile, she recalled how Cookie taught her to appreciate the attributes of being strong for the greater good and selectively stubborn when necessary.
Peace of Mind
For decades, she enjoyed developing and teaching community art classes in the “Craft Cabin” business she founded in Hamilton. She also spent a lifetime encouraging her family and dear friends to cultivate their own creativity and to appreciate the fnest art of “togetherness”. She was elegant, brave and her laughter flled any room. She was a strong leader, wise woman and never feared sharing her opinion, especially if she felt a moral compass was awry. She described herself as a “people person” who enjoyed both the storytelling spotlight and the standing ovations for her role as the villainess in local community theatre productions. Her dedication and caring for family and friends were extraordinary. Shirley enjoyed encouraging and mentoring others as they pursued their personal and professional goals. She was owner of the Rand and Land Real Estate company for several years and served as past president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. She was a charter member of the philanthropic P.E.O. Chapter of Hamilton and remained committed to advancing the education of women for over 60 years.
Death Notices
J. Dennis Abraytis
Shirley loved gathering and celebrating with family and friends throughout her life. She gifted us with treasured paintings and wonderful memories of celebrations in the family home, barbecue bashes in the backyard, elaborate picnics and holidays at the East Fork Dowling Gulch Cabin. In her fnal days of life, she asked family to take her for a ride… and to have a picnic together. We hope you will join family in honoring her memory by planning and enjoying a delicious picnic in a favorite scenic location. Don’t forget the cookies!
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Donald and her granddaughter, Jessica. Shirley is survived by two sons, Gregory (Kimberly) of Corvallis, Donald (Jeanne) of Spokane, WA; two daughters, Karlene Holt (Allen) of Hamilton and Dr. Nanette Dowling (Wanda) of Syracuse, NY; Brother, Bob Evans and Wife Sharon; Grandchildren, Dan Shook, Dr. KariLynn Dowling, Brad Dowling, Katie Dowling; great grandson Sean Shook and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of fowers, donations may be made to the Bitter Root Health Foundation Hospice Services, the Bitter Root Land Trust or the Bitter Root Humane Association. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025, at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton.
Hamilton - J. Dennis Abraytis, 89, of Hamilton, passed away at Riverside Health and Rehab in Missoula on Saturday, November 22, 2025. No formal services will be held. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
The Joy of Fly Tying
Fly tying is something that I do.
It’s only part of who I am – I hope that my existence counts for more than time spent wrapping feathers, dead animal parts, and a curious assortment of thread and fbers around little bent pieces of steel. As a life’s work it’s absurd, when you think about it – so I try not to take it too seriously.
Nonetheless, I’ve enjoyed passing that part of me on to my sons. I sat each one of them on my lap when they were around three years old and taught them how to wrap the thread and materials around the hook. Later I turned them loose with colorful and easy-to-handle materials. Fly tying became a bonding activity for us, a vehicle for teaching life lessons, and something that is still a part of our relationships now that the little boys have grown into men.
by Chuck Stranahan
Fly tying is easy, and it’s fun. It’s about learning techniques.
I once knew a famous fy tyer who sat a class of students – all of them frst-time tyers – behind their vises and had them tie (or attempt to tie) an extended-body parachute green drake for their frst fy.
Most of them quit.
He gloated afterward. I cringed when I heard of it. I felt sorry for the students. They may have had a lifelong source of satisfaction and enjoyment ruined on the frst attempt.
That frst fy should be easy to tie. It’s OK for it to be a random batch of materials strapped to a hook by a three-year-old; and it doesn’t need to pass journeyman standards to catch fsh. Anyone from middle school to retirement age should expect to catch fsh on fies from their frst dozen, and to feel some sense of accomplishment as they head into their second.
I fsh several patterns regularly that are easy to tie. Tying any one of them teaches some of the basic hand skills needed for virtually all fies.
We learn those techniques, transfer them from one type of fy to another, and add to them – with the result that, sooner than we would expect, we can tie a wide variety of fies.
Over the years I’ve seen countless faces light up as people discover that something learned
while tying one fy can be applied, in ways not seen at frst, t5o another fy that seems totally diferent.
When I teach young children to tie fies, I pretty much turn them loose with a couple of basic techniques and let them have fun.
When I teach older kids and adults, the emphasis is also on technique. The fy that I use to teach those techniques may as well catch fsh.
Once they have a basic foundation most people learn fast. There is no need to tie endless or discouraging numbers of fies in order to get one right. A dozen is usually all it takes to arrive at a point of ease and satisfaction – and yield results that will work well on a trout stream.
A good set of basic tools will get you started: a vise to hold the hook, scissors for cutting thread and materials, a bobbin to control the tread as it unwinds from the spool, a purpose-built glue bottle with a needle for applying the cement throughout the tying process, and a whip-fnishing tool to
make the knot to hold the fy together.
From there, hooks and materials for the fies actually being tied can be picked up as needed.
Once started, the learning becomes an endless fascination. There is always something new to try: a hot new material, a pattern learned from a video or a friend. The peak enjoyment for most of us comes the from taking trout on fies we’ve designed and tied ourselves. There’s an uncertainty when you put that fy on the water for the frst time, followed by the mix of excitement and satisfaction the moment a trout takes it.
I’ve seen – and experienced – friendships that grow from sessions behind fy tying vises. Whether it’s old friends getting together to spend a winter evening with hooks and hackle, or new friendships that start in fy tying classes, there’s something about this activity that brings people together. And that’s a big part of the fun.
In short, the learning, the fascination, and joy of fy tying
Our team of dedicated providers prioritize the health and well-being of your litle (and not-so-litle) ones.
We’re here for your range of pediatric needs.
OB/GYN & Maternity (406) 375-4777
Birthing Center (406) 375-4470
Primary Care
Stevensville (406) 777-6002 & URGENT Care
Corvallis (406) 961-4661
Hamilton (406) 363-1100 & URGENT Care
Victor (406) 375-2990
Darby (406) 375-4142
Pediatric Physical & Speech Therapy (406) 375-4570
Ear, Nose & Throat (406) 375-4499
Neurology (406) 375-4119
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (406) 375-4868
Last year I enjoyed teaching Wesley Wells’ students in Stevensville. Photo courtesy Chuck Stranahan.
Crystal to Crystal shines on Main Street
by Kristin Kruse
Business owner Kimberly Knowles
has two mottos. “There’s a crystal for that!” and “I want to get a crystal into every home.”
The doors to her shop Crystal to Crystal at 106 Main Street in Stevensville opened in March of 2025, and as a frst time business owner she seems to be enjoying every part of her journey.
“My initial goal was to get a shelf in someone else’s store,” says Knowles, “but things just started happening
and falling into place, and I ended up here.”
Prior to opening the store Knowles was a vendor at the Creamery Antique Mall, but within six months had outgrown the space. In addition to plenty of room for her impressively large crystal collection, her new location ofers a treatment space for crystal healing sessions and room for multiple vendors to sell their goods.
There are a wide array of items for sale: beautiful handmade clothing from Nepal, local artwork and photography, essential oils, charms,
jewelry, resin work, and sound healing instruments. However, the real stars of the show are the wide variety of crystals from all over the world, including some that have been struck by lightning and a rare enhydro crystal that contains water due to the way it was formed. Enhydros often form when groundwater rich in silica fows through rock and builds up layers of quartz or agate. This process can trap water inside the crystal’s structure.
Knowles made Stevensville her home seven years ago, and has enjoyed creating a simple life for herself here.
“It has been interesting connecting with the community, a real pleasure,” says Knowles. “I was surprised at how
welcoming people have been and I love to teach and inform people who don’t have any knowledge of crystals. I especially love it when kids come in and I have the opportunity to teach them. They are so curious.”
Knowles has worked as a crystal practitioner for the past four years, and although she realizes that what she does is not for everyone, she believes strongly in crystal energy, and that it is all a part of everything. With a serious health issue of her own, she has managed her illness energetically, and is a true believer.
In addition to all of her oferings, there is a lapidary artist in the shop every Sunday who will create a custom piece of jewelry for you, whether you bring in your own raw stone or purchase something there. Lapidary art is the practice of cutting, shaping and polishing stones to create jewelry or other decorative objects. Crystal to Crystal also has a loyalty card that shoppers receive if they spend $10.00, and a wheel that can be spun for free items if you spend $30.00. Business hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11:00-5:00, and 12:00-4:00 on Saturday, and 11:00-5:00 on Sunday. Curious? Knowles encourages people to swing by to say hello and ask questions. She will be ofering extended hours on First Friday, December 5.
PETITION: wait for new rules
Continued from page 1
site-specifc methodology or guidance for how to translate the prohibition against causing harm to local water quality into practice.”
He said state law passed under the 2025 Legislature requires the elimination of numeric nutrient criteria from every aspect of water pollution control regulation, including prior pollution control and restoration plans (impairment determinations) and pending or future pollution permit actions. At the most practical level this categorical elimination will mean backsliding in existing pollution control plans as already-established pollution treatment upgrades or compliance plans based on numeric criteria are revoked and stayed.
“DEQ retains the authority to use biological response variables, nutrient translator models, and other evolving techniques to craft a rule package providing critically needed information and guidance for permit writers, permittees, and restoration partners. EPA’s October 3, 2025
Action Letter approving Montana’s repeal of numeric nutrient criteria explicitly contemplated the state’s development and adoption of a narrative replacement rule package,” said Alsentzer.
“Montanans depend on clean and healthy water for public and private water supplies, recreation, agriculture, and to support our multi-billion dollar outdoors economy. Protecting these uses and our shared values should not depend on a single, subjective, vague, and imprecise rule,” states the petition letter. “In closing, the undersigned respectfully call on DEQ to pause any new or renewed permits and related Clean Water Act decisions involving nutrient pollutants until a narrative nutrient replacement rule package is in place that provides a transparent mechanism for protecting and restoring waterway health in Montana.”
Montana DEQ has not yet responded to requests from the Bitterroot Star with respect to the petition.
Crystal to Crystal owner Kimberly Knowles. Photo by Kristin Kruse.
Display of crystals and artwork for sale at Crystal to Crystal in Stevensville. Photo by Kristin Kruse.
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Join us for a “Real country Christmas at a Real Country Store “ Saturday and Sunday Dec. 6 th & 7 th 9-5 both days. Antiques and Collectibles at special sale prices. Celebrate the season in Virgelle, Montana. www. virgellemontana.com 800426-2926 / 406-378-3110
Get a break on your taxes! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous tax credit for 2025. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855-9012620 today!
ELDERLY COUPLE INTERESTED IN HIRING PART-TIME HELP Approximately fve hours a day, at the going rate. Some light house work and cleaning. Must be able to cook two meals a day. Three cats at residence. Call (406) 363-4264 for more information.
HOLIDAY FUNKY
JUNK SALE - Saturday, December 6, 9AM-5PM, Arts Building, Ravalli County Fairgrounds, NEXT TO THE GUN SHOW! Hunting/Outdoor Gear, Vintage Christmas, Antique, Montana books.
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Supreme Court ruling opens door for veterans at UM Law
by Phil Stempin, UM News Service
A U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding GI Bill benefts is helping more veterans pursue law school at the University of Montana, where a growing student-led group supports the transition from the combat zone to the courtroom. Disabled Veterans and former non-commissioned ofcers, Remington Prochaska, of Everett, Washington, and David Ley, of Missoula, recently founded the Veterans Law Group at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law.
“We’re building a network of veterans bound by shared experience,” Ley said. “The nation has already invested in shaping us into capable, caring leaders. Now we’re putting that investment to work by strengthening and uplifting our communities.”
The Veterans Law Group is an ac-
tive and ambitious student organization. Their initial eforts have centered on fundraising and laying the groundwork for larger goals:
• Tackling veteran accessibility issues through policy reform, legislation and public awareness.
• Creating statewide legal assistance services for veterans.
• Ofering skill-building opportunities that prepare members to engage in lobbying and the legislative process.
• Representing veterans in Washington, D.C., by 2026.
The Army’s leadership actions of infuence, operate and improve are a driving force in steering of the Veterans Law Group.
“I feel like I have soldiers again,” said Prochaska, who served eight years in the Army, including tours in Italy, Ukraine, Estonia and Africa. “My goal is to create something we can use
as support now, and we are building something future veterans will continue to use after we leave.”
Ley, who served nine years on active duty, including two years leading soldiers in Afghanistan, recalled the difculty of pursuing education while on active duty.
“I started college in a tent in Afghanistan, sneaking away to fnish assignments after missions,” Ley said. “I would study fashcards in the bunker during rocket attacks.”
The ruling in Rudisill v. McDonough allows veterans who separately accrue benefts under both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills to use both benefts in any order, up to the 48-month aggregate cap. The decision overturns prior Department of Veterans Afairs policy, which had limited veterans to whichever GI Bill benefts they claimed frst.
This decision ensures veterans like Prochaska and Ley can take full ad-
vantage of post-graduate educational opportunities without having to worry about beneft restrictions.
“This was a huge decision for veterans,” said Ley, who had used Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefts to complete his undergraduate education. “It allowed me to save my GI Bill, allowing me to go to law school.”
The UM law school now counts several veterans among its students, including seven in the second-year class alone. This year, the Blewett School of Law is using a Master of Social Work intern who is also a disabled veteran using both the GI Bill and VR&E. This further expands the network of peer support and mentorship available.
“The Army instilled these values into us for combat,” Prochaska said. “Here, we’re taking that mindset and using it to help others succeed in a new battlefeld – law school.”
FFA: preparing students for future
Continued from page 1
company and a purpose that meant so much to us and carried us so far,” said Jackson Pliley.
At the convention, the Marketing Plan team created a presentation with a full breakdown of all costs and plans to market this new product with an emphasis on cutting down costs and waste. The Marketing Plan team received a gold medal, which is reserved for the fnal four teams in each category. The Corvallis team received their fourth place plaque on the big stage on live television.
“I am so grateful for everyone who supported us through this project and for all the memories we made along the way,” said Pliley. “This was an experience I will forever cherish.”
Environmental Natural Resources Team
The Environmental Natural Resources (ENR) team of Savanna Johnson, Hasalyn Schairer. Caleb Reynoso, and Autumn Benson placed 17th and got a silver ranking, which is reserved for the top half of competitors.
ENR is a career development event where students compete to demonstrate their knowledge and skill in areas such as soil, water, waste management, and wildlife conservation. The members are evaluated on their ability to perform hands-on tasks such as soil and water testing and using GPS. The students must also take written exams and identifcation tests for plants and wildlife.
ENR team member Autumn Benson is the frst member of Corvallis FFA to compete at the National Convention three years in a row.
“This was my fnal year competing at the National FFA Convention and it once again was an amazing experience,” said Benson. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates to compete with in the Environmental Natural Resources CDE and a silver ranking was a fantastic way to wrap up my career. Seeing our newer members fnding success as well really made the whole trip special.”
Agriculture Communications Team
Corvallis’s Agriculture Communications team of Samantha Royce, Kaia Benson, Sage Eubanks, and Emma
Cooper placed 26th and also received a silver medal. For this event, each member of the team took a 50 question test in 50 minutes, the tests were then scored individually. Following this, the members sat together and listened to an informational press conference with a guest speaker. After the speaker fnished, the students could ask further questions about the topic. The team then had to create a feature story, a magazine layout, a social media plan, a broadcast video, and a communications plan. These were scored on their efciency to convey a strong message to specifc demographics.
“It was super fun and so worth going,” said team member Sage Eubanks. “There were so many fun experiences to enjoy and I met tons of new people from all over the country.”
Convention Events
The National Convention is a huge opportunity for FFA members to grow and learn about career pathways available to them. The convention featured an Expo Hall where colleges and universities had information booths and interactive activities. Also, many businesses had interactive workshops and activities designed to teach kids about potential careers and alternative further education. For entertainment, country music star Ella Langley performed and, on Halloween night, there was a professional rodeo.
The Corvallis FFA members are thankful for these opportunities and realize it wouldn’t be possible without the support from their community and alumni.
Corvallis FFA Fundraiser
The annual Corvallis FFA Alumni Fundraiser will be held at the Hamilton Fairgrounds on January 30, 2026. The fundraiser includes live music, catering by Wild Mare, cash bar by Marley’s, and a night of fun. All the money raised will help fund future trips and events for Corvallis FFA. For more information about sponsorship opportunities and general information about the Corvallis FFA program, contact Corvallis’s FFA Advisor, Neela Hammerstein at neelah@csd1.us.
The Corvallis Marketing Plan team of Beauden Therrien (left), Morgan Bisel (center) and Jackson Pliley (right) took fourth place in the nation in the Marketing Plan competition. Photo courtesy of Neela Hammerstein.
Bird Squawk
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher – What a beauty!
I
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a winter resident of the west coast of Central America, and southern Florida and migrates to its breeding grounds in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and western portions of Louisiana and Missouri.
So why was one found in Montana far from its breeding or wintering grounds in late October? No one knows, but this species does tend to wander. This species was first observed in Montana in June of 1975 at Fort Peck. June is the month that the most has been seen, with 16, followed by 5 in May. The other 13 were in August through October for a total of 34 sightings. I have seen the species twice, this one in Three Forks and the other at Pompey’s Pillar in September of 2012.
I have always enjoyed long-tailed birds, such
as the Black-billed Magpie, Ringed-necked Pheasant and the Paradise Flycatcher of Eastern Africa.
The Scissor-tailed is no exception with its 15inch tail in males and 13-inch tail in females. The tail is forked at its end, and it is known by some as the Swallow-tailed flycatcher. It is a member of the genus Tyrannus or kingbirds. Other kingbirds in Montana are the Cassin’s, Eastern and Western Kingbirds.
It has a gray head and back, black wings and a long black and white tail. They also show salmon-pink flanks and underbelly. The beak is black and stout. The juvenile is rather like the familiar Western Kingbird, having a yellow belly, and lacks the long tail of adult Scissor-tailed.
The picture I took is not the best. The bird was 100 yards away sitting on a steel post in a field. I use a Nikon 750 with a 500 mm lens, but the wind was blowing, and I had a hard time holding the camera still. I set the shutter speed to 1/2000
with an aperture of 5.6 and fired away, hoping for the best. The picture is heavily cropped but shows the field markings.
With only 34 sightings, it’s not likely you will see this bird. If you join ebird and sign up for rare bird alerts you will be notified by email when someone sees a rare species.
Chasing rarities is a
by Gary Swant
lot of fun. I used to chase them all, but now that I’m 80, I have a 150-mile radius from my home, and the roads must be good. If you do get an email notice, go quickly. Most rarities are one or two-day wonders. Few stay multiple days. I have missed a few rarities by just one day due to other commitments. Even with these limits due to my age, I have a decent Montana list with 387 species. There are only 5 birders that have seen 380 birds or more in Montana, out of the estimated 600 to 800 serious Montana birders.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Photo by Gary Swant.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Photo by National Audubon Society.
Montana 21st Judi-
cial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Shifawn Jovana Beckner, Shifawn Jovana Beckner, Petitioner.
Cause No.: DV-412025-0000395-NC
Dept. 2
NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE
This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Shifawn Jovana Beckner to Shifawn Jovana Potter.
The hearing will be on December 11, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.
DATED this 3rd day of November, 2025.
/s/ Paige Trautwein
Clerk of District Court
By: Sarah Sargent
Deputy Clerk of Court
BS 11-12, 11-19, 1126, 12-3-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE
The frst half of the 2024 Real Estate Taxes are due payable before 5 PM, December 8, 2025. We have a Night Drop located at North end of Administration Building in drive through. Mail payments must be postmarked by December 8, 2025 or the payment will be returned for penalty and interest. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli County Treasurer. Master Card, Visa, Discover and American Express cards are accepted. Also accepting online payments at www. Ravalli.us/196/Property-Tax. Paying with Credit/ Debit card will include a 2.15% convenience fee and $1.25 Transaction Fee.
Real Property Tax
Notices were postmarked November 7, 2025 so to be compliant with state law even though the due date shows December 1st I am moving the due date to December 8, 2025.
Ravalli County Treasurer
Dan Whitesitt
215 S 4th St Ste H Hamilton MT 59840
406-375-6600
BS 11-19, 11-26, 123-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE
The second half of the 2025 Mobile Home Taxes are due payable before 5 pm December 8, 2025. We have a Night Drop located at North end of Administration Building in drive thru. Mailed payments must be postmarked by December 8, 2025 or the payment will be returned for penalty and interest. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli County Treasurer. Master Card, Visa, Discover and American Express cards are accepted. Also accepting online payments at www.Ravalli.us/196/ Property-Tax. Paying with Credit/Debit card will include a 2.15% convenience fee and $1.25 Transaction Fee.
Ravalli County Treasurer
Dan Whitesitt
215 S 4th St Ste H Hamilton MT 59840
406-375-6600
BS 11-19, 11-26, 123-25. MNAXLP
CORVALLIS COUNTY
SEWER DISTRICT Notice is Hereby Given that the Board of Directors of the Corvallis County Sewer District will hold a Public Hearing at 5:30 pm at the Corvallis WWTP located at 234 Brothers Way in Corvallis for Ordinance No. 15, granting the petition of Janet L. and E. Robin Smyth to annex land into the District. The purpose of this public meeting is to consider and take public comment regarding the proposed ordinance.
The frst reading of Ordinance No. 15 will take place on November 25, 2025. The Second reading of Ordinance No. 15 will take place on December 23, 2025.
The related petition and draft ordinance may be viewed through the following link: https://bit. ly/4pfVUD8
If you have any questions, or would like to make a public comment due to your inability to attend this meeting, you may send comments via postal mail to P.O. Box 134, Corvallis, MT 59825 or via email to ccsdmontana@outlook. com . BS 11-19, 12-17-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE. Notice is hereby given, pursuant to MCA 70-6-411, that a public sale of the contents of UltraDynamics Storage, #3, 1971 N 1st Street, Hamilton, will be held to satisfy a lien against Jason Wilcox, Elements Heating, for unpaid storage and related costs. The sale will be conducted via online auction at storagetreasures.com, bidding to begin November 25, 2025 with the fnal sale held December 11, 2025. The amount due for the unit is $866.00; amounts due are accruing additional monthly rent and costs associated with public sale. The unit contains HVAC supplies and tools. Pictures will be available at storagetreasures.com. Entire contents of the unit must be removed within 48 hours by the purchaser. Units are reserved subject to redemption by owner prior to sale. For questions, contact Cardinal Properties at 406-363-4430. BS 11-19, 11-26, 12-3, 12-10-25.
MNAXLP
Michael J. Moore / Erica T. deVries COLLECTION BUREAU SERVICES, INC. PO Box 7339 Missoula, MT 598077339 (406) 721-4454
Attorneys for Plaintif MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY COLLECTION BUREAU SERVICES, INC., Plaintif, RICK PRITCHETT, JENNIFER L. PRITCHETT, BITTERROOT COMMUNITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, CBM COLLECTIONS INC., A/K/A CB1, INC, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY – INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, RAVALLI COUNTY, a Political Subdivision of the State of Montana and DOES 1-5, Defendants. CAUSE No. DV-412022-434-FO DEPT. No. 1 SECOND AMENDED SUMMONS IN A FORECLOSURE ACTION, DOES 1-5 THE STATE OF MONTANA SENDS GREETINGS TO THE ABOVE-NAMED
DEFENDANTS: Does 1 – 5, being any unknown person who claim or might claim any present or contingent right, title, estate, interest in, lien or encumbrance upon such property or any part thereof, adverse to Plaintif’s claims sought to be foreclosed herein, including any right of inchoate or accrued dower, A lawsuit has been fled against you.
Within 21 days after service of this summons on you or (42 days if you are the State of Montana, a state agency, or a state ofcer or employee), you must serve on the plaintif an answer to the attached complaint or a motion under Rule 12 of the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure.
Do not include the day you were served in your calculation of time. The answer or motion must be served on the plaintif or plaintif’s attorney, if plaintif is represented by an attorney, whose name and address are listed above.
If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint.
You also must fle your answer or motion with the court.
This action is brought for the purpose of foreclosing Plaintif’s judgment lien on real property located in Ravalli County and described as follows:
NW¼NW¼N½W½NW¼ Section 18, Township 5 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana
Recording Reference: Book 121 of Deeds, page 59. EXCEPTING AND RESERVING THEREFROM that portion deeded to the State of Montana in Book 121 of Deeds, page 604.
Also known as Lot 2, Block 1, Cummings Subdivision, Ravalli County, Montana, according to the ofcial plat recorded January 24, 1964, as Instrument No. 160462. WITNESS my hand and seal of said Court the 4th day of November, 1025. Paige Trautwein
Clerk of Court
By: Kimberly Provence
Deputy Clerk A24380/5. BS 11-19, 11-26, 123-25. MNAXLP
Craig Mungas
State Bar No. 6746
BJM Law PLLC 2809 Great Northern Loop, Ste 100 Missoula, Montana 59808
Telephone: 406-7218896
Telefax: 406-541-8037
Email: craig@bjmattorneys.com
Attorneys for Tawnya Luce, Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: GEORGE A. BIDDLE, Deceased Dept. No.: 2
Cause No.: DP-412025-136
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named Estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to TAWNYA LUCE, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at c/o BJM Law PLLC, 2809 Great Northern Loop, Suite 100, Missoula, MT 59808, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
DATED this 17th day of November 2025.
/s/ Tawnya Luce, Personal Representative BJM Law PLLC By: Craig Mungas
Attorneys for Tawnya Luce, Personal Representative BS 11-19, 11-26, 123-25. MNAXLP
Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County
In the Matter of the Name Change of Donna Lee Farthing, Donna Lee Farthing, Petitioner.
Cause No.: DV-25-416
Dept. 1
NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE
This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Donna Lee Farthing to Donna Lee Clay. The hearing will be on January 7, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.
DATED this 18th day of November, 2025.
/s/ Paige Trautwein
Clerk of District Court By: Catherine Di Gleria Deputy Clerk of Court BS 11-26, 12-3, 12-10, 12-17-25.
MNAXLP
Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County In the Matter of the Name Change of Mary Kathryn Laird-Hollister, Mary Kathryn Laird-Hollister, Petitioner. Cause No.: DV-412025-0000410-NC
Dept. No.: Jennifer B. Lint
NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE
This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a change of name from Mary Kathryn Laird-Hollister to Leora Ryan Wilder.
The hearing will be on December 18, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.
DATED this 10th day of November, 2025.
/s/ Paige Trautwein Clerk of District Court
By: Sarah Sargent
Deputy Clerk of Court
BS 11-26, 12-3, 12-10, 12-17-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 2025 GROWTH POLICY AT THE PLANNING & ZONING BOARD MEETING
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2025 @ 5:00 PM
The Stevensville Planning & Zoning Board will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday December 10, 2025 @ 5:00pm at Town Hall, 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, MT 59870 for the purpose of obtaining public comments regarding the updated and completed 2025 Growth Policy and making their recommendation for adoption to the Town Council. A Special Town Council Meeting will be held on December 18, 2025 @ 5:30pm. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to express their opinions regarding the 2025 Growth Policy. Comments may be given orally at the public hearing or submitted in writing via email to townclerk@townofstevensville. gov mail to: Town of Stevensville, Attention Town Clerk, PO Box 30, Stevensville, MT 59870 before 5:00 pm on December 10, 2025. Copies of the draft document are available for public review at Town Hall, and on the Town’s website. Questions, comments or more information may be obtained by contacting Town Hall at 406-777-5271.
Attest: Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 11-26, 12-3-2025. MNAXLP
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LOUIS JAMES LAVERGNE, JR., Deceased.
Probate No.: DP-2025140 Dept. No.: 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Toni Lavergne has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the said decedent are required to present their claims within four (4)
months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred. Claims must either be mailed to Toni Lavergne, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at c/o Montana Legacy Law, PLLC, 178 South 2nd St., Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court. BS 11-26, 12-3, 1210-25.
MNAXLP
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT RAVALLI COUNTY IN RE THE ESTATE OF: MARY JANE MOHN, Deceased. Cause No. DP-41-2025137 Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed Personal Representative of the above-named estate. All persons having claims against the decedent are required to present their claims within four months after the date of the frst publication of this notice or said claims will be forever barred.
Claims must either be mailed to the Personal Representative, Robert L. Elliott, return receipt requested, c/o Nelson Law Ofce PLLC, 217 North Third Street, Suite J, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
DATED 24th day of November 2025. /s/ William J Nelson, Attorney for Personal Representative /s/ Robert L. Elliott, Personal Representative BS 11-26, 12-3, 1210-25.
MNAXLP
INVITATION TO BID
Separate sealed bids for construction of CORVALLIS LIFT STATION IMPROVEMENTS will be received by CORVALLIS COUNTY SEWER electronically through QuestCDN bidding site, www.questcdn.com, until 2:00 PM local time on Friday, December 19, 2025, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read via a Teams meeting.
The project generally consists of, but is not necessarily limited to, the following major items: Construction of new lift station and decommissioning of existing lift station utilizing owner furnished pumps and piping appurtenances.
The Contract Documents consisting of halfsize Drawings and Project Manual may be viewed or obtained by either electronic documents on-line. Only frms obtaining documents by these methods will be placed on the Planholders List.
Complete electronic Project Plans, Specifcations, and Bid Proposal Packet are available at the Morrison-Maierle website “www.m-m.net”. There is a non-refundable fee of $40.00 to download the documents. Contact QuestCDN at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in membership registration.
The QuestCDN ebiddoc number for this project is: #9973401
This project will be utilizing vBid. vBid is Quests online bidding service that streamlines the bidding process for owners and solicitors, allowing an efective and efcient way to build and accept bids through a secure online network. The cost per planholder is an additional $22.00.
In addition, the Drawings and Project Manual may also be examined at
the following locations: Corvallis County Sewer District and the ofces of the consulting engineer, Morrison-Maierle, Inc., at 1055 Mount Ave, Missoula, MT; Montana Plan Exchanges at Montanabid. com. There will be a Pre-Bid Conference at the ofce of Corvallis County Sewer District at 3:00 PM on Wednesday December 10, 2025. Interested CONTRACTORS are encouraged to attend. A tour of the project site and review of Owner furnished materials will be conducted after the meeting. All laborers and mechanics employed by CONTRACTOR(s) or subcontractors in performance of the construction work shall be paid wages at rates as may be required by the laws of the state of Montana and of Ravalli County in accordance with the schedule of Montana Prevailing Wage Rates established by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry included in the Project Manual. The CONTRACTOR must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Each bid or proposal must be accompanied by a Certifed Check, Cashier’s Check, or Bid Bond payable to CORVALLIS COUNTY SEWER DISTRICT, in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the bid. Successful BIDDERS shall furnish an approved Construction Performance Bond and a Construction (Labor and Materials) Payment Bond, each in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount. Insurance as required shall be provided by the successful BIDDER(s) and a certifcate(s) of that insurance shall be provided. A bid may not be withdrawn after the scheduled time for the public opening of the Bids specifed above unless it meets requirements and procedures outlined in Article 16.02 of the Instructions to Bidders. The right is reserved to reject any or all Proposals received, to waive informalities, to postpone the award of the contract for a period of not to exceed sixty (60) days, and to accept the lowest responsive and responsible bid which is in the best interest of the CORVALLIS COUNTY SEWER DISTRICT. The CONTRACTOR(s) is required to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Published at Corvallis Montana this 3 day of December, 2025 /s/ Lyndi Henson District Clerk Address: PO Box 134 Corvallis, Montana 59828 BS 12-3, 12-10-25. MNAXLP
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