WATER: Painted Rocks draw-down weeks ahead of schedule
Iman said, “We are all subject to what Mother Nature gives us.” Because of that, Iman thinks everyone should start considering their water use now.
He also gave some advice on water use, saying a lot of people, by nature, overwater.
Iman said less water won’t hurt the grass, but if everyone does that, it will substantially help the rest of the season. He also wanted to express to people that the water used around May potentially will not get used again this season. That water has to make it through the water table in the earth before it comes back out somewhere, and when the water table is not as saturated as it has been on regular years, that can take a long time.
“This year might be a real tough one,” added Iman.
Iman noted that another concern on the horizon is that the dam is over 80 years old. He and others are looking to see if any repairs are necessary, and the state is coming up with the fgures and costs to see what that might look like. So far, the dam has no leaks, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, according to Iman, with the thing being an earthen dam, and standing over 75 feet in height, it is considered a “high hazard dam.” Such a project would take fve to 10 years just to get permitting squared away, and with such a reliance on the dam in the valley, they are trying
to stay on top of it. As for the contracts, all the reservoir water under contract is to be released by the end of September.
After that, there is also a contract with Lake Como’s dam, where another 3,000 acre-feet is to be released to help supplement the fow. However, that reservoir is almost entirely contracted for agriculture irrigation. That late-fall fow was contracted to help spawning brown trout. This year, every little bit will help.
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According to Iman, “We live in a world where some years there are excesses, and some there are defciencies.” This year is one of those short years, where times may get tough. The goal of the reservoir, according to Iman, is to see that “everybody hurts a little, but nobody starves.” The dam will continue to allow limited water back into the system to extend the season, but there is only so much that can be done. The best thing is for people to try to preserve the water already in the
system as much as possible.
“We will try to make the water that’s left last as long as we can for in-stream fow and irrigation use,” said Iman. “But, everybody needs to be aware that this is an unusual year.”
Last year the system and the reservoir had enough water to make it county fair time – the end of August – and with some late summer rain storms, the fow was carried through the season. However, according to Iman, “This year we’ll be lucky to make fair.”
Painted Rocks Reservoir. Star fle photo.
Sacajawea Day held in Darby
by John Dowd
On the Fourth of July, while many were out celebrating the birth of independence for the nation, a few were celebrating another great American achievement: the expedition of Lewis and Clark. One of the stops on the trail of the Corps of Discovery was in Darby, and it was on the Fourth of July that the party was passing through the Darby area and into the Bitterroot Valley. To celebrate the journey of the Corps, and to honor one of the key members, the Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group has been working on Sacajawea Park.
Last week, on the Fourth, the civic group held their annual Sacajawea Day, to remember how Sacajawea played numerous important roles for the adventure. This was the sixth year they have held Sacajawea Day. Gay Findley, the president of the Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group, said the group has been in the area for a long time, and does a lot of things for Darby and the surrounding area. Speaking about what the civic group has accomplished, she said they were instrumental in establishing the crosswalks in Darby, and give scholarships to area residents. They also do the road banners in Darby, but a big part of their activities revolve around the Sacajawea Park.
“I’d like to see our history remain current with the public,” said Findley. Before the group’s work on the park, it was an “eyesore,” where an old building had burned down. They have been raising money to clean up the space and have put up informational signs, as well as a bronze statue of Sacajawea with her child there. There is also a huge mural along one of the walls that has been in progress for a couple of years.
The big event every year is the group’s Sacajawea Day, which they believe is pertinent that day because that was the time of year the Corps of Discovery found themselves in the Darby area. Darby was also one of only a few areas the Corps visited twice in their journey.
During the presentations, the frst welcomed on stage by Findley was Jayne Azzarello, the artist, and group member, who has been painting the mural. Azzarello said she has a scientifc illustration background, and has been working with Darby students Carlos Alonzo and Sophia Hamblen for the last couple years to paint the mural.
Azzarello said the subject of the mural has been a joy to research. Searching for a subject to depict on the wall in the park started with the idea that it should showcase something about the time the Corps came through Darby. This was an instrumental time where Sacajawea’s importance to the Corps was at its utmost. By pure chance, they ran into a tribe of Native Americans when the Corps needed help in a dire way. It also happened that the chief of the tribe was Sacajawea’s brother, Cameahwait. The Shoshone chief helped the Corps and allowed them to continue their journey.
According to Azzarello, the time
the Corps spent in the Darby area, especially on their return journey, is a subject that has not been covered in great detail. She also stated that she has done some horse packing, and when looking at the trek the Corps, she noted that at one time they had over 50 horses. From her packing experience, that is an incredible feat, especially considering that many of these horses were likely still a bit wild at heart, having been bred in the West and given to the Corps by the Native Americans.
According to Azzarello’s research, the Corps camped at the north shore of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River at that time, and even lost a few horses, sending a handful of men to retrieve them. She said this long pack train, and their time in Darby, was the action she wanted to depict.
Azzarello hopes the mural’s paint work will be completed by the end of this summer. After that, the civic group was able to obtain a grant from the Rapp Family Foundation for some metal work that will become part of the mural. This metal portion will include a foral border around a map, with trails depicting where the Corps traveled. The foral depictions will be based on plants described in the journals of Lewis and Clark, many of which Sacajawea would likely have taught the Corps how to identify and use.
This foral theme made it into the presentation given by the star speaker of the day, Rose Ann Abrahamson, an educator and cultural history expert with the Lemhi Shoshone people. She is also the descendant niece of Sacajawea, tracing her ancestry back to Chief Cameahwait.
Abrahamson has come the last couple years to present at Darby’s Sacajawea Day, mainly to give the perspective of the natives and to honor her ancestors. This year, she attended with her daughter, Willow Abrahamson, and both gave a talk about Sacajawea’s perspective, as well as on several native plants that the Corps would likely have learned from Sacajawea. This presentation tied into the upcoming metal work project to go along with the mural.
According to Findley, it is always a wonderful treat to have Rose come out to present and said Rose “loves coming back into the valley because of the family connection.”
The civic group hosts a car show as well that helps raise money for the work they do. They have an upcoming chili contest on September 27, with a rafe they started during Sacajawea Day. The chili contest starts at 11 a.m. and will be in the Darby Clubhouse. They will also host an author’s gathering, inviting Montana authors to attend and read excerpts from their books. It is a fun networking event that Findley says has been a success every year. The will take place August 9, starting at 10 a.m. For more information on the Bitterroot Heritage Civic Group events, Sacajawea Park and more, interested parties can call Findley at (406) 531-4172.
The mural in Sacajawea Park. Photo courtesy Jayne Azzarello.
Rose Ann Abrahamson and her daughter WIllow give their presentation during Darby’s Sacajawea Day. Photo by John Dowd.
The statue of Sacajawea that stands in Darby’s Sacajawea Park. Star fle photo.
Continued from page 1
Fort Peck Dam. He started drinking and only sent home $10 a month. My mother had to sell the animals and most of the land to exist and when I was 11, I started working in the hayfields driving team on an overshot stacker during most of the summer. When I was 14 and 15, I worked in the woods skidding logs with a team. When I was 16 and 17, I worked on some small cow ranches during the summer and drove a bundle rack during threshing time. In December 1942, I joined the Navy and trained as an aviation radio/radar operator and gunner. I served in patrol bombers in the Aleutian Islands where we raided the Kurile Islands north of Hokkaido, Japan, and then in the Philippine Islands. I was discharged in 1946 as an Aviation Radioman 2nd class and
then worked on ranches and in the woods. I re-enlisted in the Army in 1949 and ended up as a Staff Sergeant in the 4th Infantry Division in Frankfurt, Germany. It was there I met my wife and we were married 65 years when she passed away in Discovery Care Centre this past March. When I was discharged I continued to work in the woods and also in the Anaconda smelter and on ranches in the Deer Lodge Valley. I started taking correspondence courses and got a job on a seismograph crew in eastern Montana and then as a survey instrument man and then party chief in North and South Dakota and Colorado. We had to move about six times a year so I applied with the Civic Aeronautics Commission (later FAA) as an electronics technician in Pueblo, Colorado. With schooling at the FAA Academy I learned to maintain the nav/aids, communications, radar, and digital facilities. I even maintained the old mountaintop light beacons. I worked in Colorado, Montana, Oklahoma, California, Utah and Nevada.
After attending several colleges and correspondence courses, I finally got my bachelors degree at age 45. I worked in management my last 10 years with FAA. I retired in 1981 and
went to work as a systems engineer at Vandenberg AFB in California on missile tracking systems. I stayed there for the first two MX missile launches and then went to Hill AFB in Utah as a senior engineer and then as Principle Engineer working with aircraft and cruise missile tracking systems. My last four years I was in different layers of engineering management. This was my ideal job if it hadn’t been in Utah. When I retired completely, we bought an acreage and built a house north of Victor. We both liked fishing and I liked hunting and gathering firewood. After a few years I had a bout of heart failure and when I got out of the hospital, my wife had sold the place and one of the nicest horses I ever had. We bought an acreage with lots of brush and timber near Ronan and built a house. We lived half a mile from the highway where the mailbox was. My wife would walk there to get the mail. One day just as she got the mail she saw what she thought was an Angus cow trying to climb a tree. Then she realized it was a bear. She ran screaming to the two nearest neighbors’ houses and nobody was home. She ran screaming for me up the road and when she got there I kind of scoffed at her experience. I was splitting wood and had my axes soaking in a bucket of water. I went to the other side of the house to change a sprinkler, looked back and there was a bear drinking out of the bucket. We both ran into the house, looked out a window and there was the mama and her cub grazing on our lawn. A couple mornings later we found a lot
of bear tracks on our deck and that was enough for my wife, so we sold the place and bought a place o na couple of acres north of Polson. We both loved that place and I must say I like it much better up there than I do down here.
Because of my Canadian roots and my wife being German, we traveled to the German stores and restaurants in Calgary, Vancouver, Kimberly and the Kutenai Lake area, and to Leavenworth, Tacoma and Portland. We also took quite a few trips to Germany. My wife liked to play the slots in Nevada so I’d time it with a rodeo because for me gambling is one of the most boring things you can do.
Unfortunately, it got to the point where neither my wife nor I could care for the large house and the very large yard so, since our daughter lived in Victor, we had a house built a couple of miles from Corvallis in 2002. My wife developed dementia and I was unable to care for her so we moved her into Discovery Care Centre in 2015. I visited her every day except if I was contagious or when she was quarantined. The worst day of my life was when I lost her last March.
We have two daughters, one of whom, Lore, lives in Victor. We attend church and bible study at Grace Lutheran Church and she comes to bible study and country music here at Sapphire Lutheran Homes.She had her own country band in North Carolina. Our other daughter lives near Grand Junction, CO, where they run a business and also breed Paint horses. Her husband played safety with the Chicago Bears from 1977 until the end of the pre-season in 1983. He got picked up by the Buffalo Bills and played there through that year and half of 1984 when he broke his leg. With all his other injuries that was enough and he is suffering for those years now. My wife really loved going to the games. We went to games in Chicago, Buffalo, Denver, San Francisco, LA, Oakland, and San Diego. We even got to see O.J. Simpson and Joe Namath in their fading years. My happiest memories are having a wife and two daughters who I dearly love and having a wonderful savior in Jesus Christ. I spend my time now trying to get my computer and my cell phone to obey me. I enjoy reading and have more than 300 books, nearly all of which I’ve read although, since my cataract surgery, my eyes get tired after a couple of hours. I also enjoy going to bible study, watching the country music on Sundays, and going for rides. I would like to have lived in Charlie Russell’s era and he would be my favorite person to meet.
Bitterroot Forest moves to ‘high’ fre danger
The Bitterroot National Forest has increasing its fire danger level to “High” due to expected lower relative humidities and warmer temperatures into the mid-90s. The Forest encourages everyone to help prevent human-caused fires with a few helpful tips while visiting public lands.
When fire danger is “High” fires will start from most causes. Fires will spread rapidly, and short-distance spotting is common. All fine dead fuels ignite readily, and unattended brush and campfires are likely to escape. High intensity burning may develop on slopes or in concentrations of fine fuels. Fires may become serious and their control difficult unless they are hit hard and fast while small.
Keep these tips in mind to help prevent human-caused wildfires:
Leave fireworks at home
Fireworks and pyrotechnics are
prohibited on public lands — every forest, every campsite, every day.
Keep vehicle safety in mind
Do not drive or park on dry grass. Hot exhaust pipes or sparks can start a fire.
When pulling a trailer, be sure safety chains and other metal parts aren’t hanging from your vehicle – loose chains can drag and cause sparks.
Drown your campfire
Where campfires are allowed, choose a site with an existing ring. Fire pits in established campgrounds are the best spots. If you choose to build a campfire, avoid building it near your tent, structures, vehicles, shrubs or trees and be aware of low-hanging branches overhead. Clear the site down to bare soil, at least five feet on all sides, and circle it with rocks. Store unused firewood a good distance from the fire.
Never leave a fire unattended and make sure your fire is ‘dead out’ and cold to the touch before leaving your campsite. Use the drown, stir, feel method when extinguishing your campfire. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.
Never build a campfire in an unauthorized area or in an area that is under fire restrictions. Find information on fire restrictions at: www. mtfireinfo.org
Consider alternatives to a campfire such as portable gas stoves that use bottled, liquid fuels or a propane fire ring.
Smoke responsibly
Follow all posted restrictions. Never discard cigarette butts on the ground or in vegetation. Fully extinguish cigarette butts before throwing them away.
Practice firearm safety
When target shooting, take a few
simple precautions to prevent an accidental fire:
• place your target on dirt or gravel,
• switch to paper targets,
• avoid incendiary targets and exploding ammunition,
• bring a shovel and fire extinguisher, and
• report any fires by calling 911.
Know before you go Check online or with the nearest ranger station about any fire restrictions or closures that might be in place before leaving home.
Visit One Less Spark for more great tips on how to prevent wildfire and be prepared for fire season. To learn more about campfire safety visit www.smokeybear.com. For more information on regulations for the Bitterroot National Forest please visit www.fs.usda.gov/ r01/bitterroot and www.facebook. com/DiscoverBitterrootNF
CELL: commissioner balks at footing review bill
from page 1
landowners would pay for it.
The landowners responded, stating “while we appreciate and agree with you recognizing a need for a thirdparty” they believed it was the responsibility of the county to do the review.
Commissioner Greg Chilcott stated that the commissioners did not recognize the need for a review; they simply heard a request from some members of the public and recognized their desire for such a review.
Commissioner Jef Burrows said that in discussions with the potential third-party reviewer, he understood that there were a lot of diferent inputs you can put into the modelling to make a determination on the feasibility of using an existing tower and many ways to mitigate any negative results indicating that there is a gap in service or some interference with other towers, such as lowering the power output or changing the direction of the signal.
“If Vertical Bridge and T-Mobile ran a scenario where we are at full power
pointed in this direction you could have coverage gaps,” said Burrows. “But did they run it looking at alternative powers and directions?” He said these were questions that needed answering. He said the consultant also mentioned that what he sees more often is that the cell phone company pays for thirdparty reviews. Burrows suggested that they reach out to Vertical Bridge and see if they were willing to do it. Another question raised was whether or not a “drive test” was conducted to determine the actual coverage area and identify gaps.
“All I know is that we deal with engineers all the time and we don’t go out and hire an independent engineer for a review,” said Chilcott.
Burrows said that if it was a $25,000 cost that it would be diferent, but the company was covering other mitigation costs and that, if the company was confdent in its data, getting an independent third-party review would make it easier to approve a
variance.
Commissioner Dan Huls said that he didn’t see anything wrong with asking Vertical Bridge if they are willing. Chilcott said that engineers are not attorneys. “They have a code of ethics. They run the numbers. I recognize that there are diferent methodologies, but I think back to how many subdivisions we have where engineers come in and say here is what we have. If we had to go out and hire independent review for every application because the neighbors don’t like it and want us to pay for it…”
“There’s one big diference here,” said Burrows. “It is a variance to an ordinance that they are requesting to do. If this was a pro-forma, here’s the approval process, that’s one thing. But that’s why subdivisions that want to get variances get kind of dicey, because here’s the expectations, the predictability, the process and the regulation and when you vary from that, especially in the case of an ordinance, which is the highest level of law here that we can
approve, it seems to me the bar should be set very high to vary from that. The bottom line for me is that we should at least reach out to Vertical Bridge and see what they say.”
“If they are willing to do it, then great,” said Chilcott.
On Monday, Burrows said that Vertical Bridge has indicated that they may be willing to pay for a third-party review but maybe not with the consulting company that made the ofer since they were not really an engineering frm. Burrows also said that Vertical Bridge stated that no drive test had been performed in relation to the application. He also said that he had heard from the owners of the Grubstake that they would consider making a 20-foot height extension to the tower located on their property to accommodate the new service if that would help the situation.
Burrows said that he believed negotiations with Vertical Bridge were going to lead to some positive results.
Continued
Midwife Amber Lavin ofers full-spectrum women’s
For Certifed Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner Amber Lavin, caring for women through every stage of life isn’t just her profession—it’s her passion. From annual wellness visits and reproductive health to prenatal care and delivering babies, Amber ofers comprehensive women’s health services at Bitterroot Health – Stevensville Clinic, while also supporting families through labor and delivery at Bitterroot Health’s Birthing Center in Hamilton.
“I love that I can care for women through all seasons of their lives—from adolescence through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond,” says Lavin. “And when it’s time to give birth, I’m right there with them, supporting them every step of the way.”
Originally from Darby, Lavin earned both her Bachelor’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from the University of Utah. Before joining Bitterroot Health in late 2024, she spent nearly a decade providing midwifery and women’s healthcare at Logan Health in Kalispell and Blackfeet Community Hospital in Browning.
Amber’s approach to care is centered around education, informed choice, and genuine connection. She supports a personalized, holistic birthing experience designed around your preferences and goals. Services include:
• Shared decision-making throughout pregnancy, labor, and birth
• Delayed newborn baths to support natural transitions
• Support for your unique birth plan, including the option for epidurals
• Continuous midwifery support during labor
• Freedom to move, eat, and drink during labor
• The option to labor in the tub and deliver in various positions
• Intermittent fetal monitoring when appropriate
• Delayed cord clamping and immediate skin-to-skin bonding
• Post-birth breastfeeding support from our Certifed Lactation Specialist
• Prenatal and postpartum care
• Free childbirth classes open to all families in the community
• Seamless access to 24/7 backup from our Obstetrics team if complications arise—Amber remains by your side and assists during surgical births when needed
When it’s time for delivery, patients can receive continuity of care with Amber at Bitterroot Health’s
Birthing Center, where midwifery is at the heart of the patient experience.
“Every birth is diferent, but every patient deserves to feel safe, strong, and empowered,” she says. “That’s what we ofer here—personalized, compassionate care from start to fnish.”
Lavin is now welcoming new patients in Stevensville. To schedule an appointment with Amber Lavin, call the Bitterroot Health Stevensville Clinic at (406) 777-6002 or visit bitterroothealth.org/midwifery.
On the Horizon: Bitterroot Health
is expanding its Women’s Health team with the addition of two new OB/GYN physicians; Dr. Nick Chobanian joined the Obstetrics and Gynecology team in mid-June, followed by Dr. Jordan Albreicht, who is set to arrive later this summer—ofering accessible care for women in every stage of life. To learn more about the Birthing Center and free childbirth classes open to the public, visit bitterroothealth.org/BirthingCenter. To explore Women’s Health services at Bitterroot Health, visit bitterroothealth.org/womenshealth.
Amber Lavin and her family. Photo courtesy Bitterroot Health.
Chinese Communist Pa rty’s influence on American soil
Sh en Yun Performing Arts, an American-born company based in New York and founded by asylum seekers from China, knows firsthand the violence and oppression of the Chinese Communist Party. Since its inception, the company and its performers have been targeted through transnational repression for exposing the persecution of practitioners of the spiritual practice, Falun Gong.
Shen Yun is a global phenomenon and has performed worldwide since 2006 to rave reviews, including fullhouse performances in Billings. Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture before the advent of communism through dance and music.
Financial support by the CCP to U.S. institutions, media, social media, and legal campaigns is being used to sway public opinion negatively about the performing group in hopes of silencing their message. The uptick in threats to performers has increased since 2024, and will continue to infiltrate our society if left unchecked. May I encourage you to visit “Campaign to Sabotage Shen Yun and Eliminate Falun Gong Globally” on Faluninfo.net
Katherine Combes Kalispell
More energy realism
Whi le it is commendable that Fred Thomas is willing to buck his party’s leadership and admit that we must transition to renewable sources of energy (June 25 2025), it remains the case that he fails to acknowledge the urgency of the climate crisis and the scale at which we must act. It is also unfortunate that Mr. Thomas fails to understand that when he speaks of the “competitive marginal cost” of fossil fuel energy or its “affordability,” the costs to our ecosystem and biosphere are never included in this accounting. Those costs, such as rising sea levels, extended drought (and associated mass migration), or the accelerated rate of species extinction, are considered “externalities” and never included in the price we pay.
This is not what Fred Thomas calls a “political narrative” or “ideological campaign,” it is a feature of market economics, a feature which is dooming future generations. Speaking of “ideological campaigns,” Mr. Thomas’ claims about Colstrip “pollution controls” is a classic example. It is widely known that the plant is the nation’s number one bad actor for toxic air pollution. Colstrip Unit 4 has the highest emission rate of toxic pollutants of any coal-burning unit in the nation. Its emissions rate is 50% higher than the next closest coal unit. Colstrip Unit 3 is not far behind, having the third highest toxic air emissions rate in the nation.
A few months ago, the United Nations Environment Program warned that global emissions must be cut by 42% by 2030 and 57 per cent by 2035 to keep warming under 1.5 degrees. Achieving that, or anything close to it, would require an emergency action program to stop all new extraction of fossil fuels, and rapidly phase out major sources of emissions. This includes Colstrip. I agree with Mr. Thomas that the
Colstrip community deserves a “just transition” to a new economic base, but I believe it must happen immediately if not sooner.
David Jones Hamilton
Zinke, do you s upport
us?
Wel l, Congressman Zinke, time again to choose whether you are able to support the people of Montana as opposed to the pocketbooks of those that got you elected. Will you support Montana or the ultra-wealthy? Will you support the four billionaires, and the 23,785 millionaires (5.28% of population), or will you support the remaining 1,116,211 Montanans?
This “Big Beautiful Bill” of the current administration seems to be heavily skewed toward a minority of people in our state.
Will you be advocating the removal of 31,000 Montanans from the Medicaid rolls? The impact on 214,000 Montanans or will you lean heavily into benefiting the few to appease the current administration’s goal of eviscerating social programs? You know, some of the programs that have made America a great country to live in.
Congressman Zinke - please do right by the people of Montana. Vote in support of the people you represent.
The Senate has passed the ball back to the House. It’s not a stretch of imagination to think you are going to toss aside the people of Montana (again) in appeasing your masters. I just wish it wasn’t so. It’s up to you, again. Do you support Montanans or those that got you elected? Is your support for the money that bought your position or will your support be for the people?
Larry Keogh Hamilton
Trump Effect 9
OK , one kudo. NATO members raising contribution to 5%. Trump did that through bullying and threats, as he does with every opponent (silly you, you thought those countries were friends). Appropriate tactics, since he is leading us from morality to immorality. America, once a haven of freedom and tolerance, now a nation of cruelty and imprisonment. Are you not worried that imprisoning noncriminal adults won’t one day come for you or your grandchildren? I am. Sure, these draconian measures will scare people away, no longer dreaming of freedom and prosperity in America. Now they see us becoming an immoral nation, with Gestapo tactics and steady erosion of civic pride. Not to mention jails, the ones in poorer states and in impoverished nations. We used to distribute medicines; now we distribute prisoners. What a fall from grace.
Linda Schmitt Corvallis
Food cuts hit P antry Partners
It is not just in Gaza that people are hungry. Here in Ravalli County, 33 percent of the population is food-insufficient.
In March, $1 billion in funding was cut from the federal budget for food banks and local schools. The
money was designed to pay local farmers to give fresh options to children and communities.
Two years ago, non-profits like SAFE and Genesis House had their federal food commodities cut, which represented about 25 percent of their food budget.
Millions of low-income households and 1 in 5 children will lose their SNAP and WIC food stamps ($230 billion in aid) now that Pres. Trump’s budget bill has passed. Montana will lose $415 billion over 8 years, and 800 farmers will lose their income.
As of July, the MT Food Bank trucks will stop delivering free and low-cost foods to local food banks like Stevensville’s Pantry Partners. The Pantry will need to increase their gleaning and buying, time and money consuming efforts for their volunteers.
Janet, Pantry Partners Public Outreach Coordinator, says the situation will be dire for them by September, when she estimates the Pantry will be receiving 40 percent less food and getting more food insufficient clients! Summer will be somewhat better as local growers donate fresh produce, fruit, and eggs.
Are you able to donate food and money on a regular basis to help with this crisis? Or perhaps volunteer? The Pantry distributes 12,000 pounds of food each month, and serves 3,500 customers annually. The client numbers will increase because of the loss of food stamps, plus the Pantry always sees an increase of people in the winter. A perfect storm!
Among the most needed foods are protein-based and shelf stable meals like Chef Boyardee, stews, corned beef hash, tuna, salmon, mac and cheese, peanut butter, soups, canned vegetables, fruits and fruit cups, boxed juice, cereals, spaghetti, rice, packaged potato and bread mixes, coffee and tea. Fresh produce is always welcome.
Food donations can be brought to the Pantry at Middle Burnt Fork Rd. and ALC Way on Monday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monetary donations can be mailed to PO Box 806, Stevensville, MT 59870.
Jesus tells us to “feed the hungry” and that plea is repeated 22 more times in the Bible. Please respond to this food crisis as soon and as often as you can.
Hazel Smith Stevensville
Rural libraries at risk as federal fu nding freezes
F ederal grants often serve as the backbone of rural library services. Without their local library, many communities would lose access to basic resources. However, recent federal actions have placed critical funding for public libraries and museums in jeopardy.
Following an executive order from President Trump, the future of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been uncertain. Staff were placed on administrative leave, and grant processing came to a halt.
The consequences are especially severe in rural areas. In Nebraska, where library funding varies by locality, federal support helps bridge gaps between city- and county-funded systems. Without it, rural patrons may face reduced hours, increased service fees, or loss of access altogether.
In 2024, Nebraska received more than $2 million in IMLS funding and South Dakota received $1.4 million, primarily through the Grants to States program. These grants support everything from technology upgrades and digital access to early literacy programs, staff training, and outreach services. In South Dakota, the funding freeze has already ended the interlibrary courier service, forcing libraries to rely on more expensive shipping options. Access to statewide databases and services for residents with disabilities are also at risk.
The IMLS represents a small portion of the federal budget—just 75 cents per American in 2024—but plays a vital role in maintaining access to education, technology, and community services. Across the country, libraries have already begun scaling back. Some have lost access to digital platforms; others have paused national projects or eliminated services altogether.
Libraries and museums are essential civic infrastructure. If left unaddressed, the federal funding freeze will erode library services across the U.S., particularly in low-income, rural, and underserved communities. Weakening the agency that supports them threatens to unravel the public services millions rely on every day.
Madeline Faber, policy associate Center for Rural Afairs
Make an immediate diference by giving blood now
The American Red Cross urges all donors to give blood now to keep the blood supply strong this summer. Type O blood products are most needed on hospital shelves – especially in the face of summer challenges that can quickly cause blood and platelet reserves to drop.
In addition to summer fun and holidays, severe summer weather can have a sudden impact on the ability to collect blood and platelets. Scheduling and keeping donation appointments are crucial this month to ensure blood products are constantly available in the weeks to come for all patients, including those in trauma situations that may require several lifesaving transfusions.
All blood types are needed, and donors who don’t know their blood type can learn it after donation. Book a time to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.
As a thank-you, all who come to give by July 14, 2025, will receive an exclusive pair of Red Cross x goodr sunglasses, while supplies last. Donors can personalize their one-of-a-kind shades with a blood type sticker that’s included! For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/goodr.
For those who come to give July
15-31, 2025, the Red Cross will say thanks with a Fandango Movie Reward by email. Use it to catch a summer blockbuster on the Red Cross! See RedCrossBlood.org/July.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities in the Bitterroot:
Florence
7/10/2025: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Florence-Carlton Community Church, 20075 Old Hwy. 93
Stevensville
7/11/2025: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Stevensville Community Blood Drive at Stevensville United Methodist Church, 216 College St.
7/15/2025: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 100 Madison St.
7/16/2025: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Community Medical Center, 2827 Fort Missoula Road
7/18/2025: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., PEAK Health and Wellness, 5000 Blue
Mountain Road
7/21/2025: 10 a.m.3:30 p.m., University of Montana - James E. Todd Center, 32 Campus Drive
7/23/2025: 10 a.m.3:30 p.m., University of Montana - James E. Todd Center, 32 Campus Drive
7/24/2025: 10 a.m.3 p.m., Missoula Organization of Realtors, 724 Burlington St.
7/28/2025: 12 p.m.5 p.m., Southgate Mall, 2901 Brooks St.
7/29/2025: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., The Barn on Mullan, 8500 Mullan Road
7/30/2025: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., American Red Cross, 2401 N. Reserve St. How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identifcation are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in
most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/ RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
Medical student embarks on rural medicine journey in Hamilton
Eric Bohrnsen, a dedicated medical student in the University of Washington School of Medicine’s (UWSOM’s) Montana WWAMI program, is immersing himself in the heart of Hamilton from June 29 to July 26, 2025, as part of the school’s Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP). Under the mentorship of Kathi Harder-Brouwer, MD, at Bitterroot Health - Daly Hospital, Eric is poised to gain invaluable experience in a setting that highlights both the challenges and rewards of primary care in rural communities.
Every summer, rising second-year students interested in rural and underserved medicine participate in this unique four-week program. These aspiring physicians are placed in rural
primary care clinics throughout Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho—collectively known as the WWAMI region—where they engage directly with communities that often face signifcant healthcare access issues.
This summer, 91 UWSOM students signed up for RUOP rotations. This is notable because evidence suggests that the RUOP program infuences students toward a primary care career. In the 2025 residency match, 54% of students participating in RUOP chose a residency in general internal medicine, family medicine, or pediatrics.
The RUOP experience is more than just a clinical rotation; it serves as a vital introduction to the realities of practicing medicine in less populated
areas. Students not only hone their medical skills but also develop a deep appreciation for the importance of community service. As part of the program, Eric will undertake a public health service project aimed at making a meaningful impact on the local community while learning frsthand about the intricacies of public health.
Through this immersive journey, Eric is not only preparing for a future in medicine but also embodying the spirit of service at the core of the UW School of Medicine’s mission. For more information about the UW School of Medicine’s RUOP program, visit: https://education.uwmedicine. org/somrural/programs/ruop/
AFFORDABLE ASPHALT is your trusted local expert for asphalt paving & seal coatng - whether
Eric Bohrnsen. Photo courtesy Laura Tanis
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Bitterroot Red Sox results
The Bitterroot Bucs played fve games over the 4th of July weekend at the Spokane Wood Bat tournament. On July 3, the Red Sox lost to the Spokane Expos-Williamson 1-4, then lost to CDA Lumbermen 2-6. On July 4, they defeated the CBA Archers 10-0, and lost to the Edmonton Expos 1-5. Finally, on July 5, the Red Sox defeated the Calgary Blues 14-4.
Red Sox 1, Spokane Expos-Williamson 4
On July 3, the Red Sox had a hard time against the Expos’ strong pitching as Jackson Lubke got the only two hits for the Red Sox, going 2 for 3. Lubke was also the starting pitcher for the Red Sox and only allowed 4 hits, but gave up 4 runs as well.
Red Sox 2, CDA Lumbermen 6
Also on July 3, the Red sox played the CDA Lumbermen and lost 2-6. Red Sox pitcher Cash Lawrence struck out 8 batters, but took the loss. At the plate for the Red Sox, Reese Earp went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Jackson Lubke went 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Jude Widmer went 1 for 4, scored a run and stole two bases.
Red Sox 10, CBA Archers 0
On July 4, the Red Sox defeated the CBA Archers 10-0 in 5 innings. Red Sox pitcher Connor Quinn got the win. At the plate for the Red Sox, Elijah McNair-Neal went 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs, Boedy Tadvick went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Hunter Harness went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, and Jude Widmer went 1 for 1 and scored 3 runs and stole 4 bases.
Red Sox 1, Edmonton Expos 5
Also on July 4, the Red Sox lost to the Edmonton Expos 1-5. The Red Sox ran up against strong pitching by Edmonton and were only able to get two hits, one each from Elijah McNair-Neal and Owen Marston.
over the
Red Sox 14, Calgary Blues 4 Finally, July 5, the Red Sox defeated the Calgary Blues 14-4 in 5
At
Reese Earp went 2 for 2, scored 3 runs and had 2 RBIs, Hunter Harrness went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Boedy Tadvick went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs, and Owen Marston went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs.
Bitterroot Bucs results
The Bitterroot Bucs played fve games over three days at the Firecracker Tournament in Polson. On
July 4, they defeated the Kootenai Valley Rangers 100. On July 5, they lost to the Lethbridge Lakers 10-11, and defeated the South Valley Screwballs 11-0. Then on July 6, they defeated the Mission Valley Mariners 2-1 and lost to the Mariners 1-2.
Bucs 10, Rangers 0
On July 4, the Bucs defeated the Kootenai Valley Rangers 10-0 in 6 innings. Bucs pitcher Alden Crawford got the shutout win, allowing 2 hits and striking out 7 batters. At the plate for the Bucs, Caleb Katen went 2 for 3, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. Wes Potter went 1 for 3 with an RBI, and Chase Wagner went 1 for 3 and scored 2 runs.
Bucs 10, Lakers 11
On July 5, the Bucs
were defeated by the Lethbridge Lakers 10-11. At the plate for the Bucs, Chase Wagner went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs, Mason Arlington went 1 for 3 and scored a run, and Calan Rocco went 1 for 1 with 2 RBIs.
Bucs 11, Screwballs 0
On July 5, the Bucs defeated the South Valley Screwballs 11-0 in 5 innings. Bucs pitchers Mason Arlington and Caleb Katen combined for a no hitterArlington went 4 innings and struck out 9 batters. At the plate, Arlington went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Also at the plate for the Bucs, Caleb Katen went 4 for 4 with 3 RBIs, and Cole Germane went 1 for 2 with an RBI.
Bucs 2, Mariners 1
On July 6, the Bucs defeated the Mission Valley Rangers 2-1. Bucs pitcher Joey Wheeler struck out 5 batters and got the win. At the plate for the Bucs, Drew Wagner went 2 for 4 and scored a run. Mason Arlington went 2 for 3, and McCoy Endres went 1 for 4 and scored a run.
Bucs 1, Mariners 2
Finally, on July 6, the Bucs lost to the Mission Valley Rangers 1-2. At the plate for the Bucs, Joey Wheeler went 1 for 4 with an RBI, Caleb Katen went 1 for 4 and scored a run, and Chase Wagner hit a double.
innings.
the Plate for the Red Sox, Jackson Lubke went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs,
Hunter Harrness of the Bitterroot Red Sox slides into home plate. The Red Sox played in the Spokane Wood Bat tournament
4th of July weekend, winning two games and losing three. Photo by Hope Earp.
Drew Wagner of the Bitterroot Bucs won the Home Run Derby championship ring at the Firecracker Tournament in Polson over the 4th of July weekend. The Bucs won three games and lost two at the tournament. Photo courtesy of Mission Valley Mariners Baseball.
Book Review
Booked for the season
“A Real Emergency: A Memoir” by Joanna Sokol
c.2025, Strange Light
$18.00 464 pages
It’s feast or famine; tear through a task, then you don’t.
Isn’t that always how it goes? You spend hours stomping out metaphoric fres and just when you think you’re done, another fares up. You run like crazy half the day with ten seconds to breath between crises, repeat as necessary. You’re either wrecked by mile-a-minute motion or, as in the new memoir “A Real Emergency” by Joanna Sokol, you deal with someone else’s wreckage.
What was the worst thing you ever saw?
That’s perhaps the most frequent question Joanna Sokol gets when people learn that she was a paramedic for ffteen years. She obliges with appropriately ugly tales of heart attacks and car wrecks, sick kids and homeless folks.
“Yes, I am fun at parties,” she quips.
Her path to a career at the rear of an ambulance began with a “biology program at a competitive university” but the coursework was harder than Sokol expected. Unhappy about being stuck indoors, she cut classes to go snowboarding and hiking before fully dropping out of school to work a series of random jobs that introduced her to rescue personnel and frefghters. Their tales infuenced her to shell out $272 for Emergency Medical Technician classes.
She soon realized that being an EMT was “fun” but paramedics were paid better.
Four years afterward, Sokol was fnally accepted for a two-year paramedic program, she got licensed and found a job in Reno, then San Francisco, both of which were close enough to the ocean for of-time
surfng. Her job was to save lives and ofer comfort which, she says, is often what people really want – but there was also boredom, nonsensical work-
rules, and patients she got to know, enjoy, and others who left her with stories to tell.
“In the United States,” she says,
“we have this thing… this phone number you can call...
“To me, the most incredible thing is... say you need help, and there we are.”
You know you want to know. Even if you’re squeamish, if the sight of corpuscles makes you woozy, you know you want to read the stories author Joanna Sokol tells in “A Real Emergency.” Fortunately for your shaky stomach, they’re not all bloodand-guts.
Instead, Sokol is balanced and thoughtful in this memoir, writing about her coworkers and the job just as much as about the patients she’s tended. There’s gruesomeness, but in proper doses and not gratuitously. Readers get a good sense of what EMTs and paramedics do – yes, there’s a diference – and with that comes outrage at how budgets and corporate ownership afects the work they do and the care we get. Sokol ofers relief from this with stories of her own down-time, funny moments, tales of the miraculous, and words from other paramedics that add to her recollections. It’s a mix that’s appealing, even to the squirmingest of readers.
This book is excellent for true medicine fans, grateful former patients, the curious, and for anyone who’ll ever need healthcare. Find “A Real Emergency” and you’ll tear right through it.
Schlichenmeyer
Virginia Monfort Bolen
Virginia Monfort Bolen of Hamilton, MT passed away peacefully on June 27, 2025, at the age of 95. She was born in 1930 to Virginia Taylor Monfort, RN and Dr. John Merrell Monfort of Atlanta, GA.
She graduated from North Fulton High School, Ward Belmont Junior College (now Belmont University) Nashville TN and The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Class of 1950.
Virginia is preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, William Cornelius (WC) Bolen. They lived for several years in Atlanta, GA before moving to Hilton Head Island, SC for 20 years and retiring to Hamilton, MT in 1991.
She worked at various jobs throughout her working career; as an Engineering Assistant at Western Electric, a Draftsman at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, a Draftsman at GE, Accounting at GE Credit Corporation, an Internal Revenue Tax Examiner and retired from United States Postal Service as a Carrier.
In 1947, Virginia attended the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and became an avid horse racing fan and study of Thoroughbred pedigrees thereafter. She delighted in placing occasional 1- and 2-dollar bets on Triple Crown and Breeders Cup races. She attended the Breeders Cup as often as possible, and her handicapping account never saw red. She loved horses, grew up riding and enjoyed trail riding on her mules Peggy Sue and Miss Kitty in Hamilton.
She was a member of the traditional Episcopal Church.
She was a life member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority.
Past President of the Atlanta Garden Club.
Past President of the Hamilton Garden Club.
Ben Essary
Ben Essary of Stevensville, MT, passed away on December 20, 2024, after a brief illness. He was born on May 10, 1943, in Lexington, TN, to Henry and Addie Essary and was the eldest of four children raised on the family farm.
After graduating from high school, Ben enlisted in the United States Air Force. While stationed at a radar site in northern Montana, he met and married Pamela Alex. During his military service, Ben earned both bachelor's and master's degrees and achieved the rank of Captain. He and Pam welcomed two children, Lisa and Glen, during his Air
Virginia was a Master Gardener from the frst class of Ravalli County. She created and maintained lovely gardens around her home. Her wide array of award winning house plants were shared throughout the valley with cuttings everywhere she went. One of her frequent recipients of plants named all her plants Virginia (“because only a Master Gardener could remember the nomenclature”) and when her 7 year old daughter saw the same plants at a neighbor’s house she exclaimed, “Look at all the Virginias!”
She was a lifetime member of the Knotty Knitters Guild of the Bitterroot in recognition of knitting 460 pairs of knockers. She learned to knit as a young girl and won many ribbons at the Ravalli County fair for many types of sweaters.
Along with knitting and gardening, she also enjoyed quilting, playing in duplicate bridge tournaments and staying abreast of current afairs.
In 2008, she published “Finders Keepers,” a true account of her triumph over a justice system run amok in Ravalli County when she was falsely accused of felony theft.
She loved all animals and volunteered often for the Montana Spay/Neuter Task Force and the Bitterroot Humane Association.
Virginia is survived by sons Robert Monfort Bolen of Hamilton, MT, William Bailey Bolen (Carol Ervin) of Wadmalaw Is., S.C., daughter Laura Bolen Quarles (William Scott) of Anderson, SC, her granddaughter Virginia Taylor Quarles, BSN, RN of Charleston, SC., and her sister Lela Monfort Hollabaugh of Nashville, TN.
Following her wishes, no formal memorial service will be held. Condolences may be left for the family
Force career.
Following twenty-two years of military service, Ben transitioned to a second career in security at Department of Energy facilities in Richland, WA; Aiken, SC; and Idaho Falls, ID. He later served as Vice President at Day & Zimmerman, a government contracting frm. In 1998, Ben retired fully and settled with Pam in Stevensville, MT.
In retirement, Ben embraced the outdoors through camping, rafting, and fshing. He also enjoyed playing bluegrass music and made many dear friends among fellow bluegrassers. He and Pam cherished their home in the Bitterroot Valley, where they welcomed friends and family over the years.
Ben is survived by his children, Lisa (Mike) Wineke and Glen Essary; his brother Johnny Essary; grandchildren James (Marlene) Armstrong, Joe (Sam) Wineke, Beth Wineke, and Iva Essary; and great-grandchild Lucas Armstrong. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Pam Essary; his parents Addie and Henry Essary; sisters Judy Hatchett and Joan Hones; and grandson William Hyde.
A celebration of Ben’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 26, 2025, at Faith Lutheran Church in Hamilton, MT.
Death Notices
Patricia Peck
Stevensville - Patricia Peck, 75, passed away at home on the evening of Wednesday July 3, 2025 surrounded by family. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com
at www.dalyleachchapel.com She asked that remembrances be given to the Bitterroot Humane Association or the charity of your choice.
Frederick McGlynn
Missoula - Frederick McGlynn, 85, a longtime professor at the University of Montana, passed away at St Patrick Hospital Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www. brothersmortuary.com
Arnold Roberts
Missoula - Arnold Roberts, 59, of Hamilton, passed away on the morning of July 6, 2025 at St. Patrick Hospital with his family by his side. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary. com
Teaching Sterling to fyfsh
I’ve known Sterling, now eight, since he was a bun in the oven. When he got quite talkative at age three some of his favorite words were Grandpa Chuck.
At least that’s the way it seemed to me. He had endless questions, discoveries, things to show me, all sorts of things that were important to him. He’d address them to me with “Grandpa Chuck,” followed by whatever was inside him and eager to get out.
by Chuck Stranahan
It still goes on and I’ve never grown tired of it. The awe and wonder through which little boys see their growing world is ramped up in Sterling. I get to be part of it -and see the world once more through a little boy’s eyes.
When his brother Nehi was eight years old he wanted me to teach him how to cast with a fy rod. Then it was his brother Silas’ turn. Both are now in their teens.
At a family dinner last week, I mentioned to Sterling that someday soon it would be his turn to learn how to fy cast.
His eyes got wide. We talked. He asked lots of questions. I told him that next time I’d bring a rod for him to learn on.
It was no surprise that he was bursting with more questions when I met his family at the river a few days later.
During the frst round of hugs and greetings Sterling asked, “Grandpa Chuck, did you bring a rod for me to cast?”
I did. I showed him the rod, a sweet little 7 ½ footer. His face brightened as he waved it in the air.
“Can we go cast it now?” he asked.
“After dinner we’ll take it down to the river,” I said. He was good with that - for the moment.
While I was eating he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Grandpa Chuck, can we go to the river now?”
“I’m not done with my hot dog yet, Sterling.”
He was not annoyed or impatient – he just couldn’t contain his eagerness and it burst out of him again and again each time he politely asked if it was time for us to go down to the river.
Finally it was time. I crouched behind him and put my big hand over his little one and said
“Ker-fick, ker-fick,” in rhythm to the cast. I felt once more the things I felt when I taught my sons and many boys since how to cast. His older brothers, Nehi and Silas, learned that way. Now, in what you could call the magic of this moment on the Clark Fork, it was Sterling’s turn.
At frst he swung way too far back as all beginner’s do and his pause wasn’t long enough. He worked at it Sterling-style until he got it.
It was time to let him fsh in his own.
His parents and I visited for about half-an-hour as we watched Sterling.
There weren’t many rises; fshing was tough for Nehi and Silas. Nobody got a rise. Later in the evening, neither did I.
All of a sudden something none of us expected happened: A big burly trout, about 16” or more, made a body-out-of-the-water noisy splashing attack on Sterling’s fy - the kind of rise that totally unnerves veteran anglers.
We all saw it.
Sterling’s mouth dropped completely open and his eyes got as wide as I’ve ever seen them. He looked back at us in total shock and awe of the
very best kind.
That moment - the look on Sterling’s face - is etched in my memory.
‘Wow! Good for you!” came the chorus of accolades from mama, papa, and Grandpa Chuck. He stood still – and eventually settled down enough to keep fshing, but now with renewed energy and excitement. He got three more smaller rises.
For the last bit of it, I rigged up and fshed for a while with Nehi and Sterling. We walked together back to the picnic area.
“Grandpa Chuck,” he said, “I got four fsh to come and look at my fy. That’s better than anybody else did.”
He was right.
“That fy you had on?” I asked Sterling, “That’s a Brindle ‘Chute, Grandma Jan’s favorite fy.”
“It is?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
He smiled. He loves Grandma Jan.
On the way home I could almost hear Sterling’s next round of questions: “Grandpa Chuck, when can we go fshing again?”
Soon, I’ll tell him, real soon.
The magic of the moment - Grandpa Chuck and Sterling. Photo by Danielle Mellott.
Bird Squawk
Last month I intended to write about North American extinct species and was interrupted by the sighting of a Tufted Duck, which was the fourth sighting for Montana.
As I was writing on extinct species for July, the phone rang and my grandson said once again, “You need to get out here.” He found a Snowy Plover on a Warm Springs WMA survey.
This one is not as rare with 12 previous Montana sightings. It was first seen in Montana in 2017 (two sightings) and the last time in 2022 with one sighting. Their normal range is coastal waters along the Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. They are considered non-migratory.
As always, how did it get to the Warm Springs Wildlife Management Area? No one knows. It could have followed other migrant shorebirds or been caught up in a storm.
They look a little like a miniature Killdeer. Killdeers are also plovers. However, the Killdeer is 3.5 ounces with a wingspan of 24 inches. The Snowy is 1.5 ounces with a wingspan of 17 inches. They are so light in color that they easily blend into the gravel.
They are a pale brown shorebird that
runs along the sand near water in proper habitat. They have a black or brown partial collar, black band above the eyes, black band through the eye, black legs, and small black beak. The throat, chest and belly are white.
They are an accidental species in Montana. Most sightings are in June (7 of the 12), now 8 out of 13 in June.
Using scopes, we found the bird
100 yards away. We carefully walked towards the bird. Because of its camouflage feathering, we walked more than 100 yards and did not see it. The person with me decided to walk further in case the bird was still ahead of us. I walked back to our original sighting spot. I was convinced it hadn’t flown but was spooked by the gulls in the vicinity and it simply dove over the side of the dike.
by Gary Swant
I walked about halfway back and there it was, 40 feet in front of me! I snapped off a few shots with a 500 mm lens. It didn’t seem frighted, and the gulls were gone so I took two steps and snapped a few pictures. I did this until I was at the focal point of the lens. The picture with this article is not cropped. I called my friend back and he used the same procedure and got excellent pictures. It was a most interesting experience. If you took your eye off the bird to look at the camera screen it was hard to find the species again, even when it was only 1015 feet in front of you. You might ask, how does your grandson see so many rare species? He birds often, which is the key to finding rarities and a large life list.
through
Snowy Plover. Photo by Gary Swant.
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GET YOUR DEDUCTION AHEAD OF THE YEAR-END! Donate your car, truck, or SUV to assist the blind and visually
impaired. Arrange a swift, no-cost vehicle pickup and secure a generous year-end tax credit. Call Heritage for the Blind Today at 1-855- 901-2620 today!
IF YOU HAD KNEE OR HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY and sufered an infection due to use of a Bair Hugger (Blue Blanket), between 2020 and the present time, you may be entitled to compensation. Call attorney Charles H. Johnson 800/535-5727
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SAFE STEP. NORTH AMERICA’S #1 WALK-IN TUB. Comprehensive lifetime warranty.Top-of-theline installation and service. Now featuring our FREE shower package and $1600 Of for a limited time! Call today! Financing available. Call Safe Step 1-855-6012865.
FRESH EGGS from Howell’s Happy Hens are back! $5.00/doz. Pick up at Bitterroot Star ofce, 115 W. 3rd, Suite 108, Stevensville.
CAUCASIAN SHEPHERD Puppies pure bred , 7 available, three male, four female, ready mid July. Guard livestock/family. Call or text 406-2104807
2023 CARGO EXPRESS 18 FOOT TRAILER with extras, like new, in Hamilton, $9500, call for info, (650) 515-7121.
GIVE AWAYElectric Kenmore Sewing Machine, older. In nice wooden cabinet. Needs cleaning
FOR RENT: 1 BDRM APT. FULLY FURNISHED, utilities/trash paid. Rural Stevensville, very quiet neighborhood. $1500 per month, on month to month contract. Deposits required: Security $400, Cleaning $300. 406-5501289/208-827-3101.
MONTH TO MONTH RENTAL, furnished apartment on 10 acres with private small yard, gorgeous views in the Stevensville area, $1450/month includes utilities, call for details, available mid August,
Legal Notices
NOTICE OF PENDING ATTACHMENT OF A TAX LIEN (MCA 15-17-122)
On Thursday, August 1, 2025, by 5:00 pm, the Ravalli County Treasurer will attach a property tax lien to property on which the 2023 taxes are delinquent. The delinquent taxes, including penalties, interest and costs are a lien upon the property and that unless delinquent taxes, penalties, interest and costs are paid prior to August 1, 2024 a tax lien will be attached and may be assigned to a third party.
A complete list of all property on which taxes are delinquent is on fle in the ofce of the Ravalli County Treasurer and is open to public inspection and examination on Monday thru Friday from 8:15 am to 5 pm.
For further information, please contact the Ravalli County Treasurer at 215 S. 4th St., Suite H, Hamilton MT 59840 or at 406-375-6580.
BS 6-25, 7-2, 7-9, 7-1625.
MNAXLP
Naomi J. Cheeney
Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: (406) 363-9060
Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF KENNETH MARTIN NUXOLL, Deceased.
Case No.: DP-41-20250000075-11
Dept. No. 02 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed Co-Personal Representatives 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 Thomas E. Nuxoll and Lynn E. Boehm, the Co-Personal Representatives, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law, PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.
DATED the 23rd day of June 2025.
/s/ Thomas E. Nuxoll, Co-Personal Representative
/s/ Lynn E. Boehm, Co-Personal Representative
BS 7-2, 7-9, 7-16-25.
MNAXLP
Kyle J. Workman
State Bar No. 65442127 WORKMAN LAW, PLLC P.O. Box 1167 Hamilton, MT 59840
T: (406) 802-2198
kyle@workmanlawmt. com
Attorney for Plaintifs
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY
ALBERT MAGOON AND LENA MAGOON Plaintifs, vs. SOREN SORENSEN (DECEASED), THE ESTATE OF SOREN SORENSEN, AND ALL UNKNOWN OWNERS, UNKNOWN HEIRS, OR ANY UNKNOWN DEVISEES OF ANY DECEASED PERSON, AND ALL OTHER PERSONS, UNKNOWN, CLAIMING OR WHO MIGHT CLAIM ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE OR INTEREST IN OR LIEN OR ENCUMBRANCE UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT ADVERSE TO PLAINTIFF’S OWNERSHIP OR ANY CLOUD
UPON PLAINTIFF’S TITLE
THERETO, WHETHER
SUCH CLAIM OR POSSI-
BLE CLAIM BE PRESENT OR CONTINGENT, Defendant. Cause No. DV-41-20250000180-QT Dept. No.: 2
SUMMONS THE STATE OF MONTANA TO ALL PERSONS CLAIMING ANY INTEREST IN OR LIEN UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THIS SUMMONS OR ANY PART OF THE REAL PROPERTY, DEFENDANTS, GREETING:
You are required to appear and answer the complaint of Albert and Lena Magoon, Plaintifs, fled with the Clerk of this Court, within 60 days after the frst publication of this summons, and set forth what interest or lien, if any, you have in or upon that certain real property or any part of the real property situated in the county of Ravalli, state of Montana, particularly described as follows:
A tract of land in the SE1/4NW1/4 of Section 30, Township 8 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana, and being more particularly described as:
Beginning at a point 1840 feet North of the northeast corner of Lot 11, Block 2, in the Town of Victor, known as Appolonio, Watters & Co., corner thence running 16 rods West, thence running 10 rods North, thence running 16 rods East and thence South 10 rods to the place of beginning.
Deed Ref.: 198-4 TOGETHER WITH a portion of land adjacent to the relocated boundary line as shown on the plat of Hochhalter Subdivision as recorded March 3, 2002 in Instrument No. 492536.
EXCEPTING THEREFROM Lot I, Hochhalter Subdivision, as recorded March 5, 2002 in Instrument No. 492537. You are further notifed that, unless you appear and answer, the Plaintifs will apply to the court for the relief demanded in the complaint.
WITNESS my hand and the seal of said Court this day of June 20, 2025. Paige Trautweine CLERK OF COURT By: Catherine DiGleria Deputy Clerk of Court BS 7-2, 7-9, 7-16, 7-23, 7-30-25.
MNAXLP
Kyle J. Workman State Bar No. 65442127 WORKMAN LAW, PLLC P.O. Box 1167 Hamilton, MT 59840 T: (406) 802-2198 kyle@workmanlawmt. com
Attorney for Plaintifs MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY ALBERT MAGOON AND LENA MAGOON , Plaintifs, vs. SOREN SORENSEN (DECEASED), THE ESTATE OF SOREN SORENSEN, AND ALL UNKNOWN OWNERS, UNKNOWN HEIRS, OR ANY UNKNOWN DEVISEES OF ANY DECEASED PERSON, AND ALL OTHER PERSONS, UNKNOWN, CLAIMING OR WHO MIGHT CLAIM ANY RIGHT, TITLE, ESTATE OR INTEREST IN OR LIEN OR ENCUMBRANCE UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT ADVERSE TO PLAINTIFF’S OWNERSHIP OR ANY CLOUD UPON PLAINTIFF’S TITLE THERETO, WHETHER SUCH CLAIM OR POSSIBLE CLAIM BE PRESENT OR CONTINGENT, Defendant.
Cause No. DV-41-20250000180-QT Dept. No.: 2
NOTICE under 70-28208, MCA COMES NOW Plaintifs Albert and Lena Magoon,
by and through undersigned counsel, Kyle J. Workman, of Workman Law, PLLC, and hereby gives notice pursuant to 70-28-208, MCA, that the following individuals, that as heirs of Soren Sorenson may have a claim to the property at issue.
Aksel James Sorensen
110 Church St. Stevensville, MT 59870
Nathan Kelley Sorensen PO Box 951
Wells, NV 89835
DATED this 20th day of June 2025.
Respectfully Submitted, WORKMAN LAW, PLLC /s/ Kyle J. Workman
Attorney for Plaintifs BS 7-2, 7-9, 7-16, 7-23, 7-30-25.
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF JOHN DAVID MUOIO, Deceased.
Cause No. DP-2025-50
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, Andrea Poulin, return receipt requested, ℅: Browder Law PLLC, 217 North Third Street, Suite J, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
DATED this 24th day of June, 2025.
BROWDER LAW, PLLC /s/ Daniel Browder
Attorney for Andrea Poulin, Personal Representative BS 7-2, 7-9, 7-26-25. MNXLP
LEGAL NOTICE Middle Fairview Subdivision (5 Lot Minor Subdivision), Tract C of CS #647364-F, existing Tax ID: 1376372. Ravalli County Planning has received an application for a 5-lot minor subdivision on 20 acres. Direct access to this property is from Fairview Lane (Privately Maintained) and Two Creeks Terrace (Privately Maintained). The subdivision will add approximately 1.5 new children to the Florence School District and 45 new vehicular trips per day to the road system. The application states the subject property does hold 11 water shares from Eight-Mile Creek Irrigation Ditch Company. Stevensville is approximately 14.2 miles south, being the nearest municipal boundary. Florence is approximately 5.5 miles southwest of the subject property. The subdivision property is located within the Florence School and Rural Fire Districts. The proposed lots will be served by private wells and septic systems. The applicant is Sombra Investments LLC and is represented by Tamara Ross of IMEG Corp. The subdivision is referred to as Middle Fairview Subdivision. A complete copy of the application packet is available for viewing at the Ravalli County Planning Department ofce, in the
County Administrative Center, 215 S. 4th St., Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. A copy of the Preliminary Plat is posted on our Website at https://ravalli.us/178/ Subdivisions-Exemptions. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the hearing, and will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC).
The BCC Public Hearing to review the proposal originally scheduled for Monday, July 7th, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. has been rescheduled to July 22nd, 2025 at 1:30 pm in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Third Floor) at the County Administrative Center (215 S. Fourth Street, Hamilton, MT 59840).
The public may comment verbally, or in writing, at the meeting. Comments and information submitted at the public meeting/ hearing will be considered in the decision on the subdivision. However, please note that only under select circumstances will new information be allowed into the record after the public hearing.
BS 7-2, 7-9-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE OF RFQ TO PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES AS THE TOWN PROSECUTOR
The Town of Stevensville is currently advertising for the following request for qualifcations, Town Prosecutor for the Town of Stevensville’s City Court. Interested attorneys can fnd additional information about the RFQ on the Town of Stevensville website or by contacting the town clerk, 406-7775271 Ext. 102 https://www.townofstevensville.com/rfps Position is open until flled.
Attest: Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 7-9, 7-23-25.
MNAXLP
LEGAL NOTICE
The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will conduct a public hearing for a Ravalli County Open Lands Bond project on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 1:30 P.M. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Third Floor) of the County Administrative Building located at 215 South 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840. The project is called Erickson Conservation Easement (239.24 acres). The project is located about two miles northeast of downtown Corvallis. Tax IDs: 101300, 104500, 49400, and 495500. Bitter Root Land Trust is the applicant. Information describing the proposals are available for inspection on the Ravalli County website at https:// ravalli.us/181/Open-LandsBoard and at the Planning Department, located at the County Administrative Building, 215 S. 4th Street, Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the public hearing and will be forwarded to the BCC for consideration at the public hearing. The public may comment verbally or in writing at the hearings. Comments and information submitted at the public hearing will be considered in the decision. Submit email comments to: planning@rc.mt.gov, and questions can be asked by phone at 406-375-6530.
BS 7-9, 7-16-25. MNAXLP
LEGAL NOTICE
The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will hold a continuance of the June 3rd, 2025 public hearing to resume review of Wireless
Communication Facility Permit Application (WCFP24-10) on July 30th, 2025 at 1:30pm. The Continuance hearing is located in the County Administrative Center (BCC Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Hamilton). The Ravalli County Planning Department received WCFP-24-10 on September 4th, 2024. The Applicant is Vertical Bridge Holding LLC, representing T-Mobile. The application is proposing a new wireless communication tower at 302 Black Bear Lane, Hamilton, MT 59840. A previous application (WCFP-23-02) proposing a wireless communication tower at 302 Black Bear Lane, Hamilton, MT 59840 was denied by Ravalli County due to lack of evidence to meet the spacing requirement exception defned under Section 4.C of the Ravalli County Wireless Communication Facility Ordinance No. 13 (WCFO). The Ravalli County Planning Department deemed Application (WCFP-24-10) sufcient on March 14th, 2025 as it contains all the required materials required by the WCFO. The application has now been forwarded onto the Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for their consideration, specifcally, the spacing exception as described in Section 4.C of the WCFO. Two previous public hearings were held on April 11th, 2025 and June 3rd, 2025 Information describing the proposal is available for inspection at the Planning Department, in the County Administrative Center, 215 S. 4th St., Suite F, Hamilton, MT 59840. The Planning Department Staf Report is posted on our website here: https://ravalli. us/179/Zoning. At the last hearing (June 3rd, 2025), the BCC voted to close Written Public Comment on June 13th, 2025. If you have comments or concerns, you are encouraged to attend the July 30th, 2025 continuance hearing described above. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the BCC may make a fnal decision on the proposal. For questions, please contact the Ravalli County Planning Department at 406-3756530 or Planning@rc.mt. gov BS 7-9, 7-23-25.
MNAXLP
Naomi J. Cheeney Cheeney Law, PLLC PO Box 212 Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: (406) 363-9060
Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF BONNIE D. ZACHA, Deceased. Case No.: DP-41-202578 Dept. No. 2 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 D. Edel Howard, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at Cheeney Law PLLC, PO Box 212, Hamilton, MT 59840, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.
DATED this 1st day of July 2025. /s/ D. Edel Howard, Personal Representative BS 7-9, 7-16, 7-23-25. MNAXLP
John D. Greef
Attorney at Law PO Box 1926 Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 360-8117
Attorney for Plaintif MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY H. JAMES THAYER, Plaintif vs. Novastar Home Mortgage, Inc., a Delaware Corporation, and all other persons, unknown, claiming or who might claim any right title, estate, or interest in or lien or encumbrance upon the real property described in the complaint adverse to plaintif’s ownership or any cloud upon plaintif’s title thereto, whether such claim or possible claim be present or contingent, Defendants. Case No.: DV-25-206 Department No. 1
SUMMONS FOR PUBLICATION THE STATE OF MONTANA TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS AND ALL OTHER PERSONS UNKNOWN:
GREETINGS: You are hereby summoned to answer the Complaint in this action which is fled in the ofce of the Clerk of this Court, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to fle your answer and sere copy thereof, upon the Plaintif’s attorney within twenty-one (21) days after the service of this Summons for Publication, exclusive of the day of service; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint. This action is brought for the purpose of quieting title to the land situated in Ravalli County, State of Montana, described as follows: A tract of land in Government Lot 3, Section 30, Township 8 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a point that is 40 feet West and 40 feet North of Northwest corner of Block 19, Townsite of Victor, Ravalli County, Montana, being the center of the intersection of A Street and Seventh Avenue according to recorded plat thereof, thence from said point of beginning North 320 feet; thence West 663 feet to Easterly line of a public road; thence South along said road a distance of 510 feet; thence East 274.5 feet to the North-South center line of B Street; thence North 190 feet to East-West center line of Seventh Avenue; thence East 360 feet to the point of beginning.
Deed Reference: Document No. 515687 WITNESS my hand and the seal of said Court this 13th day of June, 2025. Paige Trautwein Clerk of District Court by: Catherine diGleria Deputy Clerk BS 7-9, 7-16, 7-23-25. MNAXLP
PUBLIC NOTICE OF DISPOSAL OF TOWN PROPERTY Town of Stevensville will conduct the disposal of town property, a Tennant 830XP Street Sweeper. The Street Sweeper is inoperable. The property will be disposed of through Resolution No. 570 at the July 24, 2025, town council meeting at 6:30 pm. Attest: Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 7-9, 7-23-25. MNAXLP
