Friday, May 30th marked a ffth annual tradition for Hamilton 4th graders. After snaking their way along the trail adjacent to Big Corral Road, approximately 100 youngsters came to learn and lend a hand for the ongoing improvements to the RAL Trail itself.
The RAL Trail, named after Robert A. Leonardi who was killed in a vehicular hit and run in 2019, is on land owned by the Bitterroot Stock Farm. Ilona Bessenyey says that the Bitterroot Stock Farm had been interested in developing a trail in the area and decided to take action following Robert’s death. The result is a popular, non-motorized trail with access points on Golf Course Road and Big Corral Road. Taken together with other trails that are planned for the area, a network of safe non-motorized transportation and recreation trails is beginning to take shape.
Robert Leonardi was a 4th grader when he was killed, thus the connection between his memory and the participation of 4th graders. Last week’s group was slated to learn about native plants and how drones can be used for aerial survey and liquid nutrient applications. Bessenyey said that the 4th graders are enthusiastic supporters of the trail, and that their participation in
its development is something they’ll always remember.
“They’re amazing, happy and curious,” she said. “They’re just interested in trying to see how they can help and listening to what we’re doing with the trail. It’s fabulous.”
Even with all the youthful energy, however, the trail continues to receive help from a community-wide cast of characters. Friday’s work day included help from the Bitterroot Water Partnership, FFA, the Play Like Robert Foundation, and Flying Kobra, a professional drone company based in Missoula.
“The idea is that we always want this to be a community asset,” said Peter Van Tuyn of the Bitterroot Stock Farm. “We had a church group with about 40 people and planted a bunch of these trees, and moved this entire fence over so we could have a picnic area.” Van Tuyn also listed high school groups, the City of Hamilton, Ravalli County and the DNRC as having played roles in making sure the RAL Trail is a success.
Upon their arrival, the 4th graders were split into two large groups. While one group listened to Kobe Steinmann talk about the many uses that drones can play in good land management, the other group cycled through a prep station with the Bitterroot Water Part-
nership where they made ‘seed balls’ of wildfower seeds to take home.
Most of the kids’ attention was galvanized when Steinmann fred up his largest drone, an eight prop behemoth
more than two meters across. One of the boys asked if the drone was powerful enough to carry him, to which Steinmann replied, “It could but… it won’t today.”
Please join us for the grand opening of our Stevensville Bank.
Wednesday, June 11 4:00PM-6:00PM 318 Main Street
Chamber Ribbon Cutting at 4:30PM
About 100 fourth graders follow the RAL Trail on their way to lend a hand. Photo by Nathan Boddy.
4th graders from Daly Elementary get started on their work on the RAL Trail. Photo by Nathan Boddy.
Ashley Jurcak of the Bitterroot Water Partnership helps the kids create wildfower ’seed balls’ to take home. Photo by Nathan Boddy.
RCEDA selected for economic development award
by John Dowd
Growing businesses and keeping them afoat can be a massive challenge in today’s market. In Montana, it is especially difcult. However, one organization has been working for almost 30 years to help local businesses fnd a way.
The Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) was recognized with the Economic Development Award by the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce this year. According to the chamber, the award shows that the recipient has gone above and beyond to create lasting impacts on the community and businesses which promote economic growth.
The RCEDA has a nine-member board and just three people on staf. However, it now awards millions in funding and helps hundreds of businesses throughout the valley. Julie Foster was on the original RCEDA board and was hired in 2005 as executive director. She and Grace Nichols, the specialty Crop Business Development Program Manager, were the faces receiving the award on behalf of RCEDA.
The organization was formed in 1997 to help grow small businesses in the valley. According to Foster, they are often spending a lot of their time looking over tedious monthly fnancials, regulations and much more to help businesses start up.
“It means a great deal to be recognized in that manner and that people know what you’re doing,” said Foster about receiving the award..
Foster deals with much of the organizational and funding aspects of the RCEDA. According to her, pre-pandemic, the center had 30 to 40 clients a month. Since COVID-19, that number dropped, and she added that the “nature of what we’re doing is diferent.” She explained that before, it was easier, in a lot of ways, for a business to start up. However, the pandemic took opportunities away and there is no longer the support system that was once there. Additionally, many businesses went under and the costs to run a business have skyrock-
eted. According to Foster, now their main mission has become fnding ways to create those opportunities that before were a given. One aspect Foster highlighted in particular was that business expansion has become difcult since the pandemic, often due to a lack of employees and higher required wages. It is a challenge to keep a company going, when employees need higher wages simply to survive. Prices of everything jumped after the pandemic and have not gone down.
This is why, as Foster described, the RCEDA is paying particular attention to what potential companies come to the table with.
“Part of starting a business is having your ducks in a row,” said Foster, and that is part of what they look for in proposals. When a proposal is brought to the RCEDA, she will go over the business plan with the party, looking at what the RCEDA may be able to do to help, if anything.
Two statements Foster often fnds herself making are, “tell me what your project is, let’s see what’s out there,” and “tell me what your challenges are.” Foster said RCEDA’s part is about fnding a way to ft all the pieces together, and staying on top of everything that could potentially help. “There are opportunities that just pass you by,” said Foster. There are so many things, it is difcult to be aware of everything, and they have to let some things pass them by, but they do the best they can.
According to Foster, they work with local and state governments as well as individuals. They have also become very successful at grant writing and they provide loans, as well as technical assistance with fnances and education on organizing a business. They even provide regulation considerations and space peo-
ple can rent and use. Currently, 23 businesses already use space in the facility and there is a waiting list.
They currently have three gap loan funds that total $4 million. One of these is the Ravalli County Loan Fund, which started at $178,000 and has grown to over $2 million. It has revolved six times and has assisted with the creation or retention of over 144 jobs. They also have the Ravalli County Intermediary Relending Program Loan Fund, which has revolved over four times and has funded nearly $1.5 million in loans. The funds do not compete with banks, and often require a match from a local bank for businesses to receive them. These loans help with equipment purchases, building improvements, inventory expansion and even working capital for operations.
They also have a $1 million fund to seed local tourism. According to Foster, “Tourism businesses are hard to fund for a number of reasons.” She has seen all kinds of proposals, but a big one in the valley they are trying to promote is a category called “agri-tourism,” which includes dude ranches, youpick-berries, wineries and more. They also see things like outdoor recreation, equipment rentals, lodging
etc. “They aren’t just things tourists enjoy,” said Foster. On the agriculture side of things at the RCEDA, Nichols currently works in some capacity with 95% of people that seek help from the RCEDA. This is partly because many of the businesses are agriculture-related. These include small mixed vegetable farms and backyard growers looking for expanded opportunities. Nichols also works closely with the state agriculture department helping to translate regulations and programs to local business owners. According to Foster, “Grace has elevated agriculture in this valley.” Nichols works on a monthly food and ag newsletter as well as numerous programs available to local growers and agriculture-related businesses. Her position will be dissolving as the grant that paid for that position is ending. However, Foster said Nichols will be moving into a new position, doing the same things she was doing and more, called the Food/Ag Development Center (FADC) Director. This is in conjunction with a huge project on the horizon that the RCEDA is working on. The project will be a local food processing center called the Bitterroot Food Innovation Center (BFIC). Though this project is still a couple
years out, they do already have the property and are moving forward with planning.
This will be a shared use, large scale, commercial kitchen. They are hoping to construct a 6,000 square foot facility, which Foster describes as a “business incubator.” In fact, this term describes a lot of what the RCEDA does for businesses and organizations in the valley.
According to Nichols, processing infrastructure and cold storage are important and at a premium in the area. Nichols added that the “bottleneck is their storage.” These local growers often cannot aford large spaces equipped to keep produce fresh for long periods of time. Some have had to build home-made spaces which are unreliable and can be expensive to operate. If things go wrong it can result in monetary “losses in the tens of thousands,” said Nichols. Their hope is that this new facility would help to “mitigate some of those risks that producers have to deal with,” said Nichols.
The RCEDA is located at 274 Old Corvallis Road, in Hamilton. Parties interested in fnding more information can call (406) 375-9416. More information is also available on the website, rceda.org.
POOL: local car show gets pool painted
Continued from page 1
According to Lassiter, none of this would have been possible without help from entities like Jef Newsom and the Rapp Family Foundation. The foundation donated $1,700 to buy the paint that was used, and Newsom donated over $3,000 to have the pool painted. Between those two, this project was completed without any taxpayer dollars from the community of Stevensville. Lassiter added that the pool is, “such an important asset to the community. We just invite everybody out to enjoy.” The money donated by Newsom came from his family’s annual car show. Newsom is the owner of Newsom Tire, Jef’s Towing and Stevensville Towing. He and his sons hold the car show annually for a fun summer event and to raise money which they donate locally. For the last two years, the Newsoms have been donating to the Stevensville pool. Last year they bought the covers that go over the pool at night to keep the heat in and keep it clean. This year, Newsom said he asked Lassiter what he needed in the park and for the pool. Lassiter responded that the number one thing was that the pool needed to be sealed and painted.
The Newsom car show raised about $3,200 last year, most of which was donated
to paint the pool. He said he wants to donate again next year to the park and pool again, saying, “My money will stay right in this town.” For him, it is a personal mission. “I swam in this pool when I was a kid,” said Newsom. He grew up here, and has lived here for most of his life. He understands that for many youth of the area, the pool is an important thing.
“There’s nothing else for kids to do,” said Newsom. That is the reason for the car show, to give community members something else to look forward to and to raise money for projects like the pool. The car show will take place early July, and Newsom will advertise details before the car show for those interested. This will be the ffth annual Jef’s Towing and Newsom Tire car show. Last year they had around 70 cars, but this year Newsom is hoping for 100 cars. It is $20 to enter and sign ups start at 8:30 a.m. the day of.
As for winners, there are 10 categories, including peoples choice, kids choice, Newsom Tire and Jef’s Towing choices, best GM, best Ford and more. The show is held at 3929 Hwy 93, right near the Stevensville Junction. Food will be available from Amor y Taco’s food truck and contes-
tants get a free meal. There will be rafes and more. Newsom also buys nine bikes and rafes them out to kids that enter the rafe for free.
As for the pool, it was painted by Newsom’s brother, Rick, along with Rick’s son, Derek. They started on Tuesday, May 27 and advised
Lassiter to give the pool at least a week of good weather to dry.
Lassiter reports that they hope to have the pool open by June 16, if everything continues according to plan, the paint dries properly and employment and equipment come through on time.
L to R, Grace Nichols, Julie Foster and Jill Delaney are the backbone of the Ravalli County Economic Development Authority. Photo by John Dowd.
Stephen Lassiter, Jeff Newsom and Karsyn Newsom stand outside the pool, in the park parking lot while checking on the status of the pool, last Friday. Photo by John Dowd.
MPAA art show celebrates 20 years
by Victoria Howell
The Montana Professional Artists Association (MPAA) is hosting its 20th annual show June 6-8 at the Bitterroot River Inn in Hamilton. The show will feature the fne art of 18 artists from throughout Montana, and the work includes a wide variety of mediums such as oil painting, watercolor, scratchboard, sculpture, and photography.
Artists must be Montana residents, and the work shown must be original artwork.
“This is very much a fne art show,” says Michele Kapor, who organizes the show along with her partner Mari Bolen. Kapor said about half the artists are from the Bitterroot, the other half from around the state.
Kapor, an oil painter, and Bolen, a sculpture, will both have their own
artwork in the show. Kapor has recently been exploring the efect of moonlight on the landscape, and that is refected in her latest work (pun intended). Bolen does mostly commissioned work in bronze, and she will have a life-size bronze of a cougar on display.
Other notables include Gerald Painter, a nationally known carver from Great Falls who specializes in birds – “they’re just exquisite,” Kapor commented – and Jody Parsons, a Bitterroot photographer.
One of the most
popular features of the show is the Friday night “Meet the Artists” reception, from 5 to 9 p.m. This year for the 20th anniversary there will be a no-host bar, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and music by Deron Wade. Bolen and Kapor met Wade at the Bitterroot Home Show in Hamilton where he had a booth for his Countertops In Montana business. They ended up buying from him, and he subsequently became a sponsor of the MPAA show (his work will be on display). As the three chatted, they started talking about music, and found out that Wade was also a musician. He played a demo tape for them.
“We said, ‘hey, you’re damn good,” and we invited him to sing at the show,” recalls Bolen.
“It’s very nice music,” Kapor added.
The two women have been producing art shows throughout the state since 1993, but they especially love this show, perhaps because the Bitterroot is their home. They also love the support they get from their sponsors year after year.
“We really want to thank our sponsors over the past 20 years,” said Kapor.
“We like to let everyone in the door for free, people from all walks of life, even for the reception. We encourage people to bring their kids, we have demos for all ages, including high schoolers. We’re able to do it because of our sponsors. We have 48 sponsors, including
some new ones. They like the show, it’s a social occasion. It’s a lot of fun for everyone.”
Every year, a worthy non-proft is selected to receive a share of the proceeds from the show. In past shows, for example, MPAA was able to generate over $10,000 for Camp Mak-A-Dream and $8,500 for the Bitterroot Land Trust. This year MPAA is raising money for Ravalli County Council on Aging. Each artist will submit a piece of art for sale, with 50% of the sale proceeds going to the Council on Aging.
Some other local non-profts that have received funding from the MPAA show include Western Montana Humane Society, Stock Farm Club Greater Ravalli Foundation, Linda Massa Youth Homes, Ravalli County Fish & Wildlife, Ravalli County Museum, Darby Library, Daly Mansion, Bitterroot Humane Association, Bitterroot Performing Arts Council, Teller Wildlife Refuge, Trout Unlimited, Casting for Recovery, Columbus Community Foundation, and Ravalli County Fairgrounds.
The show opens at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 6, with the reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations are scheduled throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
Bolen and Kapor said they are also grateful to their volunteers, who prepare and pass around the appetizers at the Friday reception.
“It’s hard work but they say they have fun,” said Kapor. “The whole community is just incredibly supportive.”
Mari Bolen, left, and Michele Kapor in their studio in 2023, preparing for that year’s MPAA show. Photo by Victoria Howell.
“Cherry Pickers,” a carving of cedar waxwings with chokecherries by Gerald Painter, took 1st Place in Masters Miniatures at the Ward World Championship 2025 in Ocean City, Maryland. Painter is one of this year’s exhibitors at the MPAA art show in Hamilton this coming weekend.
Local leader brings nonproft resources to Bitterroot
Jodi Mitchell, executive director of the Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce, has been selected to work as a rural ambassador in the Bitterroot Valley for the Montana Nonproft Association (MNA). As a rural ambassador, Jodi will be working closely with MNA to support nonproft capacity and resource-creation for community organizations in Ravalli County.
Ambassador projects include network building to connect leaders and promote community collaboration, designing custom resources and training to meet the needs of local nonprofts, and sharing resources from MNA to staf and board members.
There were 380 nonprofts registered in Ravalli County in 2023 and they generated $196,092,816 in revenue. By working as an MNA ambassador, Jodi will help to make sure these critical community organizations have the support they need to efectively serve their missions.
A proud Montana native originally from Great Falls, Jodi brings deep-rooted community values and a strong sense of purpose to her leadership role. She is especially passionate about the hundreds of nonprofts that serve and uplift the Bitterroot Valley. As the Ambassador for the Montana
Association, Jodi is proud to represent and advocate for these vital organizations. She con-
tinually strives to foster collaboration and build strong partnerships to support their long-term success.
Jodi’s greatest motivation comes from her three young children. She is driven by a desire to help build a safe, vibrant, and connected community where they—and all children—can thrive. Her husband, Dan, shares this commitment to service and community, serving on the Hamilton City Council.
MNA and the Bitterroot Chamber are bringing a free board governance workshop to Hamilton on June 4. Details can be found on the chamber’s website.
MNA launched the rural ambassador program in spring 2022 with two ambassadors and it has grown to nine communities. MNA has more than 850 members across Montana and works to support nonprofts through training and education, tailored resources, lobbying and advocacy support, member benefts, and connecting leaders to each other and partners in business and government.
Stockman Bank to hold grand opening
Stockman Bank invites the public to attend a special grand opening celebration for their Stevensville Bank on June 11.
“We are a community bank, and we take pride in being Montana-owned.”
“We are very excited to be a part of downtown Stevensville,” comments Simon McCann, Stockman Bank Bitterroot Market President.
The public is invited to attend a special grand opening celebration on June 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. with refresh ments, food, and door prizes. At 4:30, a rib bon cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Bitterroot Cham ber of Com merce will take place followed by a presenta tion featur ing several community partners.
“Investing in our community is important to Stockman and our
employees,” explained McCann. “We felt what better way to introduce ourselves to Stevensville than to shine
Montana’s largest, family-owned, community bank, with full-service locations across the state. Founded
services, along with stateof-the-art online and mobile banking, wealth management and insurance services. To learn more visit www.stockmanbank.com.
Nonproft
Problem with drug pricing proposal
Access to new treatments shouldn’t depend on where you live. But in Montana, where distance, insurance networks, and availability already limit options, Washington’s latest drug pricing proposal could make a hard situation even harder.
President Trump’s Executive Order would tie U.S. drug prices to what’s paid in foreign countries. These price-controlled systems are known for restricting access to innovative treatments and dragging out the approval process. If we import their rules, we also import their delays and that could mean fewer medications reaching patients in states like Montana, where access is already fragile.
Worse, the proposal could undercut the investment pipeline that supports life sciences research in the U.S. It’s not just a pricing shift; it’s a policy that changes the incentives that drive progress.
While all this plays out, pharmacy beneft managers and their anti-patient practices continue to fy under the radar. PBMs make these decisions behind the scenes, creating surprise costs and coverage gaps that lawmakers continue to ignore.
Montana families need practical solutions, not recycled ideas from abroad. That starts with protecting innovation, and holding PBMs accountable for the role they play in blocking access to care.
Cathy Newt Hamilton
Birds, bees, butterfies and?
Wow, life can change in an instant. And yet, though it is 2025 what I see around me is very shocking! Herbicides and insecticides containing life-threatening glyphosate and many other potent neurotoxins are being blithely sprayed, copiously, in municipalities, county- and federally-regulated areas. Not to mention the gallons dumped on private lands!
Way back in 1996, a Prime Time newscast warned us all re these dangers. Wake up, people! If these sprays kill weeds and bugs, they’ll also greatly harm you. The use of these toxic chemical poisons is scientifcally proven to cause severe debilitating illness and autoimmune disorders and does kill. They are proven carcinogens (cancer-causers). Independent scientifc testing detected the presence of the pesticide Dursban eight years after its application. In the case of Paraquat, abundantly sprayed on South American soy crops, there is no known antidote to poisoning.
After pesticides enter our bodies through air, water, food, and other exposures, they are NOT easily excreted, metabolized. Very copious research worldwide does show that they indeed cause birth defects, dementia, mental illness, Alzheimer’s genital tract abnormalities, childhood hyperactivity, human and animal disease and DEATH. Not to mention the huge devastation wrought on benefcial insects, birds and more.
My own Montana rural childhood provided many exposures to pesticides. No doctor could explain my severe hair loss, vomiting, heart problems, twisted breastbone, nosebleeds and more. It took me roughly 14 years to recover, using natural, alternative and
Opinion
spiritual methods. Then, I worked at dog and horse shows where pesticides were used in huge measures. I also assisted two clients, one at her store in Missoula, and one at a large ranch in WY to remove stockpiles of pesticides. Though I used disposable gloves and double-bagged the toxins, I am now battling cancer.
We MUST grasp that all use of these chemical poisons is extremely dangerous, and work together to halt their use. Very viable alternatives do exist: hoeing weeds (check out the hula-hoe), pulling weeds, corn gluten pre-emergent, agricultural strength vinegar, spraying with Dr. Bronner’s soap, and blends of powerful essential oils. For a great catalog and more info, call Arbico, 1-800-827-2847. Also, go online to Mother Earth News to see their ofering of safe efective products.
In closing, please ponder these words, “If the bee disappeared of the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more man.”-- Albert
Einstein
Awanee Russell Stevensville
People vote, dollars don’t
Abraham Lincoln said, “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Once again, the country is in trouble. This time the root cause is not war; it is money. If we are to save this great nation, we must add the Lincoln’s great speech and Gettysburg, “people vote, dollars don’t.”
Last summer, I stopped by the Ravalli County Republican Women’s Club booth. They had a “complaint” desk. My complaint was decisive politics. Asked why, I responded, “Too much money in politics.” How would you fx it? I found this a refreshing approach to politics. The Democratic and Republican parties are addicted to money — as was the RFK Jr. campaign. I believe that big money in politics has gotten so bad that it has stolen the voice of the voter.
So, I responded with a longer version of the following. I gave one to the Republican Women’s Club and a copy to the Ravalli County Democratic Central Committee.
Limited Liability is a grant, not a right:
While the United Supreme Court decided that corporations were assemblies of people under the First Amendment and the money was essential for free speech, the owners and operators of a corporation have simple and accessible means to assemble themselves as a Political Action Committee or similar assembly.
The people of Montana, through their legislature, have granted the owners and operators of Corporations limited liability — it is a grant, not a right — and is done by the people of Montana to further the efciency of doing business with the state and purpose of engaging in election politics. It is in the best interest of the people of Montana to only grant limited liability to corporations or other entities solely for the purpose of doing business.
AMENDMENT
Modify the Montana Constitution, Article XIII, Section 1, Nonmunicipal Corporations to add.
Limited liability protection shall not
be granted or applied for any corporation, domestic, foreign, or unregistered with the state, which uses corporate funds, directly or indirectly, to contribute to candidates, political action committees, or other organizations engaged in infuencing elections for public ofce in the State of Montana, leaving unfettered the right for a corporation, foreign, or unregistered to speak in its own name.
Self Determination:
The citizens of Montana have the right to self-determination regarding the governance of their own state. Given that substantial amounts of money have been spent from outside the state to unduly infuence elections, this amendment insists the Montanans are the only ones who may fund candidates for public ofce for Montana or its political subdivisions. The amendment provides for issue organizations, such as the National Rife Association and the Sierra Club 501 c4 originations, to infuence elections to the extent Montana residents fund them.
AMENDMENT
Modify the Montana Constitution, Article III, to add.
Self-determination in elections and ballot initiatives
1. Only residents of Montana who are citizens of the United States may contribute to a candidate for public ofce for Montana or its political subdivision or ballot initiative.
2. Only persons or entity funding entirely by residents of Montana who are citizens of the United States may contribute funds or other resources to a political action committee of any kind seeking to infuence the election of a candidate for public ofce for Montana or its political subdivision.
3. A political party registered in the State of Montana may only be funded by residents of Montana who are citizens of the United States.
4. National issue organizations and business or labor associations which seek to afect the election of a Montana candidate or passage of a voter initiative may expend funds or resources to the extent and limited by the contributions of residents of Montana who are citizens of the United States.
One Person One Vote:
This amendment somewhat levels the playing feld for the use of money to infuence elections. It leaves the wealthy with an advantage over wage earners but not an unlimited advantage. While the Supreme Court has found limiting expenditures by associations to be an unconstitutional limitation of speech, it has accepted limitations on individual contributions.
AMENDMENT
Modify the Montana Constitution, Article III, to add.
The maximum amount any person may contribute to candidates for public ofce in the State of Montana and its political subdivisions and voter initiations is 50% of the average annual earned income in Montana; this average is to be determined by law passed by the Montana legislature. James R. Olsen Hamilton
About that ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
By any chance, are you reading this issue of the Bitterroot Star at the Frontier Café in Stevensville? If so, hold onto your pancakes: The US Senate just passed the No Tax on Tips Act. My frst-ever job was as a server at a Corner Pocket pool hall, and I remem-
ber being shocked when I found out two things: frst, that I would be paid less than minimum wage, and second, that I would have to pay taxes on my tips. Neither of these made sense to me because I didn’t make that much in tips, mainly because I was a really bad server. So, yay! No taxes on tips for today’s servers. This act was passed unanimously in the Senate by both Republicans and Democrats, during normal, daylight hours.
However, on May 21, at 1:00 a.m. in the morning, under the cloak of darkness, Representative Ryan Zinke and the other US House Republicans voted to pass Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” that gives billions of dollars in tax cuts to billionaires and millionaires. What does it say about this bill that they were too ashamed to vote for it in the light of day? Well, I will tell you.
This “budget” bill will add $3.5 TRILLION to the US debt and will kick millions of people of their health insurance. You might be thinking, “That last part is good! They’re kicking those lazy bums of Medicaid!” That’s exactly how the Republicans are selling this budget bill to us Americans to make us think that it’s a good thing.
No one wants able-bodied people sitting at home scamming Medicaid when they could go out and get a job. But did you know that most people on Medicaid are low-income seniors, low-income kids, and low-income WORKERS, maybe even the lovely person here at the Frontier who brought you your pancakes (for $2.17 an hour, far less than minimum wage; tip your server well!)?
And it’s not just Medicaid that will be cut by the tax-cuts-for-billionaires Republicans. Do you know what happens when the US debt goes up by that much? If the Republicans’ bill is passed, it will trigger $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare!
This is because of the Pay-As-YouGo Act of 2010, which was created by Democrats to make both parties shy away from adding to the US debt. But Republicans in Congress don’t care. The “fscally conservative” Republicans, in their “Big Beautiful Bill,” have just voted to raise the US debt ceiling by $4 trillion dollars!
Republicans in Congress see adding trillions to the debt as a three-fer: (1) They get to give billions in tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, themselves included; (2) They get to cripple Medicare, the frst step in their scheme to make everyone have to sign up for a “Medicare Take Advantage of You” plan, which is nothing but health insurance that takes your money and then denies you medical care; and (3) They get to do all these things and play their favorite game: Pin the Blame on the Donkey, when it is the Republicans who are increasing our national debt by trillions of dollars, NOT the Democrats.
Please call Ryan Zinke at 1 (202) 225-5628 and ask him to explain why he voted for the “Big, Beautiful Bill” that makes him and the billionaires richer and the rest of us sicker and poorer.
Dana Henricks Florence
Wokeism and Fish, Wildlife and Parks
I recently saw the new brochure for the Fort Owen State Park. The frst line of the brochure says, “Visit the site of many frsts in Montana History including home to Montana’s frst Catholic
Church.” Really! How can that be? Fr. DeSmet arrived in 1841 and established that frst church. Their (FWP) brochure says so. John Owen arrived in 1850 and built his fort. Their brochure says so. Thus, the church was in the area before the fort. That frst church was swept away in a food. The church John Owen acquired in 1850 is not the frst church. It is the second or, I believe, the third church. It is, also, believed to have been in the feld south of the present Ft. Owen. Not at the Fort. John Owen was asked by the Catholic Church to burn it as the priest had decided to close the Mission and sell it to John Owen. Owen does burn it. Furthermore, some of those frsts mentioned happened before John Owen arrived in the area.
Yes, that frst sentence can be construed as frsts in the valley. Trust me, the average visitor is believing that the frst church, and all the other frsts, are happening at Ft. Owen. I’m sure that was the intent. It is causing great confusion and concern.
Is Fort Owen so historically insignifcant that the FWP needs to rewrite history? Isn’t John Owen’s life and accomplishments important enough? Does the FWP need to destroy the credibility of Historic St. Mary’s Mission, its founder Lucyllle Evans and, for that matter, Fr. DeSmet?
I would like to encourage the FWP to read Fr. DeSmet’s journals as well as John Owen’s diaries, Fr. Mengarini’s memoirs and Lucylle Evans’ books. The FWP should do their research and write their own brochures and information plaques instead of hiring outsiders to do the job. Lastly, the FWP should hire people who are going to be here more than a year or two and who give a damn.
Lyn Graves Stevensville Stevi water rates
We have an issue in our town with our water/sewer bills that warrants scrutiny and serious public discussion.
In 2014, according to an article in the Bitterroot star entitled “Water, sewer rates going up in Stevensville” (dated September 15, 2015) we were paying $40 per month for water and sewer.
In 2015, that rate increased to $41.16.
The rate increased again in 2016 bringing our total monthly amount up to $42.42.
The rate went up in November 2017 bringing our new monthly rate to $43.69.
In 2018 our cost went up to $45 per month.
Then on November 1, 2019, our incremental rate increase brought our monthly bills to $46.35.
A little over 5 1/2 years later, without proper public discussion and notice our water/sewer rates are increasing to $133 per month in June. That is an additional amount from 2019 to 2025 of $86.65 per month within less than six years.
I encourage everyone who lives in town and is facing such a drastic increase in rates to call, E-mail, write, attend meetings and/or go into town hall and address your concerns with our mayor and other town personnel.
We did not receive proper notifcation and were not given a reasonable opportunity to ask questions and give feedback regarding the most recent rate increases.
Sharon Gee Stevensville
De’ja’ vu
What I am seeing and hearing about Stevensville’s Mayor and Town Council is the same rhetorical story I have heard since I moved here in 2012; everything that goes awry with Stevensville government, the citizens pay for, whether the mistake was legal or illegal.
The purpose of government of the type of representative government we have, is for the mayor and town council to represent and protect the citizens. The staf is hired to serve the citizens of Stevensville. As Town Hall belongs to the citizens, the citizens have full legal right to have access to an open, unlocked door into the ofce, have the right to research past meetings, count the pencils in the desk drawers, and be treated with respect.
Our mayor and his staf are so full of self-importance that they are ofended if anyone even suggests they might need to reconsider what they are doing. The mayor is hidden in a back room, guarded by three secretaries. Now the staf wants to start closing the Town Ofce early on Fridays, saying they will still be working behind closed doors, when actually they will be of traveling to another destination. Now Town Hall is going to be remodeled so the secre-
taries have a “safe place” to go to when someone ofends them!
The Good Book in II Timothy and St. Matthew 24:10-13 has much to say about how people will be ofended in the Last Days, that there will be much lawlessness and people’s hearts will grow cold (lack love).
Again, we are down to one policeman, the Police Chief. What happened to all the ofcers the citizens of Stevensville have paid for to go to the Police Academy so they could be graduated as police? It seems like in just a short time those newly graduated police ofcers are gone!
Filing to run as a candidate for the Mayor of Stevensville closes June 11, I understand. The fling fee is $180, paid at the Election Ofce in Hamilton. It would be so nice to have common sense once again in Town Hall. It would take someone with fortitude to undertake replacing the old with some new smiling faces in the ofce, get the lock of the Town Ofce door, and be out front and present when the citizens of Stevensville need to see the mayor.
We need someone who is not going to be ofended by what anyone comes in to say or do. We need someone who will stand up for the citizens of Stevensville, to provide for them and to protect them.
Susan McCreary Stevensville
Don’t
be silent
Assaults on our constitution, rule of law, and frst amendment freedoms; the imposition of tarifs and the toying with national and international economies; ending much of U.S. foreign aid; withholding funds for universities; indiscriminate fring of government employees and top military leaders; placing inexperienced and incompetent people in cabinet positions, etc., etc... The list is much too long to remember and grows by the day. It is very discouraging to watch our national standing transformed from the unquestioned leader on the global stage to one which is increasingly recognized for its chaos, corruption and cruelty. Schools are told what they can teach. Critics of this president and his administration
have been threatened and prosecuted. Public protests which ofend this administration may result in deportation of individual protestors. This is not the way free democratic governments behave. These are unmistakable characteristics of authoritarian governments. We are well down the hill of the slippery slope of authoritarianism. These alarming changes are happening in plain sight.
We must take any opportunity to speak out against this dangerous administration. These so-called “leaders” took an oath to protect and defend the constitution. They are, instead, attempting to dismantle it. These people work for you, not for this president. We can’t accept this as normal. We must be better than this. Mid-term elections are less than a year and a half away.
Donald Gardner Corvallis
Support for Love
I’m thrilled to share the exciting news that Kathy Love is running for State Senate District 43 here in Ravalli County in the 2026 Republican Primary! Kathy has already proven herself with an outstanding record in the Montana House, earning one of the highest Republican loyalty ratings from independent monitors.
Kathy is an honorable, hardworking leader who will bring dignity, strength, and renewed purpose to this Senate seat — not only for Ravalli County but for the entire state of Montana. Her dedication and integrity are exactly what we need to move our state forward.
I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to support Kathy Love’s campaign and help secure a decisive victory! Bill Lussenheide
PRINCIPAL: school throws ‘80s bash for long-time educator
memories for her,” said Poppema. Nagel moved to the area in 1993, when she started with Corvallis School District. She started as a teacher, and is ending her career as a principal. Having afected so many lives, Poppema added that it was important to them to “do a big celebration that involved the students.”
The day was flled with laughter as ‘80s themed decorations adorned the ceilings and walls, teachers, staf and students alike donned 1980s garb and students played ‘80s styled games. The school even recorded and played a video showcasing the students and staf playing an ‘80s trivia game. According to teachers, it was comical how the students, and even some of the younger staf, really had some trouble with the trivia.
According to Sarah Fryer,
the community liaison for the Corvallis School District, “All the thrift stores have nothing left.” She said this as many of the students and teachers walked by with bright colors, and antiquated exercise clothing. Fryer added that the fun even spread home, as for many of the parents this was likely a fun way to relive the old days, dressing their children up.
The day ended in a dance and ‘80s themed yard games. According to Nagel, “It was a pretty special day, beyond anything I had expected.” She said it was ultimately impressive, not least because, “500 people kept that a secret from me, and most of them were ten!”
Nagel also was not aware her kids were coming to visit, and loved that she got to see her grandkids. She described the surprise, saying she was asked to take the day of before,
and when she came in the staf gave her a bag of clothes and did her hair and makeup. She was completely surprised by everything.
Nagel has been with Corvallis for 32 years of her career, and principal for the last eight years. She said being somewhere so long, and moving up within the same school district can be rare, especially these days.
“There is defnitely longevity there, and that’s just a testament to how special this school system is,” said Nagel. “I’ve been truly blessed to work with the best staf, the best students, and the best community.”
FUTURE: Trapper Creek Job Corps potentially in jeopardy
Continued from page 1
Service Job Corps centers across the country. That decision, which was deeply unpopular with a bi-partisan group of legislators including Senator Steve Daines and then-Senator Jon Tester, as well as then-Representative Greg Gianforte, was ultimately overturned.
T.J. Running Wolf says that he would not be where he is today without the Job Corps. Running Wolf, a native of Browning, Montana, came to the Trapper Creek Job Corps at the suggestion of his high school counselor.
“I grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation,” said Running Wolf, adding that he had a tough upbringing, and that the transition to the order and regulation required in the Job Corps wasn’t easy. “Going to a place where you’re going to be accountable, you’re going to be expected to be up at a certain time and to do things a certain way—it was culture shock for sure.”
Running Wolf, who began in the industrial painting program, recalled coming to the realization that the authority fgures at the center were actually on his side, and has an ongoing appreciation of it. Years later, Running Wolf found himself on a fight with Jesse Casterson, who held multiple roles at Trapper Creek including one as Center Director. The two sat down for a bite in the Salt Lake airport following the fight, with T.J. picking up the tab.
“It was really good to be in a position to give back,” said Running Wolf, adding that what Casterson and the Job Corps had done for him went far beyond picking up a bill.
But the Hamilton City Council was recently briefed on the Trapper Creek Job Corps, hearing statistics from that center and other USDA centers nationwide, and the data showed that the Job Corps may be paying the bill after all. For example, in 2024, Job Corps students from all Montana USDA sites contributed 69,646 hours of work in frefghting and support, with over 600,000 hours from the USDA sites nationwide. The return on investment of those hours is valued at over $21 million for that year. A prior Department of Labor study had asserted that, for every one dollar invested in Job Corps, society gains nearly $2 in benefts.
At 35, Running Wolf now lives in Indiana with his wife and two kids and considers his own story to be a success. He says that shuttering the Job Corps is a spiteful action, especially in a country that is so critically short of qualifed workers in the
trades. And while he acknowledges that Job Corps, like any program tailored to help disadvantaged youth, may have behavioral problems, doing away with it destroys, “the only avenue that some of us have.”
Holly Snyder, Jeff Nagel and Dave Bradshaw lead students in a dance from the 1980s. Photo by John Dowd.
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Stevi’s Everett going strong after 36 years
Stevensville tennis and Bill Everett seem inseparable. Like knowledge and power or peanut butter and jelly, when you think of one, you automatically think of the other.
Everett became the head tennis coach for Stevensville High School in 1989, back when Boris Becker won Wimbledon and Stef Graf won the US Open. Everett has been the Stevensville coach ever since, save 1993, when he took a year of.
Fast forward to the 2025 season. Everett led the Stevensville boys tennis team to a 2025 Western A Divisional Championship and a Class A State 2nd Runner-up trophy. On May 30, Everett was named the 2025 Class A Boys Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association.
“I really enjoyed the kids this year,” said Everett. “We had a big group of kids and the parents were very supportive. There were over 45 people at our end of the year awards banquet. It was a great season.”
Before moving to Montana in the 1980s, Everett taught tennis in Texas for 15 years. “I fgure I’ve been teaching tennis for over 55 years,” said Everett. “And I kind of fell into the Stevensville job.”
In the late 80s, the current Stevensville tennis coach brought Everett in to help the kids. When the old coach left, Stevensville’s AD at the time, John Monk, ofered him the position. Everett was also a teacher at Stevensville from 1998 to 2012, when he retired from teaching.
One might wonder what keeps Everett coming back. “The kids are great,
and I got attached to the Stevensville community right away,” said Everett. “We used to play on the old courts at Lewis and Clark park until they fnished the new courts in 1992 and 1993.”
Those new courts from the 1990s are now in disrepair, and the team can’t host home games. The STARS Foundation in Stevensville is leading a movement to raise money for new facilities.
“The kids didn’t complain about the old court in the early 90s, and the kids today don’t complain about the old courts now, they just go out there and have fun,” said Everett. “But it’s too bad the kids can’t have home matches, and it would be nice for the seniors to have senior night on a home court.”
Everett and Stevensville tennis have had their ups and downs over the years. The boys were State Champions in 1992 and 1996, runners up in 1993, 1994, 2012 and 2025, and third in 1998. The girls team were State Champions in 1998. “This is still the only girls team in Stevi history to have won a girls team state title,” said Everett.
In 2022, Everett had only three boys and four girls on the team. “A couple more years like that and I’m not sure if they would have kept the program,” said Everett. “The last couple of years we have had very good numbers, and we have been able to feld a full, competitive divisional team.”
Not only did Everett win the 2025 Class A Boys Tennis Coach of the Year,
but Hamilton’s head tennis coach Bryan Dufresne won the 2025 Class A Girls Tennis Coach of the Year. Dufresne was a player for Everett at Stevensville in the early 1990s.
“I owe my love of the game to him,” said Dufresne. “He allowed us to have fun, and he made me want to play in the of season and get better. I always loved how much he truly cared for his players. He loves the sport and he loves the kids.”
Dufresne continued, “Now that we are coaches and peers, I still feel like I’m his player and he is my coach. He instilled in me the importance of creating a ‘level of joy’ for the players.
He truly deserves this award.”
After 36 years of coaching, Everett is still looking forward.
“I have some years left in me,” said Everett. “We have some good young players coming up and I have high hopes for the future.”
Hamilton’s Dufresne coach of the year
Hamilton head tennis coach
Bryan Dufresne was named the Class A Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association on May 30. The Hamilton girls fnished in 2nd place at the 2025 Class A State tournament on May 23.
This is Dufresne’s third year as Hamilton’s head coach, although he has coached many other sports over the years. The girls tennis team also fnished second at state in 2024, and the boys took second at state in 2023.
“I see this award as more of a team honor,” said Dufresne. “It is a refection of having great players and having great assistant coaches.”
Dufresne is excited to have increased participation this season.
“I’m most proud that we had 55 kids come out this season,” said Dufresne. “Our main goal is to help create better student athletes and I think we’re doing a great job of this - I’m proud of all our kids this year.”
With so many kids on the team, Dufresne works hard to get all the kids playing time. Dufresne was able to set up extra JV matches and switch players around in varsity matches to try getting everyone game time.
“Of course we want to be competitive,” said Defresne, “but making sure the kids have a joy for the game is paramount. I want the kids to have fun and I think they play better and are more successful when they are having fun.”
Stevensville’s Bradford to run for Rocky
Stevensville’s Cody Bradford signed his letter of intent to run Cross Country and Track & Field at Rocky Mountain College in a ceremony at Stevensville High School on Monday, May 19.
Bradford will be majoring in Health and Human Performance and minoring in Philosophy and Religion.
“My main reason for choosing Rocky Mountain College is that I’ll be able to run competitively there,” said Bradford.
“Running has changed my life in more ways than most people can comprehend, so with them giving me the opportunity to continue competing in the sport that has made me who I am, I simply could not turn it down.”
Rocky Mountain College is located in Billings and the Battlin’ Bears play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the Frontier Conference.
Softball postseason honors
Postseason softball honors were awarded for high school softball last week. Corvallis, Hamilton and Stevensville are in the Southwest A conference, while Florence is in the Western B/C conference.
The Florence girls were the Class B/C state runners up, and both Stevensville and Hamilton qualifed for the Class A state tournament, so, as expected, there were a lot of Bitterroot Valley girls represented on the postseason teams this year.
Southwest A All-State
The following girls from the Bitterroot Valley made All-State and First Team All-Conference: Mariah Johnson of Hamilton; Lilly Newsom of Stevensville; and Sophie Cooper of Corvallis.
Southwest A All-Conference
Jaiden Oyler of Stevensville made First Team All-Conference.
The following Bitterroot players were Second Team All-Conference: Dawsyn Ekin of Hamilton; Addison Flynn of Hamilton; Melanie Race of Hamilton; Molly Davids of Stevensville; and Morgan Yeager of Stevensville.
The following Bitterroot players were Honorable Mention All-Conference: Thea Jackson of Hamilton; Ella Daly of Corvallis; and Maddix Yeager of Stevensville.
Western B-C All-State
The following Florence girls made All-State and First Team All-Conference: Jayden Fisher, P/LF; Maggie Schneiter, SS; Kenzy Pickering, P/LF; Kaylee Crawford, CF; Ava Philbrick, 3B.
Western B/C All-Conference
The following Florence girls made 2nd Team All-Conference: Taylor Pyette,
and
C;
Reiley Reed, 1B.
Stevensville’s Cody Bradford signs his letter of intent to run Cross Country and Track & Field at Rocky Mountain College in Billings on Monday, May 19 in Stevensville. Photo courtesy of Fran Schmitz.
Stevensville head tennis coach Bill Everett was awarded the Class A Boys Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association. Everett holds the 2025 Boys State 2nd place trophy, right, and Everett with the Stevensville girls 1998 State Championship team, above. Photos courtesy of Bill Everett.
Hamilton tennis head coach Bryan Dufresne, at right, was awarded the Class A Girls Tennis Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association. Dufresne coached the Hamilton girls to a 2nd place fnish at state in 2025. Photo courtesy of Kelly Hanley
Jean Matthews concert series to launch June 10
The Jean Matthews Tuesday at Twelve series of free summer concerts will commence on Tuesday, June 10, with a concert by Patti Nolan and the Undeniables on the lawn of the Ravalli County Museum. The weekly concerts will continue every Tuesday at noon through August 19.
The concert series was founded in 1990 by Jean Matthews, and is now in its 35th year. Matthews died in 2015, but the concert series remains as her legacy.
The music runs from noon until 1 p.m., and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair or blanket and a picnic lunch, and to dress for the weather. The museum provides some shade structures, but attendees should plan to arrive early to take advantage of them. In the event of rain or unhealthy smoke levels, the concerts will move to the Community Room of Hamilton City Hall.
There are no food vendors at the concerts, but picnickers are encouraged to take advantage of the many Hamilton eateries offering grab ‘n go lunches.
As usual, this year’s performers include several acts new to the program and some returning favorites, all spanning a variety of musical genres. The season opener features Patti Nolan, a Missoula jazz vocalist who has performed from the San Francisco Bay area to New York. She’ll be backed by The Undeniables, a collection drawn from among Missoula’s finest instrumentalists.
Bitterroot Community Band will return as usual, having played nearly every year since Tuesday at Twelve’s inception.
The concerts are appropriate for all ages.
The concert schedule features genres from country & western to folk and Americana, including popular music and even a steel drum ensemble. The Big Sky Mudflaps will perform a 90-minute set in celebration of their 50th year of making music together, and the
The series is underwritten by local business sponsors and individuals. Series sponsors for this year’s concerts include the Downtown Hamilton Business Improvement District, the Rapp Family Foundation, Bitterroot Drug and Main Street Toys, Brothers Mortuary and Crematory, and Ravalli County Credit Union. Numerous other businesses and individuals have contributed to keep the concerts free for
the public.
2025 Tuesday at Twelve Performers:
· June 10 Patti Nolan & The Undeniables (Jazz Standards)
· June 17 4Tet Caribe (Steel Drum Ensemble)
· June 24 Louie Bond Trio (Classic Country & Western)
· July 1 The Big Sky Mudflaps (50 Swingin’ Years)
· July 8 Tightline (Popular Cover Band)
· July 15 Soma ‘Dat (Popular Trio)
· July 22 Shark Buffalo (could
be anything…)
· July 29 Sam Nelson (Country Classics and Originals)
· August 5 Travis Yost (duo) (Original Americana and Roots)
· August 12 Bitterroot Community Band
· August 19 Annemarie Barnes & Bruce Wareing (Folk originals)
Concert information can be found on the series’ Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tuesdayattwelve. For more information about the concert series, contact the producer at jmtuesdayat12@gmail.com or 406-363-1279.
Our team of dedicated providers prioritize the health and well-being of your litle (and not-so-litle) ones.
Kevin Shane Hite, 68, of Hamilton passed away Thursday, May 22, 2025 at his home in Hamilton after sufering a stroke. He was born April 14, 1957 in Jackson, MI, the son of Cliford Eugene and Mae Belle (Hufman) Hite.
Shane attended Fresno State University where he played basketball. He married Lynna Giaimo in 1989 and together they had two children. Shane and Lynna successfully ran her family’s tile company for over 20 years. Shane was passionate about basketball from middle school until his chronic illness stopped him from playing, but the man never stopped working.
Shane was preceded in death by his wife, Lynna Giaimo Hite; his father, Eugene Hite; and his sisters, Sherry and Linda Hite. He is survived by his two children, Preston Hite and wife Pamela D. of Hamilton and India Hite and husband Tor G. of Missoula; his mother-in-law, Barbara Giaimo of Hamilton; his brother, Steve Hite and his sister, Debe Petersen, both of California.
Private family services will be held. The family asks to consider adopting a pet from your local shelter in honor of Shane. He always brought home strays. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
Earline Esmay Celebration of Life
In honor of Earline’s life, her family will be hosting a celebration of life social from 1pm to 4pm on
Death Notices
Timothy Bessette
Missoula - Timothy Bessette, 61, passed away Sunday, June 1, 2025 after a brief illness at St. Patrick Hospital. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary. com.
Georgia Starr McKeever
Missoula - Georgia Starr McKeever, 88, passed away Sunday June 1, 2025 after an extended illness. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com
tances are welcome to come and share your fond memories. Snacks will be provided.
Russell Young Hamilton - Russell Young, 77, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www. brothersmortuary.com
When it comes to fies, what’s in a name?
I recently had lunch with a couple of friends, one of who is about to leave for Slovenia to catch the exotic marble trout. My mission was to hand of some fies I’d tied for the journey.
Meeting over lunch to deliver fies isn’t an unusual thing for me; the fies are usually headed for someplace like the Big Hole, Blackfoot, Madison or Missouri, or maybe one of the wonderful streams in Oregon or northern California. A burger at Naps as a sendof for Brindle ‘Chutes headed for New Zealand? Done that, too, but this is the frst time we’ve eaten lunch over Twitch-Pause nymphs headed for Slovenia.
by Chuck Stranahan
It seemed natural enough at the time, but in the retelling sounds a little weird.
Let me explain:
Dan Shepherd, who puts these exotic fyfshing trips together for the Wild on the Fly fshing travel agency was scheduled to join us but couldn’t make it. During the years he ran Grizzly Hackle in Missoula Dan fshed plenty of my fies when he guided the Bitterroot. His favorite was my Amber Trude and it’s been hard to come by since.
I’d promised some Amber Trudes to Dan to see if they’d work in Slovenia. There are several light-colored stonefies there and as the Amber Trude flls the bill for them on the home front, why not their genetic cousins in Europe?
A trude is a dry fy with a long body and white wing tied downwing style, over the body to represent similar wings in natural insects. Grasshoppers at rest and stonefies ave down wings. Mayfies have upright wings as do the fies tied to represent them.
Tying a fy with a rather generic-looking but multicolored body for about ffty stonefy species seemed like a good idea to me; the fy’s efectiveness exceeded my ability to keep the bin full. Dan hasn’t fshed that fy for a long time. I wanted to put some in his hands for the trip, and hear how they worked afterward.
While we were talking about the upcoming trip Dan told me of the mayfy hatches he’d seen in Slovenia. I tied some sparse mayfy nymphs for him to try, along with some caddisfy
nymphs.
Over lunch I opened the big 24-compartment fy box and distributed fies into small containers for the trip.. My host, Don, asked about each one and took notes.
I generally try to give my fies descriptive names: The Amber Trude is a trude-style dry fy, overall amber in color. The Caddis Variant is a variant-style, meaning extra-long hackle, caddisfy imitation. Even the Brindle ‘Chute has a descriptive name, shortened from brindle-hackle-multicolor-bodied-parachute.
Sometimes I name a fy for how it’s fshed –the name helps identify the fy,and tells how it’s designed to be fshed..
That’s the case with the Drifter series of nymphs, heavily-weighted fies designed to be drifted deep, and the Twitch-Pause nymphs.
When Don asked about the little chartreuse caddis nymph he was holding I told about the fy’s design. The wing or throat looks too long and too heavy, by conventional standards, extending well beyond the body.
The fy’, proportions mimic what the trout sees in nature – not the diagram on page 63 of a fy tying book the trout hasn’t read.
Caddisfies hatch fully-formed underwater and drift toward the surface, hoping they won’t be noticed as they play ‘possum on their way to the top. When they’re a few inches from the surface they swim furiously, stroking with their wings as-if fying underwater. The wings start on top and stroke downward. Raise wings and repeat.
The twitch-pause nymph rides upside-down in the water at rest, its feather throat or “wings” on top, and when moved for a steady fst-length twitch, inverts to mimic the swimming motion of the natural. Pause and repeat. There’s a waltz rhythm to it: Twitch-pause... twitch-pause...
The trout are attracted by the motion, and hit – sometimes violently - on the pause. Mustn’t overstrike.
When fsh are launching themselves out of the water during a caddisfy hatch they’re not taking dries. They’re chasing the swimming nymphs to the surface, and when they nail one they can’t hit the brakes.
When you see that happen, in Montana or (hopefully) in Slovenia, strap on a Twitch-Pause nymph and do what the name says. You might be surprised at how efective this little fy can be if you fsh it as the name says.
The Twitch-Pause nymph is named for how it’s fshed, and can be deadly. Photo courtesy Chuck Stranahan.
20
Bitterroot Health has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the nation for overall performance. This prestigious honor was awarded by the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit focused on improving healthcare for rural communities, focusing on advocacy, education, communication, and research.
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) pulls data from the Chartis Center for Rural Health, a healthcare advisory firm that helps organizations across the industry navigate change, improve care, and drive better results. Chartis evaluates publicly available data to quantify overall hospital performance in
“This recognition is especially meaningful because it’s one of the most comprehensive and objective assessments of rural hospital performance in the indus -
try,” said John Bishop, CEO of Bitterroot Health. “It reflects the dedication and daily efforts of our entire team. Our staff go above and beyond to ensure our patients receive exceptional care, and this award is a testament to their unwavering commitment.”
Bitterroot Health remains
focused on its mission: to provide quality, accessible, and personalized healthcare—ensuring every patient knows they matter. This national recognition reinforces the organization’s promise to continue being a trusted healthcare partner for the Bitterroot Valley now and into the future.
For more information on this award visit https://www.ruralhealth.us/about-us/rural-healthawards/top-20-critical-access-hospitals
For more information about Chartis, visit: www.chartis.com/ top-performing-rural-hospitals
To learn more about Bitterroot Health, visit www.bitterroothealth. org or call (406) 375-4649.
Legal Notices
RAVALLI COUNTY ATTORNEY
Bill Fulbright, County
Attorney Ravalli County Courthouse 205 Bedford Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840
rcaoservice@rc.mt.
gov Ph: (406-375-6750
Attorneys for Special Administrator
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MELODEE MELISSA KELLEHER, Deceased
Probate No. 25-47
Dept. No. 2
NOTICE AND INFORMATION TO HEIRS AND DEVISEES
To the heirs and devisees of the above-entitled estate:
The decedent, Melodee Melissa Kelleher, died on 26th day March 2025, at the age of 66 years.
This notice is being sent to the Bitterroot Star as no persons who have or may have some interest in the estate being administered have been identifed.
The Ravalli County Attorney’s Ofce, whose address is 205 Bedford Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT, 59840, was appointed Special Administrator of the estate on April 30, 2025. Papers and information relating to the estate are on fle in the Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, County of Ravalli, at Hamilton, Montana.
This estate is being administered by the Special Administrator of the estate under the Uniform Probate Code of Montana without supervision by the Court. Recipients are entitled to information regarding administration from the Special Administrator and may petition the Court in any manner relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration.
DATED: May 12, 2025.
/s/ Bill Fulbright, County Attorney
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Lauren R. Fox, hereby certify that I have served true and accurate copies of the foregoing Notice - Notice to Heirs and Devisees to the following on 05-13-2025: William E. Fulbright (Govt Attorney) 205 Bedford St #C Hamilton MT 59840 Representing: William Fulbright
Service Method:
eService
Electronically signed by Travis McElderry on behalf of Lauren R. Fox
Dated: 05-13-2025.
BS 5-21, 5-28, 6-4-25.
MNAXLP
RAVALLI COUNTY
ATTORNEY
Bill Fulbright, County
Attorney Ravalli County Courthouse 205 Bedford Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840
rcaoservice@rc.mt.
gov
Ph: (406-375-6750
Ravalli County Public Administrator
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DIS-
TRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MELODEE MELISSA KELLEHER, Deceased.
Cause No. DP -25-47
Department No. 2
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as 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 Ravalli County Public Administrator, 205 Bedford Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT 59840, return receipt requested, or fled with the Clerk of the above-entitled Court.
Dated this 12th day of May, 2025. /s/ Bill Fulbright, Ravalli County Attorney
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Lauren R. Fox, hereby certify that I have served true and accurate copies of the foregoing Notice - Notice to Creditors to the following on 05-13-2025:
William E. Fulbright (Govt Attorney) 205 Bedford St #C Hamilton MT 59840 Representing: William Fulbright Service Method: eService
Electronically signed by Travis McElderry on behalf of Lauren R. Fox Dates: 05-13-2025. BS 5-21, 5-28, 6-4-25.
John S. Masar LionWood Law PLLC 115 W. 3rd St., Ste. 103 Stevensville, MT 59870 (406) 625-2682 jmasar@lionwoodlaw. com Attorney for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: OSCAR G. SLINDE, Deceased. Probate No.: DP-2555 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 ANN M. SCHWAB, the Personal Representative, return receipt requested, at c/o LionWood Law PLLC, 115 W. 3rd Street, Suite 103, Stevensville, Montana 59870, or fled with the Clerk of the above Court.
DATED this 13th day of MaY, 2025. /s/ Ann M. Schwab, Personal Representative c/o LionWood Law PLLC 115 W. 3rd St., Ste. 103 Stevensville, MT 59870 LionWood Law PLLC /s/ John S. Masar
Attorney for Personal Representative BS 5-21, 5-28, 6-4-25. MNAXLP
Megan S. Winderl
CHOUINARD & WIND-
ERL, P.C.
99 Marcus Street, 3rd Floor Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 218-4888
Meganw@cwlawmt. com Pleadings@cwlawmt. com Attorneys for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY In the Matter of the Estate of LAWRENCE A. HALE, Deceased.
Probate No. DP-412025-0000056-IT
Dept. No. 2
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned has been appointed as 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 Kathleen Owens, the Personal Representative, in care of CHOUINARD & WIND-
ERL, P.C., 99 Marcus St. 3rd FL, Hamilton, MT 59840 or fled with the Clerk of the above Court. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Montana that the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated this 9th day of May, 2025. /s/ Kathleen L. Owens Personal Representative CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C.
Attorney for Personal Representative By: Megan S. Winderl BS 5-21, 5-28, 6-4-25. MNAXLP
RAVALLI COUNTY ATTORNEY
Bill Fulbright, County Attorney Ravalli County Courthouse 205 Bedford Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840
E-mail: countyattorney@rc.mt.gov
Phone: (406) 3756750
Fax: (406) 375-6731
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF: B.G.O, D.R.O A YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE
Cause No. DN 25-4, DN 25-5 Dept. 2
SUMMONS / CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: Ricky Ben Orsot YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that a Petition for Emergency Protective Services, Adjudication of Child as Youth in Need of Care, and Temporary Legal Custody (“the Petition”) regarding, B.G.O and D.R.O, the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been fled in Cause No. DN-25-4 and DN 25-5 in Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, in Ravalli County by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 108 Pinckney St., Hamilton, MT 59840. The Petition requests that CFS be granted the
following relief: Emergency Protective Services; Adjudication as a Youth in Need of Care; A Determination that Preservation / Reunifcation Eforts Need Not Be Provided; Termination of Parental Rights; and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is fled with the Clerk of District Court for Ravalli County, (406) 375-6710 and is hereby served upon you at this time.
The child who is the subject of the proceedings, B.G.O, was born on October 25, 2013, and D.R.O, was born on October 25, 2013. The children’s mother is Kimberly Michelle Arnold. The children’s father is Ricky Ben Orsot.
NOW, THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 19th day of June, 2025 at 2:30 p.m., at the Ravalli County Courthouse located at 205 Bedford St., Hamilton, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition.
NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will constitute a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition.
You have the right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to aford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you.
WITNESS the Clerk of Court and the seal of the Court afxed this 14th day of May 2025.
(COURT SEAL) /s/ Paige Trautwein Clerk of Court By: Sarah Sargent, Deputy BS 5-21, 5-28, 6-4-25.
MNAXLP
RAVALLI COUNTY ATTORNEY
Bill Fulbright, County Attorney Ravalli County Courthouse 205 Bedford Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840 E-mail: countyattorney@rc.mt.gov Phone: (406) 3756750 Fax: (406) 375-6731
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF: J.J.P., A YOUTH IN NEED OF CARE
Cause No. DN 25-8 Dept. 1
SUMMONS / CITATION FOR PUBLICATION TO: James Stanley Patterson
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that an Petition for Emergency Protective Services, Adjudication of Child as Youth in Need of Care, and Temporary Legal Custody (“the Petition”) regarding, J.J.P, the child who is the subject of the above-captioned proceedings brought pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 3 of the Montana Code Annotated, has been fled in Cause No. DN-258 in Montana Twenty-First Judicial District Court, in Ravalli County by the Montana Department of
Public Health and Human Services, Child and Family Services Division (CFS), located at 108 Pinkney St, Hamilton, MT 59840.
The Petition requests that CFS be granted the following relief: Emergency Protective Services; Adjudication as a Youth in Need of Care; A Determination that Preservation / Reunifcation Eforts Need Not Be Provided; Termination of Parental Rights; and Permanent Legal Custody. A copy of the Petition is fled with the Clerk of District Court for Ravalli County, (406) 375-6710 and is hereby served upon you at this time.
The child who is the subject of the proceedings, J.J.P. was born on June 16, 2010. The child’s mother is Cassandra Janette Fisher. The children’s father is James Stanley Patterson.
NOW, THEREFORE, YOU ARE HEREBY
DIRECTED to appear at the hearing regarding the Petition that is set on the 18th day of June, 2025 at 2:30 p.m., at the Ravalli County Courthouse located at 205 Bedford St., Hamilton, Montana, then and there to show cause, if any you may have, why CFS should not be granted the relief requested in the Petition.
NOTICE: Your failure to appear at the hearing will constitute a denial of interest in the child, which denial may result, without further notice of this proceeding or any subsequent proceeding, in judgment by default being entered for the relief requested in the Petition.
You have the right to be represented by an attorney in these proceedings. If you are unable to aford an attorney, the Court will have an attorney appointed to represent you.
WITNESS the Clerk of Court and the seal of the Court afxed this 22nd day of May, 2025.
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF MONICA M. BLUE, or MONICA GRAINGER BLUE, Deceased.
Cause No. DP-202562 Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Scott Weyl 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, Scott Weyl, 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 22nd day of May, 2025. BROWDER LAW, PLLC /s/ Daniel Browder, Attorney for Personal Representative BS 5-28, 6-4, 6-11-25. MNAXLP
Request for Proposal (RFP) for Water Distribution System Leak Detection Services
The Town of Stevensville, Montana is formally requesting proposals for the following services. Non-invasive leak detection services on the entirety of the Town of Stevensville water system. Testing shall include all water mains throughout the system. The scope does not include leak detection of the storage reservoir; however, it shall include testing of the water main up to the connection to the reservoir. Upon completion of testing, the contractor will provide an inspection report to the Town detailing the fndings of the investigation. Water system maps showing the water main locations are available from the Town Clerk upon request.
Proposals will be received at the Ofce of the Stevensville Department of Public Works at 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, MT 59870, until June 10, 2025, at 5:00 pm local time. Original copies must be submitted in a sealed envelope; no faxed or electronic bids will be accepted. Received bids will be publicly opened and read aloud during the council meeting on Thursday June 12, 2025, at 6:30 pm. The proposal will be awarded at the council meeting on Thursday June 26, 2025, at 6:30 pm. Proposal must be valid for a minimum of ninety (90) days and noted in proposal documents. Additional information about this request for proposal can be viewed on the town’s website townofstevensville.com or by contacting the town clerk at 406-777-5271 ext. 102
Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 5-28, 6-4-25. MNAXLP
Daniel Browder, Esq. BROWDER LAW, PLLC
217 N. 3rd St., Ste. J Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: 406-361-3677
Fax: 406-361-2999
Email: browderlawmont@gmail.com
Attorney for Darrell G. Hunt
MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CLOYCE G. HUNT, Deceased. Cause No. DP-202563
Dept. No. 1
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Darrell G. Hunt 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, Darrel G. Hunt, 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 22nd day of May, 2025. BROWDER LAW, PLLC
/s/ Daniel Browder, Attorney for Personal Representative
BS 5-28, 6-4, 6-1125. MNAXLP
Daniel Browder, Esq. BROWDER LAW, PLLC
217 N. 3rd St., Ste. J Hamilton, MT 59840
Phone: 406-361-3677
Fax: 406-361-2999
Email: browderlawmont@gmail.com
Attorney for Steven D. Nordstrom MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LEA R. NORDSTROM, Deceased.
Cause No. DP-202564
Dept. No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that Steven D. Nordstrom 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, Steven D. Nordstrom, 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 29th day of May, 2025. BROWDER LAW, PLLC /s/ Daniel Browder
Attorney for Personal Representative
BS 6-4, 6-11, 6-1825. MNAXLP
NOTICE The 2025 Personal Property Tax bills have been mailed. Taxes are due payable before 5 PM are due June 30, 2025. Mail payments must be postmarked by June 30, 2025 or the payment will be returned for additional charges. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli County Treasurer. Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover are accepted. Now accepting On-line payments at www.ravallicounty.mt.gov
Ravalli County Treasurer Dan Whitesitt, Treasurer 215 S 4th St. Ste H Hamilton MT 59840
406-375-6600
BS 6-4, 6-11, 6-18, 6-25-25. MNAXLP
NOTICE The frst half of the 2025 Mobile Home Taxes are due payable before 5 pm June 30, 2025. We have a Night Drop located at North end of Administration Building in drive thru. Mailed payments must be postmarked by June 30, 2025 or the payment will be returned for penalty and interest. Please make checks payable to the Ravalli wderCounty 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 6-4, 6-11, 6-18, 6-25-25.
MNAXLP
PUBLIC HEARING
PRELIMINARY
BUDGET HEARING FOR RAVALLI COUNTY
The BOARD OF RAVALLI COUNTY COMMISSIONERS will hold a public hearing on the Preliminary County Operating Budget beginning Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 9:00 AM in the Commissioners Conference Room located at 215 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT. on the 3rd Floor. The Commissioners have compiled the Preliminary Annual Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and the budget is on fle and open for inspection in the Ravalli County Commissioners Ofce located at 215 S. 4th Street, Suite A, (3rd foor), Hamilton, MT.
Budgets can be taken out of order listed below, and may be continued into the next date and/ or time session if necessary: Commissioners, Justice Court #1, Justice Court #2, General Fund Variable Costs, Treasurer, Forester, Clerk & Recorder/Records Preservation/ County Supt of Schools,
Finance, County Attorney, Ofce of Emergency Management, Public Health Nurse/PHEP/ MCH/Immunization, Environmental Health, Information Technology, Human Resources, Safety Coordinator, Central Supply, Contributions to Communities, Facilities, Road, Bridge, Weed Control, Fair, Airport, Clerk of District Court, Juvenile Detention, Comprehensive Insurance, Parks, Library, Cemetery, Planning, GIS, Mental Health, Valley Veterans, Economic Development, Extension, Public Safety, Jail Diversion, Animal Protection & Control, Records Retention, Old Courthouse Maintenance, Ravalli County Museum, and 911 County & Enhanced.
Any taxpayer or resident may appear at the hearing and be heard for or against any part of the proposed preliminary budget. The Final Budget will be approved and adopted by Resolution on Thursday, September 04, 2025, at 1:00 PM. If you have any questions, please contact the Commissioner’s Ofce at 375-6500, email at commissioners@rc.mt.gov or at the above address.
Chris Taggart Commissioners Administrative Assistant BS 6-4, 6-11-25.
MNAXLP
LEGAL NOTICE AP of Sunnyside Orchards No.4, Lot 5A, Block 17, A 7 Lot Major Subdivision. Ravalli County has received an amendment application for a 7-lot residential major subdivision on 7.7 acres. The subdivision previously received preliminary approval from the Board of County Commissioners on December 6th, 2023. The amendment proposes modifcations to the road layout on Lot 5A-1. The Planning Department has found the amended application sufcient. The property is located near the intersection of Three Mile Creek Road and Hoover Lane in Stevensville, MT. The applicant is Russell Giese and is rep-
resented by IMEG Corp.
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 and a copy of the preliminary plat is available on our website at https://ravalli.us/178/ Subdivisions-Exemptions. Written comments are encouraged to be submitted to the Planning Department prior to the below meeting, and will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC).
The Ravalli County Planning Board will hold a Public Meeting to review the proposed amendments on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Third Floor) at the County Administrative Center (215 S. Fourth Street, Hamilton, MT 59840). The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will conduct a site visit on Monday July 7th, 2025 at 1:30 pm at the project site. The BCC will also hold a Public Hearing to review the proposed amendments on Thursday July 24th, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. 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. BS 6-4, 6-11-25.
MNAXLP
RFP FOR IT SER-
VICES FOR THE TOWN OF STEVENSVILLE
Proposals will be received at the Town Hall 206 Buck Street, Stevensville, MT 59870, until June 24, 2025, at 5:00 pm local time. Original copies must be submitted in a sealed envelope; no faxed or electronic bids will be accepted. Received bids will be publicly opened and read aloud during the council meeting on Thursday
June 26, 2025, at 6:30 pm. The proposal will be awarded at the council meeting on Thursday July 10, 2025, at 6:30 pm. Additional information about this request for proposal can be viewed on the town’s website townofstevensville.com or by contacting the town clerk at 406-7775271 ext. 102 Jenelle Berthoud, Town Clerk BS 6-4, 6-18-25. MNAXLP
NOTICE OF CLOSE OF FILING DEADLINE FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
PLEASE NOTE: Per House Bill 207, passed in the recent 2025 legislative session, the filing deadline date has changed from Monday, June 16, 2025, to Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
Notice is hereby given that Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 5 PM is the final date for filing oath of candidacy forms for positions for the Municipal Elections to be held on Tuesday, the 4th day of November, 2025.
Oath of candidacy forms for the following district positions elected by voters in said district must be filed by said date and time:
Oath of candidacy forms are available at the Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, 215 South 4th Street, Suite C; Hamilton, Montana.
Dated this 28th day of May 2025
Regina Plettenberg, Ravalli County Election Administrator 215 South 4th Street, Suite C; Hamilton, MT 59840 (406) 375-6550
Size: 3 columns wide x 8” long (format to fit)
Publish: June 4, 2025
Bill: Ravalli County Clerk & Recorder 215 South 4th Street, Suite C Hamilton, MT 59840
Please verify publication with an affidavit – Thank you!
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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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CAREGIVER NEED -
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SALON BOOTH RENTAL AVAILABLE, TRENDZ SALON, $350 a month in Hamilton, for more info call (406) 381-8379 or (831) 905-5016.
FRESH EGGS from Howell’s Happy Hens are back! $5.00/doz. Pick up at Bitterroot Star ofce, 115 W. 3rd, Suite 108, Stevensville.
LOOKING FOR GOOD READING MATERIAL? Try local author, Jane Lambert’s nationally acclaimed books “Charlie Russell the Cowboy Years” or “Makin’ Tracks with my Horses and Mules.” Both received medals from the Will Rogers Medallion Awards, and both are available at Valley Drug, Stevensville, and at Chapter One, in Hamilton.
YARD SALE - June
Congratulations Graduates
Elise Schneiter
Valedictorian
Parent/Guardians: Karen and Chad Schneiter
Coursework Highlights: AP Statistics, AP Government and Politics, AP Biology, Dual Enrollment Writing 101, Dual Enrollment Pre-Calculus
Post-Graduation Plans: Attend Montana State University and study sociology with criminology.
Ava Aalbers
Valedictorian Parent/Guardians: Domini Aalbers and Brent Aalbers Coursework Highlights:
Pre-Calculus DC, Calculus DC, AP Bio, AP Government and Politics, Writing 101 DC
Post-Graduation Plans: Attend University of California Santa Cruz to study psychology and pursue forensic psychology.
Carson
Aislynn
Kaylee
Korey
Shailynn
Rylea
Ethan
Caleb
Brook
Yuliya
Congratulations, Floence Clas of 2025!
Thomas Luhmann
Valedictorian Parent/Guardians: John and Korinda Luhmann
Coursework Highlights: AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Government, DE Writing 101, DC Pre-Calc.
Post-Graduation Plans: Enlisted in Montana National Guard; training in SC and VA; attend MSU in 2026.
Kenzy Pickering
Valedictorian Parent/Guardians: Holly and Chad Pickering Coursework Highlights: AP Biology, AP Government, Dual Credit Calculus and Pre-Calculus, Dual Credit Writing, Dual Credit Probability and Linear Math
Post-Graduation Plans: Attend Montana State University to major in Microbiology on the Pre-Veterinary Track and Business.
Jack Lippy
Valedictorian
Parent/Guardians: Emily Lippy and Tono Lippy
Coursework Highlights: DE Writing 101, DC Calculus, AP Government, AP Biology
Post-Graduation Plans: Attend Harvard University and study government.
Parent/Guardians: Eric Testerman and Sarah Testerman
Coursework Highlights: 2 years of honors English, 1 year of college English, 2 years of college math, 1 year of AP government
Post-Graduation Plans: Unsure of schooling but plans to start an automotive business.
Millie Shepp Valedictorian Parent/Guardians: Julie and Carl Shepp Coursework Highlights: High Honors Diploma, AP Government and Politics, Dual Credit Calculus 1, Dual Credit Pre-Calculus, Dual Credit Writing 10, Editor-In-Chief for school’s newspaper and yearbook.
Khyler Sturm
Valedictorian
Parent/Guardians: Cindy Tudahl and Brian Sturm Coursework Highlights: Freshman and Sophomore Honors English, Honors American Literature, DC
Writing 101, DC College Algebra, DC Calculus, AP Biology, AP Government, Choir, Drama, Jazz Band
Post-Graduation Plans: Attending Montana State University for a Chemistry Master’s degree.
Olivia Raczykowski
Salutatorian
Parent/Guardians: AJ Raczykowski, Kathleen Raczykowski
Florence Class of 2025
Coursework Highlights: Dual Credit Writing 101, AP Government, DC Pre Calculus Post-Graduation Plans: Attend the University of Montana as part of the pre-law program.
Post-Graduation Plans: I will be a member of the University of Montana’s Davidson Honor College, a Political Science major, and a student in the pre-law advising program. I will continue on to Law School after I graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
Coursework Highlights: English 9 Honors, English 10 Honors, DC Pre-Calculus, Honors American Literature, DC Calculus, DE Writing 101, AP US Government and Politics, Drama
Post-Graduation Plans: Attend Carroll College to study Health Science.
I am going to college at Dickinson State University to play college softball and study Exercise Science and work towards my doctorate in Physical Therapy. My gpa is a 4.391 and I was the student body president at Stevensville as well as active in Key Club, FCCLA, and National Honors Society. I have been active in volleyball and softball for 4 years. I received all state softball last year. I am graduating with honors and the Class of 2025 Valedictorian.
I plan on attending Montana State University to further my education in Medicine! I have been active in both Volleyball and Softball for all four years of high school and received Academic All-State each year for both. I have also been active in National Honors Society, Key Club, and was elected as Student Body Vice President for Student Council. I am excited to graduate with honors and a GPA of 4.362 to be the Stevensville Class of 2025 Salutatorian!
Stevensville Class of 2025
Lilly Newsom Valedictorian
Kenzi Frost Salutatorian
Hailey Snyder
Valedictorian
Throughout high school, I have participated in a wide range of extracurricular and leadership experiences that refect both my passion for service and my desire for personal growth. I have been actively involved in organizations such as FFA, BPA, Student Council, Volleyball, and the National Honor Society. This past year, I was honored to serve as President of both my FFA chapter and Student Council, as well as Vice President of the National Honor Society. In April, I earned my FFA State Degree—an achievement that refects years of hard work and dedication to agricultural education and leadership. Thankfully, my academic eforts and involvement have been recognized through multiple scholarships, including the Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Scholarship, the Farmer State Bank Scholarship, and the Premier Scholarship at Montana State University. I will be attending MSU in Bozeman this fall to study Fish and Wildlife Biology, where I hope to build a career focused on conservation and ecological research. Additionally, I plan to pursue a tattoo apprenticeship, combining my interest in art with my professional aspirations.
Victor Class of 2025
Mayra Aguilar-Pettit
Christopher Betts
Damian Bierer
Johannah Buchanan Collin Friede-McLane
Kyle Glasser
Logan Jenne
Antonio Martinez-Rowlan
Sean McNamara
Chloe Pollan
Henry Schaefer
Hailey Snyder
Jack Davidson
Valedictorian
Parents: Jef and Andrea David-
son
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: Major in Biology, Hope to serve a religious mission and attend dental school.
Farah Wyche
Valedictorian
Parents: Todd and Marla Wyche
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: My future plans include attending Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont to study Earth and Climate Sciences, Biology, or Biochemistry. Next year I will be running on the Middlebury track and feld team. My ultimate career goal is to lead my own research projects focused on studying and protecting endangered species around the world. My future goals besides school include traveling the world to see as many countries as possible.
Ayala Moreno
Caitlin Nelson
Valedictorian
Parents: Jennifer and Shawn Nelson
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: Attend University of Montana and major in Environmental Science or something similar, study abroad, and travel a lot.
Ledge Conner
Valedictorian
Parents: Scott and Brigitte Conner
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: Go to UoM for a four-year degree in business/business management, and excel in my ROTC program there so that I can go Infantry. Where I then can go to Ranger school and then possibly reach my biggest goal to go to Special Forces School.
Nathan J. Bales
Autumn Jade Benson Morgan R. Bisel
Jake Tyler Boaz
William Ryan Bohenek Kelsey Lynn Bonstein
Gideon Jay Boswell
Jaxon Alexander Brandon
Brenden S. Brandt Stuart C. Brennan
Taylor Dylan Brothers
Tangia Mirari Bumgarner
Alannah Lynn Burfend
Ian P. Capron
Sebastian Cardullo
Hawika Kaimipono
Carlos Karizma Paige Carrell
Antonio Charles Kent
Chavez Ella Marie Child
Ledge M. Conner
Sophie Patricia Cooper
Logan R. Corker
Jocelyn Michelle Covington Riley Morgan
Dahlstrom Adam Brigham Darger
Amelia Watson
Valedictorian
Parents: Nathanial and Melanie Watson
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: I will be attending South Dakota School of Mines and Technology this fall to study chemistry. Tentatively, I would like to work in the materials chemistry sector.
Salutatorian
Parents: Stacie Roberts, Chadd Flannagan
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: Studying Farm and Ranch Management at Montana State University as a member of the Honors College.
Corvallis Class of 2025
Jr.
Jack P. Davidson
Sean Robert Davis
Elisha Daniel Day
Camron Castro Swisher dela Rosa
Reese Cliford Earp
Aden A.D. Fisher
Casie Leigh Flannagan
Aviah Elizabeth Flug
Iris Calliope Foster
Jenna Gerstenberger
Braxton Paul Gividen
Micaria Renee Guinard
Silas David Hammill
Alexander M. Hauck
Mya Olivia Hinderaker
Faith Joan Hollar
Hayden Marie Houser
Elliana Mae Hubert
Britta Grace Iman
John Tate Jessop
Lacey May Jessop
Laura N. Jessop
Sophie Nikole Jessop
Violet M. Jessop
Claira Barbara Ann Johnson
Kielynn Tina Johnson
Emily R. Jones
Drew M. Lewis
Tyisha Lyn Lewis
Syriah McKenzie Livingston
Hunter James Loesch
Raylee Johna Mariscal
Owen R. Marston
Aydan D. Mayn
Joann E. McClare
Kinzie Rae McCready
Makaia Faith McEwen
Neftali Merino Gonzalez
Solomon Elijah Morgan
Inga Ema Nellessen
Caitlin Elizabeth Nelson
Helen Newsom
Luke Daniel Nuttall
Cayde Taylor Olsen
Ryan Matthew Ortiz
Isabella Maria Patison
Maura Star Peltier
Ellaysa Marie Petrey
Ava Josephine Rowley
Lauren Christine Sagen
Caleb Sager
Abbigail Anne Shegrud
Skyler M. Shippy
Samantha Marie Skinner
Shyann R. Skinner
Lexis Snell
Riley Dahlstrom
Valedictorian
Parents: Colleen & Eric Dahl-
strom
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: Study Economics-Mathematics at Columbia University. Go to law school and become a lawyer.
Morgan Bisel
Valedictorian
Parents: Kevin and Laura Bisel
Future Education/Goals/Areas of Study: I will be attending Carroll College this fall to pursue a degree in elementary education, with my end goal being to graduate college debt-free and ready to embark on my journey as a frst-year teacher in a rural school in Montana. Additionally, I will be serving the Montana FFA Association in the upcoming year as the recently elected 2025-2026 State Secretary, and I look forward to teaching other FFA members about leadership and learning about agriculture.
Allie-D A. Springer
Rogan D. Sutherland
Zoey A. Tabor
Allen Lee Tabor
Clara C. Taracido
Robert James Truc
Morgan J. Truth
Amelia Jane Watson
Annora Shalyse Weidow
Kelton A. Weidow
Shaylee Pauline Weidow
Arden Christine Weidow
McKenzie Ann Weis
Veda White Baylee Loren Williamson
Cameron D. Wilson
Landon Gary Heuser
Wilson
Branden D. Wiren
Sierra J. Wissenbach
Farah Moulin Wyche
Casie Flannagan
Gibson
Melodee Fayth Grauberger
Alezaundra
Tyce Dylan O’Connell Zachary Christian Olbricht
Jeanne Olivieri Morgan Eve Page Eli William Pearson
Perez-Aranaga Summer Andrea Phillips Reyna Mae Post
Provencher
Donavan Hayward
Eider Hernandez-Morante
Kaleb Scott Hoenstine
Hannah Mei Hughes
Emma Sayang Ivie
Thea Ann Jackson
Ethan Dale Lee Jeppesen
Ashlin Eden Lauraine Jetmore
Tyler Allen Jette
Amanda Jayde Jones
Isabella Rene Kanenwisher
Olin Kanenwisher
Kinga Kari
Sam Cooper Kennedy
Caleb Allen Koppes
Carter Sy Korst
Paxton Michael Kuczynski
Justin Allen Kutsev
Chaeley Tye Lawrence
Declan Robert Lee
Taylor Josiah Lee
Elise Sarah-Natalie Leuchtman
Tessa Claire Lewanski
Elaina Marie Lewis
Landyn Michael Lykins
Lauren Jameson MacGillivray
Toby Jerald Magrey
Cameron Everett Martin
Mackenzie Rose-Anna McBride-Gardner
Ava Lily McGillis
Elijah Michael McNair-Neal
Sara Andrea Meneses-Medrano
Colton Alexander Morgan
Jayce Michael Mousley
Caleb Edward Munson
Petra Mitsumori Mustafa
Taylor Charles Nead
Carden Paul Nelson
Lauren Karl Nelson
Elizabeth Autumn Neuschwander
Sierra Berry Valedictorian
Jason Chaplin Valedictorian
Tyler Jette Valedictorian
Kaden Carroll Valedictorian
Jaycie Duce Valedictorian
Chloe Greek Valedictorian
Layna Price Valedictorian
Kinga Kari Salutatorian
Eleri Wheat Valedictorian
Thaddeus Waggener Valedictorian
Lauren Nelson Valedictorian Elaina Lewis Salutatorian
Congratulations Graduates
Congratulations, Darby Clas of 2025!
Lillian Marie Bennett
Valedictorian
Parents: Jeremiah and Courtney Bennett
Plans: Attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee to study Psychology
Activities: Model United Nations 4 years, Interact Club 3 years, Student Leadership 4 years, Skills USA 3 years, Academic World Quest 3 years, Volleyball 4 years, Basketball 4 years, Track 4 years, Class President 2 years, Student Leadership President 2 years, Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Team Captain Volleyball, Team Captain Track, 1st place Skills USA State, National SkillsUSA 12th place. Math Achievement Award
Scholarships: Vanderbilt University Opportunity Full Scholarship, Triple Creek Ranch, Darby Schools Excellence Fund DSEF, Bud and Emma Lee Nicholson Memorial, American Legion School Award
Shannon Roy Stuart
Parents: Josh and Tammy Stuart
Plans: Attend Montana State University in Bozeman Montana to study Civil Engineering
Activities: 4 years football, 4 years wrestling, 1 year track, Honor Roll, 2nd team all conference ofense football, State Wrestling Scholarships: Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation, Montana State University Premier, Montana University System STEM, Jill Jenkins Memorial, Bitterroot Community Federal Credit Union, Valley Pet Clinic, Lions Club of Hamilton
Emmerson Trent Atkins
Kimber Rose Bailey
Lillian Marie Bennett
Hunter Riley Bruso Navaeh Quinn Burney Jack Taylor Carter
Talen Jack Davis
John Day Dicken
Sophia Isabella Embry
Georgia Bea Fisher
Andrew Leary Golden
Reanna Lynn Golden
Keegan Miles Goodwin
Nathaniel Andrew Gray Jr.
Hailey Jo Heiland
Braydon Lee Lundgren
Jace Dale Martin
Danali Faith Mathis
Kara Lynn Morrow
Logan Alicia Paddock
McKenzie Cierra Lynn Rall
Hailey Jo Heiland
Valedictorian
Parents: Ted and Kristie Heiland
Plans: Attend Montana Technical University in Butte Montana to study Engineering and Technology
Activities: Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis, Student Leadership, Interact, Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Skills USA, Basketball Manager, Volleyball Manager, Model United Nations, Montana Council of Teachers of Mathematics Contest, Montana Math Competition, Rotary Youth Leadership, RYLA Camp, Honorable mention Teachers of Math Contest
Scholarships: Montana Tech Orediggers Distinction Scholarship, Schallenberger Construction, Grifn Legacy Scholarship, Trail West Bank, Ford’s Department Store, Darby Schools Excellence Fund DSEF, Bitterroot Drug
Georgia Bea Fisher
Parents: James and Shane Fisher
Plans: Attend Montana Technical University in Butte Montana to study Exercise and Health Science
Activities: 4 years of track, 4 years of volleyball, 4 years of basketball, 2 years of track, 1 year as track manager, 1 year of golf, 2 years of Skills USA, 2 years class vice president, 4 years of student leadership, 3 years Montana Math Competition, Skills USA national delegate, Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Volleyball All Conference Honorable Mention, Volleyball Team Captain, Basketball Team Captain Scholarships: Horatio Alger, Stock Farm Greater Ravalli Foundation, Triple Creek Ranch, Friendly Gardeners Club, Farmers State Bank, Reach Higher Montana, Ravalli Electric Co-op, Jill Jenkins Memorial, Bitterroot Women’s Club, Camp Reimel Cattle, Darby Distribution, Jim and Carol Bush Memorial
Benjamin Alan Rhodes Braydon Ray Romo
Damian Michael Sanmann Shannon Roy Stuart Jett Tyler Wall
Rebekah Simpson Hobbies
Travis Lane Booth I am just a guy who loves Jesus, airplanes, and the outdoors. God has blessed me. May He be glorifed in my life!
Tabitha Ray Flint Tabitha enjoys spending
Haylee Jo Collins Haylee likes
Ellie Collins Our loving, gorgeous, goofball graduate!! We love you Ellie.
Joseph Gompert Harrold He will be starting his handyman business this upcoming year, and will attend Montana Wilderness School of the Bible the following year.
Patrick Pace Born and raised in the Bitterroot Valley, with a thirst for world travel. We love your heart for people and your thirst for knowledge and a good challenge.
Colter John Kulju Colter loves hunting, camping, frisbee, soccer, family, friends, and the Lord. He plans to start his own business someday.
