you didn’t necessarily see in yourself, it’s pretty powerful. And that’s what our teachers do. That’s what our administrators do. That’s what our parents do. They do that all day every day for kids, and I want to be a part of that.”
Thennis told the board that he believes the most important part of creating a budget for a district comes down to understanding the nuances of what creates revenue for a district and being ready to connect them to opportunities when they arise. He also expressed the importance of partnerships between the players in the district.
“I believe a strong relationship with the district clerk is key to this process. They are the fnancial expert in the district, but the superintendent is supposed to be the educational expert,” he said, adding that the superintendent’s job requires listening to the “folks in the buildings” and understanding the day-to-day operations.
The Hamilton School District attempted, and failed, to pass a bond and levy for a new middle school and updates to the high school in early 2023. Understandably, the trustees had this failure on their minds when they asked Thennis his thoughts on the bond/ levy process.
“Failure indicates that there’s a mutual misunderstanding between the school district and the community, and so when people are confused or it’s unclear, they’re defnitely not going to support a bond,” he said. He recounted having been part of both a failed bond attempt, and a successful one while working in administration in Helena, and indicated that communication with the community was paramount for success. Such a success, he said, would be built on a “strong planning phase, lots of listening sessions, (prioritization), talking to various stakeholder groups and fnding what was common among all of those stakeholders and then putting together a visual repre-
sentation of what the projects needed to be.” He also pointed out the critical role of educators in the process since, invariably, they are the frst to be approached by community members when questions about bonds/levies arise.
When asked what he thought the most important job of a superintendent is, Thennis replied that it is to be the “lead learner in the school district.” He explained that the role includes staying current with trends in education, and sharing/ interacting about
that information with staf and the community.
“The superintendent is the steward of the resources and makes suggestions to the board about how we should prioritize the resources that we have. Whether those are human resources, facility resources, whatever it may be. It’s getting those priorities lined up. But I think the superintendent is the chief learner on campus.” Thennis will ofcially begin on July 1st.
Neffs’ Flooring
201 South Second St. Hamilton 406 363 7002
Neffs’ Flooring has openings for a Salesperson and a Bookkeeper, Please send resume’ to floors@cybernet1.com or call 406 363 7002 for an appointment to interview
Hamilton High School entrance. Photo by Nathan Boddy.
Tin Cup Creek a restoration success story
by Michael Howell
There was a time when Tin Cup Creek would run dry in late summer. That time has passed. Thanks to a cooperative agreement between the Tin Cup Water & Sewer District and the Clark Fork Coalition, continuous fows in the creek have been restored and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is currently in the process of approving a change in water rights that would give this success story an ofcial stamp of approval.
Low fows in late summer became a serious issue when it was determined that the dam impounding water at the Tin Cup Reservoir had some dangerous structural problems and constituted a serious safety hazard. The dam was essentially condemned as a safety hazard and, unable to aford the cost of restoration, the decision was made in 1998 to breach the dam, reducing the reservoir’s storage capacity by over 1,000 acre-feet. This drastically reduced the amount of water available for release in late summer when stream fows are at their lowest. Not only were the irrigators going to sufer, but it spelled disaster for the fshery as well.
That’s when the Clark Fork Coalition stepped in on behalf of the fshery and began working with the dam owners on a cooperative solution. Those eforts culminated in 2011 in a water right lease agreement between the Clark Fork Coalition (the Coalition) and the Tin Cup Water & Sewer District (the District) whereby the District agreed that, in exchange for signifcant funding from the Coalition for improvements to the dam, the District would lease 3.3 cubic feet per second (cfs), up to 400 acre-feet of water per year, and release the water from August 1 to September 30 (approximately 60 days) annually to the Coalition for instream use for a 99year period. While the water is already being used for instream fow, and has been since 2012, a Change Application is required by the Montana DNRC and by the Coalition’s funding entities to fnalize the process.
According to Andrew Gorder, Legal Director for the Coalition, the change application, if approved, will not change any terms or conditions in the existing agreement between the District and the Coalition. The Dis-
trict will continue to lease and allow the same portion of its stored water (400 acre-feet annually) to be used for instream fow in Tin Cup Creek, just as it has since 2012.
The Water Right Change only applies to one of the stored water rights in Tin Cup Lake. The District owns all the water rights for Tin Cup Lake, and only the District has the right to use and distribute this stored water. Montana DNRC has determined that no other water users on Tin Cup Creek will be adversely impacted by this instream fow water right change.
Under state law, changes to “instream fow” are temporary and last 10 years. After 10 years, an instream fow change authorization may be renewed. If it is not renewed, the water right reverts back to its original use of irrigation. Pursuant to the agreement between the Coalition and the District, this water right change will be renewed every 10 years for the entirety of the 99-year lease.
DNRC proposes to grant the application to change the water right. The preliminary determination documenting the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and any conditions attached to the water right are available on the internet at https:// dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Water-Rights/application-status-environmental-assessments/ . The objection deadline is February 17, 2025. The Department can only accept objections fled on an Objection to Application Form 611. Any questions pertaining to the application, or to obtain the preliminary determination, or the Objection Form, should be directed to the Water Resources Ofce at 2705 Spurgin Road, BLDG C, PO Box 5004, Missoula, MT 59804. Or FAX:406542-5899. Or Phone:406-721-4284.
According to Clark Fork Coalition Stream Restoration Director Jed Whitely, about 25 years ago MT FWP leased a senior water right at the bottom of Tin Cup Creek to use for instream fow to keep water in the creek all year. The agency tired of managing the water and about 15 years ago transferred the lease to the Coalition. Then about 10 years ago the Coalition purchased the water outright.
“That 4 cfs did reconnect the creek but was barely keeping enough water in the creek for the fshery on bad water years,” said Whitely. “Since we have leased this additional 3.3 cfs in
2012, the creek has not gone dry. By pairing up our surface water right and our leased water we have a great success story here.” He said, although the water right use had not been ofcially changed, the District had been honoring the lease.
“This water right change will make the instream use of that water ofcial now,” said Whitely.
“This solution on Tin Cup Creek has beneftted all parties,” said Whitely. “By getting the reservoir up to 2,000 acre feet again the District now has the use of close to 1,600 acre feet, up from the 900 they were reduced to, and we have 400 acre feet to keep water in the creek for the fsh.”
He said this success story can serve as a model for dealing with aging irrigation dams across the watershed that are going to require major investment at some point to address safety issues and preserve or even increase their capacity. He said by cooperating with instream fow advocates to make improvements or enhancements to existing dams it can be a win/win situation for everyone across the watershed.
According to Whitely, the coalition is already working with the Charlos Heights District which holds water at Twin Lakes up Lost Horse Creek. They are conducting a feasibility study right now, he said, to see if there is any potential to increase capacity up there for irrigators and for instream fow.
Whitely said that the Tin Cup reservoir, like many of the dams in streams along the Bitterroot Front, is located in designated Wilderness. This makes working on the dam struc-
tures difcult. He said the Bitterroot National Forest has been a great partner in working out solutions to the difculties. He said the Coalition was working closely with the Forest Service’s new Aquatic Team to make many improvements in the Lost Horse drainage.
The Coalition is currently partnering on a 150 cfs fsh screen on the BRID Ditch of of Lost Horse Creek to keep migrating cutthroat trout from being lost down the ditch and are working with Charlos Heights water users to screen two or three of their diversions.
“We are hoping to be able to screen almost every diversion on Lost Horse Creek,” Whitely said, “all funded by the Forest Service. They are also putting money into upgrading almost the entire road up to Twin Lakes to help stop sediment from going into the creek with new relief culverts, upgraded crossings, new gravel lifts and in-sloping on the roads.” He said they are also working along with Trout Unlimited as well in replacing the culvert crossing at Ten Mile Creek up Lost Horse which keeps blowing out and washing tons of gravel and dirt into the creek.
“We are looking at Lost Horse from every angle we can,” said Whitely, “including sediment, fow and fsh entrainment. One by one we are trying to get these creeks shaped back up. The Bitterroot River is a good fshery, but it could be even better if we can stop this death by a thousand cuts on the tributaries.”
Courtesy Clark Fork
Tin Cup Dam prior to improvements. Courtesy Clark Fork Coalition.
ELLSWORTH: Senate looking into use of $170K of state funds
continued from page 1
Friday, appears to have a background as an actor and producer.
Ellsworth told the Daily Montanan he believes the recent registration only indicates a “DBA” change, or a “doing business as” name change to an existing company — the registered entity is AgileXO, according to the form — but did not elaborate.
He said he believes Agile is qualifed to do detailed legislative work.
“Absolutely, because they’re very familiar with these particular issues, and they’ve been duly informed of how important they are for the Republican Party,” Ellsworth said.
Current Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, said Friday GOP leadership is still looking to connect all the dots and “see how deep this goes.”
“It’s very concerning,” Regier said.
He said an initial review is underway but declined to ofer specifcs.
“There’s proper channels to go through to look at waste, fraud and abuse, and if it goes deeper, then it will be relayed on to the proper authorities,” Regier said.
Ellsworth said early Friday afternoon he had not been contacted by any authority requesting a formal response to any allegations of ethical violations.
In November, Ellsworth lost his bid to serve another term as president of the Senate, though he remains in the Legislature. He and Regier clashed last week after Ellsworth joined Democrats
in a political struggle that determined the makeup of Senate committees.
Within the Legislature, any legislator can fle a complaint alleging a violation of ethical conduct before each chambers’ Ethics Committee. The chair of the Senate ethics review committee said Friday morning it had received no related complaints.
Ellsworth blindsides committee
Senate Republicans formed the interim Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform in April of last year. Ellsworth served as committee chairperson.
Changes to the judiciary are a priority for Republicans this session, after lawmakers expressed frustration at court rulings overturning some of their laws. But Ellsworth denied that his action would cast a pall on the efort and disputed any ethical breach in connection with the contract.
“It’s completely transparent,” Ellsworth said of the way he had handled the contract.
Regier also said he did not believe the appearance of impropriety would cast a shadow on the work done by the Judicial Oversight and Reform Committee.
However, Regier said he spoke with other members of the committee, and they said they knew nothing about the contract.
“This seems like a Senator Ellsworth all-by-himself move,” Regier said. “A lot of great legislation that we’ve already heard has come out of
that [committee], so I hope that these two issues will be divorced, because it certainly seems like they are.”
Emrich, who served on the interim committee and is sponsoring many of the 27 bills, said Ellsworth raised the idea of hiring someone to track the legislation during two of the committee’s fnal meetings, but the committee rejected the idea.
Emrich said that between legislative staf assigned to the committee and already on payroll, and GOP partisan staf, “we didn’t feel like there was any reason to hire more.”
“And we had no idea it was going to cost $170,000,” he said.
In its last meeting in early December, the committee opted to just use legislative staf to prepare regular reports, to which Ellsworth said he was “perfectly fne with that.”
“I feel lied to,” Emrich added. “He wasn’t honest with the committee.”
Ellsworth told the Daily Montanan that because the priority legislation is partisan, with no backing from Senate Democrats, he did not believe it would be appropriate to use legislative staf.
The contract is between Ellsworth, in his capacity as Senate president and committee chair, and Agile. It says the work is necessary “to ensure the committee’s intended outcomes are realized.”
The contract identifes Ellsworth as its “single point of contact,” but Ellsworth said he planned to disseminate reports he received from the
committee. A procurement ofcer from the Department of Administration signed of on the contract, as did a legal representative.
Department staf did not respond Friday to requests for comment about the timeline of the contract and DOA’s due diligence, but told the Montana State News Bureau one day earlier that DOA approves a limited number of emergency contracts and did so in this case because funds for the committee were set to expire.
The initial contract runs from December 2024 through December 2026, unless terminated earlier or extended. It lists payment as monthly invoicing for $7,087 for 24 months and requires weekly reports “to the chair.
Legislative Services Division Director Jerry Howe confrmed the division recently received a bill for nearly $7,100 from Agile. He said he believes the contract is valid and there appears to be no reason to withhold payment.
However, Howe said given questions being raised about the contract, he likely would confer with legal counsel.
“Now that there’s people raising the specter of (possible problems), we’ll probably have to look at it too,” he said.
Legal counsel with the Legislative Services Division could not be reached Friday for this story.
Writing Coaches of Montana seeks local volunteers
Writing Coaches of Montana seeks community members in Ravalli County to participate in its coaching program with the mission of helping local public schools (Corvallis, Florence-Carlton, Hamilton, Stevensville) improve their writing skills. Specifcally, the program seeks to help students think critically about their writing assignments so they can become confdent and competent writers across disciplines. Flexibility is built into the
Writing Coaches of Montana volunteer experience. Once trained, there is no minimum hour requirement or particular coaching schedule. Instead, volunteers are informed by staf as teachers make requests and then volunteers choose which assignments, schools, and grade levels (412) they coach. No experience is necessary because volunteers will learn best coaching practices while being trained by qualifed individuals. To become a volun-
teer, community members can attend an upcoming training session on Thursday, January 23, 5:30-8:30 via Zoom. For individuals who cannot attend on the 23rd, WCM will ofer in-person workshops regularly for the remainder of the school year. Email Writing Coaches Ravalli Coordinator Kat Jackson at kat@writingcoachesofmontana.org for information, or visit https:// writingcoachesofmontana. org/get-involved-2/volunteers.html. WCM staf will be
available for follow-up questions at any time. A Corvallis High School teacher refected that “students catch on quickly that the Writing Coaches are about collaboration in improving written work. This type of teamwork tears barriers down in just a few moments when students realize they can produce an authentic voice in their work. The Writing Coaches guide students one word at a time and often all it takes is that one word.”
Community members interested in learning more about the program and to volunteer can contact Kat Jackson at kat@writingcoachesofmontana.org. To learn more about the program, community members can also visit writingcoachesofmontana.org.
The Writing Coaches of Montana started in Missoula County in 1995 and then expanded to Flathead County in 2015 and Ravalli County in 2016.
Accurately analyzing the local real estate market
by Nathan Boddy
Darwin Ernst wears many hats: city councilor representing Ward 3 in Hamilton, chair of the city’s Board of Adjustments, chair of the county tax appeal board, chair of the Bitterroot Valley Community College and more. Behind all those obligations, however, Ernst calls himself a person who enjoys puzzling things out. And one of the puzzles that he undertakes is an annual compilation of real estate data pertaining to the Bitterroot Valley.
“I’m a data junkie, or a puzzle maker,” he explained recently while discussing the data from 2024.
“I think that’s the best way to describe it, because I want to know how to put that puzzle together so that it’s meaningful for somebody to look at and say, ‘oh, I get it.’”
In addition to his many other roles, Ernst also serves on the governing board of the Montana Regional Multiple Listing Service (MRMLS), which compiles real estate data from central and western Montana. That annual data is the starting point for the collection that Ernst puts together for the Bitterroot Valley each year.
“What I’m doing is taking that data, extracting it out, and getting rid of all the fuf,” he said. As an example, he mentioned how only a few sales of very high dollar, or large acreage, properties can skew data in such a way that it fails to easily capture trends or realities on the ground. He added that he often sees proclamations about what the market might be doing from one week to another based on inclusions of those outlier sales, which he says is totally irrelevant.
“Which is why I always talk about median sale price,” he said. “I want to know what’s in the middle, not what all the outskirt stuf is.”
Ernst’s analyzed data for 2024 shows that sales are leveling of, albeit at a price point which is more than double what it was not long ago.
“We had 100% increase in property values over fve years,” says Ernst. “If you look at the
raw data, that’s really the teller here. If you look back at say 2016, your median sale price was around $233,000. By 2021 you’re at $465,000.” Ernst compiles the data each year for anyone who is interested in, or transacts with, the real estate marketplace in the valley. Ernst is an appraiser, although he no longer performs those services locally. But his work as a broker for Eickert Realty does mean that he pays close attention to the data himself.
“I want to know this stuf because, when I take a client to a house, I want to know if it’s priced right. Or if I’m looking to sell a property, I want to know that I’m in the ballpark,” he said.
The insight Ernst has about real estate in the Bitterroot Valley certainly informs many of the decisions he is called upon to help guide while serving in the roles he does. One of those roles is his position on the Bitterroot Afordable Housing Coalition, which of course grapples with the high costs and low availability of housing in an area that is also chronically short of qualifed employees. And while Ernst feels as though a drop in interest rates may once again stimulate the market, that alone may not be the biggest factor that increases population in the valley.
“It’s going to be things like California’s wildfres,” he said in reference to the catastrophic fres that are currently raging outside of Los Angeles. “That’s going to make a huge impact here.”
Ernst suggests that some of those who have experienced the tragic loss of their homes, especially when faced with an inability to gain insurance or will to rebuild, may turn their eyes toward Montana.
“They’re scratching their heads, [asking themselves] where should they live? If they can work remotely or part-time, what’s The Last Best Place? We advertise it all the time. We see it on ‘Yellowstone,’” he said. “All you have to do is drive through town one time and get a feel for everything and go, that’s a pretty cool place to live. So they’re coming.”
Ernst’s data analysis is available on his website, https://tekboys.com.
Darwin Ernst pores over some of the data he’s compiled from 2024 real estate market in the Bitterroot Valley. Photo by Nathan Boddy.
State of State, debate over decorum, MMIP Task Force
by Emma White and Clayton Murphy UM Legislative News Service UM School of Journalism
Governor focuses on budget, education and afordability in State of the State
HELENA — From tax relief to programs that foster “prosperity” and “self-sufciency,” Montana Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte laid out his plan to grow Montana’s economy and address what he called “the afordability crisis” during his State of the State address on Monday, Jan. 13, one week into the 69th legislative session.
One of the plans he touted is the 1% decrease in the income tax rate he has built into the budget he has proposed to the legislature, a change he said would provide over $850 million in permanent relief.
“ To help Montanans navigate the afordability crisis, we propose the largest income tax cut in state history so they can keep more of their money,” Gianforte said. I’ve heard from many of you that this is a priority.”
A “homestead exemption” was another focal point of the speech, which the governor said would bring with it an estimated 15% decrease in property taxes for Montanans on their primary homes.
In his third State of the State address, Gianforte also focused on education, both in funding institutions and supporting students. He said his proposed budget would invest $100 million in teacher salaries through the TEACH act.
He also announced a $1 million incentive to school districts that implement cell-phone free policies, among other general calls to limit childrens’ screen time and social media use.
Gianforte praised the state’s conservative 2023 budget, criticizing D.C. politicians for not sharing the same prudence and blaming national leaders for higher prices. Meanwhile, he said, Montana’s economy has grown in the last four years.
“This success is the result of our commitment to creating an environment where hard working Montanans prosper and businesses fourish,” Gianforte said. “And we’ve done all this despite strong national headwinds from failed leadership in Washington.”
Gianforte did not address Medicaid expansion, which promises to be one of the big debates of the 2025 session.
Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, gave a rebuttal in a separate hearing room after the governor’s speech. He pledged, in part, his party’s support of maintaining Medicaid expansion.
“ Renewing Medicaid is critical to keeping Montana’s healthy and for ensuring that we have adequate health care coverage, not only in urban areas, but also in rural Montana and in Indian Country,” Morigeau said.
The Montana Freedom Caucus, a select group of conservative legislators, also responded to the speech and noted their desire to stop Medicaid expansion.
”The Montana Freedom Caucus believes that those who can work, should work,” said Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Three Forks. “To that extent, the current Medicaid expansion framework has failed Montana taxpayers, and most importantly, the people who the program purports to help.”
Gianforte also touched on supporting law enforcement, transparency in the judiciary through House Bill 39, the need to secure the southern border, energy and infrastructure, as well as gender-focused legislation, which drew divided applause down the House foor.
-- by Clayton Murphy
Lawmakers hear proposal urging federal government to fully fund law enforcement in Indian Country
Tribal leaders and lawmakers are supporting legislation that would urge the federal government to fully fund law enforcement in Indian Country in Montana, where they say agencies are underfunded at a time when reservations are faced with epidemics of drugs and missing and murdered Indigenous people.
Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, is carrying House Joint Resolution 1, which would also ask Congress to develop agreements with each of the tribal nations to put programs in action. The resolution would also request Gov. Greg Gian-
forte send a letter to Congress asking for the same. The bill is headed to the full House for debate after the House Energy, Technology and Federal Relations Committee advanced the bill on Jan. 16.
Patrick Yawakie, representing the Blackfeet tribe, supported the resolution at the proposal’s frst hearing in the committee, noting that in the original treaties between the federal government and the tribes of Montana, the government promised to fund law enforcement on tribal land. Despite this, Yawakie said law enforcement in tribal nations has been consistently underfunded.
“This has led to increases of organized crime entering into our reservations, distributing drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, leading to a growing number of overdoses and deaths,” Yawakie said.
Dan Stusek, representing the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes, spoke in support of the resolution and said a 2021 estimate from the Bureau of Indian Afairs showed federal funding for tribal law enforcement and public safety met less than 13% of the tribes’ total needs.
“Although CSKT does more than any other jurisdiction on our Flathead Indian Reservation to ensure the safety of all citizens, our tribal justice system is consistently underfunded, current federal funding for tribal justice systems does not come close to meeting the Indian Country’s enormous unmet needs.”
Running Wolf added that the resolution wouldn’t cost the state any money.
“There’s a zero funding appropriation, just ink and paper and a stamp to get it to Washington D.C. on behalf of both Senate and House and from the Executive Ofce.”
-- by Emma White
Proposed legislation seeks to give MMIP Task Force ability to raise Funds
Supporters of a bill that would create a special revenue account to fund the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force say it is necessary to keep the program going.
The task force was created in 2019 and then 2023 Legislature extended its authorization for ten years. According to the Montana Department of Justice, the group’s mission is to identify barriers to jurisdiction on tribal land and increase reporting and investigation into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Now, some lawmakers are advocating for creating a way for the task force to raise the money it needs.
Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, is sponsoring House Bill 83, which would allow the task force to create an account so it can raise funds.
“The task force currently does not have a mechanism to raise funds, purchase equipment, or maintain operational costs,” Running Wolf said at the bill’s frst hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Jan. 13. The task force would like to create an account, have the ability to accept and generate funds to help support the task force’s mission and objectives.”
Edward Barta, representing the Northern Plains Resource Council, testifed in support of HB 83. Barta said he hears heartbreaking stories from Indigenous members of his community who have had family members disappear.
“I doubt there are many Indigenous people who live in Billings who have not been afected in some way by this crisis,” Barta said.
Patrick Yawakie, representing the Blackfeet tribe, spoke in support of the bill, saying there are currently 48 missing indigenous people in Montana. According to the Montana Department of Justice, 21 of these people have been missing for over a year, and 27 have been missing for less than a year.
Yawakie said a special revenue account would allow the task force to apply for grants, accept gifts and generally bring in revenue for their operations.
“With advancements in forensic science and search and rescue capabilities, having these resources can mean the probability these individuals are found,” Yawakie said.
-- by Emma White
Amendments to House decorum rules prompt debate
The Montana House of Represen-
tatives is working under a new set of rules after voting on Jan. 14 along party lines to approve an amended resolution that spurred an emotional debate from both parties.
House Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls, sponsored House Resolution 1, which sets the rules for the House in 2025. But at issue was an amendment to the bill that lays out decorum – or rules of conduct – as well as what discipline members might face if they break those rules.
“A lot of people have expressed interest in having a decorum amendment which would establish kind of policies and procedures. I guess this is kind of like a human resources, step-by-step progression on what will happen if we have breaches of decorum,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said the amendment was an attempt to provide a more narrow defnition of decorum for the representatives, but Democrats expressed worries that the amendment would be used punitively.
Under the amendment, a representative would get one strike, then face a three-day censorship, then expulsion.
But Rep. Jonathan Karlan, D-Missoula, pointed out a clause farther down in the bill that allows the representative to be censured or expelled on the frst ofense, if there is a majority vote.
“I think that of course we are well aware that we’re not in the majority, and we’d be relying on the majority to just uphold our rights because with not even a party-line vote, we could expel somebody and there’s no limit on that,” Karlan said.
Fitzpatrick replied that the bill simply seeks to clarify the behaviors that are considered unacceptable in the chamber, such as personal attacks against character and using profane language, to clear up some of the ambiguity that can arise during controversial debate.
“We’re not interested in being the word police. We’re going to have good, vigorous debate in this room, but we can do it professionally, we can do it in the type of discussion that honors the people of Montana, so this I think is an appropriate amendment,” Fitzpatrick said.
The amendment to the rules comes after a contentious debate and a public protest during the 2023 session that led Republican leadership to censure Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula.
On the House foor during debate on the new rules, Zephyr pointed out that decorum standards were lowered from a super majority vote to a majority vote, which she said raises concerns about how the bill could be used.
“There is a risk we run when we lower to a simple majority, that the majority can deem at any time that if they think a certain stance is ofensive, that they can silence dissent,” Zephyr said. “And to me that is inherently un-Democratic.”
-- by Emma White
Senate bill aims to improve procedure after child is removed from parents
A Montana Senate committee is weighing a bill that supporters hope would improve the experience of children and parents involved in hearings about the emergency removal of a child from a parent’s home.
Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, presented Senate Bill 73 to the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee on Monday, Jan. 13, saying it is a thoughtful and simple bill that could aid in difusing difcult family situations before the frst trial.
“The pre hearing conference could really be the home run to resolving this situation ahead of time,” Yakawich said, “so that when they meet, and the facilitator is keenly aware of what needs to be done, they can meet and even try to resolve most of this before meeting the judge.”
Pre-hearing conferences are conferences with the child, parents, legal counsel, and support people such as counselors. The bill would require the child’s attorney to be present in every conference and would make sure the pre-hearing conference facilitator is notifed within 24 hours of the emergency removal.
It would also require that the conference is held before the frst trial, which happens within fve days of the removal and ensure that a conference is held in every child’s case, even if the parents are unable to attend.
One of the proponents who testifed at the bill’s committee hearing was Alissa Snow, representing the Chippewa Cree Tribes of Rocky Boy,
who said while Native Americans make up 6.5% of Montana’s total population, Native American children make up two thirds of the children in the foster care system.
“This bill is good, and it has a potential to not only increase efciency, but it also has the potential to increase positive outcomes for our Native children in Montana,” Snow said.
Pre-hearing conferences have served an important role in improving the Montana child welfare system, said Nikki Grossberg, the division administrator for Child and Family Services.
Grossberg testifed in support of the bill, saying the main purpose is to outline visitation schedules, get parents’ input on who their children could be placed with, and connect parents to services if need be. She said creating a visitation schedule is a beneft because it is important for the child to be able to see their parents as soon as possible.
Grossberg said the implementation of SB 73 could help the process go smoother when a child is removed from their parents’ home.
“I think it’s important, when we collaborate on bills, that we can come up with ways to create efciencies for the system as well as keep kids safe,” Grossberg said. No opponents testifed against the bill at the hearing.
-- by Emma White
Bathroom bill passes House after stirring testimonies from Montana lawmakers
A bill that would require all Montanans to use restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters corresponding with their sex assigned at birth is on the way to the Montana Senate after passing through the House of Representatives on Thursday, Jan. 16.
The House passed House Bill 121 along party lines, with Democrats arguing it is a discriminatory, unnecessary and expensive bill that will increase prejudice in the state, and Republicans arguing that it preserves the dignity and safety of women in vulnerable places.
In the House foor debate the day before the fnal vote, Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings, said the bill refects Montana values and protects privacy and protects women and children.
“This is not a new fght,” Seekins-Crowe said. “I have been in this arena for years, standing frm against the radical forces that seek to erode the basic rights and protections of women and girls.”
Seekins-Crowe said the bill seeks to establish simple, common sense practices that recognize biological diferences.
“The reality is simple,” Seekins Crowe said. “Biological diferences matter.”
Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, was one of the Democrats who spoke in frm opposition to the bill on Wednesday, saying that while they also care deeply about the privacy and safety of women, HB 121 is not designed to do that.
In the foor debate, Howell pointed out the bill’s language, which defnes any encounter in a restroom with someone who could potentially be of the opposite sex as a punishable ofense, rather than harmful behavior directed at another individual.
“It is appropriate for us as a body to legislate harmful behavior,” Howell said. “It is not appropriate to legislate people existing.”
Howell added that they did not see how HB 121 corresponds with Montana values. They predicted the enforcement of the bill would infringe on privacy rights and increase property taxes, since many facilities would need to change the structure of their restrooms.
“Montana values, they aren’t complicated,” Howell said. “They aren’t political. Montana values are simple: love thy neighbor, mind thy business.”
-- by Emma White
Clayton Murphy and Emma White are reporters with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. Murphy can be reached at clayton.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu. White can be reached at emma.white@umconnect.umt.edu.
Lesson from California
As I am writing, fres are raging in LA. Years of failure to manage the forests of California fnally resulted in disaster. Ask yourself – could it happen here? Maybe we should consider looking in the mirror when scofng and feeling sorry for them damned folks in California. I’m a total amateur when it comes to managing a forest, but surely there is still a place for good old common sense.
We all know the forest west of Highway 93 is loaded for bear with unwanted growth and subject to extreme fre danger. Every year we endure some proof of this. The fre we enjoyed just west of Stevi last year being a perfect example. Just consider that fre and what would have happened if a strong south wind had occurred. After 50 years in the valley I can tell you we have extreme winds every now and then. I understand there is a plan to clean up the front. Unfortunately, I don’t see any evidence that it will ever get past the delaying tactics of the tree huggers, Fools of the Bitterroot and others of their ilk. We must get past these obstacles or the day will surely come when we will have our equivalent of the LA fres and disaster. I don’t see endless committee meetings, excuses and argument will get it done. Somehow we must fnd a way to set the delays aside and get the job done.
I suggest we give this some emergency attention. Perhaps a team efort by Commissioner Chilcott and Representative Zinke could break the log jam. The issue seems to be a natural for both of them. I urge you to sound of. What do you think? Otherwise, things will drift along with the glacial rate of our bureaucracy.
Ed Sperry, Col USAF (ret) Stevensville Treasury as
a cam-
paign fund source?
Wouldn’t it be interesting if the Ofce of Management and Budget could calculate the fraction of what the multimillionaires have thrown at Trumpism was in comparison to what they saved in taxes in the present era of Trickle Down Economics? Okay, it wouldn’t have to be OMB necessarily, any number of data analyst gurus could get pretty close. Fatcats pulling down X last year may have donated Y to help get Legislator Joe Blow elected or reelected. If Mr. Fatcat was really fush with cash, his Y could have been as much as what hundreds of regular folks won’t even gross all together in their entire lifetimes.
Now let’s remember that the tax “breaks” can surely be viewed as income held back from the Treasury’s income, a forgiven contribution and a loss at the Treasury. Call it whatever you like.
So back to the numbers the guru is looking at. Mr. Fatcat’s discounted contribution has permitted his consideration to support legislator Joe Blow, a guy who has or says he will support the reduction of the Treasury’s income. Mr. Fatcat could then look at his discount amounts and pick what “Y” could be, and get that check for Joe Blow into the mail. A portion of his discount. His own little way of having the Treasury, in essence and as a practical matter, fund the campaign of Joe Blow. The campaign, an inauguration gala, whatever! When you think about it, and consider the movement of wealth away from the middle and
lower classes, is it any wonder that the numbers around this are in the many hundreds of millions of dollars?
So Mr. And Mrs. Not-Fatcat, you may want to tighten up your enormous donation budget, and you probably will after you fgure out the few bucks you got as a discount, your “tax break,” and the impact it’s had on your lifestyle. Like the yacht and another vacation trophy-house Joe Blow enabled. Feel satisfed that it only took a quarter(?) of your tax deduction to do so much! Plus, now you can get all pissy about the terrible defcit again. Did you know that in the 45th President’s administration the defcit went from what #44 had halved of #43’s horrible defcit, 45’s adding $7,800 billion. The Treasury was clobbered with a boatload of discounting established by #45, $7,800,000,000,000 worse, and watch, here comes an extension of The New-GOP’s terrifc defcit growth plan. We should, believe the thousands of Fatcats. All with agreement from the most gullible voting block on the planet.
Bill Jones Stevensville
Report from Capitol
building
I read the recent columns published on January 15th by Rep. Bedey and Sen. Ellsworth and was not surprised concerning their content. Both claimed to provide an accurate “Report” from their respective chambers of the legislature. As a person who spends time in the Capitol building every day, it seems they’ve both failed to “read the room.” Bedey falsely claimed the changes some in the Senate are attempting are “modest” rather than an attempt to stack committees while voting with Democrats over the will of their voters. Sen. Ellsworth chose to ignore the logjam in the Senate he created by voting as a Democrat and leading the charge to keep nine other “Republicans” voting as Democrats. This is not a minor thing, nor a “tempest in a teapot,” as Bedey would have you believe. This is dysfunction led by “Republicans” seeking to serve themselves rather than their constituents.
Darin Gaub Helena
Help send youth to outdoor camps
Some things just seem right. Like a perfect cast and a big cutthroat sucking in your dry fy. Or, rounding a mountain trail and a 6 x 6 bull elk steps out.
A group of “old guys” and a few not-so-olds feel committed to helping Bitterroot Valley youth learn more about the outdoors by sending them to outdoor camps this summer. These FREE week-long experiences teach youth. They will become better back-packers, fshermen, archers, shooters, river foaters, mountain campers and more. The youngsters get expert hands-on lessons and instructions. This efort also feels “right.”
Last year, 200 youth enjoyed their time in camps throughout Montana, thanks to the Montana Conservation Elders. All for FREE, just like this year.
The Elders are doing the leg work in conjunction with First Hunt Foundation. Camps and instructors (not to say anything about meals for young people who spend all day loving nature under the sun) take money.
That’s why this group of experienced outdoorsmen are conducting a Montana Matters Youth Outdoors
Experience banquet March 13 at the Hamilton Fairgrounds. Help support their fund-raising eforts and join them for an evening of fun, great food, prizes, games and guns. Consider going to their website – montanayouthoutdoors.org – and buy a table or the banquet tickets you’ll need. You will meet new friends who share your passion. You will also assist the Elders by passing along their love of the outdoors to the next generation. I will see you there.
Also – want to donate an auction item or funds? Call me at 651-3565676.
Jim Kalkofen
Stevensville
Truth to power?
The emotional and nonsensical diatribe from Thomas and Schrumpf, January 15, 2025, “Speak Truth to Power,” is an absolutely perfect example of why Americans elected Trump as President of the United States.
Helen Sabin Corvallis
Democrats propping up alleged corruption in Legislature
By now, everyone reading this has likely heard about the allegations of waste, fraud, and/or abuse of taxpayer money by Senator Jason Ellsworth, a Republican from Hamilton who until recently was the President of the Montana Senate.
I fnd myself in an interesting position on this matter, as I’m both the Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee that could be called on to formally hear these allegations, and I’m also a member of Senate Republican leadership serving as a Majority Whip.
Because of my role on the Ethics Committee, I need to refrain from weighing in on the specifcs of the allegations against Senator Ellsworth in this column to maintain due process for the senator. But I feel compelled as a member of leadership to inform Montanans about the strange political dynamics in play.
There is a reason that Senator Ellsworth is no longer President of the Senate. The vast majority of the Senate Republican Caucus learned his true nature over the past several years and knew that we needed to turn the page to new leadership.
When Republican senators caucused, chose leadership, and made committee assignments in November, a majority of Republican senators elected Senator Matt Regier as Senate President instead of Ellsworth. Ellsworth was not placed on any committees with too much power or with too much involvement in spending taxpayer money. Most Republican senators recognized these as things that needed to be done even before we knew about the new allegations of fnancial misconduct.
Then, on the very frst day of the 2025 legislative session, Senate Democrats did something nonsensical and surprising. Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers, a Bozeman Democrat, got all Democratic state senators and a small group of Republican senators to give Senator Ellsworth a bunch more power.
Senator Flowers and Senate Democrats changed the Senate’s rules to make Ellsworth the chair of the only committee that has authority to exercise the legislature’s constitutional duty to confrm Governor Greg Gianforte’s entire cabinet. Because of Flowers and the Democrats, Ellsworth
now has massive infuence over every state agency.
Democrats also voted to put Ellsworth on the powerful Senate Finance and Claims Committee, which has control over the state’s budget and every large expenditure of taxpayer money. Most of the small handful of Republicans who voted with the Democrats to give Ellsworth all this power can be forgiven for that mistake, as most of them are freshmen in the Senate and/or don’t know Ellsworth well.
Senator Pat Flowers has no such excuse. He’s worked with Ellsworth for years, complaining about broken deals and a lack of trust. Yet for some incomprehensible reason, he and other leaders of the Senate Democrats still burned down their bridges with the majority of Senate Republicans to give Ellsworth the power he desires.
Bizarrely, it’s not Republicans who are propping up alleged corruption by a Republican senator. The blame for that rests squarely on the shoulders of Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers. Sen. Sue Vinton, SD20 Senate Majority Whip Senate Ethics Committee Chair
Fact
check challenge
Government statistics indicate over the last 50 years the Republican Party has had a steady decline in ethics and morality and a steady increase in cheating and criminality. This is especially true in the Party’s choice of presidents.
For example, under the Nixon administration John Mitchell, H.R. Halderman, John Ehrlichman and Charles Colson were adjudicated criminals. Under Ronald Reagan, Casper Weinberger, Robert McFarlane, Elliot Abrams, Alan Feirs and Duane Clarridge were convicted.
Under George Bush, Lewis Libby, David Safavian, Claude Allen, Jack Abramof, J. Steven Griles, Roger Stillwell, Italia Federici and Jared Carpenter went to court and were found guilty. When Donald Trump was in charge, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Micheal Flynn, Michael Cohen, George Papadopoulos, Roger Stone and Elliot Broidy were all criminally convicted.
This adds up to 26 convicted criminals in the administrations of the Republicans’ choice of presidents. How does that compare with the Democrats? Jimmy Carter had no one in his cabinet who had been convicted of criminal activity. Clinton had four including James McDougal, Susan McDougal, Henry Cisueros and Web Hubbe. And under Biden’s administration there were no convictions.
This means that Republican Administrations over the last 50 years have six times the number of criminal convictions for breaking our country’s laws than Democrats. After Trump is elected these numbers will undoubtedly and dramatically increase the amount of dishonesty and unethical activity in the White House. How much more illegal and sinful activity will our executive branch commit? No one knows. During this time, Republicans have accused Democrats of crimes and misconduct without proof or court adjudication.
One thing is for sure though. Loyal and patriotic Americans and ethical citizens will vote for more honest and law-abiding ofcials to represent us. If the Democrats are evil, good people will choose and support the lesser of the two evils.
Mark Snider Hamilton
Selway-Pintler Back
Country Horsemen
The Selway-Pintler Wilderness Back Country Horsemen meet the 2nd Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the Forest Service ofce in Hamilton (enter through the rear door). Come enjoy refreshments and conversation. For additional information contact Kathy Hundley at 406-363-8230. Visit the website at bchmt.org/ wp/spwbch/ or their Facebook page for more information.
A Course of Love study group Fridays 10:00 a.m.12:00 noon.
Center for Spiritual Life, Hamilton Call: 406-381-6480
Yoga for Veterans FREE to veterans, frst responders, and their families! Tuesdays, 1-2pm at the American Legion Post 94 in Stevensville Register at: redwillowlearning.org OR call 406-530-7175. Come see us on 1st Friday in May ‘bout 1800 for more info! We’ll be in front of Active Care Wellness on Main in Stevensville
MS Support Group
Bitterroot MS Support Group meets every 3rd Thursday of the month in the Gallery room at the Cofee Cup Cafe in Hamilton, 500 S 1st Street, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Have a slice of pie, dinner, or just come to chat with others about living with Multiple Sclerosis. This is a positive and uplifting group that holds open discussions, and the occasional guest speaker. Find more information at www.nationalmssociety.org or contact Jackie Peterson, (970)518-293, jackierpeterson@gmail.com
Republican Central Committee
The Ravalli County Republican Central Committee regular monthly meetings are held the frst Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at The Place Church, 273 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton. All are welcome to attend.
Bitterroot Celtic Society
The Bitterroot Celtic Society meets every 3rd Thursday at 6 p.m. at BJ’s restaurant in Hamilton. The Bitterroot Celtic Society is a passionate group of volunteers, dedicated to keeping the Celtic culture, heritage, and history alive in the Bitterroot Valley. Their biggest event is the Bitterroot Celtic Games and Gathering, held every third weekend in August at the Historic Daly Mansion. They also host a Burns’ Night supper, St. Andrew’s, St. Patrick’s, and Tartan day events. The BCS is a non-proft organization. The public, new members, and the curious are always welcome to attend. For any time changes or additional committee meeting info, follow their Facebook page for updates.
North Valley Library
How to Use Your New iPhone & iPad — Thurs, Jan 23 at 6pm
Did you get a new iPhone or iPad for Christmas? Or maybe you’ve had yours for awhile and would like to be more confdent using it. During this handson program, we will practice navigating Apple products, customizing settings and fnding useful features, as well as answering specifc questions or problems you may have. Participants are encouraged to bring their own device but iPads will be provided if needed.
Lunchtime Writing Retreat—Mon, Jan 27 from 12-2pm
Carve out time to write or work on a creative project without the distractions at home. This is the perfect opportunity to commit to your writing practice, fnish that lingering project, or follow wherever your imagination leads. There will be no instructor or requirements. Come by for the entire 2 hours or anytime between 12-2pm. Held on the last Monday of every month in the community room.
How to Use Your Android Phone—Thurs, Jan 30 at 6pm
Did you get a new Android phone (non-iPhone) for Christmas? Or maybe you’ve had yours for awhile and would like to be more confdent using it. During this hands-on program, we will practice navigating a cellphone, customizing settings, and fnding useful features, as well as answering specifc questions or problems you may have. Please bring your phone with you.
HHS Bands citrus sale fundraiser
The Hamilton High School Bands are currently taking orders throughout the month of January for their annual Citrus Fruit Fundraiser. The band sells navel oranges and ruby-red grapefruit in 20lb and 40lb boxes, and mandarin oranges in 5lb boxes. The proceeds from the sale go to help fund music, instruments, tuxedo cleaning and repair, and festival entry fees. The citrus fruit will be delivered the frst week of March, just in time for Spring. If you would like more information, or to place and order, please call the HHS Bandroom at 375-6060 ext. 5216.
Hamilton school board
Governance Committee
Thursday – February 6, 2025
12:00 p.m. – District Ofce Conference Room
The Committee will be conducting this meeting with live participation. In addition to meeting in person, the District will also be streaming the meeting on YouTube. You are encouraged to join the
The Board will be conducting this meeting with live participation. In addition to meeting in person, the District will also be streaming the meeting on YouTube. You are encouraged to join the meeting at: https://www.you tube.com/@HSD3Boardmtg
Grief support
programs
at Tamarack Grief Resource Center
Missoula
Jan. 24th, 9:1510:15am: Book Club (In per son) January’s Book: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Jan. 27th, 5:15 - 6:30pm: Grief After Suicide and T matic Loss Adult Support Group
Jan. 30th, 3 - 6pm: A Mini Camp to Remember -Winter Wonderland
Ongoing: 1:1 Support / Counseling
Stevensville
Ongoing: 1:1 and Gr
Support
Virtual/Statewide
Jan. 28th, 5:30 - 6:30pm: Book Club (Virtual) January’s Book: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Ongoing: 1:1 Support / Counseling
Visit tamarackgrc.org to explore Grief Support oppor tunities, check the calendar for upcoming programs, or contact TGRC about r ing support for yourself or a loved one: Missoula/Stevensville: 406-541-8472 or info@tamarackgr
Republican Women
Ravalli County Republican Women’s Club will hold its monthly meeting and lunch on Tuesday 28 at 11:30 a.m. at BJ’ Restaurant in Hamilton. Guest speaker will be Jack Callaghan talking about cy ber security. Ravalli County
Sports
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Hamilton, Corvallis tripleheader honors Robert
The boys and girls varsity basketball and wrestling teams from Hamilton hosted Corvallis on Thursday, January 16 in a “tripleheader.” This has become an annual event for the two neighboring schools to battle it out on the same night.
The girls basketball teams played frst and Hamilton won 36-33. The wrestling teams then dualed, with Corvallis winning 59-22. Finally, the boys basketball teams played last and Hamilton won 66-37.
This year’s tripleheader had extra special meaning as both schools used the event to honor the spirit of Robert Leonardi and the Play it Like Robert Foundation (see story below).
Hamilton 36, Corvallis 33
The girls started of the night. Both the Corvallis and Hamilton girls teams have young squads this year - Corvallis has two seniors while Hamilton only has one. Corvallis came into the game with a 3-4 record, while Hamilton came into the game having lost seven straight games, although they had been competitive in those losses.
The two teams were equally matched and the game was close throughout. Hamilton jumped out to a quick lead, then Corvallis fought back and Hamilton led 16-12 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Broncs built a 23-14 lead only to see Corvallis come back to take a 25-24 lead early in the 4th quarter. From then on it was back and forth, but Hamilton made the plays they needed to at the end and got their frst win of the season, winning 36-33.
For Hamilton, Ashlynn McKern led with 16 points, Ella Grifn had a solid game and scored 11 points, Mariah Domingo and Loretta Hanson each added 3, Kennidi Cooper had 2, and Nellie Dickemore added 1.
At 138, Corvallis’s Byron Stoker pinned (1:36) Hamliton’s Cameron Beall.
At 144, Hamilton’s Torean Carroll defeated Corvallis’s Rogan Sutherland 8-0.
At 165, Corvallis’s Kade Bowles defeated Hamilton’s Caleb Clairmont 17-2.
At 190, Hamilton’s Noah Guisinger pinned (1:39) Corvallis’s Maurice Craun.
At Heavyweight, Hamilton’s Jesse James pinned (1:20) Corvallis’s Blaine Wallace.
Hamilton 66, Corvallis 37
After the wrestling mats were rolled of the court, the two boys teams took center stage for the nightcap. Both schools had a rowdy student section and the gym was flled with fans from both communities.
A play at the start of the game helped ignite the crowd. Hamilton’s Canaan Magness stole the ball, headed down the court, and tossed an alley-oop to a streaking Tyler Jette who caught the ball and threw down a two-handed slam.
This set the tone for the night and Hamilton controlled the game from there. The Broncs led 19-8 after the 1st quarter and 28-15 at half. The second half was more of the same as the Broncs rolled to a 29-point victory.
Hamilton’s Canaan Magness led his team to the promised land with 22 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds. Tyler Jette had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Landen Wetzel got hot from
Corvallis 59, Hamilton 22
After the girls game concluded, the wrestling mats were rolled out and the two teams squared up. Corvallis won the dual 59-22. The Blue Devils won many of the matches by forfeit as Hamilton didn’t have wrestlers in all the weight divisions. The following were the match results.
At 103, Wesley Hunt of Hamilton pinned (1:12) Corvallis’s wrestler.
At 132, Hamilton’s Cole Yocom pinned (2:18) Corvallis’s Shane Spencer.
behind the arc, making 5 three-pointers and scoring 17 points. Kaden Gum had 3 points and 6 rebounds. Jake McCarthy had 3 points and 2 steals, and Cartier Ferguson and Cash Lockhart each added 2 points. For Corvallis, Aydan Mayn had 10 points and 9 rebounds, Dylan Wirt had 9 points and 8 rebounds, Ledge Conner had 7 points, Drew Lewis had 4 points and 8 rebounds, Tanner Sorensen had 4 points, and Domenic Piccolo added 3 points.
At left: Hamilton’s Ella Griffn (#3) and Corvallis’s Kaia Benson (#33) fght for position in Hamilton’s 36-33 victory over Corvallis on Jan. 16 in Hamilton. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Corvallis’s Kade Bowles tries to get position on a Hamilton wrestler at the Hamilton/Corvallis tripleheader on Thursday, Jan. 16 in Hamilton. Bowles won the match 17-2. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Corvallis’s Easton Jessop (#2) defends Hamilton’s Jake McCarthy (#1) in Hamilton’s 66-37 victory over Corvallis on Jan. 16 in Hamilton. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Play Like Robert Foundation celebration
Hamilton and Corvallis used the January 16 tripleheader as a way for both communities to celebrate the spirit of Robert Leonardi and the Play Like Robert Foundation.
Robert Leonardi, son of Phil and Alyce Leonardi, and brother of Meryn Leonardi (Hamilton’s guard on the basketball team), was tragically killed by a hit and run driver in July of 2019 when crossing Golf Course Road near his home. From this tragedy sprung the Play Like Robert Foundation.
The Leonardis are long time teachers, student advisors, club leaders, activity directors and coaches at Corvallis High School. Mark and Joy Yoakam, Robert’s grandparents, have been educators and coaches in both the Hamilton and Corvallis school districts. Mark currently serves on the Hamilton School Board.
Because of all these connections, Hamilton decided that this year’s Corvallis/Hamilton matchup would be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate Robert’s spirit by bringing the two communities together.
During the games there were numerous activities and events celebrating Robert and the Foundation. Both schools wore t-shirts during warmups that read “Play Like Robert.” All the proceeds from the 50/50 rafe went toward the Play Like Robert Foundation. The concession stand sold clear Lotus drinks with blue glitter - blue was Robert’s favorite color. Also at the concession stand, the Hamilton Booster Club sold a “Robert’s Meal” which was a hot dog and a drink - Robert loved hot dogs. Students and spectators were encouraged to wear sports jerseys, as this was a favorite thing Robert liked to do. Finally, there was a paper airplane contest. Robert had won two of these contests in 2019 and loved the competition.
Sports
by Scott Sacry Sports Editor
Basketball in the Bitterroot
Darby 54, Anaconda 56
On Tuesday, January 14, the Darby boys hosted Anaconda. Darby led 3527 going into the 4th quarter, then the Copperheads made a comeback and tied the game in regulation, sending the game to overtime. The game was tied after the frst overtime and went to a second, where Darby fell short, losing 54-56.
For Darby, Jordan Browning led the way with 17 points, Leif Nelson had 16, Braydon Lundgren had 11, Ben Martin scored 5, McCoy Townsend had 3, and Oliver Long added 2. Darby 41, Anaconda 59
On Tuesday, January 14, the Darby girls hosted Anaconda and lost 41-59. The Tigers trailed 15-34 at halftime, then rallied in the second half but couldn’t make up the diference. For Darby, Hadley Heiland led the way with 20 points, Natalie Anderson had 13, and Georgia Fisher and Lilly Bennett each added 4.
Then on Friday, January 17, the Darby boys and girls played at Deer Lodge. Darby won 49-39 in the girls game. In the boys game, Darby lost 33-48.
Florence 68, Drummond 31
On Tuesday, January 14, the Florence girls played Drummond. They jumped out to a 43-13 halftime lead and cruised to a 68-31 victory. For Florence, Kenzy Pickering led with 15 points, Kendyl Meinhold had 14, Maggie Schneiter and Ali Meinhold each scored 7, Emory Ralston and Madigan Hurlbert each had 6, Taylor Pyette had 5, Jaden Fisher had 4, and Shelby Crocker and Alex Nelson each added 2.
Florence 70, Arlee 11
Lopesided victories are becoming a trend in Montana high school basketball, but the Florence/Arlee girls game on Saturday, January 18 in Florence was eye opening. Florence went into halftime leading 46-2 (gulp). They took their foot of the gas in the 2nd half and coasted to the 59-point victory.
For Florence, Ali Meinhold and Jaden Fisher led the scoring with 14 points each, Maggie Schneiter had 12, Kendyl Meinhold had 11, Kenzy Pickering had 8, Shelby Crocker had 5, Madigan Hurlbert had 4, and Brooke Hildebrand added 2.
Florence 77, Arlee 44
The Florence boys also hosted Arlee on Saturday, January 18. The Falcons erupted in the 1st quarter, outscoring the Warriors 30-9 en route to a 77-44 victory. Florence’s Brody Duchien once again had the hot hand and scored 26 points, Jake Schneiter had 19, Bridger Alexander had 12, Mose Smith had 11, Laasch Makoa
and Levi Winters each had 3, Kade Anderson had 2, and Mason Arlington added 1.
Florence 67, Deer Lodge 42
The Florence boys played at Deer Lodge on Thursday, Jan. 16 and won 67-42. The Falcons had a big 2nd quarter where they outscored the Wardens 24-8. For Florence, Brody Duchien had a big game, scoring 23 points, Mose Smith and Bridger Alexander each scored 15, Jake Schneiter had 12, Levi Winters had 3, and Wes Potter added 1.
Hamilton 58, Stevensville 17
The Hamilton girls went to Stevensville on Friday, January 17 and won 58-17. For Hamilton, Ashlynn McKern led the way with 19 points, Ella Grifn had 11, Kennidi Cooper and Tricia Wilson each had 6, Mariah Domingo, Loretta Hanson and Meryn Leonardi each had 4, and Annalise Lewis and Elise Carroll each added 2.
Hamilton 82, Stevensville 39
The Hamilton boys also went to Stevensville on Friday and won 82-39. Hamilton was up 35-14 at halftime then cruised in the second half to get the victory.
The Broncs had a well rounded attack with four players scoring in double fgures. Tyler Jette had 18 points and continues to be a rebounding machine, grabbing 11; he also had a team high 4 steals. Canaan Magness had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Landon Wetzel had another strong game, scoring 16 points with 4 three-pointers, Kaden Gum was solid with 15 points and 9 rebounds, Cash Lockhart had 6 points, Jake McCarthy added 4 points, Gage Bierer had 3 points, and Easton Hollis added 2 points.
Although this was a lopsided victory, the Stevensville boys had some good moments and look to be improving every game.
Stevensville
The Stevensville boys and girls basketball teams hosted Anaconda on Monday, January 13. The Stevensville boys lost 35-38 in a competitive game. The Yellowjackets led 27-25 going into the 4th quarter but faltered down the stretch to lose by 3 points.
For Stevensville, Jake Gavlak had a big game with 19 points, Angus Trangmoe had 7, Tanner Brown had 5, David Beames had 2, and Evan Montague added 1.
The Lady ‘Jackets fell 13-52 in the girls game.
The Stevensville boys went to Butte Central on Saturday, January 18 and lost 40-94. The Stevensville girls hosted Butte Central on Saturday, January 18 and lost 22-64.
Stevi’s Vernon named to Dawson CC Hall of Fame
Tawnya Vernon, a Stevensville native, has been selected for the Dawson Community College Hall of Fame. Vernon will be formally inducted during the school’s Hall of Fame Banquet on January 25, 2025, which will be held at the Toepke Center in Glendive.
Vernon was a star on the 2001 DCC softball team that placed third at the national Junior College Athletic Association’s Division III World Series. She was DCC’s freshman MVP as a pitcher that same year. She was one of the top softball players that DCC produced in the frst 10 years of the program.
Vernon was selected to the All-Regional IX Team, NJCAA District C All Tournament Team, and the NJCAA All Tournament Team. In the frst ten years of the softball program at DCC, Vernon held records for lowest ERA (1.35), strikeouts (170), win-loss percentage (65%), and complete game shutouts (6). In 2002, Vernon led the Lady Bucs back to the World Series where they fnished in 4th place. Vernon is the daughter of Vickie and Arnold Vernon.
Bitterroot Valley Wrestling
Jug Beck Rocky Mountain
Classic
On Friday, January 17 and Saturday, January 18, Missoula Sentinel hosted the annual Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic. There were teams from 30 Montana, Idaho and Washington schools. Paired with this event is the John Fisher, which included JV wrestlers and those who lost out from the Jug Beck. Wrestlers from Hamilton, Stevensville and Corvallis were among the participants.
As would be expected with so many wrestlers, placing in the Jug Beck was hard to do. For Corvallis, Chase Davis placed 4th at 103 and Sean Davis placed 8th at 126. Hamilton’s Jesse James placed 7th at Heavyweight.
Choteau Classic
The wrestling teams from Florence and Darby joined 23 other schools in the Choteau Classic on Friday, January 17 and Saturday, January 18. In the boys team standing, Florence fnished 5th and Darby fnished 16th. In the girls team standing, Darby fnished 14th and Florence fnished 18th.
Individually for Darby, Shannon Stuart took 1st place at Heavyweight,
Victor On Friday, January 17, the Victor boys and girls played at Seeley Swan. Victor lost 23-72 in the girls game. Then in the boys game, Victor was defeated 18-90. For the Victor boys, Kyle Glasser led the way with 7 points, Koen Nuttal had 5, Chris Betts had 3,
and Eli Spross took 3rd at 215. For the Darby girls, Logan Paddock took 1st place at 140, and Halana May took 6th at 155. Individually for the Florence boys, Brett Riley placed 2nd at 157, Jett Murray placed 2nd at 175, Max Rosenthal placed 3rd at 138, Caleb Scussel placed 4th at 103, Landon Serevaag placed 5th at 126, Isaac Nicoson placed 5th at 144, and Jacob Schauer placed 6th at Heavyweight. For the Florence girls, Audrey Blair placed 5th at 115, and Libby Lee placed 6th at 103.
Hellgate Girls Wrestling Invitational
The girls wrestlers from Stevensville, Corvallis and Hamilton were in Missoula on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 for the Hellgate Girls Wrestling Invitational. This was a huge event with girl wrestlers from nearly 30 regional high schools. The Bitterroot Valley had three girls who placed in this deep event. For Corvallis, Jocelyn Covington placed 3rd at 135. For Stevensville, Keenya Gibson placed 4th at 130, and Avery Faler placed 6th at 105.
Hayes Likes had 2, and Kordel Martin added 1.
Victor hosted Lincoln on Saturday. Victor lost 18-85 in the boys game. For Victor, Colin Lewis led the way with 12 points and Koen Nuttal added 2 points. In the girls game, Victor was defeated 16-55.
Players from Hamilton and Corvallis wore “Play Like Robert” warmups on Thursday, January 16 as part of the celebration to honor the spirit of Robert Leonardi and the Play Like Robert Foundation. Photo by Scott Sacry.
Tawnya Vernon
Obituaries
Jack Wigen
Hamilton - Jack Wigen, 82, storyteller extraordinaire, jack of all trades, and an honest, kind, gentle, and funny man, went peacefully to be with his God on Thursday, Jan 2nd, 2025.
Jack was born in Shelby, Montana on December 13, 1942. After graduating from Shelby High School, he studied early childhood development at Montana State University-Bozeman before enlisting in the Army. Following his discharge, he returned to his hometown and became a police ofcer. His many stories from that time were imbued with the integrity that underpinned his deeply felt commitment to truly “serve and protect.”
During that period, he and his frst wife Carrol (née Freeman) raised two sons, Michael and Gregg. As new opportunities arose, they frst moved to Conrad before he and Carrol fnally settled in Hamilton in 1987. An amazingly talented and versatile carpenter by trade, he managed the Hamilton UBC lumber yard before turning his carpentry acumen to building log homes, hotels, and pretty much anything else made of wood. Jack lost Carrol in 1994 after a difcult battle with cancer, but he trusted the path God laid before him.
In 1995, he married Ginny Oliver, the love of his life, and together they pursued adventure. They took long trips to visit family and explore new vistas in Alberta and on both American coasts, where they camped, fshed, and hiked.
Jack and Ginny spent two-and-a-half years living in Las Vegas, which was Jack’s home base while he travelled around the country building 300 Starbucks stores, including kiosks in famous museums and
Agnes May Tracy
Stevensville - Agnes May Tracy passed away on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the age of 94. She was born Agnes May VanAusdle on January 17, 1931, to Mable and Isaac VanAusdle.
She had a brother and two sisters, all of whom preceded her in death. She graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1949. She worked several jobs, including being a fagger for a crop duster, cashier at the Larson Air Force Base Commissary, waitress, cook, and for various newspapers. In 1949, she married Louis Russo. They had three daughters and divorced in 1964. She married Melvin House in 1965, and they lived in Wallace, Idaho, until he died during the Sunshine Mine Fire in 1972. While living in Wallace, she sold Tupperware for years and became an Avon Representative, and over the
Death Notices
Judith A. Hoy
Stevensville - Judith A. Hoy, 85, passed away in the afternoon, Friday, January 17, 2025, at home with her husband of 58 years, Robert, by her side. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.
Sharon K. Smolinski
Stevensville - Sharon K. Smolinski, 78, passed away Sunday, January 12, 2025 at her home in Stevensville. No services are planned.
even the New York Public Library (often carving his initials into their nooks and crannies!). Thankful to return to the quiet and beauty of his and Ginny’s beloved home on Rose Lane, Jack kept himself busy in retirement by building sawhorses and “birdhouses.”
When it came to his heart and mind, Jack lived “one day at a time as a friend of Bill W” for 48 years. By sharing his stories and well-earned insights, he mentored and encouraged those who listened.
next 30 years, she earned many top sales awards. She also enjoyed bowling and participated in several leagues over the years. She became a Latter Day Saints Church member in 1969 and devoted her life to helping anyone in need, especially the younger generation, from those doing mission work to young couples starting out. She married Glen Tracy in 1975; he died in 2008. They enjoyed traveling and visiting their grandchildren. They instilled the importance of hard work, determination, education, faith in God and country, and giving back to others and community.
Agnes was preceded in death by Glen, her stepson Lane, her granddaughter Jennifer, and great-granddaughter Aspen. She is survived by Linda Day and her husband, John, of Stevensville,
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.
Patrick Joseph Heimark
Florence - Patrick Joseph Heimark, 89, passed away quietly at home on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.
Donald R. Few
Victor - Donald R. Few, 91, of Victor
passed away Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at the Southwest Montana Veterans Home in Butte. Services will be held in Glenrock, WY at a later date. Condolences may be left for
With humility and hope, he was actively involved in his church, where he found peace and comfort. He and Gin went to Christmas Eve service just a week before he left this world. Despite being in great pain and needing to use a walker, he was determined to celebrate Christ’s birth.
His passing was preceded by that of his mother and father, Margit and Elmer; his frst wife Carrol; his sister Judy; and his son Michael, who was tragically lost to diabetes in 2003.
He leaves behind Ginny, his beloved wife of almost 30 years; sister Connie, of Cut Bank; brother-in-law Denny Moreen and his family; son Gregg and daughter-in-law Tina; and his two dear granddaughters, Kaitlin and Allison, whom he loved with great pride and will be listening for him as he roars across Heaven on his motorcycle. Jack will also be deeply missed by countless friends throughout the Bitterroot, his woodworking buddy Tana, and the many strangers unknowingly touched by his generosity, warmth, and wit. He is missed already by his precious furry friends: Abbie, Callie, eleven chickens, and two sheep. Jack, wealthy in every way that mattered, led an incredibly rich life. His memorial will be held at Faith Lutheran Church on Saturday, April 12, at 11 a.m., and his Planting Party will be in early June at the home Jack and Ginny shared for three decades.
In lieu of fowers, donations will be welcomed by Faith Lutheran Church and Bitter Root Humane Association. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
MT, daughter Roxanne Owen of Benson, AZ, and daughter Dawn Evans and her husband, Jim, of Star City, AR, and her stepdaughters Glenda, Teresa, and Tami—as well as, 14 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren. In lieu of fowers, the family is asking for donations to the Shriners Hospitals in the name of Agnes Tracy. Below is a link to the Shriners donation page. https://donate.lovetotherescue.org/ give/273578/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=memorial-gifts&c_src2=donate-online-link
A service will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the Whitesitt Funeral Home. Interment will follow the service at Riverside Cemetery. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.
the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.
Zita Rudvalis Pinesdale - Zita Rudvalis, 99, passed away in the early
morning hours of January 15, 2024. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.brothersmortuary.com.
Midwinter meanderings, 2025 vol. 3
A prophet undervalued in his homeland
The story I’m about to tell goes back to Bob and Judy Kline, who built Nez Perce Ranch on the Nez Perce Fork of the Bitterroot. They both worked at the Berkeley Manufacturing Company in Spirit Lake, Iowa in the mid-1970’s, best known for their monofilament fishing lines.
Judy worked in advertising at Berkeley when she met Doug Swisher. The Klines and Doug became fast friends.
by Chuck Stranahan
Doug’s groundbreaking books, co-authored with Carl Richards, were changing the face of flyfishing. The first book, “Selective Trout,” coined the phrase of its title. Today we talk all the time, especially when the fishing is tough, about trout
The Klines, meanwhile, had left Berkeley and invited Doug to visit.
Things moved fast from there. He pulled up stakes, left Berkeley, and headed for the Bitterroot to join his friends, the Klines.
He developed a mail-order (eventually online) product line featuring the flies of some of the best-known fly tyers of the 20th century. He enjoyed discovering new talent, and gave many tackle developers and fly tyers an initial break into the then-small fly fishing market. The fly tyers included Pennsylvania-based photographers, authors, and flyfishing instructors, Barry and Cathy Beck, who were just beginning their flyfishing careers..
When he came to the Bitterroot, Doug got to know the work of several local fly tyers, supported them financially and gave them full credit in his catalog, the same boost and
with dental plastics (he was a dental lab factory rep before becoming a full-time fly fisherman) demonstrating that a sharp, barbless hook penetrates deeper, holds better, and causes less tissue damage than a barb. He told me of his studies when we were eating ice cream one hot summer afternoon in 1980 on the porch of my shop, Hat Creek Anglers in northern California.
California’s Hat Creek became America’s model trout stream for wild trout management. I saw the barbless hook reg go into effect on Hat when Doug and I fished it during the early ‘80’s. Fish survival went up, damage from hooking went down – while angler numbers exploded.
Commercial floating was limited on nearby Fall River, and eliminated entirely on the smaller, more vulnerable Hat Creek. We lobbied for those changes, too.
In his later years, Doug was hit by a stroke but never lost his passion for fishing, fly tying, or conservation. He didn’t get out much, then, but he and his wife Sharon continued to be regular and welcome visitors at my shop in Hamilton into the 2020’s. We talked about the old days, people we knew, shared stories. We’d also touch on the overfished state of the West Fork and
Doug Swisher.
Melissa Huss Realtor
Carrie Brushia Associate Broker
-5691
RINK: everyone welcome
continued from page 1
closed. The entire operation is run by volunteers, and includes a concession stand full of
helmets and hockey sticks that are free for anyone to use.
“It has been very popular and we want to encourage families to come enjoy the rink,” said Bethea.
The rink also
The Civic Club is actively looking for volunteers to help out as hosts, and is accepting any donations of skates, helmets and walkers.
For additional information or to inquire about getting involved, you can reach Bethea by phone at 406-403-6491 or by mail: Florence Civic Club, PO Box 544, Florence MT 59833.
Study led by MSU scientist lends insight into Earth’s water cycle
The research examines how water moves from ground to atmosphere through plants and has implications for climate and ecosystem health.
A new study led by a scientist in the Montana State University College of Agriculture provides the frst comprehensive global estimates of water stored in plants and the time it takes for that water to fow through them. The research addresses a gap in understanding of the global water cycle and how it is being changed by land use and climate.
Andrew Felton, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, is lead author of the study, which was published Jan. 9 in the journal Nature Water. The publication culminates research Felton began during a postdoctoral fellowship at
Chapman University in California. Felton found that all of Earth’s vegetation stores about 786 cubic kilometers of water, roughly enough to fll Flathead Lake 34 times. The time it takes for water to fow through plants and return to the atmosphere — referred to as “transit” or “turnover” time — ranges from fve days in croplands to 18 days in evergreen forests, the paper states. Felton said those results underscore vegetation’s dynamic role in the water cycle. The average time it takes for water to travel through plants and back to the atmosphere is 8.1 days, globally. In comparison, the water in lakes is estimated to take 17 years and the water in glaciers is estimated to take 1,600 years.
“We have known for a long time that most of the water that returns from the ground to the atmosphere does so through plants, but until now, we did not really know how long it took,” said Felton.
“Our results show that the transit of water through plants occurs on the order of days, rather than months, years or centuries.”
By combining estimates of the transit of water through plants with the transit of water through the atmosphere (about 8-10 days) and through soil (about 6090 days), scientists can begin to estimate the total time it takes for a drop
of water to move through the entire terrestrial water cycle. They found that the transit time of water through vegetation varied considerably across land cover types, climate and seasons. Transit time through croplands was consistently the fastest, with water transiting through plants in less than a day during the peak of the growing season.
“One important observation is that croplands around the world tend to have very similar and very fast transit times,” said Gregory Goldsmith, another of the paper’s authors and an associate professor of biological sciences at Chapman University. “This indicates that land use change may be homogenizing the global water cycle and contributing to its intensifcation by more rapidly recycling water back to the atmosphere, where it can turn into heavy rain events.”
To generate the estimates, the team frst calculated the amount of water stored in plants using data from NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive
satellite mission, which provided high-resolution estimates of the water in soils. The mission originally saw plants as interfering with soil moisture measurements and corrected for their presence, but Felton’s team found that those corrections contained valuable information about the amount of water stored in plants.
“Plants are the forgotten part of the global water cycle,” said Felton. “The results suggest that the transit time of water through plants is likely to be very sensitive to events such as deforestation, drought and wildfre.”
The study has implications more locally for Montana, he added.
“Much of Montana is comprised of ecosystems with rapid transit times, such as grasslands and croplands,” said Felton. “A better understanding of the transit times of water fowing through plants in these water-limited ecosystems has important applications for water resource management, including predicting drought vulnerability and managing irrigation.”
Florence Civic Club members Ann Bethea and Roger DiBrito. The Civic Club manages the Florence Ice Rink and is always looking for more volunteers.
Photo by Kristin Kruse.
Donated skates ready for use. Photo by Kristin Kruse.
MSU News Service
Skaters enjoying the fre pit at the rink. Photo courtesy of Roger DiBrito.
Andrew Felton, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at MSU.
“Slavery after Slavery: Revealing the Legacy of Forced Child Apprenticeships on Black Families, from Emancipation to the Present” by Mary Frances Berry c.2024, Beacon Press $27.95 184 pages
Your kids will have a better life than you had.
You’ll make sure of it, saving for their education, demanding excellence from them, requiring discipline, and ofering support for their dreams and desires. Their success is your dream and, as parents did in the new book “Slavery after Slavery” by Mary Frances Berry, you’ll fight to see that it happens.
In the years after the end of the Civil War, some Southern former slave owners refused to accept that slavery was over, and the courts often sided with them. In particular, under habeas corpus, Black children were sometimes taken from their parents and placed into an “apprenticeship,” which was another word for “slavery” then. Berry estimates that more than two million 10-to-19-year-olds were trapped in this way for years.
Here, she shares the stories of many of them.
In late 1865, Nathan and Jenny Cox lost their five children to their former “master,” who also took seven other children by persuading a local magistrate to let him apprentice the kids. As time passed, some of the children took their former owner’s last name as their own which, in efect, erased their family’s history.
When six-year-old Mary Cannon was in danger of being apprenticed, a white woman came to her defense. Ultimately, the courts sided with Mary’s benefactor and the girl was returned to her parents to live on their former enslaver’s plantation.
Hepsey Saunders tried to leave her former owner’s plantation, but he “refused to let her take the children” that were born
when she was enslaved. Though the theft of her children happened in 1865, the story lingered over a span of decades.
In most of the cases Berry cites, the families
– with or without the return of their children – remained uneducated, unhealthy, and under discrimination.
by Terry Schlichenmeyer
Imagine, she says, that these former slaves had had a chance to control their own lives. Imagine, she says, “if these black people were permitted to pursue the American Dream…”
While it may seem that “Slavery after Slavery” is a historical narrative, that’s not all you’ll get if you tackle this skinny book.
When reading the stories inside here, readers may struggle to keep track of what’s told. The accounts are a bit repetitious and each one packs a lot of names, legal decisions, court rulings, and places, some of which nearly require a law degree and all of which demand full attention. That can be overwhelming, unless you shut the door and avoid any distraction.
Author Mary Frances Berry uses these stories to point out lasting damage done to many Black families, which is essential info for readers to ponder. She goes further to argue that what happened to the two million children is reason enough for reparations, which makes a good argument but it’s sometimes misplaced inside the fow of this book.
Still, readers will agree that the accounts Berry uncovered have been hidden too long, and shedding light on them is essential. What’s in “Slavery after Slavery” educates, and could help make conversations better.
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Legal Notices
Montana 21st Judicial District Court, Ravalli County
In the Matter of the Name Change of Candice Gayle Clarke, Candice Gayle Clarke, Petitioner.
Cause No.: DV-24-457
Dept. 2
Jennifer B. Lint
NOTICE OF HEARING ON NAME CHANGE
This is notice that Petitioner has asked the District Court for a name change from Candice Gayle Clarke to Candice Gayle Clarke-Jessop.
The hearing will be on February 13, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be at the courthouse in Ravalli County.
DATED this 31st day of December, 2024.
/s/ Paige Trautwein
Clerk of District Court
By: Michelle Goldman
Deputy Clerk of Court
BS 1-8, 1-15, 1-22, 1-29-25.
MNAXLP
INVITATION TO BID
AGGREGATE MATE-
RIALS
The Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners is now accepting proposals for the delivery of 2025 through 2026
AGGREGATE MATERIALS
SUPPLY. Sealed proposals will be received by the Ravalli County Clerk & Recorder at the County Administrative Center, 215 South Fourth Street, Suite “C”, Hamilton, Montana, 59840, until Monday 4:00 P.M. MST on JANUARY 27, 2025. The proposals received will be publicly opened and read aloud at 11:00 a.m. MST on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 by the Board of County Commissioners in the Commissioners Conference Room located at 215 S. 4th Street, (third foor), Hamilton, MT. Contract documents may be examined or obtained at the Ravalli County Road & Bridge Department ofce at 244 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton, Montana, 59840. Questions relative to the standard and special provisions may be directed to the Ravalli County Road Department at (406) 3632733. Questions relative to the bid process may be directed to the Ravalli County Commissioners Ofce at (406) 375-6500. No proposal may be withdrawn after the scheduled time for the public opening of proposals, which is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. MST on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. Ravalli County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received, to waive informalities therein, to postpone the award of the contract for a period of time not to exceed sixty (60) days and to accept the lowest responsive and responsible proposal determined to be in the best interests of Ravalli County Chris Taggart, Administrative Assistant Ravalli County Commissioners Ofce BS 1-15, 1-22-25.
MNAXLP
PUBLIC NOTICE
CORVALLIS COUNTY
SEWER DISTRICT
The Board of Directors of the Corvallis County Sewer District will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 5:30 pm for the purpose of taking public comment on a proposed resolution to increase the one-time service fee for new connections to the wastewater treatment system from the current fee
$5,000.00 connection fee to $10,000.00 connection fee. The public hearing will be held at the Corvallis Fire Station #1, 317 Woodside Cutof Road, Corvallis Mt. For written comments, please send letters to PO Box 134 Corvallis Mt 59828 or by email to ccsdmon-
tana@outlook.com. For more information, please call Erik Hoover at 406-5305953. BS 1-15, 1-22-25.
MNAXLP
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE THE HAMILTON ZONING COMMISSION AND HAMILTON CITY
COUNCIL
Zoning Request 202405 & Annexation Petition 2024-04 – A request by Dan Brandborg of Totulum LLC, to annex a tract of land that is currently unzoned and to establish a zoning designation of Local Business District (B-1). The property is approximately 7,484 square feet, and addressed as 216 Marcus Street, Hamilton, MT. The property is identifed by Ravalli County Tax ID # 622600 and Geocode 13-1468-30-2-02-10-0000, and is legally described as:
A tract of land in and being a portion of Government Lot 2, Section 30, Township 6 North, Range 20 West, P.M.M., Ravalli County, Montana, and being more particularly described as Parel A, Certificate of Survey No. 4583. Excepting therefrom that portion deeded to the State of Montana for the beneft and use of its State Highway Commission recorded in Book 101 of Deeds, page 583. Deed Ref: 503979
The Hamilton Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing to take public comment and consider a recommendation on the zone map amendment request on Monday, February 10, 2025 at 5:30 PM on the 2nd foor of Hamilton City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, MT.
The Hamilton City Council will hold public hearings to take public and make a decision on the zone map amendment request and the annexation petition on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM, and Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 7:00 PM, during its regular meetings on the 2nd foor of Hamilton City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, MT.
The public may attend and make comment in person, or on the Internet / by phone through Zoom. Instructions are available on the City of Hamilton website www.cityofhamilton.net, or by contacting mrud@cityofhamilton.net or cityclerk@ cityofhamilton.net. Comments prior to the Zoning Commission meeting may be submitted to the Planning Department at mrohrbach@cityofhamilton. net. Comments after the Zoning Commission meeting may be submitted to the City Clerk at cityclerk@ cityofhamilton.net. Comments for the Planning Department or City Clerk may also be mailed or delivered in person to 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, MT 59840. Related materials will be made available on the City of Hamilton website prior to the meetings, and can be obtained by contacting the Planning Department at (406) 363-2101 or mrohrbach@cityofhamilton.net.
BS 1-22, 1-29-25.
MNAXLP
LEGAL NOTICE
The Bitter Root Irrigation District (BRID) is accepting sealed bids for a used 1962 Caterpillar Road Grader. The Grader is located at 1182 Lazy J Lane, Corvallis, MT 59828. Interested parties can view the grader at that address.. Sealed bids will be received by BRID ofce located at 1182 Lazy J Lane, Corvallis, Mt 59828 until 4 PM on February 10, 2025. Sealed bids will then be opened by the BRID Commissioners at 10:00 AM on February 11, 2025, in the Commissioners Conference Room, 1182
Lazy J Lane, Corvallis, Mt.
The District Board of Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all bids.
BS 1-22, 1-29.25.
MNAXLP
RAVALLI COUNTY
AIRPORT
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
RAVALLI COUNTY
Ravalli County is soliciting Statements of Qualifcations and experience (SOQ) to be used in selecting a Principal Consultant(s) to provide services for Airport Engineering Services and/or Aviation Planning Services for Airport Development Projects for Ravalli County’s Airport. Services are outlined in FAA Advisory Circular 150/1500-14E, Change 1, Section 1.4.2 including engineering services for all phases and required incidental services for projects, which may be multiple-grant funded. The contract(s) for Airport Engineering and Aviation Planning services is expected to be for a fve-year period.
Engineering Services to be provided may include, but are not limited to the design, construction inspection, coordination and administration of all project stages for the following projects:
1. Pavement Construction, Rehabilitation, and Maintenance
2. Lighting, Signing, Navaid, and Electrical Improvements
7. Revenue Generating Facilities – Fuel System / Hangars``
8. Fencing, Gates and Drainage Improvement
9. Acquire Snow Removal Equipment and Buildings
10. Site Development
11. Water and Wastewater Improvements
12. Coordinate Other Engineering Projects as Necessary
Planning Services to be provided may include but are not limited to the planning, coordination, and administration of all project stages for the following projects:
1. Environmental Documentation
2. Complete Aeronautical Surveys
3. Update Airport Layout Plan (ALP) Master Plan
4. Capital Improvement Planning (CIP)
5. Coordinate Other Planning Projects as Necessary
The work may be accomplished during the course of multiple grants. All parties are advised that some services may not be required and that the Sponsor reserves the right to initiate additional procurement action for any of the services included in the initial procurement. If more than one part is selected the expected projects to be performed by each party will be defned, together with the statement of work and the required services, at the time of the procurement action. The Sponsor will provide notifcation to each frm of the projects they are being awarded.
Selection criteria contained in the FAA Advisory Circular 150/5100-14E, will be applied with numerical rating factor assigned to the following:
1. Degree of interest shown in undertaking the project and familiarity with and proximity to the geographic location of the project
2. Recent experience in similar projects and airports
3. Quality of projects previously undertaken and
capability to complete projects without having major cost escalations or overruns
4. Qualifcations of key personnel
5. Capability of performing projects
6. Capability of meeting deadlines, schedules, and budgets
7. Reputation and references
8. Meeting the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) contract goal, evidence documenting that the consultant met the DBE goal, or by documenting that it made adequate good faith eforts to meet the DBE goal (See 49 CFR, § 26.53)
9. *Capability to conduct a Value Engineering (VE) study for projects that are particularly complex or have unique features. Order 5100.38, Chapter 3, Subsection 3-57; AC 150/5300-15, Use of Value Engineering for Engineering and Design of Airport Grant Projects; and AC 150/537010 Standards of Specifying Construction of Airports, contain additional guidance on VE studies.
*Relates to Airport Engineering Services.
Upon review of the submitted material, Ravalli County may select a consultant or multiple consultants for separate engineering and planning services based on the submitted materials or reduce the list of applicants to approximately three (3) for oral presentation each. A detailed scope of work will be developed with the selected consultant(s). Firm consulting fees will be negotiated, utilizing an independent cost estimate as necessary, for the services to be performed under an FAA grant as approved by the FAA. This contract is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 11246 (Afrmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity) and to the provisions of Department of Transportation Regulations 49 CFR Part 26 (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation). DBE frms are encouraged to submit.
To be considered for these services, please provide fve (5) (4) copies, plus one (1) unbound copy of a Statement of Qualifcation (SOQ) no later than 4:00 PM on Wednesday, February 05, 2025 at the Ravalli
County Clerk and Recorder’ Ofce, 215 S. 4th Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT 59840. All responses must be submitted in a sealed envelope plainly marked “Statement of Qualifcations Airport Engineering and/or Planning Services.”
Applicants may submit separately on airport engineering or planning services (or application submissions may be combined). The Statement of Qualifcations should not exceed 30 pages. The submittals will be opened Thursday, February 06, 2025 at 10:30 AM.
Questions or comments contact, Chris Taggart, BCC AA (406) 375-6500. BS 1-22, 1-29-25. MNAXLP
Attorneys for Co-Personal Representatives MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY
In the Matter of the Estate of MARIO di LORENZO, Deceased.
Probate No. DP-412025-0000003-IT
Dept No. 1 NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the undersigned have been appointed as Co-Personal Representatives 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 Michael di Lorenzo and Glenn di Lorenzo, the Co-Personal Representatives, in care of CHOUINARD & WINDERL, 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 7th day of November, 2024. /s/ Michae di Lorenzo
Co-Personal Representative /s/ Glenn di Lorenzo Co-Personal Representative
CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C.
Attorney for Co-Personal Representatives By: Megan S. Winderl BS 1-22, 1-29, 2-5-25. MNAXLP
Attorneys for Personal Representative MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, RAVALLI COUNTY In the Matter of the Estate of TERRY FRED TANNER, Deceased.
Probate No. DP-412025-0000005-IT
Dept No. 1 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 TYLER TASH, the Personal Representative, in care of CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C., 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 7th day of January, 2025. /s/ Tyler Tash Personal Representative CHOUINARD & WINDERL, P.C.
Attorney for Personal Representative By: Megan S. Winderl BS 1-22, 1-29, 2-5-25. MNAXLP
